Recent Belize News, 4/11/2016 to 4/20/2016, 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

Life’s a Beach in Belize
Ahh, the beach…it calls to you daily – teasing and tempting with the sound of waves crashing ashore…shimmering shades of blue and green waters warm enough to lounge in for hours (SPF please), trade winds blowing, perhaps the simple addition of a refreshing beverage or two, a good book or trashy novel…hey, even a hammock between two coconut trees or at the end of a rickety wooden dock. However, Belize’s shorelines are different from the postcard visuals most visitors expect. Ambergris Caye doesn’t have a typical ‘beach’ scene with rows of white sand edging blue waters as far as the eye can see. There are some spots like that, but our waters are home to turtle grass, where fish and rays can play close to shore. Our Barrier Reef protects us from large crashing waves, so docks line our shores where you can jump in and play with the wild marine life.

Ambergris Today

New Garbage Compactor Added to San Pedro Sanitary Fleet
Growing pains of booming tourism industry on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize - As the development continues to increases on the island, so does the need for more infrastructure and yes, more vehicles to meet the demands of services provided. The sanitation department of the island is one feeling the pressure with the growing amounts of garbage being produced. To meet these demands of garbage collection, the San Pedro Town Council has acquired four garbage compactors, one of which was delivered to the island today, April 19, 2016. San Pedro Mayor Danny Guerrero and Deputy Mayor Gary Greif were on hand at the unveiling and indicated that the service vehicle will be put to use immediately.

San Pedro High School Talking Business
by Madison Pearl. Leave it to my parents to get me to go to school even on the weekend! I was not excited to go to the San Pedro High School’s Business Fair on my day off at all, but as soon as I got there I realized it wasn’t such a bad idea. I’m going to high school in a few years and now I’m really looking forward to it! These kids had real business plans and they were so creative. Models of their buildings, flat screen displays, samples of their food, even mascots and I was in the middle of all of it! I totally took a selfie with a little monkey dude! The seniors and juniors at the San Pedro High School had to present business plans to the public and judges. Some of them went as far as making jingles and commercials for their businesses. They opened Facebook pages and everything! We walked around the booths and got the kids to explain their plans to us and we could tell they put a lot of work into their projects.

Misc Belizean Sources

SBDC Workshop: Basics of Labour Law
April 21st, 2016. Time: 1pm - 4pm. PRICE: FREE. Location: BTEC Building, ITVet Compound, Freetown Road. Belize City, Belize. This informational session on Labour Law will cover various acts under Labour Legislation which includes: Chapter 287- SHOPS ACT Chapter 297- LABOUR ACT (including Amendment #3 of 2011) Chapter 298 - SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES IN ESSENTIAL SERVICES ACT Chapter 299 - TRADE DISPUTES (ARBITRATION AND INQUIRY) ACT Chapter 304 - TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS' ORGANIZATIONS (REGISTRATION, RECOGNITION AND STATUS) ACT The Labour Department's mandate, among many others, is enforcement and compliance with these legislation's. This will all be related to Belize's international obligations as a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Additionally, the session will provide an overview of as it relates to the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees.

Drones banned within the boundaries of ALL Archaeological Reserves
The Institute of Archaeology, NICH would like to advise all Tour Operators, Tour Guides and the General Public that to ensure the safety and security of all visitors, the use of DRONES IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED within the boundaries of ALL Archaeological Reserves.

Chaa Creek Eco Kids Camp 2016
Chaa Creek is accepting essays for their 2016 Eco Kids Summer Camp. If you know any kids that are interested, let them know that all they have to do is write a 300 word essay about why they want to be an Eco Kid. "It's almost time for our Eco-Kids summer camp 2016! Kids between 9 & 12 submit your entries to [email protected]!"

And so ends another great Birdathon, last of three
If you call yourself a Belizean birder, then Dawson's Creek and Lamanai Savannahs should be on your eBird list for this year. These are places of sublime beauty, where birding is explained by a second definition. Dawnson's Creek just before dawn. There is something about how light starts spreading over the sky and how silhouettes play with shadows of color over the vast landscape, that attracts your attention. Lamanai Savannahs at dawn.

Book launch of Ms. Kesha Peyrefitte's book
Last Thursday Embassy staff had the opportunity to attend the book launch of Ms. Kesha Peyrefitte's book titled, "What If..I Love Her and Other Stories" at the National Heritage Library. Ms. Peyrefitte's book of short stories is the first book published by a Belizean this year in Belize. Congratulations and keep up the good work. Developing and promoting literary arts is important!

Wild Flower Fashion Show
The Imagine Greater Modelling Agency is having their Wild Flower Fashion Show this Saturday at Cahal Pech. It starts at 7:00pm, and the after party will be at Thirsty Thursdays. "IGMA Fashion Show event is about displaying a collections of newly designed clothing, and showcasing Belizean Models at their best. Promoting Health, beauty and Wild Flowers."

U.S. Citizen Town Hall Meeting- Cayo
Friday, May 20 at 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The U.S. Embassy will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting for American Citizens on May 20th in Cayo at the The Aguada Hotel, Santa Elena. If you are an American Citizen residing in Belize in this area please join us.

Channel 7

Zika: CDC Posts Travel Advisory For Belize
Since November of last year, we have been reporting extensively on the Zika virus. As we told you, the presence of Zika has been confirmed in all neighboring countries, but not in Belize. Well, all that has changed because the Centers for Disease Control sent out a Zika travel notice today - putting Belize on the map of countries reporting active Zika mosquito transmission. It's troubling news for Belize, but the Ministry of Health isn't taking the CDC's word for it. Health CEO Ramon Figueroa told us that they knew this travel advisory would be released but that they will await the test results from CARPHA before they confirm that there are Zika cases in Belize. Figueroa says they remain vigilant and have sent 5 more samples to CARPHA this week. Now, Zika isn't as severe as, say…dengue. The symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, and, in most cases, the illness is mild with symptoms lasting less than a week.

No Charge Yet For Man Who Cops Say Shot "Shiney"
No one has been charged as yet for Gerald "Shiney" Tillett's murder. The alleged killer is still hospitalized in a stable condition and is under heavy police guard. As we told you, on Saturday night the reputed leader of the George Street Gang was hanging out at the Wadani Shed in Dangriga along with the owner David Rodriguez and another friend Carlos Sharp. They were playing a round of 'Dice' when a gunman opened fire under the shed. Tillet was shot to the head while Rodriguez and Sharp were both shot to the chest. That is when another one of Tillett's friends shot the gunman in the back twice - with a licensed firearm.

SSG Boss Says: Not Involved In Shiney Murder
Now as we told you Tillett's murder in Dangriga might be related to some gang rivalry in Belize City. That's because Tillett is the reputed George Street Gang leader and police say his alleged shooter is associated with the Southside Gangsters - both gangs are known rivals. Here's how the commander of the GSU put it yesterday:... Supt. Mark Flowers, Commander, GSU: "We know that he is a Dangriga resident who have lived in Belize City and who is also closely associated, that is a suspected shooter, with the South Side gang." And while that narrative seems straightforward, the man said to be the leader of the Southside Gangsters Wababa Norales called 7News today and told us the cops have it all wrong. Norales told our news Director Jules Vasquez that while he does have, quote, "controllance of Griga" end quote, he was in the city at the park at the time of the murder, and was as surprised as anyone else to hear about it. He says he doesn't know who is behind the murder - but acknowledged that Tillett has many enemies. He also said that while the Southside Gangsters have an ongoing rivalry with George Street so do many other gangs.

Grijlava Attorney Says Noh Mul Appeal Likely
On Thursday - UDP Politician Denny Grijalva, his wife Emelda and project manager Javier Nunez will go before the Chief Magistrate in Belize City to be sentenced. Nunes has been found guilty of, causing the removal of earth from an ancient monument without a permit, while Grijalva and his wife are guilty of "removing earth from an ancient monument...and wilful damaging on an ancient monument." The monument in question is Noh Mul and Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith found, quote, "The damage to the mound is irreversible as the excavation has resulted in only the core being left.... the Crown..proved all elements of the offences beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore finds the defendants guilty of all charges." And while the defence for Gijlava's team argues that the equipment found at the site was commandeered by villagers and used without their consent, the Chief Magistrate found, quote, "if the Maya site was destroyed by the agents of the defendants, can the defendant's be held liable? The Court is of the view that the company and the directors i.e. Mr Denny Grijalva, Ms Emelda Grijalva and the project manager Mr Javier Nunez are to be held liable and accountable for the acts of its servants...for the criminal acts of those who illegally excavated Noh Mul. They are to be held accountable."

Guatemala Rejects Sarstoon Peace Protocol
Guatemala has rejected Belize's proposals for keeping the peace on the Sarstoon. As we reported, on Friday, April 8, talks were held at the OAS Adjacency Zone office, and Belize put forward an 11-point draft proposal for a protocol on the Sarstoon River. The Guatemalan's counter-proposal amounts to a rejection of the protocol. They want all Belizean vessels to check in with them before proceeding down the Sarstoon. It's a major disappointment for Belize, and just last week when Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington revealed the draft proposal, he told us that was optimistic that it would be well received on the other side of the border: Daniel Ortiz: "Based on your discussions with the Guatemalan representatives, are you gentlemen hopeful that this modus Vivendi as proposed will meet its success?"

Lozano Blames 7News For House Shot Up
Last night, we told you about gunmen who shot up the Lozano home on Marage Road in Ladyville. That happened in the early morning hours of Saturday, and the family worried that the assailants might return for another attempt, since no one was injured during the weekend. Today, Cynthia Lozano sat down with 7News and she described what happened that night after she had only just gone to bed: "I got home at ten to two that Sunday morning. I went to bed about 2:45-2:50 thereabout, and was awaken by loud kicks at my door. Right after the kicks, my husband got up to find out what the noise was about. Immediately we heard three gun shots, he came out the door and I followed behind. I looked for my kids and saw they were okay. By that time they had knocked all the lights off. I called my son who wasn't at home, because my other boy thought he came home and it was him outside. He said 'mom I'm still in Cayo'. I then called the police, they asked me a few questions, I told them 'I'm not opening my door until you guys get here', of which they did. What transpired there, I really and truly don't know, like I told you, I was awaken from my sleep. I honestly believe they would have executed the job that they came to do and everyone in my home would have been dead, because you cannot leave someone to tell the tale. That was my worst fear that night."

Felix Brothers Will Stand Trial For Mark Gentle's Murder
Today several charges were dropped against the Felix brothers - Maurice and Emory. They were both charged for shooting 27 year old Mark Gentle and 34 year old Calvin Cumberbatch on May 25th, 2015. Both Gentle and Cumberbatch were sitting on a step in front of their house that Monday night when a vehicle pulled up and 2 men let off a barrage of gunfire, and sped off. Cumberbatch was treated and released for his injuries but Mark Gentle, known as Mark Vernon died a week after on June 8th 2015. Now in terms of the court case against the Felix brothers - they were initially charged with 2 counts of attempted murder, 2 counts of dangerous harm, and 1 count of use of deadly means of harm. But today at the Preliminary Inquiry, those charges were dropped in relation to the shooting of Calvin Cumberbatch.

Court Says Cruise Visitor's Cannabis Cool
31 year-old American Cruise Tourist Ashley Williams received a stroke of judicial generosity when she was arraigned today before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. She was caught with a very small quantity of marijuana. Williams, a resident of Virginia was taken to court today on a single count of possession of a controlled drug. When the charge was read to her, she told the court that she came on today's cruise ship from Virginia, and that she bought 1.8 grams of cannabis - less than one tenth of an ounce - in Belize City, not knowing that it is still illegal in this country. After consideration, Magistrate Mendoza dismissed the charge, and cautioned Williams that she now knows it to be illegal, and that she must not be arrested for being in possession of the drug in Belize again. Magistrate Mendoza commented to court reporters that he reason he dismissed the charge without any sanctions was that the cannabis was sold openly to her, against her knowledge of its illegality. He added that police should start to crack down on persons who are selling drugs.

Dr. Z Links Up With BPP
The yellow and green political camp have gotten the technical expertise of one very prominent Belizean educator and economist. He is Dr. Louis Zabaneh whose official membership in the independent party was heralded in a press release today. He has been named the, quote, "Sustainable Human Development Advisor to the Executive.

Sales Rep Charged For Sex With Minor
A man is spending his first night in prison today after he was accused of having sex with a 13 year old girl. The minor reported to police that 28 year old Sales Representative Shane Gentle had sex with her twice on March 24th . A medical examination on the child confirmed that she had been carnally known. Today the Belize City resident of Tibuce Street appeared in court without an attorney. In court he was read two charges of unlawful sexual intercourse. No plea was taken and he was offered no bail, due to the nature of the offences. As a result he will wait out the remaining days until his next court session on remand at the Belize Central Prison. The case was adjourned until May 17th.

"Shiney" Always Shied Away From Spotlight
Today - as they did yesterday - the family of 36 year old Gerald "Shiney" Tillett declined an interview with 7News. They told us "you can say what you want." And indeed the public image of someone labeled as a gangster always looms much larger than the person's family life. Much of that image is informed by legend and public speculation. From a public perspective, for all his renown, Shiny never gravitated to the spotlight - in fact he shied away from it, and as far as we know, he only ever gave one interview to the media. We dug into our archives today to look at some of the few public appearances he made:... Tillett was the father of 10 children. His funeral will be held on Saturday at 10:30 at St. John's Cathedral, and he will be buried right at Lord's Ridge Cemetery.

Vision and Vice On Vacation
A Canadian Pop music duo calling themselves "Vice and Vision" are in Belize seeking inspiration on a musical tour of Belize. They stopped by our studio and spoke to us about the work they've been doing, and why they chose Belize in the first place. They plan to be in Belize at least for the next month or so. But before they go they hope to perform a show at the Prison. They told us more about the idea.

Fundraiser To Save Cleyon
There will be a BBQ and Pastry sale this Saturday for little Cleyon Marage. As we had told you, Cleyon urgently needs a $100,000 bone marrow transplant and his parents are trying to raise that money, but they need your help. So if you want to assist the family you can stop by the fundraiser this Saturday at 42 Cleghorn Street from 10 to 3 in the afternoon. 12 year old Cleyon was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2014. He is receiving treatment in Merida.

Not Bashing Assad
Before we close tonight, we must make a clarification to a story which we aired last night. We told you that Assad Shoman, the Opposition Leader's representative in the Belize/Guatemala bilateral talks, is recommending a change to Belize's Maritime Areas Act. We reported that he thinks it prudent to change the law so that Belize claims its full 12 miles of territorial seas. We must specify that he was referring to the twelve miles of seas between the Sarstoon and the Ranguana Caye. Right now in the law's current state, Belize is only claiming 3 miles of its territorial waters as way to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala. Now that these negotiations have failed, Shoman is recommending that the law be amended so that Belize can claim the other 9 miles of territorial seas that exists between the Sarstoon and the Ranguana.

Channel 5

O.A.S. Secretary-General Visits Belize
Secretary-General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro arrived in Belize today as part of a scheduled two-day visit to promote the culture of peace at the Adjacency Zone. [...]

Police Remain on High Alert Following Murder of GSG Boss
Police are being deployed in many neighborhoods on the south side of Belize City, as they brace up for any eventuality, following the murder of Gerald “Shiny” Tillett in Dangriga [...]

Cops Say Closing Businesses Had Nothing to Do With Murder
Following the murders of Gerald Shiny Tillett and Kadeem Castillo, at least two clubs—Dino’s Night Club and Thirsty Thursday—were reportedly closed down just after midnight on Saturday. Several businesses in [...]

Coastguard Officer Accidentally Shoots Himself
A Coast Guard Petty Officer Class Three is tonight recovering at the K.H.M.H. after he was injured at the Coast Guard’s Forward Operating Base in Consejo. From a very preliminary [...]

Felix Brothers Will Stand Trial for Murder
The Felix brothers, Maurice and Emory, will have to stand trial for the murder of Mark Gentle and attempted murder of Pamela Cumberbatch at the June session of the Supreme [...]

Are You Surprised by Guatemalaâ€™s Rejection of the Sarstoon Proposals?
And tonight question is: Are you surprised by Guatemalaâ€™s rejection of the Sarstoon proposals? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our [...]

CDC Confirms Zika in Belize
The Center for Disease Control in the U.S. has confirmed that there is zika in Belize. The Ministry of Health, however, has not confirmed that report because it says it [...]

Denny Grijalva Guilty of Razing Ancient Mayan Site
After three years of constant adjournments and delays, U.D.P. Orange Walk Central political caretaker Denny Grijalva was found guilty, along with his wife Emelda Grijalva and Project manager Javier Nunez. [...]

Punishment May Not Fit the Crime
The next step will be mitigation pleas followed by sentencing. But here’s the thing. Under the NICH Act, Grijalva could face fines of up to ten thousand dollars. Banner says [...]

Alrick Smith Case for Malicious Prosecution in Court
It was big news in July 2014 when an entire family, seven persons from the Lake Independence area, was locked down after a firearm was found in the home. It [...]

Arlie Petters Appointed Trinity Dean of Academic Affairs
Belizean born mathematical physicist Doctor Arlie Petters has been appointed to dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Trinity College in North Carolina, U.S.A. Doctor [...]

Taiwanese Technical Team Complete Helicopter Assembly
After just about two weeks in Belize, a seventeen member team from the Republic of China on Taiwan – comprising engineers, technicians, mechanics and pilots – has completed the assembly [...]

Police Investigate Accident in the City
Up to news time, statements were being recorded by the police on an accident that occurred just before three this afternoon in Belize City. A motorcyclist was knocked down at [...]

Santorino Sotz Says Police Are Corrupt
Police Constables Hallet King and Leonard Nunez were the two officers charged for the vicious killing of eighteen year old Baptist High School student Hilberto Sotz inside the police station [...]

Taste of Belize 2016 Will Be Bigger and Better
This year, the Belize Tourism Board will be bringing back the Taste of Belize, a competitive culinary show. Chefs, bakers and bartenders from across the country will face off in [...]

Jimmy Morales Comments for Donald Trump
To close the news tonight, we report on a recent statement made by Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Morales was interviewed by a New York Times reporter and was asked specifically [...]

CTV3

Kim Simplis Barrow Visits Schools In The North
Yesterday Special Envoy for Families and Children Kim Simplis Barrow, the founder of the Lifeline foundation, visited three schools in the Corozal District including the Libertad Seventh Day Adventist School whose faculty and staff was more than ready to receive her. Kim Simplis Barrrow – Founder of Lifeline Foundation: “Life-Line black and white gala is coming up and normally we look at one of our districts and we focus on the schools there and this year around is give your heart here at Corozal, we at Life Line always want to go to the schools and so our own inspection so that is what we did, we did three schools today; we did Libertad, San Narciso and Caledonia, the plan for Libertad is really and we looking at a, for this school is looking at a Computer Lab, which is very much needed so it is a construction of a physical computer lab and the donation of computers and we were also looking at the roof from the first building that was established here and the roof is bat infested and so we will be looking to see if we could make enough money to replace the roof.”

NTV Heads Out to Garbutt Falls
Saturday April 30th marks the 157th anniversary of the 1859 Treaty between the governments of the UK and the republic of Guatemala which recognized the border between Belize and Guatemala, and as a tribute to the historic event the Northern Territorial Volunteers (NTV) have organized a day trip to the Garbutt's Fall marker in Western Belize, which separates Benque Viejo Town from Guatemala's Melchor De Menchos. Yesterday during our morning show, Despierta Belice, we spoke to two members of the NTV who told us why it is very important for Belizeans to make an effort to attend this trip Northern Territorial Volunteers: “When we commemorate that date so we are planning this trip to go there and show people our monument so that is the main reason, to educate them of the date that the treaty was signed and to visit our monument and to see what our monument is because as far as we understand the OAS is in charge to keep this monument still and the last trip we went there the monument was in a deplorable condition; a lot of garbage and it was very, very dirty and so we want to sensitize the people and take them there and show them this is what we have so we are inviting the public at large to come out on this trip it is a very educational trip.”

Another Hike On Fuel Prices
If you visited the pumps over the weekend you might have noticed that once again there were changes in the cost of domestic fuel. The changes, which occurred on Friday, saw the cost per gallon of premium gasoline increasing by two cents, going from nine dollars and six cents to nine dollars and eight cents while the cost per gallon of diesel increased from seven dollars and sixty four cents to seven dollars and eighty seven cents, a difference of twenty-three cents. But there is some good news for consumers of regular gasoline, as it saw a slight decrease of eleven cents, reducing from nine dollars and six cents to eight dollars and ninety five cents. The last time we reported on changes in fuel prices was April 8th 2016.

Guatemala Rejects Belize's Proposal
Many of you may remember that on Friday of last week a draft proposal was presented to Guatemala by a Belizean delegation during a bilateral meeting that took place at the OAS office at the adjacency zone in Benque Viejo. After the draft proposal was presented, the Guatemalan delegation asked for a one week grace period to consider the proposal and deliver a response. That week is up and although GOB has not officially spoken on the issue, information is that Guatemala has rejected the 11 proposals without offering an alternative. For context, we revisit Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrignton’s presentation on the draft proposals. Hon. Wilfred Elrington- Minister Foreign Affairs “The channels of the Sarstoon River shall continue to be freely navigable by vessels and boats of each of the two countries without any interference or trailing by the other. The second…whenever any vessels of any one of the parties approaches the base of the other party or any other vessel, it shall reduce its speed as a token of respect and friendship and to avoid injury or damage to persons or property.”

Grijalva Inclined To Appeal Guilty Verdict
As we mentioned in yesterday’s newscast, a decision was handed down in the case against Denny Grijalva, his wife Maria who were representing De mar’s Stone Company and Javier Nunez, the foreman of the company who were charged with willfully damaging an ancient monument, removing earth from an ancient monument and causing destruction of an ancient monument respectively back in June of 2013. At that time Grijalva's company was accused of using the material of the historical Mayan Site, Noh Mul fix roads in the Orange Walk North constituency. All three individuals were found guilty of the charges at the Corozal Magistrates Court by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith.Attorney for the Grijalva’s and Nunez, Brian Neal, spoke today with our colleagues at Seven News and according to him, the decision taken by the court came as quite a surprise and the next step to be taken by his clients will more than likely be to appeal the decision as he believes the wrong persons were accused of destroying the Maya Site.

NTV Educates The Youths On Flag Protocols
For the past few months the Northern Territorial Volunteers have been carrying out an educational campaign at different schools and organizations throughout the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. The purpose of the campaign is to educate Belizeans about the proper flag protocols of Belize. According to leader of the NTV, Jeovannie De la Fuente and member David Espadas, although the response from Belizeans has been very poor so far, they are very optimistic. Northern Territorial Volunteers: “The response of Belizeans as a whole when it comes to these types of things unfortunately is very poor, you would be surprise that if you ask a standard six student what the red signifies on our flag they don’t know, they don’t know that that is unity, they don’t know how the red got there, the student don’t know what the fifty leaves mean in our flag and that is the aim we are teaching these people we have held several teaching sessions with adults and they ask what this means and yes what the teachers are fighting for that we need to teach our student the flag protocol.”

NTV Describes Draft Proposals As Band Aid Solutions
Yesterday representatives of the Northern Territorial Volunteers were guest on the Despierta Belice morning show. President of NTV Geovanni De La Fuente and member David Espadas visited the show to promote the groups trip to Garbutt Falls which we’ll tell you about in a few. During yesterday’s conversation NTV representatives were asked to give their input on the 11 proposals presented to Guatemala by Belize to defuse confrontation at the Sarstoon. While we know now that Guatemala has rejected those proposals De La Fuente and Espadas are of the opinion that the 11-point draft proposal for a peace protocol in the Sarstoon is just a Band-Aid solution to a problem that requires real action.

LOVE FM

Guatemala Rejects Belize’s Proposals
On Wednesday, April 13, Belize’s Foreign Minister Wilfred Sedi Elrington in the company of former Foreign Minister, Assad Shoman addressed the media in a press briefing at the NEMO’s Conference Room in Belmopan where a list of protocols presented to Guatemalan counterparts were shared. In that brief, Elrington says that they had given the Guatemalans […]

Grijalva Guilty of Destroying Ancient Monument
There was public outcry at the local and international level when it was discovered that a large portion of the Noh Mul Mayan Temple was destroyed. The marl from the temple was used to pave roads in a nearby village. Operation ceased when National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) officials learnt of what was […]

Belize Sends Additional Samples to CARPHA; Awaiting Results on First Samples
Belize’s health officials have sent six more samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Port of Spain for ZIKA testing. Majority of those samples derived from the south and were taken during the epidemiological investigation launched in the southern and western part of Belize. Meanwhile, Belize’s health officials were expecting results from Port […]

Taiwan’s Ambassador Tests Helicopters in Belize’s Airspace
Two weeks ago, a seventeen member team from the Republic of China Taiwan arrived in Belize. The team comprised engineers, technicians, mechanics and two pilots. The team was dispatched by the Government of Taiwan to assemble the two UH-1H helicopters gifted to the Belize Defence Force. Shortly after its arrival, the team embarked on the […]

Another Change in Fuel Prices
Ten days ago we told you of a price change at the gas pumps that saw the increase of regular fuel and diesel by sixty two cents and twenty one cents, respectively. Last Friday, those prices were changed again which shows a lowering of regular fuel by eleven cents thus making it eight dollars and […]

Belize to Implement National Drivers Database
Taiwan’s Technical Mission in Belize has teamed up with the Central Information Technology Office (CITO) to bring an electronic system to Belize for driver and vehicle licenses as well as vehicle registration complemented by a web portal for information access. Technology experts from Taiwan were in Belize meeting with officials from the Transport Department conducting […]

Briceno Continues His Familiarization of 31 Divisions
This past weekend, the People’s United Party held a meeting at Maracas in Orange Walk Town to elect a Chairman for the Orange Walk South committee. That person will be replacing Jose Abelardo Mai since he is now the Deputy Leader North on the party’s national executive. During that meeting, Thea Garcia was elected. As […]

PUP and Shoman – A Strange Relationship
The People’s United Party had recently appointed its former Foreign Minister, Assad Shoman to sit on the Belize/Guatemala team along with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Wilfred Elrington. It is a strange relation to say the least, particularly since Shoman has stated clear that he is not a member or supporter of the blue and white […]

Dr Petters Appointed as Dean of Academic Affairs and Vice Provost at Duke University
Dr Arlie Petters is no stranger to Belizeans as he has been quite active in the education sector in Belize. His invaluable contributions and humble personality have not only been recognized in Belize but also in the United States where he spent much of his years; so much so that Dr Petters have been appointed […]

Guard Stabbed Whilst Foiling Robbery at Free Zone
Two nights ago a security guard employed at the Corozal Free Zone Security, was stabbed. Reports are that a robbery was in progress at an establishment when the security guard tried to intervene. All that is known to Love News is that there was a struggle between the security guard and the thieves. As a […]

Gang Leader Slain Under the Wadani Shed
Well known street figure, Gerald Shiney Tillett was gunned down on Saturday night in Dangriga. The incident unfolded at a popular hang out spot in that municipality. Correspondent Harry Arzu filed this report. HARRY ARZU REPORT “36-year-old, Gerald Tillett, leader of the George Street Gang in Belize City was shot and killed in Dangriga while […]

PlusTV

Gerald “Shiny” Tillett is dead; retaliatory shootings kill another in Belize City
Reputed George Street Gang Boss 36 year old Gerald “Shiney” Tillett is dead. He was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. The shooting happened while he and two others were socializing at the popular gambling spot, Wadani Shed, on St. Vincent Street in Dangriga Saturday night. We hear from S...

Western Regional Hospital crawling with gang affiliates; armed security called in
As we told you, following the transportation of two of the shooting victims to the Western Regional hospital on Sunday, as well as the body of the notorious street figure, Gerald Tillet, to the Belmopan morgue, Hospital administration had to call in police assistance as several vehicles of Belize Ci...

Man stabbed in bar fight; dies
A man was killed on Caye Caulker as he tried to part a bar fight. On Sunday April 17, at about 8:00 p.m. a fight broke out at SIP & DIP Liquor Establishment located on Avenida Hicaco on Caye Caulker. Police say that Leon Gordon went to separate a fight between Austin Gabourel and Jeremy Rhaburn,...

Is Saturday night carnage in City linked to Shiney execution in Dangriga?
Police in Eastern Division (South) say they are still working to confirm whether the death of 22-year-old Kadeem Castillo on Saturday night, as well as two other shootings, are linked to the death of Gerald “Shiney” Tillett in Dangriga Town. Today Senior Superintendent Alden Dawson, deputy commander...

Belize City “not on lockdown”
The measures taken by Police on Saturday night in the wake of the murder of Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett seemed to amount to something of a “lockdown” of Belize City. Shops were shut by 9 at night and two nightclubs were closed down by midnight in spite of having extensions. But according to Senior Superi...

Was gang rivalry behind Shiney Tillett’s murder?
Who killed Gerald “Shiney” Tillett in Dangriga Town on Saturday night, and why? Police in both the Culture Capital and the Old Capital are seeking the answers to both questions tonight. Because Tillett was a well-known gang figure, the obvious place to start would be gang rivalry, whether internal o...

Biscayne man shot in chest at home
A 43 year old man was shot to the chest on Saturday night in Biscayne Village at his home at 26 3/4 miles Phillip Goldson Highway. Ladyville police filled us in on the details. Inspector Juanito Cocom, Officer Commanding Ladyville Police: David Richard Taylor, 43 year old, Belizean Laborer of Philip...

Amandala

George Street gang boss executed in Dangriga
The peace at the Wadani Recreational Center at the corner of Mangrove and St. Vincent Streets in Dangriga, was shattered at about 7:00 Saturday night as people scrambled for cover after gunfire erupted during a gin card game under a shed, leaving one man dead and two others injured. Witnesses say that a gunman went to the shed and shot a player identified as Gerald “Shiny” Tillett, 37, of George Street, Belize City, the reputed boss of the George Street gang. Tillett was shot in the back of the head, and as he slumped forward onto the table, the gunman fired some more shots, hitting two other men. One man was shot in the side of the abdomen and the other man was shot in the chest as they attempted to escape from the murderous gunfire.

Guilty of destroying ancient Maya site, Noh Mul!
When Noh Mul Pyramid, the ancient Maya site located in San Pablo, Orange Walk District, was bulldozed on May 13, 2013, by Dé Mars Stone Company to extract white marl, it made national and international headlines, and now, after almost three years, the criminal charges brought by the state have been heard and guilty verdicts have been read out in court. Dé Mars Stone Company is owned by the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Orange Walk Central caretaker Denny Grijalva, and his wife Emelda Grijalva, who are listed as directors of the company and who were charged, along with Javier Nunez, the company’s project manager, and its excavator, Emil Cruz, for causing damage to the ancient Noh Mul Maya pyramid by removing the white marl for roadfill without a permit. Eight months after the trial commenced in the Corozal Magistrate’s Court, it came to an end today when Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith found that the Crown had proved its case against the four accused.

Kadeem Castillo, 19, executed on Madam Liz Crescent
Kadeem Castillo, 19, of Madam Liz Crescent; Venancio Carter, 27, of Partridge Street; and Justin Belgrave of East Canal were shot in three separate incidents in the city on Saturday night, April 16. Castillo was shot in the head and chest and died on the scene, while Venancio Carter was shot in the knee and elbow. Justin Belgrave, 37, was shot in the groin. Carter was treated and has since been released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), while Belgrave has been admitted to ward at the KHMH in a serious condition. The first to be shot was Belgrave. Police said that at about 8:30 on Saturday night, Belgrave was standing in front of a Chinese store on Vernon Street when he heard the sound of gunshots, and he ran for cover.

BNTU launches “Stand Up for Belize”
The ages-old, expansionist Guatemalan claim Belize inherited with independence from Britain has been dominating the national scene for over a year due to several incidents in the Sarstoon River involving the Guatemalan Armed Forces’ violation of Belize’s territorial integrity, with its new claim to the entire Sarstoon River. It is against that backdrop and the talk of settling the dispute at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that hundreds of teachers from all branches of the powerful Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) gathered today in Benque Veijo Del Carmen to launch their “Stand Up for Belize” campaign, which will focus on the building of awareness of the Guatemalan claim.

Man stabbed to death in Caye Caulker
–A Caye Caulker man, Leon Gordon, 30, has died after being stabbed in the abdomen at about 8:15 last night while parting a fight between two men outside the SIP & DIP Restaurant on Avenida Hicaco in Caye Caulker. Another man, who was a friend of one of the men involved in the fight, reportedly stabbed Gordon in the abdomen with a knife, and the two combatants then escaped in the direction of the Split. Gordon was rushed to the Caye Caulker village clinic by his family, but he died shortly after due to the injuries he sustained.

5 possible ZIKA cases in the citrus belt
On Thursday, April 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Belize to the list of countries with local transmission of Zika, after a report by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that an American woman had contracted Zika in Belize; however, Director of Health Services (DHS), Dr. Marvin Manzanero, told Amandala that the Ministry of Health has not yet signed on to confirm that status because it is still conducting its epidemiological investigations and awaiting the results of tests by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). Today, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a “level 2 alert” travel notice for Belize, calling for “enhanced precautions” to avoid transmission through mosquito bites or sex. The CDC says that “Local transmission of Zika virus infection (Zika) has been reported.” It explained that, “Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area have been infected with Zika virus, spreading it to people.”

Gene Myvett records first ever triple double
Belmopan Bandits clinched #2 seed with a win versus San Pedro Tiger Sharks: Belmopan Bandits, who are presently on a 7-game winning streak, hosted the two-time defending champions, San Pedro Tiger Sharks, at the UB gymnasium in Belmopan on Friday night. The winner of this game clinched the #2 seed and home court advantage in the semifinals. Belmopan Bandits controlled the tempo of the game, nursing an early 33-31 lead at intermission. The lead was extended to 53-47 at the end of third quarter, and Belmopan Bandits was able to seal the 70-65 victory. The top scorer for Belmopan Bandits (10-4) was Jarrel Velasquez, who had the game high with 24 pts, 6 assists, 6 rebs and 2 steals; while Nick Brown tallied 16 pts, 6 rebs and 3 assists. Kurt “Chengo” Burgess finished the night with 13 rebs, 9 pts and 3 assists. San Pedro Tiger Sharks (8-5) was led by Caleb Sutton who recorded 18 pts, 7 rebs, 3 steals and 2 dimes. Tyrone Edwards tallied 14 pts, 3 steals and 3 assists; and Gene Myvett finished the night, with 8 pts, 4 rebs, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Smart Mundialito 13 & Under Football
The 5th Annual Smart Mundialito 13 & under Football Tournament 2016, got under way on Saturday, April 16, with Week 1 games at the MCC Grounds, where 10 of the 11 participating teams saw action. In game 1, defending champion Brown Bombers and sub-champion Young Warriors played to a nil-nil stalemate. The NEBL playoffs will use a best-of-three format, with the higher seeded team having the home court advantage. Smart Belize Hurricanes (#1) and Dangriga Warriors (#4) split their season series, where both teams won at home. Smart Belize Hurricanes is in the playoffs for the first time, while Dangriga Warriors is returning for their second straight season as the #4 seed. Similarly, Belmopan Bandits (#2) and San Pedro Tiger Sharks (#3) won 1 game each, with both victories coming at home. For the third straight season, Belmopan Bandits and San Pedro Tiger Sharks have met in the semifinals. San Pedro has won the series in the two previous years, but this year Belmopan has home court advantage for the first time.

Editorial: Bill BRICS attacks Havana Assad
Following the conquests of 1898, the United States began to pursue a new kind of imperialism that generally avoided the bald-faced seizure of territory. Most scholars emphasize how this period was characterized by informal assertions of dominance exemplified by the Open Door policies in China. While the Open Door became an important template for the extension of U.S. power abroad, the era between 1898 and World War II also featured frequent (and largely underestimated) military interventions in Latin America and the accompanying basing of forces abroad. In this period, the United States intervened militarily in (and in some cases occupied) Mexico (1914, 1916-19), Guatemala (1920), El Salvador (1932), Honduras (1903, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1925), Nicaragua (1898, 1899, 1909-1910, occupied 1912-33), Costa Rica (naval presence 1921), the Dominican Republic (1903, 1904, 1914, occupied 1915-24), Haiti (1914, occupied 1915-34), and Cuba (occupied 1898-1902, 1906-9, 1912, 1917-22).The military occupations in particular depended on the establishment of local military bases and garrisons to station U.S. troops. In Nicaragua, for example, between 1930 and 1932, the United States established at least eight military garrisons. In Panama, where the United States intervened 24 times between 1856 and 1990, the nation built fourteen bases as part of gaining access to the Panama Canal Zone in perpetuity, as well as extensive powers of land expropriation and interference outside the Zone. Like Cuba, Panama became an “American colony in all but name.”

From the Publisher
Crazy Horse died that night, September 5, 1877, at the age of thirty-five. At dawn the next day the soldiers presented the dead chief to his father and mother. They put the body of Crazy Horse into a wooden box, fastened it to a pony-drawn travois and carried it to Spotted Tail agency, where they mounted it on a scaffold. All through the Drying Grass Moon, mourners watched beside the burial place. And then in the Moon of Falling Leaves came the heartbreaking news: the reservation Sioux must leave Nebraska and go to a new reservation on the Missouri River. Through the crisp, dry autumn of 1877, long lines of exiled Indians driven by soldiers marched northeastward toward the barren land. Along the way, several bands slipped away from the column and turned northwestward, determined to escape to Canada and join Sitting Bull. With them went the father and mother of Crazy Horse, carrying the heart and bones of their son. At a place known only to them, they buried Crazy Horse somewhere near Chankpe Opi Wakpala, the creek called Wounded Knee.

Belisle Nweke considers Macbeth
The Editor AMANDALA Dear Sir, It is still important to teach Shakespeare in our Belizean schools. Nevertheless, with the dumbing down of examinations, declining standards, teachers forced to boost students’ self-esteem at the expense of basic standards, and an obvious dysfunctional educational system, thousands of Belizean students will graduate from our educational institutions in a couple of months time with only the haziest idea of history, politics, culture, and great literature. Why is sixteenth century William Shakespeare relevant to Belize, particularly at this point in time? Of all Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth and Richard III are the most damning about bad government and treacherous, power-hungry leadership. They also conclude with their destruction. Macbeth is actually about politics, and is one of the most contemporary plays ever written. It is about laws, allegiances and treachery within a nation, and the very fate of a country being at stake. In it are lessons for all politicians to decipher – if they can!

“Legalize it, don’t criticize it.”
It was the late great Peter Tosh, himself who said, “Legalize it, don’t criticize it.” The Social Security Board today held the final round of its 2016 debate competition which featured a hotly contested debate between Ecumenical Junior College (EJC), from the Stann Creek District, and the Corozal Junior College (CJC), from the Corozal District, on the topic, “The Criminal Legislation of marijuana has been a major discussion in many countries. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Belize?” Ecumenical Junior College (EJC) argued in the affirmative and Corozal Junior College (CJC) argued in the negative. Coincidentally, today marks one year since Jamaica, our sister country, has enacted legislation in the decriminalization of marijuana. Opening statements from Ecumenical Junior College highlighted the fact that around 3.8% of the Earth’s population use marijuana. They also stated the many medicinal and alternative uses of marijuana for which Belize can reap sweet financial gains instead of criminalizing the common man for a stick of weed.

A surging armed group in Guatemala?
In the previous edition of the Amandala, we featured a story that had been aired on Krem about the alleged surging of an armed group in western Guatemala. Reports from Huehuetenango, Guatemala tell of videos circulating, allegedly made by a group of armed campesinos, or peasant farmers, under the self-described banner of Fuerzas Armadas Campesinas (FAC- Armed Campesino Forces). The FAC has received much attention (20,000+ YouTube views of a video attributed to them) although they have reportedly not carried out a single armed action. The videos of masked men holding guns have sparked debate. Some grassroots organizers have warned that the video may be a false production as part of the state’s strategy to criminalize community leaders and militarize the region. In the most recent video, which is the second reportedly produced by this group, a man wearing a black cloth covering his face speaks to the camera, introducing himself as Subcomandante (Subcommander) Toledo. The message he explains in Spanish during the 5 minutes, is to encourage other peasant farmers to join in “the struggle”. He emphasizes a call against “national and transnational companies” that are involved in projects including hydroelectric dams, mining, planting of palm oil and other projects. Toledo warns to the “campesinado” — other peasant farmers: “the objective of the businesses is to destroy us, to destroy our rivers, to destroy our natural riches that come from our Mayan ancestors”.

Bandits drop BDF; Assassins shock Police
The semifinals of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2015-2016 Closing Season came to an end yesterday with games played at the MCC Grounds in Belize City and the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio. MCC: Pretty football is difficult to materialize on the still dusty, irregular surface of the MCC, despite the deceptive grass cover, which does not stop the rising clouds of black dust whenever the ball is kicked, and still causes bad bounces at critical times when strikers are trying to “shake” defenders. Nevertheless, Belmopan Bandits FC took their 2-1 win from last week into the MCC yesterday against Belize Defence Force FC, who are yet to lose this season on their home turf in the old capital. A draw was enough for the Bandits to gain the aggregate win and advance to the finals, and that is exactly what they came away with. Bandits got on the scorecard first through a penalty conversion in the last minute of first half by, captain, Elroy Smith after BDF goalie Tevin Gamboa had taken down the Bandits’ Jeromy “Jarro” James in the eighteen, in what many fans thought was offside position. But, despite no offside flag being waved, Gamboa’s take-down was ill advised, and gave referee Christopher Reid little choice. Gamboa guessed right, but Smith’s kick was hard enough to still hit the back of the net after a slight deflection.

Quick reflexes saved man from certain death in road accident
A man is lucky to be alive after he slammed into a truck at about 10:00 Friday morning while riding a bicycle. He landed beneath the moving truck, but quickly escaped from under the truck before the back wheels rolled over him. As a result he escaped with slight scrapes and bruises, and a damaged bicycle. Police say that the man was riding his bicycle towards Belize Corozal Road from a side street in Orange Walk Town, but as he was about to cross the road when the traffic lights turned green, he collided with the side of a truck that had already started moving, in response to the green light.

Post Office employee pleads guilty to theft of $20,610
A former employee of the Belize Postal Service was arraigned on charges of theft this afternoon when he appeared at the Magistrate’s Court and he pleaded guilty to stealing $20,610 from the Post Office during the period of July to December 2015. Sergio Alonso Patt, a resident of San Jose, Orange Walk District, appeared before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza and pleaded guilty to six counts of theft from the Belize Postal Service. The 31-year-old Patt appeared in court along with some members of his family, who were very emotional when they learned that he would not be going back home with them, but instead would be taking up a one-year residence at the Belize Central Prison. Patt’s new wife and his brother appeared in court with him. In asking for leniency, Patt told Magistrate Mendoza, “I did it because of sickness. I had my mother sick. She died from diabetes. Then my brother was sick and I have three children. Then my wife died a year ago.”

Shoman shares and PUP prepares
Today, Thursday, the Opposition People’s United Party held an almost three-hour intense informational meeting chaired by Ambassador Assad Shoman at Independence Hall on Queen Street. Invited parliamentarians and standard bearers engaged in a discussion that featured “an update on the Sarstoon, Belize-Guatemala [situation] generally and the role of the party in the process,” remarked former Foreign Minister and Opposition Senator Eamon Courtenay. Courtenay further emphasized that today’s informational meeting was simply to acquire, adequate information to make decisions, as it is the National Executive and the National Party Council that will set the policies for the People’s United Party. “The party and the Party Leader have committed to educating the members of the National Executive, the parliamentarians, former standard bearers and also the wider Belizean society on all issues surrounding Belize-Guatemala,” added PUP Chairman, Henry Charles Usher.

Marage Road: a rural warzone
It appears to many members of the public that Marage Road, Ladyville, Belize District, which is enveloped by overgrown bushes, has been steadily devolving into a rural epicenter for criminal warfare. This rocky strip of road has been the scene of several gruesome murders – from the early morning, November 25, 2012 slaughter of three-fourths of the Vellos family to the April 7, 2016 murder of 18-year-old Merkel Pitts. However, on Sunday, April 16, 2016, at around 2:50 a.m., a family was spared this ever-more-commonplace Marage Road fate. Ladyville police visited Marage Road this weekend after receiving a report from Cynthia Lozano, 43, a business woman, that several shots were fired at her home.

Breaking Belize News

Peter Sutherland is accused of robbery and wounding Tony Gillings
Tony Gillings was robbed and injured in an attack on Sunday morning on the North Side of Belize City. His accused attacker is 29 year old Peter Sutherland who was remanded without bail by Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith after appearing in her court this morning. Gillings lost […]

28 year old sales representative is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse
Shane Gentle, sales representative of Tibruce Street, is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse of a 13 year old girl. The teenager accused him of having sex with her twice on March 24, 2016. A medical examination conducted on the child confirmed […]

Felix brothers to be tried for murder again
Brothers Maurice and Emory Felix, accused but never convicted after three trials of the murder of Mitchum Heredia over a decade ago, are once again to go before the Supreme Court on a murder charge. This time they are accused of the murder of […]

Court spares American visitor charged with cannabis
Belize City Magistrate Carlon Mendoza elected to discharge a cruise ship visitor to Belize after she was caught with cannabis this morning. 31 year old Ashley Williams of Virginia, USA, was held for 1.8 grams of the drug found in her handbag by a […]

Alrick Smith family sues Government over gun detention
This morning Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith began hearing the case of Alrick Smith Senior of Giles Street, a construction worker, and his family: wife Sandra Casey; son Leon Smith; daughter Tamica Smith and niece Ishaida Brooks. While at home on July 7th, 2014, […]

Orange Walk police make arrests for drugs over the weekend
Orange Walk Police arrested three persons for drug offenses over the weekend. The first two arrests were made in San Jose Palmar Village where Carlos Smith and Erlinda Sanchez were found with weed. Police say that during a search of their premises officers found […]

Orange Walk Police find firearms, one homemade
Orange Walk police have confiscated a firearm and homemade weapon. Authorities report that the first weapon, a chrome Taurus .45 ACP caliber firearm with serial number R001649 was found in an empty lot on Savannah Street in Orange Walk Town along with an empty […]

Security Guard stabbed in confrontation with robbers at Free Zone
A security Guard was stabbed while he attempted to stop a robbery in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. That is what reliable information has pointed out to BBN but there has not been any official word on the incident from Corozal Police. Our attempts to […]

Denny Grijalva is guilty of destroying Noh Mul
Denny Grijalva, proprietor of DE-Mar’s Construction; his wife, Emelda Grijalva; and his Project Manager, Javier Nuñez have been found guilty of destroying the Maya monument Noh Mul in San Jose Village, Orange Walk District. The incident took place on May 10 2013, when Grijalva’s workers […]

Tropic air disburses share of 2015 profit to employees
A press release from Tropic Air issued earlier today, announced that its employees will be receiving their share of the profit bonus for 2015, which is equal to one-third of the company’s profits for the fiscal year. President of Tropic Air, John Grief III, […]

Customs increase presence in Santa Cruz Orange Walk
The Belize Customs and Excise Department has set up a check point at the entrance of Santa Cruz Village in the Orange Walk District in an effort to tighten its control and vigilance of the area where significant contraband takes place. Senior Officer in Charge […]

PLB semi finals showdown
All the excitement over the weekend leaves two team to play in the semifinals for the Premiere League of Belize (PLB). On Sunday at the MCC Grounds in Belize City the Belmopan Bandits took on BDF FC. A penalty was scored by Belmopan Bandits’ […]

Blogs

Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic
The Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic (BWRC) is a registered non- profit animal welfare organization that operates country-wide in Belize. BWRC provides free medical care to injured, orphaned, neglected or otherwise imperiled wildlife. Medical care is provided at their veterinary clinic in Central Farm, Cayo District, by their staff of veterinarians and technicians. Wildlife patients are treated at BWRC, where they may undergo medical treatment and possibly rehabilitation prior to being returned to the wild. BWRC’s mission is to support wildlife conservation, animal health and welfare, and the veterinary profession in Belize through medical services, education, research, and collaboration. BWRC’s logo was inspired by Spartacus, a very special howler monkey that was found alone under a tree, surviving a predator attack, with his hands almost entirely detached. This event was the final push which motivated Dr. Isabelle and Justin Ford to open BWRC in 2012. The founder, Dr Isabelle Paquet Durand, is a Wildlife Veterinarian who has provided pro-bono care to wildlife for 20 years, 13 of those in Belize. BWRC is the only Wildlife Veterinary Clinic in Belize and the only veterinary clinic with x-ray and gas anesthesia machines. BWRC caters to both domestic and Wildlife patients, with the main focus on wildlife. Since 2012, BWRC has seen approximately 500 wildlife patients from all over the country.

Tropic Air Employees Benefit
Tropic Air announced today that Employees will receive their profit sharing bonus for 2015. This disbursement is based on audited financial results for the fiscal year and will equal one-third of the company’s profits. “Behind every milestone Tropic Air has celebrated—and there have been quite a few—are our Employees. They are our driving force, and I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork behind every accomplishment,” said John Greif III, President. “Our People have built one of Belize’s most admired companies, and they share in its success with this profit sharing contribution.” “People often asked me, what makes Tropic different,” said Steve Schulte. “The difference is our employees. Our unique people-focused culture, built on investing in our product and working together, is our primary strength.”

Where Criminal Minds Beyond Borders went wrong about San Pedro, Belize
There is always a buzz around town when Belize is featured on international television, but this one stirred us up more than usual. Belize was featured on Criminal Minds Beyond Borders (Episode: “Love interrupted”) and so many of us were waiting by our TV! We were very excited to see our jewel and the footage of it that would be seen around the world. Little did we know, we were in for a disappointment and a couple laughs to say the least. Although there was some footage of Belize on the show, it was very little and showed only the mainland which is not where the events were said to take place. Let’s break down where they went wrong shall we? The show featured a couple on their honeymoon in San Pedro, Belize, who were kidnapped. San Pedro is the name of the town on an island off the coast of Belize (as seen above). It can not be reached by road or bridge, the only way to get there is by airplane or boat. There is no international airport yet either and our airstrip only caters to small aircrafts, so that big jumbo jet the FBI arrived in would have no place to land on the island.

A VIEW FROM UP TOP – THE GREAT BLUE HOLE OF BELIZE!!
Tropic Air was gracious enough to invite us to experience the Blue Hole by air. This is an adventure we were all too eager to experience. The Great Blue Hole is one of the main reasons that thrill seekers, and divers flock to Belize from all walks of the world. Inscribed a World Heritage Site in 1996, this mystery of this massive blue expanse continues to awe the most experienced! The Blue Hole measures some 124 metres or approximately 400 feet deep and only few can boast actually diving to its bottom. After circling the blue hole a couple times, we make our way north – or is it south? – at this point I’m somewhat disoriented. In the distance we see this lil wreck literally sitting on the edge of Lighthouse Atoll about 5 minutes from the Blue Hole. This is the remains of what used to be a British Cargo Ship. After this, we make a second fly over the Great Blue Hole, this time we make about 5 rounds circling the hole. Then it’s time to return home.

Roatan - A Fool's Guide to West End and West Bay
So it's been far to long since this Fool meandered anywhere...and Roatan was the choice of places to break that drought. Tropic Air did an amazing job getting us there and back. We all saved 10% on our flights by using the Tacogirl.com discount code! The voyage started as a two man show - me and Pops, Easton. My friend Heidi heard about the voyage and wouldn't be denied access to this lovely idea either - so along she came. When a hotel is ranked 12 of 14 on TripAdvisor...there is a reason. Don't let your friends tell you otherwise...choose another hotel. Night one will go unmentioned as we all know I won't blast people and places; there are price points for all types, I can respect that. Really it was a good thing I learned quickly that West End isn't my scene. We spent night one there; it is a crowded part of Roatan, lots of people and things going on...something I wanted to escape a bit more. After night one East and I bid Heidi adieu and struck out on our own - bound for West Bay...and my vibe!

International Sources

Inside The Arts: JazzFest - Experience Belize
This week on Inside the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks into high gear at the Fairgrounds. In addition to its stellar musical line-up, we sample Caribbean treasures as the Cultural Exchange Pavilion celebrates Belize.

Eater Nola's Guide To Jazz Fest Guides 2016
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival starts this Friday, April 22, kicking off two long, expensive weekends of a whole lot of music, and almost as much food and drink. The Fess takes over the Fair Grounds, spilling out into the Faubourg St John, but it's big enough that the entire city shifts into Jazz Fest mode for these two weeks. This poses a number of (good) problems for visitors and locals alike. People can be left overwhelmed with the options, wondering what the best bets are both during the Fest and across town. Where to get a free and delicious taste of Belize: Ann Maloney reports that Belize will be in the spotlight at Cultural Exchange Pavilion, including demos of two dishes unique to the Garifuna culture— Cassava bread, which will be made from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday outside the tent, and hudutu, "a Garifuna seafood coconut soup with green plantain" made at 3 p.m. at the Cajun Cabin Stage area. [NOLA.com]

Belize - Milling slows down in week 16
Belize Sugar Industries milled 38,647 tonnes of cane during week 16 of the 2015/16 crushing season, down from 52,966 a week earlier and also below 50,085 in the same period a year ago, the company announced.

5 Hotels and 5 Tours for the Eco-Conscious Traveler
It’s the rare hotel that doesn’t engage in sustainable practices like encouraging guests to reuse towels, but many hospitality companies and tour operators go much greener than that. Eco-tourism companies, which put a priority on sustainability as well as profit, cover everything from conservation-focused wildlife safaris to community-sustaining lodges and properties that grow their own food. Descriptions of some of the new and improved eco-lodges follow, along with those of new tours offering emissions-free bike trips, carbon-offset cruises and glimpses of rare wildlife. A 3,000-acre on-site farm produces more than 70 percent of the food served to guests of Belcampo Belize, a 17-room eco-lodge in a Belizean rain forest that balances food sustainability and natural adventure. The lodge’s many eco-initiatives include snorkeling outings with the chef to spear lionfish, an invasive species, for later meals, and fashioning furniture from fallen hardwood trees. In addition to frequent farm-to-table cooking classes and jungle foraging outings, the coming Belcampo Birding Encounter, Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, 2017, features birding excursions on and off the property with H. Lee Jones, author of “Birds of Belize.” Nightly rates from $407; birding package rates from $2,390 a person. Information at belcampobz.com.

Arlie Petters Appointed Trinity College Dean of Academic Affairs
Mathematical physicist Arlie Petters has been appointed dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education, effective July 1. He will serve through June 2020. Petters holds Trinity College appointments as professor of mathematics and physics and an appointment at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business as a professor of business administration. He succeeds Lee D. Baker, who is returning to the faculty as a professor of cultural anthropology after serving two terms as dean of academic affairs. “Petters’ life experiences make him especially well suited to shepherd Duke’s undergraduate academic program,” said Valerie Ashby, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. “He was born in Dangriga, Belize, and came to live in New York as a teenager—living first hand the challenges of being an international student. He was also the first in his family to attend college. As a minority man in the sciences, he has learned how to thrive and crafted a deeply successful career.”

Regional tech community gathers in Jamaica
Anyone interested in the development of the Internet in Caribbean may have already heard of CaribNOG, the Caribbean Network Operators Group. Over the past decade, this volunteer-based community of computer engineers has grown into a formidable influencer in the regional technology arena. Today, its twice-yearly regional gatherings are among the most highly anticipated events on the Caribbean’s tech calendar. CaribNOG facilitates education and training for those in the Caribbean responsible for designing, deploying and maintaining computer networks. This year, when the three-day event kicks off on April 20 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, CaribNOG will be breaking new ground.

Videos

BPP'S PATRICK ROGERS DISCUSSES THE ICJ, COMPROMIS & GUATEMALA'S CLAIM TO BELIZE (PT. 1), 31min. The featured interview here on Belizean Legends highlights the work of the Belize Progressive Party's (BPP) political leader, Patrick Rogers, who has emerged today as a progressive voice on the Belize political scene after many years as an activist for many Belizean causes on the ground in Belize. Rogers, who is also an astute Belizean historian with credible historical facts to drive home his political views on the Belize / Guatemalan Dispute, spoke with Belizean Legends producer and host, Bilall Morris, about the insidious and treacherous Compromis signed by the Belize and Guatemalan governments in December of 2008, without the consent of the Belizean people, to take the aged old Belize / Guatemalan Dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

GHTC Belize Summer Mission Trip 2014, 3min. Grace & Holy Trinity Church Summer Belize Mission Trip, July 2014.

Belize cernie di Antonio Marzano, 4min. giardino tropicale del Belize

Declaraciones Jimmy Morales en The New York Times en Español, 2.5min. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, a TV comedian by trade, is offering Donald Trump "cheap labor" to build a border wall with Mexico. "To the gentleman who wants to build a wall, I offer cheap labor," Morales said during a Facebook Live interview by The New York Times en Español. "We have high quality labor, and we'll gladly build," Morales added. "Tell us the dimensions, and we know how to do it." Asked what advice he would give to a future U.S. president who wishes to end illegal immigration, Morales took a more serious tone. "We will contribute. We believe — although I have no reason to involve myself in U.S. migratory policy — we believe that it is necessary to think about migratory reform where many people who are there in an irregular manner will be regularized."

Snorkeling in Belize 2016 HD, 4min. Shot in San Pedro with GoPro Hero 4

Scuba diving In Hopkins Bay Belize, 6.5min. Took a awesome trip to Hopkins bay Belize and had some great dives as well as snorkeling. We dove on 6 dives each around 65 feet deep. This video has all kinds of aquatic wildlife. I hope you enjoy!

Wildtracks Belize, 4.5min. One of the most incredible experiences of my life squished into a one song video.

Macal River Canoe San Ignacio Belize Feb 2016, 3.5min.

April 19, 2016

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

Stabbing incident in Caye Caulker leaves one death
The peaceful community of Caye Caulker is shaken over the stabbing death of a long-time resident. The victim has been identified as Leon Karim Gordon, resident of ‘La Isla Cariñosa’ for over 10 years after moving from Belize City. Police have detained two men who are believed to be connected to the deadly incident that occurred shortly after 8pm on Sunday, April 17th at a local beach bar. Initial reports from the police indicate that Gordon was stabbed in the abdomen when he tried to separate a fight between one Austin Gabourel and Jeremy Rhaburn. Another person, only known as ‘Robert’, then allegedly inflicted the mortal wound on Gordon. Gabourel, along with his accomplice, then ran away in the direction of the area known as the Split. Gordon was transported to the local clinic on the island by family members, and later transported to the Belize Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where hours later, he succumbed to his injuries. Gabourel, along with another male person ‘whose name has not been disclosed by police’ have been detained. During his arrest, Gabourel had a

Infusing taste buds with Caribbean Spice
‘Sugar, Spice, and everything nice’ has allowed Chef Libby Storey to keep one of the best kept cuisine secrets in Belize. Originally from the state of Louisiana, USA, Libby worked at different restaurants in the Eastern Caribbean, even attending the University of Virgin Islands in St Thomas. Dishing out the all artificial additives and flavors, Caribbean Spice products are 100% Belizean-made, with a combination of fresh ingredients from Libby’s greenhouse and fresh produce from local farmers’ markets. She has now evolved her business from ten to over 100, all-natural, organic products. From habanero paste, fruit butters, spice blends, seasonings, sea salt blends, mustards, marinades, vinegars, salad dressings, barbeque sauces, michelada mix and gourmet cooking sauces, Caribbean Spice caters to all palates! Libby’s hand crafted products are currently being sold at 12 Belize on Tarpon Street and The Greenhouse on Pescador Drive in San Pedro Town. As a business owner, she has encountered several stumbling blocks. “I have been to so many stores around Belize and the islands who just refused to carry my products. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for Evelia at the Greenhouse, she believed in me and carried every single one of my products,” said Libby.

Are new construction projects including parking space?
Progress and development on Ambergris Caye is seeing major construction projects steadily going up in San Pedro Town. The large-scale developments have raised concerns, especially related to traffic and parking. With traffic being one of the top issues on La Isla Bonita, the question is, do these buildings allocate adequate parking spaces in their plans? The San Pedro Sun spoke to Fidel Ancona from the Ambergris Caye Building Authority (ACBA). According to Ancona, allocating parking areas should be the number one requirement for any commercial building in Ambergris Caye. He also explained that strict construction guidelines must be adhered to, especially in the town core. “Any construction project must leave a space of five feet on two sides of the structure, with a minimum of ten feet at the back and eight feet for parking in front,” said Ancona. In an effort to clear the streets, similar regulations for onsite parking are enforced for residential buildings. With the construction of commercial buildings in downtown, and the traffic congestion and lack of adequate parking space, the ACBA is enforcing this regulation.

ACES constructs greenhouse
Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) has added a greenhouse to their school grounds. With the priority to become a child friendly school, greenhouse coordinator, Teacher Sarah Jean Freudenberg, believes it is important to teach children sustainable living. So far, the students have planted cilantro, basil, mint, parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, marigolds and wild flowers. Not only does the greenhouse fit in well with the curriculum of Belize, but it also teaches valuable life skills. It is important to plant and care for plants to learn those valuable skills. The hope is that children will become inspired and want to continue to grow fruits and vegetables all their lives. “I used to garden a lot in America, so it gives me an opportunity to share something I enjoy with the kids,” said Sarah.

Container full of garbage tips over!
A large shipping container filled with garbage was reported to have turned over near the San Pedro Solid Waste Transfer Station in Southern Ambergris Caye. The incident left a massive pile of trash along the road; spilling into the mangroves and floating into the nearby water ways. The mountain of filth sat at the location for over a week before any action was taken to rectify the situation. Several attempts were made to get the container on its wheels by using a 50-foot excavator, but to no avail. The next day a crane was brought in, and that did the job in a matter of minutes. However, the problem was not completely solved, as the garbage remained untouched. The San Pedro Sun reported the incident to the Hol Chan Marine Organization as well as the local municipal authorities at the San Pedro Town Council. Both committed to follow up on the issue and make the necessary reports after their investigations; but upon following up, the garbage remains where it fell.

Ambergris Today

Islanders Run/Walk 5K for Autism Awareness
After a very successful event last year, island residents came together once again for the second annual Autism Awareness 5K Run/Walk held by Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) that was held on Sunday, April 17, 2016. Over 130 participants registered, bought T-shirts, raffle tickets and made donations towards the worthy cause which proceeds will benefit ACES Special Education Scholarships and help create awareness in the community for children with disabilities. Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) is the first school on Ambergris Caye to substantially separate a special education classroom that caters to island children with special needs. The classroom directly impacts students with disabilities and assists ACES in its efforts to provide quality education in Ambergris Caye.

San Pedro Prepares for Biggest Lobster Fest at 10th Anniversary
It was awarded Festival of the Year 2015 by the Belize Tourism Board for a reason; the San Pedro Lobster Festival has become one of the BIGGEST festivals in the country. This year it will consist of 11 days of day and night celebrations, all for the love of lobster. Celebrating the lobster season in Belize does not get better in Belize and this year San Pedro commemorates the tenth year of the festival that has gotten global attention and only seems to be growing bigger each year. The first festival was held in 2007 with a week of nightly events leading up to one epic block party. Over the past 10 years the festival has evolved into a 10 day festival filled with over 20 great activities and incredible lobster themed foods! The activities kick off on June 15th with the opening party. There will be daytime and night time events leading up to the Lobster Fest Central Park Block Party on Saturday, June 25th, featuring the musical talents of the Pannerifix Steel Band!

San Pedro Town Council Seeks Advice and Solutions for Beach Erosion
Caye Caulker just got its new beach and people are loving it, but while San Pedro, Ambergris Caye has benefited from beach reclamation from dreading projects in the past, erosion still proves to be an ongoing problem as development removes protective mangroves and adds unsightly seawalls. Evidence of long standing beach erosion is clear on most of the beaches in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize. And its these seawalls that Ms. Carianne Johnson from the Pan American Development Fund (PADF) indicates are major culprits of further erosion of our beaches. She, along with Mr. Keith Nichols from the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) arrived on the island on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 to conduct a visual assessment of the erosion that is highly affecting our beaches. They were accompanied by Deputy Mayor Gary Greif who gave them a tour of the island.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Fishing report April 10th – April 16th, 2016
Wow, the permit were happy this week (until they gat hooked that is) Over 16 permit were landed that I have record of, my guess is a few more were landed by some humble folks that did not report them for fear of seeming greedy! The youngest of the permit masters was Walker at 11 years old, quite a feat for any age. Our permit couple of the week was Hobbie and Jenn as they landed 2 each, Jenn’s Dad Jack got a well deserved permit, Chuck had a single day out but landed 2 permit, Sam got 2, Jack added 3 more, Young Nick got his first permit, and Ron rounded out the group recording another permit. The permit fishing doesn’t get any better.

U.S. Citizen Town Hall Meeting - COROZAL
The U.S. Embassy will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting for American Citizens on April 22nd Friday, April 22 at 11 AM - 1 PM in Corozal at the Jam Rock Bar & Grill. If you are an American Citizen residing in Belize in this area please join us.

Poets Corner: Consent
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. Thirteen-year-old giving consent to four men is absurd The mere title gets on my last nerve Police charge two that’s the word Looking for the next two speaks wonders Belize does not have sufficient child protection laws for teenagers Our children are not protected from predators Human trafficker, pornographers, There are no social media laws Which almost makes child pornography a lost cause Then we glorify the shit by printing it in our newspapers They ought to be publicly flogged or dismembered Our law is apparent No child under age 14 can give consent Where the hell were her parents? They too need to be charged for being negligent Taking her to the station is not sufficient Newspapers are more concerned with sales than content This seems to be the grim reality That the men in our society Have no policy Fi di have sex with pickney

APAMO celebrates its 8th Annual General Meeting
On 16 April 2016, the umbrella organization, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO), celebrated its 8th Annual General Meeting under the theme: "Coming together, sharing together, working together, succeeding together." An important highlight of the meeting was the election of officers for its governing body, the Executive Council, and the newly elected chairperson is Mrs. Froyla Tzalam- Executive Director of Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM). The network organization congratulated Ms. Tzalam in her new undertaking and committed to supporting her and the newly elected Council in serving its members and engaging Government in steering policies and strategies for the proper management of protected areas in Belize.

Belize Book Week 2016
It's going to be a Belize Book Weekend here in Cayo. The opening ceremony will be Friday, at 9:00am, at Falcon Field. There will be a book fair on Saturday, also starting at 9:00am, at the San Ignacio Public Library. Everyone is welcome to come out. Reading is the key.

Assad Shoman Discusses the ICJ
Ambassador Assad Shoman visited Sacred Heart Junior College on Wednesday to explain the history of Belize's borders, treaties, and the need to go to the ICJ. Trying not to use the term 'Guatemalan Claim' in this article since that gives it way more credit than it deserves. Let's just call it the Guatemalan Farce instead. Mr. Shoman was clear and concise, and explained to everyone the reasoning behind the push to go to the ICJ. The borders have been observed for over 150 years now, and it appears that it's really only the Guatemalan government that uses the issue to garner votes from the misinformed and uneducated.

Book Week 2016!

Paint Party Events
Come paint with us "Anchored in Belize" at Crazy Canucks. See you there! Starts On: April 21, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Leon Gordon Murdered on Caye Caulker
On 17th April, 2016 about 8:15pm Caye Caulker Police responded to a fight at SIP &DIP; Liquor Establishment located on Avenida Hicaco, where Sharlene Young reported that her common-law husband Leon Gordon was stabbed to his abdomen. Initial investigation revealed that Leon went to separate a fight between one Austin Gabourel and Jeremy Rhaburn, when another male person only known as 'Robert' allegedly stabbed Leon. Austin along with his accomplices ran away in the direction of the Split. Leon was transported to the clinic by family members and later transferred to KHMH. Austin was located and detained and was observed to have a cut wound to his face and left little finger. He was treated and is now in police custody. At 2:45am on 18th April, 2016 Leon Gordon succumbed to his injuries. Police have since detained two male persons.

Presenting Caye Caulker's Mural
Come to the basketball court for the big unveiling of the new mural!

CLOSURE OF THE BELIZE ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE: MONDAY, APRIL 25th AND FRIDAY, 29th APRIL, 2016
The Belize Archives and Records Service will be closed on Monday, 25th April, 2016 from 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 PM. to officially inaugurate its renovated and expanded facility at 26/28 Unity Blvd. In addition, the Department will be having its annual Staff Retreat on Friday, 29th April,2016. The Department will re-open on Tuesday, May 3, 2016. The Department regrets any inconveniences caused by these closures. For more information kindly contact the Belize Archives and Records Service at Tel:822-2247 or 2097 or by email: [email protected]

Cancer Ride 2016. May 7th, 2016. Sign up!!!
CEO CAUCUS CHALLENGE!!!

2016 TASTE OF BELIZE COMPETITION!!!
The Belize Tourism Board is calling for applications for the 2016 TASTE OF BELIZE COMPETITION!!! Closing date for applications is this FRIDAY! Be sure to go to: https://btb.travelbelize.org/btb/taste-of-belize-2016 to download your application forms. Sign up foodies!

SACNW APRIL MEETING
On Thursday, April 14, 2016, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Councilors: Hector Alamilla, Gabriel Nuñez, Flora Ancona and Ruben Gonzalez attended the South Ambergris Neighborhood Watch’S monthly meeting. Also present, were Superintendent Sandra Bodden and other members of the San Pedro Police Formation. The SACNW is one of the most active neighborhood watch groups in San Pedro. Mayor Daniel was invited to share a few words, where he took the opportunity to congratulate the SACNW for their efforts in keeping their neighborhood safe and clean. Mayor Guerrero also went further on to mention that the south road will be getting a major upgrade and also the opening of junction from San Pablo leading to the San Pedrito area for all heavy machinery, as well as to help with the alleviation of traffic congestion.

MAYOR MEETS WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND HOTELIERS
On Thursday, April 14, 2016, Mayor Daniel Guerrero met with various stakeholders and hoteliers from Ambergris Caye to discuss the newly implemented regulations in regards to deliveries in town. Mayor Daniel Guerrero emphasized that the new delivery schedule is still in its trial stage and observations are still being made in order to better the strategy being implemented. Mayor Guerrero closed his remarks by asking the present audience for their support and to give the new strategy an opportunity to work. Majority of those present are in favor of the the strategy and believe it was a necessary action into the right direction into having a more safer San Pedro for our children, visitors and residents.

Basketball equipment refurbished at Boca Del Rio Park
The Phoenix staff just installed two new basketball rims, refurbished the back boards, & repainted the supports at Boca Del Rio Park in San Pedro. In the background is the playground equipment we recently repainted. Big thanks to Blue Water Grill - San Pedro, Belize and Canary Cove, Ambergris Caye, Belize for all the help. Now that he's retired maybe we can get Kobe Bryant down to Belize to test it out. We got just the spot for you to stay. What do you think Mamba?

Papaya N Lime Delight
2 cups diced papaya 1 cup cold water Juice of a half a lime 4 ice cubes 3 teaspoon sugar OR 2 tablespoons honey

Caramel Apple Pork Chops
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.

Surrounded by beauty, unable to see it? That’s life in Paradise
During a recent conversation with a photographer friend, Karen Brodie, we discussed the loss of the ability to see. Not blindness. We were talking about the thing that happens when you pass something so many times that you simply stop seeing it. This is a real thing. Ask any mom who walks into her teenage child’s bedroom and thinks, “How can they not see these piles of filthy clothes all over the floor?” Trust me, even though they made those piles, their eyes do not register their existence — after a week or so. This odd sort of selective sight affects all of us. It could be the beggar we pass every morning on the way to work. It could be a pile of garbage or a broken down car that has been on the side of the road for ages. It could be something magnificent we pass by every day, like the statue of David or the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty or . . . yes, even some of the more beautiful parts of Ambergris Caye. This has begun to trouble me because after two years of living on this beautiful island I am beginning to fear that things that once filled me with wonder now leave me sort of cold. At least, the urge to photograph what I see has cooled quite a bit.

Meeting of the Maya Community Council in Livingston, Guatemala
FCD’s partner organization, Asociacion Balam successfully conducted its IV meeting of the Maya Community Council in Livingston, Guatemala. At this event participating members ratified the action plan to promote collaboration between the Maya communities of Belize and Guatemala.

Channel 7

"Gaza" Grieves, "Shiny" Slain
It was a deadly weekend in Belize - with three homicides, and six persons shot. Most of that violence is believed to have stemmed from the public slaying of a gang boss. Word spread like wildfire from the south on Saturday night that one of the most well known gang figures in Belize, Gerald "Shiny" Tillett had been killed in Dangriga. Shiny is the brother of Shelton Pinky Tillett - the former George Street leader - who was killed on Saturday April 21 of 2012. One-week short of three years later - older brother, 37 year old Gerald was slain in Dangriga, in what appears to be an execution style killing. But, this one happened at a popular nightspot, and unleashed chaos in the heart of Dangriga town. Courtney Weatherburne went there today looking for answers:..

Was Kadeem Killed In Retaliation?
Shortly after word reached the city that Shiny Tillett had been killed, three persons were shot, one of them fatally. He is 22 year old Kadeem Castillo who was gunned down on Madam Liz Crescent just after midnight on Saturday. Castillo was socializing near his home at 7761 Madam Liz, off Faber's road when a gray car pulled up, three men got out, and started firing in his direction. Castillo was with another person, but he was the only one who was caught by the spray of bullets; he ended up with four shots to the head and body. So was this murder a direct retaliation? Senior Superintendent Alden Dawson told us today that although they cannot be one hundred percent certain at this time, they are looking at that possibility. Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson, Dep. OC, eastern Division South: "Sometime after 12am on the 17th of April, police were called out to a location on Madam Liz Crescent where they saw the lifeless body of a young 22 year old man, Kadeem Castillo. A further check of the body revealed that he had two gunshot wounds to the chest and two to the head. Our investigation so far is that Castillo and another person was socializing on that street when a car drove up, 3 persons alighted the vehicle and fired several shots. Four of which caught the now deceased."

City Shootings Jumped Off Right After Shiny Slain
Now although Castillo was the only person killed in the city after the Shiny slaying, as we said, two others were shot. Sometime around 9 pm on Saturday, 27 year old Justin Belgrave and 24 year old Venario Taka were shot in different locations. One incident occurred by Berger Field on Vernon Street and the other occurred on Glynn Street heading towards Euphrates Avenue. So with the pair of shooting happening just hours after the Dangriga execution of Shiny Tillett, were these related? Again the Deputy Southside Commander was cagey: Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson, Dep. OC, Eastern Division South "Justin Belgrave, a 27 year old who was at a shop on Vernon Street, had heard shots being fired. He ran and later realized he got shot in his groin genital area." Jules Vasquez: "What time was that?" Sr. Supt. Alden Dawson, Dep. OC, Eastern Division South: "That was after 9."

Police Play Down Gang Warfare Angle
So three city shootings, one of them fatal, and south side police say they have no suspects. And while this happens, the possibility of an all-out gang warfare in the streets of Belize City hangs ominously. That's because a reputed gang boss has been killed - most likely a hit from a rival gang. So, are police bracing for the possibilities of further outbursts of gang violence in the city? Well, we know that on Sunday two things happened: the GSU and southside police stepped up their operations in known gang areas, and called in all the major gang players to a mediation meeting. Here is what Sr. Superintendent Dawson told us. Jules Vasquez: "Sir, we know that you all have brought violence in the Southside, Mr. Williams recently read the figures, and they are down significantly. How can 3 shooting within 4 hours; one homicide, 2 shootings - how can those not be a direct consequence of what happen at 7pm in Dangriga Town?"

GSU Activated To Hold Down Retaliation
One of the police personalities leading the charge on this one is GSU Commander Mark Flowers. All indications are that the Dangriga murder, and the aftershocks in Belize City were gang related. That's why Flowers rolled out his GSU team on special operations starting at 9:00 on Sunday morning. And, in the afternoon, he was part of that mediation meeting with gang figures. Today in Belmopan he shed more light on the gang element and assured the public that the police are working to contain any further flare ups. Courtney Weatherburne: "Sir, in terms of the gang context could you say, based on your intelligence, if the alleged shooter is associated with the South Side gang?" Supt. Mark Flowers, Commander, GSU: "We know that he is a Dangriga resident who have lived in Belize City and who is also closely associated, that is a suspected shooter, with the South Side gang. We are still trying to put together the pieces. The investigators are out in Dangriga to establish his full unequivocal participation in that shooting. And I guess that from there the follow up, if there's a need to arrest and charge will take place. We know that he is associated with Belize City South Side gang."

Sip And Dip Stabbing Was Fatal
The family of 29 year-old Caye Caulker Resident Leon Gordon is mourning his loss after he was fatally stabbed in a bar brawl at the Sip & Dip bar in Caye Caulker. It happened last night at around 8:00. Gordon was trying to act as peacemaker when he was stabbed with a broken pint bottle. He intervened after the bar owner and a patron got into a fight when the owner tried to throw the patron out for acting disorderly. Gordon reportedly tried to stop the fight, and that's when he was stabbed. He was rushed from the Island to the KHMH, and his family told us that Doctors put him through two emergency surgeries to try and save his life. But, at around 2:45 this morning, during the second surgery, he died on the operating table.

Alleged Placencia Pedophile Shot In Driveway
43 year-old David Richard Taylor, the British Belizean who was charged in December 2012 of extreme acts of pornographic exploitation of boys on the Placencia Peninsula, is at the KHMH recovering tonight. On Saturday night, he was shot at his home between miles 26 and 27 on the Phillip Goldson highway, in what police believe at this time is a robbery. Today, the Officer commanding Ladyville Police briefed the press on what they know so far: Inspector Juanito Cocom, OC, Ladyville Police: "Ladyville CIB responded to a distress call at Mile 26 and 3/4 on Philip Goldson Highway, Biscayne Village. When they arrived, they observed in the living room of a concrete bungalow dwelling structure a clear descent male person with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his chest area.."

Grijalva Guilty!
The name of the Maya site Noh Mul burst into the national consciousness in 2013 when the media discovered that contractor Denny Grijalva's company De-Mars Construction was using the ancient ruin's limestone structure for quarry material for to pave village roads! It was a national and international outrage, and Grijlava, his wife and his foreman were charged for removing parts of an ancient monument, and causing the destruction of an ancient monument. The case was tried by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith and her written 16 page judgment was handed down today. She minced no words and found Grijalva's defense lacking. She concluded, quote, "The damage to the mound is irreversible as the excavation has resulted in only the core being left. The Court understands the outrage experienced by the professionals at 'NICH'..."

Father Of Teen That Cops Killed Is Outraged
The death of 18 year old Hilberto Sotz in police custody on Caye Caulker isn't easy to forget. It was a dark episode for the police department, and prompted a spontaneous riot in the village. Police acted quickly and charged two of their own for murder; Detective Leonardo Nunez and Constable Hallet King. But last week Friday, Much to the dismay of Hilberto Sotz's family those charges were reduced to manslaughter. Today Hilberto's father visited our studios to express his discontent with the way the court proceedings have been going. He is upset because the charges were reduced, but more so because the directive came from the DPP. Here's what he told us today:

Shot Up In Ladyville
Ladyville Police also have to investigate another shooting which happened early on Saturday morning. Well-known food vendor Cynthia Lozano, who has made our newscast before, was at her home when someone came to her door and fired shots into it. Fortunately, no one was injured, but it left the family shaken. Here's what police had to say about it today: "The other shooting incident occurred on Sunday 16th, April at about 2:50am. Police visited Marage Road, Ladyville where one, Cynthia Lozano, 43 year old business woman of that address reported that she was at home when she heard a sound like someone kicking her door and thereafter she heard 3 gunshots. Police upon arriving at the scene observed 3 apparent bullet holes in the front of her residence. The front door in front of her residence, one to the wall and one to her kitchen cabinet. The scene was processed whereby 3 expended 9mms shells and 3 slugs were recovered. The complainant said at this time she had no suspects and the investigation is on."

Pilfering Postman Pleads Guilty
31 year-old Sergio Patt, the former Manager of the Post Office's Express Mail Section, is in jail tonight he pleaded guilty to stealing almost 21 thousand dollars. As we told you Patt is accused of embezzling the money between the months of October and November 2015. Police investigations show that Patt produced a bogus spread sheet to try to hide the shortages. Well, he was arraigned today before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza, and he did not waste the court's time. He pled guilty to all 6 counts of theft, and he said that he stole the money because he wanted to help his mother who is sick with diabetes. He told the court that his wife has passed away, and he is the sole breadwinner for his 3 children.

Guatemalan Gold Diggers
After a BDF soldier was shot on Holy Saturday in an apparent ambush by Guatemalan civilians, it put the whole country on notice that the Chiquibul Forest is more dangerous than ever. But, the Guatemalan poachers, encroachers and lawbreakers persist, and on Saturday three of them were caught almost 5 miles within Belizean territory, near to one of the Ceibo Chico creeks in southern Chiquibul. A joint patrol of BDF and the Friends for Conservation and Development found the trio with 390 grams, or almost a pound of weed and three empty vials - the types used for gold panning. The three admitted knowing that they were inside Belizean territory, and one of them volunteered that this was the second time he was in the area and all the gold found in the Chiquibul is sold in the village of Monte Los Olivos at approximately $52.00 Belize dollars per gram. He told the patrol that there could be as many as 40 persons in the area from several Guatemalan villages along the border. The trio reported seeing 10-15 gold panners leaving the area just as they were arriving.

Rural Weed In Abundance
Ladyville police are reporting that they made several drug seizures over the weekend. The first is school bag containing marijuana a bus, and the other is package of marijuana that police found on 2 adults a minor. The Officer Commanding Ladyville police shared the details with the media today: Inspector Juanito Cocom, OC, Ladyville Police: "We have two drugs seizures on Saturday 16th, April at about 1700 hours (5pm), the rural rapid response team removed a school bag containing four hundred and two point five grams of suspected cannabis off a public transportation. This occurred between miles 14 and 15 on the Philip Goldson Highway. The drugs was deposit as found property. Another drug seizure on Sunday 17th, April, 2pm, the relief personnel from Ladyville police on patrol interdicted 107.3 grams of suspected cannabis and subsequently charged 3 persons, a minor along with Darrell Franklyn, 36 years Belizean vendor and Rufino Hernandez, 28 years old. All of Lords Bank Village."

Fantasy Five Woman Nets Quarter Mil For City Woman
18, 25, 20, 22, 19 . Those were the fantasy 5 numbers for Saturday. Now if you didn't win, these numbers mean nothing to you but city resident Judith Savory picked them individually, and they mean everything, because tonight she's more than a quarter million dollars richer. Today Savory went to collect her winning cheque, and she told the media how surprised she was when she found out she had won. Savory collected $263,500 after taxes.

Strong Man Showdown
Over the Weekend the Belize Body Building Federation held its 5th annual Strongmen's competition. It has become a popular challenge and showcase which body builders and weight lifting enthusiasts train for year round. This year's competition had the participation of 13 competitors- 11 males and 2 females. Our cameras were out at BTL park on Sunday to catch all the action, all the trials, all the failures and all the successes of these heavy weight lifters as they went into "Beast Mode." It was a very competitive event but in the end only one could be named the strongest man and the strongest woman. In the males category the gold went to Oyinkro Akobodor, known as "Power," snapping Victor Valencia's 3 year winning streak. Valencia was second this year, followed behind by James Jones in third place. In the females category Cricel Castillo came out on top followed by Chyna Alvarez. Castillo was also the only woman who participated in all male events.

Dr. Assad Makes Case For ICJ
On Friday's newscast, we had extensive coverage of the launch of the Teachers Union Stand Up for Belize Education campaign. But, the event went until the evening, and our team had to race back from Benque to get it in for the news - meaning that there's some stuff which we didn't manage to fit into Friday's news. We showed you a portion of the presentation that Assad Shoman gave to the hundreds of teachers on the latest information relating to the Belize Guatemala Territorial Dispute. He also focused a quite a bit of his nearly 1 hour presentation on why he thinks that the ICJ is Belize's best option to settle the territorial dispute with Guatemala. Here's how he made the point based on over 40 years of research:

Assad Said "Artificial Border"
As you saw in our Friday newscast, quite a number of teachers used the question and answer section of the forum to criticize Foreign Minister Elrington's perceived weak stance on the Guatemalan dispute. We'll have a little more on that for you tonight, but first, here's Assad Shoman defending Elrington by publicly accept responsibility for the polarizing term, "artificial border". You will remember that Elrington had to deal with a firestorm of public criticism for using the term, but on Friday, Shoman told the teachers they should be upset with him, since he, Shoman, used the term first to describe Belize's border. Here's his hearty disclaimer: "Others complain, they say Mr. Elrington is the foreign minister and therefore we should not take the case to the ICJ. That makes no sense to me. He will not present the case in the court. We have a team of lawyers that we have identified. People criticized the minister because he spoke about artificial frontier. But I said that before he said that."

Assad: Time To Abandon Maritime Areas
One other issue that Shoman talked about with the teachers is the status of the Maritime Areas Act. According to Shoman, it was crafted with Belize only claiming 3 miles of it territorial seas with the condition that it would negotiate with Guatemala on its land borders. Now that those negotiations have failed, and both countries are contemplating going to the ICJ, Shoman says the law is obsolete and needs to be repealed. Here's how he made the case that Belize needs to claim its 12 miles of territorial waters urgently: Ambassador Assad Shoman - Opposition representative: "Let's look at the Maritime Areas Act. Section 3 says; that the territorial sea of Belize comprises those areas of the sea having as their inner limits the baseline of the territorial sea and that the outer limits aligned measured up to 12 nautical miles from that baseline. But then subsection 2 says, that from the Sarstoon to the Ranguana instead of 12 miles, we limit that to 2 miles. When under international law we have a right to 12 miles. But section 2 says we will limit that to 3 miles. But then it also says "the purpose of that limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with the Republic of Guatemala.

Teachers Attack, Wilfred Winces
So, here's a little more from Elrington's public trial by from the teachers. As you saw, Shoman publicly shared his skepticism of Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Raul Morales. Elrington on the other hand, has been criticized for what seems to be a cozy relationship with Morales. One of the teachers asked Elrington publicly about that, and here's how he responded: Teacher: "If Honorable Assad Shoman in 42 years could not get the Guatemalans to be our friends, why is it today that Hon. Sedi Elrington is selling that idea to us?" Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "The question of why I am trying to sell the friendship to Belize - I think it is all common sense that if you have a big powerful neighbor behind you, it is in your interest to be friendly with them. You can't be vigilant - you can't be awake for 24 hours a day and protect yourself. "

Channel 5

George Street Boss Murdered
Fear blanketed Belize City and Dangriga as the most violent weekend since the start of the year started to unfold. The murder of the reputed gang boss of George Street, [...]

Kadeem Castillo Gunned Down in the City
“Shiny” Tillett’s murder triggered another and hours later, twenty-two year old Kadeem Castillo was gunned down in Belize City. His body was found on Madam Liz Crescent in the Faber’s [...]

Leon Gordon Killed While Parting Fight
It won’t get as much attention as the weekend’s bloodshed and sensational murder of a notorious gang figure, but there was another killing on the island of Caye Caulker. It [...]

Trio of Guatemalans Detained in Ceibo Chico
We’ll have more urban violence coming up, but deep inside the Chiquibul Forest, a trio of Guatemalans was detained after being found with a quantity of suspected cannabis in the [...]

Guatemalans Reject Belize’s Sarstoon Protocols
There is significant, though certainly not surprising information in respect of eleven proposals presented to Guatemala by Belize. News Five has received information indicating that Guatemala has responded to the [...]

Police Investigate String of Shootings in the Old Capital
Earlier we told you about murders in Dangriga, Belize City and Caye Caulker. But there was a string of shootings, in particular in the city, where two men were injured [...]

ACP Chester Williams Says Some Shootings Were Grief-Related
Before leaving Belize today to attend a training course in the U.S., Regional Commander of Eastern Division South, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, told News Five there were up [...]

British National Shot During Alleged Robbery Attempt
He was arrested in 2012 on charges of unnatural sex with a minor, but tonight British national David Taylor is recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Taylor was [...]

Unidentified Gunmen Target Home in Ladyville
Just hours after that Ladyville Police were called out again for another shooting on Marage Road. According to reports, Ladyville businesswoman Cynthia Lozano told Police that at around three that [...]

Police Act Swiftly to Deter Retaliation Violence
In light of the recent shootings in the city, police stepped up operational presence in known gang areas to mitigate likely retaliation. On Sunday, ACP Chester Williams, Dianne Finnegan and [...]

A Look at Gang Movements Across Districts
The unimpeded movement of gang members across various parts of the country, including Dangriga, has raised serious concerns for residents, as well as law enforcement. It is well known that [...]

Ladyville Police Seize Drugs – Arrest 3 Persons
Officers of the Rural Eastern Division are also cracking down on the movement of narcotics in the community, and report that over the weekend they seized a total of over [...]

Former Post Office Employee Convicted for Theft
A former employee at the Post Office in Belize is spending his first night behind bars. Thirty-two-year old Sergio Alonso Patt, of San Jose Village, Orange Walk Town was arraigned [...]

Unicorn International Securities Victorious vs. G.O.B….
In January 2016, the Supreme Court ordered GOB to pay nine million dollars in compensation to principals of Titan International Securities for an unlawful raid and seizure. In September 2014, [...]

….Damages to Be Assessed in the Millions
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the violations did take place, the issue of quantum of damages will be dealt with. Young says that his client will certainly [...]

Froyla Tzalam, the New Chair of APAMO
There is a new chairperson to APAMO, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations. Over the weekend, Froyla T’zalam was elected to head the umbrella organization of NGOs. Tzalam is [...]

Sotz Family Furious As Charge against Policemen Is Downgraded
On Friday, charges against two police constables were downgraded from murder to manslaughter. PCs Hallet King and Leonard Nunez were accused of killing eighteen year old Hilberto Sotz, while he [...]

Sotz Family Send Out a Plea for Justice
Sotz killing prompted riots on Caye Caulker and the family believes that the wheels of justice are not turning. The two cops were also granted bail of two thousand dollars [...]

Sports: Football, Basketball, Cricket & the Strong Man Competition
Good evening, I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday. It was always going to be a tense affair inside the MCC Grounds for Game 2 of the [...]

CTV3

Osmar Sabido Sentencing Adjourned
Many of you may be aware of the case of Christie Carrasco, a young mother who was stabbed to death over five years ago in what many believed to be case of domestic abuse as her then boyfriend was indicted for her murder. Just one month ago the case against Osmar Sabido, who was Carrasco’s boyfriend at the time of her death commenced, where he claimed self-defense. The case against Sabido concluded on the 23rd of March and a verdict was to be handed down today, the 18th of April but the family and friends of Christie received the news that the ruling was moved to a later date. Today when we spoke to Mark Chavaria, uncle of Christie Carrasco, he told us that the entire family is ready to receive closure on the death of their loved one and although the family is hoping for a guilty verdict, Chavaria told us that they are leaving it all up to the law.

Resident Of San Jose Village Concerned About Constant Altercation
A dispute between two rival groups in the village of San Jose in the Orange Walk District has been causing havoc with the residents. According to residents, the problem, which has been ongoing for several months, is between the owner of one of the local stores in the village and a group of local boys. Today we spoke to one of the residents of the area, Feliciana Pot, who told us that the problem is getting out of control and she is afraid to step out of her front door in fear that a brawl might break out and she might get injured in the process. Feliciana Pot- Villager: “El problema es que el Chino que vive aquí enfrente tiene problemas con un grupo de muchachos pero yo no estoy a favor de ellos ni del otro, mi problema mío es de que cuando ellos tienen problema aquí me quiebran mucha botella, me tirotean la casa con piedras y yo no tengo problemas con nadie yo quiero ver si la policía o el jefe de policía haga algo porque esto no puede seguir pasando. Yo quiero como aldeana que soy y como vecino yo soy la más afectada y yo quiero que este problema la ley lo tome enserio y que tiene que para porque no pueden permitir esto porque después va a ver muerte como al igual vaya quedando como Belice pero lo que dice el inspector dice que tiene que morir alguien para que este problema se termine y yo pienso que ellos deben de evitar esto, es mejor prevenir que lamentar.”

CFZ Security Guard Reportedly Attacked While On Duty
A security guard is lucky to be alive tonight after it is believed he foiled a robbery in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. While the information reaching our newsroom has not been confirmed by police or the management of the Free Zone since they are both being tight lipped, reliable sources say that the security guard was doing his rounds at the zone when he observed two persons acting suspiciously. The men were seen in the back area of one of the major stores in the free zone. We understand that the security guard radioed his head station for assistance. But before help arrived the security guard was approached by the two individuals. Right after two more men joined them and that is when the security guard was attacked and stabbed on the left shoulder.

Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season Forecast 2016
The Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season forecast for 2016 has been issued by the Colorado State University with the aim of informing the general public of how active the upcoming hurricane season is expected to be. The forecasts are based on global oceanic and atmospheric conditions that were observed in the past years and provide meaningful information concerning similar trends or patterns of hurricane seasons that are likely to occur in the upcoming seasons. In the report, it stated that for this year, it calls for a total of twelve named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes. The Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season will have an average level of hurricane activity and according to the forecasters, it is anticipated that the El Niño will change into either neutral of La Niña conditions when the hurricane season is at its peak. When it comes to Belize, the figures show that there is a 33 percent chance that one or more storms will hit approximately fifty miles away from the country with only a 6 percent chance of a major hurricane approaching nearby. The report also makes mention that there is a thirty nine percent possibility that a named storm will enter Belize at approximately one hundred miles away resulting in an eighteen percent chance that a hurricane can hit that close.

Baird's Tapir Knocked Down At Phillip Goldson Highway
Over the weekend we received a report concerning a Baird’s tapir that was knocked down on miles eighty nine and ninety on the Philip Goldson Highway. Due to the fact that the tapir is considered as Belize’s national animal, it raised many concerns and raging feedback from many Belizeans as the animal was found near some bushes partially mutilated. When we spoke earlier this evening with the Wildlife Program Officer from the Belize Forest Department, he told us about the incident. Edgar Correa – Wildlife Program Officer, Forestry: “Yesterday morning I received a message through and informed me that a tapir was knocked down close to the border immediately I contacted our partners at the zoo to see if they can assist us in the removal, nevertheless, due to the area the zoo was able to reach here but in the evening and by the time the zoo member arrived by the location and the tapir was within the area which seems to have been slaughtered meaning that someone on the area by the vicinity removed the four leg from the tapir.”

Three Detained For Drug Offences
As the Orange Walk Police Formation continues to carry out their routine patrols here in the north in an effort to combat criminal activities, they were able to make a number of arrests over the weekend. On Saturday at about 10:20 p.m. authorities visited the home of Carlos Smith and Erlinda Sanchez with the intention of conducting a search at the residence. The search resulted in the discovery of a red plastic container that was hidden in the sofa which contained two marijuana plants. Both Smith and Sanchez were charged with ‘Cultivation of drugs’ and ‘Possession of Controlled Drugs’.

Another Firearm Confiscated By Orange Walk Police
Members of the Orange Walk Police Formation conducted several patrols and searches in different areas throughout the Orange Walk District over the weekend which resulted in the confiscation of two firearms. Since no one was in the area at the time of the discovery, the weapons were taken into police custody. Selvin Tillett – Superintendent of Police: “On Friday the 15th at 6:45pm Orange Walk Police conducted a search in an open lot at Savannah Street and upon moving a piece of log located on the western side of the log a black piece of cloth was found, inside the cloth was a chrome in color Tyrus .45 ACP caliber s/n R001649 along with an extended magazine containing no rounds while the search was conducted no one was in the immediate area, the firearm was taken to the Orange Walk police station and labelled as found property.”

LOVE FM

City Goes on Lockdown Following Gang Leader’s Murder
The news of the murder of Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett spread around the country late Saturday night and led the police to be on high alert for the chance of any possible retaliation. The hours that would follow Tillett’s murder had the authorities in the old capital, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, taking […]

Peacemaker Dies in Caye Caulker Bar
29-year-old, Leon Gordon is dead following an altercation at a bar establishment in Caye Caulker Village, Belize District. The circumstances that led to the fatal stabbing are yet to be ascertained but reports reaching Love News are that the confrontation involved two men from Belize City known to be gang affiliates. The incident occurred at […]

Gunshots Break Silence in Biscayne Village; one man injured
There were two separate shootings that occurred in Rural Belize Distict over the weekend. The first one occurred in Biscayne Village at miles 26 ¾ miles on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The victim was thirty four year old David Richard Taylor. Taylor reported to police that an unknown vehicle came into his yard and open […]

Marage Road Shooting Leaves Woman Traumatized
The second shooting occurred on Marage Road in Ladyville. It occurred at the home of forty six year old Cynthia Lozano at around 2:50 on Saturday morning Lozano told Police she heard someone at the door and minutes later she heard several gunshots. Inspector Juanito Cocom Officer in Command of Ladyville Precinct gave the media […]

Trio of Guatemalans Detained for Several Offences
Three Guatemalans have been captured in the southern part of the Chiquibul Forest through Joint Forces Unit located at the Ceibo Chico Conservation Post. On Saturday April 16, the three men were found in jungle camps near one of the Ceibo Chico creeks. At the camp Joint Forces personnel found several plastic bags containing what […]

EMS’ Manager Steals to Provide for Family
Thirty-one year old Sergio Patt, the former manager of the Express Mail section of Belize Postal Service, charged with six counts of theft of money amounting to twenty thousand six hundred and ten dollars pled guilty to the charges when he appeared today before Magistrate, Carlon Mendoza. Patt said he stole the money because he […]

Froyla Now Chairs APAMO
Froyla Tzalam, the Executive Director of the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM has been elected as the Chairperson of Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations, APAMO. This past weekend, APAMO held its eight annual general meeting under the theme, “Coming together, sharing together, working together, succeeding together. Guest speaker was the Chief Executive […]

Beyond the Title of Gang Leader; Impact of Shiney’s Death
With Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett dead, friends and family are in mourning, citizens are on alert and police officers have amped their patrols, checkpoints and preventative measures. Dianne Finnegan who works with the Youth Apprenticeship Program spoke to Love News on the impact of Tillett’s death. DIANNE FINNEGAN “I think it’s the 20th that Pinky had […]

Nurse Wins 1/4 Million in Fantasy 5 Lottery
A nurse at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital collected two hundred and sixty three thousand dollars this morning after she had purchased the winning Fantasy 5 lottery ticket. Judith Savery was at work when her husband called her with the good news. JUDITH SAVERY “I bought my ticket in my neighborhood. They are special numbers […]

Lottery Machine to Be Assessed for Glitches
Sunday, April 4 saw the avid Boledo buyers quite upset after a malfunction occurred with the ping pong machine. Today, we got a first-hand look at that very same machine and were given a demonstration of how it works. The balls are popped up to its cylinder via compressed air and so the only job […]

PlusTV

BNTU Campaign “Stand Up For Belize”
Thousands of teachers converged on the border town of Benque Viejo on Firiday 15 April to discuss the Belize Guatemala referendum. On this day, the Belize National Teachers Union launched their “Stand Up for Belize” campaign. The two main speakers were Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington a...

Policemen’s charges in Hilberto Sotz case reduced
Back in June 2016, police had initially charged two of their own officers posted on Caye Caulker with murder, for allegedly beating 18 year old Hilberto Sotz to death while in their custody. Today, after 10 months on remand for murder, a directive from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutio...

Accused in alleged murder conspiracy allowed to leave country
Korean national businesswoman, Hyang Chong Park, who was granted Supreme Court bail in the sum of $75,000 with stringent conditions after being charged in the plot to kill four persons in Belize, allegedly masterminded by Bradley Paumen, successfully applied to the Supreme Court on Thursday for perm...

Accused teenage murderer to stand trial
40 year old Edward Usher of Mayflower Street was shot dead on his doorsteps in broad daylight a year ago this week. The young man accused of pulling the trigger, Percival Pilgrim, will now stand trial for that murder after a preliminary inquiry concluded today. Without challenge, Senior Magistrate S...

More land complaints from Valley of Peace residents
Over 22 families met at the village community center in Valley of Peace today. The meeting was arranged by a village councilor and the chairman of the village lots committee to address some of the land issues the residents have been dealing with in that community. The current land dispute is over s...

The family of Yolanda Valencia wins civil suit against Deputy ComPol Miguel Segura
Vendor of San Jose Succotz, Yolanda Valencia, died in August of 2014 when her taxi driven by Yanie Cu was involved in a collision with the vehicle belonging to Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura. Segura was found to be drunk and his behavior at the scene was captured on video and prompted ...

$2 million to clean up silting at Haulover Creek
We have reported on the silting near the Bliss Center on Southern Foreshore, which affects both fishermen and the water taxi companies which make their living in that area. On Wednesday, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley said that all relevant agencies of Government – from the Port Authority to NICH...

Burglar made off with gun and jewelry
We reported on Monday about the aggravated burglary which occurred at a home in Camalote Village. Police have today issued an official report on the matter saying that the owner of the home , while he was at his ranch on the Hummingbird Highway, received a call from his maid, who reported that she ...

Over $20,000 disappears from Post Office
Belize City police are seeking a Post Office cashier as they investigate the disappearance of over twenty thousand dollars. On February 24, a supervisor of Belize Postal Service reported that sometime between the months of July and December 2015; $20,610.00 were stolen from the Post Office Express M...

Georgeville man dead; was it an accident?
Yesterday, according to a police report, 53 year old Earl Tillett died as a result of a gunshot injury to his jaw which he sustained as he tripped and fell and accidentally pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the jaw. According to a police report issued today, police were alerted to the inciden...

The Reporter

Shiny murdered in Griga!
George Street gang leader, Gerald “Shiny” Tillett was shot dead at around 7:00 on Saturday night in Dangriga. The incident happened as Tillett and a group of men socialized at Wadani’s Shed on Saint Vincent Street. Three other persons were shot, as well as Tillett’s alleged murderer, Nicholas Swazo. Police say when Swazo opened fire and struck Tillett; David Rodriguez, 46; and Carlos Sharp, 37; another man, whose identity is being protected, pulled out his licensed firearm and shot Swazo. Tillett suffered a bullet wound to his temple, while Rodriguez, a businessman of Magoon Street, Dangriga, was struck to the center of the chest. He is in a critical condition. Sharp, a manager of Pomona, Stann Creek District, also suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, but he was treated and released. Swaso, who was shot to the upper right and lower left side of the back, is in a stable condition under police guard in the Western Regional Hospital. Police say he will be charged with Tillett’s murder and with the attempted murder of Rodriguez and Sharp as soon as he is released from the hospital. Police say Swazo, originally from Dangriga, moved to Belize City a couple years ago but continued to frequent Dangriga.

Breaking Belize News

Ex-postal manager pleads guilty to theft charges
San Jose, Orange Walk resident 31 year old Sergio Patt, the former manager of the Express Mail section of Belize Postal Service, was sent to jail this morning after pleading guilty to stealing from his former employers. Charged with 6 counts of theft of money amounting […]

Two shootings in Ladyville leaves one injured
Businesswoman of Marage Road in Ladyville Village, Cynthia Lozano, reported to police that on Saturday morning around 2:50, she was sleeping when she heard loud noises coming from the front door of her house. Lozano said the noises sounded like someone was kicking down […]

Boat engine stolen in Placencia
A Placencia Village fisherman, Leopold Leslie, 48, reported to police yesterday afternoon that his 60 horse power boat engine had been stolen. The Yamaha brand engine valued at $12,625, was stolen off Leslie’s 23 foot skiff which was docked near the Municipal Pier. Police […]

Duo to be charged for weed found in SUV
Two persons are pending charges after being detained on Friday morning for cannabis found inside an SUV they were traveling in. At around 5:50 a.m., a grey SUV going in the direction of Belize City from Orange Walk, was stopped and searched by police […]

Security Guard’s motorcycle stolen in Belmopan
A motorcycle owned00 p.m. on Friday, he parked his 2012 Meilun motorcycle in the […]

Police take gun and drugs off the street in weekend searches
Police searches in four municipalities over the weekend, yielded a total of 2.5 pounds of cannabis, 4.9 grams of powdered cocaine, 5.6 grams of crack and a firearm, which were all deposited as ‘found property’. On Friday night in Orange Walk, police searched an […]

Violence erupts with two murders and a string of weekend shootings
It was a bloody weekend in Belize City, triggered by the murder of George Street gang leader, Gerald “Shiney” Tillet, on Saturday night in Dangriga. Following Tillet’s murder there were a string of shootings across Belize City, one of which resulted in the death […]

Briceno shaking up and shaking out the Old Guard
Since taking over as the leader of the People’s United Party (PUP) a little over two months ago, John Briceno has set out to ensure things don’t end for him the way it did in his first stint as leader. Briceno took over a fractured party, consumed with dissent and dysfunction. Over the last few weeks, though, Briceno has set down a path that could either consolidate the PUP’s affairs or send it even deeper into the political abyss it has found itself in since 2008. Briceno has decided that in order for the PUP to move forward he needs to shake things up and shake out the old guard.

Blogs

Sunday Funday at the Truck Stop, Ambergris Caye
Sunday afternoon on Ambergris Caye. A little music, some food and a giant waffle cone of delicious ice cream, lots of friends and more. The Truck Stop is where it’s at. PLUS, “Sunday Funday at the Truck Stop” is a title so perfect when set to the tune of 1975’s disco classic (others might say train wreck) “Car Wash”. It was the perfect day for ice cream AND the new misting stations! Hot and humid coming over the bridge north to Truck Stop. I arrived just as the pig was coming off the spit. And the Cornhole tournament was about to start. Sign-up begins at 1:30pm on Sundays and there are prizes for winning (like First place = $100 bar tab) and for the grooviest team name.

Pineapple chicken in a Pineapple Bowl
The Bare Pantry Show

Belize Tourism Trending According to Latest Figures
New data published by the Belize Tourism Board show that the country is becoming more popular than ever for foreign visitors. Tourist visits in January 2016 were up 24% year-over-year while February saw an 18.4% increase over the year before. The first two months of 2016 set a new record with more than 75,000 tourist visits, the highest number ever reported for that period. March 2016 continued these impressive gains with more than 43,000 visitors in that month alone, a more than 10% increase year-over-year and a new record for the month. The 43,065 visitors in March is the highest number of air travelers to visit the country in a single month.

Pool Project: Week Five
Most of the activity this week can be summed up in one word: rendering. This is the process of putting a smooth, final coat of cement on the walls, beams, and columns. This process is slow going and requires a deft hand to make the cement as smooth as possible. In a way, it's almost an art form. Fortunately for us, the three or four guys on the crew that are doing this work are masters. In this shot, you can see the final coat on the column and the rough coat on the wall that still needs to be smoothed. This is the north facing wall of our new hallway. Rendering is done on the exterior; the interior awaits. After that, the glass block will be installed in the opening you see.

International Sources

US releases 2015 human rights report
On Wednesday, the US State Department released its 2015 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which include a number of countries in the Caribbean region. Speaking to reporters Secretary of State John Kerry emphasised that the human rights standards referred to the reports are universal standards. On Belize, the most important human rights abuses included the use of excessive force by security forces (especially the police), lengthy pretrial detention, and harassment and threats based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Other human rights problems included corruption by officials, domestic violence, discrimination against women, sexual abuse of children, trafficking in persons, and child labour. The government occasionally ignored reports of police abuses, delayed action, failed to take disciplinary action, or transferred accused officers to other areas within their department. The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials sometimes engaged in corrupt practices. The World Bank’s worldwide governance indicators reflected that corruption continued to be a problem.

Go Adventuring in Ambergris Caye
Just a ten-minute flight from the capital, with lush wilderness and serene lodges, Belize’s largest island feels a world away. There are plenty of hidden gems among restaurants in the area: For lunch, Caprice does a fabulous Belizean fish soup called Cha Chac. If you’re looking to hear some local music, go to Black and White Bar for some Garifuna drumming and the hudut (a local Garifuna fish soup). For a day trip, Caye Caulker is the best nearby island to visit. You can get to it easily by boat (about 25 minutes) or Tropic Air (it’s a five-minute flight!). It's how San Pedro used to be: sandy streets and a really laid-back atmosphere. My favorite snorkeling spot is just off the barrier reef at Tranquility Bay Resort. The water is super-clear, and it’s never crowded. Eels, sea urchins, and lobsters all congregate here.

Guyana preparing to ban Styrofoam in 2016
If all goes according to plan, it will be illegal to import or use Styrofoam, popularly used in the food service industry, from the beginning of next year. In its thrust to promote a green economy and environment, government is moving ahead with plans to ban the importation and use of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam from January 1, 2016. The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment has begun implementing a series of measures to address waste management and to promote the utilisation of biodegradable materials. The proposed Expanded Polystyrene Ban Regulation is being finalized before the effective date to ensure the ban is legally reinforced.

5 dead as historic, 20-inch rain swamps Houston area
Drenching rain, which brought flash floods to much of eastern and southern Texas on Sunday and Monday, deluged Houston, killing five and leading to scores of water rescues. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said two people died in a vehicle that ignored barricades at a freeway underpass. He said traffic cameras recorded the vehicle going around the blockade and head into the water. The vehicle didn’t make it through. Two deaths reported earlier Monday included one man found inside a truck that that drove into high water on a freeway service road. Harris County Precinct Sgt. Herbert Martinez says crews monitoring the high water on the road saw the man in the 18-wheeler truck drive directly into the water. He says it’s possible the driver may have suffered some kind of medical emergency.

Houston's flood of biblical proportions, in photos
Heavy rains, nearing 2 feet in some places, swamped the Houston, Texas metro area, causing significant flooding and forcing evacuations. By 10:30 a.m. local time on Monday morning, the city of Houston had requested disaster declaration. As flood waters have covered roadways and more than 1,000 homes have reportedly flooded, authorities have responded to more than 1,200 flooding emergency — and that number is rising along with the flood waters.

Finding the skeletons deep within the Belize cave
HOW the Mayans got huge clay pots into the depths of a cave without damaging them is one of life's mysteries - not unlike the Nazca lines or Stonehenge. I mean, it's not like they had bubble wrap to protect them. Yet they managed to get these pots through seemingly impossible gaps to get to a ceremonial site where they would help their loved ones move from the underworld to the heavens. A cracked pot was no good - the gods would not have been pleased. Actun Tunichil Muknal is just outside San Ignacio in Belize. When it's 38C and the humidity is through the roof, doesn't a cave sound like the perfect antidote? But it's not for the faint-hearted. More than a dozen skeletons, believed to be sacrifices to the gods, have been discovered there, with at least six visible during the tour. Both adults and children died in this cave with pots used to create smoke and steam to help provide safe passage for their spirits from the underworld to the heavens.

CDC issues travel notice for Belize due to Zika
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice for Belize after recent reports of local transmission of Zika virus in the Central American country. Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people. Travelers to areas with cases of Zika virus infection are at risk of being infected with the Zika virus. Mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters. They also bite at night. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika virus. The best way to avoid Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

New set up for Jazz Fest 2016 in New Orleans
The countdown is on to the start of Jazz Fest 2016. FOX 8 checked in at the Fair Grounds to see what's new this year. Earth movers, cherry pickers and ATV's help build the magical city that comes to life at the Fair Grounds. Quint Davis said, ‘Hey it's Jazz Fest.” The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Producer is excited that it continues growing and getting better. He said, “There's really something for everyone at the highest level.” He's especially excited about the growing cultural exchange area. “Almost any Caribbean nation relates to New Orleans," Davis said. "They have carnival, they have rhythm, they have parades. So this year it's Belize that's featured.” Also this year are special tributes honor Allen Toussaint and B.B. King. “We're facing some major losses this year to our family," Davis said. "B.B. is in a portrait now on the outside of the Blues tent and there will be a jazz funeral here for Allen on Saturday the 23rd.

EU contributes Euro14 million to catastrophe risk insurance for Caribbean and Central America
The European Commission and the World Bank on Friday signed a Euro 14 million agreement to be executed by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) to facilitate access to low cost, high quality catastrophe risk insurance for the governments of Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. This contribution will support these countries become formal members of CCRIF SPC, formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, a multi-country program that allows its current 17 members to pool risk and access disaster insurance coverage at low cost, and better manage and finance disaster risk. Friday’s agreement was signed by Neven Mimica, European Union commissioner for international cooperation and development, and Jorge Familiar, World Bank vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean. Milo Pearson, chairman of CCRIF SPC. Ivan Acosta, minister of finance and public credit of Nicaragua, and Wilfredo Cerrato, finance secretary of Honduras, also participated in the signing ceremony.

Cuba to host Caribbean summit
The seventh summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) will take place on June 4 in the Cuban capital of Havana, said the organization’s secretary general Alfonso Munera. Munera, who paid a working visit to Cuba last Wednesday, met with Cuba’s first deputy foreign minister Marcelino Medina on the drafting of documents for the summit. The two officials addressed the performance of the ACS and the role of Cuba while chairing the Association´s Council of Ministers, according to the Cuban foreign ministry.

Videos

Raw Sewage Pumped into Haulover Creek Causes Public Uproar , 5min.

Pedro’s Hotel BELIZE, 2min.

Belize Trip Summary 2016, 4min.

Diving Belize 2016, 3min.

SAN PEDRO, BELIZE APRIL 2016, 3.5min.

Half Moon Caye Diving - Belize 2016, 11min.

67seconds flying over the Blue Hole, Belize, 1.5min. Flying over the Blue Hole in Belize is a ones in a lifetime experience which leaves you with stunning views of countless shades of blue.

9 Cosa vedere nel viaggio in Belize Caye Caulker Pistolozzi Marco Avventure nel Mondo, 10min. http://marcopistolozzi.blogspot.com Caye Caulker è' un atollo caraibico, situato a pochi passi dai 300 chilometri della barriera corallina che fronteggia il Belize. Asfalto e cemento sono banditi "per legge". Caye Caulker is ' a Caribbean atoll, located a few steps from the 300 kilometers of the reef fronting Belize. Asphalt and concrete are bandits "by law ". Caye Caulker es ' un atolón del Caribe , que se encuentra a pocos pasos de los 300 kilómetros de arrecife de Belice frente . Asfalto y hormigón son bandidos " por ley"

The Beer Diaries World Tour: Belize - The Maya, 16min. The Beer Diaries is proud to present The Beer Diaries World Tour: Belize, a series dedicated to using beer as an introduction to history, culture and the geo-political state of countries around the world. In this episode, host Mike Mann and his team visit the Maya ruins, Xunantunich and Cahel Pech, in the heart of San Ignacio. Andy Bahadurs, Maya expert, explains the prominence and decline of these sites, along with the significance of the various ceremonies of the people who lived there.

Organic Farming & Dining at Chaa Creek, 3min. Our organic farming features farm to table dining at Belize's luxury resort Chaa Creek, supplying its Mariposa Restaurant with fresh produce on a daily basis.

Vlogging My Belize Proposal- Nurse Shark Crashes Proposal Moment, 14min.

Ziplining in Belize, 3vmin.

Pan American Highway, Episode 7 Belize Del 1, 13min.

Belize, 8min.

Belize, 6min. A little taste of our trip.

April 18, 2016

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

Letter to the Editor: No better place to celebrate a birthday
Dear Editor: We purchased a home in San Pedro’s San Telmo neighborhood in 2011. Although we are not normally impulse buyers, we made our decision after spending only a week in Belize. Despite having almost completely abandoned prudent due diligence with respect to the purchase, nevertheless we are veteran travelers having experienced many countries and cultures around the world. We never doubted that we had stumbled upon a “good thing”. Certainly, we recognized that San Pedro is an amazing place with many attractive features but, more than anything, we were impressed with how genuine and friendly the people of Ambergris Caye can be. A tourist might not take particular notice of this, but there is little of greater importance to a traveler. Last September we brought a friend to Belize with us to celebrate his 40th birthday. Our friend is suffering from a debilitating brain tumor that has compromised the left side of his body. He is still in the process of recovering his movement, life and confidence. We recognized that his polite declines to our previous invitations to join us, in San Pedro, were manifestations of his justifiable angst.

Letter to the Editor: Disappointing Traffic Conditions
Dear Editor, We have recently spent one month in San Pedro. This was our 15th trip over the past 12 years. We have loved our visits over the years and have become friends with many locals and expats. We have supported an elementary school and sponsored a high school student for her four year term. Many friends and family have accompanied us over these years. We have been increasingly disappointed with the traffic over the years, but this year in particular was the worst. One morning, while in town, we tried to pass a van parked in a red zone (no parking) on a side street and a truck came around the corner too wide and too fast and we swerved to avoid a head on collision resulting in our side swiping the illegally parked van. The driver of the van started a scream fest over the minor scratch to his vehicle while the truck kept going. We were brow-beaten into paying cash to the van driver for his repairs (far greater than the damage) to keep the peace. As you can imagine, this left a very sour taste, and we avoided going downtown as much as possible following this. It had created doubt in our minds as to whether we will return. We discussed this with other tourists staying at our resort and the conclusion by all of them was that this was the last year they would return also.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Taste This
“Mr. Dennis, will you have a beer with us?” “Oh, no thanks, Augusto,” I said. “It’s too early for me to have a beer. I’m going to drink my coffee and read my book.” “If you get thirsty come over and join us,” Luis said. “Mario is supposed to come and meet us when he gets back from the doctor.” “Thanks.” It was a beautiful mid-morning Saturday on the deck at the Holiday Hotel. My friends at the next table were obviously still carrying on the party from Friday night. Augusto said, “Luis, you left the disco at about four o’clock and I didn’t see you again until just now. What happened to you?”

Police Report
*On Thursday, April 7th at 1:15PM, San Pedro Police conducted a search in an apartment in the DFC area, San Pedro Town. Present at the time of the search were Alex and Christian Espat, both 20 years old of San Juan Area, along with four minors of DFC area. The search resulted in the discovery of 23.3 grams of Cocaine and 2.9 grams of Cannabis. All persons present at the time of the search were detained and escorted to the San Pedro Police station with the Cocaine and Cannabis. All were arrested and charged for the offence of “Possession of Controlled Drugs” and “Drug Trafficking”.
*On Friday, April 8th at around 9:30PM while on mobile patrol on Caribeña Street, San Pedro Town police observed a yellow taxi van which was being driven at the time by 40-year-old Emmanuel Jesus Chi, taxi driver of San Marcus Area, who almost collided into a golf cart and drove off in a reckless manner. As a result, the taxi was pursued and caught on Barrier Reef Drive where Chi appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Upon searching inside the van, police found a beer bottle which was half full. Police requested Chi to provide a blood or urine specimen for analysis which he provided. On Saturday, April 9th at 9PM police arrested and charged Emmanuel Jesus Chi for the offence of “Drove Motor Vehicle with Alcohol Concentration above the Prescribed Limit”.

Doctor Love: Alone As Usual
Dear Doctor Love, Fear of rejection is ruining my life. I am a twenty-nine year-old man who has had very few dates in his life. I did not go to my senior prom and I have never had a girlfriend. Every weekend seems to find me more alone than ever or out with the guys that I know. I’m sure that some people think I’m gay but nothing is farther from the truth. I am simply terrified of women. I may want them badly but the idea of being rejected for a date or just because she does not like me is terrifying. I am too fearful to ever ask a woman to dance. I don’t know how to hold a conversation with a woman. What would I talk about? I have had some dates but it was always with women who showed they were interested in me first. After that I could handle it. One thing I have learned is to approach only women who are alone or at most with one other friend. I avoid women in large groups because my experience is that they will turn on you like a pack of wild dogs and rip you to shreds. I don’t know why this happens but I have experienced it. I need help. /s/ Alone As Usual

Misc Belizean Sources

Dead tapir on Northern Highway
his is a crying shame. Here is our national animal, our great Tapir, laying dead between miles 89/90 on the Philip Goldson Highway (formerly Northern Highway). Due to our dry conditions, these tapirs will find their fresh water source at Four Mile Lagoon.

SHABBAZZ, OH SHABAZZ: YOU ARE REMEMBERED ALWAYS!
A most blessed remembrance for my dear Muslim brother, friend, activist, and mentor, Ismail Omar Shabazz. Here he was celebrating his 75 birthday, and yours truly visited him in Belize, walked right in on the celebration, and was able to meet his precious grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was a moment of rich family celebration of his many years as a Belizean historian, his life which he truly cherished, a staunch opponent against the Guatemalan Claim, and a Belizean who loved his people and country. We later spoke for hours on Belizean affairs, and it was always a learning experience at his home, the University of Consciousness. He lives in me!

MY BELIZEAN LEGEND FOR LIFE: SUMAIYA MORRIS!
In my late years today, it is most important that that my dear wife Sumaiya Morris be honored more than any other Belizean legend that have been covered here on this documentary series called Belizean Legends. She has stood with me through it all, and understood all the reasons why this struggle here is waged. She is my comfort and motivation in it all. There is nothing more precious than her companionship and support. She is legend!

Bullet Tree village cleanup
Bullet Tree village is a member of the Bi-national Watershed Alliance. Community members joined in cleaning the river in their community. Thanks to all the volunteers that made this activity possible.

The Reporter

FCD plans another surveillance flight to monitor illegal farming in Chiquibul
Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) is planning another aerial surveillance exercise to monitor the most recent level of incursions in the Chiquibul Reserve. FCD says agricultural encroachments started to appear in the forest after 1980 and increased leading up to 2000. The highest expansion occurred from 2004 to 2010, however, showing that almost 9,000 acres of land has been deforested. Projection models suggest that by the year 2050, a significant portion of the Chiquibul forest will be converted to agriculture, if no effective interventions are put in place. Aerial pictures have shown that Guatemalan farmers have started to slash and burn the southern portion of the forest because of its remoteness. Recent patrols, however, have resulted in the detention of Guatemalan intruders.

Retaliatory shootings take place in Belize City following ‘Shiny’ Tillett’s murder in Dangriga
Police have increased their patrols in Belize City following Saturday night’s shooting murder of George Street boss, Gerald “Shiny’ Tillett in Dangriga, and retaliatory shootings in Belize City. The latest victim is Kadeem Castillo, who was killed in Belize City hours after Tillett’s murder. Tillett was at a social event at a recreation centre on Saint Vincent Street in Dangriga at around 7:00 p.m. when someone approached him and opened fire on him. He was struck in the head and died while on the way to the Western Regional Hospital. The owner of the business, David Rodriguez, was treated and released with a gunshot wound to the right side of his chest. Another man, a tour guide, is in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to the centre of his chest. The gunman who was also injured, is receiving medical treatment under police guard.

Earthquake hits Ecuador; hundreds killed
A catastrophic earthquake that destroyed buildings in Ecuador on Saturday became far more devastating Sunday, when the death toll rose to 233. Another 1,500 people were injured, said Ricardo Peñaherrera of Quito’s emergency management office. The magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Saturday night as it buckled homes and knocked out power in the city, Ecuador’s most populous, authorities said. Emergency officials recovered one body from the scene of a bridge collapse there. Vice President Jorge Glas had said earlier the death toll is expected to rise. A state of emergency is in effect for six provinces — Guayas, Manabi, Santo Domingo, Los Rios, Esmeraldas and Galapagos. Authorities urged those who left their homes in coastal areas to return after a tsunami alert was lifted.

Breaking Belize News

Ariel Rosado Foundation holds bike ride for scholarships
The annual Bike Ride in memory to the late Ariel Rosado and hosted by the Ariel Rosado Foundation took place on Saturday on the George Price Highway. The renamed Ariel Rosado Foundation was established to give life to future leaders of Belize, in memory […]

Belize group hits back at U.S. over Venezuela “threat”
The Belizean Organization for Solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution says it opposes U.S. President Barack Obama’s March 3, 2016 extension of his decree declaring Venezuela an “Unusual and Extraordinary Threat to the United States”. According to the organization, the claims made in the decree […]

Amandala defends headline in sex case
Earlier this week a release came out of the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) in relation to the recent incidents of abuse against two girls. While expressing concern for the particular child, a 13 year old girl, who is said to have […]

2016 hurricane season forecast released; average activity predicted
The Atlantic Basin Seasonal Hurricane Prediction issued by Philip J. Klotzbach, Research Scientist, and William M. Gray, Professor Emeritus, at the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, at the National Tropical Weather Conference, calls for 12 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major […]

One detained for “Shiney” murder; Belize City youth among those shot in retaliation
Police have confirmed that one “person of interest” is in custody in Dangriga in relation to Saturday night’s murder of Gerald “Shiney” Tillett. That person is among those injured in the incident. Tillett was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. The […]

“Shiny” dead, three others injured; retaliations reported
Reputed George Street Gang Boss Gerald “Shiney” Tillett is dead, killed by a single gunshot wound to the head on Saturday night. In reported retaliation, no less than seven shootings have been reported since last night. The shooting happened while he and two others were socializing at […]

Belize City police on high alert following “Shiney” murder
BBN Staff: Belize City police are on high alert following last night’s murder of George Street gang leader Gerald “Shiney” Tillet in Dangriga. There were a string of shootings reported mainly across the south side of the city in the wake of the news. Early reports to BBN […]

Blogs

Caye Caulker and Her New Beach are Looking Beautiful
Thursday I cruised over to Caye Caulker with Island Dreams Tours. And…for some reason, it was my first stop in Caye Caulker for months. What the HECK have I been up to? Just 20 mins away, I had been gone for months and lots had changed. But the charm is there FOR SURE. We started by cruising down the leeward side of the island to the Split. On the north side, leeward, is a new business. I tried to get some pictures… The Lizard itself is undergoing some construction. There is a new mural. And what they are calling a “bistro” upstairs. Perhaps too fancy for the Split? A historically VERY laid back place – the old motto used to be “a sunny place for shady people”. And then the new beach!

San Pedro Sunday morning: Covering ground for a good cause
This morning was the second annual Autism Awareness 5K Walk/Run in San Pedro. Rose and I chose the walk option off the menu, out of deference for me being completely out of shape thanks to back-to-back surgeries in the past year or so. So Rose prepared for the 5K by rising early and running a 7K. I prepared by looking for my ancient running shoes, which I searched thoroughly for scorpions, lizards, spiders and other creatures who seek shelter in musty, dark places in the back of closets. The good news is, I found none of the above. But the shoes. Oh, the shoes! The bad news is . . . oh, wait . . . I told you earlier: I am terribly out of shape as far as humans go. The run/walk began in front of the Sandbar, the hostel/bar/pizza joint in Boca del Rio which seems to be making a habit out of civic generosity. If there is a good deed being done for San Pedro, you’ll likely see the Sandbar’s name attached to it somewhere. Seriously, a bottomless source of good works for the community.

International Sources

The turquoise water is un-Belize-able!
YOU better Belize it. Un-Belize-able. The Belize jokes come thick and fast, and the cliche t-shirts sell just as quickly. While I may have resisted the Belize offerings, I have succumbed to a Guatever t-shirt in Guatemala - honestly, how could I resist? The "Guat's Up?" tops were almost as tempting. But, where was I? Oh yeah - blissing in Belize. Caye Caulker's got that chill vibe of Byron Bay before it became so touristy. I imagine it's similar across the Caribbean but a little more sleepy than, say Jamaica. Everyone speaks English and they take US dollars in all stores - one US is the equivalent of two Belize dollars. The British colony is still struggling with identity, with Guatemala and Mexico still fighting in the courts over territory. There's only 2000 people living on the island, though that can double with tourists in peak seasons. The locals - who will happily strike up a conversation with anyone - get around on bikes or golf buggies. But the real attraction of Caye Caulker is in the stunning turquoise Caribbean surrounding the island.

Belize Tourism Off to Booming Start in 2016
Belize is booming. The Caribbean destination is off to a blazing start in 2016, according to the latest numbers from the Belize Tourism Board. The country reported a 24 percent year-over-year increase in stayover visitors in January, followed by an 18.4 percent increase in stayover visitors in 2015. The increase was reflected in 7,416 visitors in January and 5,800 visitors in January, with overall totals of 38,274 arrivals in January, 37,624 arrivals in February and 43,063 arrivals in March. For the first quarter overall, the country reported a 16.9 percent increase in overnight tourist arrivals, making it the fastest-growing destination in the Caribbean in 2016.

Longevity Summit brings latest health research to the valley
A two-day Longevity Summit in Medford brought the latest health research on living longer to Rogue Valley residents this weekend. This is the second year of the longevity summit, and it’s grown quite a bit. More than 350 people heard from 20 speakers. The event aims to share the latest health headlines, and show people how they can add 5 to 20 quality years to their lives. “We distilled down 20 years of research into the best practices in terms of how people can lose weight, get rid of their headaches, get rid of their arthritis, work toward reversing diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, et cetera,” Dr. Thaddeus Gala said. The event is also a fundraiser for a school program in Belize. Last year, enough money was donated to supply a children’s before and after-school program with food for the entire year. This year, they’ve already achieved that same goal, and are working to do even more.

Videos

Belize 2016 | Highlight Video, 3min. Here are some highlights on the incredible trip 41 missionaries took to Belize April 1-9. Thanks to everyone who was a part of donating the over $16,000 that came in through the Easter Love Offering to fully fund all the construction projects in Punta Gorda and San Miguel! Your generosity is helping two churches reach more people in their town and village with the love of Christ!

Ambergris Caye Scuba Adventures, 3min. March 2016 - Ambergris Caye, Belize Shot with a GoPro 3 Silver and a Phantom 3 Advanced quadcopter in the second largest barrier reef on the planet.

Diving the Victoria Tunnel in Ambergris Caye Belize, 2min. Every dive is different, some have lots of fish, others amazing coral and sponges and sometimes you are just flying. Smooth, dark tunnels and just floating.

Dont Panic Dive, 1.5min. Ambergris Caye, Belize

Placencia - Belize 2015, 5min. Our trip to Placencia, Belize. We stayed at Laru Beya Resort - the nicest staff ever!

Ambassador Assad Shoman and the BNTU April 2016 on the Belize/Guatemala differendum Part 2, 12.5min. Brother Assad Shoman does his historical/political presentation at on the issue of the unjust and irritating issue by Guatemala on Belize.

Senior Year 2016: BELIZE, 4min.

Ambergios Caye, Belize April 2016, 4min.

ATV Belize, 11min. BUTTS UP TOURS in Belize City, Belize - ATV in the mud. So much fun, so much mud! Good thing we went tubing down the river through the caves to clean u

BLUE HOLE BELIZE FEB 2016, 8.5min. Buceo Realizado en el Gran Blue Hole, Belize Febrero 2016.

Mayan Ruins in Belize, 3min.

April 17, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

Congratulations Catrachos Team
Champions of the 2016 Mayor's and Minister's Cup! It ended in major controversy with a final score of 4-3, but Catrachos won the Mayor's & Minister's Cup Football Tournament. After the referee called offside on a penalty kick, Veterans protested, and eventually walked off and forfeited the final game of the tournament. Congratulations to Team Catrachos on their win.

World ranked Laser Sailors Visit Belize Sailing School
On Sunday, April 10, 2016, two vivacious and highly decorated Laser Sailors, Hanne Weaver, 20, and her brother Ted, 23, visited the Belize Sailing Center and provided inspirational training and racing for the school’s aspiring young Laser sailors. Among Hanne Weaver’s many accomplishments is winning the 2012 USA Junior Female Single-person-Dingy Championship at age 16. She currently ranks 3rd among US senior women Laser Radial sailors and is in a very strong position to make the 2020 Women’s US Olympic Laser sailing team. Hanne is putting off full-time college to pursue her Olympic goal; she is an assistant manager at a Seattle, Washington USA branch of West Marine, the large and prestigious US water sports outfitter and retailer. West Marine fully supports Hanne’s sailing ambitions and allows her time off to pursue them.

Projects Abroad to conduct survey on alcohol and tobacco use in SP
In an effort to keep the younger island population away the unhealthy influences of alcohol and tobacco abuse, Projects Abroad in Belize has initiated an action plan. This initiative will require community cooperation, and is already underway. According to Kaitlin McWhorter from the non-governmental organization (NGO) Projects Abroad, the idea is to go door-to-door, inquiring information related to alcohol and tobacco use in the community. The project aims to find out how often they are being used, and if there is a way to reduce or eliminate its abuse. The NGO is currently working on a community census to collect data on the use of these two common drugs in Ambergris Caye. The team plans to visit the schools on the island applying the same system of data survey. McWhorter indicated that from the information gathered, an action plan can then be implemented to prevent or lower the rate of usage among the youth on the island. She looks forward to working with the community, and hopes to get everyone’s support on this new project that seeks only the best for the island youth. The surveys are scheduled to start on Thursday, April 14th, and should run through Saturday, May 14th.

BWG, The Phoenix, Canary Coves raises funds for new ECG machine
Each month, the Blue Water Grill (BWG) restaurant along with its sister business The Phoenix Resort, raises funds to support different organizations in San Pedro. Last month, donations not only came from BWG and The Phoenix, but also from Canary Cove, who joined the initiative to raise money for an Electrocardiogram (ECG) machine for the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. During the month of March, BWG, The Phoenix and Canary Cove raised $8,920 to purchase the machine for the Polyclinic. The BWG intended to purchase the machine back in August 2015, however, other urgent clinic essentials took precedence. Spirometers, pulse oximeters and thermometers among other necessary supplies were donated instead. Now that funds have been raised for the ECG, the doctors and nurses at the clinic will be better able to take care of the community of San Pedro. The official handing over ceremony will be announced at a later date. BWG, The Phoenix, and Canary Cove would like to thank everyone for their donations and for making this possible.

Businesses organize to address Mayor’s new delivery regulations
On Monday, April 11th, the new regulation for delivery trucks began in downtown San Pedro. The project is an experiment by The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) as a means to solve traffic congestion on the island. All large-vehicle deliveries have been barred from doing so after 7AM in the town core. Despite opposition to the pilot project, the SPTC began implementing the idea. Mayor Guerrero expects the new regulations to become a by-law in the coming months. “The project has been well received by residents. They feel relieved knowing their children will be safer on the streets when they go to school. We are also accommodating our tourists, who were having issues with the congestion in downtown,” said Guerrero. According to the Mayor, some businesses are cooperating with the new initiative of deliveries between 2AM and 7AM. However, not everyone in the business community is happy with the new regulation, despite recent clarifications. On Wednesday, April 13th, over 30 business owners met at the Lions Den for an in-depth discussion. The different stakeholders ranged from barge to hardware stores to the main super market owners in town. The matter is so serious that the group has sought legal advice concerning the situation. According to one of the participants, his legal adviser mentioned that no local authority can block access to public streets. Such a regulation must come from the Ministry of Transportation prior to being gazette at the Ministry in Central Government. In view of this, everyone at the meeting agreed on taking the legal approach as well.

Kids for Belize fundraiser a success
Island children with limited resources and who struggle for an education will once again benefit from Daryl’s ‘Kids of Belize’ fundraising program. For the past year and a half, Daryl Kennedy, the programs founder, has been raising funds to assist children with scholarships and even desks. The program has grown rapidly, to the point that even tertiary level students are benefiting from scholarships. As in the past, this year’s fundraising event brought an evening of great music; from Reggae to classics, supporters were entertained for hours. It all happened on Saturday, April 9th, at the Island Time Beach Bar in Southern Ambergris Caye. From 1PM until the bar closed, Kennedy and local musicians rocked the mic. The audience also indulged in the many delicious options from the menu, including roast pork. Some attendees declared it their favorite, and were double pleased that proceeds assisted a worthy cause.

Misc Belizean Sources

Petition asking the Obama Administration to condemn Guatemala's aggressive encroachment into Belize
Please sign the petition asking the Obama Administration to condemn Guatemala's aggressive encroachment into Belize. All you need to do is enter your first and last name and your email address. Then you need to go into your email and confirm so that your signature registers. Your name will remain anonymous on the site. If are using internet explorer as your browser, you may need to switch to Google Chrome or Firefox.

District finals of the Bowen & Bowen National Spelling Bee
The District finals of the Bowen & Bowen National Spelling Bee took place today at the CCC Auditorium. Coordinator of the Corozal House of Culture Debra Wilkes was honoured to be of service as a judge. Congratulations to all of the children who participated! First place winner is Miss Limeyrie Sosa of Our Lady of Guadalupe RC School, second place goes to Mr. Klever Lin of Calcutta Seventh Day Adventist School, and third place goes to Miss Roxannie Nah of Patchakan RC School. We wish them all of the very best at the National Spelling Bee in early June.

Amandala

Iris Myrtle Palacio vs Guardian and editor for libel
The former Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) Secretary General, Iris Myrtle Palacio, has filed a lawsuit claiming that an article and accompanying cartoon published by The Guardian newspaper, the party organ of the governing United Democratic Party (UDP), were acts of libel against her. Both Palacio and the Guardian editor, Alfonso Noble, took the witness stand when the case came up this morning in the Supreme Court of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. Just prior to the January 2015 bi-election in Cayo, December, 2014, The Guardian ran a story captioned “PUP Secretary General endorses the use of witchcraft in politics,” and the cartoon at the bottom of the page on which the article was printed contained a caricature of Palacio chopping off the head of a chicken, with the caption, “PUP Election Preparation.”

Police exposes woman’s nakedness
The naked body of a grieving mother, Emily Gabourel Chavarria of Ladyville, was exposed by police who went to her house to search for drugs and/or ammunition. Chavarria told Amandala today that at about 6:00 this morning, at her house in La Milpa Estate, Ladyville, she was getting ready to go to work when she heard a loud banging on the door and a voice from outside shouted, “ Police, open the door before we break it down.” Chavarria said she shouted at them, “Give me a break so I could put on my clothes.” She said that the banging was loud, so she went to open the door before they broke it down. Police, she said, barged into the house, and one of them pulled the towel from around her, exposing her body.

Man, beaten, stabbed and left in drain to die, succumbs
The Vernon family of Racoon Street, Belize City, is mourning the death of Anwar Vernon, 31, a laborer and the stepfather of two boys, 2 and 3 years old. He died at about 2:30 yesterday afternoon at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he fought for his life for about 6 days after being attacked by unknown robbers who stabbed him and beat him in the head, then threw him into a drain on Racoon Street Extension, where he was found. On Wednesday morning, April 6, people walking on Racoon Street Extension saw him lying in the drain and called police, who went to the scene and saw Vernon battered, bleeding and unconscious. He was then rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit, where he battled for his life until yesterday evening, when he died of the injuries.

DCP Miguel Segura’s civil lawsuit settled for $78,000
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura, collided into a car and as a result caused the death of Yolanda Consuelo Valencia in the early morning hours of August 16, 2014, on the George Price Highway near Mile 71. The 55-year-old Valencia was travelling as a passenger in a taxi when a government-owned Nissan Pathfinder that was being driven by Segura slammed into the taxi, killing Valencia on the spot. The driver of the taxi, Yanie Cu, suffered severe head and bodily injuries from which he has still not yet fully recovered. Segura has been criminally charged for the accident and his case is still making its way through the criminal justice system. Segura, who is still on interdiction from the Police Department, is facing manslaughter and other accident-related charges.

2016 hurricane season forecast released
You might think that an April forecast for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which spans June to November each year, is way too early, but that’s not the case, especially since hurricanes are not the straight-jacket type. Ask Hurricane Alex, which emerged as an extra-tropical cyclone near the Bahamas on January 7, 2016. Notably, Hurricane Alex was the first Atlantic hurricane in January since Alice in 1955. So does an early hurricane make for a busy season? Not necessarily—or at least not according to today’s season prediction issued by the Colorado State University (CSU), which calls for at least one more hurricane to form during the 2016 hurricane season. The Atlantic Basin Seasonal Hurricane Prediction issued today by Philip J. Klotzbach, Research Scientist, and William M. Gray, Professor Emeritus, at the Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, at the National Tropical Weather Conference, calls for 12 named storms, 5 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes.

Justice for Jessica
The Caceres family of Belize City are still hurting over the untimely death of 21-year-old Jessica Caceres—the last of three patients to survive after the fatal transfusion of HIV and Syphilis-tainted blood back in March/April 2001. “She was my only daughter and it hurt me big time,” George Caceres, Jessica’s father, told Amandala. He said that what the family has experienced is “a complete injustice.” Although the family settled for BZ$75,000 in October 2002, when Jessica turned 18 she sought the help of the Ombudsman’s Office for a more just compensation. Since 2013, the Ombudsman has knocked at every possible door—the hospital where Jessica was infected, the Commissioner of Police, the General Legal Council, the Medical Council and the Office of the Prime Minister—but there was no notable progress in her case.

Belize’s Devin Daly representing the Jewel
We are happy to share the article below on Belize’s Devin Daly, “playing Big” in the U.S. Devin Daly and Sarah Awe highlighted as Senior Athletes of the Year Lssulakers.com SAULT STE. MARIE, Apr 12, 2016 Devin Daly helped lead Lake Superior State men’s basketball program to the most successful four-year stretch in the program’s history, while Sarah Awe recently capped her stellar career finishing ranked fourth in combined wins for the women’s tennis program. Both seniors were honored Tuesday evening (April 12) at the annual Laker Club Athletic Awards Banquet held at the LSSU Cisler Center.

World ranked Laser sailors visit Belize Sailing School
On Sunday, April 10, two vivacious and highly decorated Laser sailors, Hanne Weaver, 20, and her brother Ted, 23, visited the Belize Sailing Center and provided inspirational training and racing for the school’s aspiring young Laser sailors. Among Hanne Weaver’s many accomplishments is winning the 2012 USA Junior Female Single-person-Dingy Championship at age 16. She currently ranks 3rd among US senior women Laser Radial sailors, and is in a very strong position to make the 2020 Women’s US Olympic Laser sailing team. Hanne is putting off full-time college to pursue her Olympic goal; she is an assistant manager at a Seattle WA branch of West Marine, the large and prestigious US water sports outfitter and retailer. West Marine fully supports Hanne’s sailing ambitions and allows her time off to pursue them.

Proto Foundation U-13 and U-15 Five-A-Side
The Proto Foundation U-13 and U-15 Five-A-Side Football Tournaments climaxed on Saturday, April 9, at the Noel Ferguson Park near Cinderella Plaza with the semifinals and finals, followed by the announcement of individual awards for outstanding U-13 and U-15 players in the tournament. In the first U-13 semifinal, Carlston FC dropped Reality Youths FC, 3-nil, with goals from Lawnie Leslie, Brandon Smith and Shane Pratt. Next was the first U-15 semifinal, and it was Matus Bomberz, 3-1, over Collet FC. Cory Parchue (2) Tyreek Muschamp shook the net for Bomberz, while Tyrique Ciego scored for Collet. In the second U-13 semifinal, Hattieville Riverside Boys clipped Sampson 1256 Automotive by a 1-nil score, courtesy of a goal by Aswald Young.

2016 1st Biannual RF&G; National Ranking Tournament results
The 2016 1st Biannual RF&G; National Ranking Tournament took place this past Sunday, April 10, at the BES Auditorium, ”the home of table tennis”. Some 50 table tennis players ranging from ages 10 to 65 participated across the A, B, and C divisions in this annual National Ranking event. This year, the division rating requirements have changed. “A” Division players are now players with a rating between 1000 to 1499 points; “B” Division players are now 700 to 999 points; and “C” Division players are those with a rating below 700 points. This has allowed several players to play up in a higher division for the first time. The most significant results of this change took place in the “A” Division.

Editorial: PUDP politics
There is a reason why, previous to 2003, none of Belize’s two major parties had won consecutive general elections in the post-independence era. For the record, the United Democratic Party (UDP) won in 1984, the People’s United Party (PUP) in 1989, the UDP in 1993, and the PUP in 1998. The Belizeans who made the changes were independent voters. The two major parties share the traditional allegiance of perhaps 60 to 70 percent of the voting electorate, while perhaps 30 to 35 percent of Belize’s voters are independent of the PUDP. Neither of the two parties was able to create sustainable economic development for Belize in the post-independence era. It is true that it is difficult to accomplish anything of systemic change in a single five-year term. But Belize’s independent voters had become impatient with the politicians. The 1984-89 UDP administration had impressive growth figures, but the development was not sustainable: much of it was based on the sale of passports, the sale of Belizean lands, and the introduction of tourism. (Mr. Price’s PUP had been skeptical of tourism.)

From the Publisher
When I was a young man in 1969, I became the leader of an oppressed group of people in Belize. I did not seek that leadership: rather, it was thrust upon me. But, no matter, I became the target of the white supremacist power structure here. This is just how white supremacy has operated internationally for five centuries and more: they target the leaders of oppressed groups and seek to destroy those leaders in various ways. When one is targeted, then one finds that every feature of one’s character/personality and every aspect of one’s life comes under heavy scrutiny. It is as if you live under a microscope. The power structure is probing you to find areas of weakness. Your enemies are praying for ill fate to befall you: some actually believe that God is on their side. It is very uncomfortable, trust me. This is one of the prices you pay for leadership.

Letter to Amandala: Major Lloyd disagrees with Sedi and Assad
Dear Editor, The Guatemalans, in a show of diplomatic superiority, have insisted that Belize change its referendum law by removing the 60% voter turnout threshold. The Guatemalans argue that the Barrow administration, in a slight of hand, amended the Referendum Act after both countries had agreed to go to the ICJ. It is therefore the view of the Guatemalans that the threshold is designed to lead to a failed referendum in Belize. Dr. Assad Shoman as part of his 3-step plan on the way forward, yields to the Guatemalan demand, and supports a change to the Referendum Act that would allow legitimacy of a referendum by a simple majority, irrespective of voter turnout. I disagree with this primarily on two grounds; (1) the Guatemalans must not be allowed to exercise sovereignty over our domestic statutes and (2), legitimacy by a simple majority does not adequately reflect the important nature of the issue at hand.

219 years after genocide attempt, Garinagu celebrate survival
Although the biggest celebration among Belizean Garinagu is observed annually on November 19th, marking their arrival to Dangriga in 1823, there is another historic date which is commemorated among members of the wider Garifuna community—that of 12th April 1797, the date which marks the exile by the British of over 2,000 Garinagu to Roatán, Honduras. Today, the children at Gulisi Community Primary School had a day of activities to mark the occasion. Unlike the Garinagu’s arrival to Belizean shores, their arrival to what is now known as Honduras, was not as joyous, since those who had made it to that destination had seen almost half of their brothers and sisters perish from starvation and disease on the desolate island of Balliceaux, off the mainland of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Caribbean island which is the traditional homeland of the Garinagu. Today, Garifuna elders held a press conference in Belize, to highlight the importance of what E. Roy Cayetano calls Garifuna Arrival, Survival and Prosperity Day.

Recovering our fisheries: Belize’s managed access program buttressed by global study
“There are fewer fish, smaller fish—and beyond that, they are today even harder to catch than before!” You may have heard this claim being made by fishers from time to time, but in Belize, the conversation is not just about what has been perceived to be a dwindling fish population; it is about the best strategy to recover vital fisheries resources which underpin a vibrant facet of the national economy. Apart from helping to secure Belize’s breadbasket, proper management of resources within our jurisdiction also helps to secure the nation’s territorial integrity amid an unfounded claim to Belizean territory by neighboring Guatemala. For the past decade, Belizean authorities, namely the Belize Fisheries Department, have been working along with the fishing community and NGO partners – the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which owns the Glover’s Reef Research Station – to introduce rights-based fishing in Belize, and a recent global study shows that this kind of regime could, simply put, mean more fish and more money.

Dame Minita Gordon, Belize’s first Governor General
There have not been many women in Belize as distinguished as Dame Minita Gordon. In 1981, Belize received its independence from England; however, Belize still held ties to the monarchy. The person holding the post of Governor General was thus the queen’s representative in Belize following Belize’s attainment of Independence in 1981, and that distinguished position was bestowed on Gordon. Gordon became the first Governor General of Belize. This was quite an achievement, for not only Gordon, but women in general, since at the time such high positions were usually held by males, but Gordon defied the odds when she was appointed to this post. It’s a post she assumed shortly after returning from Canada, where she obtained a doctorate in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto.

Belize represented at Caribbean Fisheries Forum
Belize Fisheries Administrator, Beverly Wade, attended the 14th Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, the primary technical deliberative body of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), held in Guyana on Thursday and Friday of this week. Speaking at the opening ceremony for the forum, Hon. Noel Holder, Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, said in his formal address that, “The Fisheries sector plays an important, direct role in national food security. It is well-known that fish has a highly desirable nutrient profile and provides an excellent source of quality animal protein. Globally fish contributes some 16 percent of the total animal protein intake.”

Territorial Volunteers to commemorate 1859 Border Treaty
April 30 of this year will mark the 157th anniversary of the 1859 Boundary Treaty that defined the Belize-Guatemala borders. As a result, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) is organizing a trek to the border at the mouth of the Sarstoon River and the Northern Territorial Volunteers (NTV) is simultaneously organizing a trek to the Garbutt Falls monument. According to a press release issued today by the BTV, this is an “effort to demonstrate support for not only maintaining, but also regaining our territory…” The release also states that, “Amid the most recent acts of aggression by Guatemala in the form of their summarily claiming not only Sarstoon Island, but also the entire Sarstoon river, coupled with the GOB’s continued, willful negligence concerning all matters involving Guatemala’s intransigence, it is clear that a heightened awareness campaign must be maintained.”

PUP pushes forward with new executive
On the night of January 31, 2016, almost 2,800 loyal supporters of the People’s United Party voted Hon. John Briceño, area representative of the Orange Walk Central constituency, leader of the Opposition PUP for a second time. Briceno, who was leader from 2008 to late 2011 when he stepped down, easily defeated former leader Francis Fonseca and four-time Lake Independence area representative Cordel Hyde. Fonseca had stepped down from his post as PUP party leader just a day after leading his party to a second consecutive general election defeat in November of 2015. But a few weeks later, just a few days shy of the nomination day set for the leadership convention, Fonseca announced that he was reversing his decision at the behest of some of his loyal standard-bearers.

Prisoner fined $10,000 for 372 grams of weed
Eric Javier Castillo, 26, who is presently serving time in prison for burglary, was found guilty of drug trafficking for 372 grams (.82 of a pound) of cannabis when his case concluded in the court room of Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. In her judgment, Chief Magistrate Smith told Castillo that even though there was some discrepancy in one of the prosecution’s witnesses’ testimony, there was sufficient evidence presented to the court to convict him of drug trafficking. The Chief Magistrate did not give Castillo more jail time, but ordered him to pay $10,000; however, if he fails to pay the fine by December 30, 2016, he will spend five years in prison. Therefore, although Castillo should be out of prison in a month’s time, if he defaults to pay the fine, he will lose his freedom and be confined once again to prison.

The Reporter

“Shiny” Tillett killed in Dangriga
George Street boss, Gerald “Shiny” Tillett is dead after he was shot about an hour ago in Dangriga. Tillett was shot in the head. He was one of four persons shot. Information is sketchy, but the Reporter has received reliable reports that one of the victims, a man from Belize City, was shot in the head and is currently being transported to the Belmopan hospital.

Three men remanded on charges related to abduction/murder
Three men, Devon Brooks, Sherman Thomas and Kimahl Dawson were remanded to the Hattieville Prison on Friday on charges related to last Sunday morning’s abduction and murder of Luis Ortiz, 39, of Belmopan. The men are charged with attempted murder of Ortiz’ friend, Jose Gonzalez, 40, who was a passenger in Ortiz’ car the morning he was killed. They are also charged with robbery upon Ortiz. The defendants, all from Roaring Creek village, are also suspects for Ortiz’ murder, but Officer Commanding the Belmopan police station, Superintendent Howell Gillett told the Reporter investigators need more evidence before they file that charge against them. Luis Ortiz, a carpenter, was about to leave La Cabana nightclub on the outskirts of Belmopan on the Hummingbird highway along with Gonzalez when another man asked for a lift and two others got in the car.

PAHO introduces database accessible worldwide on Zika virus
Countries throughout the world now have access to a new Zika Research Projects List – a database that lists and categorizes all scientific studies on the Zika virus. The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) launched the database this week. The organization has systematically identified and collected basic information on all investigations related to Zika, both those already published and those about to be published. The database includes the title, authors, and a direct link to the article. Each study has been categorized under topics such as: virus, vectors and reservoirs; epidemiology; disease pathogenesis and consequences of Zika infection; clinical management; public health interventions; health systems and services response; research and product development; and causality. Information can also be accessed through searching by publication type: published articles, protocol and publication of preliminary results.

US warns Caribbean countries about economic citizenship program
The United States (US) government has warned Caribbean countries offering citizenship by investment to be extra careful about who they give their passports to. The caution was with a view to ensure that recipients have no connection to terrorism or organized crime. The US gave the advice in a statement this week, but said that it was not advising regional countries on whether or not they should offer economic citizenship. Under the program, foreign investors are granted citizenship in exchange for a substantial investment in respective countries. “The United States does not approve or disapprove individual aspects of citizenship by investment programmes,” the US statement said. “The United States strongly believes that all countries have an inherent responsibility to their citizens and the international community to review fully all applicants who seek a nation’s citizenship,” the statement continued.

Breaking Belize News

George Street boss murdered
Notorious George Street boss Gerald “Shiney” Tillet has reportedly been shot and killed in Dangriga tonight. Details are scarce at this point but Tillet was apparently accompanied by three other men who were also shot. It is not clear if anyone else died along with Tillet. […]

Punta Gorda Basketball team defeats champions of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala
An international friendly basketball match in Punta Gorda (PG) Town last night featured the reigning champions of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, who took on a U-20 team coached by Raymond ‘Speeno’ Sanchez. The Guatemalan side arrived late yesterday evening and settled into their hotel before […]

Fair and dry weather prevails
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting mostly sunny skies today and partly cloudy tonight with little or no rainfall. Winds will be blowing from the East-Southeast at 10-20 knots and the sea state will be choppy to moderate. High temperatures today are […]

Blogs

Rediscovering Belize With Help From My Grandkids…And A Lobster
As we boarded the boat, our grandkids anticipation was palpable. And I was just as ecstatic that we had the opportunity to introduce them to my favorite Caribbean Sea activity since we moved to the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. My husband and I regularly join friends to spend a relaxing day on the water, with a few stops to snorkel. But this time would be even more special. We’d be sharing the adventure with our grandkids. It was their first visit to Belize…and it would also be their first time snorkeling… We wanted our grandkids to experience and appreciate, firsthand, what drew us to this quirky little Caribbean island, and has anchored us to Belize in our retirement. When the big day arrived, the temperature was warm, the breeze faint. As our boat, the El Gato, glided over the sea I could see everyone relax, hypnotized by the clear water and vibrant hues of the aquamarine sea that surrounded us. “I can’t believe I can see all the way to the bottom”, was a constant comment.

Would you say “Yes” to Forever? Island style proposal
Oliver contacted me months ago to capture one of the most important moments of his life, while he is proposing his girlfriend… Arriving early morning in Belize City with cruiseship, flyingTropic Air Belize on our island, I pick them up from the airport and played as a local tour guide… took them around to show them the beauty of the island and at one point we stopped at Ramon’s Village beach and… BAM! This beautiful proposal was followed by a beautiful lunch on the beach at fabulous Victoria House.

‘Criminal Minds’ in Belize? After screening, even worse than we imagined
On a balmy Friday night a couple dozen expats gathered beside the lagoon here on Ambergris Caye for an outdoors screening of this week’s episode of the spin-off CBS show “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.” Since its original TV airing on Wednesday, expats and Belizeans all over this tiny country have been convulsed in paroxysms of laughter. To be honest, some have been convulsed in paroxysms of rage. This week, the elite FBI team lead by a heavily botoxed Gary Sinese drops into Belize to find a young American honeymoon couple who have gone two days without posting anything on social media, thus raising suspicions of foul play. Let me say this: We all know Hollywood makes stuff up. That is what they do. That is their job and we mostly appreciate it. But, seriously? From the opening backdrop of an expansive white sand beach, dotted with colorful umbrellas, this show got Ambergris Caye all wrong. Oh, we have colorful umbrellas — mostly green with the logo for Belikin, the national beer, on them. We do not have expansive white-sand beaches. We have mostly small, narrow beaches and, more and more likely, retaining walls erected to fight the erosion.

International Sources

Where in the World is The Crescent-News? Belize
From left, Mike McDougall, Yvonne Sheets, and Cindy and Richard Shaffer took The Crescent-News to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize, from March 6-12, where they stayed at Shaffer’s condo.

Expats Enjoy Lower Cost of Living, Provided They Shop Smartly
A study of expats primarily in Central America, "Expats: Expectations & Reality," found that 86.6% thought that they would achieve a lower cost of living by moving abroad. The study, which was conducted by Best Places in the World to Retire, also found that 84.2% did achieve a lower cost of living. A follow-up study, "Expat Reports: Is It Cheaper to Live Abroad?" reported that 34% spent less than half as much abroad as they did before. Those numbers certainly underscore one of the great advantages of living in certain foreign countries. But what is the cause in those few cases when expats experience a higher cost of living? The reports suggest that this group of expats is spending more on costlier items that are coming from the U.S. than on goods that are produced within the country. As long as they stick with local fare and services, they will pay less than they would in their own countries.

Cayo Espanto has all the luxury and pampering you expect on vacation
He wanted something special: a nice quiet place where he and his wife could celebrate their anniversary. From Bora Bora to Mexico, he had scoured the internet looking for the right place, but the perfect escape he wanted alluded him. When he called me at Monroe Travel Service, he said he was just tired of looking. He needed someone who knew about these things to help him out. “I can make this easy,” I told my friend Lonnie McCurry, Jr. after he explained his expectations for an anniversary trip, “but I certainly agree with you that it gets confusing. There are many, many beautiful places in this world, but few are as special as Cayo Espanto, which I think could be exactly what you are looking for!” During his internet search, he admitted he had considered this resort, but he felt uncomfortable spending the money on something he knew very little about. That’s when I started my sales pitch, “Rob and I discovered this tiny private island, just off Ambergris Caye, a few years ago when on vacation in Belize. With nothing but seven deluxe beachfront units and a staff totally dedicated to providing an experience you will never forget, I believe Cayo Espanto has all the luxury and pampering you expect on this vacation.”

Big hero to big cats honored
Wildlife isn’t outside of humans, it’s something inside of them. When it’s preserved, humanity’s health and well-being flourishes. “It's part of the ecological fabric of the tenuous world we live in,” said zoologist Alan Rabinowitz, otherwise known as the “Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation.” The CEO of Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, spent his life studying large cats and working to preserve their natural habitats. On Friday evening he accepted the 2016 Roy Chapman Andrews Society’s Distinguished Explorer Award at a ceremony held at Beloit College's Eaton Chapel. He went on to give a presentation titled “Ground Truthing Exploration: Why Biological Exploration Isn’t History.” Born with a debilitating stutter, Rabinowitz told the crowd he learned he could talk to animals about his hopes and dreams. He found his peace at the Bronx Zoo's great cat house. "They were locked inside their cages like I was locked inside my own head," he said. "I said 'If I ever found my voice I will try to be your voice as well.’” Rabinowitz went on to be a strong protector of wildlife. After beginning his career by studying jaguars in Belize, he traveled around the world studying jaguars as well as clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons and civets.

Videos

Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize 2016, 4min.

Belize with Liam, 12min.

Cahal Pech, Belize, 5min.

Swimming with sharks in Belize, 10min. I would like share my 4th of 5 videos of our vacation trip on the Carnival Magic. Today was April 6th, today my wife and some friends we were swimming with the sharks in San Pedro, Belize.

Snorkeling Belize UT, 8min. Snorkel trips to laughing bird caye, silk caye, and lighthouse caye. Trips out of Placencia Belize.

Snorkeling in Silk Caye, Belize, 5.5min.

Ambassador Assad Shoman and the BNTU April 2016 on the Belize/Guatemala differendum, 13min. Brother Assad Shoman does his historical/political presentation at on the issue of the unjust and irritating issue of Guatemala against Belize at the launch of the BNTU's "Stand Up For Belize" Campaign.

2016 DSU Service Learning Trip to Belize, 6min. This Spring Break a group of girls and I went down to San Jose, Succotz in Belize for one week. We helped build a library for a school as well as taught in some of the classrooms. This video will talk about my experience on the Study Abroad: Service-Learning trip that I took.

Jardine's sontava habanero XX hot sauce (Belize), 4.5min. This is an ALL NATURAL hot sauce with NO PRESERVATIVES. Now that being said does it pack the heat or leave you in defeat?

April 16, 2016

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

A celebration of Belize’s Agriculture Industry
For years the National Agriculture and Trade Show (affectionately known by Belizeans as the Agric) has been a highlight on Belizeans’ calendars. Since its establishment in 1970, the show has grown by leaps and bounds, featuring all aspects of Belize’s agriculture industry. The main objective of the show is to educate the public on the importance of agriculture and its contribution to the Belizean economy and food security. This show is so monumental that the show grounds was created specifically for the Agric – talk about important! Each year during the Labour Day weekend, the grounds at the northern entrance of Belmopan City come alive with general display areas for produce, a rodeo area, stables, and a main stage area for entertainment. One of the main reasons why I attend the Agric is for the food. Be prepared to break that diet, because you will be in for a feeding frenzy! From freshly prepared cuts of meat – grilled, smoked and fried – to sweet treats like ice cream – in a million and ten flavours – your taste buds will go wild! Oh and let’s not forget the drinks! Only at the Agric can you get a ‘yarda’ (oversized tumbler) of freshly squeezed OJ with your favourite local rum – only if you are 18 and older – for chump change.

SPHS Female Softball Team training for the CAJFS Championship
On Saturday, April 2nd, the Belize Softball Federation invited all 19 and under junior female softballers for their first ever training camp. The camp was designed to help players prepare for the XV Central American Junior Female Softball (CAJFS) Championship scheduled for August 11-14. The San Pedro High School (SPHS) female softball team took full advantage of the amazing opportunity. Each team member showed dedication, adhering to all guidelines set by the federation. The team impressed the coaches at Roger’s Stadium in Belize City, so much that they were invited to continue in the ‘try-out’ sessions for a total of six weeks. They will be trying out for the U19 team, where only one or a few players from SPHS will represent Belize in the XV CAJFS Championships. Head Coach Derek Jones, Island Season Coach Jason Carlson, Volunteer Coach Andrew Schulman, and parents of the players are thus appealing to the San Pedro community for help. The team appreciates encouragement and recognition for their efforts, as well as support from their peers and school. However, the team seeks financial assistance to help with traveling costs. Any assistance or advice as to how the school, town and community can offer support, would be greatly appreciated by the team.

SPTC represented at regional workshop in Jamaica
Local Economic Development Officer (LEDO) of the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) Jorge Aldana, is one of four Belizeans who recently returned from a regional knowledge building workshop organized and sponsored by CARILED in Kingston, Jamaica. The working visit, which ran from March 30th to April 1st, is a result of the island’s integration into the second phase of the CARILED program in the region. According to Aldana, various countries’ LEDOs, gained a deeper understanding of their role in the local economic development of their particular areas. “It gave us the opportunity to look at the role we play in developing a supportive relationship with the local business sector on the island,” explained Aldana. He elaborated on the importance of taking “an inclusive approach to local economic development as we do strategic planning, especially when developing a strategic plan of action for our island.” San Pedro is the fastest- growing municipality in the entire country, and with development there is an increase in traffic, demands for infrastructure, and goods and services.

8-Ball Pool Tournament heading back to the beach
With less than three weeks before the finals, the San Pedro Billiards Association held another round of fun games in their pre-season 8-ball pool tournament. Games were played at All’s Pool Bar in downtown San Pedro, where teams battled gain extra points as they head to finals. So far, Team Amigos continues to lead the competition. The games continue this weekend by the beach at Cholo’s Bar Pool Room beginning at 7PM on Friday and Saturday, while Sunday’s games start at 1PM.

MOH yet to confirm Zika case linked to Belize
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), outbreaks of the Zika virus have occurred in 34 countries throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, excluding Belize from their travel warning advisories. However, on April 6th, the officials of the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a press release referring to a message that was sent from the United States International Health Regulations National Focal Point concerning a case of Zika detected in a patient from the United States (US). According to the CDC, the transmission may have occurred in Belize. The CDC displayed a report indicated that an adult female resident who traveled to Belize from March 14th through 19th, having an apparent fever and rash on the 23rd of March. At the state health department, serum was tested positive for Zika virus RT-PCR. The patient reported that her travel history during that period was limited to Belize, and there was no evidence of possible sexual transmission.

Veterans and Catrachos to battle for Mayor & Minister’s Cup
After ten weeks of intense football matches, the grand finale of the Mayor and Minister’s Cup is finally here. Fans filled the Louis Sylvestre Stadium as four teams: Veterans, Ambergris Divers, Catrachos, and Peacemakers, played in the determining semi-final rounds. The first game was on Saturday, April 9th and the Veterans faced Ambergris Divers in a grueling match. Each team fought hard for the 1st place spot in the finals. By the first half, Veterans showed their experience with a 2-goal lead. In the second half, Ambergris Divers fought back, scoring one goal, intending to score another to tie the game. However, they ran out of time and the Veterans defense held up. With a final score of 2-1, Veterans took the #1 seed. On Friday, April 15th, Ambergris Divers and Peacemakers will be competing for the 3rd place trophy at 7 PM. The Veterans and Catrachos are set for the championship game, competing for 1st place and 2nd place on Saturday, April 16th at 7 PM. An awards ceremony will follow, with the presentation of the championship and trophies, as well as the announcement of the recipient of the golden boot, and the MVP of the tournament.

Ambergris Today

Impressive Tourism Numbers Prove Belize is Trending
January and February 2016 saw an increase in arrivals for overnight visitors of 24% and 18.4% respectively over 2015.The increase in passengers over 2015 is reflected by 7,416 in January and 5,800 visitors in February. Overnight arrivals to Belize have grown by 21.2% through the first two months of 2016. This is the first year in history in which the total arrivals to Belize have exceeded 75,000 visitors in the first two months. March, however, was an extraordinary month with over 43,000 overnight tourist visitors. This 10% increase over 2015 is the first time in history that the number surpasses 40,000 visitors in a single month.

Misc Belizean Sources

2016 Chocolate Festival of Belize
The tenth annual Chocolate Festival of Belize will be held on the weekend of Friday 20 May-Sunday, 22 May. This year the gala opening Wine and Chocolate evening will be held at The Lodge at Big Falls. Music will be provided by the Garifuna Collective and six local chocolatiers will be offering samples of their products to guests. It is $60 per person for the entrance fee for the Wine and Chocolate evening.

Paint Up a Storm 2016
Paint Up a Storm is next Saturday at the Cayo Welcome Center. It's always a fun time making art at the CWC.

Rotaract Go Kart Fundraiser
The Rotaract Club San Ignacio had their Go Kart Fundraiser, and it was fun for everyone. Those little go karts really get some speed. Check out their page to see the projects that the funds went towards. Thanks, Rotaract!

Deputy Chief of Mission and Embassy staff meet with Lusiola Castillo
The Deputy Chief of Mission and Embassy staff met with Lusiola Castillo to discuss her participation in the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) in the U.S. Ms. Castillo is participating in the Multi-Regional Project “American Libraries”. The program will open in Washington, DC, the seat of the U.S. federal government and a city with a thriving academic population. The program will begin with an overview of U.S. Systems of Libraries in the United States, highlighting the current trends in library technology and the increasing importance of modernization of library services. Ms. Castillo will meet with national libraries and associations to discuss federal grants, advocacy and the profession of librarianship. She will also participate in a full day of programming at the Library of Congress. Meetings with the Pew Research Center and with DC high school students will shape a discussion on the changing role of Libraries in today’s interconnected world.

The Inspire Celebration Fundraiser
The Inspire Celebration will take place on June 18, 2016 at the Mahogany Bay Village in San Pedro Ambergis Caye. All proceeds go to the Inspiration Center.

Sea Cucumber License Renewal
The Fisheries Department hereby informs Sea cucumber fishermen that RENEWAL of their special license for 2016 Sea cucumber fishing season will run from April 19 – 29, 2016. Failure to comply with the requirements will disqualify fishers from renewing their license for the 2016 Sea cucumber fishing season. Fishers are also advised that fishing for sea cucumber will be allowed during the months of May and June, 2016 only.

Erosion Assessment April 2016
On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, Deputy Mayor Gary Greif along with Mr. Keith Nichols from the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center (CCCCC) and Ms. Carianne Johnson from the Pan American Development Fund (PADV) conducted an visual assessment of the erosion that is highly affecting our beaches. A further study will be carried out to identify the various causes and possible solutions to the problem and how the Town Council along with the community can contribute to help alleviate this situation. Mr. Nichols and Ms. Johnson mentioned that global warming is a major factor that is increasing the risk of erosion in many countries. An observation that Mr. Nichols pointed out was that the vehicles that are trafficking the beach are causing damage to the existing beach and contributing to the erosion.

Caution when approaching mile 90 on the Philip Goldson Highway
Ministry of Works advises all commuters to exercise extreme caution when approaching mile 90 on the Philip Goldson Highway (formerly Northern Highway) as heavy duty equipment road works is currently being carried out. The road works are being carried out approximately 1 mile from the Corozal, Santa Elena border.

NATS 2016 Layout
This year's National Agriculture and Trade Show will be from April 29th to May 1st. They've been upgrading the grounds for it, and here is the map showing the layout for this year's show!

GS.com Grand Opening
There's a great new electronics store in Cayo. GS-COM is the name, and it's on Joseph Andrews drive right next to CTN (the new option for internet).

The Garifuna Film Festival To Feature Two Outstanding Belizeans!
It would have been a blessed thing for me if the late Ambassador Adalbert Tucker would have lived to see his work transferred to the screen of a documentary film. The thirty or more years ago in which his acquaintance came to me through the work of the Belizean grassroots organization in the diaspora, the Belize Rural Economic Development of Agriculture through Alliance (BREDAA), cannot ever be be forgotten in no way, because it was through his very work of self-consciousness and passionate work for Belize, its people, and the oppressed, that gave birth to what could be called my journey to have become a liberated mind.

Channel 7

Teachers Stand Up For Belize
If you're a parent, you probably had to make other arrangements for your children today because classes were canceled countrywide. That was to make way for an event organized by the teachers union called "Stand Up For Belize." It's an educational campaign on the Belize Guatemala Territorial Dispute - and teachers were the first to get the knowledge. They traveled from all parts of the country to Benque Viejo Town. With all that's been happening with Guatemala, the forum was timely, and they got some all-star guests, namely Wilfred Elrington and Assad Shoman. Our news team was there for the entire event. Daniel Ortiz has that story: Daniel Ortiz reporting: Hundreds of teachers from all over the country converged at the auditorium of the Mount Carmel High School in Benque Viejo. It is famous for being the last town near the Belize Guatemala Border, and so, the stage was appropriately set for the launch of the "Stand Up For Belize" Information Campaign. Luke Palacio - National President, BNTU: "We are so happy to be near the border with Guatemala as we send this message today that the Belize National Teachers Union is launching its campaign for all of us to stand up for Belize, because Belize is for Belizeans."

Foreign Minister's Trial In The Court of Public Opinion
And just before that motorcade to the Benque/Melchor Border, the forum closed with a question and answer section. The teachers were allowed to ask the two Panelists, Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington, and Ambassador Assad Shoman, about any and everything pertaining to the Belize - Guatemala issue. And the "maestros" seized upon the opportunity. In fact, it got to a point where the teachers more or less put Elrington's handling of the Foreign Affairs portfolio on trial in the court of public opinion. Here are some of the tough questions that they put to Belize's top diplomat: Teacher: "I a lot a lot to say." Organizer: "Excuse me, one minutes please. Let's not forget the rule." Teacher: "I will speak. It's my turn. We are bullied by our neighbor and we can't stand up. We are living in a abusive relationship here and we are afraid… as our minister said. I don't know why, but this is not a relationship that is working. We have to stand up to our bullies. The bullies will be there as long as we do not make a stand sir."

Teachers Say "Sedi" Soft
As you heard, some of the teachers called Elrington out for being too passive on controversial issues surrounding the Belize Guatemala territorial dispute. Aware that he might be criticized for that, Elrington started his presentation with an explanation that he is only following the strict guidelines set out by Foreign Ministers before him. Elrington today revealed that there is a special section of the Confidence Building Measures which mandates that all Foreign Ministers are expected to dial it way back while publicly discussing any matters related to the Guatemalan claim. Here's how he made his case to a roomful of skeptical teachers: Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Before Assad Shoman ceased to be head of the delegation and head of the negotiating team, he caused the confidence building measures to be agreed upon and I will read to you what he put in train and which I am constrain to follow. You will find that sometimes members of my government speak differently about issues. For example, in the Conorquie issue there were members in my government, head of the police and other, even ministers were saying 'I am certain that it is the Guatemalans that killed Conorquie'. My position was if you bring me the evidence I will say that."

Ambassador Assad Challenges Teachers
So, while the teachers gave it to Elrington during the question and answer session, Assad Shoman challenged the teachers to make two decisions which he thinks are in the best interest of resolving the Guatemala territorial Claim. It is by now well known that as part of the education system in Guatemala, they teach "Belize es Nuestro" in their primary schools. Well, Shoman is requesting that the the territorial dispute be made a permanent part of the education system in Belize Here's how he put it to them during his presentation: Ambassador Assad Shoman - Opposition representative: "It would be a great outcome of this campaign, if your union, I'm going to make a proposal to you now, can pass resolution at your next convention demanding that the Ministry of Education put the Guatemalan claim on the curriculum. Don't just stand there and see your country sovereignty and integrity chipped away, do something about it. Let's move on. I want to suggest to pass another resolution asking the House of Representative to amend the referendum act which now says that by any referendum at least 60 percent of the people have to go and vote..."

Charges For Alleged Killer Cops Downgraded
It made major national headlines and even provoked a riot on Caye Caulker last year when 18 year old Hilberto Sotz was killed while in police custody. Two island cops, 32 year old Hallet king and 43 year old Leonard Nunez were charged for murder. It was a swift and decisive move by police, which did somewhat allay public outrage - after all, the teenager died from blunt force trauma. But, today we learned that the charge of murder against two police constables has been reduced to manslaughter. It happened when they appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith, and the directive came from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Fissures On the PUP Front?
Last night we told you about the meeting that the PUP held yesterday with Assad Shoman to discuss the Sarstoon peace-keeping Proposals. It was a meeting for the party's national executive members, its parliamentarians, and standard bearers to hear from Assad Shoman - who is the party appointed representative in the Belize- Guatemala talks. But, 7News has learned that some big names were absent: namely Deputy Leader Julius Espat, Cayo North Standard Bearer Misho Chebat, Belmopan Standard Bearer Jason Patrick Andrews, Corozal Southeast Representative Florencio Marin Jr, Orange Walk North Standard Bearer Ramon Monchie Cervantez, Toledo West Representative Oscar Requena, and Freetown Representative Francis Fonseca. Now, Deputy Party Leader Julius Espat also missed the last major executive meeting, and when it was done he was critical of his party leader's purge of the executive. Well this time, there was no such thing. He told us he was simply otherwise engaged; busy in his area meeting with various village council leaders. Fair enough, but we know from our background sources that Espat is firmly against the pro-ICJ stance that has been adopted by his party since Briceno took over.

Legalize IT, Or Criminalize It?
The Social Security Board's Debate Series concluded today. As we've been reporting, there were a number of debates between junior colleges across the country but it all came down to 2 finalists: Ecumenical Junior College and Corozal Junior College. Now during those elimination rounds several topics were argued such as the impact of media on society and law reform among others, but for this final round - it was all about Weed. The specific topic was: "The criminal legislation of marijuana has been a major discussion in many countries. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Belize?" Tough question and Courtney Weatherburne was there to hear both sides of the argument: Whether its weed, ganja, spliff or any other name used, this herb is all around us. It is sung and celebrated in music, in movies and even more so on the streets. It has become a ubiquitous reality that some have openly embraced while others have resoundingly refused.

Sergio Patt, Postman, Wanted
Police say that second grade Post Office cashier, Orange Walk Resident Sergio Patt, is wanted for questioning. He's the lead suspect in the disappearance of $20 thousand dollars which went missing from the Post Office between October and November of last year. Investigations show that Patt produced a bogus spreadsheet to cover the shortages. Initially, Patt was sent home while the investigation continued and the Public Service Commission decided the fate of his employment status. Now, police are actively seeking Patt in their criminal investigation.

Mexican Art With A Yucatan Flair
The great European artist Leonardo Da Vinci was born on this very day- April 15th - 565 years ago. And to honor his legacy, the Mexican Institute in Belize is bringing a little taste of Yucatan to the country. They invited four distinguished artists from SOMAAP, an association of Mexican Artists to share some of their work. The art exhibit is entitled "Yucatan Abstract and Reality Pientre"- which is French for painter. The official launch began just a few minutes ago at 7:00. But we stopped by earlier today to meet some of the artists and to learned a little about their artistic flavor. We also asked them for some tips for our local artists on how to make a successful career out of art. The exhibit will be on display at the Mexican institute for the next month.

When Will Guats Reply To Sarstoon Proposals?
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Elrington hosted a press conference to outline an 11 point proposal for a protocol which should de-escalate tensions in the Sarstoon River. The Guatemalan Delegation which came down to the OAS Office In Beqnue Viejo to meet with their Belizean counterparts has since delivered that proposal to their government for consideration. The hope is that a response would be forthcoming today, which is the end of the week. Well, according to Shoman, he and Foreign Minister Elrington are still waiting and that response hasn't come as yet: Ambassador Assad Shoman - Opposition representative: "I was there when and I stopped play the most offended proposals that you gave the Guatemalans last Friday. Well we said this is how we should behave in dealing with the river based on 1859 the treaty, which I want you all to read just like how you read article 7, you read article 6 it talks about the river. We put forward our proposal. We, the Belize side it started over, with the minister and then others came in, you and others added to it but I agree with what you put and we asked the Guatemalans to respond within a certain time. We said within a week. Well guess what today it makes 1 week and they haven't responded."

Percy Pilgrim For Supreme Court in June
Exactly one year ago, 19 year old Percival Pilgrim was remanded for the murder of Edward "Ghost" Usher. Well, today he was committed to stand trial for that killing in the June session of the Supreme Court. Pilgrim was unrepresented and did not challenge any of the evidence that was put before the court. Prosecutor, Inspector Hector Rodriguez submitted as many as 12 statements recorded by police from witnesses in the community. The 40 year old Usher was killed in broad daylight on April 11, 2015, as he stood on his stairs in the Ghost Town area. Pilgrim gave the court two names of persons who can give an alibi for him, namely an uncle and a sister.

Primary School "Ping-Pang" Players
7 primary schools, 60 participants, and 5 hours of intense ping pong battling! That's what the 5th annual Dutch Lady Primary School OPEN was all about. The table tennis tournament was held at the Belize Elementary School compound this morning. At the end of it late this afternoon, the two remaining players battled it out for the first prize. It was intense and emotions flared, but at the end only one could be named the champ- and it went to 10 year old Taye Parkinson of St. Joseph Primary. We spoke to the President of the Belize Table Tennis Association who has been trying to promote the game for 7 years. While the tournament was won by a St. Joseph primary student, the overall champion, based on points, was Belize Elementary School. The 12 top athletes were awarded for their performance and some of those winners will be competing at the upcoming CODICADER regional tournament later this year.

Borland Did Win
And before we leave tonight, a small correction to our final story last night. Cyclist Joel Borland was the winner of the Krem New Year's Classic on race day. He retains that hold on first place, but the original second and third place finishers, Greg Lovell and Byron Pope have been stripped of their second and third places due to testing positive for banned substances. So with the revised results, Justin Williams now takes second, and Johnny Vlaencia takes third. The two riders also lose all their station prizes.

Channel 5

BNTU Converges on Benque to Launch Stand Up for Belize Campaign
Teachers converged today in Benque Viejo del Carmen, the community closest to the border with Guatemala in west. This is where the Belize National Teachers Union kicked off a campaign [...]

Union is Challenged to Formulate a Position on ICJ
Seasoned negotiator Assad Shoman, an expert on the Belize/Guatemala issue, has a total of forty-one years of experience dealing with the territorial dispute. He challenged educators to go a step [...]

How Will Newfound Knowledge on Territorial Dispute be Taught in School?
While the objective of the countrywide campaign is twofold, emphasis is being placed on interpreting the information presented for future use in the classroom. According to B.N.T.U. National President Luke [...]

The Referendum Unit and its Role in Pedagogy
The role of the Referendum Unit which has now evolved into the International Boundaries Unit is critical to the overall awareness by Belizeans of the Belize/Guatemala issue. The wealth of [...]

Raw Sewage Pumped into Haulover Creek Causes Public Uproar
Can you imagine a scenario where in Belize City, in 2016, raw sewage is being pumped into the Haulover Creek? Incredible, right? But it’s true. News Five visited a site [...]

Sarstoon FOB Nears Completion
The Belize/Guatemala dispute is currently front and center of all national discourse, with special attention given to the Sarstoon where the Guatemalans are insisting that their permission is required to [...]

Officerâ€™s Murder Charge Downgraded to Manslaughter
Back in June 2015, police charged two officers on duty at the Caye Caulker police station with the murder of eighteen-year-old Hilberto Sotz who was killed while in police custody. [...]

Percival Pilgrim to Stand Trial in ‘Ghost’ Usher’s Murder
A year ago, gunmen executed forty-year old Edward “Ghost” Usher, a resident of Mayflower Street while he was on the steps of his house in the Ghost Town area in [...]

Dangriga Police Make Progress in Disturbing Case Involving Disabled Minor
Tonight we can report that there is some progress in the investigation of an allegation of a disturbing crime in Dangriga. Police have been encountering difficulties in getting a formal [...]

Marijuana is the Topic of SSB’s 2016 Debate Competition
Today the Social Security Board held the finals of its 2016 Debate Competition where six students from two tertiary level institutions faced off – Corozal Junior College and Ecumenical Junior [...]

Ecumenical Junior College Wins Spirited Debate on Marijuana Legislation
The debate raged on all morning, with the three members of each team presenting the results of studies and surveys to support the stance assigned for the debate. Pearla [...]

An Update on John Saldivar’s Deputy Leadership Campaign
On May twenty-ninth delegates of the United Democratic Party will select a new first Deputy Leader to replace Gaspar Vega. It’s expected that the victor will automatically get a shoe [...]

Primary School Table Tennis Competition Held in Belize City
Student athletes from primary schools across Belize City participated in a table tennis tournament at the Belize Elementary School today. The event was organized by the Belize Table Tennis Association [...]

How to Prevent ZIKA: A Few Tips You Should Follow
The Ministry of health says it will be providing information on the results of ZIKA tests next week. The samples were taken from two persons in the Stann Creek and [...]

LOVE FM

UNICEF Maintains Stand Against Curfew and/or Detention of Children
Earlier this week we have heard that the curfew or preventative detention of youth on the streets, unsupervised, has been given the green light. Assistant Commissioner Police Chester Williams made the initial announcement of this initiative on March 17 following the BLACK March by the Belize Police Department. That announcement had sparked much debate in […]

Stann Creek Ecumenical Wins SSB Debate
The Social Security Board held their final debate competition for 2016. Participating schools were Corozal Junior College versus Ecumenical Junior College. The topic of the debate was “the criminal legislation of marijuana has been a major discussion in many countries. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Belize?” The Social Security Board held […]

From Murder to Manslaughter for Two Cops
A charge of murder against two police constables, Hallet King and Leonard Nunez, was reduced to manslaughter when they appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith, on instruction from the Director of Public Prosecutions. King and Nunez were both released on bails of two thousand dollars each and their case was adjourned until […]

BNTU Launches STAND UP FOR BELIZE Campaign
About 1500 educators came from the various districts to attend the launch of a campaign of the Belize National Teachers’ Union at the Mount Carmel High School Auditorium. This campaign carries the theme, Stand up for Belize and is geared at educating the teachers on the Belize/Guatemala issue and the progress that negotiators have made […]

ICJ – The Best Option for Belize?
While the BNTU is seeking knowledge on the Belize/Guatemala matter there is also the issue of the International Court of Justice and whether Belize should or should not go. Former Foreign Minister Assad Shoman spoke on the advantages that Belize has over Guatemala in the territorial differendum. According to BNTU’s President, Luke Palacio the union […]

Shoman Agrees with the Artificial Border
‘Artificial Border’ – it is a term that brought on harsh criticisms against Foreign Minister Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington. Today, however, former Foreign Minister clarified the term and told the teachers at today’s forum that he is in agreement with Elrington on the artificial border. According to the National Geographic website, borders are real or artificial […]

Neighbour Complains of Fire Hearth Next Door
Thelma’s Kitchen on Ceasar Ridge Road is a popular restaurant on the south side of Belize City. While many enjoy their food, one person is not happy with Thelma’s Kitchen and that is neighbor, Betty Bradley. Bradley said she has been complaining for some time to officials because the fire hearth used by the owner […]

Mayas Object to Construction of Garifuna Monument
The Maya Land Rights issue against the Government of Belize was one thing but now it seems that they are preparing to take on the Garifuna community in southern Belize. Love News understands that the Chairman and Alcalde of Midway Village, Juan Ico and Thomas Ishim have requested have requested that the construction of a […]

Belize/Guatemala In the Schools’ Curriculum
Yesterday we brought you the interview where BNTU’s President Luke Palacio spoke of incorporating certain subjects into the curriculum including history, geography and civics. Today Palacio spoke of what brought about today could be easily incorporated into the subjects.

PlusTV

Garifuna Community mourns death of beloved leader from Honduras
The National Garifuna Council is mourning the death of one of the ethnic group’s beloved leaders from Honduras. He is Sasamu Celeo Alvarez Casildo; described as a cultural warrior, human rights activist and promoter of justice. Casildo was a founding member of the Central American Black Organization along with the National Garifuna Council. He was the leader and mobilizer of Organization for Community and Ethnic Development (ODECO), an organization focused on empowering and fighting the cause of Garinagu and Afro-descendants of Honduras. The National GArifuna Council says they are eternally grateful for his stalwart leadership and extend sympathies to his immediate family, ODECO family, and the government and people of Honduras. Sasamu Celeo will be laid to rest in Honduras on Thursday April 14th. A delegation from the NGC in elize will be attending the funeral.

The Reporter

CXC going digital
The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) announced this week that candidates will soon be able to take their exams online. CXC said that it will launch a pilot project during the week of April 25, which will enable students to take their exams on a computer or another […]

BEL blames Mexico for country-wide outages Sunday night
The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has blamed its Mexican supplier, Comercial Federal de Electricidad (CFE) for three countrywide power outages that occurred on Sunday night, which spanned just over an hour. In a prompt press release following the outages, BEL explained that it stabilized the […]

Consultations on LGP Gas aim to improve industry
The Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry will be receiving advice from a team of Mexican experts in the next few weeks, as part of a technical assistance arrangement aimed at improving the industry in Belize. The Mexican team will be in Belize on May 18-19 […]

Taiwan helps Belize vehicle/drivers license system go digital
Belize will soon have an electronic system for driver and vehicle licenses, as well as vehicle registration with a web portal to access information thanks to the efforts of the Central Information Technology Office (C.I.T.O.) and Taiwan’s technical mission in Belize, led by Ming-Cheng (Diego) Tsai. Two information and communications […]

Belize stands to benefit from diplomatic ties with four countries
Belize renewed diplomatic ties with four countries when ambassadors representing each country presented their credentials to Governor General, Sir Colville Young on Monday. Non-resident Ambassadors Aitzaz Ahmed of Pakistan, Yusra Khan of Indonesia, Ibrahim Obeidat of Jordan and Mohamed Saadat of Palestine each conveyed their […]

Britain launches $300 million Caribbean Infrastructure Fund
Commonwealth Caribbean countries now have access to a £300 million fund (some US $426.5 million) for infrastructure projects, through the newly launched United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF). Baroness Sandip Verma, the UK’s Development Minister for the Caribbean, launched the UKCIF on Monday at the […]

Dangriga man accused of molesting step daughter
Dangriga police, with help from the Ministry of Human Development, are investigating the case of a man accused of raping his mentally ill step-daughter. The mother of the 15-year-old girl visited the Dangriga Police Station on April 1 to make the report. According to the […]

Top Cop targets Chinese Shops for posing as restaurants
Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams this week announced his intention to wage war against Chinese businesses which sell beer to patrons after 9 oâ€™clock at night The Deputy Commissioner says he intends to close down those businesses which cannot show that they are are operating as real restaurants. Williams […]

Editorial
The prognosis for those with the Zika virus just got worse! The Centers for Disease Control in the United States announced on Wednesday this week that there is an unmistakable link between Zika and growth deformity in babies. Babies born with this deformity have smaller heads and weaker brains. Sometimes […]

Is Guatemala serious about Sarstoon protocols?
On March 15, 2016, it was agreed at a meeting hosted by the OAS in Washington D.C., that Belize and Guatemala would prepare draft proposals for a way forward in the Sarstoon. This is an area that had become a hotspot shared by both countries. Working together, Belize’s Ministry of […]

Date set for Faber/Saldivar showdown
The United Democratic Party’s (UDP) much anticipated convention to select a new deputy party leader has been set for May 29. The UDP National Party Council decided on the date. The convention will be held at the ITVET compound in Belize City. Some 588 delegates […]

GOB settles with victim’s family, Deputy ComPol still on interdiction
The Government of Belize has agreed to pay $70,000 to the family of Yolanda Valencia after it was sued along with Deputy Commissioner of Police, Miguel Segura for causing her death in a traffic accident in August 2014. Justice Shona Griffith presided over the Court […]

Chester cracking down on businesses
The Belize Police Department is proposing a crackdown on business establishments operating after 9:00 p.m. without a restaurant license as part of its ongoing crime prevention measures. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Chester Williams, Eastern Division South Commander, the law is clear on the difference between a restaurant […]

Former Hofius employees charged with stealing $287,000
Two former employees of the well-known hardware store, Hofius on Albert Street have been charged with 49 counts of ‘theft’ of more than a quarter of a million dollars from the company. Koshia Gentle, a former supervisor and Lydia Bennett, a former clerk at the […]

Breaking Belize News

Immigration Again!? Chinese passports “suspect”
Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration and Nationality, Beverly Castillo, has confirmed to other media that her Ministry is researching the validity of two passports issued to Chinese nationals recently. The holders are suggested to have acquired their passports with suspect documents, […]

Report finds trouble coming for Latin American region
Latin America and the Caribbean are in contraction, and are unable to find a balance between reducing spending and minimizing its effects on economic activity and hard-won social gains, the World Bank reports. As detailed in “The Commodity Cycle in Latin America: Mirages and […]

Hands and Heart Mission to conduct surgeries in northern Belize
A Medical Mission will arrive in Belize over the weekend and will be conducting a series of general surgeries for patients in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. The Hands and Heart Mission will be arriving on April 17. Medical Chief of Staff at […]

Mainly fair and dry weather conditions continue over our area
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting mostly sunny and warm weather today, then partly cloudy skies tonight with little or no rainfall expected. Winds will be blowing from the East-Southeast at 5-15 knots and the sea state will be choppy. High temperatures […]

Blogs

Dreams do Come True
I would like to personally congratulate the new Ambergris Caye Belize Rotary Club for jumping in with both feet and making a difference in our community so quickly. Without a doubt they will go far and grow strong fast. On Wednesday past, Shirlee Arnould our Branch Coordinator, Heidi Simmons our newly appointed Blood Drive Coordinator and I were invited to represent the San Pedro Branch of the Belize Red Cross at their weekly meeting. They wanted to know first hand what we do and how they could help. This invitation is as good as gold and proof to me that dreams do come true. I have been quietly asking for more cavalry since 2014 and a large group of really great people just stepped up. I was tasked with telling them about our youth group, volunteer vacations and our First Aid Program. The one thing that is making me finally like public speaking (even though I still get butterflies) is being able to tell people about the unfolding of the movie that has long been running in my head and how the next scene is coming to reality before my eyes. My pleasure in that comes greatly from the fact of seeing the giant puzzle come together where all the charity organizations take it to a new level of working smarter not harder to help each other rise up strong for the greater good of everyone.

There is a Difference: FULL SERVICE Snorkel & Caye Caulker Tour on YOLO with Island Dreams Tours
Yesterday, I took a ride on the beautiful 40 foot, custom built (here in San Pedro) catamaran “YOLO”. A ride out to Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley and then beautiful Caye Caulker and I can attest: this boat and the crew are one of a kind. There were 16 of us in all…and there is SO MUCH ROOM on this boat. For lounging (in and out of the sun), chatting, getting ready to snorkel… We headed out – cruising towards Belize’s most popular snorkel spots. First stop, Hol Chan Marine Reserve – turtles, fish of all colors and gorgeous coral.

International Sources

Culture, food, music of Belize in spotlight at New Orleans Jazz Fest 2016
The music, food and culture of Belize will be woven throughout activities on Fair Grounds during the New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. Belize is the focus of the 2016 Cultural Exchange Pavilion. Each year, the pavilion, which is in the center of the Fair Grounds, near Food Area II and the African Marketplace, puts the spotlight on a contributions of specific nations, such as Haiti and Brazil, or important New Orleans culture providers, such as Mardi Gras Indians and, most recently, NOCCA in 2015. This year, festival goers will have the opportunity to hear music, see demonstrations and learn about the history and customs of the small Caribbean country of about 300,000, which includes people of Maya, Mestizo, Creole, East Indian, Garifuna, Chinese, Lebanese, Mennonite and Caribbean descent. The country was under British rule until 1981. The national language is English. The The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell, which runs April 22-24 and April 28-May 1 at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, 1751 Gentilly Blvd., has hosted cultural exchanges since 1996. Belize and New Orleans share cultural traditions, including Carnival and a respect for local music traditions. Florencio Mess, 78, who maintains the centuries-old harp-making tradition of the Maya K'ekchi' harp, will perform in the pavilion and be interviewed on the Alison Minor Music Heritage Stage on April 30 at 3:15 p.m.

5 Magical Mayan Relics in the Mountains of Belize
Where did the origin of art in the Americas begin? With early colonial artist John White (1540-1593)? With the Aztecs of central Mexico, who ruled an empire from the 14th to 16th centuries? Or perhaps with the tribes of the Great Plains of North America, who produced the oldest known painted object in the region – a Cooper Bison Skull found in Oklahoma from around 10,500 BC? In pre-Columbian times there is only one known civilization that created a fully-developed writing system, along with art, architecture and even astronomy – the Maya. Today most people think primarily of their perfectly-formed pyramids, such as Chichen Itza in Mexico. But the Mesoamerican culture spread right down through modern Guatemala and Honduras to El Salvador, leaving a legacy of creation that is still being discovered today. It’s in Central America’s only English-speaking nation though, that a truly stunning variety of artifacts can be found in such a compact area – Belize. In Western Belize, the Maya Mountains stretch 115 kilometers all the way from eastern Guatemala, covered in a blanket of jungle that once protected the Maya, and then the ruins of their civilization. Now, from the intricate reliefs of Xunantunich to the might of Caracol’s towering architecture, Belize offers a rare chance to get up close and personal with one of the world’s ancient people’s – a situation that may not last for long.

They Said There Was No Hope For This Feeble Stray Kitten, But His Saviour Refused To Give Up
On 9th January 2015, a starving stray kitten was found on a busy highway in Belize, Central America. Bruised and bloody, his jaw was broken and he was almost starved to death. A young woman saw the poor creature as she drove past him in her car. Without a moment’s hesitation, she picked him up and put him in her car. As the kitten sat down in her passenger seat, he let out a soft miaow, as if thanking her for rescuing him. His saviour took him immediately to the nearest veterinary clinic where he would need urgent medical care. The young woman took him home and gave him all the love and attention he had so cruelly been denied. A year on, and Smeagol is doing very well! He has his own Facebook page and Instagram account where his mum shares all his little moments of happiness. You wouldn’t believe his transformation!

Stakeholders set path for establishment of regional creative industries body
The Caribbean is renowned worldwide for its creative culture, including music, folklore, crafts, festivals and carnivals. Despite making some progress in developing the cultural and creative sectors, the region has lagged in translating its creativity into substantial economic gains. This reality prompted the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government at their 26th Intercessional meeting held in February 2015, to recommend the establishment of a Caribbean Creative Industries Management Unit (CCIMU), a dedicated body to address the needs of the region’s cultural and creative industries. Further to CARICOM’s recommendation, on Tuesday, April 12 in Kingston, Jamaica, 28 stakeholders representing the creative industries of the region gathered for a historic consultation. This meeting set the path for the creation of the CCIMU. When established, the Unit will address the needs of the regional creative industries -- including business development, trade opportunities, and the protection of artists’ and stakeholders’ intellectual property rights.

Jamaica moves towards ditching Queen, impeachment legislation and term limits
Legislation to allow impeachment proceedings against corrupt public officials and Parliamentarians, constitutional amendments to transition Jamaica to a republic and fixed election dates and term limits are on the priority list of the Jamaica Government for 2016. Governor General Sir Patrick Allen highlighted those plans, among others, as he delivered the Throne Speech during the 2016/17 ceremonial opening of Parliament yesterday. He told Members of Parliament and Senators the issues were among the “major action items” on the government’s legislative agenda for this year. Listing those items, Sir Patrick said a Constitution (Amendment) Bill will be laid to, among other things, replace the Queen with a non-executive President as Jamaica’s Head of State; Parliament will see legislation to create fixed election dates and term limits for the Prime Minister; legislation to provide for impeachment proceedings to be brought against corrupt public officials and Parliamentarians is on the cards; and an Integrity Commission Bill will establish a single anti-corruption body.

USAID announces $30 million challenge to combat zika
On Wednesday, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched Combating Zika and Future Threats: A Grand Challenge for Development, calling innovators around the world to submit groundbreaking ideas to enhance the ability to respond to the current zika outbreak and generate cutting-edge technologies and approaches that better prepare the world to address the disease threats of tomorrow. In support of the Global Health Security Agenda championed by US President Barack Obama, the Combating Zika and Future Threats Grand Challenge will invest up to $30 million in groundbreaking innovations and interventions that enhance our ability to prevent, detect, and respond in both the short and long-term by sourcing innovations that mitigate the spread and impact of Zika virus and improve the ability to combat future infectious disease outbreaks.

Garifuna International Film Festival
Friday, May 27 at 2 AM - 4 AM. 1416 Electric Ave, Venice CA 90291. Info Freda 310-663-5813

Videos

The Department of the Environment - DOE shares important information on illegal dumping in their latest ad, 2min.

Belize w Hugh Parkley thru Carnival Glory, 5min. Few shots on dives in Belize while on western caribbean cruise.

Belize Audubon Society Activities, 4.5min.

Golfcart,San Pedro Belize, 1min.

Economic Support Fund CARSI grants, 65min. Planning on submitting a proposal for the Economic Support Fund CARSI grants, but missed the Q&A; session we held earlier this week? Check out the recorded session here. Also here is the link to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for easy reference -http://1.usa.gov/1Sk2qY4

Corkscrew Progression by Julian Rivero, 4min. This is my corkscrew progression. Took me a looooong time to get this one down.. I learnt the twist similarly to the Backfull and i couldn't Learn it doing it horizontally with the btwist method..

2016 Belize David and Stephanie, 15min.

Butts Up Cave Tubing Belize with Jimmy, 72min. This is a video of out Cave Tubing excursion we took in Belize with Butts Up Cave Tubing you can find them here Pieces of the . Cave tubing with Butts Up tour guides. They also fed us Belizian tamales afterwards. They met us at cruise port. About 1 hour out on motor coach. Took about a . On one of our last days in Belize we went cave tubing with Butts Up with Jimmy as our guide. Jimmy was a wealth of historical . February 2014 with Speedy and Butts Up Tours Bob Martynec, Tim Gagahan, Nancy Moors & Ann Garwood.

Pelican violates kayaker's personal space in Belize, 1min. A tourist on a kayaking trip in Belize got up close and personal with a friendly pelican that showed no respect for her personal space. The video, posted to Facebook by the Paddle Me Hard kayaking organization, shows Wisconsin woman Kathy Dahl encountering the pelican while kayaking with a group off Caye Caulker, Belize. The pelican initially stands on the edge of Dahl's kayak, but gradually moves in closer until the bird is on the laughing woman's lap. The pelican flies away when another kayaker pokes at it with a paddle.

Caye Caulker, Belize [Explore 180°], 4min. Sur une petit air de Reggea, découvrez l'île de Caye Caulker. Entre vie en mode "slow" sur une 'île de la Caraïbe, plongée sur la barrière de corail méso-américaine et coucher de soleil, partez en voyage au Bélize.

Belize with Liam, 12min.

BNTU 'Stand Up For Belize" Rally Friday April 15, 2016, 8.5min. Belize National Teachers' Union National President gives his opening remarks at Friday's BNTU Stand Up For Belize rally in Benque Viejo del Carmen. Venue : Mt. Carmel High School auditorium

Belize Thatch Roof Lesson, 1min.

Belize Audubon Society Activities 8, 4.5min.

Belize - Day 1 - Laguna + Lubaantun, 9min. I was lucky enough to be a chaperone with the first year Nunavut Sivuniksavut students on their cultural school trip to Belize in May 2015. This was the first day we were there. We stayed in Laguna. We had a farm tour and visited the ruins at Lubaantun.

Spring Break 2015 - Belize, 8.5min. Skip to 7:04 to see my favorite part (diving in Ambergris Caye!) 0:00 Intro 0:42 Lamanai Ruins 1:17 Climbing the High Temple 2:32 Eating Termites!!!! 3:41 *Important Info Regarding Wild Spider Monkeys* 4:06 Drinking Coconut Water 4:26 Ziplining 4:48 Cave/River Tubing 5:36 Xunantunich Ruins 6:08 Butterfly Garden 6:21 The Belize Zoo 6:44 Visiting a Local School 7:04 Ambergris Caye 8:07 Conclusion

BELIZE 2016, 3min. Glover reef atoll and Hopkins

Belize March 2016 with One World Dive & Travel, 11min. Another adventure with One World Dive & Travel, this time to Ramon's Village in Belize. An amazing week filled with sharks, sailing, Lionfish Hunting, golf carting and many new adventures!

April 15, 2016