February 27, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Police Report
On Tuesday, February 21st at around 2:30PM, acting on special branch intelligence, a joint team of Special Branch and Criminal Investigation Branch personnel detained 37-year-old Brionne Swift for being in the possession go 941 grams of cannabis. Swift was subsequently charged for the crime of ‘Drug Trafficking”.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Bicycle Shop
“A friend of mine persuaded me to go,” Ron said. “He came by one evening and said he was catching a ride on a truck to Matamoros, Mexico in half an hour. When he got there he planned to wetback it to the States. I was a twenty year-old kid up for any kind of adventure so I went along.” Ron was a promising young bass player back then and he frequently accompanied me at a little bar called The Last Resort. I ran into him at the airport and he invited me to his home. “I’m glad it worked out for you,” I said. “The best thing that happened was joining the U.S. Army,” he said. “Two weeks ago I retired with twenty years in service so I came home to Belize City. The only thing I have from the old days is this trunk my mama packed all my things in.” “That trunk seems full of interesting things,” I told him.

Letter to the Editor: Bad Roads
Dear Editor, My wife and I retired here to San Pedro June 26, 2016. We observed our final home (Condo) being built North of the bridge at The Residence at Barrier Reef. I retired from San Diego as a Clinical Psychologist working with troubled children and testifying as an “expert” witness in the Superior Courts. It was very difficult to leave the children but at age 70, my wife felt we needed to spend more quality time on this beautiful Island. Now my concern. I flew with the USAF during Vietnam and our Fighter Bomber inflicted much damage on the enemy, especially roads and air strips. The aftermath is brought back to me (PTSD) after traveling the road between Las Terrazas and my condo which is the next exit road north. We are violently tossed back and forth maneuvering through the craters on this road also causing discomfort to my body. This road also broke a shock absorber already on my cart. Around Christmas, [the Town Council] posted pictures of the progress on the repair of the road on social media. Let’s be honest here, I do understand the issue of a correct repair and the costs involved but a grader to flatten out the hundreds of craters and then place a layer of sand and small rocks to be rolled out would be a nice start. If the city wants to expand more into North County and develop land and resources, more people would be happy to take the trip through this war zone.

Doctor Love: Not Social
Dear Doctor Love, I am dating a girl who puts everything on her social media page. I like her very much, and I enjoy doing things for her, but I am a private person. A photo of me in a towel right out of the shower might be sexy to her, but I was teased by my friends and it embarrassed my mother, who now knows that we live together. My girl posts about our fights, our intimate moments, gifts I buy for her, and things I do around the house, like cook dinner or wash the clothes. She even solicits comments from friends and family to try to win in a disagreement. I feel like our relationship is an open book for all to read, plus photos of the contents of my house is an invitation to every thief in the neighborhood. How do I get her to keep it private? /s/ Not Social

Misc Belizean Sources

First Friday Tres Cocos Cleanup for March 2017
Friday, March 3 at 8 AM - 10 AM, Paradise Theater, North of the Bridge, San Pedro. Can you believe it? In a few days it will be First Friday! And YOU know what that means: We get to show some #islandlove to Tres Cocos neighborhood. And, wow, does it need it. There is no shortage of opportunity to beautify this part of Ambergris Caye. So, one more time, let us gather in front of the Paradise Theater at 8 a.m. and clean up our one and only road -- and the beach! Join us for one hour or two. Every bit will help! We'll end up at the wonderful Marbucks coffeeshop! Meanwhile, share this invite with yur Facebook friends and neighbors so we can spread the word! We need help to keep this island beautiful!

Lost dog on Caye Caulker
Please help find Comanche. He lives at Loraines. He ran off Saturday and we have not seen him seen him since. He is about 45 lbs, black and brown, neutered male. He is just a plain dog wearing a blue collar with a US rabies tag. If you see him please contact Celvin@6341798, or Sandy@6102030. He is the dog on the left in the picture.

Leela
Leela Vernon had passion. Her music, her ideas, and her voice communicated force and fire. Like the other Punta Gorda great Paul Nabor, Leela had credibility and integrity that transcended race, gender and class. Leela Vernon was a great thinker. She had the mind of an anthropologist, curious and concerned for people. Last week on the Krem WUB morning show Lord Rhaburn said that Leela’s work was a multicultural project that sought to educate, ignite and unify Belize. Leela Vernon was an activist who constantly fought for the rights of artists and cultural workers. Last year I sat in her garden and listened to her critique of our cultural work. She touched on the importance of artists and musicians being the torch of society, “those responsible to teach the children, to show the people who they are…”

WOODPECKER RESCUE
Near Christmas 2016 the rescue got a call from Belize City. A man had cut down a tree on his property and discovered a baby woodpecker. A baby woodpecker at Christmas? Yes - it seems they're opportunistic breeders and conditions were good until the tree was chopped down. The baby was about a week from fledging and was brought to the rescue. (S)he seemed to developed slowly, but became fully feathered and learned to cling and fly. But (s)he knew nothing about being a woodpecker. Upon fledging, woodpecker chicks (as well as other birds) spend a year with their parents learning what to eat, where to find it, when to find it, etc. as well as how to detect and avoid danger, etc. We hope(s)he will meet other woodpeckers here and learn from them.

The Reporter

Factors of fishing operations in the Caribbean to be discussed
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will hold a validation workshop at the United Nations House in Barbados this week to review the findings of a study completed in Belize last week. The assembly will chart a necessary course of action to mitigate the rising cost factors on fishing operations in the Caribbean. CRFM Executive Director Milton Haughton is expected to present a general overview of the project and explain what the forum should achieve. Several factors, such as capital, labour, maintenance and energy costs were considered during the study, which included select CRFM member states. Participants at this week’s meeting will finalize the formal report on the findings of the study, and propose workable policy options and strategies to improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability in the fisheries sector. The end goal is to improve competitiveness and profitability at the local, regional and international levels.

The Belize Times

BELIZEAN CHEATERS!
As of today, we are told, tens of thousands of Belizeans have joined as eager spectators on social media pages launched over the weekend, entitled Belizean Cheaters, or Belizean Cheaters Uncut. The pages include nude pictures and videos, as well as scandalous and apparently unsubstantiated posts alleging all kinds of sexual activity/promiscuity/cheating. There is much lewd interest in those sites currently, and much less on the real cheaters who have betrayed the Belizean people by cheating us of many millions of dollars through any combination of mismanagement, abuse, greed, blatant nepotism and outright corruption. These UDP Ministers have cheated on us. While those on the lurid sites have cost hurt feelings, these political cheaters have taken the nation to the brink of devaluation and insolvency. Even now, the Prime Minister is very cagey in revealing his scandalous relationship with Lord Ashcroft, a relationship which has yielded him and his family members millions of dollars. Talk about friends with benefits. Gaspar Vega is one of the worst…a ‘not normal’ cheater.

Godwin Says….Jail Them!
Incredibly GODwin has called for public servants to be jailed over the most riveting and widespread immigration scandal to rock this country…a scandal that occurred on the watch of Dean O. Barrow—the self professed saint: the Machete Man who just happened to have lost his machete at precisely the time when the “whiff” of corruption reared its ugly head! Don’t worry about “which minister gave which permit” says GODwin; go after the public officers instead. This is his solution to the “culture of corruption” so vividly described by Teresita Castellanos, the former Finance Officer at GODwin’s ministry. Can you believe the audacity of this now exposed hypocrite? Wasn’t he the one who stalled the Penner investigation? Wasn’t he the one who took months to have the Kim passport returned to Belize? Wasn’t he the one who was at the helm of the Immigration Department at the time that Citizen Kim got his passport whilst sitting in a jail cell halfway around the world? Who does GODwin really think he is fooling by pretending that he is serious about corruption when he sees nothing wrong with Ministers writing “recommendations” for Asian nationals whom they had never met?

DEFAULT
Belize has defaulted on its payment to the bondholders, as of midnight on Monday, February 20th. Pay no attention to the worthless rhetoric of the shady Prime Minister who speaks about a 30-day grace period. The country has defaulted on its payment to bondholders, the group of persons to whom Belize owes the largest amount of loan monies. It is the amount of nearly all the debts owed by Belize. It is a billion dollars plus. To default on such a huge public debt is a major situation…a major crisis. The bad name that the country of Belize has just received is incalculable. A country does not recover from such a bad reputation for decades. This situation will really hurt Belize. Really hurt. And it is not the first time for this Barrow administration. In 2012 Mr. Barrow defaulted on the bond payment as well, which led to the Super-bond 2.0. The leader back then spoke of the restructured bond as ‘nirvana.’ And still he could not pay. He is a real MALPAGO.

Minister’s ‘Special’ Son Escapes Criminal Charges
As we go to press, the Belize Times has been unable to verify why the son of Minister Godwin Hulse, Kenzle Hulse, has not been charged after a report was made to Police that he assaulted a customer at his business establishment and hit him with his pistol. The incident occurred exactly one month ago, and the Crimes Investigation Branch in Belmopan seems unwilling or unable to move against the Minister’s son, though we are told that they have attempted to do so twice. When Minister Godwin Hulse was asked about the incident, he lost his cool, claiming that his son was defending himself when he assaulted the customer. According to a frazzled Hulse, the man went towards his vehicle and “now my son doesn’t know what the hell is coming out of the vehicle and so my son grabbed him. That is my understanding from everybody there, and pulled out his weapon. While he did that, the wife came and whap him in his back with something. Now please explain to me if you should stand there to make some foreigner or some Guatemalan or whoever he is kill you backside and then run across the border and the case done. I say hell no.”

Naked & Shameless
Dean Oliver Barrow must really think that the Belizean people are a bunch of asses glued to his every word and mesmerized by his rehearsed prose and tired lyrics. His performance for the media and the nation, for performance it certainly was, revealed much more than an Emperor shod in imagined finery. He was naked…and shameless in his rhetoric and outright lies and spin. Somebody needs to put him out to pasture, and fast, because except for those who suck at his shrivelled teat for sustenance, absolutely nobody believes the words that are coming out his mouth. Mr. Barrow tried to spin the hell out of the fact that his law firm still represents and makes money off Lord Ashcroft’s interests in Belize. He, this man who pontificates and fashions himself as a white knight charging off to slay the villain, has gotten wealthy off the villain and continues to enjoy the villain’s largesse. He was shameless as he stated that he is not sure if his law firm is a major investor in Lord Ashcroft’s vast network of companies. He told the media that they would have to ask his law partner. What an absolute clown this man is. What a sick joke. Except it is no joke.

San Pedro High girls win 1st NSSSA football championship
The San Pedro High School (SPHS) girls remained undefeated to win their 1st ever National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) football championship, hosted by SPHS at the newly refurbished Ambergris Stadium with artificial turf over the weekend. In Game 1 Friday, the Southern zone champs, the Julian Cho High School from Big Falls, Toledo upset the defending national champs from the Western Zone, the Belmopan Comprehensive School (BCS) girls: 2-0. Regulation time ended in a nil-zip 0-0 draw, sending the game into overtime, in which Normalee Gomez scored JCTHS’ 1st goal: 1-0 in the 42nd minute, and Sylvia Pan scored the 2nd goal in the 49th minute. In Game 2 Friday night, the SPHS girls won 2-0 over the Central Zone champs, the St. Catherine Academy (SCA) girls, when Ada Cordoba scored a penalty in the 2nd minute: 1-0. Princess Bailey scored a 2nd goal in the 38th minute: 2-0 In consolation Game 3 for 3rd place on Saturday morning, the Compre girls bombed SCA: 2-0 in overtime, after regulation time ended in a nil zip draw. In the 1st overtime, Jayda Brown scored a header: 1-0, and in the 2nd overtime, Ashley Rodriguez scored a 2nd goal.

BES Boys Win 2 in Futures U-13 Football
The Belize Elementary School boys are leading the Futures Football Club Under-13 football competition with 2 wins at the ITVET compound last Saturday. The BES boys gunned down the Survivors: 3-2 with goals by Maddox Heusner, Hector Flores and Jared Mena. Kiwan Pantin and Isani Napata scored for Survivors. The BES boys posted their 1st win in Week 1 of the tournament: 4-0 against Jane Usher Blvd, with goals by Aiden Arnold, Maddox Huesner, Brandon Bouloy and John Paul Jaramillo.

Annlyn Apolonio & Clayton Greenidge Win SPIEZ Muscle Mania
It was wall to wall muscle at the SPIEZ Muscle Mania hosted by the Belize Body Building Federation at the Bliss Institute last Saturday night, with Clayton Greenidge, Annlyn Apolonio and Aurel Lewis taking top honours in their respective categories. Open Men’s Physique: 1st Aurel Lewis from Neal & Gordon’s Gym. 2nd Erick Vasquez from Neal & Gordon’s Gym. Open Bikini-fitness competition: 1st Annlyn Apolonio from Neal & Gordon’s Gym. 2nd Fiona Malic from Body 2000. 3rd Wendy Lizarraga from Spartan Gym, Corozal. 4th Fran Malic – Body 2000. Open Men’s Bodybuilding Competition: 1st Clayton Greenidge – Body 2000. 2nd Mwafrica Hinds – Camp Fit Ladyville. 3rd David Requena – Body 2000.

THE WONDERER AND BELIZEAN HAZARDOUS WASTE!
I’ve been wandering around the countries’ dumpsites. Most towns are still in bad shape but all villages are in very bad shape. Take the back street of any village and follow it and you will come to the village dumpsites and notice many of them very near or on top of creeks and streams. Have you visited the Corozal Consejo road dump site? It’s awful, it stinks…it is dangerous. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the hazardous waste of Mother Nature’s best kept secret? Yes, Belizeans us! It seems we don’t produce HAZARDOUS WASTE! Because when I wondered around the Mile 23 solid waste landfill which has the only hazardous waste landfill in the country it was still totally empty after some 5 years since it was inaugurated. According to DOE regulations, “hazardous waste” means any material or substance characterized as being toxic, corrosive, flammable, reactive, explosive, infectious, or pathogenic that may pose a threat to the environment and human health, and if you go to the DOE webpage (Table 1 and 2 of the schedule) it includes many, many waste materials that is common to us but we don’t pay attention. Table 1 gives a list of discarded goods, containers and listed waste streams. Table 2 gives a whole list of discarded mixtures and solutions. Interestingly there is a list in annex 1 according to the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste. This convention is basically to make sure you dispose of your hazardous waste within your own country in an environmentally sound and efficient manner. Also if transboundary movement is to occur this should be permitted only when conducted under conditions that do not endanger human health and the environment. Some of these hazardous wastes leaving our country are like batteries and used oil, etc.

THE MINISTERIAL IMMIGRATION SCANDAL: WILL THE SENATE INQUIRY UNRAVEL?
TWO major and politically connected players involved in the nasty ministerial immigration scandal have recently ducked an invitation from the Senate Special Select Committee inquiring into this sordid affair, to give sworn testimony about how deeply they were involved in this mess. This begs the question: Will the inquiry, under the chairmanship of a government-appointed Senator, unravel, or be allowed to? The two invitees, a former Deputy Mayor of the Belize City Council and a Finance Officer employed by the City Council, who appears to have been moonlighting in the illegal Passport and Visa business, are believed to be deep in the facilitation of Chinese and Taiwanese citizens seeking warmer climes and with some allegedly involved in the business of human trafficking.

A Pact With the Devil
Our present government, as the days go by, continually finds itself in a political quandary. As the days go by, the sins of yesterday are slowly being revealed and the picture we see is nothing that can justify their 2015 slogan ‘the best is yet to come.’ Instead it seems that we have been immersed in a tragic play with the plot being inspired by the German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In Gothe’s novel ‘Faust,’ Heinrich Faust is a scholar who craves additional knowledge and makes a pact with Mephistopheles, an agent of the devil. In return for unlimited knowledge, Faust signs away the right to his soul (in another variation, the soul is that of his son). As he receives the unlimited knowledge he so much desires, it comes with certain effects. His actions causes the death of a young woman and his son. In our government, we can clearly see a similar scenario being played out. On one hand, we see certain politicians’ names being mentioned continuously whenever any scandal is exposed, and also at the same time, their immediate families’ fortunes begin growing at an alarming rate. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffers the loss of his soul? In this case it will only lead to the downfall of the present government and a big loss to our treasury.

Who Killed the Alleged Killer?
Police are investigating a possible connection between the murder of 23 year-old Alvaro Aldana and 22 year old Chester Theus, both of whom were shot and killed within hours of each other. Up until Tuesday, February 21, Police did not know Theus’ identity. They discovered his body on Monday, February 20, at around 6 a.m. That was only 5 hours after the murder of Alvaro Aldana, and Police say that he was dressed in attire matching the description of Aldana’s shooter. The cops found him on lying in the middle of 1st street, in San Ignacio Town, with a bullet wound to the head. There were no eyewitnesses forthcoming, and nobody to offer any insight to the cops about what happened to him.

Aldana Executed by Belize City Assassin?
The common-law wife of 23 year-old Alvaro Aldana, a resident of San Ignacio, is left with the horror of hearing him gunned down and killed by some unknown assailant. Police have reason to suspect that a man who was killed shortly afterwards may have been his assailant, acting as some sort of assassin. The incident happened on Sunday, February 19, at around 12:58 p.m., when Aldana and his common-law, Shelee Lemus, were attempting to get to the hospital. She told the media that she was feeling ill, and they were about to catch a taxi to get to the hospital. He reportedly stopped off at a relative’s house while she went ahead. Aldana walked into the park area behind PK restaurant, where it is believed that a gunman snuck up on him from the darkness.

MY PERSPECTIVE - DON’T BLAME THE VICTIM
I have been focusing lately on the issue of violence against women and girls and domestic violence. There are thousands of cases and examples of this pernicious reality at home and abroad. I will be talking about cases in Belize, in Trinidad and Tobago and in the United States. Let me begin by quoting a journalist in Trinidad named Sophia Chote. She just wrote an opinion piece about comments Prime Minister Keith Rowley made when there was yet another vicious killing of a young woman in the twin island republic. “Domestic violence is a human rights violation. It is NEVER acceptable, excusable or tolerable,” she said. I no doubt agree wholeheartedly, and I want to comment as well. The Trinidadian PM made an off-the-cuff remark about the murder of the young woman and is quoted as saying that women must be careful about who they invite into their bedroom. This careless comment, obviously well meaning on his part, has sparked much discussion. Intimate partner violence is a very troubling matter, and men do not go around with a sign saying “Abuser”

William “Danny” Mason Will Stand Trial
Accused murderer William “Danny” Mason who was found to have been closely linked with many UDP politicians and in particular former Police Minister, Hon. John Saldivar, has been committed, along with four others, to stand trial in the Supreme Court on June 20, 2017. The five face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping for the July 15, 2016 kidnapping and cold blooded murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping of David Dodd. On Tuesday February 21st, at the Preliminary Inquiry (PI), ACP Chester Williams, lead prosecutor in the matter listed before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith all the evidence (over 100 documents, exhibits, pictures, surveillance footage and others) had in the case minus the DNA and ballistic evidence.

Will Nanes Scandal Finally Be Investigated?
On November 3, 2015, a man by the name of David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer was caught on San Pedro with the help of Interpol and US Marshalls. His detention was ordered in 2011 following an investigation started in 2009 into the Mexican arm of the Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme which he headed. Hundreds of investors were defrauded of millions of dollars under the scheme. However, by 2011 Nanes was long gone. He was located in Texas in 2012 but again gave authorities the slip. On San Pedro, he was busted with two fake driver’s licenses in the names of David Banes and David Nanes and that is all he was prosecuted for: uttering upon a forged document. Subsequently, it would be revealed that he had been facilitated with a Belizean Nationality and a passport both of which were later revoked. But there was never a police investigation, and a Senate investigation proposed by the then lead Opposition Senator Lisa Shoman was blocked by none other than Immigration Minister and Leader of Government Business, Senator Godwin Hulse. Shoman had asked for him to recuse himself citing conflict of interest given that he had signed the nationality certificate, but Hulse went ahead and voted down the motion.

Barrow Deliberately Deceitful About Stolen Elections
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has dodged the question of the nationality and voter fraud which happened just before the 2012 General Elections. He says no such thing happened, and answered a question that wasn’t asked with a ridiculous answer that had nothing to do with the question. Readers are aware that Former Immigration Director Ruth Meighan has conceded in the Senate Hearings on Immigration that in the rush before those elections, nationalities were expedited and that the vetting process was compromised. Gordon Wade, the former officer commanding the Nationality Section, told the Senate that Meighan and the then Minister interpreted the Nationality Act in a way which allowed for illegal immigrants not living in Belize for the required time to get nationality. He said that he did not agree, but they were his superiors and they could make the final decision.

Barrow Screws Up Big Time
Not even two years removed from the 2015 general elections, in which the best was promised to come, Belize is staring default and possible devaluation and total economic meltdown dead in the face. On Sunday Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his financial team of advisors returned to Belize following last ditch efforts in New York to persuade bondholders to accept the government’s ridiculous consent solicitation offer. GOB has proposed that bondholders lower the interest rate on the bond from 5 to 4 percent and that amortization payments be pushed back way until 2036 when GOB proposes it will start making three annual payments upwards of $100 Million each.

BNTU Victorious! Teachers Will Be Paid
The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) has won over the Ministry of Education in the case of whether teachers who engaged in 11 days of strike in October 2016 ought to be paid. The Ministry insisted that the teachers – who fought for good governance – should only be paid for time worked but the Union countered that they were willing to make up the time lost. If they would not be paid, then the teachers would not make up the time. On Tuesday February 21st, after a couple adjournments the nation finally learned the outcome of the January 16th session with mediator George Swift. Chief Justice Hon. Kenneth Benjamin gave both parties 45 days to arrive at an agreement and when they reported back, BNTU president Luke Palacio called it a win-win for both sides. Ultimately though, it was a complete win for the BNTU as the Ministry had to accept the Union’s position. Palacio referred to the ruling of former Chief Justice Adbulai Conteh that it is not the prerogative of the Ministry to deduct teachers’ salaries but rather, that of the school managements. “We just trust that based on what we have experienced that both parties would have learned something from the matter,” affirmed Palacio.

If Dah Noh Soh…
Mein wat a ting wat a ting! I swear we Belizean pipple know how fuh frig up every ting. An look pon all dih cruffy weh hurry fuh gawn join fuh fass pon people C & P business. Unnu try stap it. Dah ting wah cause pipple fuh get hurt. None ah unnu dah saint and none ah unnu private parts any cuter dan dih ones unnu deh blast. Try fuh mih. Unnu behave like we noh gat much biggah tings fuh worry bout. I swear sometimes I wonder why we’re such an ass-backwards country. William Mason was found with a man’s head in the back of his vehicle in July 2016. It’s now 7 months after that…February 2017 and we still can’t get back the frigging results of the DNA/forensics tests. Seriously! You know what? I bet you anything Mason and his whole crew are going to walk free. It’s 2017 for Christ’s sake. We have Ministers who drive $200,000 vehicles with heated seats for their asses. We have Ministers who travel first class all over the world and have stolen millions from the public coffers. We have a PM who is a multi-millionaire and lives a life of opulence. And we can’t do the DNA ting. That shit isn’t funny. You know how many murderers have walked because of a lack of DNA evidence tying them to the crimes? Shit. I just noh undahstand!

Questions to Ministers
Would the Member for Queen Square and Minister of Finance please say exactly how much are in the country’s foreign reserve holdings at this specific time? Could he further say how close we are to a devaluation of the Belizean dollar? Would the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please state whether he lied when he said publicly that shares in the utilities would only be sold to the SSB? Could he confirm or deny reports that at least one financial institution in the country has already purchased $20M worth of shares in one or more of the utilities? Would the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please say how much Mark Espat is being paid for this new attempt to restructure the bond? Could he further say how much Mark Espat is being paid for going around selling shares in the country’s utilities? Would the unelected Senator and disgraceful Minister of Immigration please say whether he was the one who called the Police to order them not to charge his son? Could he further say whether he signed the nationality documents for the Guatemalan who was pistol-whipped by his son?

Musical Legend Passes
Critically acclaimed Brukdown Queen, dancer, musician and Creole activist, Leela Vernon, has passed away. Her heart suddenly and unexpectedly stopped beating in a hospital bed at around 9 a.m. last Sunday. Since last Thursday she had been hospitalized for kidney related challenges. However, this prominent Punta Gorda woman did not seek medical attention abroad or even at our local high tech facilities. She humbly placed her life in the hands of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the only place which half our country’s poverty stricken population is able to afford. Though her heart has stopped beating, the rhythm in her soul will beat on forevermore. Leela will never be forgotten. She was genuine. She was gifted. She cared about the state of the nation. When many said the Creole culture was a myth or lacked authenticity, she audaciously said otherwise as she belted out the words of her classic, “A wah know who seh Creole nuh got no culture.”

Breaking Belize News

Six-year-old girl killed in accident on Faber’s Road
Reports reaching our newsroom is that there was a fatal road traffic accident on Faber’s Road in Belize City earlier tonight. A six-year-old girl was walking with her mom when she was reportedly knocked down by a car. She died on the spot. Police are on the scene.

Funeral for Bishop Martin to be held tomorrow
Bishop Osmond Peter Martin, the nation’s first native Bishop will be buried tomorrow. His body will be available for viewing at 2:00 p.m. at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Belmopan. At 3:00 p.m. the funeral and mass of thanksgiving will be held. Interment will follow on the grounds of the co-cathedral. Bishop Martin, a footballer turned Christian faithful passed away on February 16 of natural causes.

CWU gets new President
Long standing trade unionist, Dale Trujeque, was elected the new President of the Christian Workers Union (CWU) at its annual general meeting held on Saturday. He was named President after defeating his opponent Wilmont Staine by 112 votes.The meeting was a very turbulent one in which stevedore, Raymond Rivers, was overly critical of outgoing President, Audrey Matura. In the end Ella Waight emerged as treasurer while Deon Pitter, Philluipa McDonald and Brian Duncan were voted as Trustees.

Mr. Belize set to participate in Arnold Schwarzenegger body building competition
Rigo Vellos, five time Mr. Belize Champion, is gearing up to represent the country at an international body building event from March 2-5, 2017. He is set to compete in the Arnold Sports Festival, Arnold Classic, in Columbus, Ohio, organized by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-American actor, producer, businessman, investor, author, philanthropist, activist, and former professional bodybuilder and politician. Vellos will be joined by two other Belizeans – Oyinkro Akpobodor and Aurel Lewis who will be participating in separate categories.

Orange Walk man killed by friend
At around 8:30 last night, Marcelino Chan, 54, was stabbed to death by his own friends. They were all socializing in Orange Walk when an altercation erupted and he was stabbed 4 times; twice to the left rib cage, once behind the ear, and once to the left side of the chest. He was pronounced dead by the time he was taken to the Orange Walk hospital.

Broad day shooting leaves one man hospitalized
Twenty-four-year-old Deon Brackett was shot at around 11:30 a.m. on the south side of Belize City yesterday. Brackett was reportedly near the corner of Trinity Street when a gunman emerged firing shots in broad day light. Brackett ran for cover but was struck to the lower back.

Blogs

CAT OF CAYE CAULKER
Georgie, who works at Red Flower Gallery along with Angelle, thinks he can see me but I can’t see him.

Public Property Auction in San Pedro: Questions Answered, New Questions Formed
When a sign went up at a intriguing property just south of me, I NEEDED to put it on my calendar. I noticed the sign about a week and a half before the auction… …and took a walk down there. This whole area – Miles 6 to 7, North Ambergris Caye – has one of the prettiest stretches of ocean. The Mexico Rocks Marine Reserve. And I did ask some of the auctioneer and the representative from the bank when they arrived. Both very nice helpful guys. And easy to ID. It’s not often, away from the Mormons, that you see someone in a tie in San Pedro. The advertising for a property of some value is just a poster and a listing in the newspapers? Answer: Yes. Apparently it is a system that has been used for a while and works well. I can’t imagine that it would hurt to have nice photos taken and a website of the auctions? Some nice real-estate-y phrases “turn-key operation!” or “rustic project for DIYer!”. Maybe “lush native greenery!” The property was open, the doors were open and I took a quick look around. Why was this property of not insignificant value being sold this way? I asked the representative of the bank – and this was a loan that was left unpaid. It was now owned by the bank.

How to Make Belize Rice and Beans
One of the all-time classic Caribbean dishes, rice and beans hold a special place in every Belizean’s heart. Simple enough for everyday fare, beans and rice are the perfect accompaniment to a rainbow of other flavors both sweet and hot, making it the perfect introduction to Belizean cuisine. Most Belizeans would agree that you can’t properly say you’ve been to their country without sampling the rice and beans. The flavors change and shift in both subtle and dramatic ways as you cross the country, each of the ethnic groups in the country adding their own twist to this staple dish. Whether it’s the stick-to-your-ribs classic Creole version, curried East Indian varieties, Maya caldo, or fiery hot Caribbean style, there’s a rice and beans dish for every palate. Rice and beans are sure to be on the menu of every mom and pop restaurant as well as the fanciest dining establishments in Belize. Most people in Belize eat beans and rice for lunch but visitors spending the day on tour can enjoy rice and beans as part of a delicious dinner. And many people enjoy beans and rice for breakfast too!

International Sources

Local man survives Discovery's "Naked and Afraid"
Jason Gassaway of Palo Cedro participated in the Discovery Channel's hit TV show, "Naked and Afraid." Gassaway's episode will air as the season 7 premiere on Sunday, March 5 at 10 p.m. The show selects one man and one woman to be partners and survive together in a remote location in nature. They have only 21 days to reach a designated end point where they are "rescued" and taken back home. Gassaway said he applied to be on the show on a whim and was selected to move forward in the process a few days after he submitted his application. He was selected to participate in June and left for Belize the end of July. Gassaway said he only had three weeks to prepare for the challenges he would face in the jungle, whereas his partner, Lacey, had six months. He added that he had to completely change his diet and fitness routine in order to get ready.

Meeting to examine rising fishing costs
The Belize-based Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says a landmark study to look at the impacts of rising cost factors on fishing operations in the Caribbean has been concluded. The CRFM said that it will convene a two-day validation workshop in Barbados from today to review the findings and chart the necessary course of action. The workshop is being held in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation. CRFM executive director, Milton Haughton, will present a general overview of the project and explain what the workshop is expected to achieve. The background, findings, conclusions and recommendations of the study will be presented by Claudia Stella Beltrán Turriago, an economic consultant. The study, carried out in select CRFM member states, focused on factors such as capital, labour, maintenance and energy costs.

Belize v Turks & Caicos
Football Federation of Belize - FFB 9 - 4 Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association

Poetry: Cultivation
Belizeans will never have no revolution They do not own land They have no control over the means of production Every effort being made is for their gentrification Every effort being made is for their mis education Every effort being made is for their marginalization The leader of the land Said lands department is a hot bed of corruption Every Belizean can get 1.5 acres of land That will still leave some for the future generation We with our western education Have never been taught the value of the land That monies grow on tree that why our ancestor had farm land Land give man that spiritual connect Land cultivation builds man’s imagination Land cultivation gives stamina to a man No tek my word for it ask the Mayans

The New Neotropical Companion
Ladies and Gents, this updated book rocks...just rocks! Tons of new info and photos. If you have the old version, time to update. The New Neotropical Companion is the completely revised and expanded edition of a book that has helped thousands of people to understand the complex ecology and natural history of the most species-rich area on Earth, the American tropics. Featuring stunning color photos throughout, it is a sweeping and cutting-edge account of tropical ecology that includes not only tropical rain forests but also other ecosystems such as cloud forests, rivers, savannas, and mountains. This is the only guide to the American tropics that is all-inclusive, encompassing the entire region's ecology and the amazing relationships among species rather than focusing just on species identification.

Videos

February 26, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Senate hearings into immigration scandal continues
The Senate Special Select Committee continued its public hearing into the Auditor General’s special audit report on the immigration scandal on Wednesday, February 15th. Although former United Democratic Party (UDP) Deputy Mayor Eric Chang declined to attend the hearing, former Immigration Department Finance Officer Teresita Castellanos and Port Commander George Reynolds were present. The session began with Castellanos disclosing a written statement before the Senators. When given the opportunity to share her perspective, she described the department as the “belly of the beast”—noting it as a place of hustling and corruption. “The department headed by the Acting Director, Maria Marin, and her small team – including myself [as] the Administrative Officer – made many attempts to stop the rampant malpractices that plagued the department. The job to fix the problem was too difficult to accomplish; the reason being was there was not the support from our ministry. We considered – and I will read verbatim because I have to say what I have to say today – we considered ourselves orphans of the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and it ended with the Immigration Department. The department became important when a document needed approval; we became infamous with scandals, but even so the support was just not there. Yes, the culture was there… is there….

January 2017 San Pedro Crime Report released
Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit, Assistant Henry Jemmott has issued a crime report for January 2017. The report focuses on crime activity, statistics, and law enforcement measures in comparison to the previous year. According to the report, major crime in January 2017 has declined, with only burglaries on the rise. January 2017 saw two burglaries, two robberies, one case of unlawful sexual intercourse, and no murders, rape, or thefts (above $5,000). This meant an 11% decrease in crime when compared to January 2016, where there was one murder, one rape, two robberies, three burglaries, one case of theft, and one unlawful sexual intercourse. According to the statistics, 48 other crimes were reported in January 2017. There were seven thefts (under $5,000), one theft of motor vehicle below $5,000, two counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of aggravated assault, six common assaults, four damage to property, six counts of harm, nine cases of using insulting/indecent words/threatening words, three breach of protection order/trespassing/harassment, and seven wounding cases recorded.

Misc Belizean Sources

Street Art Festival 2017

Community Outreach and Cookout : The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project
You are Invited!! If you have any pictures that depict our History and Culture from a bygone era, please feel free to bring them so that we may digitize them and archive them for future generations. March 18, 11am-4pm at the House of Culture, Regent Street Belize City. The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project is having its second Community Outreach and Cookout at the House of Culutre. The purpose of our Cookouts is to draw in the members of the community into a property that has been off-limits to them for most of the history of the property. The aims is to create an immersive, inclusive and positive atmosphere of history and culture where all visitors from far and near will feel comfortable and willing to participate in the rejuvenation and recreation of our Government House Property.

This Day In History
On February 25th, 1817, the Inhabitants, at a public meeting, opposed the landing of one hundred and twenty-seven revolted negroes who arrived from Barbados on the 16th, per Brig "Franciis and Mary"; they are sent to Moho Caye and afterwards to Sierre Leone. Source: Honduras Almanack 1829

The Reporter

Season for Sea Cucumbers remains closed for 2017
Fisherfolk are advised that the Sea Cucumber season will remain closed for 2017; hence anyone caught fishing for or have in their possession the product is in violation of Section 11 of Statutory Instrument #67 of 2009 of the Fisheries Act. The Fisheries Department says the reason for the extended closure is “to undertake a more comprehensive assessment of the stocks to strengthen management measures for the conservation and sustainable utilization of this species.” Sea cucumbers have become a marine product in high demand because of its popularity in Asia. A few years ago, however, the Department had seized a large quantity of the product after it discovered it had been illegally acquired.

Two men fined $10,000 for illegally entering protected area
Two men have been fined a hefty sum of $10,000 each for ‘illegal entry into a protected area’, after they pleaded guilty to the charge in the Dangriga Magistrate’s Court this week. Carlos Palacios, 35, and Donald Wewe, 47, were charged under the National Protected Areas System Act of 2015. If they fail to make payment, they will be imprisoned for one year. Authorities apprehended the two men during a routine patrol within the Mayflower Bocawina National Park in the Stann Creek district last year. The pair was also found in possession of 27 pieces of lumber and a chain saw – items often times linked to illegal logging. The department issued a press release stating that “recognizing that the complexity of illegal logging and illegal timber-trafficking requires greater collaboration of all stakeholders. …Officers and rangers of the Mayflower Bocawina Environment and Development Group have stepped up patrols and monitoring to stem the illegal forestry activities.”

More severe storms expected to hit Caribbean in 2017
Countries that make up the eastern Caribbean have been advised to to prepare for harsher weather conditions and hurricanes this year, due to climate change. During a regional discussion in Dominica, Crispin d’Auvergne, St. Lucia’s chief sustainable development officer said a 2008 environmental study showed that while St. Lucia sees an average of one to two Category 4 or Category 5 hurricanes per year, it is likely to increasing numbers of hurricanes of the same strength each year. He used another study to show how rainfall in the Caribbean is expected to increase by 25 to 50 percent in the next 50 year – something that he says will become the new norm.

Breaking Belize News

Man shot in Belize City
We have received reports of a shooting that happened around 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Faber’s Road in Belize City. All indications are that an individual sustained injuries as a result.

GOB can’t find Vega
Months after the Government of Belize announced that it would sue Andre Vega to recover monies he owes, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte said that they haven’t served him with the summons, because they can’t find him. In 2016, it came to light that the Government paid Vega, who is the son of former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, $400,000 in compensation for land, which already had an owner. One Sharon Pitts received a similar compensation. Peyrefitte told the media this week that the government intends to collect the monies from Vega, and that they have process servers out looking for Vega; however, they haven’t been able to locate him thus far.

US charges former Guatemala Vice President with drug trafficking
Yesterday, the United States Embassy in Guatemala issued a statement asserting that the United States government will seek the extradition of former Guatemalan Vice President Roxana Baldetti and ex-Interior Minister Hector Mauricio Lopez Bonilla on drug trafficking charges. According to the statement, Baldetti and Lopez Bonilla were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday and each faces a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and knowing that it would be imported to the United States.

Sea Cucumber season closes for 2017
The Belize Fisheries Department issued a press release today informing that in accordance with Section 11 of Statutory Instrument No. 67 of 2009, under the Fisheries Act Chapter 210 of the Laws of Belize Revised Edition 2000-2003, the Fisheries Administrator hereby informs all fishers and the public that the season for the extraction for all species of sea cucumber will remain closed for 2017. Thus, no person should fish or have in his possession any sea cucumber.

Fair weather to continue
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly fair and dry conditions to continue with sunny skies today and partly cloudy skies tonight. The wind will blow from the east to southeast at 5-15 knots. The sea state will be light chop to choppy. High temperatures are expected as follows: In the coast, 86 degrees Fahrenheit; 94 degrees Fahrenheit inland and 82 degrees Fahrenheit in the hills.

Blogs

A New Bar, A VIP Cocktail Party: Shaken Bar at Mahogany Bay Village
Mahogany Bay is the largest development that Ambergris Caye has ever seen. Located about 2 miles south of town on relatively newly claimed land and canals, this project is ambitious…and then some. I first visited the village in June of 2014 – when they opened their very first public space, Rum + Bean Coffee. Almost three years ago! And I got a taste of the aesthetic (LOVE) and the plan (overwhelming!) Now, each time I stop in – for one of the numerous openings or events – I am nothing short of stunned. The businesses! The speed of construction! The cohesive, gorgeous furnishings. I am a person who might be accused of having too many opinions. But when it comes to Mahogany Bay? I’m almost left speechless. Each and every time I head down there I have to stop for a second… Are these 200+ Curio by Hilton hotel rooms set to open in the next year – these plans for Coastal Living homes – beach clubs and numerous restaurants – a village unto itself…Am I actually in Belize?

International Sources

San Ignacio - Belize - Burns Avenue
Onze eerste kennismaking met Belize, San Ignacio vlakbij de grens met Guatemala. Een fijn en in onze beleving authentiek stadje dat een mooie uitvalbasis vormt om de omgeving te verkennen. De multiculturele inwoners zijn enthousiast, vriendelijk en behulpzaam. San Ignacio kent weinig bezienswaardigheden, maar de hoofdstraat en de brug tussen buur-stadje Santa Elena, zjjn de moeite waard.

Scientists discover a large Mayan jade pendant with carved inscriptions
In a rare find, scientists have discovered a large piece of carved jade that once belonged to an ancient Maya king, inscribed with a historical text decribing its first owner. The jewel – a jade pendant worn on a king’s chest during key religious ceremonies – was first unearthed in 2015, in Nim Li Punit in southern Belize. The T-shaped pendant is remarkable for being the second largest Maya jade found in Belize to date, said Geoffrey Braswell, a professor at University of California, San Diego in the US.

Este colgante de jade puede cambiar nuestra visión de los Mayas
Un colgante de jade de origen maya hallado en Belize, único por contener un texto histórico, puede cambiar el conocimiento científico que se tiene de esta civilización de la América precolombina. La pieza, usada en el pecho de un rey durante ceremonias religiosas clave, fue descubierta en 2015 por el arqueólogo de la Universidad de California San Diego Geoffrey Braswell, en el yacimiento de Nim Li Punit. Esta custodiada en el Banco Central de Belize, junto a otros tesoros nacionales. Tras su examen minucioso, Braswell publicó recientemente un artículo en la revista de la Universidad de Cambridge Ancient Mesoamérica, detallando el significado de la joya. Un segundo artículo, en el Journal of Field Archaeology, describe las excavaciones.

The Prettiest Resort in Belize Also Has a Stunning Private Island
When we're traveling abroad, we often opt for the full 'home away from home' and splurge on the suite. They're big, extravagant, and usually the best thing the hotel has to offer. That said, suites also tend to be exclusive and cost a pretty penny to keep it that way. So what if we told you that there's a resort in Belize where every single room is a suite, and that it's not even the best part... Situated in Placencia (just a short 35-minute flight from Belize), each 'room' at Belize Ocean Club Adventure Resort has its own living room, kitchen, dining area, private bedrooms and bathrooms, and even balconies with either lagoon or ocean views. Outside your door lies a beach, pool, and plenty of activities, but the best part that you've been waiting for? It has its very own private island.

Videos

February 25, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Broadway entertainer Sean McDermott performs for a great cause
The Sunshine Scholarship Foundation’s Benefit Concert came to a reality on Wednesday, February 22nd as Broadway performer Sean McDermott brought down the house! The Palapa Bar and Grill hosted the event from 7PM to 10PM, and it was well attended by music enthusiastic and supporters. Prior to show time, Isla Bonita Elementary School’s (IEBS) drumline showcased their drumming skills. Opening the show with a brief welcome address was Mistress of Ceremonies Teresa Nicholson, who introduced McDermott, sharing his achievements with the audience. “McDermott has starred on Broadway and in television, performed for the President of the United States, and even sang with Barbra Streisand on her European Tour. He recently performed in Moscow with the symphony orchestra for the 100th Birthday of Frank Sinatra,” said Nicholson. McDermott graciously took the stage and sang a beautiful selection influenced by Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Tom Jones, Frankie Valli, and Jersey Boys. With songs like “It Had Better Be Tonight”, “It’s Not Unusual”, “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You”, and “Fly with Me”, the crowd was eager to dance, cheering loudly for more.

Belize’s Hyperbaric Chamber introduces resident general practitioner and dive medic
The Sub-aquatics of Belize Limited is pleased to present new general practitioner and certified dive medic, Dr. Cornelio Teck. Originally from San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Dr. Teck received his medical education in Cuba, after which he did his internship program in both Belmopan and Belize City. He has recently moved to Ambergris Caye, where he now offers his many services in San Pedro Town at the Hyperbaric Chamber. Dr. Teck has been trained and is a certified chamber tender and operator. He has treated diving accidents in Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico from initial urgent care, assessment, to neurological examinations, diagnosis, treatment and prescriptions. However, his services go beyond hyperbaric medicine, offering family medicine with knowledge in pathologies pertaining to general surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics and internal medicine. As an added bonus, Dr. Teck is also offering free consultations for Dive Masters. He is eager to work alongside other doctors in the community, especially certified dive medics, as he grows into his role at the Hyperbaric Chamber. He will be residing in the same building as well. The chamber also announces that tours will be offered every Wednesday, starting March 1st. Visitors are invited to tour the facility, look at the chamber unit itself and learn how it is set up, and what equipment is being used to ensure that our community, in particular the dive community, remains safe. There will be a 10 AM and a 5 PM guided tour.

Belize misses Super Bond
On Monday, February 20th, the Government of Belize (GOB) failed to make a payment of US$13 million or BZ$26 million towards the 2038 Super Bond. Belize now has 60 days to meet payments, or else it can result in the loss of savings obtained from the last restructuring of the Bond in 2012 and 2013, when creditors had agreed to an 11% reduction. Although the payment was missed, the country has a grace period of 30 days before it is declared a default. In an attempt to reach a third restructuring of the Super Bond, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, along with a Belizean delegation, travelled to New York City, New York USA on Tuesday, February 14th to meet with bondholder representatives. The meeting did not yield the expected results, and upon Barrow’s return to the country on Sunday, February 19th, the PM told reporters that he is cautiously optimistic that a deal for softened terms on the bond could be reached before the grace period expires.

Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye launches new fund raising projects
The Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye (RCAC) has been brainstorming on fundraising methods to support all of their projects that benefit the island community, and recently they have launched two new ways of collecting the much needed funds.

Ambergris Today

The Beautification of the Island Commences
On Thursday, February 23, 2017, the San Pedro Town Council held its final consultation based on a local economic development strategic plan for San Pedro Town. Many public consultations have been held, surveys have been taken and with the help of proffesionals from Candada thanks to CARILED the projects have started. Although not all projects have been finalized and still need to be reviewed, some like the reclamation of beaches will commense this Saturday, February 25, 2017. In the area of Boca Del Rio, solar powered lights have been installed especially in the park and more are yet to be installed along the beach. This program falls under CARILED- Caribbean Local Economic Development Project that is coordinated by Leidi Urbina here in Belize. CARILED is a Canadian government organization that helps developing countries with projects to develop and test models of Local Economic Development across the Caribbean.

Misc Belizean Sources

BELIZE RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE ON CAYE CAULKER!
CC will be having a blood donation drive on Saturday 4 March from 9AM - 3PM. Donating blood is crucial and life saving for people who are sick or have injuries. Any of us could need blood at any time. If you donate blood you or a loved one are eligible to get blood in the future. Please, please come out and support the health of the community and yourselves! Please put this on your calendar and PM with any questions. No appointments needed! Tell your friends and guests! To those awesome people who contacted me about volunteering I will be in touch soon. Thank you!

BOOM FEST
Presidente Belize Presents BOOM FEST at The La Ruta Maya on Sunday March 5th at Handerson Park, Burrel Boom from 12noon to 7PM@! LIVE #Music and Performances by : Tanya Carter, Supa G, Sweet Pain Band, Gilharry 7, Ernestine, Denise Castillo, Unlimited, Black Chiney, Harlem Youths, No Fear DJs, DJ Jago & Royal Sounds! Get 4 Presidente Beers for ONLY $11.00 It's Gonna Be Massive! Don't Miss It!

'Seagrasses' vital to coastal health
The importance of seagrasses to the health of coastal ecosystems is underlined in new research conducted around Indonesian atolls. These underwater flowering plants, which have been with us since the age of the dinosaurs, have long been known to have anti-microbial properties. But the latest study demonstrates that their presence really does help to suppress pollution. Coral reefs also seem to be in a better condition when the grasses are nearby. Although these plants grow in vast meadows, fringing every continent except Antarctica, they are also being damaged on a large scale by human activities, with global losses estimated at 7% each year since 1990. Dr Joleah Lamb and colleagues tell this week's Science Magazine that the "ecosystem services" provided by the grasses should be valued more highly.

The Belize Literary Prize 2016
The Belize Literary Prize 2016. The Criteria for Flash Fiction and the Criteria for Poetry - the 2 Genres open for our yearly writing competition. Please email entries to [email protected] GOOD LUCK!

Sea cucumber Fishing Season Notice
In accordance with Section 11 of Statutory Instrument No. 67 of 2009, under the Fisheries Act Chapter 210 of the Laws of Belize Revised Edition 2000-2003, the Fisheries Administrator hereby informs all fishers and the public that the season for the extraction for all species of sea cucumber will remain closed for 2017. Thus, no person should fish or have in his possession any sea cucumber. This is necessary for the Department to undertake a more comprehensive assessment of the stocks to strengthen management measures for the conservation and sustainable utilization of this species. The cooperation of the fishing community and the public is greatly appreciated.

Warming up for Sun & Moon Festival at Luna Loca
Saturday, February 25 at 8 PM - 12 AM. Saturday is the first warm up party for the Sun Moon festival. If you are on the island, come down and have a few drinks and dance to some great house music. Featuring DJ's Matt Hoy and GracieRock

Community Outreach and Cookout
The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project is having its second Community Outreach and Cookout at the House of Culutre. The purpose of our Cookouts is to draw in the members of the community into a property that has been off-limits to them for most of the history of the property. The aims is to create an immersive, inclusive and positive atmosphere of history and culture where all visitors from far and near will feel comfortable and willing to participate in the rejuvenation and recreation of our Government House Property. Saturday, March 18 at 11 AM - 4 PM, Government House ~ House of Culture (NICH) Regent Street, Belize City

Captain Shark's Belize celebrating 20 Years
Ambergris Today joins the community of San Pedro in congratulating Captain Shark's Belize celebrating 20 Years of service to Ambergris Caye. Happy Anniversary!

BELTRAIDE TO ASSIST BELIZEAN ARTISTS TO PROMOTE THEIR MUSIC
EXPORTBelize, a unit of BELTRAIDE, hosted a brief meeting this morning, Friday 24th February, 2017 with Belizean Artists/Musicians to put forth the development of their Electronic Press Kits (EPK). An Electronic Press Kit for musicians is a collection of materials used for promotional use in order for them to get bookings and press coverage; this is essentially their RESUME. These EPK’s will be exhibited at an Exposition in Astana, Kazakhstan that will run from June 10th to September 10th, 2017, showcasing 100 countries in areas of Destination, Trade in Services and Culture, with expectation of receiving over 5million visits. These artists/musicians will then be exposed to opportunities for bookings, media coverage and other business deals, as well as Belize’s culture will be brought to life through the medium of rich Belizean music.

Poets Corner: Circus
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. Deh rass start with the mandamus When the COMPOL took the courts for a circus For higher ups the system puts them first The Pinochet case is the ‘locos classicus’ That justice must seem to be done Or the people will create a ruckus They will see the judiciary for what it is ‘a circus’ Justice must not only be done But must seem to be done How can any politician intervene for their son? Then have the nerve to go on national television Saying, “… explain to me if you should stand There to make some foreigner or some Guatemalan Or whoever he kill you backside and then run across the border And the case done. I say hell no." It’s supposed to be the courts to make that determination If it was self defence or another offence It’s a conflict of interest for a minister To use his office for his son’s defence Godwin is talking nonsense

Poetry night at Corozal Public Library
Poetry Night was Great! Our thanks to Y-Not-Bakery, Rony's Tortilla Factory and Mrs. Patt for providing the snacks for the participants.

Sports Day at Corozal Community College!

MCPS Receives New Bathroom Block
The Rotary Club of San Ignacio had the inauguration of the new bathrooms at Mount Carmel primary school this week. Thanks, Rotary, for all the bathrooms you've built, and are planning on building for the local schools. "Mt. Carmel RC Primary School in Benque Viejo received the keys to their new toilet building provided by an international Rotary project today at a joyful handing over ceremony. The Rotary Club of Greater Bend, Oregon and the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, along with the Rotary Foundation and Rotary Districts funded this construction for a project focused and clean water and sanitation, and basic health and hygiene education. The project was funded for $78,000 BZ ($36,000 US) and serves the Standard 4 - 6 (upper division) student population of about 300. The previous building was 54 years old and in great need of replacing. New toilet facilities like this have been built through our club's efforts in 11 other schools in Cayo. Student attendance and health measurably increase when toilet systems are updated on a school campus and hygiene education is emphasized."

Women's Guerilla Art Show Call
The Wildfire Artmosphere is calling for female artists for the upcoming Women's Guerilla Art Show. "CALL FOR ARTISTS! LADIES! Women around the world R doing stuff. R you ready? We can't think of a better way to inaugurate our new red walls!"

Macro-invertebrate study as part of monitoring the headwaters of the Chiquibul Forest
The second macro-invertebrate study is underway as part of monitoring the headwaters of the Chiquibul Forest. FCD’s team have covered the field work and back in office the analysis has begun. This project is made possible through a PACT Medium Grant.

MAKING STUDENTS GREAT
Twenty Two students from Saint Michael's RC Primary School In Belmopan graduated from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Program. Students participated in six key lessons with the basic message; to keep away from gangs, drugs and violence.

Channel 7

Cyber-Bullying Spree On Facebook - GOB Trying to Come Up With Laws
Belizean Cheaters - it's a Facebook group that has been overheating Belize's Social Media scene for the past week. The group traffics in little more than low-down gossip, revenge porn, and just plain old "bad mind" - but it's been garnering thousands of page views from those who delight in nothing more than "shoosh." But now, it's garnering mainstream media attention because someone maliciously posted the picture of an 11 year old girl accusing her of having sexual relations with adult men. That crossed the line and the child's mother called Southside Police Commander Chester Williams who posted on social media that he will "deal with those responsible." But, deal with them how? Are there even laws on the books to prosecute those who engage in cyber-bullying? There aren't, and today the press asked the Attorney General Mike Peyrefitte and the Solicitor General Nigel Hawke about it:...

GOB Can't Serve Suit On Vega
We also got to ask the AG about the case against Andre Vega, the son of former Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega, and attorney Sharon Pitts. Last year, news broke that they had been awarded hefty government compensation for land that was already owned - and should never have been sold. The Ministry of Natural Resources then demanded that those monies be paid back within one month, which did not happen. Since then the Attorney General's office has committed to filing suit against both parties in order to get the money back. We asked Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte and Solicitor General Nigel Hawke for an update. Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General: "It is strictly a legal matter and the SG the person who is the head litigator for that case as he has told me, he has difficulty locating Mr. Vega to serve him personally and he may have to do substituted service, but we have served Ms. Pitts. It was purely a legal matter, it is a matter that went into the system before I became an attorney general. I have no intentions of discontinuing. The court will decide what the court will decide."

Ashcroft Alliance and GOB Remain Locked In Court Battles
Hawke also gave us a brief update about the Ashcroft Alliance's latest challenge. It seeks to discharge the Supreme Court's injunction which stops Belize Bank and BCB HOLDINGS from attempting to enforce awards granted by the US Courts earlier this year. The court granted a temporary injunction three weeks ago - and now the Ashcroft Alliance wants it lifted. Nigel Hawke: "Like I said I don't want to comment too much on these matters, because the matters are before the court. What we know there is a challenge to discharge the injunction that it was granted in favor of GOB, that will be heard on Monday. Mr. Denys Barrow, senior counsel, is representing the government of Belize in that matter. Like I said before because those matters are before the courts, we would not comment on the merits or demerits of those cases."

Will GOB Probe Deeper Into Immigration Intrigues?
Peyrefitte also answered questions about the ongoing Senate inquiry. The press asked if he sees any reason for further investigations into the matters revealed in the probe, or other related immigration scandals such as Nanes Shnitzer. Reporter: "In relation to the entire senate probe that's ongoing, there have been a lot of disclosures and in particular since then a lot of back and forth as it relates to the disclosures of Ms. Ruth Meighan about electoral fraud and so. As attorney general would you hope that that's a matter that's investigating alongside the what's now been disclosed for the Nanes Shnitzer case with an internal investigation done and certain people being deemed as needing disciplinary action but also a police investigation alongside that?" Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General: "The police investigation will depends on what the police wants to do. Many criminal moves that want to be made, will be left to the DPP. You may want to ask her that. But in general as a senator myself, I want to respect that senators. I want them to finish with their inquiry and then we will see what recommendations they made from that body. Until then I wouldn't want to say anything that would prejudice their inquiry that's taking place right now."

GOB Not Bracing For Deportees
And, finally, on the subject of deportation the AG answered questions about whether there has been a rush of deportees sent back, or headed to Belize since Donald Trump was elected President. Now, we know there has been fake news saying 1,800 Belizeans were rounded up in the US for deportation. But, that has no basis in fact, since the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that in February just over 600 illegal persons were picked up in total, in operations targeting criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and immigration fugitives. No special mention was made of Belizeans. The attorney general said they are not aware of any rush of deportations:... Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General: "I am not aware that there's any official policy to deport Belizean who are incarcerated yes, I would like to think that most Belizeans are here legally. It has not reached the point where it is such an important policy consideration that we need to come up with something to address it. We have not been notified by any of our counsels or by our embassy abroad that we it will become an issue. But if it does certainly we can find a way to address it. It has not come as an urgent matter to consider."

Supa G - Why He Was Turned Back At Houston
Supa G is Belize's most well known and successful Punta Rocker - and much os his popularity comes from the United States where he plays to adoring crowds of Belizean Americans. But Supa will have to slow it down for at least the next few months. That's after he was turned back by US Immigration earlier this week. Supa arrived in Houston on the 22nd on a visitor's visa. But, while his manager says he was there as an ambassador, performers need what is known as a P3 Visa. We spoke to his manager via telephone from California this evening: Cyril "Uruwei" Garcia, Supa G's Manager: "On February 22, Supa G was on his way to Houston to represent Belize as a cultural ambassador, not to perform. The Houston tri-country regional black chamber of commerce invited him to join honored guests, the Love Foundation, to the 4th annual conference and award gala. He was denied entry into the US as a result of not holding a P3 visa. He couldn't return on that same day, because there were no flights leaving Houston to Belize after the investigation process. So he had to return the following day which is Thursday 23rd. We are actively working on his P3 visa. One of his supervisors at the US Immigration Department has actually assured us that this is not an end to his musical career in the United States and that there are other artists with offences on their record that have been allowed entry after such experience. So his fans in the US, we can assured them that he will be back in the US in no time."

Woman Charged For Manslaughter of Husband
On Valentine's night, Geneva Estrada allegedly pushed her common law husband Eric Moses down a flight of stairs. He hit his head, and later died. She was originally charged for dangerous harm, but today, that charge was upgraded to manslaughter. Because of the nature of the offence, bail could not be offered. She was remanded into custody until April 17. According to the allegation, Estrada got angry with him and pushed him. Moses hit the back of his when he tumbled to the bottom of the stairs, and he lost consciousness.

Constable Jamil To Jail
Tonight a cop is serving the first night of a three month jail sentence after he stole a police radio. Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith sentenced Police constable Jamil Scott to 3 months today after he was found guilty. His girlfriend, Jelsie Zapeta, who was charged with handling stolen goods for the Kenwood brand radio, was found not guilty. Back in September, 2014, the radio went missing from a police mobile that was parked in the Raccoon Street Police Station compound. Later that night, when Scott left the station on his motorcycle, police intercepted him at the corner of Raccoon and Elston Kerr Streets and told him to return to the police station. Scott instead went to Novelo's Bus Terminal on West Collet Canal, but police detained his girlfriend there and found that she had the police radio in a bag. Scott and Zepeta both gave statements from the dock in which they denied they stole anything. But Chief Magistrate Smith rejected it; she told Scott that she does not believe his statement; that it was fraught with lies. She said that in the case of Zepeta she is not convinced that Zepeta knew that the radio was stolen she she acquitted her while convicting her boyfriend.

Belize Comes Again With FOPREL
Last month we told you that new House Speaker Laura Longsworth will take over the regional parliamentarian organization, FOPREL. That's the abbreviation for the Forum of Presiding Officers of National Parliaments of Central American and the Caribbean Basin. This will be the second time that Belize's takes over the rotating presidency. And so, tonight, Longsworth, Senate President Lee Mark Chang, and National Assembly Clerk Eddie Webster are in Managua, Nicaragua. That's where FOPREL's Headquarters are located, and in an inauguration ceremony, Longsworth officially accepted the presidency. She took over from the outgoing president, Oscar Chinchilla, who is the President of the President of the parliament of Guatemala. Belize will hold the Presidency for 1 year, after which it will be passed along to one of the other 9 member states.

CDB Remains Committed to Belize
And, tonight, in our final report from last week's CDB Press Conference in Barbados, we have bank president Dr. Warren Smith discussing the Bank's Special Development Fund, the Bank's largest pool of concessionary funds. That has an interest rate of only 1% and it is earmarked for landing to agencies such as Belize's Social Investment Fund. Smith told us that a significant portion of those funds will be earmarked for Belize:.. Warren Smith, President CDB: "Belize is going to get a big chuck of that money which as I understand it, works through Belize SIF (Social Investment Fund). So I mentioned to you in my earlier remarks that our experience has been that Belize has used those resources very effectively in the past and it is one of the countries where we like to take people and show them what can be accomplished."

Figuring Out Fisheries
In other Caribbean news, a study is underway to look at the impacts of rising cost factors on fishing operations in the Caribbean. The workshop will be held next week in Barbados and it will review a study, carried out in Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and other Caribbean nations. The workshop will examine, factors such as capital, labor, maintenance and energy costs. The idea is to propose strategies to improve efficiency, productivity and sustainability in the fisheries sector.

Concert For Kids Living With HIV
About 120 kids under 18 are living with HIV in Belize - that's the number the National Aids Commission has in their records. But there are more kids out there born HIV positive. And you can help The National Aids Commission along with Hand in Hand Ministers reach out to all these kids by attending their fundraiser event tonight. It's the "Unite for the Children" benefit concert. It was scheduled to start at 7:00 at the BFLA compound on Mercy Lane. There will be performances from the Pantempers Steel Orchestra and Pandemonium Steel Band. The Communications and Programs Officer at the National Aids Commission told me more about the significance of the concert.

Many Ways to Love Lady Lila
Belize's Queen of Brukdong will be buried next week Thursday in PG. But her vibrant soul, unique style and strong cultural imprint will live on forever. Well known Mortician and close friend of Lila, Stanley Lizama is keeping her spirit alive in his way . Lizama got a mannequin and designed a replica of Lila Vernon performing, with Mic and all. Lizama told us today just how special this display is to him. Everyone is invited to view or take pictures . Lizama lives just off Baymen Avenue, near Alaska store.

Belize Won Some, Lost Some At Beach Soccer
Earlier this week, we told you how Team Belize was turning heads in the First Round of the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships, when they beat Jamaica in a penalty shootout. That game ended in a tie, but Belize managed to score 2 penalty shots, snatching that first match away from their opponents. Well, since then, they've gone up against Bahamas and Guyana, and in those games, Belize lost 3-nil and 4-1 respectively. So, that takes Belize out of the running for the top 8 countries, but that doesn't mean that the beach footballers aren't still giving it their all. They're currently battling for 9th place and today, they played an impressive game against the US Virgin Islands. They had a rocky start when the US Virgin Islands scored the first 3 goals on them, and those went unanswered. In the final period However, Team Belize turned up the game play and scored 4 consecutive goals. The US Virgin Islands scored their last goal of the match, and after that, Team Belize made two clutch goals in the last few minutes.

Mayan Pendant Continues to Intrigue
In 2015, 7News was first to report on the second largest piece of carved piece of jade ever found in Belize and probably in the entire Maya World. It was unearthed at Nim Li Punit in the Toledo District and researchers are still marveling over it. An online news outlet named "phys.ORG" quotes a paper recently published in the Cambridge University journal Ancient Mesoamerica detailing the jewel's significance. According to Archaeologist Geoffrey Braswell it's the only pendant known to be inscribed with a historical text. Carved into the pendant's back are 30 hieroglyphs about its first owner. Braswell notes, quote, "We would expect something like it in one of the big cities of the Maya world. Instead, here it was, far from the center." End quote. The pendant measures 7.4 inches wide, 4.1 inches high and just 0.3 inches thick. The article notes that sawing it into this thin, flat form using string, fat and jade dust would have been a technical feat.

Play, Lila, Play!
And for the end of the news tonight, we'll keep it in the south, with a look back at some of PG resident Lila Vernon's memorable performances which were captured on camera. These archival clips are courtesy NICH Belize and AEAU productions.

Channel 5

Is Andre Vega Evading Court Action for Haulover Compensation?
Andre Vega, son of former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, remains at the heart of a land scandal involving a parcel of prime real estate near the Haulover Creek and [...]

Breaking “Belizean Cheaters”: Women Deplore Lascivious Content Shared Online
Since the weekend, the social media page, Belizean Cheaters and all its evolutions have been wreaking havoc across the country.  Even as the pages are reported to the Facebook Administrator, [...]

Government Moves to Address “Cyber Crimes”
The chorus of disapproval in the wake of the social media spectacle is forcing lawmakers to look carefully at new legislation to address the issue of cyber bullying.  As it [...]

Getting to the Bottom of the Arbitral Awards
Lord Michael Ashcroft’s interview with News Five this week touched on a wide range of topics but the one of most current interest is the various arbitral awards under litigation [...]

Michael Ashcroft Says New Laws Unnecessary and a Distraction
As pointed out by the principals of Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited, the language in the Crown Proceedings (Amendment) Act is similar to those passed in the Supreme Court of Judicature [...]

CIHL Goes to Court Against Anti-Arbitration Injunction; G.O.B. Holds Firm
And this coming Monday, February twenty-seventh, the Supreme Court will hear an application by CIHL to discharge an injunction granted by Justice Michelle Arana restraining the company from enforcing a [...]

A.G. Says Deportation Not an Issue for Belize
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, have begun deportation raids in support of new policy by the Donald Trump administration. Hundreds have been rounded up across the country [...]

U.S. Turns Back Supa G from Texas
Belizean entertainer Supa G is back in the country after being denied entry into the United States earlier this week.  The popular artist, born Lensford Martinez, was traveling to Houston, [...]

Superbond Consent Offer Extended Again; S&P Sceptical, Lowers Ratings
Earlier this week, the Government of Belize announced deferral of the coupon payment of almost twenty-six million Belize dollars to holders of the Belize 2038 Bonds. Officially, the plan is [...]

Ashcroft Says Investors May Turn Away from Belize without Security
Turning to the current state of the economy…Lord Michael Ashcroft says that Belize has not shown the promise engendered by the various monies spent here over the last decade or [...]

Ashcroft Vs Barrow? Lord Michael Says It Was Never Personal
We asked Lord Ashcroft how things seemed to get so personal between himself and Prime Minister Dean Barrow over the various situations involving B.T.L. and the subsequent arbitral awards. To [...]

Wife’s Charges Upgraded to Manslaughter for Pushing Husband to Death
On Valentine’s Day, a couple living on Victoria Street was socializing when it is alleged the woman pushed her common-law husband down the stairs. He sustained a head injury when [...]

Immigration Still Interested in Chon Saan Building But Looking at Other Options
Will government proceed with the purchase of the Chon Saan Building in Belmopan?  As we’ve reported, the Immigration Department is looking for real estate to house a new passport system [...]

Chamber of Commerce Sore over Superbond
The unpaid national debt that looms over Belize’s fragile economy continues to be a matter of concern in various sectors, including the business community.  On Thursday, the Belize Chamber of [...]

Who is Behind Takeover of ‘Picado Road’ in Lake Independence?
Residents living at mile two and half on the George Price Highway on a street called “Lucky Street” say that it appears that one of the designated streets in their [...]

Mexican Artist and S.J.C. Students Adorn Mexican Institute Wall with Mural
A Mexican artist and students from Saint John’s College collaborated on mural earlier this week. The use of stencil and graffiti style art piece was started earlier this week and [...]

Taking “Art Action” Against Domestic Violence
Reported cases of domestic violence are on the increase even though there are many that never make it to the police; and in other instances statements have been made, but [...]

Amandala

Senate orders Eric Chang and Patrick Tillett to appear
The Senate Select Committee has issued summons to Eric Chang, former Belize City Deputy Mayor, and Patrick Tillett, Belize City Council Financial Controller. Two weeks ago, the two men were invited by the Committee to respond to allegations made against them in the Auditor General’s Special Report for the period 2011-2013. The report claimed that an Immigration officer removed 8 visa stickers from the Western border and gave it to a man identified as “Mr. Middleton,” who took them to Belize City and sold them to Chang and Tillett, who wrote statements confirming this transaction. In an interview today, Wednesday, chairman of the committee, Aldo Salazar, confirmed, “As far as I understand, we have issued the summons. I am not sure if it’s for today’s date or yesterday, but we have issued it.”

Cops pursuing “Belizean Cheaters” after cyber-bullying of child
Since this weekend, scandalous Facebook pages, carrying the name “Belizean Cheaters”, of which there are now several versions, captioned parts 2, 3, 4 plus other social media versions, described as “uncut” for their raw video content, have gone viral, with one social media group garnering as many as 12,000 members after a scandal broke about someone accused of being a cheating cop. The groups do not just scandalize adults, but go further to post harmful comments about minors as well. One such case was brought to the attention of police, and while there has been no official statement on the matter, or no arrest, we are told that police were called to intervene in a fight over a post via the group. The egregious case in question involves an 11-year-old child whose picture was posted along with her name with allegations of affairs with grown men, but the post went on to suggest that the child would give her body to any man for little or nothing—what could be deemed as a covert attempt to support child prostitution.

Supa G denied entry into the US
Lensford Martinez, a popular Punta artist better known as “Supa G,” was denied entry into the United States today, Thursday. Our sources in the Immigration Department have revealed that he arrived back home on South West Airlines today because US immigration officers found him inadmissible. We are told that he admitted to US Immigration that he had performed in that country, which was a violation of his b1/b2 tourist visa. When we spoke to Supa G tonight, he told us that he was not ready to discuss the matter until he spoke to his manager and the organization that invited him to perform.

Teachers won – no docking of salaries for strike
The Ministry of Education has officially abandoned its stance that it would dock the salaries of teachers who staged 11 days of protest in October of last year in their demand for the Government of Belize to adopt a list of good governance policies. As a result, thousands of teachers across the country will collect their full salaries and the school year will be extended by six days so as to make up time lost in accordance with the Education rules. This is the result of a Supreme Court-ordered mediation between the Belize National Teachers Union and the Ministry of Education, which began three weeks ago.

Did someone hustle off David Nanes/Banes-Schnitzer’s nationality documents?
International fugitive David Nanes-Schnitzer, who defrauded thousands of investors in a Ponzi scheme, according to US/Mexican authorities, is again making headline news. The media has obtained a 14-page internal memorandum written by former Immigration Director Maria Marin on December 11, 2015 to then Immigration CEO, Edmund Zuniga, which revealed how the fugitive was able to easily obtain fraudulent Belizean documents in a process shady from the start to the end. It was Police Legal Officer, Bart Jones, who informed Marin of his concerns about Nanes. Marin thereafter conducted an internal investigation into his immigration documents. On November 29, 2012, using the name David Miguel Banes, Nanes applied for Belizean nationality.

St. Catherine Academy assists potato farmers
Potato growers are presently finding it very difficult to sell their produce and are taking heavy losses due to a glut on the market caused by the importation of contraband potatoes. However, two farmers from the San Carlos Group in Orange Walk were given a boost by the staff and students (assisted by their parents) of St. Catherine Academy in Belize City. The students bought 1,800 pounds of potatoes and their sister school, Muffles College of Orange Walk Town, bought 1,500 pounds today. Salome Castillo, principal of St. Catherine Academy, told Amandala today that the farmers were paid $1, 620 when they brought their produce to the school. She said that the money to the farmers was a drop in the bucket, but every little bit counts.

NEBL “In the Paint”
It has been a rollercoaster season so far for the Western Ballaz (2-2) basketball team. Their season goes like this: win… loss… win… loss. A tale of inconsistency, so to speak. Nevertheless, hopes are running high as they host the visiting Bandits tonight at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium. They obviously will be looking to gather some consistency from the players that get time on the court, particularly from the Leslies, Troyers and Nolbertos. In their last outing, they were able to overcome a 7-point fourth quarter deficit to record the 63-56 win against No Limit. It is apparent that this year’s team is not as explosive offensively as in years past; and, when coupled with a team defense that is right in the middle of the bunch, certainly bares true and validates their inconsistency as a team.

P.G. Freedom Fighters bring excitement to the Barracks again
–It was another weekend of football in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2016-2017 Closing Season regular season; and the MCC Garden, where Punta Gorda’s Freedom Fighters visited for the second Sunday in a row, had its fair share of excitement for football fans. Minus veteran star midfielder Lisbey Castillo, now focusing on basketball with the Dangriga Dream Ballers, Freedom Fighters manager, Patrick Flores has still managed to put together a splendid cast of young talent along with able veterans, Onest Martinez in defence and Franklin Polonio in goal. Most notable of the young guns on Freedom Fighters is their burly and fearless 18-year-old striker, Jarren Lambey, who was instrumental in their 2-1 win over FC Belize last Sunday. Yesterday against BDF, Jarren proved he is also a finisher, when he pounced on a small window of opportunity in close contact with outstanding BDF goalie, Tevin Gamboa, and headed in the only P.G. goal of the game, that brought the score to a worrying 2-1 margin for BDF, who were riding high on a first half 2-nil lead.

San Pedro High girls and Belmopan Compre boys are 2017 NSSSA Football Champions
The National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) held its high school national football championships over two days, Friday and Saturday, February 17 & 18, out at San Pedro Ambergris Caye, where San Pedro High School (SPHS) hosted the tournament on the artificial turf of the newly refurbished Ambergris Stadium. And at the end of competition on Saturday, San Pedro High School girls and Belmopan Comprehensive School boys were crowned NSSSA Football Champions 2017. After respective regional football competitions, female and male champion teams from the North, Central, West and South regions of the country all converged in San Pedro and participated in a simple knockout format, with first round winners going on to play for the championship, while the losers played for third place. The girls played 20 minute halves (40 minutes regulation), with 10 minutes of overtime where necessary; while the boys played 30 minute halves (60 minutes regulation), with also 10 minutes of overtime as needed.

Former KREM News announcer Annlyn Apolonio stars at Spiez Muscle Mania
Former KREM News announcer, Annlyn Apolonio was among the cast of female and male athletes on stage at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts last Saturday night at the Spiez Muscle Mania show, where Annlyn walked away with top honors in the Open Bikini-Fitness Competition. . Relishing her victory and exuding confidence, Annlyn remarked on her facebook page on Sunday morning, “Some people have a fear of being on stage. I have a fear of coming off it.” Other 1st place winners at the event, sponsored by Spiez Pharmaceuticals Imports owner/manager Ahmad Shaw Amini, were Aurel Lewis in the Open Men’s Physique category, and Clayton Greenidge, who won the Open Men’s Bodybuilding Competition. The event was hosted by the Belize Body Building and Fitness Federation (BBBFF).

Editorial: A sick media landscape …
The equipment and technology at Channel 5 are all sparkling and state-of-the-art. Channel 5 is a member in good standing of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU). The television station is owned by a billionaire international business mogul who has been feeding off the flesh and blood of the Belizean people for more than three decades. The young Belizeans who are employees at Channel 5 are honest professionals who need their jobs in Belize’s struggling, Third World economy. There is no one to explain to these young Belizeans that they are being used to further the predatory appetites of a man whose god is money. This week the British peer summoned the lovely hostess of Channel 5’s morning talk show, who doubles as the news anchor, to Washington for her to do an “exclusive” interview with him. From what we saw on Wednesday, the “interview” was more like a sermon from on high spoken by mighty Massa himself – Lord Michael Ashcroft.

From the Publisher
I owe Pen Cayetano an explanation of what happened in 1995 or 1996 (Pen would probably have been in Germany at that time) when someone sent to buy Amandala, and there were actually negotiations held at the home of the late Emory King in Tropical Park. I have told you that when Sagis Investments came out of the woodwork in 1994 to buy 10 percent of KREM Radio, I did not know that Sagis was really Lord Michael Ashcroft. I did feel it was either he or Ralph Fonseca. I still can’t say precisely when it was I became convinced it was the British peer. In Spanish jurisdictions, as Coco Orio and I always recollect whenever we meet, limited liability companies are referred to as “sociedad anónima – S. A.” You are not supposed to know who it is or who they are in the world of money and power. By 1995, 1996, working since 1969, we had built something out of the swamp on Partridge Street which attracted the attention of big people. In 1995, 1996, Amandala and KREM Radio were being mauled by the United Democratic Party (UDP) government of Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel. The relationship between myself and Dr. Esquivel had become hostile in a personal sense, and when he returned to office in June of 1993, he sat about destroying I. The first thing that he and his people targeted was the Kremandala Raiders, semi-pro basketball champion of Belize.

Mr. Heredia, where are you when we need you?
A month ago I sent an open letter to Mr.Heredia, our UDP Caye Caulker representative, published in Amandala and Ambergris Today under the headline: “Mr.Heredia, Caye Caulker needs your help!” When Mr. Heredia did not show up for his appointment day for Caye Caulker for the third time I contacted his secretary to ask when he would be coming, who told me he was out of the country to promote Belize as a holiday destination so we could get more tourists to come to Belize. Mr. Heredia, I expressed my support for you in my last letter and believe most islanders will support you if you will work to solve the most pressing issues on our islands and especially fight the oil exploration lobby inside the GOB to protect our islands from being destroyed by the oil interests. What I hope you understand is that we have common interests but maybe have different ways to solve our problems. I wished that the GOB would be more positive when the PEOPLE are more participating in the political process relating to their social situation. GOB is obviously not happy with the engagement we islanders have, to stop our islands from getting killed by an oil spill. Neither do they understand how disappointed we are that GOB does not want to listen to the voice of the people. When the Oceana videotape with the interview with our Prime Minister came out, Oceana had to restrict the comments section because there were so many angry explicit responses! I think you know what the mood is here! We also kind of know that for you San Pedro is first and Caye Caulker is second best!

Expats Gary and Betty say Consejo Customs “leaning on them” wrongfully
Mr. Evan X Hyde, My wife and I are big fans of the Amandala and you. We have been living/retired in Belize for 3 1/2 years after several exploratory earlier visits. We finally made the big, permanent, move in 2013. And we are totally committed to spending our remaining years and meager retirement funds here in our paradise. We had a very unusual and unexpected run-in with two Customs & Immigration officers, unknown to us previously, when we returned by launch to the Consejo Customs & Immigration dock. I posted the following on Facebook with the hope of waking everybody up to the reality of what is going to happen to Belize if this kind of behavior continues on the part of that department. So here is a copy of that posting and I hope you can hear the ring of truth in it and perhaps support that perception:

Rosales excoriates Ashcroft and Courtenay
Dear Editor, Please permit me to offer my sentiments on the report made in your newspaper, the Amandala, dated Sunday, January 29, 2017 titled: “Ashcroft Goes for Belize’s Jugular”. I wish to remind Belizeans, both in Government and Opposition, that like the late Hon. Philip Goldson, who coined the words: “The time to save your country is before you lose it”; I, as a born and bred Belizean, say that our Government of the UDP, the PUP and all others who cherish our beloved patrimony of Belize should tell Michael Ashcroft that enough is enough. We are committed to pay for BTL, a company that is once again Belizean owned. However, the rich Michael Ashcroft is getting richer, sending all his riches and gains out of the country – his nest in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and now he is after not only our bread, but the crumbs as well. Ashcroft is a traitor to Belize and Belizeans, and going for our “jugular,” he is becoming treacherous and he has to be stopped.

Will Belize continue to be offered up for sale?
We’d like to begin by thanking you for your offer in selling us British Honduras. We indeed are interested in buying the territory. So we propose to you the following terms. It is from this perspective that the Puerto Azul Ponzi scheme fiasco has caused me much trepidation when I heard that the Italian con man, Domencio Giannini, who was the mastermind behind the elaborate scam, is reported to have said that he had purchased our Great Blue Hole from the Government of Belize. These gangsters have expended a huge effort in perpetrating this scam. In May of 2014 they invited 140 billionaires to a party in Cannes, France, to raise funds for this Puerto Azul 8 star resort. The cost of a ticket to the gala was US$10,000.00. There is only one 8 star resort hotel in the world, which is in Dubai Arab Emirates; their GDP is 570 billion dollars. The second 8 star resort hotel would have been in Belize: our GDP is 1.6 billion dollars – Please! Give me a break. As chairman of the British Honduras Freedom Committee of New York, I was tasked to investigate a few of these scams perpetrated on and in Belize. I will reflect on two of these which occurred in the 1970s.

The quintessential Joseph Haylock – “Barber Joe”
Before there was Pino’s, the popular Pine family barber shop on King Street, and before Jeff Scott, there was the forerunner institution located at the corner of Berkeley Street and East Canal. The legendary Joseph Haylock, popularly known as “Barber Joe,” was the quintessential elder when Belize City’s Southside had authentic neighborhoods where families lived on the same streets for generations and we were civilized toward each other. The story of Barber Joe and his small business is a narrative of what we have lost over the past few decades, much like the neighborhood “mom and pop” family grocery stores that once dotted our communities. Barber Joe began cutting hair as a young boy at St. Ignatius Primary School on Belize City’s Southside where his talent did not go unnoticed. Some of his teachers were among his first clients at the school he attended. Since there is no barber school in Belize where a student can master the trade, he learned and perfected his craft from those brave enough to volunteer for haircuts. By the time he became a young man, Joseph Haylock had established himself as one of Belize’s most celebrated and loved community barbers.

S&P; lists Belize as “CreditWatch Negative” after missed $26 mil payment on superbond
The international ratings agency, Standard and Poor’s, today listed Belize as ‘CreditWatch Negative,’ after the Government of Belize missed a coupon payment of BZ$26 million due earlier this week on its US dollar bond due in 2038. “The Government of Belize failed to pay the US$13 million semiannual interest coupon due on Feb. 21, 2017, of its US$526.5 million bond due in 2038. The bond, which has a step-up interest rate, will begin accruing interest at 6.767% in August 2017 from the existing 5%,” the agency said. “The government says that it will make the payment only after reaching an agreement,” S&P; added. Given the relatively high likelihood of the debt restructuring, it expects to maintain the CreditWatch as ‘negative,’ even if the government makes the payment on the coupon within the 30-day grace period, the ratings agency explained.

Schnitzer was facilitated just like Kim Wong Hong, documents show
New documents that surfaced this week show that David Nanes Schnitzer - the accused multi-million dollar fraudster who vanished into thin air after being granted bail in November 2015 - was facilitated in order to attain Belizean nationality in the same fashion as was Kim […]

Incarceration to Inspiration: Museum of Belize turns 15
A museum, traditionally is a building where collections of artifacts, art work, documents, or other tangible representations of a country’s history and culture are kept and displayed. However, when the Museum celebrated its 15th Anniversary, it was a celebration of more than just a building […]

No deductions: Easter and Summer breaks shortened
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have agreed that there will be no salary deduction in exchange for teachers making up lost time. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin handed down a perfected order on Tuesday, which came out of the court ordered […]

No new passports being printed
The Ministry of Immigration had to activate contingency operations in the passport office this week, after the passport printer stopped woking. The office confirmed that it hasn’t been able to print passports for several days, causing a back log in its already high workload. Minister of State […]

Boy stabbed to death by relative over $60
A 17-year-old boy of a Pelican Street address was fatally stabbed multiple times by his cousin on Antelope Street extension in Belize City just after midnight in early Monday morning. Police say that on Sunday February 19, around 11:40 p.m. while on patrol on Antelope street extension, […]

San Ignacio man killed while walking with wife
A 23-year-old father of one, was ambushed and murdered on Sunday night while he was walking along with his common-law-wife, through a park in San Ignacio town. Just before midnight on Sunday, San Ignacio police responded to several shots fired behind PK store. When officers arrived on […]

“John Doe” , assassinated in the West, positively identified
The body of a man, who is alleged to be a hired assassin, was discovered around 6:00 a.m. on Monday February 20 on 1st Street in San Ignacio Town. He has since been positively identified by family members as 21-year-old Chester Thueus of a Long Barracks address […]

Man chopped to death in Japan area of Ladyville
Early last Sunday morning, February 19, police discovered a badly chopped up body in the Japan area of Ladyville. Police say that acting upon information received around 7:40 a.m., officers visited the scene on Marage Road, about 100 yards from the Caribbean Shrimp Farm, where they discovered […]

“Tough times ahead,” says Chamber of Commerce
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is calling for the Government of Belize to make drastic economic reforms to reduce the country’s Debt to GDP ratio. The BCCI made a statement this week, saying that GOB needs to implement the changes either prior […]

Belize and Mexico to strengthen cross border activities
A meeting to strengthen cross border activities between Belize and Mexico was held in Belmopan on Tuesday. The Minister of Transport, Edmond Castro met with Mexican Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Carlos Quesnel, to discuss opportunities between the two nations as they relate to cross border […]

Endemic corruption in Immigration Department
Former Immigration Finance Officer, Teresita Castellanos and Former Officer in Charge of the Nationality Section of the Department, Gordon Wade, returned to testify before the Senate Special Select Committee this week, revealing incidents of bribery, mismanagement and ministerial intervention in the Immigration and Nationality Department. […]

Eric Chang and Patrick Tillett summoned by Senate
Former Deputy Mayor of Belize City, Eric Chang, and the Council’s former Financial Controller, Patrick Tillett, may have to go before the Senate Special Select Committee and explain how they ended up with visa foils, which went missing from the Immigration and Nationality Department. Chairman […]

New laws for Belizean Cheaters
Key government agencies are urgently working to finalize a Cyber Crimes legislation after a social media group called “Belizean Cheaters” caused a massive public uproar by releasing sexually explicit photos and videos of men, women, and even children this week. The Special Envoy for Women […]

Editorial
The history of BTL, Belize’s premier telecommunication utility, is a tortuous and painful one. The idea of putting Belize Telecommunications on a firm and secure footing was conceived in 1972 under the Esquivel Government “to operate, maintain and administer the national telecommunication services and to regulate, control and plan all […]

Clock ticks on Belize Superbond default
The countdown for Belize to default on its scheduled coupon payment of the 2038 US dollar bonds (Superbond) began this week after the government failed to make a US $13.3 Million payment, which was due on Monday. On Monday, the Government of Belize announced that […]

Three found guilty of mudering elderly man
A jury of twelve have found 3 Cayo men guilty of the murder of 82-year-old James Neal/Young on Thursday, February 23rd. Young’s neighbour, Matthew Gentle, along with two other Cayo residents, Sherlock Myvett, 34, and Ricardo “Ricky” Tzul were all charged with his murder. […]

Breaking Belize News

Santa Familia man busted with weed, gun and ammo
Yesterday afternoon around 12:50 p.m., police executed a search warrant at the residence of Robert Clifford Biro in Santa Famila Village, Cayo. The search led to discovery of 43 grams of suspected cannabis and a .38 revolver along with fourteen .38 hollow point rounds.

Cost of living up for 2017
Belizeans had to pay an average of 90 cents more for goods and services, according to the latest data released from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). The SIB’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of January showed that the All Items Index stood at 104.1, an increase from 103.2 in January 2016. The SIB said that fuel was one of the major factors for the increase, pointing out that all types of fuel were higher than they were in January 2016.

Three found guilty for killing 82-year-old man
Three men were convicted yesterday for the murder of Cayo taxi man, 82-year-old James Neal Young.The guilty men are Matthew Gentle, Sherlock Myvett and Ricardo Tzul. In 2009, the three men hired the victim and lured him to his death. He was stabbed multiples times to his […]

Belize House Speaker, new President of regional body
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Laura-Tucker-Longsworth, is scheduled to be officially inaugurated as the new President of the Forum of Presiding Officers of Legislative Assemblies of Central America and the Caribbean Basin (FOPREL). Tucker-Longsworth is currently in Managua, Nicaragua for the event. She […]

Exports rebound in 2017
After several consecutive months of underperforming, Belize’s exports increased by 51.2 percent at the beginning of 2017. The latest External Trade Bulletin released by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) showed that exports were valued at $36.4 million, a notable $11.7 million more than […]

The Belize Old River has a lot of history.- The story of this river has changed over the Centuries
In the 1580’s the Belize River was referred by the Maya civilization as the ” RIVER TIPU “.perhaps because it led to the TIPU CITY. Later on when the Baymen Settlers, who began moving further to the interior, referred to this river as the ” RIVER OF THE BULLY’s “. Some people believe that one of the reasons for the name BULLY, was, because of the abundance of the tree called “BULLET TREE”, along this river. The Belize River has two main branches which are the MOPAN and the MACAL Rivers which meet at Branch mouth near San Ignacio & Santa Elena to form the BELIZE OLD RIVER.

Was it really worth it? Ashcroft asks
Lord Michael Ashcroft, in an interview with Channel 5 News from Washington this week, spoke on a number of issues related to the government’s current state of economic affairs and openly questioned whether or not the government’s decision was worth all the trouble Belize now faces. Ashcroft, pointing to the fact that the current administration seldom accepts blame for the current state of affairs and instead prefers to heave responsibility on administrations now three terms removed from government, called it the “dead cat” strategy. “…it’s when they’re losing, basically, the argument or the cases; you throw something else onto the fire to arouse the passions of people or the electorate,” he said.

Chamber of Commerce calls for action to save economy
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) issued a release yesterday stating that “successive governments under both political parties have borrowed and created a massive debt burden that weighs heavy on the shoulders of every citizen of Belize.” The Chamber says that the Superbond and other firm debt obligations pose a real threat to the financial and economic stability of Belize. The Chamber also explains that serious cuts need to be made to government spending and recovering lost revenue is a must.

Ashcroft willing to settle
Michael Ashcroft is willing to settle with the Government of Belize over its multi-million dollar arbitration award. Ashcroft told Channel 5 in an exclusive interview, done in Washington D.C., that he has communicated his willingness to compromise to GOB on several instances. The government owes over US $22 million in arbitration awards, after it lost the case of BCB holding and the Belize Bank Limited v. The Government of Belize.

Supa G denied entry into US
Belizean Punta Rock superstar, Supa G, was denied entry into the United States yesterday because he told US authorities that he had performed in that country using his tourist visa. Supa G has confirmed the incident but has not shared further details.

Barrow’s law firm holds shares in Ashcroft’s Belize Bank
This week, Lord Michael Ashcroft confirmed that Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s Law firm, Barrow and Williams, owns shares in Belize Bank. Ashcroft, in an exclusive interview with Channel 5, said that Barrow’s firm has been a shareholder for many years, and still represents the bank to this day. Ashcroft went on to say that he feels the shares are so insignificant, that Barrow’s political opponents should not use that fact against him.

Fatal road traffic accident on Santa Rosa Road, Southern Belize leaves one dead
A fatal road traffic accident on Santa Rosa Road in Stann Creek District has left one dead. According to reports, the accident happened around 4:54 this morning and the victim died on the spot.

Blogs

Yoga is an adventure – come play at Ak’Bol
At the end of a dock, there is a thatched structure overlooking some of the bluest water imaginable. Under the shade, a group of people transition from one position to the other, the soothing sound of their instructor’s voice leading them. The objective? To center themselves…to relax…meditate…reflect…or simply get their daily stretch on. This is yoga at Ak’Bol. It is the quintessential Caribbean experience: lapping waves, blowing breeze, the scent of salt air at each inhale. Even Maya the dog has her moves down pat! Open since 2008, Ak’bol Yoga Retreat has been offering yoga classes to visitors and residents alike. Owner Kirsten Miglio leads the classes; her students following her guidance and gentle teaching methods. She accommodates beginners through advanced yoga practitioners, happy to share the joy and adventure of yoga. Yes, yoga is an adventure! There are so many styles and variations! Having tried yoga myself, I can attest to how HARD it can be to slow down and breathe deeply. Sure, we live on an island, and enjoy sunny skies, lovely sea breeze, warm Caribbean waters, but we also work, and in my case, there is always a deadline. The first time I had to slow down during yoga, I realized just how shallow my breathing is.

My Day In San Pedro, Belize: Banana Juice, Glowing Horizons and No Plastic Bags?
Yesterday I covered San Pedro town from north to south and then back again. It was a provisioning day – tons of errands to stock “the camp” for the next set of guests. It was also a GORGEOUS cloudless low humidity gem of a day…a few times a year sort of day. A day when the sea is so smooth and clear that it was almost absurd to be on land. A trip to the Blue Hole would have been a DREAM! Each and every one of us should have been in the water. Camp needs everything from pineapples (one store) and bacon (another shop) for breakfast to diesel to fuel the back-up generator. I had some Scoop errands as well. Things were always easy. After months of gorgeous cauliflower and broccoli, there is none. Fish fillet is almost impossible to find. Sigh. Island life. One cannot dwell on the negative but instead focus on the mission – and keeping one’s self fueled during the process. So here are a few of my stops around Ambergris Caye. First stop was breakfast at Neri’s Tacos. Even at 11am, it’s hopping. No waiting on line, you must just move up to the counter and give your order to anyone inside that makes eye contact with you.

Better Than Home, A Review of Athens Gate Resort in Belize
Dreaming of an ocean getaway, but hate the crowds? Athens Gate Resort in Belize might be what you’re after. Located just a few miles south of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye, this TripAdvisor favorite boutique beach resort is a quiet place with a ton of hidden gems. We recently had the chance to stay and review Athens Gate Resort Belize for ourselves and, to be honest, we had a great time. For one, this unassuming boutique hotel features huge suites with some of the most well stocked kitchens I’ve ever seen in a hotel. Featuring a dishwasher and all stainless steel appliances, when you factor in it also included a full washer and dryer, roughing it in Belize takes on a whole new meaning.

Wildtracks...The Return of the Kat!
Many moons ago, possibly twelve years ago, I first visited Wildtracks as a naïve, fresh-faced volunteer and got the chance to stay. For two years, Wildtracks became my place of work, Sarteneja my home, the cenote my bath, the jungle my playground, the volunteers my family, and Paul and Zoe my voice of reason! I left and continued with my life, in a roundabout way. However, in November 2016 I had an epiphany and returned for a flying visit. I was welcomed back and ridiculed as if I had never left. During my first stint at Wildtracks, volunteers at the farm would share time in Fireburn Reserve, mapping, doing wildlife transects, camera trap maintenance, clearing the Mayan ruin site and teaching at the village school. Others would work with the manatees (one manatee at a time mind!), 24 hour feeding and observation schedules, and caring for all manner of other wildlife that found its way to our door. University students and project groups would visit, gap year groups would set up camp, local volunteers and school classes would come and see what we were doing, life was never quiet! Those were the days when evening drinks on the jetty were spent dreaming about building permanent manatee pools and reintroducing howler monkeys to Fireburn Reserve.

“Cuba” from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize -Part Three.
Feeling my age – I try to fight it but sometimes it just gets the better of me – I suggested to Rose that it might, perhaps, be a good idea to eat at the hotel for our first night. Rose, who it was patently obvious to see, was nowhere near as bushed as me, agreed. So, after a shower and change of clothes we headed downstairs with the knowledge that we had 4 options to choose from ranging from fine dining at Comedor del Agular to light meals and snacks at Cafeteria “Film Corner”. The maitre d’ at the La Veranda – here they serve a buffet of international and Cuban cuisine – made our mind up for us. “What’s the price”, Rose enquired (she can be so nosy at times!). “Twenty-five CUC”, the maitre d’ responded. “But tonight, for you, it’s a special price, twenty CUC”. We asked (well Rose did actually) if it would be OK to have a look to see what was on offer. He affirmed this would be OK. So we did. Have a look at the food, that is.

“Cuba” from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize -Part Four.
After showering on the Thursday morning of our trip to Havana, Cuba Rose noticed quite a lot of water on the floor of the bathroom. And it didn’t come from me splashing around in the shower. A look around the room and she saw the origin. A leaky pipe. We went down for breakfast and after finishing this we went straight to Reception to report the problem. The lady behind the desk appeared very concerned and when Rose showed her the photo she had taken (now I would never have thought of doing that) she exclaimed “You cannot stay there. You must move. Is that OK?”. “Yes” we replied in unison. So she checked the available rooms and handed us new key cards. We were moving from the 5th to the 7th floor. And to a much, much better room. And a Caribbean Sea facing one at that. We unpacked our suitcases (again) but before heading out for the day took time out to check on Ziggy. Pampered Paws -where Ziggy was staying whilst we were away- posts photos of the “guests”and they’d posted a couple of our boy.

Where the Maya Performed Human Sacrifices
There is a cave in Belize where you can see the remains of ancient Maya human sacrifices. The unique geology of Belize includes a thick layer of limestone perfect for the creation of caves both small and large. Located far from the popular tourist attractions in the middle of thick jungle, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave is one of the most interesting historical discoveries ever made in Belize. Abandoned before the arrival of Europeans, the cave lay undisturbed for more than a millennia until it was rediscovered in 1989. The only way to enter this cave is by swimming across a crystal clear spring-fed pool. From there, intrepid travelers must make their way half a mile up a shallow river until the cave opens up into an enormous labyrinth with soaring caverns replete with glittering stalactites and stalagmites. Those who dare to enter this sacred space can marvel at the wealth of ceremonial ceramics on display as well as an enormous altar that gave the cave one of its many nicknames. But it is what lies even further deeper into the cave that entices brave travelers to make their way past gigantic car-sized boulders. After scampering up slippery ledges, visitors can see skeletons of the men, women, and children sacrificed more than 1,000 years ago by ancient Maya priests. Normally, the Maya offered grains and other foodstuffs to their gods, but a combination of failing crops, constant warfare, and civil unrest between 800-900 AD forced the Maya to make the ultimate sacrifice: human life.

Belize: A True Melting Pot Society
When it comes to Belize, many people think of the offshore islands replete with palm trees or the incredible diversity of colorful wildlife on the mainland. But one of the best reasons to visit Belize on your vacation is to experience the different cultures in the country. Thanks to the long centuries of British rule, English is the official language of Belize, but don't be surprised to hear a medley of different languages as you travel up and down the country, including Spanish, Mayan dialects, Garifuna, Plattdeutsch (an old-world dialect of German), Chinese, and Kriol. Many different ethnic groups have immigrated to the country over the past two centuries, adding their unique languages to the mix of tongues spoken in Belize. The ancient Maya civilization that built the soaring pyramids and majestic temples that are some of the top attractions in Belize were in decline before the arrival of the Europeans. But select groups of Maya managed to survive the cultural and societal changes that followed Columbus's visit, preserving their ancient traditions of song, dance, music, and food. The largest ethnic group in Belize is the Creoles (sometimes spelled Kriols), descended from enslaved Africans imported into the region by the British during the colonial era. Today, the Kriol speak a unique dialect that adds color and Caribbean flavor to standard English.

MY Favourite Eats Around The Yucatan Peninsula
These are MY favourite eats, I’m not claiming they’re the best or that I’ve tried every single restaurant in the peninsula, just that these are meals or restaurants I’ve particularly enjoyed. If you get a chance, I highly recommend you try them but I don’t pretend for one second that this is an exhaustive list of good restaurants in the area. Merida: this is a real, big city with a multitude of choices. From the teeny tiny ‘I serve tacos from my house on Fridays’ to international fare, there is everything you could wish for. My favourite brunch spot has to be Roses and Xocolate on Paseo Montejo. This small boutique hotel has an incredible egg menu that includes an amazing poached eggs with a pumpkin sauce that makes my taste buds tingle just thinking about it. Coffee is unlimited. In Tulum we fell in love with Pizza Manglar, an incredible restaurant just off the main road in town. Every pizza is 100 pesos and will feed two people. Try chaya and pineapple for a taste explosion. If you’re nice to the staff then your meal may well end with a free tequilla shot!

5th Annual Anniversary Grand Cultural Presentation; The burning of the Juan Carnaval 2017
The Corozal House of Culture has recently been on this news featuring the “Back in the Days” exhibit among many others. Well, today they are once again in our blog, but this time, for an event that has almost been forgotten. The Corozal House of Culture presented an almost forgotten event titled “Juan Carnaval.” This is because the tradition of Juan Carnaval has been hidden for quite some time now and the House of Culture has tasked themselves to revive this celebration, hoping that it remains an annual event. Director of the Corozal House of Culture Deborah Wilkes, mentioned that this event was a combination of two events at once. The 5th Annual Cultural presentation and the Juan Carnaval. Sponsors where made possible by: Atlantic Bank, COLCHA, Crystal, Service to all Corozal Town. The presentation included a number of 17 dances, skits, poem, dance group, comparsas and more. Opening Ceremony was Invocation by Pastor Lyndon Su Therland, National Anthem, Welcome address by Ms. Debra Wilkes, Coordinator CHOC, Stakeholders recognized by Atlantic bank, B@B, CTC, COLCHA and Minister of Pablo Marin.

Issue #34 of The BELIZE AG REPORT is online here!.

WEED CONTROL PROGRAM FOR PASTURES
Weeds have been known to compete with crops for water, light, space and soil nutrients (J.D.Green et al 2006) thus reducing production. According to Penn State Extension Agronomy Facts 62, Weeds can be classified into three main groups (3). Annuals1, these complete their life cycle within a year and reproduce only by seeds. Biennial2 weeds live during two growing seasons (2 years) and reproduce only by seeds also. Perennial3 weeds live for more than two (2) years and reproduce by vegetative structure and seeds. A trial was conducted to control weeds in pastures at Spanish Lookout, Cayo District, Belize C.A. from the 10th August to the 12th September 2016 in collaboration with Mr. Art Plett. OBJECTIVE: 1. Evaluate herbicide mixture to control both annual and perennial weeds. 2. Develop a cost per acre analysis. 3. Evaluate weed control after eight (8) days of application. 4. Re-entry period for animal grazing.

Feasting in the Wake of Destruction Meals Prepared By Earl
Many of the trials and seeming disasters we experience can actually yield valuable fruits in our lives, for example, patience and wisdom. However, this spiritual principle is much easier to state in words than to live out in reality when we face disappointments of life. Our recent experience with Hurricane Earl reminded us of this truth and helped us to consider it, on a very small scale, for the storm did not damage anything truly important to us: our lives, the lives of our loved ones, or even significant amounts of property. We were thankful that God spared Belize reasonably well. As on many Belizean plantations, Hurricane Earl uprooted a few trees and banana plants at our place, and brought an abrupt end to the mango harvest, blowing down most of the immature mangoes. Our corn crop, like most of the neighbors, was mostly flattened; however, two months later, we were amazed to see how the corn continued to mature and produced a surprisingly good harvest, praise to God. Just after the storm we of little faith felt quite dejected when we saw some stalks were completely broken off. I brought the baby cobs home to use whole as a vegetable. Sliced into attractive “stars” and combined with thin slices of baby green bananas from broken off banana stalks they made a nice curry. I called it Hurricane Curry.

TO THE EDITOR
According to the Mennonites and some Belizeans that live in the Barton Creek area hunters are responsible for decades of destructive fires that have been set there. They set fires so they can come back a few weeks later and easily see and shoot animals. After the tall tiger fern is burnt off young grass sprouts appear and some animals enjoy eating them. To help solve this apparently country-wide problem the government needs to change the laws so penalties are severe for trespassing and arson. Then these very ignorant people may think twice about going on other people’s land and setting fires. Perhaps the threat of a 10 year prison sentence would go a long way to help stop all the illegal logging as well. This year a fire was set on the other side of Barton Creek directly across from our property. It was so dry that a spark from it ignited the trees beside the creek on our side. It burned about 2000 square feet and killed all the young trees. Had it been drier one foolish person’s criminal actions could have destroyed an entire forest along a beautiful creek.

Going Biological: Large-Scale Carbon-Smart Corn, Down the Wormhole
By David Yarrow. At the end of 2015 I talked to Missouri bootheel farmer David “JR” Bollinger about his experiences growing corn, soybeans and milo using carbonsmart farming principles and practices. In his first year fully committed to biological agriculture, Bollinger cut conventional fertilizers by 50 percent and applied blends of biocarbons, minerals and microbes. Soils, plants and yields are all showing positive results. Bollinger is the fourth generation to farm on 3,500 acres in the southeast Missouri Delta, with the family’s main crops being corn, soybeans, wheat and milo.

Agricultural Sector Damages from Hurricane Earl
Overall, 1200 Farmers were directly affected by Hurricane Earl which ripped through Belize overnight August 3 and into the next day. The information below reflects only actual produce lost in the producing stage (does not include future losses anticipated from out-of-season fruit trees), using farm-gate prices unless otherwise specified. Additionally some losses of infrastructure are detailed. All prices are in Bz dollars. Citrus: Losses in Stann Creek and Cayo districts were mainly due to fruit drop, tree loss and damages to housing and other farm infrastuctures. Of the 38,000 acres in citrus production, fruit loss amounted to 641,654 boxes of fruit (519,731 boxes of oranges valued at $11,634,700; 121,923 boxes of grapefruit valued at $1,791,166) for an estimated total fruit loss of $13,425,861. Tree losses for oranges:12,556 trees valued at $35 per tree, amounted to $439,460. Tree losses for grapefruit: 1,156 trees valued at $40 per tree, totaled $46,240. Total tree loss was $439,460. Total immediate citrus loss was $13,911,566. Additional future fruit drop is anticipated as a delayed response to the wind damage and foliar loss to the trees.

Macro-economic Effects of Hurricane Earl
The national production of yellow corn was 146,385,913 pounds for 2014 and 135,043,110 for 2015. Approximately 53,000 acres of corn are planted on a yearly basis (mechanized plus milpa); from this total 26,674.5 acres or 120 M lbs equal to $34,998,802 were reported as a loss due to the hurricane. The losses in corn will trigger a ripple effect on the wider economy in terms of loss in foreign exchange due to a decrease in exports and feed for the industries of poultry, swine and cattle. As a result of the losses, an increase in corn prices and increase in by-products, for example, the price of meats, is expected. Corn is a staple crop considered a main contributor to food security.

Tomatillos...The Taste of Mexico By Jenny Wildman
I was when I first heard that some of my favorite vegetables, potatoes, aubergines (eggplant), tomatoes, and all peppers are part of the extensive nightshade family, Solanaceae, most of which can be toxic to humans. As children we were taught to avoid the pernicious deadly nightshade (Bella Donna) and thinking of anything as mildly related was somewhat unnerving. This is the plant dwale that contains poisonous alkaloids responsible for witches flying, murder and mayhem, delirium and death. Yet it was historically an important ingredient in medicine and still today is used in some pharmaceuticals. One branch of the nightshade family is Physalis which translated means bladder, as their common characteristic is the fruit being encased in a papery husk (the calyx). Some are ornamental as with Physalis alkekengi, the bright orange Chinese lantern. Others like Physalis peruviana, Cape gooseberry, ground cherry or golden berry, are both decorative and edible and affectionately called “love in a cage.” The tomatillo (little tomato) Physalis philadelphicaor or Physalis ixocarpa is an essential ingredient to Mexican and Guatemalan cooking best known for salsa verde which graces every table.

Onions, Sheep, and Honey: A Winning Combination
By Sergio Omar Gomez. In an effort to minimize the economic impact to northern Belizean farmers by the loss of their preferential sugarcane market, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture launched a 30 month project in January 2015. The project, “Promoting Agri- business Development in Northern Belize” has been funded by the European Union. The economic diversification into growing onions, raising sheep, and making honey encompasses micro, small and medium enterprises in northern Belize. The three- pronged approach is aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihood opportunities for the rural population in Corozal and Orange Walk and includes 150 onion producers, 100 beekeepers and 100 sheep farmers. Dr. Jerome Thomas, FAO Representative in Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize says that the farmers who are being exposed to the value chain approach are learning about all the stakeholders that operate within the industry from input suppliers to the final market consumers.

Industrial Hemp Medicine for the Soil
By Karin Westdyk. Since the 1800s people traveled for miles to a dairy farm in Taranto Italy. It was famous for producing some of the best cheeses and dairy products in the country. But in 2008 the farm was ordered to destroy all its animals because tests showed that they were no longer fit for human consumption. They were contaminated with nickel, lead and other toxic substances emitted from a nearby steel mill. Farmer Vincenzo Fornaro had to decide whether to abandon his farm or stay. He decided to stay and face the huge task of cleaning his soil. After much research, he gained permission to plant industrial hemp to absorb the toxic substances from the soil and neutralize them. Other farmers followed suit and today there are over 100 farmers in the area planting hemp to clean up their land. The planting of industrial hemp in the region has also brought new investments to the area.The first hemp processing plant in southern Italy transforms the hemp used to clean the soil into fiber to make shoes, bags, clothing and construction materials.

World Food Day
By Gary Ramirez. On 16 October 1945, 42 countries assembled in Quebec, Canada, to create the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Their goal was to free humanity from hunger and malnutrition, and to effectively manage the global food. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all. In Belize, World Food Day activities are coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with its partners in development such as Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) etc. Planning and preparation for the event is usually coordinated by the World Food Day committee and the one day fair is held typically on the campus of a selected high school or educational institution. In recent years, the event was hosted by Independence High School in Independence village (2013), ITVET Belize City (2014), Mopan Technical High School in Benque Viejo Del Carmen (2015).

BEL-CAR Updates
Following 2 years with challenging drought conditions, western Belize’s prospective 2016 corn harvests on roughly 30,000 acres looked bright with expectations for restoration of prior corn inventories which had enabled regular exports. Hurricane Earl’s arrival, on August 3rd dashed those plans. The biggest surprise of the storm was that the winds which hit the coast at 60-80 mph and normally decrease as they pass over land, apparently gained strength. Several Spanish Lookout farmers felt that winds on their farms exceeded 100 mph. The Spanish Lookout Community Office shortly after the storm estimated an approximately Bz$20 M loss in row crops. Barton Ramie, the most fertile belt in Spanish Lookout along the Belize River, was 40% flooded and what was not flooded was wind damaged. At Kitty Bank an even higher percentage of cropland was flooded. When flooding is brief (less than 5 or 6 hours), the corn quality is likely reduced to #2, but is still usable for animal feed. Corn underwater longer is not salvageable. Corn planted along the Sibun River, close to the former Hummingbird Hershey operation, were some of the first planted and were close to harvest time when the storm hit. Corn there which was knocked down remained down resulting in a stretched out harvest time from the normal 4 days to over 2 weeks. Expected yields of over 50-60 bags/acre were cut in half. By mid-October, Bel-Car’s estimate of western corn loss was about 50% - including quantitative and quality losses.

Spanish Lookout Community Office on Poultry
The Spanish Lookout Community Office reported at least 12 poultry barns, all newer buildings, lost their roofs. They attributed the losses on newer buildings to the nails going into the boards holding the rafters which accumulated rust over time resulting in an adhesive effect. Also, many roofs were constructed with nails rather than screws. On the Sunday following Earl, a small narrow tornado passed through some of Spanish Lookout, popping roof screws again, and in at least one case picking up and smashing a sheep barn through a wall. For the chickens inside the poultry barns, young chicks suffered the highest losses. In some cases where the roof remained, horizontal rain and cold temperatures created a fatal combination for birds without full feathers.

History of John Deere
By Julian Thiessen. The humble beginnings of John Deere, the leading manufacturer in the agricultural industry, date back to the early 1800’s. According to Brittanica, 2015, John Deere, the founder of the company, was born in 1804, in Vermont, and became an apprentice to a blacksmith at a very young age. He was a hard worker and known as a perfectionist. He once stated, “I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me” Eventually he opened up his own blacksmith shop; however to find more income to provide for his family he left Vermont and settled in Illinois where he did repairs as a blacksmith for the local pioneers.

Birds of Belize: The Art of Taxidermy Exhibit
By Dr. Stephen zitzer and Dalena Lesson. The Belize National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) in collaboration with Dr. Stephen zitzer launched an exhibit at the San Ignacio/Santa Elena House of Culture on Friday evening October 7, 2016 titled Birds of Belize and the Art of Taxidermy. The exhibit displays 30 plus bird species native to Belize that were provided by various official Belizean wildlife conservation, protection, healthcare and rehabilitation agencies in cooperation with the Belize Department of Forestry. Dr. zitzer did all the skinning, stuffing and posing of the specimens, most of which were victims of collisions with vehicles; many died of unknown causes and several were known to have been shot. Additionally, Dr. zitzer has a permit with the Belize Department of Forestry to legally collect dead animals and to perform taxidermy, but not to collect or kill live specimens. Except for a limited season for a few relatively large game bird species including ocellated turkeys and chachalacas, all birds in Belize are protected including all the species in the exhibit. The exhibit has a relatively high percentage of species of birds of prey, including nocturnal (active at night) species dominated by owls and diurnal (active in the day) species that includes hawks, falcons, forest- falcons and fish eagles or ospreys. However, their dominance in the exhibit is correlated with the fact that these birds are much more visible and recognizable when they are injured, but the fact they are often hit by vehicles does contribute to the record of their distribution in Belize.

Presentation on Glyphosate to Pesticide Control Board Registration Committee
As a first step in the newly developed policy and procedures for re-registration of pesticides, the August meeting of the Pesticide Control Board Registration Committee (PCBRC) was a session to hear presentations by two groups of petitioners who are recommending a ban on glyphosate. The first group represented six organizations: Sustainable Harvest International (SHI)– Belize, Plenty Belize(PB) and Belize Organic Family Farming (BOFF), Belize Botanic Gardens (BBG), Pro Organic Belize (POB) and Belize Wellness Institute )BWI); the second presentation represented Southeast Watershed Alliance Group (SWAG).

Successful Cattle Auction at Iguana Creek, Spanish Lookout
By Cornie Friesen of JF Brahman Ranch. JF Brahman and KR Ranch jointly hosted a cattle auction at the roadside cattle facilities of Joe Friesen Jr in Iguana Creek, Spanish Lookout on September 10th. Fifty-seven individuals registered to bid on the livestock. The cattle were sold to 16 different buyers coming from Spanish Lookout, Hummingbird Highway areas, and Lower Barton Creek. Fifteen Brahman breeding bulls were sold, bringing an average of $3,833 (3.25 /lb) per bull. The top selling bull, from Menno Reimer’s KR Ranch brought $5,400. Seven Brahman breeding heifers (pregnant) were sold at an average of $2,130 (2.15 /lb), and the top price heifer was sold by HD Ranch (Glen Dueck). JF Brahman (Cornie Friesen) sold 8 bulls averaging $4,038 with their highest price being $4,800.

Necessity: The Mother of Invention: Corn Reels in Spanish Lookout
When Hurricane Earl belted across the corn fields of Belize it flattened much of the corn. The farmers in Spanish Lookout, using their combines for harvesting the corn, had serious problems: the combines could not pick up all the corn and the corn clogged the machinery. Daniel Koop, mechanical engineer/entrepreneur to the rescue! Using an existing design concept he fabricated a corn reel to mount on top of the combine header. The corn reel looks like a giant three-dimensional comb with three rows of “teeth” made of round steel tubing that assist the header with picking up and feeding the corn into the combine. The corn reel can be turned on and off with the flick of a switch by the combine driver as required; it is hydraulically driven. It can be raised and lowered during operation or lifted up and out of the way when its function is not needed. Daniel didn’t have much time, but his ten busy employees fabricated 11 corn reels, outfitting a third of the combines in Spanish Lookout.

Cassava and Belizean Food Security
By Johnathan Canton and Gilbert Canton Jr. Can you imagine driving along one of our major highways and seeing “large tracts of cassava being planted and harvested? Large cassava trucks lined up outside of a cassava factory waiting to be unloaded? The cassava factory producing intermediate and final products, and distribution trucks busily being loaded to deliver products to supermarkets and other cassava consumption points?” This is precisely what Deep Ford, the regional coordinator of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for the Caribbean, asked the attendants of the 2014 Regional Conference on Cassava in the Caribbean and Latin America to envision. For many of us this might sound familiar. Indeed, we have seen similar sights associated with the sugar, banana and citrus industries in Belize. So why is there a sudden interest in cassava? The answer to that question first requires consideration of Belize’s recent trade statistics. In the last decade our import bill has risen approximately 70% to nearly 2 billion Belizean dollars. In comparison, our export earnings are almost four times lower at roughly half a billion Belizean dollars. These alarming figures are not unique to Belize but represent a regional trend in the Caribbean. In fact, according to the FAO, half of the countries in the Caribbean region import greater than 80% of the food consumed.

Belize Orchid Diversity
By Dr. Stephen Zitzer. Belize is home for more than 300 species of orchid including the national flower of Belize, the black orchid (Prosthecea cochleata); many species live in all districts of Belize. The checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, published in 2000, lists 279 species of orchid second to the Fabaceae, or legume family, with 295 species found in Belize. More recently the Guide to the Orchids of Belize by Sayers and Adams, published in 2009 by the Belize Botanical Garden, lists 312 species of orchid including Pleurothallis duplooyi, an apparently endemic species, or one that is currently known to occur only in Belize. There is little doubt the list will continue to grow as more plant surveys are conducted in Belize and the existing species genetic relationship are studied and clarified. Worldwide the orchid family contains between 25,000-30,000 species and is one of the largest plant families on the planet occurring in almost every terrestrial habitat. They are most commonly found growing on trees along with other epiphytic plants, but some species grow on rocks, called lithophytes and many others in soils. Orchids are among the most evolutionarily advanced of plant families, having remarkable specializations for pollination, water uptake and storage, and associations with specific species of fungi and ants for nutritional needs and seed germination.

The History of Vanilla in Ancient Maya Culture
By Dawn Dean. Vanilla flourished wild in the damp shade of Central America’s lowland forests long before humans discovered its tantalizing aroma and undertook its cultivation. It’s possible that the plethora of seemingly wild vanilla found today in southern Belize is vestigial, left behind by the Manche Chol Maya. Before we get going, it’s important to know that 500 years ago, a good cup of chocolate included not only cacao, but also annatto and vanilla. (But no sugar!) Now let’s start with a bit of history. Herman Cortes traversed Chol territory in 1525, cutting across what is now the southwest corner of Belize, at the end of a journey from the southern part of what is now the state of Veracruz on the gulf coast of Mexico. His chronicle of the entrada, a lengthy letter to Emperor Charles V, includes several references to the cacao he came across in the region. Cortes was well aware of the value placed on cacao by the indigenous peoples he encountered on his travels, having noted in an earlier letter to Charles V that “they use it as money throughout the land and with it buy all they need”. He had no idea, however, of the role that cacao would play, together with vanilla and annatto, in sustaining the local economy as the Spanish vied for domination of the Southern Maya Lowlands.

Marco Figueroa Speaks at POB
POB was fortunate to have cacao expert, Marco Figueroa as the speaker at their monthly meeting on 6th September at Maya Mountain Lodge, Santa Elena, Cayo District. A native of San Ignacio, Marco attended the Universidad de zamorano University in Honduras. Marco started in the cacao industry in the 80’s with Hummingbird Hershey as Research Manager. Over the decades, Marco has worked for GOB at NARMAP, Programme for Belize, Belize Enterprise for Sustained Technology (BEST), and has managed a cacao operation in Costa Rica. In 2015 he retired after 11 years as the technical advisor for the Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) and now works at his own diversified farm in the outskirts of San Ignacio when not traveling internationally as a cacao consultant. Although Toledo is best known for its cacao industry, Marco revealed that there are a few areas in Stann Creek, Cayo and even Orange Walk Districts which are also suitable for growing cacao. Theobroma cacao is very particular as to its needs. Almost all the commercial groves are Theobroma cacao trinitario. T. cacao criollo is the Belizean native species which is increasingly rare today as it is very fragile and susceptible to disease. The criollo was crossed with the South American forestero many years ago to create the more hardy trinitario. About 700 cacao trees, 800 plantain and 136 timber trees fit nicely per hectare and give the cacao a desirable 50% “sprinkle” of sunlight.

Ecological Farming
By Taylor Walker. There is a lot of talk these days regarding global climate change, soil loss, and desertification. We as farmers, gardeners, and stewards of the earth can play a major role in slowing and even reversing these catastrophic trends. Thankfully there are many solutions at hand if we use thoughtful techniques and look to the natural environment for ideas and answers. In nature plants do not grow only in one plane but grow in all dimensions. Most natural terrestrial ecosystems consist of many different species of plants and plant types. Ground covers, vines, herbs, shrubs, understory trees, canopy trees, and emergent canopy trees are all present in a tropical forest. As anyone who has farmed or gardened in Belize surely has witnessed any cleared land left to its devices quickly begins to reforest in a tangle of herbs, vines, and hard tree species. These pioneer species are the first plants to colonize an area after the land is cleared either by farming, overgrazing, or fire. These species are often called weeds. A weed is just a name for a plant in a place that we don’t want it or that we have failed to discover its purpose and function.

AG Briefs
The University of Belize College of Agriculture at Central Farm (UBCF) will host prominent soil fertility expert Neal Kinsey for the 3rd time in Belize, on February 27th –March 1st 2017 (the 2016 course was held earlier in Feb 2016). The upcoming course will be a new course to Belize; the 3 day Intro 2 course begins with a day and a half of trace minerals. Workbooks for the new course are available now for paid registrants of the next year’s Intro 2 course. All are welcome to attend this course – students, teachers, private sector. Contact David Thiessen at 670-4817 or [email protected]. Neal reports that this is “the favorite course” of farmers.

Agriculture Prices At A Glance

Issue #35 of The BELIZE AG REPORT is online here!.

Old Crops Become New, Under-Utilized Native Crops: Ancient Amaranth
Amaranth is one of the most under-utilized native food plants of Belize. The name amaranth comes from the Greek amarantos which means never fading or does not wither. This is an appropriate name as it is a plant that tolerates drought and persists in backyard gardens with very little care. Amaranth, or as we know it in Belize, callaloo, has been cultivated as a grain for thousands of years. For generations, the native people of the Americas used it as a staple; the most extensive use of the plant was probably by the Aztecs as they have left behind many signs of the importance of amaranth in their way of life. Very little data on yield exists for amaranth cultivation in Belize but in Mexico the yields are comparable to rice. Amaranth has leaves ready to harvest within 30 days of germination and continues growing for approximately four months. The leaves are harvested while the plant continues to grow and produce food for us. The harvesting of the leaves stimulates tillering (plant that shoots up from the base of a plant) so the plant becomes more bush-like. One of the many advantages of this wondrous plant is its ease of handling.

Rainfall Totals in Belize
Statistics by region

Such a Delicious Monster
By Jenny Wildman. The members of the very large araceae or arum family are referred to as aroids. The family includes many plants which grow abundantly in tropical climates with names familiar to us: philodendron, monstera, dieffenbachia, caladium, calla, taro, dasheen, and coco yam. Some are grown for their edible corms, some for fruit but mostly for their striking foliage. They share certain characteristics such as large leaves containing a milky substance and are all laced with calcimum oxalate crystals or raphides which can cause temporary loss of voice and chronic itching. Even the edibles should never be eaten raw and extreme caution should be taken when handling, so anyone sensitive to oxalic acid should probably stay clear. The calla lily or arum lily is known for its magnificent beauty and has become a symbol of Easter and a traditional flower for weddings and funerals. The Romans put a lily upon a corpse to signify rebirth or resurrection but this later translated into association with death. It was considered very bad luck and the flowers were refused admittance to hospitals.

Mycorrhizae: what are they and can they give me better crops?
The symbiosis (the living together of two dissimilar organisms with mutual benefit) between plant roots and fungi has substantial agricultural usefulness. They form a compound structure known as a mycorrhiza or “fungus root”. Plants exchange a fraction of the carbon that they have fixed from the atmosphere for phosphorous and nitrogen scavenged from the soil by the fungi. Since the discovery of the symbiotic nature of mycorrhizae in the late 1800’s, a great deal has been learned about their mechanisms of nutrient scavenging and exchange.Very recent revelations have brought into question whether the tailored application of mycorrhizal fungi in the agricultural setting can enhance crop yields. Interestingly, some fungal partners cannot complete their life cycle without first associating with a plant partner. For this reason, they are referred to as obligate biotrophs (i.e. they need to extract nutrients from or “feed” off of other life forms). At first this sounds like parasitism. Indeed, many fungal parasites like the rust fungi that are known for their ability to negatively affect crops are also obligate biotrophs.

National Coconut Stakeholder Platform (NCSP) January Meeting at Tex-Bel Farms
On 18th January of this year, the National Coconut Stakeholder Platform (NCSP) held one of the largest meetings to date since its formation almost 2 years ago. The host of this meeting, Lester Muralles (Cabral), manager of Tex- Bel Farms, located on South Stann Creek Highway, graciously opened up the meeting to any coconut farmers in the area. The new approach for the NCSP is to rotate meeting venues. Chairman Manuel Trujillo opened the meeting and welcomed Minister of Agriculture Honorable Godwin Hulse, CARDI country representative Ms. Omaira Avila, members and guests. Mr. Trujillo began the meeting with disclosure of surveys which showed that Belize now has approximately 4,589 acres of coconuts – 1,919 producing and 2,670 planted. Mr. Trujillo explained that the focus of the committee at this time is on planting material and nursery stock. Although Central Farm has mainly Maypan (Malay dwarf x Panama tall), they are expecting 8,000 Chactemal seedlings from Mexico. All the GOB coconut nurseries in every district are bring re-habilitated.

Soil Testing and Fertilizer Recommendations: The Albrecht Program
The Albrecht program is not just a single approach to soil testing and fertilizer recommendations. There are three different approaches that need to be understood to find the one appropriate to use based on each soil analysis. Consultants are not utilizing the full program as defined and understood by Dr. Albrecht and what he taught and advocated if they do not understand or utilize all three approaches. The Albrecht model of soil fertility refers to the principles Dr. William A. Albrecht initially used working as a soil microbiologist to develop a dependable system for testing soils and correcting nutrient needs to achieve the ideal biological environment for growing top quality, highly productive crops and plants of all types. This program has to do with how he regarded soil fertility and approached it with measurable, scientific principles that could be applied and proven right out in the field. As outlined by the principles given below, the Albrecht model is a foundational approach for achieving excellent soil fertility for soils in any part of the world.

Understanding Cross-pollination in Seed Production
Cross-pollination is the reproductive method used by some plant species, e.g. corn, soya, beans, peppers, coconuts, vegetables, to secure and improve the gene pool and transfer their genetic traits, to increase their diversity and expand the species’ survival, to adapt to climatic change, and enhance their capability to withstand pest and diseases. In nature cross-pollination is achieved when pollen from one plant is transferred to another receptive plant, either by wind, insects or water through open-pollination. The new offspring carries genetic material from both parents. Depending on how different from its parents its genetic makeup is, the offspring can be considered a new species and/ or cultivar.

Belize Initiates Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Agriculture
In June 2016 Belize and five other Caribbean countries initiated pilot studies in antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella from poultry under the initiative “Caribbean Integrated Surveillance System for Antimicrobial Resistance in Agriculture” (CISARA). The initiative is part of the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) project executed by the International Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) under the 10th European Development Fund. The pilot studies serve as the region’s first initiatives to gather data on the status of antimicrobial resistance in the agricultural sector. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by the microorganism, is a natural phenomenon. However, its development is accelerated by use and misuse of antimicrobials including over-prescription by doctors, patients not completing their treatment, use of antibiotics in livestock and aquaculture, poor infection control in hospitals and clinics, and lack of hygiene in facilities. AMR can result in severe, long-lasting disease and even death for victims of resistant infections because treatments that worked in the past are no longer effective; medical procedures that were once simple can become fraught with complication.

ARDI Day – December 5, 2016 Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) - 42 years servicing the Caribbean region
CARDI day was celebrated on December 5th with an outreach programme that focused on kids. Entitled Planting A Seed For The Future Of Agriculture the programme encouraged kids to learn how to plant and care for traditional Belizean crops. Students from two schools were selected to take part in a modified farmer field school to produce corn starting with planting the seeds on the 5th of December and lasting 120 days. CARDI technical personnel will meet weekly with the kids at school to teach them how to care for their plants during the next four months, allowing them to discover for themselves all the challenges a farmer faces planting corn. Kids were also given open-pollinated seeds of CARDI CY-001 yellow corn to start their own planting at home, and a guide booklet of how to plant corn. A total of 130 students participated in the exercise, and if well-accepted, the programme can expand to communities and agro clubs to encourage our kids to learn and love agriculture.

Planning and Planting an Orchard
Global deforestation has caused many environmental problems, such as reduction in rainfall, loss of ground water and erosion; deforestation is partly due to human greed and carelessness about the beautiful earth our Creator provided for our use and sustenance. While we may not be able to solve the problems we have unleashed, for everyone who wants to show honour and appreciation for creation and help heal the environment in a small way, planting trees is one of the simplest acts to do at home. Planting fruit trees is even better, since fruit trees not only clean the air and hold onto topsoil like other trees, but also provide top quality, nutritious food. Think of the benefits as you enjoy a fresh juicy mango or Malay apple from your own orchard! In planning your orchard, it is wise to think of planting trees bearing fruit most valued by both humans and birds close to the house, so you have some hope of picking some as you compete with the birds for the fruit. Such fruits include sapodilla, tangelo, and Malay apple.

Soil Enrichment Using Biochar: Belize’s Under-Used By-Product
Biochar, “black carbon”, or “pyrogenic organic matter” are broad terms for various forms of charcoal, which are produced by thermal decomposition of biomass in the absence of oxygen. The chemical term for this process is pyrolysis, and the relative control or regulation of osygen during the production process is very critical in determining the final specific properties each batch of biochar may have. In Belize, biochar is being produced on a large scale by the Belize sugarcane industry as a by-product of energy production via the pyrolysis/combustion of sugarcane biomass or bagasse. However, stock piles are increasing while use is relatively negligent. Conversely, there has been an effort to locally produce and utilize biochar for the production of cacao in the Toledo district. Those efforts have documented an increase in greenhouse-propagated cacao seedling stem diameter growth. Data on actual increases in commercial yield of cacao seeds have not been reported, but other cost benefits typically include less fertilizer use and reduced irrigation costs.

From My Perch: The Giving Tree
There was a tree in our yard that attracted so many birds all year round that we called it “the Giving Tree.” I have tried to learn more about this tree so I could recommend that you grow one in your own yard. The scientific name is Coussapoa oligocephala of the family: Crecropiacea Magnoliophyta, what we call the trumpet tree, or Cecropia. It’s hard to believe since they have very few similarities other than that they both grow quickly. I couldn’t find a lot of information so I will share what I know. The tree is described as “hemi-epiphytic or terrestrial” growing up to 20 meters tall. It produces tiny yellow globular spiky flowers birds love to eat. Once the tree matures enough to bloom, it blooms continuously for months even though birds are constantly feeding off the small round yellow flowers. Every morning as the sun rose the Giving Tree would fill with all three types of toucans, motmots, tanagers, hummingbirds, orioles, woodpeckers and wood creepers, flycatchers and even parrots. During migration we expected and received surprises, like the gorgeous scarlet tanager and other migrants.

Exploring the Avian Wonders of Belize
On November 2nd 2016, a fall migrant from the Colorado Rocky Mountains,18- year-old field biologist, photographer, and artist, Joel Such takes flight across the Gulf of Mexico and lands on Belizean soil. Unlike the many migrant birds I have followed from North America, I am typically a resident who does not migrate south. This year, I break the trend and abandon the frosty mountains of Colorado’s winter. I wake up my first morning full of expectation. Still under my sheets, the ambient noise of early morning fills my ears with promise. Shivering with excitement, I roll out of bed and snatch my binoculars off the bed stand. A vast environment completely foreign to my eyes lies beyond the door, and countless birds I have never seen await observation. I open the door to overlook a landscape of lush, green jungle, with topography sloping either up or down. I am in the Maya Mountains of western Belize, and this is where my journey begins. Amidst an ecosystem of mountainous broadleaf forest, birds flourish. A flock of migrant songbirds forages the surrounding bushes and trees, and I spot a raptor perched atop a dead tree. It is the endangered Orange- breasted Falcon feasting on its prize, a large bat clasped in its talons.

Expansion at NATS Grounds: Moving toward Year-round Use
The Government of Belize has been included in a UN Development Program with the Japanese Government called the Japan-Caribbean Climate Change Project. The Japanese government is donating US$16 billion to 8 CARICOM nations to try to reduce the negative effects that climate change has on agricultural and sustainable development in these countries. The Belize government has decided to use a portion of its funds for sustainable agriculture projects with local produce farmers. Construction has begun at the National Agriculture & Trade Show (NATS) grounds in Belmopan for two covered pavilions, one with a cold storage room, to provide a wholesale and retail market for local farmers who grow quality produce. This once-a-week market will be administered by the Agriculture Ministry to improve the domestic market for local producers and allow small farmers direct access to the public. Details, such as which day of the week and booth fees, will be announced as decisions are made.

AgScience for Better Crops... Managing the Armyworm in Corn
Corn is one of the major crops of Belize; approximately 40,000 acres were grown in 2015. However, year after year, different pests attack the crop, causing huge losses to the farmers’ economy. The main pest in corn is Spodoptera frugiperda, commonly known as the armyworm and it can be one of the most difficult insect pests to control in the field (Bessin, 2003). Spodoptera frugiperda is known to cause huge crop losses due to its high adaptability to different conditions allowing it to have a wide geographic distribution. In tropical and subtropical regions, losses can exceed 60% (Willink et al., 1993). The complete cycle of the armyworm takes 24-40 days depending on different conditions and has four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult which are described below and in figure 1 (CABI, 2016; Knutson, 2008).

Growing Hemp for Medicine
Ancient Chinese medical texts ranked cannabis as one of the most important medicines because of its ability to cure so many illnesses and its lack of toxicity. The first recorded use of hemp as medicine was in 2737 BC, and throughout history and the world, it was used for not only medicine, but for fuel, paper, fiber, and food. Until its prohibition in 1937, cannabis could be found in many medicines easily purchased in pharmacies and shops everywhere. When the U.S. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act criminalizing the use of cannabis, a precedence of prohibition was established and was launched around the world through the subsequent United Nations Single Convention Treaty. Objections were raised by Dr. William C. Woodward, who testified to the government on behalf of the American Medical Association stating, “The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that cannabis is a dangerous drug.” He warned that a prohibition “loses sight of the fact that future investigation may show that there are substantial medical uses for cannabis.”

Solar Water Heating Systems
Solar water heating (SWH) goes back a long way; in 214 B.C Archimedes used a concave mirror as a solar collector to heat water. The solar collector is the heart of the system. It absorbs solar radiation, converts it into heat, and transfers useful heat to water in the absorber tubes. The third component of a solar water system is storage. Collectors: Flat-plate glass collectors: The collector housing can be made of plastic, metal or wood; the glass front cover must be sealed so heat does not escape, and dirt, insects or humidity do not get into the collector. The collector housing is highly insulated at the back and sides, keeping heat losses low. The glass cover faces the sun; this helps prevent convection losses and reduces heat radiation from the absorber into the environment in a similar way as a greenhouse does. However, the glass also reflects a small part of the sunlight, which does not then reach the absorber at all. The figure below shows the processes occurring at a flat-plate collector.

Unwanted Honey Bees
Maya stingless honey bees, Melipona beecheii, or simply meliponini, make honey that tastes like a mix of sweet and sour with a hint of fruit. The taste comes from plant resins that bees use to build their hives and honey pots. They make their honey in round sacks of black wax rather than honeycombs. They are cultured today, especially in Mexico and Australia, because of their good taste. Traditionally known as Xunan kab, meaning royal or noble lady bee, the Mayas cultured them not only for honey but for use in religious ceremonies. Some Mayas still keep meliponini – for honey and for pets. Found in the jungle in logs, the Mayas cut both ends of the logs and seal them; the bees enter and leave their nest by very small holes in the side of the log. But when they nest in your walls and the honey drips down the wall and on to the floor it means that the nest has probably been there several years and it’s time to get rid of them.

Low-Impact Tourism: The Mayan Sky Canopy Tour
Imagine looking down on birds, zipping over the South Stann Creek River in one of southern Belize’s newest low-impact tourism attractions! If you want a unique and safe nature tour, one that offers true panoramic vistas of the rich tropical forests of Belize, go visit Canopy Course and Jungle Tours Ltd. situated behind and between the oceans of banana fields of Maya King Farms at Mile 21 on the South Stann Creek Highway. The owners, Cesar Godinez and Tim Sise recently relocated their former Toledo Blue Creek Zipline to its current location, inaugurating the zipline at its new venue in December 2016. Cesar is no novice for this specialized type of construction, this zipline being the 5th facility that he has created in Belize. Cesar also owns/operates Belize Custom Treehouse Builders; visit to that website (see ad this page) and you will note the overlapping skill sets for these sister businesses. There are an estimated 9 or 10 ziplines currently scattered around Belize – mainly Cayo, Stann Creek and Toledo Districts, and one in Sand Hill, northern Belize District.

Blogo Bananas in Belize
In other parts of the world, the banana variety known as “blogo” banana in Belize, goes by other names. Bluggoe is most common. In Kriol they are called wail plantain or waika banana. Other names are burro, horse, square cooker, chunky or hog banana. By any name used, they are all heliconia plants from the banana family. Blogos are similar to the Pisang Awak variety banana. The official name of this banana variety is Orinoco as it is believed to have originated in Venezuela’s Orinoco Valley. Orinoco bananas have spread to many tropical countries, especially Burma, East Africa, Grenada, Southern India, the Philippines, Samoa, Thailand and Central America. They are also a popular hardy banana variety suited to South Florida. Blogo bananas are hardy, pest resistant, and can survive cool or blasting heat. They are easily identified by a chunky, stubby, slightly square shape and grow to about eight to ten inches long and at least two inches across with blunt ends. Blogos are productive and often grow over fifty bananas on each stem. The thick strong peel is a vivid dark green which gradually ripens to a yellowish- brown without splitting.

Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World.
By Joel Salatin, Book Review By Chris Harris.If you ride around on a huge combine harvester, keep thousands of chickens in a mass feeding coop or spray chemicals all over big fields, this book shows alternative methods of farming for you. After all it is written by a man who describes himself as a Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic. Joel Salatin is one of the foremost advocates of ethical and responsible farming. He has traveled widely around the world, lecturing at universities and talking to farming groups. The book uses the American mass farming model to show the failings of corporate farming and food production. Salatin uses a lifetime of experience on his own farm in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia USA to point out and explain how a better way of raising food is possible without sacrificing ethical treatment of animals or food quality and using environmentally benign treatment of waste.

How to Grow Vanilla
It’s easy to grow a vanilla vine. Actually producing vanilla beans on that vine is a bit more complicated, but still not hard. Vanilla just needs different treatment from all other plants. Here’s the short version: Vanilla is a vine that grows up something usually a tree. It has roots that hold it on to the tree and they gather some nutrients for the plant, but it has more feeder roots along the top of the soil, under the mulch. Vanilla roots don’t grow down into the soil much. Vanilla grows better in a fair bit of shade. To get beans (or pods, which is the more accurate word, but most people say beans), you need to do a few more things. Keep the vine growing in an area you can reach it, manage shade, and hand-pollinate the flowers when they come. See? Nothing difficult. Get a cutting from a healthy vine, approximately 1 meter long. Cut the leaves off the bottom half of the vine. It’s okay if your cutting lays somewhere in the shade for a week or so at this point. In places with fungal problems farmers air-dry cuttings in the shade for a few days before planting.

AG Briefs
BLPA's AGM will be held on Saturday February 25th. See Ad pg 41 On March 4th , 2017, there will be a cattle auction featuring cattle from several leading ranches, held at Joe Friesen Jr’s corral in Iguana Creek. Please see ad on pg 22 for details. The Chocolate Festival of Belize will be held on Commonwealth Day weekend, May 19th, 20th & 21st, 2017. For information on sponsorships, booths and tickets see page 38. The National Agriculture & Trade Show of 2017 will be held on April 28th, 29th & 30th with the theme, “Let’s Get Growing”. Kindly see the ad on pg 26 for details to reserve your booth.

IICA Supports the Institutional Strengthening of the Pesticide Control Board
The Pesticide Control Board (PCB) is the main statutory body responsible for regulating the use and management of pesticides in Belize. There are currently 565 pesticide formulations registered for use in Belize and listed in the official register of pesticides, containing some 193+ active ingredients. Registration, surveillance, monitoring and enforcement of the responsible use and management of so many pesticides is no small task for the staff at PCB. Its importance is underscored considering that agriculture plays an important role in Belize’s economy, contributing almost 13% to GDP, and employing about 10% of the population at the end of 2015. Belize has increased its use of pesticides and other agro-chemicals over the years due to more intensification and commercial development of agricultural production systems, the need to increase productivity and deal with pests and disease problems, and to become more competitive in both internal and external markets.

Agriculture Prices At A Glance

International Sources

Second largest Maya jade found in Belize has unique historical inscription
To say that UC San Diego archaeologist Geoffrey Braswell was surprised to discover a precious jewel in Nim Li Punit in southern Belize is something of an understatement. "It was like finding the Hope Diamond in Peoria instead of New York," said Braswell, who led the dig that uncovered a large piece of carved jade once belonging to an ancient Maya king. "We would expect something like it in one of the big cities of the Maya world. Instead, here it was, far from the center," he said. The jewel—a jade pendant worn on a king's chest during key religious ceremonies—was first unearthed in 2015. It is now housed at the Central Bank of Belize, along with other national treasures. Braswell recently published a paper in the Cambridge University journal Ancient Mesoamerica detailing the jewel's significance. A second paper, in the Journal of Field Archaeology, describes the excavations.

Tourism is vital to the Caribbean economy
“Tourism is a vital sector to the economies of member states.” So said Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government in the communiqué that followed their recent inter-sessional meeting in Georgetown, Guyana. Taken at face value the statement is unremarkable, even obvious; but the language chosen, its inclusion, and the recommendations made in relation to the challenges the industry faces, suggest that tourism’s significance to the region’s long term economic growth and stability has at last been formally recognised. Tourism is a sector that has rarely been discussed in depth at the highest political levels of CARICOM. There are many cultural and other reasons why, but over many years much greater importance has been given to industries that are in terminal decline and globally uncompetitive.

Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards Nominations
The Caribbean Tourism Organization's Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Awards are aimed at identifying and showcasing Sustainable Tourism Good Practices in the Caribbean. The awards recognize individuals, groups, organizations or companies in any of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Member Countries which have developed responsible and unique tourism products or are engaged with implementing sustainable tourism-related initiatives which embrace sustainable tourism concepts and core values. These initiatives should also help to enhance the country's tourism product offerings and advance sustainable and responsible tourism in the Caribbean.

Videos

February 24, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Aiesha Moriera wins annual Spelling Bee Zone 5 Eliminations
Aiesha Moriera of New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist School (NHSDAS) is the winner of the annual Spelling Bee Zone 5 Eliminations. Organized by Bowen and Bowen Ltd and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the event took place at the San Pedro Lions Den on Thursday, February 23rd shortly after 9AM. A total of 12 students from six different schools from San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker partook in the competition. After three rounds of intense spelling, Moriera took first place when she correctly spelled the word “oblivion”. Tellen Smith from The Island Academy placed second, and Jamileth Beltran from NHSDAS came in third place. The top winners, Moriera and Smith will be representing Zone 5 at the District Eliminations on April 26th in Belize City.

National Police Awards recognizes the Coastal Executive Unit
Under the leadership of Assistant Commissioners of Police Deziree Phillips, Edward Broaster, and Chester Williams, the National Police Awards is hosted every year to recognize outstanding police officers and community members across the country. On Thursday, February 16th, the ceremony honored over 140 police officers, including nine police officers within the Coastal Executive Unit (San Pedro and Caye Caulker). The 2017 San Pedro honorees included Police Constable (PC) Norman Coye, PC Adan Uh, Woman Police Constable Arelee Young, Special Constable (SC) Albert Lawrence, PC Kareem Staine, PC Kareem Martinez, PC Leonardo Yama, PC Dee Yarde, and PC Eric Wilder of Caye Caulker. PC Coye also received an additional award for the most firearm and drug interdiction throughout the entire Eastern Division. Civilians Steve Schulte, and Flora Ancona also received awards for their excellence within the community.

Caliente Restaurant hosts Saga’s ‘Tacos, Tostadas and Tequila Tuesday’ for charity
In an effort to raise funds to support the “Spay and Neuter” (SNIP) program at Saga Humane Society, Caliente Restaurant hosted “Tacos, Tostadas and Tequila Tuesday” on Tuesday, February 21st. At 5PM, many hungry visitors dined at Caliente to savor tasty Latin-infused dishes and cocktails. Guests had a great time, indulging in delicious food and drinks while helping an important cause. Adding to the excitement of the night were a variety of raffles, and diners bought lots of tickets hoping to win one of the great prizes. Up for grabs were gift certificates to DandE’s ($50), Caramba Restaurant ($50), Mambo Chill Boutique ($50), The Color Ginger Spa ($120), and a voucher for a full pet groom at Pampered Paws. Saga merchandise was also available for sale, and all proceeds went towards the program, while a portion of Caliente’s food/drink sales went to Saga as well. According to Saga’s Katia Marin, the SNIP program is essential in reducing the number of strays on the island. “Our spay and neuter program is on-going, and that’s why we continue to do fundraisers to help with the medical costs. The reason we have so many stray animals is because overbreeding is still an issue. Pet owners don’t get their dog/cats spayed or neutered, and they end up with a litter. Then that litter reproduces, and adds on to the problem. However, with the help of the community’s donations, Saga has reduced the number of strays throughout the year,” said Marin.

Ambergris Today

Rio Bar and Grill Turns One!
Rio Bar and Grill celebrated its first anniversary on February 22, 2017, and the family took time to celebrate a great year of business and support from the island community. The management and staff are more than happy for having the opportunity to serve locals and tourists from all over the world. Rio thanks the community of San Pedro for their support, especially their loyal customers and invites everyone to stop by and enjoy the new drinks that are now available. Congrats Rio!

Aiesha Moriera Wins Zone 5 Spelling Bee Competition
Bowen and Bowen hosted its annual Spelling Bee competition today, February 23, 2017, at the San Pedro Lions Den. Twelve children competed in a series of two rounds which deteremined the top six spellers: Karina Sotz, Stacey Campos, Aiesha Moriera, Jamileth Beltran, Tellen Smith and Alexandra Lausen. After two more rounds, Aiesha Moriera of New Horizon Seventh Day Adventist School was announced as the winner and Tellen Smith of The Island Academy took second place. Because there was a tie for third place, the four remaining students continued the spelling quest until Jamileth Beltran won third place. Aiesha and Tellen will compete in Belize City at the National Spelling Bee Competiton that will take place in a few weeks. Jamileth will accompany them in the city as a substitute if in case one of these students can't compete.

Misc Belizean Sources

Giving Football Camp, Caye Caulker
Calling out all Female Soccer Players to join with Ryan and Kaitlyn!! 2 days of fun and good work out you don't want to miss. Feb. 25-26, Caye Caulker Field

Newly erected Belize welcome signs up north
These newly erected Belize welcome signs on the first roundabout at our Santa Elena, Corozal northern border are appreciated and show off very well to tourists and visitors coming to visit our country via land through the Mexico/Belize border. We hope we can see more of these signs going up in Corozal since we are the frontier to thousands of visitors who travel down to Belize from Canada, the United States, (including Mexico) via the Mexico route. We know that Corozal has tremendous tourist and investment potential! We just need to tap into our niche tourism market, brand ourselves and run with it. Together, we can achieve a lot more for this wonderful District. Welcome to Corozal!

Miss Belize Visits Cayo
Miss Belize, Rebecca Rath, visited Cayo Tuesday, and was given a very warm welcome. She had lunch at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, then spoke at Sacred Heart College, then had a parade through town, and ended with a fun night at the Cayo Welcome Center. She was even given the key to San Ignacio by Mayor Trapp. Pandy caught that moment. "Had a wonderful time in Cayo yesterday! Met so many warm, loving and talented people! Thank you for the amazing welcome! Photos by: Soly Moreno"

NICH VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), a statutory body under the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, is seeking a suitable applicant to fill the post of PRESIDENT

Calla Creek Cleanup
Calla Creek located along the banks of the Mopan River also forms part of the Bi-national Watershed Alliance. To reduce pollution on the river, the Alcalde, Mr. Jorge Ramos and the Holy Cross R.C School students and teachers participated on a clean-up campaign. We are thankful for their care of the Mopan River.

The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project to Street Art Festival
The Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project Booth at the Street Art Festival this Saturday will be located at tent #9 Booth # 30 on Coner of Albert and King Streets.

Institute of Archaeology and Institute for Social & Cultural Research presentations at Sacred Heart College
Yesterday the Institute of Archaeology and Institute for Social & Cultural Research made presentations for Sacred Heart College on careers in both fields, with mock excavation units and even rope trap tricks. The students enjoyed it and I daresay we shall be having new interns soon.

Belizean model and Love17 covergirl Joyjah Estrada in London for London Fashion Week
Well done, Joy. It was Kendall Jenner who took the cover photo of Joy for Love magazine.

Fly In 2017 #flyin2017
Sunday, March 12 at 10 AM - 5 PM. Guys and gals, get ready for another exciting day at the biennial Fly In at the Spanish Lookout airstrip. Pilots, aircraft owners, and flight enthusiasts you are ALL welcome. RIDES! Astrum Helicopters will be offering rides for sale on location, so and your sweetheart can go for a flight over the country side. More coming later. SKYDIVING! We will have a professional skydiving team performing for everyone to enjoy. And for U$199 you too can strap in and jump out of a plane! AEROBATICS! For the first time ever we have officially been authorized to have live aerobatic performances. RC AIRCRAFT! We are inviting all RC pilots and owners to bring out their RC planes drones and helicopters to join in the fun. COMPETITIONS! We will have landing competitions and other fun activities for the pilots. AIRCRAFTS! There will be many different aircraft on display, high wings, low wings, bi-wing, turbo and piston powered, Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Bell, Grumman, Air Tractor, crop dusters, passenger planes, sport, and kit planes. Something for everyone to enjoy! FOOD! Miss Deb's will be at the air show selling her wonderfully tasty food. And other options. SHARE! Invite your friends, and share this event on your Facebook, then come out with your friends. ENTRANCE! $5 per person at the gate. Parking is available for free.

5th Anniversary Celebration, Grand Cultural Presentation Corozal House of Culture
Corozal ...are you ready? Los Mascarados, El Torito, Angaripola, Jon Kanu, Radha, Tribute to Leela Vernon along with Who Seh Kriol Noh Gat No Kolcha, Mujeres Que Se Pinta, Hoo Seh Mee Seh, Chamak Chalo, Lion Dance, La Cinta, Original Historical Carnaval Comparsas, Reading of the Last Will and Testament, Burning of Juan Carnaval and more..... Come on out for a wonderful night of Culture with Corozal's very best in performing artists!! Children's activities inside the House of Culture, as well a documentary screening of "Carnaval" produced by our colleagues at the Institute for Social & Cultural Research. Today, 7pm.

Chargé d'Affaires Adrienne Galanek visits students at St. Martin de Porres Primary School in Belize City
Promoting the importance of education among youth is an important shared value between the United States and Belize.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend:
The Wild Life, Passengers, Don't Knock Twice, Doctor Strange

Channel 7

Curry Says Trio "Guilty" of Killing Mr. Jimmy
Tonight, 33 year-old Matthew Gentle, 32 year-old Transito "Ricky" Tzul, and 26 year-old Sherlock Myvett are back in jail after being convicted of the murder of 82 year-old taxi driver James Neal aka James Young or "Mr. Jimmy". The jury of 12 returned guilty verdicts for all 3 men after deliberating for 4 hours and 16 minutes. Back on July 28, 2009, "Mr. Jimmy" was was abducted from his taxi stand in Belmopan, and he was stuffed into the back of his gold Geo Prism car. He was then taken to Pook's Hill Resort Road in Teakettle, where he was stabbed 37 times. His body was found some 3 days later, decomposing on the side of the road, covered by cohune leaves. So, almost 8 years later, the 3 men, Gentle, Tzul and Myvette, who are accused of committing this heinous murder, stood trial before Justice Antoinette Moore.

Fyffes, Friends For Life?
A month ago, we told you that the Irish Company, Fyffes, which purchases all of Belize's export bananas, has been bought over by the Japanese owned, Sumitomo Corporation. That deal affects Belize because if Sumitomo has a new strategy, they might not be interested in Belize's banana industry. That's why today, Minister of Agriculture Godwin Hulse met with the Fyffes managers at the Airport. Sumitomo has agreed to keep Fyffe's management team, and, according to Hulse, they have assured that their interest in Belize will endure. We understand that the Fyffes representatives were transiting through Belize, and that gave Hulse and other Agriculture officials an opportunity to meet with them before their flight out of the country. When the meeting was over, Hulse granted us an interview, in which he briefly discussed the conversation with the management team:

Tour Operators Say BTB Should Have Their Back, But Stabbing Them In Back
Cruise ship arrivals topped the one million passenger mark in 2016, but independent tour operators say that they've got it worse than ever. As we have reported many times, that's because Norwegian Cruise Line makes very few calls in Belize City now that they have their own port in the South. And those Norwegian cruisers are the ones who usually spend. Now, the local operators say they are facing another setback. And that's because they are being pushed back form in front of the tourism village, all the way to the Memorial Park. Now, that is part of a BTB plan to use the park as a loading area for tourists who exit the Fort George Tourism Zone. But the operators told why they aren't sold on the idea... John Pollard - Owner, Big John Tours: "Here we are all tour operators. The last time I had checked, I know that no tour operator is different from each other here. We had signed an SOP agreeing that this how we would run the operations."

BTB Says There Is A Plan To Benefit Everyone
Now the BTB says they aren't trying to swindle or disadvantage the tour operators at all. The Director of Cruise and Destination Planning Noriko Gamero told us that the main idea behind the proposal is to renovate the existing loading space which will enhance the visitor experience. Noriko Gamero - Director of Cruise and Destination Planning: "First of all, we are working collectively with the Belize City Council and the CARILED in trying to come up with a plan to improve the guest experience outside of the Fort George Tourism Zone. So, there are several components that we look at as a committee and restructuring of where the tour operators will be operating their sales, picking up of guest and of course the constant concerns of the flow of traffic, the congestion that happens. These are all different things that we have looked at and it's not a very easy project to take on. So what we have done is we have undergone a series of consultations with the stakeholders that would be impacted by any change. What they have suggested with the Memorial Park, it is an area where we are trying to look to do a rerouting of a loading space for operators, where each operator will have an assigned spot and they can then rotate their own guides from picking up at that space. So we won't have that parking fight and we won't have that flow of traffic constantly up and down in the zone."

The Pious Potato Initiative
Every day that goes by without sale, the loss in earnings for local potato farmers - increases. As we have been reporting, the local potato farmers in the North and West are struggling to make ends meet. Thousands of potatoes are wasting away in the fields. This is all because the imported white potatoes are taking over the local market - most Belizeans buy the imported potatoes because they are cheaper and are seen as higher quality. But there is hope; today an Orange Walk farmer made a good sale at a city school. I dropped by St. Catherine's Academy to find out more about their pious potatoe initiative. These SCA girls spent most of their morning weighing and bagging potatoes at school, but it wasn't for any cooking class. Salome Tillett, Principal, SCA: "Earlier in the week we saw the news about the situation with our potato farmers and you know that struck a chord with me so in the morning I came, we did our morning devotion and I shared it with the students and I asked would they be willing to help and I was so blessed by their response, the students were overwhelmingly supportive of the idea." "Our friends in Orange Walk were able to give us the contact of a person there and he was so happy to be able to sell his potatoes and his answer was sure right away."

Chamber, The Cheerleaders?
When the Prime Minister presents the new budget in the next few weeks, we'll know all about what new taxes, if any, government plans to impose. If there are new taxes, it could likely affect the private sector, but today the Chamber of Commerce sent out a press release that didn't admonish against new taxes, instead it reads sort of like a pep talk. It discusses the country's national debt and urges, quote, "Belize must act now! We must begin to make serious cuts to government spending, recover lost revenue, plug revenue leaks and create an atmosphere for economic growth. These actions must be…relentlessly sustained at least until the debt burden is reduced to around 60% of GDP." end quote. And, the chamber says the belt tightening must even include those tax dodgers in the private sector: quote, "those…who evade or underpay their tax obligations be held to account and that the revenue due to the government, including penalties, be captured in full." end quote. And in that spirit, the Chamber urges, quote, "We must all, including the Opposition, play our part in the Herculean effort needed to bring about the changes that will stimulate the growth of our economy."

There Was Inflation In January
And while the Chamber plays the part of cheerleader, the Statistical Institute of Belize, is playing party pooper. They say inflation was up in January, 2017 with prices up almost 1% higher than in January of the previous year. And that is mostly due to the price of fuel, the price of a gallon of Diesel fuel was 40% higher this year than one year ago. That's just about three dollars more per gallon! Premium and regular gas also went up by about 20%, or about a dollar and 60 cents more per gallon. In line with that, the SIB reports that airfares increased 47 percent when compared to last January, and that combined with increased bus fares for an overall 9.4 percent increase in transport costs. Food prices went down a little, with decreases in the average prices of certain meats and vegetables and poultry. And while-rides were up in most municipalities, Punta Gorda and Dangriga both recorded decreases of 0.4 percent. Inflation was highest in Orange Walk Town at 2.6 percent, followed closely by Belmopan at 2.4 percent.

Counting On Coconuts
The consumer price index doesn't track the price of coconuts, since that is a small, informal trade. And it doesn't show up on the breakdown of imports and exports. But the Minister of Agriculture is hoping that changes. On Monday, Godwin Hulse told us about a new export initiative for fresh coconuts:... Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture: "4,500 acres under cultivation. There is coconut being exported whole in a little packet with a straw that you strike in the top and drink the juice. I understand it has a 30-day shelf life, it's going to the US and other people are planting coconuts. It an industry we want to hope to balloon. There is a company called Texbel in the south that's doing it. There is one up north by Sergio Marroquin, who is also doing it and it's a project that will blossom across the country. It's one of the young new exports that we would hope to push on." In 2015, there were 2,000 acres of coconut in production producing 8 million nuts. At the time, that figure was expected to double.

Port Crane Collapsed
There was an accident at the Port of Belize this evening. Fortunately no one was hurt. As we understand it, this crane was offloading a ship, when one of the cables on the crane's winch burst. The caused the boom to collapse, leaving it crumpled like a paper clip, stretched down like a ladder into the sea. Port CEO Arturo Tux Vasquez said that most importantly no one was hurt. He says they always have another crane on standby - and right now they are working to remove the old crane from the pier head, and finish loading the ship. He says the damage was confined to the crane, which insurance has already assessed.

Gringo Got A Gun
This morning at 9:30, San Ignacio Police caught an American man with an unlicensed pistol. It happened at 9:30, during an early morning operation. The rural west quick response team found 67 year old Robert Biro, a US citizen of a branch mouth address with an unlicensed Taurus brand .38 revolver and 14 live rounds. The operation also netted 43 grams of cannabis.

Musical Tribute For Lady Lila
Since her death over the weekend, Belizeans have been celebrating the life of Lila Vernon, and next week the festivities continue. Artists from around the country will be coming together to perform the music of the country's beloved "Brukdung Queen". We spoke to the Bliss Center's Theatre Director about the tribute concert... Karen Vernon, Threater Director - Bliss Center: "We are having this celebration "celebrating Leela" Monday here at the Bliss center celebrating the life of Leela Vernon and the legacy that she left for all of us as Belizeans. We have a lineup of artists, because artists have been calling wanting to perform either here in Belize City at the "celebrating Leela" or in Punta Gorda at the concerts that will be there as well."

A Week Of Official Funerals
So, apart from a tribute concert, Lila Vernon's funeral is planned for next week Thursday, March second at the St. Peter Claver Church on Main Street in Punta Gorda town. It will be an official funeral, and it starts at 11:00 am. That will be the second official funeral next week. The first is for Bishop OP Martin on Monday 27th. February at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Belmopan at 3:00. He will be interred on the Co-Cathedral's grounds. And, the funeral for the other notable Belizean who recently passed, Cecil "Chubby" Reneau will be held on Saturday, February 25th at All Saints Church in Belize City. He will be interred at the family property in Ontario Village in Cayo District. But today, his daughter told us that the Institute of archeology stopped the ongoing work prepare the burial site, because, apparently, it is a Maya mound. Reneau's wife, Nina told us that they had no idea any mound was on their property, and the stoppage has caused a huge disturbance for the family in their time of grief. The situation is still devleoping, so up to this evening it was not clear what would be the final plan for his burial.

Step Up To Street Art
This Saturday marks the seventh edition of the NICH's Street Art Festival. The fair takes place on Albert Street in Belize City, and will feature various art stalls, contests, food and performances. The festival's coordinator, Karen Vernon gave us a run down of what to expect... The festival will also feature chalk art competitions.

CDB says Correspondent Banking Problem "Tractable", But How?
At the recent Caricom Heads of Government meeting which finished last Friday, regional leaders acknowledged that there was little progress on resolving the issue, and tasked the Committee of Ministers of Finance on Correspondent Banking to maintain the current high level engagement. But, that engagement has gotten them nowhere so far. On Friday in Barbados the President of the Caribbean Development Bank said that regional banks need to find a way to certify their worthiness: Warren Smith, President CDB: "I don't think we're at the stage yet where we could honestly say that there is an end in sight to this crisis. But I think one thing that is emerging is that where we could concentrate as a region is on trying to ensure that our environment, our banking environment, our financial environment is brought up to a standard where the risk of being blacklisted by the correspondent banks is minimized. And one of the things that we have advocated and I think that we are quite prepared to provide assistance in this regard, financial assistance is to have an entity like the Caribbean financial sector task force to work with the jurisdictions, our country jurisdictions to help them to identify weaknesses and mechanisms that they could deploy to strengthen the quality of their jurisdictions."

Climate Change A Regional Priority
No one knows where that solution will come from, and, in fact, it's easier to come up with a strategy to respond to climate change. The bank says it is giving funding for those projects high priority:

Managing Shelters Early
And, the city council is preparing for increased storm activity in its own way. With months to go before the hurricane season, the council is already calling city residents to come out and discuss shelter management. Councillor Willoughby explained:...

Channel 5

Lord Michael Ashcroft Confirms Terms of B.T.L. Settlement
In an exclusive interview with News Five in Washington, D.C. Lord Michael Ashcroft touched on a wide variety of major stories, from the settlement of Belize Telemedia Limited’s nationalization by [...]

Ashcroft Says His Good Turn on B.T.L. Was Rejected and Will Cost Belize Heavily
Much of the half a billion dollar settlement has to do with the Accommodation Agreement signed seven years earlier. That in turn reaches back to the mid-2000’s when Jeffrey Prosser [...]

Barrow and Williams Holds “Insignificant” Shares in Caribbean Investment Holdings
The relationship between Lord Michael Ashcroft’s business concerns and Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s law firm, Barrow and Williams, retained for litigation on behalf of the Belize Bank Limited and others, [...]

Ashcroft Praises Eamon Courtenay; Says He May Release Him from Legal Work
Senior Counsel and Senator Eamon Courtenay has come under fire from the United Democratic Party and the Government for acting on behalf of the former BCB Holdings in a Constitutional [...]

S.C.A. Buys Big in Potatoes from Local Farmer
Farmers in the Cayo and Orange Walk Districts have thousands of pounds of potatoes rotting in the fields – produce they have been unable to sell because of competing imported [...]

Trio Convicted of Murder of Cayo Taxi Man
A jury of seven women and five men stepped into the deliberating room at just after noon today to decide the fate of three men from Cayo, who are accused [...]

The David Nanes Caper Revealed in Paperwork from Immigration
David Miguel Banes, otherwise known as David Nanes Schnitzer, sits in a Mexican jail for white collar crimes he allegedly committed in that jurisdiction.  After defrauding investors of millions of [...]

G.O.B. Scrambling Over Passport Machine
The Immigration and Nationality Department remains under heavy scrutiny amid the ongoing Senate Special Select Inquiry…and we’ll have that coming up.  Tonight, however, there are complaints from the public that [...]

Temporary Passports to Cover Backlog
According to Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration, Beverly Williams, another system has been substituted in place of the faulty passport machine which is also enabled for machine [...]

Ashcroft Asks: Was It Really Worth It?
If you listen to the Government, most of its problems stem from past decisions, whether by the Said Musa administrations or by Lord Michael Ashcroft. At every turn there have [...]

At Senate Hearing, a Tale of Attempted Bribery Making G.O.B. Richer
A few weeks ago, former C.E.O. of the Ministry of Immigration, Candelaria Saldivar-Morter, mused that many unusual things happened in the Immigration Department and that there was corruption from the [...]

Ex-Nationality Chief Details How Vetting Corners Were Cut
Even though Prime Minister Dean Barrow continues to deny that the cut corners in the Immigration Department compromised the nationality of those registered in the run-up to the 2012 general [...]

Politics Responsible for Immigration Mess
We suspect that it hardly matters in the greater scheme of things, but both sides of the political divide have been accused of misusing the Immigration Department to their advantage, [...]

Junior Immigration Minister Says Work on Reform Must Continue
The day-to-day operations of the Immigration and Nationality Department are coming under the microscope in the ongoing investigation. The Minister of State Beverly Williams is faced with reshaping the image [...]

Coconuts Can Be Big Business for Belize
Coconut may be big business soon for Belize – the emerging industry is supported by the Caribbean Coconut Industry Development Project which aims to improve income and employment opportunities, food [...]

LOVE FM

PUP Senator Recalls First Request for Senate Inquiry Into David Nanes Case
David Miguel Nanes-Schnitzer was found on Ambergris Caye on November 3, 2015 with a fraudulent driver’s license. He was nabbed via the joint efforts of the US Marshalls and San Pedro Police and was detained. At the time of his arrest little did anyone know that this was merely the tip of an iceberg that […]

Trio Found Guilty of the 2009 James Young Murder
A jury of seven women and five men deliberated for about four hours and sixteen minutes today in the court of Justice Antonette Moore before it found three men guilty of the murder of 82-year-old taxi driver James Neal aka James Young which occurred on July 28, 2009. The accused were 33 year Matthew Gentle, […]

Who Will Face Prosecution When Inquiry Concludes?
Every Wednesday, inside the National Assembly building in Belmopan, the Senate Special Select Committee interrogates persons whose name appears in the Auditor General’s Special Visa and other findings Report on the Immigration and Nationality Department for the period 2011-2013. Several persons have been called to testify and several revelations have been made. The committee still has […]

Letter Surfaces: Patrick Tillett’s Involvement in Missing Visa Stickers
Patrick Tillett, the former finance controller at the Belize City Council, is named in the Auditor General’s Report along with his then colleague and former Deputy Mayor, Eric Chang. Both men have been summoned before the Senate Select Committee since they rejected the committee’s invitation last week Wednesday. In her report, the auditor general states […]

Gordon Wade Cites Political Interference as a Culture in Immigration
Senior Immigration Officer, Gordon Wade, appeared before the Senate Select Committee yesterday. Wade was questioned on an array of subjects relating to the inner workings of the nationality department. At the end of testimony, Wade made recommendations to the committee on how the many irregular behaviors within the department can be addressed. GORDON WADE ” […]

Citing Political Interference as a Culture Is Not Enough
In an interview on Monday, February 20 with Immigration Minister, Godwin Hulse he spoke of three persons he had sent before the Public Services Commission after irregularities were found. The trio, however, faced no repercussions and the PSC sent them back to their offices. Former PUP Senator, Lisa Shoman is one who has been advocating […]

Is Family Court Gender Neutral?
There is a common perception by men in Belize that the Belize Family Court is made to always side with the women and mothers and that there is no justice for men. Senior Counsel Dolores Balderamos Garcia has been one of the advocates for families and as we told you yesterday there were several legislation […]

PG Police Utilizes Bullet Catcher
A bullet catcher equipment is now fully in use by Toledo Police formation. We hear more in this report from correspondent Paul Mahung. PAUL MAHUNG “

Recognizing and Dealing with Cyber-Bullying
On Wednesday the Department of Youth Services held a training workshop on cyber bullying for its staff in the Cayo District. Eckert Middleton is the Manager of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit and the Department. ECKERT MIDDLETON ” Middleton offered suggestions for victims of cyber bullying. ECKERT MIDDLETON ” The workshop was held at […]

The Guardian

One month grace before Belize defaults on Superbond
The due date for a five percent interest payment on Belize’s bonds has come and gone without Government forwarding the $26.3 million to its bondholders. That date was Monday, February 20, and since the payment is now late, a 30 day grace period has kicked in. If Belize does not make the payment by March 22 the country would officially default on the loan. This is bad news for Belize but worse news for the bondholders. A default by Belize would probably trigger a downgrade in the country’s credit rating. This means that loans to the country would be tagged with a higher risk. High risk loans come with more conditions and higher interest rates. This would be of great concern to Belize if the Administration was dependent on loans from commercial banking institutions. The Barrow Administration is not a player in that market; therefore, its concern for credit ratings is minimal. On the other hand, the bondholders are owners of stocks that would be much tougher to sell if they move any closer to junk status. Those bonds aren’t anything the country of Belize is or should be intending to roll over; therefore, it is their baby. It is in the best interest of the bondholders to ensure that Belize is in the best position to meet its payment obligations and if that means a restructure is necessary by March 22 then it is essential for the bondholders that such an agreement is reached. When everything on the table is weighed it turns out that the Superbond is as much a problem for the bondholders as it is for Belize.

Danny Mason and company to stand trial for murder of Pastor
Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith has determined that there is sufficient evidence for William “Danny” Mason, Terrence Fernandez, 31, Keiron Fernandez, 29, Ernest Henry Castillo, 20, and Ashton Vanegas, 24, to stand trial for the July 2016 murder of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas in the June 2017 Session of the Supreme Court. During a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) on Tuesday, February 21, the accused men appeared unrepresented before the Chief Magistrate. They stand accused of the kidnapping and murder of Lucas and conspiracy to commit kidnapping upon David Dodd. Prosecutor in the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams submitted over 100 pages of documents including statements, reports and documentary exhibits such as surveillance footage. Chief Magistrate Smith asked the accused men if they will be calling any alibi witness and neither had any to call on. They were remanded to the Belize Central Prison until their next court appearance in June in the Supreme Court.

NICH to announce plans for Leela Vernon’s Memorial Service
The National Institute of Culture and History is in consultation with the family of cultural icon Leela Genus Vernon to organize “a celebration of her life and legacy”. On Thursday afternoon, February 23, the institute will announce plans for the memorial service. Vernon passed away around 9 a.m. on Sunday, February 19, after a battle with chronic renal failure. Also referred to as chronic kidney disease, chronic renal failure is the progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. A blood drive was held for Vernon last week while doctors did all they could to keep her alive. Reports are that she showed signs of recovery but her body succumbed to the strain placed on her heart in the battle to stay alive. Vernon officially died as a result of cardiac arrest. Leela Vernon will be best remembered for her classic “Who Seh Kriol Noh Got No Kulcha”. This track is a song that encouraged Creole Belizeans to take pride in their identity and culture. This was at a time when the country’s expanding demographics was causing Creole Belizeans to lose grip on their cultural identity.

Teresita Castellanos questions validity of Auditor General’s report
Last week Teresita Castellanos who was the financial officer at the Immigration department between May 2011 to June 2014 which was reviewed by the Auditor General’s report came out swinging with revelations of, “I was in the belly of the Beast.” She impugned on the department that, “the Immigration Officers, they are a fraternity, the mentality of touch one, touch all.” She continued to sate that, “I will like to state that the resistance by some officers was beyond my comprehension, resistance in adhering to regulation, to doing the right thing. At one point, some of us were fearful for the life of the acting Director, Maria Marin.” That was last week and this week she had to answer for her actions. In many instances she could not recall what was being referred to in the Auditor General’s report and even went further to admit that she too must have made some mistakes. Nevertheless, she challenged the validity of the report.

Teresita Castellanos questions validity of Auditor General’s report
The Ministry of Education, in the interest of the students and parents countrywide, has decided to end the fight over pay with the Belize National Teachers Union. There has been a settlement of the BNTU lawsuit, where the Ministry will not cut the pay for the teachers who went on strike, and the teachers have committed to give back 6 of those 11 school days lost in the strike. Readers are aware that about 13 weeks ago, Eamon Courtenay, acting as the attorney for the BNTU filed a lawsuit to stop the Ministry of Education from docking the teachers pay at the end of November. The BNTU successfully convinced the Chief Justice to grant an injunction restraining the Ministry from moving forward, and the Ministry had to pay the teachers, even though the deductions were already taken out.

Minister of Defence Continues National Tour of Belize Coast Guard Facilities
Minister of Defence Hon. John Saldivar has visited Coast Guard Facilities in the Central Sector as part of his national tour of Coast Guard facilities countrywide. Accompanied by Admiral John Borland and senior personnel from the Ministry of Defence, Hon. Saldivar visited Calabash Caye (Turneffe) where the Coast Guard has a Forward Operating Base, constructed in 2010. The tour then carried them to Half Moon Caye and Glovers Reef (Middle Caye) where the Coast Guard partners with conservation organizations, providing law enforcement support. The groupthen visited Southern Long Caye where the Coast Guard recently established a Patrol Base to provide security for fishermen in the area.

Grace Primary receives donation from CITCO
Grace Primary School is now the third school to have received a donation from the Belize City Council this month. Councilor Hyacinth Latchman-Cuellar, through the portfolio for Women and Children, delivered a cheque to the Principal of Grace Primary School, Myrna Sheppard, on Tuesday, February 21. The contribution is to be used for Standard Six students gearing up for the Primary School Examinations this March and May. Sheppard says that she will make sure the money is used wisely for the student’s benefit. The idea to make donations to students preparing for PSE came from the Council’s Children Advisory Board which is comprised of children in the upper level of primary schools and lower levels of secondary schools across the city. Last week on Valentine’s Day the Council gave a donation to Queen Square School and St. John’s Anglican the week before. Grace Primary is the third of eight primary schools that will receive a donation.

Minister of Defence Contin
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin has sentenced Danny Ku, 37, to 23 years imprisonment after he accepted a plea deal on Monday, February 13, 2017 for killing Nurse Anna Basto on September 2, 2006. Ku was convicted of murder on December 16, 2006 but he appealed the conviction and a retrial was ordered by the Court of Appeals on October 13, 2011. His retrial was set to commence on February 13 but after the facts of the case were read he submitted a guilty plea for a lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors in the case, Shanielle Chell and Javier Chan of the DPP’s office, accepted the guilty plea and Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin handed down his sentence on Monday, February 20, after mitigation plea was heard on his behalf.

Minister of Defence Contin
The last time we reported on Jeorgi Petrov, 28, and Halid Yuksel Aptula, 25, the two Bulgarians accused of a massive credit card scam, the Belize Bank had agreed to sit down and talk with their legal representatives in an effort to recover funds. Oscar Selgado, attorney for Aptula, has not provided any information since but it appears that significant progress was made because the convicted fraudsters are going to return money to the bank. On Friday, February 17, 2017, Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser ordered the men to return the majority of $21,750 to the Belize Bank after the state had applied for the forfeiture of the total sum.

No arrests yet on murder of Jason Cortez
Police have still not made any arrests for the murder of 21 year-old Jason Cortez, the Belize City resident who was killed on Wednesday, February 15. At press time for the previous issue of this newspaper, we received reports that shots rang out in the Lake Independence Area. The exact area is the Western Avenue, where Cortez was walking, after leaving his Balan Street home. It is suspected that the still unknown assailant followed him into Western Avenue and, and at around 6:25 p.m., that gunman let loose a hail of gunfire. He was injured multiple times in the chest, the abdomen, the back, and the buttocks. He tried to run for help, but he collapsed a short distance away. First responders rushed him to the KHMH, but he didn’t make it, despite the best efforts by the doctors to save his life.

Cousin kills cousin over money
Twenty four year-old Tishawn Hamilton, a resident of Pelican Street in Belize City, has been remanded for the stabbing murder of his 17 year-old cousin, Eaton Lamb. This entire family grieves because they are burying one of their own, while they look on as the police prosecute another family member for his death. The incident happened sometime around 11:40p.m. on Sunday, February 19, and according to police they were on patrol on Antelope Street Extension. They say that they spotted Lamb running away from Hamilton, and he was bleeding profusely from stab wounds to the chest and back. The officers detained Hamilton, and they recovered from him a knife, which they believe he used to attack Lamb. They rushed Lamb to the KHMH for medical treatment, but he died about 40 minutes later while undergoing treatment.

Darwin Howard and Kenroy Sedacey accused of burglary
Darwin Howard and Kenroy Sedacey are out on bail after they were arraigned for burglarizing the home of Curl Estrada with intent to cause bodily harm. In a report to police, Estrada said that he was at home on Neal’s Pen Road Extension with his common-law wife on Friday, February 17, when two men entered and began to beat him with a piece of wood. The duo appeared unrepresented before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on Monday, February 20, where they were read two criminal charges, one count of burglary and one count of harm upon Curl Estrada. They pleaded not guilty to the charge. Howard said, “I was the one who took the police to the home.” Sedacey told Senior Magistrate Fraser that Estrada lives with his niece and he went with her to speak to him about a domestic issue. While waiting outside, he heard his niece shouted, “Uncle, he deh choke meh I can’t breathe.” Sedacey said that was when he went inside, saw Estrada choking his niece and told him to let her go.

Walter Dawson mysteriously killed in Ladyville
Police need help trying to solve the heinous murder of Walter Dawson, a 57 year-old resident of Ladyville. His body was found in a part of the village that his family says he does not go to. It appears that someone tried to behead him. Residents of Marage Road heard their dogs barking between 3:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Sunday, February 19. There was no cause for concern, but about 4 hours later, a passerby found Dawson’s body a short distance away from the Caribbean Shrimp Farm. The police were called in, the officers on the scene observed that he had suffered a chop wound to the head, neck and left shoulder area. The most serious, however, was a chop wound to the neck, which almost decapitated him.

Genevia Estrada charged with dangerous harm upon common-law-husband
Eric Kent Moses, 46, has died as a result of serious head trauma he suffered during a domestic dispute with his common-law-wife, Genevia Christine Estrada, 33, at their home on Victoria Street. It is not certain what happened on Valentine’s Day with the couple but when police visited the scene one had to be rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and the other was arrested for a single charge of dangerous harm. On Friday, February 17, Estrada was escorted in the prison bus to appear in court before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. She was unrepresented in court and due to the nature of the offense, no plea was taken. Prosecutor in the case, Sgt. Claude Pitts, had heavy objection to bail being granted. He submitted that bail should be withheld due to the serious nature of the offense and the gravity of the injury Moses had sustained. According to prosecutor Pitts, Moses was at the KHMH with a very serious head trauma injury and it is not certain if his condition will improve or worsen.

Rafael Yam sentenced to 5 years for burglary
Rafael Yam, 36, a cane farmer from San Estevan Village in Orange Walk, was tempted by an open door when he visited Belize City on February 5 and is now serving the first days of a five year sentence for yielding. Allegations made against Yam is that in the early hours of February 5, around 4 a.m., he entered David Popper’s home at #8 Barrack Road as a trespasser and stole a number of household items. According to the facts of the case presented to Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on Friday, February 17, Popper reported to police that his apartment was burglarized and a slippers valued at $13, a black Adidas sports bag valued at $120 and a black Jordan tennis valued at $185 were stolen among other items, including Popper’s deodorant. The total value of items reported stolen is $1,260.

‘Bex’ given a hero’s welcome in San Ignacio
Hundreds of residents lined the principal streets of San Ignacio and Santa Elena Towns on Tuesday of this week, to give Miss Belize Universe Rebecca Rath a hero’s welcome, following her remarkable performance at the Miss Universe stage in Manilla. Additionally, over four hundred admirers turned up at the Cayo Welcome Center to embrace, take photos and speak to the people’s queen also referred to as ‘Bex.’ At the Cayo Welcome Center Rebecca Rath was presented with a key to the Twin Towns by Mayor Earl Trapp Junior. Mayor Trapp remarked that Rath brought hope to our children in the municipality. On stage at the Cayo Welcome Center Ms. Rath was also entertained by various artists such as Shamika Marove with ‘Strength of a Woman’ and by Marlon Lopez with ‘You and I.’ Dynamic speaker Javier Gutierrez was also on stage to make the people’s queen feel as welcome as possible.

Formal Export of Live Cattle to Guatemala
On February 13th,2017, a first shipment of live cattle was exported to Guatemala duty free, via the Belize-Guatemala Western Border. This marked the first export of live cattle under the Partial Scope Trade Agreement between the Governments of Belize and Guatemala. It activated the Sanitary Agreement signed between Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) and its Guatemalan counterpart. This shipment formalizes the trade of live cattle and provides a framework on which to build a robust cattle trade. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development and Immigration congratulates the private sector stakeholders, in particular cattle farmers from Spanish Lookout, for their historic export and urges all cattle producers to use the formal route for trade.

Sir Elihu Lauterpacht and Baron Bliss showed Belize much love!
Sir Elihu Lauterpacht is dead, may his soul rest in peace. Of importance to the Jewel, he co-authored Belize: Joint Opinion and Legal Opinion on Guatemala’s Territorial Claim to Belize. Sir Elihu did not have one drop of Belizean blood in him, yet he worked very hard to help us in the Diplomatic fight against the Unfounded Guatemalan Claim. Baron Bliss did not set foot on Belizean soil yet he gave us so much. We can learn a lot from them! Maybe Aschroft would like to rethink his strategy? It is easy for me to list the Belizeans who tried to sell out Belize, steal national lands, destroyed Belize Technical College, cash infant scholarship vouchers, rob Treasury, bankrupt Central bank…. Sometimes I get tired of calling out the Big Thief PUP but as a Belizean Patriot said to me yesterday:” Ed, somebody has to remind the voters and the youth about the evil deeds of the Big Thief PUP. Those culprits want the past to stay hidden so that they can seek election victory.” Sorry, keeping quiet is not on my to-do list. Today I want to encourage each and every Belizean to try to match Baron Bliss and Sir Elihu! If we each give our very best for Belize, then the Jewel will do very well! The Big Thief PUP is the main problem, definitely not a part of the solution! Do not ever let the Big Thief PUP fool and trick you! No way Jose! No Way… PUP had they taken us down that road before and we are still mad! Wutliss PUP Superbond!

Two tales
No matter how much I watched the news and read the papers over this past week, I could not identify a good juicy political topic to develop for this week’s edition of the Guardian. And unlike the People’s United Party, I elected against recycling the same old dreary personalities of past articles like Palacio and Courtney. I think that the public itself, including former Belize city PUP Mayoral candidate, Ms. Bodden, have gotten sick and tired of these two crowd pleasers. So I decided to change style a bit this week and tell you two true short stories. I had a former work colleague who once served in the Belize Volunteer service in the infancy days of the BDF. This gentleman loved to tell tall tales of his accomplishments in the said volunteer force. But each time he told a tale, he would hold a different rank in the BVS. I know he only reached the level of lance corporal because in one of his daring encounters he told of single-handedly apprehending a large group of trouble- makers by the Queen Elizabeth Park in OW during the State of Emergency declared because of the Heads of Agreement disturbances in 1981. Little did he know that a photographer from MR. NOVELO’S studio had taken a picture from across the park which highlighted his brilliant, single, lonely, white arrowhead stripe sewn across his dark green uniform sleeve. In any instance, before the state of emergency was lifted, Mr. man’s story was that officials in the PUP’S hierarchy were already addressing him as “teniente ”or in English, “lieutenant”.

Mexican Ambassador and Transport Minister meet
Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize H. E. Carlos Quesnel met on Tuesday, February 21, in Belmopan with Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management Hon. Edmond Castro. The Minister and the Ambassador discussed opportunities for cross-border operations for motor carrier services between Belize and Mexico. A memorandum of understanding is being prepared and should be signed shortly to establish the framework under which such services will be provided. Ambassador Quesnel described the meeting as “very productive”. Hon. Castro thanked him for the visit and says he is pleased with the deepening of the longstanding friendly relations between our two countries.

2017 fire season opens
February 15th marks the opening of the Forest Fire Season. The Forest Department warns that this year’s fire season may be more intense due to the impact of Hurricane Earl on our forests. “Earl damaged large areas of forest, leaving on-ground debris caused by fallen trees and dead branches, which will pose a fire hazard in the 2017 dry season and beyond.” said Wilber Sabido, Chief Forest Officer. Forester German Novelo, officer responsible for Forest Fire Prevention and Management, added that the impacts of forest fires can be far-reaching, not merely causing major damage to trees and vegetation, non-timber forest products and wildlife habitat; but can also destroy crops, homes, threaten lives, and contaminate our air with smoke which becomes a health hazard. Sabido and regional foresters met yesterday to review and discuss plans and preparations underway for this year’s anticipated significant forest fire potential. The department, which is responsible for the management of 3.5 million acres of national forests, notes that forest fires trends show that over 97,260 acres of Belize’s land surface are affected by wildfires each year.

Safeguarding Belize’s hardwoods
Belize’s prime hardwoods have become attractive targets by illegal loggers and as such steps are now being taken to conserve these national treasures for future use. Our climate, soil type and other conditions have proved to be ideal for the growth of 42 species of hardwoods, for which about 20 can be bought and commercialized in Belize. With a flourishing forest, which covers about 60% of land mass, there has been a renewed interest by illegal harvesters, who have found an endless supply of customers in both the national and international market. At the national level, the revised forestry act now increases sanctions for the illegal harvesting of our hard woods. Forestry officers were trained last week to increase their abilities in detecting the identity of the various hardwood species. Rosewood, for example is difficult to differentiate from the other species, but the trainees were provided with microscopic level details and a color handbook on the various woods to increase their knowledge levels. Armed with the new knowledge, 15 forest officers will now be able to provide evidence that will stand up in court. Such training has come thanks to the Wildlife Conservation Society WCS, in collaboration with the Forestry Department and with funds from the United States Fisheries and Wildlife Service.

Haulover Creek will be ready for La Ruta Maya
The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is a 170 mile long test of skill, strength and will power. The race has become the main attraction of the National Heroes and Benefactors Day festivities and it has attracted competitors from all over the world. There are four stages in the Challenge. It starts in San Ignacio next Friday and the first stage is completed 46 miles down the Macal River in Banana Bank Village. On Saturday, stage two is the most exhausting stretch as the race goes 60 miles from Banana Bank along the Macal River to Bermudian Landing along the Belize River. Sunday’s 36 mile challenge along the Belize River ends in Burrel Boom Village. The final day of the race is a 25 mile sprint to the finish line at the Belcan Bridge in Belize City. Competitors spend months of intensive training to prepare for the race. Yet this year, such hard work will pale in comparison to what is taking place in just a two mile segment of the route to make way for the race’s completion. Personnel of the Department of the Environment and the Belize City Council are working countless hours in order to make the Haulover Creek passable in time for the March 6.

Kolbe making Belmopan safer
Some three entities have teamed up to clean the Nation’s Capital. The Belmopan City Council in collaboration with the Belmopan Police and Kolbe Foundation held a cleanup campaign of the Almond Boulevard area last week. At about 9:00 am last Thursday, 12 inmates armed with machetes and energy set out to clear the unfinished Almond Boulevard as a crime prevention initiative. This effort came as a result of Belmopan Police having received numerous complaints of criminal elements in the overgrown bushes of Almond Boulevard. “We saw it as an area where crime could occur,” writes Howell Gillett, Officer in Charge of Belmopan Police. “The area that is being cleaned is an unofficial pathway used by many good citizens, who want to make their journey to and from shorter. It is used by criminals at the same time which make the area a recipe for possible crime against persons and property,” he elaborated.

Celebrating the life of Bishop O. P. Martin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan wishes to invite the people of God in Belize to join us in celebrating the life of our brother Bishop Emeritus Osmund Peter Martin. He was born on December 3, 1930 in Dangriga and died early in the morning of Thursday, February 16, 2017. O. P. Martin was ordained a priest on April 3, 1959 in Dangriga after completing studies at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. He served at parishes in Corozal, San Ignacio, St. Joseph, and Holy Redeemer Cathedral. On October 7, 1982 he was ordained Auxiliary Bishop, making him the first Garifuna and Belizean bishop for the Church. After just a few years, on January 16, 1984, he was appointed the Bishop of Belize City and Belmopan. He served the Church in that leadership role until his retirement in 2007.

The late Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, a Champion of Belize’s Sovereingty and Territorial Integrity, Granted Order of Belize
Friday, February 17th, 2017. The Government of Belize regrets to learn of the passing of Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, CBE, QC, July 13th, 1926 to February 8th, 2017. Sir Eli, as he was affectionately called, was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University where he earned First Class Law and the Masters in International Law First Class and a doctorate in laws. He was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1950. Sir Elihu has had a distinguished career both as a professor and practitioner of International Law. He became a Law Fellow at Trinity College at Cambridge University and first appeared before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Nottebohm case in 1951. Since then he served as lead Counsel for several countries before the ICJ. In 2004, he was Counsel for Barbados before the arbitration tribunal that settled its maritime border dispute with Trinidad and Tobago. He also served as an arbitrator in several international Tribunals and as an advisor to some thirty governments over his long career.

The National Sports Council brightens the future of Queen’s Square Youth
The Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, through the National Sports Council, worked in conjunction with the Queen’s Square community to enhance the safety of youth who wish to participate in sporting and recreational activities. Through a lighting project implemented by the National Sports Council, Queen’s Square residents are now enjoying brighter evenings and nights on their basketball court. The National Sports Council also assisted the residents in fixing security lights in the area so as to deter violence and criminal activities. This is a part of a wider government initiative of promoting citizen security through sports and recreation. The National Sports Council thanks the residents of Queen’s Square and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for this opportunity to serve the people of Belize City in a way that facilitates their greater engagement in sports.

Looking past the political divide - Glenn needs your help
On Tuesday, February 21, I had the opportunity to visit with a colleague I have known for probably 20 years. Time and circumstances had us pick political parties of choice to support publicly and as a result we find ourselves on opposing political views. Glenn Tillett is a PUP and I am a UDP but that does not deter us from having engaging conversations whenever we have time. Of course, our conversations always steer clear of our politics. On Tuesday it was his brother Kenworth, who took me to visit. Kenworth too is a stalwart of the UDP and in fact once served as the Secretary General of the UDP. Glenn has served the PUP, most notably in the last PUP administration as something like a public relations officer and/or advisor to Joe Coye in a number of portfolios he held. Kenworth readily admitted that on contact with his brother he too steers clear of politics. You see all of us can become very passionate about our political views and in an effort for it not to interfere with our friendship, we simply avoid the topic.

UB appoints new president
Professor Clement K. Sankat, former Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The University of the West Indies (WI), St Augustine Campus, Trinidad has been appointed the seventh President of the University of Belize (UB). His appointment took effect February 15th 2017. Professor Sankat succeeds Mr. Alan Slusher, who has held the post since June 2014. This announcement was made by Mr. Harrison Pilgrim, Chairman of UB's Board of Trustees during UB Graduation Ceremonies on February 11th. It comes after the Board, acting in accordance with the UB Act of 2000, undertook a wide and comprehensive search, employing a transparent, albeit robust selection process for the President. Prof. Sankat, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago received his early education at Queen's College in Georgetown, Guyana, his birth place. He is a Chartered/Professional Engineer (CEng) by training with degrees in Mechanical Engineering from The UWI and a PhD from the University of Guelph in Canada. He has had a long and distinguished career at The University of the West Indies as a scholar and administrative leader.

Belmopan Comprehensive School boys win National Secondary Schools Football Championship
The Belmopan Comprehensive School captured the 2016-2017 National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) male football championship on Saturday 18th February, 2017, out at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town. The championship features the regional champions from the four regions of the National Secondary Schools Sports Association. The Northern Region was represented by the Orange Walk Technical High School, the Central Region by Gwen Lizarraga High School, and the Western Region by the Belmopan Comprehensive School and the Southern Region by the Stann Creek Ecumenical High School. On Friday 17th February, 2017 in the first game played, Belmopan Comprehensive School defeated the Stann Creek Ecumenical High School by the score of 4-2 in penalties after the regulation game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Softball Federation to hold open male invitational tournament
The Belize Softball Federation will be holding an Open Senior Male Invitational Tournament on March 4-5 and 11-12, 2017 respectively at Rogers Stadium. The Open Senior Male Invitational Tournament will serve as the selection process for the pool of 36 players from which the final seventeen players will be selected to represent Belize at the X Pan American Male Softball Championship scheduled for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from September 14-25, 2017. The X Pan American Male Softball Championship will serve as the qualifying tournament for the XVIII Pan American Games scheduled for Lima, Peru in 2019 and the XXIII Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquillas, Colombia, in 2018. Interested teams must register with Ms. Tiffany Heusner, Secretary General Belize Softball Federation by Wednesday 1st March, 2017.

Belmopan Bandits regain lead in Premier League Closing Season Competition
The 2017 Premier League of Belize Closing Season Competition continued over the weekend with four games on the schedule. On Sunday 19th February, 2017, at the MCC Grounds, the Belize Defence Force won over the Freedom Fighters by the score of 3-1. The goals for the Belize Defence Force were scored by Trimayne Harris in the 9th minute of play, Jeremy Gentle in the 37th minute of play and Shane Flores in the 86th minute of play. Meanwhile, the goal for the Freedom Fighters was scored by Jarren Lambey in the 75th minute of play. At the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio Town, Police United FC edged out Wagiya FC by the score of 2-1. The visiting Wagiya FC was the first onto the scoreboard when Latrell Middleton scored in the 45th minute of play to give his team a temporary lead. However, the lead was short lived when Daniel Jimenez scored the first of his two goals in the 48th minute of play to tie the score at 1-1 for the Police United FC.

Dangriga Dream Ballers halt the high flying San Pedro Tiger Sharks
The Pepsi National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) competition continued over the weekend with two games on the schedule. On Friday 17th February, 2017, out at the Stann Creek Ecumenical High School Auditorium in Dangriga Town, the level’s leading and previously unbeaten San Pedro Tiger Sharks was stop in its track by the talented Dangriga Dream Ballers by the score of 57-52. The Dangriga Dream Ballers were led by Quinton Bowen who scored 13 points to go along with his 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Bowen’s supporting cast consisted of Dillmore Conorquie who scored 10 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, dished out 2 assists and he also had a steal; Tahj Wells who also scored 10 points to go along with his 15 rebounds and 3 steals and Akeem Trapp who scored 8 points along with 4 rebounds and an assist.

Breaking Belize News

Police looking for Belizean Cheaters
The new Belizean Cheaters craze on Facebook has gained so much traction that police are reportedly currently investigating a report from a mother that a nude picture of her underage daughter was maliciously posted to one of the several cheaters groups. The groups seemingly […]

Official funeral & Mass of Thanksgiving for Leela Vernon to be held next week
Brukdown Queen, Leela Vernon passed away from a cardiac arrest last Sunday in Belize. An official Funeral and Mass of Thanksgiving for her life will be held on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the St. Peter Claver Church on Main Street in the town of Punta Gorda in the Toledo District.

PUP and UDP guilty of immigration offenses
The Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) has gathered much ammunition and even political mileage from the hearings conducted by the Senate Select Committee. Figuratively speaking, PUP officials and supporters weekly gather their popcorn and tune in to the widespread corruption of the UDP authorities revealed during the hearing. However, on Wednesday, the PUP ran for cover when Senior Immigration Officer, Gordon Wade, told the committee that the practice of massive immigration nationalization to get more voters on the voters’ list before election was not a new practice.

Leaked documents incriminates immigration officers in Nanes Schnitzer fraud
An internal document leaked from the Immigration and Nationality department this week, gave a detailed breakdown of how accused embezzler David Nanes Schnitzer, worked with corrupt public servants to get fraudulent Belizean documents. The 14-page document, done by former Immigration Director Maria Marin, explained that things were wrong with Schnitzer’s documents, from his initial application in November 2012. Marin said that immigration officer Ady Pacheco, accepted the application with several discrepancies, including the fact that the receipt had the name “Nanes” on it, but the application had the name “Banes.”

Eric Chang and Patrick Tillett summoned to appear to Senate hearing
Former Belize City Deputy Mayor, Eric Chang, and the Council’s Financial Controller, Patrick Tillett, are both in hot water. They were “invited” to testify before the Senate Select Committee but they declined. Yesterday, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee, Aldo Salazar, told the media that the two have been summoned to appear in front of the committee. If they do not appear, a warrant for their immediate arrest will be issued. It is not yet known when they are to appear.

International Sources

Events taking place in the Caribbean all year round in 2017
Caribbean tourism in 2017 can be expected to be at its highest point, with a year filled with exciting events taking place around the region: from Carnival celebrations, to Sailing Weeks, the Crop Over Festival at Barbados, and fantastic music festivals or patron saints’ festivals, every month brings at least one fun celebration worth attending. January was quite an eventful month, with the renowned Championship Bahamas at Paradise Island, but it is now already behind us. Looking to the near future, both the Saint Thomas International Regatta Stir and the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival in the British Virgin Islands are just around the corner. Fans of yachting and watersports cannot miss these two events, both of which take place at the end of March. Highlights are the San Pedro Lobster Festival in Belize (June 15), the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival in Aruba (September 15-16), not to mention the 35th America’s Cup (presented by Louis Vuitton) that runs from May to June in Bermuda.

Guyana beats Belize 4-1
Guyana secured their first win at the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Champion-ship, dismissing newcomers Belize 4-1 on Wednesday at the Malcolm Beach Soccer Facility, Bahamas. Deshawn Joseph bagged a double in the fourth and 29th minute, while Jahshawn Moore and Jamal Haynes netted in the 24th and 25th minute, respectively. For the loser, an own goal in the fifth minute was the only noteworthy moment.

Videos

February 23, 2017

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Belize’s Queen of Brukdown ‘Leela’ Vernon passes away
Belize’s Ambassador for Creole Culture and Brukdown Queen, Lila ‘Leela’ Vernon passed away on Sunday, February 19th at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. The cultural icon had been hospitalized at the Intense Care Unit since February 10th, where she was receiving treatment for chronic renal failure. Vernon was 66 years old. Her passing away leaves behind a rich legacy of empowering music celebrating the Creole culture at its highest level. Vernon was a Punta Gorda-born singer who greatly impacted the Creole culture of Belize. She gained local and international recognition for her popular song, ‘Ah Wah know who seh Kriol Nuh Gat no Culcha.’ She was also the vice-president and founder of the National Kriol Council, and even translated the Belize National Anthem into creole. Her music became synonymous with the celebration of Belizean and Creole cultural identity.

Senior Mechanical Engineer Averaldo Badillo recognized for 30 years of service at Tropic Air
Averaldo Badillo is the Senior Mechanical Engineer at Tropic Air Limited, and on Monday, February 20th, he was honored for THIRTY years of service to the airline. ‘Picho’, as he is affectionately known, has been with Tropic Air since 1987. Over three decades of work, has gained the trust and admiration of his employers. “The thing I like the most about Picho is that he looks at a problem from three dimensions,” said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. “While you and I may look at it two-dimensionally, he looks at the issue but is already crafting a solution.” Steve Schulte, CEO, chimed in. “Picho animates mechanical things. They aren’t just objects – they are alive to him, and he wants to fix it.” Both Greif and Schulte shared tales of Badillo’s legendary problem-solving skills. From figuring out how to revamp air ducts in Cessna Caravans, to building air stairs that are now used throughout Central America, all over Belize and even Mexico – all from a simple blueprint, he has managed to become an invaluable asset to Tropic Air. Apparently, the only time that parts end up in the trash is when Picho can’t fix or use them!

Tiger Sharks suffer their first loss in the 2017 NEBL season
The San Pedro Tiger Sharks experienced their first loss in the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) season on Friday, February 17th against Dangriga Dream Ballers. The island boys travelled to the cultural capital of Dangriga in southern Belize, where after four quarters of intense battle against the home team, they fell short by five points, giving way to the Dream Ballers’ victory 57-52. Other games that took place over the weekend included Belize City No Limit against Smart Belize Hurricanes. The two Belize City based teams clashed in an action packed game on Saturday, February 18th at the Belize Elementary Gym. The Smart Belize Hurricanes started by dominating the match, but not for too long. At the end of an intense game, Belize City No Limit walked away with the victory in a final score of 75-70.

Saga assists in the rescue of injured ocelot
Saga Humane Society was recently made aware that an ocelot had been seen wearing an apparent collar and dragging its hind legs north of San Pedro Town. Saga was unsuccessful in capturing the wounded animal, as the wild cat escaped to the nearest mangroves whenever it was approached. However, on Monday, February 20th, it was captured by Norman Gutierrez and Gaspar Alcoser, and Justin Romsa transported it to Saga’s clinic for veterinary care. Saga’s Veterinarian Assistant Ingrid Lima gave the ocelot a thorough exam before it was stabilized. Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durand, who is the CEO and founder of the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic, was then contacted and arrangements were made with Tropic Air to fly the wild cat to the mainland.

Ambergris Today

Sargassum is BACK, Clean Efforts Pick Up
The nasty, smelly and unsightly sargassum is back! You can smell it in the air while walking through town and its blocking our beaches once again. Will the problematic sargassum wash ashore in abundance like it did last year? No one knows for sure, but we know that there is a lot of clean up ahead. Islanders are once again pulling out the rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows and heading to the beach to clean up. It's an arduous task, but if left untouched it becomes an even bigger problem. Let’s hope it’s not as bad as 2016!!!

Two Men Fined $10,000 for Illegal Entry into the Mayflower Bocawina National Park Protected Area
Carlos Palacios (35 years) and Donald Wewe (47 years) both pleaded guilty to illegal entry into a protected area in the Dangriga Magistrate court on February 20th, 2017. The men were charged under the National Protected Areas System Act of 2015 and were fined $10,000 each. Failure to make payment will result in a 1-year imprisonment. Authorities found the two men during a routine patrol within the Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Stann Creek District in April 2016. They were found in possession of twenty-seven (27) pieces of prickly-yellow lumber and a chain saw. The Mayflower Bocawina National Park spreads over 7,800 acres of broadleaf forest and contains Mayan archaeological sites, three primary waterfalls and is home to a variety of wildlife species; however, it is fast becoming a hotspot for illegal logging operations and looting. Recognizing that the complexity of illegal logging and illegal timber-trafficking requires greater collaboration of all stakeholders, the Forest Department officers and rangers of the Mayflower Bocawina Environment and Development Group have stepped up patrols and monitoring to stem the illegal forestry activities in this area. Over the next months, the Forest Department will increase the number of rangers and patrols, improve collaboration with co-managers and join law enforcement officers in setting-up road blocks and inspection points at strategic areas.

Misc Belizean Sources

January 2017 Trade & Consumer Price Index
The latest figures released by the Statistical Institute of Belize show that, on average, the prices of goods and services purchased by Belizean Households were 0.9 percent higher in January 2017 than they were in January of 2016. The All-Items consumer price index stood at 104.1, an increase from 103.2 in January 2016. During the month of January 2017, Belize’s total imports were valued at $141.1 million, rising by 7.7 percent or $10.1 million when compared to almost $131 million imported in January 2016. The start of the year saw increased imports across most categories, with goods destined for the ‘Commercial Free Zones’ recording the largest growth at $5.6 million. While this upswing was mainly the result of heightened purchases of cigarettes, greater importation of books, plastic crates and prefabricated buildings led to a $3 million rise in the ‘Other Manufactures’ category. Notably, the year began with an upsurge in world market prices for fuel, and despite seeing only a moderate increase in the quantity of regular fuel imported, Belize spent considerably more in January 2017 than it did in January 2016 on this product.

MEXICAN AMBASSADOR AND TRANSPORT MINISTER MEET
Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize H. E. Carlos Quesnel met yesterday in Belmopan with Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management Hon. Edmond Castro. The Minister and the Ambassador discussed opportunities for cross-border operations for motor carrier services between Belize and Mexico. A memorandum of understanding is being prepared and should be signed shortly to establish the framework under which such services will be provided. Ambassador Quesnel described the meeting as “very productive”. Hon. Castro thanked him for the visit and says he is pleased with the deepening of the longstanding friendly relations between our two countries.

Western Ballaz Host Bandits
The Western Ballaz are hosting the Belmopan Bandits on Friday, February 24th. This is one of the big games this season. Go, Ballaz! "You can't miss out on the game that we've all been waiting for. Your Cayo Western Ballaz will be going up against Belmopan Bandits this Friday at 9 p.m. Keep your ticket stubs for the half- time give away of a cellphone and other great prizes. See you this Friday at SHC's Auditorium. Let's go Ballaz!!!"

Phoenix & LA Sales Presentations 2017
The Belize Tourism Board Team conducting country presentations in Phoenix and Los Angeles!

US Embassy's Woman of the Year award
Do you know a Belizean woman who deserves recognition? Nominate her for the Embassy's Woman of the Year award! International Women's Day and Women's History Month is in March. The Embassy will recognize an outstanding Belizean woman for her inspirational accomplishments and positive contributions to her communities. We are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the "Woman of the Year 2017" contest.

Shark fishing is taking place again at Lighthouse Reef Atoll
We have been informed that shark fishing is taking place again at Lighthouse Reef Atoll and have been sent images of some of the landings. The shark fishers are refusing to vacate private land. We were informed that they hold shark fishing licenses and further hold the special Managed Access fishing licenses meant for long-time users and traditional fishers of Zone 7 / Lighthouse Reef Atoll. One year ago exactly, fishers using nets and longlines killed an estimated 1,000+ sharks (per accounts of several occupants of Sandbore Caye in Lighthouse Reef). See our FB post from 21 February 2016 for details. We were informed that the shark meat and fins were exported to Guatemala. The impact of this fishing was substantial: dive operators and our annual scientific monitoring both registered a significant drop in records of sharks following the shark fisheries discovered in February 2016. Belize was outraged that its long-lived marine wildlife that generates a conservative estimate of BZ$6.8 million in renewable income from protected area entrance fees and snorkel/dive tour costs from ONLY Lighthouse Reef Atoll should be fished unsustainably if at all. Belize is in a rare position worldwide of being able to benefit from sharks and rays for tourism and does not depend on these species for food.

Happy Birthday to Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his twin sister Dalinda Guerrero!
Before the night ends, the Staff and the San Pedro Town Council would like to wish a Happy Birthday to Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his twin sister Dalinda Guerrero! May God bless you always and fills you with great blessings.

Grand Raffle to benefit Lizette Alamina Gutierrez
Get your Numbers now to win this amazing Prize. $500 in retail purchases from Brand Shopping Wholesale...the home of your favorite Catalog Brands including Avon, Betterware and Tupperware..PLUS so much more! Prize is a Donation. All proceeds and earnings will go to Lizette Alamina Gutierrez to continue her ongoing Cancer Treatments in Guatemala City. Your kind purchase will be most appreciated!! Numbers go on Sale as of NOW!!

WWF Belize Saving our Shared Heritage!
This Thursday we get to spend the day with national treasure Rebecca Rath - Miss Belize 2016. How cool is that?! Join us LIVE at 11:40am from Laughingbird Caye, one of the beautiful protected areas that make up our Belize World Heritage site, and coincidentally, very near to where Bex grew up. Discover why these areas are so important and why we need your help to protect it. Tune in and join us in taking action at panda.org/belize

Flock of Guinea Fowl at Belize Bird Rescue
There's a flock of Guinea Fowl living on the property. They can fly, but seem to prefer walking. They stay pretty close together, probably for security.