Recent Belize News, 6/1/2016 to 6/10/2016, BelizeNews.com

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

The San Pedro Sun

The San Pedro RC School Boys Team has just won their FIRST game in the National Primary School Football Tournament!
WHOOHOO!!! SPRCS won 2-1 against Orange Walk, with Ian Pou Jr. scoring both goals. This means they are still in the championship hunt! Goooooooooooo SPRCS!!!

SPRCS to represent Belize District in National Primary School Football Tournament
After both female and male football teams from San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS) emerged victorious at the Rural South Primary School Football Tournament on Thursday, June 2nd, both teams advanced to the District finals. On Monday, June 6th, they travelled to Belize City where the boys from SPRCS took first place, while the girls settled for second place in the competition. As a result, the male team will be representing the entire Belize District at the Nationals in the city of Belmopan on Thursday, June 9th and Friday, June 10th. The games were held at the MCC Grounds Stadium, and in the female division the SPRCS girls took on the female team from the Belize Elementary School. At the end of the match, Erica Pop from SPRCS led her team to victory with a close score of 1-0. With this score they advanced to the finals of the competition. In the male division, the male team from SPRCS faced the boys from St. John’s Vianney Roman Catholic School who was no match to the island team. With a score of 2-0, the male team then joined the female team in the finals.

International Costa Maya Festival® is set for August 4th – 7th
While it has been relatively quiet on the press front, the International Costa Maya Festival® committee has been working hard behind the scenes in preparation for the annual festival. The dates are set: Thursday August 4th through Sunday August 7th, and entertainment for each night has been confirmed. As is tradition, the festival will take place at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Stadium in San Pedro Town. Following the main format, Thursday night will be Pageant Night, with eight beautiful contestants vying for the title of Reina de La Costa Maya. Beauties from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama will be competing onstage for the title currently held by 2015’s Gabriela Vanessa Salazar Valle. We already have confirmed the first two gorgeous contestants, and they are Miss Costa Rica and Miss Nicaragua.

Lions celebrate 38th National Convention
Lions and Leos of the Lions Zone 59 held their 38th Annual National Convention on Saturday, June 4th and Sunday, June 5th. The convention was especially dedicated to the memory of Lion Carol Cabral, and held under the theme “Many Hands, One Heart, All Eyes-Lions We Serve.” Hundreds of members from San Pedro Town, San Estevan, Belize City, Belmopan City, and Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico gathered at the Lion Lester H. Young, TRC Building located in Belize City to celebrate the occasion. During the two days of fellowship, members took the opportunity to reflect on the goals and objectives of Lionism. The official opening ceremony took place on Saturday, June 4th, where a cabinet meeting saw numerous Lions discussing zone resolutions, the venue for the next convention, and listening to a motivational talk given by Jerry Enriquez. Mayor Darrell Bradley of Belize City, Director of the National Drug Abuse Control Council Esner Vellos, and Zone 59 Chairman Lion Raul O. Castillo, also gave addresses. Following the opening ceremony visitors and Lion members had the opportunity to visit the various hospitality booths. The booths featured a variety of tasty food and drinks, as well as plenty of giveaways.

Lack of man power again delays completion of Police Barracks
The completion of the second phase of a police barracks for the San Pedro Police Formation will once again experience a delay. The building which will provide additional space to accommodate more law enforcers on the island has been in the construction phase for two years now with its completion still far from sight. According to Nuñez, the delay is now due to the lack of support in the work force, thus, the works will need additional time to be completed. “We need support when it comes to labor in order to finish all the works inside and outside the building. At the moment we are painting the outside of the structure, but it’s only my employees and myself doing it, it is not enough man power. We need additional assistance to finish the job soon,” said Nuñez.

Misc Belizean Sources

Wildtracks Update: Today is a huge step forward for nine of our endangered Yucatan black howler monkeys
oday they move down to the release site at Fireburn, ready for their release back into the wild on Sunday. The three groups have all completed the rehabilitation process, living as semi-wild monkeys in the pre-release enclosure for more than eleven months. It is now time for them to graduate to the real world. Group 1: Teddy and Tilly. Group 2: Little Bean, Suri, Jessie, JW and Hobbes. Group 3: Jaz and Little Pea. These nine monkeys have come a long, long way. Each has its own individual story - some were confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, others were found as abandoned or injured infants. The post-release tracking crew have been making the final preparations for yhe release - setting up the release cages, making repairs to the Fieldbase ready for the three months of dawn to dusk monitoring.

Caye Caulker Lobster Fest Cook-Off
No Miss Lobster Fest pageant this year, bummer. But the cook off should be fun! As our annual Lobster Fest approaches we have been faced with many challenges in the preparations of this year’s festival; one of them being the Miss Lobster Fest Pageant. Unfortunately this year we will be unable to provide such event due to issues that are beyond our control. We are replacing the pageant with a Cook Off Competition along with live performance by Dynamix Steel Pan and Belize's Soca Queen: Ernestine Carballo. Join us on Friday, July 1st to see your local cooks compete in the first ever cook off and it will be free entry.

Mr. Murrio Ducille sworn in to the Belize Court of Appeal
Mr. Murrio Ducille was sworn in by the Governor General H.E. Sir Colville Young on Tuesday, June 7th, as a Justice to the Belize Court of Appeal for a period of five years.

COMEDY hour today @Ak'boL
Okay San Pedro! Come join COMEDY hour today @Ak'boL Friday June 10th 6-7pm with comedian, screenwriter actress Corrine Petteys

World Accreditation Day 2016 and Recognition Ceremony
For the Belize Bureau of Standards ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification Today June 9th, 2016, the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) celebrated World Accreditation Day under the theme Accreditation: A global tool to support Public Policy. The event was hosted in the Cahal Pech Conference Room at the Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina, in Belize City with participation of key stakeholders across public and private entities. The Minister of State in the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce Hon. Tracy Taegar Panton, in her delivery to the participants, acknowledged the importance of accreditation to trade, manufacturing, industry, security, and health citing its far reaching impact on national policy. The Minister spoke of the most recent wins in accreditation for the CARICOM Region highlighting various laboratories in Jamaica, Guyana and Grenada, not without mentioning that various laboratories in country are currently pursuing accreditation.

Belizean Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Participates in Workshop on ICT Applications in Agriculture in Taiwan
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce that to strengthen the exchanges and share experiences with friendly countries, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) invited the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, to recommend an officer to participate in the Workshop on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Applications in Agriculture to be held from June 22nd to July 5th, 2016 in Taiwan. The aforementioned workshop will be hosted by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF).

Government of Belize Offers Condolences on the Passing of Muhammad Ali
The Government of Belize, as a mark of respect and tribute to the memory of the late Muhammad Ali, has ordered that Belize flags be flown at half mast on all official buildings on Friday 10th June 2016. Muhammad Ali, who at birth was named Cassius Clay, passed away on Friday 3rd June 2016 at the age of 74 years, after a long bout of illness. Muhammad Ali, world renowned African American athlete, three time world heavyweight champion boxer, human rights advocate and former United Nations Messenger of Peace, devoted most of his time outside of the ring, in pursuit of peace, supporting humanitarian projects, development initiatives and relief to the less fortunate in the developing world.

Mrs. "Marie" is bestowed with the highest honour
Well known Corozalea affectionately called Mrs. "Marie" is bestowed with the highest honours by the Government of Mexico. Congratulations goes to this sweet, forever helpful and humble woman. Mrs. Marie has also given of her tireless service to our Corozal community. Ambassador of Mexico to Belize Carlos Quesnel: "The Honorary Consulate of Mexico opened its doors in 1997 in the Corozal District, and it was on the 5th of June that our esteemed and very much appreciated Maria Luisa Espat received her exequatur. So today, I say thank you Honorary Consul for all your hard work and dedication for the past 19 years. The people of Corozal and Belize sincerely salute Mrs. Marie Espat being the recipient of this pretigious honour. Mrs. Espat was awarded the highest honour of the Government of Mexico, the Order of the Aztec Eagle, in recognition of her diligence and interest in the affairs of Mexico and its nationals.

Cayo Strongman Competition
The first ever strongman competition in Cayo will be at the Hillview Train Station on Saturday, June 18th. They are running a special on memberships right now. "An updated flyer to inform you with additional information on the Strong Man/Woman competition. It is open to residents of Ontario to Benque only. Call our official numbers for correct information 6277441 or 6365058."

BAS 2016 Summer Camps
The Belize Audubon Society is getting ready for their Summer Camp series. Lots of great sites around Cayo, and Belize, will be visited. "Summer is almost here and we have prepared fun-filled camps! Join us as we learn from nature and engage in exciting adventures. Our BAS Summer Camps......'Where learning about nature is fun!' For more information about our camps call us at 223-5004"

SAT Prep Tutorial: FREE SUMMER SAT CLASSES!
Don't miss this opportunity to prepare for the SAT and apply to universities in the U.S.!!! It's Free and in Belize City at the EducationUSA Reference Center!!!! The National Library Service and Information Systems in partnership with The EducationUSA Reference Center is Offering free SAT classes for the summer.

Channel 7

(Still) Bex With Ms. Bev
The firings of UDP stalwarts from the office of UDP Area Rep for Belize Rural Central, Beverly Castillo has been in the news for two weeks now. And while much has been said, Castillo hasn't said much, only pointing us to a Facebook post indicating that one of the terminated women, Ingrid Hernandez, admitted that she leaked information from Castillo's office. Since then, Hernandez was hired by deputy PM, Patrick Faber and Elena Kerr was hired ta the City Council. And after that, everyone might have lived happily ever after…but in politics there are very few fairytale endings and for a handful of Ladyville residents, it's not over until Castillo relocates her office from the village. At least that's what they say. Last week Thursday these same residents came out with placards, but the protest backfired because they did not get a license to protest. But today all their papers were in order, and so they hit the streets again hoping to draw attention to an issue which they claim to be political victimization.

Snatched Up By Social Media
Last night, we showed you the man caught on camera burglarizing Spoonaz Photo Cafe and Bar. Well, that man is Derrick Garbutt, and our best information is that he is at the Belize Central Prison awaiting bail. Court details are that he was indeed arraigned yesterday on the offences of burglary and theft, and he though he pleaded not guilty, and was granted bail, he was unable to meet it. He was taken up to the Belize Central Prison, where he will remain until he or family members of his are able to make arrangments to meet the bail terms. As we reported, he broke into Spoonaz Cafe on North Front Street last week Tuesday and stole about $500 worth of top-shelf liquor, and a pellet gun. Bar owner Jeremy Spooner posted it on Facebook, asking for help in identifying him. From there he learned that Garbutt had burglarized another man's business place, and he was once again caught on camera.

The Ministry and Mr. Monima
The Ministry of Health's hiring of a Regional Manager for the North has raised eyebrows - and that's because critics are saying Audibaldo Monima is trained as a coast guard officer, not a Health Administrator. Indeed, the terms of reference for the job call for someone with a Master's degree in Public Health Administration, Health Systems Management of the equivalent. But, the CEO in the Ministry of Health says Monima has a master's degree in naval administration - which is a much contested claim. The CEO Ramon Figueroa told us Monima is on contract on a 6 month trial basis. The CEO says, quote, "one of his strengths is management, and the reason for the contract is to allow for an evaluation of his performance over the next six months." End quote. After that - if his performance is satisfactory - the recommendation to make him full time will go from the Ministry of Health to the Public Service. And while the Health CEO says Monima has a master's in naval administration, others say he only has an Associate's degree, and, at best, a training certificate from the Mexican Navy. We know that he did not embark on any course of study while he was in the Coast Guard.

No More Fuss Boledo Buyers: Lottery Machine Now Working
You all may remember the Sunday April 3rd Lottery uproar at the Magistrates Court. City residents were furious because the supervisors refused to start the game over after one of 4 balls did not pop up in its chamber. Police even had to be called out to calm the crowd. Well, as we told you, since then, the double pick machine has been used for the Sunday Lottery draw but, it won't be used much longer. That's because the Lottery machine has been fixed. Today we spoke to the machine suppliers from Smart Play International and the Service manager explained that it was a few electrical problems and improper storage that might have led to the fault in the machine. Randy Craft, Service Mgr. Smart Play Int'l: "I come down and I'll do it, a preventative maintenance pretty much go over everything in the machine. In this particular case there was an issue with the slide not opening up which we picked a few things that could've been the issue. We've replaced the parts and have been testing it most of the day and its been working fine."

Three Car Pileup On The Western
There was a multiple care pileup this afternoon on the Western Highway. It happened at 2:15 between miles 34 & 35. A white BTL Isuzu D-Max driven by Mark Anderson collided into a Cargo truck driven by Guillermo Canto of San Ignacio Town - while a black Mitsubishi Montero Sport driven by 25 year old Vanessa Canto, was also involved in the pileup. So far, police have concluded that the cargo truck was travelling towards Belmopan when the BTL Dmax - heading to the city - swerved into its lane - collided into the left driver side of the Cargo truck, snapping its front wheel and crushing the front end of the D-Max. The Black Montero was coming behind the cargo truck and also collided into the D-Max. The two men in the cargo truck complained of pain to their midsection, while Vanessa Canto who is from San Ignacio received an abrasion to the left side of her face, an injured wrist, and ankle. Another passenger, Lucio Canto had chest pain and a swollen forehead.

A Road Safety Simulation
And while that accident was dramatic and blocked highway traffic for hours, another that played out on the northern highway near the Biltmore Plaza this morning was just a simulation. Still, they made it look very real with bodies on the ground, severed arms and vehicles engulfed in flames. And if you passed there this morning you might have been aghast at the scene. But it was all a simulation for the City Emergency Management Organization. Participants in a two day workshop on road traffic accidents jotted down recommendations for the strategic response to any given accident on the road. The Liaison Officer for CEMO told us more today. Wayne Usher, Liaison Officer, CEMO: "What we did is we staged a 3 vehicle crash and we had players who role played as if they were injured, one dies and things like that. The players are the traffic departments of the transport department, traffic from Belize City, the police traffic department, we had the red cross, fire department, RF&G insurance and BERT ambulance. What you didn't see is that Karl Heusner hospital also took part. When the ambulance reached then with the role players then they went into action as to how they would deal with those accident victims, so they played as well."

From The Archives: How Deal Stealers Scammed The System
Chinese Businessman Jian Jiang was last night’s headline – he got fined one hundred and fifty grand for an un-customed Mitsubishi SUV. As we told you, the Mitsubishi Montero he bought in 2011 had cloned the VIN number from another vehicle - one that had been legitimately licensed to a man who died in an accident. More than that, after being cloned to that vehicle’s identity, Jiang’s SUV had been momentarily registered in the name of Charles Solis – a city resident who had died many years earlier. IT is a scam orchestrated by what we called stealer-dealers, car dealers who smuggle stolen vehicles in from Guatemala and then legitimize them through corrupt means at the City traffic Department. IT’s a practice that was prevalent about 6 years ago – which is when we first reported on the dimensions of the scam. Here’s our report from 6 years ago.:.. Jules Vasquez Reporting: Last night 7News broke the story detailing how stolen vehicles are fraudulently licensed at the City’s Traffic Department. The vehicles are mostly stolen from Guatemala and then smuggled into Belize. The dealers then have to license these vehicles that did not enter the country legally and did not pay duty. That’s when they turn to the City Traffic Department.

Elrington: Guatemalans Cannot Access What They Already Claim
One word you've been hearing in the news a lot recently is "annexation". We've used it to refer to what's happened on the Sarstoon - where the Guatemalans have exercised authority over the entire river, like they own all of it. The dictionary tells us that "annexation" means to "add (territory) to one's own territory by appropriation," and that sounds about right for the Sarstoon, but it, really? Well, not according to Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. In a comfortless semantic differentiation, he says they can't annex what they already claim to own:... Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "They would technically claim the whole country and so it is not correct to say that they are annex in the Sarstoon. What is the proper situation is to say that they are stopping people from using the Sarstoon, because really and truly they are claiming the whole territory as theirs."

Making Child Mental Health Matter
For most people, those childhood years are their most treasured memories, but that is not universally true. As children, some endure hardship and trauma that affect their health and well-being as adults. That was the focus of today's Mental Health Annual General Meeting. It is being held at the Princess Hotel and several Mental Health professionals are being trained to look for those warning signs that tell if a child is in distress or being abused. Today American Child and Adoloscent Psychiatrist Dr. Linda Chokroverty explained that there is a multi-generational cycle of trauma that is directly linked to mental health issues in kids. Dr. Linda Chokroverty, Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist, NY: "The main focus is to educate mental health workers and other professionals who work with families and children and to make them aware of things that may not be obvious. One of the most important things in terms of child development is prevention. If caring adults and caregivers can really provide children with the right guidance, the nutrients and the stability, even the experiences of a variety of a traumatic events that could happen in the lifespan can be made better or mitigated..."

Cops Need Counselling Too
So as you heard, the trauma that children experience can negatively impact their future, and if not treated or addressed it can lead to serious emotional and mental health problems, maybe that was the case with PC Edward Gonzalez ? He killed himself in front of the Queen Street Police Station last month. But no one knows for sure what Gonzalez's story was but Central Health Region Counselor Juliet Simmons discussed the impact of untreated stress and depression especially when it comes to police officers. Simmons also highlighted the importance of community support. Juliet Simmons, Counselor - General Health Region: "Regarding PC Gonzalez, we don't know his story unfortunately. But being a police officer, we are aware of the difficult situation they faced daily. They deal with a lot of challenges, they see a lot of crimes and from what I am aware of, I am not sure of the support system that they have. Yes there is the employee assistance program, but that's available when you seek help. So what happens to the people who are not seeking help? How do we know that our police officers are talking about what they are dealing with on a daily basis? They see a lot of violence. They deal with criminals. Are they personalizing these things? Are they taking these stress home? Are they dealing with these stress at work? I don't think our culture also encourage people to talk much about work stress. Until we are all sensitize about stress and mental health and how it affects the way we work, the way we communicate, the way we feel, when we will see a major improvement."

Bureau Of Standards Meets The Gold Standard
Most of the time when the Bureau of Standards makes the news, it's because that Government Department, which is responsible for consumer protection, is being criticized for not being able to enforce the laws against abusive merchants, usually due to lack of will, resources or personnel. Well tonight, the Bureau is making the evening news because they've become the first fully Government Department to receive international accreditation under the ISO 9001 certification. This means that the Bureau is carries stamp of approval in improved regularity frameworks, good governance, fair markets, all geared towards an increase in public confidence. That ISO certification came at the right time when the Bureau of Standards was celebrating World Accreditation Day with the rest of the world under the theme: Accreditation: A Global tool to Support Public. Today, we stopped by the Ask the Director and his Minister about the milestone:

BPP Calls For The Full Message to Go Out On Referendum
Earlier in the news, you heard Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington discussing his views on the Guatemalan's effective occupation of the Sarstoon River, saying that it is incorrect to suggest that they have annexed the Sarstoon - since they claim the whole country. And while that pronouncement is sure to raise more public ire against Elrington, the Departments under his Ministry, namely the Referendum Unit, and the International Boundaries Commisison, are coming under fire from the Belize Progressive Party. That's because there is a referendum pending in both Belize and Guatemala on whether the Guatemalan territorial claim to Belize should be taken to the International Court of Justice. The BPP says that these Foreign Ministry Departments have a responsibility to provide the general public with all information related to the pro's, the cons, and the risks of taking the claim to the ICJ. But, according to the Green Party, these Government officials have been pushing the yes vote so much, they've been ignoring the cons and the risks of going to the ICJ. Here's Deputy Party Leader Wil Maheia explaining their issue with the Government's yes campaign for the ICJ:

Hon. Tracy Not Commenting On a Prospective Challenger
And moving from the BPP to the UDP, today we asked ask Albert Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton if she is concerned about political blowback for having opposed Patrick Faber in the Convention for UDP First Deputy. She came out strong for Saldivar, appearing in television commercials and rallying her delegates, which did not escape the attention of the Faber camp. So, today, we asked her about it, and here's what she had to say: Daniel Ortiz: "Given that you've chosen to support his opponent, it is a concern of yours that come 2020, he may seek to put an opponent against you to try to solidify his own base if he should become party leader?" Hon. Tracy Taegar, Area Rep., Albert Division: "Minister Faber is our new deputy leader and he is the new Deputy Prime Minister of Belize. Certainly all of us at cabinet provide our support for him at this juncture in time. I don't know what the future will hold, but I can say this that I continue to work very diligently in my constituency..."

Police: Keeping the Community Clean and Safe
Today Northside police officers along with city council workers were out all day chopping and cleaning yards. It's part of their police cleanup campaign and this afternoon Public Relations Officer Fitzroy Yearwood told us it goes beyond just clearing bushy lots. We also spoke to a resident in the Coney Drive area who told us this initiative is just what her community needed. As you heard, there will be a second phase of this campaign where more lots in other areas will be cleared. Also as part of this community outreach program a book fair will be held on Saturday at the NARCIE parking lot.

A Marine Mural
Public murals are more than just a pretty picture, they serve to educate passers-by and offer public inspiration. That's what OCEANA and the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage hope to do with a new one on the Belize City seawall in front of the Chateau Caribbean. IT was unveiled this afternoon, and we got a look. The principal artwork was done by Raphael Rodriguez.

CDC and Ministry of Health Ready For Rain
The rainy season is upon us, and it poses its own special public health and safety issues. Today at the Biltmore Plaza they were assisted by members of the Centers for Disease and Control in analyzing the Ministry's already existing plan of action. We found out more. James A. Banaski - Global Response Preparedness Team CDS: "This week we are working with the regional district folks within the ministry of health within the hospitals helping them review their preparedness in response plans for natural disasters specifically hurricanes as well as infectious diseases like Zika and Dengue." Emanuel Pech: "What is some of the main topics that are being discuss at the table today?" James A. Banaski - Global Response Preparedness Team CDS: "Some of the main topics being discuss today are cooperation between national emergency management organization as well as the Ministry of Health between the different hospitals as well as the district and city level emergency offices, looking at resource sharing, looking at how they support each other during the response."

Can They Contain ZIKA?
And the rains coming down translates into multiplying mosquito populations. Now the Ministry of Health doesn't have a specific ZIKA response plan but what they do have is a vector control plan of action. The Principal Public Health Inspector believes that they can use it to contain the Zika virus before it becomes an epidemic. John Bodden told us more. John Bodden, Health Disaster Focal Point: "Belize can boast of having a very good program from the 1970's. We started with a vector control program which targeted malaria specifically and then eventually it rolled out. It has been operational and it has been functioning since then. I think that has been one of the benefits for the country in terms of reducing the number of cases because it's not just today we're starting to look at implementing strategies to control the vector. It has been an ongoing work and so we find ourselves in a better position than many other countries who are just introducing a vector control program."

Primary School Footballers, Playing Like Pro's
Primary school footballers got to play like the pro's today, on artificial turf at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan. It's the National Primary School Championship Competition featuring the top two teams from each district, one male and one female. According to the acting president of FBB Marlon Kuylen, competitions like these are necessary to hone the skills of our future football stars. The CEO for Sustainable Development also made mention of the importance of promoting gender equality within the sports realm. Here are a few of their comments at a brief opening ceremony before the start of the competition. At the conclusion of today's games only four teams will move on to the semifinals. Those games will be played tomorrow.

Channel 5

Will Belize and Guatemala Discuss Sarstoon Protocols at OAS General Assembly?
The O.A.S. General Assembly is slated for next week. The annual session is the highest level of political engagement in the hemisphere between foreign ministers. It was stated at the [...]

Lisa Shoman Disagrees with Elrington’s Opinion on Internationalizing Border Dispute
The very strong remarks made by former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega have gotten very positive attention locally. Vega castigated Guatemala for what he called a troubling shift in foreign [...]

Shoman Disagrees with Foreign Minister on Sarstoon Annexation
Foreign Minister Elrington also, during his extended interview, explained that allegations that Guatemala is annexing the Sarstoon are unfounded and impossible. Shoman says she respectfully disagrees. Lisa Shoman, Member [...]

So What is Guatemala’s Position on Claiming all of Belize?
And then there was that unexpected assertion from Foreign Minister Elrington on Tuesday. He claimed that based on Guatemalan’s repudiation of the 1859 Treaty, that country is now claiming the [...]

Mounting Outcry Over Appointment of New Regional Health Manager
On Wednesday night, News Five broke the story of Audibaldo Monima, Belize’s brand new Regional Health Manager for the north, including major health facilities in Orange Walk and Corozal. Almost [...]

3-way Collision on George Price Highway
There was a three vehicle pileup on the George Price Highway between mile thirty-four and thirty-five this afternoon. A white Isuzu D-max, the property of Belize Telemedia Limited, was extensively [...]

G.O.B. Loses to Belize Bank in UHS Arbritration, $36 Million Awarded
In the most recent chain of losses for the Government of Belize, a federal judge in the District of Columbia confirmed on Wednesday the enforcement of the arbitration award against [...]

Crooked Tree Fishermen Halted on Haul Day!
Haul Day is a big event in the Crooked Tree, Belize District. It allows fisher folks to catch fish in the lagoon within the wildlife sanctuary for their own consumption [...]

B.P.P. Says No to ICJ, Yes to UN Security Council
Amid the ongoing territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, the Belize Progressive Party has been unwavering in its position that a resolution at the International Court of Justice is not [...]

Is There an Amendment to the Referendum Act in the Offing?
Of concern to the B.P.P. is recent talk that the Referendum Act will be amended. This, according to Bobby Lopez, has raised the ire of the party and, if necessary, [...]

B.P.P. No Longer to Disclose Source of Campaign Finances
The issue of campaign financing is one that the B.P.P. has been wanting to address since entering the political fray. While neither of the established mass parties are willing to [...]

Lisa Shoman Comments on Sarstoon Situation
The Sarstoon has been a fixture in the newscast for months, but what’s the latest on the river? Can we go there without being stopped, or not? The P.U.P. did [...]

No Sleeping at the Wheel on ICJ Resolution
And finally, there’s the International Court of Justice. There’s no certainty that the dispute will end up in that forum and if it does, that is years in the future. [...]

Belize Offers Condolences on Loss of Boxing Legend
This Friday, flags will be flying at half mast on official buildings to pay tribute to the legendary boxer, Muhammed Ali, who passed away on June third. The government announced [...]

U.S. Deportee Fined for not Checking in with GSU
A deportee, who was sent back to Belize from the U.S., will have to pay a fine for not reporting to the GSU as required. Twenty-five year old Keith Flowers [...]

Nikolai James to Stand Trial for Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with Minor
Today, a preliminary inquiry determined that a Belize City security guard will have to stand trial at the Supreme Court for the offense of unlawful sexual intercourse of a girl [...]

OCEANA Unveils Belize City Mural
World Ocean’s Day was celebrated on Wednesday. OCEANA headed the activities to promote awareness of a healthy environment. Today, a mural of Belize’s natural wonders was unveiled in a prominent [...]

Healthy Living Looks At A Condition Affecting Men
It’s not the kind of diagnosis that men, who are the least frequent to visit the doctor, would go pursuing. In fact, the symptoms are so common place that most [...]

CTV3

Appointment Of New Northern Regional Health Manager Raising Questions
Thirty year old Audibaldo Monima Junior, former coastguard officer is now the new Regional Health Manager for the northern region. As we told you last night Monima’s appointment is already raising eyebrows and a whole lot of questions and that’s because he apparently is not qualified for the post since he has no background or experience in the health sector. While the terms of reference for the position calls for a master’s degree in public health administration; health systems management or equivalent and a minimum work experience of five years in public health administration, finance and human resource management, Monima only holds an associate’s degree in business administration from the Corozal Junior College and a certificate from the Mexican Navy. So why was he awarded the top post? Well, for one we understand that his contract was approved by Minister of Health Pablo Marin one month ago. Two….and this is according to the CEO in the Ministry of Health Dr. Ramon Figueroa, Monima has a masters in Naval Command and he is on contract and trail basis. The contract will allow for evaluation of performance over the next six months.

Elrington Weighs In The Case Of Mennonite Report
Two weeks ago Mennonite Businessman Roger Plett shared the story of being abducted in the Green Hills Area of Spanish Lookout and taken across the border, allegedly by the Guatemalan military. Plett also added that he was tied up and his tractor destroyed in the process of providing service to an NGO on the Guatemalan side of the border to contain a forest fire. Police’s investigation on the case concluded and they found that Plett’s story was, in fact, accurate. However, GOB did not protest the actions of the Guatemalans and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Wilfred Elrington, who was not in the country when the incident occurred, says the entire incident was all just an act of neighborly disposition. Honorable Wilfred Elrington – Minister of Foreign Affairs:"They were fighting fire, the fire got away and the fire was moving from Belize into Guatemalan territory and the Mennonites had equipment to help to stop the fire and was invited by a Guatemalan NGO to assist to lend them the equipment to assist and they resisted and the Guatemalan NGO decide to take self-help and take it from them and decided to use it to clear off the area to make sure the fire would not go any further into Guatemala..."

Guatemalan Children To Keep Studying In Belize
There are a number of Guatemalan students who travel into Belize on a weekly basis with the sole purpose of attending school in Benque Viejo Del Carmen in the Cayo District located just across the border which separates Belize and Melchor de Mencos. And while there is an on-going territorial dispute between both Countries which has resulted in a number of hostile confrontations mainly over the Sarstoon River, there is presently heightened scrutiny on all activities that occur between the two countries, which brings GOB’s decision to freely allow these students to enter Belize, into question. During an interview with the media on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Patrick Faber was asked about the reason behind this decision and this is what he had to say about it.

PlusTV

17 year old escaped gun shots
A 24-year-old Belize City resident, Alston Smith, has been arrested and charged by police for the offense of ‘aggravated assault’. This is after he allegedly he fired shots at a 17-year-old male minor who told police that on Tuesday evening at around 4:45 p.m., he was in front of his house when Smit...

Fraudulent Investment Schemes suspected in Belize
Plus news has received several reports of a potential pyramid scheme occurring in the country of Belize; beginning somewhere in the north and making its way to the cayes and other parts of the country. According to the reports we have heard, the scheme targets women who are approached to make an “in...

Road safety: why some drivers still don’t get it
The 4th annual symposium on disaster management sponsored by the Central Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) in Belize City has been a staple associated with the start of the hurricane season. Previous events each dealt with a different aspect of hurricane preparedness: overall emergency manage...

World Bank predicts small growth for Belize economy
“The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is expected to suffer a second consecutive year of recession in 2016, the first double-year contraction in more than 30 years.” That is a direct quote from the World Bank’s latest Economic Prospects Report. The report says “Poor weather conditions in Bel...

Businessman did not pay duty for vehicle
Jian Huan “Allan” Jiang was found responsible for not paying Customs duties on an alleged contraband white Mitsubishi Montero vehicle sold to him. Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser thus imposed a fine of $149,085.00, more than three times the 30 thousand dollar value he says he paid for the vehicle. T...

Uncle and Nephew are nabbed by Fisheries Department in possession of hicatee
Yesterday we told you about the hicatee bust made by fisheries department. As we told you, according to Belizean law, no individual should have more than three hicatees per person and no vehicle should be carrying more than five hicatees at a time. There are also limits on the size of female hicatee...

Fishermen nabbed for closed season lobster
Lobster season is closed from February 15 to June 14 of any given year and while the opening of the season is only six days away, two fishermen and a watchman who worked with them apparently could not wait and were caught with 142 of the crustaceans. The Fisheries Department picked up 54 year old Fi...

The Guardian

Hon Patrick Faber is new Deputy Prime Minister
On Tuesday June 7, Hon. Patrick Faber made his way to the Belize House in Belmopan where he was anxiously awaited by a throng of supporters and family members for him to be sworn in as the United Democratic Party’s next Deputy Prime Minister. Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Faber was elected as Deputy Party Leader at a Special National Convention of the UDP on Sunday May 29. As a result of this election he was the natural successor to Hon. Gaspar Vega who had resigned from the position of Deputy Party Leader in March. Being the Deputy Party Leader it was only natural that he be sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister.

Ready Call must pay $140,000 for workers’ Social Security
Ready Call Centre failed to pay Social Security contributions for its 500 plus workers in the months of February, March and April of this year; therefore, Chief Executive Officer Nubia Ramirez Moreno was dragged before the Belize City Magistrates Court on Tuesday, June 7. On Tuesday, May 31, Inspector Lawrence Lopez made a report against Ready Call Center which showed that they were in arrears of over $100,000 in Social Security contribution payments. As a result, the CEO, Nubia Ramirez Moreno, was contacted and subsequently summons to appear in court. Moreno was unrepresented when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. She was read a single charge of failure to pay Social Security contributions on and before the 15 of each month in respect of their employees for the months of February, March and April 2016. Moreno wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the charge.

Gapi tells off Jimmy
In his very last act as Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega used his high office to further the country's diplomatic agenda to raise awareness on the recent difficulties that Belize has been having with Guatemala over the territorial dispute. To raise the stakes even higher, Guatemala's President, Jimmy Morales, who has accused the Belize Defence Force, was present. That was still not a deterrent to DPM Vega, who minced no words and delivered Belize's message with the same confidence he would if he were speaking to his PUP opponents at a House Meeting. The stage for this word sparring match between Vega and Morales was the 7th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Association of Caribbean States. This event took place from June 2 to June 4 in Havana, Cuba, where majority of the 25 Member Countries made representation, Each delegate was given an opportunity to address their fellow colleagues. When it was Belize's turn, Gaspar Vega took the rostrum and used a portion of his 8 minute speech to talk about the concerning attempts that Guatemala has been making to enforce their claimed ownership over the Sarstoon.

UDP dominates village councils
Over the next 6 weeks 190 villages will be going to the polls to cast their ballots to select representatives in their villages. Each council is comprised of a chairman and 6 councillors. The first round of elections got underway on Sunday June 5 and the United Democratic Party is dominating these elections. in the first week 43 villages selected their council of those the UDP won the posts of chairman for 26 councils, 14 were for the PUP and 3 are independent chairpersons. While that is the count for chairmen, the UDP has a majority control of 28 villages that is it either holds the chairman and 3 or more councilors or 4 or more councilors without the chairman. In this first round of elections it is notable that the UDP, for the first time won the entire slate in Gales Point Manatee under the leadership of Hon. Beverly Castillo, the UDP representative for the Belize Rural Central Constituency. Also of note is that the UDP slate defeated the PUP in the village of Independence which had a slate comprising of the well to do PUP Zabaneh family.

CEMO focuses on road safety in disaster preparations
The City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) has assembled representatives from various emergency response agencies for a two day symposium on road safety strategies in municipalities. CEMO now holds the symposium annually at the beginning of the hurricane season as part of its comprehensive disaster management preparation exercise. This year the theme for the event is “Analyzing Road Traffic Accidents and Safety Strategies in Municipalities”. The event is being hosted at the Biltmore Plaza on Wednesday and Thursday, June 7-8. Participating in the event are representatives of municipal governments across the country, first responders, shelter caretakers, members of the business community that provide services relating to road traffic such as Caribbean Tires, and law enforcement personnel.

Belize Ready to Host CODICADER 2016
On Friday the 3rd June a delegation representing four Central American countries being Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador arrived in Belize via the Philip Goldson International Airport. The delegation was made up of heads of mission of the aforementioned countries. Costa Rica was represented by Robert Solano and Alfonso Obando; Nicaragua by Gustavo Arguello Roa and Javier Jiron; El Salvador by Roxana Calderon and Ernesto Hernandez and Panama by Hermes Ortega and Ricardo Torres. These heads of mission were in Belize to meet with members of the CODICADER technical commission and to assess Belize’s readiness to host the much anticipated CODICADER games. Upon arrival at the airport they were greeted by the minister responsible for sports, the Honorable Elodio Aragon Jr., C.E.O. Adele Catzim and the Belize delegation consisting of Julio Llinas – Technical Commission Rep, Director of Sports - Ritchell Dominguez and Belize’s Head of Mission - Deon Sutherland. A press conference was held after which the delegation departed for Orange Walk Town after a brief visit to the Altun Ha Mayan Site. In Orange Walk Town the group visited the Orange Walk Sporting Complex where volleyball will be played.

Condolences to the McNab Family
The staff of the Guardian Newspaper, Wave Radio and United Democratic Party Secretariat wish to extend condolences to the family and friends of the lovely Rosalee Gomez McNab who passed away on Tuesday, June 7, after a long and brave battle with cancer. Miss Rosalee was diagnosed with stage four uterus cancer five years ago. She had just thrown a party for children from across Belize City in 2011 when she returned home to Los Angeles and had to visit the doctor to have fluids drained from her back. She then had to make a second visit three days later to have fluids drained from her back again. Three pints of fluids was drained from her back in that three day span and further tests showed she had cancer and the tumor was pressing against her lungs. There were no previous signs of illness before she was diagnosed with stage four uterus cancer.

Two Cristo Rey Villages now have a Village Council
Cristo Rey Village in the Cayo District now has its own Village Council Team. The office of the Hon. Rene Montero in Cayo Central has announced that the Cristo Rey Village Council Team is now lead by an able Elmer Juarez. “Looking forward to continue working with the wonderful residents of Cristo Rey. Delivering Cristo Rey, once again for the great United Democratic Party,” states the Post from the Hon. Rene Montero in Cayo Central. The village saw it fit for the endorsement of the UDP Village council slate as residents are at this point able to have better access in and out of their village with the upgrade of their road. Cristo Ray Village in the Corozal District also elected a UDP team to represent them in the Village.

Evan X Hyde vs Albert Einstein
In his piece: “From the Publisher”on page 13 of the Amandala, issue No.2992; dated Sunday, June 5, 2016; Evan X Hyde wrote:“…nowadays, what I do is write columns and editorials...” Ya-Ya and Marisol have been on KREM TV/Radio with verbalizations such as “X said…”, “X suggested…”, “X showed…” All the above confirmed what I have been suspecting: X is the hidden hand encouraging word dullard Mose, instigating Wil’s provocations and prompting the warmongering drumbeat. X really cannot seriously hope to put dodo bird Cordel on the throne, so he probably covets a PUP win to facilitate Kremandala paying GST, staff wages and their other huge outstanding bills. The national issue ‘Guatemalan Claim’ has no place in such financial scheming:dangerous, disingenuous, disgraceful, utterly shameful, unforgivable, inexcusable and unpatriotic! Remember every seven year old knows that “PUP da big thief.”Cordel and baby vouchers! X and Mose are fighting for their supper; but KREMANDALA must never play with the lives of Belizeans – war is no joke! I will fight more aggressively than Mose, X and Sandra…but I do not need them to egg me on!

Guardian Group driving down price of insurance
“We are going to drive down the cost of insurance in Belize. I can guarantee you that,” said Abel Simpson of Simpson’s Insurance limited at the launching of a partnership with regional giant Guardian General Insurance Limited. Drivers are always complaining about the high price on vehicle insurance policies. Home owners do not complain as much because home insurance is not mandatory so they simply don’t get any. Therefore, after natural or man made disasters, people who lose their home are often left with nothing to fall back on. How many times on the local news do stories on fire end with “the home and its contents were not insured”? People do not live in uninsured homes because they don’t see the need for insurance. They live in uninsured homes because they cannot afford to do otherwise. Well, Abel Simpson is pledging to make insurance affordable – at least more affordable than it is today. On Wednesday, June 08, the Guardian Group formerly launched its new brand and strategic partnership with Simpson’s Insurance Agency Limited at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. At the launch, Simpson explained that they will be able to bring down insurance cost due to the size of Guardian’s client base. Guardian Insurance has been in Belize for a couple decades but just like branches in other regions it operated as an individual entity with its own client base.

Gwen Lizarraga High School to undergo renovation & extension
Commencement of work for the rehabilitation of computer labs and substitution of the woodwork and metalwork labs of Gwen Lizarraga High School, Belize City, will be held today at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday June 8, 2016. The Government of Belize in recognition of the critical role of education for social, economic, cultural, environmental and political development; is funding the rehabilitation of computer labs and substitution of the woodwork and metalwork labs of Gwen Lizarraga High School (GLHS) at an estimated cost of $698,226.58 courtesy of a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. The completion of the school project means that approximately 551 students who attend day classes; and 380 who attend evening classes at GLHS will now have access to a better learning environment in a new spacious and modern setting; thus enabling the country’s future leaders to further boost their vocational and entrepreneurial skills training in Information Technology, carpentry and metalwork. This project will also empower students with knowledge, skills and values.

Hugo Patt continues to deliver for his people
Village council elections are now in full swing and the UDP continues to dominate these elections. But elections are won because of hard work and such is the case in Corozal North where the UDP won three of the elections which were held. Hon. Hugo Patt delivered Yo Chen by way of an endorsement for the UDP slate. In San Pedro only the chairman was contested and in that the UDP chairman defeated the PUP candidate by a margin of 3 to 1. In Cristo Rey where the entire slate was contested, the UDP also put a trouncing on the PUP. Looking at the results so far in that constituency, it is showing that the people are satisfied with the work of the UDP and our representative there, Hon. Hugo Patt. And why would they not be? Visiting the area it can clearly be seen that significant investment is taking place. In Cristo Rey a health center is under construction which will serve the people of both San Pedro and Cristo Rey. That project is being implemented through the Social Investment Fund. Meanwhile in San Pedro a pre-school is also under construction. This comes by way of the European Union's Accompanying Measures for Sugar.

Belizeans walk for peace In Melchor
Belizeans and Guatemalans live along the border towns of Benque Viejo Del Carmen and Melchor De Mencos in a very cordial and an almost symbiotic relationship. Many of the residents on both sides are related and an even greater amount are friends. Ironically, the residents closest to the “rival country” are the ones furthest away from the dispute. Benquenos travel to Melchor routinely for shopping, leisure activities and entertainment. Melchor residents cross the border daily to go to school and visit friends and family. They are not separated by an invisible border line; instead, they are united by culture and live in codependent societies.

21st Meeting of the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards of the Caribbean continues to be held in Belize
The 21st Meeting of the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards of the Caribbean (CGPC) continued to be held on Wednesday, and will continue until Friday at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel in San Ignacio, Cayo. The event began on Monday of this week under the theme: “A changing climate! A changing world! Responsible pest and pesticide management – our responsibility.” Funding for these meetings are provided by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) project being implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). As part of the schedule, Gisel Correa, Project Manager of the Belize Chemicals and Waste Management Project BCWMP gave an overview of that project. In 2015, the Department of the Environment DOE started the BCWMP as a National project that is being implemented as a partnership initiative between the GEF/UNDP and the Government of Belize.

PUP loses again!
Although it may sound like a rhetorical statement , it is one the we must repeat at every opportunity we get to remind the People's United Party, that apart from those little enclaves of PUP diehards, the people of Belize don't want them. The last time the PUP won an election of any sort was on 5th March 2003. They won then, but even in that win the UDP had more than doubled the amount of seats it had before the election and had polled some 13,000 more voters than it had polled in the previous election in 1998 .While the PUP on the other hand improved by polling only 2,000 more than it did in the previous election in 1998. However it's percentage dropped from 59.67% to 52.16 for a drop of 7.51 percentage points. So from back then one could have seen that the UDP was getting stronger and was gaining the trust of the Belizean Electorate. PUP has not won as much as a marble contest since 2003. For clarity let's take a look at the elections they have lost during their losing streak .They lost the then Cayo South By-election in 2003, then General Elections in 2008, 2012 and 2015. During that time they also lost the By- election for Cayo North East in 2015 and the By-election for Dangriga \Sarawee \Hope Creek in 2015. Let's not forget that they lost the Municipal Elections in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015. They also lost at the Village Council level in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013.

PUP’s visits the Sarstoon: nothing to see!
The Opposition Party finally made itself useful for once in a long time, and they went to the Sarstoon River, the southern-most boundary between Belize and Guatemala that has been excessively discussed, much to the over-fatigue of the general public. Their trip took place on Friday, June 3, and rather than try to turn it into a media circus, which is a favorite tactic of theirs, they went mostly without any attention from the press except, Channel 7 News and Krem News, who found out about the trip very late and invited themselves. Those on the trip included the Party's senior leaders, including Opposition Leader John Briceño, and Senator Eamon Courtenay, the PUP representative which makes up a part of Belize's delegation on all things related to the Belize/Guatemala bilateral relationship. They were allowed to dock at the Belize Security Forces Joint Forward Operating Base at the mouth of the Sarstoon, where they took a tour and spoke with the soldiers stationed at the base. After familiarizing themselves with the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base, they took a tour of Sarstoon Island.

San Antonio Village in Cayo to have Health Centre
Some 2000 residents of San Antonio Village in Cayo, will soon have easier access to health services. Ground-breaking ceremonies to officially commence the construction of the new San Antonio Health Centre were held at the Community Centre in San Antonio village, Cayo District on Friday evening of last week. Present for the occasion on Friday was the Hon. Rene Montero, Representative of the Cayo Central Division as well as the Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health. Both Government Ministers spent time to interact with the villagers, the final beneficiaries of the health centre. Also present was William Lamb Jr, the Executive Director of the Belize Social Investment Fund. The Government of Belize, steadfast in its continued commitment to address the basic needs of Belizeans, in the areas of water, sanitation, education and health, is funding the San Antonio Health Centre project at an estimated cost of $623,912.30 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank.

Strategic moves for San Ignacio Police
Security within the jurisdiction of the San Ignacio Police Formation is now being taken with a strategic mindset and is evidence based. Now over four months at the helm, , Officer in Charge of the San Ignacio Police Formation has been working to improve a system of collaboration among stakeholders by continuously involving them in the strategic planning and policing of their community. Over the past few months, Anthony Richard Rosado has been meeting with members of the People’s Coalition of Cayo PCC as well as the Cayo Neighborhood Watch Association CNWA in that quest towards a community approach to policing. As a son of San Ignacio, Anthony Rosado has also been involved with several meet and greet sessions with members of the community to gauge the security needs and to build relations with community members. “I intend to engage the community and promote and institutionalize community policing and expanding all community outreach programs presently in place by the Commissioner of Police,” states Rosado, who is now a Doctoral Candidate at Edinburgh University pursuing a doctorate in Strategic Management.

Hon. Gaspar Vega’s address at the 7th Association of Caribbean States Summit in Havana, Cuba
A warm and resounding thank you President Raúl Castro Ruiz... It would be remiss of me not to note the tremendous warmth and good will that has been extended by you personally, your Government and the Cuban people on the occasion of this 7th ACS Summit. Secretary General Ambassador Alfonso Múnera, Distinguished Heads of State, Ministers, Delegates, All. I believe gratitude is also in order for the outgoing Chairman – not only was the business of our organization conducted with finesse, but with a horizon of a better positioned ACS for the future. Belize of course applauds the election of Ambassador June Soomer to the position of Secretary General, and as was mentioned by Foreign Minister Elrington when he introduced her yesterday, we have no doubts that she will continue the tradition of excellence set by our present Secretary General Múnera. We believe that Dr. Sooner’s invaluable experience in Caricom, will allow us, within the ACS, to capitalize on regional strengths, whilst working within the framework of a rejuvenated and repositioned association.

Rising Punta Star killed during robbery in Dangriga
John Jay Rodriguez, the 35 year-old well-known musician from Dangriga Town, was gunned down and killed by a group of armed thieves in a robbery gone bad. The incident happened on Friday, June 3, at around 11 p.m., at Havana Club and Entertainment Center, located on Havana Street in Dangriga. Police initial investigation is that Rodriguez was gambling at one of the shop's machines, along with 3 other customers. That's when 3 robbers, one of whom was armed with a handgun, entered the establishment. The armed assailant immediately demanded that the on duty cashier open the door behind the counter, his intention was clear that they were trying to rob the place. He attempted to kick open the door, but he was unable to. For reasons still unknown, that gunman then turned his gun on the 4 patrons and fired a single shot. The bullet grazed 38 year-old Stanley Venai, one of those men, and continued along its path, hitting Rodriguez in the left side of the face. That injury was fatal, and he collapsed right where he was standing in the store.

BDF camp coordinator indicted for sex with camper, 14
BDF Private and 2015 Camp Coordinator, Kenneth Gary Swazo, 30, has been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court of Belize for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old camper in August of last year. This ruling was handed down by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith after a preliminary inquiry concluded on Thursday, June 2. Swaso was unrepresented at the PI and the prosecutor in the case, Inspector Egbert Castillo, submitted as many as ten statements and six documentary evidence which the crown is relying on to prove the charge against him. Private Swazo told the court that he has documents and witnesses that can prove he was not even at the camp where it is alleged that he first met the minor. He says he will be calling four witnesses to prove his point. According to reports, Swazo met the girl at the 2015 BDF Summer Camp and kept in touch after the camp was over. According to reliable sources and police report, on August 20, 2015, Swazo took the girl to a hotel located on the Phillip Goldson Highway, formerly known as Gulf Hotel, where they had sexual intercourse.

Salvadoran accused of sexually assaulting an infant
Salvadoran national, Julio Alexander Devas, 42, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after he was charged with one count of sexual assault upon a minor who is only 7 years and 4 months old. Allegations are that on May 18, 2016, Devas intentionally and unlawfully penetrated the mouth of the minor against her will and the penetration was sexual in nature. Devas appeared in court before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Monday, June 6, where he was provided with a court interpreter since he claims he spoke little English. After the single charge was read to him, Devas pleaded not guilty. Prosecutor in the case, Inspector Egbert Castillo, objected to bail on the grounds of the prevalence of the offense and the high possibility that if granted bail Devas will interfere with the victim who is of a very tender age.

Fishermen caught with lobsters out of season
The Fisheries Department caught 3 men at a camp in possession of 142 lobsters in the closed season. The lobster season is from February 15 to June 14 of any given year and while the opening of the season is only six days away anyone fishing for the crustacean before the season opens is guilty of an offence. The three men, identified as 54 year old fisherman, Jose Agustin Garrido, of Consejo Village, Corozal District, along with 53 year old Armando Ramirez, a fisherman of Chula Vista, Corozal District and 50 year old Watchman for Port of Stuck Camp, Jose Rodriguez, were all charged jointly with possession of 142 undersized lobsters. They trio appeared before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza where they were all read the charge jointly. Ramirez and Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to the charge, while Jose Agustin Garrido wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the charge. He was fined $200 for the offense, which carries a maximum penalty of $500 and was additionally slapped with a fine of $20 for each lobster he was found with. That amounted to $2,840 plus the $200 fine and $5 cost of court.

Another taxi man murdered in Belmopan
A taxi man has fallen prey to the criminal element in Belmopan. Police in the Nation’s Capital visited the West Belmopan Area in Belmopan City, Cayo District on Wednesday afternoon of last week where on arrival they observed the motionless body of a Creole descent male person partially nude and wearing a grey in color underwear lying face up in a pool of dry blood. The man was found on the steps of a cream in color mobile home located in an isolated area of Belmopan. The body was in an initial state of decomposition and had one apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen, behind the left side of the back and to the left side of the head. The body was later identified to be that of Lionel Theodore Gillett “Grey,” a 45 year old Belizean Taxi Driver of West Belmopan.

Uncle and nephew caught with Hicatees
A former special constable who was also the former driver of a Supreme Court judge was caught in Lord’s Bank in possession of hicatees while authorities found his nephew at his Biscayne house in possession of 12 more female hicatees. The two were arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court and charged with separate fisheries offenses. 56 year old Goldburn Seguro, a resident of #7B Freetown Road was arraigned before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza where he was read one count of possession of a female hicatee greater than 17.2 inches as well as one count of possession of a female hicatee less than 15.2 inches. On June 7, 2016 at the junction of Lord’s Bank, Seguro was found in possession of one female hicatee measuring 17.2 inches in length or 43 centimeters. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and since there was no objection to bail by the Fisheries Prosecutor, Callman Hall, he was offered bail in the sum of $1,500 plus one surety of the same amount.

Man in Belmopan escapes fatal injury
A man escaped fatal injury at his home in Belmopan on Thursday morning of last week. Russell Arnold, a Belizean vendor of Colombia Street reported that whilst inside his house along with his wife and four children, he heard several shots. On hearing the shots the 39 year old noted that the projectiles were hitting his house, so he stooped down and whilst in that position, felt something warm coming from his forehead. He then discovered that his head was bleeding. He did not see who fired the shots and does not know why his house may have been targeted. Belmopan Police have visited the residence of Russel Arnold and investigations continue.

Ervin Reneau convicted of double murder
Ervin Alexander Reneau, 45, will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was convicted of two counts of murder for killing David Allan Longsworth, 39, son of well known businessman Pastor Howell Longsworth, and security guard Edgar Ayala on November 30, 2010. According to reports, Reneau went to the Texaco Gas Station where he held Ayala at gunpoint and shot him. He then went over to Longsworth’s vehicle, where he was with his wife and two children, and executed him before leaving the scene. It is believed that Reneau shot Longsworth because he saw him shoot and kill the security guard. Reneau’s trial concluded on Monday, June 6, 2016, in the court room of Supreme Court Justice Adolph Lucas. Before handing down his judgement, Justice Lucas said, “I am sure he shot and killed Longsworth and Ayala on November 30, 2010.”

Verdict for Accused Murderer of Samuel Price
Justice Adolph Lucas has reserved judgment in the Shane Gillett, 30, murder trial for June 15. Gillett is accused of killing 84-year-old Samuel Price, brother of Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price in April of 2011. On Saturday, April 16, 2011, Price’s grand nephew, who usually goes to his home located at Mile 5 ½ on the Northern Highway stumbled upon his lifeless body inside the bathroom. Police investigators said that the senior citizen is believed to have been bludgeon to death. He was found slouched in one of the bathrooms over a tub with apparent signs of violence to the head. Price had fractures to the skull and swelling to the brain. His eye socket was shattered and his kidney was damaged from a hit to the body. At the time of his death, Price lived alone at a secluded area called Tarpon Cove located at Mile 5 ½ on the Northern highway. Police said that his home had been targeted in the past by robbers and they believe this was a case of burglary turned murder.

Police officer beats murder charge
Sergeant. Julio Shal, 43, is a free man after he was cleared of charges of murder and manslaughter in the death of escaped prisoner, Tyson Rodriguez. Shal was found not guilty of murder before Justice Denis S. Hanomansingh in a trial by judge. On Thursday, June 2, Justice Hanomansingh ruled that there is not sufficient evidence for a court of law to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Sergeant Shal committed any unlawful act or used any unlawful force to cause Tyson Rodriguez’s death. Shal, an officer attached to the Placencia Police Station, was charged with murder for the death of Tyson Rodriguez, the main suspect in the home invasion of an elderly Canadian couple, which happened in November of 2013 on the Placencia peninsula. Rodriguez was caught some 15 hours before his death all the way in the Corozal district. He was allegedly one of two men Corozal police spotted in a vehicle stolen from the Canadian couple. Police believed that he was either involved in or had information on the culprits who allegedly terrorized the Canadian retirees at their house in the Plantation area of the peninsula.

Special Branch finds weapon in San Ignacio
Both a weapon and ammunition were found in San Ignacio Town last week. The Special Branch Tactical Response Squad conducted a search in an overgrown lot in the Shawville Area, Cayo District on Thursday of last week. The proactive search netted a black in color Jericho 941F brand 9mm pistol with 1 metal magazine containing 3 bronze in color Luger brand 9mm rounds of ammunition. No one was found in the area so it was labeled and deposited as found property. The People’s Coalition of Cayo PCC and the Cayo Neighborhood Watch Association CNWA have in the past expressed concern with abandoned lots and the resultant overgrown bushes. Criminals can use these lots to hide illicit material as well as hide from the Police. Through the efforts of members from the Belize Defense Force, these lots with high bushes were cleared last year in the Trapiche Area in Santa Elena, which led to a lowering of crime in the area.

Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy dominates Cayo Softball Competition
The Cayo Softball Association 2016 Raymond Garbutt Senior Female Competition continued on Sunday 5th June, out at the Joan Garbutt Softball Stadium in Esperanza Village with three games on the schedule. In the first game played, Unitedville Rebels defeated the Belmopan Capital City Emeralds by the score of 26-3. The winning pitcher was Nikita Perez and the losing pitcher was Leonellie Aldana. In game two, the Belmopan Bandits defeated Camalote by the score of 7-3. The winning pitcher was Laniesha Jones and the losing pitcher was Shandi Orellano. And in the final game of the day, Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy won over the Espernza Wolverines by the score of 6-0. The winning pitcher was Lesandra Guy and the losing pitcher was Olivia Miralda.

Return Of Olympic Baseball, Softball At Tokyo 2020 Games Supported By Ioc Executive Board
Baseball, softball among new, youth-based sports package advancing to a final vote at IOC Session in August LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today welcomed the announcement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board to support the inclusion of baseball and softball among a new sports package for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. A final vote on the composition of the sports programme for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be taken at the IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro in August, and, if approved, it would constitute “the most comprehensive evolution of the Olympic programme in modern history,” the IOC stated. “It is an honour for our global sport -- and a great day for our millions of male and female athletes, and fans around the world -- to be represented within this new and innovative youth-focused Olympic sports package,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “On behalf of our sport, we thank IOC President Thomas Bach for his Agenda 2020 vision -- which has sparked this Olympic evolution -- and the entire IOC Executive Board for today’s recommendation.

Belize District Interoffice Basketball Competition opens
The Belize District Basketball Association 2016 Interoffice competition opened on Friday 3 June, with two games on the schedule. In the first game played, Heritage Bank defeated Bowen 7 Bowen Ltd by the score of 69-59. The top scorers for Heritage Bank were Kurt Burgess with 15 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Felix Martinez with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. For the Bowen 7 Bowen Team, the top scorers were, Kadeem Olivera with 32 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. In the second game of the night, the Belize Bank Bulldogs defeated INFOTEL by the score of 75-72. The top scorers for the Belize Bank Bulldogs were Rupert Brown with 17 points, 6 rebounds and an assist; Brian White who also scored 17 points, and grabbed 14 rebounds and an assist and Roscoe Rhys with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. Meanwhile, the top scorers for INFOTEL were Earl Johnson with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists and Elvis Olivera with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a steal.

Belize Elementary School girls and St. John Vianney School boys won the Belize City Primary Schools Football competition
The 2015-2016 Belize City Primary Schools Football Competition came to an end on Thursday 2nd June with the championship games played at the MCC Grounds. In the first place game in the girls’ competition, Belize Elementary School defeated St. John Vianney School by the score of 1-0. The goal for Belize Elementary School was scored by Michaelen Hyde. In the third place game played in the girls’ competition, St. Martin De Porres School defeated St. John’s Primary School by the score of 2-0. The goals for St. Martin De Porres School were scored by Reneisha Reneau and Shantel Flowers. In the boys’ championship game, St. John Vianney School defeated Belize Elementary School by the score of 3-1. The goals for St. John Vianney School were scored by Juan Canek, Michael Palacio and Christian Caceres. For Belize Elementary School, the lone goal was scored by Jonah Chebat.

National Olympic Committee hosted Olympic Day Run
The Belize Olympic Committee hosted its annual Olympic Day Run on Sunday 5th June, 2016 in downtown Belize City. The Olympic Day Run is the highlight of the activities use to commemorate Olympic Day which is observed on June 23rd each year. This year’s run attracted some 199 participants in five major categories, which included infants, juniors, open and masters in both female and male.

St. John Vianney girls and San Pedro Roman Catholic boys to represent the Belize District at the National Primary Schools Football Championships
The Belize District Primary Schools Football competition came to an end on Monday 6th June, 2016, with the finals played at the MCC Grounds. In the girls’ championship game, St. John Vianney School representing Belize City defeated San Pedro Roman Catholic School in sudden death penalty kicks by the score of 3-2. The goals for St. John Vianney School were scored by Starlett Faber, Christie Jeffries and Shanese Woods. Meanwhile, the goals for San Pedro Roman Catholic School were scored by Jeinna Galves and Erica Pop. In the boys’ championship game, San Pedro Roman Catholic School defeated Hattieville Government School by the score of 3-2 in regulation time. The goals for San Pedro Roman Catholic School were scored by Ian Pou. For Hattieville Government School, the goals were scored by Jermaine Garnett and Jaheed Baptist. St. John Vianney School girls and San Pedro Roman Catholic School boys will represent the Belize District at the National Primary Schools Football Championship scheduled for Thursday and Friday June 9th and 10th respectively in Belmopan.

The Belize Times

Vanessa Champagne Paris Died of Natural Causes
A post-mortem examination conducted on Tuesday has confirmed that transgender individual, known to most as “Vanessa Champagne Paris”, but who was born Porfelio Rodriguez Jr., died of respiratory complications, officially labelled as ‘bronchial aspiration.’ The 21 year old passed away at around 10:00pm Friday while being treated at the Southern Regional Hospital. Family members, friends, observers and even gossip mongers were anxiously awaiting the results of the examination. The youth lived a troubled life in Independence with his father, constantly dealing with discrimination, verbal and physical attacks and depression. Following his death, reports immediately circulated that he had been poisoned, and shortly after that reports came out that he had committed suicide by ingesting some type of toxic fluid, reportedly gramaxone. Friends told the media that he had been depressed since the death of his mother two weeks before.

THE WONDERER!
You must be wondering what this is all about. Years ago we met a middle-aged surveyor by profession who had all the energy we wished we had now. He was always wondering and wandering around our nation of Belize. He was involved in everything, he knew about everything and always wondered what next, who next, etc. This column is in his honor, “The Wonderer”. We will write about everything and everyone, organizations both local and international, politicians and civilians, environment, climate change, developers, ministries and ministers, Government departments: Department of the Environment, Public Health, Lands, Mine & Geology, Forestry and Fisheries Departments, Coastal Zone, Projects both public and private, “un poquito de todo”… etc. If you the priceless reader would like us to research a specific topic please make contact with us. If you have some valid information you would like to share please do so. Take a photo and forward to us, of something that is not correct or looks too correct or something that makes you wonder.

Northern Caucus – Ready to Battle!
There is new blood at the helm of the People’s United Party’s Northern Caucus and new ideas have begun to take the key regional unit forward. The Northern Caucus is made up of the four constituencies in the Corozal District, four in the Orange Walk District and the Belize Rural South division (San Pedro and Caye Caulker). Newly elected Chairperson, Thea Garcia, has a vision that once united and supportive of each other, all the constituencies can achieve success.

Law student Ronnell Gonzalez busted with contraband liquor
Two persons who were charged with being in possession of an assortment of contraband liquor appeared late this evening before Senior Magistrate Sharon. Ronnell Gonzalez, 28, and Jermaine McDonald, 32, were stopped at a checkpoint yesterday, Sunday, and were found to be in possession of over 50 bottles of top shelf liquors for which customs duty has not been paid. They were charged with knowingly being in possession of un-customs goods and carrying un-customs goods. The liquors, which included Absolute Vodka, Jack Daniels, Dewers White Label Whiskey among others, has a total value of $6,027.

Hulse takes on Gapi – Says Lands Ministry was a “like a bazaar” under former DPM
In October 2013 in a meeting with Belizean Americans living in the Los Angeles, California area, the very same man who said that there will be no whiff of corruption under his watch, conceded to the presence of untoward activities happening in his administration when he said, “I believe that the lands department unfortunately is another hotbed of corruption”. We note the word ‘another’, since the Immigration and Nationality Department was embroiled in a major scandal already. With all this said, the inaction of the Prime Minister in tackling the issue of the hotbed of corruption he spoke of has been yet another commitment he has failed to deliver to the country.

OH, TRINIDAD!!!
By Dolores Balderamos Garcia There is a website that is called “Caribbeannewsnow,” and it presents summaries and news stories from various countries of the wider Caribbean, not only from Caricom, but also from many other countries within the Caribbean basin. Since it was recently covered in Caribbean News Line on Channel 5 here at home, a particular story concerning the minimum age for marriage in Trinidad caught my eye. Its headline is “Trinidad and Tobago Reconsiders Existing Law After Push To Recognise Child Marriage As Abuse.” I certainly agree with the initial assertion at the start of the news piece, that “Trinidad and Tobago is a society of contradictions”. It tells us that only a year or so ago the legal age of consent to sexual activity was raised from 16 to 18, while an archaic law i.e. the Marriage Act of 1923, remains on the books, citing the legal age for marriage as 12 for girls and 14 for boys. It goes on: “Child marriage is sometimes practiced in the country’s Muslim and Hindu communities, and certain religious leaders seem intent on holding onto it.” It has been reported that Brother Harrypersad Maharaj, leader of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), said that the state should not amend the Marriage Act because “age did not determine maturity.” Holy cow or holy manatee, would be my reaction!!

PUP Leaders Open Research and Educational Center in Bullet Tree Village
A special ceremony took place in Bullet Tree Village, Cayo District, on Sunday June 5th 2016. Community residents joined their local leaders and PUP Cayo North Standard Bearer Michel Chebat to unveil the Be-Pukte Research and Educational Center. Special guest at the event was PUP Leader Hon. John Briceno who lauded Mr. Chebat’s efforts to serve his people. The PUP’s elected candidate for Chairman of the Village, Tai Wu, and the Council candidates Elias Zabaneh, Rene Mai, Teresa Garcia, Juan Medina, Teresa Raimbault, and Apolonio Williams were also present and took part in the ceremony.

New vision for Xaibe Village
Meet Angeles Itzab. Proud resident of the northern community of Xaibe. She is the nineteen year old young woman who dares against all odds to contest the village council chairmanship of Xaibe Village. Angeles is a graduate of both the Corozal Community College and the Muffles Junior College where she graduated with a 4.0 GPA. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Public Sector Management from the University of Belize on a full academic scholarship. When asked why she seeks the chairmanship of her village, Angeles notes that many issues plague her community. Of these the main issues are the lack of activities and opportunities for young people of her area. She hopes to engage the young people of her village through sporting activities so that these will uplift and reenergize the apathy and hopelessness youth in her village feel. She also hopes that they will see the importance of their contributions through community service on dilapidated and abandoned sporting facilities. She understands that young people need to feel that they are taken seriously and that their opinions matter.

The Gems of Graduation Season 2016 PT4 – Featuring: Belmopan Comprehensive School, New Hope High School, St. John’s College, Wesley College, Toledo Community College, Ocean Academy, San Pedro High School, Muffles College and Delille Academy
We are nearing the end of the BELIZE TIMES’ series of articles on the High School Graduation Season of 2016. But before we get to that inevitable end, there are much more schools to cover, as well as students to profile and celebrate. Belmopan Comprehensive School in the city of Belmopan has officially passed out its graduating class of 240 students, according to school officials we spoke to via phone on Tuesday, May 31st. 151 females and 89 males took the march this past Thursday evening, June 2nd, 2016 at a ceremony held at the University of Belize Gymnasium, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Valedictorian was Ms. Livia Castillo, of Class 4th/Science-1, and the Salutatorian was Ms. Jacqueline Olivas, of Class 4th/Science-2.

THE WANNABE
Patrick Faber will be the next leader of the United Democratic Party. ‘Over my dead body,’ John Saldivar has said, along with seventeen elected area representatives of that unhappy political party. This saga was set in motion when Gapi “Cesspool” Vega was so unceremoniously pushed out of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Petroleum. In protest he resigned as Deputy Leader of the UDP while clinging on to the empty title of Deputy Prime Minister. He suffered the added indignity of having unelected Godwin Hulse publicly trying to take away his plush office and trying to force him to use a secretary’s office. Hulse had looked like the first casualty of the John Saldivar back-lash. At Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting which bordered on a mini mutiny, Minister after Minister wanted to know why Hulse was in charge of the Ministry of Lands as well as Immigration. Both Ministries are where the unstoppable force of widespread hustling and get- rich deals are in abundance. Hulse exited last week’s Cabinet meeting, we are told, sensing the mutiny ahead, but Barrow did his best to quell the uprising, threatening to reshuffle Ministers if the cross-fire did not cease and settle.

Breaking Belize News

CEMO symposium tackles road safety
The 4th annual symposium on disaster management sponsored by the Central Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) in Belize City has been a staple associated with the start of the hurricane season. Previous events each dealt with a different aspect of hurricane preparedness: overall emergency management, flooding […]

Weed found in Punta Gorda
Acting upon information received this afternoon at around 3:00, Punta Gorda (PG) Police officers searched an empty lot on Vernon Street, where hidden under some grass, they found a black plastic bag containing cannabis. Two officers were on patrol when they got the information […]

Deportee charged with failure to report
Men and women deported from “abroad” after serving time for criminal offenses are made to honor the unusual requirement of signing in with law enforcement here as a way of keeping tabs on them. After being warned previously after missing a scheduled sign-in, a […]

Mental health workers tackle children’s traumas
For the next three days, mental health workers will be learning about tackling traumatic experiences in children. Life for the youngest of us is not as innocent as yesteryear, with frequent exposure, inadvertent or not, to trauma ranging from sexual and other abuse to […]

Nikolai James committed to stand trial at the October Session of the Supreme Court for unlawful sexual intercourse of a minor
Belize City security guard Nikolai James, 28, will have to stand trial at the Supreme Court for the offense of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16. James and attorney Oscar Selgado chose not to challenge any of the evidence presented […]

24 year old Alston Leon Smith is on remand for gunplay on Mopan and Ebony Street!
A Belize City man who is accused of gun play on Mopan Street, Belize City in broad daylight yesterday evening at around 4:48 p.m., was today arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a single charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, to wit, a firearm. […]

HE Sir Colville Young attends Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations
Commonwealth Heads of State are in the United Kingdom to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. His Excellency Sir Colville Young has joined in the celebrations, leaving the country on Wednesday of this week. In his absence, Cabinet Secretary Carlos Perdomo will act as […]

Weed found in Saint Matthews Village
Belmopan Police’s Quick Response Team last night discovered 233 grams of cannabis in an abandoned lot of Saint Matthews Village, Cayo District. The weed was inside a transparent ziplock bag. No one was in the immediate area at the time of discovery and so the item […]

Man arrested for publicly discharging weapon
A contractor of Duck Run 1 Village in the Cayo District, 36-year-old Juan Gonzalez, was detained by police last night for discharging his firearm in front of a bar and then crashing his vehicle due to suspected intoxication. Gonzalez reportedly exited Mariana’s bar on […]

Muhammad Ali memorials begin; GOB pays tribute
The late Muhammad Ali is to be buried tomorrow, Friday, following a public memorial in his native Louisville, Kentucky. A press statement from the Government of Belize announces that as a mark of respect and tribute to the former world heavyweight boxing champion, Belize […]

More than 6k lost in burglary
Resident of Western Pines area in Western Paradise Village, Belize District, 37-year-old Denis Smith, reported to police that her house was burglarized on Tuesday while she was in Belize City. Smith stated that she left home at 5:30 that morning and upon her return […]

City resident escapes shooting incident unscathed
Noel Cal, 20, reported to police that around 4:45 a.m. yesterday, while he walked on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City, a male person passed him and stopped about 20 feet away. Almost in front of Uno Gas Station at the time, […]

Blogs

Belize: Why You Should Visit At Least Once In Your Lifetime
We know that you travel for many different reasons; for fun, self-discovery, relaxation, change of scene. Whatever your reasons are, we’re sure Belize has a little of everything in store for you! If you read our “Where is Belize?” Blog, you’ll know that our geographic location puts us at a center point between the Caribbean and mainland Central America. Having two culturally different regions in essence “border” us may be confusing to some travelers but makes Belizeans feel just right. In the short east-west, 62-mile span of our country you can go from experiencing that famous Caribbean “yah man!” personality to the welcoming mestizo hospitality in just two hours driving. it seems almost funny that the coast vs mainland translate so literally to mirror the culture closest to influence it.

Your First Time Visit – Ambergris Caye Check-list: 11 Must-Do’s When You Visit Belize
Ambergris Caye has SO much to offer and can keep you busy from morning until night. The food, the festivals, the people, the shopping, the aqua blue waters, the gorgeous barrier reef and wildlife – most people are quickly hooked. My one BIGGEST tip is to chat it up – with locals, with tourists…it’s a great way to find out what’s going on in town and the newest, hippest spots. But it’s your first visit…and with only a few days or a week, where to start? Here is a check list – a mix of fun, adventure and…chocolate – that will make the most of your time on the island. And give you a real feel for what living on Belize’s largest island is like.

Full Moon Bonfire Rehersal Dinner at Las Terrazas, Belize
Megan & Chris had one of the best rehersal dinners views I ever saw… the background was the sea lit by full moon, and the scene was photo perfect. Amazing food, good drinks, lots of laughter and family and friends bonding this evening.. everyone was talking about next day… Enjoy!

International Sources

Guyana and Belize have a lot in common
Guyana and Belize have a lot in common. Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America while the Co-operative Republic is the only English-speaking state in South America. The climate and the landscape are somewhat similar. The only difference is that Belize has a lot of Spanish influence because it is bordered by Mexico and Guatemala and most residents speak Spanish. A large number of Belizians lived in the then British Guiana while several Guyanese worked in Belize. Sir Alfred Crane served as Chief Justice in the 1960s and up to this day a Guyanese, Kenneth Benjamin, is head of the judiciary in that Central American country. There are four other Guyanese judges there: Minett Hafeez in the Court of Appeal, while Denis Hanomansingh, Courtney Abel and Sonia Griffith are first instant judges. Dr Ulric Trotz heads the Climate Change department, and until recently Hugh Saul was the head of the Regional Fisheries Department based in Belize and Dr Cary Fraser was the President of the University of Belize. There was also another Guyanese who was the Chief Education Officer for a number of years.

Does tourism really suffer at sites listed as World Heritage In Danger?
In 2014, 1.88 million tourists visited the Great Barrier Reef, bringing an estimated A$5.17 billion into Australia’s economy and helping to employ some 64,300 tourism workers. With those numbers, it’s easy to see how threats to the Reef’s future, such as the recent mass bleaching event, are confronting for the tourism sector. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many tourism operators have chosen to remain quiet about their concerns or downplay the issue, fearful that mentioning the threats would turn tourists away. The federal environment department evidently felt the same way, judging by its request that all references to Australian World Heritage sites, including the Reef, be removed from a UNESCO report on climate change and World Heritage tourism. But does this reasoning stack up? Three other famous tourist destinations have also been in the spotlight of the World Heritage Committee, with little indication that this has turned visitors away.

KICKER: THEY BELIEVE IN BELIZE
PAUL: Are they alive or have they disbanded? Amateur Radio Newsline's Graham Kemp, VK4BB, has this report on the mystery behind the disappearance - and the reappearance - of the Belize Amateur Radio Club. GRAHAM: Where on earth is the Belize Amateur Radio Club? Well, if you know your geography, you might answer "Central America." Or if an oldtimer, British Honduras. But if you ask the International Amateur Radio Union, you'd be told it is nowhere -- it has gone missing for the last 23 years. In fact, that's what the IARU formally stated in a late May news release, reporting that a longtime lack of IARU activity from the club could only be interpreted as its death knell. But visit the website at barc.bz, and you'll find a different story. A statement there - along with a link to the club's Facebook page - states that the Belize group is far from dead. In fact, a news item posted on the site on May 21 reports that the club was recently certified as an NGO, a non-governmental organization. So what's happening? By all reports, it seems the club has been resurrected. A June 2 posting on its Facebook page declares QUOTE "We are the new BARC.. there was an old BARC that ceased to exist some time ago." The statement goes on to say that the new club has actually submitted a formal application to represent Belize with the IARU in Region 2.

Videos

Belize 2016 - David Nash, 24min.

ARE PORTIONS OF THE NEW RIVER THAT RUN ALONG ORANGE WALK BEING CONTAMINATED BY SOLID WASTE?, 3min. Why are portions of the New River that runs through Orange Walk changing colour and why does the river have a strong unpleasant stench? Those are two questions that Orange Walkenos are asking tonight and they won’t be receiving an answer until the Department of the Environment carries out an investigation. What we can tell you is that steps are already being taken for that investigation to commence as today we visited several portions of the river along with Public Health Officer Roger Leal to collect date.

Belize, un nouveau paradis pour les Français, 1min. Coincé entre le Mexique et le Guatemala, le Bélize, ancien Honduras britannique, indépendant depuis à peine trente ans, est un des pays les moins connus du monde. Pourtant c’est un paradis pour les voyageurs qui veulent bien prendre la peine de s’y rendre. Seule une quarantaine de Français vivent de ce petit pays. Pendant plusieurs semaines les équipes de Grands Reportages ont suivi le quotidien de quatre d’entre eux. Un document à découvrir ce samedi après-midi.

Harvest Students - Belize 2016, 2min.

USM Study Abroad - Tropical Ecology, Belize & Guatemala by Sarah Rubelowsky, 16min.

Experience The Belize Tree Houses at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch, 2min. The Belize Tree Houses at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch outstanding accommodations with spectacular views of the surrounding jungle canopy where the songs of toucans, chortle of chachalacas and howls of howler monkeys harmonize and complement the soothing sound of the Caves Branch river below.

Placencia Belize Vacation Snapchat. Rare footage of uncharted paradise deep in the mountains, 7min. I went down to Placencia Belize to check out some of our development projects and decided to share the experience of the trip so others could see this beautiful place and all the opportunity. While there I had a local take me off the beaten path to see a row of waterfalls deep in the mountains. What I stumbled on was one of the most breathtakingly amazing places I have ever witnessed. A honeymoon suite built into the side of the mountain, completely secluded, and overlooking a huge waterfall. You really have to see this to Belize it!

Belize - Day 2 Dive 1 - Cypress Tunnel, Ambergris Caye, Belize, 7min. Great terrain on this dive, and all my Nurse Shark buddies there for me.

Belize: Another Look, 20min. Quick recap of a week-long experience in Belize

June 9, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

Celebrating World Oceans Day
June 8th is observed intentionally as World Oceans Day. After all, our waterways are very important and should be celebrated in hopes of raising awareness for a better future. This year’s World Oceans Day is being observed under the theme “Healthy Oceans, Healthy planet” – which makes complete sense, since 70% of the earth is water. Even though we love our oceans, seas and rivers, sometime, we tend to mistreat them. Improper disposal of garbage and over fishing are only a couple of things we humans do to mistreat our beautiful waters. Hopefully with the help of organizations such as Oceana in Belize, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Mar Alliance and many more, we can join hands and stop the harming our oceans. We must all collaborate to make our waters pristine again!

No foul play suspected in ‘Sudden Death’
On Monday, June 6th, the San Pedro Police Department were called to the southern area of Ambergris Caye where they discovered the lifeless body of a 66 year old American male floating near the beach. The deceased was later identified as Robert Bruce Frith, originally from California, USA. The incident occurred about two and half miles south of San Pedro Town in the Mosquito Coast area.

Interoffice Football Tournament begins!
On Thursday, June 2nd the first games of the long anticipated 6-a-side-interoffice Football League 2016 took place at the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex. 26 teams divided into six groups signed up for the competition, which is organized by the San Pedro Sports Council. The games spanned four consecutive days and saw the players demonstrating great skill. Despite not being regular athletes, players were in high performance, reviving some of those hidden football skills within them. The next match is scheduled from Thursday, June 9th through Sunday, June 12th at the Sporting Complex starting at 7PM. Fans are encouraged to come cheer for their favourite team, as they play this great sport.

Abracadabra rocks Ambergris Caye!
The island was rocked by the sweet sounds of Abracadabra band on Saturday, June 4th. Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Kenny Lee Lewis, Bobby Vandell, Will Peterson and Billy Peterson performed a most-spectacular live concert at Mahogany Bay Village in Southern Ambergris Caye. It was the first of- its- kind event that is already promising an annual repeat. The band comprises of former and current members of the Steve Miller band who were on the island for the very first time and thrilled with the hospitality and beauty of La Isla Bonita. The concert was a fundraising event for the benefit and maintenance of the South Ambergris Caye Neighbourhood Watch (SACNW). Peter Nolan, head of the SACNW welcomed everyone to the concert and thanked the audience for its support. The over three-hour concert brought hits of the 70’s, 80s, and 90’s to life and the crowd did not hesitate to dance the evening away.

Blue Water Grill and The Phoenix donate to the San Pedro Lions Club
The Blue Water Grill (BWG) restaurant, along with The Phoenix Resort handed over a total of $1,572 to the San Pedro Lions Club. The donation will go a long way as the San Pedro Lions Club conducts free eye screenings for children in San Pedro, Caye Caulker and Corozal. For those who are in need of glasses, and cannot afford them, this donation helps with covering the cost as well. Blue Water Grill would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has helped make a difference in the community. Their June Monthly Donation Program will benefit a project that is being organized by Miss San Pedro High School 2016-2017, Faith Edgar. Edgar is seeking to purchase backpacks for disadvantaged students at San Pedro High School (SPHS), and planning to build palapas around the school so students can eat lunch in the shade. SPHS needs four palapas, and each palapa costs $900. Donations can be made at BWG’s cashier in any amount during their normal opening hours or online on their website at www.bluewatergrill.com/community

Ambergris Today

International Tattoo Expo Brings Ink to Life in Belize
They say once you get inked that there is an irresistible urge to get a second tattoo, a third or even a fourth one. I did not realize how big tattoo art was in our culture until the first ever San Pedro Belize International Tattoo Expo took place on Ambergris Caye this past weekend. The event was a tremendous success with the venue packed with tattoo enthusiasts and curious onlookers marveling at the artistry. The buzz of the tattoo guns filled the air as tattoo artists from as far as Costa Rica, USA and Mexico joined their artist brothers from Belize in participation of the first International Tattoo Expo. Well-respected tattoo artist Wimpas Sosa from San Pedro put together a most exciting event that brought together professional tattoo artists with up-coming apprentices who shared their knowledge and passion for the art that is no longer taboo in our culture. The expo was more than just about tattoos, I saw families with tattooed mothers and fathers alongside their children at the expo. Talking to them, they all reiterated how they want their children to embrace the tattoo culture and appreciate the lifestyle.

Edge & Crimmins Island Nuptials
Congratulations to Lyndsey Marie Crimmins and James Stephen Edge who traveled all the way from London, UK to celebrate their nuptials in the perfect island setting of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Lyndsay is a local Sanpedrana, daughter to Dana and Grant Crimmins who met James in the UK where they now live. Family and friends celebrated along with them on the beach at Island Time Beach Bar on June 4, 2016. Our Best Wishes go out to the Newly Weds Mr. & Mrs. Edge.

Central American Countries Launch Campaign “Central America is Yours, Enjoy It”
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Tourism Industry Association, launched the new interregional Tourism campaign “Central America is Yours, Enjoy It” , directed to Central Americans to motivate them to travel within the region. This constitutes a joint effort with public and private sectors to promote the integration of Central American tourism. All seven member countries had representatives from Ministries of Tourism and Tourism boards participating jointly in the designing stages of the campaign. These organizations have worked hand in hand with regional tour operators to design special packages, which will be made available to the Central American public. These efforts will show the true value of the tourist attractions in the region through Social Media and websites placements that will effectively position the regional tourism brand “Central America is Yours, Enjoy It” contributing to the promotion of tourism in Central America.

Hon. Patrick Faber Sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister of Belize
On June 7, 2016, the Hon. Patrick Faber was sworn in as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Belize by the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Hon. Patrick Faber was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister after recently being elected as the new First Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party. He is succeeding the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Gaspar Vega.

Misc Belizean Sources

BHA is at Experience Latin America ( ELA) London
Sander Langeveld, our BHA Representative in Europe, is at the Experience Latin America taking place in London this week from June 6-8, 2016 at the CCT Venues in Canary Wharf, London. During this three day event, the BHA has pre-scheduled, over 40 one-on-one appointments with carefully selected tour operators from all over Europe. We will also be participating in a Media Event on June 7, where we will meet and network with the UK's top publications and other invited press. In 1996, the Latin American Travel Association was created to develop better working relationships and improve communications with Latin American travel businesses and to promote Latin America as a tourist destination. Over the years LATA has grown from strength to strength and the LATA community stretches to every corner of Latin America and throughout the UK and Europe. The association, now an authoritative voice for Latin American travel and tourism, continues to promote the region, help build valuable business relationships and support good business practice. With the aim to expand and diversify the European travel market to Latin America, LATA launched Experience Latin America in 2014. ELA is Europe's exclusive by-invitation only travel event showcasing the very best suppliers from across the region of the UK and Europe.

Postponed until further notice, power interruptions previously scheduled for entire Orange Walk & Corozal Districts
6:00am to 6:20am & 4:40pm to 5:00pm, Wednesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 9.

Interregional Tourism campaign “Central America is Yours, Enjoy It”
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in collaboration with the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Tourism Industry Association, launched the new interregional Tourism campaign “Central America is Yours, Enjoy It” , directed to Central Americans to motivate them to travel within the region. This constitutes a joint effort with public and private sectors to promote the integration of Central American tourism.

NOAA Outlook for Central America June 9 - 15, 2016
During the next week, rainfall forecasts indicate a significant increase in rainfall across Central America. This may announce the onset of the first growing season. Abundant rain is expected over Guatemala, El Salvador, western Honduras, and the Southern Caribbean. Moderate to heavy and average to below-average rain is expected, however, throughout the central parts and Atlantic Basin of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The forecast uptake in rain should help alleviate dryness over many areas, but it also may trigger localized flooding over some areas.

Belize - Sugar output crosses 117,835 t after 25 weeks
Belize Sugar Industries milled 47,274 tonnes of cane during week 25 of the 2015/16 crushing season, down from 49,979 a week earlier but hardly changed from 47,114 in the same period a year ago, the company announced.

International Day of Yoga, Belize City
June 19, Radisson Fort George Hotel

Belizean Invited to Participate in National Development Courses in Taiwan
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce that Mrs. Yuri Alpuche is invited by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to participate in national development courses held from the end of June until beginning of July in Taiwan. Mrs. Yuri Alpuche is a project management and research professional with over seven years of experience in the private sector and recently joined the public sector as the Project Coordinator for the Department of Public Private Sector Dialogue (DPPD). Yuri holds a Master’s degree in Project Management and is a certified Green Project Manager, GPM-b. Her areas of interest include sustainable development, entrepreneurship (especially amongst youths) and creating child friendly communities. Mrs. Alpuche will attend courses related to climate changes, economic development, and educational system. She will also make visits to a science-based industrial park, among other places. With this opportunity to attend courses in Taiwan, Mrs. Alpuche hopes to contribute what she learns and what she sees to her section.

Over 930 Students Belize City/Belize District Will Soon Benefit From Gwen Lizarraga High School Renovation & Extension Projec
Commencement of work for the rehabilitation of computer labs and substitution of the woodwork and metalwork labs of Gwen Lizarraga High School, Belize City, will be held today at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday June 8, 2016. The scope of work includes substituting a ferro concrete annex for the existing carpentry and a metalwork workshop. The new workshops will be equipped with a covered veranda, Storm Guard windows protected by security grilles and two metal roller shutter doors for external access to the workshops. The sub-project also includes the rehabilitation of two existing computer labs and provision of equipment for the workshops.

Two 30 minute power interruptions 10:00am to 10:30am & 12:30pm to 1:00pm, Thursday, June 9, San Pedro
Pescador Drive, San Pedrito, Elliot Subdivision, San Pablo, San Marcos, DFC Area & Southern portion of island from Sunbreeze Hotel to Island Cottage Resort. BEL to repair hotspots at San Pedro Substation.

SHJC 2016 Graduation
Congratulations, SHJC graduates! 95 graduates are ready to change the world. "Sacred Heart Junior College, Belize had their 16th graduation commencement last night. 95 students graduated, and more than half walked the stage."

Educational campaign on the protection of the headwaters of the western Chiquibul-Maya Mountains
FCD is gearing up the launching of an educational campaign on the protection of the headwaters of the western Chiquibul-Maya Mountains with the financial support of PACT. Mr. Ramon Frutos remains a close mentor and ally of this effort. Thank you.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, El Clan, Quackerz, Midnight Special

Channel 7

Cloning an SUV Using Dead Men's Names
Five years after he was busted for having an SUV that never paid duty, Chinese businessman Jian Jiang, was hit with a steep fine for it today. The Mitsubishi Nativa was valued at 50 thousand dollars and he has to pay three times the value, so that's one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. And he has to pay by December 31st. The vehicle is a white Mitsubishi Nativa which had a bogus VIN number etched unto the chassis. Jiang was charged with acquiring possession of an un-customed vehicle and recklessly acquiring possession of a vehicle for which the VIN was tampered. The Customs department Prosecutor Tracey Sosa called 10 witnesses, based on an elaborate investigation built by Customs Officer Adrian Gibson.

Spoonaz' Thief Caught In A Facebook Flash
About 2 and a half years ago, well-known photographer Jeremy Spooner, opened his cafe, named Spoonaz Photo Cafe and Bar on North Front Street. He installed a security system, and, that came in very useful when his business was burglarized last week Tuesday. Not only did Spooner catch the thief on camera, but he also went a step further, did his own investigation, and with the help of his Facebook friends, he caught the man, and handed him over to police, bow tie and all. Today, he told us how and why he felt the need to get so involved in getting his own justice, but we start first tonight with the incident itself. He provided us with surveillance footage of the entire crime in progress, and Daniel Ortiz narrates the crime as it unfolds:

Houston Accident Victim Recovering
Accident Victim Lennox “DJ Tambran” Young is still recovering at a Houston hospital and won’t make it back to Belize tomorrow. As we told you, DJ Tambran was driving back to Belize from Houston with his 2 friends, Corozal resident Sostenes Tamai and Police Coach Amin August. But on the way home DJ Tambran stopped at an Auto Parts shop in Northwest Harris County where a truck rammed into them. DJ Tambran only got a broken arm but his passenger Tamai was killed. When we spoke to DJ Tambran’s brother today he told us that the Houston police are investigating. He told us he is not sure when DJ Tambran will return home. we will keep following this story.

More Southside Gunplay
Police have charged the man who shot at a 17 year old boy. The shooting happened yesterday evening around 5 on Mopan Street. The 17 year old was standing outside his Ebony Street house with his sister when a man pulled up and pulled out a gun. The teenager ran and the gunman chased him on Mopan Street, firing several shots at him. The boy got away unharmed and asked some officers who were at a checkpoint on Vernon Street for help. Police arrested and charged 24 year old Alston Smith with Aggravated Assault. Police say this shooting is as a result of a gang rivalry in that area.

Hulse Halts The Hustle
Last night on 7News you heard Minster of Natural Resources Godwin Hulse talk about some of the difficulties he's been having at the Ministry of Natural Resources. He told us he's had to turn into a kind of private investigator, to make sure that persons in whose names land is applied for are the actual persons who are receiving the land. It's diligence borne out of an old practice in the Lands Department where real names and identity details of persons are used in Land applications without their knowledge. Yesterday – after we gather he made a self-defence presentation in Cabinet – we probed him about the prevalence of this practice during the tenure of his predecessor Gaspar Vega:…. Jules Vasquez: "Referring again to this specific type of fraud where people are used without their knowledge or consent and also bogus companies are used. Would you give us a ball park figure on how much of that sort of thing you've encountered?" Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Natural Resources: "I can't yet because we're still doing that; we've found quite a few."

Cabinet's 7 Day Wonder
And while Hulse would not say it, inevitably, those political connections go back to the UDP hierarchy, which also leads back to the political directorate in Cabinet. So, since Hulse's tenure at the Ministry of Natural Resources appears to be a lightning rod for inter-Cabinet resentment of the Prime Minister, how does he see his relations with his colleagues? That's what we asked him today:… Jules Vasquez: "How would you characterise the mood in the cabinet; this is the second cabinet you've been in. The Prime Minister has two issues; he has a Deputy Prime Minister who 11 ministers opposed his election in the convention. Convention done, majority rules okay and he also has a minister of the war chess, the natural resources who is unelected and immune apparently to political persuasion and pressure. How does that affect Mr. Barrow's management of the cabinet?"

Foreign Minister Downplays Roger Plett Abduction By Guats
One Cabinet Minister who was not even in country for the convention or the Cabinet contention in the aftermath is Wilfred Elrington. He was travelling for two weeks, shuttling form meeting to meeting – and when he came back home, he had a breezy disposition, more or less laughing off the entire flap over Roger Plett's abduction. You may remember Plett, he's the Mennonite who was abducted in the Green Hills Area of Spanish Lookout two weeks ago allegedly by the Guatemalan military, in service of an NGO on that side of the border. Even though Plett says he was tied up and his tractor destroyed, Elrington says it was all just a neighbourly gesture:… Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "They were fighting fire, the fire got away and the fire was moving from Belize into Guatemalan territory and the Mennonites had equipment to help to stop the fire and was invited by a Guatemalan NGO to assist to lend them the equipment to assist and they resisted and the Guatemalan NGO decide to take self-help and take it from them and decided to use it to clear off the area to make sure the fire would not go any further into Guatemala. When they had finished that they gave it back. So I think we have to start to understand that we are our brother's keeper in this kind of thing and we can't get offended by every action that is taken."

Hon. Elrington And The Peace Pipe
And, while he shrugged that one off, it seems, that neighborly spirit extends also to the Guatemalan fishers who freely throw their nets and cast their lines on Belize's side of the Sarstoon. Sounding like he had just taken a deep pull from the peace pipe, Elrington said, let it be: Jules Vasquez: "Those who have been operating with impunity on the Sarstoon are Guatemalan fishers. Is there any plan to enforce fishing laws of our nation on our side of the river?" Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "I am not aware that our laws are not being enforced on our side of the river, I am not aware of that. You don't want people to get killed over controversy over fish or any such thing like that. The ideal situation is to work out the situation and it's something that fish no stay one place they come in the side and they go this side..."

Mr. Elrington Goes To Washington
But Elrington will have to put on his game face in two weeks' time. That's when he meets with his Guatemalan counterpart in Washington DC:… Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "I think we will be meeting again in Washington on the 21st of this month and I think that; I've just agreed to that to meet on the 21st and I think that in the interim we will start the preliminary negotiations on it I'm hoping. But the intention is to do the protocol, the mechanism so that we could live in peace. The intention really is to live in peace and to make sure that nobody dies. We want to make the Sarstoon safe for both our military and for our civilians while we are working out the mechanism our people will be able to go and come without death of hindrance; that is our understanding that was the context in which we were negotiating. I think the Foreign Minister of Guatemala suggested that he did not understand it in that light."

Guats Dragging Feet On Ruano Investigation
And while no one knows for sure what rule really pertains on the Sarstoon right now, the picture is just as unclear with the investigation into the death of 13 year old Guatemalan Carlos Alvarado Ruano. The Guatemalans have made a big show about demanding an investigation into the cause of his death, but Elrington says they haven't followed up by requesting a formal investigation: Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "We sent a letter asking them to do that, telling them we would wish for them to get it done. I'm told that they are waiting for a letter from the Guatemalans requesting the same and soon as they get that from the Guatemalans then I think they would be able to be more positive on that. But I do know they have made inquiries and they have gotten offers of assistance I think from the Americans; I know definitely from the Mexicans to send forensics people to help us in the process."

Two For Thirteen Turtles
Last night, we showed you the 2 men who were caught by the Fisheries Department with 17 large Hicatee turtles. Well today, those men, Golburn Seguro, and his nephew, Hilberto Seguro, were taken to court for it. They are charged with possession of Hicatee Turtles and possession of a Hicatee net. Golburn Seguro was charged with only 1 of the turtles, while Hilberto Seguro was charged for 13 of them. When they were arraigned before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza today, they pleaded not guilty to the charges, and they were granted bail. According to the Fisheries Department, after conducting surveillance for over a week, they stopped Golburn Seguro's vehicle at the Lords Bank junction yesterday afternoon. The officers searched the vehicle, and found 3 hicatee turtles, and shortly after that, they launched an investigation which took them to Hilbert Seguro's home in Biscayne. That's when they found 13 more inside his house, and those are the 13 for which he now stands charged.

Darrell Downplays Kerr Coming Home
Last week we told you about the post-convention rumbling within the United Democratic Party. And the biggest quake came from two women who were fired from the office of Area Representative Beverly Castillo. One of those women was Elena Kerr. Now as we told you in the latter part of last week, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley hired Elena Kerr, after she was fired by Hon. Castillo. And as you know Mayor Bradley supported Faber in the convention. But today when we asked him about this arrangement he was completely dismissive: Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor: "It's not an issue which we are making any statement against any person. I am mindful of the importance of jobs to people within our community and the city council through transparent means tries to ensure if we're holding interview and so forth that we can accommodate people with jobs so that I don't really have any comment in relation to that. Again I have tremendous respect for the Hon. Bev Castillo, I think that she's doing a good job and I know that politics is very difficult for most person. I myself have experienced that and it's not something that we really have a statement or comment one."

Will Bradley Ride Faber's Coattails
But Bradley has his political loyalty tied firmly to Patrick Faber. So If Faber ascends to party leadership – will Bradley hang in there for another go at Caribbean shores. He lost in 2015, but might 2020 be better for him? Here's what he said:.. Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor: "Well I mean of course if somebody loses an election, I lost in Caribbean Shores we have to do an assessment in relation to the possibility if you can win again; there is going to be redistricting, there are going to be other issues and so forth, There's a lot of considerations. I like municipal government, there is municipal election which will be upcoming so that 4 years is afar year going forward in future. Of course in the next 2 weeks I'm going to have a daughter so that family considerations are paramount to me like wise; all of those issues are things that we have to consider and take into account aside from a decision in relation to politics and again 4 years is long into the future." Emanuel Pech: "But do you think it is a possibility? Considering that Mr. Faber is now the deputy; and he will more than likely might be the leader as well."

Busted With Two Sacks Of Lobsters
3 fishermen were taken to court today for fishing lobster during the closed season. Fifty-four year old Jose Augustine Garrido, a fisherman from Consejo, took the rap for 142 lobster tails caught during closed season, was fined a total of $3,045 dollars today by Magistrate Carlon Mendoza after he pleaded guilty. Garrido was given until November 7th to pay, or he could face a year in jail. Yesterday, Fisheries Officers went to the "Port o' Stuck" area and saw when the fishermen throw two white sacks into the mangrove. When the officers retrieved the sacks they found lobster tails.

Minimizing Accidents
The City Emergency Management Organization CEMO, held consultations on Traffic Accidents and Road Safety Strategies with stakeholders today. This was in an effort to look at road safety and how they can formulate a plan in each municipality in an attempt to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities. Emanuel Pech has the report. More than 1.2 million people die in road traffic crashes every year. And it does include persons in vehicles. In fact, studies from the World Health Organization show that about half of all crash victims are vulnerable road users like pedestrians, and motorcyclists. In the last decade alone Belize has recorded over 400 deaths related to traffic accidents and experts say that traffic mishaps are showing a potential increase. Now with all the road safety public messaging of the last few years, you would think the statistics would show a downturn. But the reality of the matter is that road upgrades only go so far in reducing the rate of traffic accidents within a community.

Road Safety Review
As we told you the Road Safety project was launched in 2013 and is being funded by the Caribbean Development bank. In the three years since, the George Price Highway has been resurfaced, and outfitted with reflectors and heavy signage, among other improvements. But have any of these highway upgrades measurably reduced the level of road traffic accidents? Well that is what the Belize Road Safety Project hopes to put to the test in the upcoming year. Project Manager Pamela Scott tells us more. Pamela Scott, Proj. Manager - Belize Road Safety Project: "You do have statistics, we look at those; we analyze them. We also have to look at our infrastructure component where the ministry of works is the technical arm for infrastructure. We do the IRAP assessment which was done at the beginning and what is IRAP? International Road Assessment Programme, that little boogie that came down, the little vehicle with sophisticated equipment is ran across the different roads in our country and it defined the level of where our roads are and the levels are defined based on star standards. So you have star 1, 2, 3, the minimum star a country should be at is a star 3. Our roads were within 0 to 2 so we're hoping though at the end of this demonstration corridor project which include both the highways and the urban area we would be able to do another assessment, a road assessment and bring in the International Road Assessment Programme to conduct that road safety assessment. I'm hoping we will be at a star 3 rating."

Gwen Liz Gets Upgrade
The construction of a much needed wood and metal work lab began today at the Gwen Lizarraga School. For many years over 900 students had to work in those rotting and dilapidated labs in which only the front portion was usable. Well, today, Principal Dr. Lorna McKay told us that after years of lobbying for this renovation and extension project, it has finally become a reality. McKay discussed what the project entails and what it means for the students. The project costs almost $700,000. Works should be completed in October.

See Central America
Today in Belize and the 6 other Central American Nations, the Government Tourism bodies and the private sectors from those countries launched a new tourism marketing campaign called, "Central America is Yours, Enjoy It." Its an initiative which the 7 nations are trying to attract fellow Central American travelers to vacation in the region, instead of spending their money elsewhere. As part of the simultaneous launch, Belize's representatives hosted a press conference to explain why they think Belize's tourism revenues could definitely benefit from this program: As you heard, the main thrust of the program is to harness the influence of the difference social media sites to funnel that traffic in the SICA countries to SITCA website.

Channel 5

Is Post of New Regional Health Manager in the North a Political Appointment?
There is a new regional health manager for the two northern districts. Thirty-year old Audibaldo Monima Junior, an officer with the Belize National Coast Guard has been given a contract [...]

Foreign Minister Says Guatemala is Claiming All of Belize
Just how much of Belize is Guatemala claiming? It’s a valid question, but the answer may surprise you. We’ve always thought that the claim was for roughly half of Belize, [...]

O.A.S. Gets Ready to Investigate Border Incidents and Incursions into Belize
The O.A.S. is getting set to commence its investigation into the death of a Guatemalan minor in the Chiquibul. And according to Minister Wilfred Elrington, that organization will also be [...]

Minister of Education Comments on Guatemalan Students in Belize
For days we have received reports that dozens of Guatemalans students have been lining up for enrolment at Mount Carmel High School and other schools in Benque Viejo Del Carmen. [...]

National Garifuna Council Condemns Senseless Murder of John Jay
An autopsy was conducted on the body of thirty-five-year-old John Jay Rodriguez at the K.H.M.H. morgue this afternoon. The well-known musician was callously slain during a robbery attempt in Dangriga [...]

Despite Gloomy IMF Report, Mayor Bradley Says It’s Still All Good
There is growing concern over the findings of the IMF team released in the recent Article Four consultations. That report points to a weakening fiscal position which has proportionately increased [...]

Rift? What Rift in the U.D.P.?
Patrick Faber was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister on Tuesday, and as expected, a majority of Cabinet did not show up to share in his proud moment. While not [...]

Trio of Fishermen Busted for Out-of-Season Lobster
The Fisheries Department was in heavy operations country wide and while in the city on Tuesday, they came across a camp where they found three men in possession of one [...]

Seguros Arraigned for Illegal Possession of Hicatees
On Tuesday, we reported on a major bust in rural Belize District by the Fisheries Department. Two Biscayne men, Goldburn Seguro and his nephew Hilberto Seguro were intercepted near the [...]

Chinese Businessman Arraigned for Purchasing Stolen Guatemalan Vehicle
A Chinese businessman, Jian Huan Jiang, who bought a stolen vehicle in 2011 faced the music in court today. Jiang was found guilty of one of two offenses brought by [...]

CEMO Hosts 4th Annual Symposium on Road Safety
This morning, representatives of various government, municipal and private organizations gathered for the City Emergency Management Organization’s fourth annual symposium. Timed to coincide with the start of the hurricane season, [...]

An Interregional Tourism Campaign is Launched in Central America
A new interregional tourism campaign was unveiled simultaneously across seven Central American countries this morning. Under the banner “Central America is Yours, Enjoy it”, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil [...]

Half a Million Internet Users are Targeted for Social Media Campaign
The participating agencies have worked closely to design special packages that aim to show the true value of tourist attractions in Central America through social media and website placements. [...]

4th Annual Climate Outlook Forum
On Tuesday the National Meteorological Service of Belize hosted its fourth Climate Outlook Forum. The twice yearly session included representation from different sectors, gathered together to discuss how the forecast [...]

Insurance Powerhouse Guardian Group Returns to Belize After Brief Hiatus
NemWil, Regent and Guardian Life Insurance….they are well-known insurance companies that have operated in Belize as agents for the Guardian Holdings Group out of the Caribbean. Now under the new [...]

A New Technical Department Building for Gwen Liz is Coming Soon
Ground was officially broken this afternoon for the expansion of Gwen Lizarraga High School. The construction of an adjoining building which is being funded by the Social Investment Fund has [...]

CTV3

Minister Hulse Speaks On The Alleged Move To Unseat Him
There seems to be tension within the ruling United Democratic Party, and it all seems to have brewed up after the convention to elect a new deputy party leader between those Ministers who support Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and those who do not. Caught up somewhere in there is Natural Resources Minister Godwin Hulse. It seems the unelected minister has come under attack by his fellow Cabinet Ministers as unofficial reports last week were that the 11 Ministers who do not support Faber wanted Hulse gone. And although several cabinet members denied those allegations Hulse yesterday felt the need to defend his position, stating that he has reassured his stance in the party with PM Barrow and other cabinet members.

FIU Issues Advisory On Pyramid Scheme
There seems to be a new and easy way to make money that has caused a stir on social networks and many are calling it a big scam. The pyramid scheme is such that the people at the top earn money at the expense of the new members and investors and reports are that this pyramid type scheme may have already found its way into Belize and the Financial Intelligence Unit is now warning Belizeans to beware of this scam. In a release issued by the FIU they bring to the attention of Belizeans the potential treat that exists with this new scheme. According to the FIU this scheme includes a person who induces other persons to invest small sums of money by promising them a substantial return in a short period of time. The scheme crumbles when the promoters cannot persuade enough victims to pay into the scheme to cover all the promised returns.

PSE Results Not Delayed
The Primary School Examination, (PSE) was taken by thousands of standard six students back in March and May of this year. The results of the PSE are traditionally released early in the month of June by the Ministry of Education as students anxiously await to hear how they performed. Over the past week or so there has been a lot of talk indicating that the results of the PSE are somehow delayed, today CTV3 news spoke to District Education Officer for Orange Walk, Karla Alvarez, who clarified the situation, assuring that the results are not in any way late, they are simply not yet ready.

Tamay's Friends Raise Funds To Bring Him Back Home
Well known car dealer and mechanic, 42 year old Corozal Town resident Sostenes Tamay Jr., was the victim of a fatal traffic accident yesterday in Houston, Northwest Harris County. As mentioned last night, at around 8:30 yesterday morning Tamay was traveling in this black Nissan Xterra driven at the time by Lenox Young better known as DJ Tambran when upon coming out of a junk yard on highway 249 a Black pickup truck collided into the driver side of the Xterra killing Tamay on the spot. Also traveling in the Xterra at the time of the incident was 55 year old retired Superintendent Amin August from the Cayo District.

Students Sit BJAT Exam
The Belize Junior Achievement Test (BJAT) is an examination intended for all students in sixth grade, or as we know it…standard three. The BJAT bears minimal consequences for the students taking it as the purpose of the examination is to test the caliber of teaching at each primary institution at the end of the school year. This exam is not offered simultaneously like the PSE but it is administered to each school at its own individual pace and yesterday the process of administering this exam started throughout the country of Belize. Karla Alvarez – District Education Manager, Orange Walk “Yesterday we started with the administration of the BJAT in Orange Walk district and the same thing is happening throughout the country, the BJAT is a high stakes exam similar to the PSE there are some school or there are some people that don’t give it that much importance from many schools they use the results of the BJAT to determine where their children are at the end of Standard III it is called the Belize Junior Achievement Exam and it is to assess what they have been able to complete by the end of Standard III.”

Teachers Advised To Check On Applications For Special Permits
Back in February of this year it was announced at an education press conference that over one thousand three hundred teachers from primary and secondary institutions are likely to lose their jobs because they did not complete their education training. In 2000 the Ministry of Education implemented new education rules to regularize the education system which requires all teachers to possess a teaching license, a decade later in 2010, the Ministry of Education amended the Education and Training Act, making it mandatory for teachers to acquire pedagogical training to remain in the classrooms. At that time, the ministry issued a five-year provisional license to teachers who did not possess training, which now expires. Those teachers who did not proceed to obtain the requisite training now risk losing their jobs unless they obtain a special permit while they are in the process of getting the required pedagogy.

LOVE FM

FIU Alerts Residents of Investment Scheme in Belize
The Financial Intelligence Unit has issued an alert to residents around the country surrounding a scheme that has been brought to their attention. In this scheme, the individuals who sign onto the program are asked to make an initial investment with the promise of making far more than what they have put in. According to […]

Sedi Explains Current Status of Belize’s Rights at the Sarstoon
In an interview with Foreign Minister on Tuesday afternoon in Belmopan, the issue of the Sarstoon River arose in which he explained why, some months ago, he was persistent in discouraging Belizeans from going to the area in southern Belize. WILFRED ELRINGTON “In the path months when I had been advising people against going it […]

Plett’s Equipment Was Commandeered for A Good Reason, Says FM
On Thursday, May 12, 21-year-old, Roger Plett was taken over to the Guatemalan side near the western border with Green Hills just pass the Spanish Lookout area in the Cayo District. Plett had called the media to share his plight after he had difficulties with law enforcement officials and the Government of Belize in getting […]

Dredging Nowhere in Sight to Tackle Silt Buildup
Listeners might recall the story on the silt and sand build up in front of the Bliss Center for the Performing arts. While there may not have been complaints to the media from those who use the river mouth on a daily basis, we can tell you about some customers at the Port of Belize, […]

City Officials Preparing for the Rainy Season
Rainfall in and around the country was welcomed after a period of intense heat. The rains were also a reminder of the flooding that several communities endured last year. We asked the City Emergency Management Organization, Liaison Officer for the Belize City Council Wayne Usher, how prepared I the city in the event of a […]

Central America Es Tuya …. Difrutarla
The Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Tourism Industry Association have joined Central American Tourism Integration Secretariat (SICA) on a Central American digital campaign entitled “Central America is yours, enjoy it!” The aim of the campaign is to get those living in Central America to travel to Central American countries more often. Belize and remaining […]

Garifuna Council Condemns Murder of John Jay Rodriguez
The National Garifuna Council has condemned the killing of John Jay Rodriguez. As has been reported, Rodriguez was shot and killed on Friday night inside a gaming establishment in Dangriga. In its release the NGC says it was a senseless killing of one of its sons, a musician, progressive youth, and father. It goes on […]

Caleb Challenges Chief Justice to do His Job
It has been six years now since Caleb Orozco had filed a petition in the courts challenging a part of the Belize Constitution as it concerns the LGBT community. In September 2010, Orozco had filed the application that challenges the constitutionality of Section 53 of Belize’s Criminal Code which says that quote, “every person who […]

Belize is Ready for CODICADER Games 2016
An assessment team associated with the upcoming CODICADER games slated to be held in Belize was in-country recently doing an assessment of the accommodations, sporting arenas and other logistics geared at accommodating over one thousand persons next month. We spoke with Minister of State in the Ministry of Sports, Elodio Aragon on whether Belize passed […]

PlusTV

Patrick Faber sworn in as Deputy Part Leader
The Hon. Patrick Faber was sworn in as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Belize by the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan today, Tuesday June 7, 2016. The Minister of Education was elected as the new first Deputy Party Leader of the United D...

64 year old charged for fire chief death
64 year old Jose Gregory Williams was arraigned on four charges in relation to the traffic accident that led to the death of Corozal Fire Chief 33 year old Meshach Henry. Williams was charged for driving without due care and attention, failing to give way to a motor vehicle on a major road, cau...

Corozal man dead, DJ Tambran hurt in accident in Houston
Lennox “DJ Tambran” Young, owner of the popular Music Depot on North Front Street and also a vehicle dealer, was injured in a traffic accident this morning while returning to Belize from Houston, Texas. Young avoided serious injury as did one of his companions, senior police officer Assistant Superi...

Foreign Affairs Minister says Vega’s address in Cuba is Ministry approved
In our Previous newscast, we told you about Former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega’s speech at the 7th Summit of the Association of Caribbean States held in Havana, Cuba, June 2nd – 4th. In his remarks to the 25 member countries and numerous observers from South America, Europe and Rus...

Huge Hicatee bust in Belize River Valley
The Fisheries Department made a huge bust today with a total of 16 Hickatee turtles. Two men were caught separately in the Belize River Valley Area with the turtles. Hickatee’s are ranked Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and in Beliz...

Law student accused of contraband smuggling
Ronell Gonzalez is no stranger to the court system, not just because he has been there on various charges, but because he is also a law student. His latest run in with the law is over some contraband items found in the car he was driving. Customs intercepted the taxi vehicle at a customs checkpoin...

Ready Call “hard-pay” with Social Security
Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser has ordered the CEO of Ready Call Center on the Burrell Boom-Hattieville Road, 46 year old Nubia Ramirez Moreno, to pay a court fine and more than 140 thousand dollars owed in contributions to Social Security by June 20. Moreno pleaded guilty in court, admitting that ...

Breaking Belize News

Uncle and nephew charged over hicatee turtles
Two men, Goldburn Seguro and his nephew, Hilbert Seguro, were charged with possession of Hicattee when they appeared today before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. Goldburn was charged with possession of 1 Hicattee while Hilbert was charged with possession of 3 Hicattee and a Hicattee net. […]

Fisherman couldn’t wait for lobster season
Fifty-four year old Jose Augustine Garrido, a fisherman from Consejo, one of three men charged with possession of 142 lobster tails during closed season, was fined a total of $3,045 today by Magistrate Carlon Mendoza after he pled guilty to the charge. Garrido was […]

Asian businessman fined over stolen Mitsubishi
Chinese businessman Jian Jiang, the owner of a shop in Ladyville, was fined $149,085 today by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser after he was found guilty acquiring possession of an uncustomed vehicle and recklessly possessing an uncustomed vehicle. Jiang was fined 3 times the market […]

Yuri Alpuche travels to Taiwan for national development courses
A press release issued today by the Embassy of the Republic of China, serves to inform that Belizean coordinator for the Department of Public Private Sector Dialogue (DPPD), Yuri Alpuche, will be participating in national development courses at the mentioned embassy. The courses, scheduled […]

MOE: PSE 2016 results on track
On Monday we reported checking in with the Ministry of Education’s Examination section about the results of the Primary School Examination (PSE) that students are anxiously awaiting. We had been getting reports that the results were to be issued on Friday, then on Monday. […]

Champagne Paris death “natural”
The death of transgender Porfilio Rodriguez – self-styled Vanessa Champagne Paris – was not due to suicide by poisoning, but was of natural causes. This was the conclusion of a post-mortem examination done at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital morgue earlier this week. Independence […]

New DPM: Rough times ahead, don’t panic
A bracing Patrick Faber admits “tight times” are ahead, following the conclusion of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report released recently. But the new Deputy Prime Minister adds that Government “(is) absolutely not going to bow to the IMF pressures.” Faber blames “a large […]

World Bank says global outlook bleak, meager growth expected in Belize
The World Bank, in its latest economic prospects report, downgraded its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4 percent from the 2.9 percent pace projected in January. And though the global outlook is not good, Belize and other countries in the Caribbean and Central American region are […]

National Garifuna Council condemns killing of John Jay
A press release issued by the National Garifuna Council (NGC) yesterday, condemns the “senseless killing” of its son who was a musician, progressive youth and father, John Jay Rodriguez. Rodriguez was killed in an attempted robbery at Havana gambling shop in Dangriga on Friday […]

Moist and unstable conditions continue over our area
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting partly cloudy skies this afternoon along with a few showers or thunderstorms mostly inland. Skies will be cloudy tonight and tomorrow morning with some showers, thunderstorms or light rain mainly over the South and coast. Winds […]

More than 5k lost in Hopkins burglary
Owner of Driftwood Beach Bar in Hopkins Village, Denise Mccreaery, 47, reported to police on Monday that on the 12th of May, she closed her establishment and went to Loggerhead Pub on the other side of the village. After closing at 11:30 p.m., she […]

17-year-old escapes shooting attempt on his life
A 24-year-old Belize City resident, Alston Smith, has been arrested and charged by police for the offense of ‘aggravated assault’ after he fired shots at a 17-year-old male minor. The minor, accompanied by his sister, reported to police yesterday evening that around 4:45 p.m., […]

Bright future for the Corozal Commercial Free Zone
The Corozal Commercial free Zone has a bright future, officials say, defusing the now popular criticism that the place is deteriorated and unsustainable. Comparing the Free Zone’s contribution to the local economy to previous years, it has done better says Chief Executive Officer at the […]

Police find large amount of weed and ammo
Police’s Special Branch Tactical Response Squad conducted three separate searches in San Ignacio and Santa Elena Towns, Cayo District yesterday, which resulted in the discovery of 16.1 pounds of cannabis and 15 live rounds of ammunition. The first search was done around 8:40 a.m. on the banks […]

Guardian Group insurance rebrands, partners with Simpson’s
The largest financial services company in the Caribbean is partnering with a new Belize insurance agency. Guardian General Insurance Limited, trading as Guardian Group, succeeds NEM (West Indies) Insurance Limited and was previously represented by Victor L. Bryant Company Limited and Balderamos Insurance Services among […]

Blogs

“Back Home” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Amazingly (my powers of recovery are far better than I thought they would or could be) I was up, ready and at a breakfast table in the hotel by 08.30 hours on the morning following the party. Less than 4 hours alcohol aided sleep and I didn’t have a sore head. Or feel nauseous. The hard training had obviously paid off! I enjoyed a good breakfast with even better company and was able to chat with people that I just didn’t find time to chat with the previous night but all too soon it was time to say my farewells, check out of the hotel and head back to Covent Garden. I had a lunch date with my ‘little’ sister Christine who I hadn’t seen for 4 years. And we were being joined by her son Bradley, his partner Shorona and their two children, Cody and Lottie. I reached Covent Garden shortly after noon and stood outside the underground station looking left, right, straight ahead,left,right,straight ahead as throngs of people were milling around. Thirty minutes passed by. Where could she be? I checked my ‘phone. Dead. The battery had run out of charge. I looked around for a public ‘phone box (booth for non-UK readers). They’re not a common sight any more in the UK (the advent of mobiles has virtually eradicated the need). And I saw one. Not more than 60 yards away.

Hardworking, Lovely Maria and her Fabulous Fruit Market on Ambergris Caye
I have known Maria since I first moved to the island 9 years ago. And whether I was shopping there everyday, when I lived just across the street, or now, when I stop in once a week for coconut water or juice, she knows me by name, greets me with a smile and presents one of the best selections of fruit & veggies on Ambergris Caye. She has been on Ambergris Caye for 25 years. Maria has 6 children – 3 boys and 3 girls and hasn’t been back to El Salvador. She said times were tough there and she has no desire to visit. She loves Ambergris Caye. Her shop is south of town across the street from the Island Yacht Club – and the best spot to buy fresh juices – naranja, sandia, pina, coco and more. Here are some pictures of her spot where if you are friendly, you probably will get a free herb or piece of fruit thrown in your bag.

International Sources

Guatemalan drug lords are burning forests to land planes
Public Radio International has published an article which suggests that Guatemala drug lords may be responsible for the rash of fires along the Belize-Guatemalan border. Viewers will note that Belizean businessman Roger Plett was reportedly detained by what authorities insist on referring to as 'Men in military fatigues' while combating one of these border fires. Executive Director for Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) Raphael Manzanero has also suggested that there has been evidence that drug cartels have been involved in illegal activity in the Chiquibul forest.
Drug traffickers burning down Guatemalan forest to make clandestine landing strips for planes carrying US-bound cocaine have razed an area twice the size of Manhattan this year, officials say. The Central American country has declared a state of emergency over the fires ravaging its forests, which have hit hardest along its northern border with Mexico and Belize — prime territory for drug gangs. The region, known as Peten, is known for the riches lying in its forests, including the Maya Biosphere Reserve and archaeological treasures such as the ancient city of Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But those dense forests are also strategically placed hideouts for cartels trafficking cocaine from South America to the United States, officials say. "There is a strong presence of drug traffickers, who, in their daily drive to claim new territory, don't think twice of setting fire to the forest or paying poor people to do it," said Alma Polanco, director in Peten of the National Council for Protected Areas.

World Oceans Day Celebrated in Compelling Photos
From the vastness of the world’s oceans, the mystery of underwater ecosystems to humankind’s reliance on marine processes, the ocean is a wonderfully strange, altogether necessary part of our world. It is on World Oceans Day that we reflect on all of the benefits, mysteries, and wonders of the ocean. First, try to imagine the expanse of the ocean. It’s hard to conceptualize how to even think about how to imagine it! The average depth of the ocean is just over 12,000 feet. That means, that your run-of-the-mill, nothing special depth of the ocean would be just over 21 times deeper than the Washington Monument is tall.

Caribbean integration is possible, St Vincent PM tells ACS summit
Dr Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, reaffirmed on Saturday in Havana that integration in Latin America and the Caribbean is a possible, realistic path and that its consolidation will make it possible for countries in the area to face common challenges. Speaking at the seventh summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Gonsalves urged the region to work together and to use honest dialogue to resolve differences, thus promoting genuine friendship.

Videos

SNL for Belize part 1, 43min.

Ambergis Caye, Belize Vlog pt. 1, 8min. Part one of our family vacation to Belize!

BELIZE ADVENTURES! Cruise Vlog - Part 3/4, 8min.

Out & About | Travels to the North and South of Belize, 11min. I traveled to Belize twice in the past two months and this is some of the things I did on these trips with my family and my girlfriend. The April trip was very hard and very emotional, but I'm happy to be able to share some nice moments of that experience with you guys. The May trip was much needed after a very difficult previous month. The sun, sky and ocean was calling!

Belize 2015 - Travel, 9min. We stayed in a small village named Hopkins at a treehouse cabin lodge called Jungle Jeanie. This town was great because you get to blend in the the locals, eat at local restaurants, and you are centrally located in the mainland.

Mae Chevrette Art Adventure Belize 2016 720p, 2min.

Belize Zoo, 4min.

Belize - Day 1 Dive 2 Happy Hour, Ambergris Caye, Belize, 8min. Second dive of the first day of our Belize trip. The turtles, rays and sharks don't seem too concerned with divers floating close by.

June 8, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

The Patron Saint of Fishermen: San Pedro
Today, San Pedro Town is the bustling tourism capital of Belize. Not so long ago, the island was known as a small fishing village rooted in tradition and the Roman Catholic faith. We have come a long way from a quiet community with under a 100 residents, but not even development can eliminate traditions passed on from one generation to the next. One such tradition is paying homage to the Patron Saint of Fishermen, Saint Peter, who islanders believe has guided San Pedro Town throughout its transition. Saint Peter is the island’s patron saint and namesake, and as such, he is honoured each year. The celebrations embrace the island’s beginnings as a small fishing village and promotes unity as well as history, culture and tradition. Growing up, islanders have been taught the importance of Saint Peter, who has watched over generations of fishermen while out at sea, keeping them safe from harm. For those not acquainted with the Catholic religion, Saint Peter was one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles and the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Originally a fisherman, Saint Peter devoted his life to spreading the word of God and died a martyr.

Hon. Patrick Faber Sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister
The Hon. Patrick Faber was today sworn in as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Belize by the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Hon. Patrick Faber was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister after recently being elected as the new First Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party. He is succeeding the outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Gaspar Vega. After being sworn in, Hon. Faber thanked all those who supported him during his bid for Deputy Party Leader. The new Deputy Prime Minister pledged his support to the Prime Minister of Belize, the Governor General and other leaders of the country as he works with them in the continuing development of Belize.

Lindsey Williams is Miss Chiquitita 2016-2017
Five darling young girls participated in the annual Miss Chiquitita pageant on Saturday, June 4th, at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium. They all hoped to capture the tiara and title of Miss Chiquitita 2016-2017 during the largest fundraiser for the San Pedro Pre- School. Shortly after 7PM, the pageant began with a dance, featuring contestants Carolina Salinas, Sandi Flores, Monique Garcia, Lindsey Williams, and Evelin Pichola. As final scores were tabulated, outgoing Miss Chiquitita Killianie Sosa gave her final walk on stage before the winner was announced. Miss Amity went to the enthusiastic and smiling Carolina Salinas, while the prize for most photogenic went to Monique Garcia. MC’s Angel Nuñez and Adrianne Hernandez announced the winner, and to the sound of drum-rolls, Miss Chiquitita 2016-2017 is Lindsey Williams!

Ambergris Today

When the Power Goes Out in Belize
Power Outages – Yes they are common occurrences in Belize. Hey! We are still considered living in a third world country and from time to time, the power goes out; sometimes for a few minutes and at times for some stressful hours. They come unannounced and sometimes they are scheduled when the power company has to conduct maintenance. Well what happens in Belize when there is a scheduled power outage? We get out of the house – PRONTO! There is no point staying in when you know there is going to be power outage. It’s torture to stay home – you can’t watch TV, can’t open the fridge to eat something because you will let out the cold air, can’t heat up anything in the microwave, can’t turn on the fan OR air conditioning; pretty much everything runs on electricity…WHY STAY HOME!? It’s HOT! If you stay home you will only suffer from immeasurable sweating (like really). It’s the rainy season, but summertime is a scorcher in the tropics. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, I SAY! And the best thing, especially here in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, is that the beach is only about a three minute walk away – at the most!!! People on the island get on their golf carts and take a drive, some hit the beach or the nearest bar and/or restaurant!!! If the power outage happens at night we sit out on the porch (or head to the beach) for some star-gazing; add a bottle of wine and its GOLDEN!

Ministry of Health Advises on Exposure to Smoke from Bush Fires
The San Pedro Town Council has made a similar announcement for Ambergris Caye in which they kindly advise the general public that any type of burning is an offense and that burning of any type of garbage is completely prohibited in residential areas since it is a health hazard and puts at risk any buildings in the surrounding area. Island residents are urged to report any type of burning in private property that is a nuisance to the public; reports can be made to the San Pedro Fire Department by calling 206-2372. The poor air quality may continue for an unpredictable time as the country is at the peak of the dry season when the ignition of fires is common. Persons engaging in any form of burning during this dry season is advised to exercise care to contain the fire at source and put out any fire that shows sign of possible spread.

Body Found South of Island, No Foul Play Suspected
The body of an American male was found floating near the southern part of Ambergris Caye on Monday, June 6, 2016, but the San Pedro Police Department says it does not suspect foul play. The body of the 66 year old was discovered about two and a half miles south of San Pedro Town with no signs of violence on it. Police are ruling it as a sudden death and say that his family explains that the deceased suffered from seizures.

Misc Belizean Sources

Mr Herbert Trapp needs your prayers
Good morning Mr Herbert Trapp is very ill in the KHMH he needs your prayers. H. A. Was one of Belize's best football player

Hon. Gaspar Vega’s Address at the 7th Association of Caribbean States Summit in Havana, Cuba
A warm and resounding thank you President Raúl Castro Ruz... It would be remiss of me not to note the tremendous warmth and good will that has been extended by you personally, your Government and the Cuban people on the occasion of this 7th ACS Summit. Secretary General Ambassador Alfonso Múnera, Distinguished Heads of State, Ministers, Delegates, All. I believe gratitude is also in order for the outgoing Chairman – not only was the business of our organization conducted with finesse, but with a horizon of a better positioned ACS for the future. Belize of course applauds the election of Ambassador June Soomer to the position of Secretary General, and as was mentioned by Foreign Minister Elrington when he introduced her yesterday, we have no doubts that she will continue the tradition of excellence set by our present Secretary General Múnera. We believe that Dr. Sooner’s invaluable experience in Caricom, will allow us, within the ACS, to capitalize on regional strengths, whilst working within the framework of a rejuvenated and repositioned association.

Grupo Super Lamas at the Costa Maya Festival
Are you ready to sing "YO QUIERO CHUPAR"??? The Costa Maya Festival is excited to present Grupo Super Lamas. They will perform live on Saturday, August 6, 2016. Follow the link to learn more about them and to listen to their other hit songs.

The Placencia Breeze June 2016
Pg 3 BTIA news Pg 7 Jessea Marie Lobsterfest Artwork Pg 9 BTB & BTIA Social Media Workshop Pg 10 Placencia BTIA Lobsterfest Raffle Prizes Pg 11 PVC Mothers Day Dinner / Pack for a Purpose / De La Fuente Family Celebration Pg 12 Beautification of Seine Bight Pg 13 Lobsterfest Schedule / Hands Across the Sand Pg 15 & 18 Placencia BTIA Members Pg 16 & 17 Placencia Peninsula Map Pg 22 Battle Cancer Walk Pg 24 New Placencia Fire Station / Placencia Sailing Club Pg 25 On the Peninsula - A Visitor's View Pg 26 Community Corner Pg 27 PHS News Pg 29 Rotary Senior's Lunch / PVC Five A Side / Lobsterfest Event Information / Where in the World is the Breeze Pg 30/31 Paid Listings / Seine Bight Womens Softball Team

BELIZE FISHING REPORT: Weeks of May 29th – June 4th, 2016
Our guests from Columbia South America seemed to be drawn to tarpon, to the extent that most of them skipped over the bonefish, Congratulations to Alvaro, Liliana, Luz, Monica, Julio, and Juan for their perseverance in the pursuit of tarpon. Most of them landed some tarpon but all of them had some extended fights. Other tarpon masters included Jason, Matt, Damon, Brandon, John, and Justin! A good solid tarpon week with Migratory tarpon moving in more and more.

Fraud Alert
That major payout you've been promised, if it seems WAY too good to be true...chances are, it is. The Financial Intelligence Unit is aware, and they say, BEWARE!

Splashers
Here is our inspiration photo for this week at Crazy Canucks 2p.m. We will paint our own versions using this picture as inspiration. You can change the color of your boat change the background colors etc.

San Pedro Police Department North Sub-Station
The San Pedro Police Department North Sub-Station already installed in its permanent location.

Poets Corner: Pontius Pilate
By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. Vega’s resigning was throwing a tantrum He did try to give Deeno an ultimatum But Deeno does not take kind to ultimatums Saldivars alleged uprising is a tantrum Imagine this G11 gave Deeno an ultimatum Deeno knows his power is maximum He does not listen to minister throwing tantrums He knows the minions in his kingdom This makes him oblivious to provocation They are throwing the blame on the media The first one was the prime minister Sedi blame the media for causing panic of Guatemala Johnny Saldivar di blame di media Saying no demands were made of his beloved prime minister The Council of Churches di blame di media

Tapir wondering on the Chalillo Lake
With the arrival of the rains, new shoots are appearing on the landscape.

Channel 7

Patrick Faber, DPM
It's official: Patrick Faber is Belize's Deputy Prime Minister. The four-term representative was elected Deputy Leader of the UDP 10 days ago and today he took the oath as the Deputy Prime Minister before the Governor General. It's an ascension which has caused some friction in the UDP and the political directorate - since a majority of cabinet ministers opposed Faber in the convention. But, as the old saying goes, the winner takes it all - and today, Faber came to work looking spiffy in a pinstripe suit. We saw it when he strode into the Sir Edney Cain building for the Cabinet meeting - and two hours later when he came out, we asked him about it. Jules Vasquez: "Sir, its a very hot day and you are in a very warm suite. What's the occasion?" Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister: "Well as you know I'll be sworn in this afternoon as the country's new DPM. So it is a special day."

Is All Well In UDP Cabinet?
And so Faber's ascension is confirmed, but is all well in Cabinet? We know that in the immediate aftermath of the convention there were very many ruffled feathers in the political directorate - and rumours of a Cabinet mutiny in the making. It never happened - but it has been widely reported that the disgruntled ministers who did not support Faber did put a list of cabinet and party ultimatums to the Prime Minister. They form the majority in Cabinet, while Faber only had three ministers supporting him. A week has passed and passions have subsided, but is the rift healed? That's what we asked today:... Jules Vasquez: "Mr. Finnegan, you have served in multiple cabinets under Mr. Esquivel." Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip: "Five." Jules Vasquez: "Great. Sir, explain to me what was the mood in there like when we have a new deputy prime minister? It doesn't happen very often in the term of the life of a government."

Juniour Like Justin: "Is It Too Late To Say Sorry?"
But one minister who is accused of really putting a dent in party unity is Manuel "Juniour" Herredia. In the heat of the moment when Faber was declared the winner at the May 29th convention - Herredia said that those ministers who supported Faber were "most humble and honest." So what does that say about his colleagues? That they aren't humble or honest? Today, we asked him about the rift that his statements caused:... Jules Vasquez: "Accusing, humility and honesty are the two hallmarks of being a politician. If you had said they are ugly, well it's not important in politician whether you are ugly or handsome, but you imply that they were neither honest not humble. Sir, this is a very deep insult. Will you be able to recover and regain the support if the cabinet colleagues?" Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism: "Well Jules, speaking for myself, I believe, I consider myself a humble and honest guy. Like I said, if what I said, I didn't say it with bad intentions. I feel that all of them are honest. There are people that are more honest than others, but I believe they are honest also. They are honest people, genuine people and like I said probably I went a little too far, but I have apologized and there is nothing wrong in being humble and humiliating yourself many times for the interest of the party right."

Natural Resources Minister Took A Stand Against Cabinet Colleagues
And so far in the news tonight, you've heard all about Cabinet - and the tensions - or lack thereof - between those Ministers who support Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and those who did not. Caught up somewhere in there is Natural Resources Minister Godwin Hulse. It seems the unelected minister has come under attack for doing his job without paying enough attention to the political dimension of his powerful ministry. No doubt, the Lands Department at the center of his ministry has been a political war chest, probably since independence…and now that Hulse has put the brakes on long established practices, he's become persona non grata within his own party. Reports last week were that the 11 wanted him gone. Now that has not been officially confirmed but Hulse did feel the need to defend himself today. We asked him about it after Cabinet:.. Jules Vasquez: "You have come under attack, that those who have their misgivings about the current direction of the government feel that you are at the center of the problem - your own colleagues in the cabinet are targeting you. How do you respond to that?"

Belizean Loses Life In Houston Accident
One Belizean is dead and another injured after a terrible accident in Houston, Texas. Well known entertainer and former PUP city council candidate Lennox "Tambran" Young, was driving back to Belize from Houston this morning. He was along with 2 friends Corozal resident Sostenes Tamai and Police Coach Amin August. Reports are that, DJ Tambran stopped at an Auto Parts shop in Northwest Harris County, Houston. That is when a truck rammed into them, injuring DJ Tambran but killing Tamai. Best information at this time is that August was unharmed. We spoke to DJ Tambran's younger brother Leroy "Tambran" Young and he told us what he knew about the accident. Leroy "Tambran" Young, Brother: "I got a call about 9:30 this morning from Houston that my brother was okay, he only had a broken hand. But the passenger with him Mr. Mai from Corozal died." Courtney Weatherburne: "As you were saying your brother he was going to buy vehicle parts in Houston. He was driving a long the road. What do you understand happened?"

Gapi Gave It To Jimmy
Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington arrived back in country over the weekend. That's after spending just over 2 weeks abroad on a diplomatic mission to increase awareness about the recent difficulties between Belize and Guatemala. Today, he hosted a press conference, which we will get to shortly, but first, to the final event that Elrington attended. That's the 7th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Association of Caribbean States. IT was held over the weekend in Havana, Cuba and both Belize and Guatemala had representation among the 32 member countries. Gaspar Vega represented Belize in his final act as Deputy Prime Minister. And - in his swan song - he certainly turned heads on the international stage with his last official speech as Deputy Prime Minister. When it was his turn to speak, he used a portion of his over 8 minute speech to address the Belize Guatemala territorial dispute, focusing on Guatemala's recently enforced possession of the Sarstoon River. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who heard it for himself, immediately rebutted. The exchange resembled the kind of back and forth that the Belizean public has come to expect from the politicians across the floor at House Meetings.

Hon. Elrington Says Vega Was Spot On
As you saw in both clips, Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington and his Guatemalan counterpart were also present as representatives. So, what does Elrington make of the exchange? That's what the we asked him this afternoon at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belmopan. Here's what he had to say: Jules Vasquez: "Were those advised remarks? Did you encourage him, coach him or lead him into making those remarks?" Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Jules the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is made up of a number of very talented professionals who literally put together everything that we say, so that declarations are never impromptu. They are always prepared by officials of the government." Jules Vasquez: "Well according to President Morales, the Deputy Prime Minister Vega, used the wrong forum and in fact spoke unfairly at that event. What is your view on the response from President Morales?"

Hon. Elrington Says Sarstoon Situation Normalised
So, to the status of Belize's use of the Sarstoon River. As we told you, immediately after the Istanbul talks, the Prime Minister's Office announced that there was an informal agreement between the Belizean and Guatemalan delegations that Belizeans would enjoy "untrammeled access" to the Sarstoon. That news came after a joint statement was issued by both Foreign Ministries which only mentioned the Sarstoon in passing. A few days later Channel 5 and Krem tested this informal agreement, and they found that the Guatemalans behaved pretty much the same way they did before the talks, by blockading the Belizeans from free movement through the river. It appeared that the Guatemalans supposedly agreed to one thing in the meetings, and did exactly the opposite of that. So, for the first time since he returned, we asked Elrington for an explanation of what happened with that media blockade. He said that that the Guatemalans' position is that the message had unfortunately not arrived to the Guatemalan military based in Sarstoon, and that's why the press was stopped:

Police: Paris Champagne Didn't Die From Poison
Last night, we told you how Porfilio Rodriguez, the transgender individual better known as Vanessa Champagne Paris, died on Saturday night at the Dangriga Hospital. Well, a post-mortem examination was conducted at the KHMH morgue, and police tell us that the results reveal that she died of natural causes, not suicide. Independence Police tell us that she died of , quote, "bronchial aspiration", or difficulty breathing. As we reported, her parents rushed her to Dangriga Hospital after she started complaining about stomach pains. Her health took a turn for the worse in the hospital, and she died.

From Burn Victim To Valedictorian
23 year old Danay Chavarria was almost burnt alive 18 years ago. She was at a BBQ when her a relative accidently started a fire. What happened at that house changed Chavarria's life forever but surprisingly, Chavarria told us she is happy for the experience because she wouldn't be half the person she is today if it hadn't been for that. Here is Danay's story.... Danay Chavarria, Burnt Victim: "My fellow graduates, let us continue to grow positively. Let us engrave our marks of accomplishment in the history book of WJC so that others may be motivated to build their selves, build our communities and build Belize." Courtney Weatherburne reporting: Those were the final words from Danay Chavarria's Valedictorian speech. She graduated from Wesley College on Saturday May 21st with an Associate's Degree in Information Technology.

Caught With Thirteen Turtles
This afternoon, the Fisheries Department made a major bust of Hicatee turtles just outside of Lords Bank Village. Today, we got to see the illegal catch, including 13 live turtles ranging from sizes of 1 foot to 16 inches in length, all caught unlawfully, according to fisheries officers. We understand that the Fisheries officers stopped a vehicle and conducted a search, in which they found 3 of the turtles, and a quick investigation led to the seizure of the other. These two men, an uncle and his nephew will be facing multiple fisheries charges tomorrow at the Magistrate's Court. When that happens, we'll have the details for you.

Ready Call CEO Has To Pay SS Arrears For 500 Workers, Pronto!
Ready Call is one of the largest employers in the country, hiring several hundreds of people at a time for its various services, but tonight their CEO 46 year old Nubia Ramirez Moreno, could end up in jail if she can't pay 141 thousand dollars in social security arrears within two weeks! She appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer this morning where she was read a charge for failing to make social security payments for 500 employees between February and April of this year. On Tuesday May 31st Inspector Lawrence Lopez made a report against Ready Call Center after he discovered that they were over $100 thousand dollars in arrears. As a result CEO Moreno was summoned to the court today. Moreno, appeared without an attorney, and pleaded guilty. As a result she was fined $500 dollars for the single count of failure to pay social security contributions. In addition to that she was also ordered to pay her company's debt of $141,561 dollars and 80 cents by June 20th. That's only 13 days. Failure to pay that debt could result in immediate imprisonment.

A Conference On Climate
Today at the George Price Center in Belmopan, the National Met Service held its National Climate Outlook Forum. The idea is to speak with stakeholders, in sectors such as agriculture and tourism, about the Met Service's seasonal outlook - with a focus on the rainy season which runs from June to November. Adrian Trotman, the Chief of Applied Meteorology and Climatology for the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology participated. We spoke to him and the Deputy Chief of the Belize Meteorology Department about their seasonal outlook and the purpose for sharing this information in stakeholder consultations:. The stake holder's conference today included representatives from sectors like agriculture, water, energy, health, and disaster management.

Beat Down Down South Leaves Man Critical
Independence police are investigating an attempted robbery last Saturday night that now has a man on life support at the KHMH. It happened at around 10:00 in front of M&M Gas Station where a woman and 3 men were heading home. That's when a group of 6 young men pounced and tried to rob the woman of her purse. The men intervened, and that's when the would-be robbers assaulted them. Our information is that Ernesto Guerra, one of the 4 victims, was bashed over the head with a cement block. He was rushed to the KHMH where he remains unconscious.

Channel 5

Patrick Faber is Sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister
There is a new Deputy Prime Minister. He is thirty-nine year old Patrick Faber who moves up to the second most powerful man in the corridors of power in Belmopan [...]

Sedi Says Gapi’s Statement on Guatemalan Hostility was Sanctioned by G.O.B.
The Istanbul talks on the Sarstoon were held on May twenty-third, and today was the first opportunity the media has had to debrief Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, so [...]

Did Gaspar Vega’s Comments Help or Hurt an Already Fragile Situation?
While Guatemalan officials have not hesitated at any point to name and shame Belize, those very same Guatemalan officials have bristled whenever Belizean officials question the actions of their government. [...]

Foreign Minister Weighs in on State of Affairs at Sarstoon
On May twenty-seventh, just days after the Istanbul talks and word of an informal agreement allowing untrammeled access to the Sarstoon, Guatemalan Armed Forces refused to allow access to News [...]

Is P.U.P.’s Guatemalan-approved Trip to Sarstoon an Assertion of Sovereignty?
The media was stopped by the GAF, but an expedition of P.U.P. parliamentarians and executive members who made the trip exactly one week after were not. In fact, that expedition [...]

Do You Think Additional Taxes Will be Imposed Given the Grim IMF Economic Report?
And tonight’s question is: Given the grim IMF economic report, do you think additional taxes will be imposed? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or [...]

Belizean Car Dealers are Victims in Fatal RTA in Houston
A two-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of W. Mount Houston in northwest Harris County has left one Belizean dead and another hospitalized in the U.S. Car dealers, Lennox “DJ [...]

Will Deputy Prime Minister Faber be Assigned a New Portfolio?
Earlier we reported on the ascension of Patrick Faber to Deputy Prime Minister. But will he be assigned a new portfolio now that he is officially second in command of [...]

G.O.B. Braces for Challenging Times After Dismal IMF Report
Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber is the only elected official within the Barrow Administration to comment on the dismal IMF report. While he admits that government is bracing for difficult [...]

Has Belize’s Rhetoric in Guatemalan Discussions Changed?
Against the backdrop of everything happening in diplomatic halls and in the Sarstoon, has Belize’s rhetoric changed somewhat? For months all Belizeans heard out of meetings between countries was talk [...]

Fisheries Department Busts Illegal Hicatee Harvest
The Fisheries Department made a huge bust this morning of the endangered hicatee turtle. For two weeks, they have been monitoring persons of interest carrying out illegal operations in the [...]

Seguros Will Face Charges for Illegal Hicatee Catch
Fisheries Officer Rigoberto Quintana says the Seguros will be charged for a number of offenses including the possession of more than three hicatees as well as for the hicatee nets. [...]

C.E.O. of Ready Call Charged for Failure to Make Social Security Payments
There were significant cases today before the courts. We start with the case against the C.E.O. of the Ready Call Center which is located at the junction of the Burrell [...]

Murder Trial of Shane Gillett; Judge Reserves Ruling
Justice Adolph Lucas will give his ruling in the murder trial of thirty-year old Burrell Boom resident, Shane Gillett, next week. Gillett is the suspect in the murder of Samuel [...]

So What Really Killed Champagne Paris?
The family of Vanessa Champagne Paris has asked for privacy following her death on Saturday night. Born Porfelio Rodriguez Junior, he became a transgender woman years ago and transitioned to [...]

An Update on Plett Abduction
On May twelfth, Belizeans Roger Plett and Rudy Friesen were taken off Belizean soil on a farm they worked in an area known as Green Hills which adjoins the Guatemalan [...]

Is Foreign Minister Elrington Downplaying the Gravity of Plett Incident?
We note that in our last conversation with the Ministry of National Security C.E.O. George Lovell, he said that police investigations confirmed Plett’s story. Lovell explained that it was in [...]

There’s a Need for Fisheries Protocol in Sarstoon
So back to the Sarstoon. One of the major criticisms in that area has been that Guatemalan fisherfolk have been allowed to fish freely in Belizean waters, at times travelling [...]

World Ocean’s Day Celebrated in Belize
World Ocean’s Day is being celebrated across the globe this Wednesday under the theme, “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet.” Locally, OCEANA Belize is commemorating this day through a Better Bag Initiative [...]

Audubon Society Promotes Reusable Bags
The Belize Audubon Society is also joining in the efforts to keep the environment safe and clean. The N.G.O. is also making available reusable bags to the public. The first [...]

CTV3

Elrington Speaks On Belize/Guatemala Disputes
Following the PUP’s successful trip to the Sarstoon in which they circled the Island without interference from the Guatemalans on June 3rd, unofficial information was that the Guatemalans sent a letter to the Government of Belize declaring that they still exercise sovereignty over the Island. They reportedly added that the excursion taken by the PUP of less than 20 people was not intercepted by the Guatemalan Armed Forces because the Guatemalans had been informed about the trip and they recognized that it was meant as an educational visit. Today, during an interview with the media, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington was questioned about those allegations. Honorable Wilfred Elrington – Minister of Foreign Affairs: “I not only was told that but I was told that by word of mouth and by the Foreign Minister of Guatemala and I was shown the boats, I think they were two boats going around because the Guatemalans had photographed them, they did not see the drone but it was on top photographing every move they made and the Guatemalan do it...”

Belize Has New Deputy Prime Minister
After his recent victory as the new First Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party today the Hon. Patrick Faber was sworn in as the new Deputy Prime Minister of Belize by the Governor General of Belize Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Following the ceremony, Faber spoke to the media and addressed important issues of unity that have been surrounding the party since the Deputy Leadership convention that was held last week. Honorable Patrick Farber – Deputy Party Leader: “They all as well accept that I am now the new deputy leader of the party that I am now the Deputy Prime Minister of the country and in fact things have improved tremendously from last week when you camp out in front of the Cabinet and I will expect that things will continue if there is anything that you continue to persist that there is still something under the circus I am telling you that by the time that we get by that 2020 convention there will not be that kind of feeling at all.”

Corozal Well-Known Mechanic Loses Life In Houston Texas
A well-known mechanic from Corozal Town is tonight dead after he was involved in a traffic accident in West Mount Houston, Northwest Harris County. Reports coming out of Houston indicate that the accident happened at about 8:30 this morning as this black Nissan Xterra driven at the time by Lenox Young better known as DJ Tambran was coming out of Import Center Junk Yard on Highway 249. We understand that as the vehicle entered into the highway the driver of this pickup truck ran into the driver side of the Xterra killing Tamay on the spot. Also traveling in the Xterra at the time of the incident was 55 year old retired Superintendent Amin August from the Cayo District. Today via phone from Houston Texas August spoke to us about the dreadful accident.

LOVE FM

Foreign Minister Weighs in on Vega’s Speech in Cuba
Yesterday we told you of Belize being represented in Cuba by the former Deputy Prime Minister Gasper Vega and Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington. That meeting saw Vega carrying out his last deed as the Deputy Prime Minister in delivering a speech that caught Guatemalan President, Jimmy Morales off guard as Vega spoke of the aggression […]

OAS Prepare to Launch Investigation into Death of Guatemalan Child
The Organization of American States is looking to launch the investigation into the shooting death of the 13-year-old Guatemalan child who was killed in the Chiquibul area of the Cayo District. Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington explained where the process is currently at. WILFRED ELRINGTON ” The Guatemalan minor, Julio Rene Alvarado was shot in April […]

Two Men Detained for City Shooting
This evening around five o’clock there was a shoot out on Vernon Street where it is suspected that one male individual from a gang fired shots at another male individual from a rival gang. The police have apprehended two people who they suspect to be the intended victim and the shooter. Assistant Commissioner of Police […]

The Guats Were Spying on the PUP at the Sarstoon
Last week the People’s United Party made a trip to the Sarstoon in the form of an educational venture with the participation of the party’s officials and parliamentarians. Opposition Leader, John Briceno had told Love News that the Prime Minister was informed of their intention. Incidentally, there were no Guatemalan armed forces blocking them from […]

Duo Busted with Out -of-Season Hicatee Turtles
While the Hicatee turtle is considered a delectable dish, there are regulations that come with catching these turtles. The Fisheries Department in Belize City made a huge bust today. Acting on information received, the officers caught two men, one in Ladyville Village and one in Biscayne Village with three and thirteen turtles respectively. Fisheries Officer […]

Faber Replaces Vega as Deputy Prime Minister
Minister Patrick Faber was sworn in this afternoon as the Deputy Prime Minister at the Belize House in Belmopan, Cayo District. Faber told the media this afternoon that he has plans of hard work in an effort to reach his goal of leading the country as the Prime Minister. Faber also spoke of the evident […]

Godwin Hulse Confronts Cabinet Colleagues
Last week we told you of a meeting held post-Cabinet where some demands or requests were brought before the Prime Minister involving the Deputy Prime Minister’s post as well as that of the Minister of Lands, Godwin Hulse. Since his taking over of Lands, there have been reports that Hulse’s Cabinet colleagues are unhappy of […]

Hulse Cleans Hotbed Mess at Lands Department
In October 2013 the Prime Minister Dean Barrow referred to the Lands Department as a hot bed of corruption. It has been an area of concern for many years as there have been under table deals and cases of fraud; a status quo that Minister Godwin Hulse has been trying to change via a new […]

PlusTV

Man shot in the face at Dangriga gambling establishment
A man was killed in Dangriga on Friday night. 35 year old John Rodriquez was shot to the face while he was at a gambling establishment on Havana street. According to police, on Friday night at about 11 o’clock, Rodriguez was in the establishment playing one of the electronic gambling machine along w...

Guilty of double murder; Ervin Reneau jailed for life
45 year old Ervin Alexander Reneau accused of the murders of security guards 39 year old David Allan Longsworth and Edgar Ayala almost six years ago on November 30, 2010 was convicted by Supreme Court Justice Adolph Lucas, sitting without a jury. Delivering the oral judgment today, Justice Lucas sta...

UDP sweeping village council elections so far
The first round of village council elections got on the way this weekend, Sunday June 5th. 43 villages got to choose a village chairman and 6 village councilors this past Sunday; 301 seats in total for the first wave of village council elections. The United Democratic party has continued with its ti...

Body of man found floating in San Pedro waters
San Pedro police are investigating the sudden death of an American national on the island. Police say that the 66 year old man was found floating in the sea by a watch patrol in the area. Initial investigation reveals that the American national, whose name police have not released as yet, was standi...

OAS Independent Commission starts investigation next week
An Independent Commission sent by the OAS will start its investigation into the death of the Guatemalan minor Julio Rene Alvarado who was killed while illegally poaching in Belizean territory. The minor was shot after the Belize Defense Force were shot at by Guatemalans in the Chiquibul Rese...

Belizean spring authorized for Guatemalan use?
While Guatemala continues to say that Belize has violated the human rights of its people because Guatemalans who shoot after BDF have been injured or killed in self defense, Belize continues to show good will to the Guatemalan citizens. Despite protests from some sections of the Belizean society, Gu...

DPM Vega addresses Belize Guatemala issue 7th Summit of the Association of Caribbean States
Early last week, PlusNews had informed the nation that Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega would step down to allow Patrick Faber to become Deputy Prime Minister after one last representation of the nation internationally. That representation took place at the 7th Summit of the Association of Caribbe...

Amandala

“John Jay” killed in Dangriga game room
Popular karaoke singer and Sweet Pain Band guest singer, John Narcissus “John Jay” Rodriguez, Jr., 35, of Hopkins, the father of a little girl, died after he was shot in the left side of the head at about 11:00 Friday night in the Havana electronic game room on Havana Road in Dangriga Town while he and three others were playing electronic games. The witnesses reported that at about 11:00 that night, three robbers entered to rob the game room and ordered the cashier to open her area so that they could enter to steal the money from the cash register, but she refused, and that was when one of the bandits, who was armed with a 9mm pistol, fired a shot at the men, who were playing on the machines. The slug grazed the neck of Stanley Venai, 38, one of the men playing on the machines, but struck Rodriguez in the left side of the head. The three robbers then ran away empty handed. Rodriguez fell to the floor and died almost immediately

“The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, dead at 74
The world paused in grief last Friday when the announcement was made that the greatest sportsman to set foot inside the boxing ring, the former three-time heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, had died at the age of 74. Muhammad Ali died at Honor Health Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, where he was admitted on Thursday for a respiratory ailment. He also suffered from Parkinson’s disease, with which he had been diagnosed and had been battling for 32 years, Bob Gunnel, a family spokesman, said on Friday. Muhammad Ali was arguably the most famous athlete on planet earth, and his boxing career, which spanned several decades, was nothing short of exciting, colorful and charismatic, as the champ was also a confident man who was not short of lyrical expressions, which emanated from his immense self-confidence. Muhammad Ali had a voracious appetite for seeing the world and had travelled to many places, including British Honduras (Belize) in July 1965, and many Belizeans remember that historic trip.

Did famous drag queen die of poisoning?
Vanessa Champagne Paris, 21, born Perfilio Rodriguez, who was noted for dressing like, and living the life of, a woman despite being biologically male, died of what is suspected to be food poisoning on Friday night, June 3. According to Independence police reports, Rodriguez had gone to Dangriga on the morning of Wednesday, June 1, to apply for his Social Security card and other personal documents. When he returned to Independence on Wednesday night at around 8:30 p.m., he reportedly began to complain of chronic pain in the stomach. On Thursday, his father found him almost unconscious on the floor at their home and rushed him to a polyclinic and then to the Southern Regional Hospital on Friday after his condition had worsened. On Friday, June 3, at about 10 p.m. Rodriguez was pronounced dead by a medical doctor.

Ervin Reneau, 44, gets life for double murder
A Belize City man who has been on remand since 2010 when he was first accused of a double murder at a Belize City gas station will now take up a permanent residence at the Belize Central Prison after he was found guilty of the double murder and was sentenced to life in prison this morning in the Supreme Court. Supreme Court Justice, Adolph Lucas, who heard the two indictments against Ervin Reneau, 44, without a jury, handed down his guilty of murder ruling this morning. Reneau was found guilty on the first indictment for the unlawful death of David Longsworth, 39, and Edgar Ayala, a security guard who was posted at the Texaco gas station. Justice Lucas told Reneau, “On the whole of the evidence, I am sure that you shot and killed David Longsworth on 30 November 2010, and that you had no legal justification or partial excuse to cause his death. Therefore I find you guilty on the first count of the indictment.”

Opposition leader John Briceño leads PUP on successful Sarstoon trip
The Leader of the Opposition, flanked by his chairman, deputy party leaders, senators and other party officials, led a successful expedition to the Sarstoon on Friday, June 3. The Prime Minister quickly sprang into action, contacting the Guatemalan Foreign Minister and then the OAS Secretary General, after he was informed in an act of courtesy on Thursday by Hon. John Briceño about the PUP’s proposed Sarstoon trip. Senior PUP officials claim that the purpose of this trip, organized by the PUP leader, was not to gain political mileage nor to stir provocation, and therefore, none of the media houses were initially invited to join. However, word was leaked to them and they soon found themselves onboard. The large blue boat which carried the senior PUP officials was scheduled to leave the docking area by Joe Taylor Bridge, near Punta Gorda, at 10 a.m. However, it left almost an hour later, as the contracted captain almost abandoned the PUP expedition, as was the case when the first Sarstoon trip was announced by the PUP.

Belize most vulnerable in Central America to sea level rise
Earlier this week, we picked up a brochure from a booth display set up by the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency financing to Belize’s private sector, with an offer of up to $200,000 per project for upgrades and installation. The scheme is being financed by a $2 million investment window established by the DFC in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank and the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology and Public Utilities. According to the publication, by 2100 Belize’s population is projected to reach 1 million, but at the same time, substantial portions of the country could be under water due to sea level rise, exacerbating demand for natural resources. Global warming is said to be the culprit, and the novel energy financing is intended to help scale back some of its effects. In March, research published by the Nature journal and featured in the Washington Post indicates that sea levels are rising twice as fast as had been previously estimated, and the projection says that it will rise more than 6 feet by the end of the century.

BDFA 1st Division Football Competition Week 5 results
The Belize District Football Association (BDFA) 1st Division Football Tournament 2016 continued over the weekend with Week 5 games at the MCC. On Saturday, June 4, Eiley FC clipped Lake I Bombers, 1-0, with a goal from Dalton Cayetano (8’). In Sunday’s opener, Ladyville Jaguars and FC Elite played to a 2-2 draw. Brandon Cacho (18’) and Juan Ardon (85’) scored for the Jaguars, while Kevin Young (11’) and David Ramos (70’) tallied for FC Elite. And in the nightcap, it was Stars Academy keeping their undefeated record intact with a 2-0 win over West Lake, courtesy of a goal each by Ryan Simpson (21’) and Steven Baizer (83’). There are 4 more weeks of regular season games remaining before the top 4 teams go on to the knockout semifinals.

Football family mourns the passing of Herbert “H.A.” Trapp
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) extends sincere condolence to the Trapp family of Esperanza Village, Cayo, on the loss of Herbert Trapp. “H.A” as he was known to many, contributed to the sport of football in Belize in his early days, and left a tremendous impact on the then youths of the country, especially those in the Cayo District. The FFB will continue to recognize the late Mr. Trapp for his good will and contributions to the sport. He will be sadly missed by all football enthusiasts throughout Belize. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. (Ed. Note: Our sincere condolences also from the sports desk to all members of the Trapp family in Esperanza. H.A.’s Esperanza Warriors, which included a number of his younger brothers, was one of the founding member teams in the first Belize semipro league back in 1991.)

Belize District Primary School Football Champions 2016
Today at the MCC Grounds, the finals were held for the Belize District Primary Schools Football Competition 2016; and when it was over, St. John Vianney had emerged as female champions and San Pedro RC as male champions. Below are the teams that played today and their respective titles coming into the finals: MALE: St. John Vianney (1st place Belize City); Hattieville Gov’t (1st place Rural); Belize Elementary (2nd place Belize City); San Pedro RC (2nd place Rural). FEMALE: Belize Elementary (1st place Belize City); Ladyville Evangelical (1st place Rural); St. John Vianney (2nd place Belize City); San Pedro RC (2nd place Rural). Females played 15-15 (15 minute halves), while the males played 20-20; and the tournament followed a simple knockout format, with no third place games played.

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016)
After the young Cassius Marcellus Clay won Olympic gold in the light-heavyweight boxing class at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy, he turned professional under a management syndicate of twelve millionaires from his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. There is absolutely no indication that any of these twelve rich men were black, and Cassius Marcellus was, of course, a black American. The issue of race in America was not one with which the people of British Honduras, which had a majority black population in 1960, were well acquainted at the time. The slavery of black people had been abolished in the United States in 1865, but it was followed by something called “Jim Crow” in the mainly agricultural Southern states. Jim Crow was something like apartheid in South Africa, in that it involved the separation of the white and black races. Jim Crow was supposed to mean “separate but equal,” but the race separation, referred to as “segregation” in America, led to the growth of plush, luxurious white facilities and institutions, such as schools, hospitals, entertainment centers, and other public institutions, while their black equivalents were rundown and dilapidated. In addition, and more startling, the violence perpetrated with impunity by whites against blacks, featuring lynchings organized by racist white groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, became the bloody brand of Jim Crow in the American South.

From the Publisher
Soon after the People’s United Party (PUP) were swept back into office in late August of 1998, they made a decision to divest or privatize Radio Belize. As a result of how that PUP administration carried out that divestment/privatization, a former public officer became a multimillionaire. All the “good stuff” from 40 years of the British Honduras Broadcasting Corporation (BHBS) and Radio Belize were given to LOVE FM, which had begun broadcasting in February of 1993, while the scraps went to KREM Radio, which had begun broadcasting in November of 1989. For history’s and journalism’s sake, there are many questions which should have been asked and which should still be asked about the birth of LOVE FM and the divestment/privatization of Radio Belize. But it is not for me to ask those questions, because, as an interested party, I would have a conflict of interest during the course of any such an investigation. Whatever the case, as a former performer in various capacities on BHBS and Radio Belize from the mid-1950s until the late 1970s, I have the right to ask what happened to all the BHBS and Radio Belize tapes. What happened to the library? What happened to all the records and archives? The taping technology was old school, of course, but the taping technology and the technicians at the monopoly radio station were world class.

IMF concedes that neoliberalism “increased inequality”
Out of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the Deputy Director Jonathan D. Ostry, the Division Chief Prakash Loungani and Economist Davide Furceri of the Research Department have published a report entitled “Neoliberalism: Oversold?” offering some insider dissent to the exploitative political, social and economic ideology with which most of us live, today. Aditya Chakrabortty responded to the report with a Guardian article entitled, “You’re witnessing the death of neoliberalism – from within”, in which he explains the importance of the report’s title, alone: “For so long mainstream economists and policymakers have denied the very existence of such a thing as neoliberalism, dismissing it as an insult invented by gap-toothed gap-toothed malcontents who understand neither economics nor capitalism.” Its proponents have at once denied that neoliberalism exists, while simultaneously pushing its agenda. Much like the shock that former US president Bill Clinton caused when he referred to “neo-colonialism” while in Haiti, a country whose economy he devastated.

Guatemalans stealing our fish in plain view
At this weekend’s summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) held in Havana, Cuba, Belize’s minister with responsibility for fisheries said in his remarks to the 25-member group that the right of Belizean fishers to access our side of the Sarstoon for fishing is being violated by Guatemalans, whose military have been blocking Belizeans from entering the river. At the same time, though, there are reports to our newspaper that Guatemalans continue to have free access to Belize’s side of the river, where they illegally engage in unsustainable commercial fishing practices with impunity. Wil Maheia, founder of the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV), captured images of illegal fishing activities on the Sarstoon on Friday. We asked Maheia to indicate, out of 10 trips, how often he would see this kind of activity when he visits the area; he told us 10 times out of 10.

Breaking Belize News

Judge to rule on Samuel Price murder case
Next Wednesday, June 15, Supreme Court Justice Adolph Lucas will give his ruling on the murder trial of 30 year old Burrell Boom resident, Shane Gillett, accused of the April 2011 murder of the brother of National Hero, George Price, who was killed inside […]

Two charged over contraband
Belize City residents 28 year old Ronnel Gonzalez and 32 year old Jermaine McDougal were busted early yesterday morning at a checkpoint in possession of over 50 different bottles of liquor for which no duties were paid, and now the Customs Department is seeking […]

Corozal man dead, DJ Tambran hurt in accident in Houston
Lennox “DJ Tambran” Young, owner of the popular Music Depot on North Front Street and also a vehicle dealer, was injured in a traffic accident this morning while returning to Belize from Houston, Texas. Young’s hand was hurt but he avoided serious injury as […]

Patrick Faber sworn in as new Deputy Prime Minister
Newly elected United Democratic Party (UDP) First Deputy was sworn in as the country’s new Deputy Prime Minister this afternoon by the Governor General, Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in Belmopan. Following the ceremony, Faber spoke to the media addressing unity issues […]

Court fines CEO of Ready Call Center for unpaid SSB contributions
Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser has ordered the CEO of Ready Call Center on the Burrell Boom-Hattieville Road, 46 year old Nubia Ramirez Moreno, to pay a court fine and more than 140 thousand dollars owed in contributions to Social Security by June 20. Moreno […]

Murder reported in Crooked Tree
An apparent murder by shooting has been reported in the Crooked Tree area earlier today. The victim is suspected to be a neighborhood shopkeeper. We will have more information as it becomes available. © 2016, www.breakingbelizenews.com. This article is the copyrighted property of Belize […]

World Environment Day observed in Belize
World Environment Day (WED), observed in over a 100 nations on June 5th this year, was honored in Belize with an excursion of 40 teachers and students from Belmopan to Trio Village in the Toledo District on Saturday. The group, made up of persons […]

Belizeans travel to Taiwan for kidney failure prevention training
Two members of Karl Heusner Memorial Hospitals’ (KHMH) staff, Dr. Glenford Jones and Michelle Cassimiro, as well as two from La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena, Dr. Marvin Camal and Dieudonne Tiemula, will be leaving the country on Monday, June 13th. These four […]

Blogs

“Don’t Stop the Party”
Amazingly after the rigours of the previous day I awoke reasonably early at 06.00 hours. And I didn’t have a thick head or feel nauseous. Probably the Chinese meal that did it! I felt remarkably good but not so good that I was going to be silly. I decided that this would be a lazy day. A walk around London, pop in to some shops to see if anything caught my fancy, a couple of beers at lunchtime with some simple pub grub. But then I got a Facebook message from Carlo (he of Carlo & Ernie’s Runway Bar) “Did I have a 5 foot by 3 foot Arsenal flag to fly from one of the flagpoles at the bar?” Well I didn’t but I knew where I could get one. The Arsenal Armoury store, only 4 train stops away. It would compliment the Mesut Özil decal on the ceiling of the bar.

>Orange Walk: Avoid Crowds While Immersing Yourself in Belize’s Wonders
If you dislike crowds but you’re fascinated by everything Belize has to offer, make Orange Walk District—and especially Orange Walk Town—your next vacation spot. Just 57 miles from Belize City, it’s a quick trip from that city’s airport. Since it’s tucked into the northwest corner of the nation, the partying beach crowd isn’t here in numbers yet you’ll enjoy the full tourist experience. See exotic cultural sites, all the natural wonders you could ask for and just enough people to declare Orange Walk the friendliest place on Earth. As the second largest Belize district, Orange Walk’s 1829 square mile interior is filled with rustic villages, the nation’s agricultural hub and Mayan ruins offering amateur archaeologists close looks at the area’s distant past. Heavily populated by Mennonites who farm the land and produce much of the sugar cane, rice and vegetable crops, this large faith-based colony also runs most dairy farms. Visit the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area to see wildlife, flora and fauna. Orange Walk Town isn’t a metropolis, but travelers are beginning to find it a gem of a place to stay thanks to affordable lodgings and a street food scene that’s the biggest secret of all.

Belize hits Guatemala over aggression at 7th Summit of Association of Caribbean States
The main focuses of the Summit were negative impacts of climate change, developing programmes in the areas of Trade, Transport, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Tourism. But the Honorable Gaspar Vega took the greater part of his almost 9 minute speech to decry Guatemala’s recent ramped up aggression and its belligerent actions in the Sarstoon. Vega called on the ACS member states to join CARICOM in urging both nations to abide by the Confidence Building Measures of 2005 which commit both countries to refrain from the use of threat or force and to hold the referenda on taking the claim to the International Court of Justice for final resolution.

World Class Rock Concert on Ambergris
Along with “Are you going to the concert?” The buzz words were “Steve Miller” and “All American Band” were going around. I decided to go thanks to my friend Jack who set me up with an invitation to help promote the show. The event was held at Mahogany Bay Village Green which is 2 miles south of town. It is the first event of it’s kind (and hopefully many) at this location. Charitable proceeds benefited the South Ambergris Neighborhood Watch. Peter Nolan did an amazing job of putting together the right crew to execute his vision, especially his pick of my friend Jack who is a world-class events manager. Abracadabra wasn’t predisposed to playing only Steve Miller “mega hits” which of course the crowd loved. They also played some vintage Cream songs off the Disraeli Gears album. This allowed the veteran members of the band to showcase their individual skills reminiscent of Cream members; Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. As for the younger Will, his tribute to Prince singing Purple Rain was a show stopper and really highlighted his talent.

Nopalitos Mexican Pizza (Cactus Leaves Pizza)
Clean nopalitos (cactus leaves) with a peeler or a small paring knife. Make sure to remove all the thorns and nods paying special attention to the edges of the pads. Cut in bite size pieces and boil with onion for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Add salt to taste. Drain. OR remove bottled nopalitos (cactus leaves) from the water they are in and boil in fresh water for about 2 minutes in boiling water.

International Sources

Cumbrian soldiers stage exercise in Belize
The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, which recruits from the county, is taking part in one of the British Army's most demanding missions in Belize. About 100 troops from the battalion's Blenheim Company have been learning how to survive and fight in temperatures of 30C. Major Nick Higgins, officer commanding Blenheim Company, said: "This whole exercise is designed to be progressive so we've been giving the soldiers time to get used to the environment. "They're coping really well. "We have some good platoon commanders and section commanders and that’s important; they make sure the lads look after their feet and drink enough water." Some of the toughest training has been in Sibun Gorge.

What this Preston soldier has been experiencing in Belize
A former Ashton school pupil has swapped the shrubbery of Ashton Park for the deep rainforests of Central America. Mark Sutton, an infantryman with the 2nd Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s regiment is learning how to cope with energy-saving humidity and temperatures of 30 degrees. The 23-year-old, who is in his seventh year of service, is in Belize for a month learning the art of jungle warfare. Private Sutton joined the Army after studying at Preston College and Ashton High School. He said: “My dad and some of my uncles were in the Army so I wanted to join as well. I really enjoy being with the lads.

Singing to Save Garifuna
Growing up in Belize, James Lovell heard the Garifuna language from his parents and his grandparents; he understood it but he didn't speak it. He spoke the language of the streets, Belizean Creole. He didn't think much about Garifuna until the day he heard the music of a local artist Pen Cayetano and his Turtleshell Band. I still remember the little house there and they would practice and you would hear music coming from number 5 Moho Street," says Lovell. Pen Cayetano sang in Garifuna. But this wasn't the traditional music that Lovell had heard growing up; this was a new sound called Punta Rock. Cayetano was singing about everyday life in the town of Dangriga where Lovell lived. Lovell was hooked. "He was singing about issues in Dangriga when it comes to be laid off of work," says Lovell. One day Cayetano was performing and as it started to rain, the singer then began to sing an impromptu song about the rain. "He's saying, it's raining, it's raining right here in Belize," says Lovell.

Drink your way through Central America
I just returned from a trip to Central America, tanned, rested and liver sufficiently damaged. The objectives of the expedition were to drink, research and report on the many local beers and to superfluously pad my expense account with this paper. Missions accomplished. Drinking buckets full of beers on vast, white sandy beaches, beers in the back of careening taxi cabs, atop Mayan ruins, and in tiny restaurants warily eating local meat pies and fried plantains sounds like a lot of work — and it was! But something about those beautiful tropical settings and encounters made the beers taste better than they probably were and created beer memories that I’ll summon up for a lifetime. So when traveling, whether in the States or abroad, drink a locally brewed beer or wine, and eat home-grown foods.

Doing Business in the Caribbean 2016
Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency is the 13th in the long-standing series of co-publications by the World Bank and International Financial Corporation (IFC). This annual report on the ease in doing business in 189 nations covers the period from June 2014 to June 2015. I have been reviewing such reports for the past two years, and have published two articles from each review: first to examine the global ranking of Caribbean states, then to breakdown their performance into the 10 indicators used in the ranking process. This article reviews “Doing Business 2016”. Last year in “Doing Business in the Caribbean: Who Cares?” and “Making Caribbean Business Better”, I suggested collaboration within the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in order to effect well needed reform, especially considering commonalities that existed within its membership. The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region has a number of groupings that could undertake such reform in “Doing Business”. However, the ACS stands out, because it is focused on the Caribbean. The two tables below present data primarily for member-states.

Videos

Using InVEST for Coastal Zone Management in Belize, 59min. Ocean planning requires balancing numerous competing uses such as recreation and commercial fisheries, tourism, and renewable and nonrenewable energy production. To help meet the demand for information on how human actions affect ecosystems and the benefits that ecosystems provide to people, the Natural Capital Project (NatCap) developed the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) toolkit. This webinar was presented by Katie Arkema of Stanford University, Chantalle Clarke-Samuels of the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, and Gregg Verutes of WWF. The webinar co-sponsored by MEAM, OpenChannels.org, and the EBM Tools Network.

Diving Belize, 6.5min.

Belize Mission Trip, 7min.

Shipstern Naturreservat in Belize, 9.5min. Das Papiliorama in Kerzers hat 1989 ein Naturschutzprojekt im zentralamerikanischen Belize ins Leben gerufen hat. Das Naturschutzreservat Shipstern umfasst 80 Quadratkilometer. Mit dem Freshwater Creek Waldreservat und dem Honey Camp Nationalpark schutzt die Stiftung Papiliorama heute rund 235 Quadratkilometer Tropenwald.

Belize pool swimming during storm, 1min.

Mergulhos em Belize - Blackbird Caye, 4min.

Belize Diving | 2016, 4min.

Collin & Cindy Belize Wedding Film, 13min. by Jose Luis Zapata

Belize, 4min. Adam and I made our way to Belize to bring in the New Year (2015)

Lost on the Yucatan Peninsula | Belize & Mexico, 4min.

Belize Day 1, Dive 1 Toffee (Tuffy), Ambergris Caye, Belize, 5.5min. Our first dive on the Belize trip. A bit of a warm up but lots to see. First time I've been around a Nurse Shark, I was treating it like a real shark until it was explained how docile they are in the boat.

Diving Belize June 2016, 3min. Weekend dive trip in San Pedro, Ambrisgris Caye - Belize.

Conducting Annual Monitoring of Sharks in the Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize, 1min. A brief video highlighting the our annual monitoring of sharks in the Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef Atoll in Belize. The Blue Hole is a globally important UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fully protected area.

June 7, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

Belize Food Tours – A Gastronomic Delight
Belize’s cuisine is so varied and delicious, that you could spend an entire week trying to taste every last bit at mealtime, and still would not finish. Imagine our tourists who are only here for a limited time, and probably want to dine at local eateries or renowned establishments to sample some of our delicacies. The chances of them eating both our national staple the Rice and Beans with stewed chicken are probably guaranteed. But what about the Rice and Beans with stewed gibnut…or the fish balls…or cane juice…let’s not forget the banana-leaf wrapped tamales and the rich black chirmole! Enter Belize Food Tours, a new venture run by enthusiastic and talented siblings Dora Paz-Guerra and Felipe Paz III. Hoping to capitalize on the wonderful treats being churned out day in and day out at the hands of gifted cooks, the siblings realized that visitors and locals alike may just want to taste test what’s on offer. On Saturday, May 28th, we were treated to the inaugural food tour, where our legs got a workout as we traipsed all over town core, feasting on some of the delicious treats they picked for us to try. The tour had been highly anticipated, as Dora and company had gone above and beyond to tease the grand start of her business with social media, and then their totally unique invitation: a brightly wrapped box of Belizean treats, complete with t-shirt and invitation card. How could we resist the call of a fellow foodie?!

Turtle Nesting season has begun
The annual turtle nesting season begins in May and runs through November, and with the 2016 Turtle Nesting Season officially commenced, biologists at the Ambergris Caye Marine Turtle Program went on a quest to discover turtle nests in Robles Point on Monday, May 9th. After the group’s first trip, there were no visible observations of turtle nests, but the group knew that turtles would soon start to lay their eggs. A second trip was made on Tuesday, May 20th, where the group discovered three loggerhead sea turtle nests; two in Basil Jones, and one in Rocky Point Beach. Marine life is synonymous to Ambergris Caye, and the three varieties of sea turtles: the Loggerhead, the Green turtle, and the Hawksbill, are all endangered species. When it’s time to lay eggs, sea turtles return to the sandy beaches in search of a well-protected nesting area. Depending on the species, a mature female turtle can lay from 70 to 190 eggs, and it takes a span of six to ten weeks for the hatchlings to emerge. After the eggs hatch, the young turtles must make their way the sea, in hopes of reaching maturity.

Ambergris Today

Linzy Williams Selected Miss Chiquitita 2016
Another ‘mini’ beauty queen has been crowned in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Linzy Williams won the title of Miss Chiquitita San Pedro over the weekend at the pageant held at the R Angel Nuñez Auditorium on Saturday, June 4, 2016. A large and excited crowed witnessed the entertaining pageant that saw five young girls competing for the popular title of Miss Chiquitita. Carolina Salinas, Linzy Williams, Sandi Flores, Evelyn Pichola and Monique Garcia graced the stage in four segments of the pageant that included swimsuit, talent, career and evening wear all carefully looked over by the judges. The night was filled with great entertainment by the San Pedro Dance Academy, Give It All Girls, Neslen Rivero, Ill Kid and Miss A.C.E.S 2016. The Pageant was hosted by Mr. Angel Nunez and Adrianne Hernandez. Outgoing Miss Chiquitita Killianie Sosa gave a dance presentation and farewell speech before crowing the new Miss Chiquitita Linzy Williams. Coming in second place was Monique Garcia and awards were given out to Miss Congeniality Carolina Salinas and Miss Photogenic Monique Garcia.

Misc Belizean Sources

Carlos Perrote and the Omolewa Osain Project
Get ready Caye Caulker for another wonderful event designed for the entire family. Support our music classes

Do you have questions about U.S. Social Security?
On Monday, June 13 the U.S. Embassy is hosting a Town Hall at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City from 12:30pm – 1:15pm. The Social Security experts from San Jose will be in Belize to answer all of your questions. This Town Hall is open to all U.S. citizens and anyone paying into U.S. Social Security OR receiving benefits from U.S. Social Security. You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to attend! Please bring an I.D. Drinks will be available from the Biltmore for purchase. Can’t make it to Belize City? We are holding the same Town Hall at the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday, June 14 from 11:00am – 11:45am. Don’t forget to bring an I.D. Come get all of your U.S. Social Security questions answered!

Meet Miss Nicaragua!
The International Costa Maya Festival presents its first candidate vying for the title of Miss Costa Maya International. The Miss Costa Maya International Pageant is scheduled for Thursday, August 4, 2016 at the Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex in San Pedro, Belize. The International Costa Maya Festival invites everyone to come out and support your favorite candidate from El Mundo Maya. Look out for the rest of the contestants from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize.

Two General Practitioners and Two Dialysis Nurses will go to Taiwan for Kidney Disease and Dialysis Training
The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is pleased to announce that two general practitioners and two dialysis nurses from Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital will be dispatched through the Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Renal Failure in Belize and take a training program on kidney disease and dialysis, which will be taken place in Far Eastern Memorial Hospital located in New Taipei City during June 13th~August 12th , 2016. According to the survey reveals, the prevalence rate of obesity in Belize is over 60%, and the hypertension and Diabetes mainly contribute directly to the development of chronic renal failure. The purpose of Renal Failure Prevention Project is to treat the patients at the early stage to prevent the exacerbation and effectively reduce the socio-economic cost of the whole society.

Site inspections and distributing pamphlets on the risks of Zika
Health Inspector, Mr. Harrison Patten, along with employees of the San Pedro Town Council were in the San Pedrito Area conducting site inspections and distributing pamphlets on the risks of Zika and ways to prevent an outbreak. This inspection is part of the Clean Up Campaign launched on Wednesday, June 1st, 2016.

Power interruptions today in Orange Walk and Corozal
Two 20 minute power interruptions 6:00am to 6:20am & 4:40pm to 5:00pm on Tuesday, June 7, Wednesday, June 8, & Thursday June 9: entire Orange Walk & Corozal Districts. BEL to replace transmission poles in the area.

Creole Drumming Workshop
The SISE House of Culture is having a 2 week Creole Drumming Workshop starting on July 25th. Contact them at sise.hoc@nichbelize.org or at 824-0783 for more information.

Graduating 2016 Rotary Scholars
Congratulations to the 2016 graduating Rotary scholars! Time for 6th form, and 2 of them are receiving scholarships for that. Thanks, Rotary! "Our graduating high school scholars, from left the right, Tyra Tench, Mirna Coh, Ivan Hernandez, Dailyn Flores, Alberto Rodriguez and Jonathan Escobar. Mirna and Jonathan received the Paulita Bedran Memorial Scholarship for two years of tertiary education based on their high Grade Point Averages."

Flor de la Feria Presentation
The 50th Flor de le Feria first candidate presentation is next Saturday, June 18th, and the Cancha Marshalleck. "IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! The first presentation of our 7 official candidates! Come meet them on June 18th, 2016! Dance starts at 10 pm Free Jello Shot till midnight! Pre-sale tickets can be bought at the Benque Viejo Town Hall! It's and event you can't miss! Let it start, On the Road to the crown 2016!"

Beach Clean up in Dangriga
Harlem Beach Group in Collaboration with Pan American Development Foundation Held a Successful Beach Clean-up Activity. Other Partners Included Dangriga Town Council, Department of the Environment - DOE and the Dangriga Town Community.

Channel 7

Man Gets Double Life In Prison For Ruthless Murder
Guilty of double murder! That's what the judge said today for 44 year old Ervin Reneau - who was accused of killing 39 year old businessman David Longsworth and 42 year old security guard Edgar Ayala. Forty-four year old Ervin Reneau, was given 2 life sentences today by Justice Adolph Lucas after he was found guilty of the murder of 39 year old businessman David Longsworth and 42 year old security guard Edgar Ayala. In the trial without jury Justice Lucas was convinced by the case presented by prosecutors Shanice Lovell, Sherigne Rodriguez and Janelle Tillett. They presented evidence which showed that shortly after 6 p.m. on November 30, 2010, at Texaco Gas Station, located at mile 2 on the Northern Highway, Reneau arrived at the gas station in a taxi and shot Ayala, then Longsworth who was in his car with his wife and their 6 year old son.

John Jay, They Reminisce Over You
34 year old singer John Jay Rodriguez was slain on Friday night as he was hanging out at a local gaming shop in Dangriga. It is the second murder of the year in the culture capital, but this one has deeply wounded town residents because the victim, by all accounts, was a law abiding young man and an artist of promise. Emanuel Pech traveled south today and has the story. 34 year old John Jay Rodriguez, was a well-known, well-loved performer. He has released several hit songs, sang alongside local super stars like Supa G and Mika Evans, and has even appeared in a couple of national music competitions. But tonight all that promised is reduced to just another statistic: he was the victim of the second murder in Dangriga for this year. Emanuel Pech: "It all started with attempted robbery here at the Havana Club and Entertainment Centre. Reports are that sometime after 11 on Friday, 3 men entered the establishment planning to rob the proprietors. What happened next was the last thing anyone expected."

Remembering JJ With Music
Funeral arrangements are set for John Jay Rodriguez on Saturday, but the event that many of his friends and fans are looking forward to is the Tribute to John Jay, where his life as a performing artist will be remembered. The organizer of the event is his adopted brother and partner in music Lionel Thompson, better known as "Lyrical." Together the duo called themselves South Blaze. Now the only surviving member of South Blaze is trying to bring together as many local artists who knew John Jay, and honor him through music. Lionel Lyrical Thompson - friend of deceased: "The artists that are here in Dangriga, the musicians, the band members are going to meet at Slaughter House at 8 o'clock tonight to finalize everything. The artist that I spoke to in Belize City, all the artists that I was able to get in contact with, they already said 'we're coming down and we're going to represent'. For the artists that I didn't get in contact with, its open, you guys are free to come. Come and represent, shout out to the man, sing a couple songs, say something about him, you know how much he impacted you, the love that he spread so just come and give it back. Respect to my brother John Jay, rest in peace, I'll see you again but until then I have to be strong for you, your son and everybody else."

Champagne Paris Passes, Suicide Suspected
7News has confirmed that Porfilio Rodriguez, better known as the transgender individual who identified as Vanessa Champagne Paris, died on Saturday night at the Dangriga Hospital. At this time, police aren't so sure if Paris died of natural causes or if she drank poison and took her life. That's the report that we've been receiving since morning, but what we know for certain is that she was rushed from Independence to the hospital in Dangriga after she started complaining about stomach pains. Police tell us that they've received that same report that she may have committed suicide, but to be certain, they will await the results of a post-mortem examination, which will take place tomorrow. She was first thrust into the public spotlight after a mob of Belize City males cornered her on Vernon Street, near the Berger Field in April 2014. Those men chased and assaulted her for no reason, other than openly dressing as a transgender woman.

Law Student Accused of Contraband Smuggling
Today a law student got called before the court for a major contraband bust. Ronell Gonzalez was driving a Toyota Camry with taxi plates between miles 12 and 13 on the Northern Highway when he was intercepted at a customs checkpoint. Inside the trunk of the Camry, Customs found 59 bottles of assorted top shelf liquor, including Absolut Vodka, Captain Morgan, Myers Rum, Jack Daniels and others. Gonzalez was arrested along with his passenger Jermaine Macdougal. The 59 bottles have a combined value of 6,027 dollars - and usually offenders usually face a fine of three times the value. But, the law changed in April 2016, and the new law says that the minimum fine is now a flat twenty thousand dollars. Today in court, Gonzalez - who is studying law - got a lecture from Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer about being a law student and misrepresenting himself as unemployed before the court. He and Macdougal pleaded not guilty and were offered bail of fifteen thousand dollars. But, Gonzalez owed the court a fine for a traffic offence, and because the cashier was closed, he was unable to meet bail and is remanded at the Queen Street police station tonight.

Cops Gone Clear
Back in February of 2013, Police Constables Phillip Swift and John Galvez were accused of stealing a City Councilor's wife's purse. But tonight, they're free of all charges after the Magistrate's Court found them not guilty and acquitted them. According to the complainant, Carolee Samuels, wife of Dean Samuels, she dropped her purse in front of Oxygen Boutique on Freetown Road on November 16, 2012 at around 1:20 p.m. She said that 2 hours later, the police contacted her and told her that they recovered the purse. When they handed it over, she searched it and realized that $500 dollars cash, her identification cards, bank cards and other personal items were missing. She reported the incident to the police and that's how these two Constables, Swift and Galvez ended up being charged 3 months later. Well, today, the criminal trial concluded against both men in the court room of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. She heard evidence from the prosecution, which included surveillance footage which purported to capture both men with the purse.

The PUP's June Swoon In The Sarstoon
On Friday night, we showed you how a PUP contingent sailed sweetly down the Sarstoon River and coasted around the Sarstoon Island easy as cheese. The always aggressive Guatemalan Navy didn't even bat an eyelash at Johnny Briceno and Company. In brief, it was a an exceptional event - made even more pronounced because in the context of all the territorial theater that has unfolded on that same river. Tonight, we compare and contrast at all that went before and what went down on Friday:... Daniel Ortiz reporting: On Friday, The leadership of the People's United Party headed down to the Sarstoon River for their familiarization tour. And, when they arrived at the river mouth, they were greeted with courtesy from the BDF Soldiers at the Sarstoon Forward Operating Base.

Dialysis Nurses Take On Taiwan
4 Belizean medical professionals are heading to Taiwan next week for training in Kidney disease. Dr. Glenford Jones and Michelle Cassimiro from the KHMH, and Dr. Marvin Efrain Camal and Dieudonne Sah Tiemula from La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital are all leaving on June 13th to the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City, Taiwan. This is all part of the "Renal Failure Prevention Project" which Belize and Taiwan signed onto in February of this year. In a press release sent today it states " The purpose of the project is to treat the patients at the early stage to… effectively reduce the socio-economic cost of the whole society." It also states that this program is very important because based on the statistics "the prevalence rate of obesity in Belize is over 60% and hypertension and Diabetes mainly contribute to the development of chronic renal failure." When these general practitioners and dialysis nurses return after the 2 month training, they will in turn train medical personnel in Belize. They all return on August 12th.

CODICADER Gave Green Light To Belize
On Friday delegates from 5 participating countries of CODICADER visited Belize for a pre-game site inspection. It was the last test for Belize as the host country for CODICADER. And the good news today is that we passed. The delegation went to Orange Walk on Friday where they visited the Complex building. Then they went to the Elementary School in Belize City, where the table tennis will be held. On Sunday they traveled to Belmopan where they visited the Isidoro Beaton Stadium and later that day, the delegation visited the Sacred Heart RC School in San Ignacio. At the end of the inspection all sites received an A level review except for the Complex building in Orange Walk, which received a B. The delegates wanted a few minor changes to the court and according to the National Sports Council they should have that in order in time for the games.

No Foul Play Suspected In Body Found At Caye
The body of an American male was found floating near the southern part of Ambergris Caye this afternoon. But, at this time police do not suspect foul play in the death of the 66 year old. Police say no signs of violence were found on the body. They are ruling it a sudden death and say his family explains that the deceased suffered from seizures.

Tearful Man Alleges Police Brutality, Robbery
Today Stann Creek resident Jeffry Young came to our studio, both frustrated and angry. He told us that he had been to all of the major Belize City police Stations to complain that 2 cops robbed him of $700 last night, but his report was falling on deaf ears. He claims that his hard earned cash, which he intended to use to help his sick mother, was taken from him by two on-duty police officers who searched him. He admits to being under the influence of alcohol, which is probably what drew the attention of the police. But, the search that happened afterwards, according to him, turned into a robbery by the men sworn to uphold the law. Here's how he described it: Jeffry Young, Claims Police Misbehavior: "I live by George Town areas and I left there because I came to assist my mother here in Belize City. She has the disease where the white and red cells feed on each other. So when I came back home now, I checked a net out at Foreshore, fixed a bicycle where I made $700. The police took my money from me in front of Bliss last night at 10:30..."

BTL Will Appeal Mek Mi Rich Judgment
Viewers will remember the very explosive case in which Corozal Businessman Curtis Swasey won against BTL and Mek Mi Rich Directors, Sunjay Hotchandani and Andre Vega, the son of outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. Justice Courtney Abel ruled that BTL gave Swasey's idea of lottery texting away to the owners of Mek Mi Rich, and they profited at his expense. Well, 7News has learned that BTL has filed an appeal against Justice Abel's decision about 3 and a half weeks ago. The grounds of appeal that BTL's attorneys intend to submit are that the trial judged erred in law when he found that Swasey had a proprietary right over the concept of SMS lottery texting. BTL contends that the judge failed to, quote, "take into account the overwhelming evidence that the… concept was in the public domain and that the appellant and MMR were already aware of it." End quote. As viewers will remember, a major point for BTL was that this concept was in existence in the US years before Swasey approached them to partner in his game in Belize.

Remembering Ali in Belize, 1965
It seems tonight that the whole world is mourning Muhammad Ali - who passed away on Friday after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. The 74 year old inspired so many fight fans and non fight fans all across the world as one of the first trual global sports icons. But a part of his history is also in Belize - he came her in 1965 for an exhibition at the Palace theater and Santino Castillo remembers it well:... Santiago Castillo, Jr., Mohammed Ali Fan: "Mohammed Ali came to Belize in July of 1965. He didn't box anyone in Belize, he brought down a sparring partner and his name was Cody Jones. He did some performances at the Palace Theatre where a professional ring was set up, they had ring-side tickets and everyone just crowded to see Mohammed Ali in action at the Palace theatre where he did the shuffle and showed how fast his hands were. Basically that's all it was, an exhibition. I was 9 years old and at ring-side both nights.

Channel 5

Vanessa Champagne Paris Dead at Twenty-one
Twenty-one-year-old transgender woman, Vanessa Champagne Paris, died over the weekend at the Southern Regional Hospital in Dangriga. Born Porfelio Rodriguez, he would assume the name and personality of a woman, [...]

Was it Food Poisoning or Suicide?
For LGBT activist Caleb Orozco, only the results of a post-mortem examination will provide some reasonable clarity, but the death in itself highlights what was Vanessa Champagne Paris’ very difficult [...]

LGBT Activist Remembers Champagne Paris
Vanessa Champagne Paris, a member of the transgender community, first came to Orozco’s attention in April 2014 after she was badly beaten by an angry mob in Belize City. It’s [...]

Ervin Reneau Gets Life in Prison for Double Murder
A decision was handed down in the case of forty-five year old Ervin Reneau, accused of the double murder of Edgar Ayala and David Longsworth, the son of well-known businessman, [...]

Well-known Belizean Artist John Jay is Killed in Dangriga
There was another death in the south. A sixteen year old minor is currently detained by Dangriga police for Friday night’s murder of a well known artist in the culture [...]

Gapi Turns Up the Heat on Guatemala at ACS Summit
This weekend, Cuba was the venue for the Association of Caribbean States’ seventh Summit of Heads of State and Government. Belize was represented by Gaspar Vega in his last official [...]

President Jimmy Morales Responds
Guatemala was also represented at the seventh Summit in Cuba, by President Jimmy Morales and Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales. Not surprisingly, the president didn’t take kindly to the address [...]

Salvadoran National Remanded for Sexual Assault of Minor
Earlier we told you about the sentencing of Ervin Reneau for the double murder of David Longworth and Edgar Ayala. But in the lower court, a forty-year-old Salvadoran national, who [...]

Cops Acquitted of Theft of Wallet Four Years Later
The Chief Magistrate also heard the case against two cops: Phillip Swift and John Galvez were charged for theft of a wallet with five hundred dollars and personal items belonging [...]

Chamber of Commerce Weighs in on Dismal IMF Report
The International Monetary Fund, IMF, issued its Article Four Consultation Report last week and the economy outlook is dismal. The report speaks to a decelerating economy amid increasing external vulnerabilities [...]

Police Ramp Up Security at Village Council Elections
Village Council elections are presently being held across the country and both political parties are fielding slates in the respective rural communities. While the Village Council Elections are not supposed [...]

Belizean and Guatemalan Athletes Run for Peace
While diplomats and high-level representatives from both Belize and Guatemala try to forge some sort of acceptable accord between countries, there are other initiatives to do the same on other [...]

World’s Greatest Boxer Mohammad Ali Dead at 74
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali – died over the weekend. Ali was at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona where he died on Friday. Considered one of the world’s greatest sporting figures, [...]

Sports Monday: Interoffice Basketball Competition Kicks Off
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. The 2016 Interoffice Basketball Competition presented under the Belize District Basketball Association roared into action Friday night with 2 [...]

CTV3

Round One Of Village Council Elections Takes Place
Over the weekend, Village Council Elections were held in forty three villages from across the country with a total of three hundred one vacant seats. Of these available seats, there were forty three posts for chairpersons and two hundred fifty eight seats for councillors. Here in the Orange Walk District, elections were held in five villages namely, Santa Cruz, San Antonio, Tower Hill, Trinidad and San Lazaro. In the villages of Trinidad, Tower Hill and San Antonio, the United Democratic Party won all seats while in the village of San Lazaro, a split council was elected in which the People’s United Party won the post of chairperson along with two posts for councillors while the UDP won the remaining four seats. In the village of Santa Cruz, the UDP acquired majority of the seats while the PUP managed to attain only one. As for the Corozal District unconfirmed reports are the PUP won full councils in San Joaquin and Ranchito, both considered party strongholds, and split the council in their favour in Calcutta.

Two Belizeans To Receive Training On Kidney Disease And Dialysis
As part of the 2.2 million dollars project for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Renal Failure funded by the Taiwanese Government, two general practitioners and two dialysis nurses from Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital have been awarded the privilege of receiving a training program on kidney disease and dialysis, which will take place in Far Eastern Memorial Hospital located in New Taipei City during June 13th~August 12th, 2016. The 2-month training program was designed for general practitioners, and focuses on general kidney disease diagnosis, therapy and dialysis; while the training program for dialysis nurses focuses on care and quality management of hemodialysis. After receiving pertinent training these individuals will be the seed instructors to have a local training program for Belizean medical personnel in the future.

DPM Seeks Assistance For Belize At Summit At Havana Cuba
Over the weekend Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega along with Foreign Minister Hon. Wilfred Elrington represented Belize at the 7th summit of the Association of Caribbean States held in Havana, Cuba. The two day summit surrounded the subject of the crisis that is currently being faced by Venezuela among other issues. Although no official report has been issued by the Government of Belize as to what transpired at the conference, it is being reported by international news outlets that during his address at the summit Minister Gaspar Vega took the opportunity to address the "existential threat" to Belize's sovereignty that has come as a result of recent tensions between Belize and Guatemala and the annexation of the Sarstoon. Minister Vega also added that Guatemala’s claim is a violation of the Cumbre de la Comunidad de Estados LatinoAmericanos (CELAC) agreement.

LOVE FM

Gaspar Vega Socks It to Jimmy Morales and Guatemala
Reports reaching Love News are that Guatemalan President, Jimmy Morales was taken aback when Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega spoke at the Seventh Summit of the Association of Caribbean States, making reference to the ongoing aggression by the Guatemalans. The 23-day summit was held in Havana, Cuba over the weekend where Belize had representation from […]

‘Vanessa Champagne Paris’ Dies
A post mortem examination is scheduled for one o’clock tomorrow afternoon in Belize City for Porfilio Rodriguez also known as Vanessa Champagne Paris. The transgender resided in Independence Village, Stann Creek District and was at home when she began complaining of stomach pains on Friday night. Love News understands that her father had taken her […]

Looking Back 4 Years Ago on Jasmine’s Murder
Our judicial system has been known for its delay of justice at times. Many times we hear of court hearings being adjourned over and over or judgements delays for months and sometimes even years. One such case that has been among those clogged in the justice system is that of Bert Vasquez; the man accused […]

Popular Resident Slain in Dangriga
Police in Dangriga have detained a sixteen year old male in connection with the shooting death of 35-year-old John Rodriguez. On Friday night, Rodriguez, along with three other customers was in a gaming establishment on Havana Street when sometime after eleven o’clock, three male persons entered. One of them, armed with a firearm demanded that […]

Body of American National Found in Caribbean Sea
A body of a man was found this morning floating in the sea near a dock about a mile south of San Pedro. The sixty six year old American National of California was found in the water by a South Neighborhood Watch patrol that came across the body. Police’s initial investigation reveals that the sixty […]

Village Council Elections Begin Countrywide
For the next five weeks, Village council elections will take center stage. Villagers of over forty villages went to the polls yesterday. We hear more in this report from correspondent Fem Cruz. FEM CRUZ “

Guatemalans Continue Illegal Fishing in Belize’s Waters
One constant complaint that comes from Belizeans following their visit on the Sarstoon River has to do with illegal fishing in Belizean territory by Guatemalan nationals. This has been the cry from activist, Wil Maheia for a number of years. Today Maheia told us that the illegal fishing continues in the area unabated. WIL MAHEIA […]

Espat Says Boycott Was Effective
For three weeks there were mechanical games, assumed to be Guatemalan operated, stationed at the compound of Hour Bar and Grill in Belize City. A couple weeks ago, Jose Luis Espat and a few others called for a boycott of the rides. Today our News team headed out to speak with the owners of the […]

PlusTV

Corozal Fire Chief dies in fatal traffic accident
A tragic accident took place in Corozal town earlier today. Meshach Henry who was attached to the Corozal Fire Department, and became the Fire Cheif, just 2 years ago, died instantly when his motor bike collided into a dump truck The accident occurred on at about 11:30am when witnesses say the dump ...

Belmopan house sprayed with bullets; father injured
A home in Belmopan was shot up on Thursday night and the father of the home injured. According to police reports, sometime around 10:00 p.m., police responded to a shooting incident on Colombia Street, Salvapan area, Belmopan at the residence of 39-year-old Russell Arnold . Arnold says that while ...

PUP successfully visit Sarstoon
Members of the People’s United Party today successfully circled Sarstoon Island. The expedition consisted of some 18 persons including the boat crew and media houses. Among those on the trip was Party Leader, Honorable John Briceño; National Deputy Party Leader, Honorable Cordel Hyde; Party Chairman...

”Adjacency Zone” Prensa Libre
Prensa Libre has released video shot at the Belize Border at Benque Viejo/Melchor in what they call the “Adjacency Zone” The accompanying article titled “Belizean Guards intimidate Guatemalans” says that “In the video you can be see when two Border Patrol agents in the neigh...

Garifuna tour guide suspended, says she was harrassed over ethnicity
Freelance tour guide and vendor Ann-Marie Arana, who lives near and works at the Altun Ha Archaeological Reserve, says she has been harassed for many years by a former lover, who now believes she has been doing well in her business at his expense. But when it escalated into a fight at the site two w...

CCJ to hand down Maurice Tomlinson decision next week, no word on Section 53 case
According to Caleb Orozco, president of the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) and chief litigant in a case pending judgment in the Supreme Court against Section 53 of the Criminal Code concerns penalties for same-sex encounters, the Caribbean Court of Justice case launched by Jamaican attorne...

Sgt. Julio Shal acquitted of murder and manslaughter in death of escape prisoner, Tyson Rodriguez
Today the Belize Supreme Court in a sweeping verdict, stated that there is not enough evidence for a court of law to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Police Sergeant Julio Shal had committed any unlawful or used any unlawful force to cause the death of escaped prisoner Tyson Rodriguez, or...

Police searches lead to found property
Police in several raids across the Country have retrieved several weapons and taken them off the Street. In Belmopan police today recovered two weapons . Meanwhile in Cayo on Thursday at about 3:25 p.m., police conducted a search in an overgrown lot in the Shawville area, Cayo District where they d...

Zika Workshop held in San Ignacio
At least two cases of the disease Zica have been identified in Belize; one of them, a pregnant woman, from the cayo District. In view of this development the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipality Initiative hosted a workshop in Santa Elena- San Ignacio to discuss a plan of action for controlli...

Over 2,000 Residents of San Antonio Village, Cayo District Will Soon Have a New Health Centre
Village council elections are just around the corner. This means a few more projects will be rolling into several fortunate villages just in time for those elections. Today ground-breaking Ceremonies to commence the construction of the new San Antonio Health Centre were held at the Community Centre,...

Breaking Belize News

BELIZE ~ GARMENT INDUSTRY
In year 2000, Belize exported BZ$40 million worth of garments. Today our export of garment is ZERO. The one garment exporter closed down….they used to produce clothing with DICKIES brand. Belize has the capacity to support a robust garment industry for the domestic market….and expand […]

UDP wins big in Village Council election in the north
Village Council elections started on Sunday June 5th and in the north, the United Democratic Party (UDP) won in nine of 12 villages in the first round of elections. In the Corozal District the People’s United Party (PUP) registered “huge” victories in Ranchito and San […]

PSE results delayed
Graduation season is well underway and most of Belize’s children are looking forward to the annual mid-year school vacation. But a select few are sweating out the results of the Primary School Examination (PSE), which was given in separate sittings in March and May this […]

Round 1 of village councils goes to UDP
43 of Belize’s 190-plus villages voted in the first round of the 2016 village council elections conducted chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer and three other councilor positions. Both major political […]

Guilty of double murder; Ervin Reneau jailed for life
45 year old Ervin Alexander Reneau, accused of the murders of security guards 39 year old David Allan Longsworth and Edgar Ayala almost six years ago on November 30, 2010 was convicted by Supreme Court Justice Adolph Lucas, sitting without a jury. Delivering the […]

Elderly man charged for traffic accident that claimed the life of Corozal Fire Chief
Jose Gregory Williams, 64, received four charges today following the traffic accident that claimed the life of Corozal Fire Chief, Meshac Henry, 33. Williams has been charged for driving without due care and attention, failing to give way to a motor vehicle on a major […]

Slow business in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone
The number of visitors to the Corozal Commercial Free Zone has dropped resulting in decreased business for the 350 stores there. The reason, according to Free Zone Chief Executive Officer Raul Fabian Rosado, is the devaluation of the Mexican peso. In February of this year, […]

BAHA hosts workshop on GMOs and bio-safety
As part of a capacity building workshop on bio-safety in Belize, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) is conducting a GMO risk assessment training under the UNEP/GEF funded National Bio-safety Project. The one week workshop is meant to train participants on the scientific principles of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and […]

Moist and unstable conditions will continueThe National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting cloudy skies with some showers and thunderstorms mostly inland at first this afternoon, then over most areas this evening and tonight. Winds will be blowing from the West-Southwest at 5-15 knots and the sea state will […]

DPM Vega addresses Guatemalan claim at summit in Cuba
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, during the 7th Summit of Caribbean States in Cuba over the weekend, addressed the current status of the Guatemalan territorial claim over Belize in front of diplomats from all over the region. Vega, who was also accompanied to the summit by […]

Blogs

Bugs that Bite in Belize
I hope this does not come as a shock to anyone but Belize is in the tropics and…the secret is out! We have bugs that bite or sting or just suck a bit of your blood. For much of the year (the dry, breezy season – usually December thru about now) – I hardly notice them at all. The mosquitoes aren’t around – they wait for standing fresh water to lay their demon seed, the pesky sand flies are whisked away by the wind… But since June 1st was the beginning of the official hurricane season – and rain is more possible (we had our first real drizzle – all 10 minutes of it today – since February 1st), a bit of a guide to Belize insects might be in order. Let me start by saying that I DESPISE insects -sting or not. Sure, only the very strange LIKE them but even a housefly in my bedroom has me stalking it for an hour before bed time. God forbid I hear the hissing of a mosquito with the lights out. Just the thought of it gives me a cold shiver.

Is Belize Safe: A Comprehensive Belize Safety Guide (2016 Update)
To answer the popular search query and your anxious curiosity; YES, Belize is a relatively safe country in our part of the world. This is the reason we accept travel advisories and warnings with grace; we know that the reason why media houses and news outlets would sensationalize some crimes is because it rarely happens, especially outside of the vicinity of Belize City. When traveling in Belize city or other urban areas, use the same level of precautions you would use in any major city. Don’t walk alone in secluded areas, don’t flash cash, high value electronics, and don’t get excessively drunk. Belize City in itself has some very sketchy areas, that unfortunately have fallen hostage to gang activity and turfs. There are areas however, that are relatively safe, such as the Belize Fort George Tourism Village, which has good Belize tourism police presence.

GRAND CARIBE BELIZE JOINS THE FIRST FRIDAY TRES COCOS CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN!
Grand Caribe staff took to the streets and beach on the first Friday of (June the 3rd), to be part of the First Friday Tres Cocos Clean Up Campaign. This is the first time that we came out in such large numbers and we’re happy to report that we all had so much fun cleaning our streets and beaches. The fun could be seen in the photos that will be shared below. Altogether some 36 staff members joined other volunteers and tackled the garbage situation from our property, south ward on the roadside to Bamboo House and then on to the beach and back to Grand Caribe Belize Resort. Volunteers included workers from all departments, such as house-keeping, grounds, tour desk, front desk, maintenance and even management – who all got down and dirty.

Belize in June
Slightly cooler and with better breezes than the months of April and May, June in Belize is a wonderful time to visit. Probably the best attraction for seafood lovers is all of the festivals throughout Belize that celebrate the beginning of the lobster season. The islands of Ambergris Caye and Caulker Caye, and the peninsula of Placencia, each hold their own special festival dedicated to all things lobster. June is also a great time to visit Belize as airfare from the United States is more affordable than ever. Major airlines like Delta, American Airlines and Southwest all run specials, and Belize is only 3-5 hours’ flying time from several major American cities.

The Fringe of the Sea inspires a form of poetry all its own
Here’s a new term for me: “the fringe of the sea.” This the space between the eastern shore of Ambergris Caye and the great Belize Barrier Reef. From space, I imagine, the relatively calm and shallow blue-green expanse must look like a colorful collar. This fringe teems with life, aquatic and human. In many ways it is a highway, too. At its busiest, it is filled with water taxis, sailboats, barges, para-sailors, jet skis, resort boats, pleasure boats, kayaks, fishing boats . . . . If it floats, it will make its way up and down the coast. Beneath the aqua and emerald waters you can spot turtles, dolphins, sharks, a thousand varieties of colorful reef fish, brightly hued corals — and conch and lobster, too. From the shore, the white rumble of the surf against the reef seems so close — and in some spots it is. The fringe can be deceptively calm and empty.

International Sources

Audubon-Trained Tour Guides and Citizen Science
BRRI President and friend Roni Martinez makes cover photo for National Audubon article on Latin American bird training. Proud of what Roni has done for Belize, Belizeans and birds. Great work my friend. Great everyone that was a part of this movement!
Over the past year, Audubon has been implementing a bird-based tourism initiative that includes a strong focus on training community members living in and around important bird and biodiversity areas to be bird guides. During the project, Audubon’s international partners in Belize, Guatemala, and Paraguay organized Christmas Bird Counts in which three dozen newly-trained bird guides participated. For many participants, this was not their first count, but the 2015-2016 CBC took on new meaning, and helped them envision birding as a tool to improve their economic livelihood and also contribute in a more meaningful way to hemispheric conservation. Newly trained community bird guides appreciated the opportunity to put into practice their skills in identifying birds, to communicate bird names in English, and to share the day with more experienced birders.

Littleborough couple's tropical test
Corporal Robert Haile and Lance Corporal Kim Little, from Littleborough, are spending a month in Central America training in jungle warfare techniques. When they jetted off to Belize there was nothing romantic about the trip. Both serve as Army Reservists with the 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and so jumped at the chance to work alongside the Belize Defence Force (BDF) - some of the world’s best tropical warriors. Corporal Haile, 43, and his partner Lance Corporal Little, 41, both based in Greater Manchester at Bury Army Reserve Centre, are on exercise in Belize with Regular soldiers of the Regiment’s 2nd Battalion who are spending more than a month working in the energy-sapping jungle humidity and temperatures of 30°C. Corporal Haile, a former full time soldier, now works as an Army recruiter but serves as a reservist in his spare time. He said: “Kim and I met in the Army Reserve so it’s great that she and I can both get away on a training exercise to Belize together.” They are there with more than 100 others from the 2nd Battalion’s Blenheim Company, learning how to survive and fight in some of the toughest conditions on the planet.

Videos

Palabras del Viceprimer ministro de Belice, Margarito Gaspar Vega, en la Cumbre AEC, 9min. Over the weekend deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega gave an address at the 7th summit of the Association of Caribbean States. He took the opportunity to address the "existential threat" to Belize's sovereignty that has come as a result of recent tensions between Belize and Guatemala and the annexation of the Sarstoon

Zip Lining Through The Jungle in Belize, 15min. Jaguar Cave zip line shore excursion in Belize. June 1, 2016.

Mr Vega's manager almost drowned at Belize reefs, 4.5min.

Belize 2008, 14min. Around Turneffe Island. I strongly recommend this resort for divers. Around Turneffe Island.

Belize 2008 2, 12min.

Belize 2008 3, 14min. Around Turneffe Island.

Belize 2008 4, 12min. Around Turneffe Island.

Belize 2016 San Pedro Town, 9min.

A day in the life of the Lobsterman, 1/2min. Belikin Beer's announcement of Lobster Festival in Belize. Check out local San Pedro fishermen "lobstermen" in this great video

Beautiful Belize Photo Tour & Guide, 2.5min. Enjoy a photo tour of Belize City, Belize and see what there is to do when you have an afternoon to spend in this amazing city!

Belize Trip, 4min.

Carnival Breeze June 1, 2016 - Sharks, Rays and Island Getaway Belize June 1, 2016, 8min. Carnival Breeze - Sharks, Rays and Island Getaway in Belize!

Loggerhead Sea Turtle Low Flyover, Belize Scuba Diving, 2min. My dad and I diving near Ambergris Caye, Belize. A large Loggerhead Sea Turtle swam right towards him and over his head!

Belize Trip 2016 Part 2!, 6min.

Belize Adventures 2016, 3min. Traveling and experiencing new things is the best way to fuel creativity! Feeling grateful for the opportunity .. it was a hella good time with good people!

Belize 2008 cap 2 3, 12min. Around Turneffe island.

Amerika mit David Yetman: Belize, ein Schmelztiegel der Kulturen Doku (2014), 41min.

June 6, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

Wolfe’s Woofer: Old Boots
I was reading and drinking my coffee on the deck at the Holiday Hotel. Two local men that I knew for a long time got a beer and sat down at the table next to me. As they began talking I didn’t pay any attention until Raul said, “Javi, I’m going to Belize City tomorrow. The next time you see me I will be a divorced man.” “What?!” Javier said. “You’re divorcing Lupe?” “I sure am. Enough is enough.” “What are you talking about? You and Lupe been together a long time. She’s beautiful and everybody thinks you make a great pair. Why are you divorcing her?” “It’s like this,” Raul said. “See these boots I got on? What do you think of them?”

Dutch Lady celebrates World Milk Day
“What are cookies without milk?” That is a rhetorical question the Dutch Lady asks. The history of “World Milk Day” originates in 2001, led by the United Nations, and since then, it is celebrated internationally and across the Caribbean. Adapted in 2012, it has been celebrated annually, and on Wednesday, June 1st, the Dutch Lady crew of Santiago Castillo brought the party to the island. Several schools: San Pedro Roman Catholic School, Holy Cross Anglican School, Ambergris Caye Elementary and Isla Bonita, and the general public made their way to the Central Park to learn about the positive benefits of the popular drink. A ‘farm’ was set up with a replica of a cow, allowing children to milk the cow’s simulated udders. Students were also treated to samples of Dutch Lady Milk, cookies and received a surprise bag of Dutch Lady products that included a coloring book and crayons. A bounce house was the center of attraction for the children, and the milk samples gave them the strength to jump high in the air and bounce around.

Doctor Love: Old Love
Dear Doctor Love, When I graduated high school I had a girlfriend of 4 years. A year after graduation she turned 18 so we moved in to live together. Of course her parents and mine were very upset at this because they had plans for us to go to college and they did not think we would make it through school either married or living together. After a year of pressure from our families we gave in. She went to school in the U.S. and I went to school in Mexico. We eventually lost touch with each other and now I have been happily married for 14 years with 3 children. 3 months ago she moved back to Belize for an extended visit. She looked me up shortly after she got here and I found out that she was divorced with no children. We met to discuss old times and suddenly everything was just like it was 18 years ago. We are as much in love as we were in high school. Now, our relationship has changed and is physical as well as emotional. I do not see how I can survive without her in my life. I am so torn between being a good husband and father and being satisfied emotionally. Can you help me decide what to do?

Misc Belizean Sources

Ban Glyphosate
From June 6-10, the Coordinating Group of Pesticide Control Boards for the Caribbean will be meeting at the San Ignacio Hotel in Cayo. We think it would be a great opportunity for people to make an appearance, even briefly, to tell this group that Roundup and other pesticides containing glyphosate must be banned in our country and through the Caribbean. So far, the only Central American country that has banned it is El Salvador. It has been banned in Bermuda, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Columbia Brazil and Canada, to name a few. Other countries in Europe and Africa have also banned it and more are moving to do the same thing. Glyphosate has been declared a cancer causing agent by the World Health Organization. It is widely used in the agricultural sector in Belize as well as in homes. When it is sprayed on fields, whether by tractor or aerial, it gets into the water and the air and can cause serious health problems, as well as cancer. Seeking to reach the Coordinating Group of Pesticides Control Boards is a good start to work toward banning the use of glyphosate in Belize. Who doesn't know someone with cancer or renal failure; it is also harmful to pollinators such as bees and butterflies and those are just a few reasons why it should be banned. For more information on the petition write George and Candy Gonzalez at geocanbz@gmail.com or candybz@gmail.com.

South Ambergris Caye Neighbourhood Watch June General Meeting
Join us at Lone Star Grill & Cantina for our regular monthly meeting. Wednesday June 8th at 7:00pm.

First Holy Communion, Caye Caulker
Congratulations to all the children who received their First Holy Communion today. Boys in the back left to right. Corbin Pacheco, Adrian Marin, Jamile Alvarado, Emir Magana Jr., Jadon Surtherland, Daniel Blease, Aneeki Palacio (not in photo), Royrick Sankey (not in photo). Girls left to right. Noriely Medina, Mia Cutkelvin, Kimanie Chuc, Flora Cho, Kagan Alamina, Sheily Magana.

Corozal Community College PROM NIGHT
From drum rolling, fire dance, fairy tale presentations, glamour, swag and some fire works displays - it was all their night. A total red carpet affair. Here is a snippet of last night CCC's PROM presentation. Congratulations to those that will be graduating and here is wishing you all the very best in your future endeavours. For those that did not make it, don't give up, but keep trying.

Psychedelic Blues Experience
Another great Full Moon concert at the Cayo Welcome Center. The Psychedelic Blues Experience provided some amazing blues. "The Belize Soul project, space for the creative arts and the San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture (NICH) teamed up to have a full moon concert, and this time it was the Psychedelic Blues Experience. The Cayo Welcome Center was the perfect spot for it."

This lil raptor lost his nest after a forest fire
At the entrance of the Eligio Panti National Park swept down the tree with the nest. Tomorrow morning it will make its way to Belize Bird Rescue where it will be rehabilitated and put back into the wild.

The Reporter

Muhammad Ali dies; scheduled to be buried Friday
Retired three-time heavy weight champion, Muhammad Ali, 74, dubbed “The Greatest Boxer of All Time”, died Friday evening. His coffin has made its final journey home to Louisville, where the legend will be buried. The coffin touched down shortly after 4.30 p.m. Sunday, after a three-hour flight from Phoenix. Eleven funeral cars and a hearse pulled onto the tarmac to greet the star’s body along with his family. A police escort led the motorcade to a local funeral home where the burial will take place. Ali planned the arrangements for his funeral years ago. He wanted a procession to carry his body down an avenue that bears his name, through his boyhood neighborhood and down the same streets where he brought home a gold medal from the 1960 Olympics. Speaking about the plans, family spokesman Bob Gunnell said they “certainly believe that Ali was a citizen of the world … and they know that the world grieves with him.” Friends have revealed Ali’s fighting spirit helped him defy doctors for 20 years, as he held up against his debilitating Parkinson’s disease.

Miss Belize Universe restructured, returns!
The Miss Belize pageant, disgraced in the past by a series of unpleasantries, is back after an almost 10-year hiatus, with a restructured makeup managed by a three-party company, with the blessings of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and strictly guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The last time Belize sent a representative to participate in the Miss Universe pageant was 2007, but the company, Queen of the Jewel now managing and organizing the Miss Belize pageant, hopes that on September 10, a new Miss Belize will be selected to once again put Belize on the international stage in the most popular pageant in the world. Hoping to capitalize from the millions of viewers of the Miss Universe pageant, the owners of Queen of the Jewel, Orson Elrington, Opal Enriquez and Reynaldo Malic plan to promote Belize on this international platform. Elrington told the media at a press briefing on Wednesday that in its bid for the Miss Universe franchise, Queen of the Jewel enlisted the assistance of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) as a partner to help highlight Belize and its culture in the venture. It also hopes to have the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) in a similar capacity, and has also commissioned Belize’s Music Ambassador Shine Barrow to bring in international artists and hosts and to use the facilities available in the music industry to promote the pageant and Richard Holder as its director of photography.

Belize prepares for World Accreditation Day 2016
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) in the Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection, is preparing to host the 2016 celebration of World Accreditation Day. The event, which will gather several public and private sector entities to discuss the importance of accreditation, will be held on June 9 at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel under the theme “Accreditation: A Global Tool to Support Public Policy.” Consumer Protection Liaison Officer with the BBS, Rodolfo Gutierrez, explained that the session will include information about organizations within Belize who have been certified by various accreditation bodies across the world, along with testimonials from the local organizations as to how accreditation has benefitted them. “What it does is that it focuses on what accreditation does for all areas of the public sector, both at the national and local government levels,” Gutierrez said. “The highlight will be a recognition ceremony for the BBS for having successfully implemented a Quality Management System through its recent certification on the ISO 9001 standard.”

Olympic Committee holds 20th Annual Olympic Day run
Around 200 participants gathered in front of Brodies on Regent Street for the 20th Annual Olympic Day run, hosted by the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (BOCGA). The run, an event hosted worldwide by the numerous Olympic associations, had divisions for children nine years old and younger, ages 10-13, ages 14-19, and 20 and older. The participants started off at 6:30, and ran up Regent Street, turned on to Albert Street, went around the “Yabra” Cemetery and headed back towards Regent Street. The nine and under participants did a half lap, cutting off of Albert Street, onto King Street and then back to Regent Street. The 10-13 and 14-19 participants did one full lap, and the 20 and over did two laps. The Committee prepared certificates and medals for the top three winners and ribbons for all the other participants. However, Hilberto Martinez, president of the Olympic Association explained that the event takes on a more collaborative than competitive spirit.

Blogs

Dry Ambergris Caye Really Does Rock With Steve Miller’s Band “Abracadabra”
And right across the street, at Mahogany Bay Village, current and former members of the Steve Miller band were performing – a fundraiser for the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch. In all honesty, I wasn’t planning to attend…I LOVE STEVE MILLER…ahhhh…the greatest hits were a huge part of my college years (1991 to 1995) but the tickets were pricey. But I got LUCKY! As I was headed north to buy groceries, I met a friend who had an extra VIP PASS! WOOHOO! In what were basically pajamas, I jumped into her cart. They were doing tons of Steve Miller’s biggest hits…Jungle Love, Abracadabra, Fly Like An Eagle…and a sprinkling of others…Doobie Brothers and even Purple Rain by Prince – a close friend of one of the performers.

Half Moon Caye National Monument: This is Birding & Diving Heaven
As atolls go, Half Moon Caye National Monument is the furthest from Belize’s mainland and while it’s tiny, it has been given a very long name. In fact, this caye’s claim to fame is for the birds: It’s the nation’s oldest protected wildlife site and plenty of prestigious entities make sure it stays pristine, including Belize’s National Parks System Act of 1981, the Belize Audubon Society and this is designated a United Nations World Heritage site. Why so important? This is home to Boobies. Countless numbers of these noisy birds. So if you’re a birder, you may refer to this atoll simply as avian paradise. For starters, this unusually shaped parcel of land erupting from the sea has an asymmetric shape surrounded by a fringe of reef to create a platform that safeguards a tranquil lagoon. Every inch of the reef is lavished with coral patches that attract marine wildlife—especially fish—and it’s been around for longer than the nation of Belize has existed. Governments may have come and gone, but wildlife protection ordinances remain stringent, thus for a piece of land that only measures 41.5 acres in the midst of 9,658+ acres of sea, it’s understandable why this remote atoll is also one of the area’s most popular deep sea diving sites.

When the power goes out on Ambergris Caye, the feet start walking
True to its word, Belize Electric Ltd. (BEL) shut down the entire island’s electricity at 6 a.m. Saturday morning for some maintenance projects. I suppose that sounds a little strange to you, my First World family and friends, but that is how things are done here. When something is taken off-line for repairs, the whole island goes black. I guess we just don’t have the redundancy systems that would allow them to bypass a transformer, feeder, substation or whatever. By BEL does have a Facebook alert system and the utility posted warnings as early as Friday about the shutdown. So, you adjust, roll with it and move on. In my case, the power outage meant that Saturday morning presented a good time to take a nice walk up the beach in the Tres Cocos neighborhood to admire the good work our First Friday volunteer clean-up crews had accomplished.

International Sources

Exploring The Mystery of the Maya
Excellent article about Xunantunich from Taste of Life magazine. "A symphony of howler monkeys, parakeets and toucans announce a new day at the foothills of the ancient mountains of Belize. An alarm clock is a trivial possession here in the Cayo District, where creatures great and small sing homage to Kinich Ahau, the Mayan sun god, as the first golden rays slice through the dense jungle."

Widnes soldier learning survival and fighting skills in tropical Belize jungle
A SOLDIER from Widnes is battling tropical jungle conditions learning how to survive and fight in some of the world’s toughest environments. Owen Pettican, 21, a Lance Corporal in the 2nd Battalion of The Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment, will be in Belize for a month working in energy-sapping humidity and temperatures of more than 30°C. He is working alongside the Belize Defence Force (BDF) – among the world’s best tropical fighting forces – and has been in the Army for four years, serving in Cyprus, Estonia, the Falkland Islands, Latvia and Kenya. The former Wade Deacon High School pupil said: “I never had any family connections to the Army but it was something I had always wanted to do since I was a little kid, some of my best mates are in the Army – I made a good choice. “This is one of the best places I have been to so far.

Neighbors Helped Maya with Disaster Recovery
An international research team led by Assoc. Professor Akira Ichikawa with the Institute for Advanced Research at Nagoya University have discovered a monumental platform (measuring 70 meters by 60 meters with four tiers) constructed using a variety of stones, at San Andrés, an archaeological site in El Salvador, shedding new light on the socio-cultural development of the Maya people who lived there. When the volcanic caldera, Ilopango, erupted between 400 CE and 500 CE, it devastated a number of Maya cities and covered an area of 10,000 square kilometers (at a minimum) in a blanket of ash a waist deep. The platform discovered at San Andrés was built directly above this layer of ash, suggesting the people were able to start the recovery process much sooner than previously thought, and they did it with the help of a neighboring community. The masonry architecture of the platform is very similar to the method of building associated with people from the Quelepa area (another archaeological site in eastern El Salvador), although the Maya in this region used earthen material for construction during this time period. The introduction of a new construction technology indicates that this neighboring group likely came to the city’s aid following the eruption.

Barrow soldier brothers tackle 'Mayan Warrior' training in Central America jungle
TWO brothers from Barrow are training in jungle warfare deep in the rainforests of Central America in one of the British Army's most demanding missions. Kingsmen Perry and Jordan Mason, infantrymen with the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, are working alongside the Belize Defence Force in 'Exercise Mayan Warrior'. The former St Bernard's High School pupils are in Belize for five weeks with around 100 others from the battalion's Blenheim Company, learning how to survive and fight in energy-sapping humidity and temperatures of 30°C. Jordan, 21, joined the Battalion in April. He said: "I've only ever been abroad on holiday before, so I was really happy when they told me I was coming to Belize. "I've been surprised by how humid and sweaty it is, the snakes are a bit worrying, but I’m really enjoying the training."

Videos

Morning Matters with Larry, 58min.

Zip Lining Through The Jungle in Belize, 15min. Jaguar Cave zip line shore excursion in Belize. June 1, 2016.

Blackbird Caye Belize 2016, 9min.

Belize - The Secret Jewel, 3min. One of the world's most colorful places. Belize will never fail to impress! I loved every second of my trip. Filming locations - San Pedro, Belize City, Belmopan, Tikal National Park.

Belize 2016, 10min. Belize Vacation 2016.

Belize - San Pedro Ambergris Caye - Vacation - 2012, 5min. Our vacation to Belize San Pedro Ambergris Caye July 2012.

Cornhole tournament at the Truck Stop San Pedro Belize, 1min.

June 5, 2016

Congratulations to our new Miss Chiquitita 2016-2017, Lindsey Williams!

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

The San Pedro Sun

ABRACADABRA Band live at Mahogany Bay Village
The band which includes members and former members of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Steve Millers Band and Grammy Award Winning Bob Dylan, visits 'La Isla Bonita' for the first time!

SPRCS shines at the National Festival of Arts
For two weeks, the National Festival of Arts featured creative arts performances in drama, song, music and dance from pre-schoolers, primary school children, secondary students and even teachers. It is part of the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) and the Ministry of Education’s goal to incorporate the creative arts into the education curriculum – that is, art education. Since Wednesday, May 25th, the national festival of arts showcase has been on-going at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts. On Thursday, May 28, primary schools from Toledo, Belmopan and Stann Creek took the stage to deliver star-quality performances. According to the judging panel, it had been a while since Ambergris Caye was represented in the National Festival of Arts. Every year a screened amount of presentations are chosen among dozens to perform at the festival. This year, Ambergris Caye made it to the top nine golden showcases from over fifty submissions from other school countrywide. SPRCS Standard 1 students took a pantomime show called ‘The Evolution of Dance.’ The performers, who appeared with unusual body shapes in a mini theatrical stage, added to the entertainment and dramatic part of the national golden show case.

Caye International Bank hosts forum on Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute
As part of its staff development process, Caye International Bank (CIB) hosts bi-weekly seminars and sessions to enhance its workforce. On Friday, May 27th, the CIB hosted a forum to discuss a hot topic: Belize/Guatemala Territorial Dispute. Ambassador Stuart Leslie, Coordinator of the Referendum Unit and representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was the invited guest speaker. Since 2013, Leslie has been conducting a public awareness campaign throughout the country to gain the full support of Belizeans to settle the territorial dispute once and for all. The Referendum Unit highly recommends going to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is the highest Court in the international law established to deal with legal and non-legal disputes. It has been many years since Guatemala has been claiming Belizean territory, but they have not taken the matter to court. During the presentation, Leslie educated the bankers about the pros, cons, and risks of taking Guatemala’s long standing claim over Belizean territory to the ICJ.

Inspiration Center to host their biggest fundraiser
The San Pedro Roman Catholic School opened the ceremony with the National Anthem, and Pastor Alex Tzib gave the invocation. San Pedro Education Officer Nelma Jones spoke first at the event, expressing her delight in recognizing the hard work and dedication of all public officers of San Pedro. “We are proud to consider ourselves servant leaders that serve the Belizean public, and provide the essential services that attribute to the smooth running of our country,” said Jones. The fundraiser will serve as the inaugural event for Mahogany Bay’s, “The Great House”, and special invited guests will include Right Honorable Dean Barrow and his wife. Tickets are $150 BZ and may be purchased at El Fogon, Ramon’s Village, Blue Water Grill, Super Buy, and Rum + Bean. The dress code is white island casual. The event will start at 7PM and run through 11PM. Starting at 8PM, a buffet dinner will be served, and a cash bar will be opened for guests to purchase their selection of drinks. From 9PM to 11PM, Rock and Roll band, The Tequilla Shooters from the USA, will perform. There will be a silent auction and some amazing raffles! Raffle tickets will be sold for $20 BZ, and the prizes include: a one week trip/stay at Martha’s Vineyard (where the Obamas spend their summer vacation)—which includes a round trip airfare on American Airlines, a Louis Vuitton designer handbag, scuba lessons for two at Hol Chan Marine Tour courtesy of Scuba School and Family Dive Center Belize, a guided fishing trip by Blue Bone Fish, a gift certificate from Ka’ana Belize, and a gift package from the SunBreeze Hotel.

Public Service Fair held in San Pedro
Public officers, government officials, students, teachers, and community members gathered at Central Park to celebrate the 4th Annual Public Service Information Fair on Wednesday, June 1st. The theme selected for this year was: “Our Public Service, A Pillar of Belize’s Growth and Development, Our Hallmark: Efficiency and Professionalism.” During the month of June, public officers will engage in an array of activities that include community service, open houses, and public awareness of available services. The San Pedro Roman Catholic School opened the ceremony with the National Anthem, and Pastor Alex Tzib gave the invocation. San Pedro Education Officer Nelma Jones spoke first at the event, expressing her delight in recognizing the hard work and dedication of all public officers of San Pedro. “We are proud to consider ourselves servant leaders that serve the Belizean public, and provide the essential services that attribute to the smooth running of our country,” said Jones.

Misc Belizean Sources

Public notice
On behalf of Inspector Benguche, Police Dept and the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Board, the public is advised that there should be no sale of Liquor on 19 June 2016 from 6am to 6pm or until all results are announced for the Village Council Elections.

Raffle
Help support the darts team get to Barbados for a competition by buying a couple of tickets for the raffle of this awesome scooter.

INTERNATIONALIZING THE STRUGGLE FOR BELIZE AGAINST AGGRESSION!
In the footsteps of all the Belizean activists who came before us, and whose footsteps we Belizeans in resistance against imperialism walk in, it is most important that we remember the Mayan Belizean activist Julian Cho, the Belizean Patriot, Minister Philip Goldson, the writer of the Belizean national anthem, Colonel Samuel Haynes, the leaders of the resistance against the Anglo Guatemalan claim of 1981 called the Heads of Agreement, Odinga Lumumba and Maria Socorro Babadilla, and today in the spirit of the southern Belizean activist against the Guatemalan military aggression in the South of Belize, Wil Mehia.

FCD renewed another year of partnership with the Wildlife Institute which seeks to support conservation of scarlet macaws.

A handful of cuteness for your weekend!
All wild babies on the beginning of a long road to release.

Amandala

Genaro Che, a soldier of the Belize Defence Force, was slain almost eighteen years ago by alleged Guatemalan military men in Belizean territory. However, to date his family has not received any compensation from the Government of Belize. Today, KREMANDALA radio and TV personality, Carolyn “YaYa” Marin Coleman, led a heartfelt one-woman protest on the grounds where Che took his final breath before being fatally shot several times. Her protests, she told Amandala, will continue the second day of every month from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. until Che’s family is adequately compensated. “The point of the protest is to bring pressure on this administration to compensate this family and to compensate them handsomely,” said Yaya. Her protest is aimed at Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who in 1998 served as Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs but did not compensate the Che family in the aftermath of the tragedy, before the administration for which he served was replaced by a PUP administration, which also was guilty of not compensating the family.

Murder in Riviera
A taxicab driver of the Riviera area of Belmopan, Leonel Gillett, 45, was found dead in his yard yesterday, having been shot shot multiple times. His body was already in a state of decomposition. An onsite post-mortem examination was conducted on Gillett’s body, and the results certified that his death was caused by gunshot wounds. Gillett was then buried. Police reported that at about 1:30 yesterday afternoon, they went to an area in west Belmopan and found the body of a Creole man that was partially nude. He was wearing grey underwear and was lying face-up in pools of dried blood on the steps of a mobile home. He had been shot in the abdomen, the left side of the back and in the left side of the head. The body was later identified as that of Leonel Theodore Gillett, 45, a taxi driver of west Belmopan. An initial investigation revealed that at about 9:00 Tuesday night, May 31, Gillett left his mother’s house on Stann Creek Street en route to his house.

Boy, 14, uses machete to defend mother from abusive stepfather
A 14-year-old Hattieville boy will not face charges after chopping his stepfather with a machete in response to an incident of domestic abuse. According to residents of Hattieville, Richard Smith (no age provided) has a history of abusing his common-law wife, Ursula Ferguson (no age provided). However, on Tuesday morning, Smith became a victim of the very weapon he was wielding when his stepson intervened in an attack by Smith on the boy’s mother, Ferguson. According to ACP Edward Broaster, “The female was held and prevented from calling the police; when she did manage to call the police and the police responded, the suspect fled into the bushes. Sometime thereafter, he went and hid in the ceiling of the house and when the victim returned with her son, he attacked them both — hence the reason the son defended his mother and inflicted the wounds upon the suspect, who had inflicted wounds on both of them as well. The suspect will be arrested and charged and taken to court.”

Fatal attraction: Keshane McDougal, 22, couldn’t stay away from minor, 14
A 22-year-old man who was arraigned in March on a single count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl and who was released on Supreme Court bail got a surprise this morning when five more charges of unlawful sexual intercourse were read to him, when he and his attorney appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. Attorney Herbert Panton, who is representing Keshane Shaquille McDougal, who was arraigned on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old minor, appeared in court this morning and told the court that the charge against his client should be dismissed because the 90-day period during which his client should have received his disclosure had already passed, and that the police have no evidence against his client. The court prosecutor, however, surprised Panton and McDougal when, instead of withdrawing the charge against him, five more charges of unlawful sexual intercourse were read to him. This brings the total number of unlawful sexual intercourse allegations which McDougal is now facing to six.

US asked to seize $130 mil of GOB’s money
Although Belizean courts, including the country’s highest appellate court – the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) – have said that arbitration awards handed down by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in favor of the Ashcroft group of companies could not be enforced against the Government of Belize, the parties are winning their appeals in US courts, which have been asked to “confirm and enforce” the arbitration awards. In a painful end to a string of litigation dating back a decade, a US federal court in Columbia this month upheld two rulings against the Government of Belize. Last week, we reported on the ruling against the Government, whose appeal against the enforcement of a US$4.26 arbitration award in favor of Newco, a company set up in Belize by US investors in a botched airport concession deal, had been struck down. Newco had won foreign arbitration held in Miami. That was “peanuts” compared to another ruling handed down the same day.

Belize Rural Female Softball Tournament results
The Belize Rural Female Softball Tournament had 2 games on Sunday, May 29, in Lords Bank, both from Division A. Undefeated UB Jaguars from Belmopan defeated Exotic Girls of Hattieville, 12-2. Winning pitcher was Karlene Williams, and the loser was Iceny Baptist. And Orchid Girls of Hattieville won, 14-3, over Lords Bank Sunrise. Therese Baptist got the win for Orchid Girls, while Karen Hilton took the loss for Lords Bank.

Smart 13 & Under Mundialito All Stars weekend
Things are heating up in the Smart 13 & Under Mundialito competition, being played every Saturday at the MCC Grounds. Only 4 of the 11 participating teams will make it to the 4-team knockout playoffs, and with 4 more regular season weekends remaining, the race is tight for the 4 playoff spots. (See Standings below at the end of Week 7.) Leading goal scorers at Week 7 are Rashied Lord of City Boys with 4 goals, followed by Eldon Byrd of Brown Bombers with 3. Week 8 games are scheduled for this Saturday, and on Sunday there will be the now traditional showcase games featuring All Stars North vs South followed by the coaches vs officials game.

Cricket Corner: Berlan snatched 1st place from Wicked 11
Hello, cricket readers and fans thereof. With the kind sponsorship of this year’s cricket competition, thanks to Belikin and Smart, under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, the Harrison Parks 2016 Cricket Competition continued over the weekend. It was a very beautiful day for cricket in the ever so beautiful village of Flowers Bank. And for the annual event of Flowers Bank Day, the most wonderful event was the cricket game between home team Wicked 11 and Berlan. As I mentioned in my previous article, Wicked 11 held a narrow lead over Berlan. Berlan proved that it was narrow indeed, when they defeated Wicked 11, 105 to 101 with 6 wickets to spare. Wicked 11 took to bat first. At the start, things were not looking good for the wicked boys, as Orson Flowers took the first wicket for 14, then the second for 21. Then another wicket fell by Jermaine Baizar for 47. Next wicket was taken by Orson Flowers. The score now stands at 61. The fifth wicket fell for 85; 6 for 86.

2016 2nd Bi-Annual RF&G National Ranking Table Tennis Tournament results
The 2016 – 2nd Bi-Annual RF&G National Ranking Tournament took place this past Sunday, May 29, at the BES Auditorium. Some 50 table tennis players, ranging from ages 10 to 65, participated across the A, B, C and Women divisions in this annual National Ranking event. 6 players competed in the A Division category, but only 4 made it into the Double Elimination Final round of the competition. These included Taye Parkinson, Amiri Hoare, Latrell Solis and Jorge Espat. After heated matches among these top players, the final results were as follows: A Division – 1st Taye Parkinson; 2nd Amiri Hoare; 3rd Latrell Solis; 4th Jorge Espat. In the B Division category, 12 of the B category players competed in a round-robin classification event, with the top 7 advancing to the Double Elimination Finals. These included Rohit Pagarani, Luis Bardalez, Joshua Gegg, Kevin Chen, Taye Parkinson, Marion Usher and Jorge Espat. Taye Parkinson made his way to the finals undefeated, overcoming Kevin Chen, Jorge Espat and Joshua Gegg. Rohit Pagarani made his way back to the finals after his first loss to Joshua Gegg in the top half of the draw, by beating out Kevin Chen and Jorge Espat, and by beating Joshua Gegg in their second meeting in the Losers Bracket.

The Chetumal phenomenon in context
Most Belizeans believe that it is our money which built Chetumal into the modern city that it is. Clinton Canul Luna, a Belizean who left Corozal to live in Acapulco, Mexico as a child after Hurricane Janet in 1955 and remained there for almost four decades, has a different view. He believes that the oil wealth of the modern Mexican state contributed a great deal to the transformation of what used to be a village/town called Payo Obispo just across the Rio Hondo, into the great city of Chetumal. No matter, Belizeans spend a lot of money in Chetumal. Belizeans have been in total love with Chetumal for many, many years, and we have paid a substantial economic price for this love affair. All through the decades, many more Belizean dollars have flown across the Rio Hondo than Mexican pesos have drifted over here from Chetumal. It is impossible to pinpoint exactly when Belizean housewives decided that they were “stretching” their dollar by taking a bus across the border to go shop in Chetumal. Belizeans began taking Chetumal excursion bus trips all the way from the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts, but the big money always came from Belize City, our nation’s financial and population center. In the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts, it was as if the people partly lived in Chetumal, the northern border was so near.

From the Publisher
What do you do in a democracy when your opinions are absolutely minority ones? Well, in my case nowadays, what I do is write columns and editorials in this newspaper and hope that someday the majority of you guys will see it my way. When I was a young man and had minority opinions, some of which I still have, I was involved in a militant organization of young Belizeans which marched in the streets in expression and support of our opinions. I had learned a little about revolutionary change while at university in the United States, and one thing those who knew about revolutionary change said was this: you cannot make revolution in a society which allows for democratic change. Assad Shoman and Said Musa, young Belizean attorneys of Palestinian descent who had studied in the United Kingdom, had some opinions which were similar to mine in certain respects. But there was a significant difference between us, in that they could probably have been described as scientific socialists in 1968, whereas I could have been considered a black nationalist.

Letter to the Editor: Compromis, ICJ and the UN Security Council
Dear Editor: THE ICJ—YES or NO! The teachers, citizens, and leaders of Punta Gorda who didn’t attend the educational forum that the BNTU sponsored on the evening of May 26 not only missed out on well presented facts and ideas of the participating presenters but also missed out on the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. One would think that with a subject as important as the ICJ issue, citizens would want as much information on the various sides as possible. By not attending they are not as well informed as they need to be. Pleading ignorance may work as an excuse for the average citizen but it is not an option that is normally granted to those who have been tasked to educate our children. Neither the Government nor the Opposition had a presenter so we are left to wonder whether they are truly interested in the education of the populace on this vital issue. I certainly learned a great deal I hadn’t been aware of before. I do not want to believe the government has deliberately deluded the people, but I do believe they have been encouraged by outside interests to look at solutions to the Belize/Guatemala issue from only one perspective (There is also the possibility that having so many lawyers running the Government causes them to favor litigation when there are other ways of approaching a problem.)

Did Belize fall into Guatemala’s trap?
A document published online by Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that when the Government of Belize accepted the lingua in the agreements beginning 16 years ago in 2000, which call Belize’s border with Guatemala an “adjacency line,” it also recognized that there are no recognized boundaries between the countries. The declaration is striking, particularly in regard to doubts expressed by Belize’s Foreign Minister about the location of Belize’s borders, especially as they relate to our marine space. Gustavo Adolfo Orellana Portillo, Guatemala’s legal advisor, wrote a document dated 2010 titled, “Background and Study of The Special Agreement between Guatemala and Belize to Submit Guatemala’s Territorial, Insular and Maritime Claim to the International Court of Justice [ICJ].” The document was prepared for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, and specifically for “the Belize Commission,” a group which has since been dissolved.

Belize experienced its first act of Guatemalan terrorism on May 2, 1998
Eighteen years ago, on May 2, 1998, Belize experienced its first act of terrorism. Heavily armed Guatemalan men who exhibited considerable military skills, seized control of the Hummingbird Highway and terrorized over two hundred Belizeans, who were held hostage. While many were robbed of their personal possessions, a Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldier, Genaro Che, was unfortunately robbed of his life. Che, 21, along with his older brother, Rosendo Che, 24, boarded a James Bus to Belize City to buy a generator for his (Genaro’s) wedding, which was scheduled for July of 1998. However, while on the Hummingbird Highway, their bus, as were many other vehicles travelling in both directions, was stopped by armed Guatemalan bandits. Genaro, who had initially given the bandits a dollar, attempted (after his life was threatened by the bandits, who demanded more money) to reach into his socks to surrender money he had saved for his generator. However, when he did so, he was shot in the head and then in other parts of his body.

Outbreak of bovine rabies threatens Cayo and Belize River Valley
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) announced this week that there is an outbreak of bovine rabies, which it warns is highly fatal. In its release issued Wednesday, it said that, “The disease is almost always fatal, but can be prevented through vaccination of animals and post exposure treatment to humans.” “Affected animals will usually show nervous signs and aggressive behavior. Most animals will show excessive salivation as swallowing becomes impossible. Avoid coming in contact with animals showing these symptoms and immediately call BAHA Officers to report any suspected cases,” it added. “The disease is currently being detected in the Cayo District and is expected to affect herds in the Belize River Valley, as suspected cases have also been detected in areas along the Macal River,” BAHA said. “The spread of the disease can be halted if livestock farmers vaccinate their cattle against rabies. Farmers are warned that the disease can be transmitted to humans,” BAHA said.

Brits used Belize to foster secret military alliance with Guatemala: Vice
Belize received its Independence from Great Britain in 1981, supposedly on the premise of a defense guarantee to protect the country from invasion by Guatemala; what Belizeans did not know is that Britain was very preoccupied with helping Guatemala leaders, who now stand accused of mass massacres in their home country, to suppress their opponents, some of whom were said to have been operating in Belize. Information recently published by an international news source pointed to “Britain’s covert collusion” with the regime of Efrain Rios Montt, on trial for mass genocide, at the height of the 36-year civil war—an alliance which the report, recently published by Vice of Canada, is said to being called into question by files discovered at the UK National Archives. Montt is also said to have been backed by the US and Israel, from whom Guatemala reportedly received arms and aid support.

How the British Army cooperated with the murderous Guatemalan regime
–Guatemalans are still struggling to come to terms with what happened in their civil war between US-backed rulers, left-wing rebels, and indigenous communities. One former president, Rios Montt, is awaiting trial for genocide, charged with murdering 1,771 indigenous Maya people from 1982 to 1983. Now Britain’s covert collusion with Montt’s regime at the height of the 36-year civil war is being called into question by files VICE has discovered at the UK National Archives. In 1983, Britain had a garrison of 1,500 soldiers stationed along the Guatemalan border in neighboring Belize, which was a former UK colony. Politicians in Westminster and the public thought that the British army was out there to stop Guatemala invading Belize, a move it had long threatened. In secret, however, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher allowed her troops to help the ruthless Guatemalan military dictatorship eliminate its internal opponents.

Hurricane season starts: 10 to 16 storms predicted by NOAA
The hurricane season starts on Wednesday, June 1, and while experts are forecasting a near normal season this year, the latest information published by the National Hurricane Center in Miami indicates that this year could see anywhere between 10 and 16 named storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts a 70% chance that this many cyclones, with wind speeds of at least 39 mph, will form in the Atlantic Basin this year. Of those, 4 to 8 could become hurricanes (with winds of 74 mph or higher), but anywhere from 1 to 4 could be major hurricanes (packing a strength of category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher). “This is a more challenging hurricane season outlook than most because it’s difficult to determine whether there will be reinforcing or competing climate influences on tropical storm development,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “However, a near-normal prediction for this season suggests we could see more hurricane activity than we’ve seen in the last three years, which were below normal,” he said.

Yaya, one-woman army, battles for Genaro Che’s family
Genaro Che, a soldier of the Belize Defence Force, was slain almost eighteen years ago by alleged Guatemalan military men in Belizean territory. However, to date his family has not received any compensation from the Government of Belize. Today, KREMANDALA radio and TV personality, Carolyn “YaYa” Marin Coleman, led a heartfelt one-woman protest on the grounds where Che took his final breath before being fatally shot several times. Her protests, she told Amandala, will continue the second day of every month from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. until Che’s family is adequately compensated. “The point of the protest is to bring pressure on this administration to compensate this family and to compensate them handsomely,” said Yaya. Her protest is aimed at Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who in 1998 served as Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs but did not compensate the Che family in the aftermath of the tragedy, before the administration for which he served was replaced by a PUP administration, which also was guilty of not compensating the family.

The Reporter

WHO updates advice on unprotected and Zika virus infection
The World Health Organization (WHO) is now recommending that women who wish to get pregnant wait a minimum of eight weeks before trying, if their partner has been to an area with confirmed Zika virus cases. The WHO issued the advisory this week after new data revealed that the virus is being sexually transmitted at a higher rate than previously thought. The new recommendation is double the abstinence period that the organization had previously recommended. “Sexual partners of women, living in or returning from areas where local transmission of the Zika virus is known to occur, should practice safer sex or abstinence for at least the whole duration of the pregnancy,” the WHO added for those already pregnant. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier, explained that the WHO updated the recommendations after scientists discovered that the virus lingers in the blood or other body fluids for longer than originally thought. “The guidance is to delay or consider delaying pregnancy, certainly recognizing that this is tough for some populations,” Lindmeier said.

Corozal fire chief dies in RTA
Members of the Belize National Fire Service are in shock after the sudden, tragic death of the Corozal Fire Chief Meshach Henry, 33, in a road traffic accident. Corozal police say that at around 11:30 on Friday night, Henry, while riding his Kawasaki motor cycle, collided with a white Ford dump truck at the junction of Seventh and 10th Avenues in Corozal Town. The truck, driven by 64-year-old Jose Gregory Williams, was crossing the intersection when the collision occurred. Henry, who was flung under the truck as a result of the impact, died at the scene from multiple injuries. His body landed about 30 feet from where his motorcycle fell. He was not wearing a helmet. Corozal police have since served Williams with a notice of intended prosecution. Henry started working at the department in December 2005 in field operations, and by August 2011, was promoted to the rank of leading firefighter, where he worked in the operations field. He was subsequently moved to the fire safety section, where he achieved yet another promotion to Sub-station officer. He was transferred to Corozal on August 1, 2014, taking up the post of Officer in Charge.

Breaking Belize News

Popular Dangriga artist killed in robbery attempt
Sometime after 11:00 p.m. last night in Dangriga Town, while popular singer and songwriter John Jay Rodriguez was socializing inside a gambling shop, a robbery attempt went tragically wrong, ending his life. According to information received, three male persons entered the establishment with intent to rob its owners and one of them fired a single shot to get the crowd of patrons to disperse. That shot, in an unfortunate plot twist, went through the neck of a male person, then hit Rodriguez to the face.

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dead at 74
Muhammad Ali, world heavyweight boxing champion who captured many hearts with his flamboyant style and enduring heart, died this evening of respiratory failure caused by Parkinson’s syndrome. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, he became a star after changing his name following his first defeat of Sonny Liston in 1964. Ali started in the Nation of Islam before adopting traditional Islam in his later years. The young champion would visit the-then British Honduras in 1964 and hold public sparring workouts in Belize City, endearing himself to yet another population.

Blogs

“I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” away from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I enjoyed a little lie in after the extremes of the previous day and didn’t get up until around 06.30 hours and after showering etc I went for breakfast. I knew that on this day above most other days I needed food in my stomach. This was the day for The Jolly Boys’ Outing. But before I give you the gory details of the day a bit of background information as to how the Jolly Boys’ Outing came about might be of interest (or not. You decide!). I mentioned in a previous edition that my best friend John Townley and I first started working with each other in 1982 and this remained that way until 1995 when we went our separate ways. I , in a fit of pique, decided to leave News International (the company I’d been at for 24 years) when Rupert Murdoch’s son-in-law was appointed above me. I was told that he wouldn’t be there long. All I had to do was nursemaid him. Make sure that nothing went wrong. I was so much younger then though and maybe had too much pride. So, I handed in my notice and left six months later.

Beautiful tropical island wedding at Coco Beach resort, Belize
Christina & Howard had their dream wedding on a beautiful beach surrounded by an intimate group of family and best friends. Morning weddings are perfect because once the ceremony is done, you celebrate with lunch and off you go to have fun for the rest of the day. I loved all the details Christina took care of, and I loved the vibe of this group… super happy and follow up photographer instructions by the book.. smooth & easy and with tons of fun. Enjoy few of their photos!

International Sources

Caribbean urged to brace for more hurricane activity this year
A two-day Caribbean Regional Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) began with the region being told to brace itself for a wetter than usual season and chances of more hurricane activity this year than in the past five years. Climatologist with the Dominica Meteorologist Service (DMS) Annie Carrette-Jospeh, who presented the Wet/Hurricane Season Outlook for 2016, said that between the period June and August, there would also be a gradual drought alleviation across the region and that “surface water reservoirs will recharge, there will be soil moisture replenishment and an increase in river flow”. She predicted that water shortage-related problems in agriculture will disappear in many places and that “where it has not already started, the wet season may start abruptly in June”. The outlook noted that the second half of the wet season will be wetter or unusual in countries like Belize and the Leeward Islands with Carrette-Joseph warning that “moist conditions may favour mosquito breeding”.

Videos

LA VOZ KARAOKE 2016 - WEEK 8, 130min.

Morning Matters of the Day, 60min.

Belize AMOR 2016, 5min.

Hopkins, Belize - Hamanasi Resort - Beach - May 2016, 7min. Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort There were not many videos out there showing the Hamanasi Grounds when I first started looking at booking our Honeymoon there so I just wanted to share a little bit of what it was like. It was relaxing and beautiful.

A quick escape to Belize - Caye Caulker, 7min. We have a tropical weekend adventure in Belize.

Belize Vac Video MP4 File, 33min. Tara and Christian's Wedding and Family Vacation.

Diving the Blue Hole in Belize, 8min.

Shyne Performs Live From Belize At Diddys Bad Boy Reunion Tour NY, 2.5min.

belize PZ movie, 8min.

UNTIE THE LINES II #39 - Flying Visit To Belize, 13min. Tom has a job to do on the island of Roatan, so Kalr and me gave him a lift there, stopping at two little islands of Belize. It's beautiful to be out and about again, feeling the wind and swinging at anchor.

June 4, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

SPRCS teams head to national Primary School Football Tournament
The Belize District Zone 5 Primary School Football Tournament came to an end on Thursday, June 2nd at the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex in San Pedro Town. The tournament was organized by The San Pedro Sports Committee in collaboration with the National Sports Council of Belize. Male and female teams from different primary schools of Ambergris Caye, and from Caye Caulker played heated matches. After two weeks of intense games, both female and male teams from the San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School (SPRCS) emerged victorious. As such, Ambergris Caye will be represented by SPRCS at the Belize District Finals, on Monday, June 6th in Belize City. The last two set of games were intense, and under the hot afternoon sun, the female division game kicked off the finals. The girls from Holy Cross Anglican Primary School (HCAPS) gave their all on the field, but it was not enough to win the game. The San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School (SPRCS) girls walked away with a victorious score of 2-0. The crowd cheered and celebrated the girls’ win proudly.

Diver Alert Networks educates Local dive instructors
The Hyperbaric Chamber adjacent to the Ambergris Hopes Clinic conducted a valuable presentation to several dive instructors on the island on Wednesday, May 25th. Held at the San Pedro Lions Den, the lecture covered two important topics: Guidance on case reviews which dealt with identifying dive related injuries and marine life toxinology. Attendees learned much about the different poisonous marine species they are exposed to every time they go to sea. Leading the presentation was Director of Medical Programs Matias Nochetto of Diver Alert Networks (DAN) who explained about the importance of knowing the different symptoms a patient may develop during and after a diving session. “It is important to be able to recognize when someone has decompression illness and when the patient does not,” said Nochetto. Putting a patient inside a chamber without knowing exactly what is wrong can be damaging. For example, if someone has punctured lungs, placing him inside the chamber, can be fatal.” Nochetto indicated that when air is leaking from the lungs, it can be noticeable in certain areas of the body, as air bubbles would appear underneath the surface of the skin. Another important observation to keep in mind, according to Nochetto, is to know under which conditions the diver became ill. This includes the length of diving, the depth, and the experience of the individual in this water sport.

Dates confirmed for the Annual Eco-Challenge Kayak Race
Preparations for the twelfth annual Lagoon-Reef Eco-Challenge Race are underway, and the dates have been set for August 6th and 7th. Once again kayakers will take the challenge of navigating 26 miles of Ambergris Caye waters. The race will start at 6AM from the Sunset Boulevard near the Honourable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex, heading north through the mangrove channels of the lagoon area of Ambergris Caye. Organizer of the event Elito Arceo says that the main purpose of the race is to sensitize residents to the importance of the eco-system in and around the island, while at the same time promoting the best ways possible to conserve it.

DFC hosts Green Technology Seminar
In seeking a green technological era for Belize, the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in partnership with the Ministry of Energy (MOE) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre held a Green Technology Seminar at the Hidden Treasure Restaurant in San Pedro Town. The event took place on Tuesday, May 31st and saw members of the business community who are eager to be informed on this new venture DFC has to offer. Three presenters discussed the potential Belize has when it comes to renewable energy, especially given the ideal location the country has. The urgency to scale down on fossil fuels while understanding the major advantages of green energy were discussed. Furthermore a call was made for everyone to join the initiative aided by DFC of acquiring credit for renewable and energy efficiency programs.

SPTC launches Clean- up Campaign 2016
As the rainy season nears, an aggressive clean-up campaign has been launched in San Pedro Town. The program aims to address the garbage issues in all subdivisions of the Town, while getting rid of breeding areas for mosquitos that may transmit vector diseases such as ZIKA.. The campaign began on Wednesday, June 1st at the San Pedrito Sub-division, and will last until November when the rainy season is due to end. Giving an overview of the campaign was Deputy Mayor Gary Greif, who stressed on the importance of the campaign as the rainy season is fast approaching. He explained that the project is part of the SPTC plan of action in response to fight vector borne diseases on the island. Greif stated that it is a difficult task but not impossible and encourages everyone to cooperate. The SPTC has come up with incentives for those participating in the campaign. “Members of the SPTC along with the Health Inspector will be going through the different subdivisions, and anyone observed cleaning their yard will be featured in The San Pedro Sun, and as well, will receive a cash prize of $100,” said Greif. “The other incentive comprises of a $500 cash prize sponsored by the SPTC and Mayor Guerrero. The winner will be whosoever keeps their yard clean for the longest of time.” Greif asked for the campaign to not be a one-time event but to continue even after November, when the campaign is scheduled to end. He called on all island residents to make it a tradition and keep their surroundings and the island garbage free.

Ambergris Today

Letters To The Editor: Traffic and Hitchhikers in San Pedro
Dear Ambergris Caye, We had the pleasure of visiting San Pedro just a week or so ago. We loved the time we spent there with one exception. We had rented a golf cart to get around. We were staying outside of the main area of town and needed a way to get in and around San Pedro. However, several times we were approached by the locals to give them a ride into town. With crime rates rising, we were uncomfortable doing so, and when we refused, they yelled out 'F*** You' on more than one occasion. We think it is unwise that tourists are hustled into transporting strangers. It raises safety concerns not only for the tourists, but the local population asking for the ride. We even had small children ask. We also noticed that there does not appear to be any public transportation available for the locals including the schools and the children that attend them. This causes a lot traffic chaos each and every day in and around town; rather unpleasant to see such badly organized traffic.

Santiago Castillo Makes World Milk Day Fun for Island Students
Since 2001, when the first World Milk Day was proposed by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), June 1 has become the day which all aspects of milk are celebrated around the world. Belizean company Santiago Castillo Ltd. came to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, for the first time to celebrate World Milk day, as it has done in past years at different locations in Belize. Representatives from Santiago Castillo Ltd. set up a fun and educational display at Central Park that included a bouncy house, information booth with lots of goodies for the island students and even a farm display with a functional cow cutout that they could ‘actually’ milk; that was fun to watch.

New Children’s Book Follows the Journeys of a Young Belizean Hero
The true story of a young philanthropist, who is blind, teaches children that through kindness and determination anything is possible! Climb Walk Dive: The Adventures of Rowan Garel was launched on Wednesday, June 1, 2016, at the Image Factory in Belize City. The 32-page illustrated children’s book tells the story of Rowan’s high-adrenaline undertakings to raise funds for Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) to provide services and support for children who are blind. To the summit of Victoria Peak; Across the country of Belize and Down into the Blue Hole, Rowan surpassed his personal and charitable goals each time.

Misc Belizean Sources

Over 2,000 Residents of San Antonio Village, Cayo District Will Soon Have a New Health Centre
Ground-breaking Ceremonies to officially commence the construction of the new San Antonio Health Centre will be held at the Community Centre, San Antonio village, Cayo District at 2 pm today, June 3, 2016. The Government of Belize, steadfast in its continued commitment to address the basic needs of Belizeans, in the areas of water, sanitation, education and health, is funding the San Antonio Health Centre project at an estimated cost of $623,912.30 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. The new health facility will provide primary health care services aimed to improve community health as well as reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality, waterborne, food borne, and vector borne conditions, communicable and non-communicable diseases. Thus, making critical achievements in improving the quality of health of men, women and children of San Antonio and surrounding communities.

Public Service Information Day
On Wednesday, June 1st, 2016, public officers of San Pedro celebrated Public Service Information Day at the Central Park with an Expo. Official ceremonies initiated with the National Anthem beautifully sang by students of the San Pedro R.C. School, followed by a prayer. Welcoming everyone to the event was Ms. Nelma Jones, followed by an address by Mayor Daniel Guerrero, where he emphasized the importance of a public officer's job and daily tasks. All the way from the culture capital, Dangriga, Hon. Frank "Papa" Mena delivered the keynote address, whose portfolio includes the responsibility of Public Service among many others. Hon. Mena stated that the hard work of the hard working public officers does not go unnoticed and his ministry is very proud of their efforts.

Rescheduled power interruption for entire San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye on Saturday, June 4
From 6:00am to 9:10am and 5:00pm to 5:10pm. BEL to relocate mobile substation for maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk and San Pedro.

Beach Cleanup Day in Dangriga
Date: June 4, 2016. Time: 9 - 11 a.m. Where: Town Pier in Dangriga Town. Sign up and Obtain a Small Token!! Partners: Department of the Environment - DOE, Dangriga Town Council and Harlem Beach Group

Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Awards Luncheon
Mrs. Karen Bevans (BTB's Director of Tourism) receiving the award for Belize at the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Awards Luncheon during Caribbean Week in New York.

Managed Access National Expansion
The Belize Fisheries Department hereby informs fishermen and the general public that on May 19, 2015 the Cabinet endorsed the National expansion of Managed Access to the entire territorial waters of Belize with effect on June 15, 2016. Managed Access has been piloted at two sites: Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve and Port Honduras Marine Reserve since July of 2011. After a series of extensive consultations with fishers, fisheries management will now be strengthened through a national system of secure tenure for fishers to fish in designated fishing areas. In January 2016, more than four years after the successful implementation at these sites, fishers were licensed for a maximum of two fishing areas and an optional area designated for deep slope fishing.

Letter: Belize Progressive Party calls for action under UNSC Article 39
Given the government of Belize’s (GOB) false, singular narrative that going to the ICJ is the only recourse to address Guatemala’s unfounded claim, the Belize Progressive Party (BPP) calls on Belizeans both at home and abroad to take definitive action. Having demonstrated the logic of rescinding the Special Agreement/Compromis, given the ever-increasing aggression by the Guatemalans, which has disrupted the peace between the two nations, coupled with the GOB’s willful negligence, the BPP cites justification for urgently taking this matter to the UN Security Council under Article 39 of the UN Charter. Article 39 reads, ”The Security Council shall determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and security.”

Ascenthium Rocks River Run
Ascenthium and Almost 7 played at the Black Pearl, Harley-Davidson, Belize's River Run on the 22nd. Great concert!

REUNITING WITH BROTHER JAMAL GOREE AT THE 5TH. ANNUAL GARIFUNA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!
There are many African-Americans who quietly traverse the Central American terrain of Belize in their time like Jamal Goree. But his contribution to Belize, and to the largest black immigrant group in Los Angeles called the Belizean Community has got to be documented here on Belize Diaspora Vote. When BREDAA was doing its great popular education programs in the Belizean community in L.A., and had at its disposal one of the most powerful information dissemination programs ever in the history of Belizean diaspora politics called Belize-Caribbean Pulse radio show on KPFK, it was Brother Jamal Goree who stood with BREDAA through thick and thin, and assisted the organization to move beyond radio and on to television and video communication through his most brilliant skills in the visual communication medium.

Channel 7

Sailing Down the Sarstoon, VIP PUP Style
The last time the PUP made a plan to head to the Sarstoon - there was all kinds of media hype, and when it fell through, all that buildup turned into backlash. And that's probably why there was absolutely no announcement made about today's trip to the Sarstoon. It was kept on the political down low - and we didn't find out about it until yesterday evening. But that didn't stop Daniel Ortiz and Codie Norales from getting up before dawn and racing south to see what would happen. They squeezed into a spot on the bow of the big blue boat and what they saw on the Sarstoon surprised them. Daniel Ortiz has this report from the south:... Those intending to make the trip to Sarstoon included Opposition Leader John Briceno; his representative in the Bilateral Talks, Senator Eamon Courtenay; fellow Parliamentarians Oscar Requena, Rodwell Ferguson, Kareem Musa, and Cordel Hyde; Senator Paul Thompson; standard Bearer Major Lloyd Jones; PUP Chairman Henry Charles Usher; National Communications Manager, Anthony Mahler, and a few other important party personalities.

Corozal Fire Chief Killed In Grisly Accident
Tonight the Belize National Fire Service is in mourning after the tragic death of one of their own. Around 11:30 this morning, Meshach Henry, the commanding chief of the Corozal fire station, was heading to work on his black Kawasaki motorcycle when he had a violent collision with a large dump truck. It happened in the middle of Corozal Town - and the 33 year old's mangled body could be seen lying in middle of the road. At this time the cause of his fatal accident is not yet known but best sources tell us that Henry was attempting to overtake a taxi when he collided into the dump truck. But whatever the cause may be, Henry's graphic death has stunned Corozal Town and the Fire Department.

Knox Hard Life, From Hospital, To Jail to Bail
Zachary Knox - he's the 19 year old accused of shooting at Assistant Commissioner Chester Williams. Well tonight, the Belize City resident is out on ten thousand dollars bail. His attorney Oscar Selgado got bail from Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore. One of the conditions is that he must report weekly to the police station and another is that he must stay away from the victim - one of the victims in this case being ACP Chester Williams. He met bail around 5:00 this evening, but with all that's happened to him since the shooting on May 12th - Knox might want to even stay away from the police station. That's because his mother alleges that that a dozen officers from the GSU and the Southside Strike Team put a vicious beating on him after he was caught. Police have denied the allegations, but Knox was in the hospital for two weeks before appearing in court last Friday to be charged for one count of use of deadly means of harm upon Mark Vernon and one count of aggravated assault with a firearm up ACP Chester Williams.

Is Belize Ready For CODICADER? Assessors Are Here
More than a thousand kids from 6 different Central American Nations will be coming to Belize, along with their coaches, and chaperones next month. They are coming to participate in CODICADER - an annual tournament for primary schoolers under the age of 13. Now, for the first time in the history of CODICADER the event is being held in Belize. Representatives from each of the participating countries are here today to do a pre- inspection visit of the proposed facilities for the competitions. Today the Belize CODICADER committee held a press briefing inside the VIP lounge at the International Airport where they officially welcomed the visiting delegates from 5 of the participating countries. Hon. Elodio Aragon, Min. of State, Youth and Sports: "Today I extend a warm welcome to the CODICADER Assessment team. This team is comprised of 2 representatives from each participating country; Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. This team is here to assess Belize's readiness for hosting the upcoming under 13 CODICADER Games."

City Mayor Swoops In To Hire Who "Bev" Fired
Ingrid Hernandez and Elena Kerr - in one week they've gone from UDP stalwarts known mostly in Belize Rural Central to national names - symbols of how ugly the war inside the UDP is in the aftermath of last Sunday's convention. Both ladies were fired by UDP Belize Rural Central Representative Beverly Castillo after the convention. Since then, Ingrid Hernandez has been hired by UDP First Deputy, Patrick Faber, and today Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley told us that he has hired Elena Kerr. He said he spoke to her, she sent in an application, she did an interview and was found to be satisfactory, and so she ahs been hired. The mayor says, quote, "I did it because we do not support any for of victimization." Speaking with Beverly Castillo today she told us that the Mayor would do well to look after his Belize City supporters, and added that she did not fire Ingrid Hernandez because she supports Patrick Faber. She says she fired her because she was leaking information out of the constituency office - which Hernandez admitted to in a Facebook post.

Lake-I Blvd., The Street's Just The Start
Last night we told you about the hot mix pavement on Lake I Boulevard, which connects to the new bridge in Belize City. Well, the street is only a part of the story, there are very big plans for Lake I Boulevard and tonight we'll tell you what they are:... Jules Vasquez reporting: In the next few days, RJB Construction will have finished the hot-mix pavement of Lake Independence Boulevard. The hot mix is the final touch for the road - a long ways off from how it looked back in August of 2014 when the bridge was being assembled. Compare that to what the location looks like today, and the transformation is immediately apparent. Christy Mastry - General Manager, Belize Infrastructure Limited: "The actual design and actual bidding process took place toward the end of last year around October and we got into construction around that time. We had some significant flooding in October which definitely held back some of the process, but we continued to work, so I think they'd been a little over 6 months now at the entire process. Right now, the bypass is certainly serving its intended purpose. It really was another link from the north to the south particularly for faster moving traffic coming from north going to west and back and forth and so I know that there are many people enjoying the bypass right now."

Bush Fires Abound, Beware
It's been a long dry season, and coming unto the end of the first week of June, the parched earth is giving rise to bush fires everywhere. And it's getting close to areas of habitation. In fact, just last night in Ladyville, this huge fire came right to the roadside across from the Presidente Beer warehouse near Marage Road. 7 Scrap vehicles left on the roadside were burnt. But, the real risk with bush fires is not so much to property as it is to public health. The Ministry of Health sent out an advisory earlier this week warning that if there are bush fires in your area, you can experience over exposure to smoke.

Belize's Best Speller
The 22nd annual Coca Cola National Spelling Bee Final was held today in Burrell Boom. The 12 top Primary schools spellers nationwide converged on the Castelton Park - to be cheered on by their school mates, from Calcutta SDA in Corozal to Golden Stream Government School in Toledo. After two hours of displaying their spelling prowess, it came down to two boys: Jaheel Warrior from Bethel SDA in Toledo and Shaheed Perez from Bernice Yorke in Belize City. Here's the word that decided first place:... Courtney Weatherburne reporting: That was the winning word for the 22nd National Spelling Bee Competition. After several rounds of elimination, these 12 students from across the country made it to the finals today to compete for 1st place. And that took months of organizing. Leanne Castillo, Coca Cola Brand Coordinator, Bowen & Bowen "We have been in planning since last year actually. The process from zone to district to finals has been since February and again in April and now today with the finals. Its a good journey within several months."

BCVI Tackles Retinopathy
The Belize Council for the Visually Impaired wants to save diabetic patients from going blind. They plan to do that by expanding their Diabetic Retinopathy Program through financial support from the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. Today the CEO from the trust met with BCVI's Deputy Director Carla Ayres Musa and they both explained just how important this program is to Diabetics in Belize. Carla Ayres Musa, Deputy Director, BCVI "We have been discussing over the past few months. BCVI is expanding our National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Programme. We have an ongoing memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health. What this does is we are getting support from the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in the UK to be able to expand the services, make them more accessible and help patients come in the receive not just screening but also treatment for the blinding disease of Diabetic Retinopathy."

Police Team Ready To Rumble In Champion's League
Earlier in the week a delegation from the Police United Football Club travelled to Miami for the drawing of the Champions League Tournament, and what a drawing it was. The team representing Belize will have to go up against renowned football club Pachuca, from Mexico. Not only that, they also face Olimpia from Honduras in their first two rounds of the tournament. So with only a few months left before the games begin how is the team preparing? Today we spoke to the head coach Charlie Slusher, to get his thoughts on the drawing and what the team needs to do to to prepare for the games. Often when teams get a first chance to participate at such an international level, the first thing that comes to mind is the enlistment of foreign players. And in fact the team committee told us they were going to explore this avenue. But is that such a great idea? Head Coach Charlie Slusher warned about the pitfalls of sourcing international players.

Channel 5

Corozal Sub-station Chief Killed in Traffic Accident
The National Fire Service is today mourning the loss of one of their own, Corozal Sub-station Chief Meshack Henry. Henry, who was in his uniform, died instantly this morning when [...]

Jaheel Warrior is Coca-Cola Spelling Bee 2016 Champion
The finals of the National Coca-Cola Spelling Bee took place today in Burell Boom, Belize District. Twelve finalists representing all districts competed to become the top speller in the nation. [...]

Prensa Libre Claims Intimidation at the Adjacency Zone
Prensa Libre T.V. has been airing an amateur video in which it claims that Belizean police and border management personnel are intimidating Guatemalans from Melchor de Mencos along the Adjacency [...]

BCCI and NCC Sign Agreement on Event Scheduling
Scheduling conflicts between the Annual Carnival Road March and the Expo Belize Market Place will soon be a thing of the past. The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and [...]

Agreement is for a Period of 15 Years
According to Blake, the calendar also takes into consideration the date for the annual Carnival King and Queen Competition. Marcello Blake, VP Commerce, BCCI “It was a meeting between [...]

Memorial Park Achieving White Elephant Status
The Memorial Park – remixed with a very expensive upgrade, was officially opened in September, 2013 – with what we were told was a modern bandstand and stylishly designed wooden [...]

Cinderella Plaza Works Nearing Completion
Bad news at the memorial Park, but it’s not all bad. The Cinderella Plaza is almost done, and so are adjacent works on Kelly Street and Baymen Avenue. It’s welcome [...]

Mayor Bradley Provides Update on City Street Works
And there is more good news. The Belize City Council, after a noticeable lull, is back at work cementing major streets in the old capital. Following general elections there was [...]

CCJ to Deliver Decision in Maurice Tomlinson Case
The Caribbean Court of Justice is set to hand down a decision in a highly publicized case involving outspoken Jamaican gay rights activist Maurice Tomlinson and the State of Trinidad [...]

Youth Who Allegedly Shot at ACP Chester Williams Gets Bail
Nineteen year old Zachary Knox was released on bail today after spending seven nights on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly committing an aggravated assault with a firearm [...]

Belize City Resident Charged for Traffic Offences for RTA
There was a traffic accident in the city in which a boy, Eric Sanchez, was knocked off his bicycle, allegedly by a Tropic Air employee who police believe was intoxicated. [...]

Downs Fined for Traffic Offences
There is another case involving an intoxicated driver. Customer Service Representative, John Downs admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol as he drove a car at the corner of Vernon [...]

CODICADER Delegation Arrives in Belize
A delegation of representatives from various countries participating in the upcoming CODICADER Games arrived at the Phillip Goldson International Airport today. The team is here to conduct an assessment of [...]

Assessment Will Aid in Preparing for Games Adequately
The role of the National Sports Council has been crucial in the organization of the coming games. While it is the first time Belize is hosting the event, Aragon says [...]

Colombia Police Claim Biggest Bust in Country’s History
There is a report tonight out of Colombia where the national police agency says fifty commandos have seized eight tons of cocaine on a banana plantation. The drug was reportedly [...]

Lawyers make Startling Revelations in FIFA Corruption Case
For months a scandal involving widespread corruption in FIFA has continued to unravel. Today, the U.K. based Guardian newspaper is reporting that lawyers representing the football organization have revealed that [...]

Family of Child with Cancer Needs Your Help
The family of two-year old Elaxie Brown needs your help. She was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has been taken to a medical facility in Honduras, where she is currently [...]

Students From Mercer University Interact with Golden Citizens
Eight teacher education students from Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia were at Helpage Belize today mingling with our golden citizens, some from the nearby Sister Cecilia Home and some brought [...]

LOVE FM

Foreign Trade Director Advises Potential Entrepreneurs
In an effort to create economic growth, we have been following economic modules from Developed Countries. And so we try to motivate more entrepreneurship in Belize. Yet, implementation of business proves to be a hard reality and it is estimated that, only fifty percent of businesses make it pass the five year bench mark. Director […]

Auto Mechanic Shop Goes Up in Flames
Last night, about nine o’clock, a fire at a mechanic shop in Ladyville resulted in seven scrap vehicles going up in flames. Love News spoke to the owner of the shop on the Philip Goldson Highway, who told us that someone who resides near his establishment, set fire to some bushes and left it unattended. […]

Adventist School Leads in Spelling Bee Competition
The B and B National Spelling Bee competition concluded today with the national finals. Eliminations rounds across the country left twelve participants competing to become the champion primary school speller. Love News was there and spoke to Coca Cola Brand Coordinator Leanni Castillo about the competition. Castillo spoke about the importance of the annual event. […]

Time’s Up for Teachers to Be Qualified
It was about five years ago when the Minister of Education spoke of the improvements to the education system including the mandatory teaching certificate that one must possess in order to be in the classroom. With the new school year coming up in August, we spoke with the CEO for education, David Leacock who spoke […]

PlusTV

Murder in Oasis area of Belmopan; police update
At the time of our evening newscast on Wednesday, police and a doctor conducting post mortem were still at the murder scene where 45 year old Lionel Theodore Gillett, businessman and resident of Belmopan, was found dead. The body was found by a family member who became concerned that they had been ...

Shooting reported in Belize City
While non-fatal, last night’s shooting incident on West Canal is a troubling flare up of violence in the always fiery area where East and West Canals intersect with Rocky Road, Berkley Street, South Street, Dean Street and Prince Street. That’s because that area is home to several gangs that a...

Contraband cigarettes hidden in bread delivery truck
Contraband cigarettes hidden in a bread delivery truck headed to Dangriga were intercepted by Belmopan police. Following a lead, Belmopan police intercepted the bread truck and searched its contents. Hidden between the crates of bread were 45 cartons of contraband cigarettes. Three persons have been...

Gruesome Chopping of youth in Franks Eddy village
A gruesome video of a young man severely chopped to his back has made its rounds on facebook. We won’t be showing it on this newscast as it is highly disturbing images showing three deep cut wounds in the back of a young man bleeding profusely. Instead, we can show you the young man’s back after it ...

Wallace brothers not linked to Shiny death
Earlier this week we showed you interviews with ACP Edward Broaster following the murder of alleged SSG affiliate 22 year old Michael Wallace. Police have said that they believe the killing was possibly retaliation for the April 16th murder of the reputed gang boss of George Street, Gerald ‘Shiny’ T...

UDP Rural Central delegate who lost job over convention vote tries to protest
There was an attempt at a demonstration outside the office of Hon. Beverly Castillo in Ladyville today. Ingrid Hernandez claims she was let go from her job at the constituency office of UDP Minister of State and Belize Rural Central area representative Honorable Beverly Castillo – because she allege...

Serial arsonist in Cayo?
Cayo police are investigating what appears to be the work of a serial arsonist. We have reported on several fires in the cayo area destroying resturaunts and bars. Teher was another one in Santa Familia Vilage in the Cayo district on Wednesday night. According to police reports, On Wednesday June 1...

The Reporter

New health center for rural Cayo
The Government of Belize held a ground breaking ceremony on Friday for a new health center in San Antonio village in the Cayo District. GOB, through the Basic Needs Trust Fund, is building the facility, valued at $623,912.30, which is expected to benefit some 2,000 […]

CODICADER technical team in Belize
A technical team from the Central American Athletic Championships, (CODICADER for its acronym in Spanish) is in Belize this week to do site inspections for the upcoming 2016 games. The delegation of eight arrived at the Philip Goldson International Airport Friday morning, where they held […]

BAHA calls for cattle rabies vaccinations
All livestock producers are being advised to vaccinate their cattle against the current Bovine Rabies outbreak in Cayo, Belize. The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) as well as the ministries of Agriculture and Health along with the Belize Livestock Producers warned livestock producers in the Belize River Valley and producers […]

New concerns as Zika virus linked to eye problems
A new report suggests that the Zika virus can contribute to defects in childrens’ eyes. According to findings published in the journal ‘Ophthalmology,’ scientists are trying to determine whether it is the virus causing the eye defects, or if they are a product of microcephaly, a neurological […]

Guatemalan Navy detain eight Belizeans
Eight Belizeans who the Guatemalan Navy detained last Friday were allowed on Monday to travel to the Belizean Embassy in Guatemala City to process their travel documents, pending deportation to Belize. The Government of Belize, through a press release on Monday, assured that the eight […]

2016 Atlantic Hurricane season unpredictable, experts say
The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season opened on Wednesday, but there were two out-of-season storms – Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storm Bonnie before that, signalling an unpredictable season. Alex formed in the northeastern Atlantic in January and moved through the Azores before weakening, while Bonnie developed […]

PUP demands stronger action from GOB over Sarstoon reality
The People’s United Party (PUP) has demanded that the government take swift and more decisive action against “the continuing illegal annexation of the Sarstoon River by Guatemala”. The party called on government to reestablish full sovereignty and control over the Belizean internal waters of the […]

GAF Says “NO” to Belizean Media Entering Sarstoon
On Friday an expedition which included representatives from three Belize City media houses was refused entry to the Sarstoon River by elements of the Guatemalan Armed Forces despite reports of diplomatic progress between the two nations. The Captain of a Guatemalan vessel, which intercepted the civilian vessel as it entered […]

Belize, Guatemala issue protest notes disputing each other’s accounts of latest Sarstoon military/media encounter
Belize and Guatemala this week fired off protest notes to each other, disputing their individual accounts over a Guatemalan military/Belizean media encounter last Friday in the Sarstoon River. Belize has also requested the intervention of Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro […]

Authorities weigh in on IMF report
Belizean authorities gave their thoughts this week on the recent assessment of Belize’s economy by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which predicted difficult economic times ahead for Belize. Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight, explained that he feels that the IMF, not wanting to take any chances […]

Latest Belmopan murder raises taximan count to three
Lionel Gillett, 45, is the third taxi driver from Belmopan to fall victim to murder in 2016. His body was discovered around 1:00 on Wednesday afternoon, about 15 hours after he was last seen heading home to his farm in the Oasis area of Belmopan […]

Businessman fined $3,000 for failure to display GST certificate
Businessman, Luis Urbina, owner of Mike’s Spare Parts this week paid the court a $3,000 fine for failure to display his GST certificate. Urbina, who was in an accident over a year ago, is now disabled and was unable to appear in court. Instead, his […]

Woman walks free from 117 counts of theft
After two years with 117 counts of theft hanging over her head, former Travellers Ltd. cashier, Rashida Sedacy is a free woman. All charges were dismissed on Thursday, June 2nd in court No. 1, over which Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith presided. The dismissal, as […]

Editorial
In the fierce competition for leadership within the United Democratic Party last weekend Minister of Education and Youth, Patrick Faber, put on a virtuoso performance, defeating his rival, Defence Minister John Saldivar by 338 delegate votes to 248, in a two-way contest involving an impressive 99.3 percent turnout of party […]

Unity cracks showing in UDP
Minister of National Security John Saldivar, who lost to Patrick Faber at last Sunday’s United Democratic Party (UDP) Deputy Leadership convention, has indicated he still intends to run for the party’s leadership spot. Following the convention, the party has reportedly struggled with an internal rift between the two camps, culminating […]

Cop accused of murder walks
Police Sergeant, Julio Shal, who was accused of killing escaped prisoner, Tyson Rodriguez in 2013, was acquitted of all charges Thursday evening. Shal was found ‘not guilty’ by Justice Denis S. Hanomansingh, in a trial by judge without jury. Hanomansingh ruled that there was not […]

Problems and possibilities for the conch industry
A pending legal battle in the United States over importing queen conch could impact the livelihoods of more than 15,000 Belizeans in the short term, but produce long-term economic benefits, according to the Fisheries Department. Two US-¬based non¬governmental organizations, Wild Earth Guardians and Friends of […]

The Belize Times

Mutiny in the UDP!
A bitter revolt is taking place in the United Democratic Party following the convention for First Deputy Leader, which Patrick Faber won over John Saldivar by 88 votes. Despite the shellacking and rejection from “the base”, Saldivar apparently has the support of those who matter in the UDP, that is, a majority of the Ministers who make up Cabinet and the Ministers of State who participate in Cabinet meetings and its decision-making. This group of anti-Faber Ministers led by Gaspar Vega include Frank Papa Mena, Omar Figueroa, Erwin Contreras, Tracy Panton, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Rene Montero, Edmund Castro, Pablo Marin, Angel Campos, Hugo Patt and Beverly Castillo. On Faber’s side, there is only Michael Finnegan, Manuel Herredia and Elodio Aragon. On Tuesday morning, Saldivar and Vega hosted his 12 disciples for an early breakfast meeting in which they plotted their next move. UDP sources have confirmed that the group crafted a set of demands for the Prime Minister, which they took with them to the Cabinet meeting.

More Blood Shed in Shiny’s Name
Police believe that the carefully planned and orchestrated murder of Michael Wallace, 22, on Saturday was in retaliation for the execution of Gerald “Shiny” Tillett in April. Tillett was killed as he socialized at the Wadani Shed in Dangriga by a single bullet fired into his temple. Tillett was the head of the notorious George Street Gang, and Police say the man arrested for his murder, Nicholas Swaso, is affiliated with the South Side Gang (SSG). But the arrest of Swaso has done nothing to quell the bad blood between the two gangs, and the Wallace murder is just the latest in what Police believe to be continued retaliatory attacks. Michael Wallace, along with his brother Richard, 29 and another man, Edward Flowers, had travelled to the Belize Central Prison to visit their brother, a minor on remand for murder. They were returning to Belize City just after 2:00pm in a white Nissan Altima car, when as they neared Mile 8 on the George Price Highway, they came under a well-planned attack.

Bev Fires Cleaner!!! – 15 more workers sent home; all collateral damage from convention
UDP Belize Rural Central area representative Beverly Castillo has been accused of being one chancey politician by her office cleaner. A letter dated May 30, 2016 from Bev to Mrs. Ingrid Herrera, who she hired to clean her constituency office space in Ladyville, has the shocking news that she is being terminated from her job forthwith. Mrs. Ingrid is a brave UDP. Instead of walking into the sunset, she went to the media to call out chancey Bev. Some say it is Juliet who encouraged her to do it. Mrs. Ingrid, a UDP delegate in Sunday’s convention, said Bev apparently suspects that she supported Patrick Faber. Bev, of course, is part of the losing team that backed Saldivar. If Ms. Ingrid’s suspicions are true, it exposes serious pettiness!

Guat Military Ejects Belize Media from Sarstoon River – PUP Calls for Immediate Action
The Government of Belize’s declaration on May 24th that Belizeans now have “untrammeled access” to the Sarstoon River following bilateral talks in Istanbul, Turkey, was exposed as a lie when Guatemalan military personnel stopped and turned back members of the Belizean media from Sarstoon River last Friday. “You are in Guatemalan waters; you cannot continue so I will ask you to please leave,” declared a Guatemalan military officer on board their vessel, the metal shark. The media group including reporters from Channel 5, Krem Radio and the Amandala travelled to the area to verify whether the Government’s announcement a few days earlier was true. But they found out that the diplomatic talk around the official table contradicts what is happening on the ground. The People’s United Party issued a stinging release calling for urgent action from the government, demanding that Belize asserts its sovereignty over our portion of the Sarstoon and Sarstoon Island.

Kabuki Dance
A couple of weeks ago, Belize came as close to conflict with Guatemala as it has been since 1976. That was the year, when a combined team of Guatemalan and Salvadoran armed forces were amassed at our border in preparation for an assault on our sovereignty. History records that were it not for a massive earthquake in Guatemala City on the very day set for the invasion, our status as “peaceful haven of tranquillity” would have been exchanged for a “region torn asunder”. There is no doubt that it would have been a fight which Guatemala would have lost but the consequence to us would have been dire. War is hell and the philosopher Bertrand Russell once quipped that “war does not determine who is right but only who is left”. What would have been left would have been a nation ravaged by war and with most likely lots of casualties on both sides. I really do not think that Guatemala would dare even think about “punking” ole Mother England and while we are indeed Independent, the image of the Queen on our dollar carries a lot of weight. To trample on Belize would be to tangle with Her Britannic Majesty and while she is no longer the dominant force that she once was, she still ain’t nothing to play with! We need only look to the Falklands Islands Crisis of 1982, when Argentina challenged England by attempting to occupy those territories which are also under dispute, to see what might transpire.

Gangsters’ Paradise
Crime has gripped the nation of Belize and it seems that there is no end in sight. It is undeniable that Belizeans are living in one of the most violent times in all of our young history. Belize’s murder rate continues to be one of the highest in the region and indeed the world – well above the UN defined civil war levels. It cannot be happenstance that all this started under the Barrow administration. What is it about the Barrow Administration’s approach to crime fighting that has led to the surge in violent crimes particularly murder? What if crime is being used as a distraction to have the Belizean people expend valuable resources on internal security instead of national defence? Why is it that such violent crimes seem to take root in predominantly black communities? All question for which we must demand answers. Belize’s national security strategy, like its Guatemala strategy is obscure, disjointed and ineffective. Since 2012 the man responsible for the execution of such strategy has been John Birchman Saldivar. It is under his harmful superintendence of the Belize Police Department that Belize has seen 484 murders in just four short years (145 – 2012; 99 – 2013; 121 – 2014; and 119 – 2015). Compare this onslaught to US combat losses of just 514 in Afghanistan over the same period (310 – 2012; 127 – 2013; 55 – 2014; and 22 – 2015).

Y.W.A.M. U-13 & Medina’s U-15 win in Belmopan youth football
The Belmopan Football Association’s youth football tournament is down to the championship finals, with the first game of a 2-game series played at the Governor General’s field in Belmopan on Sunday. In the U-13 finals Valencia’s Youth With A Mission (YWAM) beat Revolution 1-0, while in the Under-15 finals Medina’s defeated the Revolution 1-0. In the U-17 female finals, Medina’s and Flames drew 1-1. The Game 2 of each series will play on Sunday, June 5, preceded by 3rd place games in each age class.

Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy secures 8th softball win
The Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy ladies outplayed Unitedville Rebels 9-8 to secure their 8th win and the lead in the Cayo Softball Association’s women’s competition. Camalote United and the Belmopan Bandits also posted big wins at the Roaring Creek field on Sunday. Roaring Creek got 8 hits off Nikita Perez’s pitching. She also gave up 4 walks. Sharine Reyes and Ayanah Smith led the attack, scoring 2 runs apiece, while Shadalee Ho, Wendy Stuart, Stephanie Francis, Keisha Garbutt and Arlene Wade scored 1 run apiece. Rebels’ Pat Spain and, Francine Salazar scored 2 runs apiece, while Indira Spain, Shadine Salazar, Jenieve Salazar and Lynn Perez scored 1 run apiece.

Parkinson, Matus & Hukmani win RF&G table tennis championships
Taye Parkinson, Petie Matus and Devesh Hukmani emerged as champions when the Belize Table Tennis Association (BTTA) held its biannual RF&G national table tennis ranking tournament at the Belize Elementary Auditorium on Sunday. A Division 1st – Taye Parkinson (3-0 vs. Amiri Hoare in finals) 2nd – Amiri Hoare 3rd – Latrell Solis 4th – Jorge Espat

Guatemalans Deport 8 Belizean Fishermen
As we go to press eight fishermen detained by Guatemalan authorities late last week should be en route to Belize after being processed in Guatemala City and deported. According to a release issued by Government last Friday, the eight fishermen were held by Guatemalan navy after they were allegedly found getting out of their vessels on a beach located at Punta Manabique, Izabal, located south of the Sarstoon in the Gulf of Honduras. Representatives from Belize’s Embassy in Guatemala were involved, and reported that all eight were in good health. They were identified as Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Simeon Batun, Antonio Pop, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez, Isidro Tamia and Ernesto Megan. According to Guatemalan authorities seven of the eight men had Belizean fishing licenses, but none of them had an authorization from the Guatemalan Port Authority to be in those waters. The vessel they were in was also not registered.

Bad Boyz recruits GSU Boss?
With crime spiralling out of control, in particular the cold-blooded gun violence among gang rivalries in the old capital, we must ask how does Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) Commander Mark Flowers find the time to play bodyguard for the Prime Minister’s notorious son, Shyne Barrow? The GSU boss’s reputation as a no-nonsense, hard-core officer went down the drain when he recently appeared in a Shyne Barrow music video as a thug’s bodyguard. The video featuring the has-been rapper’s one and only music hit “Bad Boyz”, which dates back some 20 years ago, was re-done here in Belize for the kick-off of P. Diddy’s “Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour” in the United States last week. The event featured several of Bad Boyz’s old-time artists and Shyne was on the list. Shyne could not make it there physically. As bad as he would want to return to that life, his criminal record and deportation prohibits him. So the cheap-budget video made it on a big screen, with Shyne lip singing to the once upon a time hit. Fans were heard booing Shyne’s presentation.

A student cries out!
Dear Editor, I am a 4th form student at one of our Belize City high schools. I thought I should write to you about a situation currently facing myself and many others in our graduating class. We have done well in our studies, as a matter of fact I and three of my close friends are on the Honour Roll. When the graduating list was published I had no fear that I would not graduate. My problem and that of many of my classmates is that of money. Our parents do not have the funds to cover our school cost and graduation expenses. My mom a single mother has struggled trying to put food on the table and has not been able to find the money to finish paying my school fees. Graduation is this week and we are still in limbo as to whether or not I will be able to graduate with my classmates. Another issue I face is what I do after high school? My mom did not have the money to pay for me to apply to UB or any other 6th Form. Mr. Editor I have the brains to study and do well. I have been so stressed out lately and so are many of my friends who see our future going down the drain. We are looking for summer jobs and there are none.

Calaney Flowers murder trial continues
On Tuesday of last week, the prosecution in the murder trial of Calaney Flowers closed its case and Flowers’ defense team which is led by attorneys Dickie Bradley and Arthur Saldivar made a no case to answer submission. Yesterday, Monday, Supreme Court Justice John Troadio Gonzalez, who is hearing the case without a jury ruled that Flowers does have a case to answer. Calaney Flowers has been accused of the murder of her former boyfriend Lyndon Morrison and the attempted murder of Morrison’s girlfriend Sochyl Sosa. The incident occurred on the night of August 28, 2012, when she allegedly use her red Saturn car to knock down Morrison and Sosa off the Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle that they were riding on Freetown Road.

Obscene Spending at UDP convention
There are unconfirmed reports that the UDP candidates for First Deputy Leader spent over a quarter million dollars in their campaign leading to last Sunday’s convention. The UDP has once again shown that their priorities are messed up, that they put politics before solving real issues facing Belizeans. Both candidates and their factions dug deep in their campaigns. It had the feel of a national election as political banners and paraphernalia were erected on the lamp posts, buildings and homes. Ads costing no less than $300 each flooded the nightly news stations expanding the news time to over the traditional one hour. Each ad played 5-6 times every night for the last two months, with Faber outspending Saldivar for a whole month. The candidates also spent thousands of dollars wining and dining the five hundred and eighty nine delegates in the convention on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Faber claimed to be the “real deal” and held meetings with as many of the 31 delegate groups. He had a special dinner in the north and a rally in the South. On the night before the convention, Faber had a gala banquet reportedly for 360 delegates at Biltmore Hotel, costing over $40,000.

Misplaced Priorities
By Dolores Balderamos Garcia. I am writing this entry the day before the UDP convention to elect their first deputy leader. What a circus and what a bacchanal and orgy of spending, media hype and ego massaging has been going on with the two contenders. Not that either of them seems to bring anything new or exciting to the table of national leadership. Our country is crying out for sound and inspiring leadership from those in control, but alas, we just are not seeing it. There is even a banner on Haulover Bridge, certainly a first in campaigning for any election that we Belizeans have seen, not to mention the lamppost buntings, flags and the ad nauseam television ads. It is to me surreal – the emphasis the two pugilists, as they have been called, are placing on publicity. And all this for the votes of less than six hundred persons. The voting itself is something that the leader must be chagrined about, having come up because after Mr. Barrow threw his deputy Prime Minister under the bus, his deputy replied by suddenly and unexpectedly resigning and leaving open the space that will shortly be filled. No doubt, the PM would have preferred to “hold it down” until he himself was good and ready to begin transitioning towards retirement.

A REMEMBRANCE
By The Rt. Hon. Said Musa. Don Elijio Joe Briceño was a warrior for the PUP. I had to smile when I was preparing my notes for this service of thanksgiving for the life of the Honourable Joe Briceño. I wrote Joe Briceño was a member of the old guard when I entered electoral politics for the PUP in 1974. I had to smile because 42 years later today I am now described as a member of the old guard of the PUP. In his heyday Joe Briceño was a consummate politician. Tip O’Neill a former Speaker of the US Congress once said “all politics is local”. Joe Briceño exemplified the truth of that statement. The Orange Walk District was Joe Briceño’s stumping ground. Orange Walk Town was his home town and he spent his two terms as an elected representative and Minister in the PUP Governments 1974 – 1984, working to serve the people especially of the Orange Walk District. He pursued many projects for the growth and development of his beloved Orange Walk.

Remembering the life of Elijio “Joe” Briceño
Read by Hon. John Briceño, Leader of the People’s United Party. First of all let me begin by thanking the community here at La Inmaculada Church for this beautiful service. Bishop Christopher Glancy, Father Tony and Father Larry, thank you for your assuring and comforting presence. It is a beautiful choir that is leading the singing today and we thank all of you for the uplifting music and Nelita, what a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria. If he could speak directly to me right now, our Father “Joe,” “Boss Joe,” or “Grampa Joe” would be saying how very happy he is that you are here today. He would also say to me: “son no forget to thank the Prime Minister and Mrs. Barrow for coming.” PM, Kim we are grateful for your presence here today, thank you. He would not allow me to be formal with our Former Prime Minister Said Musa, he would say in a serious tone, “John, mek sure you tell Said thanks for his speech. Yes, Hon. Said, thank you for your very kind words about our dad. Then of course: “make sure you offer them something to eat before they go home ok.” So please everyone you are welcome to join us at the family home after the internment.

Hon. Landy Habet to the rescue in Bill White Village!
Billy White Village in Cayo Northeast was without water for three days due to a problem with the water pump. Classes for primary school students were suspended on the second day due to the lack of water. I requested assistance from the Ministry of Rural development and they responded quickly. Water was restored by the 4th day with the installation of a new temporary pump. Billy White is one of those villages with only one functioning Water Board member out of the seven mandated by law. The Water Board should have had a replacement pump available to install on the very first day.

The Gems of Graduation Season 2016 PT3 – Featuring Belize High School, Cornerstone Presbyterian High, Pallotti High, St. Catherine’s Academy, Toledo Community College, Nazarene High and Excelsior High
The ever-prodigious Belize High School (BHS) located on Mercy Lane in Belize City has been noted for its unique, internationalized curriculum. The academic institution will hold its 4th official Graduation Exercise (a special feat for this school, according to Principal Mrs. Jamie Lee Usher) on Saturday, June 4th, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium. 36 graduates will be taking up that final march, and leading those ranks are three members of the school’s sole 4th-year class, 4-Senior, and all of whom boast cumulative GPA’s of 4.48 each [within a few decimal points], are: 17-year-old Ms. Jin Yang (Kelly) Li [Valedictorian], 17-year-old Mr. Amit Nandwani [Salutatorian] and 16-year-old Mr. Ankit Chandwani [3rd Place, will be the Parent’s Night Speaker]. The BELIZE TIMES caught up with the trio and their excited peers during their joint Student’s Parade and Report Card Hand-out/Graduation Practice at sister school Belize Elementary School’s (BES) Auditorium on Wednesday, May 25th.

Hard Knocks
Did you guys feel that tremor Sunday evening, like the earth shook? Well we checked with our local weather experts and nothing. We checked in with our regional weather experts and nothing – no earthquake nowhere in the region. Know what it was? The Big Deal getting knocked the hell out by the Real Deal. The Belmopan bandit get jacked up. I hear his people had to send home for his pressure pills and stand vigil by his bedside, Dougie fanning him on one side and Gambis holding his hand and telling him noh worry boss, noh worry. Dih man get beat like wah oversized, gigantic, fat drum. Anyway, if unnu think the big deal about nothing is a forgiving sort, unnu dead wrong. Reliable sources say that the man is spending hours looking through the lists trying to figure out who took the cheese and voted him out. See, according to the numbers Saldivar figures he had like 380 solid. He ended up with 248. Do the maths. That’s 132 delegates that took the cheese, hug up the big man, blow inna ih ears leebit and then gawn vote fu Patrick. No seh me seh, but unnu days numbered. Oh wait – unnu believe all dah talk bout everything curry right now. Me sorry fu unnu.

IMF Confirms Economic Crisis
The recent IMF Article IV Consultation confirms the dismal state of Belize’s economy under the UDP. According to the IMF “The economic outlook has worsened further since the 2015 Article IV Consultation and is subject to significant downside risks.” “The economy is slowing and fiscal and external vulnerabilities are rising. Falling oil production and multiple shocks in the primary sector reduced GDP growth to 1 percent in 2015. The decline in prices of energy and other commodities led to deflation in 2015, although the increase in fuel tax restored positive inflation, at 0.1 percent in March. The current account deficit widened to 9.8 percent of GDP as exports fell by 9 percent (mainly oil and marine products) and imports continued to grow, partly due to investment projects. Following partial compensation payments for the two nationalized companies, international reserves fell to 4.6 months of imports in March 2016. The fiscal deficit widened to 8 percent of GDP due to a one-off payment related to a settlement of a loan to one of the nationalized companies, an increase in public sector wages and transfers, and a large overrun in capital expenditure. As a result, the stock of public debt climbed to 82 percent of GDP,” said the IM report further.

Breaking Belize News

House shot up in Belmopan
Last night around 10:05, police were called to a house on Colombia Street in Belmopan City after Russell Arnold, 39, called and reported that his house had been the target of a shooting. Arnold told officers that he was inside his home along with […]

Corozal Fire Chief dies in traffic accident
A late morning traffic accident today claimed the life of 33-year-old Meshac Henry, Fire Chief at the Corozal Fire Department. Henry was driving his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle when he collided into a dump truck and died immediately. According to police, at around 11:30 a.m a white Ford dump […]

City police seize weed, gun and ammo
Searches conducted in several areas of Belize City yesterday, resulted in the seizure of 424 grams of cannabis, two guns and a total of 92 rounds of live ammunition. A team of officers from 5:30 a.m to 4:55 p.m., searched the South Side where […]

Trio charged for drug trafficking
This morning between the hours of 4:30 and 7:30, members of Belize City Police’s South Side Strike Team and Special Branch personnel, arrested three persons for drug trafficking. The arrests of Clifford Savery, 30; Kareem Thompson, 29; and Nioka Smith, 29, were made after […]

Accused drunk driver charged for knocking down boy
There was a traffic accident in Belize City where a boy was knocked down off his bicycle, allegedly by a Tropic Air employee whom police believe was driving under the influence of alcohol. 45 year old Alexander Tesecum of Black Orchid Street, Belize City represented […]

Lots of alcohol, no license
27 year old John Downs, a Customer Service Representative of Belize City, was caught driving under the influence of alcohol at the corner of Vernon Street and Mopan Street without being the holder of a valid Belizean driver’s license. Downs pleaded guilty before Magistrate Emmerita […]

Sgt. Julio Shal acquitted of murder and manslaughter in death of escapee Tyson Rodriguez
There is not enough evidence for a court of law to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Police Sergeant Julio Shal had committed any unlawful or used any unlawful force to cause the death of escaped prisoner Tyson Rodriguez, or caused him to die. Supreme […]

PUP successfully visit Sarstoon
Members of the People’s United Party today successfully circled Sarstoon Island, after an earlier attempted expedition failed to get off the ground. The expedition consisted of some 18 persons including the boat crew and media houses. Among those on the trip was Party Leader, Honorable […]

Chamber, NCC agree on dates for Carnival and Expo
Two of the biggest events in the September Celebrations calendar will have more or less permanent homes as agreed by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and National Celebrations Commission, a subsection of National Institute of Culture and History. A joint agreement […]

Decision on Tomlinson CCJ challenge on immigration due next week – Orozco and others still waiting
According to Caleb Orozco, president of the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) and chief litigant in a case pending judgment in the Supreme Court against Section 53 of the Criminal Code concerns penalties for same-sex encounters, the Caribbean Court of Justice case launched by […]

Moisture is increasing over the area
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting sunny skies with cloudy spells today and partly cloudy skies at times tonight. A few showers and isolated thunderstorms will develop mainly along the coast this morning, inland this afternoon and over the South and coast […]

Fire chief of Corozal dies in fatal traffic accident
Meshac Henry attached to the Corozal Fire Department has died in a fatal traffic accident. According to reports, Henry was on his way to work on his motor bike when he collided into a truck. Police are currently at the scene. This is a […]

Bar destroyed by fire in Santa Familia
The owner of Ego Rio bar in Santa Familia Village, Cayo District, suffered a $20,000 loss to a fire which destroyed the structure and its contents last night around 7:15. Manuel Humes, 60, told officers that at 6:30 p.m., he and the bar’s owner locked it and […]

Belmopan Police investigate murder of taxi driver
Relatives of 45-year-old Belmopan City taxi driver, Lionel Gillett, made the shocking discovery of his decomposing body yesterday afternoon, when they went out to look for him in the Rivera area. Police arrived at the scene around 1:30 p.m. and saw Gillett’s body with gunshot wounds to […]

Finger pointing over Belize’s economic state needs to stop
Newly elected Deputy Party Leader of the UDP Patrick Faber says that the People’s United Party (UDP) is to blame for where the country stands economically – it has worsened since last year according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After concluding its article for […]

Blogs

Ambergris Caye Does the Rain Dance: Water, Water Everywhere…
Depending on who you ask (and who is fastidious with their rain recollection), we haven’t had more than a tiny sprinkle of rain since February 1st. That’s 123 days. Almost 3000 hours. Enough time for the plants of San Pedro to be gasping and the non-native ones, like lawn grass, to be….in hibernation. Wells are drying up…fancy a shower that leaves you smelling like a rotten egg? And cisterns have been dry for a few weeks. The guys that “sell water” – that fill 600L Rotoplasts at the water company and drive them to your home, are having their busy season. Price – based on your location, can be $150 to $300bzd. It’s one of the beauties of vacationing here…or renting. You don’t have to worry about such things. A sunny day is a a thing of beauty. NOT a day where you are figuring out how to flush the toilet.

“Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk” to San Pedro
After a very restful sleep I awoke around 05.30 hours (a bit of a lie in really) got up, showered, shaved and dressed and went out for an early morning walk around Covent Garden. Deprived of my early morning veranda time this was the next best thing and helped build an appetite for breakfast. Not an Estel’s Dine By the Sea breakfast it’s true but very good nonetheless. And I’d brought a little bit of Estel’s with me. Well I just had to, didn’t I ! Oyster card at the ready I made the short walk to Covent Garden tube station and made the brief journey (only 4 stations) to Holloway Road and I was there. The place where dreams are made and magic is played. Emirates Stadium the home of Arsenal FC. Crossing the road I saw before me the hallowed walls of THE stadium. A shiver ran down my spine. I’m not used to the British climate any more!

HOW WILL YOU EXPERIMENT ON PREPARING YOUR LOBSTER THIS LOBSTER SEASON 2016?
This blog is for the adventurous at heart; for those who do NOT know how to cook a lobster tail, and is looking for some easy ideas on how to take this crusty crustacean and turning it into an aesthetically pleasing gourmet dish – maybe not THAT gourmet! Lobster Season in Belize opens on June 15th and we are super ready to devour those tails, are you? How do you prefer your lobster tails? There are several ways to prepare them. I decided to do some research on some of the easier ways to prepare these delectable crustaceans. Whether your taste buds are craving steamed lobster tails, or tails cooked on the grill, there are ways to get just what your hearts’ desire – and if all fails – there is always Lobster Fest – more on this in next week’s blog. One of the first things that I learned is that it is super important to thaw frozen lobster tails for at least six hours inside the refrigerator. Another good way of accomplishing this same outcome would be to place the tails in a sealed plastic bag and then sit it in warm water for about an hour. But being that we are on Ambergris Caye and our Barrier Reef and surrounded waters have had time to allow these babies to mature to adulthood – chances are, we won’t be needing to thaw! These suckers will be fresh out of the Water!!

A dream come true kind of wedding. At Las Terrazas, Belize
Megan & Chris choosed Belize like destination for their wedding and… WOW! All I can say is WOW! The amount of details and the entire day… was just fantastic! They called it “our dream wedding” and after, they said “it was indeed a dream wedding”. Was truly amazing and tons of fun! Sometimes, last year I photographed their engagement on a sandbar and we were talking about the wedding since then.. and I got excited by each month… until was finally here… all I can say, is I hope they’ll love the images I created and they’ll be able to relieve their wedding day through my photos. Megan, my beautiful bride wrote me this: “To have all of our family and friends with us on the most important day of Chris’ and my life in beautiful Belize was truly a dream come true. I have always wanted to have my wedding in Belize for as long as I can remember. We were lucky enough to celebrate our special day with so many of our favorite people from all over the world… what more could we ask for? Everything was perfect and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for capturing this magical day, Oli! We love your work and are so happy to have found you!!”

If Andy Warhol were watching an Ambergris Caye sunset . . . .
Can you tell I have a new camera to play with? Rose brought me back a waterproof Olympus TG-870 “Tough” from her recent visit to the States for daughter Caira’s graduation from Arizona State. The camera has all sorts of artsy filter options on it (Kind of like an iPhone camera) plus a bunch of options for different shooting conditions. Can you tell which image is the “natural/normal” setting? (I can’t remember.) Watching the Belize sunset, you travel easily and gently through the wide range of emotions each of these photos might elicit, as the colors across the sunset canvas shift from blues to grays to burnt-and-brilliant oranges to an array of reds — and the water changes from blue-green to a burnished metallic blue. And eventually all falls to black with a stunning pattern of stars above. Sunset is my favorite meditation.

International Sources

Destinos: Placencia, Belize
El encanto de una comunidad pesquera convertida en destino de turistas que buscan tranquilidad se encuentra en Placencia. Los vacacionistas que sueñen con un lugar virgen, de playa y sol, espectaculares vistas al mar y una atmósfera relajada donde no se permite el “estrés” deben conocer Placencia en el sur de Belice. El pequeñísimo pueblo de Placencia está situado en una delgada península con forma de curva en la costa sur del país. El lema de este pintoresco y apacible pueblo es “Perfecto para andar descalzo”. El único lugar de tierra firme de Belice que ofrece playas de arenas blancas es Placencia. En la punta de la península los visitantes pueden disfrutar del encanto de una comunidad pesquera criolla tradicional junto con los numerosos bares, restaurantes, galerías de arte y hasta tiendas de regalos.

CSI Students Return from International Study Trips
Nearly 30 College of Southern Idaho students kicked off their summer by taking classes across the globe. Students recently returned from two academic trips: field geology in Scotland and Wales, and marine biology and ecology in Belize. Harris and biology instructor Carrie Espasandin took 18 students to Belize from May 25 through Thursday for the first time in 11 years. Participants included four CSI students who are studying science and 14 people from the community education program, including several in their 70s. During spring semester, the group met once a week for class to learn about Belize and do a research project. Once they arrived in Belize, “they all got to see firsthand what they learned about in class,” Harris said. They stayed on the island of Ambergris Caye, where they spent every day snorkeling and exploring marine environments such as mangrove swamps, coral reef habitat and seagrass beds. The group stayed at an “upscale youth hostel,” Harris said, with a freshwater swimming pool. It was two blocks from the ocean and about half a mile from a coral reef.

An Elegant Tool Called Squidpop That Scientists Want to Crowdsource
While MarineGEO is committed to employing state-of-the-art methods to approach some of these observations, one of its strengths as a global biodiversity network is the use of very simple experiments, which can be deployed on a large scale using basic materials with minimal training. This immediately opens the door for participation by other research stations and academic institutions, as well as citizen scientists and school groups. For this study we are deploying a tried and true workhorse of the MarineGEO toolbox, a simple bait stick, (recently published in PLOS-ONE) that has come to be known as the Squidpop, or squid lollipop. It consists of a thin fiberglass rod about 18 inches tall with a small slice of squid tissue—about the size of a standard paper-hole punch—affixed at one end. We track how much squid is consumed by local fish over a standardized period of time and compare this information to what is known about the fish community through net traps and visual surveys, or cameras that are recording the predation. In an attempt to capture data over larger regions, MarineGEO is planning to implement a squidpop blitz called Ocean Bitemap for the upcoming World Oceans Day on June 8, 2016.

Wedding Photographers Reveal The Hardest Photo They’ve Ever Taken
“Our instructions were to go scouting in Belize after arriving and look around for a sandbar to hold a small destination wedding of 15 people or so. We live five hours away, so all this was new. I figured it was absolutely necessary to carry our underwater housings on this journey. Housings are big, bulky and not travel-friendly and make the job harder, especially when the images you will be getting are for that ‘one shot.’ We carried these housings on five boats on the wedding day, at the same time documenting the entire event.” — Matt Adcock

Why Top Hollywood Directors Are Turning To Hotel Design
“It’s no coincidence that directors are jumping into the wild world of decorating with hotels, bars and other watering holes," says French director Matthieu Delaporte. "These are places for a quick escape, they are bubbles outside of real life.” Francis Ford Coppola, another renowned director, was looking to relive the lush jungle vibe of Apocalypse Now when he stumbled upon the Blancaneaux Lodge surrounded by rainforest in the Central American nation of Belize. Coppola later opened Turtle Inn, also in Belize, and more recently La Lancha in Guatemala, which he furnished using only material from local markets. Though directors have taken to interior decorating, Delaporte thinks it's unlikely they would take on mainstream projects. “These filmmakers are not about to start working on train stations, for example, because the type of design involved in that is highly functional and requires specialized training,” he noted. “For filmmakers, the atmosphere is crucial because it shapes the way a moviegoer will approach their work.”

CDB funding Caribbean music sector development
The Caribbean region is known and celebrated for reggae and dancehall, soca, zouk and other genres. Yet many regional artistes, performers, their managers and publishers do not earn a sustainable living from their craft. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), noting the challenges facing the region’s music sector and affirming its support for the creative industries, has committed funding for a workshop series designed for Caribbean music sector stakeholders. The Business of Music in the Caribbean developmental workshops will run throughout 2016, and aim to improve participants’ skills in the business aspects of the music sector. “The music sector presents several opportunities for sustainable, inclusive economic growth and diversification in the Caribbean. CDB’s investment in this workshop series brings our Region even closer to unlocking the economic potential of the sector, and gives participants a better chance to build sustainable livelihoods from the music business,” said Edward Greene, Division Chief, Technical Cooperation Division, CDB.

Caribbean tourism planning: Good times are not the time to relax
The past two years have seen the Caribbean tourism market finally shake off the last vestiges of recession symptoms, travelers are spending, airlift is increasing and developers and their backers are investing. The Region's destinations are popular not only for those in close proximity to the islands, but also for travelers from around the world. The recent Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) in Miami was characterized by close to unanimous optimism, and with good reason. However, as we have seen in this industry, market conditions can change in fewer months than it takes to develop a resort, and our industry's players tend to display 'herd' behavior, with most investors reading the same reports, agreeing on which markets are currently 'hot', and then flooding them with new hotel supply.

Videos

National Festival of Arts young talent, 6min. Talented little guy...National Festival of Arts - St Peter Claver School - PG

Belize Mission Trip, 4min.

BELIZE, 8min.

Belize it, 5min.

VIP | NO To ICJ Presentation, 35min. Belize National Teachers Union "Stand Up For Belize" Educational Forum on taking the Belize-Guatemala Territorial Dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Turtle Nesting beach at North Ambergris Caye, Belize, 1min. A great start to the sea turtle nesting season on Ambergris Caye. Robles Point, North Ambergirs Caye turtle nesting beach. A total of 13 Loggerhead turtle nests have been found on this beach for 2016. Biologists walk the beach to verify and monitor nesting activity.

Turtle-Ray Alley. Gladden Split Marine Reserve. Belize, 6min. A brief presentation of the impacting nature of human to wildlife interactions within the Gladden Split Marine Reserve. Video presents some best practices as well as examples of poor stewardship by tourists and tour operators. People travel to experience nature, so why destroy the habitat you've come to appreciate?

Barranco Road Belize, Central America, 3.5min.

Belize 2016, 4min. Left March 22, Returned March 29. Best week of my life! Made tons of new friends, and shared unforgettable experiences with them. Love you guys!

Real America FC in Belize, 4.5min. We went on a trip to Belize and brought a camera.Enjoy!

Justin and Haley- Belize 2016 engagement, 11min. Our first trip to Belize including Almond Beach Resort and Ian Anderson's Cave's Branch Resort, snorkeling the barrier reef, the black hole drop, and of course my favorite part an engagement celebration!

June 3, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Footballers compete in Xcalak Tournament
What better way to celebrate an anniversary than to have two days dedicated to fun festivities? That’s what our Mexican neighbors in Xcalak did for their 116th Anniversary. Residents of San Pedro Town traveled across the vivid turquoise waters on Saturday, May 28th and Sunday, May 29th to join in the fun. The games were played in twenty minute increments for each half, and the first game saw Jokers FC against Nuxpak, where Jokers swept the score board with a 2-0 victory. In the second game, Los Catrachos played twice against Xcalak, defeating the home team in penalties. Up next, Chetumal faced San Jose and won. Lastly, Corozal FC was eliminated by Xcalak. At the end of the tournament, Los Catrachos claimed the first place victory and Jokers FC took home third place, with both teams bringing home lavish trophies and bragging rights.

Shooting victim remains in stable condition
Leonel Anderson, a San Pedro Town resident is in stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after he was shot on Wednesday, June 1st. Anderson, a local bartender, was shot sometime around 8:30PM at the entrance of the San Pedrito Area in what appeared to be an attempted armed robbery. No arrests have been made so far, however, the San Pedro Police have confirmed that three persons of interest are in custody while investigations. According to police, they responded to reports of a shooting and proceeded to visit visit Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where Anderson was found with apparent gunshot wounds to the leg. At the scene of the crime, police were able to retrieve an amount of cash believe to have been part of the attempted robbery. But due to the fact that the victim did not make an official statement, police are unable to disclose the official cause of the shooting incident. “

San Pedro Town Public Library News!
The San Pedro Town Public library will be hosting a book sale on Saturday, June 6th at the Central Park to raise much-needed funds. The library seeks to replace the current computer used at their circulation desk, as well as upgrade other equipment. Since numerous books are not shelf-worthy, the library hopes to sell sufficient books to clear space. By the following week, the library hopes to set up the media center for patrons and users. Early Childhood Development Classes with Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad has also collaborated with the library to start a program on Monday, June 6th for children, age’s three to four, and who are currently not enrolled in pre-school. The program is free of cost and opened to children from the San Pedrito and San Mateo Area. The program focuses on early childhood development, and aims to help children that were unable to attend pre-school in order to learn basic skills in preparation for primary school.

Presenting the 2016 Island Academy graduates!
As the school year comes to a close, The Island Academy (TIA) was the first to hold their graduation ceremonies. On Friday, May 27th, TIA celebrated their 21st commencement exercise, with a total of six graduates. They proudly marched center stage to the sound of Pomp and Circumstance, awaiting their Primary School Diplomas. The graduates were: Natalie Winger, Cody Romsa, Mariano Calderon, Mia Gonzales, Lucy Verralls, and Ethan Ancona. The ceremony was held at the TIA campus, where students, family and friends of the graduates gathered to celebrate the student’s academic achievements. Founder of TIA, Lady Dixie Bowen, gave a short speech to formally welcome the audience. Before the graduation ceremonies, teachers awarded top students from each grade level from Infant One to Standard Five, in various categories that included: remarkable reader, creative writing guru, citizenship, and excellence in academic subjects.

Belizeans Detained in Guatemala for illegal entry
The news of eight Belizeans detained by the Guatemalan Navy on Thursday, May 26th put Belizean officials at the Embassy of Belize in Guatemala City on high alert. The group of Belizeans were taken to Guatemala City where they were processed for illegal entry by immigration officials. The eight Belizean nationals, all fishermen, have been identified as Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez, and Ernesto Meighan. According to the Guatemalan Navy, they were detained when they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach in the department of Izabal in Guatemalan territory. The report adds that seven of the eight individuals had in their possession Belizean fishing licenses, but no boat registration to navigate in Guatemalan waters.

Ambergris Today

A Walk through Food and Culture – Belize Food Tours
I’m gonna quote my daughter and say “Belize Food Tours – Best idea EVER”! My curiosity got to me when Dora and Felipe came by with a goodie box filled with surprises and a special invite. No, I could not wait until the tour to find out what this was all about. So, we scheduled their very next available date and met them over at Lily’s for some ceviche and some chitchat. Our iTravel Belize Family had the pleasure of joining Belize Food Tours on their very first tour, one of three tours offered for the time being on their website. The tour started at Central Park and made it’s way through an ancient Mayan burial ground; ok, what used to be according to the team’s research. I’m totally not going to spoil this tour for you so if that’s what you were expecting, I’m sorry. You’re going to have to take the tour and see it, taste it, and hear it for yourself! As a proud Sanpedrana, I can tell you this, the tour took me back to my childhood and had me chocked up at a number of stops. I’m so proud to see our culture being showcased by such a lively group of talented Belizean entrepreneurs. You want to see San Pedro through the eyes of a local? You want to experience the heart of our little island through food? You want some grins and giggles to remember? Go take a walk with the people on our map at Belize Food Tours!

Public Service Day was observed in San Pedro yesterday
With information booths that were set up at Central Park. Public Service Workers from the Fire Dept., Traffic Dept., Labor, Customs, Library, Post Office, BAHA, Election and Boundaries, Treasury and the Poly Clinic were on hand to engage with island students who were eager to learn about what each department does. Lots of fun and goodies for the children.

Get Ready to Wine with Alison Hinds at Costa Maya Festival 2016
Just when everybody was starting to ask if there was going to be a San Pedro International Costa Maya Festival this year, the festival committee steps up to announce the participation of Soca Queen Alison Hinds as a featured entertainer. Costa Maya Festival 2016 has been set to take place from August 4 to August 6 with three days of high-powered entertainment. Saturday, August 6, will be infused with a Latin flavor as grupo Super Lamas, from Veracruz, Mexico, will set the stage for live entertainment with its top hit and local sensation ‘Yo Quiero Chupar’.

Misc Belizean Sources

Alison Hinds!!!
At the International Costa Maya Festival on Friday 5 of August!

Watch Super Lamas Only at the International Costa Maya Festival!!!
On Saturday 6 of August!

Thunderbolt Water Taxi
Summer coming fast! Stay cool and have some family fun by visiting one of our best kept secrets- Sarteneja village. We make daily stops on our way to and from San Pedro and Corozal. (7:30am and 3:00pm)

SBDC Workshop: Quick Books 101-Intuit (Accounting Part 3)
Location: Beltraide Conference Room, 14 Orchid Garden Street, Belmopan. Workshop Date: June 9th, 2016. Time: 9am to 4pm. This course was created for anyone who wants to learn QuickBooks. Whether you signed up simply to learn QuickBooks or are a complete newbie to the software it does not matter. We will teach you the software from beginning to end so that anyone, regardless of experience, learns all that they need to know to successfully use the program.

Captain Roberto Smith & Wendy Auxillou-Othman
On the water taxi ride back from Belize City today I found myself sitting next to this seafaring legend. For those who do not know, Captain Roberto Smith captained the famous cargo boat the Winnie Estelle which plied the waters around Belize for many decades. I'll post a link to some stories about the Winnie Estelle in the comments section. Captain Roberto has lived in Belize from when it was still British Honduras. The entire taxi ride we reminisced about old island life when the only way to get to Ambergris and Caye Caulker were on the Elsa P, the Mermaid, the Carib Gypsy, the Caribbean Queen and on to the first water taxi service to Caye Caulker run by Chocolate...

Belize to reduce environmental pollution in emerging tourism sites with IDB assistance
Belize will reduce environmental pollution by improving solid waste management practices in emerging tourism destinations with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A $10 million IDB loan will finance investments to improve solid waste transport, recovery, and final disposal in towns and villages in Belize’s Northern (Orange Walk and Corozal) and Southern (Stann Creek and Toledo) Corridors as well as in Belmopan, the capital city. The five-year program is expected to provide all of Belize’s major tourist destinations with access to a sanitary landfill, up from 50% in 2015. Additionally, the number of households whose solid waste is disposed in such facilities will more than double to 75,000, and the percentage of solid waste separated for recycling in Belize will rise up from two percent to five percent.

Sarteneja Nazarene Primary School says thank you to Ms. Christiane de Rouin
"Education month is gone just like teacher's day, but this morning we received a great surprise. ALL staff members got a gift from Ms. Christiane de Rouin. Thanks so much, we feel great knowing that people like you are out there supporting us and education. As a retired educator you know exactly what we as teachers go through. Thanks so much Chris on behalf of the staff."

Power interruption 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday June 4th - Entire Corozal and Orange Walk Districts.
B.E.L. to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk and San Pedro.

Placencia Lobster Fest 2016
Just weeks away! Contact us for Lobsterfest information and assistance with Tropic flights, shuttles, accommodations, tours and more!

BEL Vacancy
A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited for the post of Software Developer in the Information & Communication Systems Department.

Power interruption 11:00am to 2:00pm, Saturday, June 4: entire San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
BEL to relocate mobile substation to facilitate maintenance of transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk & San Pedro.

A Cultural Explosion
This Saturday 7PM at the Bliss Centre

Garifuna entrepreneurs in Hopkins
Today I was pleased to be in a community where they truly utilize their invaluable beach resource. While in Hopkins I saw Afro descendants (Garifuna) people being entrepreneurs, this was impressive because I am from a Afro descendant (Garifuna) community that has the same resource and just a few miles away, but the results are different. They must be something that is causing our my community not to develop. Respect to Hopkins on keeping my culture alive and continue developing .

“Beauty of the Chiquibul"
During the month of May, 1201 students from ten Primary Schools learnt of the “Beauty of the Chiquibul”. Environmental Educator, Mr. Justin Pook Jr. seen here with students from Saint Vincent Pallotti of Unitedville Village.

Channel 7

Grey Gone Ghost
Last night we told you about the murder in Belmopan where 45 year old Lionel Gillette also known as "Grey" was found dead at his home in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Reports are that Gillette was killed on Tuesday night and it's his sister who found his body yesterday afternoon. As we told you, a post mortem had to be conducted immediately because of the body's state of decomposition. Gillett was shot 3 times with a nine millimeter pistol and today the family told us that they have no idea who would want him dead. We traveled to Belmopan to get more answers. Courtney Weatherburne has the story: Lionel Gillette lived here on his farmland for about 10 years. He enjoyed planting and taking care of his land and his labour paid off, with this lush and full mango tree alongside these flourishing coconut trees. He lived a comfortable and modest life with his dog as his companion. But yesterday afternoon that life was shattered when Gillette's body was found outside his house.

Have The Cops Conceded The Canal Side?
Last night we also had late breaking news on a barrage of gunshots fired on west canal, not far from our studio. Information to us was that around 6:00 pm, two men from a northside gang were seen on West Canal - which is George Street turf. And with street hostilities high - it seems that being in the wrong place at the wrong time can get you killed! And an unknown gang related shooter let that be known by issuing a spray of what turned out to be warning shots. Those in the area say 12 to 15 shots were fired, and the interlopers got the message, they jumped in their car and went speeding up west canal, right into a waiting police checkpoint. Today, Southside Commander Chester Williams told us more - and we asked why couldn't police do more:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "There were 2 persons in a vehicle hanging out in the area of Prince and the Canal side. It is basically enemy turf actually and apparently they were spotted by the personnel from the George Street area who then went and fired shots, not at them but within the area to scare them to get them out of the area. The persons upon doing so were intercepted by the police and they are in custody at this time because they are wanted for a shooting over at North Side."

Southside Commander Declares SSG Not Involved In GSG Boss' Murder
And Commander Williams also had news for the gang combatants: the Southside Gang is not responsible for the murder of Gerald Shiney Tillett. This extraordinary declaration comes after an unprecedented shootout on the highway last Saturday - where Southside Gang members were targeted and one of them killed. Rural police says it was the work of George Street gangsters avenging the death of Shiney Tillett. Today, Williams addressed that:... ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "I want to dispel something right here, right now, and I want to categorically state that for some reason some people think that the shooting death of Gerald Tillet had to do with Southside. I want to say clearly that from what we have been made to understand, Southside particularly the Wallace brothers and the Underwood brothers have absolutely nothing to do with Gerald Tillet's death. From what we have been made to understand, there is no connection between Gerald Tillet's murder and those individuals. I believe that the police have the person who is responsible for that murder at prison. I would want those person who are trying to be out there to avenge Gerald Tillet's death, to understand that the wheels of justice has begun, allow it to take its course better than to be out there lurking after people and trying to kill people innocently for what they did not do."

Guns And Lots Of Ammo Taken Off Streets
And while Williams is trying to verbally dissuade any further gang retaliations, police are also doing their operational work on the ground. This morning south side police had a successful gun seizure operation. Based on intelligence, members of the South Side Police Station visited an empty lot in the Banak Street/Magazine Road area this morning. They found two firearms along with an assortment of ammunition. ACP Williams, told us more. ACP. Chester Williams, OC, Eastern Division South: "What happened this morning is that we had operations as we normally do, and the operations was geared at going after persons who we know to be involved in gang activities. Marion, to go back to what you asked earlier, it was an operations based on intelligence. These two firearms are the product of good intelligence on the part of the Special Branch Unit here in Eastern Division south. That operation this morning yield one 9mm pistol with 38 live rounds and we have 1.38 special revolver with 50 live rounds. Its a good catch on the part of the officers who did the operation this morning."

Judge Says Cops Didn't Kill Tyson Rodriguez
In 2013, 27 year-old Tyson Rodriguez died while in police custody, and the cop accused of killing him, Police Sergeant Julio Shal is free of that charge tonight. And why? Well, The judge was not convinced that the Prosecution provided enough evidence to show that Rodriguez died from any unethical and extrajudicial means employed by this officer. You'll remember the case from November 2015, when Rodriguez was detained by Placencia Police. There had been a brutal robbery of a Canadian couple a few days before on the peninsula. They were beaten on the beach, taken to their house, tied up, their home was raided, and their car was stolen. Police found the car all the way in Corozal - 200 miles away. Rodriguez was arrested, reportedly after a beatdown by the Xaibe villagers, and he was taken back to Placencia. That's where the details get murky because Police Sergeant Shal, supposedly took him to an area on the Placencia Beach, where Rodriguez would cooperate and show them where some of the stolen loot from the Canadian family's home was hidden.

BDF Private Accused Of Sex With Child
30 year old BDF Private Kenneth Gary Swazo, will face trial at the Supreme Court for unlawful sexual intercourse with a 14 year old girl. At a preliminary inquiry today, Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith committed him to stand trial in the October session of the Supreme Court. The facts of the case say that in September of 2015, Swazo took the girl who had just graduated from Standard 6 to Gulf Hotel where he had sex with her. The allegation is that Private Swazo was the Program Coordinator of a BDF Camp in March 2015 when he met the girl. At the PI, Private Swazo told the court that he has documents and witnesses that can prove he was not even at the camp where it is alleged he met the minor. He told the Magistrate that he will be calling as many as 4 witnesses to prove his innocence.

Five More Molestation Charges For Kishane
Kishane Mcdougal, a man who had also been charged with sexual molestation of 13 year-old girl, was brought back to court today. Viewers may remember that he was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of the child. Well, he was arraigned on 5 additional counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has been provided yet for the first count it should be struck out. But the prosecutor pointed out that Mcdougal has been charged with 5 more counts and they are all indictable offences.

Handful Protests Against Hon. Castillo
Since John Saldivar's defeat at the Deputy Party leadership convention last Sunday, there has been a wave of unrest within the UDP. That's because Hon. Patrick Faber won, despite having little support from his cabinet colleagues, each of whom commanded a total of 15 delegates. But many of those delegates secretly defected and voted for Faber while their minister of area rep or standard bearer was supporting Saldivar. That's politics, but Belize Rural central UDP Ingrid Hernandez says she was fired because of this accusation. So today a handful of Ladyville protestors came out with placards addressed to Hon. Beverly Castillo. Some of them read "You got to go!" The plan was to protest in front of the State Minister's office in Ladyville but they did not get a permit, and so were stopped by police. However their spirits of defiance remained intact.

Woman Claims She Was Fired For Faber
Now in relation to the small protest this morning, it was done in a show of solidarity with UDP delegate Ingrid Hernandez, who now finds herself without a job. But Hernandez herself was not present during the demonstration. She distanced herself from the activity today and says she had nothing to do with organizing it. That's because, despite her dismissal, she says she remains faithful to the wider UDP family. Ingrid Hernandez, Got fired: "How it was done to me, I felt victimized, because here I am supporting this party, giving my all, my hundred percent and because of a speculation or an assumption I was fired and I am very hurt about it to this present moment. But what I got to say to the nation of Belize is that despite of what happened between me and Beverly Castillo, I will always remain a supporter of the United Democratic Party. I love my Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow and he is a good Prime Minister. So no matter what, I will always be in support of the United Democratic Party. But at this point I am still upset, because if the way the strategy has been done."

Court: Rahsida Didn't Steal Rum Proceeds
She was accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from her employer, but 26 year old Rashida Sedacey is free and clear of those charges tonight. The former employee of Traveller's Liquors was charged with 124 counts of theft for monies amounting to over $80,000. But today, all charges were dismissed today by Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy's attorney, Darrell Bradley, submitted that the time for that had already passed. It was alleged that Sedacy had stolen the money in 2014, when she was the cashier at Traveller's.

Jacked Majil
There was a big money robbery of a sales representative for Majil's Mexican Products, which is located in the Santa Rita area of Corozal. It is believed that armed robber got away with over $50,000 in cash. Information reaching 7News is that the heist happened at around 3:25 yesterday afternoon. 23 year-old salesman, Edwin Aguilar, and his driver arrived at their company's headquarters after making deliveries and collecting company monies. He had only just jumped out of the truck when an assailant, armed with a chrome handgun, ambushed him, pointed the gun to the back of his head, and demanded the day's proceeds. Fearing his life, he handed over a red knapsack, with over $50,000 in cash and cheques, all of which were the day's sales. The armed thief then ran away and jumped into a getaway vehicle which was parked nearby.

Hot Mix Replaces A Hot Mess On Lake I Blvd
For the past year and a half, Belize City drivers have been using the new bridge which connects Philip Goldson Highway to the George Price Highway. This bypass is welcomed, but the road to get there on the Southside has been a nightmare. Well, the nightmare is over, because today, we found contractor RJB Construction finishing up the hot-mix paving of the Lake Independence Boulevard. But, it's more than just a road, it's a gateway to a whole development plan for the area. Here's what the coordinators told us today: Daniel Ortiz: "In your opinion, did we get value for money in this particular project?" Christy Mastry - General Manager, BIL: "Yeah, definitely. We definitely got value for money. It's a fairly extensive scope of work. All the drainage had to be put in place. The drainage anticipates not only just the drainage for this road, but the 45 acres adjacent and some of the water shed coming off of Western Highway. That also had to be engineered, so we have very large culverts in certain areas, we have very large box drains in other areas and we have connectivity to the existing drainage that coming off the Western Highway..."

Cops Calling Kenworth
Police in Belize Rural North want your help to find Kenworth Castro who they believe is hiding out in Belize City. He is the key suspect in the burglary of Juan Antonio Vasquez's home. The thief got away with 1600 dollars in cash as well as assorted jewelry. Kenworth Castro was last seen in the village of Trinidad in the Orange Walk District and is wanted for questioning.

Belizean Fishers in Guate, The Other Side
Last week we told you about the tale of the 8 Belizean fishermen who were captured in Guatemala. Authorities there said the men had Belizean fishing licenses but no boat registration. On Tuesday night they were deported back to Belize. And while any Belizean detained in Guatemala will make news, the Guardian newspaper today reports that the Belizean fishermen may actually make their living in Guatemala. The newspaper claims that the men would fish in Belizean waters and then go back to Guatemala to sell their products. There are fewer regulations restricting fishermen in that country. This would allow fishers to able to sell undersized sea products with ease. The men who were detained in Guatemala are Jeffery Gongora, Manuel Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Batun, Isidro Tamai, Jorge Tamai, Bartolo Jimenez and Ernesto Megan - most of them form Sarteneja. Recently, a trio of Belziean fishermen were caught with illegally harvested conch in Honduras.

Pedagogues Can Play Around Too
Today, Primary school "Teachers" across the country got to show off their moves and skills as they hit the stage at the Bliss Center for performing arts. It was a part of the culmination of the Festival of Arts activities organized by NICH. Several teachers from schools all over the country competed for the championship and their students were there to cheer them on. We spoke to the Youth Development Officer of NICH, who told us more about today's event. The Festival of Arts closes tomorrow with the much anticipated National High School Talent Competition.

Edward Broaster, Movie Director?
And we'll close shortly with the infant's showcase of the festival of the arts, but first to another kind of artistic creation…can you say Edward Broaster, movie director? Well, the Rural area's top cop has directed his first short film - he also wrote and produced it. Now don't get it wrong, it's not coming to a theater near you - after all , the entire thing was shot on cell phones. But it is a compelling narrative all too familiar to law enforcers: a young child recruited by gangs to smuggle drugs. In this case it's between Ladyville and Belize City - and the victim is a child who is enticed to smuggle weed in their schoolbag because…who would search a child? Broaster told us it's very much based on a true story:... ACP. Edward Broaster, OC, Eastern Division Rural: "This story is a true story that was related to us by a parent and we felt compelled, because of being touch by the story that we need to share this story with the public and like I said we want to bring awareness to the parents out there that this might be your child, so you need to take care and look out for your children."

Channel 5

Lionel Gillett Executed; His Home is Ransacked
Taxi operator, Lionel Gillett was found dead at his mobile house in a secluded area of Belmopan on Wednesday afternoon. His family went to his home when he did not [...]

Small Group Protest Firing of 2 Women by Bev Castillo
A small protest was held this morning near the office of Area Representative Beverly Castillo. A group of women was denied a permit to protest but still gathered to decry [...]

Brazen Shooting on West Canal
There was a brazen late evening shooting on West Canal on Wednesday during which a pair of Belize City men were targeted by rival gang members in the area. Fortunately, [...]

ACP Chester Williams Says SSG Not Responsible for Shiny’s Murder
Is the murder of Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett related to the Saturday afternoon murder of Michael Wallace? There seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether or not there [...]

San Ignacio Police Investigate Alleged Arson in the West
Just after seven on Wednesday night, Ego Rio Bar in Santa Familia Village, Cayo District was gutted by fire. San Ignacio Police and Fire Departments responded to a call in [...]

Woes in the Bus System Exposed
The transportation industry in Belize is in terrible shape, and that’s putting it kindly. Terminals are deteriorating and so are the buses. Schedules are iffy at best and there are [...]

Transport Operations Officer Says Road Service Permits Must be Reviewed
But is it a situation where the Department is just overwhelmed? Is the lack of supervision, oversight and regulation the cause of the transportation woes? It’s likely, but Galvez says [...]

Belize City Man Faces 6 Counts of Sexual Offenses
Twenty-two year old Keshane McDougal, the brother of a cop, is facing slew of additional charges for unlawful sexual intercourse. When he appeared in court this morning, his attorney, Herbert [...]

B.D.F. Soldier to Stand Trial for Sexual Abuse of Minor
In another case of sexual abuse, Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has committed Belize Defence Force soldier, Kenneth Swazo, to stand trial at the October session of the Supreme Court. A [...]

CEMO Gives Update on Readiness for Disasters
The hurricane season opened on Wednesday and as it usually does, the City Emergency Management Organization, CEMO, held a press conference to update the public on its readiness to deal [...]

National Transport and Evacuation Committee Response to an Emergency
In any response to an emergency, the National Transport and Evacuation Committee will play a very critical role. It is one of thirteen national committees, and is comprised of representatives [...]

Rowan Heads for College Abroad
For quite some time, we have followed the adventures of Rowan Garel; his ascent to the summit of Victoria Peak, his mission to walk across Belize and his dive into [...]

Festival of Arts Visual Arts Exhibition
The performing arts section of the annual Festival of Arts traditionally gets much of the attention, with talent from schools throughout the country showcased in front of judges. But there’s [...]

Mayor Bradley says Sewage Situation Alarming
In April, News Five brought you the shocking story of raw sewage being pumped into the Haulover Creek on North Front Street. We say shocking because it was, to us [...]

Tour Guide Up In Arms After Being Suspended from Altun Ha
A freelance tour guide and artisan is up in arms tonight after she was suspended from selling her arts and craft and setting foot on the Altun Ha Archeological Site [...]

National Fisherfolk Month is Launched
June is being celebrated as Fisherfolk Month in Belize. To kick-off the celebration, an open day was held on Wednesday at the B.T.L. Park where related agencies and conservation groups [...]

Promotion Self-Employment in Belize City Youths
A city council initiative to promote self-employment has resulted in the handing over of twenty weed whackers to a group of enterprising Belize City youths. The brainchild of councilors Michael [...]

Healthy Living: Why You Should Become a Blood Donor
June fourteenth is World Blood Donor Day. Everywhere people are encouraged to give blood selflessly to improve health conditions or save lives. Additionally, the Day is used to build awareness [...]

CTV3

MOH Issues Advisory On Bush Fires
Today the Ministry of Health issued a release advising the general public of the risk to a person’s health due to bush fires. According to the release there has been a recent increase in the amount of bush fires due to the intense heat. The smoke in these fires is made up of tiny particles and gases and when these are inhaled, they can cause asthma attacks and other serious conditions. People with heart disease may also suffer from chest pains if exposed to intense smoke. It also has the potential to irritate eyes and trigger prolonged coughing spells. Individuals with chronic lung conditions and asthma in particular are advised to avoid areas with intense smoke if possible. In the event that one cannot avoid the smoke, the use of masks or wet rags may provide some alleviation.

Hard Times At The Free Zone
Today a report coming from ‘Novedades Quintana Roo’ a Mexican Newspaper reiterated the reports that have been circulating for months….the Commercial Free Zone in the Corozal District is facing difficulties at this point in time. The report states that that sales are continuously decreasing in the zone due to a devaluation of the Mexican currency. According to reports, the dollar is currently being traded up to a rate between 17 and 17.50 pesos, tumbling somewhat between fifty and sixty percent. Carlos Parra Jimenez, member of the board of the Chamber of Commerce of the Commercial Free Zone, stated that despite the fact that the high season no longer picks up as it usually does, all two hundred eighty five merchants who are presently installed at the Free Zone are counting on the summer vacation for sales to increase.

Was Majils' Robbery An Inside Job?
Tonight Corozal Police have two persons detained and are looking for two others in relation to yesterday’s robbery at Majil’s Mexican Products located in the Santa Rita Area of Corozal resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. While last night details were hard to come by, tonight we can tell you that the robbery played out at around 3:25pm just minutes after the salesman of the company, 23 year old San Andres resident Edwin Aguilar and his driver 51 year old Alfredo Magana arrived in the area after carrying out deliveries down south. Reports are that Aguilar he had just exited the delivery truck when a dark complexion male, armed with a chrome hand gun approached him from behind….pointed the firearm at the back of his head and demanded the money.

Palmar Resident Concern About Probable Contamination About The New River
Wilfrido Cantun, a resident of Palmar Village in Orange Walk is tonight very concerned as he suspects that a portion of the New River which runs near his land has been highly contaminated for more than two weeks and has created a foul smell in the area. But while Cantun is aware that this is not the first time the area is facing this type of problem, he is troubled by this situation due to the fact that the fishes that were once found in that particular area have all died. Wilfrido Cantun: “Ya tiene casi como dos semanas que el rio cambio de color, usualmente es como un café y ahora esta como un verde feo y no ves actividad de pescado y aquí yo pescaba sardina y muchas otra clases de pescado y ahora no hay nada de pescado el agua esta terrible y mal olor, todo el tiempo cuando envenenaron venían los pájaros bajando podías oler como dulce pasa dos o tres días y esa situación es más grave porque ha tardado más y ya va más de dos semanas que esta así el rio.”

LOVE FM

No Casualties Reported Following Barrage of Bullets Released on West Canal
There was a shooting on West Canal in Belize City yesterday evening involving two persons in a vehicle and other individuals of the George Street area. No one was injured in this incident but it is a story with a twist as the men who are believed to be the targets in yesterday’s incident were […]

Contraband Cigarettes Hidden Among Loaves
Three men are detained at the Belmopan Police Station pending charges after police intercepted a truck delivering bread and discovered contraband goods. This morning the bread was searched and between the crates of bread were a number of cartons of cigarette. Officer in Command in Belmopan Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett spoke to Love News about […]

McDougall Charged for Additional Unlawful Sexual Encounters with Minor
Kishane McDougal, who was arraigned last year on one count of unlawful sexual assault of a 13 year old girl, was charged with five more counts of unlawful sexual assault of the same girl when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. His attorney, Herbert Panton, submitted that because no disclosure has […]

5-Year Old Murder Case of Samuel Price Adjourned
The trial of 30-year-old Shane Gillett, charged with the murder of 84-year-old Samuel Price, the brother of former Prime Minister George Price, was adjourned until Tuesday, June 7 for his attorney, Leeroy Banner, to give his closing address. Price, who lived alone at mile five and a half on Phillip Goldson Highway, was killed on […]

Woman Freed of 100+ Counts of Theft After Accused of Taking Money from Travellers Limited
Twenty-six year old Rashida Sedacy, charged with over 100 counts of theft for monies amounting to over eighty thousand dollars was freed of all charges when they were dismissed today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. The charges were dismissed for want of prosecution. The prosecution wanted to give additional disclosure but Sedacy’s attorney, […]

Lionel Gillett Was Murdered at Home
Belmopan Police continue their investigation into the murder of 45-year-old taxi driver, Lionel Theodore Gillett. Gillett’s body was found in West Belmopan sometime after one o’clock yesterday afternoon. The body was in an initial state of decomposition and had an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen, another behind the left side of the back and […]

San Ignacio Police Investigates Arson
A man lost his business to a fire last night in Santa Familia Village, Cayo. Last night Manuel Humes was alerted that his business place, Ego Rio Bar was on fire. Humes and those in the area were unsuccessful in extinguishing the fire and was not able to salvage anything. The head of Crime Investigation […]

Education Ministry Works at Improving Schools Up North and Standardizing Tuition
The brunt of the workload for the Ministry of Education comes around this time when students are preparing to move onto another level of learning as there are several initiatives that the ministry has undertaken including the three hundred dollar subsidy for the secondary students who apply as well as scholarships, assistance rendered to students, […]

Police Sergeant Walks Off Murder Charge
About two and a half years ago, the body of Tyson Rodriguez was found floating in the river on November 22, 2013. Rodriguez was no stranger to law enforcement officers. As a matter of fact, he had reportedly escaped from police custody in Placencia some hours prior to his death. But the statements given by […]

Firearm Believed to Be Used in Recent Robbery Found
In an operation carried out this morning, officers came across two firearms in the south side division of Belize City. Assistant Commissioner of Police spoke of the operation. CHESTER WILLIAMS ” ACP Williams says that there intelligence had revealed who the owner of the firearms is but they were unable to make an arrest although […]

PlusTV

Murder in Oasis area of Belmopan
There was a murder in Belmopan and the victim has been identified as 45 year old Lionel Theodore Gillett, businessman and resident of Belmopan. Gillett’s body was found this afternoon, Wednesday June 1st, sometime after 1 p.m. at his farm in the Oasis area of the city. Police say that Gillet was f...

Belizean fishermen deported from Guatemala Tuesday night
The Belizean fishermen who were detained by Guatemalan authorities for alleged “illegal fishing” in Guatemalan territory were returned to Belize on the night of Tuesday May 31. The eight fishermen had been detained by the Guatemalan navy lastThursday night for illegal entry into Guatemala when they ...

Transport Department changes hands; new man promises change
Crispin Jeffries is standing down as Chief Transport Officer at the end of this week. Today, his replacement, current operations officer for the Transport Department, Tirso Galvez made his public debut at this morning’s press conference at City Hall. Galvez inherits a Department beset with many of t...

Accused “con man” charged with theft
A driver for the Ministry of Health says he is out more than 3 thousand dollars after a man who purported to sell him a vehicle absconded with his money and later allegedly destroyed the vehicle. Sandhill village mechanic Reginald Coleman pleaded not guilty to a charge of theft before Magistrate Deb...

Carl Gordon back in the news for theft
Carl Gordon was arraigned before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza for handling a computer tablet and other electronic items belonging to Sherlene Anderson. Anderson’s mother was apparently at home alone and allowed Gordon to enter to the house to give her a foot massage. The daughter later realized that th...

Trial for accused in Blue House Bar murder
33 year old Dairon Hamilton was committed to stand trial for the murder of Wilmer Cisneros. That incident happened at Blue House Bar in Ladyville about a year ago but on Tuesday, at the preliminary inquiry, Hamilton learned that he will go to trial. Hamilton, a former security guard at the Bar, al...

The Guardian

Patrick Faber, UDP Deputy Party Leader
On Sunday, UDP's from all walks of life from across the country, converged on the ITVET Freetown road campus to be a part of a process to elect a new First Deputy Leader. Two men in the persons of Honorables Patrick Faber and John Saldivar were in the contest to fill the position and they each equated themselves well. As early as 6 am movements could be seen on the ground with both camps making early preparations. The tents were being assembled; tables, chairs were set in place, signage were put in place, refreshments and food were being prepared .The all important human resources were being placed on the ground for what had all the makings of being a hotly contested race. The actual campaign leading up to Sunday's election started about two months ago when just before our National Convention, our then First Deputy Leader Hon. Gasper Vega announced that he would no longer be seeking office for that position and that is why there was the need for a Special Convention to fill that vacant position. Both gentlemen hit the ground running. The campaign that started two months ago may have started from even before both gentlemen got into Electoral Politics.

8 Belizeans deported from Guatemala
Belizeans Jeffery Nasario Gongora, Manuel Jason Flores, Antonio Pop, Simeon Vilber Batun, Isidro Benito Tamai, Jorge Ruiz Tamay, Bartolo Jimenez and Ernesto Megan are back in Belize after being detained in Guatemala. Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on Friday May 27 that the 8 men, all Belizean fishermen were detained by the Guatemalan Navy after they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach, Izabal, Guatemala. The Guatemalan Navy reported that seven of the eight persons had Belizean fishing licenses but they did not have a ZARPE which is a Guatemalan port authorization document. (Punta Manabique is a peninsula that juts from the Guatemalan mainland 21 miles immediately opposite Punta Gorda Town.)

Hon. Erwin Contreras participates in Regional Meetings
The Hon. Erwin Contreras, Minister of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce participated in the 36th Session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) from the 23rd to 27th May 2016 in Mexico City. These 5 days of knowledge exchanges were aimed to spur progressive structural change in Latin America and the Caribbean, based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals. The regional and global dimensions of the agenda for Sustainable Development were also discussed. In order for the productive structure to be changed, the experts surmise that there has to be an increase in the participation of the knowledge and innovative-intensive structures, economic growth and the creation of jobs with rights; as well as the protection of the environment by fighting the effects of climate change. For this to happen, new institutions and political coalitions are needed at the global, regional and national levels.

Patrick to be appointed Deputy Prime Minister
After several weeks of robust campaigning, the United Democratic Party has a new Deputy Party Leader. The contest featured two equally matched and prepared candidates in the persons of Honorable John Saldivar and Honorable Patrick Faber. Five hundred and eighty nine delegates were made accessible to the two candidates and after the polls closed on Sunday May 29, five hundred and eighty five votes were cast. After the counting Honorable Patrick Faber had garnered eighty eight votes more that Honorable Saldivar making him the victor.

BAHA reports Bovine Rabies outbreak
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Belize Livestock Producers, has informed all livestock farmers to vaccinate their cattle against the ongoing Bovine Rabies outbreak. A press release from BAHA informs that the disease is currently being detected in the Cayo District and is expected to affect herds in the Belize River Valley, as suspected cases have also been detected in areas along the Macal River. The spread of the disease can be halted if livestock farmers vaccinate their cattle against rabies. Some eight different cattle coming from six different herds have been exposed to rabies, with seven coming from the Cayo District and one from the Orange Walk District. In mid January of this year we had reported a rabies outbreak, and now more positive results have been coming from places such as Arenal.

Members of Benque Viejo Police recognized
Several members of the Benque Police formation have been recognized for their outstanding efforts. Officer in Charge of Benque Viejo Police Superintendent Daniel Arzu held his monthly General meeting on Friday of last week where an inspection of his rank and file was conducted. Thereafter; he awarded several officers for a job well done for the month of May 2016. Sergeant number 107 Jaime Ferrufino and his Quick Response Team, who did a lot of drug interdiction and other operational activities, were recognized for their brave efforts. As a result of the work from Jaime Ferrufino and his team there was a sharp decrease in crime. Also recognized was Police Officer number 1404, L. Neal, who was awarded as Officer with the most arrests.

Channel 5 paid Satiim to take them to Sarstoon
On Friday viewers of Channel 5 were treated to yet another episode in the well orchestrated drama at the Sarstoon. Channel 5, who has continuously reported in such a manner as to create ill will against the government of Belize and the work of the government struck again. This time they dragged along Amandala and Krem News. What we find very interesting is the fact that there was no other television media on the expedition. Why? Well because Channel 5 foot the entire bill! They paid a SATIIM boat, or should we say paid for gas, for a Satiim boat and went about the business of trying to instigate problems at the Sarstoon.

Will PUP Deputy Leader Abelardo Mai be charged in death of Julia Arana?
Fifty Nine year old Julia Arana, the Trial Farm Resident who was knocked down by Jose Mai, the PUP Area Representative for Orange Walk South, has passed away. The post mortem has been performed, but the medical examiner has not found a direct link between her injuries and her death. As readers would remember, Julia, mother of the well-know elite cyclist Nissan Arana, was knocked down in Trial Farm Village by Mai who was driving his beige Toyota Hilux pick-up. That happened on the evening on Friday, April 1, and she was hospitalized for an extensive period of time at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Her health had improved, and the doctors allowed her to go home on Mother’s Day, March 8. Well, on Sunday, at around 10 a.m., her health suddenly deteriorated at a rapid pace, and her family tried rushing her to the Northern Regional Hospital. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead on arrival.

PUC inspires Innovation through Raspberry Pi
The first ever Raspberry Pi Jam, organized by the Public Utilities Commission, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, concluded with great success as high schoolers from all across the country embraced computer science and innovation on a scale that has never happened before. Simply hearing the name, a reader might be misled into thinking its some sort of food to eat, but the Raspberry Pi is a computer with all its major components easily disassembled. It makes for a great teaching tool, to allow interested persons to study and explore the inner makings of all computers and how they work. It may be easier to think of it as a smart phone or a laptop computer that has been taken apart and unscrewed so that persons may see what is on the inside. However, instead of that laptop computer or phone being essentially broken and useless after such disassembly, a Raspberry Pi computer is designed for this purpose exactly.

PUP trying to create discontent in the UDP
Even before the convention was over the PUP rumor mill started churning to try and fabricate a story of some sort of splintering of the UDP. It seems that the special assignment was placed in the hands of the well known PUP Political Pundit and Psuedo Intellectual Glenn Tillett. We don’t know what his official post in the PUP is, or if he has one (we know he is a delegate). However what we will say is that the gentleman can give Rod Sterling who wrote and hosted the Twilight Zone a good run for his money. The gentleman appears to have a lot of free time on his hand because as we understand it he is unemployed or as some people may prefer to say UNEMPLOYABLE. So he hangs out on Facebook for most of the day where he posts and comments some strange things. We don’t know out of which bottle this modern day Jeanie pulled out his latest story, but he has been posting about some feud he claims is brewing inside the Dean Barrow led cabinet and by extension the entire UDP. One may be wondering why I said pulled out of a bottle. Well I said so because his story appears to be and we paraphrase Chris Martin “UNDER THE INFLUENCE.”

Statement on Belize in Declaration of the 8th Summit of Heads of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
Recalling the Resolution at the 103rd Session of the ACP Council of Ministers, we strongly reaffirm unequivocal support for Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to on-going tensions along the border of Belize caused by the Republic of Guatemala’s persistent territorial claims. We call on the Government of the Republic of Guatemala to respect the borders of Belize as established in the 1859 Treaty, and move with urgency to agree on protocols for the use of the Sarstoon River on the southern border of Belize. We urge both governments to refrain from the threat or use of force, to respect international agreements, and to move with expedition to hold national referenda with the goal of submitting all Guatemala’s claims to the International Court of Justice for final resolution. We renew our call on the international community, including the European Union, to support the efforts of Belize and the Republic of Guatemala to seek a peaceful, final and just resolution to Guatemala’s claims, and in particular to support the facilitation work of the Organization of American States through its Office in the Adjacency Zone.

26 weed-eaters for 26 city residents
Twenty six residents of Belize City are the proud owners of weed-eaters after the Belize City council decided to make donations to them to either start a new business or continue with an existing one. The initiative saw each councilor donate two weed eaters to deserving persons while the Mayor Darrell Bradley donated 4. The weed-eaters were being held by the Belize City council and formed part of a larger number of weed-eaters which they had acquired to do maintenance of city streets after the BML contract came to an end and was not renewed. The equipment had been acquired by the council however they are not appropriate for the heavy usage that is required of them so the decision was made to assist city residents who are into maintenance work.

Inquiry determines Blue House security guard to face murder charge
A preliminary inquiry conducted before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Tuesday, May 31, concluded with a committal for Dairon Hamilton, 32, to face a charge of murder in the Supreme Court for causing the death of Wilmer Antonio Cisneros, 42, on April 25 at Blue House Bar in Ladyville. Prosecutor in the case, Inspector Egbert Castillo, presented 25 statements gathered by Ladyville police as well as seven different pieces of documentary evidence; including, the post mortem examination results from Dr. Mario Estradabran, a medical report, a warrant for the arrest of Hamilton and a number of pictures of the deceased. Hamilton was unrepresented in court and challenged none of the prosecution’s evidence.

Zachary Knox finally able to appear in court
Zachary Knox, 19, allegedly fired shots at Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams on Thursday, May 12, when a high speed pursuit paused near the North Creek “One Man” Bridge. He was apprehended shortly after by police but had not been able to appear in court for an arraignment. Knox had been in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital since the incident with no official reason why. Relatives claim that he was beaten severely by police and had to battle to stay alive. His mother says she is waiting for an official medical report before she takes her complaint to the authorities and the public. On Friday, May 27, Knox was escorted by police to the Belize City Magistrates Court where he was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm upon ACP Chester Williams and use of deadly means of harm upon Mark Vernon.

Darwin Prado out on bail for attempted murder charges
Darwin Prado, 19, is out on bail after an application was presented to Supreme Court Justice Herbert Lord on Thursday, May 26. Prado was represented in court by attorney Ellis Arnold. There was no objection to jail by the prosecution and Justice Lord offered bail in the sum of $15,000. Prado was charged for his role in the shootout that resulted in the death of Lionel Rhamdas, 21. According to police investigation, on Friday night, May 13, Casey Lozano, 23, his brother and two other friends were socializing inside the yard of Lozano’s Family home on Marage Road. Three gunmen then approached them and opened fire on the group. One of the four hanging out at the Lozano home immediately fired back, and in the aftermath, a total of about 20 shots went off. When the violence ended, Lionel Rhamdas lay dead with a weapon near him.

Tyrone Reyes pleads guilty to assault with a fake firearm
Tyrone Reyes, 18, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison for allegedly robbing a corn tortilla vendor with a fake firearm in the Mahogany Heights area. According to a police report, officers responded to reports of a robbery in progress in the Tiger Sandy Bay area at Mile 31 on the George Price Highway where they met Jose Delgado, a tortilla vendor of the Mahogany Heights community. He told police that while selling tortilla from out of his vehicle, a male approached him and ordered tortillas. When he asked for the money, the individual pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a firearm. Delgado said he grabbed the firearm and that was when his attacker punched him in his face and fled the scene.

Shane Gillett on trial for murder of Samuel Price
The prosecution has wrapped up its case in the trial by judge without jury for Shane Gillett, 30, who allegedly murdered 84-year-old Samuel Price, brother of Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price. Crown Counsel Porsha Staine- Ferguson called eight witnesses to testify in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas. On Saturday, April 16th, 2011, Price’s grand nephew, who usually goes to his home located at Mile 5 ½ on the Northern Highway stumbled upon his lifeless body inside the bathroom. Police investigators said that the senior citizen is believed to have been bludgeon to death. He was found slouched in one of the bathrooms over a tub with apparent signs of violence to the head. Price had fractures to the skull and swelling to the brain. His eye socket was shattered and his kidney was damaged from a hit to the body. At the time of his death, Price lived alone at a secluded area called Tarpon Cove located at Mile 5 ½ on the Northern highway. Police said that his home had been targeted in the past by robbers and they believe this was a case of burglary turned murder.

Olympic Committee to hold annual Olympic Day Run
The Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association will be having its annual Olympic Day Run on Sunday, June 56 2016 commencing at 6:30 a.m. starting from in front of James Brodie on Regent Street, Belize City. The run is being held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Belize Olympic Committee, and also under the management of the Belize Athletic Association. The annual Olympic Day Run is the major attractions of national Olympic Committees in observance of Olympic Day which is observed worldwide on June 23rd. It was on June 23rd, 1894, that the modern Olympic Games were born. In the open/masters category for aged 20-44 years, the route will be from in front of James Brodie on Regent Street turn left in front of Mule Park/Belize Bank into Albert Street then onto Albert Street West, where runners will turn right onto Cemetery Lane. At the end of Cemetery, runners will turn left onto Yarborough Road and continue down Regent Street back to James Brodie and Co. for 2 laps.

Ladyville Evangelical School girls and Hattieville Government School boys won Belize Rural primary schools football competition
The Belize District Primary Schools Football Competition for Zones, 1, 2, 3, and 4 took place on Wednesday 25th May, 2016, at the Football Field in Ladyville Village. In the girls’ competition, Ladyville Evangelical School, Belize Rural Primary School, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Primary School from Maskall, Burrell Boom Methodist School and Lucky Strike Government School. In the girls’ championship game, Ladyville Evangelical School defeated Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic School by the score of 1-0. The goal for Ladyville Evangelical School was scored by Dahlee Dyrell. In the first game played in the girls’ competition, Ladyville Evangelical School defeated Belize Rural Primary School by the score of 1-0. Dahlee Dyrell scored the only goal of the game for Ladyville Evangelical School.

Toledo District now has Softball Association
The first ever Toledo District Softball Association was formed on Monday 23rd May, 2016, in the Toledo District. The General Meeting to form the association was held at the Julian Cho Technical High School in Jacintoville Village, where the elections of officers for the association was carried out by Ms. Jerjett Gutiérrez, 2nd Vice President with responsibilities for Junior softball of the Belize Softball Federation. Elected to serve as President was Peter Castillo. His committee will consist of Vice President- Carla Garcia, Treasurer- Maricela Menjivar, Secretary- Christina Garcia, and the members are Kera Polonio, Jenny Tanner, Edwardo Garcia, Catherine Burns and Jackeline Garcia.

Belize Softball Federation to hold Umpires Training
The Belize Softball Federation has announced that it will be holding an Umpires Training for intermediate and advance umpires from August 4-8, 2016. The Training will be conducted by the Chief Umpire of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Softball Division Robert Stanton and will include both theoretical and practical work. The federation envisions that this will be the spring board for umpires who have been involved in the game at the advance level for the past five years to move towards the International Certification for Umpires.

Social Media as a Malady
Different social media such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Tumblr are each known to connect people in some creative form. However, the problem that arises with social media is the inability for individuals to disengage themselves from it, which in turn simply forms it into a detestable malady. The social network, Facebook, is known to be a disease that many of us carry as it allows users to simply seek attention from society in any way possible. Many people use Facebook as a means of communication to keep in contact with family abroad, close friends, or business peers. However, many others use Facebook to persecute other individuals as they seek to fulfill their desire to improve their social status by being recognized. The negative effects of the malady, Facebook, has only increased the number of these vile attacks online. Over the past week I’ve observed how perpetrators varying from kids to young adults have engaged in outrageous mischief simply to gain recognition amongst their Facebook friends. This mischief includes simply posting up videos online of others fighting in great rage.

Conch earnings under threat by foreign NGO
Belizeans earned approximately $33 million last year from conch and lobster exports. This is a significant amount of money and, unlike shrimp, the vast majority of it is harvested by small scale fishers. Unfortunately, the earnings of these hardworking folk is under direct threat from a United States based NGO that wants to band the importation of queen conch into that country. For years the WildEarth Guardians and Friends of Animals have been lobbying for the queen conch to be placed on the list of endangered species under the United States’ Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration made a decision not to do so in 2014. The organization has not backed down and in February of 2016 it notified the Secretary of Commerce of their intention to challenge the 2014 decision in court. News of WildEarth Guardians’ lawsuit raised concerns in Belize and the entire Caribbean region since CARICOM states export approximately $370 million worth of conch meat a year to the United States. It goes without saying; then, that this was a huge topic on the agenda of the 7th Annual Meeting of the CARICOM-US Trade and Investment Council in Washington D.C. last week.

Month of recognition for Belizean Fishers
Belize is celebrating the month of June as Fisherfolk Month with a calendar of activities to show appreciation and provide assistance to fishers across the country. The great American author Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “anyone can be a fisherman in May”. The majority of Belizeans have gone fishing at some point in their lives. Fishing is a therapeutic recreational activity and in a country with the wealth of marine resources like Belize it is always a memorable experience. Recreational fishers speak of the sun glistening off the pristine waters of the jewel. They remember the excitement of the first bite and the thrill when the catch becomes visible near the top of the water. These adventures are always set in perfect weather; bright sun and ever present breeze. At some point, a break is needed for swimming. The beverages are cold and the laughter loud. This is fishing as most of us know it.

Fox’s Quest
I personally am relieved that the convention for First Deputy Leader for the United Democratic Party is over and done with. In the final days before the event the tone in the ads was turning, let’s say, inimical, to keep my own tone down. I would want to believe that it is the producers of these ads, and not the candidates themselves, who were getting anxious, and the slip was showing. I personally don’t have a penny invested in that dollar, and I express these thoughts simply as a long time Party sympathizer. Since the results of the convention were made known Sunday evening, it has become obvious that emotions are running high between the two camps, higher than it has ever been within the Party’s hierarchy since the five years of 1993 to 1998. I don’t think it will reach the level of rift as what is occurring within the PUP even to this day, four months after their leadership convention. And while there are indeed several UDP supporters who have expressed disillusionment in the social media with respect to the outcome of Sunday’s contest, in reality that reaction was expected for a race as important as this one. It is the future of the UDP which is at stake, after all.

Belize City ready for 2016 hurricane season
The Belize City Council held a press conference on Wednesday June 1 where it announced that it is ready for the hurricane season which officially opened on that day. In making his introduction, Mayor Darrell Bradley explained that hurricane shelters have been inspected and those that needed to be repaired were repaired and those that did not meet the requirements were taken off the list. As it stands there are 13 designated shelters in the city. Of those shelters 5 are on the north side and 8 are on the south side. Mayor Bradley stated that the shelters have been approved for up to category 2 hurricanes, for any storm above that the shelters will not be suitable and evacuation orders need to be adhered to. As far as other preparations go for the season, Bradley explained that they have in place updated contact information for all players in emergency management. They have also reviewed their plans for transportation and evacuation routes. Additionally the council has engaged in education campaigns through outreach programs to schools. The council has also planned for a symposium to be held on June the 8 and 9th.

Hurricane Season 2016: twelve named storms predicted
Renowned hurricanologists Philip Klotzback and William Gray predicted that there is a good chance for twelve named storms, five hurricanes and two major hurricanes this year. They believe that the current weakening of El Niño is likely to transition to either neutral or La Niña conditions by the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. In terms of the local picture, the published data indicates that there is a 33% chance that one or more named storms will track within 50 miles of Belize but there is only a 6% chance of a major hurricane coming that close. On the other hand, there is a 39% chance of a named storm coming within 100 miles of Belize, and an 18% chance that a hurricane would come that close. Chief Meteorologist, Dennis Gonguez says that vigilance is key this season.

Benque and Melchor Police get to car thief
A Belizean taxi driver is relieved after his vehicle was the recovery in Guatemala just a few hours after the crime was committed in Belize. While thankfully no one was injured in this latest car theft, it reveals a certain pattern of behavior and organizational resilience by the perpetrators. Esdras Chaneck, a 21 year old Belizean Taxi driver of Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town reported that about 2:25pm on 25 May 2016 he was working with a rented Green in color 1999 Toyota Corolla four door taxi car with license plate BVO D-00744 when the course of his business day was dramatically changed. Upon arriving by Latin Belize situated on the George Price Boulevard Chaneck stopped to pick up two male Hispanic persons. One was dressed in blue jeans with grey button up shirt and had on a grey cap whilst the other had on a white undershirt with a 3/4 grey in color short pants. Both were between the ages of 19 to 25 years. They both got into the vehicle and sat in the back of the taxi and asked him to drop them off in San Ignacio Town. Upon arriving in San Jose Succotz Village a female person was picked up and she asked to be taken to San Ignacio Town as well.

Five persons injured by accident in Cayo
Five Belizeans were injured on Wednesday evening of last week by a single traffic incident. On Wednesday May 25, 2016 about 4:30 pm San Ignacio Police received information of a road traffic accident on the George Price Highway across from Rumors Resort near San Ignacio Town. As a result police visited the area where they observed a gold in color Saturn car with license plate BC- 49764 facing an east to west direction; in a ditch with its front portion extensively damaged. About 30 feet away on the other side of the road was an extensively damaged GMC green pickup with license plate C-04657, facing in a west to east direction. Initial investigations reveal that about 4:25 pm on that same day, the car BC-49784 driven at the time by William Sanchez, a 29 year old Belizean Immigration Officer working at the Western Border and a resident of George Price Highway in Santa Elena Town, was travelling from an east to west direction (from San Ignacio to Benque Viejo). He was travelling behind the green GMC Pickup C-04657 when, according to William Sanchez, he saw the brake lights of the pick-up light up, which caused him to brake as well.

Reginald Coleman charged for running racket
Mark Arnold, 49, a driver for the Ministry of Health, visited the police station on Monday, May 30, and reported that in March of this year he purchased a white 1998 Mitsubishi Montero from a man he knows as “Mr. Garbutt” but the man made off with the vehicle after he turned over the money for the purchase. According to Arnold, he visited the Department of Traffic and Enforcement to get the vehicle transferred into his name. He then handed over $3,500 for the vehicle and they agreed to meet at Garbutt’s house since they were in separate vehicles. Garbutt would drive home and hand over the keys to Arnold. They headed over to the address Garbutt said was his home by taking different routes. Arnold arrived at the address but Mr. Garbutt did not. According to Arnold, he then made several calls to Garbutt’s phone but he got no answer. That was over two months ago.

Calaney Flowers claims she did not hit Lyndon Morrison’s cycle to cause his death
“Everything happened very fast,” said Calaney Flowers, former Atlantic Bank employee accused of running over her ex-boyfriend, Lyndon Morrison, and his new girl, during her ten minute dock statement in court on Tuesday, May 31. Flowers said in court, “Lyndon and I share a son, Triston Morrison. He is four years old. On the night of August 28, 2012, I was having a normal conversation with Lyndon at the Chinese shop. I reminded him of the money that he was to give me for our son to buy something for him that he needed. I was the first one to have left the Chinese shop. I drove up Mahogany Street, then I made a left into Central American Boulevard, then I crossed Belcan Bridge. I crossed the first pedestrian ramp. It was when I was approaching the speed bump, when Lyndon cycle zoom in front of me. It passed by on the right side of the street on Freetown Road. It was going very, very fast. The next thing I knew, there was a crash and the cycle was on the street.”

Drug style execution in Corozal
Delmar Javier Guerra; a 44 year-old resident of San Joaquin, Corozal with the ominous street nickname, “El Diablo”; was gunned down and killed in Paraiso Village. At this time, there are no motives revealed, but the suspicion is that Guerra, who had reported ties to the criminal underworld in the north, was killed by other persons who may have cross-border ties with personalities from Mexico. At around 5 p.m. on Thursday, Guerra showed up at a house in Paraiso Village where he regularly goes to do his laundry. It’s a usual part of his routine, and residents believe that he couldn’t have been on his guard, expecting enemies to try to make an attempt on his life. Before he could get out of the van he was driving, two shooters on motorcycles, wearing long-sleeved shirts and motorcycle helmets approached the vehicle and opened fire.

Businesswoman charged for operating without cash register
Sandra Sol, 38, businesswoman from the Down Town Plaza facility is facing tax evasion charges after General Sales Tax agents accused her of operating without a cash register. Allegations are that she has been running a business, Sun Digital Photo, at #27 Albert Street without the issuance of any kind of receipts. Furthermore, GST agents found no programmable cash register at her establishment. Due to these infractions, she was charged with two tax offenses. Sol was unrepresented when she appeared before Magistrate Deborah Rogers on Friday, May 27. She was charged with failure to issue GST receipts and one count of failure to utilize a programmable cash register. She pleaded not guilty to both charges. Magistrate Rogers adjourned the matter for June 30, which is the day set for disclosure to be provided to her. The penalty for the offenses she faces carries a fine of up to $5,000 for each count.

Michael Wallace hit called from the prison
Twenty two year-old Michael Wallace went to visit his younger brother at the Prison on Saturday, May 28. On the way back home, he became a victim in a street style slaying after 2 vehicles cut him off, allowing for gunmen to shoot up the car he was driving. Michael Wallace, and his older brother, 29 year-old Richard, went to the Belize Central Prison to visit their under-aged brother who is on remand for a charge of murder. Reports to us say that while at the prison, there was communication from inside the prison that the men who live in the gang area known as ‘Southside’ had come to visit. That communication reportedly came from a rival gang to the Southside gang. At around 2 p.m., the Wallace brothers, and their friend, Edward Flowers, left to head back home in Belize City. At around mile 9 on the Western Highway, while the 3 men were driving along in a white Nissan Altima car, 2 vehicles, one of them a Chevy trail Blazer and the other a white Infinity SUV cut them off on the road. As soon as the two vehicles forced Richard Wallace to stop, occupants from both vehicles jumped out and started firing at the 3 men who were inside the car.

Police United to represent Belize in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Tournament
The Police United FC of Belize, winners of the 2015 Opening Season, will represent Belize in the 2016 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Tournament. The management of the team travelled over the weekend to Miami, Florida, USA, where the pick took place on Monday 23rd May, 2016. The Police United FC is currently in Group E for the first round of the tournament. The team will play four games in the first round on a home and away basis. The other teams in Group E along with the Police United FC are CF Pachuca from Mexico and Club Deportivo Olimpia from Honduras. Verdes FC was the last representatives from Belize that participated in the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament.

UB Black Jaguars lead in Belize Rural Softball Competition
The Belize Rural Softball Association competition continued on Sunday 29th May, 2016, out in Lord’s Bank Village with two games on the schedule. In the first game played, the league’s leading UB Jaguars blasted Exotic Girls from Hattieville by the score of 12-2. The winning pitcher was Karlene Williams and the losing pitcher was Iceny Baptist. In the second game, Orchid Girls from Burrell Boom won handily over the host team Sunrise of Lord’s Bank by the score of 14-3. The winning pitcher was Therese Baptist and the losing pitcher was Karen Hilton. The competition will continue this coming Sunday 5th June, 2016, with four games on the schedule. In division A games that will be played out in Hattieville commencing at 1:00 p.m. UB Black Jaguars will go up against Orchid Girls and in game two, it will be Sunrise of Lord’s Bank against Exotic Girls of Hattieville.

Belize City Primary Schools Football Competition fast coming to a close
The 2015-2016 Belize City Primary Schools Football Competition is fast coming to a closed. The competition continued on Monday 30th May, with four games on the schedule. In the first of two games in the girls’ competition, Belize Elementary School and Unity Presbyterian School played to a 0-0 draw. In game two, Wesley Upper School and St. John Vianney School played to a 1-1 draw. The goal for Wesley Upper School was scored by Leyah Clay while the goal for St. John Vianney was scored by Jaydi McKenzie. In the first of two boys’ games, St. John Vianney School blanked Wesley Upper School by the score of 3-0. The goals for St. John Vianney were scored by Rafael Franklin (2) and Ken Galvez.

Breaking Belize News

Accused Samuel Price killer maintains innocence
Justice Adolph Lucas heard closing addresses today in the trial of 30 year old Shane Gillett, charged with the murder of 84 year old Samuel Price, the brother of the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. George Price. Samuel Price was killed at his home, […]

Judgment due in Calaney Flowers murder case
After hearing closing addresses yesterday, Justice John Gonzalez has set a date in next week to give his verdict on 29 year old Calaney Flowers who is charged with the murder of Lyndon Morrison, the father of her 4 year old son. Morrison was […]

3 grand fine for not displaying GST certificate
Display your General Sales Tax (GST) certificate, or face a 3 thousand dollar fine. The auto business Mike’s Spare Parts must heed that lesson today after being taken to court by the Government unit. Appearing on behalf of business owner Luis Urbina, who is […]

Man faces more sex charges
22 year old Keshane Shaquille McDougal and attorney Herbert Panton thought he would be dismissed of a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse made against him in March. But the pair were surprised in court when they learned that five additional counts of the charge […]

Soldier to be tried for unlawful sexual intercourse
Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith has committed 30 year old private of the Belize Defence Force, Kenneth Gary Swazo, to stand trial at the October session of the Supreme Court set to commence on October 4, 2016. Swazo, a Dangriga resident, is accused of taking […]

Cashier walks from theft charges
An emotional Rashida Sedacy, former cashier for Travellers Ltd., today learned she no longer faces 117 counts of theft. Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith dismissed all charges from the 26 year old after attorney Darrell Bradley rebutted the prosecution’s attempt to introduce additional evidence in the […]

Delegate from Belize Rural Central says position terminated over convention
Supporters of a woman who claims she was let go by area representative Beverly Castillo briefly congregated outside her constituency office in Ladyville this morning. It is alleged that at Sunday’s convention to elect a first deputy leader, 2 members of the Rural Central […]

Belize: Too Many Men Giving Up?
An epidemic of mammoth proportions is spreading across Belize…..men who are giving up on life and sitting on the street corners and drains in almost every city, town and village….drinking themselves to death. While small pockets of alcoholics are nothing new to Belize cities and […]

Blogs

Capturing Family Bond at Grand Caribe
My first big wedding I photographed was theirs… and we keep in touch since then. We were talking about family portraits, forever, and finally, we decided this is the best moment to do it… We didn’t planned with details.. just went with the flow.. so, the dad, danced with his girls on the beach, the girls we having around resort, we found some flowers and was dad’s idea to pick them for his girls hair… we created moments and I did my very best to capture their family bond. - See more at: http://www.photographyinbelize.com/blog/#sthash.HmCqTiye.dpuf

Clever Incomes Mean More Leisure Time in Belize
Diana Snyder first visited Belize as an anthropology student. “My first thought as I exited the plane was that someday I would live in a place as beautiful as this,” she says. Today she does. Her home is on Ambergris Caye—the country’s largest island, set amid the blue Caribbean waters. “I don’t know which I value more—the slower pace of life or the spectacular beauty of living on a tropical island,” says Diana, who spends about two hours a day running her online business…and the rest having fun. “I wake up every morning after eight full hours of sleep to the sound of booming surf and birdsong. My first thought is of coffee, instead of email. “My day starts with yoga, followed by coffee with friends, then a couple of hours on the laptop. Afternoons are for gardening, going into town, managing a vacation rental apartment I added last year, diving, fishing, sailing, or biking up the beach.

Eating Our Way Around Town With the New Belize Foods Tour
Chef and food writer James Beard could not have said truer words than this quote, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience”. For the inaugural Belize Food Tour, it definitely rang true. What a great way to spend a Saturday, eating our way around San Pedro Town with the new Belize Foods Tour. The foodies were out in full force and ready to taste new things and for some, a few old favorites. On Saturday afternoon, a group of us got to know each other and the island one bite at a time – it was a great experience. My friend (and part time at team taco as Editor/fact checker) Aimee, my plus 1 for the event, and I met for the tour at 11:30 in Central Park. It was a brilliantly bright hot day and we were ready for some pit stops, light walking, and to try out some new things. I was interested to see where our 8 places to visit would end up being. Although I have tried many off the beaten path places having lived right downtown twice since 2006, I knew I was missing some. I had hopes that today’s tour would fill my hunger for something new to crave close to home. This dyslexic girl decided to practice her math and figured a 3 hour tour meant everything would be fairly close and we would have roughly 15 minutes at each place with approximately 7.5 minutes walking time in between. As it turns out, we ended up doing 7 places in good time and that was the perfect amount.

Giving in San Pedro: How You Can Help Local Kids in June or “Eat & Win”
June is a big month for festivals in San Pedro – What better times to enjoy your favorite food AND give back to the community? Let me tell you about three very worthy causes, all focused on children, that are being highlighted in June on Ambergris Caye. Blue Water Grill & The San Pedro High School: The owners of Blue Water Grill, Kelly and Mukul Kanabar, are both amazing restaurateurs and huge contributors to this community. Through their donations program at the restaurant Blue Water Grill and picking a new project each month, they have touched hundreds, probably thousands of kids in San Pedro. Finn & Martini, BelizeKids.Org and Camp Basil Jones: BelizeKids.Org is a fundraising operation starting up on the island that is really just a new name/entity for some amazing work that has been done over the years by the owners of Canary Cove. They want to expand their efforts to help the kids of Ambergris Caye and involve the community. The Community & The Inspiration Center: June 18th there is a big fundraiser for another extremely worthy cause, Belize’s only organized help for children with disabilities, the Inspiration Center. Businesses from across this island are banding together to donate and raise money.

International Sources

19 Pics That Show What Shyne’s Life Is Like in Belize
It appears Shyne is living quite the lavish life in Belize. The rap star currently resides in his native land, the central american nation on the Carribean seas, where his father, Dean Barrow, is the Prime Minister. Now-a-days it seems like life is more of a vacation for Shyne as the rapper’s Instagram is filled with seaside pictures, beautiful women and the occasional visit from a celebrity. Although not allowed to enter the U.S. stemming from his 10-year sentence and conviction on two counts of attempted murder, assault and reckless endangerment, the rapper appears to still be living a dream. Following the 1999 incident in which Shyne shot guns in defense of Diddy at an NYC club, the rapper was released from jail after eight years and deported indefinitely. Occurring because a fight had broken out, the incident at the club left three people injured. Shyne was 22 at the time. The story attached to the rapper’s legacy has given him even more of a historical relevance in our genre. That’s why the Bad Boy 20th anniversary reunion couldn’t have went down without him. Shyne made an appearance via satellite during the second night of the first two shows at the Barclays Center in May. No word if he will pop up again for the full length Bad Boy Reunion Tour kicking off in August.

Videos

2016 Belize Tarpon Tagging Expedition, 3min.

Green Sea Turtle at Half Moon Caye Belize, 1min.

BELIZE BAND-GEVGELIJA 1.6.2016, 2.5min.

Belize 2016 Night Dive, 2min.

A View of Xanadu Island Resort, San Pedro Belize, 2min. Take a view of Xanadu Island Resort from up above and see the beauty that lies in this little piece of paradise right here at San Pedro Belize.

Belize - Snorkeling #1, 17min.

Belize - Snorkeling #2, 17min.

DIVING THE BLUE HOLE BELIZE, Lighthouse Reef, min.

LA VOZ KARAOKE 2016 - WEEK 7, 144min.

Hol Chan Channel & Turneffe Atoll Belize, 3min. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving in Belize for our honeymoon.

Jaguar Temple. Lamanai. Belize., 7min.

Belize 2016, 3min. Locations include - San Pedro, Belize City, Benque, Guatemala, Belmopan.

Belize Underwater 5-26-16, 3min. South Silk Caye, Belize.

June 2, 2016

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

The San Pedro Sun

Local robbery attempt
San Pedro Police have reported that one man was injured during the robbery attempt of a local business in the entrance of the San Pedrito Area. The injured person has been identified as one Leonel Anderson, who is currently at the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II in a stable condition. Police are investigating.

Charikanari Dancers hold fundraiser with Maypole Dance
The San Pedro Black and White Garifuna Charikanari Dance Group held a fundraiser at the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC) on Friday, May 27th. Barbeque, cheese dip, pastries, and soft drinks were sold to raise funds to assist the group to host more tours, travel to other countries, and perform their cultural dances. The highlight of the event was the “May Pole” dance, a dance in which the group called on the general public to participate, for a price of $2. Two long poles were decorated with colorful flower arrangements at the top, and vibrant ribbons adorned around the pole. The concept of the dance was to have several persons holding the ribbon, and walking forward in a circular motion. By the end of the walk, the pole will be wrapped with ribbon until the bottom is covered, and then the walk is reversed to loosen the ribbon.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Catrachos FC Win Xcalak 2016 Tournament
Two boats full of futbol fans made it over to Xcalak, Q. Roo, Mexico over the weekend to support the San Pedro Catrachos team which competed in a soccer tournament that was held as part of the Xcalak Fest 2016. The San Pedro Catrachos emerged victorious at the end of the tournament and also receiving the MVP award that was given to Midfield #21 Danery OSorto. After their championship win, the nearby village of Mahahual extended team owner Tony Maldonado an invitation to participate in the upcoming Mahahual Tournament which is expected to take place in the next couple of months, date to be announced.

Misc Belizean Sources

Statement on Belize in Declaration of the 8th Summit of Heads of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
The 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Government was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from May 31 to June 1 2016, on the theme “Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to Challenges of the Sustainable Development”. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred Elrington and H.E. Dylan Vernon, Ambassador to the European Union, represented Belize. At the conclusion of the 8th Summit the Heads of State and Government adopted a Declaration covering a range of issues related to the work and future of the ACP. The Declaration included, at paragraph 18, a strong statement of support for Belize, in relation to the Guatemalan claim, as follows:

Mexican Ambassador to Belize, Mr. Carlos Quesnel and his office staff visited Chiquibul and Caracol
Our appreciation for their conservation interest.

CASSA (Creating A Safe Space Agenda)
CASSA (Creating A Safe Space Agenda) is a US Gov’t granted project implemented by the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) in Belize City. As its name implies; among its goals are to create a safe space for at risk young people in Belize City and Belmopan and assist them in developing their individual skills and academic potentials. For the past two years, the NGO has touched the lives of some 200 young people ages 14 to 24. Last week, an exhibition was held to showcase the project’s accomplishments.”

Weekly AgroMet Weather Update and Outlook: TUESDAY MAY 31 – JUNE 7, 2016
The 2016 Rainy Season will definitely not begin on the first day of June this year. Another week of punishing hot and dry weather will persist before we get some significant and persistent rainfall. The years 2008 and 2003 are two of the analogous years to 2016. So we all have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best this hurricane season. Measured (YSI) and remotely observed SST (satellite sensors) in the western Caribbean are around 30 degrees Celsius or 86 Fahrenheit; a warm pool in the western Caribbean.

Belize to reduce environmental pollution in emerging tourism sites
Belize will reduce environmental pollution by improving solid waste management practices in emerging tourism destinations with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A US$10 million IDB loan will finance investments to improve solid waste transport, recovery, and final disposal in towns and villages in Belize’s Northern (Orange Walk and Corozal) and Southern (Stann Creek and Toledo) Corridors as well as in Belmopan, the capital city. The five-year programme is expected to provide all of Belize’s major tourist destinations with access to a sanitary landfill, up from 50 percent in 2015. Additionally, the number of households whose solid waste is disposed in such facilities will more than double to 75,000, and the percentage of solid waste separated for recycling in Belize will rise up from two percent to five percent.

Presentation of Credentials by Ambassador of Belize to the Republic of Ireland
Her Excellency Ms. Perla Perdomo, non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, today presented her Letters of Credence to His Excellency Mr. Michael D. Higgins, President of the Republic of Ireland, at the President’s Residence. Upon receiving the credentials from H.E. Ambassador Perdomo, President Higgins warmly welcomed the new ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. During her visit, Ambassador Perdomo had the opportunity to have private conversations with President Higgins and officials of the Irish Foreign Ministry where she briefed the group on the current situation between Belize and Guatemala and spoke about areas of cooperation.

Ministry of Health Advises the Public on Exposure to Smoke from Bush Fires
The Ministry of Health advises the general public that due to recent bush fires, particularly in the Cayo District and communities along the George Price Highway, there is a risk for vulnerable individuals to experience over exposure to smoke. The smoke is made up of tiny particles and gases and when these are breathed into the lungs, they can cause asthma attacks, worsen chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and chest pains in some people with heart disease. It also has the potential to irritate eyes and trigger prolonged coughing spells. Individuals with chronic lung conditions and asthma in particular are advised to avoid areas with intense smoke if possible. In the event that one cannot avoid the smoke, the use of masks or wet rags may alleviate effects. In addition to smoke exposure, intense heat may also be experienced. The public is reminded of the advice on heat stroke: drink sufficient water, dress adequately and keep in the shade as much as possible. Signs of heat stroke include red skin, fever, seizures, headache, a rapid pulse and sometimes unconsciousness. Respiratory distress and heat stroke are medical emergencies. Anyone exhibiting the signs and symptoms of either of these conditions should be taken to the nearest health center or hospital immediately.

Death Suppressor Cookout
Death Suppressor is getting ready for the Angels and Demons tour, and are having a cookout fundraiser at Wildfire Gallery on Saturday. The flier alone warrants a visit for some spicy wings. In related news, the tour will come to Cayo on July 2nd, and they'll be playing at the Soul Project.

Beware – Macaws are not for Sale
Support this campaign by calling Forest Department or Police if you see anyone selling macaws or other wildlife.

Channel 7

A Body In Belmopan
The body of a male murder victim was found in the Rivera area of Belmopan today. Police have confirmed his identity as 45 year old Lionel Gillett, who lived near to where he was murdered in Western Belmopan. He was last seen alive at 9:00 last night – and found dead today after police got an anonymous tip. The body was already decomposing, so a post mortem was conducted on site this evening. Police know that he was shot to death, but up to newstime, could not share any particulars. We’ll have more on this story tomorrow.

Gang Gunplay on "Kinel" Side
A barrage of gunshots was let off in Belize City this evening. It happened close to our studio on West Canal just a few minutes after 6:00. No one was hurt, but residents report hearing as many as 15 gunshots ring out. When we got to the scene we found police processing the scene, and searching a blue car. Our best information is that the persons in the car were the intended target. They are reportedly form a northside gang and were driving along West Canal which is considered the turf of a number of other Gangs in the area. That's when a shooter form one of those gangs came and let off over a dozen shots.

IMF Frowns On Belize Finance
The IMF concluded its article IV consultation with Belize last week, and the initial review is not encouraging. The team was here for two weeks, from May 11 to the 25th, and concluded that the economy is on a slowdown, and more vulnerable than a year ago. They note falling exports, shrinking reserves, a widening fiscal deficit, and the worsening situation with the loss of correspondent banking relationships. They conclude grimly, "The economic outlook has worsened…since the 2015 Article IV Consultation and is subject to significant downside risks. Growth is projected to decline further to 0.5 percent in 2016…These vulnerabilities could be exacerbated by both domestic and external risks, such as a the end of PetroCaribe financing…and challenges posed by withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships."

City Harbour Choking On Silt, Government Dodging
Silt is choking the Belize City harbor mouth – and as the situation gets progressively worse, no one seems to be doing anything about it! City Hall, Central Government, the Port Authority and the Fort Street Tourism Village management all seem to be looking over their shoulder at the other to see who's going to tackle the problem. A few weeks ago, we saw a dredge pop up in the harbor, but, just like that, it's gone, and a navigational nightmare is turning into an environmental eyesore. So, who's going to deal with it and when? That's what we asked Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley today. It's the fourth time we are addressing the problem with him, and he was still unable to give us a clear answer:

ACP Nations Support Belize
Almost 5 weeks ago, we told you how the ACP - or African, Caribbean and Pacific countries passed a resolution to support Belize's territorial integrity. Well, that bloc of 79 nations has once again offered its support for Belize in the ongoing territorial dispute with Guatemala. The 8th Summit of the ACP Heads of State and Government concluded in Papua, New Guinea today. Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington and Dylan Vernon, the Ambassador to the European Union represented Belize. The Summit adopted a declaration including a paragraph just for Belize. It's a clear statement of support for Belize on the Guatemalan claim; it says, quote, "We strongly reaffirm unequivocal support for Belize's sovereignty and territorial integrity in relation to on-going tensions along the border of Belize caused by the Republic of Guatemala's persistent territorial claims. We call on the Government of the Republic of Guatemala to respect the borders of Belize as established in the 1859 Treaty..."

Belizean Fishers Deported From Guat, Want Back Boat
The Belizean fishers who were detained in Guatemala got back to Belize 24 hours ago. They came across the Belize Guatemala border at Benque Viejo at 6:30 yesterday evening, after being deported from Guatemala by road. As we told you last week, the Guatemalan Navy detained the eight as they got out of their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach in Izabal, Guatemala. They had no fishing or vessel license from Guatemala so they were transported to Guatemala City and processed for illegal entry deportation. It turns out that most of them are from Sarteneja, one is from Ranchito and another form Mango Creek. They claim to have ended up in Guatemala due to bad weather. And so while they are now safely back home – their vessel is not. It remains impounded in Guatemala – and is a subject of much anxiety for the fishermen.

Post Mortem: Arana Did Not Die Form Accident Injuries, No Charge For Hon. Mai
59 year-old Julia Arana, mother of well-known cyclist Nissan Arana, passed away on Sunday, 2 months after she was knocked down by Jose Mai, the PUP Orange Walk South Area Representative. Well, the post mortem results are in, and at this time, police aren't so sure that her death is directly related to the injuries she suffered. Seen here, the medical examiner has certified her death as acute cardio respiratory failure, which was caused by broncho pneumonia. That condition is not directly related to the accident, and suggests she was very sick with a cold and cough. Today, we spoke with the Orange Walk Police Commander, Assistant Superintendent Selvin Tillett, and he told us that since it is not immediately apparent that there is a direct link between Julia Arana's death and the injuries she suffered from the accident, he will seek the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The investigators will then know whether or not to bring criminal charges against the Honourable Mai based on her instructions.

Calaney Case Concludes
The 3 week trial for 29 year-old Calaney Flowers has concluded, and her fate is in the hands of Justice Troadio Gonzalez. She is charged with murder for the death of Lyndon Morrison, the 29 year-old father of her son, and attempted murder for Morrison's girlfriend, Sochyl Sosa. On August 28, 2012, Morrison was killed while driving his motorcycle on Freetown Road. Sosa was on the back of the motorbike, and she suffered very serious injuries. Flowers is accused of intentionally running into his bike which caused him to lose control and crash. Her defense is that she did not hit his bike, and that it was his fault because he was speeding and crashed into another vehicle. Well today, Justice Gonzalez heard extensive legal arguments from both the Crown Counsel, Sheneiza Smith and Flowers' lead attorney, Dickey Bradley. Both sides tried to convince the court of their version of the accident by picking and choosing parts of the evidence which they believe prove their case.

Shane Says He Was Tasered Into Confessing To Murder Of Price Brother
And while Calaney Flowers was standing trial before Justice Gonzalez, downstairs, 30 year-old Shane Gillett was standing trial for murder before Justice Adolph Lucas. He's accused of killing Samuel Price, the 84 year-old brother of National Hero George Price. Samuel Price's body was found inside his home at mile 5 and a half on the Northern Highway. Relatives found him partly immersed in a tub of water; He was beaten to the head and body by an assailant who used a blunt instrument. Gillett had been on remand awaiting trial which came up this month. The Crown Counsel called 10 witnesses who testified against him. None of those were eye-witness accounts, and the prosecution depended on a confession statement, in which Gillett reportedly confessed to the crime.

Female Fight Leads To Loss Of Chunk Of Ear
A woman is missing a piece of her right ear today after two other women in her neighbourhood allegedly jumped her. The incident occurred last week Monday at a residence in the area of Jane Usher Boulevard. According to 34 year old Patrina Copius, she was alone at home when her neighbour and her neighbour's daughter allegedly attacked her. Now she goes around with a patched right ear, and is frustrated because she claims that the police are not taking her case seriously. She gave us her story today. Patrina Copius - Alleges they bit off her ear: "As I came home Monday evening 6:30 this young lady my neighbour, I saw her coming, she attacked me. I pass first then she grab me and I was on my phone and she grab me by the neck and punch me in my face and that's when she grabbed me and had me hooked so we tackled on the ground. She got me all on the ground then afterwards she bite me on my ears, she got me hooked and in my hair. Then her daughter come across with a long lime stick, she come whop me on my foot; you know the whole crowd whe mi there is their family so everybody the encourage the fight and no want part the fight. My boyfriend has to end up come part they."

For Help In The Hurricane, turn To CEMO
Last night, we told you about the start of the 2016 Hurricane Season, which is projected to have 16 named storms. Well, the City Emergency Management Organization is ready to act, if any of those storms should make landfall in Belize. Today, the CEMO managers held a press briefing to outline their contingencies for all categories of storms: Phillip Willoughby - City Council, CEMO: "Whenever we hear the term emergency management, emergency planning, yes you hear at the head from NEMO then normally you would hear directly from myself and it would always me making these comments. So this time around I want you to hear directly from the experts who will be directly responsible for providing the actual safety, the actual ground work." William Mason - Belize Medical Technology: "We have been invited many times to come out and provide the technical services like drone services, medical services and various different forms of evacuation services for the people within those areas. We have managed to have tremendous success with our team about 25 volunteers and we've always been known as being the guys who is on the scene any time as the first responder. We're fully equipped with all kinds of equipment; we have about 4 generators right now, lighting capacity to light up a place like a football field. We're ready to mobilize with our drones services as well."

A Second Take On Taxi Moratorium
And, keeping it on matters from City Hall, for the past 4 years, Belize City has been issuing a limited number of taxi licenses. That's because back in 2012, when the Darrell Bradley City Council was first elected, they made the decision to enforce a strict moratorium, after conducting their own studies and concluding that the City had an excess of taxis. Well, they've since relaxed from that perspective a bit and for a few years now, they've been in consultation with the major taxi associations about who should be allowed to get new taxi plates, and under what conditions. Today, City Hall was supposed to announce the lifting of that ban, but it appears that they haven't reached that point yet. Today, we asked the Mayor why the ban must still continue: Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor" "We are in the process of doing that. We had a public consultation, it was a while back we did a strap hold in relation to where persons were in terms of stakeholders, we're talking about taxi operators and people who are the heads of taxi unions and so forth where they were in relation to if they wanted the moratorium in place, if they wanted the moratorium lifted."

A Fair For Fishers
It's fisher folk month and to start off the calendar of activities, an open day was held today at the BTL Park. But this wasn't just another educational showcase about the role of the Fisheries department and what is being done to protect Belize's marine resources. Fisheries Administrator Beverly Wade told us that it is about recognizing and honouring the social and economic impact fishermen have in Belize and the region. Beverly Wade - Fisheries Administrator: "It is a time for us to focus on the key actors in the fisheries sector who are really the fishers and it's an excellent opportunity for us to now highlight the importance of an industrious group of Belizean citizens who we often don't pay attention to in terms of the importance of their role to our national economy, the importance of their role to us culturally and the importance of what they do to our communities. Today as I said is the opening of the month long activities and who we have out here with us today are our partners who have been working with us in the fisheries sector. We have members from our conservation community, we have people from our co-management community, of course we have the fisheries department out here and we have cooperate sponsors who are out there who recognize the important role of fishers and they are also out here celebrating with us."

Weed Whackers As Entrepreneurship
26 weed whackers were donated to 26 young prospective Belizean entrepreneurs this afternoon. It is a Belize City Council initiative to empower marginalized city men, and assist them in becoming independent bread winners for their families while at the same time providing an essential service to the city. The 26 recipients of the weed whackers were chosen based on the recommendations of constituency representatives in the city of Belize. We attended the handing over ceremony today and met some of the young prospective entrepreneurs. Deon Leslie - Councillor of Sanitation: "I encourage you all to use these machines, they're great machines, the council have been using them for the past year, we've had great results with them to take care of these machines, use them as much as you can, have an income and you never know; you can grow your little company and when you come back here a year from now you can say you went from 1 machine to 5 machines and now you're employing 6, 7 people. So with that I say thank you and good luck."

Read About Rowan
He's blind, but that didn't stop Rowan Garel from climbing to the heights of Victoria Peak, and diving to the depths of the Blue Hole. He became known for his incredible courage, determination and will to show other blind kids that they too can do anything they set their minds to. We've been following him since boyhood, and now as a young man, he is the subject of a new children's book called "Climb, Walk, Dive" Adventures of Rowan Garel. The launch was held this morning at the Image Factory and we stopped by to find out why Rowan's story transcends boundaries: He made history in 2011 when he climbed Victoria Peak. He stunned everyone in 2013 when he dove the blue hole. And he amazed us all when he walked form Benque Viejo to Belize City. These are just 3 of Rowan Garel's feats. and today at the Image Factory, those adventures were captured on the colourful pages of this new book.

Rotary Relief
The Rotary Club of Belize handed over the keys to a brand new house to a resident of "QS" Street in the Faber's Road area this morning. It is a wooden 2 bedroom bungalow, and while it may not seem like much, for the new house owner, 35 year old Tanesha Plunkett, it is a prayer answered. Tanesha Plinkett - New Home Owner: "I'm a single mother of 4 right, I haven't had a job for a couple months, I have been struggling because I am the only one supporting them and you know it's hard when you're a single mother to care of kids, provide and pay rent. So a friend of mine who is a member of the Rotary club spoke to them and ask them to assist in any way they could. I didn't believe I would have gotten the house right because it look a long while to get back a reply but I got back a reply saying that I was approved and this is how it came about."

Bring Back The Beauty
The Miss Universe beauty pageant is the biggest pageant event in the world but in case you hadn't noticed, Belize hasn't been represented in the pageant since 2007. Apparently, that's because Belize was banned from the competition due to a misunderstanding between the pageant organizers and the last owners of the Miss Belize Franchise. Well the franchise now has a new set of owners, who are trying to regain the Miss Belize glory. Today the Queen of the Jewel organization, the new managers of the franchise, held a press briefing at the Bliss Center where they spoke about this new venture. The date for the local Miss Belize competition is set for September 8th. Now Belize has made a mark at the Miss Universe Pageant before. In 1979 Sarita Acosta made it to the semi-finals. So is Belize ready to go "Sarita" in 2016? The new managers of the Miss Belize Franchise seem to think so.

Channel 5

Belmopan Taximan Murdered
The body of a very popular Belmopan taxi-man was found this afternoon in the Rivera area of Belmopan. Forty-five year old Leonel Gillett was last seen by family members at [...]

U.D.P. Ministers Meet With PM Barrow after Cabinet
On Tuesday’s newscast we told you about reports of a ruckus in Cabinet…reports later denied by all the Ministers with whom we came into contact. But while nobody will outrightly [...]

Patrick Faber Says He Doesn’t have a Problem with Women
The campaign for deputy leadership of the United Democratic Party was a spirited effort and both camps somehow managed to temper the mudslinging. While the issue of Faber’s professional relationship [...]

Faber Reaches Out to Woman Fired By Beverly Castillo
On Tuesday, avid U.D.P. supporter Ingrid Hernandez, a constituent of Belize Rural Central, stopped by our office to express her discontent with animosity taking place within the party after Sunday’s [...]

Will PM Barrow Groom Faber for the Top Spot
Patrick Faber will be confirmed as Deputy Prime Minister by next week Tuesday, and fully expects that in that position he will be groomed for eventual leadership of the United [...]

Post-Mortem Examination Indicates Julia Arana’s Death Unrelated to RTA
Julia Arana was hit on the Phillip Goldson Highway on April first. The Trial Farm resident was crossing the highway when a vehicle driven by area representative Jose Abelardo Mai [...]

Fin Sec Says G.O.B. Must Control Expenditures
The IMF’s Article Four consultation report came out last week, and as we reported then, it seems to be pretty much all bad news. It makes reference to a slowing [...]

Faber Blames P.U.P. for Country’s Economic Woes
The IMF states in its Article Four consultation that Belize is on shaky footing economically and measures will need to be put in place for recovery in the medium and [...]

P.U.P. Says We Told You So
The People’s United Party has also issued a statement on the IMF report and it is not taking the blame for the economic woes. According to the P.U.P., while the [...]

ACP Calls on Guatemala to Respect Belize’s Borders
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington attended the eight summit of the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Governments. The summit concluded today in Papua New Guinea with [...]

Patrick Faber Says Guatemalan Negotiators Cannot Be Trusted
On Friday News Five was stopped by Guatemalan military as we tried to enter the Sarstoon. They claimed that we were in their national waters. That claim is nothing new, [...]

Generals Jones and Perez to Meet Later this Week
While John Saldivar has been in the news of late mostly in reference to his bid for U.D.P. Deputy Leader, he is the Minister of National Security and border security [...]

Fin Sec Speaks on Arbitration Award
Earlier in our newscast Financial Secretary Joseph Waight explained that to deal with a deteriorating fiscal position GOB will have to tighten its belt and control expenditures. But there’s one [...]

Darion Hamilton Will Stand Trial for Blue House Bar Murder
A security guard will stand trial for the murder of forty-one year old Wilmer Cisneros which occurred at Blue House Bar on April twenty-fifth, 2015 in Ladyville. Cisneros lost his life in [...]

Book on the Adventures of Rowan Garel Released
Over the years, we have covered the adventures of young Rowan Garel, an amazing and extraordinary young man who has been blind since birth. His approach has not only been [...]

Mayor Bradley Says Government Should Pay for Dredging of Southern Foreshore
For months now the media has been following the silt situation at the Southern Foreshore. It’s gotten progressively worse, to the point where there is a real threat that the [...]

Belize Will Field a Delegate for Miss Universe Pageant
The Miss Universe pageant is the most prestigious in the world. Last year alone, the beauty pageant was viewed on television by more than eight million viewers. But of the [...]

Applications Being Accepted for Miss Belize Pageant
The 2016 Miss Belize winner will be chosen at a pageant on September tenth. Today a call was made for aspirants to become an ambassador of beauty for Belize. At [...]

What’s the Outlook for the Hurricane Season?
The 2016 Hurricane Season official starts today and the outlook on activity for this season points to an average to slightly above average number of systems for the Atlantic Ocean, [...]

CTV3

Teachers Advised To Comply with Education Act
Back in 2012 the Ministry of Education signed a statutory instrument to enforce, discussed key policies and objectives in the education and training sector that could affect teachers with provisional teaching license across Belize. The ministry requested that all teachers with provisional license, further their studies and apply for a full teacher’s license since the new implementation would not allow for renewal of any provisional licenses. Moreover a mandatory special permit was introduced for applications, this permit would only be issued if the applicant with a provisional license would continue or further in pedagogic studies. Almost 4 years after the Ministry of Education is still trying to have qualified individuals with pedagogic background to abide by the educational act. According to Corozal District Centre Manager, Jahmor Lopez, teachers with provisional licenses may have a degree in a certain subject but lack the philosophy of child behavior and assessment.

Social Security Board Celebrates 35 Years Of Service
Today the staff and affiliates of the Social Security Board here in Belize observe the institutions 35th anniversary having officially opened its doors for operations on June 1st 1981under the umbrella of former Minister Joe Elijio Briceno who lately passed away. This year the company’s anniversary is being celebrated under the theme Social Security celebrating 35 years of Service and Striving towards Excellency in Service. Here in Orange Walk the occasion was marked with a customer appreciation day and information fair as employees of the SSB provided valuable information about the Boards schemes and benefits that are offered to members. Service Delivery Manager at the SSB, Thurnica Middleton, spoke to us about the celebration and about some of the information that was delivered to contributory members.

Advisory Issued For Hurricane Season
As we told you at the top of the newscast today marks the start of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season and despite predictions of an average hurricane season, Corozal residents are being told there could be more hurricane activity after the month of August since the El Nino phenomenon conditions will evolve. Willard Levy - District Coordinator for NEMO Corozal: “It is considered that this year it will be something like an average to above average hurricane season, everybody is looking forward for heavy rains due to the extensive heat that we have but it was forecasted that we are going to have in the northern part of the country some extreme drought and this is what we are experiencing right now but as far as what se ca see this is going on at least for the rest of this month we will be having this kind of weather, after the month of August we no longer have El Nino so we will be expecting much more activity any time after August for any possibilities of systems forming up more frequently than last year, last year we didn’t had any other than just rains.”

ACP Reiterates Support For Belize's Sovereignty
The 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Heads of State and Government which was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea lasted for a period of two days under the theme “Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to Challenges of the Sustainable Development’. After the Summit concluded yesterday, the representatives agreed on a Declaration which was based on a variation of matters associated with the responsibilities and future of the ACP. Paragraph 18 of the Declaration contained a strong proclamation of support in favor of our country, Belize, as it relates to the topic of the Guatemalan claim. It indicated that protocols must be established with regards to the adjacency zone for the benefit of both parties.

Fishermen Detained In Guatemala Back Home
Official information reaching our newsroom today is that the 8 Belizean fishermen who were detained by the Guatemalan Navy on Friday May 27th are back in Belize. The men were deported from Guatemala sometime last night and according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group made their way back to Belize by road. Sometime around noon last Friday, the eight Belizeans were detained by the Guatemalan Navy after they were found disembarking from their vessel at the Punta Manabique Beach, Dept. of Izabal, Guatemala.

Post Mortem Revealed That Julia Arana Died Of Respiratory Failure
Fifty four year old Julia Arana died as a result of respiratory failure, that’s according to the results of a post mortem examination conducted yesterday on the body. According to Orange Walk Police, based on the post mortem….Arana’s death is not related to her injuries sustained when she was knocked down on the night of April 1st 2016. The vehicle that knocked down Arana as she was crossing the Philip Goldson Highway near the San Martin Gas Station in the Village of Trail Farm, was begin driven by Orange Walk South Area Representative Jose Abelardo Mai. So….what will happen with the politician? Officer Commanding the Orange Walk Police Formation Superintendent Selvin Tillett, told us that the file is being compiled and will be sent to the Department of Public Prosecution for further directives. Meaning that, so far Mai remains clear of any charges.

LOVE FM

ACP Reiterates Support for Belize in Recent Summit
The African, Caribbean and Pacific Heads of State and Government convened for their 8th summit in New Guinea yesterday. The summit, held under the theme, “Repositioning the ACP Group to Respond to Challenges of the Sustainable Development” has representation from Belize through its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington and His Excellency Dylan Vernon, Belize’s […]

What Killed Lionel Gillett? Belmopan Police Investigates
A murder has been reported in Belmopan. Love News got the details from officer in charge of Belmopan Police, Senior Superintendent, Howell Gillett. HOWELL GILLETT “Sometime after 1pm today we received some information that there might have been a possible murder in the area of west Belmopan adjacent to the Riviera area and our officers […]

Closing Arguments Conclude in Calaney Flowers’ Trial
Closing arguments were heard today in the case against Calaney Flowers, accused of hitting the motorcycle of her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend. The Defense represented by attorney Dickey Bradley, argued that the four witnesses presented by the prosecution were faulty and argued that their testimonies were not credible. Two of these are statements […]

Briceno Spoke Months Ago What IMF Stated in Recent Report
Last week we told you of the preliminary report coming out of the assessment team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in which it has stated that the country’s economic outlook has worsened. Yesterday we brought you the interview with Senator Godwin Hulse where he told Love News, quote, “this is not by far the […]

Village Council Elections to Begin June 5
Over the next five weeks, one hundred and ninety villages from around the country will be holding village council elections in all six districts. With the next general election not due until the year 2020, the Barrow administration remains in control and with that very few villages will be contested by the main opposition. Love […]

Rotary Club Gives Mother of Four a New Home
A 2-bedroom bungalow wooden home was handed over to Tanesha Plunkett, a mother of four this morning in the Port Loyola area of Belize City. The Rotary Club with support from fellow Rotarians in Canada were the ones who provided the funding of about twenty two thousand dollars to complete this undertaking. Tessa Usher is […]

Belizean Dies in Accident in the US
Last week Monday, Belizean American Kyler Jackson and his one year old daughter Kaylee Jackson were reported missing. Reports are that Jackson was heading to Sacramento, driving but never reached his destination. In the Area of Walnut Grove, officials began searches which lead to the discovery of Jackson’s vehicle in the Georgiana Slough.Jackson was found […]

Melchor Vendors Say Business Has Been Dismal
Over the weekend Love News headed to the border to investigate whether the Belize Guatemala conflict is affecting the businesses and their opinions on how their government is negotiating the conflict between the two countries. The day after we visited the ordering commercial town Guatemalan citizens held a demonstration to protest the death of the […]

Jefferies Is Leaving as CTO
Crispin Jefferies is the Chief Transport Officer and has had that position since 2011. However, his new replacement announced that Jefferies would be stepping down. At this time we are uncertain if Jefferies contract was not renewed but Tirso Galvez who is currently the Operations Officer of Transport made the announcement at City Hall. TIRSO […]

Camp Elevate Goes Into Its 10th Year this Summer
With the summer holidays quickly approaching organizers from various institutions arepreparing for the out of school programs. The Nancy Marin Foundation for the tenth year will be holding its Camp Elevate in the rural parts of the Cayo District. Love News spoke with Nancy Marin to get more details. NANCY MARIN ” The camp begins […]

PlusTV

Are tensions brewing in the red camp following Faber’s win?
It has been two days since the National UDP convention to choose that party’s Deputy Party Leader. The campaign process for internal party politics can be as heated as the campaigns for general elections and the Patrick Farber and John Saldivar camps spent a hefty load of money on advertisements and...

Rural police busy with shooting, stabbing
It was a busy Monday night for police in Eastern Division (Rural). We begin with a shooting in paradise – Western Paradise to be precise. A man and his common-law wife were shot several times last night in their own home. Eastern Division Rural Police are investigating the incident, but as we...

Police arrest incident caught on video
Two persons have been arrested in San Ignacio following an incident that was caught on camera on Burns Avenue on Friday May 27th. Some say the video shows a case of police brutality but the charges laid are against the dog owner. Here is a look at the video. The first man has been charged with obstr...

Arsonist Caught on Camera
There was another incident caught on camera; this time an act of arson. This video clearly shows a man walking up to a thatched seating area of a restaurant in the Cayo district. The time stamp on the video shows that it occurred on Monday May 30th. The man walks up to the thatched structure and wit...

Police fear retaliation for Michael Wallace murder
Yesterday we reported on this past weekend’s murder of South Side affiliate 22 year old Michael Wallace, which police believe may be linked to the April 16th murder of the reputed gang boss of George Street, Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett. Michael and his brother 29 year old Richard Wallace along with their...

Roberts Grove former director court ordered to pay millions to the company
Robert’s Grove Beach Resort has won a Supreme Court Case that Robert’s Grove, Ltd (RGL) filed in the Supreme Court of Belize against director Jean-Marc Tasse. That litigation was filed on September 16, 2014. Claim No. 513 2014 alleged that Jean-Marc Tasse had been using The Resort as his own pe...

Rabies vaccination for cattle strongly recommended
All Livestock farmers are being cautioned by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health and Belize Livestock Producers, to vaccinate their cattle against the ongoing Bovine Rabies outbreak. The disease is currently being detected in the ...

Breaking Belize News

Near normal hurricane season expected
With the hurricane season opening today, predictions for storm activity in our area were released and show that a near normal six months is being expected, with the season closing at the end of November. Predictions are that a high possibility for 10 to […]

Majil’s Mexican Products in Corozal robbed
Confirmed reports are that late this evening a sales representative of Majil’s Mexican Products was robbed and relieved of a significant amount of cash. BBN understands that the individual, a male, was walking back to the company’s warehouse in the Santa Rita Area in Corozal […]

Trio charged over burglary
Well-known Sandhill businessman and justice of the peace Oswald Blease and two brothers of the village are charged with handling stolen goods and burglary. 38 year old Deon Richards, an electrician of Sandhill, is accused of burglarizing Renco Cabinet Shop at Mile 19, Philip Goldson […]

Who will clean up Haulover Creek?
The siltation problem at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, especially near Southern Foreshore, is getting worse. Today reports were that a boat got stuck momentarily. When we last spoke to Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley about it, there was a dredge in place to […]

Doctor says Julie Arana’s death not directly related to traffic accident
The post-mortem conducted on Julie Arana has indicated that she died of respiratory failure. Orange Walk authorities told BBN this afternoon that according to the doctor, the cause of death is not directly related to the accident, where Arana was knocked down by Jose […]

ACP announces support for Belize
In a Declaration on the just concluded 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Heads of State in Papua New Guinea, the nations once more pledge support for Belize in the Belize-Guatemala territorial differendum. At paragraph 18, the declaration reads quote “Recalling the […]

City Emergency Management gets active for hurricane season
Today is the first day of the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season and as is now traditional, the Belize City Council issued an update on its activities in preparation. According to Mayor Darrell Bradley, who also heads the City Emergency Management Organization, preparations began almost […]

Black Orchid Resort wins TripAdvisor’s 2016 Certificate of Excellence
TripAdvisor has awarded a 2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the Black Orchid Resort in the village of Burrell Boom, Belize. 2016 marks the seventh year in a row that the Black Orchid resort has been distinguished with this prestigious award that is bestowed based […]

Blogs

Blackadore Caye, Belize: Restoration and Development, I Think I Finally Get It
Yesterday, I snagged my first invite to head over to Blackadore Caye with the Jim, who works in Environmental Protection & Restoration, Juan, a head biologist and a crew of Belizeans including a student in Biology at University of Belize to learn about Blackadore Caye. The team is doing an amazing amount of research – from water and soil checks around the island to mammal studies to currents and tides… This will one of the best documented, well researched areas in Belize. Yes, they want to build a resort/complex but they also want to restore the island to a healthier state. They REALLY do. And the scrutiny they are under because a big name is associated with it is intense. Scrutiny, by locals who know the area is needed, wanted. But we are allowing crazy things to happen on OUR island…mangrove removal, dredging and hideous resort construction – way too close to the quickly receding shoreline. Maybe it’s all too common to over-scrutinize what’s happening on the other side of the fence as opposed to your own yard? Maybe.

Visit Punta Gorda On Your Belize Vacation
Punta Gorda Town, commonly referred to by locals as “PG” or “PGT”, is the capital and largest municipality in Belize’s southern Toledo District. Although the name of the town comes from Spanish (meaning “Fat Point”), the town is primarily home to speakers of English, Creole, East Indian languages and Mayan dialects. Thanks to cool breezes from the Gulf of Honduras, visiting Punta Gorda during even the hotter months is pleasant. One of the most exciting attractions is the annual Chocolate Festival, held every May in Punta Gorda. There is an airstrip just outside Punta Gorda with regular domestic connections to Belize City and other destinations in Belize. There are regular bus connections from PG to Dangriga, Belmopan and Belize City. Water taxis connect PG to Puerto Barrios across the border in Guatemala. There are also regular bus routes connecting PG to points south in Guatemala.

“London Calling” San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Since moving to Ambergris Caye in May 2012 I never once had the slightest interest in returning to the UK for a visit. In fact before relocating here when saying our ‘goodbyes’ I actually said that the only way that my family and friends would see me again would be if they came to visit me here. During the intervening time there wasn’t the merest inclination to waiver. There were no strong reasons to go back. And they , whoever ‘they’ ( these people of perceived wisdom ) are , they always say “you should never go back”. Well that all changed last December when I received an email from a previous work colleague. He was organising a major event. No it wasn’t an invitation from Rupert Murdoch to attend his upcoming wedding to Jerry Hall (still can’t understand why I wasn’t on the guest list!). It was better than that. It was from my best friend John Townley. He wanted me to join around another 130 family and friends to help him celebrate his 60th birthday. It was definitely a case of London calling!

International Sources

Tropical system may form in eastern Gulf of Mexico next week
Areas from Central America to southeastern Mexico, western Cuba and southern Florida will be on alert into next week as a tropical system may form. The window for tropical development will reopen about a week after the formation of Tropical Depression 2, which went on to become Tropical Storm Bonnie, near the Carolina coast over Memorial Day weekend. "We are suspicious about the area near Central America because it is in a region where we often see tropical development during June," according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

Belize in Need of an IARU Member Society
The Belize Amateur Radio Club (BARC), which had been the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) member society for that South American county, no longer exists, according to the IARU. In 1993, the IARU Secretariat had published a Calendar announcing that BARC was no longer representing Amateur Radio operators in Belize, and no responses had been received by the International Secretariat to any communications sent to BARC. “In fact, no communications have been received by the IARU International Secretariat or the IARU Region 2 Secretary from anyone associated with the BARC in the last 23 years,” an IARU news release said on May 31. “Based upon this lack of activity in representing the radio amateurs in Belize and the lack of any communication from anyone associated with BARC since 1993 and according to IARU policy, the Secretary of the IARU has determined that the Belize Amateur Radio Society no longer exists.”

The mystery and beauty of the Maya
DURING the final days of the Red Army’s fierce battle for Berlin, Yuri Valentinovich Knorosov, a Soviet artillery soldier, found boxes of books in front of the Prussian State Library. Clearly, the Germans hadn’t managed to remove and put them somewhere safer as they did with so many works of art before the advance of the Allied troops. Knorosov, who had begun studying ethnology in Moscow before war broke out, was hungry for books and rummaged through the boxes. Fortunately, they were still in good condition; neither vandalised, ruined by debris from bombs or scuffed amid the street-fighting. He found a treasure: an edition of Diego de Landa’s “Relación de las cosas de Yucatán” (“Narrative of the things of Yucatán”). Though written in 1566, it is still seen as the authority on Mayan life, religion and culture. Ironically, de Landa was also responsible for the destruction of a large proportion of works in 1561 which contained the icons and hieroglyphs of the Mayan language. Those included the famous Mayan codices, folding books made of what the Maya called huun-paper. Apparently it was more durable and had a better writing surface than papyrus. But as a bishop, de Landa felt that “none of them was free of superstition and devilish illusion.” Yet in his own book he describes Mayan life and culture including their calendar, their architecture, the floral and the animal world using Roman letters for the phonemes he heard in the Mayan language. His work made it possible to decipher around one-third of the Mayan hieroglyphs.

Senior Caribbean environmentalist outlines use for GCF resources
A senior official of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), says the Green Climate Fund (GCF) resources should be used to help countries prepare an environment for robust mitigation efforts, such as energy transformation, policy and legislative reform. CCCCC Deputy Director and Science Advisor, Dr Ulric Trotz, said that the resources should also be used to help countries in the Caribbean “prepare sound investment portfolios with full-fledged, costed and ready to implement proposals for the transformation of the energy sector. “I imagine GCF resources being used to incentivize investment in these actions. The approach I have articulated will create an enabling landscape marked by a favourable investment climate, an incentivizing environment, and a preponderance of credible and ready to go transformational programmes,” he said in a position outlined in the inaugural edition of Caribbean Climate Podcast.

Exercise Tradewinds 2016 starts Sunday in Grenada
Beginning Sunday, June 5, military and security forces from Caribbean nations will join the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom for maritime and internal security and disaster response training in Grenada as part of Exercise Tradewinds 2016. This year’s Exercise Tradewinds will be conducted in three phases: Phase I will include maritime and land operations, and will take place in Grenada through June 14; Phase II will include maritime and land operations, including US Marines, and will take place in Jamaica from June 20-28; Phase III, a key leader seminar, will be conducted July 20-22 in Miami for key stakeholders and decision makers from the region.

Videos

Belize Tubing & Ziplining 2016, 3min.

Hicatee Turtle Hatching in Belize, 1/2min.

Belize Edit, 4min. Take Me Back to Belize.

VLOG: BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, 16min. so to celebrate my mothers 50th we went on a west Caribbean cruise, which started in New Orleans. This Vlog is the 4th day at sea and we've arrived in Belize city, Belize

Belize Trip May 2016, 12min.

BSI ASR CROP REVIEW 2016 - WEEK 25, 3min.

LA VOZ KARAOKE 2016 - WEEK 7, 144min.

Taiwan Medical Delegation Visits Belize, 35min.

San Pedro Town kicks off Clean Up Campaign 2016 with a little Belizean Spirit., 1min.

Belize 2016, 3min. We took a trip to Belize for 11 days... here's a little video about how it was!

Island in Belize DJI Phantom 4 Test, 7min.

Island in Belize DJI Phantom 4 Test/Tour (15 min), 15min. Tour of Peter Douglas Caye in Belize

Shark Ray Alley. Ambergris Caye, Belize, 3min.

Belize Cerros, 3min.

Let's visit Belize, 33min. The boys venture out of the 'tourist' area and meet up with some of the locals.

Amazing Helicopter Tour in Belize, 4min.

Monkeys in the jungle on the way to Lamanai. Belize. Searious., 2min.

June 1, 2016