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The June 12th, 2013 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE
This Week's Stories:
- The Stage is Set!
Can PUP Mobilize like UDP in 2005?:
As we go to press,
word is that the
Opposition PUP
is attempting to
mobilize supporters
to descend on Belmopan
when the House of Representatives
convenes in the
National Assembly on Friday,
November 1, 2013. How historic
a day it turns out to be will to
some extent be heavily dependent
on what kind of numbers
the PUP is able to mobilize.
Since it lost the 2008
General Elections and became
the Opposition, the PUP has
been anything but impressive
when it comes to mustering
numbers around any event or
professed cause. Professed, we
say, for therein lies what is perhaps
the crooks of the PUP's problem, the question of whether
it possesses the moral authority
to genuinely lead any charge
against any alleged or perceived
wrongdoing by those in office,
or any public rallying around
any proclaimed righteous cause.
- Isidoro Beaton Football
Stadium Upgraded:
As most Belmopan
residents
should by now, a
good deal of new
investment has
been made to strengthen their
local football club, Belmopan
Bandits, which is participating
in the national competition organized
by the Premier League
of Belize, sponsored this year by Belikin Beer and Bowen & Bowen
Limited.
The Belmopan Bandits'
home field is the Isidoro Beaton
Stadium in the Nation's Capital;
and a good of resources is
also being invested to upgrade that facility to encourage more
of f he residents of Belmopan to
come out regularly to support
their home team as the national
competition heats up.
- Existential Questions Confronting the UDP:
As we understand
it, the
purpose of
the UDP
when it was
formed 40 years ago in 1973
was not simply to rival the
PUP, but to contrast and
correct what was fundamentally
wrong about PUP
style politics.
The PUP idolized its
leaders and was built on a
philosophy of party paramountcy.
The UDP was to
be the political force that
placed Country above Party.
The PUP was a monolithic
party that rewarded
its supporters and friends,
and punished its so-called
enemies and political rivals.
The UDP was to be the party
that allowed dissenting
elements and provided an
opportunity for full participation
and fulfillment by all
citizens in a country hitherto
ruled by one-party domination.
- 30 Years in the Belizean Beef Business: Running W Continues to "Meat" your Needs:
Running W
is a family
owned
company
that started
in 1983 (we are celebrating
30 years in business this October).
We remain focused on
a cow calf operation, a steer
fattening operation, and a
meat processing plant. Running
W has become one of
the largest meat processors in
Belize. We supply fresh cuts
and processed meats of primarily beef and pork. The
company has been innovators
in this industry and continue
to develop new practices
and products ensuring that it
serves Belize very good quality. Belize very good quality.
Initially our cattle were
predominately Brahman then
we introduced Nellore but
the demand from our customers
prompted us to start
changing our cattle genetics.
People were asking for
better meat.
- "I Give You My Peace":
"Thirty seven killed
in Syrian
car
bombing as fighting rages
nearby", the weekend's
CNN headline read. According
to the United Nations,
over one hundred
thousand people have died
in the Syrian conflict, which
started in March 2011.
Weeks earlier the world was
terrorized by the news of
blood-thirsty gunmen entering
the Westgate Mall in
Kenya and killing scores of
innocent people.
On a global level
there are wars, famine,
disease and pestilence, declining
economies and the
failure of governments to
gratify the masses. On a
community level, families
are in distress due to financial
crisis, alcoholism,
absent fathers, violence or
death. On a personal level
we are often harassed
by sickness, personal failures,
hopelessness and
many other troubles that
overwhelm us from time to
time.
- New NAVCO President: Elections Held in Belmopan to Choose New Executive:
On Saturday October
19, 2013,
the National
Association of
Village Councils
(NAVCO) held its Thirteenth
Annual General Meeting at the
George Price Center in Belmopan.
The purpose of the meeting
was to elect a new president,
as well as to plan and map out
a strategy for the direction that
the new NAVCO Board intends
to take during its three-year
term of office from 2013 to 2016.
Elected as the new president
was Mrs. Ruth Staine Dawson
from the Belize District.
She will serve for the entirety of
the three-year term of the current
executive. Also elected by
the New NAVCO BOARD were
Dr. Francis Arzu as Vice President;
Mrs. Anita Mesh as Secretary;
Miss Yolanda Molina as
Vice-Secretary; Mr. Alexander
Romero as Treasurer; and Mr.
Jovanni Montolban as Assistant
Treasurer.
- Not a Bang but Quite a Splash! Virtual End of Hurricane Season:
As we approach
the end of
October, Belizeans
generally utter
a sigh of relief. Although the
Hurricane season officially
extends until the end of
November, the latest day on
the yearly calendar that ever
saw a tropical system of any
significance affect Belize is
October 31. That storm was, of
course, Hurricane Hattie in 1961,
which is recorded in history as
one of the most catastrophic storms ever to impact Belize.
Although we more than likely
will not see a hurricane or
tropical storm for the rest of
2013, Belizeans countrywide
were significantly affected
by relentless rains over the
past weekend, which resulted
in considerable flooding in
portions of all but one of our
six districts. As one Belmopan
resident put it, "It must be the
2013 Hurricane Season's way of
telling us goodbye."
- Recruit Intake #89 on Training: Adding 132 New Officers to the Belize Police Department:
A hundred and
Thirty Two
(132) new recruits
are currently
on training
at the Belize Police Training
Academy in Belmopan. They
make up Recruit Intake # 89
of the Police Department.
The training, which began
seven (7) weeks ago, runs
for a total of 16 weeks, and the
new curriculum covers seven
(7) major areas, namely, Fundamental
Concepts of Policing;
Philosophy of Modern
Policing; Criminal Law; Grammar
Usage and Writing; Traffic;
Crime Information Management
System Technology;
and General Police Duties.
Of the 132 recruits in
training, 37 are females and
95 are males. The course will
be completed around January
of 2014 at which time
the traditional Police Passing
Out Ceremonies will be
held to mark their entry into
the ranks of the Belize Police
Force to assume official duties.
- EMERGING DISEASE POSES THREAT TO BELIZE'S SHRIMP
INDUSTRY:
Early Mortality Syndrome or Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (EMS/AHPND) is an emerging
disease that is not present in Belize. It affects shrimp that are not of marketable size, normally from 30 days
or younger. The disease does not affect humans but is often fatal to shrimp. Infected ponds can experience as
much as 100% mortality. EMS was first reported in China in 2009, Vietnam in 2010, Malaysia in 2011 and in
Thailand in 2012. It caused massive die-offs in cultivated shrimp in these countries.
Clinical signs of the disease includes lethargy, slow growth, an empty stomach and midgut and a pale and
atrophied hepatopancreas (internal organ that functions as a liver), often with black streaks. The
hepatopancreas does not squash easily when pressed between the thumb and finger. Within 30 days of a pond
being stocked large-scale die offs begins. The Global Aquaculture Alliance estimated that losses to the Asia
shrimp culture sector could be US1$ billion. The shortage of shrimp supply subsequently had an impact on shrimp
prices.
- Boston Red Sox Win World Series:
Most Valuable Papi: Ortiz outstanding:
It was clear what David
Ortiz was going to
say -- what, in some
form, he had to say.
He stood in shallow
left field at Fenway Park
late Wednesday night, not
far from the spot where, six
months ago, he dictated an impassioned
love letter to the city
of Boston. Behind Ortiz was a
shiny black truck, his reward
for winning the World Series'
Chevrolet Most Valuable Player
Award. Around him gathered
fans, well-wishers and
teammates, so many of them
waiting, waiting, waiting for
him to say the words again.
- Safety and Survival in Law Enforcement:
Law enforcement officers
spend a large
portion of the lives
looking out for the
safety mad security
of others. Too many of us take
this for granted, failing to realize
the extent which their own
safety and security is threatened
while they work to keep
the rest of us safe.
And in these modern
times, when respect for authority
in our society seems to
be at an all time low, the lives
of our law enforcement officers
at more at risk than they
have ever been.
- Statement by Hon. Edmund Castro:
The Hon Edmond
Castro,
Minister of
State in the
Ministry of
Works and Transport, utterly
rejects and condemns
the viciously false and
malicious story concocted
about him by Channel
5 and its agent, and aired
three consecutive nights
last week.
That story alleges
that Hon. Castro collected
four hundred thousand
dollars as payment for having
procured the issuance
of two hundred Belize visas
at the behest of a woman
that is the source and
co-fabricator of the Channel
5 story.
Hon. Castro makes
clear that the allegation is
a lie. He was never engaged
in any visa ring, and never
collected a penny from
the woman now turned
self-proclaimed whistleblower.
- Saving Lives On The Road: Signing of Contract for Road Safety Project:
The Government
of Belize through
the Ministry
of Finance and
Economic Development,
in keeping with
the long-term Vision for improvement
in road safety, that
through an integrated and
comprehensive approach, together
with demonstrated respect
between all road users,
the frequency and severity of
traffic collisions (road trauma)
is reduced, is pleased to
announce the award of contract to Anthony Thurton and
Associates Ltd. for the Design
and Certification Consultancy.
The Belize Road Safety
Demonstration Corridor
Project is a first step in developing
a comprehensive and
longterm road safety strategy.
The project was officially
launched on 14th March
2013 and is being implemented
through a BZ$14,495,000
loan from the CDB, and GOB
counterpart contribution of
BZ$3,191,000.
- Public-Private Sector Partnership: DPM Gaspar Vega Advances Agriculture Agenda, Meeting With Producers in the Aquaculture Industry:
Two Thursdays ago,
Deputy Prime Minister
Hon. Gaspar
Vega, Minister of
Natural Resources
and Agriculture, traveled south
to meet with key players in the
Aquaculture Industry.
The Deputy Prime Minister
and his team, including
CEO for Agriculture Jose Alpuche
and three -term UDP Stann
Creek Area Representative
Melvin Hulse, met with representatives
of six major companies
that make up the Shrimp
Growers of Belize Association.
Those companies include Aqua
Mar Belize Limited, represented
by Mike Dunker; Belize Aquaculture
Limited, owned by the
Bowen Group with new investment
by a group out of Thailand;
Texmar Belize Limited, represented
by Anthony Chaplin and
Hilly Muschamp; Royal Mayan
Shrimp Farm, represented by its
Managing Director, Alvin Henderson;
Paradise Shrimp Farm
represented by Hank Williams;
and Cardeli Shrimp Farm, represented
by its owner Linda
Cardeli Thornton. The meeting
took place at Belize Aquaculture
Limited where the Minister and
his team got a full tour of the facilities.
Secretary
- Meeting with Belize Livestock Producers Association:
Shortly after assuming
responsibility for the
Ministry of Agriculture
back in 2012, Deputy
Prime Minister Hon.
Gaspar Vega made the following
comments about the Cattle
Sweep Project to enable the
exportation of Belizean Cattle
particularly to Mexico:
"This is history in the
making; not only because we are
achieving financially so much
more resources, but because of
the new direction that we're taking;
and when I say, we are taking,
it's we the government and
the private sector. It is the first
time that a government agency
is not dictating but assisting the
private sector in ensuring that
they maximize their profitability,
their productivity; and that,
I believe, is what makes me so
proud."
Further commenting
on his philosophy of fostering
a strong public-private sector
partnership, Hon. Vega remarked,
"I must say that from
the time we took over Agriculture,
CEO Alpuche and I have
had one thing in common, it
was to ensure that we are seen
as a facilitator rather than dictator.
We want to assist; we want
to gain the confidence of all
the cattle farmers, not for the
government to make a profit,
but for the farmers to be more
productive. At the end of the
day, if the farmers make bigger
profits, the government will get
its share; the country will move
forward. The country will start
seeing the development that
- Touring Running W Brand Meats Processing Plant:
Last Wednesday, October
23, 2013, prior to
his meeting with the
Belize Livestock Producers
Association,
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Natural Resources
and Agriculture, Hon. Gaspar
Vega, toured the facilities of
Running W. Meats, a local Belizean
Company that produces
mainly beef and pork products.
The Deputy Prime Minister
was accompanied by CEO
in the Ministry of Agriculture,
Jose Alpuche; Acting Chief Agriculture
Officer Roberto Harrison
and his assistant Belarmino
Esquivel; and Executive Chairman
of the Belize Agriculture
Health Authorities (BAHA),
Emir Cruz.
Started way back in
1983, Running W is this month
(October) celebrating its 30th
year in business. The company
grows a lot of its own cattle, focusing
on a cow-calf operation,
a steer fattening operation, and
a meat processing plant. It has
become one of the largest meat
processors in Belize, supplying
fresh cuts and processed meats
of primarily beef and pork. The
owners of the company have
been innovators in the industry
in Belize, continuing to develop
new practices to ensure increased
and improved service to
an ever-growing market.
- A "Soft" Handover Ceremony: Hospital Receives Antimicrobial-Treated Pillows:
Minister of
Health, Hon.
Pablo Marin
was on hand
at the Karl
Heusner Memorial Hospital on
October 22, 2013 for the handover
of approximately 300 pillows
donated by the Belize Dry
Cleaners for hospitals across the
country.
The antimicrobial treated
pillows measure 20" X 26"
and are filled with 8oz garneted
polyester. The pillows have soft
polypropylene stitching and
they are fluid proof, wipeable
and flame resistant.
The pillows will be delivered
over the next couple days
to five hospitals: Karl Heusner
Memorial Hospital, Western
Regional Hospital, Northern
Regional Hospital, San Ignacio
Community Hospital and
Corozal Community Hospital.
- UN & UB Team up for Youth Development:
Social Audit Trainees on October 26 - 2013
Workshop on Social Audit for Young Belizean Leaders:
The United Nations
D e v e l o p m e n t
Programme in
partnership with the
University of Belize
hosted a two day Social Audit
Workshop for young Belizean
leaders and Entrepreneurs at
the University of Belize, Central
Farm Campus, Cayo District on
October 25 -26, 2013.
A total of 34 youth
leaders, women and men
equally represented, between
the ages of 18-29, from tertiary
level student government
bodies as well from civil society
organizations participated in
the Social Audit Workshop.
The workshop focused
on the rights young people
have to participate in auditing
exercises of their government.
The facilitators explained that
it is a must to train youth on
technical skills of social auditing
and the ability to analyze and
interpret public information.
Social auditing gives people the
skills to answer questions that
citizens ask, and have the right
to know about the government.
- Three Outstanding Belizeans Honored: For Contribution to Education, Music & Politics:
On October
23, 2003,
at the at
the Belize
House,
in Belmopan, three Belizean
men were appointed to
the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire for their
outstanding and selfless service
to their communities.
Frank Alexander Lizama
and Colville Ludwig
Young Jr. were both appointed
Order of the British Empire:
Mr. Lizama for his contribution
to art, education
and politics and Mr. Young
for his contribution to education
and music. Receiving
the insignia for Member of
the British Empire was Norman
Samuel Elburt Hamilton
for his contribution to music.
- BDF leads - Bandits Third:
The Belize Defence
Force team
remains undefeated
in the
2013 Belikin Cup
Premier League Football Competition
with 9 points obtained
from 3 wins. They enjoyed their
third win 2-0 over FC Belize
at the Carl Ramos Stadium in
Dangriga two Saturdays ago.
Stephen Martinez scored
the Belize Defence Force's first
winning goal in the eight minute
to lead 1-0 up to the half
time break. The BDF defenders
shut out FC Belize for 90
minutes of regulation time,
and Tarrel Flores came off the
BDF bench to score a second
goal in injury time to seal
the 2-0 victory over FC Belize.
FC Belize are now
in Fourth Place with Four
points from a win and a draw.
The Belmopan Bandits
remain at Third Place in the Premier
League of Belize, with Seven
points from Two wins and
a draw, after they schooled cellar-
dwellers Police United FC 1-0
at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium
in Belmopan two Saturdays ago.
Police headline striker
Harrison "Kafu" Roches looked
to score early when he beat his
man, but Bandits' goalie Woodrow
West beat him to the ball.
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