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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Taiwanese Ambassador and CATO members visit San Pedro
The Ambassador of the Republic of China in Taiwan to Belize, His Excellency Benjamin Ho and his wife were on a working visit on Ambergris Caye. During his one day visit, Ho met with the Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero and members of the San Pedro Town Council. The visit took place on Sunday September 28th and was part of the country's 2014 Business and Investment Mission to Belize organized by the Central American Trade Office (CATO). As part of the delegation, Ho was accompanied by representatives of SpeedTech Energy and Sunmed Medical Group. Representatives of the two companies made presentations about their products and line of service. The intention was for the municipal leaders to see how their products could be used in San Pedro Town. For its part, SpeedTech Energy showcased their green energy source as an alternate for non-renewable sources of energy.

Time for a bike ride
There is truly nothing more fun than a ride down the beaches of our island, taking in the breeze and balancing through sand. At least, these little girls seem to be enjoying their two-wheeled jaunt!

Garbage fished from the sea for International Cleanup Campaign
While the total tally of the amount of garbage recovered from the coastal areas has not been calculated, the amount of garbage recovered paints a sad environmental problem. Humans continue to dump garbage in our planet's water sources, thus contributing to the deterioration and pollution of the marine ecosystem. Often, hundreds of living things, reptiles, birds and fish associate the garbage as a food source, eventually ingesting the objects and dying due to the toxic components of the garbage. The event highlights the point that more effort is needed to stop humans from dumping garbage, especially into the water sources. It is designed to help build awareness to dispose of garbage the right way. The garbage that was collected was taken to the municipal dump for proper disposal. The organizers would like to thank the organizations and residents that assisted in making the event successful.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Junior College Donates to Roman Catholic Church
Please allow us a space in your prestigious Newspaper for the following: On September 19, 2014, San Pedro Junior College joined the George Price Centre for Peace and Development in commemorating our National Day of Prayer and Service. We identified a non-profit organization, in this instance, the Roman Catholic Church, to donate our proceeds of the Bar-b-que Sale that we did for the purchase of a new keyboard. We need to mention that on this occasion, the Lion's Club agreed to assist us in this endeavor as part of their community service. The following was the final breakdown of our fundraiser: Bar-b-que sale--$1040.00; Lion's chicken ceviche sale--$87.00; Lion's Bingo--$453.00. Our grand total of this first ever SPJC Community Service was $1,680.00.

Island Benefactor Al Felly Brings Typewriting to San Pedro
Al Felly was no ordinary visitor to San Pedro. He was a professional florist of Madison Wisconsin, and like a regular tourist he loved fishing. However, he fell in love with the children of San Pedro, and when he became connected with them, he really got "hooked." He visited with me back in 1972 when the school was just commencing. Since then both of us have retired, but the influence is still being felt and enjoyed in San Pedro. In this series we will get to see in how many fashions Al Felly touched the lives of hundreds of Sanpedranos. Today this is his favorite phrase: "I think back when it all started - love it." Well, I worked all along with Al Felly and his wife Eadie and you are going to get it from the horse's mouth.

San Pedro Participates in Countrywide Coastal Water Cleanup Day
Every article of trash was recorded and the information will be sent to the Ocean Conservancy to document the state of marine debris in Belizean waters. According to the 2013 data, approximately 9,300 pounds of trash was collected from twenty-seven (27) miles of coastline and waterways in 50 different locations. The trash collected this year from around the country included the usual non-biodegradable suspects: plastics, Styrofoam, aluminum wrappers and paper. But the debris also included things like car parts, tire rims and medical waste. Beyond compromising Belize's aesthetic beauty, marine debris poses serious threat to fish, seabirds, marine reptiles such as turtles, marine mammals such as dolphins and manatees.

Security Guard Stabbed while Robbers Lose $130K in Failed Robbery Attempt
A San Pedro security guard was left hospitalized on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, after he was stabbed twice while on his way to the bank to make a large deposit. Roberto Assi, a security guard at Milo's Center located in downtown San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, was on his way to make a deposit for the business at the local Belize Bank branch shortly after midday when he was accosted by two robbers who stabbed him twice in the process. The robbers managed to forcibly remove the money back from the security guard's grip just a few feet from the bank and then the two men made their way way down Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street) towards the direction of Central Park. Onlookers started pursuing them and during the scuffle of their apprehension, the bag containing $130,000 was torn, spreading money and checks across the street and park area. This is when local vendors and people on the street proceeded to help themselves to the money; so while the robbery was prevented, the money was still lost (or stolen) by residents of the island who were at Central Park.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Belize and Mexico sign bilateral agreements
With the signing of three agreements and the announcement of a series of specific actions, the eighth meeting of the Belize-Mexico Bi-National Commission took place last Friday. The Commission is the principal forum for dialogue between the two countries. Foreign Ministers Jose Antonio Meade and Wilfred Erlington led the meeting and announced the results after two days of work in Belize City, signing the following agreements: � Memorandum of understanding in tourism cooperation; � Letter of intent between Mexico and Belize to improve the security and cooperation programs at the maritime borders;

World Food Day 2014
Government of Belize Press Office

World Mental Health Day 2014 October 10th, 2014
The Ministry of Health celebrates World Mental Health Day this year with a national ceremony at the Welcome Resource Center, Belize City on Friday, October 10th starting at 10:30 a.m.

Where to Meet Expats in Punta Gorda, Belize
Unlike the more popular beach towns in Belize, Punta Gorda-in the Toledo District-is seldom crawling with tourists. And you'll find few expats in Punta Gorda, compared to towns like Corozal, San Pedro, Placencia or San Ignacio. Upon visiting earlier this year, I learned that a growing number of expats are visiting and trying out the region to see if it's a fit for them. Punta Gorda, often called PG, is not a party town. Actually, many of the expats who live there fulltime own and operate a business. Others are deeply involved in volunteer or nature-related activities. The long-term expats seem to have integrated seamlessly into the local community. So those expats I quizzed had a hard time coming up with "expat hangouts." They said that they have little time to "hang out"� Although of retirement age, few are retired.

ADVISORY ON PROTEST IN-FRONT OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN BELMOPAN TODAY
The Government of Belize has granted a request to protest from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in front of the U.S. Embassy, Belmopan, on Thursday October 9, 2014. The protest is in regard to the United States Southern Command-funded Forward Operating base for the Belize Coast Guard on Hunting Caye. Belmopan Police have stated that they expect protesters from multiple civil groups and organizations to attend, but they do not know how many participants will be present. The Embassy recommends that visitors to the Embassy avoid contact with demonstrators if possible and recommends exercising extreme caution when driving in the vicinity of the demonstration. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.

Ministry of Health Fact Sheet on Chikungunya CHIKV!

Ministry of Health Fact Sheet on EBOLA!

BirdSleuth Workshop: Connecting Kids through Birds
As promised, photos from this year's BirdSleuth International two day Workshop held at our field station at Golden Stream on September 29th & 30th! The workshop introduced to primary school teachers a bird-focused environmental education curriculum developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Educaiton Program. And as a follow up to participants from last year, the second day focused getting feedback on experiences with using the curriculum. We are thankful for BirdSleuth International (www.birdsleuth.org), teachers and participants for providing their valuable time to this workshop.

Festival De La Hispanidad Y Mestizaje
Colcha Presents a weekend of Cultural Excitement! Come join of for the following event we have planned: Oct 10th - Historical Lecture - Roy Rodriquez Oct 11th - Hasta la Media Noche Musical Concert Oct 12th Evening of Traditional & Cultural dances and presentations * All event start at 7:30pm Corozal House of Culture (NICH)

Channel 7

Hon. Hulse Hunting For Illegal Labourers At Hunting Caye
Since the murder of Special Constable Danny Conorquie at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve two weeks ago - the entire country has been under a heightened state of security awareness. Which made it the perfect time to find out that a Guatemalan Company, BINARQ, was building the US Funded Coast Guard Forward Operating Base on Hunting Caye in Belizean water. It's the kind of no brainer that begs the question, "what were they thinking?" by having Guatemalan civilians building a Belizean military facility. Minister of Labour Godwin Hulse, who has been taking a hard line on labour related issues for immigrant workers, told the press today that as soon as he was informed of the Hunting Caye contractual arrangement, he tasked a labour team to investigate whether or not the proper permits were received to get Guatemalan Civilians working at the site. Here's how he explained it:

Saldivar: Why No Red Flags at Hunting Caye
The one minister of Government who did know about the arrangements made for the construction of the Forward Operating Base was John Saldivar, the Minister of National Security. Saldivar hasn't been granting interviews to the press for months, but he agreed to a press encounter today at the ceremony for the Police recruit intake number 90. The media took the opportunity to ask him why a Guatemalan company building the Hunting Caye Facility didn't raise any red flags, and here's how he responded: Alindy Marisol Amaya - News Director, KREM News "In relation to the operating base of the coast guard, in the wake of your comments in the national assembly and those of prime minister Dean Barrow, they have said that, that's not enough, heads should roll because there seems to be the sense that people, or yourself, may have been aware that Guatemalans were in fact constructing it. There is a threat in Guatemalans knowing the ins and outs, the exits of those security facility."

Hon. Lisa Vs. Bobby & Beenie
Yesterday, we told you about the letter that attorney Lisa Shoman wrote to the promoters of the Bobby Chin Birthday Bash Concert, which will take place at Cahal Pech Resort on October 18. The promoters will bring in Jamaican Dancehall Superstar Beenie Man as the headline event, but UNIBAM is demanding that all artists put on a clean show for the concert-goers. The organizations says that Beenie Man or Bobby Chin may, quote, "...make statements/sing, and/or perform lyrics and acts that incite, the murder of His Holiness the Pope, incite and advocate the hate/harm or murder of LGBT persons and promote harm and/or forcible sexual acts against women (and) girls�." End quote. Today we asked Shoman, to explain the legal basis for what, essentially, is censorship: Lisa Shoman, Attorney UNIBAM "It's not about gay people, it's about violence. This addresses violent lyrics and the violence can be expressed towards the police, it could be expressed about the pope, it could be expressed about women, it could be expressed about gay people. So the focus is not the LGBT community, it is a call for there to be no violence, no violent lyrics song, no violence expressed and I think that is a reasonable call.

Beenie Disavows Prejudiced Statements Of Youth
But, truth be told, the allegations of homophobia have dogged Beenie Man as a performer for over a decade now. Gay rights groups - especially in the United States - have been forcing promoters to cancel his shows since the early aughts. It's affected him big time, and stopped his ascension to status as a marquee entertainment name. In 2012 - he made this statement to appease his critics. It's relevant now in Belize, and we air it mostly unedited:� Today local promoter Troy Flowers, professionally known as DJ Dalla wasn't quite so contrite. He said in a statement today, quote, "Stop trying to fight and stifle the entertainment industry�it's a growing industry that puts food on many tables�.

San Pedro Robbery Was Both Questionable and Comic
Police have identified a main suspect who they are seeking for a brazen daylight robbery and stabbing yesterday in the heart of San Pedro town. And while initial reports said a security guard was left critical and that he had been robbed of $130,000 thousand dollars - police today told us that the guard only got a flesh wound and an official police report says that 39 thousand dollars in cash was stolen. Privately, police sources have told us that they have their doubts about that figure and are waiting for an accounting from the security company to verify it. Here's what happened: yesterday afternoon at around 1:30, security guard Cleofosio Robert Assi, was walking from the Western Union Office in downtown San Pedro to the Belize Bank with the money in his backpack. He was going to make a routine deposit, but had no escort and no firearm. Two men attacked him, stabbed at him and wrested away the backpack with the deposit bag. They fled, but according to the San Pedro Sun, townspeople chased them, and detained the bagman at the town's Central Park.

Police Said Send Five PIV To Prison
Edwin Drive Flowers, known as a prominent figure in the PIV gang. He is joined by 34-year-old Michael Coleman, 23-year-old Emmerson Skyers, 24-year-old Albert Clother, and a 17-year-old minor - all allegedly linked to PIV. The group of five appeared before Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith in Court #1 today where they were all unrepresented. They were jointly read a single charge of professed to be a member of a criminal gang, specifically, Peace In the Village, Bloods. They all pleaded not guilty. There's no bail for the gang charge and so all 5 were remanded until December 8, 2014. The girlfriend to one of the accused told court reporters that the charges are trumped up because they were all at the home of a contractor getting ready to go to work. We note that Drive Flowers - who was shot has his own small construction company.

What Happened To The Caracol Memo?
A week ago, 7News broke the story of the police memorandum which was sent to the Commissioner of Police, his top officers, and copied to the office of the Director of Tourism, Commissioner of Police, the BTB's Director of Destination Planning, and the Administrator of NICH in January. The Commander of the Tourism Police Unit warned in very stark terms that the Tourism Police Unit's officer were not adequately trained and equipped to secure the Caracol Archaeological Site. That was in January of this year, 8 months before Special Constable Danny Conorquie was killed, yet, no steps were taken to address the recommendations of Assistant Superintendent Diana Hall. She foretold that a tragedy such as this one could take place, and last week when the media questioned the Prime Minister about it, he said that the Minister of National Security was the government official most equipped to deal with those inquiries. That opportunity to ask the National Security Minister about that memo came today, and the media grilled John Saldivar on it. Here's what he said:

American Sicko Says He's Guilty
David Wendell Thompson - he's the American schoolteacher who was accused of trying to seduce under aged Belizean girls using facebook. Well, the news tonight is that the 49 year old Thompson has signed an agreement to plead guilty to a federal charge of online enticement of children, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of life behind bars. Thompson confessed to talking to two girls in Belize, one 13 and the other 15, using his own Facebook account and a phony account he set up in the name of Iris Levy, which was made to look like the profile of a teen-aged girl in Belize. In facebook chats, he tried to entice the 13 year old into sex, telling her, quote, "But u need help�I want u to have a better life." When the girl said she was worried because she was only 13, Thompson wrote in February, "U promised I could be your first and I felt special�will you still let me?"

Hey, Mr. Carter!
Businessman and former politician Darrell Carter pleaded guilty to two social security offences in court today. Carter was charged for four counts of failing to pay Social Security for his employees in February, March, April and May, 2014. He had pleaded not guilty when the case first came up in August, but today he pleaded guilty to two of four counts. In court, Carter asked for another adjournment because he had to let go his attorney and needed another. But the Chief magistrate refused saying that from August he had ample time to get a new attorney. The Chief told him that she was of the view that the matter did not have to go through a trial since the charges are straightforward, and that he either paid the contribution when he was to pay or he did not. Carter tried to present the case on his own and produced some documents showing that he had been making payments to Social Security Board. Carter maintained that he was innocent and maintained a not guilty plea but when the charges were reread to him and that's when he presented to the court a receipt for two payments which was made yesterday for February and March.

Court Reports Say The Cayo Magistrate Lost Her Cool
Yesterday an accused person appeared before Magistrate Nardia Morgan in San Ignacio Magistrate's Court for a case of grievous harm. But the arresting officer, a woman constable could not find the medico legal form specifying the injuries. Well, according to reports from inside the courtroom, that sent Magistrate Morgan off! She reportedly slammed a book on the judge's table - and the book went tumbling to the ground. She then reportedly threw some harsh words and stormed off the bench into her chambers, where she picked up he bag, and marched out through the door, only stopping to tell the defendant to go about her business. Reports say that the tantrum continued outside the courtroom. Since then Morgan has apparently gotten over it and returned to the courtroom but has reportedly banned civilian prosecutor George Lopez form appearing before her for the rest of the year.

Nancy And Don Hector, Damage Diplomacy
As we told you, earlier, Minister of National Security, John Saldivar told the media today that his ministry will look into why the Memo about the security concerns at Caracol were seemingly ignored, which critics say contributed to the unsafe conditions which led to the death of Special Constable Danny Conorquie. Well, The Belize People's Front says that you should join them in Boycotting Guatemala because the Government on that side is not doing enough to help Belize curb the incursions into Belizean territory: Daniel Ortiz Reporting For at least a decade now, Friends for Conservation and Development have been sounding the alarm that Belize loses millions of dollars to Guatemalan poachers. They've been engaging in all different kind of illegal activities in the country's natural reserves along the western boarder. The Belize People's Front says at the state level, the response has been inadiquate.

New Gun Law To Senate
Today, the Senate met to discuss the Amendments to the Firearm Act and the Legal Profession Act. As we've told you, the Government is seeking to rationalize the gun laws so that persons who have been wrongfully detained can get bail. As we've featured in our newscast many times in the past, the gun laws have been criticized as being too oppressive, and today, the Leader of Government Business, Senator Godwin Hulse, told the press that he joins those who have been pushing for this change, even if it is only incremental: Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration "As I said in the senate, let's be clear, I have been on this gun thing forever. You can probably dig in your archives for some of my speeches I gave on it. I've had personal experience or being roughed up by police, arrested and charged and it's not nice and I didn't know what hit me, where this was coming from? So i've been an advocate of this, we have discussed in cabinet in depth.

Belize Trucker Traffic Blocking In Chetumal
A major trucking malfunction caused a Belizean trailer to end up blocking the highway near Subtiniente Lopez in Chetumal yesterday. According to the "Por Esto!, Quintana Roo" newspaper, at around 3 in the afternoon a Belizean driver was transporting tonnes of fencing material to San Ignacio from Chetumal when the trailer suddenly became detached from the truck at the entrance of Chetumal, and was stuck in the road. But with the help of passers-by and enforcement officers, they were able to re-attach the cargo trailer to the truck. That took them about 1 hour.

South Indian Dance In Belize
An Indian dance group is here in Belize for the first time to perform the oldest and most popular South Indian classical dance known as the Bharatanatyam. There is a story behind this highly complex and elegant dance and the dancers discussed that at their rehearsal today. The performance started at 7:30 tonight at the Bliss. Entrance is free.

Immigration Questions Arise Again
Since the Private Prosecution against Elvin Penner failed, immigration matters seemingly have gone cold, but there are reports reaching the media tonight that a senior Immigration Officer from the Benque Viejo Office is being investigate for possible immigration irregularities. The allegations are that the officer facilitated documents for Chinese Nationals not yet in the country. Today the Minister confirmed it for the media: Mike Rudon, Reporter - Channel 5 News "We have been hearing that an immigration officer in Benque is under investigation for her part in facilitating some passports for foreign nationals, who aren't even in Belize. I understand it has been brought to the attention of the director and to your attention."