Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline


FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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


The San Pedro Sun

Reggae singer J Boog arrives on the island for the International Costa Maya Festival
J Boog, born Jerry Afemata, is on Ambergris Caye. The R & B and Reggae singer is scheduled to perform at the International Costa Maya festival on Friday August 8th. The singer arrived on the island with his backup crew shortly after 4PM on Maya Island Air. "I am very happy to be in Belize and people can expect a lot of good vibes and energy. It is just great to be here and I can't wait to meet all the fans and see what the festival is all about.

Teams begin to make their mark at the Island Cup Football Tournament
Sunday, August 3rd saw the third round of games for the Island Cup Football Tournament at the Ambergris Stadium. Teams such as the Ghetto Boys, Legends and Vince's Warriors have made their mark in the tournament with their winning streak. Football fanatics have been gathering at the field despite the blazing heat to support their favorite team. The first game this past Sunday was between San Pedro High School (SPHS) Football Team and Ghetto Boys. Even though they played well, SPHS could not pull off a win and conceded to the Ghetto Boys, who secured their third consecutive win in a 2-4 game. In the second game, San Pedrito FC faced off Vince's Warriors. The match was super exciting, as both teams fought hard for a win, but the game ended in a 1-1 draw. The last game of the day was between the Eleven Pirates and Legends. The Eleven Pirates were no match for the well seasoned Legends, who easily took the victory with a whopping 6-0 score.

Minister Manuel Heredia donates to SPJC Bachelor's Program
On Friday, August 1st, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation and Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. made a donation to the San Pedro Junior College (SPJC). The $5,000 check went towards the University of Belize (UB) Bachelor's Degree Program in Tourism Management offered here in San Pedro at the SPJC. The funds will assist SPJC in clearing arrears at UB in order to start the program once again in January 2014.

PC Kyle Serano honored as Officer of the Month for July
The San Pedro Police Department has reinstated its Officer of the Month Program, and taking the honor for July is Police Constable 1661 Kyle Serano. The Officer of the Month Program is part of a larger project being implemented to increase efficiency and productivity within the San Pedro Police Department. PC Serano has been working in the San Pedro precinct since February 2014 and is a rookie in the Belize Police Department, as this was his first assignment after graduating from the Belize Police Academy. According to Officer in Charge of San Pedro Police Superintendent Luis Castellanos, PC Serano was awarded Officer of the Month because of his determination and desire to work.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Police Youth Cadets Attend National Cadet Corps Summer Camp
On Sunday, July 20, 2014, the opening ceremony of the 17th National Police Youth Cadet Corps Summer Camp 2014 was held in Benque Viejo Town, Belize. The ceremony welcomed 65 police officers and 291 youth cadets as well as a cadre of local and national guests. Amongst the group was San Pedro Community Officer P.C. Juan Choc and W.P.C. Veraline Rivas accompanied by eight San Pedro Cadets that included: Derwayne Meigha (11yrs), Zailan Reneau (12yrs), Francis Auila (10yrs), Jake Anderson (10yrs), Luis Edwards (10yrs), Daylon Meighan (9yrs), Jamal Polonio (10yrs) and Jabel Martinez (11yrs).

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Tour Operator Advisory
All tour guide licenses expire July 31.

Come out and Enjoy Art in the Park!
Saturday August 9th

Belize Draft Code of Practice for Recreational Scuba Diving Services

Meet The Man Saving Belize's Manatees, One Baby At A Time
At 11 years old, Jamal Galves knew that manatees would be his life. As a child playing the lawn of his grandparents house, he would watch their hulking figures float by, imitating the researchers who trailed behind them. He saw them tagging the massive gray animals, drawing blood samples and even recording their every exhale. Since then, Galves, now aptly known as "the manatee man," has made manatees his life. Galves, now the Belize Manatee Project Program Coordinator in his home village of Gales Point Manatee, is still, in his own words, "just that kid trying to save manatees." But now he's got a lot more sway than the teenager who was working for free on the researchers' boat, cleaning and observing until he finally got a chance to participate.

Art for Kids and Teens
AKT, Art for Kids and Teens, is having drama and dance lessons at the Soul Project on Wednesdays and Fridays. "A space for kids and teenagers to express themselves through dancing, acting a singing."

2014 Reina de la Costa Maya
After costumes, swimwear and elegant evening gown segments, and the hardest: Q&A, the 2014 Reina de la Costa Maya has been decided and she is the beautiful Miss Mexico, Elisa Espinosa G�mez! She also took the Best Costume award. First runner-up is Miss Guatemala Keyla Bermudez and second runner-up is Miss Nicaragua Katherine Guadamuz Tapia.

True elegance
during the Evening Wear segment of the 2014 Reina De Las Costa Maya Pageant

Costa Maya:
The highly anticipated Bikini Wear!

July 28 - Aug 2 2014 Fishing Report
A light week here at the lodge with beautiful weather that was really a little too calm! Just a few boats went out each day, the tarpon bite was slow even though everything was perfect - the moon, tides, wind, but they were pretty tough to convince. Even the normally aggressive migratory fish were shy to eat on most days. Several honeymoon couples graced our presence and enjoyed the weather with some of our long time friends who have visited El Pescador many times before.

Channel 7

Attorney Arthur Says He Didn't Take Melonie's Money
Last night we broke the story about attorney Arthur Saldivar - and the sensational claim from his former client Melonie Coye: she's saying that Saldivar made off with nine hundred and four thousand dollars of the 1.6 million dollars she recovered from the Central Bank. The history of that money should be well known to those who follow the news: that's the money that was found in the suitcases in the Coye family home in December 2008. It was confiscated by police as the proceeds of money laundering and tied up by the FIU for the duration of the money laundering trial and its appeal. When Saldivar won the appeal, the court ruled that the Coye's could get back the money - but even then a Panamanian company stepped in and try to claim some of it.

Saldivar Says Eamon Courtenay Is Out To Get Him
But, a bulletproof vest wouldn't do him any good in a lawsuit anyway. And, we are told, that's just what Saldivar is facing. The Courtney Coye law firm warned him that if he didn't return the money on by last week Friday, August first, they would institute legal proceedings against him. Well, Saldivar is unperturbed, and he told us, neither is he surprised since he feels Eamon Courtenay has had it in for him for a long time:.. Arthur Saldivar. Former Attorney - Melonie Coye "Mr. Courtenay have had from my assessment a hard on me for quite some time. I have no idea why. I don't really know him. I have no grudge against him - none whatsoever. But there are at least 3 occasions that I know of where he has made certain attempts. Again, I wish him well. You know at least on one occasion right, here in your studio after certain revelations were made involving the good party that I belong to and certain intrigue that were being contemplated what the response from that particular individual was. So don't put it out there as if this is some figment of my imagination and I am throwing things out there without any kind of basis, no man, come on please - let's be real."

American Alleges Arthur Acted Rogue
But that's only one legal fire that Saldivar has going on the front-burner. On the back-burner another is coming up. It's based on a complaint about Saldivar's conduct as an officer of the court. Don Blunt, an American who owned a home on Placencia has sworn in an affidavit that Saldivar trespassed into his home, and then occupied it. Now, this isn't just some random act. The background is that Blunt had sold the house to Glenn Levy, who Saldivar says is his client. But, the sale wasn't closed properly, and Levy, the new owner, had to get a court order to eject Blunt, the former homeowner. Blunt says the order gave him until July 26th to move out, but he says Saldivar and a crew of lawmen showed up on the 23rd to eject him. Jules Vasquez put the allegations to Saldivar:

Prime Ministerial Panacea Puts Street Sweeper Rebellion On Pause
The BML ruckus started with a bang on Monday, but ended with a whimper by Wednesday when a Prime Ministerial panacea put the street sweeper rebellion on pause. Everyone got their jobs back, all the charges were dropped, and they got promised that they would get jobs with city Hall when the contract was up. Now, we don't know if they'll all live happily ever after, but all told, it's a stunningly quick reversal in public policy and management - and today we put together, a brief history of the blow-up and the meltdown:

Commercial Center Vendors Upset With City Hall's Eviction
And while the BML situation is in hand for the time being, Mayor Darrell Bradley's week of worries hasn't quite finished yet because his Municipal Administration is now coming under fire from the vendors and business owners who operate out of the Commercial Center, at the foot of the Swing Bridge. The Council wants to temporarily move them out so that the commercial center can be renovated. The vendors have no complaints there, because all the problems that they're facing inside the old building will be resolved. The issue is that the Council has fast-tracked their exit, some have been given until next week Monday to get out, and if they don't, the council allegedly - and we stress, "allegedly" - has plans to change the locks on their doors and forcibly evict them.

The Plan For Lake I Boulevard
If you've been following the news, you may know well that the Government has been developing the Lake I Boulevard which will connect the Western Highway with Belama's Chetumal Street. It's been a while since the public got an update on how the project will work, and Lake Independence Area Rep. Mark King gave the media a tour of how the project is going, and what the long term plans are for the area. Here's what he told us this afternoon: Hon. Mark King - Area Rep, Lake Independence "There has been a lot of speculations about what is going to happen here especially when they had the situation with the squatters. I am figuring that we are our half way point in terms of development. Everybody must understand that in every community we are trying to bring the business to Lake I. Lake I was one of those old constituencies that was not planned properly and so with the extension of Lake I which is the Lake Independence Boulevard, the Chetumal Street area and the Holy Emmanuel into Gugulung area we are trying to now go into some detail planning in terms of drawing business that would help the same poor people of the area and also will help all Belizeans in the area."

GSU Gets Guat "Grass"
The Gang Suppression Unit has been making significant drug and ammunition busts recently, and its success continued yesterday with the discovery of 52 pounds of marijuana around mile 12 on the Western Highway. Following a tip, the police searched bushes in the area, and found a red crocus bag with the words "El Quetzal Guatemala Centro America Zona 4 La Terminal." When it was opened the cannabis was discovered and labelled as "found property" since no one was in the immediate area. It is believed that the cannabis was smuggled in from Guatemala, and was to be bagged at the area where it was found before being passed off in smaller quantities through check points.

Belizean Boat Stolen In Quintana Roo
We hear about people traveling to foreign places and being robbed of their purses or wallets and chains but on Wednesday a Belizean in Chetumal was robbed of something 'a bit' more substantial: a motorboat! The incident occurred near Panchos restaurant in Calderitas, Quintana Roo. Apparently, the victim who is from Sartenaja - but was not named - docked his boat near the coast and went shopping in the area only to return and find it gone. The victim contacted the Mexican Coast Guard and they searched coastal villages but to no avail.

Matura-Shepherd Says BML Workers Due Apologies
In our last segment, we showed you how the BML workers went from being charged to being free and clear, with a promise of being employed and paid until the life of sanitation contract with their employers expires next year. There is a plan in the works to get them assimilated into the City Council when that happens. But, their attorney says that they deserve one more thing, an apology from the Mayor, and the Police Personnel which authorized them to be charged. She explained the logic for that demand to us today: Audrey Matura-Shepherd - Attorney "You can never give them back what they lost those two and a half days. You can never give them back the humiliation they went through. You can never undo that and I think that minimum the mayor owes them an apology and even the police department, the senior person. I will say upfront I was at the police station with them from 10:30 that morning up to 8:30 in the night and I will tell you I have to commend the police officers who were on the ground in that precinct helping.

Unleashing Counseling Potential
This week, the Belize School Counselor Association has been holding its first conference under the theme "The 21st Century Belizean School Counselor: Unleashing Your Potential". Counselors from across the country were invited to participate in these training sessions. Courtney Weatherburne was there today to find out more: Courtney Weatherburne reporting The Belize Counsellor Association is in the middle of a 5 day conference at the ITVET which focused on training counsellors to be better equipped in dealing with personal issues affecting our youths. Licia Castillo, OW Tech Counsellor "It's the first Belize School Counsellor Association conference and the purpose is to get our counselors across the country in both primary and tertiary and secondary level to give some training, share some skills and do some networking for our counsellors in Belize."

BDF's 10th Annual Summer Camp
For the past 10 years, The BDF has been running its youth summer camp at the Price Barracks and right now, the second session for 2014 is underway. There are varied activities the youths can enjoy ranging from swimming, football, cooking, and music to the more adventurous Jungle survival, Taekwondo and Bird watching. Courtney Weatherburne went to Price Barracks to find out more about the camp.

Purple Martins Flock To Belize
And many regular folks would have greatly benefited from the bird camp - in situations like Sunday when residents of Newtown Barracks were startled by the sighting of a sizeable gathering of birds weighing down power lines. Francisco explained the phenomenon: Dirk Francisco, Publicity Coordinator - BAS "The Purple Martins are migrating right now from north to south America. They have just finish breeding North America and they are on the move to winter. When it's cold in America birds migrate south, but Purple Martins are normally one of the earlier migrants that starts moving. They are heading to the Amazon, the Ecuador area, Brazil and they are just going there to spend the winter because of the abundance of food." "Belize is pass over, Belize is on their route. The Purple Martins tend to fly over land because of the availability of their food. They are insectivores; they are birds that eat insects, so Belize having a lot of insects is used as a route to go further south of the continent."

Jaguars To Compete In 2014 CA Cup
Belize's National Football team will be playing in The Central American Cup 2014 in the US Cities of Washington DC and Dallas. The schedule has been released and Belize is in Group B, along with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, while Group A features Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. While Group A's Honduras did go to the World Cup, Group B's Costa Rica made it into the quarterfinals at World Cup - a first for Central America. Belize's first game will be against Honduras on September third at the RFK Stadium in Washington DC, and it's second game will be on September 7th against Guatemala at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. And then on Wednesday September 10th., the battle this year will be at the BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas where Belize will play El Salvador. Qualifying teams then move on to Los Angeles for the championship.

Micah's Peace Vigil
A vigil was held yesterday for Chryslin Gladden. She was brutally murdered on Friday and her schoolmates organized a peace vigil in her memory and in memory of all those affected by violence. Well, echoing this cry for peace and justice, another vigil is scheduled for tomorrow at 5:30 pm under the theme "Recovering our Future, One Community at a Time." But this one is not organized by students, it's organized by a student turned politician. Micah Goodin, PUP Standard Bearer is the organizer of the vigil and he told us more: Micah Goodin "It is as a result of the recent outburst of violence of murders in Belize City, including that of Chryslin Gladden, David Copious, who was disembowel, gutted from belly to throat, the 64 year old who was playing dominoes and got killed and I can go and on about these different incidents of murder. I would just also like to extend and invitation to the Belizean public at large. I think crime is something that affects us all and in an effort to adequately combat crime it must be a community effort. All efforts must be combined and that is the only way we could fight alleviate crime."

Channel 5

BML Owner Lawrence Ellis Breaks Silence on Garbage Dispute
For the most part, the BML - CitCo bomb has been defused by a timely intervention by, and a very large infusion of cash from the government of Belize. As [...]

Mayor Bradley Says Taking On BML Employees In 2015 Will Be Difficult
As we've told you, part of the sweet deal being offered to workers is that in 2015, when BML's contract expires, they will be assimilated into the Council. The Council [...]

Communication Breakdown Led to Garbage Fiasco Says BML Owner
In all the deals being struck, BML is perpetually owed staggering sums of money by City Hall. When it comes to payment for sanitation companies, both BML and Belize Waste [...]

Detention of Female Sanitation Workers Unjustified
With an agreement on finances being brokered, and current workers' issues resolved, the crisis is officially over. But there's still some unpleasantness hanging over the matter. That stems from the [...]

BML Employees Satisfied With New Financial Agreement
And for final word on the matter…at least for now, News Five spoke to Audrey Matura-Shepherd, the attorney for the BML workers. She worked all day Monday to get them [...]

Arthur Saldivar Versus Eamon Courtenay: Case of the Missing Coye Money
It is one of the most sensational cases in recent times. It involves attorney Arthur Saldivar and a very large sum of money. Saldivar has been the attorney of record [...]

Racquel Gomez Out on Bail for Drug Possession
On July seventeenth, a Crooked Tree woman was sentenced to three years and a ten thousand dollar fine for one point two grams of crack found on her. She was [...]

Ya'axche Loses to Ministry of Forests At CCJ
The Caribbean Court of Justice handed down a six-page decision today in respect of an application by the Ya'axche Conservation Trust which sought special leave to appeal a March fourteenth [...]

GSU Finds More Weed and Guns
The Gang Suppression Unit is reporting a significant drug and ammo bust. The Unit carried out an operation in a bushy area near mile twelve on the George Price Highway. [...]

City Council Issues Eviction Notice to Commercial Center Vendors
While the dust has settled on the dispute between sanitation workers and city hall, there is another storm brewing. That's because Mayor Darrell Bradley wants to convert the commercial center [...]

Murder Suspect Freed But Later Fined for Drug Possession
In the hours following the grisly murder of sixteen-year-old Chryslin Gladden on Saturday, Belize City police arrested and detained a person of interest whom they believed could have assisted in [...]

Vigil Held In Honor of Slain Teenager
Four days after the brutal slaying of sixteen year old Chryslin Gladden, a group of family members, former classmates and others who have endured the pain of losing a loved [...]

Belizeans Galvanize Against Crime and Violence
With the success of Wednesday's vigil held in memory of Chryslin Gladden, today activist, Micah Goodin, announced that another vigil is to be held. It is planned for Friday August [...]

2014 UB Scholarships Awarded to Over Eighty Students
The University of Belize issued its annual scholarships for qualifying students today during a pre-semester ceremony at its main campus in Belmopan.� Dozens of students gathered at the auditorium where [...]

Channel 5's Airing of Costa Maya and If You Can Sing It, Bring It
And in a programming note stay tuned to this station for the following: La Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant airs at eight-thirty this Friday, August ninth, and repeats on [...]

Healthy Living Looks at Breastfeeding
World Breastfeeding Month is being celebrated globally to encourage new and expecting moms to give their newborns the best start in life with breastfeeding. �The overall aim is to have [...]

CTV3

Cane Farmer Receives Second Payment For 2013/2014 Crop Season
Cane farmers received their second payment for cane delivered for the 2013/2014 sugar crop. The crop has been described as successful and BSI has said it is one of the best seasons yet but the second payment to farmers is not as good as it has been for some time. Farmer's payments have dropped significantly and is something that they are not too pleased about. We spoke with Vice Chair of the Committee of Management in the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, Alfredo Ortega who spoke more about the second payment. Alfredo Ortega - Vice Chair, Committee of Management, BSCFA "Hoy, despu�s de la experiencia de tres a�os de estar consiguiendo los $70.00 por tonelada aun que en el segundo pago siempre andamos alrededor de $68.00 para el segundo pago hoy esta vez solo estamos en $62.72 y se ve ese impacto de $6.00 menos de lo que hemos estado acostumbrados pero es la calidad de cana que al final estamos entregando, hoy que estamos colectando vemos el efecto en lo que el canero esta consiguiendo por tonelada de ca�a, tambi�n tenemos que recordar que este ano durante la cosecha agarramos alrededor de $4.65 m�s que los a�os anteriores, anteriormente estamos agarrando $38.83 este ano fuimos $43.07 as� es de que eso tiene una diferencia tambi�n ahora en el segundo pago de que el segundo pago esta en range de doce centavos hasta el que vino en primer lugar de $17.93."

1st Anniversary In Primary Education Program Held By UB
Representative of the University of Belize were in Orange Walk today to celebrate one year of the success in their Bachelors in Primary Education program. The program started in 2013 and today the students also joined in to celebrate the occasion. Coordinator Nestor Chan told us more about the program and others being provided here in Orange Walk Town by UB. Nestor Chan - Coordinator "We have also brought in a group from the secondary schools doing a diploma in education, our aim is to try to train as many students as possible, and we are also culminating the last group of the Cert. Ed, what we call the Cert. Ed. In primary education these student are now going into internship so we are happy that we have accomplished all of this and today we are celebrating it almost like an anniversary."

30 Orange Walkenos Complete Vocational Training Program
30 residents of San Jose and Guinea Grass have completed a ten month vocational training in a sewing project under the auspices of the Social Investment Fund. A release from the basic needs trust fund says the Government of Belize financed the project in the northern communities to a tune of over $51 thousand dollars through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. The training was a component of the San Jose Multi-purpose centre and Guinea Grass multipurpose centre sub projects implemented by SIF. Sewing was identified by the women's groups as a skill since many of the, buy custom-made school uniforms or sometimes travel to other communities in search of a seamstress. Acquiring this skill, will allow these women to sew uniforms for their children and other families are reasonable prices.

PUP Weight In B.M.L. Workers Issue
Since Monday, Belize City media have been reporting on a protest from 50 angry Belize Maintenance Limited workers who hurled bags of garbage in front of City Hall after things came to a head because the Council owes their employer for 19 weeks of services or almost 1.48 million dollars. Things got dirty when employees returned on Monday to work and the company informed them that they cannot continue to support their payrolls. And while they made their sentiments known they paid the ultimate price since they were locked up for several hours and charged for littering.

Corozaleno Charged For Handling Stolen Goods
Twenty six year old Gabriel Mateo Catch, mechanic of Xaibe Village in the Corozal District was charged for the crime of theft of a motor vehicle and 34 year old Miguel Edgar Coral, welder from the village of Trial Farm in the Orange Walk District was charged for the crime of handling stolen goods at the Corozal Magistrates Court this morning. The charges stem from the theft of a 1995 blue Ford Ranger pickup truck which was stolen on July 31st from the garage of Gilberto Camal from the village of Xaibe. Based on investigations carried out by Camal, the vehicle was found at a garage in Orange Walk Town. The vehicle has a value of $5,000 dollars.

PM Pays Off BML Debt For City Council
Late this afternoon after much public scrutiny, Prime Minister Dean Barrow made the announcement at the Biltmore Hotel that the Government of Belize will pay the wages of the workers of Belize Maintenance Limited for the remaining life of the current sanitation contract with the Belize City Council. Barrow says said that the decision to pay the wages for the BML workers is not a political gesture but a response to the situation facing them. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize "But in effect what the letter does is to commit the government of Belize to pay the weekly salary of the B.M.L workers. Government will do this right through to the end of the contract between B.M.L and the Belize City Council. So we will assume the obligations of the Belize City council. Government has done this of course because there's no way we could not act in the face of a situation that saw workers either been having laid off or about to be laid off. For us this is not political, this is a matter of philosophical and deeply held conviction on the part of this government. I'm not going to comment in any judgmental way on the circumstances that produced a situation in which workers were either laid off or were in danger of being laid off; But this government knew, I certainly knew that we would have to find the money to ensure that these workers could continue being paid, well in fact employ the workers who's employment with B.M.L will of course come to an end if B.M.L no longer have the job of work that the contract provides for.

Police Speaks On Un-Muzzle, Ferocious Dogs Out On The Streets
You've probably heard nightmarish stories about Pit bulls and their supposedly dangerous natures. You may even have friends who own dogs but still believe that Pit bulls are unsafe and to be avoided. As animal lovers, we know by now that Pit bulls are not "killer dogs," or monsters more dangerous than any other breed. But it's frustrating to see so much misinformation persist. How did Pit bulls go from being a trusted breed years ago to one that is hated, vilified and feared today? And since 2010, there have been two deaths in Belize caused by the mauling of pit bulls.

Police Recovers Stolen Motorcycle
Apart from the stolen pickup truck, Corozal Police were also investigating the theft of a blue in color Meilun motorcycle with L/P CZL-M-0186 belonging to 66 year old Bernard Fox, Canadian Retiree of Paraiso Village in the Corozal District. According to police reports, the motorcycle was found in the Village of Crooked Tree in the Belize District. While police have retrieved the stolen motorcycle, they are looking for George Pitts from Crooked Tree for questioning. The public's assistance is being sought in locating Pitts. For context, on Saturday, Fox was socializing with nine male friends at his residence and after drinking he fell asleep. Fox woke up moments later only to find out that all his friends had left the residence. As he walked outside his veranda, Fox found out that his motorcycle which he had left parked on his verandah had gone missing.

Cane Farmer Dissatisfied With Second Payment
At the top of the newscast we told you about the second payment to cane farmers in the last crop season. While millions of dollars is being pumped into the Belizean economy today, cane farmers were the least satisfied with the outcome of the second payment. In the Corozal District cane farmers shared the same sentiments as those in Orange Walk; the second payment was not to their satisfaction. As compared to last seasons, there were no long lines at the banks giving the indication that cane farmers were in no hurry to collect their pay as it was much less than what they collected last year. Reporter Victor Castillo caught up with some cane farmers as they walked out of the bank. They shared with him their sentiments towards the second payment.

LOVE FM

Gillett Imprisoned and Fined: Three Years + 10K
Thirty year old Trevor Gillett became an inmate of Belize Central Prison today when he was found guilty of drug trafficking by Magistrate Herbert Panton and he was fined and confined. Gillett was sentenced to 3 years and he was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. He was given until August 6, 2017 to pay the fine. If he defaults on payment of the fine he will serve an additional 3 years because the sentences are to run consecutively. The incident occurred around 8:45 p/.m. on June 15, 2013. Gillett was riding his bicycle on Partridge Street Extension when he was stopped by 3 police officers who were on foot patrol. When police searched Gillett they found 2 bags containing cannabis that amounted to 220 grams. One bag was in his right tennis shoes, while the other bag was in his left tennis shoes. Gillett testified but he did not say anything that helped his defense.

Fight With Half-Sister Sends Him To Prison
Thirty-seven year old Michael Tesecum was taken to prison today after he was found guilty of 2 counts of aggravated assault, damage to property and using insulting words. After finding him guilty of the charges, Chief magistrate Anne Marie Smith sentenced him to 2 years for each count of aggravated assault, 6 months for damage to property and 6 months for using insulting words. She stipulated that the sentences are to run concurrently, so Tesecum will only serve 2 years. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on February 3, 2014. The evidence gleaned by the prosecution was Tesecum began to throw stones at the house of his half- sister, Tasha Jerguson and as a result, he damaged 3 sheets of plycem, valued at $360.

Couple Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking
A common-law couple, 34 year old Richard Smith and 30 year old Sandra Thompson, were charged with drug trafficking for 203.8 grams of cannabis when they appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. They pled not guilty to the charge. They each offered a bail of $1,000 and their case was adjourned until September 1. The prosecutor had objected to bail for Smith because he has 2 cases for drug trafficking for which trial is still pending. But Chief Magistrate Smith did not uphold the objection. She, however, offered him bail with stringent conditions. One condition is that he is to report to Queen Street Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Another condition is that he is not to commit any other offence while he is on bail.

Happy Ending to A Dirty Protest
About six hours later after the workers were dismissed from the courthouse in Belize City, Prime Minister, Dean Barrow was at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel bringing a solution for the forty plus residents who had major concerns about the stability of their jobs. Here is how the Prime Minister saved the day. PRIME MINISTER "It's important to put this in context and the context is that from the very beginning these two sanitation contracts, Waste Control and BML, have been unsustainable. They represent too significant an outflow of municipal funds, the municipality cannot afford to service its operations and also service its priorities together with these contracts. We've been doing tremendous other works in infrastructure, in parks, in upgrades and this represented too much. I had used the figure from our 2012 independent financial audit to say that 40% of our revenue is consumed by sanitation services, 40%. That's too much and I think part of this and the hope of moving forward because a tremendous amount of effort is going into planning the next phases of our delivery of service in the area of sanitation.

Jaguar Killed By Villager; Tapir Killed By Driver
The Forestry Department is investigating the killing of a female jaguar that took place on Tuesday August 5th in Sarteneja Corozal. The information LOVE NEWS has obtained so far is that Sarteneja residents reported from March this year to the Forestry Department that the feline was a threat to livestock. Upon receiving the report, the forestry department quickly sent a forestry officer to further investigate the report. According to the officer, two residents made reports that in February a sheep and four pigs were attacked and killed by the female jaguar. Furthermore, on July 11th the department received a report from a Sarteneja resident that he had lost of cattle and pigs and suspected it was the jaguar that attacked and killed them.

Bol Jointly Charged with Minor For Chrislyn’s Murder
Yesterday, the news of a minor being arrested and charged for the murder of 16-year-old, Chryslin Gladden caused quite a stir in the court of public opinion. While it is expected that the minor will be arraigned today in the Belize City Magistrate's Court, investigators at the CIB Branch at Precinct Two have arrested a second person in this homicide investigation. Love News understands that 23-year-old, Clement Bol, a construction worker of a Grace Avenue Address in Belize City handed himself in to police late last night and was subsequently arrested and is now being jointly charged with the minor for Gladden's murder. Gladden's body was found this past Saturday around six in the morning, bearing multiple stab wounds near an open grave at the Lord Ridge Cemetery.


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline

More News: Scroll up from here

PlusTV

Police reverse, hold charges against BML workers
PLUS News continues its coverage of the BML dispute with a review of Tuesday and Wednesday's events. On Tuesday afternoon police made ready to present charges against 22 of the 41 arrested workers, all women. They were charged with taking part in a public meeting contrary to Section 6(3) of the Control of Public Meetings

Government intervenes on behalf of BML workers
The Government of Belize will pay the wages of the workers of Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) for the remaining life of the current sanitation contact with the Belize City Council. The announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon by Prime Minister Dean Barrow during a press conference at the Biltmore Hotel. Prime Minister Barrow, in making

Clement Bol and minor charged for murder
Police have laid charges against a 17 year old female student of Doris Brooks Street, Belize City, and 23 year old Clement Bol Jr of Grace Avenue, Belize City, for the murder of 16 year old Chryslin Gladden this past Saturday. The pair appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith, where they were remanded until September

Human skull found in Independence
A human skull was discovered in the village of Independence, Stann Creek District, on Tuesday August 5th, when a 13 year old student was chopping grass at a yard on Dafodil Street in the new site area. According to Independence Police, the skull was discovered about 30 feet into a lot, and about 12 feet

Couple charged for drugs; woman tried to escape police
A couple from Belama Phase III in Belize City face charges of drug trafficking, and in the woman's case, escape from lawful custody. On Monday, August 4, police went to the home of 34 year old Richard Smith and 30 year old Sandra Thompson. It is alleged that when the couple saw the police coming

Belizeans protest Israel-Gaza conflict
The ongoing standoff between forces of the Republic of Israel and the Palestinian Hammas has taken nearly 2,000 innocent lives since the start of hostilities a few weeks ago. Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, lobbed almost 4000 rockets directed at Israeli Cities. Israel responded with air raids followed by a ground attack. While there is

Jaguar killing in Sarteneja under investigation
There is an ongoing investigation into the killing of a Jaguar in the village of Sarteneja, Corozal, that is causing a lot of conflict. Plus News understands that the Jaguar showed up months ago and has since been terrorizing villagers. According to information received, two villagers reported to the Forestry Department that a sheep and [�]

Footbolito begins in Independence Village
The annual Footbolito in Independence village kicked off this past Sunday, with a march around the community which ended at the Micheal Ashcroft Stadi...

The Guardian

PM Barrow commits to pay BML Employees
The government of Belize has given an assurance letter to the principals of Belize Maintenance Limited that commits it will pay 35 thousand dollars weekly for the company to keep on 170 workers on its payroll. Among those on the pay sheet is Lawrence Ellis, the owner of the company. Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, made the commitment at a press conference held on Wednesday, August 6. The conference was called shortly after he along with Minister of Human Development, Hon. Anthony 'Boots' Martinez met with BML executives in the very room where the press conference was held. "The government cannot stand by to see workers laid off or about to be laid off," stated the Prime Minister. He added that "this is not a political issue it is based on a deeply held philosophy," of looking out for the poor. As part of the government's taking up the wages, the Prime Minister sought to get a commitment from the Belize City Council to take on the employees after the termination of the BML contract in January of next year. That too was committed to by Mayor Darrell Bradley who explained that it will be a "challenging road ahead".

Citco prepares for end of BML Contract
On Monday, August 4, workers of Belize Maintenance Limited demonstrated in front of Belize City Hall, throwing garbage on the street. They were frustrated after their employer has not been paying them. The Belize City Council owes the company 18 weeks of salary at 78 thousand dollars per week which now the company says is causing them not to be able to pay. The situation is one where the council and the company have been before, Belize City Mayor, Darrell Bradley has always maintained that the contract is too burdensome for the municipality. He has since taken steps to notify the company that their contract will not be renewed when it comes to an end in January of 2015.

Teen girl kills teen girl
The family, friends and classmates of 16 year-old Chryslin Gladden continue to mourn her loss after she was violently killed on Friday night, August 1.She was stabbed to death in the Lord Ridge Cemetery, and her body was left for others to find in a manner that her human dignity was taken away. Police have since charged a 17 year-old former classmate and friend of hers, who is currently at prison along with a man believed to be her boyfriend. That man is 23 year-old Clement Bol Jr., and they were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate on Wednesday, 06 August 2014, for the charge of murder. Due to the nature of the offence, the Chief Magistrate didn't take any plea from them, and they were remanded to Belize Central Prison until September 5. Gladden had recently graduated from the Wesley High School, and she was getting ready to Attend UB. On Friday, August 1, she told her family that she would be going out with friends, and she left her house. A little over 11 hours later, police found her body in the Lord Ridge Cemetery. She had multiple stab wounds to the face and neck.

Massive Voter Turnout in Belize City Convention - UDP READY
On Sunday, August 3, sixteen outstanding candidates offered themselves to represent the United Democratic Party in the 2015 Belize City Council Election. Those individuals are Fredy Cantilliano, Hyacinth Latchman-Cuellar, Jason Edwards, Alifa Elrington, Dr. Alain Gonzalez, Samson Jacobs, Dion Leslie, Percy Lewis, Noreen Martinez, Bernard "B Q" Pitts Jr., Dean Samuels, Kevin Singh, Phillip Singh, Deon Sutherland, Michael Theus and Philip Willoughby. The outstanding 16 included teachers, doctors, attorneys, business owners and community workers. Unfortunately, only ten could be selected to contest the municipal elections. Considering the fact that there was no intense campaign period leading up to the Convention, the turnout on Sunday was extremely impressive. The energy and excitement of the candidates and supporters at the ITVET compound demonstrate clearly that the United Democratic Party has overwhelming support in Belize City.

Althea Sealy is Trailblazer of the Week
It's Trailblazer Tuesday! Today we celebrate the arts and the first Artistic Director of the Belize National Dance Company, Ms. Althea Sealy. Althea Sealy, born to Cutbert Sealy and Mitt Smith on December 26, 1960 in Belize City, is renowned for her love of and dedication to arts. Unknowingly, Althea earned her place among outstanding Belizean females first when she became the first Artistic Director of the Belize National Dance Company (BNDC) in October 1990. Althea Sealy has been dancing since she was eight years old, starting with the late Bob Reneau in the 1960s and 1970s. While her academic training was completed at Holy Redeemer primary school and Wesley College, she travelled regionally and internationally for her professional training in the USA, Cuba and Jamaica. She trained under the late talented Professor Eduardo Rivera of the National Dance Theatre of Santiago de Cuba.

Happy 14th Anniversary UB!
Today the University of Belize celebrates its 14th Anniversary as the national university of Belize. The University is proud to continue molding the minds of students while giving them the training needed to empower the nation. On August 1, 2000, the University of Belize (UB) was created from a merger of five institutions: the University College of Belize (UCB), the Belize Technical College (BTC), the Belize Teachers' Training College (BTTC), the Belize School of Nursing (BSN), and the Belize College of Agriculture (BCA). UCB, BTC and BTTC were under the supervision of the Ministry of Education (MOE); BSN was under the supervision of the Ministry of Health (MOH); and BCA was under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). In 2004, the main campus was officially moved to Belmopan City. UB now offers programs from its main campus in Belmopan, and from three other locations: Belize City campus, Central Farm campus, and from its southern campus in Punta Gorda. UB also owns and manages two marine field stations at Calabash and Hunting Caye. The University wishes to thank the people and Government of Belize for their continuing support.

True Representation versus Lack of Representaton
Representation is a fairly straight forward concept. Wikipedia describes representation in the following manner: "In politics, representation describes how some individuals stand in for others or a group of others, for a certain time period. Representation usually refers to representative democracies, where elected officials nominally speak for their constituents in the legislature. Generally, only citizens are granted representation in the government in the form of voting rights; however, some democracies have extended this right further." In democracies such as ours in Belize that extension refers to the daily running of the constituencies. When a Politician comes to the electorate for their vote he does so based on a manifesto which is a contract with the people that he is obligated to fulfill. When elected he becomes their representative and is expected to represent them and keep his manifesto promises.

Hattiville Chairman Still Missing
A team of law enforcement personnel are still out with relatives and friends of Kevin "Ras" Carcamo searching for the popular Chairman of Hattieville Village. Carcamo was last seen in the Freetown Sibun area on Sunday, July 20, where he was working as part of a seismic operation being carried out by Discoverseis Geophysical Services. It has been more than two weeks since Carcamo was last seen and his chances of survival shrink every single day. Police have not officially relabeled the mission from a rescue to a recovery operation but that time is getting closer. The company Carcamo was working for, Discoverseis, has already pulled out of the search to continue normal operations. However, they are still offering a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to his safe recovery.

Busted with Nine Millimeter Pistol
The Gang Suppression Unit was successful in removing another gun from the streets of Belize City when they busted 25-year-old Glenford Bain Jr. with a nine millimeter pistol in the Kraal Road area on Monday, August 4. Bain, a resident of #3834 Rivero Street, appeared in the Belize City Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 5, where he was charged with one count of keeping a firearm and one count of keeping ammunition without a license. According to police, officers of the Gang Suppression Unit were on mobile patrol near Rivero Street when Officer Sam Gladden spotted Bain and two other men. According to Gladden, when Bain noticed the officers he headed into a yard.

Guatemalan Housewife Convicted of Immigration Offense and Must Leave Behind 2-Year-Old Daughter
Erika Marilou Ortega Jolon, a 20-year-old Guatemalan housewife, was caught living in Belize illegally and on Tuesday, August 5, she was convicted of an immigration offense in the Belize City Magistrate's Court forcing her to leave behind a two-year-old daughter. Jolon is a resident of Melchor De Mencos, Pet�n Guatemala. On Tuesday, she appeared unrepresented before Magistrate Hettie-Mae Stewart where she was read a single charge of failure to produce a visitor's permit. According to reports, she entered Belize on July 10, 2014 through the Western Border and was granted a permit to remain in Belize until July 13, 2014. However, at about 7:00 a.m. on Monday, August 4, Jolon was stopped and removed from a bus at the Mile 5 � checkpoint on the George Price Highway. She was asked to produce her visitor's permit but was unable to do so. Jolon was then taken into custody and handed over to the Belize Immigration Department for further investigation.

Sagitun FC and San Antonio FC co-leaders in the FFB President's Cup Tournament
The FFB President's Cup Tournament continued over the weekend with only two of the four games on the schedule played. On Saturday, August 2, at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence Village, the host team and co-leaders in this year's competition defeated the visiting Progresso FC by the score of 3-1. The goals for the Sagitun FC were scored by Rollin Burgess in the 4th minute of play, Ashley Torres in the 40th minute of play and Dellon Torres in the 74th minute of play. Meanwhile, the only goal of the game for Progresso FC was scored by Marlon Miranda in the 35th minute of play. A game was scheduled to be played at the Norman Broaster Stadium that same evening between the Benque DC and Estrellas, it was the host team Benque DC that won via the default route over Estrellas.

Vega Cup Tournament continued at San Roman Village
The 2014 Vega Cup Tournament continued on Sunday, August 3, with four games on the schedule out at the San Roman Football Field in Orange Walk North. The result of the final game of the day was not available as the game did not finish as the goal keeper for the San Roman team had to leave the game because of an injury.

Health Hookup
Back to Basics - Size Matters During the 1990's if you bought a plate of rice and beans chances are it was served on a paper plate and covered with a piece of foil paper. Today, you purchase rice and beans and you get it in a Styrofoam container. The portion of food increased between the paper plate to the container, but we still label it as one meal. Today we are going to address "servings" of food. I would highly recommend cutting out the illustrations and placing it in your kitchen or work place so you have a better understanding of what an actual serving is vs. what you believe it to be.

Youth Talks 1
Procrastination: Are you the typical person who finds him self doing things last minute or hesitating at doing a task. Do you put off doing things that would bring you closer to your desired goals? I know you do, but why are we so foolish? With all the important things we have; we somehow convince ourselves that none of these things need to be done right now. In other words we decide that some peace and relaxation in the short term is what is important. So we take another break, read another post on facebook, watch another TV show and just kick back and relax. And life is blissful for a little while. But then, suddenly the inevitable deadline has arrived. It's panic time! This is what is known as procrastination. Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. As human beings we have a tendency of doing things last minute. There are many causes to this and also, many methods to counteract these causes. The first common cause of procrastination is rebellion and laziness. We resent the task in front of us. We feel imposed upon. "I have to do this!!"

Leadership: A Natural Gift
Leadership can be defined as "the process in which an individual influences a group of individuals to attain a common goal". Assuming Leadership can be one of the most difficult tasks an individual undertakes; nevertheless, it is possible. Whatever the goal is, it can be achieved through mutual understanding and cooperation. A leader instills a sense of optimism and guides others to that specified goal. Various theories have been created by psychologists to explain the traits of a leader. Some traits of a good leader are intelligence, self-confidence/outgoingness, and adjustment, open-mindedness, humbleness, and diligence. An individual possessing these traits is a sign of a good leader.

Statement Regarding the Murder of Chryslin Gladden
The Special Envoy for Women and Children, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, expresses deepest condolences to the family of 16 year old Chryslin Gladden. The news of her brutal murder is deeply saddening and brings into sharp focus the appalling levels of violence present in our society. Her death has left many in a state of shock and profound confusion as to how or why someone could commit such a horrific crime against a defenseless teenaged girl. It is difficult to imagine the indescribable pain that her family is currently enduring. Chryslin was a recent high school graduate preparing for tertiary education and everything that life had in store for her until it was all prematurely taken from her in a ruthless and violent manner. Mrs. Simplis Barrow condemns in the strongest terms, these acts of violence, especially against our children.

Taiwan donates compactor trucks to CITCO
The Belize City Council received a donation of three compactor garbage trucks courtesy of the Taiwanese government. The donation was presented to Mayor Darrell Bradley by new Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Benjamin Ho on Wednesday, August 6. The donation comes after almost a year since the Mayor of Belize City and Councilor Eric Chang visited Taiwan and the Taiwanese government asked them in what areas they could be of assistance. Sanitation was one area identified and Taiwan offered to donate three trucks. It has been a year since and it is just now that the trucks were able to be shipped to Belize since the cost of shipping was some 30 thousand Belize dollars per truck and the finances could not be identified by the council. It was then that fundraising was done in Taiwan and the funds were able to be secured and finally the shipment was possible.

Team from U.S Embassy visits the San Ignacio Police Formation
A high powered team from the United States Embassy in Belmopan has visited the San Ignacio Police Formation. United States Ambassador to Belize, Carlos Moreno, accompanied by Luis Arreaga, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement for the Western Hemisphere INL, visited San Ignacio Police on Tuesday of this week to learn about their unique community policing approach to reducing crime. Present for the meeting was Officer in Charge of San Ignacio Police Dinsdale Thompson, Ernie Braun, Chairman of the Cayo Neighborhood Watch Association (CNWA) and Caesar Sherrard, head of the People's Coalition of Cayo PCC. Also present in the conference room were members of the Zone Ten Neighborhood Watch Committee, the San Ignacio Rotary Club as well as Police Special Constables.

Katy Sealy sets new National Record in Heptathlon for Belize
The XX commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland has ended with England finishing on top of the medals count with a 150 medals, the most that country has won in 26 years, but for Belize and Katy Sealy, three new Personal Best times and a New National Record for Belize in her performance in the Heptathlon Competition at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, is the highlight of Belize's performance at the Games. The Heptathlon Competition started out on Tuesday, July 29, with four of the seven events in this discipline. In the 100m Hurdles competition, Sealy set a new Personal Best when she finished the course in a time of 15.61. In the High Jump competition she also set a new Personal Best with a height clearance of 1.69m. She also competed in the 200m event and the Shot Put competition. On Wednesday, July 30, Sealy set yet another Personal Best in the Long Jump competition at 5.36m.

Firms Basketball competition rolls on at Bird's Isle
The Belize District Basketball Association Firms' competition continued at Bird's Isle with a number of games played over the weekend. On Saturday, August 2, in the first game of the evening, Courts edged out Heritage Bank/Belize Keen O Lal Tours by the score of 54-50. The top scorers for Courts were Keith Pollard with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Jamal Pollard also with 15 points and 7 rebounds. For Hertiage Bank, the top scorers were Steven Bonnell with 16 points and 3 rebounds, Devon Defour with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Felix Martinez with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. In the second game of the evening, it was Complex winning over Central Health by the score of 66-57. The top scorers for complex were Rhetton Belisle with 17 points, Marshall Nunez with 16 points and Wilfred Richards with 14 points.

Minister Heredia Donates To Tourism Management Program
On Friday, August 1, 2013, Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Civil Aviation, Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. presented a cheque in the amount of $5,000 to the Dean of San Pedro Jr. College, Mr. Gustavo Ellis Sr. This cheque is the first of a two-part donation that Minister Heredia will be making to San Pedro Junior College to aid students from the college who wish to further their education through a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism Management at the University of Belize. Minister Heredia commented, "This is the first half of a donation that is specifically aimed at assisting San Pedro Jr. College Students who want to pursue their Bachelor's in Tourism Management at the University of Belize. As we know, tourism plays a major role in our economy, therefore, it is very important that we help those who have a passion for the industry to further their education in order for the tourism industry to continue to grow."

Hurricane Price Survey released to prevent price gouging
It took three persons from the consumer protection section of the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) one month of work in different parts of Belize to complete, just last month, the Annual Hurricane Price Survey 2014. It offered a comprehensive snapshot of prices of both food and non food items. These items are considered essential in the eventuality of a Hurricane and the Price Survey was a proactive measure by the BBS to prevent the price gouging of customers during such an emergency. For the food items a total of 75 stores were checked and for the non foods, some 25 stores were also checked in both the mainland and the Cayes. The price of corned beef, sardine, chicken Vienna sausage and potted meat varies depending on the locations within the Country. The minimum price for a seven ounce Grace Corned Beef in Corozal Town is $3.15 and the maximum price is $3.50; getting an average price of $3.35. However; in Punta Gorda the same Grace Corned Beef has a minimum of $3.50 and a maximum of $3.75 and averagely priced at $3.52.

The First Indian Diaspora Conference In Belize
The Corozal Organization of East Indian Culture and Heritage (COEICH) and the National East Indian Council of Belize - Southern Chapter (NEICBSC), along with the National Institute of Culture and History of Belize (NICH) are having the first Indian diaspora conference in Belize. The theme of the conference is: "The First Indian Diaspora Conference in Belize: Highlighting Indian Culture and Contribution in a Multi-ethnic Society." The first two days of the conference will be held in Corozal Town (Northern Belize) and the next two days will be held in Punta Gorda Town (Southern Belize). Academic presentations will be given by presenters from the United States, the Caribbean, and Belize. Other presentations will be given by elders and others from the Indian community in Belize. Some of the areas covered in the conference include race relations, entrepreneurship, dreams of young East Indians, medicine, identity, migration, indentured laborers, East Indian women, reparation, outstanding East Indians in Belize, and agriculture, including sugar cane and rice production and yellow ginger processing.

PUP dependency Syndrome at the Jungle
7 News aired a clip on the dreadful life experience of residents of the Pickstock Jungle apartments which ironically resides in the Fort George electoral division. While the situation is sad, and they are looking for handouts, it is unfortunate that they did not line up and bring political heat on their area representative Said Musa. Mr. Musa is responsible for that eye sore. While the apartments are free, he did not even consider running water lines to the units. Instead he gave them a community stand pipe. While he and his colleagues were busy lavishing on proceeds from Taiwan and Venezuela, this architect of the Super Bond gave his constituents a stand pipe. Said has been the representative for that area for almost forty years. Some of those apartments have been through three generations. Under Said's leadership we have seen five year olds receiving scholarship to UB, thirty million to Novelo's, Yen swap causing a ten million dollar loss, eighty eight million give away to an Ashcroft company, over twenty million given to Universal Health Service. To his constituents, he gave a stand pipe.

Belize Social Investment Fund continues to provide Entrepreneur Skills Training to Belizeans in Rural Communities
Residents from San Jose and Guinea Grass, Orange Walk District, who have successfully completed a vocational training in sewing, will receive 'Certificate of Completion' during Graduation Exercise at the Orange Walk Technical High School campus, at 10 a.m. on Saturday 9 August, 2014. The Government of Belize financed the 10-month sewing project for the 30 residents in the northern communities at a total cost of $51,440.00 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The training of the residents in sewing was a component of the San Jose Multipurpose Center and Guinea Grass Multipurpose Center sub-projects implemented by the Social Investment Fund as part of its mandate to work in line with the Government's poverty alleviation strategy.

Unpaid BML workers vent frustration at the wrong place - No Charges for BML employees
"Every time a situation comes up and this matter comes up, its poor people that suffers. Why does it have to be us that suffers?" - Helen Samuels, Employee of the Belize Maintenance Limited. On Monday, August 4, over 40 employees of the Belize Maintenance Limited were led by Delroy Herrera to protest in front of the Belize City Hall without a permit or even prior notice to the Belize Police Department. They were taken from BML's office to City Hall in the company's bus. The protestors assembled in front of City Hall with no placards. Instead, a BML truck parked in front of City Hall on North Front Street from which employees emptied bags of garbage in the middle of the street. The filthy street was a dispicable eyesore. The City Hall is next to the Fort Street Tourism Village and Zone. It is one of the busiest areas of the city but the commotion locked down the entire area. Traffic was diverted and police were called in to disassemble the angry mob. Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster informed the crowd that they were conducting an illegal protest because they did not apply for a permit.

Belmopan Day Celebrated
Belmopan Day was celebrated on Saturday of this past weekend. Community members were out in good weather at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium to mark the founding of Belmopan City. In a formal opening ceremony, Mayor Simeon Lopez reminded the residents of the history of Belmopan. Also present at the opening were the Senior Steps and the Maya Harp Dance Group, who provided local entertainment. Tents were set up at the periphery of the football field for various groups to showcase their works. Members of the National Emergency Management Organization were present to educate members of the public about disasters. So were the Mopan Maya and Ketchi performing their traditional dance steps and in full costume. Entrepreneur Kahlil Salazar, owner of Caribbean Premiere Products was out in full force with his staff for Belmopan Day to exhibit a new line of healthy fruit drinks made from orange juice and sour sop. Caribbean Premiere products is a spinoff of Toucan Matches and their plan is now to expand in other areas of natural fruit drinks such as guava and watermelon.

Corruption as defined by the PUP
Corruption, corruption, corruption�this is the chorus of a song that the PUP's are now singing. Well the rhetoric continues with these presumptuous and pompous 'donkeys' (not allowed to use the colloquial term for donkey). Every good thing that this government does is hailed as corruption; Government fixes the streets-corruption, Government creates jobs-corruption, Government assists the less fortunate-corruption, Government gives educational assistance-corruption�you get the picture. Now obviously the word corruption must have changed meaning. Corruption is now defined in THE MODERN PUP DICTIONARY of Idiocy Revised Edition, as: (1) Verb, an act by a government which seeks to empower its people using the taxes it collects in a financially prudent manner. (2) Verb, another act by government which ensures that there is accountability in every aspect of governance.

Drone Flies over University of Belize Central Campus
Students from the Natural Resources Management Program (NRMP) at the University of Belize Central Campus in Belmopan were witnesses of the inaugural flight of a Parrot 2.0 Drone at about 10:00 am on Wednesday of last week. The Quadricopter is product of an initial collaboration between the University of Belize and Georgia State University and will now be useful in the remote sensing of geophysical, biological and other data. Interim Dean for the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) Dr. Pio Saqui says that the new equipment will present a new dimension of learning for students and amplify faculty members' capabilities to do research for stakeholders in conservation, environmental management and other social services. Chair for the Science Department Cecy Castillo has also reacted positively to the drone by expressing that the use of the drone technology will enhance Geographic Information System course offered and will enable the University of Belize to expand on its research capabilities.

Roger Espejo present in the Jungle
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep" - Robert Frost Fort George Standard Bearer Roger Espejo continued to do the job of the Area Rep. this week in 'the jungle'. "Slowly but surely, we'll cure the 'cancer' in Fort George assured Mr. Espejo to Ms. Melva Williams upon delivery of her much needed door and in response to her criticism of the current area rep on the media recently.

Charged for Double Murder in Tacos Vendors Home invasion
Details of a home invasion that occurred on Mopan Street on June 26 was disturbing even for residents of Belize City, who have become accustomed to news of violent crimes.

Francisco Rodriguez Charged for Killing Jacqueline Arteaga in Kimmie's Fire
Jacqueline Arteaga, 23, perished in a fire that destroyed four structures on Newtown Barracks early Wednesday morning, June 25. Arteaga was three months pregnant and was unable to flee from her apartment building which was located on the floor above Kimmie's Bar. The fire was ruled an arson by investigators from the Belize Fire Service. Police investigation led to the arrest of Francisco Rodriguez, 23, who is believed to be Arteaga's cousin. Rodriguez was arrested when police foiled an extortion attempt upon an Orange Walk businessman by Edwin Flores on July 25. The men are believed to be members of the notorious MS-13 gang and during police interrogations Rodriguez allegedly implicated himself in the Kimmie's arson. He also implicated himself in an armed robbery that took place in the Cayo District. Rodriguez was taken to court last week where he pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Andrew Talbert Gets Five Years for Gun and Ammo Conviction
Andrew Talbert, 22, was busted with a 9mm Glock pistol on Sunday, January 6, 2013. According to reports, police were conducting patrols near Dean and Plues Street when an officer saw Talbert ran behind a yard on Plues Street. The officer says he saw Talbert throw an object over a fence. Talbert was tracked down, taken back to the location where the object was thrown and a 9 mm glock pistol with one live round was found. In court on Monday, August 4, Talbert was found guilty of kept firearm and ammunition without being granted a gun license.

Patrick JonesPJ

Belize Under-15 female football team defeated by Jamaica
The Jamaica Under 15 female football team humiliated their Belizean counterpart yesterday in Group C of the CONCACAF Championship which is being played in Grand Cayman. Jamaica defeated Belize by the score of 5 goals to nil in what one regional sports report called a "mauling." of [�]

Good weather heading into the weekend
Warm and relatively dry conditions are prevailing factors in our weather heading into the weekend. The general forecast for Belize and her coastal waters is for partly cloudy skies tonight. Friday will be sunny with only isolated showers or thunderstorms expected. Winds over the open sea and [�]

Majority of BML workers will be hired
The Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) dispute is on its way to settlement and among the centerpieces of the agreement is a commitment by the City Council to hire BML's former workers to their employ. But how is that defined from a staff of 170 employees including owner/manager Lawrence [�]

Mayor sticks by bond and government support
The BML issue is at its core a financial issue, not only for the company, but for the City Council. To support its grand infrastructure redevelopment plan it entered into a $20 million municipal bond that ties up revenue streams for the Council including the annual subvention from [�]

Police: Workers threatened to escalate garbage dumping
Commander of Operations for Eastern Division, Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster, has said that police acted on intelligence that suggested that Monday's protest by the BML sanitation workers in front of City Hall was threatening to escalate to other parts of the City. This was the reason he gave [�]

Orange Walk farmer found dead by his brother
The decomposed body of a farmer from Santa Martha village was found this morning in a field in the village. He has been identified as 57 year old Orlando Efrian Cortez. Preliminary reports received say that the discovery was made by the Cortez' brother this morning in [�]

Clement Bol and minor charged for murder
Police have laid charges against a 17 year old female student of Doris Brooks Street and 23 year old Clement Bol Jr of Grace Avenue for the murder of 16 year old Chryslin Gladden this past Saturday. The pair appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith where they were [�]

Belize Has An Unjust, Unbalanced And Broken Tax System
By Richard S. Harrison, BSc Pharm, MBA A fair and balanced tax system is important for any economy seeking to grow investments�whether domestic or foreign�because it should earn government the amount it needs to provide essential services and infrastructure, while allowing private investments to make honest profit and workers to earn fair wages that can [�]

Blogs

Getting a new Belize ID card and closing accounts
When we got to the office on Middle street, it was very fast. They confirmed that both of us had been in Belize the required amount of time then we filled out paperwork, they took our pictures and wanted passport copies. Since Shirlee forgot hers she has to go back, they took the photo copy I brought and opted to do one of their own as well. My ID card should be ready within a month and the they said they will call me when it's done. More about what it takes to get a voter ID: You are from a commonwealth country and have lived in Belize for a year without leaving and been at least 2 months in the area where you are registering in our case San Pedro. Bring a photo copy and hard copy of passport. Anyone who is Nationalized or is a Belizean needs bring their passport or birth certificate and Social Security card. The office is located in the same building as the Post Office on Middle Street - 226-2220.

Spotlight on Another Belizean Eco-Hero
In his home village of Gales Point Manatee, he has always been, in his words, "just that kid trying to save manatees." As a child playing in his grandparents' front yard Galves could watch researchers study and tag manatees, and a lifelong fascination was born. By the time he was a teen Galves was volunteering on the research boats, cleaning up and helping with various tasks.

International Sourcesizz

Hollywood celebrities help to protect Belize reefs
A trio of Hollywood celebrities recently took their star power to Belize to help protect the largest reef in the Western hemisphere. Cobie Smulders, Rashida Jones and Angela Kinsey traveled to coastal Belize, where they raised awareness for this delicate ocean ecosystem and promoted Oceana's ongoing work in the country. Cobie Smulders, of "How I Met Your Mother" fame, filmed a new Oceana PSA in the stunning South Water Caye Marine Reserve, where she visited a unique island made of mangrove trees. She swam through this critical habitat that is home to juvenile reef fish and provides shelter for them to grow before they settle on the nearby barrier reef. Once back on dry land, Smulders remarked on how amazing it was to see such a diverse and important habitat just beyond the surface of the water. "Maybe because it's underwater people don't really think about it as much, but this reef is Belize and you just want it to always be there," said Smulders. "It was really interesting to see how necessary these habitats are for the good of the reef. Oceana works really well with local governments and communities to empower them and educate them in how to preserve their local marine habitats," she added.

Jamaica maul Belize 5-0 in under-15 CONCACAF Championship
Jamaica's Under-15 female footballers mauled Belize 5-0 at the TE McField Sports Complex and joined Costa Rica who defeated Anguilla 5-0 atop of Group C of the CONCACAF Championship underway in Grand Cayman. Both Jamaica and Costa Rica are on three points but the young Reggae Girls are on top with a superior goal difference. Jamaica missed at least eight chances in the first 10 minutes before Striker Chavelle Henry opened the floodgates in the 15th minute nodding home a Shanhaine Nelson left sided cross. Monique Perrier doubled the advantage with a shot from just outside the box as Jamaica went to the break two goals up. The outstanding Nelson then make it three nil from the penalty spot in the 40th minute before Sherice Clarke made it four nil with a fine solo effort, gliding past three players in the 45th. The towering Tarania Clarke scored a 35 metre effort for Jamaica's fifth and final goal two minute later in the 47th minute. Jamaica will next play Anguilla on Saturday while Costa Rica tackle Belize at the same venue.

Rashida Jones, Cobie Smulders, and Angela Kinsey Dive In To Help Protect Belizean Reefs
A trio of Hollywood celebrities recently took their star power to Belize to help Oceana protect the largest reef in the Western hemisphere. Cobie Smulders, Rashida Jones and Angela Kinsey traveled to coastal Belize, where they raised awareness for this delicate ocean ecosystem and promoted Oceana's ongoing work in the country. Cobie Smulders of "How I Met Your Mother" fame filmed a new Oceana PSA in the stunning South Water Caye Marine Reserve where she visited a unique island made of mangrove trees. She swam through this critical habitat that is home to juvenile reef fish and provides shelter for them to grow before they settle on the nearby barrier reef. Once back on dry land at the Pelican Bay Resort, Smulders remarked on how amazing it was to see such a diverse and important habitat just beyond the surface of the water.

Destinations Mine Underground Caves for Tourism Dollars
Most tourists don't go looking for damp dark destinations; however, some who have fallen in love with the sport of caving are traveling worldwide to find the best spots. Others happen into the activity through circumstance or hotel brochure. Caving is a potentially dangerous activity that can be deadly without proper equipment or assistance. For this reason, it is one activity that is almost always done in coordination with a tour operator that requires tourists to wear a helmet, harness and cave suit. Caving is available in a surprisingly broad range of locations from Kentucky to Belize. Even more developed European destinations including Belgium and Spain promote caving as part of their outdoor activity options.

Francis Ford Coppola Talks Travel
The filmmaker on the best luggage, life's greatest luxury and how 'Apocalypse Now' made him a hotelier. THE STORY OF what got Francis Ford Coppola into the hotel business is one of a simple plan that became complicated. It started with the making of his Vietnam War epic, "Apocalypse Now," released 35 years ago next week. Though shooting in the jungles of the Philippines pushed Mr. Coppola to his limits psychologically and financially, he nonetheless grew attached to the setting. "When you work or stay in a location for a long time, as I did, you fall in love with it," said Mr. Coppola, now 75. "David Lean, when he made 'Lawrence of Arabia,' couldn't bear to leave the desert. Well, I felt the same way about the jungle." He later considered buying a nearby island, but at the urging of his wife, Eleanor, found something closer to the U.S.-a remote, rundown lodge in Belize. "I just wanted to have a place to go off in the jungle and write," he said. That's not what happened. As the Coppolas improved the property, they needed caretakers. Guests were inevitable. "If you say yes enough," he said, "you'll find yourself in the hotel business." In 1993, his Blancaneaux Lodge opened to the public. Over the next 21 years came the Turtle Inn in Belize; La Lancha on Lake Pet�n Itz� in Guatemala; Jard�n Escondido in Buenos Aires; and, in 2012, Palazzo Margherita in his ancestral village of Bernalda, in southern Italy.

Big cats and wild places conjured at Holderness science center
Alan Rabinowitz, a pioneer in wildlife conservation, will visit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center on Route 113 in Holderness on Saturday to shares some tales about protecting the world's big cat specials and last wild places. Rabinowitz, the chief executive officer of Panthera, will give his presentation at the center's annual Summer Celebration at 6 p.m. Dubbed "The Indiana Jones of Wildlife Conservation" by Time Magazine, Rabinowitz has traveled the globe to study jaguars, clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons and civets. His work in Belize resulted in the world's first jaguar sanctuary, while his efforts in Taiwan led to the establishment of this country's largest protected area and last piece of intact lowland forest.

US, 16 nations conducting PANAMAX 2014 Exercise
PANAMAX 2014, an annual U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)-sponsored multinational exercise focused on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal, will take place Aug. 8-14 at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. USSOUTHCOM and Marine Corps Forces South personnel, headquartered in Miami, as well as personnel at Navy Forces South in Mayport Naval Station, Jacksonville, Fla., and Air Forces Southern at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, are among the U.S. participants taking part in the exercise. Sixteen additional nations will join the U.S. during the seven-day exercise and use simulations to command and control multinational sea, air, land, cyber and land forces defending the vital waterway and surrounding areas against threats from violent extremism, natural disasters and pandemic outbreaks. Participating nations this year include Brazil, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the United States.

How to kill a lobster and not feel guilty
Barrister invents 'Crustastun' machine which electrocutes it to death with 110-volt shock. Robert Elwood, professor of animal behaviour at Queen's University, Belfast, has made a study of whether crustaceans suffer pain. For instance, he's found that hermit crabs, when given electric shocks, abandon their shells and seek an empty shell as refuge. Anyone who has seen a lobster plunged into boiling water will see how it reacts by violently flipping its tail as if in distress. Most chefs privately dislike cooking lobster - often passing the job to a low-ranking kitchen worker. Lobsters, unlike many fish and shellfish, have to be cooked very soon after coming out of sea-water. Once caught, they rapidly lose weight as they dry out. This is why they are put straight into the pot. Another reason is that lobsters harbour microbes that cause them to rot quickly when dead - a serious food-poisoning risk. Leave it too long, and there will be little or no meat in the shells, they will taste terrible, and you risk illness. Better to cook and kill them at one go, most chefs reason. But is there a way of killing a lobster humanely before cooking it? One method involves piercing its central nervous system using a sharp instrument. This kills it instantly. But skill and experience are needed to know exactly where to jab. It is rarely done, except by expert chefs in specialist seafood restaurants. One chef, however, may have found a pain-free solution. The Italian Giorgio Locatelli, who runs his restaurant Locanda Locatelli near London's Oxford Street, has revealed how much he hates killing lobsters. He says he has heard them scream when dunked in the pan. Haunted by these sounds, he has introduced a machine to his restaurant that is said to kill lobsters, crabs and other crustaceans without pain. The 'Crustastun' is the size of a small suitcase. Once a lobster has been plucked from its tank, it is placed in the machine, which has been filled with saltwater. The equipment is then locked, triggering a 110-volt shock. The lobster is stunned and unconscious within a second - and dead after ten.

Videos

Video: gopro Vacation in Belize, 19min.

Video: GoPro Video Reveals (Maine) Lobster's Journey From Ocean To Plate, 4min.
Zagat just released an awesome video (embedded above) that follows the path of one lobster all the way from off the coast of Maine to the dinner plate of their editor James Mulcahy at Oceana restaurant in Manhattan. The Zagat team even strapped a GoPro camera in waterproof casing to the lobster's head to give you a lobster-eye view on the whole affair. The whole effect is a little macabre -- but also very enlightening.

Video: Stunning costumes for #ReinaDeLaCostaMaya 2014, 14sec.

Video: Belize Dive Teaser, 2min.
A teaser to show you the scuba diving life in Belize with a few sexy Canadians.

Video: Bull Shark in Belize bites camera, 1min.
Bull Shark and I playing chicken. We collided.

Video: Belize Diving 2014, 4min.
SCUBA Diving from Hamanasi Resort Hopkins Belize, Glovers reef.

Video: Kayaking the Caves Branch River Belize, 9min.
Kayaking the Caves Branch River in Belize with Maya Guide Adventures. 2014 Music by Andy Palacio.

Video: Belize GoPro Video, 8min.



Link Copied to Clipboard
March
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Cayo Espanto
Click for Cayo Espanto, and have your own private island
More Links
Click for exciting and adventurous tours of Belize with Katie Valk!
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 314 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums44
Topics79,199
Posts500,011
Members20,460
Most Online7,413
Nov 7th, 2021



AmbergrisCaye.com CayeCaulker.org HELP! Visitor Center Goods & Services San Pedro Town
BelizeSearch.com Message Board Lodging Diving Fishing Things to Do History
BelizeNews.com Maps Phonebook Belize Business Directory
BelizeCards.com Picture of the Day

The opinions and views expressed on this board are the subjective opinions of Ambergris Caye Message Board members
and not of the Ambergris Caye Message Board its affiliates, or its employees.

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5