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Amandala
Garifuna language barred at Caribbean bank?
Controversy erupted out of the culture capital, Dangriga, this week over allegations that a Garifuna woman working at a major Caribbean bank, CIBC FirstCaribbean, with offices in Belize, had been barred from the public use of the Garifuna language within the institution.
The National Garifuna Council (NGC) issued a cautionary release on Tuesday, August 26, saying that it is "exceedingly bothered" by the allegations that the bank in question does not permit the use of the Garifuna language within the financial institution.
"This allegation is being taken seriously and the Council is investigating the matter," the NGC said, adding that, "We will not stand aside and allow our rich cultural heritage to be disrespected by any entity, individual or organization, if that is the case."
Belizean caught with 6.5 kilos of cocaine in Costa Rica
A Belizean national who was busted with 6.5 kilos of cocaine in Costa Rica is now in police custody after he reportedly tried to depart the country with the stash of drugs hidden inside 284 pilot markers.
According to La Nacion newspaper, the incident occurred at around 8:00 this past Sunday night at the Juan Santamar�a International Airport in Costa Rica when a 37-year-old man, known only by his surname, Tillett, was busted by Drug Control Police when the officers asked to him open his hand luggage.
Upon inspecting the luggage, Costa Rican authorities discovered 29 boxes of pilot brand markers which contained 290 individual markers - 284 of which were found to be filled with cocaine.
Nephew charged for burning down aunt's house
A Belize City man who is accused of arson was remanded to prison after the court prosecutor, Inspector Hector Rodriguez, objected to his being granted bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the offense and the fact that the man had threatened to burn down the house, which he did.
Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith upheld Rodriguez's objection and remanded Darrell Alvarez, 27, into custody until his next court date on October 3, 2014.
A single charge of arson was read to Alvarez, who was not required to enter a plea because the offense is indictable and will be tried in the Supreme Court after a preliminary inquiry is held in the Magistrate's Court to determine if there is enough evidence to send the case to the high court.
55,000-ton bomb dropped on ca�eros!
On Tuesday of this week, Tate and Lyle Sugars, a member of the American Sugar Refineries (ASR) group, dropped a bombshell on local ca�eros when they announced, in a letter to the farmers, that there might be a drastic cut to the Belize sugar quota that sells under the Fair-Trade logo, and thus, the 18 directors of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers' Association (BSCFA) met this afternoon in Orange Walk to discuss the crippling issue.
Sugar quota slashed from 65,000 to 10,000 tons!
Apart from market forecasts which are cited in Tate and Lyle's letter, which was sent from their headquarters in London, the BSCFA was informed that the purchase of sugar for the 2014/2015 crop would be 10,000 tons, 55 thousand tons less than last year, while the premium price, which is US$60, will be paid after the product has been sold to consumers as Fair-Trade sugar.
"Peeping Tom" sentenced to 6 months
A resident of the Mile 8 community on the George Price Highway who was charged with committing a mischievous act after he was caught peeping into the bedroom of a 13-year-old girl was sentenced to 6 months in prison when his trial concluded in the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith this morning.
After the court prosecutor indicated that he was closing the case for the prosecution, Smith told the accused, Angel Dorado, 34, an unemployed man, that he had one out of three options. He could remain silent, or he could give an unsworn statement from the dock where he stood, or finally, he could go across to the witness stand and make a sworn statement and be subject to cross examination.
Dorado decided that he would remain silent.
Double whammy: Drought parches Belize amid hotter than normal August
The first three months of the rainy season have produced very little rains, and the National Meteorological Service confirmed today that almost all of Belize has been experiencing a drought, with extreme drought conditions occurring in the Belize District due to record low rainfall at the nation's premier port of entry, the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA).
Not only has Belize been experiencing drier than normal conditions; it has also been experiencing hotter than normal temperatures this month, according to Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Catherine Cumberbatch.
Cumberbatch told Amandala today that daily information gathered up to today, Thursday, August 28, from their network of over 20 weather stations across Belize, indicates that at all stations across the country, rainfall has been way below normal, with the exception of the extreme south, Toledo, which has been registering normal rainfall.
Belizean caught with 6.5 kilos of cocaine in Costa Rica
A Belizean national who was busted with 6.5 kilos of cocaine in Costa Rica is now in police custody after he reportedly tried to depart the country with the stash of drugs hidden inside 284 pilot markers.
According to La Nacion newspaper, the incident occurred at around 8:00 this past Sunday night at the Juan Santamar�a International Airport in Costa Rica when a 37-year-old man, known only by his surname, Tillett, was busted by Drug Control Police when the officers asked to him open his hand luggage.
Upon inspecting the luggage, Costa Rican authorities discovered 29 boxes of pilot brand markers which contained 290 individual markers - 284 of which were found to be filled with cocaine.
Teenager facing murder charge in Cayo and attempted murder charge in Belize City
A Belize City teenager who was wanted by police was charged for a recent murder in Cayo, where he had apparently been in hiding, and was then brought to the Magistrate's Court and arraigned on attempted murder and dangerous harm charges before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith late yesterday, Monday.
Earlier on Monday, Joseph Vaccaro, Jr., 19, had been charged in the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court with the August 16 murder of Unitedville resident Victor Vargas, 38, who died from multiple stab wounds to his neck.
Vaccaro was seen hanging out with the older man, Vargas, prior to his murder, and investigators believe that they have gathered enough evidence to charge him for the murder.
Plues Street resident remanded for shooting in San Pedro
A Belize City resident of Plues Street was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith to answer to one count of aggravated assault with a firearm, for a shooting incident that occurred earlier this month on San Pedro.
Jason "Killa" Gillett, 28, who police believe is an associate of the George Street Gang, pleaded not guilty to the one count of aggravated assault with a firearm against Germaine Zuniga.
Since offenses involving a firearm trigger an automatic remand to prison, Gillett was remanded until his next court appearance date on October 7, 2014.
PUP suspeds Arthur Saldivar
The Opposition People's United Party (PUP) held a National Executive meeting this morning at its Independence Hall headquarters at which it decided to suspend the Belize Rural North constituency standard bearer, attorney Arthur Saldivar, who was recently catapulted into the national spotlight with an allegation that he commandeered $900,000 from a former client, Melonie Coye.
There is, however, no claim filed at the Supreme Court Registry, and neither has Saldivar been served with any notice of a civil action, for which he would have been mandated to provide a defense to the court before a trial date is set.
Attorney Eamon Courtenay, S.C., who is representing Melonie Coye, had said that Saldivar would have a chance to explain the allegation against him to a Supreme Court judge. Presently, the Supreme Court is on vacation until its next session, which starts in October.
Lionman Triathlon 2014 this Sunday, 6:30 a.m. at Sand Lighters Promenade
The 15th Annual Lionman Triathlon takes place this Sunday, August 31, starting at 6:30 a.m. at the Sand Lighters Promenade on New Town Barracks, and all are invited, free of charge, to see the brave athletes take that early morning plunge into the cold water to start their swim leg of the triathlon.
Participating athletes will compete in the following categories - Juniors (18 and under); Females; Males (elite); Masters (40 and over); and Mixed Relay teams.
Each participant will attempt to complete the Olympic Distance event - 1,500 meter swim, 40k ride, and 10k run.
Belize's Daland Jones wins Gold at Masters Athletics Championship in Cost Rica
Veteran footballer, track & field, and body building athlete, Daland Jones won the Gold medal in Shot Put, beating American Jerry Ropelato at the North, Central American and Caribbean World Masters Athletics (NCCWMA) Championship, held in San Jose, Costa Rica from August 21-24.
Three veteran Belizean athletes travelled to Costa Rica for the event. Philip Andrewin, in the Masters 65 category (65 - 69 yrs), took part in the 100m, 200m, High Jump, Long Jump and Shot Put. Lawrence Craig, in the Masters 55 category (55 - 59 yrs), represented in Shot Put, High Jump, and won the Silver medal in the Triple Jump. (Lawrence was 4th in Shot Put in his category.) And Daland Jones, also in the Masters 55 category (55 - 59 yrs), participated in the Discus, Javelin, and won the Gold medal in the Shot Put. Top 4 Masters 5 finishers in Shot Put were Daland Jones (Belize, 10.44m), Jerry Ropelato (USA, 10.36m), James Bristol (Trinidad & Tobago, 10.34m), and Lawrence Craig (Belize, 9.05m).
Belize Jaguars prepare for Nations Cup
While the dust settles concerning the Football Federation of Belize (FFB)'s myriad of internal tangles, the country's Men's National "A" football selection, known as the Belize Jaguars, including international superstriker Deon McCaulay, and newly reinstated veteran Costa Rican coach, Leroy Sherrier-Lewis, is currently in preparation for an appearance in the upcoming Copa Centro Americana, or Nations Cup, the tournament which enabled the Jaguars to qualify for their first ever Gold Cup outing last year.
One of the wrinkles that had been troubling FFB President Ruperto Vicente is the lack of an affordable coach, but after going back and forth with other international coaches, he managed to procure the popular Leroy Sherrier-Lewis, who is certainly no stranger to Belize or to the Federation's historical shortcomings.
CONCACAF swoops in to straighten out a reeling FFB
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) is on the road to recovery - at least that is the indication that embattled FFB President Ruperto Vicente has asserted, after several months of internal flare ups within his executive, which reportedly resulted from allegations of micromanagement and financial mismanagement on his part, forced two successive marathon meetings in which local football executives first reconciled their differences before they sat with CONCACAF representatives, who were called in to adjudicate the dire situation concerning the current welfare of football in the country.
After being kept under wraps for nearly a year due to the fear that the local football community, many of whom are sincerely upset by the recent disqualification of Belize's Belmopan Bandits from the ongoing Champions League tournament because of a substandard local football pitch, will become even more downhearted by the news, the discord that had been brewing within the FFB management aroused the direct intercession of FIFA and CONCACAF, the international football governing bodies, who stepped in and sent two representatives to the country yesterday to quell the undercurrent of discontent which had been threatening to destabilize the foundation of the fairly new FFB executive, who, like the current UDP administration, was swept into office on a wave of reform two years ago.
Editorial: Greg steps down
On Tuesday the news broke that the chairman of the Sarstoon and Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM), Greg Ch'oc, was stepping down and was headed to the University of the West Indies to study law. Over the last decade or so, Greg had become the national face of the Kek'chi Maya of Toledo, so this move, though not completely unexpected, was of deep, troubling significance.
It was ironic that the following day, Wednesday, Tate & Lyle announced that they would be cutting the preferential sugar quota of our Northern cane farmers from 65,000 tons to 10,000, a thunderbolt decision which will cost the cane farmers in the neighborhood of five million dollars in the 2014/2015 crop year.
The ca�eros of the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts are, to a substantial extent, descended from the Santa Cruz and Icaiche Maya, who are referred to as "Yucatec" Maya, having come down into the former British Honduras from the Yucatan in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Now, while the Santa Cruz Maya, also called bravos, and the Icaiche Maya, also called pac�ficos, have a long history of hostility against each other, it is the case in Belize, where Corozal is more Santa Cruz and Orange Walk more Icaiche, that they are basically the same where their position on the Kek'chi Maya of Toledo is concerned. The Yucatec Maya have accepted the philosophy of private land holding, while the Toledo Kek'chi have been fighting for customary land rights, which involve land being held in common by the village unit.
From the Publisher
To be young, street, and black in Belize City today is to be treated as a criminal or potential criminal, every day and every night, by groups of police officers driving around in pickup trucks with United States flags painted on them.
If there is a major crime committed, such as murder or armed robbery, young, street, and black from certain neighborhoods can be arbitrarily grabbed, provoked, insulted, beaten, confined and held for 72 hours without any charge and without any real evidence.
In the absence of a major crime, when things are cool, the roving cops can just stop you in the middle of the street, spread-eagle you, search you, and insult you, and the excuse for this is most often the weed law. Recently, the authorities suddenly decided, after decades and decades of ignoring the bell and light statutes for bicycling, that you must have one of each of these on your poor youth's transport. More stop, more abuse, more insult, more persecution �
Letters: Guns don't fight climate change � trees do!
Belize faces a major threat over the coming years and we will need the best weapons available to deal with it. The name of that threat is climate change and it will affect the whole world, with tropical regions feeling the worst of the change. Global experts agree that, by the end of the century, Belize will see 5°C increase on average daily temperatures, more frequent and longer droughts, less overall rainfall, more hurricane force winds and sea level rises that could submerge parts of low lying areas such as Belize City.
Climate change cannot be stopped solely from within Belize, so we need to find ways to adapt to it. The impacts listed above will clearly hit agriculture the hardest. This is particularly worrying because our agricultural sector currently employs more than 32,000 Belizeans and contributes 23% of GDP.
It is clear that Belize needs a successful agricultural sector, but this sector is under serious threat and measures need to be taken sooner rather than later to avoid disaster.
Letters: Begging the Transport Department �
As I prepare for this school year I keep remembering the experience we had last year with the teachers/students bus from Independence to Bladen. I would normally take the bus to Bella Vista and vice versa. In my opinion, the bus is not road-worthy, as the tires were worn out and during the rainy days you need to be selective of your seat, or get wet.
On the way back to Independence one day, we experienced a blowout. Concern was mentioned to the person in charge of transportation at the District Education Center (D.E.C.), who promised to look into the situation. I don't know if the owner was contacted, as the bus looked the same way.
Letters: Neri Brice�o writes First Caribbean Bank
I write to you in three different capacities: an account holder with your bank, a Belizean, and most of all a proud Garifuna. Whether the content of this letter affects my current standing with the bank is irrelevant at this point, because I trust the bank as an institution is professional enough to separate the two.
A most disturbing and outrageous revelation has emerged from your Dangriga Branch which requires immediate and collective action both by yourself and First Caribbean Bank. It is a known fact and whether the bank chooses to admit it or not is immaterial at this point, but Garifuna employees of that branch have been discouraged by the manager at that location from speaking in their native tongue. For something like this to happen in modern 2014 is incomprehensible, unacceptable and absolutely outrageous. I am sure that an institution such as First Caribbean which boasts of its international range and wide diversity with over 100 branches in 17 regional markets does not sanction such behavior. Your bank has a proud tradition of employing thousands of people from different races and cultures and for a manager to ask employees to comply with such a directive is tantamount to cultural suicide.
Letters: Dr. Aranda writes FirstCaribbean, Barbados
I write you, sir, primarily as a Garifuna person, but also at the request of the Garifuna community of Belize as well as the entire Garifuna Diaspora throughout Central America and the United States of America concerning the harassment and move to dismiss at least one senior officer of the CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, Dangriga Branch, Belize, Miss Uwahnie Martinez.
The alleged violation by this senior officer is her answering greetings in Garifuna from Garifuna customers who address her in Garifuna within the bank.
The FirstCaribbean Bank claims that its official language is English, hence only English is to be spoken on the premises of the bank.
Guat farmers marking survey lines several miles inside Belize: FCD
Incessant illegal encroachments by farmers from Guatemala into the Chiquibul Forest, and particularly the Chiquibul National Park and the Caracol Archaeological Reserve, could be exacerbated by the worsening drought in the neighboring country, which has forced the declaration of a state of emergency, amid reports that Guatemalan farmers are not just expanding slash-and-burn clearings in the verdant lands of western Belize, but are actually marking survey lines several miles into Belize and setting up illegal dwellings inside the national park.
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director of Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), warns that, "The drought period in Guatemala affecting over 1 million, two hundred thousand people in 16 departments, have created a condition of food insecurity. This has prompted the Guatemalan Government to declare a state of calamity on the 25th of August among the 16 departments. In many of these departments, up to 80% of the corn product has been lost and it will take some 8 months to recover. The search for new lands for cultivations will become more incessant."
Export earnings plunge $55 mil despite 3.7% GDP growth, Jan to July 2014
Belize's economy declined marginally by 0.4% for the first quarter of 2014, but the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) reported an upturn in economic growth for second quarter by 8.7%, bringing the total growth estimate for the first half of 2014 to 3.7%.
The news was announced at a press conference held at the Central Bank of Belize this morning, and while the SIB official presenting the data, Jefte Ochaeta, Statistician II, said that he did not have information on what this growth means in dollars and cents, he did indicate to us that the growth in the primary industries, agriculture, forestry and fishing, up by 13.2%, represented a $13.9 million increase in production.
Greg Ch'oc bows out from SATIIM
Yesterday morning was a bittersweet, yet momentous occasion for the non-governmental organization (NGO) known as SATIIM, the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, and the indigenous Maya communities in southern Belize, after Maya leader Greg Ch'oc, who has been a fiery champion of their causes for nearly two decades, declared that he would withdraw from his position as executive director of the organization, relinquishing the administration into the hands of a carefully selected successor who has gotten the blessings of the Maya communities to continue what Ch'oc has termed as "the legacy of resistance", particularly as it relates to the issue of oil drilling and exploration in Toledo.
Ch'oc initially publicized his intentions to pursue a law degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus in Barbados about a year ago during a gathering in Midway Village, and now, with his admission process completed, it was time to make the announcement official.
7-foot bull shark illegally fished at Joe Taylor Creek
Fisheries authorities in Belize are investigating the illegal fishing of bull sharks in southern Belize after two adult bull sharks were found dead near the Joe Taylor Creek area, amid reports that 4 to 5 sharks had been indiscriminately fished and dumped, despite the fact that the season for shark fishing has been closed since August 1 - a measure imposed by fisheries managers to help ensure sustainability of the industry.
Only two species of shark can't be fished in Belize, and they are the whale shark and the nurse shark. Fisheries officials are working on putting in place size limits to further protect the industry from wanton fishing of young sharks. Elmar Reque�a, terrestrial biologist for the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE), reported that, "At 7:50 a.m. on the 26th August, 2014, residents from Punta Gorda spotted a dead shark floating under the Joe Taylor Creek Bridge."
TIDE's Celia Mahung told us that another dead bull shark was retrieved from the same area yesterday, and she underscores that "fishing seasons in Belize need to be respected in order for us to continue benefiting from our marine resources."
GOB signs infrastructure contracts for flood mitigation
The Government of Belize (GOB) signed a total of four contracts for infrastructure projects worth more than $5M as part of an upcoming Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Program aimed at upgrading, cleaning and constructing existing streets and canals on the north-side of Belize City.
The contract signing took place yesterday in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Works and Transport on Power Lane in Belmopan City. According to GOB, the projects will include the concreting and lining of the Douglas Jones Canal and the Northside Canal in Belize City, as well as the upgrading of Link Road (Apollo Street), and the construction and concrete-lining of the Bill Lindo Canal in Belama Phases 3 and 4.
Maheias United Construction Company has been outsourced to build a concrete-lined and earthen addition to the Bill Lindo Canal at a cost of $892,250, to be completed in 8 months if all conditions are favorable, while Medina's Construction Company is slated to build a concrete-lined, covered replacement for the Douglas Jones Canal which will cost $1.8 million and is scheduled to be completed within a period of 10 months.
Changes in certain US visa and consular fees announced
-The US State Department announced out of Washington, DC, today that effective Friday, September 12, 2014, it intends to adjust processing fees for some services, including fianc� visas and the fee for renouncing US citizenship.
"The fees for most categories of immigrant visas will change, while fees for nonimmigrant visas largely remain the same," the announcement said:
The fee for renouncing US citizenship will increase from US$450 to US$2,350.
"Documenting a U.S. citizen's renunciation of citizenship is extremely costly, requiring U.S. consular officers overseas to spend substantial amounts of time to accept, process, and adjudicate cases. The fee for processing renunciation of citizenship, which had previously been subsidized, is now reflective of the true cost," the 15-day notice said.
The Reporter
PUP Belize Rural North executives protest at party headquarters
Members of the PUP's Belize Rural North executive committee protested in front of their party's headquarters on Queen Street on Friday to object to the suspension of Arthur Saldivar from the party.
The group led by Oswin Blease, told The Reporter that they will keep the pressure on the party's leadership in defiance of their standard bearer's suspension that they say is illegal and not in conformity with the party's constitution.
They also demanded a meeting with the party's leader, Francis Fonseca, to discuss the suspension that they claim was carried out contrary to the norms of due process.
Conference seeks to empower, uplift women
A conference aimed at empowering women and creating enabling environments for their growth and independence took place on Friday at the Radisson Fort George Hotel In Belize City.
The forum, which was a continuation of the 20,000 strong march earlier this year, included speeches by Kim Simplis Barrow, special envoy for women and children, Dr Carla Barnett and others on the role women play in society.
An expo, featuring the works of female artisans from across the country complemented the conference.
Two men remanded for crystal meth
Customs officials say that 120 pounds of meth-amphetamine that Orange Walk police intercepted last week Wednesday night did not come through its Belize City port of entry. Selso Marin, a senior officer in the Investigations Unit at the Customs Department, said that it is […]
BML expecting payment on Friday
Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) is expecting a five-week-payment from the Belize City Council on Friday, according to BML owner Lawrence Ellis. Ellis indicated that CitCo has promised to make a payment of approximately $390,000 on Friday. He added that if CitCo didn't pay on […]
Taiwan provides scholarships for 26 Belizeans
Twenty-six Belizean students will leave the country this weekend for Taiwan where they will pursue tertiary-level studies in fields ranging from engineering to medicine over the next few years. At an orientation ceremony last Saturday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington reminded the students […]
Child Friendly Municipality Initiative launched
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Local Government, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have launched the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipality Initiative geared toward addressing issues affecting children in different municipalities. Ivan Yerovie, UNICEF representative, said they are working […]
Provident Bank robbed of $40,000
About $40,000 was stolen from Provident Bank & Trust of Belize Limited on Barrack Road around 9:15 a.m. on Monday morning. According to Inspector Santiago Ciao, OC Precinct Three, two unmasked men entered the bank and asked to see the cashier. After the men […]
Body of missing Lemonal resident found
The body of a 27-year-man that had been missing for almost two weeks was found in a shallow grave in the village of Lemonal on Saturday afternoon. Denvo Banner's remains were found in a shallow grave behind the community school by a search team […]
Alleged American murderer could be in Belize
Belizean law enforcement authorities are on the lookout and are in need of the public's help to locate Lyle Marvin Hoffman, also known as "Ty", a wanted American felon accused of the murder of a man in Minnesota State, USA. Hoffman, according to Minnesota authorities, […]
A&R security guard charged for plotting robbery
A 28-year-old security guard who worked at A&R Enterprise Limited has been charged in connection with last week's robbery at the establishment and has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Leroy Ciego was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and […]
SATIIM gets new director
The Sarstoon Temash institute of Indigenous Management (SATIIM) has a new executive director. Foyla Tzalam officially assumed the post on Tuesday at a press conference held at the conference room of the Belize Social Security Board in Punta Gorda Town. Tzlam takes over from former […]
UNICEF deploys largest amount of aid ever
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) this month deployed over 1,000 metric tons of life saving supplies for children all over the world setting a record for largest amount of emergency aid delivered in a single month. According to UNICEF, the delivery in August […]
EDITORIAL
Since 1976 when the Ebola virus was first identified, the disease has become one of the most deadly the world has seen. It is possible for a person to come down with Ebola symptoms in the morning and be dead by nighttime! The Center for Disease Control in the United […]
'Draconian' gun law to be revised! Elrington says amendments expected as early as next month
Amendments to the controversial gun law may come as early as next month, Attorney General Wilfred Elrington said in a recent interview with The Reporter. According to Elrington, the Offices of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of National Security are reviewing the 2008 amendment […]
GDP up, exports down!
The economy has grown by 8.7 percent above last year, the best recorded second quarter growth since 2009, while imports continue to exceed exports according to the latest data released by the Statistical Institute of Belize. The SIB presented the Gross Domestic Product and the […]
Ca�eros seek clarification on new payment scheme
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association is requesting clarification from the biggest importer of sugar, Tate and Lyle Sugars, on changes made to the payment scheme for the upcoming sugarcane crop. The BSCFA wrote to the company on Thursday, after receiving a letter stating the […]
PUP suspends Arthur Saldivar!
Arthur Saldivar, the PUP's standard bearer in the Belize Rural North constituency is suspended and faces possible expulsion from the party if ongoing ongoing investigations prove that he is culpable of taking monies that belonged to one of his clients. PUP Leader, Francis Fonseca, told […]
Patrick Jones
Galen University awards scholarships
Galen University has announced the awarding of ten scholarships for the 2014 Fall Semester.
A statement from Galen University says that the scholarships were awarded in four categories, namely Academic Excellence, Academic/Financial Needs, Athletic and Music.
The Scholarship recipients are Ruvi Bautista, Jessie Gentle and Jasmin Nicole Hulse for Academic Excellence.
Derrick Seaven Bol and Mario Alberto Villeda for Financial Needs; Romario Romaldo Pech received a Music Scholarship.
Kevin Brown, Bryton Edmundo Codd and Christopher Enriquez are recipients of Athletic Scholarships.
The Daniel Silva Academic/Financial Need Scholarship has been awarded to Kaycee Nikita Flores.
One HOT Day in Beautiful Placencia Village - Taking Things Slow
My taxi driver in Independence/Mango Creek called for rain. The rest of the week, he said with authority, SHOWERS. Quite the bold statement when it basically hasn't rained for months in San Pedro or Placencia - and the official weather report down here is about as reliable as BTL internet service down here. But I am a sucker for anything said with command AND I hadn't packed an umbrella, so maybe it could�
Just a 3 minute taxi ride or a 10 minute stroll north of the village, I check into the very cutest spot and most homey, Casa Placencia.
A labor of love - each room filled with color and art and personal touches. Mosaic tiles everywhere done personally by the owner - Jackie - in her over 30 years in Belize. I took so many pictures but I'll save them for later.
Belize Gets Big Support in Cooling the Effects of Climate Change
An ambitious US$ 30 million World Bank project will help make a difference!
Here at Chaa Creek there's no debate about climate change. Those doubting that climate change exists as a growing threat to the health of our planet and the seven billion souls inhabiting it will find their arguments falling on deaf ears around here.
We're just too close to nature to ignore the fact that the earth is heating up, water levels are rising, and storms are increasing in intensity and frequency.
But doom and gloom has never been a Belizean trait, and we take heart in the many measures being put in place to counter this growing threat. All around us we see people taking part in the worldwide effort to turn climate change around and mitigate its effects.
"It's So Easy" in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
I got out on to the veranda - yes the western, lagoon facing one on the first floor - around 05.00 hours yesterday morning with the "must have" mug of black coffee (no sugar) and my iPad.
After a few minutes of just taking in the sights,sounds and smells. I know it should be the same vista - I sit in the same position every morning after all - but it never, ever is. The different shades of the early morning light conspire to make it a different and truly enjoyable picture every day.
Sated with the ambience (and a couple of sips of coffee) I turned to The Times online and was well in to the Business pages when the tranquility was broken by the sound of hammering from the lot immediately north of our home.
I don't why but this got to me to thinking about how I would have reacted to such an intrusion at 06.30 hours when I was living in London. I'm pretty certain that the reaction from me would have been to utter a few expletives. The next step would likely have been for me to shout similar types of invective at the "offending" workers.
My reaction yesterday morning? I had another sip of coffee and went back to the Business pages.
International Sources
Meet Me in Belize" sweepstakes by AFAR
We want to send you to Belize to meet the locals, who are waiting to show you the best the country has to offer, from its ancient ruins to its newest resorts. Ask our locals for the name of a must-see dive spot, the perfect bar for a sunset cocktail, or a store with the best handicrafts and not only will they tell you where to go, they'll lead you there. After reading some of our locals' tips, choose the region you'd most like to explore to enter the sweepstakes. If you are the lucky winner for a trip for two to Belize, pack your bags and we'll meet you in Belize.
IBRD loan to mitigate climate change effects in Belize
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loaned US$30mn to Belize's government for a five-year infrastructure improvement project to mitigate climate change effects.
The loan has a maturity of 40 years, with a five-year grace period, the World Bank said in a release.
The financing will be used to restore 30km of roads, upgrade 12 bridges and culverts, develop 26 localized hazard maps, implement the country's land-use policy and train government staff on flood tracking and local residents on road maintenance.
Belize was identified by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, given that over half the population and business centers are at sea level.
Good News From One Of The World's Top Retirement Havens
Over the past three decades I've been writing about Belize. I've regularly borrowed Morley Shafer's line from the mid-80s, when he traveled to Belize City to film a segment for 60 Minutes.
"The good news from Belize," Morley said looking up from a little wooden boat in the middle of the Belize River, "is no news from Belize."
True then, true since, and true now, though maybe a little less so. This month I returned to Belize's Cayo, where I found news worth reporting.
The main town in this part of this country is San Ignacio. For the first 20 years I knew San Ignacio, it was a tiny roundabout with concrete benches, a main drag with hostels and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and a river launch that was little more than a muddy hillside that you could slide down or drag yourself and your canoe up.
Tropics May Come Alive Again Next Week Near Mexico
As Cristobal loses its tropical characteristics, attention is turning toward the Bay of Campeche for potential development early next week.
A tropical wave moving through the central Caribbean has the potential to become the Atlantic Basin's next tropical depression or storm in the Bay of Campeche, in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, early next week.
The Bay of Campeche is where conditions will become conducive for development as the water is very warm and a zone of lower wind shear will be present. Wind shear refers to belts of winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that can shred apart tropical systems when strong enough.
The wave is currently encounter such disruptive wind shear and would continue to do so if it takes a more northern track into the western Gulf of Mexico.
Punta Gorda: Belize's Forgotten District�
Rounding a bend in the road, you catch your first glimpse of the bay of Honduras. The stunning silhouette of Guatemala's mountains to the south provides the perfect backdrop as the light scatters off the sparkling Caribbean water. The skies are a cloudless blue and a series of houses painted different colors, here white, there yellow, another green-and all with neatly-groomed yards-greets you along the coast road into the town of Punta Gorda.
Every visit I make to the Toledo region of Belize brings unexpected discoveries. Some folks call it the country's "forgotten district," and it's true that Toledo is a bit of an enigma. On the surface it appears peaceful and serene. But look closer and you'll find a contrasting alter ego. This Toledo is wild, untamed, enticing�
Videos
Video: Diving at Ambergris Caye Belize - 2014., min.
Diving at Ambergris Caye Belize - 2014.
Video: Financial Empowerment for Women in Belize, 10min.
Women entrepreneurs in Belize have the passion, the creativity, and the capacity to be successful in business. What they lack is financing. This video showcase but a few of the women endeavoring to create economic opportunities for themselves and the efforts of Belize's Special Envoy for Women and Children to link them with the financial resources they need to succeed.
Video: Earth Expeditions Baja & Belize Packing Tips, 9min.
Video: Flying Into Punta Gorda Belize, 3min.