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

Misc Belizean Sources

The 31st Anniversary of Belize's Independence, 2012!
Belizeans are gearing-up for a massive, colorful, celebration commemorating its 31st Independence Day on September 21st. With the theme, "Many Faces, Many Dreams-One Goal, Celebrating Belize," families of different dynamics, religion, and ethnicity will unite, parading in their National Flag colors of: red, blue and white. To kick off the country's Independence Day festivities, citizens will gather at the Official Ceremony being held, in Belize City, at the Memorial Park, while patriotic declarations from dynamic speakers and colorful performances, inspires all! Be part of the patriotic sensation at this year's Independence Day Ceremonies, hosted countrywide, in: the Capital of Belize, "Belmopan City", Belize City, Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Corozal District, Dangriga, Orange Walk District, Punta Gorda Town, San Ignacio Town, and San Pedro Ambergris Caye. Uniformed students, Government Officials and Citizens from all regions of Belize, line the principal streets, for the main event: the parade, as live music and thousands of participants wave their flags and march in unison!

VIDEO: Isla Bonita Elementary School Marching Band, September 10, 2012
Isla Bonita Elementary School Marching Band parading though the streets of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize on September 10, 2012 in honor of the Battle of St. George's Caye Day.

Video: GO SLOW

SIRH Adopts Flamingo Park
The San Ignacio Resort Hotel got into the September Celebrations spirit, and adopted Flamingo park for National Service Day. Thanks, SIRH! "The Staff and management team of the San Ignacio Resort Hotel joins its community in Celebrating Belize on National Service Day! After much brainstorming the San Ignacio Resort Hotel team came up with the concept as a community service project of cleaning and renovating. This concept, however, enthused the staff and has now become an official adoption of the park. Today, September 18th. saw the start of the renovations, as staff took turns in groups to begin the clean up , renovation , and actual adoption of the Flamingo Park located on 18th. Street in San Ignacio Town. Look out for more updates on San Ignacio Resort Hotel's newest ADOPTION!!"

The Story Behind "Pat the (Great) Cat: A Jaguar's Journey"
A Peace Corps Volunteer describes how 'Pat the Great Cat' came to be. The book can be found at the Belize Zoo. "The story of the publishing of the new book 'Pat the (Great)Cat: A Jaguar's Journey' is a story of two women's passion for literacy and learning. It is also a story of collaboration between the people of Belize and the United States. 'Pat the (Great) Cat: A Jaguar's Journey' is the result of an international literacy initiative that is joining children across the United States and Belize through the true story of a jaguar from Belize who found his world forever changed as people came to share his land... Students from Belize and from urban Milwaukee, Wisconsin (ages 9-13), took on the task of creating international awareness through an extraordinary literacy journey that celebrates not only the jaguar but the importance of joining hands across nations to impact our natural world through education and friendship."

GPC � Belizeans, get ready for National Service Day: September 19!
Belizeans, Schools, Churches, Organizations, get ready for...National Service Day, which is tomorrow. All Belizeans are invited to carry out a community service activity in memory of the Rt. Hon. George Price, who passed away on September 19 of last year. There's are 100's of projects going on around Belize. In Belmopan: Clean up campaign of the area around the George Price Centre for Peace and Development, UB and walkways to National Assembly Building. Clean up of May Gordon Park Food distribution to the needy Rehabilitation and clean up of Devon Beaton Park Participation of 1,000+ students Rehabilitation and Clean up of Independence Park Painting of bus-stop at roundabout

Heartz Football for Success
Heartz Football Club has been having football training lately at Victor Galvez Stadium. Football for Success. Thanks, Heartz! "Heartz Football Club - After school program"

PACT's School Support Project
PACT has a school support project, where they donate school supplies, and pass the message on about protecting the environment. Thanks, PACT! "Last week, as an ongoing effort to build capacity and further create environmental awareness, PACT awarded eighty two students from five primary schools in the Belmopan area with an incentive package intended to encourage and support academic excellence. The packages, which consisted of stationary, were awarded to students who either came in first or excelled at their academic studies during the previous school year. The recipients shared gratitude for their success to God, their parents, teachers, and fellow classmates. Both students and school management welcomed the incentive and encouraged PACT to continue these initiatives, especially at this critical stage of these young students' academic career. The project is a part of PACT's continuing efforts to advance conservation work in Belize through educational enhancement. The message to the future of Belize was to assist in protecting the environment by keeping Belize clean.

SHJC's National Service Day Events
Sacred Heart Junior College has the September Celebrations spirit! They are doing 3 different projects for National Service Day. The main project is a clean up of the Western Highway between Cayo and Succotz, which will occur between 7:00am and noon. On campus, they welcome Mr. Hector Silva, who'll talk about Belize's struggle to independence, and they'll also have a red, white, and blue dress up day. Have a great National Service Day!

Belizean Crab Soup/Stew
My Aunt Tileen use to make the best stews with all types of seafood. She use to catch the crabs herself, clean them like I did in this video and cook them into this soup or stew.

Islander's Away-day!!
You may not believe it but occasionally islanders need to 'get-away' from our island paradise and what better than Caye Caulker - an even smaller island paradise, namely Goffs Caye! So Sunday, three boats took off from the Raggamuffin dock filled with excitement of sunshine, fishing, diving and Belikin beer!! Jimmy, Simeon from Black Durgeon Diving and Carlos Ayala from Carlos Tours were the designated drivers ensuring passengers had sufficient space to be comfortable for the ride out there. Although the ladies and the kids were happy sunning themselves on the sandbar of Goffs Caye, the boys seemed to have other ideas for their days entertainment. Simeon (Black Durgeon Dives) went diving with Simon (Seaside Cabanas), Jimmy (Raggamuffin) and Rafael (Barefoot Fisherman) went spearfishing and Carlos took the rest of the pack for some relaxed deep sea trawling! When the men returned from their adventure they came bearing gifts of Tuna, Snapper and Baracuda and whipped up some food for the ladies to eat!! This washed down with the various alcoholic beverages that were consumed throughout the day, meant that this lucky crew were very much enjoying their day off the island!! So now it is back to reality as the work week is in full flow - however, the next adventure is already in the pipeline to pull us though slow season!! Thank you all for all concerned - didn't we have fun!!

Channel 7

15 Year Old Allegedly Shot At Cop
Tonight a 15 year old Belize City resident is facing one charge for shooting a police officer - and another set of charges for pointing a gun at others. But the teenager is also in the hospital recovering after he was shot by police. They say the minor did it with this gun - a chrome 38 revolver - which has been recovered. The incident occurred around 10:00 last night on Vernon Street. That's when Police Corporal DANIEL FLOWERS got home and parked his car in his fenced yard near Vernon Street. He shut his gate and was walking into his house when he heard a male voice calling him. He turned to see who it was and he saw a minor with whom he'd had a misunderstanding a few minutes earlier. The minor fired a single shot at him but missed. The youth then jumped on a bicycle, raced off towards Ebony Street making good his escape.

Superbond: Tomorrow Is D-Day, But is it "D" For Default?
Government announced that it would not make the Superbond payment more than a month ago. The payment was due on august 20th - and the actual default is triggered 30 days later - which is tomorrow, September 19th. There's been no announcement of anything changing with the bond negotiations- so we were kind of expecting tomorrow to be the day of default. But, sources tell us that it might not be. And that's because we understand there have been talks between Government and the creditor committee - which represents a majority of the bondholders. As we understand it - the two sides are still a ways apart on the terms of a new bond - but they may have agreed on a way forward. And, for the time being, we are told that may involve the extension of a the grace period for default - in exchange for a goodwill gesture from government in the form of a partial payment. Again, these are only reports, but either way - an announcement is expected tomorrow.

City Shooter Stood Over Fallen Victim And Fired Freely
Last night - Belize City saw its first shooting related murder for September. The victim is 23 year old Andrew Usher Jr - a fisherman from Conch Shell Bay whose father, Andrew Sr. had recently moved to Jane Usher Boulevard. Usher Jr and his brother went to visit their father - and were leaving on a scooter when a gunman tracked them down. He opened fire with a hail of gunshots - and didn't stop firing until he was sure one of them was dead. We found out more today: Monica Bodden Reporting 23 year old Andrew Usher and his brother 19 year old Jordan Usher was shot just a block away from their home.

Bus Fares Are Going Up
Commuters beware, bus fares are going up! But the bus owners say it is not a hike in fares; instead, they are calling it realignment. Now, that sounds like politician talk to us - but it's best we let them explain. Their spokesman did, at a bus association meeting this morning in Belize City. Here's what that spokesman, Patrick Menzies had to say: Patrick Menzies - Spokesperson, Belizean Bus Association "For Belizeans out there to know, effective September 22, the price to travel to Belmopan will be $5 regular, $6 express." Thomas Shaw - Chairman, Belizean Bus Association "The $5 that we'll be charging from Belmopan to Belize City, it's not an increase because as the Minister to some commuters, it's an increase, but it's not. It's something that has been long overdue, and I think that most of our operators - if you looked in there a while ago - everybody is on board. We're united; everbody came to the consensus that we have got to move away from this selfish behavior of one person charging a dollar, and a next two dollars, cutting each other's throats. They all realize that we're losing money, so everybody is on board. Everybody agreed to go back to fares that were originally set, the 37 pointers that you're speakign about, you're perfectly in order, but for us to really achieve these goals, we cannot afford to be operating at a loss."

City Home Invasion Was A Terror
A few minutes before 3 p.m. this evening, a woman residing at #38 Logwood Street became the victim of a frightening home invasion, while she was waiting for her children to come home from school. She spoke to us this evening and she described the incident, in which she claims that 7 men - all armed with high-powered weapons, and with stockings over their faces - ran up into her yard and raided her house of all the valuables they could find. When we confronted her with the information we got that these assailants were probably looking for drugs, she flatly denied that saying that she works hard for everything that her family owns. Here's what how she described the terrifying incident: Voice of: Home Invasion Victim "I was on the verandah doing laundry, and I came out to take out the last load, and by the time I looked to the back of the yard, 7 men with guns - the double barrel guns, and short guns - I couldn't do anything. So, as they entered on the verandah, I told them that nothing was happening with me. I told them to take what they wanted. They took me into the house, and one of them told me to hand over my chain. I told them that it was in the bag. that guy took it out and put it in his pocket, and he ordered me to take him into my room. He dug up the room, and he looked into a box where some jewelry was. I told him that they were all fakes. He continued to dig up my room some more. One of them was in my son's room, and they rest were in the living room searching. 2of them stayed on the verandah. They told what I had in my purse: my passport, my credit union book, 4 gold chains - they took cell phones, and a lot of other things. I don't even know what is missing right now because I am still shaken up and confused. But they didn't hit me. They just got wrong information because nothing is happen at this yard. They just listened to allegations."

City Man Stabbed By House Guest
Yesterday morning, a man was found dead inside his home in Belize City. 27 year old Wilmer Alexis Esquivel was found dead on his bed with a stab wound in his back. Esquivel lived at an apartment at the corner of St. Thomas and 12th Street and the night before he was seen coming home with a person no one had seen before. The woman who lived across the hall from him shared her suspicions with us: Voice of: Soccoro Sanchez - Neighbor "The person brought a friend - just invited him over to spend some time and have some drinks. That's all I know. We didn't hear any noise. We didn't see him leave; we only know that he left his bicycle behind. He was a very nice person; he socialized a lot, and he was like any other person. He might have had a few defects due to the drinking, but nothing abnormal." Esquivel is a Honduran who had been in Belize for about 7 years - and now his friends are trying to make arrangement to fly his body back to Honduras.

Woman Claims Police Falsely Imprisoned Her Husband
Every night on the news - we report on accused persons being taken to Magistrate's Court and automatically remanded because the offence that they are charged with involves a gun. Well, that's just the situation that 38 year-old David Wade, a resident of Iguana Street Extension, and 33 year-old George Young a resident of Raccoon Street are in, and they are currently spending their second night in prison for it. They were arraigned yesterday for aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary. According to police, on Saturday they went to Dorain Polanco's house, on Neal Pen Road, armed and with the intention to harm him. As a result, police arrested and charged both men with aggravated burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary. They were remanded to prison yesterday, and will be brought back to court on October 17 for their next adjournment, but Wade's wife says that her children can't wait 90 days to have their father home to support them. She came to speak to us today, and she told us that the gun allegation was brought into the story out of pure mischief to get her husband and the next accused man in prison.

No-Go For Three On Three National Team
In July and August, we told you about the National Three on Three Basketball Tournament. At the end of it, the winners from the senior category went to a tournament in New York - and the a select team from the under 18 tournament would go to the three on three world championships in Spain from September 27 to 30th. The World Championships is the more prestigious event as Belize will be there among 31 other countries. But, unless some miracle happens in the next 15 hours, the team won't make it. That's because the Belize Basketball Federation doesn't have the money to send them and their sponsors are tapped out. President Paul Thompson explained why the trip might not happen for the four players: Paul Thompson - President, BBF "At this point, the participation for Belize is in jeopardy due to the fact that fund raising has been challenging. We have had commitment from the Belize Olympic Committee to purchase 4 tickets for our players, however, we need to get visas for our players and for the coach to travel along with the team. It's been challenging, as I said; we've gone to many private sector partners, and nothing has come up so far. So now, it's our obligation the federation to let the public know that this opportunity to participate in the world championship, the window is closing fast."

Jailed For Jacking Magistrate's Daughter
51 year-old Eric Barrow, a resident of Raccoon Street, is spending the second night of a 4-year sentence after he was convicted of burglarizing the home of a Magistrate's daughter. Leanni Ordonez, the daughter of Magistrate Roberto Ordonez, reported to police that on September 4, she left her home at the downstairs flat of her family's house. While returning, she heard noises in her house which indicated that someone was in there. She went to her room and found Barrow under the bed. She shouted for assistance, but Barrow escaped. But not without taking plenty: Ordonez calculated the losses at $11,000 dollars worth of jewelry. She visited Monica's Pawn shop where she discovered that 2 pieces of her stolen jewelry had been pawned, and the employees reported that Barrow was the one who did it. Police received information of Barrow's location, and they arrested him at the KHMH, where he was receiving treatment. They charged him with burglary and handling stolen goods, and he was arraigned before Magistrate Aretha Ford.

Infant Thriving After Being Born With Defect
Do you remember little Hannah Castillo? She was only one week old when she made it on the news on August 13th. At the time Hannah was being flown out of the country for emergency surgery because she was born with a rare birth defect, esophageal atresia which made it impossible for her to eat. She was flown to Children's Hospital in Richmond Virginia and news coming out of that US City is that Hannah is eating and thriving off breastmilk. Her mother is quoted in the Richmond time Dispatch as saying quote "Every day, all day, she wants to be fed." But she only got there after a surgery on August 30th. Doctors say she is doing well and after she was taught to latch unto her mother's breast - and since then she hasn't let go too often. The World Pediatric Project has previously taken three other children with esophageal atresia from Belize to Virginia to have the condition repaired. But the newspaper reports that seven months ago, another child with the disorder died from respiratory problems the day before she was to be transported.

Nat Geo Magazine On Bze's Reef
The October issue of National Geographic Magazine contains a feature article about the Mesoamerican Reef. Belize features prominently in the article with spectacular photographs taken at several marine protected areas including Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserves. The images include a trumpetfish in the coral gardens of Lighthouse Reef atoll and the atoll itself one of the most seaward outliers of the Mesoamerican Reef. The October issue of National Geographic will hit newsstands a week from today but you can find the article through a link at 7newsbelize.com: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/mesoamerican-reef/brower-text

"Serve The People"
Tomorrow is the Anniversary of National Hero George Price's death and in honour of his memory, September 19 has been added to the September Celebrations Calendar to be observed as National Service Day. It's not going to be observed as a public and bank holiday, but the George Price Center and the People's United Party wants the public to do some form of community service project, to honor the way Price lived his life. To encourage the day's observance, the PUP has organized activities all across the country in which they hope that Belizeans participate. The Communications Director for the party's Eastern Caucus told us more today: Kareem Musa - Communications Director, PUP Eastern Caucus "As you know, tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the Passing of the Rt. Hon. George Price, the Father of Independence - the Father of the Nation. And a few months ago, the George Price Center for Peace and Development proposed and initiative that September 19 be designated as National Service Day in honor and remembrance of Mr. Price. He was a humble servant of the people, and he dedicated his entire life to the betterment of Belizeans - of all Belizeans. Even though tomorrow is not a Public and Bank holiday, I think that it is very important that we all take a little time out during the day - whether it's during the lunch hour, or after work to pay homage and tribute to Mr. Price by giving back to the community through community service. From North, South, East and West, the People's United Party is fully embracing National Service Day. We'll be partaking in numerous activities all over the country. It's going to start with a mass in Belmopan at Our Lady of Guadeloupe RC Church at 7 a.m., followed by the laying of wreaths at the Lord Ridge Cemetery at 9:30 in the morning. So for those attending the mass in Belmopan, there will also be wreath laying at 9:30 in the morning. And after that - as you can see from the long list of activities that we have all across the country - there will be retrofitting basketball courts, planting of trees, and one important event is going to be the special presentation that will be made to Raymond Parks Home. It's going to be at 10:30 a.m."

Marin Discusses Health Priorities For Belize
Health Minister Pablo Marin is in Washington D.C. attending a PAHO Conference of Ministers of Health of the Americas. The Conference is discussing the prevention of disease and the preservation of mental and physical health. Marin discussed the national health priorities for Belize with a PAHO interviewer: Hon. Pablo Marin - Minister of Health "Well, the biggest challenge for me is obesity with children and elder people. It's the type of food we eat, and soft drinks are already out there on the market. So, that's our biggest challenge. Another challenge we have is road accidents. That is something that we have to put a lot of attention to because a lot of money is being spent, and the Ministry of Health is the one who is taking a lot of the load. Every time there is an accident, they reach to our hospitals, and that's more money being invested into something that we can have some kind of work to be done on that." The meeting ends on Friday...

Channel 5

Brother shot and brother murdered in Bullet City
There was an execution-style murder on Monday evening on Jane Usher Boulevard. As we reported in our previous newscast, a gunman opened fire on two brothers on a motorbike. Jordan Usher was hit once and managed to escape but a hail of bullets found their mark on Andrew Usher. The gunman stood on top of [...]

Terrifying home invasion; what were they looking for?
By mid afternoon, there was a horrific home invasion on Logwood Street, which may be linked to Monday night's murder. Seven heavily armed and masked men ambushed a woman who was alone at her house just before three p.m. According to the victim, the men claimed they were looking for drugs. The gunmen held her [...]

How smart is he? He fired at Corporal then pulled gun on GSU officers
A brazen minor is facing a slew of charges for allegedly shooting at a Police Corporal and pulling his gun on a group of GSU officers on Monday night. PC Daniel Flowers parked his vehicle in his yard on Zericote Street at around ten p.m. and as he walked toward his house, someone called out [...]

Telemedia net profit drops by millions
Belize Telemedia Limited is holding its annual general meeting on September twenty-eighth and some bad news is going to be delivered to its shareholders. A peak at the financial statement of the nationalized company for fiscal year ending March thirty-first, 2012 shows a huge decrease in revenue. In the 2010/11 financial year, B.T.L.'s gross income [...]

Man detained in relation to murdered UB Student
The murder of a prominent UB student, Norval Gilbert Belisle, has left the community in shock. Belisle was cut to the throat with a broken glass bottle as he was socializing on Friday night on a street in the Las Flores area. According to police, Belisle was with his friends Drachir Reid, Kirk Morgan and [...]

Who killed Wilmer Alexis Esquivel?
It is still unclear what transpired on Sunday night that ended in twenty-seven year old Honduran National, Wilmer Alexis Esquivel, being stabbed to death. Police confirmed today, however, that the friend Esquivel was socializing with is Jose Humberto Gabarrete. The body was found at around eight on Monday morning by Ostin Mitchell, one of the [...]

Online poll shows many have less to spend during festivities
It's the month of celebrations and there are plenty of events on the calendar but many may not have the finances to enjoy it all. So we asked our viewers: Do you find that you have less to spend during this year’s celebrations? Eighty percent of participants on our e-poll say they are short on [...]

Economic Indicators: How people feel about Superbond
The 'Superbond' has been much on the minds of Belizeans. This issue has been heightened by the recent missed coupon payment which matured on August twentieth of this year and is now due on Wednesday because of a one month grace period. The aftershocks of such and the Governments release of the three bond restructuring [...]

P.U.P. calls on government to address economic issues
This Wednesday, a thirty day grace period for a missed coupon payment of the five hundred and fifty four million dollar super bond is due. Up to news time there not been word from the government and the Debt Review team on whether the payment will be met but there are reports that government has [...]

Bus fares will go up
Bus fares are going up. On Saturday, four dollars will no longer be able to get you from Belmopan to Belize City on the regular bus. According to the BBA, commuters will now be paying ten cents per mile. This means that you'll now be paying five dollars on the regular bus and six dollars [...]

Belize National dance Company star has cancer
The Belize National Dance Company returned from a successful tour in Europe last Wednesday to some bad news. Assistant Artistic Director, Dancer, Choreographer and Board Member, Rosita Baltazar didn’t complete the tour due to medical problems and the company has since learned that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Baltazar is well known as a [...]

Help Under-18 3X3 ballers get to Spain
Earlier this year, the Belize Basketball Federation teamed up with Bowen and Bowen to hold a national Three by Three basketball tournament after Belize was selected to participate in the under eighteen three by three World Championships in Spain. That event takes place from the twenty-seventh to the thirtieth of September and the Jewel is [...]

B.D.F., National Youth Orchestra get a few notes from National Guard
The National Guard Reserves from Louisiana is back in the jewel to work along with fifteen youths from the Belize Defence Force band and the National Youth Orchestra. The team of eight arrived earlier this week and at the close of the training, they will be joining the B.D.F. at the official ceremonies in Belmopan [...]

St. Joseph student win bank's art competition
A twelve year old student from Belize City has topped the yearly art competition sponsored by Atlantic Bank Limited. The winning piece was judged on originality and creativity; it interpreted the competition's theme by way of cultural diversity. The outstanding entries made it a difficult decision for the judges, Noel Escalante, Kirkland Smith and Tarcilla [...]

Which Superstar will win $10,000?
There are nine performers, but only seven spots are available in tonight's episode of Be the Next Superstar. The competition is narrowing down and within the next hour, there will be awesome performances in dance, singing and drama from Group B. The competitors will take the stage at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts [...]

LOVE FM

Police News
Nineteen year old Trevor Flowers, who allegedly robbed a 16 year student at gunpoint, was charged with robbery when he appeared in court on Monday. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. Magistrate Shona Griffith explained to that the court cannot offer him bail because of the nature of ...

Bus Owners Association Calls It a Price Realignment
Twenty four hours ago the Minister of State with responsibility for Public Transportation Edmund Castro announced that there is no authorized increase in bus fares. But tonight, the news is that commuters will be paying more for a ride between Belize City and Belmopan. That...

Minister of Health Attends Conference in Washington
Minister of Health Pablo Marin is attending the 28th Pan American sanitary conference of the Pan American Health Organization. Ministers of health of the Americas are meeting in Washington to analyze health policies in the region. The conference is a forum for the exchange ...

National Trade Union Congress Supports Debt Restructuring and Pushes for Government to Recover The Millions from the Super Bond
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says after consulting with its members and meeting with members of the debt restructuring team it supports government's move to restructure the super bond under more favourable terms. The NTUCB is demanding that government takes d...

Minister of Transport Talks on Bus Fares and Regulations
Callers to Love News Center reported that there has been a price increase on bus transportation. Love News spoke about this and other transportation issues with Minister of Transport Edmund Castro. HON. EDMUND CASTRO Minister of Transport Belize "Basically w...

Winners of Expo Belize Announced
The annual business exposition, known simply as Expo Belize was staged this past weekend at the old Belize Technical College grounds now known as the ITVETT compound on Freetown Road. According to a statement from the organizers, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, close to eighteen thou...

CTV3

Super Furia Wins Battle Of The Bands Competition
As part of the September Celebrations festivities, a Battle of the Bands was held at the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal Town last night. Orange Walk's very own Super Furia Band participated and brought home 1st prize. According to Francisco Alcoser Sr. the band has been in existence for the past 26 years and has competed in many competitions in the past two decades. We spoke to the band this afternoon and found out how happy they were of their win. Roxana Alcoser, Super Furia "I believe it is the energy that we brought to the stage, we brought energy and we synchronized and we followed the rules and we rehearsed it and we executed our job well." Hiplolito Novelo - Reporter "Any last words Sir?" Fransisco Alcoser Sr. - Owner Super Furia Band "Well, thanks to all the public and we want you to have a safe and wonderful and peaceful celebration and let be one Belizean family to celebrate." Roxana Alcoser, Super Furia "Well, we did various songs because there were various segments in the criteria used for judging and the first criteria was Melody, which was challenging because the way they are going to judge you is that the criteria is that you need the transition, the songs and you need to play a fast and a slow song so without stopping the music so we need to find a way how the transition acts smoothly and we execute that very good and then we did our patriotic song which is the tenth song and we song our original song which is long live Belize and that is what I feel very honored in doing that too."

Butane Depots Robbed At Gunpoint
At about 10:00 clock this morning Z-Gas located on the Northern Highway was robbed at gun point. A lone gunman walked in and held at gunpoint pump attendant Raul Rodriguez and a female secretary. According to Rodriguez the assailant was a dark in complexion individual dressed in full black but did not conceal his face. The robber demanded that Rodriguez and the female secretary hand over all the money and threated to shoot them if they refused his request. Fearing for their lives, both employees of Z-Gas complied with his request and handed over to him an undisclosed amount of money. After receiving the money, the lone gunman made good his escape by running to a waiting vehicle parked on the side of the road. It is unsure if there was a getaway driver waiting in the vehicle or if the assailant acted alone. Upon making further checks, both individuals reported that the robber also made good with three cell phones. As officers converged on the scene and were processing the evidence, a little after midday, another business establishment was robbed with the same MO. Orange Walk Police were called to Belize Western Energy Limited, BWEL, situated in Palmar Village to investigate the day's second robbery. According to reports made to the police, a dark skinned male dressed in full black entered the businesses office and was ransacking the office drawers. While the robber ransacked the office, Wilberto Sanabre came out of the bathroom and was immediately staring into the barrel of a gun. The assailant demanded Sanabre handover all the money and then proceeded to make good his escape. But before leaving the compound, the robber fired a single shot towards Sanabre's direction hitting the office desk. He then got into a grey van which was parked by the side of the road with his accomplice in the driver's seat. The dark in complexion robber made good with over $4,000.

Little Brithon Cordova Needs Your Assistance
On July 26th, 10 year old Brithon Cordova and his 7 year old nephew Jova Griffith were playing with a couple of puppies under their zinc house located on San Martin Street when the building collapsed. While Jova Griffith sustained a broken left leg, Brithon Cordova was seriously injured and transported to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital where he was on life support. After being admitted for weeks at the KHMH, Brighton Cordova was released on Monday August 27th. Cordova is bed ridden and needs to be fed through a tube every three hours. The family is hopeful that Cordova will get better and this morning, our news crew stopped in to see how Brithon was doing. The lives of the Cordova family have been changed after their house collapsed on 10 year old Brithon Cordova on July 26th. The tragic accident has left Brithon paralyzed and bed ridden. The future of this 10 year old was shattered the moment the house fell on him causing him severe head trauma.

UNICEF's Registration Drive Underway
The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, is working together with other agencies in carrying out a nationwide children's birth registration drive. The registration process has already been held in the Toledo, Corozal, and Stann Creek Districts. In Toledo, the team visited forty-eight rural communities and completed sixty-three late registrations and issued 3,256 new birth certificates. In Stann Creek, the UNICEF team visited thirty-one rural communities with 183 late birth registrations and issued 3174 new birth certificates. In Corozal, the team visited thirty-one communities with 106 late registrations and 2582 new birth certificates. A little over 9,000 children were registered in these three districts alone through this exercise. The next stop for the registration process is the Orange Walk District on the 26, 27 and 28th of September. The registration campaign has three main objectives that UNICEF wishes to accomplish; to have 100% of the children registered at birth, to raise national and community level awareness on birth registration as a fundamental right, and to increase awareness of the importance of birth registration among stakeholders with specific emphasis on parents, health professionals and community leaders.

LOVE TV

National Service Day will start early
National Service Day will be observed on Wednesday of this week. It was included on the calendar of activities for the September celebrations by the National Celebration Commission on the suggestion of the Executive Board of the George Price Centre for Peace and Development. On National Service Day all Belizeans are invited to carry out a community service activity in memory of the Rt. Hon. George Price who passed away on September 19 of last year. Suggested activities for Wednesday include the cleaning up of public parks, sea shore or river bank or a fund raising drive for a good cause. Residents of Dangriga town got a head start on National Service Day this past Saturday with the painting of bridges in the town. It was spearheaded by the People's United Party, and area representative Ivan Ramos explained why the early start.

Murder in Belmopan
The nation's capital is perhaps one of the more quiet places in the country; but tonight a family is devastated and an entire community is mourning the death of a young man, whose only crime it appears was that he dared to try and be a peacemaker. Reports from Belmopan are that a physical altercation involving as many as eight persons broke out near to a popular local nigh spot just after midnight on Saturday morning. One of the fighting men broke a bottle and stabbed randomly in the crowed. The edge tool found its mark and resulted in a homicide that defies logic. Love TV's Marion Ali and video journalist Brian Castillo went to Belmopan this morning to bring you this tragic story.

Update on the theift of the former Ambassador James Murphy's vehicle
Belmopan police are also trying to break up what they believe is a ring of car thieves operating under their jurisdiction. It follows last week's theft of a vehicle belonging to former Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador James Murphy. According to Head of the Belmopan CIB, ASP Sinquest Martinez, over the past few months, almost half a dozen vehicles have been stolen from within Belmopan alone.

The second shooting incident in the nation's capital
The second shooting incident in the nation's capital happened on Sunday morning, and as ASP Martinez told us today, this time around it was an alleged thief who got the less discounted end of the bargain .

Shooting in Belmopan
This morning Love News spoke with one of the victims of the shooting incident Edmund Pook Jones. From his hospital bed, he recounted what transpired.

Belmopan Shooting
Returning now to the crime beat � An off-duty policeman stationed in Belmopan was shot while socializing at his house. It happened early on Saturday morning. But while the policeman has been treated and released, another man who was also injured in the incident remains in a critical but stable condition. Officer in Charge of the Belmopan CIB Unit, ASP Sinquest Martinez, told reporters how it transpired.

No authorized increase in bus fares between Belize City and Belmopan
There is no authorized increase in bus fares between Belize City and Belmopan. That is according to the Minister of State in the Ministry of Public Transport Edmund Castro. Minister Castro made the statement in an interview with Love News, following numerous complaints from commuters that certain bus operators are now charging an additional one dollar per fare between Belize City and Belmopan. Minister Castro says there is no approved increase in bus fares; but he believes that what the bus companies are now doing is implementing a long agreed per mile charge instead of the customary fare that commuters are used to paying due to strict enforcement of road service regulations by the Department of Transport. Minister Castro says that a hotline has been set up where commuters and the general public can alert authorities of wrong doing in the public transportation system. And while on the subject of public transportation, an incident this morning on the Western Highway has left a number of people concerned. Love News understands that a bus was stopped at the mile four checkpoint and when an officer asked the driver for his driving license, he could not produce the document. A further inspection of the bus led to the removal of an elderly man for what we were told was his inability to show his immigration documents to the officer. Minister Castro says that he believes that on both counts, the officer did not discharge his duties properly. The Mile Four checkpoint is usually manned by police officers, supported by Belize Defence Force soldiers.

Belmopan police takes higher percaution in the area
And while it's the season to celebrate, people who go out to do that in Belmopan will have to do so in an abbreviated form. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sinquest Martinez, who heads the Belmopan CIB, told reporters today that there will be some stringent measures taking place in that area as it relates to public socializing and violence that usually follows. This comes on the heels of Belisle's murder which happened just outside of the La Cabana night club. In Martinez' words "the good will suffer for the bad".

Updates on the Municipal Bond
The much-touted Municipal Bond should have been released for purchase of shares anytime now, but differences between City Hall and its main consultant, Legacy, have led to the two parting ways. That, however, according to Belize City Mayor, Darrel Bradley, will only result in a slight delay of the release of the Bond. Mayor Bradley says that the Council will proceed ahead and will launch the Bond in two week's time, despite the parting of ways between the two parties. Mayor Bradley says that up until this week he has had meetings with large potential investors in the Municipal Bond.

The Belama Phrase Four Area needs attention
While Puma Service Station now boasts a brand new street located adjacent to it, there are a few streets in the same division that need urgent attention, specifically in the Belama Phase Four area. Today Love News asked Mayor Bradley when the work will begin on those streets.

A donation was given to the Big Falls R.C. School
A donation of needed equipment was made to the Big Falls R.C. School this morning in the Toledo district. Correspondent Paul Mahung has the details in the following report.

An arrest was for forging a signature of the acting PM Gaspar Vaga
A man has been arrested for forging the signature of Acting Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. Our Orange Walk correspondent Arturo Cantun reports.

The Annual meeting of the Jehovah
The annual meeting of the Jehovah's witnesses is scheduled to take place this weekend in the north. Our Orange Walk Bureau Chief Manuela Ayuso Cantun reports.

A program for addictors was open
Hope Addiction Prison Ministries is a program spearheaded by Michael Znachko, a missionary from the U.S who has been working with patients of addiction for about ten years. Znachko says there are numerous existing addictions and his program reaches out to most. He has however been concentrating in working with prisoners. This afternoon Znachko spoke with Love News to tell us more about the program.

In the ITVET compound Expo was held
The annual business exposition organized by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry will take center stage in the commercial capital this weekend. The ITVETT compound on Freetown Road will be buzzing with activity on Saturday and Sunday. Vanessa Peyrifitte is the coordinator of Expo Belize 2012. The gates open at eight o'clock on Saturday and Sunday. On the final day, the curtain comes down at six o'clock on Sunday evening. Tickets are five dollars for adults and two dollars for children. Meanwhile, one of the displays at this year's Expo will be mounted by the Women's Department. Women's Development Officer for the Stann Creek District, Michelle Irving told Love News what to expect from their booth.

A children's rally was held at the Bird's Isle
A children's rally was held at the Bird's Isle in Belize City. Ava Diaz Sosa attended the function and files the following report.

A concert will be held at The Bliss Center
The Bliss Center for the Performing Arts will be the venue for a concert entitled From la Ceiba to Belize - A tribute to Andy Palacio. The concert was put together by Events Planner and organizers say it will be a fitting tribute. Concert headliner Aurelio Martinez said he is proud to be a part of the event as we need to recognize and honor the legacy left by Andy Palacio.

The Reporter

Belize EXPO was jamming!
The scorching heat which replaced last year's rains at this year's Belize Trade Expo hosted by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (B.C.C.I.) did not dissuade more than 18,000 people who thronged the Expo over the weekend of September 15-16. This was thousands more than last year, and the Expo also had more booths: 152, which was 12 more than last year.

Whose bias do we seek?
There is no question that the Belizean electorate is made up of intelligent people, who are able to analyze facts, and are not afraid of the engaging in the hard work necessary to achieve a goal that they believe in. Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley reminded us of this fact in his speech at the Tenth of September official ceremony last Monday. Bradley, backed by empirical and historical data, said no real change or positive revolution could be forged where there is disunity. As intelligent Belizeans, we know this. Nevertheless, some disuniting factors continue to infiltrate and divide our people, and by extension it divides the country's intellectual capital - a fact that was evidenced in the United Democratic Party (UDP)'s exclusion of the People's United Party (PUP) in the current "Super bond" renegotiations.

UB Student receives fatal stab wound while intervening to stop a fight
Norval Belisle, Jr., 21, a second year student at the University of Belize, and a resident of Flowers Street in Belmopan, was fatally stabbed on Friday night near the La Caba�a Club, just outside Belmopan on the Hummingbird Highway. He was reportedly trying to stop a fight which had erupted between his friends and a group of men on the street outside the club The person charged with the crime is a 24-year-old village man known as "Cat" of Camalote , who is Norval's distant cousin. He allegedly broke a beer bottle and stabbed Corval in the throat. . Corval Belisle left home on Friday night saying that he was going with a friend to work on a project. On the way, the two friends made a stop-over near the club. The owner of the establishment, Miguel Menjivar, has said that contrary to reports, Norval and his friends never entered the club. . He pointed to the victim's blood on the street around the corner from the club where the stabbing occurred.

Man 50, convicted of molesting girl, 10
Dennis Frazer, 50, of Burrell Boom Village, was convicted of indecently assaulting a 10-year-old girl when his trial concluded in the Magistrate's Court last Thursday, September 13. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith sentenced him to the maximum penalty under the law - 3 years in jail, and told him she would have given him more, if the law permitted. In closed court, the child testified that she was in her living room along with her seven-year-old sister, when Frazer entered her home on April 26, 2012, Frazer immediately sent the younger child out to buy, and as soon as the sister left, he pushed her on to the sofa, covered her mouth with one hand, and began to fondle her with the other.

Ministry of Health food borne disease study begins
Monday, September 24, will be the official start of the Ministry of Health's Burden of Illness study. The Ministry of Health will do the study in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) - Trinidad and Tobago. The study was officially launched at the Biltmore Plaza on Thursday, September 6. It aims to determine the prevalence of acute gastroenteritis related to food and water infection; and further investigate the more common viruses or bacteria transmitted by food. The Reporter was reliably informed that the original start-up date was to be September 17, but some Customs issues caused the delay. According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, in 2005, "1.5 million people die worldwide from diarrheal illnesses attributed to food borne diseases." WHO notes that diarrhea and vomiting occur so commonly that in many cases , no laboratory testing is done to ascertain the exact cause, so a food-borne infection may go unreported. CAREC has reported that data from across the Caribbean, including Belize, indicate an increase in the number of cases of acute gastroenteritis, a syndrome of food borne illness.

The body's use of water
Belize is truly blessed. It has an abundant supply of water. But why is this God given compound, 'H2O', so vitally important - especially to the human anatomy? The importance of receiving a fresh supply of water is understood when we realize that almost three-fourths of the body is made up of water. The vital organs are made up of at least 70 percent water. The blood and brain of the human body are composed of about four-fifths water. The fluid secretions (saliva, gastric juice, and liver bile, etc) and excretions (skin perspiration and urine, etc) are more than nine-tenths their weight in water, and these fluids need clean water regularly to perform their functions. Two-thirds of the body's water is found in the cells and the other one-third is outside the cells, either in the blood stream as plasma, in body cavities, or between the cells as tissue fluid.

Work stress raises heart
Having a highly demanding job, but little control over it, could be a deadly combination, UK researchers say. They analysed 13 existing European studies covering nearly 200,000 people and found "job strain" was linked to a 23% increased risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease. The risk to the heart was much smaller than for those smoking or not exercising, the Lancet medical journal reported. The British Heart Foundation said how people reacte to work stress was key. Job strain is a type of stress. The research team at University College London said working in any profession could lead to strain, but it was more common in lower skilled workers. Doctors who have a lot of decision-making in their jobs would be less likely to have job strain than someone working on a busy factory production line. There has previously been conflicting evidence on the effect of job strain on the heart. In this paper, the researchers analysed combined data from 13 studies. At the beginning of each of the studies, people were asked whether they had excessive workloads or insufficient time to do their job as well as questions around how much freedom they had to make decisions. They were then sorted into people with job strain or not and followed for an average of seven and a half years.

Placencia Assassins lead Premier League football
Undefeated Placencia Assassins continue to lead the 2012 Premier Football League of Belize competition, posting their fourth victory: 3-0 over San Ignacio United at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio on Saturday night. The home eleven held the visitors scoreless up to intermission, and for much of the second half of play, Only 16 minute of regulation remained when Ashley Torres struck the winning goal for the Assassins. Fiver minutes of play still remained when Luis Torres made doubly sure of the victory with a second goal . Ashley Torres put the game on ice with a third goal in the last minutes of play.

BWSL and Bowen & Bowen win in firms' basketball
Belize Water Services and Bowen & Bowen both enjoyed wins when the Belize City Firms' Basketball Competition continued at Bird's Isle in Belize City on Saturday night, September 15. BWSL outlasted Belize Telemedia 46-43 in the first game of the evening. Andrew Gordon led BWSL with 12 pts, and seven boards, but Telemedia's Lupito Acosta responded with two long 3-pointers to score 10 pts and give Telemedia a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. Travis Lennon scored nine points and Ashley Hemsley added seven as BWSL took over the lead 27-24 at intermission. Devon Lozano scored nine points for BTL and Lennox Cayetano added eight, but BWSL continued to lead 36-33 at the end of the third quarter. Karim Thompson and Benson Matthews added six points each, and six rebounds. Lindberg "Prince" Graham and Lawrence Young added three points each to give BWSL a 41-39 lead in the fourth quarter, but Jason Lamb tied the score 39-39 with 22 seconds left on the clock, and again at 43-43 with four seconds remaining. BWSL inbounded the ball and Travis Lennon drained in a long 3-pointer just before the final buzzer for the 46-43 win.

Toddler found dead; mother & father primary suspects
A seemingly straightforward case of suspected arson turned into something sinister, when a toddler was found dead in a bucket of water Wednesday night. Kaylee Burgess, who would have celebrated her second birthday on Friday, was discovered dead at her home, where she lived with her grandmother and mother, Diedra Pratt. Kaylee's death has aroused the attention of the police, because the discovery came one day after the home of the her father, Kevin Burgess, was torched. Burgess told the media he believes that Pratt was the arsonist. "We meet dah night [Tuesday] and she threaten me, 'watch weh happen'. I neva pay ah much mind and when I come back my house deh pan fire." Police Press Officer Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood speaking to the media about the case said, "They're alleging that she [Kaylee] drowned. "We're waiting for Doctor Estradabran to confirm that. But from the basis of the report, we have made it plain to both parties involved, the mother and the father of the child, we suspect foul play." Yearwood also explained that the child was in the care of an aunt who reported Kaylee missing on the same evening her body was found. Yearwood also explained that the father was detained for another report of damage to property for a window at Pratt's house Wednesday night.


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Murder for love
Calaney Flowers, 26, of Lavender Street, Belize City, was remanded to the Hattieville prison on Thursday after she drove her car over her ex-boyfriend, 29-year-old Lyndon Morrison and Morrison's new flame, Sochyl Sosa. Morrison was riding the bike at the time with Sosa on the pillion seat, when the car with Flowers at the wheel came with fury upon them. Calaney had just had a baby for Flowers, and the thought of his fooling around so soon after the baby was probably more than she could bear. She has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Morrison, a flight dispatcher, died while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Hospital while Sochyl is listed in grave but stable condition. Attorney Dickie Bradley represented Calaney Flowers, an employee of Atlantic Bank's main branch on Freetown Road, who was not required to enter a plea. Flowers was at a volleyball game, where her bank's team was competing when she received a telephone call. She left the game and went to Freetown Road, where she saw her ex-boyfriend with Sosa. Reports say that Calaney Flowers suffers from lupus, a debilitating illness which affects the immune system. From her hospital bed on Thursday morning Sochyl Sosa told reporters she fully expects to recover from her injuries. She recalled she lost another boyfriend to a road traffic accident 17 months ago.

Bus owners say fares not fair
The Belizean Bus Association (BBA) told The Reporter Wednesday that the current fare of 8 cents per mile for the Western runs is no longer enough for bus owners to meet their operational costs, and it must be increased to at least 16 cents per mile. BBA President Thomas Shaw and advisor Patrick Menzies said that with the current high price of diesel fuel, bus owners that operate two buses would make an average loss of over $400 a day. Shaw explained that the cost to operate one bus a day is $741. Therefore, if a company has two buses the total average cost would be $1482. Moreover, bus owners are required to have a back-up bus, which averages a cost of $660. This leaves a "total cost of $2142 per day. Reading from a copy of a letter that the BBA sent to Minister Edmund Castro of the Ministry of Transport on Saturday, September 1, Shaw said, "If a bus is fully loaded going from Belize City to Benque and back, and all 54 passengers pay $8.00 going and another $8.00 for the return trip, the bus grosses $864.00." Under such a system, two buses would make a gross of $1728, which is $414 less than their cost of operations. Shaw and Menzies argued that the loss is even greater because "buses never go fully loaded to Benque; the buses never return fully loaded to Belize City; and even when buses leave full (even with standees), this does not continue to the final destination because passengers may disembark along the way." Menzies said that the bus owners, in order to achieve real growth and profits, "deserve a 22-cent per mile price." That price would be almost triple the current price and would match the increased price of Diesel fuel, which has tripled from $3.65 per gallon in the year 2000 to over $10.00 presently. Recognizing the tough economic times, the BBA's Cost-Profit Analysis shows where even 16 cents per mile could allow the bus owners to make at least $173 profit per bus-if all bus runs go filled to capacity.

GOB's actions are "counterproductive," bondholders say.
The "super-bond" restructuring negotiations may not have a speedy conclusion due to the "counterproductive, and adversarial actions" taken by the Government of Belize, said AJ Mediratta, the co-chair of the Bondholders Coordinating Committee. The Committee issued a press release Tuesday, in which it expressed concern regarding several of GOB's actions: "the release of an information package that lacked critical details, the release of restructuring scenarios prior to any substantive discussion with bondholders, and more recently the announcement by the GOB of the decision to default on its August coupon payment." Taking the recent actions into account, the Committee said, it considers GOB's decisions to be inconsistent with the IMF's good faith criterion, "which specifically addresses information transparency, early input from creditors, and the importance of efforts by borrowers to avoid default during negotiations." The Committee said it recognizes that Belize is facing difficult challenges, but labelled GOB's actions as being "unnecessarily provocative," based on the fact that the Committee has long since maintained that the restructured terms should be based on "the ability to pay using reasonable, mutually agreed assumptions, as well as demonstrated burden sharing among commercial, bilateral and multilateral creditors and � [an] agreement as to a genuine budgetary and fiscal policy framework for the country." In addition, the group reported that it has added new members to the Committee, and is currently representative of a majority of the bondholders. The Committee now represents some U.S$300 million of the "superbond".

Discussion on economic opportunities for Caribbean youth comes to Washington
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group held a panel discussion on Capitol Hill on Friday, on the topic "Developing Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean." The event had bipartisan co-sponsorship from Representative Joe Baca (D-CA), Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) and the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI).

Guide to Export Financing!
Export financing involves loans made for the shipping of products outside a country or region. The financing of export sales concerns arrangements to get payment for the goods shipped or the services pro-vided to another country. If done right, it can be a very profitable venture. Why do we need finance? The ultimate goal is to decrease your startup and increase your company's profitability. Exporting can be a complicated and expensive process since it requires time, effective planning, research, skilled staff, international travel, and overall good management. However, on the bright side you can obtain a higher price for your products being exported, but it can take 30, 60 or 90 days to retrieve your cash, which can be detrimental, especially when companies don't have a steady cash flow.

CARICOM countries to work together on renewable energy
CARICOM member countries have resolved to work together to ensure adequate support for the region's renewable energy push. The commitment came out of a meeting held at the September 7 conclusion of the two-day renewable energy summit in Malta, organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). State Minister for Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM) Julian Robinson, who was Jamaica's representative at the summit, called the early morning meeting of member states in attendance, to examine how CARICOM, as a regional bloc of countries, can interact with entities like IRENA to source assistance, grants, and other financial instruments "to facilitate joined-up projects rather than compete head on for instruments from the same global financial pie".

Blogs

A Retreat from the Gritty City of Cali: Pance, Colombia
We headed out from Santa Rosa del Cabal (and the thermal springs) to make our way south to Cali, Colombia. And as we drove, the climate and the scenery changed pretty drastically. We went from green mountains and stunning views to tan and dusty hills to just sugar cane as far as the eye could see. Cali is completely surrounded by sugar. There is a railroad set up for the sugar, massive tractor trailers pulling 4 or 5 different trailers filled with sugar, guys sweating their butts off chopping down cane with machetes. We must have driven through 30 or 40 miles of the stuff. We decided to bypass the city and head a bit south...to the town of Pance (NOT pronounced "pants" but "PAN-say".) Just half an hour out, along a very pretty river coming from the mountains, you wouldn't know a city was even near. Off the main highway towards the town, we drove to the very end of the road (about half an hour)...to a campground/hostel/finca called La Castellano. It was time for me to get back to camping. All these $8 per night hotel rooms have me a few sizes too big for my britches.

Ancient Maya Gave Thanks for Turkey Dinners Too
By celebrating Thanksgiving with a turkey dinner, the Maya of Belize are continuing a tradition that goes back for centuries before the birth of Christ, and this will be reflected in the menu of Belize's top eco resort during the 2012 Chaa Creek Thanksgiving holiday week. Chaa Creek's head chef Mario Alejandro Mendez Rivera, who is intimately familiar with Maya cuisine, said that he wanted his Thanksgiving degustation menu to reflect the importance of turkey in the Maya diet from ancient times up to the present day. "I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother in Guatemala using Maya recipes passed down through generations, and in the course of my career I've mixed the style of the Highland Maya with influences from western Belize and east Caribbean Maya. "Also, here at Chaa Creek many of our staff members are Maya, and believe me, this keeps it real. Our kitchen and service staff, for example, will say something like 'at home we use more cacao in this turkey meal', or, 'my grandmother uses fresh allspice leaves in that sauce,' and that's been a wonderful way to pick up different elements and nuances of this centuries old style of cooking. It continues to fascinate me," he said.

Delta Announces Discounted Airfare To Belize
Join in on the excitement of the September Celebrations in Belize! Delta Airlines is now offering a discount on flights to Belize. Visitors from Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, and New York can purchase tickets at a 10% discount. Travel time must be within September 1st to October 31st, 2012. "We're certainly excited that Delta has decided to generously offer this discount for those wishing to travel to Belize during this exhilarating time. We know Belizeans abroad look forward to coming home and being a part of our National Celebrations, and we humbly welcome new visitors hoping to share in all the fun," stated Alyssa Carnegie, Director of Marking and Industry Relations. The deadline for booking and payment is September 30th, 2012. Once travelling in September, payment must be made seven days prior to the travel date. A minimum stay of 7 nights is required. For more information on this offer, please visit Delta's website at www.delta.com or contact a Delta Airlines office nearest you.

International Sources

Mello case is not over for Slovakia, says Kaliň�k
The case of Karol Mello, a fugitive who has been charged with having organised at least three murders in Slovakia, is not closed for the Slovak police despite the fact that the authorities in Belize have confirmed his permission to reside there, said Interior Minister Robert Kaliň�k. He added that the case will end only after Mello is "handed over to justice", the TASR newswire reported. Kaliň�k also said that the ministry would continue in its efforts to have Mello extradited to Slovakia. However, there is no extradition treaty between the two countries. "There are several other possibilities which we are trying," said the minister, as quoted by TASR. Kaliň�k noted that investigators at least now know where Mello is and said that he might now receive official mail from the Slovak courts. Mello was on the run for several years before being arrested in Poland in 2010. A Slovak court subsequently released him in 2011, after which he went on the run again, only to turn up in Belize earlier this year.

Belize set to default, hopes to restructure debt
Failure to pay would mark default on about half of govt debt * No consensus with creditors on bond exchange offer Belize will not make a crucial Wednesday deadline for making a payment on its sovereign bond, the head of the government's debt restructuring team said on Tuesday, effectively paving the way for a formal default on $550 million in debt. The tiny Central American nation in August missed a $23.5 million interest payment on its so-called superbond, saying it could not afford the rate, which had increased to 8.5 percent from 6 percent. That move set the clock ticking on a 30-day grace period that ends Sept. 19. Failure to pay on Wednesday would mark a default on about half of the government debt. "Belize does not have the capacity to repay on the current terms - it did not have this capacity on August 20, so that condition can only change with debt relief," Mark Espat, who is negotiating with bondholders on behalf of the Belize government, told Reuters.

Episode 403: What Can We Do With Our Shell Companies?
A few months back, we set up a couple shell companies - Unbeliezable, Inc., in Belize, and Delawho? in Delaware. On today's show, we talk to some tax lawyers to try to figure out what we can do with our companies. We draft a resolution so we can go to Belize to meet the fake director and fake shareholder of our company. And we learn owning shell companies in tax havens is a lot more of a hassle than we thought.

Belize seeks to reschedule half of its foreign debt
On the eve of crunch talks to avert default, the tiny Central American state of Belize said on Tuesday it was asking its creditors to reschedule roughly half of its $1.1 billion foreign debt. "Belize will launch an exchange offer at such time that there appears to be a general consensus around new terms, based of course, on Belize capacity to pay," Mark Espat, the government official in charge of debt rescheduling, told AFP. "We believe that all parties recognize that a fair solution will only be reached through good faith and transparent negotiations," he added. On August 20, Belize, the only English-speaking country in Central America, missed a $23.5 million bond payment and has until Wednesday to renegotiate its total $1.1 billion debt. "The government is optimistic that a resolution will be attained. Even though Belize's government does not require access to external commercial credit, rendering an expiration of the grace period inconsequential, there is a steadfast commitment to a timely negotiated agreement of new debt repayment terms, based on the country's capacity to repay," Espat said. "Our government is convinced that negotiations rather than a legal wrangle is the best path for resolution," he added. The economy of this country of 300,000 people is mainly based on tourism, farming and fishing. Belize posted sluggish economic growth of two percent last year, down from 2.7 percent in 2010, according to the central bank. Prime Minister Dean Barrow won re-election in March, vowing to restructure the debt bonds, which mature in 2029, after the coupon on the notes jumped to 8.5 percent from six percent as part of the agreement reached with creditors in 2007. After failing to make the $23.5 million bond payment in August, Belize's Prime Minister Dean Barrow notably proposed to cut interest rates, currently standing at 8.5 percent. The government's negotiating team, meanwhile, met last week with officials of the Inter-American Bank to weigh various options for possible assistance.

Belize, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica on US list of major drug-producing or drug-transit countries
As required annually, under the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (FAA), the President of the United States of America, notifies Congress of those countries he determines to be major illicit drug-producing countries or major drug-transit countries that "significantly affect the United States." The US State Department in a release, pointed out that "a country's presence on the list does not necessarily reflect its counternarcotics efforts or its level of cooperation on illegal drug control with the United States. The designation can reflect a combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to be produced and/or trafficked through a country". When a country on the list does not fulfill its obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and conventions, the President determines that the country has "failed demonstrably" to meet its counterdrug obligations. Such a designation can lead to sanctions. However, the President may also execute a waiver when he determines there is a vital national interest in continuing U.S. assistance. Even without such a waiver, humanitarian assistance and counternarcotics assistance may continue.

The Belize Zoo Exceeds Expectations
The Belize Zoo really impresses in this travel article. The funny signs, which are unique to the zoo, are mentioned too. There are some good pictures of the Tapir, the national animal of Belize. "This zoo is friggin awesome!! The Huffington Post knows what I'm talking about, they have it listed as number five on their top ten list of best zoos in the WORLD! ... It's true - other than being on nice walkways and going over little wooden bridges, I felt like I was walking through the jungle the whole time I was in there."



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