The Guardian
Police Corporal Shot in the line of duty
At about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24, Hattieville Police responded to a report of an aggravated burglary in progress at the residence of Shakira Smith. Smith and a 17-year-old minor were at home when a man known to them as "Peter" entered the house and held them up at gunpoint. According to a source close to the family, the man asked where is the "kilo" and proceeded to search the house. It was at this time that police arrived. As the officers entered the house, the burglar opened fire at them. Corporal Victor Lima was struck by bullets twice, to the chest. Lima was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memmorial Hospital where he remains in a critical and serious condition.
The other officers proceeded to apprehend 30-year-old Delford Slusher. According to police, Slusher was found with two rounds of 9 mm ammunition. He was arrested and charged with keeping unlicensed ammunition and attempted murder. Slusher appeared in the Belize City Magistrates Court shortly after 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, to answer to the ammunition charge. He pled not guilty to the offense. Since it is an ammunition charge, bail could not be granted. In addition, Slusher will serve 3 months in prison after it was discovered that he owes the court $350 from a drug possession conviction. Slusher is expected to return to court to answer to the charge of attempted murder upon Police Corporal Victor Lima.
According to our source, Smith has been so traumatized by the incident that she refuses to return home. Slusher has six previous convictions for drug related offenses and presently has a huge drug trafficking case before the Court.
Belize Times sued for Yellow Journalism
The Belize Times was this week served with at least one lawsuit after it published an article entitled "UDP Land Hogs". Well, for their so called article the Slimes was served with a lawsuit after it libeled multiple persons including the Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley.
Mayor Bradley, a trained attorney, told the Guardian that as a result of the front page article, which appeared in the July 22nd edition of the Belize Times, he is suing the newspaper for libel. The Mayor says that the newspaper is liable to pay thousands of dollars as they misrepresented the manner in which he obtained the land that they wrote about.
But Mayor Bradley is not the only person who was libeled; there are a number of government ministers and CEOs who, like the Mayor were libeled.
A bit of advice for the Slimes, get ready for a slew of lawsuits, which may end up closing that political rag of a paper for good.
$20 Million City Bond
Mayor Darrell Bradley and the Belize City Council are pressing ahead with the issue of a 20-million-dollar municipal bond, which will be used for infrastructure development in Belize City.
According to Mayor Bradley, the issue of a municipal bond is unprecedented not only in Belize, but in the entire Caribbean. Even so, Bradley held a press conference on Monday, July 23rd, in which he expressed great enthusiasm at the prospect of issuing the bond. The bond, he says, will be issued in two tranches; the first will be comprised of two issues; one being for 3 million dollars bearing interest between 3.5 and 4.5 percent for 2 years. The second issue on the first tranche will be for 7 million dollars for 5 years and bearing interest at between 4.5 and 5.5 percent. The second tranche will be for 10 million dollars for 8 years and will bear interest at between 5.5 and 7.5 percent.
According to Ervin Perez of Legacy Fund, the company that is in charge of the bond issue, they have been aggressively marketing the bond and so far, there has been great interest in it. They have taken the investment opportunity to financial institutions, as well as insurance companies and the Social Security Board, and the reception has been overwhelming. Mayor Bradley says that the prospectus will be prepared by the middle of August and within a week of that release, they expect to have sold off the first 3-million-dollar portion of the bond.
Bradley said that the Bond program is designed in such a way that the average Belizean will be able to invest and as such, they will be offering bond certificates in 200-dollar denominations. For the two issues of the first tranche, payments to holders are proposed for February and August of each year for the life of the bond while the second tranche will see payments in May and November. And for those who choose to invest in the bond, both Bradley and Perez guarantee payment to the holders. A sinking fund will be established, which will be financed through existing secure revenue streams that include government's yearly subvention to the council as well as the BTB's head tax that is paid to the Council. These two revenue streams will secure the first tranche of the bond. The second tranche will be secured by asset-backed collateral and the Council is looking at putting the Commercial Center and the NICH parking lot on Regent Street as that collateral.
Speaking at the bond presentation, Mayor Bradley pointed out that there is a need for it since the council's revenue is tied up mostly in salaries and sanitation. He said that 70 percent of the revenue is taken up by these two expenses. He noted that with the issue of the bond, the Council will have more financing to do a lot more streets. Currently, the Council has done work on 14 streets at a cost of $939,356.03. Work will now commence on Freetown and Barrack Roads parts of Princess Margaret Drive and the intersection of Ceasar Ridge Road and Central American Boulevard. This will be financed through internal council revenues. The bond will be used to 10 other streets in the city including Craig Street, Hyde's Lane, Cran Street, North Front Street, New Road, Mapp Street, Douglas Jones Street, Wilson Street, Sixth Street, Mex Avenue and Allenby Street.
$30 Reduction in Butane Prices
Customers now enjoy a decrease in the cost of butane
On Thursday, July 19th, the Ministry of Trade, Investment Promotion, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection announced that it has negotiated a significant decrease in the retail price of Butane to the public.
Belize Represented At CCT Meeting In Nicaragua
Contingent to CCT meeting
Belize City, Belize - Thursday, July 19, 2012
A contingent of four tourism delegates represented Belize at the 85th ordinary meeting of the Central American Tourism Council (CCT) on July 11th - 12th 2012. The series of meetings were held at the Hotel Camino Real in Managua, Nicaragua. The 85th Ordinary Meeting is a conference geared towards technical tourism meetings and a general meeting for the Tourism Ministers of Central America. Belize was represented by Tracy Panton and Valdemar Andrade of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Alyssa Carnegie and Lenny Ayuso of the BTB.
Corozal South East Reorganizes
Hon. Patrick Faber and members of new executive committee for the Corozal South East Constituency
The United Democratic Party's Chairman, Hon. Patrick Faber was in Calcutta Village on Sunday, July 22nd, for the purpose of selecting a new executive committee for the Corozal South East constituency.
Hon. Gaspar Vega launches Construction of Multi-purpose Center for San Jose Village
ony
On Friday, July 21, Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister of Belize, launched a project for the construction of a new multi-purpose centre in San Jose Village in the Orange Walk District. The project will be implemented by the Social Investment Fund and financed by the Government of Belize through a $555,000 loan from the Caribbean Development Bank.
Minister Saldivar Visits BDF Youth Cadet Corps Summer Camp
Hon. John Saldivar visits Cadet Corps Summer
On Friday, July 20th July, Minister of National Security, Hon. John Saldivar, made a special visit to the grounds of the 2012 BDF Youth Cadet Corps Summer Camp, being held in the Cayo District on the campus of the Eden Seventh Day Adventist High School in Santa Elena.
Police Association overstep Their Limitations
Police Corporal Eldon Arzu, the president of the Police Association and Sergeant Edlin Lorenzo, Vice President of the Association, have been put on interdiction following inflammatory remarks they have been making on radio and television against the Commissioner of Police and the Ministry of National Security. Arzu has been charged for being disrespectful to a superior officer while Lorenzo was charged for disobeying a lawful command. This is in addition to a decision by the Commissioner of Police to discontinue the support that his office has been giving to the Police Association. The decision came after numerous media appearances by the executive of the Association in various media outlets in which they made disparaging remarks against the COMPOL. Those remarks were done after the Association attempted to reverse the transfer of officers from one formation to another.
Lifeline and Special Envoy donates $3,500 to BCVI
Lifeline Foundation makes donation to BCVI
On Tuesday, July 24, both the Lifeline Foundation and the Office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children presented cheques to the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) in honour of Rowan Garel's inspirational walk across Belize.
Government responds to Illegal Gold Panning in Ceibo Chico
Belizeans are once again frustrated from news of the pillaging of natural resources by Guatemalan nationals in the Chiquibul Jungle. Unlike when it was news of xate or hardwood extraction, news of illegal gold panning by trespassing Guatemalans has hit home nationally. Gold is one of few objects that are recognized as something of great value to people all over the world. It is a personified object. Almost everyone has thought about what they would do if they had a great quantity of gold. When news spread that illegal Guatemalan immigrants have established a systematic operation to extract gold from the Chiquibul area, Belizeans countrywide were shocked and disgusted.
Cola barking at shadows
Burning in front of OAS headquarters
They call themselves COLA, the Citizens Organized for Liberty Through Action and by the looks of it, they have the appropriate name, because they are always behind everything.
BTB joins International Council Of Tourism Partners (ICTP)
Belize City, Belize - Thursday, July 19, 2012 -
The Belize Tourism Board is honored to announce its new recent membership into the International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP). The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a Global Alliance to support and promote destinations and stakeholders in selected destinations with a shared belief in well-managed travel and tourism as a driver of community business, jobs, and well being.
By becoming a member of the ICTP, the BTB will have the opportunity to augment core strategies to better market Belize in the tourism industry. Alyssa Carnegie, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations at the BTB stated, "Tourism is vital to our economy and with the growing tourism industry in Belize, new business strategies to address existing challenges and the reconnaissance of new opportunities to further enhance our market position and brand is a must. This is why the BTB is pleased to have joined this network".
The ICTP has a global alliance with member countries like Belgium, Canada, Greece, Palestine, Croatia, Germany, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Trinidad &Tobago among others. ICTP supports the UN Millennium Development Goals, the UN World Tourism Organization's Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, and a range of programs that underpin them. The worldly strength of this alliance involves countries, regions, and cities from around the globe. They all work together to reach to global media, trade, consumers, and share support with each other at trade events and secondary global markets. That is something that one destination could not effectuate on its own.
AIDS Commission Launches Five-Year Strategic and Operational Plan
Dr. Peter Allen, CEO in Ministry of Health; Judith Alpuche, CEO in Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation; and Kathy Esquivel, Chair of National AIDS Commisiion.
The National AIDS Commission launched its 2012-2016 National Strategic and Operational Plan on Thursday, July 19. Dr. Martin Cuellar, Executive Director of the National AIDS Commission, said that the plans were drafted after two years of consultations with civil society, community-based organizations and government institutions.
Life imprisonment for Kenrick Williams
Kenrick Williams, 34, will spend the remainder of his life time behind bars, after he was sentenced, on Wednesday, July 18th, for the 2004 murder of student, Elia Gonzales, 16, who was raped and strangled.
The sentence was handed down in Corozal Town by Justice, Dennis Hanomansingh.
During mitigation plea, Williams failed to provide character witnesses to speak on his behalf.
Williams also chose to remain silent leaving his attorney, Phillip Palacio, to speak on his behalf.
Palacio told the Court that Williams had been convicted of crimes such as theft, handling stolen goods, but none of a violent nature.
At the end of the trial, a jury of 12 people had returned with a guilty verdict, on Wednesday July 4th, after deliberating for over three hours.
On March 23rd, 2004, Gonzales had left the Corozal Community College compound and was heading home to Libertad Village. When she didn't arrive home some hours later, her parents became concerned.
A missing person's report was filed and on the following day, her body was found about 15 yards from a water reservoir.
Life imprisonment for Kenrick Williams
Kenrick Williams, 34, will spend the remainder of his life time behind bars, after he was sentenced, on Wednesday, July 18th, for the 2004 murder of student, Elia Gonzales, 16, who was raped and strangled.
The sentence was handed down in Corozal Town by Justice, Dennis Hanomansingh.
During mitigation plea, Williams failed to provide character witnesses to speak on his behalf.
Williams also chose to remain silent leaving his attorney, Phillip Palacio, to speak on his behalf.
Palacio told the Court that Williams had been convicted of crimes such as theft, handling stolen goods, but none of a violent nature.
At the end of the trial, a jury of 12 people had returned with a guilty verdict, on Wednesday July 4th, after deliberating for over three hours.
On March 23rd, 2004, Gonzales had left the Corozal Community College compound and was heading home to Libertad Village. When she didn't arrive home some hours later, her parents became concerned.
A missing person's report was filed and on the following day, her body was found about 15 yards from a water reservoir.
Williams waited in the nearby bushes as Gonzales passed by. She was pulled in by Williams, taken into the bushes and raped.
Alejandro Baptist charged with Theft
Alejandro Baptist, 18, appeared in the Magistrate's Court, on Thursday, July 19, to answer to a single charge of theft. The following day, Friday, he reappeared in Court where he was granted bail, after spending one night at the Kolbe Foundation.
When arraigned in Court on Thursday, Baptist had pleaded not guilty of stealing an Isuzu Rodeo valued at $10,000. The Rodeo belongs to Julian Ferguson.
The court prosecutor had then objected to bail on the grounds that the evidence from the prosecution side is solid, as Baptist had been found inside the car an hour after it had been stolen.
The prosecutor also cited the nature of the offence and the prevalence of it, as part of his reasons for objecting to bail.
When Baptist was asked if he had any good reasons why the Court should grant him bail, he remained silent breifly. He later broke the silence by telling the Court that this was his first time being charged and that he was being wrongfully accused.
But the Senior Magistrate was not convinced and she remanded him to prison for a night.
On Friday, Baptist reappeared in Court and bail of $5,000 plus one surety was offered which he met by midday.
Baptist is scheduled to reappear in Court again on August 2.
Ferguson had told police that his Rodeo, which had been parked in the Palmdale Drive area, had been stolen sometime between the hours of 8:45 a.m., on Wednesday, July 18, and 1:25 a.m., on Thursday, July 19.
At about 2:30 a.m., Baptist was found sitting inside the stolen vehicle.
Cassian Young charged with Threat of Death
Cassian Young, 21, appeared unrepresented in the Magistrate's Court, on Thursday, July 19, to answer to charges of threat of death against Alejandro Baptist.
Young appeared before Magistrate, Dale Cayetano, where he was read one count of threat of death.
Young pleaded not guilty to the charge and was offered bail in the sum of $1,000 plus one surety of the same amount. He is to return to Court on September 3rd.
According to Baptist, on Wednesday, July 18th, Young threatened to kill him.
Young is to return to Court on September 3rd.
Fatal traffic accident claims the life of three
Edwin Crawford, deceased
A violent head on-collision between an SUV and a car claimed the life of three people including a police constable. It happened in Ladyville, along Mile 11 � of the Northern Highway, at around 2:50 a.m., on Friday July 20.
According to police, when they arrived at the scene of the accident, they saw two white vehicles extensively damaged and parked almost facing each other. These were, a Saturn SUV bearing L/P BZ-C37238 and a white Saturn car bearing L/P- C-O3454.
Police constable, Dion Makin was the driver of the Saturn SUV and accompanying him at the time of the collision were Jay Lewis Avila, 22 Edwin Elvis Crawford, 25, Helen Canelo, 19, and a female, who has gone as unidentified by police.
Makin and the four were heading towards Orange Walk, when they crashed into a car driven by Lawrence Chow, a resident of Belize City.
Butcher remanded to Prison for Attempted Murder
On Thursday, July 19th, Joseph Castillo, 43, a butcher of Gibnut Street appeared unrepresented in the Magistrate's Court to answer to charges of attempted murder, the use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm against Salvadoran national, Jose Argueta, 29.
No plea was taken in court because the offenses are indictable and bail was also denied. Castillo was remanded to prison until August 20.
On Sunday, July 8, 2012, at around 4:00 p.m., Argueta was socializing at Good Fortune Bar &Pool, located on Newtown Barracks when an argument ensued between the two.
According to Argueta, Castillo then pulled out a knife and stabbed him to the left arm pit. He was treated for injuries at the Karl Husner Memorial Hospital, where he was later visited by police.
As a result, Castillo was charged with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm.
Former police officer, Michael Diaz, remanded to prison on another robbery charge
On Thursday, July 19th, former law enforcement officer, Michael Diaz, 27, appeared in the Magistrate's Court to answer to a single charge of robbery.
This is reportedly the fourth time he has faced similar charges. In 2010, he had been dismissed from the Belize Police Department, following the allegations of an accountant. According to the accountant, on July 3, 2010, Diaz had snatched his chain from around his neck. The chain was valued at $675.
This was recorded as the first robbery allegation against him.
In this most recent incident, the victim, Anne Marie Hulse, claimed that on Friday, July 6, Diaz snatched her chain valued at $800, from around her neck.
In court, Diaz was read a single charge of robbery for stealing by the use of force. To the single charge, he pleaded not guilty.
However, there were objections raised in Court by the prosecutor, on the grounds that Diaz was on bail for similar offenses. The Magistrate took the objection into consideration and denied bail and Diaz to prison until July 31.
Hulse had reported to police that on Friday, July 6, she was walking along with her two young children when a ligh skinned man rode up to her on bicycle and grabbed the chain from around her neck.
Trio accused of the Theft of Raw Sugar granted Bail
Ernel Brooks, 30, Alex "Lexus" O'Brien, 35, and O'Brien's father, Oscar Mena, 68, all fishermen, re-appeared in the Magistrate's Court, on Friday, July 20, and were granted of bail, after they had been remanded two weeks for allegedly stealing over 100 tons of raw sugar from the Belize Sugar Industry between the months of April and July.
The trio appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer, who explained to the men that bail could not be offered at the usual amount in reference to the charge of theft, since the quantity of the alleged stolen sugar was great.
She also told the men that the bail must reflect the cost of the items and so, she then granted bail in the sum of $30,000 each.
And while O'Brien and Mena were able to meet bail, Brooks was unable to and he was remanded back to prison until October 18, the date when all three are due back in court.
Linberth Seguro, chief security at the Belize Sugar Industry Storage
Division, reported that sometime between the months of April and July 2012, approximately 125 tons of raw sugar was stolen from different barges that were docked at Drown Caye, located about 5 Miles East of Belize City. The stolen sugar is valued at $125,000.
Police then launched an investigation and later visited Mena's house, located on Riverside Street, in the Saint Martin area. Allegedly, police found half a sack of raw brown sugar along with an empty sack.
The men re-appeared unrepresented, but their respective relatives have sought legal advice from a local attorney.
A Tale of Two Cities
Before you attempt to associate my topic with the epic tale by the great Charles Dickens, let me quickly clarify that my intention is to simply attempt to draw contrast between Belize City and Orange Walk Town. My thesis in this essay is to demonstrate that when the leadership of a political party has vision, a nation will move forward in development.
Since March 7th, the Mayor of Belize City has appeared on several occasions in the news, beginning with his hundred-day plan and his clean-up campaign on Labour Day. He soon thereafter, gave full account of these endeavors, explaining their individual successes or limited accomplishments. Judging from his press coverage, it seems that Mayor Bradley is enjoying good credibility ratings on account of his stern headship at the Council.
He has further, since the first hundred days, cemented his commitment to improve the old capital by paving several streets even with the financial constraints being encountered by the Council owing to a low revenue stream to its coffers. In addition to his candor, the Mayor seems to be a no-nonsense character, as was seen in his decisiveness with the traffic portfolio.
It is usually at this point that some of you might murmur, but they all start that way and then promptly deviate from the straight and narrow. In response, all I can say is, I am not in the habit of swearing for any man, or woman, so we will have to leave that one for time to address.
For now, however, I can readily admit that with the idea of floating a municipal bond the Mayor has shown vision and panache. The nagging question at the back of my mind was this: where will the money come from to service this bond? Will he be just another Mayor who brags about doing this and that and then runs to Central Government hat-in-hands for grants?
The Mayor not only outlined how he would raise the funds and what he will utilize these on, but he had a plan how the City Council itself would meet payments on the bond. Seems that the City now has a very focused Mayor, which is long overdue, and the Old Capital will soon witness major improvements to look maybe even like Chetumal in the future.
But now as I turn my eyes on my hometown, I want to weep. We previously had a Mayor, who was a dedicated Orange Walke�o with love for town and country but we went ahead and replaced him. We heeded the courtship of demagogues, who promised to fix up this town. They had all the answers before the elections; how to fix streets, dig drains, create jobs, you name it; they could do it like it's never been done before.
Now look at our streets, man, and our parks and playgrounds. There is no pride in calling it my town now and my fellow citizens are quickly coming to grips with what we did on March 7. We can now appreciate that words alone cannot fix streets, drains, and create jobs; it needs bold plans to do these things, along with vision and resolve. Orange Walk slumbers on these days; leaderless and rudderless.
Minister Herman Longsworth attending 6th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting
Hon. Herman Longsworth, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with direct responsibilities for Youth and Sports is currently in London, England, attending the 6th Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting that began Wednesday, July 25th, 2012.
Minister Longsworth will join his colleagues from 52 Commonwealth countries at the The Banqueting House, Whitehall in London, England. The meeting will receive the Minutes of the last Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting that was held in New Delhi, India in 2012, and will look at the updated report from the Organising Committee for the 20th Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland in 2014.
While in London, Minister Longsworth will also be meeting with Executive Members of Olympic Solidarity Programme of the International Olympic Committee. He will also attend the meeting, "Celebrating The Role of Business and Sport in the Commonwealth" scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd, 2012.
Tuff "E" Nuff and Alamilla's/MOE Even at a Game Each
Farron Louriano scored 16 points
The 2012 Interoffice Basketball Competition entered its championship round on Friday, July 20 at the Bird's Isle in Belize City between Tuff "E" Nuff and Alamilla's/MOE. The championship series will utilize the best of five.
In game one of the series, the young and talented Tuff "E" Nuff defeated Alamilla's/MOE by the score of Tuff 66-58. The top scorers for Tuff "E" Nuff were Farron Louriano, who scored 16 points and 11 rebounds; Tyrone Edwards with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal; and Raul Roches with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
Meanwhile, the top scorers for Alamilla's/MOE were Greg Rudon with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals; Brandon Rogers with 14 points and 5 rebounds; and Kurt Burgess with 9 points and 7 rebounds.
The championship series then continued on Saturday, July 21, 2012, with game two The second game saw the reversal of fortune for Alamilla's/MOE as they edged out Tuff "E" Nuff by the score of 79-76. The top scorers for Alamillas/MOE were Greg Rudon with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals; Kurt Burgess with 15 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals; and Brandon Rogers with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
Meanwhile, the top scorers for Tuff "E" Nuff were Jamal Kelly with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals; Keith Acosta with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal; and Tyrone Edwards with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
The championship series will continue on Friday, July 27th, 2012, with game three and on Saturday, July 28th, when game four is scheduled to be played. The games are both scheduled for 8:00 pm at Bird's Isle.
If a game five becomes necessary, then it will be played on Friday August 3rd, 2012, also at 8:00 pm.
Football Referees' Training in Belize
Forty-seven referees converged at the FFB Goal Project Headquarters in Belmopan over the weekend of July 20-22, 2012, to attend a Referees' Seminar facilitated by FFB's National Referee Instructors, Eugene Contreras, Mauro Manzanero and Director of Referees, David Henry Jones.
The referees, who came from all parts of the country, saw the attendance of 47 counterparts. The seminar was to conduct a physical training test and to update and test the referees on the Seven Laws of the Game.
Marlon Kuylen, Executive member of the FFB, opened the seminar and expressed his appreciation for the large turnout. At the closing of the seminar, Kuylen congratulated the five female participants, who attended the seminar, especially Nelita Novelo of Orange Walk, who received a perfect score on the written test. Kuylen also expressed his support and that of the Federation to the referees.
Belize City Softball Competition enters Playoff Round
The 78th Belize City Senior Female Softball Competition entered its playoff round on Wednesday, July 25th, at Rogers Stadium,the home of softball, between Mirage Lady Rebels (the number two seed) and Orchid Blazers (the number three seed).
The playoff round will utilise the best of three series with the winner facing the defending champion Telemedia (the number one seed) in the championship series.
The second game in the series between Mirage Lady Rebels and Orchid Blazers is scheduled for Friday, July 27th, at 6:30 pm and if a game three becomes necessary, it will be played on Monday, July 30th, 2012 also at 6:30 pm.
YWCA receives $200,000 Grant
Ambassador Vinai THummalapally hands over check to the Y's Sheree Smiling Craig (center) and Sonia Linares)
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) received a 200-thousand-dollar grant from the U.S. Embassy through the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI).
Mexican Embassy presents Three Exhibitions on Belizean Artist Benjamin Nicholas
The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to present three art exhibitions as a tribute to the renowned Belizean artist, Benjamin Nicholas, in a unique collaboration with Atlantic Bank and the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). The exhibitions titled "Story Color Life, honouring Benjamin Nicholas" feature more than 25 works by the celebrated Belizean painter, who died on April 9th, 2012 in his hometown Dangriga.
Nicholas represents the pinnacle of Garifuna and Belizean art. Born on August 6th, 1930, Benjamin Nicholas studied art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in the US. On his return to Belize, he settled in Dangriga and painted to the time of his death. He has been recognized internationally and was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE).
According to the Belizean artist Yasser Musa, "with his images Benjamin Nicholas inspired Belizeans to appreciate, respect and recognize the rural life as a potent aspect of the growing nation. He boldly narrated with his brush the many aspects of Garifuna culture. His art works hang on the walls of ordinary people, art collectors, in museums around the world and in the halls of power of many nations including Cuba, South Africa, Venezuela, and Canada". During his 50-year artistic career, Nicholas was also an inspiration to other prominent Belizean artists.
The collection that will be presented includes art works belonging to the private collections of the Mexican Embassy, the Belize Bank and NICH.
The first exhibition will take place at the Sacred Heart Church in Dangringa, on Friday, August 3rd, at 6:30 pm. This exhibition is organized also with the support of the Mayor of Dangriga, Gilbert Swazo, Father Dominic McDonagh of the Sacred Heart Parish of Dangriga, and the Nicholas family. Currently, the Sacred Heart Parish houses two murals by Benjamin Nicholas and different paintings depicting the Stations of the Cross and the Passion of the Christ.
The second exhibition will be hosted the Embassy of Mexico in Belmopan on Tuesday, August 7th, at 6:30 pm.
The third exhibition will take place at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City. It will be inaugurated on Thursday, August 9th at 6:30 pm, and will remain open until August 15th.
The public is invited to participate in any of the three exhibitions. The entrance is free and open to the public. Schools are encouraged to organize excursions to visit the exhibition at the Institute of Mexico.
Bredda "DAVID" & Tribal Vibes Latest Release
After 20 years in of the creation of Kungo Muzic, Bredda David Obi and the Tribal vibes is releasing their 10th album. Obi stopped by the Guardian Newspaper to explain the album is a mix of previously released songs as well as new ones. It is entitled "Day D Dawn" and features 14 tracks.
As the title implies, a new day is dawning in Belize, new era of awareness where hope for a better future abounds. This theme is in keeping with the pervasive spirit of Kungo Muzik.
The 14-track album features new arrangements of previously released Tribal Vibes tunes such as "Stronger", "Experience", "Sambai Da Muchula", and "Mi Plantation". Complementing the old are first releases "We Roots De Ina Afreeka", a fusion of a particularly Belizean feel with rich jive vocals reminiscent of South Africa; "Sanctuary 2" an instrumental sequel to 2008's "Sanctuary"; and a completely fresh treatment of Kriol tradition's "Freetown Gial", interpreted by jazz-guitar chording of Jason Guerrero and musical craftsmanship of Dale Davis on clarinet. A Kungo-ized version of the latter also appears.
While the pure drumming of Truth Cut Steel represents the clearest return to Kriol rootsy Gale Point Manatee Sambai, other debut songs include "Brukdong Vibes", "Sweet Belizean Music" and "All Day All Nite". Each listener is expected to find his/her own preference from this project.
The project's personnel are David's son Nkrumah & Indio Obi, Dale Davis, Harry "Chagu" Thompson, Bill Gabourel, Ernestine Carballo, Darwin Lino. A special thanks is given to Jeremy Lamb for sharing the title track "Day di Dawn".
Bredda David & Tribal Vibes will hold a free family concert entitled "Day di Dawn" on Sunday, August 19th at the BTL Park in Belize City. Obi says the concert is a way of bringing the music to the Belizean public who have been following him for the past 20 years.
The latest release is available at record stores countrywide or directly from him. He can be reached at phone: 502-3489/ 602-3077 or email: [email protected] .
Comfort Zones
A comfort zone is a place where we can shake off some of life's stresses and relax. In its most basic sense, it is where we can feel safe and for many of us our most important comfort zones include our immediate family and childhood friends. These are usually people, who share our history, culture, life experiences and values. We do not have to explain ourselves; they know. We are often willing to overlook or explain away faults in our immediate family and friends that we find unforgiveable in strangers. This differentiation between us and them is the beginning of stigma and discrimination and, of which, we must be continually aware if we are to avoid the pitfalls of intolerance and see beyond superficial differences to the essential humanity of others. There is nothing wrong with enjoying our comfort zone - the fault is in demonizing those outside. Belizeans abroad like nothing better than a function that allows them to get together and reminisce about old times. There is a special place in our heart for a childhood friend even if we have lost contact over the years. We enjoy rallies of our chosen political party or religious denomination and ...
Caye Caulker Chronicles
Volleyball tourney coming soon to Caye Caulker�.
The Reporter
Civic minded citizen foils afternoon robbery and helps capture crooks
Ernest Billary, a 20- year-old manual labourer of Hibiscus Street in southside Belize City, was captured by a community-minded citizen who interrupted Billary's attempt to rob the popular Se�or Coconut Restaurant on Eve Street around 2:00 last Friday afternoon, July 20.
Billary was remanded into custody after he was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on charges of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.
Billary and an accomplice, armed with a handgun, had entered the popular eatery on Eve Street and demanded money as they held a gun to the head of one of three women inside.
Guatemalan gold fever in the Chiquibul Reserve! A huge problem for Belize law enforcement!
The government of Belize needs to synchronize law enforcement efforts and resources immediately to create a credible deterrent against Guatemalans illegally panning for gold in the streams of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve.
This is the recommendation of Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director of Friends for Conservation and Development, the organization which manages the reserve.
Police Association leaders apologize to ComPol
The dispute brewing last week between the leaders of the Police Association and Commissioner of Police David Henderson has ended amicably, with the Association leaders apologizing to the Commissioner for the manner in which they had sought to have the issue of Police transfers and other internal matters addressed.
2 Orange Walk boys hurt when their home collapsed
By Janine Crawford
Freelance Reporter
An Orange Walk child is in a critical state, after the wooden house he and his family occupied on Yo Creek Street collapsed shortly after 9:00 this morning, in the Marcus Canul area.
Briton, 10 and his brother, Jova, 7, were playing this morning in their yard as usual, engrossed over a litter of new-born puppies.
COLA takes dim view of OAS! Says Belize Foreign Minister to blame.
The right-wing organization called Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) bristled this week at a statement by OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza which seemed to blame Belize for the shooting in the Columbia River Forest Reserve which killed Guatemalan illegal logger Luis Alberto Martinez Alonzo.
Lord Ashcroft wants Justice Awich gone
Lord Michael Ashcroft, KCMG, Dean Boyce and the British Caribbean Bank, the so-called Ashcroft Alliance, have taken on another fight. This time they are gunning for the removal of newly appointed Belize Court of Appeal Justice, Mr. Samuel Lingole Awich.
Decriminalization of marijuana: a world issue
Whether marijuana is glorified by musicians, scorned by churches, revered as a religious sacrament or outlawed as a drug, the only constant about marijuana is that it is a topic of constant conflict.
A prevalent problem in the marijuana debate is that policy makers and public differ in their opinions about whether or not the plant should be classified as a "drug".
While Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is scientifically proven to have chemical effects consistent with that of "drug" use, marijuana is simply the dried leaves of a plant. When weighed against other substances such as cigarettes, which are processed and have a myriad of chemicals, marijuana, being an all-natural substance, at first glance doesn't seem to fit the description of a drug at all.
OCEANA challenging exploration licenses in court on grounds that companies don't quaify
Six companies granted concessions to explore for oil in Belize between 2005 and 2007 have been challenged in court by Oceana, the resident watchdog organization, on grounds that they fail to meet the legal requirements for a concession under the Petroleum Act.
The challenge is also directed at the Ministry of Natural Resources for granting the concession.
The dispute, now before Justice Legal, has been further adjourned until August 22.
Oceana contends that the companies: Island Oil Belize Limited, Tropical Energy Limited, PetroBelize Company Limited, Princess Petroleum Limited, Providence Energy Belize Limited and Sol Oil Belize Limited, do not meet the requirements of the Petroleum Act and therefore their oil exploration contracts should be declared null and void.
"Kungo Muzik" to unite us all
Music has long since carried the epithet "the universal language," but Belize's very own David Obi, popularly known as "Bredda David", has taken music's unifying power a step further with his unique genre of music-"Kungo Muzik".
This week, Obi shared with The Reporter the message behind his music and how that message is reflected in the genre's very musical composition and lyrical context.
Obi-a man of Kriol (Creole) ancestry who was raised in culture capital Dangriga-said that the fortunate opportunity to have lived the mores of both the Kriol and the Garinagu had helped him to come to a clear revelation about the so-called Kriol-Garifuna cultural dichotomy: that there is none.
7 ways to reduce your risk of diabetes
What is diabetes and how serious is it in our country?
Diabetes is a chronic disorder of either lack of production of insulin (as in the case of type - 1 diabetes), or the inability of the body to utilize it properly (insulin resistance - as in the case of type 2 diabetes).
Consequently, glucose remains in the blood stream and causes havoc to many of the organs of the human body. Some of these negative effects include: heart complications, eye disorders, nerve problems and the unfortunate recent increase of kidney failure in Belize.
Heavy drinking in pregnancy linked to problems in children
Central nervous system abnormalities are common among children whose mothers drink large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy, a small new study finds.
Most children exposed to large amounts of alcohol while in the womb do not go on to develop fetal alcohol syndrome. Diagnosis of this condition requires abnormalities in three areas: facial features, physical growth and the central nervous system.
Carlos Cui & Mishek Musa win in Barrow & Williams table tennis
Carlos Cui won the open division, while Mishek Musa won the under-15 Cadets' division of the Barrow & Williams Summer Table Tennis Tournament held under the auspices of the Belize Table Tennis Association at the Belize Elementary School on Sunday, July 22.
Cui won the championship finals 3-1 over Nicholas Martin. Cui advanced by a 3-0 win over Fabio Carballo in the first round and a 3-0 win over Mike Rivero in the second round. He went on to triumph 3-0 over Martin in their first encounter in the third round.
BDF & City Boys win in Champions Cup football
The Belize Defence Force enjoyed a 4-0 win over "Sugar &Water" Old Road while the Raymond Gentle City Boys routed FC Belize 3-0 when the competition continued at the M.C.C. grounds on Sunday, July 22.
But Westlake continues to lead the Champions Cup Football Competition, posting their fourth victory 3-0 by default over Maskall.
Erwin "Bird" Flores and Daniel Jimenez led the BDF offensive supported by Philip Lewis and Richard "Cheety" Jimenez on the wings and Harrison Tasher and David "Gringo" Ramos at midfield.
Extreme Belize time
I have reached a new level of understanding how some people / things get on Belize time - it goes something like this�.
I was working on this post yesterday morning when I got a call from BTL that they were coming to look at an issue we had reported a couple of weeks ago. Now sometimes people can be that slow to get back to you here, but in this case they were actually doing their job and following up. Very grateful for that because tacoboy on his last communication with them said our internet was fine and he was right at the time it was.
I was already experiencing one big sidetracked moment in time. No matter how hard I tried to stay on task I keept getting pulled in all different directions literally.
- Answering emails set me of on pinterest for too long, but I for some great pins out of it.
- Pulled myself away from pinning pictures and back to emails.
- BTL guy calls and says they are on their way over in 10 minutes to speedtest our internet - I was not going to say no.
- Stop answering emails and start tiding the house a bit and dusting the router.
- Of course toilet brush had to break at the wrong end while I was cleaning the guest bathroom.
- Took out garbage swept stairs and back to emails and blog - net down Surprised? Not
- BTL guys were on time and when they did speed test, they discovered a corroded wire that needed to be replaced, no small task as it had to be done cosmetically and be put under ground.
- Tim Invest in Belize, the house realtor, came lightening fast to make sure that the work was done cost effectively, weatherproof and most of all invisible.
- Heraldo who works for Tim shows up almost as fast and was ready to do his part of the fix so the BTL guys could come back and hook us up.
- Patiently edited yesterdays pics while I wait for internet. This process is took slightly longer than I had hoped,we are not going to be back online till sometime Thursday been offline since Wed morning.
- Ended up at El Divino to do some emails by phone and have a well deserved rum and cranberry or two.
2012 CHAA CREEK ECO CAMP - LAND CONSERVATION
Today's land conservation theme brought the eco campers to the 33 acre Maya Organic Farm, which plays an integral part on the Chaa Creek Reserve. Not only does it help to conserve the land, but the farm also provides jobs for local workers, and supplies produce for the The Lodge at Chaa Chreek and the Macal River Camp, where the kids are staying this week. One the main goals of the farm is to implement as many traditional Maya farming techniques as possible, the most notable of these being the absence of chemicals in their agricultural practices. While it may be quicker and easy to use pesticides, and most modern farms do exactly that, Mr. Mick explained to us that the Flemings choose to follow an environmentally friendly model, and as I'm sure the children will testify, the difference is clearly shown in the delicious food we have eaten thus far!
The eco-campers had a chance to tour the operation and recognize many local plants, trees, herbs, and produce. They were also treated to some live action as we met the sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, heifers, and even the bull. To top off the farm adventure, the kids had a chance to stick their entire arms into the compost piles, as Mr. Mick explained to them how everything in an organic farm is connected, right down to the animals' feces! No wonder they all washed their hands so well before lunch. An afternoon filled with swimming, canoeing, and lots of fun in the sun has left this blogger's brain on empty so we will let the pictures tell the rest of the tale.
International Sources
Internet speeds and prices in the Caribbean
The Caribbean has had some semblance of publicly available Internet service for about two decades, but in recent times it has become a key platform for the delivery of a broad range of telecoms and computing services and applications. Critical considerations when assessing the Internet's effectiveness as a medium of connectivity are transmission speeds and the prices charged for its use. This snapshot examines those two factors across the English-speaking Caribbean, since they speak to the region's ability to harness the potential of the Internet and to create knowledge-based societies.
As reflected in the Table 2 below, the minimum download speeds offered in most countries is 1 Mbps, with the exception of Belize, Dominica and Trinidad & Tobago, where speeds of 256 kbps and lower are still available. Interestingly, the price for the service plan with the lowest download speed in Guyana (1 Mbps) is over eight times that of the most expensive plan in the rest of the sample group (Belize, USD 436.05 for a 4 Mbps package).
On the other hand, just under half of the sample group offered plans with 8 Mbps as the highest download speed. In Jamaica and Trinidad, plans with download speeds of 100 Mbps are available at prices lower than what has been specified in other countries for less than a tenth of that speed. Attention is again drawn to the exorbitant monthly fee charged in Guyana for a 4.5 Mbps connection. This price would be well beyond the reach of most domestic customers and businesses.
In all countries except Guyana and Belize, the monthly rate for a 2 Mbps Internet plan is under USD 85.00, and is even under USD 30.00 in Grenada. Again, excluding Belize and Guyana, the average monthly rate for a 2 Mbps Internet plan is approx
How To Set Up An Offshore Company
Setting up an offshore company in a tax haven is surprisingly easy. A simple Google search offers up thousands of companies willing to help you do it.
Anna Vaivade works for one of these companies. She is in Latvia, but her employer offers company registration in Seychelles, British Virgin Islands or Belize. She told me all these places offer no taxes and extreme confidentiality.
"No third parties, no creditors, no other companies have access to this information, " said Vaivade.
But what good is a company without a bank account attached? Anna Vaivade said she could help Planet Money with that too. She told me we could open a bank account in Switzerland that's tied to my offshore company in Belize.
And if that's not enough anonymity for you, Anna's company offers another service - a board of directors.
(Chana Joffe-Walt / NPR)
"In all public documents where the director's name appears, it will be our name," she told me. The idea is to ensure no one knows we are in involved in the company. Anna calls it "absolute confidentiality."
And all of this is perfectly legal.
I can think of legitimate reasons why you might want to have a company in Belize with a bank account in Switzerland and fake Latvian shareholders. Maybe you don't want your competitors to know what you're up to or maybe you're a large business operating across borders. It's easier to do business when you have accounts offshore.
But what is striking about all the offshore services available is that while they are totally legal, the system seems to make it easy to get away with things that are not legal.
In the end, it took a week and a half and fair bit of paperwork to get our Belizean company registered. I had to fax a notarized passport. To get our bank account, I needed a reference letter from my bank, an accountant and a lawyer.
5 Questions About Travel For Photographer Macduff Everton
Good advice from a photographer visiting our region for over 40 years.
People are making billions of dollars every year off the Maya. There is the Mundo Maya, Riviera Maya, Playa Maya, Ruta Maya, but the Maya aren't profiting from this. They are the employees rather than the owners.. Macduff Everton's latest book, The Modern Maya: Incidents of Travel and Friendship in Yucat�n was 40 years in the making. It is no mere coffee table showcase. It is, as has been reported by a number of reviewers, nothing less than a magnum opus and a serious tribute to the people he has met and befriended during his decades traveling in the Maya region.
Everton is a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler, and his editorial clients include Cond� Nast Traveler, Outside and The New York Times Magazine.
There aren't many documentary photography projects that, like The Modern Maya, span more than forty years, especially working with the same families. This book, says the author, consists of their stories, told through these images.
"While most history chronicles the famous," he says, "this book is about the lives of ordinary people who are the soul of their culture. History only exists if someone documents it."
Belizeans as well as many others around the World will be watching the 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony Today
Olympics excitement was building today just hours before the spectacular opening ceremony was set to be the greatest sporting show on earth - with Sir Roger Bannister now favourte to light the flame.
Sixty-thousand ecstatic fans will pack the Olympics stadium in Stratford, east London, for the historic a three-hour crescendo to months of build-up marking the start of the London 2012 Games.
And although bookies were tipping the legendary four-minute mile man Sir Roger to officially start the Games, mystery still surrounds the identity of the person who'll perform the historic feat with Sir Steve Redgrave and Daley Thompson still in the running.
Organisers are at pains to keep every last detail of the event secret, and only a handful of people are thought to know who will be given the job.
Volunteers who took part in stunning rehearsals last night were even ordered not to take pictures and bosses pulled leaked footage form the Internet.