The April 28th, 2013 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • Darrell versus Santino: Another UDP Challenge in the Making?:
    That UDP Mayor Darrell Bradley has within a short time proven himself to be a decisive and effective political leader is without question. And that many within and outside the UDP expect him to make the logical transition from City Hall to National Politics is not much of a secret. What is not too clear is where and how exactly he intends to enter that arena of National Politics. That is until Thursday of this week when Bradley confirmed to Channel Seven News that he is in fact interested in Caribbean Shores: "Persons have approached me from Caribbean Shores. I'm talking about members of the Caribbean Shores Committee. That's an area that I have very close contacts with. I worked previously on Carlos Perdomo's campaign. I assisted him in public relations. I have very strong contacts and ties in that area. Persons had approached me for running in that area. I will say at this moment that is not something that I have ruled out and I am actively considering that as an option. But at this present moment, my total focus is directed at being an effective Mayor. The city has a lot of challenges and I am in no way thinking on any kind of elections."
  • Belmopan's Bernard Bestowed British Honour:
    Four Belizeans have been honoured at the Belize House for their selfless and outstanding contributions to Belize. The honourees include Senior Counsel, Mr. Denys A. Barrow, who was awarded the insignia for Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his distinguished service to Belize and the field of law; Commissioner of the Supreme Court and Senior Justice of the Peace, Mr. Patrick Alexander Bernard, was bestowed with the insignia of a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his dedication to the Public Service. Also receiving the insignia of a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire were Mr. Pen Cayetano for his wonderful and numerous contributions to music and art; and Senior Justice of the Peace, Ms. Crispina Hyde, for her selfless service to education and community.
  • Yanira Wins! New UB President:
    The University of Belize Student Body held elections over the past week, and Yanira Garcia emerged as the new President of the Student Government, beating out four other candidates for the position, namely incumbent, Hope Abadi; and challengers, Anthony Bedran and Caramyn Reid. Yanira Garcia garnered 234 votes. Coming in second (10 votes behind Yanira) was Caramyn Reid with 224 votes. Third was Anthony Bedran with 140 votes. Incumbent Hope Abadi came in last with only 55 votes. The other persons elected to the Student Government are: Luis Mendez Jr.(Vice President); Jasmine Thompson (Financial Controller); Felix Mai; (Secretary of Legislation); Jamira Serano (FEA Senator); Victor Cayetano (Secretary of Programming); Daniel Smith(F.S.T Senator); Elenita Norales (Nursing and Allied Health Senator); and Kent Welch (Secretary of Sports); Yadira Argueta (Administrative Officer); Shahira Quiroz; (Secretary of Advocacy); Liane Torres (FMSS Senator).
  • Belize's Tourism Figures Up for First Quarter of 2013:
    by Laura Esquivel Frampton Director of BTB. The Tourism Statistics are in for the first quarter of 2013, and once again, the news is great. Those figures show that the hotel sector registered revenues of $60 Million since January. Overnight arrivals were as high as 93 Thousand during that period. In March alone, overnight arrivals reached a record high of 35 Thousand in a single month. Even Cruise Tourism, which had been lagging behind, showed an encouraging increase in arrivals. Speaking with Channel Five News this week, Director of the Belize Tourism Board, Laura Esquivel Frampton, said: "We're happy to say once again that we have another record breaking months this year. In fact, all of this year, so far-January, February and March-have been record breaking in terms of overnight arrivals. Overall, and this includes the airport and all the other ports of entry, January saw 17.1 percent increase; February saw 11.59 percent increase; and March saw an 11. 03 percent increase. So, cumulatively, for the quarter, we are seeing a 13.02 percent increase in Tourism Arrivals for the overnight sector.
  • Count Our Blessings!: Delroy Cuthkelvin Chairman, Editorial Board:
    Last week, we reprinted a news story from the Caribbean about the fact that the Economy of Barbados had not only failed to register any growth during the first quarter of 2013, but had actually contracted or shrunk. That was bad news for the Economy of a nation which is the wealthiest and most developed in the Eastern Caribbean, and which has for some time now enjoyed one of the highest per capita incomes in the region. This week, we report on the notable increase in Belize's Tourism figures, which is only one sector of our Economy that recorded GDP Growth in the past year of 5.3 percent. While we do not yet have the overall figures on the performance of Belize's Economy for the first quarter of 2013, all projections are that when the final figures come in for the current fiscal year, we would have again registered considerable growth.
  • PM Barrow meets UN Sec Gen in New York; Foreign Minister and CEO Join Him for CARICOM Meeting:
    Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow left the country on Sunday, April 21, 2013 on official business to New York and Haiti. In New York, the Prime Minister had an audience with the Secretary General of the United Nations, His Excellency, Ban Ki-Moon. Prime Minister Barrow briefed the Secretary General on Belize's position on the upcoming Referendum in October and on the Special Agreement with Guatemala. The Prime Minister's visit to New York is being coordinated by the Office of Belize's Permanent Representative to the United Nation. In Haiti, the Prime Minister meets with fellow Heads of States of the Caribbean at the Fifth Summit of Heads of State of the Associates of Caribbean States on 25th and 26th April, 2013. There, in Haiti, the Prime Minister is being joined by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred Elrington, and Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Alexis Rosado. Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow returns home to Belize on Sunday, 28th April, 2013.
  • Belmopan Bandits T-Shirts for Sale:
    Fans of the Belmopan Bandits Football Club are advised that the official Bandits Team Jersey is on Sale at a price of $50.00 each. Visit our Team Facebook page at www.facebook/ belmopanbandits or email us at bmpbanditsfc@gmail. com or call: 626-8362. Dress Like a Winner !
  • Oh How Sweet It Is! Residents of 'Young Bank' Community get Potable Water:
    Residents of Young Bank, a community on the outskirts of Camalote Village in the Cayo District, now enjoy quality, potable water twenty four hours a day thanks to a Social Investment Fund (SIF) and Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL) project, which aims to improve and expand water supply to rural communities in Belize. The project was officially inaugurated on Sunday afternoon, 14 April 2013 during a brief ceremony in Young Bank. Young Bank is located about � mile on the Valley of Peace Road off the Western Highway and is a relatively new settlement behind Camalote Village with a population of approximately 470 Belizean residents, who were original immigrants from the neighboring Central American republics of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Prior to the project, the residents suffered immensely from the lack of potable water especially during the dry season, when they had to rely on outdoor water reservoirs and delivery water trucks.
  • New Drainage Project Addresses Infrastructure Needs In Buttonwood Bay Area of Belize City:
    A d r a i n a g e project that will address the infrastructure needs of over 600 residents in the Buttonwood Bay area of Belize City was officially launched during a brief ceremony on Monday April 22, 203 at the Canaan Seventh Day Adventist High School compound. The project will be implemented by the Social Investment Fund in collaboration with the Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL) and financed by the Government of Belize through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The project is estimated to cost $941,316.00. "This project exemplifies New Drainage Project Addresses Infrastructure Needs In Buttonwood Bay Area of Belize City the Government's seriousness to address the infrastructure needs of Belize City and to improve the living conditions of residents in the Buttonwood Bay Area, despite the economic challenges facing our country," Hon. Santiago Castillo, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and Area Representative for Caribbean Shores, said. The project will entail the construction of approximately 5,700 linear feet of Ferroconcrete lined drains with covers for sidewalks, the replacement of new driveways and walkways and installation of new culverts and wing walls. In addition, water mains and service entrances will be relocated and new service connections will be installed. It will focus on Park Avenue, Pike Crescent East and Pike Crescent West, E Street and Buttonwood Bay Boulevard.
  • Faith Lift By Zelda Hill: Are you on Solid Rock or in Sinking Sand?:
    Ho p e - f u l l y, by now y o u h a v e been convinced that no government has the answers to the problems that plague us as individuals, families and societies. National and global events may have also caused you to question whether there is a God. And if you believe God exists, you may have questioned whether He cares about us and our world. Take heart! Although our world seems to be spinning out of control, God is ultimately in control. However, God exercises His permissive will to help us understand that we could never be better off under our own rule than under His. But still we stubbornly reject His way and prefer to become dependent on leaders, governments and earthly systems to ease suffering, cure terminal illnesses and to bring an end to all the crime and violence.
  • Spreading the Love:
    the Love "A friend in need is a friend indeed." That's exactly what Honourable John Saldivar is to Matilde Cerna, a 40 year old resident of Salvapan in the Belmopan area. Matilde lost her mobility as a result of Diabetes which resulted in an operation being conducted on her feet. She is the mother of four children, all boys. One of them is 15 year old Wilser Echavarria, seen in the photo along with his mother and Belmopan Area Representative, Honourable John Saldivar. He says the entire family is very thankful to their area representative as they are a household with limited means, struggling daily to make ends meet, and could hardly afford the cost of purchasing the wheel chair which his mother absolutely needs to be able to move around in her present condition.
  • Upgrading Belmopan's Infrastructure Waiting Sheds - Shuttle Buses - Paved Streets:
    In the Old Capital, Belize City, the revolutionary upgrade in infrastructure spearheaded by that city's Mayor, Darrell Bradley, has been receiving much publicity, and deservedly so. In the new Capital, Belmopan, under the leadership of Mayor Simeon Lopez and his City Council, much is also happening in terms of the overall upgrade of the city's infrastructure, through a number of projects which are all a part of the comprehensive master plan to transform the Nation's Capital into a modern city. Thanks to the World Bank funded Belize Municipal Development Project (BMDP), monies obtained through the good stewardship of the Dean Barrow Administration (a total of $30 Million aimed at providing much needed infrastructure in seven major municipalities Countrywide) are being spent on the rehabilitation and upgrading of a number of streets in the Capital City.
  • At Long Last! Potable Water Finally Coming to Belize River Valley:
    On Wednesday April 24, 2013, Hon. Edmund Castro, Area Representative for Belize Rural North, along with Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Rural Development, and Chairman of the Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL), Alberto August, broke ground for a $7.8 Million water project in the Belize River Valley. The project will see some 550 families in nine villages in the area benefit from safe, potable water supplied by BWSL. Work has commenced immediately on the project, and within 90 days Scotland Half Moon should become the first village to be supplied with water. As the project progresses along the river valley, the other villages will be hooked up to the system. The project will be completed in December of this year.
  • CEO and Commander Complete Course for Senior Officials in Republic of China on Taiwan:
    CEO in the Ministry of National Security, Colonel (Ret.) George Lovell and Commander of the Belize Defence Force, Brigadier General David Jones have both completed a three-week National Development Course in the Republic of China on Taiwan. The course, which ran from April 1 to 19, 2013, was for senior level Government officials, both military and civilian. The participants were educated on a wide range of issues and challenges that Taiwan faces, with a view to explore how those experiences and the response to them could be translated, adopted and applied to the issues and challenges confronting developing nations such as Belize. There was extensive and meaningful exchange on Military and Police matters, but knowledge was also imparted on a wide range of non-security topics, including the Economy, Industry, International Cooperation and Exchange, both Technical and Educational as well as Cultural.
  • Caribbean Disaster Managers Converge in Belize; Two-Day Planning Session Conducted at Radisson Fort George Hotel:
    A two-day session was conducted in Belize on April 17 and 18, 2003 by the Technical Advisory Committee of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). It's a committee that is made up of National Disaster Coordinators from the 18 members states of the Caribbean and participating regional bodies. The purpose of the two-day session was to formulate a five-year regional strategic plan for the period 2013-2018. Speaking with the local media at the start of the two day session, the Executive Director of CDEMA stated, "Well I think that one of the first challenges we face is changing the culture of our people to understand that disaster risk is a development issue. It is not simply a response issue. With that said, we also need to look at the collective capacity of our region to deal with the requirements for responding to catastrophic events, and I think what we are trying to do as an organization is to link development, the macro-economic framework of countries, to this disaster resilience issue. I think if we can show clearly the relationship between the development, economic prosperity, which all our countries are now striving to achieve, then we can perhaps influence a little bit of the politics."
  • Over 25 Attend Prosecutors Course:
    In order to improve the effectiveness of the Police Department and other law enforcement agencies in Belize, a Prosecutors' Course is being conducted at the National Police Training Academy in Belmopan. Speaking with the Government Press Office, Superintendent Flowers of the National Police Training Academy said: "This morning we started a two-week prosecutor development training course for members of the Police Department; that is from the ranks of corporal and sergeants; and we also invited members from the Fisheries Department, as well as Belize City Municipal Traffic, personnel who deal with court procedures. It covers the basic prosecution; introduction to prosecution, as well as formulating charges, and presenting a case in court, all the process that comes with that; how to, and what is needed in a report, when you are presenting; How to brief your witness or your police officers who will be witnesses in Court.
  • John Saldivar Basketball Classic; Inter-Site Tournament Organized by Belmopan Basketball Association:
    The John Saldivar Basketball Classic is an Inter- site Competition managed by the Belmopan Basketball Association on behalf of, and with the gracious support of the Hon. John Saldivar. The Tournament is unique in that it not only divides players by geographical zones. Also it serves as a bridge between Basketball generations as teams must be comprised of senior players, over 35 players and under 18 players. This unique format allows for the transfer of basketball knowledge from older generations to younger generations. The tournament has six teams, those being: The New Site Falcons, Site 7, Tiger Town, Police Housing Areas, Piccini Extension/Cohune Walk and Roaring Creek Christ for Life.
  • LeBron James and Kevin Durant: The Rematch that Everybody Wants to See:
    It took all of six hours Sunday night to reaffirm a sentiment that spent the last six months germinating: Anything less than a rematch of the 2012 Finals between the Heat and Thunder will be a disappointment. It won't be a disaster if one - or even both - of the league's top-two teams stumbles on the way to the sequel, but it will be a letdown. Heat-Thunder II is the rare scenario in which virtually all angles of analysis lead to the same conclusion. Want to see the best players? LeBron James and Kevin Durant are No. 1 and No. 2 again this season. Want to see the best teams? The Heat had the league's best regular-season record and the Thunder finished second, while Oklahoma City posted the best margin of victory and Miami ranked second. Love offense? Miami was first, Oklahoma City second. Love defense? Both teams finished in the top seven.
  • ELECTIONS & BOUNDARIES DEPARTMENT Public Notice:
    The Elections and Boundaries Commission, in accordance with Part II, Sections 6 and Part VI, Section 35 of the Village Councils Act, Chapter 88 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2003, hereby release the official schedule for Village/Community Council Elections 2013 In all villages nomination opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 10:00 a.m. No asterisks denote Poll closes at 1:00 p.m. * Denote Poll closes at 3:00 p.m. ** Denote Poll closes at 5:00 p.m.
  • Alumni Achievement Award: Hon. Liselle Allamilla receives from University of Idaho:
    The Senator, Honourable Lisel Alamilla, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development for Belize, has been honoured by the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources (CNR), as the winner of its "2013 International Alumni Achievement Award". She was presented with the award at a banquet honoring outstanding CNR alumni and students in Moscow, Idaho, on Thursday, April 18, 2013. Minister Alamilla was nominated for this award due to her outstanding achievements, including her appointment as a minister in Belize's Cabinet, her selection as winner of the 2012 Whitley Award for Nature and her selection as winner of the 2010 Marsh Award for Conservation Leadership.
  • Contracts Signed to Begin Road Project In Santa Elena - San Ignacio Area:
    In a brief ceremony held on Monday, April 22, 2013, at the Ministry of Works and Transport Conference Room, contracts were signed for Lot 4 of the 4th Road Project to begin works on the Santa Elena/San Ignacio Bypass Project, which includes the upgrading of Joseph Andrews Drive in San Ignacio up to its intersection with the Benque Viejo Road. The project, which is Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Belize, was awarded to Norman Reimer of A & N Construction. The Ministry of Works will be assisted by supervision consultants, Becker International Consultants Limited. In addition to the aesthetic and infrastructural improvements, the BZD $5 Million project will bring economic benefits and employment to the area. The works are expected to be completed in eighteen months.
  • Southern Zone Again Lowest levels of Crime in March of 2013:
    Last Wednesday, April 17, 2013, Minister of N a t i o n a l Security, Hon. John Saldivar presented a Certificate of Award and a Cheque of $1,000 to Senior Superintendent Robert Mariano, who heads the Southern Zone and is also the Officer Commanding the Dangriga Formation, which forms part of the Southern Zone. The Cheque of $1,000 is for the best performance by the Southern Zone, and the Certificate of Award is for the best performance by the Dangriga Formation in the Month of March.
  • Belize Welcomed Home Her Very Own Yoga Master, Yogi Charu!:
    Belize recently welcomed home one of her very own, internationally acclaimed yoga master, Yogi Charu! The 37 year old yoga practitioner and teacher, Yogi Charu, was born in Belize City and grew up on Prince Street. He was first introduced to yoga at age 15 through his classmate and lifelong friend, Alexander Aguet. By age 16, determined to deepen his yoga practice and his understand of life through the science and philosophy of yoga; the young Belizean set off on a journey that took him to places like California, Hawaii, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Germany, Poland, Sweden, several countries in Africa, and New York where he currently resides. More than 20 years after leaving Belize; after years of studying yoga and meditation with adept yogis, after living as an ascetic yogi in the Himalayas, after years of teaching yoga around the world, after making a name for himself as an authentic yoga master; Yogi Charu has returned home to Belize to share his knowledge of yoga with us.
  • Belmopan Kids and Youth Cup 2013:
    (Organized by Belmopan Football League)
  • Good Things Happening in Cayo Central: Basketball Court Upgraded - Tournament Kicks Off:
    This past weekend, the Rene Montero Basketball Tournament kicked off in Santa Elena. The tournament in itself is significant news, but what is perhaps bigger news is that its is taking place on a sporting facility, the Santa Elena Basketball Court on Carmen Street, which has been greatly rehabilitated and upgraded through the commitment and effort of the same Area Representative, Hon. Rene Montero. The rehabilitation and upgrade included the installation of 1500 watts light bulbs on all posts; electrification of both bathrooms and the snack shop; connecting water supply to the court; installation of two brand new toilets and sinks for both bathrooms; hang metal doors on all 3 structures, and a metal window on the snack shop; total renovation of the fence and installation of 2 new gates, the front which is a slide gate and the back a swing gate; construction of a concrete drive-way at the entrance of the court.