Today's Belize News: Feb. 18, 2012

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Today's Belize News: Feb. 18, 2012 #430792 02/18/12 08:30 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,392 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK Valid: Friday-Monday, Feb. 17 - 20, 2012 Issued: 3:00 pm, Friday, February 17, 2012 A cold front will become better organized over the northern Gulf of Mexico during the next 24 hours. A continental high pressure system will intensify behind the cold front and will push the front south-eastward across the Gulf. This front will reach the SE Gulf of Mexico and southern Yucatan by Monday morning. A pre-frontal trough ahead of the cold front will move over Yucatan and into the NW Caribbean by Sunday evening, generating some outbreaks of showers and some thunderstorms over most districts. The southern portion of the cold front will become diffused over Belize and the NW Caribbean later on Monday, as the continental high pressure system moves offshore the Carolinas, and cause the North and Northeast wind flow over the western Caribbean to swing back to the east by early Tuesday. The weather will continue fair and mild on Friday and Saturday, with lots of sunshine and little in the form of rainfall. Expect an increase in showers with some thunderstorms on Sunday through Monday, but decreasing on Tuesday. Daily rainfall totals will range from 0.01-0.10 of-an-inch on Friday and Saturday, increasing on Sunday through Monday; with daily accumulations ranging from 0.25-0.50 of-an-inch, especially over central and northern districts at first, and then shifting over southern districts and southern waters on later Monday. CLICK HERE for the Full Report The San Pedro Sun Water main breaks in San Pedro Residents in downtown San Pedro woke this morning (Friday, February 17, 2012) to find that there was no running water. The San Pedro Sun has received information that indicates that San Pedro needs to be aware of serious issues regarding water supply. Dee Dillon, P.E. - General Manager of Consolidated Water Belize Limited sent out a notice to the San Pedro Business Association with regards to concerns about providing water to the community. "Since 2008, at least, the Reverse Osmosis plant has run full time during high season and just barely met demands. If we have a high season with as little as 5%-10% increase in demand over any of the last 4 years, we will in all likely not be able to meet that demand." Independent BRS Candidates Nominated Two candidates were officially nominated this afternoon. Independent candidate William "Mike" Campbell and Vision Inspired by the People Robert "Bobby" Lopez will officially be on the ballot come March 7th. First to make it to the Town Council's office was Campbell. Despite delays which included an issue with his dual nationality, Campbell went through the necessary process and was nominated. Campbell was nominated by Fitzgerald Brown, Steven Bowen, Hector Trejo, Orlando Guerrero, Patrick Stiley and Allan Halliday. Campbell, who only showed up with his six-person entourage stated, "My supporters are afraid of coming out while some are working." Campbell said that he remains focused and believes that he will be victorious on Election's Day. Shortly after 1:00PM, VIP's Lopez showed up with some supporters. UDP BRS candidate nominated The United Democratic Party Belize Rural South Standard Bearer was duly nominated this afternoon at the San Pedro Town Council. Heredia was accompanied by a sea of red supporters that came out to show support to the two-term Area Representative. Moving from in front of the San Pedro Town Council shortly after 2PM, the large multitude slowly made its way through the main streets of San Pedro Town. Blowing horns, blasting loud music and chanting, the jubilant crowd of supporters walked Heredia to the council. Once at the council, Heredia walked up the council's office and was duly nominated before the Election's Day returning officer Allan Gennity. Heredia was nominated by Joseph Elijio, Claudio Azueta, Maria Elsa Paz, Lisa McCorkle, Erico Novelo Jr. and Fernando Sosa. PUP BRS candidate nominated One of four candidates expected to contest the Belize Rural South Constituency has been duly nominated. People's United Party Ana Patricia Arceo visited the San Pedro Town Council office along with a crowd of supporters shortly around 11AM before Election Day returning officer Allan Genitty and Election clerk Carla Acosta. With a jubilant and energetic crowd, Arceo departed from the PUP Headquarters and led a parade through the major streets of San Pedro Town. Along with loud speakers blasting political songs, the crowd eventually assembled at the foot of the Town Council's office cheering for Arceo as she was being formally nominated. Arceo was nominated by six electors; Oscar Aguilar, George Dunn, Dona Badillo, Baldemar Graniel, Earl Smith and Jose Milo Paz Jr. Ambergris Today Prince Harry Coming to Belize, His Itinerary Released Prince Harry will set foot in Belize on March 2, 2012 and will be in the country just short of a full day - 23 � hours to be precise. But according to the Foreign Affairs protocol office, it should be the best stop he makes on his Caribbean Tour of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. He is the second child of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and he is visiting Belmopan and San Ignacio during his whirlwind visit to Belize which his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II has set up for him; she picked Belize for Harry because of his free and adventurous spirit and humanitarian heart. So the government of Belize, along with the Belize Tourism Board, is organizing a packed schedule for the Prince to maximize his visit to the country. The good part is that the visit will be a less formal one which will engage him much more with the people of Belize and focusing less on a state level visit with more official ceremonial activities. National Treasure of Belize: Maya Jade Head in Exhibit The Museum of Belize was officially inaugurated 10 years ago on February 5th, 2002. The building itself was once used as "Her Majesty's Prison", and contained a total of 102 cells. In 1998, the Government handed the old prison to NICH and for the next two years the building was refurbished and converted into the Museum. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the Museum hosted a 10-day celebration. Activities included special guest lectures, book presentations, art workshops and special exhibition featuring the Jade Head. The priceless object which had not been on display for quite a few years was particularly displayed for primary school students. According to Sheryline Jones, Director of the Museum of Belize, the last time the exhibit was out for public display was in 2009. She continued by stating that students were given basic information about the Jade Head like its size, weight, where and when it was found among other important details. Belize Rural South General Elections Nominations 2012 Friday, February 17, 2012 marked the nominations for standard bearers running for the General Elections which will be held the same day as Municipal Elections, March 7, 2012. The San Pedro Town Council Nominations were held on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, and today, Belize Rural South Standard Bearers were nominated. PUP Standard Bearer: Ana Patricia "Patty" Arceo Nominators: - Baldemar Graniel - Oscar Aguilar - Dona Maria Badillo - Earl Smith - Albert Dunin - Aljemiro "Milo" Paz Blogs ATM Cave Adventure in Belize One of the greatest known ceremonial caves in the entire world, ATM Cave (Actun Tunichil Muknal), is unquestionably the hottest spot for Western Belize tourism today. In fact, National Geographic Magazine recently dubbed ATM Cave the #1 sacred cave to visit in the world! ATM Cave is also known as Cave of the Stone Sepulcher (burial vault) because of the 14 known partial skeletal remains found inside. Nearly 1-km beyond the entrance of the cave sits the main attraction, a fully intact skeleton of a teenage girl, with fully calcified bones that sparkle from the light of your headlamp. Dubbed "The Crystal Maiden", the bones have preserved for 1,400 years due to the the same processes (water dripping through the limestone) that forms the many beautiful stalactites and stalagmites to be seen and photographed inside ATM cave on the tour. An Afternoon in Belize City...It's Really Growing on Me Each time I go to Belize City for the day, I like it more and more. Particularly the food. Yesterday, I took the Caye Caulker Water Taxi to meet a friend and to see the Jade Head at the Museum of Belize. With three huge cruise ships in the harbor and the sun shining, the city was bustling with happy tourists and hundreds of tour guides. The horse carriages were lined up to take visitors on tours. I can't go to Belize anymore without stopping in for the best johnny cake I've ever eaten. La Petit Cafe (you are right...the name does not scream johnny cakes) is in the Radisson annex and does a ton of breakfast business. For $1.80bzd, you get a ridiculously good jalapeno johnny cake warm with ham and cheese. Jalapeno should be a standard flavor. I had to have two. AN ALMOST PERFECT ISLAND The small island off the coast of Belize is exactly what we needed. Colorful. Laidback. Easy. We couldn't have picked a better spot to coast into our journey. Caye Caulker, in its present form, exists to serve travelers and we are glad for it. The island is touristy but in a subdued kind of way. The dirt roads (and they're all dirt roads) are lined with restaurants, bars, guest houses and dive shops. As a traveler, it has most everything you want, and none of what you don't. Noticeably absent are the litany of t-shirt shops and boardwalk stores hawking junk that normally crowd out all sense of character in many tourist destinations. Caye Caulker has grown from its origins as a fishing village into something else entirely, but has done so in a way that preserved its island charm and avoided most of the pitfalls that sometimes consume other popular destinations. And yet the traveler-friendly nature of Caye Caulker comes at a cost. I get the impression that if the tourist boat didn't arrive, most of the island's inhabitants would simply go away. There really is no other reason for this place to exist. Tourism is the only sign of life on the island. Belize: Government Concedes To Conejo's Demands The Department of Geology and Petroleum will order US Capital Energy to halt its illegal seismic work on Conejo's communal lands, and remove all seismic markers from the seismic trail it cut through Conejo. The promise follows a meeting in Conejo on 9 February between Andre Cho (Director of Geology and Petroleum Department), Pedro Cho, Mandela Wade (both of Geology and Petroleum Department), Marcelo Windsor (Forest Department), Anthony Mai (Environment Department), Eufemio Makin (Alcalde of Conejo), Enrique Makin (Chairperson of Conejo), four councilors of Conejo, and Martin Choco (Permitting Officer, US Capital Energy). The company sacked the entire workforce from the community (23 men) last Thursday because the village did not immediately give US Capital Energy permission to operate the illegal line. During Conejo's subsequent village meeting on Sunday 5 February US Capital Energy's Martin Choco presented to villagers a letter drafted by the company, granting US Capital Energy freedom to conduct seismic work throughout Conejo, and condemning the community's leadership for objecting to the seismic line. Choco forcefully sought signatures from villagers, telling them they could then return to work. Garifuna Groove: Hanging Out in Hopkins (photo essay & tips) ome travel destinations are made for hanging out-for relaxing and finding your own rhythm/groove. And of course, for being in the moment. Hopkins Village, Belize, is one of those places. I could tell you why it's great, but I'd rather just show you. Here's a photo essay I created, which takes you on a groovy 1.5-minute tour of the town, its locals and the natural tropical beauty. You'll hear the music of the Lebeha Drummers, meet the Garifuna locals and feel the warmth of the community. (Don't miss Part 1 of this series, my story re: how the drumbeat took me into the heartbeat of the culture.) After the video, check out my tips on how to "hang out in Hopkins" if you happen to visit this special little town. What to do with Belize's superbond - Reuters Blogs This year's renewed euphoria over emerging markets has bypassed some places. One such corner is Belize, a country sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala, which many fear is gearing up for a debt default. There is a chance this will happen as early as next week Belize is a small country with just 330,000 people but back in 2007, it issued a $550 million bond on international markets. Known locally as a superbond for its large size (relative to the country's economy), the issue earned Belize a spot on JP Morgan's EMBI Global index of emerging market bonds. As this index is used by 80 percent of fund managers who invest in emerging debt, many of them will have allocated some cash to hold the Belize bond in their portfolios. These folk will be waiting anxiously to see if Belize pays a $23 million coupon due on Feb. 20. International Sources When Did I Ever Refuse an Accommodation? "Opening a hotel," says Francis Ford Coppola, "is a lot like shooting a movie." Francis Ford Coppola discusses opening his latest hotel. "A film needs a big idea. After that it's a matter of incredible attention to detail," he explains. "Here the concept is a 19th-century palazzo with a patina of age. But then there are a million details to get right if it's to work as a 21st-century hotel. In a movie, the details are the things an audience will notice. In a hotel it's everything the guests experience." Maya Author to Speak at Chaa Creek The Lodge at Chaa Creek is hosting Tales of a Maya Shaman, a presentation by Dr Rosita Arvigo DN on 20 February 2012 as part of the Chaa Creek 2012 Maya lecture series. Dr Arvigo, the author of four books on Maya medical plants and hearing practices, will share stories and anecdotes about her thirteen year apprenticeship with Belize's most famous Maya healer, Don Elijio Panti and be on hand to answer questions about this fascinating area of ancient Maya culture still practiced today in Maya communities throughout Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. Don Elijio Panti (1893 - 1996) gained international recognition as one of the last living links of an ancient Maya system of healing that employs medicinal plants, massage, acupuncture, herbal and sweat baths and prayers to effect cures on a wide range of maladies. Beginning as a chiclero collecting sapodilla tree resin (the base for chewing gum) for companies such as Wrigley's, Don Elijio studied under Maya curers in the jungles of Guatemala and Belize. Although he never learned to read or write, he became recognised for his vast body of knowledge and service to humanity with awards such as "Distinguished Contribution to Science" (The New York Botanical Gardens), and was made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. His work continues to be studied by cancer researchers in the United States. Prince Harry's Belize Schedule Released Prince Harry will set foot in Belize on March 2, 2012 and will be in the country just short of a full day - 23 � hours to be precise. But according to a press release from the Belize Foreign Affairs protocol office today, it should be the best stop he makes on his Caribbean Tour of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize in celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee. He is the second child of Prince Charles and Lady Diana and he is visiting Belmopan and San Ignacio during his whirlwind visit to Belize which his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II has set up for him; she picked Belize for Harry because of his free and adventurous spirit and humanitarian heart. So the government of Belize, along with the Belize Tourism Board, is organizing a packed schedule for the Prince to maximize his visit to the country. The good part is that the visit will be a less formal one which will engage him much more with the people of Belize and focusing less on a state level visit with more official ceremonial activities. Prince Harry is scheduled to arrive in Belize on Friday, March 2, 2012, at 4:25p.m. on board a private jet at the Phillip Goldson International Airport where he will be received with a salute from the Belize Defense Force and meet officials at the VIP Lounge, including the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition Hon. Francis Fonseca and British High Commissioner to Belize, Patrick Ashworth. The February 16th, 2012 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE* This Week's Stories: Nomination Day: United and Strong in Belmopan! Superbond Strikes Again!, Another 33 Million Gone! Objection to Shakron Nomination From the Desk of the Chairman: The Harder They Come The Harder They Fall ! Paved Placencia Road Inaugurated Tourism Turns the Corner: BIG Increase in Overnight Visitors Ignorant or Dishonest?: Noisemakers Badmouth Belize Economy Faith Lift: Committed Marriages & Families - Critical Components for a Healthy Society AGM in the Free Zone: Address by Executive Chairman, David Akerman On Both Sides of the Issue: Shoman's Dual Position on Dual Citizenship PHOTOS: The Prime Minister's Tour Continued in Toledo Last Sunday February 12, 2012 Safety and Comfort: SIF Project Refurbishes School Buildings in Cristo ReyFund Safety and Comfort: School and Bathroom Block Inaugurated in August Pine Ridge Taiwan Assisting Belize in Aquaculture PHOTOS: Nomination Day In Belmopan City Wednesday February 15, 2012 Channel 5 Martin Galvez takes over P.U.P. Lake IToday was nomination day across the country for anyone who intended to hold political office at the national level. The nominations were routine, minus the Lake Independence situation with Yolanda Schakron, who lost a bid for Lake Independence. But the nominee who rushed into the race at the close of the day is Martin Galvez. ... Yolanda Schakron's nomination rejectedThe P.U.P. has won consecutive elections in the Lake I division and Yolanda Schakron looked like a winning candidate, but the government on Thursday objected to her nomination because of her dual citizenship. She was in the process of renouncing her US citizenship but in the end, the question was whether or not the registering ... Attorney explains the essence of nomination caseIt was clearly an emotional day for Yolanda Schakron. The petition against the government was defended by Rodwell Williams of Barrow and Williams along with Michael Young of Young's Law Firm. Young told News Five that the case was straightforward and the Returning Officer had a duty to uphold the objection of Schakron's nomination. Michael ... Prime Minister and Former Candidate on rejectionThe crowd outside the Charles Bartlett Hyde building waited in anticipation for a decision. Having lost the battle in the courts, Schakron emerged visibly shaken. For Prime Minister Dean Barrow, it was a matter of law but Schakron made an impassionate statement saying it is not over and that she will continue the good fight. ... P.U.P. Nomination Day March in Belize CityWhile Yolanda Schakron was battling in the court, the nomination of other Belize City P.U.P. candidates was underway. The legendary P.U.P. machinery rolled into the Charles Bartlett Hyde complex in the morning. News Five's Delahnie Bain captured the energy of the opposition leaders. Delahnie Bain, Reporting The blue machinery was in full force in Belize ... U.D.P. Nomination Day March in Belize CityEarly in the afternoon, it was the turn of the governing party to get their candidates nominated. Prime Minister Dean Barrow led his party's supporters to the nomination centre. Well financed and hyped, the wave of red and white washed through Mahogany Street heading to the Charles Bartlett Hyde building. News Five's Delahnie Bain reports. ... Belize City's independent Candidate hopefulSmack in the middle of the nominations for the major political parties was the sole independent candidate for Belize City. A former minister, Carlos Diaz says he is still a P.U.P. but he is taking a chance on the Lake Independence division as an independent. Diaz joined the race at this late stage because Yolanda ... Orange Walk Nomination March with P.U.P.In Orange Walk Town, the presence of the two political parties was felt. The battle between the red and blue for every constituency is fierce. John Brice�o and the three other standard bearers led the parade of P.U.P. supporters through the streets of Sugar City. News Five's Andrea Polanco reports. Andrea Polanco, Reporting Around ten ... Orange Walk Nomination Day with U.D.P.The nominations continued into the afternoon for the United Democratic Party. With a huge crowd, music and banners, the four standard bearers made their way across town. While the energy was high and supporters were vocal about their candidates, the day's event was peaceful. A single objection was filed against the U.D.P.'s Orange Walk East ... Nomination Day in DangrigaIn Dangriga, nomination day also went smoothly. The atmosphere was charged both culturally and politically as the standard bearers headed to officially put their names down to contest the March seventh elections. The trend was for the opposition party to carry out nominations in the morning and the U.D.P. in the afternoon. News Five's Isani ... Moody's Investors Service lowers Belize Credit RatingGoing into the election, the Superbond has become a major issue that both political parties are flogging. A few days ago, Standard and Poor's, lowered the country credit rating to CCC plus. Tonight, another agency, Moody’s Investors Service lowered the credit rating one notch further into junk territory and there is a possibility that it ... U.S. Chamber discuss economic growthWith the credit rating at an all time low, what does it mean for investment? Earlier this week, we sat one on one with representatives from the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC. Both Patrick Kilbride and Jose Perales gave us their perspectives on what investors are looking for before they put their put ... Sick story of rapeIn other news, a twelve year old student from the Cayo District claims she has been gang raped. According to the minor, she left her school in San Ignacio at around four o'clock on Thursday. But before she could get home, she was attacked by a man dressed in black at an overgrown empty lot. ... Capital City NominationIn the west, the People's United Party is hoping to stage a comeback. This morning its supporters were out early for the nomination of Julius Espat for Cayo South and Amin Hegar for Belmopan. News Five's Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting Under the banner of the majestic blue and white a gathering of P.U.P. ... LOVE FM TEENAGER ROBBED OF CELLULAR PHONE A 15-year-old male minor, who is a resident of Biscayne Village, and a student of Nazarene High School in the company of his mother, reported a robbery to the Police. The minor reported that on the fifteenth of February around 3:30pm whilst sitting on the steps of the over pass next to Pallotti High School along with two friends, they were approached by two male persons, one of whom had what appeared to be a black hand gun. Fearing for his life the student handed over his Motorola L-6 cell phone valued one hundred and fifty dollars. Police are investigating the matter. POLICE LOOK FOR MAN FOLLOWING CHOPPING INCIDENT A chopping incident has left a man hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. According to police reports, acting upon information received they visited the KHMH at around 9:00 p.m, where they say twenty three year old Albert Nunez a Belize City resident of a Kelly Street address, suffering from apparent chop wounds. Nunez reported that on Thursday at approximately 8:30 in the morning, a person he knows as Darwin Hilton arrived at his home on Kelly Street and they got into an argument. Hilton left and later returned and entered Nunez's yard armed with a machete and inflicted the injuries. Police are now looking for Darwin Hilton Jones in connection with the incident. MEN FOUND GUILTY OF BURGLARY 22-year-old Joel McGregor and 21-year-old Carlton Wade charged with the burglary of the home of Wendy Castillo in Hattieville were found guilty of the charge today. McGregor was sentenced to seven years by Magistrate Dorothy Flowers because he has one previous conviction for burglary and one for theft. Wade was sentenced to five years because it was his first conviction. The burglary occurred during the day on September 6, 2010. Castillo testified that she got a telephone call that her house was burglarized and when she arrived home she saw a big hole in the backdoor. She said when she checked she discovered that 16 thousand dollars worth of jewellery and a number of household items were stolen. Later that same day the police apprehended McGregor and he took the police to a spot in the bushes and he dug up some of the stolen items. Wade was apprehended the following day after Castillo saw him on Queen Street and called the police. The police recovered some of the stolen jewellery from a knapsack Wade had. OBJECTION FILED IN BELIZE RURAL NORTH Karen Coote reporting� "In the Belize Rural North the PUP and UDP nominated their candidates but joining them was Independent candidate Rufus X. This morning the PUP's Arthur Saldivar flank by his party supports walked to the Zion Protestant Methodist Primary School in Sandhill Village to be formally nominated. After a few minutes inside the nomination Mr. Saldivar along with his six signatories came out with a triumphant fist in the air and says he is ready for the March 7th general elections and he is ready to the people of the Belize Rural North. During this morning's nomination process and letter objecting to the eligibility of the UDP's Edmond Castro was presented to the Returning Officer by Marconi Prince Leal alleging that Mr. Castro is the holder of a US Green Card. The People's United Party was allotted 10 am to 12 noon to nominated its candidate The Independent candidate Rufus X arrived at the nomination station a little before one o'clock without all the fanfare to have his name formally placed on the ballot for the March 7th General Elections. A little before three o'clock a sea of red travelling down the Northern Highway indicated the arrival of the UDP's incumbent candidate Edmond "Clear the Land" Castro. His parade to the nomination station included hundreds of supporters along with dozens of vehicles and passenger buses and of course a music box blasting his campaign song. Mr. Castro who was in very high spirits said he is ready to continue serving the people of the constituency because it's a process that started nine years ago and must be continued. After a few minutes inside the nomination station Mr. Castro came out with both hands in the air indicated its official, his name is number one on the ballot paper. After nomination Edmond Castro invited his supporters and the residents of Belize Rural North to a rally this evening. The Returning Officer for Belize Rural North is Kenroy Ellis." PARTY SUPPORTERS COME OUT IN ORANGE WALK Manuela Ayuso Cantun reporting... "Supporters of the People's United Party rallied behind their four standard bearers today as they marched from in front of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association to the Immigration Office where Jose Abelardo Mai was the first to be nominated. The mood was festive as the principal streets of Orange Walk Town became flooded with the PUP's blue and white. Police estimates the crowd at approximately 6 hundred though some would argue that head count to be more. John Briceno has represented Orange Walk Central for 19 years and today he was nominated again. Meanwhile newcomer George Briceno is the PUP's Orange Walk North Area Representative. In Orange Walk East, Marco Tulio Mendez was nominated the PUP's standard bearer for the second time. By afternoon, Queen Victoria Avenue had become a sea of red as the UDP supporters turned out in great numbers in support of their respective Standard Bearers. Orange Walk South Standard Bearer for the UDP, Rosendo Urbina had contested and lost to John Briceno in Orange Walk Central. This time, Urbina says will be different and says he is confident of a win. Orlando Landy Burns, despite an objection from the PUP for his nomination danced his way to the Sandy Hunter Library for his nomination. A member of the PUP East Committee formally presented an objection to Burn's nomination to returning officer Weismer Patt at 2 this afternoon. The PUP were however unable to provide proof of their allegation that Burns posses dual nationality and holds a Canadian passport. Burns said that allegation is a lie. Denny Grijalva is the UDP's candidate for Orange Walk Central. With the largest amount of supporters behind him, Orange Walk North UDP standard Bearer, Gaspar Vega walked from Trial Farm to the Magistrates Court making stops greeting people all along the way. Orange Walk Police estimates the UDP supporters at over 2000. There were no independent candidates nominated in Orange Walk." COROZAL CANDIDATES GET NOMINATED Arturo Cantun reporting� "Once again supporters of the People's United Party came out in full force in Corozal for nomination day, this time to nominate candidates for the electoral divisions. The first to be nominated around 10:30 this morning was Valdemar Castillo Sr. for the Corozal North constituency. Second to be nominated was Gregorio Garcia Jr. for the Corozal Bay constituency. Garcia and his party supporters left the Corozal Bay division office on College Rd. and marched to the Administration building in the center of town where he was nominated. In the afternoon it was the UDP turn to nominate its four candidates for the Corozal district. A motorcade which started from Buena Vista village grew to a mile long with supporters carrying UDP flags and banners of their respective candidate. The motorcade first stopped at the Libertad Methodist School and then at the San Joaquin RC School to make nominations for the Corozal South East and Corozal South West constituencies. The motorcade then proceeded to Corozal Town where Hugo Patt was nominated at Corozal Junior College as the candidate for Corozal North Constituency. At the same time, downtown Pablo Marin was being nominated at the administrative building. Pablo Marin is now the official UDP candidate for Corozal Bay Division. Another motorcade went through the principal streets of Corozal ending in the Altamira area of town where a UDP rally was held. There was no independent candidate that entered the race for either Corozal North or Corozal Bay constituencies. In general, nomination day proceeded without incident in the Corozal Bay and Corozal North divisions." BELIZE CITY CANDIDATES NOMINATED FOR UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS Outside of the Yolanda Schakron saga, Nomination Day proceeded without a hitch for both major political parties. The People's Untied Party were first to be nominated this morning and they arrived with huge motorcade that started from the Berger Field on Vernon Street. Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca said he was grateful for the support. Francis Fonseca - Leader of the Opposition "Now I feel very good about the support we are receiving today, obviously it is a very important day for us across the country, we are officially nominating our 31 candidates to represent the People's United Party in the March 7 elections so it is a very encouraging day for all of us and we are very grateful to the thousands of persons across the country who have supported us with their prayers, their words of encouragement, so it is has been a tremendous and humbling experience." When it came time for the United Democratic Party to get their candidates nominated the route to the Charles Hyde Building was transformed into a sea of red for the UDP nomination. Love News spoke with some of the candidates who are seeking to get the UDP returned to Belmopan. Anthony Martinez - Port Loyola UDP candidate "Yes I am happy, four years of hard work and determination will pay off in the next general elections." Michael Finnegan - Mesopotamia UDP candidate "I am feeling extremely good and I can see victory in the year." YOLANDA SCHAKRON'S CANDIDACY REJECTED; REPLACED BY BROTHER The saga of the eligibility of Yolanda Schakron to run for elected office in the Lake Independence constituency ended today. Her nomination as the PUP standard bearer was rejected by returning officer Noreen Fairweather. Schakron's eligibility to seek the nomination came under question when it was revealed that she is a dual citizen of the United States and Belize. Schakron fought to the bitter end to have her name included on the ballot paper, but in the end the full weight of the constitution was applied and she was turned back. The PUP even went to the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection; but that too was denied and in the end, Mrs. Schakron attempt to become the PUP Standard Bearer for Lake Independence ended. Her only public statement on Nomination Day was made on the steps of the Charles Hyde Building this morning, when Schakron tearfully lashed out at her opponents but vowed to continue the fight, even if not as an elected representative. SAN IGNACIO POLICE INVESTIGATE RAPE OF SCHOOL GIRL Police in San Ignacio are investigating reports the rape of a 12-year-old student. The minor accompanied by her mother, visited the Police Station and reported that on the sixteenth of February around 4:00pm, she left the school compound in San Ignacio Town and while walking pass an overgrown empty lot, she was attacked by a clear skinned male person dressed in black clothing. According to the girl, there were two dark skinned male persons along with him who were wearing masks on their faces. The clear skinned male person reportedly placed his hands over her mouth and pulled her into the bushes, where she was forced to walk in a creek and then into a concrete cement house which is under construction. At the house, she was tied up and raped by the three men. Two passersby later untied her and took her to the Western Regional Hospital for medical attention. Police have since detained a suspect for questioning. LOVE TV UDP candidates get nominated When it came time for the United Democratic Party to get their candidates nominated the route to the Charles Hyde Building was transformed into a sea of red for the UDP nomination. Love News spoke with some of the candidates who are seeking to get the UDP returned to Belmopan. PUP Candidates are nominated in Belize City Outside of the Yolanda Schakron saga, Nomination Day proceeded without a hitch for both major political parties. The People's Untied Party were first to be nominated this morning and they arrived with huge motorcade that started from the Berger Field on Vernon Street. Inside the compound where the nominations were carried out, Love News spoke with a few of the PUP hopefuls. Yolanda Schakron's bid for Lake I ends The saga of the eligibility of Yolanda Schakron to run for elected office in the Lake Independence constituency ended today. Her nomination as the PUP standard bearer was rejected by returning officer Noreen Fairweather. Schakron's eligibility to seek the nomination came under question when it was revealed that she is a dual citizen of the United States and Belize. Schakron fought to the bitter end to have her name included on the ballot paper, but in the end the full weight of the constitution was applied and she was turned back. The PUP even went to the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection; but that too was denied and in the end, Mrs. Schakron attempt to become the PUP Standard Bearer for Lake Independence ended. Her only public statement on Nomination Day was made on the steps of the Charles Hyde Building this morning, when Schakron tearfully lashed out at her opponents but vowed to continue the fight, even if not as an elected representative. PlusTV Schakron's dual citizenship disqualifies her from contesting Lake I Yolanda Shackron's nomination as a candidate for Lake Independence was rejected today. Nomination day has come and ... Barrow comments on Schakron's rejection As you've heard from Ms. Schakron, she has laid the blame of her predicament at the feet of the Prime Minister, cal... Former PUP joins electoral race as independent candidate There is also another standard bearer for Lake I, an independent candidate, Carloz Diaz, who was also nominated tod... Aikman's Academy conducts Political poll While nominations were ongoing today, Derick Aikman of Aikman and Aikman was in the process of conducting a poll to... 12 year old girl gang raped in San Igancio A 12 year old standard six student of San Ignacio was reportedly raped by three men. According to police reports, t... Uncustomary bail granted for Police Corporal Gino Peck Police Corporal Gino Peck and his wife were before the court just yesterday morning to answer to the charges of thr... Two convicted in 2010 home burglary On September 6, 2010, culprits made their way into the home of PUP Councilor, Linsford Castillo and his wife after ... Altercation leads to stabbing in Belize City A Belize City man was chopped multiple times. The incident happened yesterday Thursday February 16th. 23 year old A... Gunman robs teen of cell phone A student was robbed at gunpoint in Belize City. A15year old boy, a Student of Nazarene High School, told police th... Police arrest man wanted for weed and ammunition offenses Marvin Foreman was a wanted man after GSU raided an apartment on Louis Bevans street and found weed and ammunition ... Amandala Nomination Day for municipal candidates The official numbers are still not yet in, according to the chairman of the Election and Boundaries Commission, Alberto August, but the Opposition People's United Party (PUP) and incumbent United Democratic Party (UDP) yesterday, Wednesday, submitted full slates of 67 for all 9 municipalities - eleven prospective members for the Council in Belize City and seven for each of the other municipalities, including Belmopan City. Akbar congratulates Godfrey Allow me to comment on the newly publish bio of Belize's first Prime Minister compiled by Godfrey Smith. Recently I was sent a copy of the Book "George Price: A LIFE REVEALED" by a close friend in Belize. I was eager to read the book for several reasons. Foremost among them was the fact that I know of no other biography that has been written and published about any of Belize's icons past or present. Secondly, because even though George Price spent his entire life in public service, he had essentially remained an enigma. Incurable "bad blood" between Dean and Audrey? "This is not a fight between Dean Barrow and Audrey Matura" - Audrey Matura-Shepherd... It is no secret that there is a push for a referendum to be held through the Referendum Act on offshore drilling by NGOs such as Oceana and COLA. Recently, however, the movement by these NGOs hit a major obstacle when 8,000 of over 20,000 registered voters' signatures were rejected by the Elections and Boundaries Department on the grounds that they were not legitimate, and so, Government was not bound to hold a referendum on the matter. BTB announces "resurgence of tourism inflows" Belize is reporting "a resurgence of tourism inflows" for the year 2011, with overnight tourist arrivals increasing 3.4%, but cruise tourist arrivals dropping 4.8% over 2010 figures. Still cruise tourism saw a record month last November, with 92,416 passengers visiting Belize, according to official data. Derek Aikman announces pre-election telephone poll exercises On Friday of this week, there is going to be an "election" - not the actual one, which is still two and a half weeks away, but the first of two pre-election polling exercises, by telephone, to be held simultaneously with the nomination of candidates for the general elections on Friday, February 17. SSB board votes to terminate Merlene Bailey-Martinez Chairman of the Social Security Board (SSB) Lois Young has confirmed to Amandala that the board of directors of the SSB has voted to terminate its Chief Executive Officer, Merlene Bailey-Martinez, following an external audit conducted by Pannell Kerr Forster, following allegations that she was involved in a staff scheme to benefit-using insider knowledge-from the recent government mortgage write-off program by paying down their debts to meet the ceiling of $50,000. Yolanda under fire; Carlos resurrected! Carlos Diaz says he will run as an independent, but if Yolanda Schakron fails, will Carlos run in Lake I for the PUP? Lake I's People's United Party standard bearer Yolanda Schakron-the replacement candidate for the current area representative Cordel Hyde, who resigned last week-is under fire, as a formal move has been made to block her nomination for general elections, because she is a US national born in Guatemala, although she is Belizean by descent, having described herself to be "as Belizean as rice and beans." Two visitors at MCC this Sunday in Wk 2 of Premier League On Saturday night at the MCC, Police clipped visiting Placencia Assassin, 1-nil, on an early second half (48 min) penalty conversion by Orlando "Leechi" Jimenez. Placencia's goalkeeper Elias Pelayo dived left to stop the shot, but Leechi followed up and slammed home the rebound for what turned out to be the game winner. In the other Saturday night game, out at the Norman Broaster Stadium, Belize Defence Force and San Pedro Seadogs played to a 2-2 draw. San Pedro jumped to a 2-nil first half lead with goals from Jesse Smith (10 min) and Kenny Witzil (23 min); but the army cut the lead in half before intermission with a strike from Byron Usher (43 min), and Harrison Tasher got the equalizer in injury time (92 min). BTTA delivers table tennis equipment to primary schools The Belize Table Tennis Association (BTTA) today delivered table tennis equipment to 3 Belize City primary schools, as a part of a project to develop the sport of table tennis in the schools. Independence girls and Benque boys win NSSSA Football Tournament 2011-2012 at MCC The National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) held its national football tournament on Friday and Saturday, February 10-11, at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, hosted by Nazarene High School. Games were 20 - 20 for the girls, with a 5-minute intermission; while the boys played 30 - 30 with 10 minutes of half-time break. The tournament followed a simple knockout format. Prince Harry to visit Xunantunich on grand tour Cohune Walk will be renamed in Queen Elizabeth's honor... Officials of the Government of Belize this morning briefed the media on the upcoming tour of Prince Harry (born Henry Charles Albert David), scheduled to be undertaken in Belize from Friday, March 2, to Saturday, March 3, 2012. Tactics Just as there are no restrictive guidelines in Belize where campaign financing is concerned, there are no rules which say what you can or can not do in political campaigning. Yes, there are overall societal laws which are on the books, but there are wild and wide open spaces in ethics, integrity, decency, and morality when it comes to what you should or should not do in electoral politics. The late Oakland Raiders' coach and owner, Al Davis, distilled his thinking into three words: "Just win, baby." From The Publisher "Israel has pointed the finger at Iran for the events in Bangkok (Tuesday) as well as Georgia and India on Monday, suggesting they are part of a wider campaign including attempted attacks on Azerbaijan. It has also promised 'it will settle the score.' MORE NEWS at http://www.BelizeNews.com/todaysnews.html