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Specials and Events

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

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!!
Defiant - Part V:
Now that they were together, it was hard to envision how much tug and pull of emotions were spent over the years. They had their share of issues, worked long hard hours and hardly had time for each other sometimes, but they got along. At the end of a long day, they lay together in the silence of the dark night and felt that connection that had frayed, barely hung on, been stretched to the point of almost breaking. It was still there, being nurtured and growing stronger every day. They knew it would never be like new again, but they would live the rest of their lives making sure they worked on keeping it together, strengthening and working on that which had taken such hard work�

The San Pedro Sun

BWSL addresses water pressure problem in Boca Del Rio
Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL) is extending the main water line to neighborhoods in the Boca Del Rio area. Work on the streets commenced about a week ago and residents have been experiencing inconsistent water availability. According to Aaron Locke, BWSL district manager, the new pipe lines that are being installed are necessary to improve water service in the area. Residents of the Boca Del Rio area have often complained of low water pressure. The replacement of the pipe line will aid this problem and provide much needed water pressure to residential homes.

Miss SPHS "Night of Stars" Gala
The Miss San Pedro High School (SPHS) pageant committee held the first ever "Night of Stars" Gala on Friday, May 17th at Caprice Bar and Grill. The evening was designed to officially present the seven contestants for the 2013 Miss SPHS Pageant that will take place on Saturday, June 1st. Present at the event was current Miss SPHS Arlethe Lima, Miss San Pedro Naiely Puc and Miss Chiquitita Zillah Flota. Vying for the honor to represent SPHS were contestants Veronica Choc, Isolene Bailey, Amari Duncan, Janelle Tillet, Reyna Chavez, Vivianie Duran and Chelsea Mu�oz. The event was a first for SPHS. Pageant organizer, Renison Crawford, said that the reason for this gala was to give an opportunity to the contestants to introduce themselves to the community. "I wanted to make the pageant more prestigious, and give the girls the confidence to appear in public. This is the first time that we are having such an event and we are looking forward to improving it and make it an annual event."

BTB announces New Developments In Overnight And Cruise Sectors
There is fantastic news to report in the Tourism travel industry. Hot on the heels of the release of record breaking tourist arrivals in the first quarter of 2013, new flights and cruise calls to Belize were announced for the final quarter of the year. Starting in November, Delta Airlines will be adding another Saturday flight from Atlanta to Belize. Delta currently deploys seven flights a week (one flight per day) to Belize, increasing its total number of flights to eight per week (twice on Saturdays). This is an additional 596 seats per month, and will be a permanent addition to Delta's schedule to Belize. In addition, American Airlines will be increasing its Dallas to Belize flights from three weekly flights to seven flights per week (one flight daily), providing a total of six hundred additional seats in the month of October. BTB's Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, Alyssa Carnegie, commented, "This is fantastic news. The Tourism Industry is doing so well that even the airlines have seen a need to increase flights, and these flights are being increased during a time that was generally considered to be a slow time for travelling by air. It shows amazing growth and more opportunities for the industry and Belize."

Ambergris Today

Mexican Tourism Delegation "I Discovered Yucat�n" Visits Belize
Hotel representatives and travel agents of the Mexican state of Yucatan, visited Belize on Thursday, May 9, 2013, promoting Yucatan as part of the Tourism Delegation called "I discovered Yucat�n" organized by The Yucatan Tourism Board. With this event, prepared for Belizean tour operators, travel agents, media, and tourism stakeholders, the Yucatan Tourism Board in coordination with hotels, travel agents and tour operators from Yucat�n, strengthened the promotional strategies of the Yucatan tourism service providers and at the same time promoted Yucatan and the city of Merida as an ideal and affordable destination for Belizean travelers. The Mexican delegation held a meeting with six travel agents, two regional operators, the Belize Ministry of Tourism, a Belizean airline and representatives from different Belize media houses, as well as the Ambassador of Mexico, Mario Velazquez. With these actions, the Yucatan Government, through the Yucatan Tourism Board continues its efforts to promote that Mexican state and to consolidate its commercial partnerships to bring more visitors to the state.

San Pedro Cancer Society Anniversary Banquet
The San San Pedro Cancer Society requests the pleasure of your company at our first banquet celebrating three years of serving the community of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Saturday, June 8, 2013 Elvi's Kitchen Reception: 6:30pm Dinner: 7:30pm Formal Attire Please RSVP by May 29, 2013 Limited Seating $60 contribution

Washington University to Conduct Blood Drive in San Pedro
San Pedro Blood Drive Sponsored by: Washington University of Health and Science Medical School Belize Blood Bank Dr. Giovanni Solarzano Time: 8am - 3pm Date: Saturday May 25, 2013 Place: Washington University of Health & Science Medical School (Across from SAGA Humane Society and in front of Pedro's Inn) Refreshments will be provided For questions call WUHS office at: 226-2682 or Sarah Thompson at 601-0345 *No appointment necessary

San Pedro Old Houses Still Standing Strong
The reason why very few people are building wood houses nowadays is that the lifespan of wood is cut very short by the devastating woodlice. Carpenters argue that the trees are cut when they are too young and immature and are therefore non-resistant to the lice. Another factor that makes this lumber durable is that it is all mahogany which was abundant and cheap at the time. Not so Years Ago in San Pedro. It would seem that only when trees had reached their full size that they were cut and processed into lumber. This lumber was cut into siding, flooring, 2 by 4, 2 by 6, 2 by 8, 2by 10 and even 2 by 12 for steps. As you take a walk around San Pedro you can appreciate some of these homes that were built in the 1930's or 40's and are seventy five plus years.

Placencia Tops Belize National Tourism Awards 2013
Taking home seven awards out of the eleven that were handed out at the 12th Annual Belize National Tourism Awards 2013 on Saturday, May 18, was the village of Placencia, Stann Creek, Belize, including the top Destination of the Year Award. The Belize Tourism Board and the Minister of Tourism, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., stepped out of the ordinary this year and invited over 230 guests, including industry stakeholders and government officials, to semi-formal, all-white, beach party at Bannister Caye located nine miles east south east of Belize City. The caye is only a 2.8 private island that boasts 600 feet of white coral sand beach and surrounded by crystal clear turquoise blue water. Special invited guests and award nominees were whisked away to Bannister Caye on board party boats where everybody enjoyed cocktails while enjoying DJ music and a fantastic sunset behind Belize City. Upon arrival to the private islands, guests were greeted by the soothing music of the Pantempters Steen Pan. Hosting the evening's award ceremony were Indira Craig and William Neal with musical performances by Aurelio Martinez and Tanya Carter; gourmet hors d' oeuvres and signature cocktails were created by Belizean chef Sean Kuylen.

Repairs Commence on Sir Barry Bowen Bridge, San Pedro
The east pedestrian walk way of the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge had been closed for over a year now and after inspection of the bridge that took place in April of 2012, work has finally commenced today Tuesday, May 21, 2013, on the much needed repairs. Upon inspection of the bridge a year ago, it was deemed that the entire support structure is in good condition and not in the brink of collapsing. Immediate repairs are needed on the pedestrian walkways and main vehicle lanes which have corroded due to the climate conditions on the island. Contractor and engineer of Medina's Construction stated that simple and routine maintenance is key in extending the life span of the bridge. The bridge was closed to traffic this past Sunday, May 19, and is open to pedestrians only, during the entire period of renovations. San Pedro Mayor Daniel Guerrero estimates a time frame of two weeks for the complete overhaul and asks the public for patience and cooperation.

Misc Belizean Sources

AF Surgeon Helps Belizean Boy get 'New Hand'
An Air Force surgeon deployed here performed surgery on a 4-year-old Belizean boy May 2, to improve the usability of the boy's hand. The boy, Isai Carrillo, underwent surgery May 2 to correct syndactyly, otherwise known as hand fusion, in his right hand. The surgery took three hours and consisted of separating the fused unit into fingers using skin grafts from his abdomen. The hand that was once fused now has three fingers. This operation will give the boy more of a pincher mechanism, said Lt. Col. Matthew Talarczyk, a plastic surgeon from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. "It could mean having ease opening up a door," Talarczyk said. "(It will help with) very little things that can mean a lot in terms of functioning." Talarcyzyk and his surgical team at the plastic surgery clinic here performed the operation as part of U.S. Southern Command exercise, New Horizons. New Horizons gives U.S., Canadian and Belizean servicemembers an opportunity to train jointly in an exercise setting to prepare for future challenges.

Preservation of the Garifuna intangible cultural heritage
The Garifuna communities, spread over Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, have kept alive their common language, oral traditions, music and dances. Although still practiced on various occasions, these are changing considerably, as the Garifuna language is less often spoken. On May 18, 2001, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the Garifuna language, music and dance as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The safeguarding project focuses mainly in the preservation of the Garifuna language through language revitalization, lexical expansion programs and the promotion of teaching, learning and practicing. It will also develop an inventory of Garifuna art forms (such as songs, music, dances and related customs, etc.) and promote regional Garifuna festivals with a view to confronting the erosion of the Garifuna culture in the heart of modern day communities.

Photos: SIR BARRY BOWEN BRIDGE REPAIRS
The repairs at Sir Barry Bowen Bridge repairs have begun!

Photos: CEMETERY AT SOUTH AMBERGRIS CAYE
Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Councilor Severo Guerrero over look the compound of the new cemetery located in the southern region of Ambergris Caye.

VIDEO: Belize on the Balancing Act
Belize is featured on the Balancing Act again as the BTB's Laura Esquivel-Frampton answers the hyperactive host's questions. Dr. Jaime Awe is on there too, and they show Caracol and other Cayo sites.

Belize Documentary Field Film Course
The NMSU students had a great time in Cayo. They've uploaded some great shots. Can't wait for the documentaries to come out. "NMSU film student are the first international students to take course, design by Emmy award winning natural history film makers Carol and Richard Foster, in Collaboration with local artist film maker Daniel Velazquez and award winning film maker Illana Lapid, film professor at New Mexico State University"

Mother's Month Celebrations
The SISE Town Council had their big Mother's Month celebration at the Cayo Welcome Center Sunday. Mothers got food and great entertainment. There was even a dancing contest.

IA's Great Antiquity Campaign
If anything good comes out of the discussion of the destruction of Noh Mul by the greedy, it'll be that the Institue of Archaeology's Anti-Looting campaign gets more attention. They've been going around the country, and were at the Benque HoC's International Museum Day celebrations last week, educating the youth on antiquities There's a lot of key information in their latest article. "Along with looting comes the destruction of ancient monuments. A monument is any old building, erections or other non-portable objects left behind by ancient civilizations such as the Maya or other historic people such as the colonizers of Belize. Legally, any building over one hundred years is considered a monument. Both monuments and antiquities are legally protected by law under the National Institute of Culture and History Act, Chapter 331 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000."

National Song Competition 2013
The National Celebrations Commission, in conjunction with Atlantic Bank, is getting ready for the September Celebrations and is having a call to artists for this year's National Song Competition. There are 2 categories you can enter: The Belize Song and the Carnival Song. They should promote culture and the Belizean way of life. You can enter as a solo, duet, or group. Good luck to all!

Toaster Oven Bread Pudding
This dish was requested by my viewer Shelley Olsen. No matter what your disability is, I want you to be able to create these awesome menus. This bread pudding is the 1/2 recipe to the Belizean Bread Pudding. It is decadent and rich and gelatinous.

Belize Travel and Trade Show 2013
Belize comes to southern Florida Saturday June 29, 2013. 10am - 6pm. Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

The Ministry of Industry and Commercial launches first Business Development Center in Honduras May 17, 2013 - CENPROMYPE Area: Economic
On May 16, the Presidential Appointee, holders of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (SIC) and the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (SEPLAN) of Honduras, authorities of the Regional Centre for the Promotion of MSMEs (CENPROMYPE ), the HED of USAID and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) launched the first Enterprise Development Centre for MSMEs (CDEMIPYME) in Choluteca, which will serve the Gulf of Fonseca. During the event, Ms. Ingrid Figueroa, Executive Director of CENPROMYPE appreciated the efforts and commitment of the Honduran Government to join this regional initiative that aims to bring a model of care that is based MSME sector in public- private-academia. He said that at present, the region has 16 SICA and Care Centres MSME under the SBDC model and expected, later this year, have at least 25 operating centers.

Bi-national Border Bridge Opens
The much anticipated Bi-national Border Bridge between Mexico and Belize opens unceremoniously late last week. The Mexican Government had dispatched personnel from the Mexican Army to Belize to assist the Belizean government in the construction of a stretch of approximately 500 meters of highway that is located on the Belizean side of the northern border in the Santa Elena area of the Corozal District connecting the new bridge. Belize and Mexico signed an agreement for the construction of the bridge back in June of 2005 when the then-President of Mexico, Vicente Fox, visited Belize. The Mexican government agreed to finance the construction of the bridge, 500 meters of road from the bridge into the Belizean territory, and the access road from the bridge to the Subteniente Lopez community in Santa Elena located in the state of Quintana Roo. Those projects were completed since 2008.

VIDEO: Chocolate making in Toledo
Our team took yet another trip to the Toledo District to learn about chocolate and this time, they visited Cotton Tree Chocolates. Take a look at our Chocolate feature to see what they learnt. P.S. Pay keeeeen attention!

Channel 7

KHMH: A Dozen Dead Babies, Families Wrestle with Grief, Rage
A dozen dead babies in less than 3 weeks - that's what the KHMH, Belize's National Referral Hospital, is contending with tonight, and the public uproar is enormous - as it should be, because the loss of life is, honestly, unimaginable. As we reported last night, the culprit is believed to have been a bacterial infection, that descended on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit like a plague. The babies in that unit are typically the sickest, most vulnerable patients in the hospital, most of them are premature - and all of them were seriously ill, meaning they can hardly breathe on their own, much less fight an infection. And that's what created the conditions for a devastating and rapid loss of a dozen newborns. And while the KHMH investigates what went wrong, the families are getting ready for funerals or trying to recover from them. We spoke to two grieving parents today. Jules Vasquez reporting Harrison Sutherland - Father of 8 day old baby died at KHMH "I'm just sad for my baby, really sad because so much babies have died just like that, it's sad." Harrison Sutherland and Kelcey Young are an 18 year old couple. Their baby Imari was born premature at 7 months on Mother's day but died 8 days later.

Another City Carjacking
Another well-known Belize City woman was carjacked last night. Less than an hour after Ann-Marie Williams's car-jacking made the news - Jackie Roe, the manager of Hofius was car-jacked. It happened at around 7:15, as Roe was leaving the parking lot of the Great House on Cork Street. Reports are that she was with family and about to get out of her 2012 Toyota Hilux when two men dressed in dark clothing strode up. One of them put a knife to her side and demanded her keys and phone. She handed them over, and they both jumped into her vehicle and sped off. The crime is notable for its brazen-ness, but also for the area where it happened; it's in the shadow of the Radisson complex and there are a number of security guards around at all times between the Radisson and the Great House. Today, Roe declined comment and the vehicle has not turned up.

Man Escapes Remand By Producing Gun License
38 year-old Chinese Businessman Chao Gui Cao, a resident of Hattieville, dodged jail time today after police took him to court on firearm offences for his licensed weapon. According to police, they stopped him at the checkpoint at mile 4 on the Western Highway on Saturday evening. When they searched on his vehicle, they officers discovered his 9 millimeter pistol. The officers believed that the weapon was unlicensed, and they refused to accept his explanation that he did have a license. As a result, they charged him with keeping an unlicensed firearm, and keeping unlicensed ammunition. He was arraigned today before Magistrate Cayetano, and his attorney, Anthony Sylvester, was able to provide an authentic document from Belmopan Police which proved that he was not breaking any law.

Cain Caught With Gun
But one man who police believe does deserve to be jailed for firearm offences is 25 year-old Daniel Cane, a resident of Sandhill Village. Police say that on Sunday at around 10 p.m., Cain was riding his bicycle on Iguana Street, and when he allegedly saw their mobile patrol vehicle approaching, he threw an object on the ground and tried to ride away. The officers detained him, and took him to the area, where they discovered that it was a 9 mm pistol, which was loaded with 11 live rounds of ammunition. He was charged with keeping and unlicensed firearm and keeping unlicensed ammunition, and he was arraigned yesterday before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but because it's a gun offence, he was automatically remanded to prison until July 11, 2013.

Attorney General Vs. President Of The Bar In Supreme Court
Today in the chambers of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, it was decided that a lawsuit filed by Wilfred Elrington, the Attorney General and Minster of Foreign Affairs, will have its day in court against Eamon Courtenay, the President of the Bar Association. The lawsuit originates from a previous case in which Elrington was sued by 2 Americans who had majority shareholdings in a company along with him. In that case, the Americans sued Elrington for a breach his duties to the company because he also acted as its lawyer. They were represented by attorneys Eamon Courtenay and Priscilla Banner, and after the case was decided before Justice Legall, Elrington felt that he was entitled to costs because he was forced to defend against the lawsuit, even though he was reluctant to do so. His premise was that Courtenay and Banner did not have to authority to represent the company to sue him because he also was a director. According to him, there were certain procedures which needed to be followed for a unanimous board decision such as that could be reached.

Rios Montt Genocide Conviction Thrown Out
Last week we told you how former Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt had been sentenced to 80 years in jail by a Human Rights Court for genocide of his own people. Well, now, Guatemala's highest court, the Constitutional Court has thrown out the conviction and ordered that Rios Montt's trial should restart from the point where it stood on 19th April. That's when Rios Montt's lawyer was kicked out of the courtroom - leaving Rios Montt temporarily without a legal defence. So, now, all the testimonies and witness statements heard from that point onwards will have to be delivered again along with the closing statements from both sides. We should note that in Guatemala it is not unusual for such matters to be endlessly tied up in court.

Summer School Classes Suddenly Cancelled At SJCJC, Students Left In Limbo
This morning the students of St Johns College Junior College were told to go home after their summer classes were abruptly cancelled. It caused quite an uproar between students and administration. That is because if there are no summer classes, these students will have to make up those courses during the normal school year, which means additional time at school and for some, even a setback for their graduation date. In a press release sent out by the Junior College today it stated that the shortfall in class numbers but more significantly the shortfall in the student payments and school collections are prescribed polices on cancellation of classes. But for the students who have paid for their summer classes or have started a payment plan with the institution, this morning's sudden news came as a shock and also a disappointment. We spoke to one of them:

Increased Airlift To Belize
Last night, we told you about the 12th Annual Tourism Award Ceremony, which was held at Bannister Caye on Saturday. But one thing that didn't make it into the story is when Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr, in his opening address at the ceremony, took the opportunity to announce that they expect an increase in overnight tourism arrivals due to an increase in flights by Delta Airlines. Here's are the details: Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism "I would like to take the opportunity to announce a rather new exciting addition to our existing airlift. As of December 21st, 2013, Delta Airlines will commence its year round non-stop service from Los Angeles to Belize City round trip. This service will be bookable as of May 25th and will make available 693 new seats to Belize each month. In the first instance this flight will be weekly on Saturdays but will give us the long sought after non-stop West Coast service. What is more it will allow for one stop same day service to Asia and Australia. This announcement serves as a testament of the commitment of my government and the work of the BTB and it's aviation development committee to open up new and meaningful opportunities for Belize."

Does He Need Counselling?
The Police Senior Command says it is looking into a situation where a police constable posted a picture of himself on Facebook in uniform, apparently in a police station pointing a gun at his own head. We're blurring his face because as a police spokesperson told us, they are not sure if the case calls out for counseling or disciplinary action. The spokesperson said the senior command is not taking the case lightly but wants to hear from the officer first, to find out if the constable has a genuine problem -requiring therapy, or if he just got caught up in a Facebook failure. Police are said to be coming up with a policy on media in general, including social media.

Searching For Sharks Out At Halfmoon
Rachel Graham of the Wildlife Conservation Society is doing a transect of a portion of Belize; Southern waters. She's trying to find out what species use the waters and what for. It's a major research project and an ongoing one. We caught up with her west of long caye in southern Belize this weekend where she said she is looking for the big fish, and even found some dolphins willing to go along for the ride. Rachel Graham - Wildlife Conservation Society "This is our second day of our annual monitoring effort for Marine Mega Fauna, we include sharks, rays, turtles and any other large fish that we may come across. We have several people going along and swimming for about a kilometer and counting everything that they see and also taking down their sizes and the sex of the animals. We're also doing Fishries Independent Longline Survey whereby we actually bait for catch, tag and then release sharks that we catch.

Landy Burns Rejects McAfee Claim
As we told you last week, John McAfee's estate at the Tower Hill Bridge in Orange Walk burned down - reportedly when a forest fire got out of control. The houses were up for sale. But in the weird and wacky world of Mcaffee - there are no accidents - and this event has given him another international platform to air his conspiracy theories. The Mail Online, a British newspaper states that, quote, "McAfee said that he has a private investigator working on the case who could prove that Landy Burns, the political representative for the town of Orange Walk East, was behind the fire." Now Burns is only a divisional care-taker for the UDP, not a representative, and today he called us to say that the suggestion is ludicrous. Jules Vasquez "I've read in a number of international newspapers that John McAfee says that he has hired an international investigator and he expects that this person will investigate his house. He's saying that he believes that the arson investigation done by his Private Investigator will turn it to your name because he says you're behind what he thinks is an arson of his home in Tower Hill bridge."

Channel 5

How many babies died at the K.H.M.H.?
The most contemptible act of gross negligence is coming out of the nation's referral hospital. Since last Friday, News Five has been reporting on a number of babies that have died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital due to infections. After persistent queries, just before Monday's newscast, the K.H.M.H. made the shocking admission in a [...]

P.U.P. demands resignation of Minister of Health
The People's United Party, in the wake of the ongoing K.H.M.H. fiasco, has issued a release demanding the resignation of Pablo Marin as Minister of Health.� The opposition is also calling for the immediate dissolution of the Board of Governors of the hospital.� The deaths of twelve newborns at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, since [...]

Thousands of Mayan artifacts deserted at Chaw Hiix
Noh Mul might be for all intents and purposes no more, but the public outrage both locally and internationally has lingered. And that is why the Mayan site of Chau Hiix (pronounced hish), located within the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, has been thrust into the news after reports of bulldozing and private development on top [...]

Hofius Manager, Jacqueline Roe, robbed of Hilux
Over the weekend, the executive director of the women's commission, Ann-Marie Williams, was robbed of her vehicle on Saturday night and tonight, another well-known businesswoman reports that her vehicle was also stolen. The manager of Hofius Belize Limited was robbed at gunpoint on Monday night at about seven. Jacqueline Roe had just parked her 2012 [...]

Who should be held accountable for baby deaths at K.H.M.H.?
And tonight's question is: Who should be held accountable for the recent deaths of twelve babies at the K.H.M.H.? Doctors or Management. Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to [email protected].

Bulldozing Mayan mounts in Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
Earlier we told you about the thousands of artifacts that were found discarded in plastic bags in Crooked Tree. News Five tried to reach Dr. John Morris, or in his absence any director of the Institute of Archaeology this afternoon, on this deplorable situation but we were told that no one was available. While we [...]

More Indian nationals caught being trafficked through Belize
A third group of illegal Indian nationals has been captured in the west as cases of human trafficking continue to increase. The seven nationals are part of a larger group that has been coming illegally across the western border in the past two weeks. On Monday, the group was intercepted in Esperanza and police moved [...]

Man who helped youth report assault is now threatened
A sports instructor, employed at Nazarene Primary School, is tonight abstaining from work, following an incident during which he reportedly came to the aid of a student, who had allegedly been sodomized by a teacher.� According to San Ignacio police, thirty-six year old Eddie Pinelo, who has since been remanded to prison, was arrested and [...]

Lost in translation; businessman busted for his own weapon
Thirty-eight year old Chao Gui Cao, a prominent businessman of the Hattieville area, was arraigned today in court for the possession of a nine millimeter firearm and live ammunition which were found on him at the four miles checkpoint on the George Price Highway on Saturday night. In the presence of his attorney, Anthony Sylvester, [...]

After attacking security guard, culprit threatens to kill and drink blood
A Sand Hill man is accused of attacking a KBH security guard who was on duty at the Belize Flour Mill last Saturday. Thirty-seven year old Ralph Middleton was arraigned today for one count of Harm upon KBH Security Guard, Jesus Angel Cruz, and one count of using threatening words, being "Ah wah kill yuh [...]

Mother and wife of injured B.D.F. rushes to Barbados to be at his side
On Monday's newscast we told you the tale of a Belize Defense Force Soldier attached to the Caribbean Defense Pact's Regional Security System in Barbados. Warrant Officer Andre Gabb was stabbed to the heart by the conductor of a taxi service who was upset that foreigners come to his country and do what they like. [...]

Attorney says Gender Policy is mischievous on sexual orientation
The Revised Gender Policy 2013, a product of the National Women's Commission was updated to identify and examine inequities experienced by men and women while suggesting ways to correct gender disparities.�� The implementation of the policy has caused alarm in several sectors of society. One of the presenters at the launch of the document, Adele [...]

Moody's update on Belize quite moody; country may renege on debts
Three weeks ago, the Moody's Investors Service reported that the government's bond rating of C-A-A was likely to remain the same for the next four or five years because of the two debt defaults in the past seven years coupled with the country's low debt tolerance and weak ability to service external debt. Moody's put [...]

Kangaroo Court? Ex-Guatemalan dictator's 80 year sentence overturned
Eighty years in prison, was the sentence handed down last week to Guatemala's ex-military dictator, Rios Montt, for ordering the deaths of one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one Ixil Mayas between 1982 to 1983. But Guatemala’s constitutional court has thrown out the conviction for genocide and crimes against humanity.� The court ruled that the trial [...]

LOVE FM

Police Recovers Stolen Service Revolver in Southern Belize
Punta Gorda Police has retrieved a stolen nine millimeter pistol. Correspondent Paul Mahung has the details. PAUL MAHUNG "The 9mm was spotted with a male fourth form student of the Toledo Community College on a school bus on Monday, May 13 by an adult who as a concerned c...

More Indians Caught Illegally Entering Belize
It seems like illegal entry of Indian Nationals is becoming a trend in the Cayo District as yesterday a vehicle with illegal Indian Nationals was intercepted in the Cayo area. Correspondent Elaine Berry reports. ELAINE BERRY "On Monday, May 20 at about 4:05pm, Polic...

80 Year Old Sex Offender Deported To The US
There are reports that an eighty year old sex offender who is wanted in the United States was arrested yesterday in the City of Belmopan. Love News understands that the man identified as Lyle Sutton, an American National visited the US Embassy in Belmopan yesterday to check on so...

Robbery, Carnal Knowledge and Attempted Murder Reported in Dangriga, Cayo and Ladyville
The crime wave continued in Ladyville where a seventeen year boy of the village reported that at around 9:00 pm while he and his friend were riding pass the basketball court, his brother-in-law stopped in his black car and told him to put the bike and his trunk and that he would give t...

Woman Says She Was Raped In Ladyville
Police are investigating a reported rape in Ladyville. A thirty eight year old Belizean domestic reported that on the sixteenth of May at 5:30 pm, she went to an area in Ladyville off Plunkett Road when she saw a man dressed in a white undershirt, brown shirt and long jeans pans ...

Sudden Death of Newborn Investigated In Belize District
A one month old baby died yesterday and his passing has been classified as a sudden death. According to police reports, the visited the home of twenty one year old Leondra Sutherland in Ladyville village yesterday around 2:25 am and she reported that earlier in the morning, her o...

Business Manager Robbed of SUV and Cell Phone
The Manager of Hofius Belize Ltd reported that she was robbed in Belize City. Jacqueline Roe a resident of Ladyville told police that around 7:10 pm last night she inside her eighty thousand dollar Gold 2012 Toyota Hilux at the Smokey Mermaid Restaurant Parking Lot loc...

Belize Tourism Board Seeks To Make Benque Viejo Town, A Tourism Destination
Last week the Belize Tourism Board officially launched the Benque Viejo del Carmen tourism plan, website, travel guide and heritage tour. BTB says that Benque Viejo is the second largest entry point to Belize unfortunately it does not benefit from the inflow of visitors. BTB is now loo...

Secondary School Student In Northern Belize Wins Logo Competition
Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk Town is back in the news and once again it is good news. One of its students won a logo competition held by the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities. A total of twelve entries were submitted from seven different high...

Salvadoran National Charged For Displaying An MS13 Gang Tattoo
Twenty-eight year old Salvadoran national Pedro Elizar Caliz, a member of MS 13 gang, was fined $300.00 today by Senior magistrate Sharon Fraser after he pled guilty to a charge of displaying gang membership. Caliz must pay the fine by June 30. If he defaults on payment he will serve t...

Chinese Businessman Freed After Being Locked Up For Licensed Firearm and Ammunition
Thirty-eight year old Chinese businessman Chao Gui Cao, who was arraigned today on charges of kept firearm and ammunition without a gun license, was freed of the charges when they were dismissed by magistrate Dale Cayetano. Magistrate Cayetano dismissed the charges after Cao's at...

Premature Babies Dying in the Belize City Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the KHMH
Marion Ali, Reporting The deaths of at least a dozen premature babies over the past few weeks at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, supposedly because of cryptic infectious bacteria, have prompted a series of investigations into the circumstanc...


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PUP Calls For Resignation Of Minister of Health and Hospitals Board Of Directors
And at the heels of the KHMH report, comes a release from the People's United Part calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Health and of the Board of Directors of the referral hospital. In the release, the PUP states and we quote "It is horrendous and deplorable that this situation could have developed without the authorities taking proper and adequate measures of prevention and response before so many deaths occurred. We have learned that the capacity of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is for only 8 patients, but that there were in excess of twenty newborns in the facility. The fact that any bacterial or other infection could have been allowed to take so many lives before any response was made, demonstrates that there must have been gross negligence by the hospital authorities." End of quote. The PUP questions the fact that if there were frequent overcrowded conditions increasing the vulnerability of the babies to infection, then why was there no response sooner? That's a question that may never be answered.

Environmental Laws Violated In Consejo Village
Tonight a resident of Consejo Village in the Corozal District is making serious allegations on who is now the former chairman of the community. Luciano Velasquez claims that Carlos Arana, the former UDP chairman of Consejo infringed his rights as the rightful owner of a plot of land in front of the sea. Amidst the entire ordeal, what is of most importance is that the former UDP Chairman not only violated the rights of the senior citizen but he allegedly caused an adverse effect on the mangroves along the shoreline. Reporter Irvin Aragon has the story. Irvin Aragon - Reporting Consejo Shores, located approximately some six and a half miles north of Corozal Town has a population of approximately one hundred and fifty people and is well known for its diverse ecosystem primarily in the marine life. Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves, and floods. Mangroves also help prevent erosion stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems. They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping sediments originating from land. Despite the significant importance that mangroves have on the environment, they are currently experiencing a major threat: clearance. This trend is increasingly apparent in Belize including Consejo Shores where it seems that the former Chairman of the Village Carlos Arana placed no importance on the environment when he allegedly cleared a large portion of Mangroves along the shoreline of a private property for the development of a park.

Student Of BMHS Wins Logo Competition
A forth form student from Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk Town was named today the winner of the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities logo competition. Scores ranging from 10 points for excellent, 8 to 9 points for good, 6 to 7 points for fair, and 0 to 5 points for poor were used in each category. Tonight we are proud to note that garnered the maximum mark for his presentation, thus winning the $500 cash prize and one IPAD, while; his school will receive $1000 cash prize and a video projector, courtesy of the Belize Telemedia Limited. The submission now becomes the property of the Ministry of Energy, Science & Technology and Public Utilities. The Ministry received twelve entries from seven different high schools across the country. A panel of five judges with related background in art and designing was selected to review the submissions and select the winner.

Have You Seen Jaylen Escobar?
Tonight the family of a 15 year old female minor from the Village of Copper Bank in the Corozal District is asking for the public's assistance to locate her. Jaylen Ercilia Escobar left home at around 6:30am on Thursday May 16th en-route to Corozal Town and has not been seen or heard from since. Escobar is described as being of brown complexion, has black hair, brown eyes and is approximately four feet five inches in height. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Jaylen Ercilia Escobar is asked to contact the nearest Police Station or the family at 651-3955 or 653-7677.

12 Newborns Die At KHMH
The alarming report that 12 newborns died at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the KHMH in the first 20 days of May, 2013 has left the nation in shock and asking many questions. The disturbing statistic was revealed late yesterday evening by the Management of the KHMM through a press release. What exactly caused the death of the babies has not been determined but it is highly believed that they died as a result of a hospital-based nosocomial infection outbreak. Presently the hospital's Quality Assurance Team is investigating the situation to find the source. As mentioned the report has left the nation stunned. But in realty it is not the first time that Belizeans are hearing about the possible infection of the hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. During his Budget Presentation back in March, Orange Walk East Area Representative Honorable Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez was the first to speak on the issue. But apparently no one listened, not even the Minister of Health Pablo Marin much less the Prime Minister. Honourable Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez - Orange Walk East Area Representative "With those super bugs that were created in the hospital there was the Ministry of Health was not buying the medication as to treat this patient or those patients that have caught that infection and it was being left for the patient to buy them and that is stating that to cure that infection by the hospital it depended on how deep the pocket of the person or the relatives have that they could buy the appropriate medication and not by our flag ship hospital which is the KHMH, of course this information I got it from colleagues who were having difficult times to cure patients because of the low quality medications that they were having within that hospital.

2012/2013 Crop Season Ends On Saturday
At the beginning of the 2012/2013 Crop Season back in November of last year stakeholders of the Industry estimated that a total of one million fifty thousand tons of cane would be delivered to the factory producing one hundred and ten thousand tons of cane. Today, the good news is that the estimated target was surpassed way beyond the closure of crop set for this coming Saturday. The date was agreed upon during a meeting held between the producer and the miller yesterday. Alfredo Ortega- Chairman BSCFA "Ayer entre BSI y nosotros quedamos de acuerdo de que especulando una cantidad de cana que est� sobrando todav�a, entre todos los branch chairman andamos alrededor de 14 mil toneladas de ca�a m�s, entonces sum�ndolo a unos 5 mil toneladas por d�as que se entregue calculamos tres d�as sin embargo pues dimos dos d�as m�s por si alguna cosa hay problemas pues fue asi que quedamos de acuerdo de que finalice la Zafra el s�bado. Cuando empezó la Zafra estaban especulando por medios de los problemas del Frog Hopper y otros problemas de que est�bamos enfrentando de que algunos dec�an de que no �bamos a llegar ni siquiera al millón de toneladas de ca�a de entrega, sin embargo llego un acuerdo de una cantidad de que se esperaba de un millón cincuenta mil toneladas de ca�a, y al transcurso de la entrega yo siempre dec�a de que pod�amos llegar a algo similar a la entrega de la Zafra anterior y as� fuimos otra vez de a zafra y hasta ayer ya hab�amos entregado un millón sesenta mil toneladas de ca�a que ya ha producido arriba de los 115 mil toneladas de az�car que eso es muy bueno para nosotros porque tambi�n lo que se esperaba en la az�car era 110 mil toneladas de az�car y ya hemos pasado esa cantidad por cinco mil m�s y todav�a nos queda este resto de semana de entrega y pues eso nos puede dar aun todav�a oportunidad para a los que les hace falta poco que entreguen y as� llegar en lo m�ximo en la az�car de esta Zafra."

Impressive Figures For LICU Fiscal Report
Last night we reported on the huge success the La Inmaculada Credit Union experienced for its fiscal year from April 2012 to March 2013 thanks to its members owners who remained committed in investing and repaying loans. This year, La Inmaculada Credit Union reported the approval of a total of 5, 783 new loans which equals a total of 18 million seven hundred and twenty thousand nine hundred ninety four dollars and forty four cents. These figures show that a total of 554 new barrowers were welcomed for this fiscal year. As part of the huge success of the credit union, reports show that an increase in savings of 3.46 million dollars or 12% was recorded. Assets impressively increased at a total of 4.29 million dollars or 14% and lastly, the loan portfolio increased by 4.92 million dollars or 18%.

Fifth Cane Price Estimate Sweeter Than Sugar
Sugar production at the Belize Sugar Industry's Tower Hill Factory has increased considerably when compared to last year's crop. The current yield is exceptional, resulting in a greater output of sugar during this season and an increase in the fifth cane price estimate which was recently released and stands at $63.54. The fifth cane price estimate is based on several components including the milling of one million seventy thousand tons of cane, expected to produce one hundred and sixteen thousand tons of sugar and thirty three thousand tons of molasses. Out of this amount, fourteen thousand tons of sugar and eight thousand four hundred tons of molasses will be for local consumption. The current price estimate is also based on a TCTS of 9.22 which is above the actual level achieved last crop of 9.14. The recent estimate translates to good news for cane farmers, despite the fact that not all of them will receive the same payment. Alfredo Ortega- Chairman, BSCFA Committee of Management "Ahorita esta quinta estimación que salió estamos en $63.54 muy bueno pero lo �nico que quisiera poner en claro no todos en estos momentos si el precio fuera igual no todos lo estuvi�ramos consiguiendo porque aquellos test group que est�n de abajo de uno no est�n en ese promedio pero los que est�n arriba pues est�n en ello, esto es para que nos demos cuenta de nuestras actividades que hacemos en el tiempo de cosecha nos puede dar esa oportunidad de incrementar el precio de nuestra cana como tambi�n bajar el precio por eso es muy importante en el tiempo de cosecha porque all� es adonde garantizamos cu�nto dinero estamos haciendo por nuestra cana."

PlusTV

Another archaeological site bulldozed
Plus news has learned that Belize's Mayan History and Heritage continues to be destroyed. Information reaching our news room is that sometime last week, a bulldozer was clearing land in the Blackburn area of Crooked Tree Village when the incident occurred. Plus news spoke with Village Chairman George Guest...

KHMH confirms 12 babies died so far this month
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) confirmed yesterday that 12 babies had died so far for the month of May in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit - none lasting more than a month. It is staggering and frightening and hospital authorities say an investigation is underway to determine how...

Sudden death of new born baby in Ladyville
There was another case of sudden death of a new born baby on Monday. It's a mother's most terrifying nightmare - finding your baby unresponsive and not breathing. This was the dreadful reality of a 21 year old housewife of Ladyville. In the wee hours of Monday morning, the...

PUP calls for resignation of Minister of Health
The People's United Party is now calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Health and of the Board of Directors of the hospital. In a press release today, the PUP says that it is horrendous and deplorable that this situation could have developed without the authorities taking...

Belize Gay rights IN Cabinet gender policy; Trinidad Gay rights OUT
The moral direction of the country of Belize is now resting on the shoulders of one man. While the country awaits the Chief Justice's decision in July on Belize's sodomy laws, the Revised Gender policy 2013 has apparently jumped the gun. The spokesperson for the Women's Commission, says the...

Mark Seawell
There were no hearings in court, but the next phase of the extradition fight by 44 year old Mark Seawell will not be long in coming. On June 4, attorneys for both sides will convene with Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin to determine the next steps in the case following...

High school student found with 9mm pistol
News coming out of Punta Gorda is that a high school student was found in the possession of a 9mm pistol on a school bus. But if you think the gun was immediately confiscated and that was the end of it, well not so. As the student was defiant...

Thieves target woman in Belize City restaurant parking lot
Brazen thieves targeted a woman in a restaurant parking lot last night. A little after 7 o'clock, Jacqueline Roe, the manager of Hofius Belize Ltd exited her Toyota Hilux in the parking area of Smokey Mermaid Restaurant when two dark skinned men approached her. One of them placed a...

Woman attacked and raped in Ladyville
A woman was reportedly attacked and raped by a man in Ladyville. The victim, who is thirty eight years old, told police that last week Thursday, around 5:30 in the evening, she was in an area off Plunkett Road when she saw a man in front of her. He...

14 year old pregnant by brother-in-law
In the west, a 14 year old has reportedly admitted to having sex with her 23 year old brother-in-law, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. The mother of the minor said that earlier this month, she was at home when she heard someone vomiting outside and upon checking, she...

British High Commission donates to Youth Cadets and Football Team
This afternoon The British High Commission in Belmopan handed over shirts, shorts, socks, boots and footballs to Manager of the National Youth Cadet Service Corp; Mr. William Swan and Kennedy Gentle, Manager of the Gentle Touch Female Football Team. Plus news was present at the small ceremony and spoke...

Global Day of Prayer observed in Belize
Global Day of Prayer was observed this past Sunday. The international day of repentance and prayer started in 2000 in Capetown, South Africa and has since migrated to all the corners of the earth. It is recognized on the Day of Pentecost, which in the book of Acts, is...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Village Council Elections 2013
Around the entire Country of Belize, village council elections are being held. We hear both political parties debating over which slate got in. In Caye Caulker the candidates running have decided that they will refuse to be labelled as PUP or UDP. Although there are full slates of one Chairperson and six councilors they consist of supporters from both parties. There are also many individuals running as independent candidates willing to work together with the people of the island to make the island a peaceful and supporting island. This is the way all Village Councils should be regardless of political preference. Listening to campaigners, this, hands down has been the same on each candidates agenda. Work with the Government for the people and Community with no preferences. Let's hope that this will happen when the newly elected council members are in and prove that they are willing to work for the island. There is still a possibility that both parties show up with full slates on election day since nominations will be held the morning of the election. This year shows a record number of candidates who have stepped up to the plate and decided to taking their stand.

Amandala

RICHARD RUSSELL, 32, SHOT TO DEATH IN HIS HOME
Someone called his name; he went to the window and was shot in the face. Three boys - 9, 7, and 3 years old - will now grow up without their father after he was killed by an unknown gunman at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, in their home in Salvapan, Belmopan. Richard Russell, 32, was at home when someone called out for him. When he went to the window to answer the call, the unknown person shot him in the face. The gunman then escaped. Russell struggled for his life, but died shortly after in his home. Diane Lamb, Russell's common-law wife who was at home with him at the time, told reporters that he had just arrived home, and was getting some food when someone outside shouted his name. He told her to go and see who it was. He then told the person to go by the window, and as he opened the window to see what the individual wanted, the person shot him.

BELIZEAN SOLDIER STABBED IN BARBADOS
He was stabbed in the heart, but is expected to recover. Warrant Officer in the Belize Defence Force (BDF) Andre Gabb, 45, is in critical condition after being stabbed in the chest on Friday, May 17, 2013 in Barbados. According to the Jamaica Observer, the incident occurred sometime in the evening at a marketplace in Carlton, Black Rock, about two miles north of the country's capital, Bridgetown. Gabb reportedly got involved in an altercation that ensued between persons who were in his company. His brother, Dwight Gabb, told us that they are still not sure exactly what transpired, but sometime during the altercation, Andre was stabbed in the chest with a knife, which punctured his heart. He underwent surgery at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and has been listed in critical condition. We were told that he has been sedated but is responding by lip and finger twitches to the doctors. All indications are that he will recover.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS "ON ALERT" ABOUT MAYAN SITE CHAU HIIX
Maya mounds at Chau Hiix already cleared for agriculture; the site has a central pyramid that rises almost 75 feet above the flat lagoon landscape in Crooked Tree. Whereas the destruction of the Noh Mul Archaeological Site has been making international waves, activities at a well-known Maya site in the Belize River Valley area have authorities at the Institute of Archaeology (IA), and their partners at the Belize Audubon Society (BAS) on alert, due to allegations that a businessman from northern Belize, who has not been named, had been eyeing the Chau Hiix site in Crooked Tree Village also, as a source of materials for road works. BAS had received a report last week, alleging that there had also been some mining for road works at Chaa Hiix, but because the matter is outside their jurisdiction, it was referred to the Institute of Archaeology. Amandala understands that the institute had made an initial assessment on Friday, May 3. Archaeological Commissioner Dr. Jaime Awe told Amandala that when they visited the site, they observed major land clearings, which were likely done with heavy machinery, for agricultural purposes. Bush had also been burned on the mounds, but the mounds themselves were "structurally intact," said Awe. Awe said that the government has never stopped people from farming on Maya mounds. That would be impossible, he said, given the prevalence of mounds across Belize, including the Belize River Valley area.

CHILD SODOMY CONFUSION IN CAYO
School coach under "death threat" for helping minor, 14, report sex attack by teacher. A basketball/football coach of a Nazarene primary school in San Ignacio is not attending school due to fears for his safety, after receiving death threats because he assisted a boy, 14, to report to police that he had been sodomized by a teacher of the same school. The coach, whose identity has to remain anonymous because he fears for his life, told Amandala this morning that the threats are numerous. On Wednesday, May 15, at about 10:00 a.m., he said, a man rode up on a motorcycle in San Ignacio, stopped beside him and told him, "Informers fi dead!" Amandala also was told that on Thursday, May 9, around 12:30 a.m. a car stopped in front of his house in San Ignacio. Two men got out of the car, but the dogs began to bark. The men then reportedly got back into the car and drove away. The harassment did not stop there. On Tuesday, May 14, at about 2:00 a.m., someone threw missiles at the coach's house while he was sleeping. When he awoke, he saw a car driving away. He reported the matter to police, and they are investigating.

DARING CORAL GROVE ROBBERY AT 11:00 P.M.
Executive Director of the National Women's Commission, board member of the YWCA and former news editor Ann-Marie Williams confirmed to Amandala today that two young men robbed her on Saturday night of her SUV and her cell phone as soon as she returned home from the Miss Y pageant. Police Press Officer Raphael Martinez reported that Williams' vehicle, a dark grey 2003 Mazda Tribute SUV with license plate number C-41867 valued at BZ$16,000, was found in Hattieville just after midday today, Monday, May 20. We understand that the vehicle was found in an unaltered condition, but the ignition key was missing. According to police, Williams reported that at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, she arrived at her house in the Coral Grove area and two males, who had just exited another vehicle, approached her demanding that she turn over her keys. "Get out of the vehicle. Gimme the keys," the robbers, who were wearing hooded shirts to hide their faces, reportedly told Williams.

GUATEMALA - A BIGGER ISSUE THAN EVER BEFORE Editorial
The Belize Ambassador to Guatemala, Fred Martinez, told the press here last week that Guatemala was very "polarized" because of the Rios Montt conviction and jail sentence week before last. What he did not say, perhaps because he did not know, was that that polarization is built into the very socio-economic fabric of Guatemala, and that that polarization has been the order of the Guatemalan day for as long as anyone can remember. Guatemalan structural polarization has experienced a flare-up because of the Rios Montt genocide trial, but that structural polarization has always been there. The forces which demanded and pursued the Rios Montt trial are those Guatemalans who are trying to heal the wounds of the Conquest and the subsequent socio-economic polarization. Theirs is an awesome task, but these are brave and sincere Guatemalans. There are powerful business, political, and military Americans who have supported Guatemalans like Rios Montt for centuries. These are Americans who do not care about the masses of the Guatemalan people. They only care about Guatemala's resources and desire a continuation of Guatemala's neoliberal economic policies. These same Americans care even less about the Belizean people. They are interested in Belize's natural resources. These are the Americans who decided fifty years ago that Belize should become a state which was a satellite state of Guatemala's.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
One of my friends accused me of suspending this column week before last, because I had not written a new column for either of the issues that week. There were two columns last week, however. One column discussed the Rios Montt conviction in Guatemala City, and the other considered the Noh Mul violation outside of Orange Walk Town. For some years now, with all my children grown, I have thought of becoming creative again in my writing. This would mean I would seek to communicate with you through mechanisms like stage plays and prose fiction, for example, which were much of what I was doing between 1969 and 1976. But, writing in this newspaper and some editing/proofreading are how I make my daily bread, and my wife and I have to eat. I am grateful for the job I have, which I mostly enjoy, so why should I be thinking of doing the same creative things which were not paying the bills back then? Writers are happy when people want to read what they write, and this is the situation in which I find myself. So, mine is a happy situation. But, there are things you can't say in a straightforward column. In this field, we writers believe that the highest form of writing is creative, not journalistic.

PALLOTTI TEACHER WRITES HER FOURTH FORMERS Letters
by Mrs. Cassandra Munnings-Sabal Dear Editor, I am a teacher at Pallotti High School who was asked to write a letter addressing her Fourth Formers. I thought it was a good idea from our principal because teachers don't usually write letters to students sharing their thoughts, appreciation and memories of their journey. I took the liberty to write one and I thought it would be a good idea for it to be read publicly. I do believe other fourth formers who read it may be encouraged as well. In the spirit of Teachers' Week/Month, it would be an honor if this letter finds a space in your newspaper. Thanks very much for your time and consideration. May 18th, 2013 Dear 4TH Formers, ISAIAH 26:3 says, "People with their minds set on God are kept completely whole and steady on their feet because they keep at it and don't quit." Therefore I write this letter in hopes that it meets you in complete peace of mind, of body, of soul and in complete balance with God. I am quite aware that you are slowly coming to the end of your time here at Pallotti and even though you might feel inclined to say "FINALLY!!" or "THANK GOODNESS!!!", allow me to applaud you for your determination to persevere: for having remained focused and steady on your feet in order to have completed your four years of high school education.

LITA HUNTER KROHN WRITES Letters
by Lita Hunter Krohn Dear Editor: Am reading in Spanish: Violencia y Genocidio en Guatemala by Victoria Sanford. This little book of 120 pages gives valuable information and background to Guatemala from the 1950s to the 1990s. It is essential information for all Belizeans providing clean and clear data as to what happened there, who was responsible and who we are dealing with. Sincerely, Lita Hunter Krohn

MORNING, SHARON AND MOSE Letters
I have read the editorial in this week's Amandala and must wholeheartedly agree with the editor concerning the amount of nonsense happening under this Barrow administration. The editor mentioned that even the UDP loyalists have to admit there is a crisis concerning the Deputy PM. Scandal after scandal is coming out concerning him and the PM still hasn't come out and disciplined this individual. Why is he protecting this guy? In the past Musa administration, Mr. Musa said a famous statement that Belizeans took politically and made fun of him: "Nobody will get between the love I have for Ralph Fonseca." It seems today it's d�j� vu. I wonder if Barrow will profess this same statement the love he has for Gapi Vega, that's why he's mute about all these scandals. Hakeem Bush

KREM'S COMMUNITY REPORTER TURNED COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, PERRY SMITH, GETS POLICE AWARD
KREM's community reporter turned community activist, Perry Smith, also known as "Sticks," was among 41 persons who were honored at an appreciation and award ceremony held by the Belize Police Department at the Princess Hotel in Belize City on Friday, May 17, 2013. Smith, who received the award on behalf of the St. Martin De Porres Concerned Citizens Group, told our newspaper that awards were given to three civilian community groups, including his, as well as police officers who had been doing "exceptional work." On April 13, 2013, Smith's group, which also includes Anthony Codd and Olga Gordon, held a day of healing and a candlelight vigil at the St. Martin De Porres Football Field. Their next event is slated for June 16, 2013. A report from the Police Department said that at Friday's appreciation and awards ceremony, the four precincts from the Eastern Division Headquarters and community members were awarded.

OCEANA PROTESTS TREATY MOVE TO CONTINUE DRILLING IN SOUTHERN BELIZE
Oceana Belize announced today (Friday) that they have been able to confirm that Treaty Energy Limited, joint venture partner of Princess Petroleum, has resumed drilling in southern Belize - a move which the organization says violates a recent ruling by the Supreme Court. "The court ruling was clear that the contract of Princess Petroleum, which has a joint venture with Treaty Energy, is 'unlawful, null and void,' and thus it stands that by extension, any work Treaty does under the umbrella of Princess is unlawful and a violation of the declaration made by Justice Oswell Legall," Oceana said. In a statement issued on May 6, 2013, Treaty had said that, "Due to the Supreme Court ruling, Treaty Belize Energy temporarily suspended its drilling efforts on the San Juan #3. Treaty wanted to consult with its legal counsel in Belize and wait for the Government of Belize to issue a statement. On May 5, 2013, Prime Minister Barrow made statements to local media regarding the Supreme Court ruling. Based on the legal opinion Treaty Energy received from Princess Petroleum's legal counsel and the statement made by Prime Minister Barrow, Treaty has made the decision to recommence drilling of the San Juan #3 well.

PETER CASTILLO, 33, SHOT ON FABERS ROAD
26 hours after one of the supervisors of Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez's Southside Poverty Alleviation Project was killed, another of Minister Martinez's employees was shot. Peter Castillo, 33, of the Jane Usher Boulevard area, is fighting for his life at the Emergency Ward at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after he was shot in the jaw, leg and shoulder at about 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the junction of Fabers Road and Gill Street. According to police reports, Castillo was riding his bicycle on Fabers Road towards Queen Charlotte Street, but when he reached the junction of Gill Street and Fabers Road, a gunman who was standing at the junction took out a gun and shot him. Castillo fell to the ground, and the gunman escaped.

Blogs

#traveltuesday our Belize City Shopping trip and a tacogirl reader review of Mahogany Hall
Last Friday Commodore Andy and I were on official San Pedro Sailing Club business in Belize City - hunting down deals for Sunday Charity beach barbecue. On the way over we got to land in Caye Chapel, both of us were ready to get off the plane and say hi to Evan and enjoy one of our new favorite islands. Good thing we were both in the mood to shop otherwise it would have been all to easy to abandon our mission. Our Belize City Taxi driver Jeff 630-5746 was waiting for us at when we arrived Municipal Airport. We headed off to Food and Beverage first, Jeff had to try a few routs as we ran into a roadwork detour. Andy was going to get party size mayonnaise and barbecue sauce but we both quickly became excited by a 1 liter bottle of Balsamic Vinegar for $8 bzd. After we headed a stones throw down the road to Smiling Meats where Matthew took good care of us. Andy bought 30 thick cut pork chops for Sundays charity barbecue and the price was $2 a chop cheaper than in San Pedro. Of course as soon as Pedro found out we were in Smiling's shop, Andy got a call straight away to pick him up a Ham Fully Loaded Jeff drove us headed back to Maya Air and caught the 12:30 flight home.

Chaa Creek's Guides Offer Some Responsible Water Tips for Travellers
Travellers concerned about the environment and wish to be part of the growing trend towards ethical travel have been asked to consider how they use one of life's essentials while abroad - water. According to Miguel Choco, an experienced naturalist guide at Belize's the Lodge at Chaa Creek, the use of disposable plastic water bottles is becoming a major environmental hazard. Mr Choco recently said, "One of the issues guides constantly face is water. Visitors need constant supplies of fresh drinking water, but at the same time, plastic water bottles are becoming an environmental nightmare all around the world. "If you've ever canoed down a pristine river or visited a beautiful Maya temple in the rainforest, and saw empty plastic bottles lying around, you know what we mean. It's a growing problem worldwide, but one that can be mitigated with a little foresight." Mr Choco said that Chaa Creek has been addressing the problem for some time now, and is offering water tips for travellers. "Here at Chaa Creek we produce our own drinking water using state-of-the-art filtration systems. We then give our guests souvenir aluminium water bottles that they can fill at no cost at the various filling stations around the resort. "This way they're ensured a supply of clean, safe drinking water when they're here or out on tours and don't need to purchase the plastic bottles. We do sell the plastic bottles for those guests who feel better using them, but we find that most people prefer to take the eco-route and use ours," he said.

International Sources

Authorities probe the deaths of 12 babies at Belize hospital
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) says 12 babies have died during the month so far and it has launched an investigation to determine whether the deaths were due to an infection outbreak. In a statement, the hospital said that the investigation is to "determine whether this is an outbreak of hospital-based (nosocomial) infection and if so, what is its source".The babies were all confined to the hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being born at the health institution. The KHMH said "all the neonates affected were premature births, and therefore more susceptible to infection and complications of prematurity". The NICU has been closed, and an assessment of the air quality in the unit ordered by an independent contractor. This, according to hospital authorities, will be followed by the removal and disinfection of all equipment and terminal cleaning of the entire unit. The Ministry of Health said it is making all of its resources available to the KHMH to investigate and deal promptly with "this alarming situation" at the country's only referral hospital.

A Parasitic Worm Infects An Ant
In the jungles of Belize last January, entomologist Alex Wild noticed something odd about the trap-jaw ants passing through his outdoor insect photography class: They all had shrunken heads and swollen abdomens. A day after making the observation, Wild and his students came upon an ant with a worm bursting out of its side. Parasites were at work. Nematode worms enter the ants as larvae and grow inside the ants' body cavity, siphoning off nutrients and distorting their hosts' natural anatomy. When the eight-inch-long nematodes are ready to mate a few weeks later, they push their way out of their half-inch-long hosts, killing them.



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