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More meetings on Gender Policy for the Prime Minister
Seven Pastors from the Belmopan Area Coalition of Churches met this morning with the Prime Minister and three of his cabinet Ministers regarding the Revised Gender Policy 2013. The meeting started at 9:30 this morning and it wasn’t until three hours after that the group of seven made their...
Soy bean in the north of the country test positive for GMO
On May 24th, 2013, the Plant Health Department of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) discovered suspected genetically modified soybean seeds in Northern Belize. As a result, samples of the suspected soybeans were submitted to BAHA’s Plant Health Diagnostics Laboratory in Central Farm for GMO screening. The screening tests...
Alleged murderers of Steven Valencia remanded to prison
Earlier this week, Police apprehended 26 year old Jarod Lamb who had been on the run for over a month. Lamb, also known as Steel Bob, was caught hiding in Teakettle Village. Lamb, along with Marvin Neal, are suspects in an aggravated burglary, where...
Stann Creek District student wins National Spelling Bee
Aldamunich – A-l-a-m-u-n-i-c-h, that’s the word that clinched Sacred Heart R.C. student Eriean Jang as the 2013 National Spelling Bee Champ. Jang competed against eleven of her peers of the Standard 4,5&6 divisions, from schools across the country. This year the competition saw its 19th year under the patronage...
EU assists with Market Development Programme
The Department of Local Government and Rural Development, under the Belize Rural Development Project has undertaken a venture to provide a more pleasant and hygienic environment for market vendors. The project reviewed existing markets infrastructure within Belize, with a longer term Market Development Programme planned, which will involve substantial ...
Former Nurses’ Aide seeks to be treated fairly
Her granddaughter died in desperate circumstances in 2006 and she feels she was victimized by its administration. Former Nurses’ Aide Shawn Lemoth attended Thursday’s demonstration organized by Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) as well as the press conferences and is not satisfied with the hospital’s explanation of...
2013 PSE results are in
The 2013 PSE results are in. According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 7533 candidates registered for this year’s PSE, of which 7359 candidates actually sat all or part of the exam this year. PSE numbers for 2013 record a 5.2% increase in the number of test...
Caye Caulker Chronicles
Make panades out of Lionfish, not sharks!
An astuste beauty queen recently posted on her facebook timeline: ”Make panades out of lion fish, not sharks!”
We couldn’t agree more!
The time has come in the development of our little island where sharks are worth more as tourist attractions than panades!
Conversely, we have too many invasive non-native lion fish in our waters, and the population needs to be thinned.
So, folks, let’s make the panades industry a win-win situation for the island.
Belize International Film Festival Schedule
The schedule for the 8th Belize International Film Festival has been published. We take great pride is publishing it below, not only because we wholeheartedly support the film festival, but especially because for the first time ever, Caye Caulker has submitted an entry.
The film director is no other than local Hicaquena, Tina Auxillou.
We urge all Hicaquenas to come out and support the film on the Sunday, June 14th at 3:00 p.m. All films will be screened at the Princess Cinema in Belize City. Tickets cost USD $5/ BZD $10.
Amandala
CARMITA MIDDLETON, 38, ACQUITTED OF 5 COUNTS OF THEFT
Robert Bandfield, owner and sole director of IPC, told the court that Middleton stole $17,455 BZ
Carmita Middleton, 38, was acquitted of five counts of theft today in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas, Sr. after it was determined that the Crown had not presented enough evidence to prove the points of its case.
Middleton had been accused of stealing a total of $17,455 BZ from her employer, Robert Bandfield, while she worked as a receptionist. The alleged incidents of theft are said to have occurred on five different occasions between July 16, 2008 and December 31, 2008 when she appropriated monies from five different companies that had been incorporated by IPC. However, it was not until January 2009 that Bandfield was alerted that something was awry in his company.
In the trial, Bandfield testified that his company, IPC, incorporates international companies and manages them. He also explained that he acts as director of these companies, and as director, he decides which stocks to invest in and also which charitable donations or gifts are given away and to whom. The director of the companies is ultimately the one who dictates where money can or cannot go.
EX-POLICEMAN, MAURICE DUCE, 24, OF HAITI, DROWNED: POST-MORTEM
His father said that he will travel to Haiti to “seek his justice.”
The decomposed corpse of former policeman Maurice Duce, 24, of Police Street, was retrieved from the Belize River in the area of Haulover Bridge at about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, and a part of his left arm was missing — believed to have been bitten off by crocodiles.
After the body was taken out of the river, it was taken to a deserted area on the Hattieville-Boom Road, where Doctor Mario Estradabran conducted an onsite autopsy. At its conclusion, Estradabran certified that Duce’s death was caused by drowning. Duce, originally from Haiti, was taken to the Eternal Gardens Cemetery at Mile 13 on the Philip Goldson Highway, where he was buried at about 3:30 p.m. that same day, Tuesday.
A man told police that about 8:30 Tuesday morning, he was travelling in his boat on the Belize River in the area of Manatee Lookout when he saw a body floating. Police were called and a search team from the Ladyville police responded and searched for the body in the area near Mile 8 on the Philip Goldson Highway.
SINQUEST’S BIG BELMOPAN BUST!
3 of 4 suspects charged with murder were supposed to graduate from Belmopan Comprehensive High tonight, Wednesday.
Rasheed Crespo, 19; Manuel Hernandez, 18; Rudy Santos, 18; and Edwin Paula, 29, have been charged with murder, attempted murder, dangerous harm, use of deadly means of harm, and two counts of robbery today, Wednesday, in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court.
No plea was taken from the men and they have been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August 22, 2013.
All four men are believed to have been involved in a series of crimes that occurred in the Belmopan area, including a robbery and murder incident that occurred at La Choza Bar in Las Flores, a village in the vicinity of Belmopan, on June 2, 2013, in which the owner of the bar was robbed of a cell phone, cash, and a car, and two others —Isabel Ballona, 43, and Manuel Aguino, 50, were shot.
While Aguino survived the attack, Ballona died as a result of the injuries he suffered. Ballona had been shot in the head.
The other incident for which the four men are believed to be responsible occurred on May 8, 2013, when the accused and two other persons robbed nine students at gunpoint at the University of Belize, Belmopan campus dorms, and escaped with an assortment of valuable items.
CABINET REJECTS CRAWL CAYE PROPOSAL
“Our ships will be going somewhere else, unless we can figure out a way to make the experience better.” – Colin Murphy, Norwegian’s Vice President, Destination & Strategic Development
Minister Hulse says, “…before you chase away a potential investor who intends to put down the upper part of 100 million dollars and just say ‘shush’ …you work with him within the parameters that may be possible.”
Minister of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development and National Emergency Management and Immigration and Nationality Godwin Hulse confirmed to us on Tuesday, following a meeting of Cabinet, that Government had decided to reject a proposal from Norwegian Cruise Lines for a $100 million cruise port development at Crawl Caye, because the scale of the project is too large for the location, which is part of a UN World Heritage Site.
Whereas the Crawl Caye proposal, Hulse said, is “off the table,” Government would still continue talks with the cruise line, to see if another location in Belize can work.
In explaining Cabinet’s decision to take Crawl Caye “off the table,” as the minister puts it, he told us that, “The environmental people, the technical people have concluded that that particular development would unduly disturb the ecology and the environment there, and therefore they do not recommend that location. So the promoters understand that: Crawl Caye is off the table.”
POLICE BRUTALIZE ESPERANZA YOUTH, 13
They twisted the child’s arm so violently that he suffered a compound fracture.
Police are accused of roughing up a 13-year-old Esperanza boy until his left arm suffered a compound fracture. The incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m. yesterday in the Mendoza family yard in Esperanza, during what police said was a search for drugs in the house.
Police said that they did find drugs, however, and the youth and his father, 72, were arrested, charged and then granted police bail. The boy was taken to the San Ignacio Hospital, where his arm was put in a cast.
The family is upset about the way the boy was handled and wants the police to pay for the boy’s medical treatment. They have since made an official complaint to the police’s Internal Affairs office in Belmopan, and to the Ombudsman.
Sharema Mendoza told Amandala that about 2: 30 p.m. yesterday, Wednesday, the family was at home; she and her mother were washing clothes in the yard; her brother, 13, was doing homework, and her father was eating at the table. Some friends were also in the yard.
CALBERT ROBERTS, JR., FINED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO BURGLARIZING HIS WORKPLACE
Roberts gave the money to his common-law wife after buying “baby things.”
On Thursday, May 30, 2013, Calbert Roberts, Jr., 19, a resident of #16 Mangal Street in Orange Walk, was arraigned on burglary and damage to property charges, to which he pled guilty.
According to the facts of the case, Racquel Borland, the owner of Biscayne General Shop, reported that between 6:00 p.m. on May 26, 2013 and 12:00 noon May 27, 2013, someone broke into her store and stole $4,100 from the store’s drop box.
Police launched an investigation and apprehended Roberts, Jr., who then admitted to breaking into the store, where he had been employed as a gas attendant.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Roberts had told the court that he wasn’t thinking properly and that his “ego” was overwhelmed. He further told the court that he had made a genuine mistake, and begged the court to please excuse his common-law wife, because she didn’t know where he had gotten the money.
DANGRIGA SPORTS
Mayor’s Cup Committtee says Thanks!
The executive committee of the Classic Gold Mayor’s Cup 2013 would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation to all those who supported this year’s tournament to be a great success. Our Platinum Sponsor – Traveller’s Rum, Mayor H. Gilbert Swaso and the Dangriga Town Council, Hon. Ivan Ramos, Football Federation of Belize, Stann Creek Sports Council, Stann Creek Football Association, the Police Department, Uncle Harry Paint, Mr. Nolbert Moss – Competition Committee Secretary, Hamaalali Radio Station, Dangriga Cable Vision, Rapidito Loans, Mr. Orin Orio, Mr. David “Davo” Rodriguez, Mr. Santiago Acosta, team managers & players, and, of course, the fans who came out to support their teams and the tournament.
Next year, the Mayor’s Cup will be bigger and better!
Boys & Girls U-15 football
FFB ADDRESSES NATION ON CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, REGRETS AND PLANS
The Football Federation of Belize regrets to inform the general public and football supporters of the sad reality of our football. The Premier League of Belize Champion for this year, the Belmopan Bandits Football Club, will not be able to participate in the CONCACAF Champions League 2013-2014, since it has been determined by CONCACAF stadium inspectors that, while improvements have been made to some of the stadium’s infrastructure, the stadium still does not meet the minimum standard requirements for CONCACAF Champions League.
One of the areas of most importance is the lighting. The minimum requirement is 800 lux throughout the field of play, since all of the Champions League matches are broadcasted in High Definition. At the moment, the lighting fluctuates from 300-1100 lux in some areas of the pitch.
Other requirements for participation in CONCACAF Champions League are as follows:
Improvements of the field of play; that is that we need to grow more grass on the field.
Air conditioned locker rooms for referee and players.
A minimum of 12 shower stalls and toilet facilities in each locker room for players.
COROZAL SPORTS NEWS
The Corozal District Primary School Volleyball Competition for males (M) and females (F) continues with games at the Andres Campos Civic Center. Here are the results for games played from last Wednesday, May 29, to yesterday, Wednesday, June 5.
On Wednesday, May 29, (M) Guadalupe RC won over Corozal Methodist, 25-23, 25-14; (F) San Victor RC defeated Libertad Methodist in 3 sets, 25-15, 23-25, 15-10; (M) Libertad Methodist dropped San Victor RC, 25-4, 25-15; and (F) Corozal Methodist won over Guadalupe RC in 3 sets, 25-23, 19-25, 15-13.
On Friday, May 31, it was (M) Copper Bank RC over St. Francis Xavier, 25-14, 25-11; (M) Corozal Methodist over Church of Christ, 25-16, 25-10; (F) Corozal Methodist over Church of Christ, 25-8, 25-16; and (M) Guadalupe RC over Assemblies of God, 25-8, 25-16.
Three more games were played on Monday, June 3: (M) Corozal Methodist won over Libertad Methodist, 25-11, 25-16; (F) Corozal Methodist dropped Libertad Methodist, 25-20, 25-17; and (M) St. Francis Xavier defeated Assemblies of God, 25-23, 26-24.
The tournament continued yesterday, Wednesday, June 5, with 5 games: (M) Copper Bank RC clipped San Victor RC, 25-10, 25-11; (F) Church of Christ dropped Libertad Methodist in 3 sets, 16-25, 25-7, 15-10; (M) Libertad Methodist won over Church of Christ, 25-17, 25-19; (M) Guadalupe RC stopped St. Francis Xavier RC, 25-7, 25-10; and (M) Corozal Methodist defeated Assemblies of God, 25-16, 25-11.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
In the 1960s the political headquarters of diaspora Belizeans was in New York City, where there was an organization called the British Honduras Freedom Committee. At that time, most of the majority black population which constituted the Belizean diaspora, was concentrated in New York City and, to a lesser extent, Chicago.
Today, Los Angeles is probably the political headquarters of diaspora Belizeans, but in the 1960s, L.A. was a distant third to New York and Chicago.
Lighter-skinned Belizeans were based in New Orleans, and its surrounding parishes, but New Orleans Belizeans did not, as a group, have a profile in Belizean politics the way the Freedom Committee did.
Leroy Taegar once told me that the Freedom Committee, at its peak, controlled a list of 8,000 diaspora Belizeans who contributed US$10 a month to the Freedom Committee. This amounted to US$80,000 a month, and it was big money in the 1960s, especially after you changed it into Belize dollars.
When I arrived in Brooklyn in August of 1965 on my way to college in New Hampshire, Compton Fairweather was THE BOY amongst New York’s Belizeans. Through a radio telephone arrangement on Rutland Road, where his father, the Rev. Gerald Fairweather, lived, Compton provided diaspora Belizeans with their only news of Belize. In those days, telephone service in Belize itself was primitive, and, of course, there was no Internet.
THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF MAURICE DUCE
I am so sad. I am sad because Maurice Duce died the way he did. He is the ex-policeman whose body was found in the river near the Haulover Bridge. Along with my sadness however, I am comforted that he is at rest. God did not allow him to suffer long. At the time of his death, as far as I know, he was going through a hard time. The last time I saw him he was walking the streets, unkempt and penniless.
When I listened to the news I was surprised that no mention was made that he had a mental illness. This probably had something to do with his death. I believe he was not taking his medication and was completely spaced out and was not in control of his actions. I think I would not be speaking unfairly if I would say that it is unfortunate that the mental health system failed him. I will not go on to say who else in Duce’s short life failed him.
I know he wanted to be helped, and he sought help. I got to know him when he began visiting my home with a young female friend of the family. He was quiet and mannerly and I was told that he had graduated from ACC in the top group of the class. I did not know much about his personal life, but I did learn that his mother died when he was a child, and he was raised by an older sister.
In December of last year when he visited my home I saw that he was experiencing some mental problems. He came to me and told me he was hearing voices and he could not “stand it.” I asked him if he wanted me to take him to the Port Loyola mental health clinic. He readily agreed.
IDEAS AND OPINIONS
These letters together stand for an alliance of men and women who are unsatisfied with the role that nature has assigned to them. Because of this dissatisfaction, they have chosen roles which are contrary to their very nature. Their natural roles are for them to be either male or female according to the sex they were born with.
It is true that a male can have the appendage of his genitals removed and an orifice put in its place, through the wonders of medical science. So. According to statute law he/she is recognized as a member of the female sex and, of that gender as well. The state is making an accommodation which it deems necessary and society accepts it as reasonable. But, in reality the intended sex change operation did not succeed. What it has done is make the man incapable of performing the role of a male without being able to perform the role of a female. To achieve this objective medical science will have to implant a womb and install an ovulatory system. Without it, he is still a man, without genitals.
The same difficulties would arise if there were women who wished to perform the role of men but, the fair sex is in a much better position to simulate the role, which I will now discuss.
“FIRESTORM” OVER GENDER POLICY; BARROW DOESN’T BLINK
“…there is no way on earth that Government will withdraw that policy.”
“…maybe 10, 15, 20 years from now it may become the norm that when you get an invitation it will no longer be Mister and Misses Hulse but it will be Mister Hulse and guest or Mister Hulse and friend… cause you don’t know who is going to show up,” says Minister Hulse
Prime Minister Dean Barrow is due to meet Friday with some representatives of Belize’s faith community to discuss the Revised 2013 Gender Policy, which some contend includes a dramatic shift in policy to treat LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual) persons as a special disadvantaged group through anti-discrimination policies which could eventually become law here in Belize.
Whereas Barrow is prepared to meet, he told the media Wednesday that, “…there is no way on earth that Government will withdraw that policy.”
Barrow described the Revised 2013 Gender Policy as “a good policy” – and his Cabinet approved it via consensus in March.
“I’m prepared to accommodate submissions on particular aspects of the policy,” Barrow said, adding that “…if it can be shown where certain things are subject to misinterpretation” he is prepared—at the most—to clarify the language.
INSPIRATION TELETHON SURPASSES $500,000 TARGET
The second Inspiration Telethon was another success as the $500,000 fundraising target was met and surpassed. $514,132.85 in pledges and donations was reported at the end of the event on Saturday. Similar to last year, persons were able to donate by credit card, text, cheques, wire transfers, cash at various booths, buying promo items and by billing to their BTL and Smart post-paid accounts. The donations poured in from all across the country, and number of presentations were made at the Bliss during the live broadcast of the 10-hour event.
The largest donations came courtesy of the Belize Social Security Board, which presented the second installment of $50,000 from its pledge of $150,000 to be paid over three years; Belize Natural Energy Charitable Trust and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association each presented $50,000. Just minutes before the 6 o’clock totals were presented, a true angel to Belize’s children with special arrived. In an act of extreme generosity, Mr. Jack Chawla presented a blank cheque to be made out for whatever was needed to meet the target. His donation was $92,015.97! In addition to the corporate donors, there were many touching moments as children, several of whom have disabilities, brought their piggy banks filled with their life savings to contribute to the cause.
Support the petition to stop tarpon spearing in the Gulf Of Mexico
Dear Editor, Tarpon are a migratory fish. They migrate from extreme ranges as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada to as far south as Argentina. From our observations over the years, tarpons begin migrating north in ...
Lisa Carne writes PM
Lisa Carne MSc student: Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainable Development: UB/UWI Placencia/Seine Bight 3 June 2013 Hon. Dean O. Barrow Prime Minister Government of Belize Dear Hon. Barrow, I am writing to you to give my opposition, ...
How? Why?
Dear Editor, I first came to Placencia in 1992, 21 years ago. Though I was enchanted with the village from the beginning, it’s the friends I’ve made there and then their extended families that I love ...
Pallotti High School mistreating students
Dear Editor, Pallotti High School is mistreating its students. Students are being given detention for being late, even if it is only by one minute. The school has not given consideration in excusing its students for ...
ANTIGUA AND KREMANDALA Editorial
“During the 1960’s, the most feared group was the United Black Association for Development, better known as UBAD, under the leadership of Evan X Hyde. The Belize government decided that the only way to get rid of this group was to form the Belize Special Force … They were indicted on several charges brought before the courts and after a period of years were forced to become a political party …”
- pg. 16, Wellington C. Ramos in THE GUARDIAN of Sunday, September 5, 2010
The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) is being held in Antigua, Guatemala this week, and Kremandala is one of the three Belizean media houses which are being represented in Antigua. The other two media houses are Channel 7 and Channel 5, and these are owned by a Belizean multimillionaire and a British billionaire, respectively.
In Antigua, Kremandala is being represented by Marisol Amaya, who is the news editor at KREM Radio and also does translations for this newspaper. Marisol is not as famous as Adele Ramos, but she is just as precious.
It takes special people to work at Kremandala, especially when these individuals, like Adele and Marisol, are multi-talented and could work at just about any media house in the nation. The Kremandala offices are located in an area of town which can get rough and exciting at times, so this place is not for the faint of heart.
OAS BOWS TO LGBT INFLUENCE
The Organization of American States (OAS), the world’s longest-standing hemispheric organization, opened for signing today, two legally-binding instruments: the Inter-American Convention on Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance; and the Inter American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance—the latter of which reflects the hotly debated shift from including merely one’s “sex” to including one’s “sexual orientation” under provisions guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms.
Back in 2004, when United Nations countries debated the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, there was a proposal by Canada to include “sexual orientation” in the preamble; however, the proposal was rejected after debate and the original language was retained in that convention.
Since then, though, the language of texts addressing fundamental human rights have changed—in the same way that the language in Belize’s gender policy—a document funded by the UN—has changed to now include sexual orientation of persons and anti-discriminatory provisions.
The Reporter
Editorial
Belizean attitude towards gays and lesbians has to take a practical common-sense approach. Gays and lesbians are real. They exist. They are as real as handicapped people. And because they exist we cannot ignore them. We recognize that they have to eat and sleep and work– just like the rest [...]
Guat shot inside Chiquibul
A shooting incident two miles inside the Belize border with Guatemala in the Chiquibul Nature Reserve while Belizean and Guatemalan representatives are meeting in Antigua, Guatemala has made the territorial dispute between the two countries all the more sensitive.
Former policeman found dead in river
Maurice Duce, 24, a former Policeman who resigned from the Police Department around a year ago was discovered dead and floating in the Belize River on Tuesday. His body was retrieved near the Haulover Bridge shortly after midday after it was first spotted in the morning around the Manatee Lookout [...]
Marin stays! P.M. says KHMH not Health Minister’s responsibility.
Minister of Health Pablo Marin cannot be held accountable for last month’s neonatal deaths at the Karl Heusner Memorial, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said Thursday.
PM says he will not withdraw revised Gender Policy; meets with BNTU leadership
A meeting took place today at the headquarters of the Belize National Teachers’ Union between Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Council of Management of the BNTU over the revised National Gender Policy.
GOB scuttles Crawl Caye Cruise port plan! But says other proposals are welcome.
Norwegian Cruise Lines’ US$50 million proposal to establish a major cruise port on Crawl Caye some eight and a half miles off the Placencia peninsula has been turned down by Cabinet, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow told reporters at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel on Wednesday morning, June 5.
Belize abstains from OAS Gender Policy
The Solicitor General of Belize has advised that Belize should abstain from voting on a Convention tabled at the Organization of American States’ General Assembly currently under way in Antigua, Guatemala, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington informed the Belizean media on Thursday, June 6.
Oceana expert witness struck out
The Supreme Court has refused Oceana’s application to have expert witness Susan Harvey testify in the government’s application for a stay of execution on injunctions ordered by Justice Oswell Legal.
British diplomat fired from Belize gets £320,000 compensation
The former British High Commissioner to Belize, John Yapp, was awarded £320,000 in damages by a British High Court, after it found that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had wrongfully fired him from his Belize post. The court made the award this week, after it ruled last month that [...]
Three parents of dead infants wait for answers from KHMH
Thirteen newborns died in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital’s Newborn Intensive Care Unit last month, and three parents of those infabtssay they are still waiting for answers.
COLA blasts KHMH and Minister of Health over death of infants
Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) says it is not satisfied with the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital’s response to the 13 neonatal deaths that occurred in the hospital’s newborn Intensive Care Unit last month.
Inspiration Telethon exceeds $500,000 quota
The second Inspiration Telethon hosted by the Special Envoy for Women and Children, and Care Belize has exceeded its half million-dollar target. The telethon, which was held last Saturday at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts, totalled $514,132.85 in pledges and donations in just ten hours. The largest donations came [...]
Ten ways to burn fat faster
Read on for some medically proven moves that’ll make it happen – and help you drop some pounds. Stock up on green tea Green tea isn’t known only for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their [...]
Undefeated Tuff e’Nuff leads Interoffice Basketball
Tuff e’Nuff leads the 2013 Interoffice Basketball Competition posting sixth and seventh wins at Bird’s Isle last Thursday and Saturday to complete the regular season undefeated and enter the playoffs as the top-ranked seed.
Berlan & Sunrise lead in Harrison Parks Cricket Playoffs
Berlan of Bermudian Landing upset defending champions, Excellence 182-181 in Double Head Cabbage at the first semifinal match of the 2013 SMART Harrison Parks National Cricket Competition in Double Head Cabbage, while Sunrise of Lords Bank eliminated the defending sub-champions, Western Eagles, 229-84 in Rancho Dolores on Saturday, June 1.
El Salvador abortion woman has C-section
A seriously ill woman who was denied an abortion by the Supreme Court in El Salvador has undergone a premature Caesarean section. The 22-year-old woman, who has lupus and kidney problems, sought to end the pregnancy, which doctors said posed a serious risk to her life.
Egypt sentences American NGO workers to jail has has
An Egyptian court has sentenced several dozen workers of a non-governmental organizations, including Americans, to jail Tuesday in a case that has infuriated the U.S. government and democratic activists around the world.
Egypt sentences American NGO workers to jail has has
An Egyptian court has sentenced several dozen workers of a non-governmental organizations, including Americans, to jail Tuesday in a case that has infuriated the U.S. government and democratic activists around the world.
Deputy PM’s nephew gets $8M public contracts
Controversial civil works contractor Imer Hernandez has won two public contracts, a $6 million contract to upgrade the Belize City Municipal Airstrip, and a $2 million contract to renovate the Belmopan market.
The European Union is funding the 12-month market project, which the Ministry of Works is supervising. The Evaluation Committee accepted Hernandez’s bid and his company is already in its second month of work on the project.
Hernandez’s company also won a $6 million contract for the expansion works at the Belize Municipal Airstrip, which went through a competitive bidding process with the submitted tenders opened last December.
The Belize Times
UDP crony steals $50,000 from KHMH
There is another major scandal at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. This one involves the mishandling and fleecing of the hospital’s money by a UDP crony hired by key UDP players now managing the hospital.
The BELIZE TIMES has learnt from reliable sources that $50,000 was stolen from the KHMH. A UDP crony from the Corozal District, hired with the consent of his northern political boss, is responsible for the disappearance of overtime money belonging to the hardworking employees of the hospital. This overtime payment belonged to the pharmacists, the wardens and security officers.
The money was stolen when the UDP crony diverted it from the hospital’s account to a separate private account at a local bank.
PUP 7’s historic win in Arenal Village!
There was a significant victory in Arenal Village in the Cayo West constituency this last Sunday, June 2nd, 2013, when the voters, after almost 35 years of having a UDP chairman and Village Council ...
Million dollar contracts for Gaspar Vega’s nephew, Imer Hernandez – $179,000 for San Antonio Road, MILLIONS more from UDP Government
The major controversy over the payment of $179,000 to Imer Hernandez, the nephew of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, for road works that were never done in Orange Walk Town is only the tip of ...
“Pablo Marin Must Go!” – Protesters call for resignations of Health Minister/KHMH authorities
A loud call for the Minister of Health Pablo Marin and for the top administrators of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to resign was made by a group of protesters who held up placards outside of ...
UDP Politics as Usual…
NO Clue… In terms of this crime thing, can we realistically expect 2011 to be any different from 2010? Can we expect a decrease in murders, in home invasions, in assaults, in robberies and shootings and thefts? The government ...
UDP Politics as Usual…
Belizeans shafted again… Our tourism gurus in authority would have us believe that there has been this dramatic facelift in the Belize Tourism Board; a new vision; a new agenda of development; new purpose and new life. It seemed like a ...
KHMH Madness
The mess at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is really a microcosm of the entire health system currently. This system has been in distress ever since the UDP took office in 2008 and began spitefully and recklessly changing policies, cancelling programs and victimizing health officials. You can ask retired nurse ...
Berlan upsets Excellence 183-181 in cricket playoffs
Berlan of Bermudian Landing upset the defending champions, Excellence C.C. 182-181 in the first semifinal of the 2013 SMART Harrison Parks national cricket competition in Double Head Cabbage on Saturday, June 1. Excellence batted first and ...
Geovanni Lovell wins weekend cycling race
Team Telemedia’s Giovanni Lovell won the 60-mile race on the Hummingbird Highway on Sunday June 2, 2013. Some 41 riders suited up for the ride from Belmopan to La Democracia Village on the George Price Highway, back ...
Lady Rebels sting Blazers 6-4 in softball
The Mirage Lady Rebels scorched the Belize Bank Blazers 6-4 in the Belize City women’s softball competition at the Roger’s Stadium on Friday, May 31. No runs were scored in the first ...
Who dropped the ball?? – Belize absent from important SICA-CARICOM trade meeting
Belize has always been considered the bridge between Central America and the Caribbean, but last week when an important trade and economy meeting was held with key business leaders of the two regions in Guatemala, that bridge was overlooked when Belize absented itself. The organisers of the ...
Did she really say that?!! – Babies’ families could expect hospital bill, no compensation, says KHMH Board Chair
The families of the thirteen newborns who died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital continue to live a nightmare as they try to find the answers to their tragedy. The Minster of Health ...
AMAZING GRACE – Get Out and Stay Out
Today, so many people have a problem with self-control. An overweight woman will attend a party and eye the delicious pastries. “I’ll only take one,” she convinces herself. But, she then decides to take a little more. Despite understanding that the fatty food is not healthy for her, she keeps ...
BNTU wants Gender Policy halted
Since the launch of the Revised National Gender Policy 2013 by the National Women’s Commission, the Belize National Teachers’ Union has been following with great concern, the wide range of issues that have emanated from the contents of this gender policy. The Council of Management of the BNTU has ...
More UDP Corruption Exposed
“To oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism” - G. Edward Griffin At a press conference on Friday, Prime Minister Barrow tried to brush the worsening San Antonio Road scandal under the table. In doing that the PM said that there was nothing to worry ...
Valuing Your Self-Worth and Loving Yourself
“Only make decisions that support your self-image, self-esteem, and self-worth” - Oprah Winfrey Do you know what it means to have self-worth? How do you determine what you are worth? Is your self-worth defined by someone else? Do you underestimate your value? I ask those questions because ...
What we must do to avoid squandering the temporary relief from debt restructuring
Belize was forced into commercial public-debt restructuring in 2006-7...and five-years after, it found itself in default, with need for another restructuring in 2012-13. In both scenarios....the respective governments claimed that the restructuring resulted in quantitative relief for Belize...saying that the government’s annual requirements for financing the debt was lowered. ...
Valedictorian Speech – Canaan High class of 2013
It is an honor to address you in such a glamorous fashion. I am privileged to be a part of this historic event. Canaan High this year celebrates its Silver Anniversary. Perhaps that is another reason for the mixed emotions. For me it is one of nostalgia ...
Valedictory Address 2013 – Xiaowen Huang – Edward P. Yorke High School
“I have a dream” were the words of the great Martin Luther King Junior. With those words he inspired a movement that changed a segregated America. Today America has a black president in a second term of office. Class of ...
130 YEARS OF LEADERS FROM SCA
Saint Catherine’s Academy celebrated its Graduation ceremonies for the class of 2013!
The school was celebrating its 130th anniversary of existence — founded in 1883 by the Sisters of Mercy. The theme for the school year and graduation is — Excellence is asking more of yourself than others ask of you.
142 students were in the senior class –134 were successful. 43% of the class of 2013 graduated with honors which means maintaining honor roll status for three or all four years.
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Parents demand answers! – “This was my 2nd child killed at KHMH,” says grieving mother, Marissa Cruz
Four of the thirteen parents, whose newborn babies died under the care and treatment of the medical personnel at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, spoke about their dreadful and tragic experience. Three of the parents spoke at the COLA press conference on Tuesday, while the fourth a mother spoke for the first time at the COLA protest today.
The parents, Marissa Cruz, Magali Mai, Steven Panton and Harrison Sutherland say that before being admitted to the hospital, examinations done at various stages of the pregnancy showed a normal gestation. The parents said they had a normal delivery, aside from delivering premature babies, but the days that followed turned into a horrifying experience.
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WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – RESIGN PABLO MARIN!!!
The death of a child is always heartwrenching. Children are to be protected, cherished, nurtured and encouraged to fulfill their full potential, and it is trite wisdom that children are the adults of our future, the leaders of the Belize we strive to create. Families, parents, guardians, ...
Belize Best and Brightest – Part III: Belize High School, ACC, Ladyville Tech & Canaan Seventh Day Adventist High
The BELIZE TIMES continues coverage of the 2013 high school graduation season with a look at Belize High School (BHS), Anglican Cathedral College (ACC), Ladyville Technical High School (LTHS) and Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist High School (CSDAHS).
While Belize High School (BHS) is only 3 years old, the off-shoot of the Belize Elementary School (BES) has created – chartered even – a special space for the gifted. And 12 of them, having completed their high school education at this well-disciplined proving ground, will now march on to their graduation on Saturday, June 8th, at the BES Gymnasium in Belize City. Leading them will be the Valedictorian Steven Lam, and the Salutatorian Jani Reyes.
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Who pays the piper…calls the tune!
An interesting thing happened this past weekend. A kind of high level tit for tat. A sizeable donation of $92,000 made by known Belize City businessman, Jack Chitendra Charles, to a telethon fundraiser held under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s current wife came at a most ...
PUP calls for withdrawal of revised National Gender Policy
On Wednesday June 5th, 2013 Party Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca and Deputy Party Leader Julius Espat met, at their invitation, with church leaders of the Cayo District particularly those representing Belmopan and surrounding communities. Following presentations from Pastors Scott Stirm and Louis Wade, the Party Leader addressed the ...
Reflections on the Public Square
For some time now I have wanted to get back to writing a weekly column for The BELIZE TIMES. My first BT column was a Youth Column written during my tenure as President of the Belize Youth Movement, the youth arm of the PUP, some 25 years ago. ...
HRCB condemns Police killings
The Human Rights Commission of Belize (HRCB) is deeply disturbed that members of the Belize Police Department (BPD) have recently killed two men in highly questionable circumstances. Our concern is aggravated by the fact that over the several weeks going into months since these deaths the Police ...
Barrow’s Musical Chairs of DEBT! – Efforts to solve fiscal problems are “uninspiring”, says New York financial expert
Belize and other Caribbean countries have come under debt watch from economic analysts, after Moody’s Investor Service raised red ...
Response to ‘A few thoughts … from buttons to bottom of souls.’
I found the article, ‘A few thoughts … from buttons to bottom of souls’ at page 38 of the May 12, 2013 edition of the Amandala to be so astonishingly inaccurate and misinforming that I am compelled to analyze the flawed assumptions presented therein. In this article, the writer rehashes the ...
Petition: Stop the Spearing of Tarpon in the Gulf of Mexico
Good Day Fellow Sports Fishers, Tarpon are a migratory fish. They migrate from extreme ranges as far north as Nova Scotia, Canada to as far South as Argentina. From our observations over the years, tarpons begin migrating North in March. The migration goes on through to August. They slowdown in September ...
More on why Belize’s Great Blue Hole is so Great
With Belize’s stunning Great Blue Hole in the running to become the new 8th Wonder of the World, as mentioned in our blog post of June 5, we thought it only appropriate to give a bit more of a description of this incredible natural phenomenon.
First of all, it’s big. Over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 127 metres (407 ft) deep it can be seen from outer space.
Secondly, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. With every shade of blue imaginable ranging from the deepest indigo to aquamarine and turquoise and surrounded with a riot of colour from tropical fish, corals and other marine life, it’s a feast for the senses.
Third, it’s part the Belize Great Barrier Reef system, the second largest barrier reef in the world, next to Australia’s, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means that a visit to the Great Blue Hole gets you to Lighthouse Reef and in close proximity to the largest atolls in the world and other places of immense beauty such as Half Moon Caye and some of Belize’s other natural maritime wonders.
Caving Around Cayo
Cayo has the caves. The article is actually called '5 things to do in Belize besides diving' but the first 2 they mention are what Cayo excels at. Actun Chapat and ATM both get mentioned in the article. How they missed Crystal Paradise, which is known for amazing birding, nobody knows.
"While neighbouring Mexico and Guatemala get all the press for Mayan sites, Belize was once the centre of the Mundo Maya. At its peak, the Mayan civilization in Belize is said to have reached over a million people. This means plenty of archaeological sites, some still buried under thick bush and, most fascinating of all, sacrificial caves now open to the public for supervised spelunking. You can hop on the popular Actun Tunichil Muknal tour to view the skeletal remains of a young Maya girl, but there are also others worth exploring. Arrange a visit to Actun Halal and Actun Chapat, in the western village of San Jose Succotz, through Belizean Sun Tours—there, your group will likely have the xibalba or Mayan underworld all to yourselves.
Vet Clinic in Bullet Tree
The Institute for Sustainable International Studies will be having a spay and neuter vet clinic tomorrow in Bullet Tree Falls, starting at 9:00am. Thanks, ISIS!
"As part of ISIS's commitment to serving the communities in Belize, our summer students will be sponsoring and participating in spay/neuter vet clinics in these villages:
Bullet Tree Falls, June 8, beginning at 9 am
San Antonio (Cayo), June 22, beginning at 9 am
San Jose Succotz, July 27, beginning at 9 am"
Feed The Children Fashion Show 2013
The Cornerstone Foundation is having their 2013 Feed the Children Fashion Show on July 13th, at 6:00pm. The venue this time is the Octavia Waight auditorium. The fashion show is fundraiser for their feeding program. You can get tickets for the event at their office starting in the middle of next week. Have a fun night while supporting a great cause at the some time.
"All proceeds from this show will be going towards our Feeding Program, where we feed 98 primary school children and 12 elderly a daily lunch meal. Tickets Can Be Bought At Cornerstone Office, 43 Church Street, as Of June 12 2013!"
Mennonite Gurls A'ken Cook: Peenut Cookies Glute A'loose
I luv peenuts !!
Yeers and yeers ago … almos ‘oncet upon a time’ .. I bouite packaged peenut cookies that were mah absolute favert ! I bouite 'um fer sevrul yeers , the , suddenlee thay were gone, nevr t'be see on grossry stere shelves agin!
I tride ovr t'yeers t'copycat 'um n' mah kitchin but could nevr quite capture t'flavour that wuz locked into mah memry.
Bismillah The Case of Viola Pook
The case of Viola Pook was brought to national and international attention two months ago when Minister Farrakhan, in a question and answer session after his lecture to the prison population of the Belize Central Prison asked Ms Pook why she felt the need to kill the man she was convicted for killing. Viola Pook in front of the whole world recounted a story of betrayal, violence and eventual rape of a thirteen year old child she and her common-law husband of twenty three years had raised from the time the child was eight months old. When he did that treacherous act the dam broke and she soon after set him on fire which eventually caused his death. Ms Pook’s graphic recollection of her ordeal brought many who were present to tears.
Belize Primary School Examination's Top 26 Students
The 2013 Primary School Examination also known as the PSE has been released to the media for the top 26 students in the country of Belize.
The 2013 PSE results reveal of the 26 Top Students, Siyun Ye from Bernice Yorke in Belize City has taken the top spot in this years PSE with an Overall Score of 391.
It also reveals that of the 26 top students 14 are from Belize City, 7 from Cayo, 2 from Corozal, 1 from Orange Walk, 1 from Stann Creek, and 1 from Toledo.
The results are as follows:
International Sources
Amid utilities' plan, a dam controversy: Fortis, community group spar over Belize record
In the small Central American country of Belize, three dams on a river that winds through a lush tropical forest produce inexpensive electricity and decreased oil purchases from Mexico, according to the Canadian holding company that owns them.
But environmental advocates say Fortis Inc.’s hydroelectric venture destroyed dense jungle vegetation that was abundant with wildlife, polluted a river important for tourism and fishing for nearby villagers, and customers have yet to get a break on their electric bills.
A few years after the Chalillo Dam was completed, another Fortis subsidiary that distributed power to the majority of Belizeans was taken over by the government due to risks associated with the company’s debt, according to Fortis.
As Fortis seeks to buy CH Energy Group of Poughkeepsie, a mid-Hudson Valley group called Citizens for Local Power has made the concerns of the company’s opponents in Belize its own.
Embark on Four New Ocean Adventures with WPBT2’s Changing Seas this June
Changing Seas, an Emmy award-winning WPBT2 original series, premieres four exciting new episodes in primetime this June. This season viewers will explore the deep blue as never before, visiting some of our most exotic locales to date! Season 5 features a research trip to Belize where coral hybrids thrive, divers who search for a sunken slave ship, an encounter with the mysterious creatures that lurk in the deep, and an expedition to French Polynesia to study some of the most remote reefs in the world. EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:
SHOW#501: Coral Hybrids- Broadcast Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 – 8:00pm ET
While Elkhorn and Staghorn corals have undergone a drastic decline in the Caribbean, their hybrid, “Fused Staghorn,” is increasing in numbers in parts of the region. One scientist is studying the animals in Belize to see if the hybrid might be better equipped to deal with environmental stressors than its parents.
OAS member countries discuss drug policies and other matters
The representatives of the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday finished expressing their points of view on the topic “For a Comprehensive Policy against the World Drug Problem in the Americas” during the third plenary session of the 43rd General Assembly, which took place in Antigua, Guatemala.
They agreed, in general, on the need to identify better policies for tackling the drugs problem in the hemisphere, and they noted the importance of the Report on the Problem of Drugs in the Americas, which was presented by the Secretary General José Miguel Insulza to the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, as a starting point for their discussions.
Following the order in which they requested the floor, 18 heads of delegation spoke, in addition to the 14 who addressed the Assembly on Wednesday. In their addresses, the heads of delegation applauded the OAS’s report and described it as an essential contribution for the start of an open and high-level debate.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
