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The San Pedro Sun

ACES’ Cherie Chenot-Rose seriously injured in traffic accident
On Tuesday, November 19th at around 11:30 AM, San Pedro Police responded to a traffic accident on Pescador Drive. According to a report, Herson Gonzalez lost control of his golf cart bearing license plate number S/PC-0467, and crashed into a local food stall. In the process, he slammed Cherie Chenot-Rose, founder of American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES), into a tree pinning her by both legs. According to Gonzalez, the golf cart experienced mechanical problems which caused the accident. While police classified her injuries as a “bruise”, Chenot-Rose in fact experienced major injuries to her upper right leg and was transported to Belize Medical Associates hospital in Belize City. A medical report certified Chenot-Rose’s injuries as Wounding. Chenot-Rose was released from the hospital after three nights and is currently on crutches while recovering from the sustained injuries. “It all happened so fast and there was no warning. After the crash the driver jumped from the cart and began apologizing over and over, ‘I am so sorry I am so sorry.’ I was pinned to the tree by the cart and I begged for someone to get the golf cart off of me. From nowhere people came running and pushed the cart backwards, freeing me,” said Chenot-Rose.

INTERPOL- Wanted fugitives
The gallery includes 15 fugitives, their nationalities and what they are wanted for. If you have seen these persons or have information on their whereabouts you can contact INTERPOL by emailing [email protected]

Local boat captain, Luis Alamilla beaten and robbed
Police on Ambergris Caye continue their investigation regarding the brutal attack of a San Pedro Town resident. The incident occurred sometime around 1AM on Saturday, December 7th, and the victim is 30-year-old Luis Alamilla, a Belizean boat captain of Escalante Sub Division. Alamilla told police that some time around 10PM on Friday, December 6th he went to socialize with a few relatives and friends. While heading home shortly after midnight, Alamilla said that he was assaulted on his premises by three men. According to Alamilla, as he entered his yard, three men, two Hispanic and one dark skinned approached him and began attacking him. Alamilla told police that one of the men punched him on the right side of his face, causing him to fall to the ground where he began fighting back. Alamilla added that while on the ground, the two other men were kicking and punching him. 48 Luis Alamilla Broken ToesAlamilla finally managed to get up and began hitting one of the attackers in the face, fighting back. However he was overpowered when the other two advanced towards him and began beating him once again. According to Alamilla, one of the attackers shouted “stab him”, but fortunately, a passerby on a golf cart pulled up, causing the three men to flee after taking Alamilla’s back pack with his personal belongings with them.

Local Police and Fire Department are ready for the Christmas Season
As of Sunday, December 1st, the San Pedro Police Department has officially stepped up its annual Christmas season anti-crime campaign. This is the first year that the campaign is being headed by the Officer in Charge, Superintendent of Police Luis Castellanos. The main purpose of the campaign is to increase patrol and police presence in troublesome areas in San Pedro. Castellanos stated that over the last few months, SP police have noticed that major crime is centralized in the areas of Boca del Rio, San Juan and Town core, and as such these areas will be more heavily patrolled during the Christmas season. An increasing late hour police patrols (10PM to 6AM) along with beach patrols is to be implemented. “This time of year, the population on the island increases and if this is not properly managed, it can lead to an increase in crime,” said Castellanos. “We want to make the island as safe as possible. Not only will we be increasing police patrols, but we will also be having police check points to target traffic offenders including those drinking under the influence of alcohol.”

Delicious Christmas
When I was little, I could hardly tell whether it was dense fog or smoke billowing under my window. The sight of my mother’s slightly plump figure carrying a headless, bloody chicken under the kitchen roof answered my question. Waking up to mother’s cooking is by far one of the best memories I have of her. Food was always delicious, and while learning to cook at the ripe old age of eight was a chore, as the years flew by, and having consumed thousands of tasteless, over-seasoned, greasy food from everywhere else, it was time to embrace what I’d always known. There is nothing like mother’s cooking – and I mean, nothing.

Ambergris Today

Dale Wallace Sr. Releases Unique Children’s Music Album
Local Belizean artist, entertainer, musician and luthier (guitar maker), Dale Wallace Sr. of San Pedro, Ambergrs Caye, has officially released a children’s album that is both a sing-along and instructional piece that teaches the guitar chords to the songs. Entitled ‘Under the Ukulele Tree’, this unique, illustrated and booklet album was created, recorded and produced in San Pedro utilizing the diverse talents of local artist. Dale Wallace capitalized on the skills of these other artists to put together a fantastic album. Melody Sanchez Wolfe painted the front cover, Perlita Zapata helped create the "Ukulele Family" and produced the illustrations that depict the verses of the title song, Dale Wallace Jr. did the recording engineering at his Rebelution Studios, Wil Nuñez produced the keyboards and percussion tracks, while Luis Zapata at Designing Solutions contributed to the printing of the labels.

Black Market Jaguar Hide Removed from San Pedro Streets
With the assistance of concerned residents, visitors and authorities the San Pedro Police Department was able to confiscate the hide of a jaguar that one man was attempting to sell on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. The Belize Wildlife Conservation Network was quick to act once they spotted a post on Facebook of a man obviously attempting to sell the hide of a jaguar on the beaches of San Pedro Town. The San Pedro Police Department mentioned that they had already received several reports, accompanied by images, of this such action. Being an endangered species and a protected animal in the country of Belize, authorities set to action. With the help of residents and the pictured being shared on social media, the authorities were able to remove the jaguar hide off the streets just two days after the reports were posted online. Wildlife officials indicate that the hide quite possibly was that of an adult jaguar over four feet long.

Letters To The Editor: Belize Better Find a Way of More Peaceful Coexistence
If crime against foreign retirees and foreigners engaged in tourism continues at this rate, they will pick up and take tourism back home with them. - I was sitting on the San Pedro Express Bridge waiting for somebody having half an hour, enjoying the sun after all this rain, drinking some fresh squeezed orange juice when a fellow islander hailed me: “Ola Chriss, you look like you’re contemplating the next article you have to write for the Caye Caulker Chronicles!” The following conversation made the decision to write this article which has been playing around in my head for weeks, actually for months all in relation to the headline of this article which I read in the Amandala Newspaper a couple of weeks ago. After I started publishing my first articles this year after years of suppressing my voice, I wrote the editor and publisher of the Amandala a small article about my background and suggesting them maybe time had come that the Amandala could use a white Belizean perspective as a columnist since there were now more different perspectives enriching the scope especially after Mr.Luna came in. I never got an answer back and my next article/letter was I felt treated with disrespect. The result was that I wrote several articles only for the Caye Caulker Chronicles which gave me a lot of comments from islanders and from people abroad. When I read this letter in the Amadala about the foreign retirees, etc. I felt that this was a perfect example which needed to be answered by a foreign born Belizean, a white bway, who has been living here for 25 years with Belizean family who has seen all these foreigners come and go for all those years.

Jailene Ancona Celebrates her Colorful Quinceaños
What a colorful and enertaining Quinceaños. Jailene celebrated her birthday on Saturday, December 14th at the Angel Nuñez Auditorum, where she threw a spectacular cariniaval show for all her friend and family. Happy Birthday Jailene!

25 Years Ago: Old Timers and Christmas Traditions #2
You know that you are an old timer even when it comes to the way you partook in the Christmas celebrations and traditions. Old timers, to begin with, did not have to worry whether they would go dance at Jaguar’s Temple Night Club, Daddy Rock, Fido’s, Holiday Hotel, or any of the resorts that sponsor Christmas parties. They simply headed straight to Daddy’s Club where the Christmas dance was celebrated. Daddy’s was right on the beach where Daddy Rock is today but it was an open hall where the entire village could congregate and enjoy watching the couples dancing. Old timers got ready to go to the dance at eight o’clock because the dance commenced at nine on the dot. This was so because the dance on the 24th of December was interrupted at midnight for everyone to go to the “misa de gallo” or the midnight mass. Present day Sanpedranos would argue that they would rather stay and dance during that hour but they would have to dance man with man because the ‘señoritas’ (young ladies) were all taken to church by their moms and there was no question whether they wanted to go or not. It was the tradition.

Pic of the Week: Flyboarding in Belize
There are many fun watersports to enjoy during your vacation in Belize. Flyboarding is the one that everybody has been buzzing about, it is new and super fun for the adrenaline junkies. The picture above shows tourists enjoying a nice day under the sun while being entertained by the professional flyboaders at the famous split on the island of Caye Caulker.

Flashbacks: Angels at the Birth of Jesus Christ
“Hark the Herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn king, Peace on Earth….” Throughout the history of our little village of San Pedro, the re-enactment of the birth of Jesus has always been a popular dramatization. And while it was a bit difficult to find a St. Joseph or even the shepherds, there were lots of volunteers who wanted to be angels and sing “Hark the Herald”. The stage was full of angels, sometimes as many as fifteen who formed part of the choir, and only girls too. You could not get a boy dressed to be an Angel. This flashback picture was given to us by Ayonie Marin and we are sure it is someone in the Marin/Gomez family.

Misc Belizean Sources

BCB Holdings Ltd : 16 December 2013 BCB HOLDINGS LIMITED ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
BCB HOLDINGS LIMITED ANNOUNCES RESULTS FOR THE SECOND QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2013 Belize City, Belize, December 16, 2013 -- BCB Holdings Limited (London - AIM: BCB; Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange - BCBTT; Bermuda - BBHL) (the "Company" or "BCBHL") The Company reported a net loss from operations of $1.2m for the three months ended September 30, 2013 (2012 - net income of $0.8m), and a net loss per ordinary share from continuing operations for the three months of $0.01 (2012 - net income per share of $0.01). The Company reported a net loss from operations of $2.1m for the six months ended September 30, 2013 (2012 - net income of $2.6m), and a net loss per ordinary share from continuing operations for the six months of $0.02 (2012 - net income per share of $0.03).

Christmas Toy Drive!
We would like to thank those who have contributed to our Christmas Toy Drive! Thank you: Mrs. Ana and Mr. Reymundo Vega Susana Melo and various Anonymous Sponsors If you'd like to make a contribution you can drop it off at the San Pedro Town Council office. Deadline: Thursday, December 19, 2013

Mayor's Christmas Message
— with Daniel Guerrero.

MISSING: John Albert Tillett
On the 13th December 2013 at 8:00p.m was the last time he heard from. He was last seen wearing a red shirt, brown pants and brown shoes. He is a dark skin creole man, Belizean, 53 years old. Slim in built and has grey and black hair, narrow face, and wears glasses. He weighs about 140lbs and is 5ft 8ins in height. If you hear or know the whereabouts of John Tillett please contact: 621-6851, 625-5395 or 633-6080 or the nearest police station.

Annual Christmas Party for the Children of Belize
It has been announced from Belize House that the Annual Christmas Party for the Children of Belize was hosted by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville N Young. One hundred fifty children were invited to the annual event held at the House of Culture in Belize City on Saturday 14th Saturday, 2013. Each child in attendance received a present from the Governor General along with a bag of goodies in addition to the traditional meal and refreshments. The Governor General wishes to thank all those who gave generously of their time or donations to make this a joyful event for the children.

CONTRACTS
There will be the signing of two important contracts benefiting the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (K.H.M.H) to formalize the renovation of the Adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as well as a contract for the reconditioning of the hospital’s parking lot Tuesday, December 17, 2013, at 9:00 a.m. These agreements, in particular for the renovation of the Adult ICU, demonstrate the hospital’s continual commitment to excellence in patient care. K.H.M.H is the country’s flagship hospital providing tertiary care for the entire country and also serves as the secondary care hospital for the Central Health Region.

CCA Christmas Walk
The Cayo Christian Academy had their annual Christmas Walk Thru. "Declaring The End From The Beginning CCA Christmas 2013" more...

Tabby Johnson Jazzes Up Soul Project
Tabby Johnson really went to town at the Soul Project this Saturday. There were some real Blues played in Cayo this weekend. The highly diverse group of talented musicians on the stage really made for a unique night. In related news, Ridley Bent, coming all the way from Canada, will be performing at the Soul Project this Friday. "Last night Concert of Tabby Johnson was a Smashing hit….Thanks to all who came out in support of the Winsom Foundation….My Thanks and Blessings to the Master of Gentle Talk and sound engineer…Emerson Gill…. The men who make instruments talk…in no special order …The heartfelt Drummer Barefoot Skinner…..The singing hands of the keyboard…Santos…. The genius hands on the Electric guitar…Eddy…the fingering of the acoustic guitar by… Mark Phillips… plucking of the soul by Bass Guitar …Drew Gill… The dancing fingers of guitar player …Alexander Evans…..All these wonderful sounds were amplified by the equipment of …Erin and Sam Harris…The connections to each part was made possible by the skillful hands and eyes of Erin and Vanessa….Added to all this was the power house Vocals and Voice of Miss Tabby Johnson herself ….This wonderful coming together was under the roof of the Artsy Soul Project…..Last but not least to all the wonderful people who sold tickets …Peggy hats off to you for selling the most tickets and Marlene for getting us from place to place on time…. THANK YOU ALL FROM WINSOM & THE WINSOM FOUNDATION…"

SHC Wins Nationals
The Sacred Heart College male basketball team won the nationals! They had a great game on Friday night, and an even more exciting game on Saturday, when they won the title by 1 point against ACC. Great job, SHC! More pictures coming soon. "We are the Champions! Congrats to our Male Basketball Team and our coaches! You played a great game, and you deserve your victory! Wow!"

Posadas Start in Benque
The Benque House of Culture started celebrating their traditional Posadas yesterday. They'll continue through Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas! They had fireworks too. "Benque Viejo traditional Posadas/ Lodging of Mary & Joseph commenced today at the Benque House of Culture, with complete sponsorship of the Community commitment towards this Cultural Celebration... Posadas starts from the 15 of December to the 24th Christmas Eve..live the momentum of Posadas in Benque Viejo. For more information visit Benque House of Culture (NICH)"

Po Man's Meals/ What to Eat When the Cupboard is Bare
In this video I show you what we as Belizeans eat when times are hard. Hard time meals doesn't have to be bland and boring. As long as I have flour, baking powder and water, I can make meal out of basically nothing.

Belize Inaugurates $3Mil Joint Operations Center with U.S. and Canada
On Monday, December 9, the Ministry of National Security inaugurated its first Joint Operations Center (JOC) at Price Barracks. The opening of the JOC represents over two years of teamwork and collaboration between the Belize Defence Force, U.S. Southern Command, and the Governments of the U.S., Belize, and Canada. The JOC’s inauguration is an important step in U.S. and Belize commitment to realizing a safe and secure Belize. The U.S. Southern Command Counter-Drug Program donated the building, valued at three million Belize dollars, in support of a regional security network of land and maritime forces with improved facilities, training and equipment. The Government of Canada provided the internal furnishings and computer equipment.

CARLOS VIVES' Spectacular Live Concert in Chetumal
Dec 16 - CARLOS VIVES' Spectacular Live Concert in Chetumal, MX last night at the "Esplanada De La Bandera". Superb performance!! This Editor had a blast!!! What a way to end the year... I cannot complain

Channel 7

Cane Farmers Say BSI Must Sign to Bagasse Agreement Or “No Season!”
This weekend, Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association hosted an emergency general meeting to ask the farmers if they agree to the compromise hammered out by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. As we told you last week, Barrow got BSI/ASR to change its position somewhat, agreeing in principle that the farmers should be paid for bagasse. Still, there's no happily ever after, because there are still many sticking points in the letter BSI sent to the PM. That letter was taken to the emergency meeting yesterday at Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico in San Roman Village, Corozal, and 7news attended. Daniel Ortiz got a chance to gauge the reactions of the farmers; here's his report. FILE: December 11, 2013 Hon. Dean Barrow "We are preparing to start the negotiation between the BSCFA and B.S.I., which negotiations will proceed on the basis that the payment of which bagasse is due, but that of course quantum must be agreed."

Senior Citizen Killed In Early Morning Hit and Run
The northern highway continues to be very dangerous for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Recently, the rains, combined with the disastrous road conditions have even made it more so. Early on Saturday morning, another life was lost on a stretch that has seen more than eight fatalities in the last 5 years. That's the area between Friendship Restaurant and the Haulover Bridge. On Saturday at 4:00 am, 77 year old Carmen Troches, a resident of Belama phase four was believed to have been riding to Belize City when he was knocked down at mile two in front of Gulf Hotel. It was a hit and run, from a vehicle that appeared to have hit him head on, and sent Troches flying. His broken up body was found about a hundred feet from his bicycle. His robber boot was found another 30 feet away in another direction.

Man On Crab Hunt Shocked By Underground Cable
A man was looking for crabs on Saturday, when he came in contact with an underground high voltage cable and got very seriously shocked. 26 year-old Tyrone Vernon, a resident of Salt Creek Road, is out of the hospital tonight after we was treated for burns he received when he came in contact with the cable. It happened in the Salt Creek area in Sandhill when on Saturday evening, at around 4 o'clock, he was striking blue crabs when he accidently touched the cable. He got shocked and both of his hands were burnt. Today, 7News contacted BEL's Public Relation's Office, and they told us that they are unable to comment at this time because their personnel are investigating.

That’s “President” Audrey Matura Shepherd
It's official, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, the former vice-president of OCEANA in Belize, is now the President of the Christian Worker's Union. She was endorsed on Saturday, at an emergency congress to elect executive members. As we told you, Matura-Shepherd's leadership of the union was supported by the stevedores and by long standing executive members Antonio Gonzalez and James McFoy, who the stevedores have been trying to eject since August. It's a compromise to represent a newly unified CWU, and today, 7News spoke to Matura-Shepherd about the elections, and about her endorsement as president. Here's what she told us: Audrey Matura-Shepherd - New President - CWU "It went very successful. What people did not know is that a lot of the votes had to be by proxy. Amazingly 667 persons voted either in person or by proxy and those same 667 persons endorsed 4 positions, that is the president, vice president, organizer and the treasurer. Then there was an actual election to fill the post of 3 trustees and 4 persons wanted that position."

Sugar Season Can’t Start!: Cane Fields Are Waterlogged
At the top of our newscast, we showed you the latest coming out of this weekend's general meeting on the ongoing bagasse dispute. The reality is, however, that even if there was not an impasse between the factory owners and the cane farmers, they couldn't start the crop season - even if they wanted to! And that's because of the rain. In November alone, Orange Walk and Corozal experienced rainfall that was almost 200 percent more than the 30 year average. That's like the difference between one cup and three cups! This weekend, we also got an opportunity to see first-hand the damage that the rains have caused to this year's crop. Daniel Ortiz has that story: Daniel Ortiz reporting These fully mature stalks of cane look ready to harvest and deliver to the mill to be grounded for sugar extraction. But the truth is that they are nowhere near ready. The cane has been saturated for weeks on end, soaking up all the flood waters from the rains over the last few months. Because of this, they don't meet the standards set for sucrose purity, and if they were to be delivered now, the farmers would be operating at a loss.

More Of The Maya In Minnesota
On Friday we took you to the Science Museum of Minnesota to show you part one of our story on the show called "Maya, Hidden Worlds Revealed." Even by north American standards, the show that cost four million dollars to put together is a major undertaking, and it's regarded as the largest and most comprehensive ever done on the Maya - and as we told you Belizean artifacts and research are a central part of that. Tonight we look more closely at how the show was set up and how Belize's precious artifacts are being preserved:.. Paul Martin, Vice President, Exhibits "I think this is probably the best exhibition we've done." Jules Vasquez reporting And the planning for it started here two years ago with this miniature 3 - D model where every element was created. What you're seeing here is the ATM burial, re-created in miniature. Martin explains how it works:

Pointed A Gun, Sent To Jail
21 year-old Gregory Knox, a construction worker from Rio Grande Crescent, is at prison tonight because he allegedly pointed a gun at a woman. Ashanti Scott reported that on August 18, she was walking on Neal Penn Road, when she got into a quarrel with another woman. She said that when she arrived at her house on Rio Grande Crescent, Knox shouted for her to come outside. When she went to see what he wanted, he pulled out a firearm and pointed it in her face. After several months of investigation, Police charged him with aggravated assault, and he was arraigned today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. He pleaded not guilty to the charge but explained to the court that yes, indeed, he went to Scott's house, but he claims it was only to keep the peace, and he denied ever pulling a gun on her. Still, it's an automatic remand for any gun charge, and he was remanded until February 4, 2014.

Alleged Robber Bailed
30 year-old William Taibo, a resident of Ladyville, is out of on bail tonight after he was taken to court for breaking into Troy Gabb Jr's house in Los Lagos. Gabb reported to police that sometime between November 8 and November 9, someone burglarized his house and stole an assortment of electronics, jewellery, $1,000 in cash and several other household items to a total of $15,338 dollars. Police investigated and they charged Taibo with burglary. He was arraigned today before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, where he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of $6,000, which he was able to meet. He must return to court on February 11, 2014, his next court date.

UN Rapporteur Says Human Traffic Needs Attention In Bze
The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking concluded a four day visit to Belize today. She arrived on December 12th at the invitation of the Government of Belize and compiled a preliminary report on trafficking in Belize. She presented the 11 page report at a press briefing at the Radisson this afternoon, where she outlined areas of concern and made recommendations. Here's some of what she pointed to:.. NgoziEzeilo is a human rights lawyer and professor from Nigeria. Notably a work permit committee has been activated and work permits are no longer being given for waitresses and shop assistants - two major areas of trafficking activity.

President: Senator Shoman’s Motion Will Not Be Heard
As we told you last week, PUP Senator Lisa Shoman had hoped to have her second motion for a Senate Special Select Committee heard in Wednesday's House Sitting. She drafted a new motion with some changes after he first one fell to the floor, when it was defeated in a controversial 7 to 6 vote. But, the President of the Senate Mark Pech has written to Shoman and told her he will not put it on the agenda for the meeting. As we understand it, Pech's argument is that the Auditor General Dorothy Bradley is preparing her report, and when that is concluded, it will come to the Senate for review. His position is that any parallel, pre-emtory investigation by the senate would be misconceived. We'll have more on the response to that when the senate meets on Wednesday.

PM In Panama, Venezuela
Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country on Friday to attend a Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government of SICA in Panama. From there, the Prime Minister travelled to Venezuela, arriving Sunday, 15th December, to attend the Second Extraordinary Meeting of ALBA/ PETRO CARIBE Government Leaders which commences tomorrow, 17th December, 2013. On December 18, 2013, he will then go on a few days personal leave with his family, and he returns to the country on December 22. Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega is the acting Prime Minister until he returns.

Police Turned Politician
As we reported two weeks ago, the second in command in the police department Deputy Commissioner Elodio Aragon Jr. is leaving his senior post to go and follow in his politician father's footsteps. Aragon has resigned and is now fully engaged as a candidate for the UDP's Orange Walk East convention. He launched his candidacy on Sunday - and while this kind of preliminary stuff doesn't usually make the news, in his case it is news because his former boss is now his endorser. Here's what John Saldivar had to say at yesterday's launch. Hon. John Saldivar, Minister of National Security "The Police Department is losing a true leader. East is gaining a true leader in the person of Elodio Aragon Jr. He was just one step away from becoming the commissioner of police and he has walked away from that to serve the people of the east."

Sprinter Kaina Becomes First Track Athlete To Get Full Scholarship
Sprinter Kaina Martinez is one of the preeminent female athletes in all of Belize: she ran the 100 for Belize in the 2012 London Olympics and has previously medalled in the Central American Games. But now, she's entering a new phase of her career. The 26 year old form Seine Byte has gotten a full athletic scholarship to Texas A and M university. We were there when she signed the letter of intent on Saturday:.. Jules Vasquez reporting On Saturday morning Kaina Martinez became the first home grown Belizean track athlete to sign a letter of intent for a full athletic scholarship at a major US university. Her former coach Colin Thurton work to get it done. Colin Thurton "I was fortunate enough to have the chance to coach Kaina for the 2012 Olympic Games. I have known her before that and I knew the talent that she has and I promised her that I'll do my best to try and get her a scholarship to finished up her two years in the States. I finally got Texas A and M in Kingsville to offer a full scholarship to start this January and that where she will be attending this coming year."

What’s Our Story?
The old reggae songs teach us that history - is often "his-story" - and if that's the case, who's going to tell our story - and what will it be about. That's what the Institute for Social and Cultural Research wants to find out. They're establishing a National History Commission and inviting interested person to Belmopan to discuss it tomorrow. Shari Williams of NICH explained what that's going to do: Shari Williams "We are inviting all historians, the movers and shakers of Belizean history to a very important meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to come up with selected topics as to what should be included in the national history. From the consultations we've been having countrywide, we've understood that many people are asking for an account of what actually is the real Belizean history and we know that there are different perspectives and different opinions of what should be included in this book, so we are inviting historians from all walks of Belize and then from there on we chart the way forward into producing a document that we can once and for all say this is our national history." The meeting will take place at the George Price Center in Belmopan from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

More News: Scroll up from here

Channel 5

Farmers have a counterproposal to B.S.I.’s offer for bagasse
Up north, the sugar industry remains at a standstill. This Sunday, cane-farmers from all eighteen branches in the north assembled at the Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico to receive an update [...]

Sugar roads are impassable
The condition of the sugar roads is affecting not only cane-farmers, but commuters in general. After a week of alternate cold and dry spells, the rains returned with a vengeance, [...]

Nationality certificate to Rafael Medina rushed in 1 day by Immigration Director
Tonight, there is no official explanation or comment from the Immigration Ministry on the Rafael Vasquez Medina nationality facilitation. Salvadoran national Vasquez-Medina received his Belizean nationality certificate on September nineteenth, [...]

PM travels to Venezuela
Prime Minister Dean Barrow is currently in Venezuela where leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean will be meeting in a one-day summit on the Petrocaribe Initiative which takes place [...]

2nd motion of P.U.P. Senator shot down by President of Senate
It is now three months since the immigration scandal broke, but an investigation doesn’t seem to be going anywhere at least no specific information has been forthcoming. So on November [...]

15 fugitives wanted; Interpol seeking public assistance
Interpol is seeking public assistance in locating fifteen fugitives wanted for varying degrees of crimes. The crimes vary from murder, to drug trafficking and money laundering and the nationalities of [...]

Elderly man killed in hit and run accident
There is a hit and run accident to report in the city. At about five-fifteen Saturday morning, seventy-seven year old Carmen Amilcar Trochez was knocked down and killed between miles [...]

United Nation looks at human trafficking, but there is more cases of human smuggling
The United Nations is looking at human trafficking Belize but that study reveals that there are far more cases of human smuggling of nationals from Central and South America and [...]

UN Special Rapporteur offers recommendations
The government of Belize has signed and ratified numerous international human right treaties which offer protection to women, children and migrant workers. G.O.B. has also pledged to suppress and punish [...]

C.E.O. Judith Alpuche disagrees with some aspects of preliminary report
The line Ministry for the issue of human trafficking is the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty. Its C.E.O., Judith Alpuche, says that the number of trafficked persons [...]

Meet the new executive of the Christian Workers Union
Last Thursday, the outspoken attorney, Audrey Matura-Shepherd joined the ranks of the unions and was approved as President by all fourteen entities of the haemorrhaging Christian Workers Union. And on [...]

Newly installed CWU executive chart way forward
  One of the biggest issues facing the union is an allegation of missing monies. And that thorn will be dealt with head on by the new president and vice-president [...]

Allen and Roscelli tie the knot in From Yes to I Do
Reality Wedding Couple Allen and Roscelli took their wedding vows on Sunday during a memorable ceremony officiated by Cannon Leroy Flowers. The reality wedding aired live on this station brought [...]

High School Basketball and Junior National Tennis Championships
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   Let’s jump quickly into the national High School Basketball Championships which was hosted over the weekend at Sacred Heart [...]

LOVE FM

Special Rapporteur for Human Rights is in Belize
The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, is in Belize since December twelve to examine the situation of trafficking of women, men and children. It is the first time that an independent expert of the U.N. Human Rights Council is visiting Belize and during her visit Ezeilo, studied the situation in order to make recommendations to prevent and fight trafficking and protect its victims. Today Ezeilo presented her preliminary finding to the media. In her preliminary report, Ezeilo made 23 recommendations to government in order to better deal with trafficking of persons. The U.N. Human Rights Office said Ezeilo, who is visiting visits Belize at the invitation of the government, will engage with State representatives, as well as members of international and civil society organizations working on the fight against trafficking in persons “in order to assess the challenges and opportunities in Belize.” Ezeilo is charged by the Human Rights Council to promote the prevention of trafficking in persons in all its forms and to encourage measures to uphold and protect the human rights of victims. The U.N. Human Rights Council said she will present a comprehensive report containing her conclusions and recommendations in June 2014.Nigerian-born Ezeilo, a human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Nigeria started her mandate as special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children in August 2008. She has served in various governmental capacities and consulted for various international organizations, and is currently involved in several non-governmental organizations, particularly working on women’s rights.

Illegal Loggers Caught Red Handed
On Saturday, December 14th, at about 11:10am, police visited an area off the Burrell Boom road with Hattieville road about 1 ½ miles in some bushes where seven male person was seen cutting logs and upon seeing the police they attempted to run into the nearby bushes, however, six were captured and one made good his escape with a chain saw. Police found 15 fifteen logs on the ground covered with a grey canvass, upon requesting for their logging permit none of them could produce one. In custody are 43 year old Elmer Gomez, 22 year old Gerald Gabourel, 31 year old Elvis Garcia, 40 year old Eudelio Perez, 41 year old Arnulfo Perez and 38 year old Eddie Linares all of Guinea Grass Village as investigations continue.

Car Collision Leaves Drivers Injured
Yesterday evening at about 6 o’clock Ladyville police visited between mile 9 and 10 on the Phillip Goldson highway where they observed a grey ford escape and a green Altima car on the right hand side off the road in a direction facing north. Initial investigations revealed that 25 year old Karen Garcia, a teacher of Orange Walk Town was driving the Ford Escape, and at the time she was accompanied by 31 year old Jenny Cantun, a tour guide also from the Orange Walk District and two minors aged seven and ten. The Grey Ford Escape was travelling from the direction of Orange Walk to Belize City while 29 year old Tyrone Vaccaro of Sandhill Village was travelling the opposite direction in the Green Altima and upon reaching the said location both vehicles collided to their right front side with both receiving extensive damages. Karen Garcia received injuries to the left ankle and Tyrone Vaccaro complained of pain on his head both were transported to the K.H.M.H by B.E.R.T ambulance. Police investigations continue.

Police News
A 26-year-old man remains hospitalized after he was injured on Saturday. Love news understands that sometime around four o’clock Saturday evening Tyrone Vernon of Salt Creek Road was striking blue crabs in the area when he accidently touched an underground cable. Vernon was shocked and both his hands were burnt. He was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in a critical condition. Seventy seven year old Carmen Amilcar Trochez was knocked down and killed on Saturday morning. Trochez was an apparent victim of a hit and run. It happened at about 5:00 in the morning when Trochez was riding his maroon in color skyline brand bicycle along mile 2 and 3 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. That bicycle was destroyed in two pieces. Trochez was travelling towards Belize City. Eyewitness reports tell Love News that a speeding white van hit and ran over Trochez killing him on the spot. Police have yet to locate the vehicle that hit Trochez. Trochez lived by himself in Belama phase four apartment. Love News understands that police have yet to come in contact with any family member.

PM Leaves Belize
Prime Minister, Dean Barrow is in Venezuela for the Second Extraordinary Meeting of ALBA/ PETRO CARIBE Government Leaders which commences tomorrow. The Prime Minister left the country on Friday for Panama to attend a Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Central American Integration System, better known as SICA. From Panama, the Prime Minister then travelled and arrived in Venezuela yesterday. The Prime Minister is accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington. On Wednesday the Prime Minister will then proceed on a few days personal leave with his family. Prime Minister Barrow returns to the country on the 22nd. During his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega will act as Prime Minister.

Hit and Run Kills Elderly Man
Police say that they have identifieed the individual that was found lying on the side of the highway as that of 77-year-old, Carmen Amilcar Trochez. Trochez is an apparent victim of a hit and run. It happened on Saturday December 14 at about 5am when Trochez was riding his maroon colored Skyline bicycle toward Belize City along miles 2 and 3 on the Phillip Goldson Highway when the incident occurred. As a result, the bicycle was broken in two. Eyewitness reports tell Love News that a speeding white van hit and ran over Trochez causing him to die on the spot. Police have yet to accurately identify the vehicle that hit Trochez. Trochez lived by himself in a Belama phase four apartment. Love News understands that police has been unable to contact any of his family members.

Government Works at Uplifting Rural Residents
The Government of Belize has embarked on a program to contribute to the reduction of poverty in rural populations. This is a US $6 million program which is being done in partnership with the Belize Credit Union League. Lorne Solis, the Program Manager of the Belize Rural Finance Program, spoke to Love News about this initiative. LORNE SOLIS “It is a seven year program and its main objective is to contribute to the reduction of poverty in rural Belize. It is funded through a loan by the Government of Belize from two main organizations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Central American Bank for economic integration. The government is also providing some counterpart funding and the program is working through credit unions to achieve its objective and the credit unions through its own expenditures on activities related to the program is in part providing some funding to the overall cost of the program. One of the main outcomes is that the credit unions that we are working with will be strengthened and have capacity to be able to deliver financial services to the rural sector.

Caye Caulker Chronicles

We love the Village Council Xmas Tree
The Village Council has set up its grand Xmas tree and we have to say … we LOVE it! What do you think? The grand holiday tree is crafted from locally made lobster traps giving it that cultural, local feel. Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Vacancy Announcement
New tour company in San Pedro is searching for a qualified salesperson for our office in front of Central Park (CATAMARAN TOURS), come in and ask for Linda or call 6217245.

Edwardo Lanza & Clara Ack charged for drug trafficking
On Tuesday, December 10th about 8AM, while Caye Caulker Police officers were conducting patrol by the South Point Area of Caye Caulker Village they conducted a search on a male person seen in the area who was later learnt to be Edwardo Lanza, 28 years, for illegal drugs. Upon searching the right front pocket of his pants, police found a black plastic bag containing 27 smaller transparent plastic bags each containing a substance suspected to be cannabis. He was placed under arrest and escorted to the station along with the suspected drugs. At the station, the cannabis was weighed which amounted to 46.8 grams. Edwardo Lanza was formally arrested and charged for the offence of Possession of a Controlled Drugs.

Embassy of Mexico exhibits Nelson Young art
Nelson Young is one of Caye Caulker’s premier artists. We are very pleased to say that the Embassy of Mexico will be exhibiting Nelson’s work today, Tuesday. Congratulations and best wishes for a successful exhibition, Nelson.

Blogs

Welcome to Orange Walk, Belize: Sugar & Taco City
Seven years in Belize and I’d never properly stopped in Orange Walk – Belize’s 4th largest town. I have a friend, Kevin, who grew up here and raves about it like many do their home towns. I know that they do the biggest, bestest September 21st Independence Parade and…well…I’ve always meant to attend. I know they are responsible for a good sized piece of the country’s GDP with the loads of cane and sugar production. AND, even if many tourists don’t know that it is in Orange Walk, Lamanai Mayan Ruins are a hugely popular place to visit. It’s an amazing trip. I also know that Orange Walkers are SERIOUS about their tacos. Orange Walk or “Suga City” tacos are a brand in themselves. SO…it’s time to visit this mysterious district. There are two ways to get to Orange Walk from the island (two MAIN ways) you can 1. Fly on Tropic Air (easy) or 2. You can take the boat south and then the bus north. I picked route number 2 since I haven’t seen this part of the country all that often. I jumped on the $45bzd round trip 8:30am San Pedro Belize Express boat to Belize City. Taxi to the bus station $5bzd and then the bus. As always, it’s a free for all at the bus station. LOOK FOR THE GUYS IN THE YELLOW SHIRTS. They are always very friendly and they have the answers. I boarded the PACKED bus marked CHETUMAL. We are headed NORTH!

International Sources

FLYING ABOVE JUNGLE CANOPY TO SPOT MAYA RUINS
A pair of scientists from The University of Alabama in Huntsville will travel to Guatemala to test whether a camera carried aloft by a tiny, battery-powered helicopter might one day help uncover lost Maya ruins. Dr. Robert Griffin, an assistant professor of Earth system science at UAH, and graduate student Casey Calamaio will spend three days testing a multi-spectral camera during brief flights of a radio-controlled helicopter over Maya ruins at Tikal and Yaxha. They will use the images – similar to those from Landsat but in much higher resolution – to look for signs of the types of plant stress frequently seen in trees growing over archaeological sites in Central America. “If we can fly over this well-known site, which has been extensively studied for many years, and verify that what we think we’re seeing from the air matches what is actually on the ground, this might lead to a method for searching other areas that don’t have this history of archaeology,” said Griffin. Trees growing over Maya ruins aren’t as lush because the stone blocks and lime plaster used by Maya builders prevent those plants from getting the nutrients and moisture adjacent trees get from the thin Guatemalan soil. The multi-spectral camera can see differences in plant cover and, when an area of stressed tree canopy has sharp linear edges or unnatural geometric shapes – such as a perfect square or rectangle – that could indicate the location of a Maya town or building.

Fungus threatens top banana
Fears rise for Latin American industry as devastating disease hits leading variety in Africa and Middle East. A variant of a fungus that rots and kills the main variety of export banana has been found in plantations in Mozambique and Jordan, raising fears that it could spread to major producers and decimate supplies. The pathogen, which was until now limited to parts of Asia and a region of Australia, has a particularly devastating effect on the popular Cavendish cultivar, which accounts for almost all of the multibillion-dollar banana export trade. Expansion of the disease worldwide could be disastrous, say researchers. The disease is caused by strains of a soil fungus called Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.cubense (Foc). A strain of Foc previously wiped out the Gros Michel cultivar, which was the main exported banana variety from the nineteenth century until the 1950s. In response, the industry replaced Gros Michel plants with the Cavendish variety, which is resistant to that Foc strain. But Cavendish is susceptible to the new Foc Tropical Race 4 (Foc-TR4) strain, and could meet the same fate as Gros Michel if the fungus reaches Latin America, the world’s leading banana exporter, says Rony Swennen of the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and a banana breeder at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Dar es Salaam. “It’s a gigantic problem,” he adds. Although Foc strains spread slowly, they are almost impossible to eliminate from soil.

Interpol needs help tracking fugitives in the Caribbean
The international police organisation, Interpol, is seeking public assistance in tracking down international fugitives linked to organised crime networks and wanted for offences including murder and drug trafficking. Interpol said Operation Infra (International Fugitive Round Up and Arrest) Americas involves 46 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Interpol said the operation targets 266 fugitives believed to be hiding out in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and the Caribbean. “Members of the public are now being asked to provide information to help locate 15 individuals, including Rafael Caro-Quintero, the former leader of the Guadalajara Cartel in Mexico,” Interpol said. “They are all cases where no new leads were generated during the initial phase of Infra Americas or where there is no current intelligence on the potential location of these individuals.” Ervin Prenci, criminal intelligence officer with Interpol’s Fugitive Investigative Unit, which is coordinating Operation Infra Americas, said the public could provide vital leads in helping to bring these fugitives to justice.

Meet the travel nutters
Travel nutters ... whether it's diving, skiing, hiking, eating or cycling there are folks out there who follow their passion to an extreme around the world. The sun is slowly setting as the boat chugs back towards the jetty, its wake forming the shape of an arrow in the calm water, pointing the way home. I'm up on a hill in the same place I have been for the last few hours, looking out over the bay, beer in hand, watching for the hardy adventurers to return. Soon they'll be up here at the resort with stories to tell, of the storm that hit them on the journey back, of waves piling over the bow, of the calm before that, of the experiences they had below the surface. They'll have that glazed look of the obsessive about them, of people who couldn't care less what the weather was like or what the bookend boat trips contained, as long as they got their fix. Advertisement You meet nutters of all descriptions when you travel, those who chase their passion around the world - ski nutters, hiking nutters, food nutters, cycling nutters. They've done Thailand and Belize, the Red Sea and the Bahamas. They've seen wrecks and fish and coral and rocks the world over. It's their only holiday of the year: diving.

Caribbean blown by winds of financial crisis
Caribbean countries are lobbying furiously for an extensive international debt relief and investment programme, as politicians become increasingly anxious over the social impact of the region’s economic crisis and the resulting government austerity. Most of the dozen anglophone countries in the tropical archipelago off the coast of the US are struggling with large government debts and lacklustre economies after the global financial crisis hurt tourism, the dominant industry of the Caribbean. Since 2010, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica – twice – have had to restructure their debts and enter International Monetary Fund programmes. Others, including Barbados, are also being forced to impose austerity. This is causing social hardship, exacerbating already high crime rates and even endangering the health of their democracies, some senior politicians fear. Government debts of the Caribbean as a whole amounted to roughly 70 per cent of the region’s GDP last year, or $47bn, according to the IMF.

Guatemala’s Relief Map: hands down the country’s best guide
In 1905, Francisco Vela built what is one of the only known 3D cement maps in the world. Once upon a time a man made a map. Accompanied by a donkey and a few measuring instruments, he rode around Guatemala taking measurements of the country and returned to the capital to scale up. His name was Francisco Vela, and in 1905, with the help of assistant Claudio Urrutia, he designed what is reportedly the only three-dimensional cement map in the world. Drawn almost perfectly to scale (in relation to Guatemala’s original geography), the Relief Map is a reproduction of the country as it existed at the start of the 20th century – with Belize as Guatemala’s 23rd department. Featuring mountains, volcanoes, towns, rivers – one of which even has running water – roads and ports, Vela’s map gives visitors a bird’s-eye view of the Central American nation. In recent years a number of petrol towers have even been added to ensure the map keeps up-to-date with the country’s development.