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LOVE FM
Woman Accuses Nephew of Burning Her House Down
Fire officials were called out earlier this afternoon to the Gungulung Area in the Lake Independence Division after a fire was ignited at a home on Holy Emmanuel Street. Love News spoke with Ben Matura of the National Fire Service to get the details that followed the 911 call for help.
Benesford Matura
“At 12:45PM we got a call of a house fire on Holy Emmanuel Street; two units were dispatched to the area. The address is 9190 Holy Emmanuel. Upon arrival, there were three structures in the yard; the one to the very back was under fire. We got into operations and extinguished the fire. The other two remained intact. It was a 40X30 wooden on plycem structure, about 4 or 5 feet off the ground. After extinguishing the fire we got in contact with the owner which is Ms. Sonia Harris.”
53-year-old, Sonia Harris, the home owner, has been in Belize for a few months working on improving the structure of this home. Love News went to the site of the fire, where we found Harris and her family members in tears, trying to cope with the loss of thousands of dollars she had just recently invested. A loss she cannot comprehend since the man who confessed to setting the home on fire was no less than her nephew, who she had allowed to live in the house rent-free for the last two years.
Artisans To Converge at Memorial Park This Weekend
This weekend the Memorial Park will come alive with color and creativity as the third annual arts and crafts expo takes center stage. Reporter Olive Singh has more on the upcoming event.
OLIVE SINGH REPORTING
OLIVE SINGH: “A special cultural activity will be held this Saturday at the Memorial Park. The Belize Tourism Board presents their third annual Village Arts and Craft expo which will feature talents of local Belizean artisans to the public and international visitors. The Expo serves as the podium for these small entrepreneurs to network with sponsors in the tourism industry. Love FM spoke with the Development Coordinator Clive Meyers who encourages the public to come out and support Belizean Talent.”
CLIVE MYERS: “The Belize Tourism Board Village Arts and Craft expo is a project that stems from an umbrella program by the name of the Village Outreach initiative. This is where is for us to foster rural community development with artisans that live in the villages of Belize.
Another Shooting in Southside Belize City
Two men were wounded in a shooting incident last night. According to police report, at around 9:20 last night, 18 year old Rodrick Williams and 19 year old Akeem Richardson, were standing at the corner of Iguana Street Extension and Elston Kerr Street when they were approached by male person of dark complexion who pulled out a handgun and fired several shots in their direction. Williams was shot to the abdomen, hand and back. Richardson was shot to the right small finger. Both men were transported to the K.H.M.H. where they were admitted in a stable condition. Police investigations continue.
Police Nabs One of Four Persons Involved In Stabbing Incident
Joseph Vaccaro Jr. one of four persons who the police believe was involved in stabbing incident, was charged with attempted murder and dangerous harm when he appeared yesterday before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Vacarro was remanded into custody until September 1. The charges arose from an incident which occurred between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on January 16, 2014. The complainant, a 15 year old boy, reported to the police that he was standing at the corner of LaCroix Boulevard and Balam Street when a car pulled up and three persons jumped out and inflicted multiple stab wounds to his body. In January three men were charged in connection with the incident. They are 54 year old Joseph Vacarro Sr., 34 year old Rupert Garnett and 33 year old Kenrick Crawford. As we reported yesterday Vacarro appeared in San Ignacio Magistrate Court where we was charged with murder in connection with the death of Victor Vargas, a resident of Unitedville in the Cayo District.
Gordon Sentenced After Injuring Relatives with Machete
Forty-three year old Luis Gordon, a resident of 48 Amara Avenue, was sentenced to five years yesterday by the Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith after he was found guilty of grievous harm for chopping his sister, 23 year old Janelle Gilharry, on the little finger of her right hand, an injury which resulted in permanent paralysis of her finger. Gordon is still faced with charges of attempted murder and grievous harm for injuries he allegedly inflicted on Janelle’s husband, Robert Gilharry. The incident occurred on September 6, 2013, on Amara Avenue, where Janelle and Robert, also reside. According to the evidence, a female friend of couple stayed overnight at the couple’s apartment and had parked her vehicle in the yard, an act which upset Gordon. So the following day, September 6, Robert moved the vehicle and parked it on the street.
CONCACAF Officials in Belize to Sort Out FFB Problems
Two Officials from CONCACAF arrived in the country yesterday. Rafael Salguero, an Executive Member of CONCACAF and of FIFA along with Marco Leal, CONCACAF’s Director of Legal Affairs, was called in by President of the FFB, Ruperto Vicente, says that the Salguero wand Leal were called in as advisors. A meeting with the delegates, congress and the officials was held at six o’clock this morning at the FFB’s headquarters in Belmopan City. Vicente says that it was necessary to call in the officials for assistance.
RUPERTO VICENTE
“It was an excellent discussion and there has been some recommendations made and we have been given recommendation to first of all hold a retreat for the executive members and then thereafter come back to the general meeting and look at what proposal we’ll be presenting to them and then the CONCACAF officials will be here as well. This is important to bring them in because as you know we are a growing federation and we are still learning and for this reason I have also invited FIFA to come in and assist us with our strategic plan and so that is going to be happening in October. They will assist us with our financial positions and so forth so that is going to be coming as well in October where they will put in place a mechanism on how to better manage our finances and how to better manage the federation. This is not something unique to Belize. There are many other countries that have gone through and are going through this sort of phase and so it was easy for them to recognize where our problem is and what we can do to rectify our problems.”
Skilla Captured by San Pedro Police
San Pedro police have captured twenty nine year old Jason, “Skilla” Gillette. According to reports, Gillette was captured on Thursday night in the San Mateo Area of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. San Pedro Police say that they received a tip from people who saw Gillette in the area. Police responded quickly and upon their arrival in the area, Gillett was seen sitting in a veranda of a newly built house. Gillett did not put up a fight. A search was conducted on Gillette, the house and yard, but nothing incriminating was found. Due to the report made against Gillett by German Zuniga, Gillette was consequently arrested and charged for aggravated assault. Zuniga reported to police that Gillett took out his black and chrome nine millimeter pistol and fired four shots in his direction. Luckily for Zuniga, all the bullets missed.
Machete-Wielding Man Scares Caye Residents
A video surfaced on Facebook over the weekend showing a man randomly attaching people with a machete on San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The video has gone viral as it shows two men running away from the machete wielding man. The official police reports states that on Friday, August 22, 31 year old Tyrone Garnett, reported that he was driving a white Toyota Hilux Pick-up on Angel Coral Street and as he was passing the junction of Angel Coral Street & Ambergris Street, he observed a group of people running. As a result he stopped; and suddenly saw 20 year old Simon Velasquez approaching from the driver’s side door with a machete in his hand. and started to knock the driver`s side window glass for the vehicle with the machete. According to Garnett, Velasquez then pushed the machete through the window in an attempt to hurt him. Garnett received injuries from the machete whereby he sustained three cut wounds to three of his fingers of his left hand. Shortly after San Pedro Police arrived on the scene and detained the culprit. We understand that Valesquez has been charged for wounding and police say that they have suggested that he get psychiatric attention.
5 Million to Be Spent on City Canals and Street
Four contracts were signed this morning for the carrying out of infrastructural works around the country. The contract signing took place in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Works and Transport on Power Lane in the City of Belmopan. During today’s signing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Works, Errol Gentle explained what the four contracts are for.
Errol Gentle: “We’ll be signing four contracts. The first being the Bill Lindo Canal which is the construction of the concrete lined canal and that is at a cost of $892,250 with the Government of Belize and Maehia’s United. Then we have the Douglas Jones Canal which is the construction of a concrete lined covered canal at a cost of $1,813,629.88 and this will be signed with Medina’s Construction. We also have the North Side Canal which is the cleaning of the existing canal and lining of with sheet pile with Medina’s construction at a total cost of $1,935,150 and fourthly, Apollo Street to Belama Phase 4; that is the upgrading of the street and this will be signed with M&R construction at a total cost of $1,077,425.86; all to the grand total of $5,718,455.74.”
Weekend Gun Violence Tapers; One Incident Reported
The weekend was a relatively quiet one considering the past incidents of violence we have spent Mondays investigating. There were only two incidents of gun violence and only one man injured. The first occurred on Friday night. It is a shooting, which police believe is gang-related, that took place at the corner of Vernon Street and Central American Boulevard in Belize City. The incident happened just before ten o’clock and left 40-year-old, Ralph Martinez of a Mayflower Street address with a gunshot wound to his left lower back. According to reports gathered, Martinez was socialising at a house at the corner of Mayflower and Vernon Streets where it is believed he was being monitored. Martinez left the residence and began walking on Vernon Street towards Lakeview Street when a white van, traveling from Lakeview Street area, drove up near him and several shots were fired by one of the occupants in the van.
Provident Bank of Belize Hit By Armed Robbers
One man has been detained as Belize City Police continue their investigations into a mid-morning robbery. Once again we join reporter Hipolito Novelo for the details.
HIPOLITO NOVELO REPORTING
Hipolito Novelo: “Belize City Police responded to a brazen armed robbery on Barrack Road. It happened minutes after nine o’clock this morning when two men entered, Provident Bank and Trust Limited and robbed the cashier.”
Inspector Santiago Ciao: “Two male persons entered the Provident Bank requesting to see the cashier. The cashier was called out; before she could have approached this person he went right into her cubicle pulled out the bottom draw, pulled out a red and a black cash pan and made his way out. In that process he was being chased by the cashier telling them that he could not take those cash pans with him. The other male person then pulled out a .38 revolver and pointed at her and said ‘Do not move, this is a robbery’. The guy left the building with two cash pans, he pulled the security into a corner, gun butted him three times and ordered him to lay on the ground then the robber left. The security then made chase and he caught them boarding a van which they used to escape the scene.”
Missing Man Found Dead in Shallow Grave
The Banner and Duhaney families had their worst fears become reality over the weekend. Last week the family went to the media looking for information after Denvo Bannner Duhaney went missing. Duhaney’s body was found this past weekend. Reporter Hipolito Novelo has the story.
HIPOLITO NOVELO REPORTING
Hipolito Novelo: “The decomposing body of 27 year old Denvo Banner Duhaney was found in a shallow grave on Saturday afternoon in the Village of Lemonal, Belize District. Duhaney had been reported missing and was last seen on Saturday August 9. Duhaney was a cricket player and he was celebrating in the village’s field after having won the match. Since that night, no one had seen him. Days past and the family began to worry. Eventually a search party went out looking for him.”
Arlene Banner: “It was a big ordeal because we didn’t know what to do, where he was or what could have happened to him for 14 days and it took us between the sixth and seventh day to realize that something was wrong. We started to contact more family members more often, then we realized we hadn’t gotten any response from anybody and that was when we decided that we were going to do a search up in the village.
PlusTV
New Director for SATIIM
The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indegenous Management (SATIIM), in a press conference on Tuesday, made a very important announcement ; the organisation is under new leadership. Greg Choc is stepping down as leader and Ms. Froila Tzalam is the new Executive Director of SATIIM . Greg Choc stated tha...
Two teenagers shot in Belize City
Two teenagers were shot in Belize City last night. 18-year-old Rodrick Williams of Belize City was shot to the abdomen, hand and back while 19-year-old Aleem Richardson, also of Belize City, was shot to the right small finger.According to police reports, at 9:20p.m...
Another Government Vehicle stolen
A government vehicle assigned to the Western Regional Hospital’s Vector Control unit was stolen on Friday night...
Missing Lemonal man found dead in shallow grave
27 year old Denvo Banner, a resident of Lemonal Village, Belize District, was last seen on Saturday August 9th at a party in Lemonal, after which he said he was heading to Guinea grass Village in Orange Walk District. However he never reached his destination.The family became uneasy at his sudden ...
Heritage Bank robbed in Belize City
A brazen Monday morning robbery of a bank was successfully executed in Belize City. Sometime after nine o’clock Monday morning, Heritage Bank located on Barrack Road was robbed at gunpoint by two men of dark complexion. They made off with over $40,000.00 in Belize and US currency...
Man shot in the back on Belize City street
A man was shot in the back on Friday night. On Friday August 22 at about 9 o’clock, police visited the KHMH where they saw 40-year-old Ralph Martinez of Mayflower Street, Belize City, in stable condition suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the lower back...
A&R’s Security Guard accused of conspiracy to commit robbery of store
One of A&R’s own Security Guards is being accused of being a part of a conspiracy to a robbery at its Belize City Northern Highway branch...
19 year old charged with murder of father of 7
Victor Vargas was murdered two Saturday’s ago. The 34 year old father of 7, known as Nico, got into a fight with a teenager who allegedly stabbed him in the throat...
2 years for stolen computer
Robert Jefferies, the nephew of former Compol Crispin Jefferies, was sentenced on Monday to two years imprisonment, for handling stolen goods; a laptop computer which was stolen from inside an office at the Law firm of Ernest Staine, located on Regent Street in Belize City. On Monday, at the end of ...
Acute Gastroenteritis and causes of Food Borne Illness in Belize
Last week the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Belize and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), presented the results of the Burden of Illness (BOI) research study on Acute Gastroenteritis and causes of Food Borne Illness in Belize...
Building Canals for Food Mitigation
As part of the Flood Mitigation program which is being funded through a loan Agreement made with the Inter-American Development Bank, four contracts were signed to commence the construction of three canals, the cleaning of one existing canal, and the upgrading of one stretch of road in Belama Area, ...
New Bridge planned for twin towns
While on the subject of infrastructure works in the country, Hon. Rene Montero expounded on some of the street works ongoing in his municipality, and highlighted the construction of a new bridge that will be connecting the Twin Towns of San Ignacio/Santa Elena.
Rene Montero – Minister of Works and T...
Another Dead Body found in Orange Walk
The body of a dead man was found floating in the Belize New River on Sunday August 24th, in Orange Walk Town. The body has since been identified as that of 66 year old Efijenio Dujon, a Guatemalan National of no fixed address.Reports are that Efijenio Dujon was last seen alive on Saturday afternoon...
Found Property
On Sunday afternoon, a police/BDF Strike Team visited an abandoned lot on Vernon Street, where searches inside a blue drum led to the finding of a black plastic bag inside the drum containing five black parcels, each containing green leafy substance believed to be cannabis...
Annual Shooting competition held in Hattieville
There was a shooting competition on Saturday held at the BDF Gallery Range in Hattieville. It is an annual event and this year saw the participation of Police, BDF, Customs, Immigration, Security companies, and Cayo Pistol Club.
The competition was divided into 3 sections; pistol competition, fallin...
Anonymous messages Belize?
A very interesting video is making its rounds on Belize social media. Over the last 24 hours alone, since it was posted, the video has been viewed more than 3,700 times. That’s quite a feat for Belize’s small online population...
Amandala
The massive cost of “leptospirosis” fried chicken
Leptospirosis, a potentially deadly disease contracted when food or water is contaminated by rat urine or feces, left the family of Nigel Augustine, 22, with a massive financial burden of $13,000, and although they have received donations to help pay the bill, Mary Lobo, Augustine’s mother, told us on Friday that they still need to find $9,000 more to settle their account with the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
Augustine’s medical records state that he suffered leptospirosis, acute renal failure and pneumonia. His mother said that he has been unable to return to work, and his kidneys won’t function well for about 6 months.
2 jailed for crystal meth worth BZ$4 million
Late this evening, Cuban national Pascual Terrero Pineda, 52, from Boca Del Rio in San Pedro, and Ruperto Eulalio Reyes, 49, a Belizean from Orange Walk, were remanded to the Belize Central Prison after being arraigned in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court for drug trafficking in connection with what authorities have referred to as the largest crystal meth bust on record in Belize.
The duo have been accused of being in possession of at least BZ$4 million worth of methamphetamine, otherwise known as “crystal meth”, a widely used, highly addictive drug which was reportedly found in the back seat of a car that spun out of control and ran off the road during a police chase this past Wednesday, August 20, at around 7:20 p.m. in Orange Walk.
Heritage Bank jacked 40 grand!
The Heritage International Bank and Trust Ltd., located at the corner of Barrack Road and Craig Street, was held up this morning at about 9:30 by two brazen thieves, who got away with over $40,000 in Belize and US currency.
Police said that the bank was robbed at gunpoint by two men of dark complexion, who then fled in a waiting grey/silver Dodge van that was parked on Craig Street.
At about 10:00 a.m., the van was located abandoned on Santa Barbara Street.
Fast work by police has led to the arrest of one suspect, but the second robber is still on the run.
Belizean-American killed in Boston Carnival parade
Information to Amandala is that a young Belizean-American woman was murdered in Dorchester, Boston, over the past weekend while taking part in the city’s annual Caribbean Carnival, and today, a teenager was arraigned in Boston for her murder.
Boston police said that this past Saturday, August 23, shortly after 8:00 a.m., officers assigned to a parade associated with the city’s annual Caribbean Festival heard gunshots and later found Dawnn Ashley Jaffier, 26, suffering from gunshot wounds in the area of Charlotte and Blue Hill Avenues in the Dorchester neighborhood.
BML and CitCo agree on payment schedule
A payment agreement has been ironed out between Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) and the Belize City Council (CitCo) in order to shave down over four months of arrears, amounting to about $1.5 million, which was owed to the sanitation company, whose owner had subsequently resorted to temporarily terminating some fifty employees in order to keep the company afloat.
Two weeks ago, on Monday, August 4, a frustrated group of BML workers spontaneously took to the streets in response to the situation and expressed their dissent by scattering several bags of refuse in front of City Hall on North Front Street in Belize City in an effort to have their concerns addressed by Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley.
Belizean youth make foray into multi-billion-dollar mobile app market
Forty-five Belizean youth from various parts of the country launched their mobile app innovations at the Ramada Hotel in Belize City on Friday afternoon, August 22, after a week of training under the 2014 Young Innovators Program, organized and funded by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
The youth, divided into 8 teams, presented their new apps, which are available for free on Google Play. During Friday’s app launch, the teams were rated by their peers, and the most popular apps among the workshop participants walked away with Toshiba two-in-one laptops (which can also function as tablets) and free Internet for a year from the provider of their choice.
Missing cricket player, 27, found decomposing
At around 2:30 this past Saturday afternoon, a search party of villagers and police officers came upon a decomposed corpse which was buried in a shallow grave near some bushes about 600 feet northeast of St. Luke’s Methodist Primary School building in Lemonal, located in rural Belize.
The search team was made up of members of the family of Denvo Banner Duhaney, 27, a popular cricket player from the village who had been missing since August 9, and to their utter dismay, the body was later identified as their loved one.
A&R security guard remanded for A&R robbery
An A&R security guard has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith late this morning on a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery, in connection with a robbery at the A&R Belize City branch, located at Mile 1 1/2 on the Philip Goldson Highway, which took place last Wednesday, August 20, sometime after 6 p.m.
Leroy Ciego, 28, a resident of Marigold Lane, in the Lake Independence area, was read a single charge of conspiracy to commit robbery. No plea was taken from him and he was remanded to prison until his next court appearance on October 9.
Editorial: Beat Down
From time to time, we “talk big” at this newspaper and put up a brave front, but more often than not these days we feel that we have been watching a psychological “beat down” of our people in this population center. Decisions are made and projects are undertaken and/or abandoned which have the masses of our people confused, leave us inconvenienced, destroy our landmarks, and obliterate our history.
Why are we not surprised that the locking of the gates of the MCC Grounds a few months ago has not resulted in any visible improvement? Instead, judging from the video footage presented by KREM TV in their Sunday evening news package, the MCC Garden is once again being treated as an idea whose time is gone. The Garden was a sacred place in our people’s consciousness. Politicians and bureaucrats in their employ now appear to have a master plan for the Garden which has to do with predator casinos instead of the Belizean people. Straight up.
From the Publisher
Belizeans at home (and for purposes of this column I will just arbitrarily refer to us as “Base Belizeans”) and Diaspora Belizeans have to stop shouting at each other long distance and organize a forum where the issues can be properly ventilated and some hard resolutions passed.
The first thing that has to be done is to identify those voices which are compulsively committed to a UDP or a PUP agenda, and remove them from the discussion. This is a difficult assignment, and it will take time to complete it. But, it can be done, and it must be done if any serious, documented fusion of Base Belizeans and Diaspora Belizeans is to begin taking place.
Letters: Jack Linker’s letter has “factual errors”
In the Sunday edition of Amandala, you published a letter from Jack Linker concerning the importance of exercising your vote. Whereas I agree with this sentiment, there were factual errors in the letter that require pointing out. “…in the USA, the largest democracy….”
Mr. Linker does not specify if he means the largest democracy in size, or in population. Not that it matters, because both are incorrect. The largest democracy in land mass is Canada, the 2nd largest country in the world.
The largest democracy in number of people is India. Around 1.2 billion people live in India and everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote. The population of the USA is around 315 million.
Stomach flu study reveals an $18.6 mil burden
The stomach flu has become fairly common—so much so, that the overall economic impact has become astronomical, at an estimated BZ$18.6 million annually, with roughly 40,000 cases believed to occur across Belize each year.
Apart from diarrhea generally resulting in 3 or more bathroom visits for the day, patients mostly suffer abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Information provided to Amandala by Englebert Emmanuel, Burden of Illness Coordinator/Director of License Accreditation in the Ministry of Health, indicates that the economic impact of acute gastroenteritis on the public health system in Belize is estimated to be BZ$6.2million annually, while the economic loss due to unproductive days is estimated at BZ$ 10.9 million annually. Within the private health care system, loss of productivity and health care costs were estimated at BZ$1.4 million annually.
More hands on deck for school uniforms
In recent years, vendors have adopted the practice of importing school uniforms from places like Guatemala, contrary to the traditional practice which Belizeans have had of getting their uniforms made by local seamstresses and tailors, but a group of women from northern Belize have been trained with the skills necessary to bolster local garment production.
According to the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Social Investment Fund in Belize, a group of 26 women graduated this month from the Garment Construction Training project, financed through a loan of US$51,440.00 from the Bank.
Ruckus at Robert’s Grove board meeting
A meeting of the board of directors of Robert’s Grove Beach Resort, said to be the premier tourist resort in southern Belize, according to a number of tourism experts, had to be aborted because a member of the board objected to attorney Arthur Saldivar’s presence in his capacity as the attorney for Jean Marc Tesse, the majority shareholder of the resort.
Even before the meeting could get underway, there was an altercation between Saldivar and Boris Mansfield, a minority shareholder, who was about to chair the three-member board meeting, which included director Michael Kramer.
Amandala was invited to the resort to report on the altercation between Saldivar and Mansfield, which had been reported on a local radio station.
Police charged two Mile 8 residents for gang-related offenses
Two residents from the Mile 8 community on the George Price Highway were arraigned in the Magistrate’s Court this morning on separate charges for tattoos that police are alleging link them to criminal gangs. The men appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton
Police charged Angel Dorado, 34, for “profess[ing] to belong to a criminal gang,” and Shaquille Baeza, 19, for “displaying gang membership.”
Dorado was the first to be arraigned and he pleaded not guilty to the charge that he had professed to belong to the Bloods Gang.
Belize and Uruguay confirm mutual support for top OAS positions
At a recent meeting held in Belize, top-ranking officials of both Belize and Uruguay discussed the bids by candidates from their respective countries, to seek the two leading administrative posts in the Organization of American States (OAS).
H.E. Ambassador Gonzalo Koncke, Uruguay’s Special Envoy, Chief Executive in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, was in Belize earlier this month on a mission to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.
Tut Bay FC wins CYDP Peace Cup 2014
BELIZE CITY—The best-of-2 games championship series in the CYDP Peace Cup 2014 tournament was played over the weekend at the Hostel Field, with Tut Bay emerging champions over second place North Front Street. Tut Bay won [...]
Belize participates in CAC Table Tennisqualifiers in El Salvador
BELIZE CITY—Belize will be participating in the Central American & Caribbean (CAC) Games Table Tennis qualifying event to take place in El Salvador from August 28 to 31, 2014. Team Belize will comprise of: Zhi Cheng; [...]
Complex “Admirals” take Game 1 in BDBA Firms Finals series
BELIZE CITY—The BDBA (Belize District Basketball Association) Firms Competition opened its best-of-3 games championship Finals series on Friday night, August 22, at Bird’s Isle, where Complex Admirals took Game 1 of the series by a 73-63 [...]
Spotlight on golf in Belize – 4th Annual Corkers World Cup
BELIZE CITY—The 4th Annual Corkers World Cup took place last weekend at the Roaring River Golf Course, as players from all over the world competed in a team tournament, with the Belizean Americas trying to win [...]
The August 24th, 2014 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE
This Week's Stories:
- Murder in Unitedville later identified as Victor “Niko”:
Just as the new day was
dawning on Saturday, August 16,
San Ignacio Police were called
out to the village of Unitedville
on the George Price Highway
in the Cayo District, to
investigate the presence of
the lifeless body of a male
person on a veranda.
Upon arrival at the
Unitedville residence of
Quinton Middleton, 29 year
old businessman, the police came
upon body of a male person of
Hispanic descent, face upward on
the veranda. The deceased was later identified as Victor “Niko”
Vargas, 37, Guatemalan,
naturalized Belizean who resided
in the village.
- Who Will Be Queen
Of The West 2014?:
This year’s September
Celebrations was launched today at the Welcome Center
in San Ignacio with the official
presentation of the six
contestants for the Queen of the West.
Master and Mistress of
Ceremony for the event were
William Black and Melanie
Usher who is also serving this
year as the pageant coordinator.
The welcome address was
delivered by Queen of the West
2012, Miss Marcia Moody,
who invited the public to come
out on Saturday, August 23, 2014,
to the Octavia Waight Center
Auditorium to support their
favorite contestant.
- The Difference In Leadership Is As Clear As Day Is To Night:
It’s been over two months since
the incident with PUP Belize
Rural North Standard Bearer,
Arthur Saldivar, occurred. It is
alleged that he accompanied
Melanie Coye to the Central
Bank sometime in mid June to
retrieve Coye’s 1.6 million
dollars as ordered by the court.
The loot, it is alleged, was
placed in two separate carrying
cases, one containing $940,000
and the other $660,000. It is
alleged that Saldivar made off
with the bigger haul and had failed
to turn it in to Melanie Coye, an
allegation Saldivar denies in one
breadth, while in the other, he
speaks about the client owing him
legal fees to the tune of 100% of
the clients rescued funds.
- GSU Nets Three Drug Finds In A Day:
Members of the Gang
Suppression Unit (GSU) were
today conducting routine
searches for illegal drugs,
arms and ammunition in
Santa Elena and surrounding
communities.
The operation started at around
5:30 a.m. this Saturday morning with a visit to the Jeronimo
Thompson street residence, in
Esperanza Village, of Mark
Francis Peters.
Present at the time of the
search were Peters and three
other persons. According to the
GSU, when searched, Peters was
found in possession of a black
plastic bag, in his pocket,
containing 13.9 grams of
suspected marijuana.
- Alleged Female Burglar Remanded To Prison:
A 28 year old Belizean woman
was today remanded to prison on
a burglary charge.
The charge stems from a report
made by Gerald Armstrong. In
a statement to the police
Armstrong informed that his
house located on Eduardo Juan
Street in Santa Elena, Cayo was
burglarized and stolen there from
where small items amounting to
less than one hundred dollars.
Armstrong alleged that the
incident occurred on Saturday,
August 2. The investigation led
to the arrest of Marciela
Castellanos, 28, Belizean
domestic.
- Rugby: The First Four:
The southern districts have
seemingly stormed ahead in
setting up rugby football clubs in
Belize, and the first four clubs
have appointed organisors and
are busy attracting players and
volunteers through their social
media campaigns.
* The Belize Rugby Board
(Rugby Belize) has organized the
country into two ‘Districts’ for
domestic competition purposes;
North includes Corozal, Orange
Walk and Belize, and South
covers Cayo, Stann Creek and
Toledo
*Hattieville United Rugby
Football Union (part of the
Hattieville United Youth
Sporting Club), organized
by Haddan Garbutt, is the
headquarters of Rugby.
- Be Your Spouse’s Biggest Fan:
If you’re married, God has
given you an incredibly important
role: to be your spouse’s biggest
fan. It’s a job only you can do in
the way God desires, and your
spouse desperately needs you to
do it.
We live in a world full of
critics. We don’t have to look far
to find someone who will put us
down.
That’s why every person on the
planet desperately needs to be
affirmed by someone on a
regular basis. It’s how God wired
us. If you’re married, one such
person should be your spouse. To
have a growing marriage, it’s
essential for you and your spouse
to build into your marriage
continual affirmation of one
another.
- Suspected Guatemalan Bandidos Attack:
A 52 year old housewife from
Bullet Tree Falls village in the
Cayo District visited the San
Ignacio police station where she
reported an incident of robbery.
The complainant, Betty Cruz,
informed that she was with
her wheel chair confined husband
and a worker in the El Pilar Mayan reserve when at
around 1:00pm on Wednesday,
August 20, two Hispanic male
persons showed up on her
property asking for a drink of
water. She told the police
that while she was getting
the water, three other men,
wearing masks and brandishing
assault rifles suddenly appeared.
She said that the men spoke
Spanish with a clear Guatemalan
accent. The couple was relieved
of one thousand dollars in cash,
two chainsaws, an electrical
converter, several security
cameras as well as an assortment
of food items.
- Criminal Cases Falling Like Flies:
A number of criminal cases,
some serious, are being struck
out for want of prosecution when
a policeman, on interdiction, is
not appearing in court to give
evidence.
This is the case with police
constable Maxwell Valerio.
Some of the recent cases being struck out because of
Valerio’s non-appearance in court
are:
i) August 4: Possession of a
controlled drug, 6.5 grams
ii) August 4: Damage to
property
iii) August 8: Possession of a
controlled drug, 9.5 grams
iv) August 12: Possession of
Ammunition charges for ten .38
rounds.
- Epilepsy:
Epilepsy is a group of
long-term neurological disorders
characterized by epileptic
seizures. These seizures are
episodes that can vary from brief
and nearly undetectable to long
periods of vigorous shaking. In
epilepsy, seizures tend to
recur, and have no immediate
underlying cause while seizures
that occur due to a specific cause
are not deemed to represent
epilepsy.
In most cases the cause is
unknown, although some people
develop epilepsy as the result of
brain injury, stroke, brain cancer,
and drug and alcohol misuse,
among others. Epileptic seizures
are the result of excessive and
abnormal cortical nerve cell
activity in the brain. The
diagnosis typically involves
ruling out other conditions that
might cause similar symptoms
(such as syncope) as well as
figuring out whether any
immediate causes are present.
Epilepsy can often be confirmed
with an electroencephalogram
(EEG).
- Third Annual Patriotic Paddle:
Our Charitable Fundraising
Event, the third annual Patriotic
Paddle sponsored by BECOL
is scheduled for August 30,
2014. The event is in honor of
re-visiting the route of the
"Flowers Bank 14" paddle to
Belize City and in celebration of
the decision to defend the
Settlement.
The Paddle starts at 8:30 am
with a short opening in Flowers
Bank Village after which we
move off at 9am to Burrell
Boom where we'll have lunch.
Burrell Boom will be an entry
point for paddlers wishing to join
in the event. We move from
Burrell Boom to Manatee
Lookout in Ladyville which is
also an entry point. We'll take a
few minutes break there before
continuing to Courthouse Wharf
in Belize City. THIS IS NOT A
RACE and all crafts are to paddle
along together. Canoes and
kayaks can participate in the
event.
- Venezuela Plans To Introduce Supermarket Fingerprinting:
The government wants to
introduce fingerprinting at
supermarkets to stop people from
buying too much of a single item.
President Nicolas Maduro of
Venezuela has announced a
mandatory fingerprinting system in
supermarkets to combat food
shortages and smuggling.
He said the system would stop
people from buying too much of a
single item.
But the opposition in Venezuela
rejected the plan, saying the policy
treated all Venezuelans as thieves.
Critics said fingerprinting
consumers of staple products was
tantamount to rationing and
constituted a breach of privacy.
- STAR Humor
- Your Weekly Horoscope and Lucky Numbers
- Letters to the Editor
- Public Notices
Patrick Jones
Youth convicted of burglary; given jail sentence
29 year old Robert Jeffries is serving a two year prison sentence on a conviction of burglary handed down Monday by Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith. Jeffries was convicted after a laptop computer reported stolen from the office of attorney Ernest Staine between March 21 and 22, 2013, was […]
Youth charged with attempted murder
Already facing murder charges for the death of Victor Vargas in Unitedville, Cayo, 19 year Joseph Vacarro, Jr., now faces attempted murder and dangerous harm for an attack on a 15 year old boy in Belize City earlier this year. He appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith today […]
Security guard accused of A&R robbery conspiracy
Despite his protests of innocence, twenty-eight year old Leroy Ciego, a security guard who was on duty at A and R Store, located at mile one and a half on Phillip Goldson Highway when it was targeted by thieves last Wednesday, was remanded to the Central Prison until October […]
Brothers charged for stealing and handling used tires
Two brothers have been charged for burglary and handling stolen goods from a used tire depot on Central American Boulevard and Fabers’ Road last week. 35 year old Henry Pitts, a car washer also known as “Snake,” and his brother Roderick appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith on […]
Making Belize’s municipalities safer for children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partner the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are working with the Ministry of Local Government to make all of Belize’s 9 municipalities safer for their youngest residents. At the start of a workshop opening the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative, Ivan Yerovi, […]
National Garifuna Council investigates alleged language discrimination
The National Garifuna Council says it is investigation an allegation that a financial institution in Dangriga town has instructed employees not to speak the Garifuna language in the workplace. The allegation first surfaces this past weekend when a confidential email was sent to me inquiring if this […]
Dangriga market set for September finish
Residents of the Culture Capital and produce vendors are expected to finally get their reconstructed Dangriga Town Market by the end of September, according to latest projections. Started last year but halted in September after investigations by the Office of the Contractor General unearthed illegal payments by contractor […]
New leadership for SATIIM
There is a new Executive Director for the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, SATIIM. After years at the helm, Greg Choc today stepped down, paving the way for Froyla Tzalam to take over as the new Executive Director and at the same time ushering in a new […]
Bull Shark found dead in Joe Taylor Creek, Toledo
The Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment, TIDE, is reporting that a female bull shark was found dead this morning in the Joe Taylor Creek in Punta Gorda town. According to a report posted on the TIDE web page, a necropsy was conducted by the organization’s […]
Dog Days of Summer Plus A Hodgepodge of Other Topics Around San Pedro
This post is really a mash-up of topics from yesterday but the theme of Monday August 25th was certain. And everyone I ran into, each taxi driver I passed or rode with, each shop keeper was focused on that one topic- THE HEAT.
In the morning, the sea was flat as a pancake and the breeze (the one or two whiffs of it each hour) was blowing from the lagoon side. From the North West.
Finally the sargasso seaweed wasn’t coming in anymore…but nothing was coming in. No air. HOT.
You can see the sargasso still breaking apart along the shoreline. It’s going to take a bit longer for that stinky stuff to disappear.
Chaa Creek’s Staff does it Again
Their generous donations through the Inland Expedition Guides/Staff Program once again brought joy and much needed school supplies to local children
We recently wrote about the annual Chaa Creek Scholarship Program, which kicked off this year on August 20 with a special luncheon at the Guava Limb Café for the some of the twelve deserving students who will have their further education tuitions paid courtesy of Chaa Creek.
And now for more good news and another shining example:
On Monday August 18, 2014, 37 kids from the little village of Corozalito off the Chaa Creek road were taken to the Belize Zoo as part of this year’s Inland Expedition Guides/Staff Program.
SALAD BAR – BROCCOLI AND TORTELLINI SALAD
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
3. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar to make the dressing.
4. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, tortellini, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion. Pour dressing over salad, and toss.
International Sources
Belize Thanks Journey's Keyboardist for Visiting by Recording 'Don't Stop Beliezin'
You can't make this stuff up.
Jonathan Cain, the keyboard player for Journey and writer of perhaps the band's biggest hit, "Don't Stop Believing," vacationed in Belize recently—and tweeted about what a fantastic experience it was.
The Belize Tourism Board got wind of this, and with help from its ad agency, Olson, orchestrated an elaborate thank-you to Cain—in the form of a cover song, "Don't Stop Belizein." Popular local Belizean group The Laru Beya Boys recorded the song, which you can hear below.
Olson and the Belize Tourism Board have collaborated on quirky campaigns in the past. Last year they offered free vacations to Vince Gilligan and eight members of the Breaking Bad cast—after the phrase "taking a trip to Belize" was used on the show as a euphemism for getting murdered.
Mission to Belize brings hope, help, happiness to orphans
The following is my account of a weeklong mission trip to Belize (Central America), which I took with my mother, Jane Wheeler, and my cousins Sara and Emily Steybe, and 17 others earlier this summer. It was sponsored by La Jolla Presbyterian Church. Our goal was to paint cheerful murals on an orphanage for abused children and build a home for the impoverished 10-member Garcia family.
Once we arrived at the Banana Bank Lodge, everyone retrieved their suitcases from the trunk and carried them to their rooms, since there was no path to roll them on the ground. Four people were assigned air-conditioned rooms, while the rest were given cabanas to stay in for the week ahead.
Belize centurion, community advocate honored
A Belizean-born centurion and a popular community advocate were among honorees during the recently-concluded Harlem Week.
The Board of Directors of Harlem Week, Inc. and New York City Senior Citizen’s Committee, Inc. bestowed the honor on Caroline Lightburn, 105, and Verna Arthur, Manhattan Community Outreach Director and Senior Advisory Council Liaison with the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA).
They received the awards during the “Elders Jubilee” Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, on Aug. 5, at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building in Harlem.
Harlem Week celebrated its 40th anniversary, while the Elder’s Jubilee celebrated its 37th anniversary.
UN Committee on Migrant Workers to review Belize and Ghana
The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families (CMW) is meeting from 1 to 5 September to review Belize and Ghana. They are among the 47 States Parties to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families. States Parties are required to submit regular reports to the Committee of 14 international independent human rights experts on how they are implementing the Convention. Among the Issues likely to be discussed are:
Belize (1-2 Sep): Application of the Convention by administration and judicial officials; conditions of detention of migrant workers; legal and labour protection for migrant workers including in agricultural and domestic work sectors; equality of treatment with nationals; consultation and cooperation with other States parties concerning international migration trafficking and sex tourism.
Keep manatees on endangered species list
I grew up in Crystal River. I saw my first manatee 55 years ago when I was 5 while I was fishing with my dad. It glided under our boat and my dad was frightened that it would tip us over. To me they were magical and on that day, I became fascinated by these gentle, lumbering creatures.
I have spent a lifetime studying the manatee -- the African manatee in Ivory Coast and the West Indian manatee of which there are two sub-species -- the Antillean manatee in Cuba and Belize and the Florida manatee here in Florida.
10 Incredible Horseback Riding Adventures
Lush green coffee plantations, snow-capped volcanoes, game-rich safari plains and the rainforest wilderness are just some of the extraordinary destinations just waiting to be traversed on horseback. Finding the opportunity in these incredible destinations isn't always easy though, so we've come up with 10 exceptional horse riding opportunities at lodges and resorts in undeniably beautiful regions of the world.
In Belize's Maya mountains, the protected Caribbean forest of Mountain Pine Ridge is rich in flora and fauna. It's here that you'll find Blancaneaux, Francis Ford Coppola's ultra luxe Balinese-style mountain lodge - well positioned, close to Caracol Mayan site and overlooking a small river and waterfall. As well as a spa and pool, the resort has stables from which you can arrange sunrise rides through the rainforest, trail rides that take you from pine to rainforest while seeking out hidden waterfalls, and sunset rides to the nearby national park.
CRFM to Give Oral Arguments to Law of the Sea Tribunal
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will on September 5, 2014 give oral arguments to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany in response to a request for an advisory opinion on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in African waters.
ITLOS, which is made up of 21 Judges, including two from the Caribbean, namely, Judge Dolliver Nelson (Grenada), and Judge Anthony Amos Lucky (Trinidad and Tobago), is hearing oral submissions from States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Organisations with an interest in the subject.
Professor Pieter BekkerLegal Counsel for the CRFM, Professor Pieter Bekker of Dundee University, UK will join representatives of nine (9) countries and the SRFC, the European Union (EU), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in presenting oral arguments.
Videos
Video: The Babymoon, 4min.
Our trip to Belize before the baby arrives.
Video: New Kingston Interview @ Irie Seabreeze Festival, 3min.
Hailing from Brooklyn New York, 3 brothers led by their father Courtney Panton Sr, who also plays bass on stage with the group call themselves "NEW KINGSTON". Together they incorporate R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz with their heritage genre Reggae to form their sound. Formed in 2006 in the basement of their Brooklyn home they have performed to other basements and backyards around town to clubs to stadiums worldwide. In support of releasing their sophomore album 'Kingston University' released FEB 2013, New Kingston serves as main support for The Green from Hawaii on their West Coast Liars & Lovers Final Chapter Tour! But before heading home they stop off in Austin, TX for SXSW to play the Flamingo Cantina! With more to come supporting SOJA, Cris Cab & Collie Buddz, New Kingston is on a non stop touring rampage to spread Reggae and Love across the world!
Video: Belize, 3min.
Video: Belize palm tree trimmer working, 1min.
Video: Hopkins Village, Belize to Austin USA, 6min.
Drive to the airport speeded up!
Video: Ice Bucket Challenge Belize Style, 1min.
Capricorn Restaurant, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Video: Caribbean Marine Atlas II Kickoff Meeting, 4min.
CMA2 kickoff meeting: 4.2. Belize (J. Azueta)
Video: Carnival Magic Aug 2014, 4min.
Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan (Honduras)
Video: Half Moon Caye - Half Moon Wall - Long caye Aquarium August 3 2014, 5min.
Video: ANONYMOUS messages Belize, min.
Video: Living in Rural Belize 22 Aug, 29min.
Video: BELIZE Ambergris, Placencia & the Sapodilla Cays, 12min.
Honeymoon in Belize.
Video: Belize Police Department Commercial 2014, Security Begins With You!, 1min.
Video: Royal Belize in June 2014, 3min.
I wish I could explain how incredible this island in Belize truly is. It was the opportunity and trip of a lifetime. We will be thanking our friends (The Postons) for a good while. So here's the first of many - "Thank You!"
AmbergrisCaye.com 
