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Gerald “Shiny” Tillett is dead; retaliatory shootings kill another in Belize City
Reputed George Street Gang Boss 36 year old Gerald “Shiney” Tillett is dead. He was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. The shooting happened while he and two others were socializing at the popular gambling spot, Wadani Shed, on St. Vincent Street in Dangriga Saturday night. We hear from S...
Western Regional Hospital crawling with gang affiliates; armed security called in
As we told you, following the transportation of two of the shooting victims to the Western Regional hospital on Sunday, as well as the body of the notorious street figure, Gerald Tillet, to the Belmopan morgue, Hospital administration had to call in police assistance as several vehicles of Belize Ci...
Man stabbed in bar fight; dies
A man was killed on Caye Caulker as he tried to part a bar fight. On Sunday April 17, at about 8:00 p.m. a fight broke out at SIP & DIP Liquor Establishment located on Avenida Hicaco on Caye Caulker. Police say that Leon Gordon went to separate a fight between Austin Gabourel and Jeremy Rhaburn,...
Is Saturday night carnage in City linked to Shiney execution in Dangriga?
Police in Eastern Division (South) say they are still working to confirm whether the death of 22-year-old Kadeem Castillo on Saturday night, as well as two other shootings, are linked to the death of Gerald “Shiney” Tillett in Dangriga Town. Today Senior Superintendent Alden Dawson, deputy commander...
Belize City “not on lockdown”
The measures taken by Police on Saturday night in the wake of the murder of Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett seemed to amount to something of a “lockdown” of Belize City. Shops were shut by 9 at night and two nightclubs were closed down by midnight in spite of having extensions. But according to Senior Superi...
Was gang rivalry behind Shiney Tillett’s murder?
Who killed Gerald “Shiney” Tillett in Dangriga Town on Saturday night, and why? Police in both the Culture Capital and the Old Capital are seeking the answers to both questions tonight. Because Tillett was a well-known gang figure, the obvious place to start would be gang rivalry, whether internal o...
Biscayne man shot in chest at home
A 43 year old man was shot to the chest on Saturday night in Biscayne Village at his home at 26 3/4 miles Phillip Goldson Highway. Ladyville police filled us in on the details. Inspector Juanito Cocom, Officer Commanding Ladyville Police: David Richard Taylor, 43 year old, Belizean Laborer of Philip...
Amandala
George Street gang boss executed in Dangriga
The peace at the Wadani Recreational Center at the corner of Mangrove and St. Vincent Streets in Dangriga, was shattered at about 7:00 Saturday night as people scrambled for cover after gunfire erupted during a gin card game under a shed, leaving one man dead and two others injured.
Witnesses say that a gunman went to the shed and shot a player identified as Gerald “Shiny” Tillett, 37, of George Street, Belize City, the reputed boss of the George Street gang.
Tillett was shot in the back of the head, and as he slumped forward onto the table, the gunman fired some more shots, hitting two other men. One man was shot in the side of the abdomen and the other man was shot in the chest as they attempted to escape from the murderous gunfire.
Guilty of destroying ancient Maya site, Noh Mul!
When Noh Mul Pyramid, the ancient Maya site located in San Pablo, Orange Walk District, was bulldozed on May 13, 2013, by Dé Mars Stone Company to extract white marl, it made national and international headlines, and now, after almost three years, the criminal charges brought by the state have been heard and guilty verdicts have been read out in court.
Dé Mars Stone Company is owned by the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) Orange Walk Central caretaker Denny Grijalva, and his wife Emelda Grijalva, who are listed as directors of the company and who were charged, along with Javier Nunez, the company’s project manager, and its excavator, Emil Cruz, for causing damage to the ancient Noh Mul Maya pyramid by removing the white marl for roadfill without a permit.
Eight months after the trial commenced in the Corozal Magistrate’s Court, it came to an end today when Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith found that the Crown had proved its case against the four accused.
Kadeem Castillo, 19, executed on Madam Liz Crescent
Kadeem Castillo, 19, of Madam Liz Crescent; Venancio Carter, 27, of Partridge Street; and Justin Belgrave of East Canal were shot in three separate incidents in the city on Saturday night, April 16.
Castillo was shot in the head and chest and died on the scene, while Venancio Carter was shot in the knee and elbow. Justin Belgrave, 37, was shot in the groin.
Carter was treated and has since been released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), while Belgrave has been admitted to ward at the KHMH in a serious condition.
The first to be shot was Belgrave. Police said that at about 8:30 on Saturday night, Belgrave was standing in front of a Chinese store on Vernon Street when he heard the sound of gunshots, and he ran for cover.
BNTU launches “Stand Up for Belize”
The ages-old, expansionist Guatemalan claim Belize inherited with independence from Britain has been dominating the national scene for over a year due to several incidents in the Sarstoon River involving the Guatemalan Armed Forces’ violation of Belize’s territorial integrity, with its new claim to the entire Sarstoon River.
It is against that backdrop and the talk of settling the dispute at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that hundreds of teachers from all branches of the powerful Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) gathered today in Benque Veijo Del Carmen to launch their “Stand Up for Belize” campaign, which will focus on the building of awareness of the Guatemalan claim.
Man stabbed to death in Caye Caulker
–A Caye Caulker man, Leon Gordon, 30, has died after being stabbed in the abdomen at about 8:15 last night while parting a fight between two men outside the SIP & DIP Restaurant on Avenida Hicaco in Caye Caulker.
Another man, who was a friend of one of the men involved in the fight, reportedly stabbed Gordon in the abdomen with a knife, and the two combatants then escaped in the direction of the Split.
Gordon was rushed to the Caye Caulker village clinic by his family, but he died shortly after due to the injuries he sustained.
5 possible ZIKA cases in the citrus belt
On Thursday, April 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) added Belize to the list of countries with local transmission of Zika, after a report by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that an American woman had contracted Zika in Belize; however, Director of Health Services (DHS), Dr. Marvin Manzanero, told Amandala that the Ministry of Health has not yet signed on to confirm that status because it is still conducting its epidemiological investigations and awaiting the results of tests by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
Today, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a “level 2 alert” travel notice for Belize, calling for “enhanced precautions” to avoid transmission through mosquito bites or sex. The CDC says that “Local transmission of Zika virus infection (Zika) has been reported.” It explained that, “Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area have been infected with Zika virus, spreading it to people.”
Gene Myvett records first ever triple double
Belmopan Bandits clinched #2 seed with a win versus San Pedro Tiger Sharks:
Belmopan Bandits, who are presently on a 7-game winning streak, hosted the two-time defending champions, San Pedro Tiger Sharks, at the UB gymnasium in Belmopan on Friday night. The winner of this game clinched the #2 seed and home court advantage in the semifinals. Belmopan Bandits controlled the tempo of the game, nursing an early 33-31 lead at intermission. The lead was extended to 53-47 at the end of third quarter, and Belmopan Bandits was able to seal the 70-65 victory.
The top scorer for Belmopan Bandits (10-4) was Jarrel Velasquez, who had the game high with 24 pts, 6 assists, 6 rebs and 2 steals; while Nick Brown tallied 16 pts, 6 rebs and 3 assists. Kurt “Chengo” Burgess finished the night with 13 rebs, 9 pts and 3 assists.
San Pedro Tiger Sharks (8-5) was led by Caleb Sutton who recorded 18 pts, 7 rebs, 3 steals and 2 dimes. Tyrone Edwards tallied 14 pts, 3 steals and 3 assists; and Gene Myvett finished the night, with 8 pts, 4 rebs, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Smart Mundialito 13 & Under Football
The 5th Annual Smart Mundialito 13 & under Football Tournament 2016, got under way on Saturday, April 16, with Week 1 games at the MCC Grounds, where 10 of the 11 participating teams saw action.
In game 1, defending champion Brown Bombers and sub-champion Young Warriors played to a nil-nil stalemate.
The NEBL playoffs will use a best-of-three format, with the higher seeded team having the home court advantage. Smart Belize Hurricanes (#1) and Dangriga Warriors (#4) split their season series, where both teams won at home. Smart Belize Hurricanes is in the playoffs for the first time, while Dangriga Warriors is returning for their second straight season as the #4 seed. Similarly, Belmopan Bandits (#2) and San Pedro Tiger Sharks (#3) won 1 game each, with both victories coming at home. For the third straight season, Belmopan Bandits and San Pedro Tiger Sharks have met in the semifinals. San Pedro has won the series in the two previous years, but this year Belmopan has home court advantage for the first time.
Editorial: Bill BRICS attacks Havana Assad
Following the conquests of 1898, the United States began to pursue a new kind of imperialism that generally avoided the bald-faced seizure of territory. Most scholars emphasize how this period was characterized by informal assertions of dominance exemplified by the Open Door policies in China. While the Open Door became an important template for the extension of U.S. power abroad, the era between 1898 and World War II also featured frequent (and largely underestimated) military interventions in Latin America and the accompanying basing of forces abroad.
In this period, the United States intervened militarily in (and in some cases occupied) Mexico (1914, 1916-19), Guatemala (1920), El Salvador (1932), Honduras (1903, 1907, 1911, 1912, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1925), Nicaragua (1898, 1899, 1909-1910, occupied 1912-33), Costa Rica (naval presence 1921), the Dominican Republic (1903, 1904, 1914, occupied 1915-24), Haiti (1914, occupied 1915-34), and Cuba (occupied 1898-1902, 1906-9, 1912, 1917-22).The military occupations in particular depended on the establishment of local military bases and garrisons to station U.S. troops. In Nicaragua, for example, between 1930 and 1932, the United States established at least eight military garrisons. In Panama, where the United States intervened 24 times between 1856 and 1990, the nation built fourteen bases as part of gaining access to the Panama Canal Zone in perpetuity, as well as extensive powers of land expropriation and interference outside the Zone. Like Cuba, Panama became an “American colony in all but name.”
From the Publisher
Crazy Horse died that night, September 5, 1877, at the age of thirty-five. At dawn the next day the soldiers presented the dead chief to his father and mother. They put the body of Crazy Horse into a wooden box, fastened it to a pony-drawn travois and carried it to Spotted Tail agency, where they mounted it on a scaffold. All through the Drying Grass Moon, mourners watched beside the burial place. And then in the Moon of Falling Leaves came the heartbreaking news: the reservation Sioux must leave Nebraska and go to a new reservation on the Missouri River.
Through the crisp, dry autumn of 1877, long lines of exiled Indians driven by soldiers marched northeastward toward the barren land. Along the way, several bands slipped away from the column and turned northwestward, determined to escape to Canada and join Sitting Bull. With them went the father and mother of Crazy Horse, carrying the heart and bones of their son. At a place known only to them, they buried Crazy Horse somewhere near Chankpe Opi Wakpala, the creek called Wounded Knee.
Belisle Nweke considers Macbeth
The Editor AMANDALA
Dear Sir,
It is still important to teach Shakespeare in our Belizean schools. Nevertheless, with the dumbing down of examinations, declining standards, teachers forced to boost students’ self-esteem at the expense of basic standards, and an obvious dysfunctional educational system, thousands of Belizean students will graduate from our educational institutions in a couple of months time with only the haziest idea of history, politics, culture, and great literature.
Why is sixteenth century William Shakespeare relevant to Belize, particularly at this point in time? Of all Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth and Richard III are the most damning about bad government and treacherous, power-hungry leadership. They also conclude with their destruction. Macbeth is actually about politics, and is one of the most contemporary plays ever written. It is about laws, allegiances and treachery within a nation, and the very fate of a country being at stake. In it are lessons for all politicians to decipher – if they can!
“Legalize it, don’t criticize it.”
It was the late great Peter Tosh, himself who said, “Legalize it, don’t criticize it.”
The Social Security Board today held the final round of its 2016 debate competition which featured a hotly contested debate between Ecumenical Junior College (EJC), from the Stann Creek District, and the Corozal Junior College (CJC), from the Corozal District, on the topic, “The Criminal Legislation of marijuana has been a major discussion in many countries. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Belize?”
Ecumenical Junior College (EJC) argued in the affirmative and Corozal Junior College (CJC) argued in the negative.
Coincidentally, today marks one year since Jamaica, our sister country, has enacted legislation in the decriminalization of marijuana.
Opening statements from Ecumenical Junior College highlighted the fact that around 3.8% of the Earth’s population use marijuana. They also stated the many medicinal and alternative uses of marijuana for which Belize can reap sweet financial gains instead of criminalizing the common man for a stick of weed.
A surging armed group in Guatemala?
In the previous edition of the Amandala, we featured a story that had been aired on Krem about the alleged surging of an armed group in western Guatemala. Reports from Huehuetenango, Guatemala tell of videos circulating, allegedly made by a group of armed campesinos, or peasant farmers, under the self-described banner of Fuerzas Armadas Campesinas (FAC- Armed Campesino Forces). The FAC has received much attention (20,000+ YouTube views of a video attributed to them) although they have reportedly not carried out a single armed action. The videos of masked men holding guns have sparked debate. Some grassroots organizers have warned that the video may be a false production as part of the state’s strategy to criminalize community leaders and militarize the region.
In the most recent video, which is the second reportedly produced by this group, a man wearing a black cloth covering his face speaks to the camera, introducing himself as Subcomandante (Subcommander) Toledo. The message he explains in Spanish during the 5 minutes, is to encourage other peasant farmers to join in “the struggle”. He emphasizes a call against “national and transnational companies” that are involved in projects including hydroelectric dams, mining, planting of palm oil and other projects. Toledo warns to the “campesinado” — other peasant farmers: “the objective of the businesses is to destroy us, to destroy our rivers, to destroy our natural riches that come from our Mayan ancestors”.
Bandits drop BDF; Assassins shock Police
The semifinals of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2015-2016 Closing Season came to an end yesterday with games played at the MCC Grounds in Belize City and the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio.
MCC: Pretty football is difficult to materialize on the still dusty, irregular surface of the MCC, despite the deceptive grass cover, which does not stop the rising clouds of black dust whenever the ball is kicked, and still causes bad bounces at critical times when strikers are trying to “shake” defenders. Nevertheless, Belmopan Bandits FC took their 2-1 win from last week into the MCC yesterday against Belize Defence Force FC, who are yet to lose this season on their home turf in the old capital. A draw was enough for the Bandits to gain the aggregate win and advance to the finals, and that is exactly what they came away with. Bandits got on the scorecard first through a penalty conversion in the last minute of first half by, captain, Elroy Smith after BDF goalie Tevin Gamboa had taken down the Bandits’ Jeromy “Jarro” James in the eighteen, in what many fans thought was offside position. But, despite no offside flag being waved, Gamboa’s take-down was ill advised, and gave referee Christopher Reid little choice. Gamboa guessed right, but Smith’s kick was hard enough to still hit the back of the net after a slight deflection.
Quick reflexes saved man from certain death in road accident
A man is lucky to be alive after he slammed into a truck at about 10:00 Friday morning while riding a bicycle. He landed beneath the moving truck, but quickly escaped from under the truck before the back wheels rolled over him. As a result he escaped with slight scrapes and bruises, and a damaged bicycle.
Police say that the man was riding his bicycle towards Belize Corozal Road from a side street in Orange Walk Town, but as he was about to cross the road when the traffic lights turned green, he collided with the side of a truck that had already started moving, in response to the green light.
Post Office employee pleads guilty to theft of $20,610
A former employee of the Belize Postal Service was arraigned on charges of theft this afternoon when he appeared at the Magistrate’s Court and he pleaded guilty to stealing $20,610 from the Post Office during the period of July to December 2015.
Sergio Alonso Patt, a resident of San Jose, Orange Walk District, appeared before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza and pleaded guilty to six counts of theft from the Belize Postal Service.
The 31-year-old Patt appeared in court along with some members of his family, who were very emotional when they learned that he would not be going back home with them, but instead would be taking up a one-year residence at the Belize Central Prison. Patt’s new wife and his brother appeared in court with him.
In asking for leniency, Patt told Magistrate Mendoza, “I did it because of sickness. I had my mother sick. She died from diabetes. Then my brother was sick and I have three children. Then my wife died a year ago.”
Shoman shares and PUP prepares
Today, Thursday, the Opposition People’s United Party held an almost three-hour intense informational meeting chaired by Ambassador Assad Shoman at Independence Hall on Queen Street.
Invited parliamentarians and standard bearers engaged in a discussion that featured “an update on the Sarstoon, Belize-Guatemala [situation] generally and the role of the party in the process,” remarked former Foreign Minister and Opposition Senator Eamon Courtenay.
Courtenay further emphasized that today’s informational meeting was simply to acquire, adequate information to make decisions, as it is the National Executive and the National Party Council that will set the policies for the People’s United Party.
“The party and the Party Leader have committed to educating the members of the National Executive, the parliamentarians, former standard bearers and also the wider Belizean society on all issues surrounding Belize-Guatemala,” added PUP Chairman, Henry Charles Usher.
Marage Road: a rural warzone
It appears to many members of the public that Marage Road, Ladyville, Belize District, which is enveloped by overgrown bushes, has been steadily devolving into a rural epicenter for criminal warfare.
This rocky strip of road has been the scene of several gruesome murders – from the early morning, November 25, 2012 slaughter of three-fourths of the Vellos family to the April 7, 2016 murder of 18-year-old Merkel Pitts.
However, on Sunday, April 16, 2016, at around 2:50 a.m., a family was spared this ever-more-commonplace Marage Road fate.
Ladyville police visited Marage Road this weekend after receiving a report from Cynthia Lozano, 43, a business woman, that several shots were fired at her home.
Breaking Belize News
Peter Sutherland is accused of robbery and wounding Tony Gillings
Tony Gillings was robbed and injured in an attack on Sunday morning on the North Side of Belize City. His accused attacker is 29 year old Peter Sutherland who was remanded without bail by Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith after appearing in her court this morning. Gillings lost […]
28 year old sales representative is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse
Shane Gentle, sales representative of Tibruce Street, is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse of a 13 year old girl. The teenager accused him of having sex with her twice on March 24, 2016. A medical examination conducted on the child confirmed […]
Felix brothers to be tried for murder again
Brothers Maurice and Emory Felix, accused but never convicted after three trials of the murder of Mitchum Heredia over a decade ago, are once again to go before the Supreme Court on a murder charge. This time they are accused of the murder of […]
Court spares American visitor charged with cannabis
Belize City Magistrate Carlon Mendoza elected to discharge a cruise ship visitor to Belize after she was caught with cannabis this morning. 31 year old Ashley Williams of Virginia, USA, was held for 1.8 grams of the drug found in her handbag by a […]
Alrick Smith family sues Government over gun detention
This morning Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith began hearing the case of Alrick Smith Senior of Giles Street, a construction worker, and his family: wife Sandra Casey; son Leon Smith; daughter Tamica Smith and niece Ishaida Brooks. While at home on July 7th, 2014, […]
Orange Walk police make arrests for drugs over the weekend
Orange Walk Police arrested three persons for drug offenses over the weekend. The first two arrests were made in San Jose Palmar Village where Carlos Smith and Erlinda Sanchez were found with weed. Police say that during a search of their premises officers found […]
Orange Walk Police find firearms, one homemade
Orange Walk police have confiscated a firearm and homemade weapon. Authorities report that the first weapon, a chrome Taurus .45 ACP caliber firearm with serial number R001649 was found in an empty lot on Savannah Street in Orange Walk Town along with an empty […]
Security Guard stabbed in confrontation with robbers at Free Zone
A security Guard was stabbed while he attempted to stop a robbery in the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. That is what reliable information has pointed out to BBN but there has not been any official word on the incident from Corozal Police. Our attempts to […]
Denny Grijalva is guilty of destroying Noh Mul
Denny Grijalva, proprietor of DE-Mar’s Construction; his wife, Emelda Grijalva; and his Project Manager, Javier Nuñez have been found guilty of destroying the Maya monument Noh Mul in San Jose Village, Orange Walk District. The incident took place on May 10 2013, when Grijalva’s workers […]
Tropic air disburses share of 2015 profit to employees
A press release from Tropic Air issued earlier today, announced that its employees will be receiving their share of the profit bonus for 2015, which is equal to one-third of the company’s profits for the fiscal year. President of Tropic Air, John Grief III, […]
Customs increase presence in Santa Cruz Orange Walk
The Belize Customs and Excise Department has set up a check point at the entrance of Santa Cruz Village in the Orange Walk District in an effort to tighten its control and vigilance of the area where significant contraband takes place. Senior Officer in Charge […]
PLB semi finals showdown
All the excitement over the weekend leaves two team to play in the semifinals for the Premiere League of Belize (PLB). On Sunday at the MCC Grounds in Belize City the Belmopan Bandits took on BDF FC. A penalty was scored by Belmopan Bandits’ […]
Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic
The Belize Wildlife and Referral Clinic (BWRC) is a registered non- profit animal welfare organization that operates country-wide in Belize. BWRC provides free medical care to injured, orphaned, neglected or otherwise imperiled wildlife. Medical care is provided at their veterinary clinic in Central Farm, Cayo District, by their staff of veterinarians and technicians. Wildlife patients are treated at BWRC, where they may undergo medical treatment and possibly rehabilitation prior to being returned to the wild.
BWRC’s mission is to support wildlife conservation, animal health and welfare, and the veterinary profession in Belize through medical services, education, research, and collaboration. BWRC’s logo was inspired by Spartacus, a very special howler monkey that was found alone under a tree, surviving a predator attack, with his hands almost entirely detached. This event was the final push which motivated Dr. Isabelle and Justin Ford to open BWRC in 2012.
The founder, Dr Isabelle Paquet Durand, is a Wildlife Veterinarian who has provided pro-bono care to wildlife for 20 years, 13 of those in Belize. BWRC is the only Wildlife Veterinary Clinic in Belize and the only veterinary clinic with x-ray and gas anesthesia machines. BWRC caters to both domestic and Wildlife patients, with the main focus on wildlife. Since 2012, BWRC has seen approximately 500 wildlife patients from all over the country.
Tropic Air Employees Benefit
Tropic Air announced today that Employees will receive their profit sharing bonus for 2015. This disbursement is based on audited financial results for the fiscal year and will equal one-third of the company’s profits.
“Behind every milestone Tropic Air has celebrated—and there have been quite a few—are our Employees. They are our driving force, and I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork behind every accomplishment,” said John Greif III, President. “Our People have built one of Belize’s most admired companies, and they share in its success with this profit sharing contribution.”
“People often asked me, what makes Tropic different,” said Steve Schulte. “The difference is our employees. Our unique people-focused culture, built on investing in our product and working together, is our primary strength.”
Where Criminal Minds Beyond Borders went wrong about San Pedro, Belize
There is always a buzz around town when Belize is featured on international television, but this one stirred us up more than usual. Belize was featured on Criminal Minds Beyond Borders (Episode: “Love interrupted”) and so many of us were waiting by our TV! We were very excited to see our jewel and the footage of it that would be seen around the world. Little did we know, we were in for a disappointment and a couple laughs to say the least.
Although there was some footage of Belize on the show, it was very little and showed only the mainland which is not where the events were said to take place. Let’s break down where they went wrong shall we?
The show featured a couple on their honeymoon in San Pedro, Belize, who were kidnapped. San Pedro is the name of the town on an island off the coast of Belize (as seen above). It can not be reached by road or bridge, the only way to get there is by airplane or boat. There is no international airport yet either and our airstrip only caters to small aircrafts, so that big jumbo jet the FBI arrived in would have no place to land on the island.
A VIEW FROM UP TOP – THE GREAT BLUE HOLE OF BELIZE!!
Tropic Air was gracious enough to invite us to experience the Blue Hole by air. This is an adventure we were all too eager to experience. The Great Blue Hole is one of the main reasons that thrill seekers, and divers flock to Belize from all walks of the world. Inscribed a World Heritage Site in 1996, this mystery of this massive blue expanse continues to awe the most experienced!
The Blue Hole measures some 124 metres or approximately 400 feet deep and only few can boast actually diving to its bottom. After circling the blue hole a couple times, we make our way north – or is it south? – at this point I’m somewhat disoriented. In the distance we see this lil wreck literally sitting on the edge of Lighthouse Atoll about 5 minutes from the Blue Hole. This is the remains of what used to be a British Cargo Ship.
After this, we make a second fly over the Great Blue Hole, this time we make about 5 rounds circling the hole. Then it’s time to return home.
Roatan - A Fool's Guide to West End and West Bay
So it's been far to long since this Fool meandered anywhere...and Roatan was the choice of places to break that drought. Tropic Air did an amazing job getting us there and back. We all saved 10% on our flights by using the Tacogirl.com discount code! The voyage started as a two man show - me and Pops, Easton. My friend Heidi heard about the voyage and wouldn't be denied access to this lovely idea either - so along she came.
When a hotel is ranked 12 of 14 on TripAdvisor...there is a reason. Don't let your friends tell you otherwise...choose another hotel. Night one will go unmentioned as we all know I won't blast people and places; there are price points for all types, I can respect that. Really it was a good thing I learned quickly that West End isn't my scene. We spent night one there; it is a crowded part of Roatan, lots of people and things going on...something I wanted to escape a bit more. After night one East and I bid Heidi adieu and struck out on our own - bound for West Bay...and my vibe!
International Sources
Inside The Arts: JazzFest - Experience Belize
This week on Inside the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival kicks into high gear at the Fairgrounds. In addition to its stellar musical line-up, we sample Caribbean treasures as the Cultural Exchange Pavilion celebrates Belize.
Eater Nola's Guide To Jazz Fest Guides 2016
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival starts this Friday, April 22, kicking off two long, expensive weekends of a whole lot of music, and almost as much food and drink. The Fess takes over the Fair Grounds, spilling out into the Faubourg St John, but it's big enough that the entire city shifts into Jazz Fest mode for these two weeks. This poses a number of (good) problems for visitors and locals alike. People can be left overwhelmed with the options, wondering what the best bets are both during the Fest and across town.
Where to get a free and delicious taste of Belize: Ann Maloney reports that Belize will be in the spotlight at Cultural Exchange Pavilion, including demos of two dishes unique to the Garifuna culture— Cassava bread, which will be made from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday outside the tent, and hudutu, "a Garifuna seafood coconut soup with green plantain" made at 3 p.m. at the Cajun Cabin Stage area. [NOLA.com]
Belize - Milling slows down in week 16
Belize Sugar Industries milled 38,647 tonnes of cane during week 16 of the 2015/16 crushing season, down from 52,966 a week earlier and also below 50,085 in the same period a year ago, the company announced.
5 Hotels and 5 Tours for the Eco-Conscious Traveler
It’s the rare hotel that doesn’t engage in sustainable practices like encouraging guests to reuse towels, but many hospitality companies and tour operators go much greener than that. Eco-tourism companies, which put a priority on sustainability as well as profit, cover everything from conservation-focused wildlife safaris to community-sustaining lodges and properties that grow their own food. Descriptions of some of the new and improved eco-lodges follow, along with those of new tours offering emissions-free bike trips, carbon-offset cruises and glimpses of rare wildlife.
A 3,000-acre on-site farm produces more than 70 percent of the food served to guests of Belcampo Belize, a 17-room eco-lodge in a Belizean rain forest that balances food sustainability and natural adventure. The lodge’s many eco-initiatives include snorkeling outings with the chef to spear lionfish, an invasive species, for later meals, and fashioning furniture from fallen hardwood trees. In addition to frequent farm-to-table cooking classes and jungle foraging outings, the coming Belcampo Birding Encounter, Jan. 28 to Feb. 2, 2017, features birding excursions on and off the property with H. Lee Jones, author of “Birds of Belize.” Nightly rates from $407; birding package rates from $2,390 a person. Information at belcampobz.com.
Arlie Petters Appointed Trinity College Dean of Academic Affairs
Mathematical physicist Arlie Petters has been appointed dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education, effective July 1. He will serve through June 2020.
Petters holds Trinity College appointments as professor of mathematics and physics and an appointment at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business as a professor of business administration. He succeeds Lee D. Baker, who is returning to the faculty as a professor of cultural anthropology after serving two terms as dean of academic affairs.
“Petters’ life experiences make him especially well suited to shepherd Duke’s undergraduate academic program,” said Valerie Ashby, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. “He was born in Dangriga, Belize, and came to live in New York as a teenager—living first hand the challenges of being an international student. He was also the first in his family to attend college. As a minority man in the sciences, he has learned how to thrive and crafted a deeply successful career.”
Regional tech community gathers in Jamaica
Anyone interested in the development of the Internet in Caribbean may have already heard of CaribNOG, the Caribbean Network Operators Group. Over the past decade, this volunteer-based community of computer engineers has grown into a formidable influencer in the regional technology arena. Today, its twice-yearly regional gatherings are among the most highly anticipated events on the Caribbean’s tech calendar.
CaribNOG facilitates education and training for those in the Caribbean responsible for designing, deploying and maintaining computer networks. This year, when the three-day event kicks off on April 20 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, CaribNOG will be breaking new ground.
Videos
BPP'S PATRICK ROGERS DISCUSSES THE ICJ, COMPROMIS & GUATEMALA'S CLAIM TO BELIZE (PT. 1), 31min. The featured interview here on Belizean Legends highlights the work of the Belize Progressive Party's (BPP) political leader, Patrick Rogers, who has emerged today as a progressive voice on the Belize political scene after many years as an activist for many Belizean causes on the ground in Belize. Rogers, who is also an astute Belizean historian with credible historical facts to drive home his political views on the Belize / Guatemalan Dispute, spoke with Belizean Legends producer and host, Bilall Morris, about the insidious and treacherous Compromis signed by the Belize and Guatemalan governments in December of 2008, without the consent of the Belizean people, to take the aged old Belize / Guatemalan Dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
GHTC Belize Summer Mission Trip 2014, 3min. Grace & Holy Trinity Church Summer Belize Mission Trip, July 2014.
Belize cernie di Antonio Marzano, 4min. giardino tropicale del Belize
Declaraciones Jimmy Morales en The New York Times en Español, 2.5min. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, a TV comedian by trade, is offering Donald Trump "cheap labor" to build a border wall with Mexico.
"To the gentleman who wants to build a wall, I offer cheap labor," Morales said during a Facebook Live interview by The New York Times en Español. "We have high quality labor, and we'll gladly build," Morales added. "Tell us the dimensions, and we know how to do it."
Asked what advice he would give to a future U.S. president who wishes to end illegal immigration, Morales took a more serious tone.
"We will contribute. We believe — although I have no reason to involve myself in U.S. migratory policy — we believe that it is necessary to think about migratory reform where many people who are there in an irregular manner will be regularized."
Snorkeling in Belize 2016 HD, 4min. Shot in San Pedro with GoPro Hero 4
Scuba diving In Hopkins Bay Belize, 6.5min. Took a awesome trip to Hopkins bay Belize and had some great dives as well as snorkeling. We dove on 6 dives each around 65 feet deep. This video has all kinds of aquatic wildlife. I hope you enjoy!
Wildtracks Belize, 4.5min. One of the most incredible experiences of my life squished into a one song video.
Macal River Canoe San Ignacio Belize Feb 2016, 3.5min.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
