Today's Belize News: June 19, 2016

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Today's Belize News: June 19, 2016 #515295 06/19/16 05:50 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials The San Pedro Sun BEL explains power interruptions on Ambergris Caye Early in June 2016, Ambergris Caye experienced several unexpected power interruptions that sometimes left the entire island without electricity. Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has maintained that the frequent power interruptions were due to necessary maintenance works being carried out by BEL. BEL reports two particular incidents affecting the island. On Saturday, June 4th the entire Ambergris Caye was left without power for almost three hours. This power outage happened between the early hours of 6:40AM and 9:14AM. The need to pull the plug, according to BEL, was in order to relocate the mobile sub-station for maintenance of the transmission system which supplies Corozal, Orange Walk and San Pedro with power. The second incident, based on their report, occurred on Thursday, June 9th and lasted from 10AM to 10:30AM. Kent Gabourel & BSFC El Pescador team win in Weekend Warriors' road championships Kent "Bob" Gabourel of the Kulture Megabytes team and the BFSC El Pescador team came out big winners in the Weekend Warriors cycling club national road championships on the Hummingbird and George Price Highways, as Gabourel finished solo in the road race at Leslie's Imports in Belize City on Sunday, June 12. Bob punctuated his dominance of the competition by getting off his bike and carrying it across the finish line, much to the amusement of his teammate Vallan Symns who rode in 2nd. First Journalism course offered in Belize The first professional journalism course has finally been introduced to Belizean journalists. The first lecture took place on Saturday, June 11th at the Central Campus of the University of Belize in Belmopan City. Journalists from across the country will be undertaking the syllabus: 'safeguarding the future: The environmental and economic connections in Belize.' The 12-month free course includes classes and field work focusing on topics and issues at the heart of Belize's environmental and economic crossroads. The media members that registered will also benefit from the course modules of basic journalism, newsgathering, skills, best practices, and instruction in the use of social media and digital platforms. Three sick crocodiles stolen from ACES The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) is a non-profit organization permitted by the Belize Forest Department to research, conserve and protect the crocodiles in our country. Sometime between June 12th and mid-day June 13th three small crocodiles that were in their care were stolen from the ACES property in the Boca del Rio area. According to ACES croc wrangler Chris Summers, one of the small crocodiles suffered from dwarfism, with an abnormally slow rate of growth. With little chance of surviving in the wild, the dwarf had been in care of ACES for the last few years, and was used for education at schools and summer camps. Due to his size and lack of survival skills, Summers believes that the little croc would quickly fall prey to a predator should he be released into the wild. "The dwarf croc is one I use for education, so whoever has taken him has not just robbed us, but has also robbed the children we go to see for learning about and seeing a croc up close in a safe environment," commented Summers. Alex Parmelee fails to deliver ambulances to EMS program On December of 2015 it was announced that San Pedro Town would soon be equipped with two ambulances that had been donated to the local medical facility. The initiative was part of an attempt to establish an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system spearheaded by EMS expert Alex Parmelee. He was tasked with bringing back the equipment and ambulances, but to date, Parmelee has not made it back to San Pedro. In January 2016, The San Pedro Sun contacted Parmelee about the delay of the deliveries, and he responded that despite the tardiness all plans were as scheduled. "Currently collecting equipment in USA, lots of equipment will be heading to Belize soon," he said. A few months later, when The San Pedro Sun contacted him again about the project, he informed us that nothing was happening and that there were no funds available for the transfer of the ambulances and medical equipment to Belize. "A lot more work needs to be done if a sustainable program is to be in place. These are matters beyond my control," said Parmelee. He had been asked by Belize Ministry of Health to start the EMS program on the island and with such recommendation it was not difficult to find potential donors who would assist him in getting the project on wheels. Misc Belizean Sources Today is Election Day on Caye Caulker. Kaina Martinez has won second place in the womens 200M Her time of 23.68 was enough to break the previous record set in 2014, but was 0.2 seconds behind Yasmin Woo of Panama. Meanwhile, 2014 Commonwealth Belize flagbearer dominated in the first two events of the Heptathlon. The Belize Times Monima Must Go! - Pablo Marin hires unqualified crony as Northern Regional Health Manager The appointment of Audibaldo Monima, a junior coast guard officer, to lead the public health sector in the North as the Regional Health Manager has sent shockwaves across the health sector. Monima has absolutely no professional training whatsoever in the field of health management. In his former professional life he was a junior coast guard officer and according to our sources he hardly made it past the examination process. The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that Monima's qualifications are limited to an Associate's Degree in business administration from the Corozal Junior College and a certificate from the Mexican navy for a training course. So why has he been appointed to a post that requires a Master's Degree in Public Health or at a minimum work experience of five years in Public Health Administration, Finance and Human Resource Management? That's what concerned minds want to know! PUP holds memorial service for stalwart In life Albert "Macka" Lamb was considered a lieutenant in the People's United Party. Macka passed away last week at his home and due to the body's state of decomposition, he was buried immediately. On Wednesday afternoon, the PUP said goodbye to Macka at a special memorial service held at the Party Headquarters which was attended by members of his family as well as friends in the Party. Mose Hyde blasts Sedi for lies! Krem WUB's no-nonsense morning show host, Mose Hyde, laid it thick on Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington on Wednesday morning for his lies to the nation about his discussions with Guatemala. Following Elrington's junket to Istanbul, Turkey in May, to meet the Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, Elrington reported to the nation that the purpose of the trip was to negotiate an agreed protocol on Sarstoon. Following the meeting, the Government's press office reported that while a negotiated agreement was not reached, an informal agreement was arrived at by both parties that Belizeans and the Belizean Defense Force would have untrammelled access to the Sarstoon. This became the "official line" from the Government of Belize, but a letter from the Government of Guatemala to the Government of Belize, obtained by KREM News, shows that the Government of Guatemala rejected that narrative reported by the Government of Belize. Witness needed in Marlon Bonner murder case Belize City Southside's top cop, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, has decided to use social media to appeal for the public's assistance in solving a recent murder. On Tuesday, Williams posted on Facebook - "we now have the suspected gun man, the man who was brave enough to go and shoot Mr. Bonner barefaced in the presence of many others, but the usual problem is manifesting itself - no one wants to give a statement". On Sunday at around 4:00pm Marlon Bonner, 34, a resident of Central American Boulevard in Belize City, was brutally murdered on a basketball court at the corner of Faber's Road and the Boulevard. Bonner was under a tree waiting for his turn on the Court when a gunman, unmasked, calmly walked up to him and fired shots which hit him in the head, back and chest. Bonner died on the spot. The court was crowded and the shooter did not try to hide his identity. By Monday Police announced that they knew exactly who he was, and also knew the identity of a second man who stood watch on the street outside the basketball court to give his accomplice time to commit the murder. But ACP Williams also made it clear that they were having trouble getting any of the many witnesses to give a formal statement implicating the killer. Think About It Dean Barrow needs to be fired as the Prime Minister of Belize. He could have won six general elections but what he has done and is doing to Belize is bordering on treason. And by the way, any politician who has $350 million dollars to buy votes in a poor country can win any elections. The gross mismanagement and the unacceptable incompetence along with the lies, deceit and deception over the Sarstoon River cannot be countenanced. It must stop. Now. There is a law in Belize that if citizens are dissatisfied with the work or the incompetence, not to mention wrong doing, of an elected member of the National Assembly, they the citizens can require a recall of that person and he has to step down. In the case of the Prime Minister the quickest way before worse is done to Belize is the legal method of a Vote of No Confidence done in the House of Representatives. The Orlando Tragedy Aftermath Last Saturday night's shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando Florida has sent shock waves around the world and released a firestorm of emotions and controversial discussions. With the advent of social media and in particular the popularity of Facebook, news of such events travelled at the speed of light and by early Saturday morning, the world was discussing this terrible tragedy. Belize was no exception! Much is now being discovered about 29 year old Omar Mateen, the apparently troubled individual who is fingered as the gunman. Mateen's father, a man who once attempted to run for president of Afghanistan and described as a "Taliban supporter", told news people that he did not believe that his son's religion (he was a Muslim) had anything to do with the shooting. He claims that his son became angry after observing two men kissing each other a few months before in Miami. The interesting thing is that it is now being revealed that Mateen himself might have been a regular at the gay club and may have even dated other men, using a gay dating app on his phone. WHERE THERE IS NO VISION� - Scripture tells us, 'where there is no vision the people perish'. Latest estimates according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education led by the newly-crowned Deputy Prime Minister in the Barrow Administration, Patrick Faber, indicates that the gap between those accessing education and those who don't has been increasing nearly as fast as his ego. There are approximately 105,221 students enrolled in school from pre-school to university level. 7,400 are in pre-school, 68,812 are enrolled in primary school, 20,539 in high school, and some 8,470 plus at the tertiary level. Recently 7,257 students sat the Primary Selection Examination (PSE). Of this amount a quarter of them or 1,800 plus, for various reasons from lack of classroom space at the high school level to the financial wherewithal to go on to high school, will not be furthering their education. The new Deputy Prime Minister when asked the question if there were enough space at the high school level for every student leaving primary school answered "yes" and that the information was readily available at the Ministry. KHMH wins 2 in Interoffice softball The Kark Heusner Memorial Hospital softball team has four wins and four losses after back to back wins over the BEL Powersockets and Telemedia in the 2016 Belize City interoffice softball tournament held at the Roger's Stadium over the weekend. Chunox SDA boys win football nationals The Chunox 7th Day Adventist Primary School boys from the Corozal District won the National Primary School Football Championship at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium last Thursday and Friday, June 9 - 10. In Game 10, the championship final, the Corozal boys won 1-0, when Elmir Santoya scored the winning goal in the 2nd half. In Game 9, the consolation game for 3rd place, the Dangriga squad was back to full strength, but the Sugar City boys won: 2-0 when David Smith scored in the 1st half and he also converted a penalty in the 2nd half for the 2-0 win. Copper Bank RC girls are Football Champions The Copper Bank RC School girls from the Corozal District won the 2016 National Primary Schools Football Championships at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium last Thursday and Friday, June 9 - 10. The Copper Bank girls defeated the Independence girls 1-0 in the finals. Dianira Lopez scored the winning goal in the 1st half. In 3rd place, the Orange Walk champions, San Lazaro girls won 2-1 over the Toledo district champions, the Santa Elena Primary girls. Katie Jones scored in the first half. Serafina Choc equalized for the Toledo girls in the second half, but Katie came back to score her 2nd goal of the match. Remembering "Macka" Lamb Remarks by: Hon. John Brice�o Independence Hall Tuesday, 14th June 2016 I can see them now, Macka Lamb, Ray Lightburn, Lindy Rogers, my uncle Polo and my dad all gathered around Mr. Price telling stories about the Party. Macka of course would ... Bulgarians who pulled off ATM scam sentenced to one year Two Bulgarian men, who pulled off a credit card scam that left the Belize Bank short of over $14,000 will have to spend more time in Belize than they had initially planned when they pleaded guilty to 18 counts of theft, because today they were ... Burley Card remanded for unlawful sex with minor Burley Card was remanded to the Belize Central Prison today after he was arraigned on five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who was 15-years and 8-months-old. The legal age of consent ... Shane Gillett acquitted of Samuel Price's murder 31 year old Shane Gillett, the man accused of the murder of Samuel Price, 84, the brother of Belize National Hero Rt. Hon. George Price, walked out of the Supreme Court this morning, free ... DIGNITY IN DEATH? The sad news of the death of Vanessa Champagne Paris came through this past week. Ms. Paris was born Porfelio Rodriguez Jr., and the information given is that she considered herself a transgender woman. Activist Caleb Orosco, on being interviewed after the death of Ms. Paris, expressed ... National Security 101 It is a fact that Belize's national security is under attack by Guatemala. The United Democratic Party Government has failed miserably in the management of the national security of the Jewel. The reason for this writer's sentiment is understood through the definition of national security. "A well-known maxim defines ... THE WONDERER AND HARVEST CAYE Belizeans should be aware of the Norwegian cruise line project located at Harvest Caye south of Placencia. Everyone was wondering how this project got such quick approval through the Environmental process. BTIA tried to question and slow down the ... Hon. Landy Habet distributes corn seeds to farmers With the start of the rain seasons, farmers are hoping that their lands will become fertile enough to carry out planting and growing of vegetables. Many communities in rural Belize are very ... Gems of Graduation Season 2016 Finale – Featuring: Belmopan Baptist High, Orange Walk Technical High, Belize High School of Agriculture, Belize Adventist College, Sarteneja Baptist High, Mount Carmel High, Stann Creek Ecumenical College, Julian Cho Technical High and Chunox St. Viator Vocational High It's long been said that nothing is ever really over until it's over. And so it is with the BELIZE TIMES' coverage of High School Graduation Season 2016. We've ... Hard Knocks Love on the Rocks! � Saw Sedi on TV last night, him and Carlos Raul Morales. They both talked at the OAS General Assembly. This is the part I don't get. Carlos Raul was professional and straight up, no grins or giggles. But when it was Sedi's turn I swear all ... Why no watta in Hopkins still? Dear Editor, With all the heavy rains we have been having every night in Hopkins, the reserves should be full. Then why do we have no water pressure in Hopkins? There is $60,000 in the account, why are they not using it to fix the water pressure problem? Establishments have had to close because ... UB President insults the intelligence of its stakeholders Dear Editor, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" - Nelson Mandela Congratulations to the over 500 students, who graduated from the University of Belize on Saturday. No words of praise for UB President Allan Slusher for his remarks, however, as there was no freedom ... The Reporter Opposition to boycott upcoming Belize/Guatemala meeting The People's United Party (PUP) has announced that it will boycott the upcoming negotiations between the Governments of Belize (GOB) and Guatemala because of the way GOB is approaching the situation. PUP leader John Briceno, held a press conference on Friday explaining that because GOB selectively invites the Opposition to negotiation meetings, his party will not send a representative to the meeting in Washington D.C., next Tuesday, to discuss a protocol for using the Sarstoon River. Briceno went on to detail several instances where GOB has taken steps in the negotiations and have excluded the opposition completely, and instances where the PUP have sent advisory letters to GOB only to receive short, dismissive responses by the Prime Minister. "When it is convenient for them, they want to drag us along and when it is not, they are just very dismissive, " Briceno said. He added that he is preparing to hold a meeting with his team of former Foreign Ministers to discuss a way forward using a bi-partisan approach. Briceno maintains that GOB has not been doing a proper job of representing Belize's interests on the issue, pointing out that Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington has not made any strong statements about Guatemala's continued military aggression at the Sarstoon. Breaking Belize News PUP not worried over village council election results Beaten in three straight general elections, several by-elections and multiple municipal council elections since the departure of Right Honorable Said Musa as party leader in 2008, one may forgive the People's United Party for seizing on the 016 village council elections as a means of [�] PUP out of Washington talks as Briceno blasts Government Leader of the Opposition People's United Party John Briceno told reporters on Friday that the country has made no progress in the international front in stopping Guatemala from advancing its territorial claim. The PUP is also irked that their political rivals appear to have frozen them out [�] Lightning strikes, injures Hattieville woman Weather conditions are currently rainy as a tropical wave exits the country. In Hattieville earlier this morning, a young woman was apparently struck by lightning as she held her child in a chair inside her home. The child does not appear to be hurt but [�] Entertainer leads plastics clean-up campaign in Caye Caulker Next Saturday, an environmental activist group on Caye Caulker headed by a popular entertainer is marking its first anniversary. The Anti-Pollution Plastic and the Sea initiative was formed in response to a chronic problem on La Isla Cari�osa, where according to founder Allison "Dan Man" [�] Police step up operations after fatal and violent start to weekend There was a fatal shooting incident reported on Kraal Road in Belize Cityon Friday night. Details are scarce but we understand that the victim died early this morning in hospital while in the Intensive Care Unit. Several other persons were reported injured in separate incidents betweenFriday night [�] Image Factory launches A Beautiful Tragedy Last night the Image Factory launched its latest exhibit, a collection of artwork done by Briheda Haylock, a bold and outspoken artist who uses her works to empower women and the LGBT community. The exhibit, "A Beautiful Tragedy", featured a collection of provocative photos and [�] Who's watching the Belize economy? With all the recent controversy surrounding the Guatemalan territorial claim and the incidents stemming from heightened tension and apparent strained diplomatic relations between the two countries, concern over the economy seems to have faded to the background. But a recent report from the International Monetary Fund [�] Blogs Forget about living the dream as you travel, Charlie Guo, let the dream come to you Charlie Guo is a man on the go. He's a self-described nomad who sprints from adventure to adventure and in a recent essay he says all this chasing the dream has left him a bit empty. Don't hate Charlie. Give him credit for a little self-reflection. Charlie Guo is a self-described nomad. For the past two years he has traveled the world, doing amazing stuff. And his life sucks. Wait. His life doesn't suck. Charlie thinks it sucks. International Sources Belize-bound group wants some travelers who play tunes Gary Hunt is in search of a musician (or two) with a yen for an extraordinary international working vacation. It features towering palm trees on broad, sandy beaches; a charming and funky hotel in a small, end-of-the-road Central American fishing village; a town whose "Main Street" is an almost mile-long sidewalk dotted with one-story buildings painted in a panoply of pastels. There's an overriding humanitarian and environmental purpose: You'll help deliver to impoverished, grateful students school supplies that otherwise would end up in Roanoke's landfill. You'll be treated to lunch at the home of a poet laureate. When you arrive in Placencia, Belize, it will be lobster season. The crustaceans are featured at affordable prices on the menus at just about every restaurant. Career and Tech students engage in place-based, scientific learning in Central America At the end of last month, 20 Mat-Su Career and Technical High School students embarked on a 16-day adventure in Central America to learn place-based science and earn school credit. Career and Tech science teacher Tim Lundt, along with history teacher Zack Lanphier and Wasilla Middle School math teacher Vonda Best, led the students on an educational journey through Belize and Guatemala to gain knowledge about Mayan culture, rainforest and marine biology for a half-credit ecology course. The group arrived in Belize City on May 25, then traveled four hours by bus to Peten, Guatemala. There they stayed at Hotel Gringo Perdido located on Lake Peten, snuggled up against the Mayan rainforest. Are Passports Required on Closed-Loop Cruises? A closed-loop cruise refers to a cruise that begins and ends in the same city. Since the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative now requires U.S. citizens traveling by land or sea to Bermuda, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean region to possess a valid passport, there is some confusion as to whether a passport is required for a closed-loop cruise. This article seeks to clear up the confusion. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not require American citizens on closed-loop cruises to present a passport. However, they do require passengers to present both proof of citizenship and proof of identity in order to depart and enter the country. Examples of acceptable proof of citizenship include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate, a certificate of naturalization or a passport card. Acceptable photo ID could be an enhanced drivers license (EDL). This does not mean that a passport is not necessary. It only means that you do not need one to exit or re-enter the United States. You may still be required to obtain a passport if the countries you plan to visit during the cruise require that visitors have one. Just as the United States government has waived this requirement, many countries that are popular destinations for cruises have also waived the requirement. For example, cruise passengers do not presently need a passport to visit either Belize or the Honduras as long as their cruise does not end there. Videos Kanantik & Brendan's US Open Bet for Belize, 1.5min. If Brendan Steele, PGA Tour Professional & Kanantik Belize Golf Course Ambassador wins the US Open happening this weekend, Luke Chadwick, Kanantik Belize Developer & Owner will donate $1 Million worth of Kanantik lots to www.fragmentsofhope.org which is a Belizean foundation dedicated to the restoration of coral reef. If Brendan does not win but places top 10, Luke will donate $10k, regardless of Brendan's placement Luke will donate $5k. Here's a link to the video which explains the bet between Luke Chadwick (Kanantik Belize Owner & Developer) and Brendan Steele (Kanantik Golf Course Ambassador) Galen Forum discusses Guatemala's claim to Belize, 5min. Guatemala's unfounded claim to Belize is nothing new, but what seems to be a consistent policy of aggression is. Currently, as News Five proved again just Thursday, Belizean civilians are unable to enter the Sarstoon River - that prohibition enforced by Guatemalan military force. On one level the situation seems distinctly hostile and uneasy. On another, we hear in international forums that the relationship between both countries is excellent. So there is some confusion on the ground, and today Galen University hosted a forum of tertiary level institutions to provide some clarity. Mike Rudon was there and has the story. Belize 2016, 6.5min. Scuba diving Smoking in the Park - Episode 19, 5min. Charlie smokes a Cohiba Behike 56 at the Maruba Resort Jungle Spa in Belize Belize - Jaguar Cave Tubing and Zipline, 13min. The Cut from Andersons Lagoon, Belize, 5.5min. Rough cut video traveling from The sea to Sittee River Marina via The Cut from Anderson's Lagoon. Belize Vacation, 5.5min. Quick video of our family vacation to Amberguis Caye in Belize. Stayed at Athens Gate, dove with Tuff e Nuff, snorkel/beach BBQ with Captain Oliver. BELIZE 2016 - A Travel Diary, 7.5min. Snorkeling Ambergris Caye Belize, 3.5min. Anna's Lobster, Belize, 1.5min. Anna spear gunning a Lobster in Belize. Belize - Day 4: AND WE THOUGHT KAYAKING WAS A GOOD IDEA, 8min. Ethnographic Interview (visual) & Language Lessons (audio) - Ethnographic Field School in Belize, 5min. Students are conducting an ethnographic interview (visual) while another student in asking for Spanish translations of our interview questions (audio) in San Lazaro during the Ethnographic Field School in Belize Michael Christian and Chris Guida, San Pedro, Belize, June 2016, 3.5min. Watch in 1080HD (the little gear in the bottom right)! Chris Guida and Michael Christian at the Palapa Bar in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, performing "Going to California", by Led Zeppelin.