Belize Times December 20, 2009

sunday, December 20, 2009

The

The Belize Times

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Belize Times The Truth Shall Make You Free

SUNDAY DECEMBER 20, 2009

Issue No. 4673

$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz

Stop the Bitching

BEMBE!

Harridan \HAIR-uh-din\ , noun; 1. A wor n-out str umpet; a vixenish woman; a hag.

Although Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow was minus the traditional rollers and duster in the House of Representatives on Friday, December 11, 2009, he was every inch the ‘bembe’ and harridan as he lashed out at the members of her Majesty’s loyal Opposition. The PM ranted and raved like the shrew that needed taming, using every dramatic taunt and insult at his disposal. He went on and on, venting fire and fury like the proverbial woman scorned, egged

Fabro and Perrera on the Hot Seat

Belize City, Thursday, December 17, 2009 This week’s three days of testimony at the public hearings held by the commission of inquiry investigating alleg ations of cor r uption in the

Americas recently… - the piece was well written and eloquent, but failed to touch on the real issues facing the Caribbean Community. For the Prime Minister, it is all about delivery and posture, but the real issues remain untouched. Though the Belize Times hesitates somewhat to use the words of then UDP Minister Hubert Elrington, he had this one thing right – Dean Barrow is absolutely all glitter and no substance.

In the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister was asked two very simple questions. But he did not have the answers to those questions, or at least not answers he could release to the

on by the cheers of his colleagues who were inspired by the melodrama of seeing their leader reduced to throwing a womanish tantrum. Dean Oliver did all that. But what he did not do was answer two simple questions about his plan for weathering the recession and about the fate of Boledo vendors under the new ‘Bradsledo’ regime.

The Prime Minister is renowned for his eloquence and literary prowess. He has earned kudos for his lofty addresses, complete with rehearsed gestures and dramatic pauses. But as one Caribbean journalist wrote after one of Barrow’s lengthy addresses at the Summit of the

management of and procurement of drugs and other supplies for the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital saw several members of the institution’s management appear before the tribunal.

First up Monday morning was the much anticipated appearance by Carlos “ P i g g y ” Pe r r e r a , Financial Director since June 2008. Perrera had been particularly accused of playing political favourites in the termination of contracts for the purchasing of supplies, and their

(Continued on page 35)

Belmopan CitCo BROKE!

The Belize Times has received documents which prove that the Belize City Council is not the only UDP municipal body which has been run completely into the hole. The Belmopan

City Council, under the stewardship of Mayor Simeon Lopez is also completely bankrupt, according to the financial reports for the period April 2009 – October 2009. During that fiscal period, the Belmopan CitCo is shown to have collected revenues totaling $1,972,383.27 while spending $2,321,042.14 for a deficit of $348,658.81.

While the end story is a Council operating in bankruptcy, the figures in the financial report are themselves very curious. In the revenues section, it is clear that the Council has done a far from adequate job when it comes to collection. The Mayor for sure needs to answer some very difficult questions.

On the table displayed on this page, (Continued on page 35)

(Continued on page 35)

BTL Warned…Lois Tongue-lashed!

Today Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh delivered a stern warning to telecommunications giant BTL, giving them a deadline of 48 hours to comply

with a ruling that an injunction against BTL be upheld. After consistent disruption of its services including the (Continued on page 35)

. . . r e h et g o T e m Co

It's Time For The PUP!

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treading on dangerous ground Mr. Dean Oliver Barrow served in the previous UDP term of 1993-1998 as the veritable minister of everything. While Mr. Esquivel may have been the figurehead leader of the nation, it was Mr. Barrow who was the acknowledged master of the game; the puppet-master behind the scenes, the man who paid the piper, so to speak. But like with most things, the buck stops with the leader in name (as opposed to the leader in actuality) and all blame for the UDP’s terrible defeat in 1998 landed squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Esquivel. In shame and despair that gentleman walked away from electoral politics, leaving the door of leadership of the UDP wide open. Of course, Mr. Barrow was only too eager to walk through that open door.

It must have been a frustrating personal time for Mr. Barrow. He had achieved his ambition of leading the United Democratic Party, but in orchestrating that small battle he had lost the UDP the war. He would have ten long years for that bittersweet victory to churn in his gut and fester like an open canker. During those ten years his frustration would be matched and overwhelmed by his yearning for total and absolute power. He had been denied his place in the sun for so long that nothing else would suit Dean Oliver. In 1998, the electorate gave him his shot at glory. The result of the electorate’s decision will be written in the history of this nation.

Mr. Barrow has decided that notwithstanding the appearance of impropriety, outright nepotism or confl ict of interest, he will shore up that position of leadership against all comers. He has placed rabid political cronies and his immediate family members in places of extreme authority and responsibility. When questioned he has shown no remorse – in fact he has defended those very strategic and lucrative placements.

Perhaps one of the most critical issues facing the nation today is the arbitrary hijacking of BTL by Mr. Barrow and his government. It is a critical issue because the GOB and by extension Belizean taxpayers are facing what seems like endless litigation as legal and business experts claim that GOB acted unlawfully. It is also critical because the fate of a multimillion dollar company and hundreds of employees are at stake. One of Mr. Barrow’s first moves after taking over BTL was to place his ex-wife on the Board of Directors of the newly acquired company. His next move was to place his son on the same Board, and then shortly after give that son the authority to direct the day to day affairs of the company. Incidentally, his ex-wife is also the attorney on record for the same company – a twisted and incestuous net indeed.

Currently, another player caught up in this net is John Avery, the head of the Public Utilities Commission. BTL/GOB has sought to kill all competition by disrupting the services of Smart. An injunction issued by Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh last week ordered that BTL re-instate all services which had been tampered with and allow Smart full access to their equipment until the PUC has made a decision on the way forward. Late last week John Avery was on the UDP’s Wave Radio morning show where he made a mockery of the Chief Justice’s decision, claiming that the CJ had no jurisdiction to grant that injunction. He spared no opportunity to plead the case of BTL and malign Smart, which makes it clear what the PUC’s decision will be. Of course, John Avery was formerly the editor of the UDP political newspaper.

He was gifted the chair of the PUC and owed his allegiance and his paycheck to Mr. Barrow.

The post of head of the Elections and Boundaries Commission was gifted to UDP supporter, campaigner and crony Alberto August shortly after general elections in 2008. This agency is perhaps the most important and most sacred because it plays such an integral role in elections which will dictate the balance of power in the nation. Since assuming office, Alberto August calls in to the morning shows daily to rant and rave about the PUP and their many perceived evils and to tout the achievements (?) of Mr. Barrow and the UDP. He has declared openly and publicly that he will be ‘red’ until the day he dies.

In this most important office, there has been not even a hint of propriety, of objectivity, of impartiality.

And there is more, so much more, including Mr. Barrow appointing his brother as a justice of the Court of Appeals. There have already been allegations of conflict of interest and indeed a pending court decision in regard to a judgment by said Court of Appeal against BEL. But Mr. Barrow says bring it on. He sees no problem with appointing his brother to the Court of Appeals; to gifting rabid UDP lackeys with key government posts; to giving his son a lucrative posting on the BTL Board; to gifting his wife with just about every lucrative plum within his authority to offer – not to mention the millions in legal fees, since Mr. Barrow has apparently sent out a memo advising that only his ex-wife and daughter are to handle cases on behalf of government.

Mr. Barrow is treading on dangerous ground. His craving for total power seems to have affected any tendency toward rational thought. In attempting to secure his position and repel all comers, Mr. Barrow is well on the way to establishing a dictatorship. Perhaps Mr. Barrow does not yet realize that the Belizean people are ever watchful and every vigilant despite seeming to be laid back and calm. The cry even from within the UDP is that Mr. Barrow is leading a one term party. But word on the street is that Mr. Barrow’s party may not even complete its one term.

sunday, December 20, 2009

Out Spoken

Victimization as a Public Administration Issue

The laws of Belize dictate that elections be held every five years to elect representatives who will go on to form our government. The duty of our government is to plan a direction for the future of our country and then pass legislation to implement these plans. I must emphasize that their role is, or at least should be, purely policy oriented; but as we know all too well, this is not the case.

The public sector functions as the machinery through which government conducts the business of the country. It implements the policies that are formulated by our leaders and enforces them; thus ensuring the smooth operations of our country.

As policy makers, it is understandable that our elected government officials need to have people they can trust working directly with them, but it is a total travesty when these officials find it necessary to replace those public servants who work in the trenches; making sure children cross the street safely and do other jobs of the sort.

As the guardians of our fundamental rights and freedoms, I would like to think that our elected officials are aware that ALL BELIZEANS are granted under Part 3, Sec. 3 of The Constitution of Belize – the supreme law of the land – the “freedom of conscience, of expression, and of assembly and association.” I would like to remind these representatives the work that they were elected to do, and it does not include the micromanagement of the public service! Remember that you were elected by the people of Belize to serve the people of Belize. We are all one people with one common interest, the success and prosperity of our nation and all Belizeans alike.

Long live Belize!

Sincerely, Robert Robinson Public Administration Student University of Belize

Your ‘Mea Culpa’ Was Not Enough Dear Editor I turned on my radio last Friday just in time to hear Education Minister Patrick Faber attempt to beg pardon of the teachers and churches that he has treated with the utmost disrespect. As a Catholic schoolteacher for over 25 years I was disheartened to hear this “little boy” insult and for all intents and purposes call Bishop Dorrick Wright a liar. How did we as a people reach the point where a Parliamentarian, a representative of the people, treat our Catholic Bishop with such disdain? To now beg forgiveness for the transgressions of your mouth is not enough Mr. Faber. You need to do serious penance.

For the record, I DO NOT support the Education Commission. I am not an active supporter of any political party, although my years of experience in the classrooms have given me a front row view of both parties while in the government. For me the PUP has a better record of promoting, enhancing and growing our education system.

But I have also seen how politics enters the classroom.

The Church-State partnership has worked well in Belize for many years. Mr. Faber, you are a product of this partnership, as was every Education Minister before you. What motive do you have for changing the system? Is your appetite for power and control insatiable?

The Ministry of Education should set policy and create the enabling environment for our education system to produce the best Belizeans possible. If the school is failing in its teaching mandate, then it is right for the Minister to step in and correct the failure. But the right to hire the teacher that best fits the goal AND traditions of the school should be the exclusive domain of the school.

I ask all teachers to let their voices be heard where this issue is concerned. Let the government know that they must consult with us, the stakeholders and field officers first. Then these ill-advised measures like the Education Commission would never come about. It would save a lot of time and resources.

I am totally fed up with the silence and compliant inactivity of the BNTU and am proud of Bishop Wright for standing firm with his and the church’s position.

Minister, your ‘mea culpa’ was not enough. Abandon this Commission before you truly do serious damage to Belize’s education system.

Sincerely, Marta Itza Orange Walk

THE BELIZE TIMES EDITOR

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sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

If Da Noh Soh…

$75,000 to shut up…

Word reaching this humble journalist is that the price of loyalty/ silence/back-patting/powdering has now been set at $75,000 a month.

Apparently that’s what Kremandala is

wants, local and international and stay on the line for as long as he wants.

Wonder where I can get me one of those. We got no problem with the brothers getting close, know what I mean, but if BTL belongs to us and it’s our taxpayer dollars footing the bills, then there’s no way that Shyne should be getting a free ride at our expense.

Hell, Shyne is a millionaire – let him buy his own phone…If Da Noh Soh! New Cruise Port in SP?

being given every month by BTL to ensure that they will deal with BTL’s media coverage ‘the right way’… ahem, ahem! No wonder the Kremandala empire has been totally silent on the mess which is the BTL debacle a la Dean, Lois, Anwar and Net. Then again, it could have something to do with the $400,000 from the Social Security Board. Sources tell us that when the matter of pushing the entire $400,000 SSB advertising budget through Kremandala came up at the meeting there was a general outcry, but the ‘Chair’ stood firm and stuck to her guns. Insert bubby in mouth…voila, ensure silence…If Da Noh Soh! Stupid Juliet…

Just this week the UDP’s stupid radio station with dodo-birds Joe and Fonso and guest Big Momma were

in the midst of a giveaway for the Christmas season when they got a call.

The caller had the right answer but was calling off a Smart phone. So up jumps Big Momma, all 350 plus jiggling pounds of her, and refuses to give the caller the prize, just because the caller has the sense to be using a Smart phone. Tell you the truth, if those are the idiots who are cheerleading for BTL, Smart can just stop advertising and wait for the dolly-house to come crumbling down…If Da Noh Soh! Shyne’s Christmas Gift…

Us poor Belizeans might not be feeling the Christmas spirit right about now, but the Barrow family certainly is getting all huggy-kissy and loving.

Word is that little brother Anwar has given big brother Shyne a gift to

celebrate the yuletide season in style.

What’s that gift, you ask? Well, Shyne is now apparently the owner of a brand new top-shelf Digicell phone.

What’s so special about that, you may be asking? Well, we understand that Shyne doesn’t have to pay for calls on this phone – it’s completely free and unlimited. Shyne can call anywhere he

This will be one of those cases where you heard it here first. Credible reports reaching this columnist are that de facto Minister of Tourism Mike

Singh has been holding meetings with representatives from both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Apparently talks are underway to build ports in San Pedro where cruise ships can dock right on the island (at the back of the island to be exact.) We’re not sure exactly who Mike Singh is representing at those meetings with the cruise ship representatives. Word is that Singh has already bought (personally) a lot of dredging equipment in preparation for the work which will be needed to make a port on the back of San pedro feasible. Hmmm! Word also is that some of the $30million allocated for tourism has already been diverted from where it was intended to deal with certain unspecified projects at the back of the island…If Da Noh Soh!

the deal and threatened that if it went through they would withdraw funding from Belize. So no worry with Barrow and Montero and all their hogwash and posturing and pontificating…they got served…If Da Noh Soh! Get the hell out…

You know how we’re always complaining that the police press officer is bogus because the sit-reps provided

by Police are never complete? Well there’s something else that wasn’t on those sit-reps. Just recently Stiletto aka Clement Palacio ran a man over with

to slip and slide so easy when he was attacked by the media. The damned man looked like he was ready to faint.

He of course, denied, denied, denied but nobody believes that tired old story.

Nobody believes that the Jamaican fishermen just all got up one morning and decided, let’s got to Belize to fish in their waters. Anyway, every Tom, Dick and Harry in Cabinet including the Prime Minister has jumped up and said NEVER…this will never happen. But what the Prime Minister isn’t mentioning is that it WAS a done deal, but the World Bank got wind of

somewhat of a gambling problem, but he also has somewhat of a chronic cash flow problem, and never the twain shall meet, as the saying goes. To make up for the cash flow problem, the gentleman allegedly used to go around begging other customers, until he became too much of a problem and management said…get the hell out…If Da Noh Soh! Hold it down Sista B…

his car, deliberately and maliciously.

Apparently this man had been trying to get into his yard the day before, so when Stiletto saw him on the street he just ran him down and left him on the street in serious condition. These damned UDPs always think that they can get away with this stuff, and they have so far. And imagine, the same Stiletto wants to get on television and give advice to young people and tell them how to behave. But you know what, people are watching… just like they were watching when Stiletto was booted out of the Princess Casino. Apparently the gentleman has

Sista B has joined right in there with the rest of the uppity Barrow clan. Isn’t it amazing what money and power will do to you? The usually amiable woman was in Scotiabank on Tuesday attempting to cash a hefty check. When the cashier happened to point out that she had to follow procedures in the cashing of so large a check and it would have to be cleared, Sista B threw a tantrum right there in the bank. She went on and on asking the cashier if she was aware of how much money she (Sista B) had in that bank before grabbing back the check and saying that she was going straight to the manager instead. The poor cashier was left in tears. See, that’s the Barrow thing – they’ve gotten so caught up in the delusions of their own grandeur that they feel that they can treat ‘common’ Belizeans like trash. But this will come back to haunt them, mark my words…If Da Noh Soh!

In this week’s issue, our panel decided to divert just a bit from the regular old hodgepodge, run of the mill, ordinary, everyday UDP hypocrite – Lord knows there are many of them!

This week our attention was caught by the new-fangled, brand spanking new hypocrisy of a man who hides behind the zinc-fence. Many people have expressed theories as to why ‘zinc fence.’ Well, our panel has come up with a new theory which rings true. See, zinc isn’t especially firm and durable. It’s easily bent and twisted and shaped and molded. Evan ‘Mose’ Hyde is our hypocrite of the week because, just like a zinc fence, he has been twisted and bent and warped – all because of the almighty advertising dollar.

For some time now Belizeans have been wondering why this ‘white knight’ from the south-side has been strangely silent when it comes to certain issues facing us today. I mean, this is tradition the man who would ‘bun fyah’ on the oppressors and fight for the rights of the oppressed and so on and so forth. But the man of the people seems strangely silent lately.

The BTL issue is the big thing

right now. From the beginning things went south when the first thing the Prime Minister did after hijacking BTL was to appoint his ex-wife and son (both already rich) to lucrative positions on the Board of BTL. That certainly raised some eyebrows. But not Mose’s eyebrows apparently, because that talk-show host was relatively mute. Now months after, when no new investor has emerged to scoop up BTL; when the path of the company is highly uncertain; when profits have fallen; when BTL employees are de-moralized and when poor roots Belizeans are still waiting for the benefits from the ‘giving BTL back to Belizeans’ campaign – Mose remains quiet.

And to cap it all off there was Barrow’s appearance on the Krem WUB show – talk about a Partridge Street Ernesto Vasquez. Mose could not have powdered the Prime Minister more if the bald one had been upended in a concrete vat full of Gold Bond Talcum Powder. Our country is going through the absolute worst of times – recession, depression, corruption, famine, unemployment, a bankrupt city council, infighting, industries in crisis, tourism going south – and no light at the end of the tunnel. And the Prime Minister was given a pass by Mose – imagine that. No hard questions!

Did we forget to mention that credible reports indicate that Krem is receiving $75,000 a month from BTL? Or did we forget to mention that Krem allegedly was gifted with the $400,000 advertising plum from SSB? For just a fistful of dollars, Barrow has bought himself an invisibility cloak, at least when he’s behind the zinc fence. For a fistful of dollars, Mose has earned himself the title of hypocrite of the week.

Hypocrite of the Week

GOB threatened…

The Jamaican fishing scenario down south in Punta Gorda has drawn a lot of attention recently. What it boils down to is that a fleet of Jamaican fishing boats loaded down with equipment arrived on our shores ready to get to work. But our local fishermen jumped up immediately and said – what the hell? So the Fisheries Department jumps up and cagily admits to nothing with a lot of slippery sliding. Minister of Fisheries Rene Montero wasn’t able

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while at home live under lockdown, fearing that they will be the next victim of a home invasion. No wonder Belizeans see nothing to smile about even at this most festive time of year.

Speaking specifically to the Christmas Season, someone called into one of the radio stations to say that: “Things dread this Christmas; another person said that this is going to be a ‘Barrow’ Christmas.” While I am not sure what that is supposed to mean, I think the caller was implying either that one will have to ‘borrow’ money to make it through the holiday season or that only people who were in good graces with the Barrows could expect a merry A friend of mine got on the bus in a state of fear. At present more Christmas. Whichever of these a few days ago and was telling me Belizeans carry guns for their own interpretations you consider neither that while sitting there he couldn’t safety than before and many people, is what Belizeans expected when help but notice that the usual happy faces you see at Christmas time on the buses and around Belize was missing. Instead of the bright smiles and happy faces what he saw was the stress of people trying to figure out how they will make it through this holiday season.

It is a common belief in Belize that the Christmas season brings with it its own money, and for many Belizeans this year this is more of a hope and a prayer. Whether the idea came as a result of the generosity of the many business persons who at Christmas time usually give a bonus to their staff, or whether relatives abroad send a little extra at Christmas, most Belizeans figure out a way to make Christmas meaningful for their family, especially the children.

So far this Christmas season there seems to be a shortage of good cheer. The bright smiles and happy faces, the excitement of the season and the Christmas parties are not what people are talking about.

The bright lights that usually adorn people’s homes are slow to appear; even the many Christmas Specials on the radio seem to be less than the year before. People seem to have put the festivities of the season on hold.

So what is it about this holiday season that has Belizeans less merry and bright? Of course it has been a long time since Belizeans have had such a tough time making ends meet. Indeed many Belizeans are still trying to figure out how to cope with the rising cost of living. Those who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession as well as those being laid off because of government related contracts are struggling to find a new job. Even those who have jobs must be worried about the uncertainty. We are told that the recession will continue into next year, which means that before this is all over, others will lose their jobs.

This too can add to the feeling of uncertainty that is hanging over so many Belizeans.

On a psychological level, the crime situation has escalated to levels where everyone is now living

From the desk of the Party leader

Where is the Christmas Cheer?

sunday, December 20, 2009 they elected this government.

It was Mr. Barrow who told Belizeans to “hold hope high,” and it was also Mr. Barrow who said that in 2008 we would begin to “realize the possibilities.” No one expected this to mean high infl ation, recession, job cuts and corruption - after all Mr. Barrow was the poster child for anti corruption.

Whether it is the pressure from the dismal economic situation in Belize, fear and frustration over the violence in the streets or total frustration over all the broken promises of this Barrow administration, it is a serious indictment of Dean Barrow and his Government that in this holiday season and in this time of joy Belizeans can only say of Barrow’s second Christmas as Prime Minister that things “dread.”

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

UDP Politics as usual

DNA testing…

This week a man walked free from a charge of rape of an 11year old child in San Pedro. It’s a case with an outcome which has been confusing observers quite a bit. The mother testified that she saw the alleged rapist naked on top of her daughter; the daughter testified that she was threatened with a knife by the alleged rapist, dragged into her mother’s bedroom and raped; the alleged rapist was undefended and in his own statement did not confirm or deny the charge of rape and a doctor claimed the child’s hymen had been perforated.

So why did the jury unanimously return the verdict of not guilty? That’s anybody’s guess. Forgive me if I sound callous, but that’s not the most important question at this point. The thing is, semen was reportedly found in this young girl. For anybody who’s watched CSI, or Law & Order or Perry Mason reruns or anybody who enjoys crime thrillers, this means one thing – semen = DNA = concrete evidence = slam dunk case.

A simple DNA test of the semen allegedly found in the young girl would have proven conclusively if the alleged rapist had done the deed. But see, Belize doesn’t have the ability to do simple DNA testing. Before elections Dean Barrow committed that he would provide a fully equipped forensic laboratory with DNA testing capability. He even quoted a dollar figure. That promise has still not materialized. In fact, Dean Barrow hasn’t mentioned it since. So Belize is decades back when it comes to forensic testing and a child has been denied any justice. In something as important as DNA testing, Barrow falls down. Yet Barrow has a quarter million dollar luxury ride and his Minister of Health was just gifted with a $160,000 luxury SUV. The comfort of the Ministers is apparently the top priority, not the provision of justice and certainly not crime.

Just some research A fully equipped forensics lab with DNA testing capability, fully trained staff and all necessary materials costs in the region of $1.6million dollars. That includes construction of the facility. If you doubt this, you can go do the research yourself. In the first year of the UDP in office, the PM’s ex-wife Lois made $1.3million in legal fees alone from the Ministry of Finance.

That’s apart from any fees that were paid from other ministries; apart from her hefty stipend from the Social Security Board to act as Chair; apart from her salary and allowances as Permanent Representative to the United Nations. What Lois made from the public trough in the first year of the UDP could have financed a topshelf forensic lab with DNA testing capability. What Lois continues to make from those PM-granted perks and now from her recently granted perks as member of the Board of BTL and attorney on record of BTL would pay for the operations and maintenance of the lab year after year. Check it out…

Citco reshuffle…

The reshuffle of portfolios at the UDP City Hall is nothing but a joke. All Zenaida is doing is trying in her own demented way to upstage her political boss. Last week it was the City Council hosting an economic summit (another joke) and this week it’s a reshuffle. Zenaida is trying to show Dean O that he didn’t have the balls to look for a way out of the recession and he didn’t have the balls to reshuffle his Cabinet, but when it comes to balls she’s got extra. Belizeans should not be fooled by any of these antics. Zenaida is still holding on to the portfolio of finance and revenue at the Council and that the root of all City Hall’s evils. She still gets to put her sticky fingers in our cookie jar. The rest of the portfolios are just fluff. Liaison with civil society and NGOs – what the hell is that! It doesn’t matter who has what – all the councilors are just a waste of time. It doesn’t matter if Laura has parks and playgrounds or if Leila has it. None of them are doing anything anyway. The entire set of dodo-birds needs to be re-shuffled right out of City Hall. Maybe then we could get something done.

Balls vs. No Balls Pardon me if I’m wrong, but isn’t our justice system supposed to be occupied with dealing with criminals and ensuring that the laws of the constitution are upheld?

I mean, really, really important matters? Then why the hell is our courtroom tied up trying to figure out if Zenaida was referring to Dean when she said he has no balls?

Why is our justice system tied up trying to figure out if Zenaida should be kicked out of the UDP or not? That’s just plain bulls@#t. Really. That’s what we’ve come to right now. Bogus!

Total disrespect…

When the Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh granted an injunction against BTL after that GOB/UDP run company decided to disrupt service to Smart, the right thinking individual may have thought, well – that’s that. The Chief Justice has passed judgment and all parties must heed. But that’s not how things work in Belize these days under the UDP. The first thing a haggard and confused looking Lois Young said when she came out of the Courtroom is that the judgment was wrong and she doesn’t see how the Chief Justice can enforce his order. Lois claims that the Chief Justice as the highest law of the land had no jurisdiction in this case and could not tell BTL what to do. Then again, nobody should be surprised – the Prime Minister himself spoke ill of the Chief Justice in regard to a judgment regarding the sixth amendment bill. Why

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should Lois not feel that she can do the same? And Lois actually meant what she said – BTL is not doing what the Chief Justice told them to do. International service has not been restored; there are constant disruptions and service continues to deteriorate as BTL tampers with equipment. The UDP has no respect for the judiciary or any decision made by the judiciary if that decision is not in their favour.

And the PUC… The Public Utilities Commission will be no help in this telecommunications saga, that’s for sure. PUC head John Avery is a UDP lackey who owes his job and his paycheck to Dean Barrow. He has already been on WAVE radio stating exactly what his position is – Dean Barrow is king, BTL belongs to Dean Barrow therefore BTL can do no wrong. Avery joined his bally Lois in bashing the Chief Justice for making the decision he did and granting the injunction against BTL. In fact, Avery makes no apologies in his position of being rabid red, pro-Barrow and anti-Smart. The young telecommunication company should see about making its own luck, so to speak, and not believe in any fair shakes from the PUC/GOB/BTL.

David vs. Goliath et al…

Remember what Barrow said in his speech in the House when he hijacked BTL? Remember when he stated that GOB welcomes competition? Well just forget all that.

The reality is that right at this point, Smart is David versus Goliath in the persons of GOB/BTL/PUC/Channel 7/Krem/Amandala. That’s the reality.

here on the streets.

Let them eat cake…

Whether Marie Antoinette ever did say this or not is a question for the scholars, but the message remains the same. As the ‘peasants’ starve for want of bread, the uncaring ruler declares – ‘well let them eat cake.’ See, that’s the attitude of our leader Dean Barrow today. It seems he has no clue about the famine which is currently crippling poor people in Belize. His answer to poverty, as we saw last week, seems to be to contribute a ‘substantial sum’ to a Christmas party. The Prime Minister is lost in his luxurious mansion in front of the sea, buffered from the dismal reality out

Christmas in Belize Despite economic difficulties from time to time, Belizeans for the most part have traditionally shrugged off depression at Christmas time and dragged out those lights to decorate fences and trees and houses. That’s not happening this year. Homes with any sort of decoration are few and far between. I think Belizeans have decided to prioritize this year. The biggest priority will be food on the table, and in these times that’s hard enough to come by that. All the little extras like marley and lights and decoration and paint will just have to wait. If Mr. Barrow isn’t looking around and getting the message that things really, really bad right around this time, then he will not get the message.

Questions to Ministers 1

Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please say if he will be prepared to answer questions about the recession anytime soon, or if he will continue to don his ‘bembe’ garb every time his plans for weathering this crisis are queried?

2

Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance be willing to say once and for all if the reports that his son is a silent partner in the lucrative ‘Bradsledo’ are true or not?

3

Would the Minister of Works Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez be willing to provide detailed information about the CYDP/ Belize City Rejuvenation Project, since Belizeans are claiming that it was just another opportunity for he and his cronies to hustle from the public purse?

4 5

Would the Minister of Works also be able to confirm or deny credible reports that he is a partner in at least two of the recently formed construction companies which are benefitting from lucrative government road-work contracts?

Would the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Rene Montero be able to confirm or deny rumours that he signed off on the license to allow Jamaican fishermen to fish in our waters, and now has been forced to backtrack after public outcry?

6

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

7

THE CONSTRAINTS OF BELIZE’S MONETARY POLICY (PART 2)

Last week we introduced this topic by making the assertion that monetary policy application is severely constrained in Belize, due in main part to a fixed exchange rate regime, shallow financial market and non-existent capital market.

All key areas combined contribute to the Central Bank’s role being relegated to more of a supervisory body and less as a driver of the financial market. In part 1 we examined the implications of the fixed exchange peg and capital controls. This last piece will examine the role of financial instruments and a capital market and the use of fiscal policy to counterbalance Belize’s monetary policy.

A financial market is the market where financial instruments are traded.

This includes capital markets, money markets and foreign exchange markets for trading currencies. A capital market more specifically is where securities are bought and sold, which allows firms, government and countries to finance spending in excess of current income for a particular period. Transactions in the capital market allows for the trading of securities that include both private shares and various forms of private and public debt. Capital markets are structured so that there is a primary market for the initial

offer and sale of newly issued shares or debt instruments, with the vast majority of transactions occur on the secondary market where existing debt instruments are traded freely and change ownership.

For many developing countries the lack of an efficiently organized capital market poses a serious obstacle to the efficient use of savings and thus hinders overall economic development.

Within any economy the quantity of capital being supplied results from people’s propensity to save, and the main factors that determine that rate of savings are income level, expected future income and interest rates. While the demand for capital is driven by firms need to expand the quantity of capital employed so as to increase their productive capacities, or in the case of government to finance capital projects. In Belize the nonexistence of a capital market and limited financial instruments is posing a severe constrain on how capital is accessed within the economy.

Financial instruments in Belize are limited to the availability of government securities such as treasury bills, treasury notes and treasury bonds.

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structure. This has been evident with the utility companies, i.e. Belize Electricity Company Ltd, Belize Water Services Ltd and we can expect in the near future the Belize Telemedia Ltd. However, the process through which such stocks are made available on the market is not in a structured fashion therefore the offering and trade does not support the efficient formation of capital within the market.

Although Belize fixed exchange rate limits the autonomy of monetary policy to effectively influence capital formation an alternative approach that warrants serious consideration is the establishment of open capital market along with the fixed exchange rate. Such an alternative for Belize would allow for the efficient formation of capital within the market whilst also maintaining the integrity of the exchange. This suggested approach will not be a panacea to Belize’s dilemma but would create a situation that fosters greater efficiency for the market. As research evidence has indicated, countries that have open capital markets and pegged exchange rate continues to be restrained in their monetary policy autonomy. This would be the case, as the correlation between the base and domestic interest rates are high. In the case of Belize, the movement of the US dollar and interest rates would then more significantly drive interest rates domestically. The status quo now is that this situation does not prevail – hence the interest rate gap between savings and lending rates.

The establishment of an efficient capital market has been undertaken within the region that has provided positive results for participating economies of the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market (ECSM). Of the participating member countries of the ECSM, only Antigua and Barbuda has an economy of comparable size to Belize. However, due to scale and scope, the ECSM allows for the participation of several members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); namely Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and others.

In facilitating trading in a primary and secondary market for securities, it allows firms within this sub-region to

raise capital through a competitive and non-competitive auction methodology.

Therefore, the options exist for issuers to set the price of their securities or the investors are able to determine price.

Currently there are 12 firms with listed securities on the ECSM from within the OECS member. The establishment and operation of this capital market can be instructive for Belize. It can inform how we move forward in augmenting how our financial market functions.

The last issue this writer will address is the use of fiscal policies as a counterbalance to monetary policy utilization. In the current economic situation where aggregate demand and output is reduced and the use of monetary policy by government and Central Bank is constrained, the use of supply-side policy has to be viewed as a viable alternative to stimulating demand.

Fiscal policy addresses areas of taxes and government spending that influence economic outcome. The use of fiscal policy under a fixed exchange rate regime can be a powerful tool in that it allows for a subsequent monetary expansion that results in interest rates and exchange rates being held constant by Central Bank.

Under the current economic climate that the Belizean economy is faced, it is an opportune time for government to give serious consideration to a way forward that would create an enabling environment for firms in Belize to flourish and meet their production potential. There are several firms of significant size that can stand to benefit from such changes. The issue is therefore government’s political will to creating an investment environment that domestic companies can benefit from.

What cannot be disputed regardless on which side of the argument you tend, is the fact that the sorts of discussion advanced in these pieces, needs to be fostered, with the greatest of urgency, as we prepare to enter the second decade of the 21st century in Belize. It should no longer be acceptable for government to make pronouncement without it being supported by the requisite levels of published research and reference to relevant regional and world experience.

The focus of this piece, which was presented in 2 parts, was to look closely at why the Central Bank of Belize is constrained in driving change and why it is incumbent on government and the Central Bank to recognize and act with special measures. The arguments advanced are that the Government of Belize must be more fully engaged and be prepared to take unprecedented measures when necessary to propel the economy and provide enhanced monetary and fiscal policies to influence the macroeconomic environment.

The aforementioned arguments were premised on the assumption that such changes would be underpinned by the rule of law. Investors’ confidence can only be buttressed if the rule of law is adhered to; a curtailing of government influence and an efficient process to avail oneself of the justice system. Such must be the environment as government endeavors to engender economic development for Belize. The current situation begs to caution of the potential deleterious effects that continued uncertainty and waning investor confidence could have.

Comments to GwynethNah@gmail.com

8

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

F.T.C. Accuses Intel of Trying to Stifle Competition Reprinted from the New York Times December 16, 2009 The Federal Trade Commission antitrust laws, the Sherman Act and on Wednesday sued the chip maker the Clayton Act. In its complaint, Intel, accusing it of using its dominant the F.T.C. noted that the statute gives market position “to stifle competition the commission “a unique role in and strengthen its monopoly,” The New determining what constitutes unfair methods of competition.”

York Times’s Steve Lohr reports.

The complaint is an administrative In its complaint, the F.T.C. accused the chip maker of a systematic action, which will be heard before a campaign to block rivals from selling single administrative law judge within their microchips by cutting off access to the F.T.C., with the trial starting in September 2010. That ruling can be the market.

The filing goes beyond charges appealed to the commissioners acting in cases brought recently by European as judges, and later to a federal appeals regulators and the New York state court — unless Intel reaches a settlement attorney general in focusing on somewhere along the way.

The F.T.C. staff filing is a 24video graphics chips and software in addition to Intel’s core market, the page enumeration of Intel’s reported microprocessors that sit at the heart of anticompetitive acts. It contains no quotes personal computers. Intel supplies about from seemingly incriminating e-mail 80 percent of the PC microprocessor messages or notes of conversations between Intel executives and personal chips worldwide.

The F.T.C. move, according computer makers, as did the New York to Andrew I. Gavil, a law professor at state complaint, for example.

But the F.T.C. accusations do Howard University, is “very significant because it is broader in scope than any extend beyond the charges in other pending complaints, which have of the current cases.”

In all, the F.T.C. contends that focused mainly on claims that Intel has Intel engaged in a pattern of conduct that systematically used large rebates and “put the brakes on superior competitive co-marketing arrangements to persuade products that threatened” its microchip computer makers to use its chips instead of those by A.M.D. market share.

And those cases centered on “Intel has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive the market for microprocessors, The threats to its monopoly,” said Richard F.T.C. complaint accuses Intel of taking A. Feinstein, director of the agency’s a series of steps to hinder competition Bureau of Competition. “It’s been in the market for graphics processing running roughshod over the principles chips, which are increasingly important of fair play and the laws protecting in running video and movies on computers. These graphics processing competition on the merits.”

The F.T.C. action comes after a chips are made by companies including yearlong investigation and in the wake Nvidia, A.M.D. and Via. In the complaint, the F.T.C. said of antitrust complaints in Europe and by the New York attorney general, that Intel views the rising importance Andrew M. Cuomo. But the F.T.C. move of graphics processing chips and their also comes a month after Intel reached potential to supplant the central role of a sweeping $1.25 billion settlement with microprocessors in personal computers its longtime rival in the chip market, as a challenge to its monopoly in microprocessors. Intel’s tactics, the F.T.C. Advanced Micro Devices.

That settlement, covering both said, include making it more difficult for private antitrust and patent claims, was rivals’ graphics chips to work smoothly seen as possibly deterring the F.T.C. from with Intel’s microprocessors.

The complaint states that there moving ahead. In its long-running legal fight with Intel, A.M.D. was both the was a “dangerous probability” that leading victim of the giant chip maker Intel’s unfair practices could allow it to and its chief investigator, generating gain a monopoly in graphics processing most of the evidence that was then used chips.

In a statement, Nvidia said by government regulators around the Wednesday that it was “particularly world.

Intel and the F.T.C. tried to reach pleased to see scrutiny being placed on a settlement, but those talks foundered Intel’s behavior” toward the graphics in recent days. Intel contends that the chips.

The F.T.C. filing also asserts that F.T.C. staff brought up the graphics chip accusations and chip-related software Intel “secretly redesigned key software” late in the talks, asking about some in a way that deliberately stunted the performance of competitors’ chips. details as recently as Dec. 8.

Mr. Feinstein, the F.T.C. official, The F.T.C. action, Intel’s general counsel, A. Douglas Melamed, was disputed Intel’s claim that the graphics chip and software issues were late “misguided and unwarranted.”

The case, Mr. Melamed said, additions to its investigation, saying the “could have, and should have, been company was aware of commission’s settled.” The changes that the F.T.C. is concern “some time ago,” with being seeking, he added, amount to “new rules more specific.

When asked, Mr. Feinstein for micromanaging business conduct” and a potentially “dangerous turn for said politics played no role in the administrative complaint. He noted the U.S. law.”

The commission’s recommended commissioners voted 3-0 to go ahead remedial steps, spelled out in the with the complaint, with commissioner complaint, Mr. Melamed said, would William E. Kovacic, recusing himself for unfairly constrain Intel’s pricing and an unspecified conflict.

The unanimous vote, Mr. marketing, hinder product design and innovation, and force the company to Feinstein said, “suggests this isn’t about politics.” give away its intellectual property.

Instead, he said, the F.T.C. Wednesday’s complaint is being made under a statute giving the agency is pursuing a company engaged “an powers to combat anticompetitive anticompetitive course of conduct that conduct that might not fit neatly or continues to this day. That’s why we’ve immediately into the nation’s main stepped in.”

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

hard hitting

9

Barrow turns ‘Bembe’ in the House…

By: Mike Rudon Jr. On Friday at the sitting of the honourable House of Representatives, Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s Y-chromosome was soundly trounced and kicked out of its lodging by his X-chromosome to make way for its buddy, X-chromosome #2. No disrespect to women intended, but Barrow’s pink frock and ‘frilly batty’ panties were in full effect as he threw verbal slaps and figuratively pulled the hair of a couple of the members on the Opposition side of the House. It was an appalling display of street-gial/thug/ fishwife and was completely unbefitting of the man who, through no virtue of his own competence, is the head of our small nation.

Truth be told, Barrow’s display did possess some entertainment value.

Here’s this man who possesses untold power and authority through his office; the leader of Belize, throwing a tantrum in the House of Representatives like a common floozy – shades of My Fair Lady indeed, PM Do-little. Hell, it was a performance worthy of all the jeering and cheers and back-pats from the idiot bunch on the government side.

But see, that kind of entertainment is really only good news when you’re sitting at Brads playing black-stick and exchanging crude sexual jokes with your UDP ‘ballies’ and drinking up ‘di dutty rum’ and pissing against the fence when a certain level of inebriation has been achieved. Other than that, Barrow’s performance did absolutely nothing for anybody – nothing for the Belizeans who depend on this crew to provide some sort of representation at the highest levels in the land.

See - entertainment value aside, this really is some scary s@#t. Barrow’s tired tirade is meant to mask the true reality of the situation and that reality is frightening. Our PM has absolutely no clue, no idea, no inkling or the faintest glimmer of a notion on how to get us through this crisis. That’s a given. On his refusal to apparently even accept that we are in crisis, there are two schools of thought. One is that the Prime Minister realizes fully well that things really, really bad in Belize, but because he doesn’t know what to do, he simply closes his eyes, pretends that all is well and wishes the problem away. The other school of thought is that Barrow doesn’t even realize how dread things are in Belize.

Those pursuing that school maintain that because Barrow is a millionaire who lives a life of luxury cushioned by an extravagant, first class lifestyle and bulging bank accounts, he doesn’t even know that there are children going to bed hungry. And because Barrow is surrounded by other fat-cats and recipients of many perks Lois, Anwar, Deanne, maybe he’s not being told the real deal.

It seems a little ridiculous to think that the PM doesn’t have eyes to see the desolation around him. It seems more than a little ridiculous to think that he can’t see the poverty and feel the misery of the common man and woman on the streets. Yes, the PM lives in the lap of luxury, but even he must have caught a glimpse of or heard a rumour about the widespread frustration of those who cannot make

ends meet, of those whose homes are being taken away. Even the PM, locked away in his seafront mansion or travelling first class across the world, must have seen a memo about all the businesses which are closing down, of the employees being sent home. He just can’t be so clueless, can he? True, he’s been a little engrossed in making sure that Lois’ phenomenal bills are paid promptly and that his son Anwar gets his stipends and perks on time and that his daughter Deanne get her opportunity to rake in millions. Granted it’s a time consuming job feathering the nest of those close to you. Hell, it’s the only task at which Barrow has excelled since he took office.

If our Prime Minister really is that clueless, then we’re in deep trouble.

As every good alcoholic knows, you need to accept that there’s a problem before you can even take a step to

find a solution. That mantra holds true in just about every situation. If Dean Barrow doesn’t think that there is a problem, then he sure as hell isn’t going out of his way to find a solution.

If the problem only affected Dean et al, nobody would really give a damn, but the thing is that while the PM takes this country on the winding road of economic collapse without a compass or a map, us Belizeans are all along for the ride, like it or not.

Barrow’s girlish and petulant shrilling in the House of Representatives is bad news. He was asked some questions about his plans for the nation during this time of recession and immediately turned ‘bembe’ on the Opposition. Good for a few laughs, sure, but the thing is he never did get into those plans for the nation. So we’re all still left wondering if the last laugh won’t be on us.

10

The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

hard hitting

GOB Ignoring Sugar Cane Crisis…

The 2009/2010 sugar cane crop finally started on Wednesday, December 16th, the latest it has done so in history.

Nonetheless, the start of the harvest was surely a welcome relief to the more than 6,000 cane farmers and their families of the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts, who are heavily dependent on sugar for their only source of income. But their future remains mired in an uncertainty that may bring the entire industry to its knees at a time when it is floundering as a result of the loss of its preferential market and the 36 percent cut in the European Union’s sugar price that will take effect this crop.

There are volatile issues, particularly the cane farmers’ demand for remuneration of the bagasse that will be generated from their delivered cane and used by the Belize Sugar Industries Limited at its cogeneration facility that is now online, that remain unresolved.

But if allowed to fester for long, these issues may disrupt this year’s crop more than the strike and the violent clashes with the country’s security forces over the sugar cane core sampler that led to the death of cane farmer Antanacio Gutierrez did to last year’s.

The shutdown of the industry in February 2009 resulted in millions of dollars in losses to the North’s economy.

The men and women who carry out the back breaking work of cane farming in the hot sun to eke out a living believe that it is only fair that they should be remunerated for the bagasse that will be burned not only to power the factory but to generate electricity, given that BSI expects to earn millions of dollars a year from its sale to the national grid. Times are tough just now, and any extra revenue would supplement the cane farmers’ meager incomes and lessen the possibility that they would have to resort to illegal means, such as prostitution, to clothe, educate, feed, and shelter their families.

But once again BSI has taken an absurd position regarding the cane farmers’ wellbeing despite the likelihood that it will become awash in money from its sale of electricity to the Belize Electricity Limited.

Chief Executive Officer Joey Montalvo and Financial Director Belizario Carballo Junior are adamant that the cane farmers should only be remunerated for their cane and molasses and nothing else. In their view, the bagasse would simply be industrial waste with little value were it not for BSI’s more than $125 million investment in the cogeneration facility. Fair enough. After all, it is BSI alone that is assuming the risk for this momentous investment.

Yet there is no evidence that BSI will be unable to meets its financial obligations to its creditors since it has a guaranteed market for all the electricity that it can generate.

BEL’s main supplier Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad can no longer provide the country with a fixed power supply, and is selling its available electricity at a much higher rate, leaving BEL to scurry around looking for alternative sources to fill our energy needs or else plunge us into darkness. As a result, it appears that Montalvo and Carballo have forgotten that BSI would not have enough bagasse to make the cogeneration facility a viable undertaking and a potential gold mine were it not for the cane farmers’ cane. Thus, their position is completely unreasonable.

Aside from the dispute over the remuneration for bagasse, BSI and the cane farmers remain at odds because each side blames the other for their troubles. The cane farmers are angry because they were out of work since May and believed that the poor management of BSI and the factory not being up to par are to be blamed. In addition, the long wait to harvest the crop caused a major financial setback for many cane farmers, who had no savings to tide them over. And the late start means that the cane’s sucrose content will be very low,

resulting in cane farmers getting a reduced price for their deliveries and subsequently being unable to afford the high costs of inputs, such as fertilizers, and the high cost of fuel to haul their cane to the factory.

On the other hand, BSI blames the cane farmers for the industry’s present state.

Although the factory has the production capacity of 1.2 million tons, the 2008/2009 crop only produced about 918,000 of sugar, the lowest output in 20 years. BSI claims that the cane farmers’ continuous failure to increase their productivity and the yield of their cane is responsible for the industry being unable to collect its projected revenues. While the last crop’s low output did not result in fewer revenues because of the Euro’s strength against the United States Dollar, the 36 percent cut in price is expected to cost the industry $50 million in revenues this crop.

Another issue that could disrupt the industry’s operations pertains to the association that represents the cane farmers’ interests. According to the 2001 Sugar Cane Act, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers’ Association is the only entity that can legally

represent or negotiate on the cane farmers’ behalf. But the BSCFA has been wracked recently by accusations of mismanagement of funds that led to the termination of Chief Executive Officer Carlos Magaña and of political interference. The meddling has apparently led some members of the Committee of Management to do the ruling area representatives’ bidding so that they may gain political mileage with their constituents, instead of acting in the cane farmers’ best interests. This has resulted in the BSCFA’s hegemony being challenged in the Supreme Court of Belize by the United Cane Farmers’ Association that is based in Orange Walk Town. And word is that a third association has been formed recently in Corozal Town by the prominent cane farmers, who were once backing the UCFA. But it appears that the associations and their leaders are only battling over the control of the tens of millions of dollars of Fair Trade funds and the whopping $140 million dollars that will be made available to the cane farmers by the European Union to help them to improve their efficiency

and productivity in light of the loss of the preferential market and the 36 percent cut in price. The infighting, however, has led to a splinter among the ranks of the cane farmers, who are hedging their bets on those leaders, who they believe may provide them with the most perks out of the millions of dollars, instead of the leaders, who may overhaul the industry and in the process make the cane farmers more efficient and productive.

For the good of the industry these issues must be promptly resolved or else it will not be able to stay afloat much longer unless drastic measures that will not benefit the majority of the cane farmers are taken.

It goes without saying that its demise would be catastrophic. Sugar is still the biggest foreign exchange earner of all the agricultural commodities, and it is unquestionably the largest employer of labor in the North, utilizing a wide range of expertise, from the low skilled cane cutters to the specialized scientists and engineers employed at BSI. Indeed, the industry has played a significant role in our national development and it still has an important contribution to make.

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

11

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The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

Eulogy for Dr. Gregorio Castillo, MBBS, DM (Med) On the 10th April, 1951, in the old Belize City Hospital, a bouncing baby boy was born to Justo and Elba Castillo. They named him Gregorio Jose after his uncle Gregorio Jose Castillo, who lost his life in the terrible hurricane of September 10th, 1931.

Five other children were born to that union: one boy Raul and four daughters: Marta, Lilia, Azucena and Nancy. Julian was the eldest from Justo’s previous marriage; he made up our family of seven siblings.

Greg started his education at St. Ignatius School in Belize City. During this time, he joined the Holy Redeemer Cub Scout group and later the St. Ignatius Boy Scouts. He also served as an acolyte at St. Ignatius Church for many years. After graduating from St. Ignatius School, he won a scholarship to attend high school at St. John’s College.

From the very start, Greg was a very industrious student and went on to cruise through Sixth Form at St. John’s College to earn an Associate’s Degree with Honors.

From his early years, Greg showed signs of a keen interest in things medical, and he never swayed to any other life career. After graduating from S.J.C. Sixth Form, he taught there for one year. He later won a Government Scholarship and went on to study medicine at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica, from which he graduated in 1977 with a bachelor degree in medicine and surgery. He completed his internship in Trinidad and Tobago.

While in that country, he met

Miss Indra Anupia Roopnarine who he married at St. Ignatius Church on April 16, 1978. Two daughters were born of this union: Sunita Elba and Nadya Samantha. His two daughters were his greatest treasures; they were his pride and joy until the very end.

Greg served as a Medical Officer, first at the Old Belize City Hospital and later in the City of Belmopan. After a few years, he won yet another scholarship that enabled him to learn, work and teach at the University Hospital of the West Indies at the Mona Campus in Jamaica. He graduated in 1986 with full honors and a Doctorate Degree in Internal Medicine.

When Greg returned home, his

father advised him: “Son, you’ve reached the peak of your career.

I beg you to remember one thing, never forget the little man who may not be able to help himself ”. Dad reminded him of Jesus’ Words – “Whatever you do for the least of these, my brethren, you do to Me.” Greg heeded these loving words, and abided fully by the Hippocratic Oath which he took when he became a doctor.

Dr. Greg gave generously and freely of his time and talent to as many as would ask. His deep desire to serve prompted him to become involved in many community organizations, especially in the Belmopan area. He served for years as in-house doctor with Helpage Belize, gave voluntary training lectures to members of the Belize Red Cross, was an active member of the Cancer Society and assisted in the fight against AIDS through the AIDS Commission. Greg even served as temporary lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Belize.

The story of Greg is the story of a very qualified and a very kind doctor who served all patients who went to him equally and with dignity. With Christianity embedded in this character, he treated his neighbors with no ill fate.

He didn’t care much for making a lot of money, believing truthfully that “If I am a good doctor, the money will take care of itself ” – a good example to follow.

One of Greg’s most terrible pains was the tragic death of his

daughter, Nadya, in a traffic accident on the Western Highway on August 18th, 2005, from which he never fully recovered.

During his life, Greg suffered much from several physical ailments.

For these, he received medical attention in Mexico City, in Houston, Texas, in the USA, and finally at the Belize Medical Associates, of which he was a founding member and one of its first share holders.

Belize has lost a good medical son, a humble and solid citizen, who cared sincerely for his fellowmen, especially his patients.

The Castillo family is in deep grief, but their strong faith in God makes them realize and understand that our ways are not always God’s ways.

They are consoled by their conviction that, ever since the night of Friday, December 11th, 2009, there is a new star in heaven, happy in one of the many mansions created by our Heavenly Father.

The Castillo family gratefully thanks all the good Doctors, Nurses and attendants at the Belize Medical Associates who did all they could to ease Greg’s suffering, and who spared no effort in the attempt to save his life and give him back to us.

To our relatives and friends, we say: We all loved Greg during life.

How could you not! Let us not forget him after death.

Farewell Greg! You are now praising and adoring the Divine Physician of Mercy. Please pray for us!

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

13

COURT NEWS Independence Resident Charged With Attempted Murder Youth Pleads

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 17, 2009 Ru d o l p h G o d oy, 2 4 , a resident of Independence Village who allegedly stabbed a Police Constable and was shot twice in his right leg, was carried into the #1 Magistrate’s Court yesterday, unable to walk because his leg was broken. Godoy was charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm.

Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie explained to him that she would not take a plea from him because the offences are indictable and on a given date a preliminary inquiry will be held to determine if there is enough evidence to

Rudolph Godoy

send the matter up to the Supreme Court. She also explained to him that the Court could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into

custody until January 15, 2010.

T he incident occur red on the night of November 29 at McGee’s Night Club in Independence. Police reports are that a Police Constable Pedro Pech who was in unifor m had an altercation with Godoy and Godoy stabbed him in his chest with a dagger. According to the reports, Pech then drew his service revolver and shot Godoy twice in his right leg.

As a result, Godoy was apprehended and was taken into custody. He was admitted to ward at the Karl Heusner Memorial H o s p i t a l . Ye s t e r d a y h e w a s discharged from the hospital and was charged with the offences.

Guilty to 50 Rounds of Ammunition and Cannabis

David Flowers

2009

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 17,

David Flowers, 19, one of four persons charged with keeping ammunition without a gun license, pled guilty to the charge when he appeared yesterday in the #1 Magistrate’s Court.

Flowers was sentenced to 2 years by the Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie.

The others who were charged with Flowers were Lloyd Jones, 25; Hosni Thurton, 21; and Alicia Sosa, 30.

Their charge was withdrawn by the prosecution. Flowers, Jones and Sosa were also charged with drug trafficking for 78.4 grams of cannabis.

Flowers pled guilty to the lesser charge of possession simplicitor.

He was sentenced to 18 months by Chief Magistrate McKenzie with the stipulation that the sentences should run concurrently. Before the sentencing Flowers’ attorney Michael Peyrefitte said in mitigation that Flowers had planned to sell the 50 rounds of .32 calibre ammunition to make some money and that the marijuana was for his personal use.

The incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 15.

The Police went to a house located at #242 Belama Phase III, to search for firearms and drugs. When the Police searched a kitchen cabinet they found the cannabis in a black plastic bag. A further search of a bedroom resulted in the discovery of a blue plastic box that contained the ammunition.

Flowers, Jones and Sosa were at the house when the search was conducted.

Thurton was charged with keeping ammunition without a gun license because Police found his identification card inside the box of ammunition.

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The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

COURT NEWS 19 Year Old Remanded for Firearm and Ammunition Charges BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 16, 2009 Ramon August, 19, a resident of #12 Nurse White Street employed as a delivery man at Dits Restaurant, was charged with firear m and ammunition offences when he appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 14.

August pled not guilty to the charges.

Senior Magistrate Dorothy Flowers explained to him that the Court could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody until January 19, 2010.

The incident occurred at around 12:25 p.m. on Sunday, December 13.

The Police reported that they were

Ramon August

on Ceasar Ridge Road and were going towards Port Belize Limited when

they saw a young man dressed in a grey T-shirt and ¾ jeans pants riding a bicycle coming from the opposite direction. The Police reported that when the young man saw them he turned into a street leading to New Brighton Beach.

The Police pursued him and reported that they saw him take out a pistol from his waist and toss it into some bushes. They claim that that when they retrieved the pistol it was a .38 Smith and Wesson brand revolver with 5 rounds of .38 calibre ammunition.

August was taken into custody and the firearm and ammunition were labeled as exhibits.

San Pedro Resident Acquitted of Carnal Knowledge

Winston Sharshante

BELIZE CITY Wed. Dec. 16, 2009 Winston Sharshante, 28, charged with carnal knowledge of a girl 11 years and 8 months old, was acquitted of the charge in the Court of Justice Michelle Arana on Monday, December 14. The jury of 4 men and 5 women deliberated for almost 3 hours before it arrived as its verdict, which was unanionous. But although Sharshante was acquitted of carnal knowledge he was not a free man. He is serving sentences of 7 months and 3 months.

The sentence of 7 months is for a conviction of grievous harm and the sentence of 3 months is for default of payment for maintenance ordered by the Belize Family Court.

The incident of carnal knowledge occurred between 4:15 a.m. and 4:45 a.m. on September 2, 2007 in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The complainant, who was a virgin, testified that she was asleep in her room with her brother and cousin when she heard her name being called 3 times. She said she then felt someone pull her by her hair and drag her into her mother’s bedroom. The person turned out to be Sharshante, she testified. She said Sharshante threatened to stab her with a knife of she made any noise and Sharshante put the knife on the bed.

The girl testified that Sharshante took off his clothes and inserted his penis in her vagina and took it out when she complained that she was in pain. It was when Sharshante inserted his penis into her vagina a second time that her mother came and caught him naked on top of her, she told the Court.

The girl was examined by a doctor who testified that her hymen was perforated.

The girl’s 38 year old mother testified that before the incident she was with Sharshante drinking beer in the park and Sharshante left her alone and was gone for some time. She said she decided to go home and when she arrived home she saw Sharshante naked on top of her daughter.

She testified that Sharshante told her that what she thought she saw never happened and it was her imagination.

Sharshante, who was not represented by an attorney, gave a statement from the dock in which he did not admit or deny he committed the offence. He said he was with the girl’s mother at a dance and the girl’s mother became angry with him and accused him of touching another woman on her buttocks. He said he went to get more beer and when he returned the girl’s mother was gone and when he went to her house she was with a male friend and he and the male friend got into an altercation.

He said he left after the altercation.

Crown Counsels Cecil Ramirez and Christelle Wilson represented the prosecution.

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

15

New Years

Valued Customers Please be advised that our branches countrywide will be closed for business at 1:00pm on December 24 and 31,2009.

Our 24 hour ABM, Internet and Telephone Banking Services will continue to be available.

We appreciate the continued confidence you have placed in us as your trusted financial partner and thank you for making FirstCaribbean your Bank of choice in 2009.

May you enjoy a Blessed Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

From Management and Staff

Eve Special

Tiki Hut Hotels

Come and kick off the New Year with a bang and join us at Hopkins Bay Resort in Hopkins. Enjoy our special happy hour from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at the Orange Grove Bar. Dance the night away with a LIVE band while enjoying a mouth watering meal with complimentary champagne toast!

Please call 523-7271 or e-mail reservations@tikihuthotels.com for more information.

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The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

sunday, December 20, 2009

The

The Belize Times

Belize Times l o ñ a p s En E

DOMINGO DICIEMBRE 20, 2009

Issue No. 4665

$1.00

www.belizetimes.bz

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The Truth Shall Make You Free

Barrow se volvió 'Bembé' en la casa Por: Mike Rudon Jr. El viernes en la sesión de la Honorable Cámara de Representantes, el cromosoma Y del primer ministro Dean Barrow fue ampliamente derrotado y expulsado de su constitución, por su cromosoma X para dar paso a su compañero, el cromosoma X # 2. Sin faltar el respeto a las mujeres por supuesto, Barrow vestido de rosa y con sus "calzoncitos de vuelitos” estaban en plena vigencia mientras tiraba golpes verbales y figurativamente tiraba del pelo de un par de miembros en el lado de la oposición de la Cámara. Fue un despliegue impresionante de chica callejera/del mercado y fue completamente impropio del hombre que, no por virtud de su propia competencia, es la cabeza de nuestra pequeña nación.

A decir verdad, el show de Barrow poseía algún valor de entretenimiento. Aquí está el hombre que posee un poder incalculable y la autoridad a través de su oficina, el líder de Belice, una rabieta en la Cámara de Representantes como un común cualquiera – en tonos de princesita de hecho, PM Hacepoquito. Diablos, era un espectáculo digno de todas las burlas y porras del manojo de idiotas por parte del gobierno. Véase, sin embargo, ese tipo de entretenimiento es realmente sólo una buena noticia cuando uno esté sentado en Brads jugando naipes, al intercambio de crudos chistes sexuales con sus amigotes UDPs y bebiendo ron sucio y orinando contra la valla, cuando ya han alcanzado un determinado nivel de embriaguez.

Aparte de eso, el rendimiento de Barrow no hizo absolutamente nada para nadie - nada para los beliceños que dependen de este equipo para proporcionar algún tipo de representación en los niveles más altos en esta tierra.

Vea – poniendo el valor de entretenimiento a un lado, esto realmente es una m@ # a que da miedo. Barrow con ese su teatrito pretende enmascarar la verdadera realidad de la situación y que la realidad es aterradora. Nuestro el PM no tiene absolutamente ninguna idea, ni idea, o el menor atisbo de una idea de cómo llevarnos a nosotros a través de esta crisis.

Eso es un hecho. A su parecer, incluso la negativa de aceptar que estamos en crisis, hay dos escuelas de pensamiento. Una de ellas es que el Primer Ministro se da cuenta perfectamente bien que las cosas están muy, pero muy malas en Belice, pero debido a que no sabe qué hacer, simplemente cierra los ojos, finge que todo está bien y desea que el problema desaparezca. La otra escuela de pensamiento es que

Si nuestro Primer Ministro en realidad no tiene ni idea, entonces estamos en graves problemas.

Como todo buen alcohólico sabe, tiene que aceptar que hay un problema incluso antes de que pueda dar un paso para encontrar una solución. Ese mantra es cierto en la situación de casi todos. Si Dean Barrow no cree que hay un problema, entonces seguro de que no va a salir de su camino para encontrar una solución. Si el problema sólo afecta a Dean, a nadie realmente le importa, pero la cosa es que mientras que el PM tiene este país en el sinuoso camino de un colapso

Barrow no se dan cuenta de cómo las cosas están realmente malas en Belice. Quienes deseen seguir esa escuela sostienen que la causa es que Barrow es un millonario que vive una vida de lujo amortiguada por un extravagante estilo de vida de primera clase y abultadas cuentas bancarias, ni siquiera saben que hay niños que van a la cama con hambre. Y porque Barrow está rodeado por otros peces gordos, y los receptores de varias ventajas, como Lois, Anwar, Deanne, tal vez no se le dice el cuento real.

Parece un poco ridículo pensar que el PM no tiene ojos para ver la desolación a su alrededor. Parece más que un poco ridículo pensar que él no puede ver la pobreza y sentir la miseria del hombre común y de la mujer en las calles. Sí, sabemos que el vive rodeado de lujo, pero por lo menos podría haber vislumbrado u oído un rumor acerca de la frustración generalizada de los que no pueden cubrir sus necesidades, de aquellos cuyos hogares están siendo quitados. Incluso en la noche, mientras esta encerrado en su mansión frente al mar o en primera clase viajando por el mundo, debe haber visto una nota acerca de todas las empresas que están cerrando, de los empleados que están siendo enviado a sus casas. Simplemente no puede ser tan despistado, ¿verdad? Es cierto que ha estado un poco absorto en asegurarse de que las facturas de los fenómenos de Lois se paguen y que su hijo Anwar reciba estipendios y beneficios a tiempo y que su hija Deanne llegue hasta su oportunidad para conseguir sus millones.

Es cierto que es un trabajo lento el tener que acolchonar el nido de las personas cercanas a uno. Pero demonios, esa es la única tarea en la que Barrow se ha destacado desde que asumió el cargo.

económico sin una brújula o un mapa, nosotros los beliceños estamos en el mismo barco, nos guste o no.

Los chillidos de niña petulante de Barrow en la Cámara de Representantes es una mala noticia.

Se le preguntó algunas preguntas acerca de sus planes para la nación durante esta época de recesión y se encendió inmediatamente la "bembe" en la oposición. Bueno para unas risas, seguro, pero la cosa es que nunca entro a discutir eso planes para la nación. Así que estamos todos todavía pensando si la última risa no estará en nosotros.

PREGUNTAS PARA LOS MINISTROS: 1

¿Podrá el Primer Ministro y Ministro de Finanzas por favor decirnos si va a estar preparado para contestar preguntas acerca de la recesión en el corto plazo, o si seguirá vistiendo su atuendo de "Bembe" cada vez que se le pregunte sobre sus planes para reducir la crisis actual?

2

¿Estará el Primer Ministro y Ministro de Hacienda dispuesto a decir de una vez por todas si los informes que su hijo es un socio silencioso en el lucrativo 'Bradsledo' son verdaderos o no?

3

¿Estará dispuesto el Ministro de Obras Anthony “Boots” Martínez a proporcionar información detallada sobre el proyecto CYDP/rejuvenecimiento de la ciudad de Belize, ya que los beliceños se quejan de que sólo era una nueva oportunidad para él y sus compinches para hacerse del erario público a toda prisa?

4

¿El Ministro de Obras Públicas también será capaz de confirmar o negar los informes creíbles de que es un socio en al menos dos de las empresas de construcción de reciente creación que se están beneficiando de contratos lucrativos de construcciones de carreteras del gobierno?

5

¿Podría el Ministro de Agricultura y Pesca el Excmo. René Montero confirmar o negar los rumores de que firmó el permiso que permite a los pescadores jamaicanos a pescar en nuestras aguas, y ahora se ha visto obligado a dar marcha atrás después de las protestas públicas?

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Pisando un terreno peligroso El Sr. Dean Oliver Barrow sirvió en el periodo del UDP anterior de 1993-1998 como el verdadero ministro de todo. Si bien el Sr. Esquivel pudo haber sido el líder nominal de la nación, fue el Sr. Barrow quien fue el reconocido maestro del juego, el titiritero detrás de las escenas del hombre que paga las consecuencias, por así decirlo.

Pero al igual que con la mayoría de las cosas, la pelota se detiene con el líder en nombre (en comparación con el líder en la actualidad) y todos los culpables de la terrible derrota de el UDP en 1998 aterrizó en los hombros del Sr. Esquivel. En la vergüenza y la desesperación ese caballero se alejó de la política electoral, dejando la puerta de la dirección del UDP abierto a todo lo ancho. Por supuesto, el Sr. Barrow estuvo más que dispuesto a caminar por esa puerta abierta.

Debe haber sido un tiempo personal frustrante para el Sr. Barrow. Había conseguido su ambición de liderazgo del Partido Democrático Unido, pero en la orquestación de la batalla pequeña que había perdido el UDP la guerra. Habría diez largos años para que la victoria agridulce para la rotación en sus entrañas y como una úlcera abierta. Durante esos diez años de su frustración sería emparejado y abrumado por sus ansias de poder total y absoluto. Se le había denegado su lugar en el sol durante tanto tiempo que nada más seria apto para Dean Oliver. En 1998, el electorado le dio el tiro en la gloria. El resultado de la decisión del electorado se escribirá en la historia de esta nación.

Barrow ha decidido que, a pesar de la apariencia de incorrección, el nepotismo directo y conflicto de intereses, tendrá que apuntalar la posición de liderazgo frente a cualquiera. Él ha puesto rabiosos compinches políticos y miembros de su familia inmediata en los lugares de autoridad y responsabilidad extrema. Cuando se le preguntó que no ha mostrado arrepentimiento - de hecho, ha defendido esas ubicaciones estratégicas y muy lucrativas.

Tal vez uno de los temas más críticos que enfrenta la nación hoy es el secuestro arbitrario de BTL por el Sr. Barrow y su gobierno. Se trata de un tema crítico debido a que el GOB y, por extensión, los contribuyentes de Belice se enfrentan a lo que parece litigación interminable, según expertos legales y de negocios afirman que el GOB ha actuado ilegalmente. También es fundamental porque el destino de una empresa multimillonaria y cientos de empleados están en juego. Una de las primeras estrategias de Barrow tras asumir BTL fue colocar a su ex esposa en el Consejo de Administración de la empresa recién adquirida. Su siguiente paso fue colocar a su hijo en el mismo tablero, y luego poco después de dar a ese hijo la autoridad para dirigir los asuntos cotidianos de la empresa. Por cierto, su ex esposa es también el abogado en el expediente para la misma empresa - una red de retorcidos e incestuosos hechos.

En la actualidad, otro jugador atrapado en esta red es John Avery, el jefe de la Comisión de Servicios Públicos. BTL / GOB ha tratado de matar a todos los de la competencia mediante la interrupción de los servicios de Smart. Una orden judicial emitida por el Juez Abdulai Conteh ordenó la semana pasada que BTL reinstaurara todos los servicios que habían sido saboteados y permitir el acceso completo a smart a su equipo hasta que el PUC tome una decisión sobre el camino a seguir. A finales de la semana pasada John Avery estuvo en el show matutino de Wave del UDP, donde hizo una burla de la decisión del Tribunal Supremo alegando que el CJ no tenía competencia para dictar esa orden. No escatimó oportunidad para defender el caso de BTL y el malvado Smart, que deja en claro cual será la decisión del PUC. Por supuesto, John Avery era antes el director del periódico político del UDP. Se le regalo el puesto de presidente del PUC, y debe su lealtad y su cheque al Sr. Barrow.

El puesto de jefe de la Comisión de Elecciones y Límites, fue donado al seguidor del UDP, el activista y compañero Alberto agosto poco después de las elecciones generales de 2008. Esta agencia es quizás la más importante y más sagrada, ya que desempeña un papel integral en las elecciones que determinarán la balanza de poder en la nación. Desde que asumió el cargo, Alberto agosto llama a los programas matutinos diarios a despotricar sobre el PUP y sus muchos males percibidos y para promocionar los logros (?) De Barrow y el UDP. Él ha declarado abierta y públicamente que va a ser 'rojo', hasta el día de su muerte. En esta oficina tan importante, no ha habido ni una pizca de decoro, de objetividad, o de imparcialidad.

Y hay más, mucho más, entre ellos el Sr. Barrow nombro a su hermano como un juez de la Corte de Apelaciones. Ya ha habido acusaciones de conflicto de intereses y, de hecho una decisión judicial pendiente en lo que respecta a una sentencia por dicho Tribunal de Apelación contra BEL. Pero el Sr. Barrow dice vamos, vengan. Él no ve ningún problema con que se nombra a su hermano a la Corte de Apelaciones, para regalar a los rabioso lacayos del UDP con los puestos claves en el gobierno, para darle a su hijo un lucrativo puesto en el Consejo de BTL, para regalar a su mujer con cada ciruela lucrativa dentro de su autoridad para ofrece - por no mencionar los millones de dólares en honorarios de abogados, ya que el Sr. Barrow aparentemente ha enviado una nota advirtiendo que sólo su ex-esposa e hija pueden manejar los casos ennombre del gobierno.

El Sr. Barrow está pisando un terreno peligroso. Su deseo por el poder total parece haber afectado a cualquier tendencia hacia el pensamiento racional. En un intento de asegurar su posición y rechazar todos los interesados, el Sr. Barrow esta en el buen camino para establecer una dictadura. Quizás el Sr. Barrow aún no se da cuenta de que el pueblo de Belice están siempre atentos y vigilantes a pesar de todo parecía estar tranquilo y en calma. El grito, incluso desde dentro del UDP es que el Sr. Barrow es líder en un partido a largo plazo. Pero la palabra en la calle es que el partido del Sr. Barrow ni siquiera puede completar un mandato.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

El Bejuco A fin de año…

Año más cabrón el que nos tocado vivir, este 2009 nos ha hecho sufrir. De los culpables mucho se puede decir, mencionarlos sale sobrando, pero para los que no hemos estado entonados aquí les va un resumen de los 5 más famosos de estos rojos malintencionados …

La estrella del 2009 por supuesto el pelón, que a su familia le ha dado todo el melón…

Despiadado y cruel Príncipe del nepotismo, le importa un comino si los demás ya comimos… El y sus familias ya de buena comida y buen vino se han atragantado mientras los demás el hambre hemos aguantado…

La mujer primera y la hija los millones ganan por defender al gobierno, de los relajos a los que el mismo pelón nos está metiendo...

A la misma mujer con todo e hijo a BTL de directores los ha metido, a ningún otro ha querido, aquí de plano hay algo bien torcido…todo esa cosa de BTL huele podrido..

Ahora hasta con el boledo nos ha jodido, al hijo anwar se lo ha cedido, tax sobre tu gane le han de imponer, porque de ese modo su familia se ha de sostener, el pueblo ahora los va a mantener…

BTL ha nacionalizado, y al pueblo más ha endeudado, y encima de todo cree que somos mulas, porque nos quiere hacer tragar que nacionalizo también las cuentas, que ahora son de la nación, pero que no se deben, este engaño es una traición. Tarde o temprano al maldito ingles se le tendrá que pagar y a nosotros el pueblo nos va costar…Nos van a sangrar y chupaditos como que paso la chupacabra nos van a dejar..

Encima de todos ahora la tarifa del agua nos quiere aumentar, pronto no nos podremos bañar, pero aunque sea así con todo y tufito a la calle saldremos a protestar…

La constitución nos quiere cambiar, pelen los ojos quiere que su familia gringa también venga a pellizcar… El pueblo le ha dicho que no queremos gringos en el gabinete, pero insiste en hacer los cambios para meter a los mequetrefes..

El segundo lugar se lo echa la Doña Zeta, la alcaldesa de nuestra Ciudad. El dinero de la municipalidad se ha tranzado, la muerte de su jefe de finanzas ha causado, de sin huevos al primer ministro ha declarado y nos ha aseverado, y de su partido está con carácter de expulsado ya que de estas intimidades con el pelón al pueblo le ha confesado… a la corte la han remangado y hasta de ladrona la han tildado.

Mientras la basura en la ciudad se amontona, pero eso no le importa a esta cabrona, es una gran huevona..

El tercer lugar se lo lleva el ministrito de leche. Por tanto relajo de hospital Karl Heusner, por tanta movida de las medicinas, y por tanto recién nacido sacrificado y el haciéndose el santificado …el sistema ha desmejorado y ni siquiera la leche nos ha sacado.

La cuarta estrella del Año tiene que ser el demente poco decente , loco y no muy poco, siempre ebrio, nunca sobrio, decadente e intransigente, ministro de seguridad nacional y aguardiente. Porque injustamente a manos de la fuerzas del gobierno cayó muerto un pobre cañero beliceño. Y porque un año después no se ha esclarecido este asesinato… porque el Crimen sigue incrementando, y aunque crean que estoy vacilando, cágense de la risa porque al mismo ministro en su oficina le huevearon hasta la sonrisa….

Y el quinto lugar se lo lleva el ladrón de cochinitos que se ha hueveado una isla del seguro social y lo ha vendido para hacer chiqueritos…

ELPELADERO

BSI está quebrado, los bancos no le facilitaban préstamo para comenzar la zafra y el gobierno a través del banco central les facilito para comenzar. Vuelen ojos cañeros. El gobierno también le ha aprobado a BSI no pagar por el bagazo...

La industria cítrica se encuentra en caos. El gobierna se ha demostrad incapaz de solucionar el problema. Mientras el Primer Ministro Pelón se anda paseando…

El Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo otorgo 30 millones de dólares para el turismo. San Pedro debió conseguir 6 millones para sus calles e infraestructura. Hasta ahora no se invertido un centavo. Mientras el CEO se mantiene paseando gastándose la lana, con razón lo llaman el Trotamundos….

Se quemaron 7 casas en la isla cariñosa, el jefe de bomberos admite que la bomba no trabajó… para colmo cuando los vecinos sacan sus baldes para combatir el incendio el muelle que estaban utilizando para sacar el agua del mar se colapso de podrido… Heredia se ocupa ( a veces) solamente de san Pedro…

Sunday, December 20, 2009

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El GOB esta ignorando la crisis de la Caña de Azúcar….

La cosecha de caña de azúcar del 2009/2010, finalmente comenzó el miércoles, 16 de diciembre, el mas tardado en toda la historia. Sin embargo, el inicio de la cosecha fue sin duda un alivio para los más de 6000 agricultores de caña y sus familias de los distritos de Corozal y Orange Walk, que dependen en gran medida del azúcar como su única fuente de ingresos. Pero su futuro sigue sumido en una incertidumbre que puede traer a toda la industria de rodillas en un momento en que empieza a tambalearse como consecuencia de la pérdida de su mercado preferencial y el recorte del 36 por ciento en el precio del azúcar de la Unión Europea que entrará en vigor en esta cosecha.

Hay problemas de inestabilidad, especialmente la demanda de los agricultores de caña para la remuneración del bagazo que se generarán a partir de la caña entregada y utilizada por las industrias de azúcar de Belice limitada en sus instalaciones de cogeneración que se encuentra en línea, que siguen sin resolverse. Pero si se permite que persista por mucho tiempo, estos problemas pueden afectar la cosecha de este año, llegaran a más de la huelga y los enfrentamientos violentos con las fuerzas de seguridad del país sobre el asunto de las tomas de muestras que llevaron a la muerte del agricultor de caña Antanacio Gutiérrez el año pasado.

El cierre de la industria en febrero de 2009 resultó en millones de dólares en pérdidas a la economía del Norte.

Los hombres y mujeres que llevan a cabo el duro trabajo de la cosecha de caña bajo el sol para ganarse la vida creen que es mas que justo que ellos deban ser remunerados por el bagazo que se quema, no sólo para proporcionar poder a la fábrica sino también para generar electricidad, dado que BSI espera ganar millones de dólares al año a partir de su venta a la red nacional. Los tiempos son difíciles en este momento, y cualquier ingreso adicional complementará los magros ingresos de los agricultores de caña y disminuirá la posibilidad de que tendrían que recurrir a medios ilegales, como la prostitución para poder vestir, educar, alimentar y proteger a sus familias. Pero una vez más BSI ha tomado una posición absurda en relación con el bienestar de los agricultores de caña a pesar de la probabilidad de que se vean inundados de dinero por la venta de electricidad a Belice Electricity Limited. EL Jefe oficial ejecutivo Joey Montalvo y Director Financiero Belizario Carballo Junior insisten en que los productores de caña sólo deben ser remunerados por su caña de azúcar y melaza y nada más. En su opinión, el bagazo, sería simplemente de residuos industriales con poco valor si no fuera por la inversión más de $ 125 millones en las instalaciones de cogeneración.

Muy bien. Después de todo, BSI es el que está asumiendo el riesgo de esta inversión trascendental.

Sin embargo, no hay pruebas de que BSI no podrá cumplir con sus obligaciones financieras con sus

acreedores, ya que tiene un mercado garantizado para toda la electricidad que puede generar. El principal proveedor Méxicano de BEL, la Comisión Federal de Electricidad ya no puede dotar al país de una fuente de alimentación fija, y está vendiendo su electricidad a un tipo mucho más alto, dejando a BEL correteando en torno a buscar fuentes alternativas para cubrir nuestras necesidades de energía o de lo contrario nos sumergen en la oscuridad. Como resultado, parece que Montalvo y Carballo han olvidado que BSI no tendría suficiente bagazo para la cogeneración de la instalación de una empresa rentable y de esa mina de oro si no fuera por la caña de los agricultores de caña. Por lo tanto, su posición es completamente irracional.

Aparte de la controversia sobre la remuneración por el bagazo, BSI y los agricultores de caña siguen en desacuerdo, porque cada lado culpa al otro de sus problemas. Los productores de caña están enojados porque estaban sin trabajo desde mayo y creen que la mala administración de BSI y de que la fábrica no está a la par tienen la culpa. Además, la larga espera para la cosecha de los cultivos ha causado un revés financiero importante para los agricultores de caña de muchos, que no tenía ahorros para aguantar más. Y el retraso significa que el contenido de sacarosa de la caña es muy bajo, por lo que los agricultores de caña obtendrán un precio reducido para las entregas y, posteriormente, al no poder pagar los elevados costos de los insumos, como fertilizantes, y el alto costo de combustible para transportar su caña a la fábrica.

Por otra parte, BSI culpa a los agricultores de caña por el estado actual de la industria. Aunque la fábrica tiene la capacidad de producción de 1,2 millones de toneladas, la cosecha de 2008/2009 sólo produjo alrededor de 918.000 de azúcar, la más baja producción en 20 años. BSI alega que la falta continua de los agricultores de caña para aumentar su productividad y el rendimiento de la caña es el responsable de la industria al no poder cobrar sus ingresos previstos.

Mientras que la producción bajo la última cosecha no se tradujo en menos ingresos debido a la fortaleza del euro frente al dólar de los Estados Unidos, el 36 por ciento de reducción en el precio se espera que costó a la industria $ 50 millones en los ingresos de este cultivo.

Otra cuestión que podría interrumpir las operaciones de la industria pertenece a la asociación que representa los intereses de los productores de caña.

De acuerdo con la Ley de la Caña de Azúcar 2001, la Asociación de Belice, la Caña de Azúcar de los agricultores es la única entidad que legalmente puede representar o negociar en nombre de los agricultores de caña. Pero la BSCFA ha sido azotada recientemente por acusaciones de malversación de fondos que llevaron a la rescisión del Presidente Carlos Magaña y de la interferencia política. La intromisión aparentemente

ha llevado a algunos miembros del Comité de Gestión para hacer la voluntad de los representantes del área de decisión para que puedan obtener rédito político con sus electores, en lugar de actuar en los mejores intereses de los agricultores de caña. Esto ha dado lugar a la hegemonía del BSCFA está siendo impugnada en el Tribunal Supremo de Belice por la Asociación de Agricultores de Caña Unidos que se basa en Orange Walk Town. Y la palabra es que una tercera asociación se ha constituido recientemente en la ciudad de Corozal por los agricultores de caña prominentes, que fueron una vez el respaldo de la UCFA. Pero parece que las asociaciones y sus dirigentes sólo luchan por el control de las decenas de millones de dólares de los fondos de comercio justo y la gran cantidad de 140 millones dólares que se pondrá a disposición de los cultivadores de caña de la Unión Europea para ayudar a mejorar su eficiencia y productividad a la luz de la pérdida de mercados preferenciales y el 36 por ciento de reducción en el precio. La lucha interna, sin embargo, ha dado lugar a una

escisión entre las filas de los cultivadores de caña, que están cubriendo sus apuestas sobre los dirigentes, que creen que pueden disfrutar los más beneficios de los millones de dólares, en lugar de los líderes, que puedan revisar la industria y en el proceso de hacer que los agricultores de caña más eficientes y productivos.

Por el bien de la industria estas cuestiones deben resolverse con prontitud, o no será capaz de mantenerse a flote mucho más tiempo a menos que las medidas drásticas que no beneficiarán a la mayoría de los productores de caña se tomen. Sin decir que su desaparición sería catastrófica. El azúcar es todavía la mayor fuente de divisas de todos los productos agrícolas, y es sin duda el mayor empleador de mano de obra en el norte, utilizando una amplia gama de conocimientos, de los cortadores de caña baja calificada hasta los científicos especializados e ingenieros empleados en BSI. De hecho, la industria ha jugado un papel importante en nuestro desarrollo nacional y que todavía tiene una importante contribución que hacer.

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NATION BUILDERS

sunday, December 20, 2009

SAGA SOCIETY WOMEN

Elizabeth Pridgeon This week’s nation builders are a group of (mainly) women who have persistently strived to improve the health and welfare of life on Ambergris Caye through a campaign which began with the dedicated control of stray animals.

Throughout Belize, there are problems with street dogs and homeless cats, which spread disease, pose health risks to children and adults alike, and generally threaten to deteriorate the standard of living within any said community. Not only that, such stray animals endure excruciating conditions and suffer emaciation, health defects and generally live pitiable lives, which go unmonitored and untreated without the care and attention provided by various SAGA women.

It is tragic that most developing countries cannot dedicate the resources or the energy to promote animal welfare.

Elsewhere in Belize this may be true, with worsening problems of stray animals being reported, but thanks to staff and volunteers of the San Pedro SAGA Humane Society, on Ambergris Caye at least, this is not the case.

The SAGA Humane Society was initiated in 1999 by a group of volunteers who were gravely concerned about the increasing incidence of stray animals, dog bites and animal-borne diseases.

The principal mission of the SAGA Society is to control and monitor the stray cat and dog population on Ambergris Caye. Ms Ingrid Lima, the clinic manager and vet assistant, is also the town’s official Animal Warden, and has the responsibility and authority to collect stray animals off the street, assist pet-owners with medical needs, and in extreme circumstances, remove animals from their homes which pose risks to either the animal’s welfare or the family’s standard of living (although this authority is only exercised rarely, as the Society intentionally does not remove animals from homes unless there is conclusive proof that the family cannot care for them). All stray animals that are sufficiently healthy to regain a decent standard of living are taken to the clinic, spayed or neutered, given any necessary medication and vaccinations, and dogs are then kept at the Fort Dogs Animal Shelter while cats are cared for at the clinic until fostering or adoption can be arranged.

At the time research for this article was conducted, the chief SAGA vet was Ms Laurie Droke, who performed dozens of spaying and neutering operations every week, and tended to the medical needs of all the stray animals. Ms Laurie has since moved forward and chosen to open her own veterinary clinic on the island, but the invaluable work of the SAGA society continues. Furthermore, the clinic encourages all people to seek

medical care for their pets, offering full financial assistance for those who cannot afford it. In order to be able to provide such support, the majority of workers at the clinic are volunteers, and the professional roles (such as the former post Ms Laurie fulfilled) are only provided with the most basic stipend

to meet expenses, which shows the dedication they have for the cause.

The SAGA society has also provided the island’s first holistic ong oing vaccination campaign, helping protect animals from distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis and parainfluenza.

Providing dewormer to all animals is also a priority, as the worms that are carried by puppies are principally the same worms that cause serious illness in children.

The San Pedro SAGA Humane Society was elementary in assisting with the initiation of similar Humane Societies in Placencia and Caye Caulker (following the traumatic death of a Caye Caulker pet by the island’s council authorities conducting a routine killing campaign for stray animals). By increasing such societies elsewhere in Belize, there is hope that collectively the groups may exert a greater influence over the current legislation, which permits authorities to kill stray animals using strychnine poison, which is both cruel to the animals, and dangerous as domesticated pets and children could potentially be at risk of consuming the deadly poison.

Perhaps one of the greatest missions of the SAGA Humane Society is to educate the local population about animal care and welfare, and the implications of neglect and abandonment. After ten years, the Society’s work is visible in every aspect of island life, and despite persistent patrolling, they continue to receive (and respond to) calls concerning stray animals, semi-feral packs of wild animals, and maltreated animals.

T h e r e a r e nu m e r o u s wo m e n involved in this campaign who dedicate their lives to improving animal care on the island. Ms Kay Eggert, for example, Chair of the Society, devotes

her time to collecting stray animals, fostering animals and fundraising for the society (and much more besides).

Fundraising for the Society is a huge undertaking, ensuring the continued financial assistance to pet owners and the continued ability to control stray animal populations. Friends of The Humane Society (FOTHS) is another group of volunteers who strive to persistently meet fundraising targets for the SAGA Society, and some key players in this group include the management and

staff at LIME Bar and Tour Centre, adjacent to the airstrip. Sharon Boyd is elementary in this, and arranges the island’s now-famous monthly cook-off competition, whereby various resorts, restaurants and private individuals compete to produce the best dish (be it pasta, pizza, chilli, or Belizean-style, to mention just a few) and members of the public then pay a nominal $10 to try all the dishes; the collected entry fees are then donated directly to the SAGA Humane Society when undertaken on behalf of FOTHS. Raising awareness of animal welfare, and catering to the needs of the animal population on San Pedro is fundamental towards the continued development of the island – for people and animals alike.

It takes dedication and motivation to raise public awareness, promote animal health and thereby improve the standards of living throughout Ambergris Caye.

These charitable people are undoubtedly assisting with the positive construction and development of Belize, and as such they deserve to be considered ‘Nation Builders’. It can only be hoped that similar groups will emerge elsewhere in Belize to mimic the island’s campaign, and better the animal welfare and standard of living across the nation to create a healthier and happier Belizean future.

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

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VOICES Village

from the

ROARING CREEK

Elizabeth Pridgeon First impressions of Roaring Creek may suggest that the village is slightly better catered for than most villages with a population of a couple

of thousand residents. It is strategically located beside the country’s capital city, the main highway between Belize and Guatemala runs directly through the middle of the village, it hosts a golf club, a tire repair garage, a range of grocery shops, the country’s only 24-hour truck stop and various other services, such as internet cafes, restaurants and bars.

Yet members of the local Kriol community in the village are enraged that Roaring Creek, over recent years, has become considered “the most dangerous village in Belize”. Far from being a tranquil haven, set amidst the natural beauty of the Guanacaste National Park, Roaring Creek poses a serious security threat to just about anyone who sets foot in the village. This ‘Voices of the Village’ column is not designed to give bad publicity to villages: it is designed to create a platform for discussion about community concerns. However, from speaking to various villagers it seems that little has been done to confront the demising problems of the village over recent years, and thus it is necessary to bring these critical issues to the forefront of the public’s mind through this medium.

For decades, Roaring Creek was a farming village where residents felt they experienced a higher standard of living because of the area of outstanding natural beauty that surrounded the village boundaries. The village used to be considered one of the main sources of labour for various large scale farms in the Cayo district, and many of the village elders were – in their time – active contributors in the construction of Belmopan as a new capital throughout the 1960s. Thus, the village always sustained itself through its active and willing labourforce. However, it seems that the demise of the village began some years ago, and the first realisation of the scale of the problem occurred around six years ago.

Since then, particularly in recent months, the situation has further deteriorated to a current level of grave concern for ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ alike.

Roaring Creek is frequently featured in breaking news stories as being the location of a latest robbery or theft, or the village where drugs gangs most

recently settled their feuds through assault, grievous harm, and occasionally murder.

It is widely perceived

that the root of the majority of the village’s problems lies in drugs, and while marijuana has been a long-standing vice of many residents, it is the rapid addiction to crack cocaine that is really causing chaos in the once successful village.

The scale of drug abuse and dependence has grown so great that there are now at least two major ‘groups’ of sellers, who fight (and even kill) for customers. These gangs seemingly have such recognition that people from as far away as Belize City head to Roaring Creek in order to settle feuds or seek revenge, and thus the village problem is exacerbated by outsiders bringing their problems into the area as well.

Local members of the community believe that drug abuse has reached such levels that addicts no longer see the immorality in stealing from neighbours, long-standing friends or even family members. And it seems they show no fear as to when and where they steal: only a few weeks ago, a commercial truck delivering Ideals was hi-jacked and robbed. One need not point out the obvious desperation of a thief who steals produce worth a shilling or less to satisfy his drug craving. The following week, a bar-owner was held up and threatened with a gun for the contents of his till: a mere $74. Life, it appears, is cheap in Roaring Creek. It is alleged that criminals are so desperate (and so ‘lost’) that they willingly accept commissions to kill (innocent) victims for money, and are more satisfied with a day’s dishonest pay-off than an honest day’s salary.

Lacking opportunities are also exacerbating the problem, as people are increasingly falling into spiralling debt, and can find few remedies for their worsening situation. Industry is almost negligible in the community, and the local Kriol population now suffers the effect of a bad, stereotyping reputation that encourages employers in the area to find immigrant Hispanics to fill vacant job positions as opposed to their Kriol counterparts. Thus even those residents who are ‘clean’ from drugs and seek employment opportunities are likely to suffer the consequences of their neighbour’s drug-addict reputations.

Those who do acquire employment are

often required to commute to their job site, and once they have the opportunity to vacate Roaring Creek, many do so without so much as a backwards glance.

Those who have remained loyal to the village despite its deteriorating

conditions are desperately seeking support to help improve Roaring Creek, and re-create a community like that of their grandparents’ era. Extra policing efforts seem unlikely to help because, villagers allege, many of the police are ‘hustlers’ and receive pay-offs from either one gang or another to ‘stay quiet’.

Thus the only remaining solution is to form some form of neutral community policing authority to ensure that justice is served to all perpetrators of crime and to all those who pose threatening behaviour to their fellow villagers. Several

residents believe that some form of trade centre or training operation would assist youths to follow constructive routes, as opposed to being led down destructive paths by their wayward peers. Nowhere does the proverb “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop” ring as true as in Roaring Creek, where there is apparently very little to occupy youths, and divert their attention away from more harmful pasttimes; this is perhaps the greatest contributing factor to the social deterioration that is increasingly apparent in the village today.

Roaring Creek looks set to become a ‘no-go’ zone if severe action is not taken – immediately.

One need not list all the concurrent problems associated with a key location on the national transport route becoming a danger zone for passing trade. Further discussion of the problems plaguing Roaring Creek society is futile. What is not futile, however, is the rapid response to villagers’ concerns, the implementation of youth activity movements and support groups, and the holistic development of employment opportunities to villagers who often feel ‘hopeless’. Empowering the people to believe in themselves and their own worth – as opposed to relying on drugs to give them the street-credibility they crave – is surely the only possible solution that may lead to fruition for the village of Roaring Creek?

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

sunday, December 20, 2009

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Belize #1 Sports Page

Triple B’s win 2nd FFB national women’s football championship

Belmopan, December 12, 2009 Belmopan’s Triple B girls won their 2nd Football Federation of Belize national women’s football championship, 5-4 on goal aggregate by holding the 4-time champs Gentle Touch girls from Esperanza to a 2-2 draw in Game 2 of the finals at the FFB field in Belmopan last Saturday evening.

The Gentle Touch girls took the game to the Triple B’s from the getgo with Kimberly Perez, Abby Halliday and Julie Ponce leading the offensive.

Kimberly Perez was the first to impress the scoreboard and Triple B’s goalie Idania Ramirez as the ‘Ranza’ girls took a 1-0 lead. Midfielders Cynthia Salazar, Cindy Fuentes, Dina Bennett and Jolene Gentle pressed their advantage as they

sought to increase their lead, and remained on the offensive up to the half time break.

The ‘Ranza’ defenders Kendra “Peaches” Gentle, Dianelli “Shampoo” Wade and Monique Godoy could not contain speedy Miriam Villamil when she penetrated to embarrass the ‘Ranza’ goalie Eden Gentle with the equalizer in the 2nd half. This emboldened Kaina Martinez and Tara Hernandez to press for a 2nd winning goal, supported by Triple B’s captain Shirley Codd, Rosebelle Ogaldez and Lynette “Panchy” Gabourel. Rosebelle Ogaldez succeeded in driving in a 2nd goal past Eden Gentle for a 2-1 lead.

The heat of competition took its toll on the ‘Ranza’ defenders and Vashnie Gentle replaced Jolene Gentle.

Christy Tillett soon replaced Vashnie.

The Triple B’s defenders Rhonda Hernandez, Shadalee Ho, Robin Gillett and Daedra Valencio could not keep up with Kim Perez who penetrated on the right, then passed the ball across to Cynthia Salazar for the finish and just like that, the ‘Ranza girls had tied the game 2-2 with 10 minutes of regulation play remaining.

The Triple B’s closed up shop and denied the visitors that crucial 3rd goal to clinch the championship. Triple B’s claimed their championship trophy and Gentle Touch had to be content with 2nd. The Belize City United girls won

3rd place, and the Las Flores FC won the FIFA Fair Play award. The Best Goalkeeper award went to Belize City United’s Ermine Ferguson, while the Most Goals award went to Sugar City’s Karen Garcia with 18 goals. Kaina Martinez claimed the Most Valuable Player award.

San Felipe Barcelona wins 1st Belize Bank Superleague football final San Felipe Village, December 13, 2009 San Felipe Barcelona won Game 1 of the Belize Bank Superleague Football championship finals 3-2 over the 2007 champs Tex Mar United at the San Felipe field on Sunday.

Tex Mar United took an early lead when Wilmer Garcia scored the first goal in the 10th minute of play, finishing a play by Ashley Torres. Tex Mar’s defenders Bernard Linares, Wilhelm Coe, Kishane Pech and Brent White frustrated all attempts by San Felipe’s strikers Oscar Ascevedo, Harvey Cruz, and Damian Ku to get a goal.

Christopher Hendricks, Eduardo Morales, Jorge Ruano and Josue Flores backed up San Felipe’s attack at midfield, but the defense allowed Dion Burgess and Garcia to get off shots that forced the San Felipe goalie Darrel Novelo to come up with saves to keep the lead to 1-0 up to the half time break.

In the 2nd half Ashley Torres caught the San Felipe defenders Jose Cawich, Javier Pott, Cesar Rosales and Joel Padron napping when he picked up a pass from Dion Burgess to blast in a 2nd goal in the 54th minute for a 2-0 lead.

The San Felipe fans roared their delight when Josue Flores unleashed a long range missile from midfield that blew past Tex Mar goalie Charlie Slusher to cut the lead to 2-1 in the 71st minute of play.

Tex Mar’s Bernard Linares and Charlie Slusher tried to close up shop to secure the win but only succeeded in earning the referee’s ire as both were cautioned with yellow cards. Veteran Hilberto Muschamp entered the ball game for Wilmer Garcia and Luis Torres took over from Arnold Torres at midfield to help Robert Muschamp and Carlos Valle keep Tex Mar on the offensive.

Charlie Slusher was caught completely off guard when Christopher Hendricks got the better of Wilhelm Coe and Bernard Linares to drill a shot into the net to tie the ball game at 2-2.

Tex Mar would have settled for a draw, but they counted without Brian Hernandez, who connected with a pass from Oscar Acevedo to head the ball away into the net for the winning goal Tex Mar United will host San Felipe Barcelona at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium for Game 2 of the series on Saturday night, December 19.

sunday, December 20, 2009

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Belize #1 Sports Page

Gwen Liz girls win 4th N.S.S.S.A. basketball championship Dangriga, December 12, 2009 The Gwen Lizarraga High School girls remain undefeated as they won their 4th back to back to back to win the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (N.S.S.S.A.) basketball championship in the tournament hosted by the Delille Academy at Why Not Island in Dangriga over the weekend.

In Game 1 on Friday evening the Gwen Liz girls blew away the Western Division champions – the Belmopan Comprehensive School girls 50-7. Sheryn Nunez led Gwen Liz with 18pts, and Glenda Torres added 14pts, while Candice Neal had 9 pts. Kenya Brown added 2 buckets and Krystal Harris and Shanine Flowers were good for a bucket.

Deshawn Valencio led the Compre girls with 4pts, Ashley Hutchinson tossed in 1 bucket, and Mysha Gamboa hit a free throw.

In Game 2 on Friday, the Southern Division champs Delille Academy girls won 35-6 over the Northern Division champs – the San Pedro High School girls. Glenda Aranda led Delille with 16pts, and Twila Castillo and Elisia Nunez added 5 pts each. Leonie Nunez added 4pts and Ethel Martinez added one bucket. Edith Rocio Ruiz had 4pts for the San Pedro girls and Sylvia Joseph added one bucket.

In Game 3, the consolation game for third place, the Belmopan Comprehensive girls

won 22-11 over the San Pedro girls.

Dehawn Valencio led Compre with 10pts, Ashley Hutchinson added 6pts and Chanika Anderson, Mysha Gamboa and Jenease Martinez each added a bucket.

In Game 4 of the championship final, the Gwen Liz girls won 29-11 over the Delille Academy girls. MVP Glenda Torres led the Gwen Liz girls with 16pts, Jaslyn Cadle added 6 pts and Sheryn Nunez chipped in 4 pts

while team captain Candice Neal had 3pts. Elisia Nunez led Delille with 4pts, Twila Castillo had 3pts and Valentine and Glenda Aranda each tossed in a bucket.

In the closing ceremonies, the Delille Academy principal presented the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies and medals to the winners and the Most Valuable Player award to Glenda Torres.

Stann Creek Ecumenical boys win NSSSA basketball champs Dangriga, December 12, 2009 T he boys of Stann Creek Ecumenical College won their 4th back to back to back at the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (N.S.S.S.A.) basketball championship in the tournament hosted by the Delille Academy at Why Not Island in Dangriga over the weekend.

In Game 1 on Friday evening, the Central Division champs - Gwen Lizarraga High School boys won 58-48 over the Western Division champs – the Sacred Heart College boys. Sherwin Garcia led the Gwen Liz boys with 21 pts, Akeem Trapp added 9 pts, Dale Tillett had 7 pts, Matthew Young 4pts and Raheem Flowers was good for 3pts. Dejon McNab led the Cayo boys with 17 pts and Zamir Usher added 16pts.

In Game 2 on Friday night, the Southern Division champs, the Stann Creek Ecumenical boys romped to a 60-28 win over the northern champions – the San Pedro High School boys. Ecumenical’s MVP Macario Augustine led with 19 pts, including a long trey and Edgar Mitchell followed suit with 2 treys as he added 12 pts. Ivor Ventura added 10pts, Francis Flores had 7 pts and Christopher Jones – 4 pts.

Osbourne Rogers, Jamal Swazo and Mauricio Mitchell each tossed in a bucket. Michael Guan led the island boys with 10pts, Arnold Cisnero added 6pts while Franklin Aranda and Enrique Luna each chipped in 4pts.

In Game 3, the consolation game for 3rd place, the San Pedro boys won 61-42 over the Sacred

Heart College boys. Franklin Aranda led the islanders with 17pts, Kevlin Roddeon added 14pts, Enrique Luna - 8pts, and Joel Ruiz and Charles Richards added 6pts each.

In Game 4 of the championship final, the Ecumenical boys won 5649 over the Gwen Lizarraga boys.

Ecumenical’s MVP Macario Augustine led with 23pts, Edgar Mitchell added 12pts and Francis Flores was good for

10 pts. Osbourne Rogers had another 6pts and Ivor Ventura – 5pts. Matthew Young led Gwen Liz with 19 pts, and Sherwin Garcia and Raheem Flowers each added 13pts.

In the closing ceremonies, the Delille Academy principal presented the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies and medals to the winners and the Most Valuable Player award to Ecumenical’s Macario Augustine.

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The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

Belize #1 Sports Page

St Luke’s Methodist girls win 3 back-toback in primary school basketball

Belize, December 14, 2009 The St Luke’s Methodist girls (3-0) lead the Belize City primary schools basketball competition which began at the Belize City Center last week.

Last Monday, the competition began with the Queen Square School girls winning 7-2 over the Queen Street Baptist School girls.

The top scorer for Queen Square was Kyla Bowen with 7 pts, while the top scorer for Queen Street Baptist School was Briana Belisle with 2 pts.

On Tuesday, the St. Luke Methodist School posted their 1st win 7-0 over the St. Mary’s Primary School girls. The top scorer for St. Luke Methodist School was Fran Petillo with 3 points.

The St. Martin’s De Porres School girls also won 10-0 over the Belize Elementary School girls. The top scorer for St. Martin’s was Gilda Moguel with 4 points.

On Wednesday, the Holy Redeemer School girls defeated the Queen Street Baptist School girls 3-1. The top scorer for Holy Redeemer School was Tyra Moreira with 3 pts, while the top scorer for Queen Street Baptist School was Laneshia Myvett with 1 pt.

The St. Luke Methodist girls also won over the Queen Square Anglican School girls: 9-2.

The top scorer for St. Luke Methodist School was Brianna Meighan with 4 pts while the top scorer for Queen Square Anglican School was Brianne Stevens with 2 pts.

On Thursday, the Belize Elementary School girls won 10-0 over the St. Mary’s Primary School girls. The top scorer for Belize Elementary School was Karina Habet with 6 pts.

On Friday, St. Martin’s girls won again16-13 over St. John’s Anglican School girls. The top scorer for St. Martin’s De Porres School was

Gilda Moguel with 8 points while the top scorer for St. John’s Anglican School was Roslyn Smith with 7 points.

On Monday, the St. Luke’s girls enjoyed their 3rd win 6-2 over the Belize Elementary School girls.

The top scorer for St. Luke Methodist School was Shadine Young with 6 points while the top scorer for Belize Elementary School was Adreanna Panton with 2 pts.

The Queen Square Anglican girls also won over the Holy Redeemer School girls: 4-2. The top scorers for Queen Square Anglican School were Aliyah Perez and Kaylah Bowen with 2 pts each while the top scorer for Holy Redeemer School was Jodie Dixon with 2 pts.

Caye Caulker boys win 3-0 in primary schools basketball Belize City, December 14, 2009 The Wesley Upper School, Stella Maris School and Caye Caulker Government School boys remain undefeated, each with 3 wins in the Belize City primary schools basketball competition which started at the Belize City Center last week.

On Monday, the Caye Caulker School boys defeated Trinity Methodist School: 14-7. Caye Caulker’s top scorer was Osmin Arana with 6 pts while the top scorer for Trinity Methodist School was Mark Thompson with 4 points.

The Grace Primary School boys also defeated the Queen Street Baptist School boys: 31-19. Grace Primary’s top scorer was Raheem Staine with 13 pts while Queen Street Baptist’s top scorer was Jahron Myvett with 8 pts.

On Tuesday, the St. Mary’s Primary School boys defeated the St. Luke’s Methodist School bohys: 24-22. St. Mary’s top scorer was Steven Goff with 12 points while St. Luke’s top scorer was Alex O’Brian with 10 points.

The St. Martin’s De Porres School boys also defeated the Belize Elementary School boys: 31-5. Martin’s top scorer was Clency Lopez with 12 pts while top scorer for Belize Elementary School was Zack Usher with 2 pts.

The Wesley Upper School boys also squeaked by Central Christian School: 25-24. Wesley’s top scorer was Trey Bodden with 13 pts while Central Christian’s top scorer was Anfernee Brooks with 14 pts.

The Stella Maris School boys defeated the Holy Redeemer School boys 26-22. Stella Maris’ top scorer was David Bowman with 10 pts while Holy Redeemer’s top scorer was Jordan Usher with 7 pts.

On Wednesday, the Holy Redeemer School boys won over St. Luke’s M e t h o d i s t S ch o o l : 3 2 - 1 6 . H o l y Redeemer’s top scorer was Malik Francisco with 11 pts while St. Luke’s top scorer was Harold Usher with 4 points.

The St. John’s Primary School boys upset the Belize Elementary School boys 19-17. St. John’s top scorer was Akeem Forbes with 9 pts while Belize Elementary’s top scorer was Zachary Usher with 15 pts.

Queen Square Anglican School defeated St. Mary’s Primary School: 20-16 with Queen Square’s top scorer Devaun Zuniga scoring 6 pts while St. Mary’s top scorer Steven Goff also had 6 pts.

Wesley Upper School boys won over Trinity Methodist School: 25-10 The top scorer for Wesley Upper School was Fredrick Williams with 10 points while top scorer for Trinity Methodist School was Mateo Gutierrez with 4 points.

On Thursday, the Queen Street Baptist boys won over St. Ignatius School: 21-16. Queen Street’s top scorer was Jahron Myvett with 15 pts while Nashus’ top scorer was Keimar Nicholas with 6 pts.

The Stella Maris School boys posted a 2nd win 14-4 over the St. Luke’s Methodist School. Stella Maris’s top scorers were Jamal Cherrington and David Bowman with 4 pts each, while St. Luke’s top scorers Alex O’Brian and Tamil Miller had 2 pts each.

The Central Christian School boys won over the Grace Primary School boys: 27-26. Central Christian’s Afernee Brooks led with 20 points while Grace Primary’s top scorer was Raheem Staine

with 8 pts.

Last Friday, the Stella Maris boys won 26-19 over St. Martin De Porres School. Stella Maris’ top scorer was Jamaal Cherrington with 9 pts while St. Martin’s top scorer was Clency Lopez with 8 pts.

The Caye Caulker School boys won over All Saints’ School: 23-12. Caye Caulker’s Charles Hinks led with 11 points while All Saints’ top scorer was Keyton Evans with 8 pts.

St. John Vianney School won over Queen Square School: 25-12. Karl Smith led St. John Vianney School with 14 points while top scorer for Queen Square School was Jason Garnett with 4 points.

The Wesley Upper School boys won over Buttonwood Bay Nazarene School: 27-19. Wesley Upper’s top scorer was Fredrick Williams with 11 pts while the top scorer for Buttonwood Bay Nazarene School was Ricardo Pavon with 12 points.

This Monday, the BES boys won over Queen Square Anglican: 27-18.

BES’ top scorer was Zachary Usher with 12 pts while the top scorers for Queen Square Anglican were Jason Anderson and Devin Parham with 5 points each.

All Saints’ School boys also defeated Buttonwood Bay Nazarene School. 2720. All Saints’ top scorer was Dedrick Ramclam with 11 pts while Buttonwood Bay Nazarene’s top scorer was Kenyon White with 11 pts.

The Trinity Methodist School boys also ran over the Central Christian School boys: 29-6. Trinity’s top scorer was Elwin Pollard with 24 pts while the top scorers for Central Christian School were Kelvin Woodye and Mikel Longsworth with 3 pts each.

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

Sober

Reflections Way past mada-R…!

is broke – completely and utterly bankrupt. Zenaida Moya is the reason for the filth and garbage and mess which is Belize City. Zenaida Moya is the reason for the breakdown in the provision of even the most basic of services.

Zenaida Moya is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly sticking her fingers in the public cookie jar. Zenaida Moya has been accused of misappropriation of public funds by the

By: Mike Rudon Jr. One of my colleagues on the Vibes morning show has to be reminded from time to time about the choice words he lets slip when passion overwhelms diplomacy and tact in the discussion of one political topic or the other. I wonder if he’s noticed, as I have, that there have been more slips of late. I say this in no condemnation of my colleague, far from it. In fact this has nothing to do with him per se. He can speak for himself in his own column. Rather I say it in reflection and realization that the levels of angst and anger and frustration on the talk show have increased big time.

There’s just so much bulls@#t going on in our small country; so much wrongness; so much pain and suffering and victimization and strife and poverty and greed and corruption and nepotism and neglect and incompetence – hell, we’re all human.

Mayor Zenaida Moya has reshuffled city council portfolios, to become effective on January 1, 2010, if all goes as planned. I’m so pissed off right now I’m having trouble thinking straight. The Mayor has got to stop taking the people of the city for jackasses. We need to stop allowing the Mayor and the UDP to take us for jackasses. I know that we basically tend to be a passive people slow to come to a boil, but this is past the mark. The truth is, the announcement of this reshuffle is just an attempt at distraction just before Christmas. It means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things.

Nothing will get better. The City Council won’t incredibly and immediately see a surge in revenues. There won’t be an increase in the provision of services.

Nothing! Nada! Zilch! It’s just so much glimmer and dazzle…nothing more.

I mean, let’s just separate low class s@#t from really sophisticated bulls@#t.

The problems at the Belize City Council all revolve around Mayor Zenaida Moya.

That’s the long and short of it. Yeah, the rest of the councilors are a lazy, good for nothing bunch of incompetents who are content to collect a hefty stipend for doing nothing. And yeah, a few of them are on the shady side and I’d be willing to bet have put their fingers in the public till in some form or fashion. But Zenaida Moya is the big problem. Zenaida Moya is the reason that the City Council

Ministry of Local Government. Zenaida Moya has been officially labeled a thief by her own party, the UDP. And while all this has happened, let’s examine two different frames of the same Moya picture.

In one frame, let’s zoom in on the ruin of City Hall and the cesspool of the city.

And in the other frame, just take a look at the damned multi-million dollar mansion in front of the sea where the Mayor resides in the lap of luxury. See why I’m so pissed.

Maybe the reason Zenaida has been allowed to get away with all that crap is because her political boss is a complete moron and wimp sans balls (should I have said dangling appendages to be politically correct?). The PM’s answer to the mess in City Hall was not – hmmm, maybe we should clean things up and deal with Zenaida and her scurvy, worthless crew!

Oh, no! Never that! The PM says that the answer to all the chaos of corruption and mismanagement and misappropriation is simple – let’s all us Belizeans dig deeper into our pockets and give Zenaida even more money to do with what she will. Can you imagine that? Forget about being minus a couple balls – this guy is minus a couple screws.

So with that said, where does Zenaida Moya end up in this reshuffle?

29 You guessed it – Zenaida Moya is still in charge of the revenues and finances of the Council. I won’t even bother to get into the rest of it, because it don’t mean nothing! Zenaida Moya will still get to play with our dollars to her heart’s content. Zenaida Moya will still continue to live the high life at our expense.

Man, this nonsense has got to stop and it’s got to stop now. Somebody’s going to get hurt if this continues. I say this in absolutely no attempt at instigation. I say it because life is real, and I feel that Zenaida at least deserves some sort of warning – just in case she’s become so ensconced in her luxurious setting at the seafront mansion outside city limits that she’s lost all sense of things in the city.

Hell, maybe the routine of air-conditioned office to air-conditioned vehicle to air-conditioned lounging room in front of the big-screen plasma television has blinded the Mayor to what’s happening on the big bad streets of the city.

Maybe she’s gotten so caught up in her balls vs. no balls fight with the PM that she doesn’t have time for anything else like the city residents or infrastructure or picking up garbage or offering basic services. Whatever it is – the Mayor better get the sense and let go of our dollars and cents. This is way past Mada-R.

30

The Belize Times

Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus!

by glenntillett@yahoo.com This week Prime Minister Dean Barrow proved for the entire world to see that he is a “self-confessed liar.”

I have written often in this space that Barrow has a penchant for speaking out of both sides of his mouth at once, and that Belize’s so-called “independent” media never take him to task for it.

This week at the UN World Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark, in direct contradiction to repeated statements over the past several years, Barrow said that Belize had been devastated to the tune of “hundreds of millions of dollars” by storms over the past eleven years. He even named them, beginning with Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

In so doing he exposed himself as a self-confessed liar. I am not gloating when I point this out because gloating and some such never result in anything positive. My criticism is because we have wasted far too much precious time and energy tolerating and/or enabling Barrow’s penchant for tribalism even as we face the greatest challenge ever to our existence as a nation state.

It is past time that Barrow et al admit that they too have made mistakes, and that their continued mischaracterizations, deliberate or otherwise, is aiding and abetting our inability to deal with our problems as ONE nation.

Barrow has been given a free pass on this for so long that he has become brazen about it. The unfortunate result is that he/they have believed their own propaganda for so long is that they may be beyond redemption.

I am always admiring from a technical perspective Barrow’s oratorical skills, his eloquence on occasion and his determined articulateness. In a world where these talents get short shrift I am at times even grateful that we actually have a politician who is a master at these skills.

I nva r i a b l y, t h o u g h , my admiration is perforce fleeting simply because of the contradictions inherent between the dread of what is being said and the pretty words, the how it is being said.

Why, I too often wonder, why

can’t Barrow be inspired by his own words? Why can’t he feel and accept the fundamental truths he conveys so adroitly to others but which elementally seem to escape him? Why this cognitive dissonance?

I will continue to ask myself, perplexed that the man can say: “This is a time therefore for large hearts rather than small minds. It is a time for the commonality of compassion rather than the hubris of power,” yet continue to orchestrate tribalism at home, oblivious to the pain, the suffering, the misery he is inflicting and the danger to our nation he is engendering.

If it is true Barrow is at his

Sunday, December 20, 2009

best when he strides on the world stage, then it must be because he is at his worst when confronted, and I suppose confounded, by what must seem to him the mundane problems at home.

By his own admission Barrow failed to recognize the impending recession now depression. By his own admission neither Barrow nor his “experts” thought that the world financial woes would affect us, despite pronouncements from as early as last year July by leaders such as the Japanese Prime Minister who called it “A storm the likes of which the world has not seen in a hundred years.”

Barrow owes much for his very lucrative law practice to his gift of gab, and certainly owes his succeeding as a politician to the nation’s highest office to that proclivity. But the schizophrenia that is his mirrored image is that we both admire and loathe in equal parts when he opens his mouth.

It is the eternal paradox: our greatest blessing is our worse curse.

Whenever Dean Barrow opens his mouth these days, we shudder at the delicious sounding words – the sweet music grates on our nerves.

Barrow is bogus. Boy, can he talk but ultimately the man is just a gifted windbag and nothing more. Yes Barrow can capture our thoughts but he alienates our hearts.

Barrow is just bogus. In the end I figure his so-called brilliance is just so much bulls—t. He should resign.

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

S

PON DI GULLY

Trying to Make D a Dollar outta E 15 Cents will I tell my eight children that they won’t have Christmas this year,” he asked with maddening sadness.

So while the Prime Minister had to wait for official statistics to know that the economy is on life support, the rest of us (again, except for the S.O.B.’s- Supporters of Barrow) knew long ago. And all of us were hoping and expecting him to do something

By anthony sylvestre As the Prime Minister beats his chest and boasts of having been given the best Christmas gift ever, the rest of us cannot say the same; well, except for the S.O. B.’s- Supporters of Barrow, that is. They, like the Prime Minister, will no doubt have a splendid Christmas.

But for the rest of us, this is a dreadful Christmas. In fact, what is commonly heard everywhere you go is the cry of haada times. So you have to wonder where the Prime Minister is living. He can’t be living in Belize, talking about the best Christmas gift ever when Belizeans daily are losing their homes, businesses are folding, mothers and fathers are being laid off and to top it off, the buying power of a dollar is more like fifteen cents.

Ah mean, really, what can a dollar get you these days? Maybe a pack of biscuits and two ideals? Funny, that is the same thing I recall as a child in primary school, fifteen cents could get you, and we would all sing about “Ching Chong Chineyman sitting on a fence, trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents” But on the real though, things have gotten extremely haad in ’09.

And while Christmas bring “ih own money”, that aphorism is not holding true this year. We are all trying to see how that dollar can stretch more than fifteen cents, but it ain’t working.

I was in a taxi the other day and I was joking with the taxi man, asking him whether he had gotten all his stuff for the Christmas. With deep distress, he sucked his teeth and started to tell of how rough it was driving taxi these days. Besides the increasing danger and threat of life taking passengers around, he explained that “the dollar taxis” were putting a licking on the regular taxis. He continued that he was further saddened because this time of the year his girlfriend is expecting him to get some new marley, ham and turkey and the rest of stuff for the house and his children are all waiting for Christmas morning to open their little presents. “How

well before October, because if there is anything Belizeans want and need it is a good Christmas. It is our only reprieve from a long and haad and rough year; it is the one very important reward to little children for behaving “good” all year round. But instead, there is … not much, except blaming Mr. Musa. Come on Prime Minister, in what relationship can a man for two years continue to blame the past man for the problems he and his woman is having in their house.

The woman will get tired of that.

The Belizean people are getting tired of your excuses Mr. Prime Minister.

Beside the much touted “rejuvenation project” (which the Prime Minister has already warned is coming to an end), what else has this UDP Government done to pump some money in the economy; to create opportunities for the less fortunate? And Mr. Prime Minister, there are hundreds of high school, sixth form and University graduates who need fi “get handle to”. What about them? Aren’t they to have a good

31 Christmas too?

Things are getting haada, prices of basic food stuff are skyrocketing, the few dollars you have in your pockets seem to have no value and Christmas is around the bend. These are indeed stressful times and the temptation to snap increases tremendously.

At this time of the year, as we celebrate Christmas, let us remember the reason for Christmas: that is, love. With a little love to our brothers and sisters, we can all help each other through the stress which comes with Christmas, especially one in haad times like these.

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32

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

THINK ‘BOUT IT THERE IS NO SANTA IN THE BIBLE

Next week is Christmas. After a hard, rough year we need the distraction. The Christmas story is one that could have been created in Hollywood. A tender young virgin engaged to a good, decent , hard working carpenter. An angel who brought a fairy tale type message that a special child – a savior – would be brought into the world through the power of the Most High.

A wicked king willing to slay all innocent children in order to remain in power .Three wise men who travelled from far to see the baby boy. Shepherds watching their sheep at night when the angel came to them with the news of this special person. Peace on earth and good will towards men.

When that special child became a man on a mission his teachings changed the world. His message was love. He condensed all of God’s laws into two principles. Love God and love others the way you love yourself.

Wow! Heavy stuff!

Throughout the whole Bible , no other teachings can compare to those of Jesus. His parables remain powerful poetic messages. The imaginary is astonishing.

So let’s say this. Jesus despised hypocrites. He also was not impressed with rich people. He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. He told a rich person to sell everything and give to the poor and to come follow him.

He told a story of a rich man who kept storing up his riches and referred to the rich person as a fool who would soon lose all he was saving up. He said “Woe unto the rich”. He also said “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. And again at Luke 16:13 He said “You cannot serve both God and money”.

A few weeks ago there was an elaborate wedding on the outskirts of Ladyville. The reception was held at a home of two Belizean-Americans.

That home is said to have been built at a cost of one million Belize dollars.

There are now several homes in Belize that have cost in excess of one million dollars. Any person in Belize who has built a home for over a million dollars is a big show off. Is not a Christian. Is a person with no Christianity in his heart.

There are many persons in Belize who have gone to the bank and have borrowed almost one hundred thousand dollars to purchase an SUV. These persons are not Christians.

This Christmas there are those with money who are wealthy and who will completely ignore the suffering among the many and celebrate another lavish Christmas.

Let us add this before we proceed. Look around at the images of Christmas and remember this; there is no reference to Santa Claus in the Holy Bible. There is no Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer in the New Testament. No Frosty the Snowman. There is not anything about Christmas trees. All these and the other false images are created by those who are profiting from the Christmas and religious emotions that surround the story of the birth of Jesus. Imagine! Jesus was born in an animal stable. When he was nearing his mission on earth with only days before he was crucified he entered Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) not on a horse or a stallion but on a humble donkey.

For years the Christian churches in Belize have turned a blind eye to the exploitation, paganism, commercialization and the open mockery of Jesus and his teachings - particularly so at Christmas time. Preachers are like shepherds. Their responsibility is to tend to the sheep. Our preachers have allowed wolves to come among the flock. The flock has been led astray. The flock is suffering. The innocent lambs are being slaughtered. The preachers walk on the other side of the road.

It is the duty of every Christian preacher in Belize to condemn what has been happening in our country - especially at Christmas time. We believe that Jesus would have wanted us to look after the poor in memory of his birthday. Jesus would have wanted us to visit the sick and the elderly and to bring joy in memory and for his namesake. Jesus would have wanted us to chastise those who are using their riches to hold parties to show off with expensive whisky and ignore their fellow human beings who are in need.

Belize is in a bad situation. To paraphrase Charles Dickens “This is the best of times for the rich and greedy. It is the worst of times for the poor and unfortunate.”

Christmas is next Friday. It is seven days away from the birth of the Greatest man who walked this earth. In Belize City there are human beings, children of God, who are sleeping on the side of the street, on New Road, Queen Street, Regent Street (downstairs of the Human Development Department), and on Albert Street along the Belize Bank. Central Park in the open. And in many other places. Never before have there been so much children begging in our streets. Never before so many barely eating a good meal. The official poverty level in Belize is now an alarming 42 percent of our population.

“Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus” What a bitter

joke for the thousands of poor unhappy children who will not see a single toy on the morning of 25th of December.

The Christian leaders in Belize need to go back to the Bible. They need to read the Prophets. They need to re-read every word that came out of the mouth of the man from Galilee. They need to check the man in the mirror. They need to start following Jesus and preach his words. Jesus hated hypocrites . Jesus nuh happy wid rich people.

Rich people in Belize need to check themselves. They need to get the sense. They need to find some humility. They need to relocate their conscience. They need to know, in the words of the Bible, need to know that there will be a day of reckoning.

PORTFOLIO FOOLISHNESS

News this week is that Belize City Councilors will be having some of their portfolio duties shuffled. Who cares? None of them were elected to deal with any NGO, or sports or other such trappings. They were elected to deal with patching and surfing streets. Digging and clearing drains. Litter and garbage collection. Parks and playgrounds. On these matters their records are woeful.

Belize City Council has privatized garbage collection. Private company does sanitation. The parks are neglected and are abandoned. Playgrounds are the responsibility of the City Council. The conditions of Belize City Streets are scandalous. Central government is using public work equipment and money to help out with streets and drains.

The Belize City Council has far less duties and responsibilities and yet has been employing high level staff that has brought their wage bill to shockingly unacceptable levels. Everybody seems to be on a fat salary with allowances and perks while the city is dirty and deteriorating.

The Belize City Council has wasted millions of dollars and each month the waste continues unabated. There has been no reform since the UDP took over the City Council. The same old, same old continues. Why does it take a full time mayor and ten councilors, all with their own senior managers and executive staff and hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to do a straightforward job of patching streets? Because they do nothing about the playground and drains. Those cost the tax payers additional millions and are done by private companies.

There is only one portfolio. That is “Keep Belize City clean”.

VAUGHAN GILL

Vaughan Gill has become a passionate and articulate voice of the People’s United Party. The “Agent” has become an asset. He can be heard on Vibes Radio 90.5 in the mornings.

The party needs to go on television and it needs to focus on the young people.

BUJU AND MUTA

Buju Bantan did a song called “Boom Bye Bye” when he was fifteen years of age. It eventually became a big hit in Jamaica and overseas.

The song is about shooting homosexuals. Over the past couple of years as the overseas Sodomites in the UK and USA have become organized, they have targeted Jamaican singers who routinely sing songs against them.

Buju recently came in for boycotts at his concerts in the UK and efforts to cancel his performances in the USA because of “Boom Bye Bye eena battyboy head”.

Last week the Jamaica Gleaner broke the story that Buju was arrested in Miami and is to face charges of five kilos of cocaine.

Buju has for years converted to the Rasta beliefs. Real Rasta don’t deal with coke. If Buju was caught with ganja Jamaicans would not be so skeptical.

Mutabaruka, the widely respected radical street poet who has a radio show in Kingston has come out in strong support of Buju. He has said the cocaine thing is a set up by the Sodomites in Miami.

Both Buju and Muta have visited Belize in the past and have strong supporters in Belize.

In far away Uganda legislation has been introduced to deal harshly with homosexuals. Thirty-seven nations in South Africa treat homosexuality as a crime.

In Belize it is a criminal offence fi tek batty . Even when it is between two consenting in adults. The punishment is imprisonment. Some might say that is not really a punishment because the prison pack up with Sodomites.

THINGS DREAD

Under Barrow and the red Life out yah dread Nuff people nuh di eat bread Soon they di fire lead

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

33

Cops bust Israeli gambling internet site reprinted from The Jeresalem Post December 16, 2009

Police announced Tuesday the arrest of five suspects they believe ran a gambling Web site from three continents that raked in millions of shekels in illicit revenue.

The alleged masterminds of the gambling operation are two brothers, Idan and Shai Raviv, who were brought before a Rishon Lezion court on Tuesday afternoon where their remand was extended by three days. On Friday they will be released on house arrest.

Police said the brothers ran the Web site, Internet1x2.com, out of a luxury villa in Belize, while the site's server was based in Estonia. Idan Raviv is suspected of running the Belize house from his residence in England while Shai Raviv allegedly carried out collection duties for the company in Tel Aviv.

In Belize, the gambling site employed dozens of Israelis, including female card dealers who interacted with gamblers back in Israel on the spot through webcams. The site also offered gambling on a wide range of sports, collecting the bets through credit cards supplied by participants whose money would flow directly into bank accounts held by the Raviv brothers.

The case was reportedly cracked after a long undercover operation carried out by the National Fraud Squad and the Lahav 433 Computer Crimes unit. Police said in addition to the gambling charges that thesuspects could be charged with money laundering as well as a series of tax authority violations.

Police believe the brothers set up the gambling operation on three continents in order to skirt Israeli law enforcement, believing that since they were operating abroad, they couldn't be prosecuted under Israeli law.

Nonetheless, prosecutors announced Tuesday that because the site catered to Israelis and allowed users to gamble from Israel, the brothers and the rest of the suspects could be tried under Israeli law.

In early November, the Israel Police and the Tax Authority busted a separate Internet gambling ring that they said had brought in over NIS 340 million in illicit revenue since it was opened in 2007.

34

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

10 ethical places to travel reprinted from thestar.com December 17, 2009

The U.S. based group Ethical Traveler has come up with a list of ten developing nations it considers ethical destinations for 2010 travel, based on everything from promoting natural environments to building tourism industries that benefit locals. Here's their list of most ethical developing countries to visit next year, in alphabetical order.

1. Argentina: Outstanding water quality. Committed to zero net deforestation and conserving a million hectares of the Atlantic Forest.

2. Belize: World's second largest barrier reef and extensive, diverse tropical rainforests. The group Freedom House gave Belize the highest possible rating in political rights.

3. Chile: Outstanding air quality.

Working on sustainable tourism for Easter Island. Some of the highest levels of personal safety in South America.

4. Ghana: Impressive commitment to genuine democracy, as recently cited by Queen Elizabeth, as well as a growing culture of sustainability and enviromental consciousness.

5. Lithuania: Five ecotourism areas and a wealth of marshes, forests, rivers, lakes, national parks and nature-oriented tourism. Very high level of freedom of the press.

6. Namibia: Helped create a five-country conservation area to preserve and enhance natural resources, including Africa's largest elephant population. Trying to increase access to jobs, education and equal voting rights.

7. Poland: Increased focus on rural tourism, which supports local farmers, most of them women.

Launched a program for sustainable tourism in Eastern Poland, with more bike routes and public transit.

8. Seychelles: Home to the world's largest raised coral atoll (Aldabra). Established refuges for formerly threatened birds and trying to conserve turtle populations.

9. South Africa: 42 per cent of tourism attractions are naturebased. Abundant wildlife. Ecofriendly, community-based tourism ventures and improved beach cleanliness.

10. Suriname: Highest percentage of rain forest cover on earth.

High ratings for press freedom, political rights and civil liberties.

"One of the few places in the world where a mosque and a synagogue stand side by side peacefully."

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

Stop the Bitching... BEMBE!

(Continued from page 1)

Belizean public. So he lapsed to the old tried and true drama. Belizeans deserve to know what steps the Prime Minister has put in place to guide us through this recession and depression. Belizeans deserve to know what plans the Prime Minister has as we enter the New Year still clenched in the grasp of recession.

Belizeans deserve to know when Mr. Barrow expects that our economy will come out of this recession – other than the vague comment that the US has come out so we will follow eventually.

The Prime Minister has answered none

of these questions – not in interviews with the media or in the House of Representatives. Barrow’s feminine antics in the House were amusing, but left those present and indeed the entire nation still seeking concrete answers.

When asked about the ‘Bradsledo’ which has been farmed out to a UDP backer and crony, Barrow again twitched and clucked and leaped up and down like a mother hen protecting her chick – which may not be too far from the truth, since credible reports indicate that Anwar Barrow, the son of the

Prime Minister, is a silent partner in the highly lucrative enterprise. But again the antics fell short of providing the nation with the answers. The question was very simple – the hundreds and hundreds of local Boledo vendors across the country want to know how the privatization of Boledo will affect them. It’s as simple as that. Barrow has never answered that question in any forum, and he certainly did not do so in the House of Representatives.

The Prime Minister would do well to take heed of an old truism.

35

A man who is having problems in a relationship with a woman after years cannot continue to blame the woman’s old boyfriend for his problems. At some point the Prime Minister will have to stop blaming the past administration for his own failings and examine his own inadequacies. It has been almost two years of this UDP administration with only an economy in the dread grips of recession to show for it. The ‘bembe’ will just not cut it any longer.

The Belizean people demand answers, not antics.

Fabro and Perrera on the Hot Seat

(Continued from page 1) re-assignment to party cronies, to the detriment of the institution. He had also been accused by the Belize Medical and Dental Union with aiding in the preferential purchases of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals under the current board of directors.

Perrara began by blaming the accusations on the transition from the previous management and resistance from a staff that had become disgruntled with the changes. He outlined what he said were the changes he had implemented in procedures and processes that had improved transparency and accountability.

When questioned closely about several allegations, however, he denied knowledge or culpability or both or resorted to saying he could not recall.

When questioned specifically about his role in the termination of an unwritten contract for the supply of vegetables with Julian Chell, for example, Perrera denied even knowing who Chell was, despite Chell’s assertion that not only were they both from Orange Walk, but both were well-known political activists, albeit for different parties.

Perrera had a lot of questions to answer and explaining to do, so much so that he took three hours on the hot seat and it would appear that the Commission is not yet finished with him. In fact at the end of the day’s hearing the Chairman made it a point to remark out loud that they would be recalling some of those who had testified.

On Tuesday a trio of doctors appeared. First up was Doctor Jose Guer ra, an obstetrician who was questioned briefly about his ownership in Pharma Biz International, a company he admitted had been supplying KHMH with pharmaceuticals.

The BMDU firebrand president Dr. John Sosa was also brief in his testimony, answering all questions put to him with characteristic forthrightness. He told the Commissioners that the BMDU had to act because, in his words: ““We started to get reports and get invoices of prices that were not the best price and because of all the shortages that we have had at KHMH …”

He said that they were asking: “… why are we paying so much for something when we need that money to spread because money is in short supply and we need to get medicine and supplies for our patients.”

The other person accused of feathering their bed at KHMH is deposed board chairman Dr. Ricardo Fabro, who also testified on Tuesday. Fabro had a lot to answer and was often times visibly uncomfortable, often seeking the reassurance and advice of his attorney Leo Bradley, Jr., who accompanied him through what was an ordeal.

Fabro admitted that his wife’s company, MC Pharmaceutical, got a $700,000 contract with the Ministry of Health but defended the arrangement by saying it was his wife’s company – not his.

But later on he blurred that line when “her company” became “our company” as he addressed the issue of the defective supplies KHMH bought from MC Pharmaceuticals. Just minutes earlier he had told the commission he had no active participation in his wife’s company.

He also refused to take responsibility for any wrongdoing saying he never gave orders to anyone to choose suppliers from Orange Walk where he and Perrera are from.

He concluded his testimony by denying he had been forced to step aside as chairman but contradicted himself under questioning by saying, in his words, “I will put it this way, I recused myself because of all the allegations of improprieties.

The doctors apparently wanted for me to get removed as Chairman.”

He went on: “… I guess we as the board were coerced to act because of the pressures of the public opinion that might have been against us. So to quell that situation I basically chose to recuse myself.”

On Wednesday three more witnesses testified in another short day lasting just under two hours. Miriam Coleman, the Supervisor of Food and Nutrition Services was first up and she said that she was surprised when the hospital stopped purchasing vegetables from Julian Chell. She said that they had no problem with Chell’s service but could not say specifically who had given the order to axe Chell because she was away

at the time.

She was followed by Merlene Myvett, a registered nurse who is the assistant manager of the Central Sterilization Unit.

KHMH’s current Chief Executive Officer Francis “Gary” Longsworth then mounted the boldest defense to date of the current management of the hospital, blaming the leadership of the Belize Medical and Dental Union and accusing the previous administration for all the woes and shortcomings.

Before taking questions from the commissioners, Longsworth read a long prepared statement extolling his board’s virtues and which was accusatory and condemnatory of his perceived opponents.

Remarkably the commission let most of it pass without much comment or questions although Longsworth’s statement ran for close to 45 minutes and addressed 7 issues ranging from the hospital’s vehicle fleet, the quality of supplies, and the price of pharmaceuticals which the hospital bought on the open market.

He was only questioned briefly on the relationship between De La Fuente Pharmacy of Orange Walk, who are the highest supplier to KHMH to the tune of $227,362.63, and the institution.

Amazingly, Longsworth attributed this to “coincidence”.

The hearing continues on Friday with two as yet unnamed witnesses scheduled to appear.

Belmopan CitCo BROKE!

(Continued from page 1)

a line item is listed as ‘other funds/ donation.’ The figures show that in that area the Council expected to collect some $2,249,208.24. The actual collection was $37,000. Enquiring minds would like to know exactly where this $2.2million in other funds/ donation was supposed to come from.

Who exactly was supposed to donate to this kitty? Why didn’t that ‘windfall’ materialize? Because of that money which apparently did not come into the coffers of the Council, actual revenues for the fiscal period were $2.3million less than projected.

And in the expenditure section, the first line item immediately draws attention. According to the figures, almost $2.6million dollars was budgeted for capital projects. The Council actually spent only $262,795.65 on capital projects in Belmopan City, a difference of more than $2.3million. Apparently then, the money budgeted for capital projects in the City was supposed to come from other funds/donations.

When those so-called donations didn’t come in, then the people suffered because there were no capital projects.

One area which didn’t suffer,

though, was the salaries paid to the Council. In the period from April to October of 2009, the Council budgeted a little over $1.2million for personal emoluments. They actually paid almost $1.4million dollars. Since the Council has already busted its budget in just six months, the question arises – how long will they be able to continue paying workers? Where will the money to pay those workers come from?

The financial reports only confirm what residents of Belmopan have long known. Residents did not need to see the figures on capital projects for them

to know that Mayor Simeon Lopez has done absolutely nothing to improve the infrastructure of the city. Residents did not need to see the figures to know that the Council is bankrupt and that things in the city have gone stagnant.

One by one, the UDP municipal bodies are dropping like flies due to mismanagement and corruption. First it was the Belize City Council under the leadership of Mayor Zenaida Moya. And now it is the Belmopan City Council under the leadership of Mayor Simeon Lopez. Another one bites the dust.

BTL Warned…Lois Tongue-lashed!

(Continued from page 1)

termination of international service to 90,000 customers, Smar t had sought and won a major victory last week Thursday. BTL was ordered to immediately restore all services which had been disrupted and to allow Smart technicians access to their equipment located on BTL property.

Immediately after that ruling, the Prime Minister’s ex-wife, BTL Board

member and BTL attorney Lois Young stated in an interview that the CJ’s ruling was wrong, and she did not see how he would be able to enforce his judgment. And apparently, that is the advice which Lois Young gave to BTL, because the company did not comply with the ruling of the Chief Justice, and up to press time tonight, Smart’s service was still undergoing serious

disruption by BTL. Reports to the Belize Times indicate that Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh made his displeasure at BTL’s non-compliance with his judgment known in Court today, when he gave that company a firm order to follow his ruling within 48 hours. Conteh also allegedly tongue-lashed attorney Lois Young, telling her that ‘we are not living

in a jungle where the strongest rules.’

Experts tell the Belize Times that BTL’s disruption of Smart’s service has been deliberately timed during this period, when because of the season customer usage is at a peak. If BTL does not comply within the 48 hour deadline, they can and very likely will face charges of contempt.

36

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

Insert A37

Sustainable Harvest International to Hold First Beekeeping Workshop in Honduras (Press Release)

Surry, ME, December 13, 2009 --(PR.com)-- One of the first things you notice about Piedras Neg ras is the coffee. It blankets the steep mountainsides of this remote, mistcovered village in Honduras, where road access is difficult and land ownership nearly nonexistent. The second thing you notice about this community is the people, who are proud, resourceful and very gracious.

And enterprising. Since the people of Piedras Negras have little of their own land to farm and depend on the brief coffee harvest to provide income for the whole year, they've looked for local, low-input alternatives. Recently, they've taken to capturing and keeping wild bees on a shared patch of land, both to improve coffee yields and

produce honey. Now they're looking for more extensive training so this project can provide them the greatest benefit possible.

Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) - a Maine-based non profit which has been promoting sustainable agriculture in farming communities throughout Central America since 1997 - will offer them this training this spring, when they hold their first Beekeeping Workshop in El Cerron, Honduras. The workshop will provide local Honduran residents with hands-on training in how to establish integrated, organic apiculture systems on their lands. SHI staff and trained apiculturists will work side by side with local farmers and trip participants to learn beehive design, honey and

pollen extraction, planting techniques to better attract bees and other pollinators and marketing strategies for extra income. Residents will also learn natural pest management and org anic fer tilizer techniques - particularly important given the spread of Colony Collapse Disorder, which has destroyed bee hives around the globe. The trip, which is part of SHI’s Smaller World Program, is open to all.

S H I ’s o n g o i n g S m a l l e r Wo r l d P r o g r a m ( h t t p : / / w w w. s u s t a i n a b l e h a r ve s t . o r g / s m a l l e r _ wo r l d _ p r o g r a m . c f m ) , w a s f i r s t established in 2004 to create direct connections between people who support SHI’s work and the communities SHI serves in Honduras,

B e l i z e , N i c a r a g u a a n d Pa n a m a .

Participants in the Smaller World program develop a relationship with a community for the duration of SHI's program there. Anyone with an interest in beekeeping, SHI's work in Central America, or having an unforgettable, enriching experience, is welcome to participate.

But the most important part of SHI’s work is to enrich the lives of those they visit. Says Florence Reed, Founder and President of SHI, “I am particularly excited about the positive impact this inaugural workshop will have on the community, in terms of making use of beneficial insects and appropriate technology, increasing yields, and diversifying the local economy.”

Insert B 38

The Belize Times

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The story of healing where angels fear to tread Jane Hannon has her ticket for a Monday evening screening of a new documentary about overseas aid workers, "Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders." In fact, the Hampden resident will be among those in the audience who could speak first-hand about the film's subject matter.

A Johns Hopkins School of Nursing graduate, Hannon, 40, does work for Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people in more than 60 countries. The group focuses on those whose lives are threatened by violence, malnutrition or natural disasters.

Hannon performed work for Doctors Without Borders in South Asia and Southern Africa.

"The work I did for Doctors Without Borders was part of my primary drive to become a nurse," said Hannon, who is currently earning a nursing practitioner degree at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

(reprinted from The Baltimore Sun December 17, 2009) She worked in Zimbabwe last year Portuguese.

"I worked with the mobile clinic during a cholera outbreak that strained the country's already-scant resources and sent teams as well as offering health education scores of ill people to hospitals that were on HIV and other sexually transmitted often understaffed and lacking running diseases," she said.

It's the kind of work that Hannon water.

"It was the shortest assignment I've took an interest in while growing up in done but also the most challenging," said Long Island, N.Y., prompting her to do Hannon. "Patients were rolling into small Peace Corps work in Belize 12 years ago. clinics and hospitals that didn't have the In 2005, she volunteered for Project Hope, capacity to take care of them. Everything working on a U.S. naval ship that provided was in short supply. Some of the hospitals relief for tsunami victims in Indonesia.

"I had never traveled outside the had electricity, but no light bulbs." country, but I considered the Peace Corps During an assignment in Bangladesh three years ago, Hannon took part in a basic a big challenge," said Hannon. "Having health care and nutrition program that was done that, I was sort of hooked on it and launched in part for refugees who entered I became hooked on working overseas. But I wanted to be a nurse prior to going into the country from Myanmar.

She arrived in post-civil-war Angola the Peace Corps."

Her story is not unlike those of four aid in 2003 and worked there for three years, taking part in a nutrition program that workers chronicled in the documentary.

"Living in Emergency: Stories of morphed into a basic health care program.

She learned Portuguese, the country's Doctors Without Borders" offers a glimpse official language, while working there into what aid workers endure both physically and ultimately conducted assignments in and emotionally while behind the scenes in

conflict zones of Liberia and the Congo.

The film will be broadcast via satellite from the Skirball Cultural Center in New York to nearly 450 theaters across the country. It will feature a live town-hall discussion hosted by ABC News journalist Elizabeth Vargas.

Locally, the film can be seen at such venues as the AMC Owings Mills 17 and the Cinemark Egyptian 24 in Hanover.

Hannon said she has not done a project for Doctors Without Borders since last year but continues to take part in local recruiting events.

She said she hopes the film offers people a chance to see the challenges humanitarian workers face when providing medical services in some of the world's most hostile environments.

She added, "I hope it compels people to action, to volunteer, donate, to speak to their representatives in Washington, to call attention to places where these things are going on year in and year out."

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

insert C 39

insert D 40

The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

OPENING HOURS: MON-SAT: 8:00 - 9:00 SUN: 9:00 - 2:00

4 REGENT STREET MARKET SQUARE TEL:2272905

TABLE CLOTH PLACEMATS CUTLERY SETS CANDLES FLOWERS VASES TABLE ORNAMENTS

POT SETS DINNER SETS GLASS SETS

XMAS TREES XMAS LIGHTS XMAS DECORATIONS XMAS PAPER/GIFT BAGS

CURTAINS-50 STYLES CURTAIN RODS KITCHEN CURTAINS CURTAIN SCARVES CURTAIN TIE BACKS CROCK POT TOASTER BLENDER HAND MIXERS DVD PLAYERS EXTENSION CORDS MICROWAVES

CRANBERRY SAUCE ROASTER PANS STUFFING TURKEY GRAVY CLOVES

LEA & PERRINS SALAD CREAMS MIX VEGETABLES PEAS & CARROTS TURKEY BAGS

MIX FRUIT COMFORTER SETS CHERRIES CARPETS - ALL SIZES PECANS RUNNERS - MANY COLORS PRUNES RAISINS BLACK CAKE COLOR

SHOWER CURTAINS SHOWER CADDY BATHROOM SET TOWEL SETS BATH MATS LAUNDRY BASKETS

sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

insert 41 1

insert 2 42

The Belize Times

sunday, December 20, 2009

Dean Barrowiness! s u b r o f bad

Economy in Recession UDP Fight with BEL UDP Fight with Chamber of Commerce Telecommunication Industry in Crisis Corozal Free Zone in Crisis Businesses Closed Down Businesses in Receivership Tourism Revenues Down Unemployement UP Industries in Danger

s k n a h T

Mr. Dean...

See you in

2013

Sunday, December 20, 2009

The Belize Times

Insert 343

Manager for it’s Belmopan station • Sol seeks to recruit motivated individual with entrepreneurial and business savvy, who is prepared to enter into a business relationship in managing our retail outlet in Belmopan.

• Our manager should maintain and control Safety, Operational and Financial standards across both the Fuel and Convenience retail business.

• Exceptional customer service and people management skills are essential. Previous experience in the retail petroleum sector, while important, is not an absolute requirement.

• Contractual arrangements and business models will be discussed after initial screening and interviews.

• Only applicants selected for interviews will be acknowledged,

Appl y i n wr i t i ng t o:

Manager Recruitment, SOL Belize Ltd, P.O. Box 608, Mile 2.5 Northern Highway, Belize City, Belize.

Emai l : andrew.burrowes@solpetroleum.com Tel: (501) 223-0406 Fax: (501) 223 – 0704

The Sol Group operates 11 Service Stations in Belize under a Shell Trademark License.

Insert 4 44

The Belize Times

Belize Electricity Limited advises customers in Dangriga Town that the supply of electricity will be interrupted on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Affected area: All of Dangriga Town & Sarawee Village Reason: To upgrade the Distribution System in the area.

BEL regrets any inconvenience that may be caused by this power interruption.

Customers may call toll free for any additional queries or other customer-related issues at: 0-800-BEL-CARE or 0-800-235-2273.

BEL - Continuously Striving to Serve you Better!

View scheduled outages online at: www.bel.com.bz/services_outages.asp

Sunday, December 20, 2009