Sunday, August 29, 2010
SUNDAY AUGUST 29, 2010
The Belize Times
Issue No. 4708
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$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz www.pup.org.bz
NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (NHI) STILLBORN
Before being born baby NHI has died! Last week, on August 13th, 2010 to be more specific, the Private Hospitals who supply d e l ive r y s e r v i c e s t o t h e NHI for expecting mothers of the South-side Belize City got a Memo from the Social Security Board/NHI infor ming them, that in accordance to contract they were being given ninety days notice before these ser vices would no longer be required . The effective date for the ter mination of deliver y ser vices is November 12, 2010. This alarming announcement is sending red f lags all over Belize City among suppliers of ser vices to the NHI. Suppliers of ser vices to t h e N H I a r e wo n d e r i n g if this is the beginning of the dismemberment of the NHI. When we contacted one of the owners of a Pharmacy, she said it is very disturbing what is happening. After all the investment these suppliers have done to service the NHI, the
last thing they need is to have their contracts ended. Suppliers: phar macies, labs, clinics, etc are all ner vous with this announcement as this augurs bad for their businesses. This, they say, will affect their ability to keep
personnel employed and will affect the viability of the businesses. However, we wonder here at the Belize Times what will the patients and residents of the south-side say when they lear n about this decision. What will our expecting
mothers of Belize southside say when they learn that they will no longer be able to access the services at the private hospitals? This means that expecting mothers of the South-side Belize City, who could access delivery services from Private Medical Institutions like Belize Medical Associates and Belize Health Partners, while paying only a small copayment, will no longer be able to do so. Effective November 12, delivery services through t h e N H I w i l l c e a s e ! Yo u will have to go to the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) says the memo and pay the current rates. When the PUP envisioned the NHI it was always with the idea of increasing ser vices and expanding the coverage. Another e-mail sent out to the Primary Health Care Providers (PCPS) on the same date and by the same person infor med these health care providers that referrals should no longer be made to the (Continued on pg. 3)
just $5.00. But those days soon came to an abr upt end with two of the principals from the San Pe d r o B e l i z e E x p r e s s s e ve r i n g their ties with the company a little over a year or so later, in September 2009. The pair, Giovanni Marin and Maribel Marin, still hungered
apparently for the water taxi business, and having the political connections to Belize Rural South area representative Manuel Junior Heredia, and having successfully recr uited for mer UDP Par ty Chair man and Por t Loyola R e p r e s e n t a t i v e H e n r y Yo u n g , today they are again back in the water taxi business with San Pedro Jet Express. Fo l l ow i n g t h e M a r i n s departure from San Pedro Belize Express, the company’s managers a n d o p e r a t o r s a n d r iva l s C ay e Caulker Water Taxi Association a g r e e d t o “ c o - o p e t e ,” t h a t i s jointly setting fares and sharing r uns. In May of this year the Marins petitioned the National Transport Board for a license to operate and today they are back (Continued on pg. 3)
New water taxi service opens
The news tonight is that B e l i z e ’s n e we s t e n t r y i n t o t h e hotly competitive water taxi business had its first accident this afternoon when one of its boats ran into a pier in Caye Caulker. Our reports are that there were n o s e r i o u s i n j u r i e s. I t i s a l s o news that the ser vice debuted last Friday without fanfare, or cer tainly without the level and type of scr utiny and controversy that signaled the last entr y into the industr y. In July 2008, the San Pedro Belize Express debuted to fanfare and controversy to challenge the l o n g e s t a b l i s h e d C ay e C a u l ke r Wa t e r Ta x i A s s o c i a t i o n i n providing ser vice primarily to the islands of Amberg ris Caye and Caye Caulker. It was controversial, provoking demonstrations,
r e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d t h e Po r t Authority inter vening to move fishing boats in the harbor. The competition between the rivals soon prompted the radical slashing of prices to the point where there were some days when a one way fare to Caye Caulker from Belize City was reduced to
To all Belizean Students, have a safe and successful school year
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The Belize Times
A Model of HIS Governance
It would be unfair to cast blame at Prime Minister Dean Barrow for proclaiming back in 2006 that the new UDP Belize City Council led by Mayor Zenaida Moya would serve as a ‘model of good governance’ for the rest of the country. Although he claims all manner of divine skills and abilities, extrasensory prescience has never been one of them. But while the Prime Minister will certainly never blame himself for the chaos which has been wrought in Belize City by his handpicked municipal crew, it seems just that he should feel some shame for what has come to pass and bear some responsibility for the mess. The leader of the nation has remained mute on the crisis surrounding the Belize City Council, as he has on so many issues today. Lately his grinning visage is more apparent on the pages of foreign newspapers and magazines as he does the cocktail circuit abroad than on any local newscast dealing with the many issues affecting the nation and the people he swore an oath to serve. If the Prime Minister would deign to stay ‘local’ for a week or two, perhaps he could then be persuaded to join a current discussion which has never in our political history been broached but is today most pertinent – would residents of Belize City be better off without a municipal body ‘at the helm,’ so to speak. It is completely accurate to state that never before have residents of Belize City been subjected to municipal administration the likes of which they have since 2006 when the UDP took municipal office. In fact, the term ‘administration’ has to be used loosely because City Hall has become more of a ‘free-for-a-few’ than an organization bearing any resemblance to a managed entity. Under the leadership of Zenaida Moya, every single tenet which should guide a committed, honest and successful municipal government has gone through the door. Transparency, financial accountability and good governance took wings and fled the scene early in the term of the new UDP Council, and have not been seen since. Evidence was presented which showed a criminal chain of sweetheart deals concocted between the Mayor and her brother – hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of work, with no work to show for it. Evidence was presented which proved that the Mayor, completely without authorization, had decided to pay herself an additional $3,000 per month. The Ministry of Local Government got involved and publicly condemned the action as misappropriation of public funds. There have been official audits conducted which revealed the ‘disappearance’ of hundreds of thousands more and raised more than a hundred queries which remain unanswered today. And of course, there has been the famous term coined by the Mayor – under-depositing – which confounds accountants and economists to this day. The money gone missing through ‘under-depositing’ has never been accounted for, though speculation is rife that the transactions were balanced out through ‘over-depositing’ in someone’s private account. In the area of internal management, the UDP CitCo has also been deplorable. Internal and very public warfare have been the orders of the day. No less than six senior managers have resigned, a few of them with choice condemnations of the Mayor, and the Councilors charged with administering the affairs of the city are far too busy choosing sides in a battle which never seems to go anywhere. While this happens, the Council has floundered into insolvency and has been unable to provide even the most basic services as outlined in its mandate. Garbage remains uncollected, streets have become dilapidated due to complete and total neglect, parks and playgrounds have sunk into disrepair, drains are cluttered with filth from lack of maintenance and the city has become a cesspool. The only Councilor who still shows his face with regularity is the far less than able, adroit or intellectual Phillip Willoughby, who is trying to maneuver photo opportunities into political credibility with no success. All other Councilors have retreated into the cushiness of private jobs issued through political connections and the business of residents has been ignored. The only thing these Councilors can be accused of carrying out with some expedience is the cashing of their monthly stipends, close to $4000 each. No, Mr. Barrow cannot be blamed for lacking the extrasensory perception to predict his Council’s failings. But he MUST be blamed for his unflinching, unwavering determination to ignore the continued betrayal of Belize City residents by a Council which he put in place. The Prime Minister has ignored every audit which has revealed monies missing at the Council. He has ignored the evidence of the Mayor’s misappropriation and mismanagement which have been piled at his feet. He has ignored the garbage crisis and the crisis of wrecked streets; the plight of the BML workers and the shocking revelations of those in the belly of the beast. He has turned a blind eye to the wreckage at City Hall and the people of the city have paid a heavy price for it. As eloquent as he is, perhaps Mr. Barrow misspoke back in 2006 when he called the new UDP Belize City Council a model of good governance. Perhaps he meant to say that the UDP City Council would be a model of HIS governance. That would surely have been a far more accurate turn of phrase for the master of words.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
PUP Northern Caucus Calls for Unity Convention At a special meeting of the Northern Caucus held in Patchakan Village, Corozal and where 14 other constituency chairpersons joined the 9 member Caucus, a resolution was passed endorsing the leadership of John Briceno and calling for party unity. The resolution, which was unanimously supported by all Caucus Members present and received the approval of all other representatives present stated: Be it resolved that on the 24th August 2010, the PUP Northern Caucus met for the a special meeting and endorsed the Hon. John Briceño for Party Leader at the upcoming convention of the People’s United Party to be held later this year. Also be it resolved that the Northern Caucus requested that the Party hold its National Council as early as possible in an effort to unite to achieve victory in the upcoming elections both at the municipal and national levels. Present at the meeting were the following Chairpersons and representatives of the 22 constituencies and other members of the National Executive: 1. Corozal Bay 2. Corozal North 3. Corozal Southwest 4. Orange Walk North 5. Orange Walk Central 6. Orange Walk East 7. Orange Walk South 8. Belize Rural North 9. Belize Rural South 10. Stann Creek West 11.Dangriga 12. Toledo East 13. Toledo West 14.Cayo South 15. Cayo Central 16. Cayo North 17.Cayo West 18. Cayo Northeast 19. Belmopan 20, Pickstock 21. Caribbean Shores 22. Fort George President of the Belize Youth Movement (BYM) Order of Distinguished Service (ODS) President of the Marshalls
Questions to Ministers
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Will the Minister of Police please say what has Restore Belize done thus far to address the continuing increase in violent crime in Belize City. It has been two months since it was launched? Will the Minister of Works please say under what authority has the Ministry taken on the work of the Belize City Council to maintain streets and drains as “Easy Glenn” Keep Belize Clean Committee?
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Will the Minister of Education please tell us how many students per district benefited from the $300 subsidy and what criteria was used to select the students who received the grant
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Will the minister of Transport please tell us what measures have been put in place to ensure that students living along the major highways can get to school this school year without the hassles and delays they experienced last year?
THE BELIZE TIMES ACTING EDITOR
Lucilo E. Alcoser
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TYPIST-
Rachel Arana
Editor: 671-8385
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE (NHI) STILLBORN
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Private Hospital for deliveries as monies were being re-allocated to address the Nutritional problems facing the Southern region of the country. Reliable sources tell us that the NHI is mandated by Government to now give micronutrients through the NHI clinics to those persons with Marasmus in the Southern region of the country. Because of this the NHI can no longer afford to pay for the deliveries for our mothers in the south-side Belize City. Some months ago we published an article here at the Belize Times titled “MARASMUS (Lack of Food) IN BELIZE” in which we reported on the serious health/ social issue affecting our brothers and sisters of the South. This health c o n d i t i o n i s k n ow n i n m e d i c a l terms as Nutritional Marasmus and is caused by a severe deficiency of both protein and calories. In other words it is a lack of food. The symptoms are growth retardation, muscle wasting, impaired immunity, delayed wound healing, letharg y, vomiting and loss of fat stores. As with most nutritional problems,
Marasmus affects mostly children and young adults. W hile we have no problem with the reallocation of monies to assist our brothers and sisters of the south, it is the inefficiency and how it is done that annoys us. Marasmus is essentially a result of or an indication of pover ty and unemployment. People in the south, it has been shown through statistics, are the poorest of the poor in our country. It is where unemployment is at its highest and the access to social ser vices the worst. Well then, it should not come as a surprise to know then that our brothers and sisters in the south are star ving….diagnosis is saying Nutritional Marasmus. Now our Gover nment is proposing to give micronutrients to our children in the south for a period of two years. Giving “Sprinkles”, “Plumpy Nuts” and “Vitacereal” for a period of two years through our NHI Clinics is not going to address a problem that needs long ter m and sustainable solutions. Anyone with some sense knows that a little program of two
years will not alleviate anybody’s mal nutrition problem. What is happening is that the Government is now using the NHI monies to make a big bally hoo about trying to solve the hunger of our fellow B e l i z e a n s d o w n s o u t h . We a l l know that to alleviate poverty (the root cause) and thence hung er and malnutrition what we need is economic activity….employment ….jobs! The promotion of economic activity and the answer to severe unemployment is the responsibility of Central Government. This is something that the inept bunch in Belmopan should be addressing through the creation of an investment friendly environment where both local and foreign investors will feel confident to do business and employ our Belizeans. Instead what we see them ding is gloating on the failures of businesses without even realizing that ever y time a business door closes its one more person out of a job and one more family with less to eat. By ceasing to offer deliver y
ser vices to our mothers in the south side of Belize City what we are in effect saying is that NHI will not take care of the birth of our children anymore but it will now take care of feeding those who already were bor n but are starving. That is not the function of NHI. Feeding people cannot even be classified as preventive medicine which is a focus of the NHI. To put the icing on the cake, reliable sources are telling us that our people down south will be given Vitacereal that comes from G u a t e m a l a ! We a r e wo n d e r i n g , here that the Belize Times, who is going to importing these “micronutrients” and Vitacereal from our neighbours. We know of a very powerful family who resides in our border town with Guatemala and who is close to those in the higherups in Belmopan. A street vendor who sells tacos near the Integ ral Clinic on the south side when asked about this issue he questioned “what those powerful politicians and Ministers of the South-side of Belize City will do about this decision”.
in the business, operating out of a ter minal from Birds Isle. If there was any lesson learned from the previous entr y
into the industr y it was that the pie can barely suppor t the operators already invested, operating and existing. If there
is any lesson to be learned is that the Bar row administration have b e c o m e a d e p t a t r e - i n ve n t i n g the wheel, ensuring new entries
by t h e p o l i t i c a l c o n n e c t e d c a n muscle their way in, and muscle long established entrepreneurs and operators out.
New water taxi service opens
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
BELIZE WATER SERVICES LIMITED BELIZE RIVER VALLEY PROJECT - BELIZE Consultancy Services for Design and Construction Supervision
STATEMENTS OF CAPABILITY
The Road Less Travelled
On Tuesday night, in Pachakan Corozal, the Northern Caucus held a special meeting where 23 representatives from different constituencies stood up to recommend that we hold a National Convention celebrating the Peoples’ United Party 60th Anniversar y as a unity event. As I listened to all these speakers, I couldn’t help but remember the past two years as the leader of this great party of ours. As Moises Martinez was speaking I remembered him in 2008 pledging his support at that National Convention. Unfortunately, his father died two days before the convention. Nevertheless, he felt it so important that he took the time to go and cast his vote before he joined his family to bur y his father. Such is the sacrifice of tr ue Party Loyalists. I can remember Rodwell Ferguson, a first ter m representative reeling from his first loss at the polls in 2008. I spoke with him and encouraged him not to give up, that too much is at stake in our countr y. In two short years, Rodwell has turned the political tide around in Stann Creek West and is now poised to be the next Area Representative. Likewise in the Toledo district, both Mike Espat and Oscar Requeña visited my office after the National Convention, pledged support and encouraged me to visit all the villages in the Toledo district. The experience g oing from village to village in the Toledo district visiting our party supporters have allowed me to have a better understanding on how they live and the challenges they face daily. This has been educational and has allowed me as leader to have a better understanding of what the new PUP government needs to do especially in our most impoverished r ural communities. I remember once late on a Friday night arriving at a far mer’s home in the village of Medina in r ural Toledo, along with Mike and Oscar. As we entered the house there were his three teenage children sitting around a table - one reading an old edition of the Belize Times, another the Bible while the last one was painting. There was no television, computer, internet, email, Facebook or video games. What was impressive about that is that they were together as a family, talking, sharing and supporting one another. This is an experience that many young Belizeans are losing out. We no longer have the time for these simple but important necessar y family experiences. These are just some of the many experiences that I have had over the past two years as I have traveled hundreds of miles across this countr y visiting almost ever y community in the countr y. Ever ywhere we g o the Belizean people are complaining about the same things, they feel abandoned, that their representatives no longer listen to them, that as countr y things are getting worse. Belizeans are despondent about the future. They see no solutions to their problems. They have serious challenges in keeping their children in school. They can’t afford to buy schoolbooks and can’t pay the ever-increasing school fees. Today Belizean are facing some immense challenges and many are being overtaken by fear and despair for the future. Through all this, the rank and file of the PUP once again believes in the PUP. They recognize that the PUP is the only party that has the talent, experience and the vision to move Belize forward. But there are two powerful messages that they give us ever y time we meet. One, they want the PUP to be the Party of selfless ser vice to the people, especially our poor people and those living in the r ural areas, and they want us to avoid the excess of our past PUP g overnment. And they are also demanding that the PUP leaders set aside their eg os and think about the rank and file of the PUP, especially the ones suffering under the hands of this vindictive UDP government. Our PUP faithful are demanding that we unite and fight to save Belize. A famous poet Robert Frost wrote a poem about the Road Not Taken. Today the PUP is at this crossroad. We in the PUP need to take the road less traveled and make all the difference for the Belize people. Long live the Peoples’ United Party!
The Government of Belize (GOB) has received a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the cost of the Belize River Valley Project, and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds to eligible payments under a contract to provide consultancy services for design and construction supervision. GOB will execute the project through Belize Water Services Limited (BWS), and a Project Manager within BWS will be responsible for the day-to-day management of project activities. BWS shall be the Executing Agency for the project. BWS is now seeking to engage consultants to: (a) undertake detailed engineering survey of the route for installing the distribution network and mains interconnecting the nine villages; (b) prepare new and review existing tank designs; and (c) undertake construction supervision of the erection of three (3) tanks together with the installation of approximately forty (40) miles of various diameter PVC water main within and interconnecting the nine villages. The procurement of these consulting services shall be subject to the provisions of the loan agreement. BWS now invites the submission of statement of capabilities from eligible firms interested in undertaking this assignment.
Ten Bil
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Eac dec fac
Ap of wh
Consultant firms shall be eligible for procurement if: (a) in the case of a body corporate, it is legally incorporated or otherwise organized in, and has its principal place of business in, an eligible country and is more than 50 per cent beneficially owned by citizen(s) and/or bona fide resident(s) of eligible country(ies) or by body(ies) corporate meeting these requirements; (b) in the case of unincorporated firms, the persons are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and (c) in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.
Ten Fr
Su and We
Th and
CE
Eligible countries are CDB Member Countries. In assessing submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience, regional experience on similar assignments, financial capability, the extent of prior commitments, and proficiency in English. Submissions should include corporate profile, descriptions of similar projects completed within the past five years, and curriculum vitae of key personnel. Consultants should have experience in Civil Engineering including but not limited to foundation and structural design, engineering and geotechnical survey, water supply and distribution, tender preparation and evaluation, contract preparation and negotiation, construction supervision and project management. Five (5) copies of the “statement of capability” must be submitted to the first address stated below no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 15th, 2010. Simultaneously, one copy should be sent to the second address below. The sealed envelopes containing the submissions should include the name and address of the applicant and should be clearly marked: “Statement of Capability: Consulting Services for Belize River Valley Project”. All information must be submitted in English. Following assessment of the submissions, a short list of not less than three and not more than six applicants will be provided with full terms of reference and invited to submit technical and financial proposals to undertake the assignment. BWS reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. BWS will not be bound to assign any reason for not short listing any applicant and will not defray costs incurred by applicants in the preparation and submission of the proposals. Applicants will be advised in due course of the results of their application. 1. Resident Consultant Engineer Belize Water Services Limited #7 Central American Boulevard Belize City Belize District BELIZE, C. A.
2. Procurement Officer Project Services Division Caribbean Development Bank P O Box 408, Wildey St. Michael BARBADOS, W. I. BB 11000
Tel: (501) 222 4757 ext. 241 Fax: (501) 222 4238 Email: rce@bwsl.com.bz
Tel: (246) 431 1600 Fax: (246) 426 7269 Email: procurement@caribank.org
Ch tha up Pe sen tor At tic IS tio sai the tic the of
DA
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
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WHY THE UDP HAS LOST THE CRIME WAR
It is a bitter harvest we reap; heads bowed in grief as we carry bullet riddled bodies of children, teenagers and even senior citizens to early graves, planted and watered with blood and tears. Vengeance our only recourse as the justice system fails, and the cycle of hate and war starts over again. This is not poetry but rather an attempt to illustrate what has become life in Belize City. Ambulances and Police sirens scream from 7a.m. All through “sunhot” middays and afternoons and under the cover of darkness, the carnage continues with heavy caliber weaponry sounding like bombs over Iraq a la George Bush. But we who live here are too tired, too war weary to be shocked or awed anymore. We just want to know what happened to Belize City, why can't the Government and the Police protect lives and property and where on the ballot did day that a vote for the UDP was a one way ticket to death, despair and degradation aka hell. A review of the sequence of events from 2005 up to an including the first year of the UDP's term in office shows a disturbing subset of facts and figures that could well explain why this UDP government is unable to exercise any controls over the violence and related destruction that characterizes our city's streets. It's just a matter of harvest;Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Matt 7:16 When the then Opposition wanted to undermine the duly elected government of the day , it publicly announced a policy of “sustained civil disobedience”. t the time of the assault on the National Assembly building, the future Minister for National Security led that assault. He was seen to have had a whistle with which he signaled the protesters to open the ranks so that a group armed with sling shots could launch a barrage of ball bearings onto the National Assembly building, shattering its windows and disrupting the House Meeting that was in session. Organizing and perhaps providing logistical support for the lawless, rented crowd set the precedent for UDP sanctioned violence against the Police and the State. This was “not a good thing” and therefore could only lead to the contempt that the UDP followers have for law enforcement and the rule of law. The newly anointed Member of the British Empire led the charge in the House by threatening to “throw a grenade een ya”. He gets Queen's honors in recognition for the threat uttered three years later, even as the first of many grenades gets thrown in the city's streets. Moments after declaring victory at the polls, the soon to be appointed Police minister declared that he would take down all the cameras, an innovative and effective crime fighting and personal safety system that was already in place. And he did. Shortly thereafter the gangs started their turf war as the sale and open use of drug paraphernalia
escalated in clear public view and directly beneath where cameras , rendered useless still existed. A senior Police Officer who had the respect of the streets was set to watch over the gangs and to protect their interest AGAINST other elements of the Police trying to do their job to protect the citizenry and preserve law an order. The authority of the Police was knowingly compromised so as to keep preelection (implied) promises to “the gangsta crews “ that had served as foot soldiers in the pre-election politically backed violence. And then there was the Ross Kemp Documentary. Done in just
a few days, Ross Kemp hooked up directly with the government agency that was set up to deal with and prevent gangland warfare. Kemp's piece was largely viewed with skepticism as s foreign journalist exaggerating the proliferation of gangs, the level of killings they had perpetrated on each other and the arsenal of high powered weaponry they had stockpiled. Fast forward to the situation in the city's streets in 2010 and keeping in mind that a Police officer drove Kemp around to the gangs with full GOB consent, and we know that everything those gangstas said to Kemp was true. The grenades detonated since then
look like what he was shown, the turf areas identified have been bloodily fought after and it would be interesting to see how many of the persons interviewed have since been killed or stand accused of a killing in the streets of Belize City. The seeds of lawlessness were planted and watered before and after the current crew got into office. They have sowed a wind and now we reap the whirlwind of violence and lawlessness that has made life intolerable and death in the streets almost inevitable. As the Bible aptly says” Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Mt. 12.33
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The Belize Times
PARTY PAGE
Sunday, August 29, 2010
THE BLUE MACHINE Northern Caucus Endorse Party Leader
We Are The PUP
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
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PUP Northern Caucus Hosts Unity Accord
The picturesque village of Patchakan was the scene last Tuesday night of a unique Special Meeting of the nine member Northern Caucus of the People's United Party. They had come together to forge an accord of Party Unity. To this end, they had also invited representatives from the other regional Caucuses and what ensued was a two hour long meeting which saw the very vocal and active participation of some one hundred eighty representatives from across the length and breath of Belize. The impressive turnout included Chairpersons and/or divisional committee representatives from twenty-two divisions in the North, West, South and the Belize District. The theme and focus that reverberated from all corners was that
of the need to unite in order to fight the real enemies of poverty, failing economy, dire decay in the cities and towns and the tarnished image and continuous state of siege by crime in Belize City. The supporters gathered were greeted and encouraged to voice their collective disgust with the perception that the Party was still divided along old issues when the way of life was so threatened by the victimization and nepotism being so boldly practiced against the average Belizean in general and PUP supporters specifically. By the time the last committee rep had spoken, the Northern Caucus put forward a resolution, which was unanimously supported by all Caucus Members present and received the approval of all other
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representatives present. It stated: “Be it resolved that on the 24th August 2010, the PUP Northern Caucus met for the a special meeting and endorsed the Hon. John Briceño for Party Leader at the upcoming convention of the People’s United Party to be held later this year. Also be it resolved that the Northern Caucus requested that the Party hold its National Council as early as possible in an effort to unite to achieve victory in the upcoming elections both at the municipal and national levels.” The meeting closed with a word of thanks and a call to unity by the Party Leader, the Hon. John Briceno. The list of PUP Divisional Committees represented at the meeting is as follows:
1. Corozal Bay 2 . Corozal North 3. Corozal Southwest 4. Orange Walk North 5. Orange Walk Central 6. Orange Walk East 7. Orange Walk South 8. Belize Rural North 9. Belize Rural South 10. Stann Creek West 11.Dangriga 12. Toledo East 13. Toledo West 14.Cayo South 15. Cayo Central 16. Cayo North 17.Cayo West 18. Cayo Northeast 19. Belmopan 20, Pickstock 21. Caribbean Shores 22. Fort George Also present were the Presidents of the Marshalls and the Belize Youth Movement (BYM)and several members of the Order of Distinguished Service (ODS) including Messers Sam Waight, Belis Carballo, and Armando Valdez.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Rub-A-Dub-Dub
Three a Dem in a Cruise Tub: BTB focuses only on CRUISE
T he new Director of To u r ism has been ver y busy f l yi n g out of countr y, conducting a l o t of meetings. One would wa n t to think that perhaps BTB i s n ow focusing on the more s u s ta inable over night tourism to f i n a l ly have a plan for this for th e l ong haul. Don’t g et too exci ted. One of the first visits BTB en g a g ed in was a visit with FC C A, the Flor ida Caribbean C r u i se Association, to discuss B e l i z e hosting the 2011 Platinum C r u i se Tourism Conference. T h e countr y who hosts has to f i t the bill and pay for all the ex p e nses which will r un well into th e hundreds of thousands of d o l l a rs. (Platinum membership i n FCCA alone costs US$25,000 a n nu ally.) T hen, the two year Action Pl a n that Ms. Matus has d eveloped has BTB focusing o n Destination Planning, with B e l i z e City focused on the cr uise z o n e in the For t Georg e area and th e next focus is for the BTB to p r ov ide “effective leadership in p r e p aring the Placencia citizenr y to m anag e a sustainable cr uise p o r t destination there”. T he p l a n states: “T he g over nment i s o n the verg e o f authorizing a n e w cr uise por t there”. T here has been ver y vocal a n d g rowing opposition to the p r o p osal to have cr uise tourism i n Placencia. Stuar t Krohn, a d eveloper and r esor t operator a l o n g the Placencia Peninsula, i n a n eloquent piece published i n o ne of the newspaper this week opined: “Exper t after ex p e r t has told us that Belize’s f u tu re lies in eco and high end to u r i sm. We know that cr uise to u r i sm is the opposite of high en d ecotourism. So why is our g over nment tr ying to foist the cu r s e of cr uise tourism on us?” T hen in the past week alone, th e CEO, the Director and the B T B Board have been focused on
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m ed i a t i n g ta l k s b etween C h u k k a C a r i b b ea n a n d FE C TA B. A t B T B, i t’s a l l a b o u t cr u i s e. S o i f yo u a r e i nvo l ved i n over n i g h t to u r i s m , “ D awg wa h ea t yu h s u p p a ” !
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
9
BELIZE’S TRADE POLICY AND SERVICE PROVIDERS AT ODDS
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Over the past few weeks the tourism sector and more specifically the tour operators have been in a raucous over a company Chukka – Bakka Bush and their place in the market. It is impor tant in accessing the cur rent relationship of this fir m with Car nival Caribbean cr uise line and the level of market share they have as a tour operator in Belize, that it is done taking into account what is the policy framework within which this sector functions. Belize as a small open economy has a striving and well established ser vice sector, which includes the tourism sector and its related ser vices. In critically assess how this sector functions it is impor tant to first understand the leg al context; namely Belize’s trade policy with reg ard to trade in ser vices. This write will provide a brief synopsis with respect to the Belize’s trade policy and its ser vices sector. As a founding member of the World Trade Org anization (WTO) and a signator y to the Ur uguay Ag reements, Belize’s commitments under the General Ag reement on Trade in Ser vices (GATS) was limited to only the telecommunication sector. This meant that in 1993 when she became a member of the WTO, the only ser vice sector that Belize ag reed to liberalize and allow for foreign investment and competition was the telecommunication sector. This was evidently achieved when the Belize Telecommunication Authority was privatized and became Belize Telecommunication Limited (BTL) and most recently the market has seen the entr y of Speednet Communications. Other ser vices sectors such as tourism and all its related ser vicesis did not given see the Notice hereby thatlevel of commitment towards Agnes Mariano is applying for liberalization of trade. However, a Membership Liquor License due to the nature of how the Belizean tourism sector has to be operated at Belize developed over the#160 yearsNewand the Pickwick Club”, fact that it requires significant town Barrcks, Belize City capital investments, one has under the Intoxicating seen vast levels of Liquor foreign investment in hotels,Revised resor ts, Licensing Ordinance tour operators Edition 1980. and other areas. This de facto liberalization of the tourism sector is what Notice is hereby given thatlevels has allowed for the high of foreign investment David Whyte is applying to for be a acceptable. Publican Special Liquor Li- in Belize’s trade policy cense to isbeaoperated at “Bla of ser vices direct reflection her a par ty to the Bla commitment Cool Spot”, as Placencia Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas Village, Stann Creek District that establishes the CARICOM under the Intoxicating Liquor Single Market and Economy Licensing Ordinance Revised (CSME). The commitments therein under Chapter 3 allows Edition 1980. for the establishment, provision of ser vices, movement of Notice is hereby givenwithin that the capital and nationals Community. Myra Rosales Therefore, is applyingunlike for her commitments under a Publican Special Liquor the
Liquor License notices
License to be operated in the Stann Creek District under
WTO and other trading partners outside CARICOM, Belize is oblig ated to liberalize its trade in ser vices with CARICOM member states. This therefore, provides for foreign investment from within the region and movement of professionals and other persons to operate and provide ser vices in Belize. It is this trade policy ar rangement that ought to be keenly examined to note the required waiver of obligations that would allow for the Government of Belize to deter mine the level of preferences and/or access allowed to Caribbean fir ms. This writer did not seek to verify the nature of the ownership str ucture of the tour operator Chukka-Bakka Bush; however based on media accounts it is claimed to be 75% foreign owned by Jamaican interest. This therefore makes it a Caribbean company established and operating in Belize. The nuances and peculiarities of Belize’s tour operators and tour guide sector, is such that it caters and allows for the coexistence of small to medium size indigenous companies to be established and operated. Majority of the fir ms are 100% Belizean companies, be them medium to large size or the oneman operation by independent tour operators. Therefore, with a market str ucture of this nature, it is of utmost importance that Gover nment ought not to have allowed a foreign company with the capacity to dominate the market to establish and operate in Belize. Especially since her trade policy has not allowed
In ToMemoriam Prayer The Holy Spirit
In loving memory of are the O Holy spirit, you who fountainhead of all knowledge, who illuminate the pathway which enables me to reach my goal. You who share your divine gift permitting me to forgive and forget past insults and injustices, and who are always at my side within reaching distance. I desire in this short supplication to thank you for all that you have done for me, and to assure you once more that I never want to be separated from you under any circumstances, no matter what LORET T KING the incentive. I want to be with you, I CARTER along with my loved ones, cradled in your unending love. Thank you for Sunrise: June 1st, 1929 yourSunset: never August failing kindness towards 29th, 2009 me and those I call my own. The Lord is my light and my
(Prayer to be offered for three consalvation Whom fear?Spirit secutive days; faithshall in theIHoly The Lord stronghold of will cause him is to the respond to your my life request no matter how difficult the who be.) shall I be afraid? problemOfmight WE WILL FOREVER LOVE
Publish prayer as MISS soon asYOU! request AND has been granted.
Your children: Rose King, Peggy W.A.Y and Sheila Carter, Valerie Carter Felix and Beverly Carter Harris. Stepdaughter: Yvonne Carter Smith; Foster children: Violet
for the liberalization of its tour guide and tour operators sectors. Under the Revised Treaty establishing the CSME, Belize as a member state has the right to request a waiver of obligations to rights g ranted under the Ag reement, whenever the provision of such rights results in economic dislocation or hardship on a particular sector. This is evidently the case with this dominant tour operator in the market place. It is incumbent on Government to avail itself of the special provisions afforded to Less Developed Countries under the Treaty. It is rather foolhardy of the Ministr y of Tourism to see it fit to rationalize and legitimize the monopoly ar rangement that Chukka-Bakka Bush enjoys with Carnival Caribbean cr uise line. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the Ministr y of Tourism has an obligation to Belizean tour operators and tour guides to ensure that the adequate standards for operations are in place and adhered to. That’s where their responsibility lies. Not to condone and accept an ar rangement that proves disadvantageous to Belizean operators. Further more, Carnival Caribbean cannot impose any monopoly ar rangement for Chukka-Bakka Bush that is contrar y to Belize’s trade policy regime. Carnival has the option to indicate to their patrons a prefer red operator, but visitors must have the right to choose which operators and guides they wish to use. It is this level of oversight the BTB and the Ministr y ought to place
Liquor License notices Notice is hereby given that Agnes Mariano is applying for a Membership Liquor License to be operated at Belize Pickwick Club”, #160 Newtown Barrcks, Belize City under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980. Notice is hereby given that David Whyte is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Bla Bla Cool Spot”, Placencia Village, Stann Creek District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980. Notice is hereby given that Myra Rosales is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated in the Stann Creek District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
their focus on. Therefore, this writer calls on Gover nment to undertake its responsibility for the implementation of effective trade policy that benefits Belizeans. Belizean companies ought not to be hag gling for preferential treatment in their own ter ritor y, this ought to be a given especially in an area where indigenous expertise lies with Belizeans. The dilemma that this sector now faces is simply a result of poor monitoring and oversight by Government through the designated entities; the BTB and Ministr y of Tourism. This is a situation that could have been avoided provided there was a clear road map on how they envisaged the expansion of the cr uise tourism sector would be accommodated. Government’s obligation is first to its people and the development of Belizean companies. The Bar row administration needs to understand the role of Government in fostering Belize’s development; it is not only about winning elections. Gwyneth Sydney Nah Comments welcome at GwynethNah@gmail.com
In Memoriam
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In loving memory of
Prayer To The Holy Spirit O Holy spirit, you who are the fountainhead of all knowledge, who illuminate the pathway which enables me to reach my goal. You who share LORET T KING your divine gift permitting me to forgive and forget past insults and CARTER injustices, and who are always at my side within reaching distance. I desire Sunrise: 1st, 1929 in this shortJune supplication to thank you Sunset: 2009 for all thatAugust you have29th, done for me, and to assure you once more that I never want to be separated you under The Lord is myfrom light and my any circumstances, no matter what salvation the incentive. I want to be with you, I Whom shall I fear? along with my loved ones, cradled in The Lord is the stronghold your unending love. Thank you forof your never failing towards mykindness life me and those I call my own. Of who shall I be afraid? (Prayer to be offered for three conWE WILL FOREVER secutive days; faith in the Holy LOVE Spirit AND YOU! will cause him MISS to respond to your request no matter how difficult the problem might be.) Your children: Rose King, Peggy
and Sheila Carter, Valerie Carter
Publish prayer as soon as request Felix and Beverly Carter Harris. has been granted.
Stepdaughter:W.A.Y Yvonne Carter Smith; Foster children: Violet Carter Williams, Rose Carter Stuart, Melva Carter; Sister: Verna King; Brother: George Ledlon; 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Notic Agne a Me to be Pick town unde Licen Editi
Notic Davi Publ cense Bla C Villa unde Licen Editi
Notic Myr a Pu Licen Stan the I censi Editi
10
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Barrow refuses to bow to electorate
Despite the fact that close to 8,000 residents have attached their signatures to a petition calling for the banning of offshore oil exploration in Belize, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has refused to budge on the matter.T he move was initiated by the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, a non-partisan group whose main objective is self-explanatory. The group wants that drilling of any kind for petroleum products offshore and in protected areas be ceased and prohibited. The entire area where this is thought to occupy represents roughly a little more than 35% of the country. While the group has been wellreceived in its efforts Barrow, however, has turned a deaf ear to the cry of the Belizean people, and up to last week had been taking lightly the signatures of the thousands who have expressed their objection to offshore drilling.
But organisers of the Coalition are undeterred in its fight to get GOB's attention and over the next few months, it hopes to more than double that figure before it presents the petition to the Government.
Sternly against the drilling as well and very vocal about their stance on it is Oceana, the newest non-government environmental agency which places emphasis on the marine eco-system. Vice President of Oceana, Audrey
T he over 70,000 residents of Belize City, as well as those who live along both the Nor ther n and Wester n Highways from miles 10 to Belize City, were inconvenienced for an entire day when today when the g over nment's Belize Water
Ser vices could not provide water to the old capital, making simple things like washing hands and f lushing the toilet a challenging feat in 2010. T he inter r uption came almost as early as dawn had g reeted us, as early as 6:00
a.m., when one of only two main ar teries that lead from the company's Double Run treatment plant suffered a major break, causing g reat inconvenience to businesses andd households alike. And if that were not bad enough, the crisis was made more
Matura-Shepherd, says they plan to sue the Government over a number of offshore concessions. Caught up more in the politics of the day, Barrow preferred to place more emphasis on questioning the validity of the signatories. He did commit to quote, "weigh very carefully the options and take into account the views of the Coalition and the views of the general public", unquote. He was quick to add, however, that he cannot say that there will be no moratorium on offshore drilling. He said, though, that the decision will be taken not long before the country's next General Elections, which are not due until 2013. Perhaps he will wait in the hope that he will be acquiesce to the people’s demand as an election campaign plum, in the slim hope of winning at the polls.
Freetown gial noh got no waata fi wash dehn skin!
complex when a por tion of ear th at the site collapsed, setting back restoration for another four hours or so. T he setback was felt more in business places such as restaurants and hotels which rely on hug e amounts of water for their guests and customers, especially in the summer months like now. BWS has not offered an explanation as to what exactly caused the breach in the pipes but finally, just before 8 p.m., the pressure was back to nor mal in most places that had been affected.
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
FOR SALE
11
By Order of the Mortgagee
Murder starts off the week - again!!
The long list of police unsolved murders just got longer this week when Harrison Staine, a mentally challenged man was gunned down as he rode by on Berkeley Street, just two nights after Jason Tillet, 35, and Erwin Gladden, 26, were shot in the leg and ankle respectively, and seven days after Ian Arnold, 35, was shot dead on the same street. Staine, 42, had been shot only two months earlier but while the bullet penetrated his neck back then, he survived. His killers seem to have needed to sure they finished the job when, shortly after 7:00 Sunday night, they sprayed a hail of bullets at him. Only one bullet hit him, but it did in the face and killed him. His family members are convinced that his killing came at the hands of gangs, but swear he was not involved in the street warfare currently plaguing the city's streets. Even though relatives and friends urged him to relocate to another area, the single man continued to live on Wagner’s Lane, not far from where he was gunned down. As has become the trend of recent times, whether or not Staine was the witness of a previous killing is still uncertain, but his killers
Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention exercise itsalready power Jermaine of sale as Chargee under a Charge regisHe'stoonly 18 but Matura has racked up quite a rap sheetbetween CHARLES MATUTE tered as Instrument #9036/2006 and ofis 14 a notorious figure in the crime Kiskadee Street, Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize and SCOworld. Aside form being the victim TIABANK The said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) of gun violence,(BELIZE) he now is LTD. the latest LTD. will inat one the expiration three months from the date of the to be charged of the city'sofmost senseless killings of recent times. Matura first publication of this notice sell the property described in the is charged withhereto. the shooting murder of Schedule
Cops charge one for murder of Taiwanese student
Hellen Yu, 14, who was viciously gunned down inside her family's grocery shop on All Street offersExtension to purchase property must be made in writing and full Iguana twothe Thursday's ago.particulars Her father,and Ziren was also conditions critically of sale may be obtained from the said wounded by another as he tried to SCOTIABANKbullet (BELIZE) LTD. defend his family in a barrage of bullets Jermaine Matura fired from the gun held by one of three men who targeted their store in an armed face in the yard of a woman who spoke with the killers soon after the incident. robbery. The thieves demanded money and Matura faces murder, conspiracy stole close to $500,PARCEL and two phones in to commit murder, attempted murder, REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK dangerous harm, use of deadly means of the attack. They gained entry when Ziren BELMOPAN 20 and removed 6230 the lock to the harm, wounding, robbery and conspiracy went inside Area: 4052 S.M. While police have grilled door leading to the family's living to commit robbery. thrown the book at him, his mother, Lisa quarters as he was fixing a car in front Matura, has claimed that her son has at of the shop. His wife, Zhuang Huang, least two alibis that he was elsewhere also known as Lilly, was pistol-whipped in DATED this 10thassault day ofwas August, the process, and young Hellen, who was while the mid-morning taking 2010. place. She claims her son was baby-sitting cleaning up the living quarters, was shot in the back by one of the three robbers as at the time for a family member. MUSALisa & BALDERAMOS he was riding off. Her father had tried to acknowledges that her son is no saint, and 91 North Front Street says the last time h went to prison she did fire back with his licensed weapon, but he Belize not visit him because she thought heCity was too was shot in left rib cage and left arm. for a result of young Hellen's It was hanging with wrong company.Attorneys-at-Law This time, the Asian community staged however, she says she knowsScotiabank her son did murder (Belize)that Ltd. not committ the crime and lays blame at a shut down of all of their business the feet of three other youths, one of establishments last Thursday as they laid whom stopped to wash his hands and her to rest.
THE PROPERTY CHARGED
Harrison Staine obviously wanted him dead for some reason. His family are still trying to figure out if his killer thought he had witnessed a murder and wanted to eliminate him for that Just a stone's throw away from where the recent shootings havee taken place, at the corner of Plues and Berkeley Streets was once a police station, but the building was converted into a home for the elderly some years ago. The residents are appealing to the authorities to reopen a police station in the crimeinfested area to restore some sense of security and sanity.
FOR SALE
By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Chargee under a Charge registered as Instrument #9036/2006 between CHARLES MATUTE of 14 Kiskadee Street, Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. The said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of three months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD.
THE PROPERTY CHARGED REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK BELMOPAN 20 Area: 4052 S.M.
PARCEL 6230
FOR SALE For Sale By Order of the Mortgagee By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Ediunder the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Betion, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop lize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives noticeitsofregistered its intentionofto fice at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, exercise its power of sale as Chargee under a Charge registered as hereby gives notice of its intention to exerciseofitsNo. power Instrument #5989/1998 between ERIC MEIGHAN 17 Cor. Racoon & Seagull Streets, Belize City, Belize and SCOTIABANK of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgagee made (BELIZE) LTD. said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. DAwill at the 17th day of The December, 2005 between HECTOR the expiration of three months from the date of the first publication VID ROMERO and BLANCA ROMERO both of Yo of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. Creek Village, Orange Walk District, Belize, of the one part, and toSCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD.in of the other All offers purchase the property must be made writing and full part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 41 of 2005 at particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) folios 1 - 30; and the saidLTD. SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of three months from the date of the firstTHE publication of this notice sell the property dePROPERTY CHARGED scribed in the Schedule hereto. REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL ST. MARTIN DE PORRES 45 All offers to purchase the said property must be515 made in Area: 376.341 S.Y.
writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. DATED this 10th day of August, 2010
DATED this 10th day of August, 2010. MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO
MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91parcel North Front Street ALL THAT piece or of land being Lot No. 275 Belize City comprising 1045.089 Square Metres (1249.926 Square Attorneys-at-Law for Yards) situate in YoScotiabank Creek Village, Orange Walk District, (Belize) Ltd.
bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 1142 of 2005 attached to Minister’s Fiat Grant No. 1142 of 2005 TOGETHER with buildings and erections standing and being thereon. (This property is now referred to as Parcel
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12
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Angry ex-boyfriend is main suspect in arson that leaves family homeless
Belize City police are expected to bring a charge of Arson against the man they have in custody for a fire that completely destroyed two houses and scorched four others in a breezy Monday morning inferno in Petticoat Alley. The blaze was reported sometime around 3:00 that morning and spread from an old abandoned wooden house at number 14, before quickly spreading to a second wooden house at number 22, which was occupied by the family of Doreth Forman. Forman herself was not in Belize City at the time, but four cousins and nieces were, and it was while one of them got got to use the bathroom that she heard the cracking and discovered that the house was ablaze. They only had time to run out to safety without saving anything. The yard itself beneath the house
at #14 was filled with garbage and fire investigators had to sift through a heap of burnt garbage before finding the
evidence. They did so on Tuesday and handed that evidence over to police. That was not the only challenge they
had, as fighting the blaze itself proved a feat in itself, considering that Petticoat Alley, which has old houses punctuating certain spots, the close proximity between them and a hearty breeze blowing from the Caribbean, providing enough fuel for a bigger disaster. Such was not the case, however, as tactical firefighting and luck was on the side of the firemen. This time, water pressure did not pose a problem either, as on previous occasions. When it was brought under control about an hour later, two two houses at number 14 and 22 were totally gutted, but a third wooden structure in the same yard at number 18 was still standing. Heat damage and scorching are very visible on the sides of four other houses which faced the inferno but were located in adjacent yards.
For almost two decades the Belize Waste Control Co. Ltd. has been collecting and tr ucking away, free of cost, the g arbag e that schools in Belize City produce. But as they say, all g ood things must come to an end and last week, the schools received their notification from the company that effective August 30th, that free ser vice will be no more. W hile the schools have enjoyed the free ser vice, the notice could not have come at a worse time for them. T he
star t of a new school year is Se ptember 1, two days after the deadline for the first payment. T he schools have already dealt with registration and incidentals for the year with their student body, so there are only two options available to them: either they appeal to the Ministr y to inter vene or, they charg e the students a monthly fee until the next school year when they will probably have to attach an additional cost to the registration fees for the new expense. T he situation is one that the
Association of Primar y Schools' President, Loreen Cieg o says they cannot afford, simply because their budg ets have been worked out to the nearest dollar for this school year. T he figure that Waste Control has calculated as fair charg e for their ser vices is approximately $180 per week per school. BWC's Manag er, Georg e Lamb says he is cognizant of the fact that schools, especially the ones that cater to less privileg ed children will not be able to come up with that amount. He expressed a
willingness to sit and neg otiate with them individually to work out an ag reement. T he City Council meantime, has been slow in tr ying to offer any solution to a potential g arbag e crisis at the City's schools. Instead De puty Mayor, Philip Willoughby was quick to appear on television soon after the announcement just to say that the ser vice has been rendered for free for 18 years. It's exactly one week before classes reopen. We'll see how this one pans out.
Schools to pay for garbage collection
Announces its
2010 CALL FOR PROPOSALS The PACT was formally established in January 1996 with the passing of the Protected Areas Conservation Trust Act, No. 15 of 1995, creating the institution as a Statutory Board. The functions of PACT are to encourage and promote, for the benefit and enjoyment of the present and future generations of the people of Belize, the provision, protection, conservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural resources of Belize. The PACT is managed by a Board of Directors that is comprised of Government agencies, non-government organizations and individual experts. The PACT is hereby inviting eligible organizations to submit proposal applications for its 2010 grant cycle. Consistent with this year’s programmatic priorities, viable projects should fall within one of the two funding options outlined below: 1. For the terrestrial protected areas network, grant funding is available to support three projects targeting the *Maya Mountain – Mountain Pine Ridge Massif. The maximum amount per grant that can be requested is BZ$100,000. A minimum of 25% co-financing is required for each project. 2. Through a partnership with the Oak Foundation, grant funding is available to support marine conservation initiatives. Funding is available to support three projects targeting the **Belize Barrier Reef System. The maximum amount per grant is BZ$100,000. A minimum of 25% co-financing is required for each project. Generally, proposals should fall within at least one of the following thematic areas: 1. Protected Areas Management and Conservation 2. Protected Areas Promotion and Development Only projects related to the conservation and management of a legally established protected area will be considered for funding. For application forms, detailed information on the funding priorities, project eligibility and eligible organizations, contact the PACT’S Associate Director – Grants or email grantsinfo@pactbelize.org. All applications should be submitted to the relevant government agency (Forest Department or Fisheries st Department) no later than October 1 , 2010 for the required letter of endorsement. Thereafter, complete applications with the letter of endorsement should be submitted in hard copy to the PACT no later than October nd 22 , 2010. All project applications are subjected to the established screening procedures. *The Maya Mountain – Mountain Pine Ridge Massif includes the block of protected areas as defined in the National Protected Areas System Plan ** Belize Barrier Reef System includes the protected areas as defined in the National Protected Areas System Plan.
Complete applications should be addressed to:
Associate Director - Grants Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) #3 Mango Street/P.O. Box 443 Belmopan, Cayo Re: 2010 Grant Application
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
Four New Magistrates Sworn In
13
Matura charged for the murder of Helen Yue Monday 23 August 2010 To d ay 1 8 yea r ol d Jer m a i n e Matura who is accused of the robber y and the murder of 14 year old Helen Yue as well as the s h o o ti n g h er f a th er wa s b r o u g h t b e f o r e th e co u r ts o n th e ch a r g es of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, use of deadly means of har m, dangerous harm, conspiracy to commit r o b b e r y, r o b b er y a n d wo u n d i n g. Initially, Matura was brought before the family court when p o l i c e s a i d h e wa s 1 7 h owe ve r i t wa s l a t e r d e t e r m i n e d t h a t h e wa s i n f a ct 1 8 yea r s o l d . O n ce this was confir med, he was taken
Friday, 20 August 2010 Today four new magistrates took the oath of office from Acting Chief Justice Samuel Awich, they are: Patricia Arana, a civilian prosecutor who previously worked at the police's prosecution branch, former Superintendent of Police, Linden Flowers, Keila Teck, a former employee of Belize Legal Aid,
and former journalist from the Reporter Newspaper Adolph Lucas, Jr. Chief Magistrate, Marg aret McKenzie was there to witness the swearing in. She also welcome the four new magistrates to the court. Each of the four will complete and internship program before they will be given their postings.
Jermaine Matura
to Magistrate's Court where he was ar raigned and remanded into cu s to d y u n ti l 5 th S e p te m b er.
Flowers and Smith walk free from murder charge
Edwin "Drive" Flowers
Friday, 20 August 2010 Twenty-three year old Edwin "Drive" Flowers and 23 year old Brandon Smith, were today freed after Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie struck out the charge against them. The Charges were dropped after the Chief Magistrate agreed with their attorney Dicky Bradly was entered a submission that there was not enough evidence against them to send the matter to the Supreme Court. Flowers and Smith were two of five men previously charged with the
804
Brandon Smith
murder of 20 year old Randy Coye. Last month all five defendants were freed of the murder charges because there was no case file. But less than two days after they were released they were rearrested and charged. In the case of the other three defendants their matter was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. They are 20 year old Kenroy Humes, 21 year old Leon Gray and 23 year old Deshawn Mena. Coye was bludgeoned and shot at Lord Ridge Cemetery in October 2009.
It’s been days since the Kendall Bridge was washed away. How much longer must we wait for a new bridge, Mr. Prime Minister?
14
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Esperanza Farmer Charged with Drug Trafficking Minister’s Son Pleads Guilty To harm Then Allegedly Attempts To Hang Himself for Alleged Attempt to Smuggle Weed Into prison BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 25, 2010 Andre Hutchinson, 23, the son of Minister Michael Hutchinson, pleaded guilty to harm when he was arraigned today in the #4 Magistrate’s Court. M a g i s t r a t e A r e t h a Fo r d fined him $200 and gave him until September 27 to pay. If he defaults on payment he will serve 2 months. Hutchinson was kept in custody because he owes court fines. The incident occurred around 3:36 p.m. on Tuesday, August 24 at Mile 11 on the Northern Highway. The complainant, Corey Jones, 11, a student of Perez Road, Ladyville, reported to the police that he was working on the side of the road when Hutchinson approached him and punched him on the left side
of his cheek for no reason, causing a cut wound inside his cheek. Jones said Hutchinson then picked him up and threw him into a drain. The police then arrived at the scene and detained Hutchinson. Jones was given a pair of medico legal for ms and taken to hospital. The doctor who examined him classified his injury as harm. Hutchinson said he punched the boy because the boy told him to suck his mother’s vagina. According to reports, while Hutchinson was in the holding cell at Magistrate’s Court he attempted to hang himself by tying his pants around his neck and around a beam in the cell.
FOR SALE
By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgagee made the 8th day of May, 2007, between JERMEIGHN TUN of Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District, Belize, of the one part and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. of the other part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 18 of 2007 at folios 799 – 824; and the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of three months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD.
THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 210 comprising of 1013.779 square meters situate in Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District as shown on Minister’s Fiat Grant No. 428 of 2004 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections thereon. (This property is now referred to as Parcel 533 – Block 4 – Carmelita Registration Section). DATED this 16th day of August, 2010
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 25, 2010 Dennis Flowers, 27, a far mer of Esperanza Village who a l l e g e d l y a t t e m p t e d t o s mu g g l e 50 grams of cannabis into Belize Central Prison, was charged with dr ug trafficking when he appeared in the #5 Magistrate’s Cour t on Monday, August 23. F l owe r s wa n t e d t o p l e a d guilty to the lesser charge of possession simplicitor but the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cherly Vidal, did not accept it. Flowers pleaded not guilty t o d r u g t r a f f i ck i n g a n d h e wa s released on a bail of $5,000. His case was adjourned until September 27. The incident occurred around 1:10 p.m. on Sunday, August
22.
According to police reports, Flowers went to visit an inmate at the prison and while he was being searched he ran. The prison officer who was searching him reported to the police that he threw the cannabis on the ground while he was running and it was retrieved. Flowers was apprehended and taken into custody at Hattieville Police Station. The cannabis when weighed amounted to 50 grams. It was labeled as exhibit.
Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz
FOR SALE
By ORdER OF thE MORtgAgEE Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgagee made the 24th day of August, 2004, between Windell W. McDougal Jr. of Sittee River, Stann Creek District Walk, Belize, of the one part and First Caribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited, of the other part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 26 of 2004 at folios 293 – 374; and an Assignment of Mortgage made the 19th day of April, 2005, recorded in Deeds Book Volume 12 of 2005 at folios 753 – 770, between First Caribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited of the first part, Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. of the second part and the said Windell W. McDougal Jr. of the third part. And the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO ALL THAT lot piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 33 containing 926.8 square metres situate in Sittee River Billage, Stann Creek District, Belize, and bounded and described as shown by the plan attached to Minister’s Fiat (Grant) No. 501 of 2001 TOGETHER with all buildings, erections standing and being thereon. DATED this 10th day of August, 2010
MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street, Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street, Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
By: Mike Rudon Jr. Dean Barrow is slapping himself upside the head for those words he uttered at the UDP National Convention while under the influence of pain meds – you can take that to the bank. Magic, he said! The magic is still here. What a monumental jackass Mr. Barrow is. Not only is he a monumental jackass, but apparently he thinks we are all monumental jackasses if he can tell us that there is any magic around us thanks to his superb leadership and divinity. I guess for a moment Mr. Barrow forgot the crime crisis, the poverty crisis, the health crisis, the education crisis, the economic crisis, the tourism crisis, the sugar crisis, the citrus crisis, the garbage crisis and all the other crises currently crippling our nation, cause I’m sure I forgot a few of them. Either he forgot or I got to get me some of those pain meds he’s on, cause they’re awesome. As Cheech & Chong would say…that there’s some good s##t! The fact is that the euphoric acclamation which trumpeted the rise of the UDP to power in February 2008 is no more. In terms of the economy, a lot of people believe that we are experiencing hard times like never before. The Prime Minister cites the global recession as the be all and end all of our local crisis, but while most persons agree that it is a factor, few believe that it is the only factor. Argue up one side and down the other, but reality is that things ‘dread.’ Cost of living is high, 43% of Belizeans are below the poverty line; statistics show that there are increasing numbers of students dropping out of school because education is too expensive; our public health system has come under scrutiny after a spate of deaths allegedly caused by negligence and/or lack of basic equipment; violent crime is at an unprecedented level; our justice system is in shambles with a Director of Public Prosecutions who boasts a conviction rate of somewhere between 5% and 7% and our judicial system is under regional and international scrutiny after serious allegations of political interference and manipulation by the Executive. There is more, much more, but it’s not a pretty picture for sure. The Prime Minister may not be as aware of things as we would like him to be, but for sure he knows that things aren’t looking good for his United Democratic Party. If he doesn’t know, he only has to ask anyone on the streets (members of his family excepted of course). There is no more of the cheerleading frenzy which ushered the UDP into power. With the notable exception of UDP Ministers, their family members and special cronies, the times have hit us all hard. There is very real disappointment in this new Government which promised so much. There is a very real feeling of betrayal, a very real sense that we were all conned. There is also a mounting confusion and uncertainty. The PUP
The Belize Times
NO SACRED COWS! Where do we go from here…? was kicked out because they messed up. We gave these guys a chance and oh boy have they messed up. So just what the hell do we do now? The People’s United Party, despite all efforts by the new leader, has encountered tremendous setbacks put in place by what seems to be a combination of unwillingness to yield power, monumental egos and petty gripes and mischief. For far too long the Party has been held back by a handful of persons with an agenda which has been nothing if not confusing and detrimental. Ironically,
the factions that have sown discord within the PUP have been guilty of a tremendous disservice to Belizeans who are suffering under this UDP administration, even as they attempt to show that they are capable of superior leadership and service. Because of the constant infighting, the leadership of the PUP is distracted, the generals are clueless, the soldiers are milling around with no sense of direction and the thousands of PUP supporters countrywide are without adequate representation. The cry on the streets is for an option to the
15
UDP…a united People’s United Party is that option. Like I said, it’s not rocket science, people. Get your act together. A caucus comprising Chairmen and representatives from 22 of the 31 constituencies in the country has signed on to a resolution endorsing the leadership of Hon. John Briceno and calling for unity in the Party. The message is clear. We need to get this show on the road, Jack, cause the people are calling out for the PUP. Let those who have ears to hear, hear!
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
17
Storm leaves 4 dead, 30,000 affected Chile turns to space, sea experts in Mexico, government says for advice in mine disaster Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -Now that 33 miners who have been The miners survived for more than
Four people died and at least 30,000 residents were affected in southern Mexico as a result of heavy rain and winds from then-Tropical Storm Frank, which has now intensified into a hurricane, the government-run Notimex news agency said Wednesday. The deaths and damage occurred in Oaxaca state, on Mexico's Pacific coast, Notimex said. A mudslide in the municipality Totontepec Villa de Morelos killed two farm workers, Notimex said. A mudslide in another part of Oaxaca caused at least six vehicles to drive off Federal Highway 182, leading to another two deaths, the news service said. Several rain-swollen rivers -- including the Valle Nacional and the Atoyac -- overflowed their banks, affecting at least 10,000 people and leading to the loss of 4 tons of corn and 50 head of cattle. Hundreds of people have been
evacuated and placed in temporary shelters, officials said. In the nearby state of Tabasco, also in southern Mexico but on the Gulf of Mexico coast, heavy rain has affected 48 localities and nearly 7,700 people, Notimex said. Tropical Storm Frank formed Sunday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico and became the third hurricane of the season Wednesday. It was moving to the west-northwest away from Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said.
Six miners were killed and two were injured in an accident at an illegal gold mine in eastern Venezuela, the country's minister of basic industry and mines said Tuesday. The accident happened at the Tomi mine in the city of El Callao in Bolivar state, Jose Khan said, according to the state-run AVN news agency. One day earlier, authorities had asked the workers at that mine, which
had been closed for five years, to abandon the mine, but they didn't listen, Khan said. The workers in the mine used hammers to open spaces that caused the mine to cave in, he said. "These workers were not authorized and operated in an area without permits, thereby risking their lives," Khan said, according to AVN. The accident occurred at about 8 p.m. Monday night, he said.
Six people die in illegal Venezuelan mine
'Red alert' issued for Colombian volcano after non-explosive eruption
Colombian authorities have issued a red alert, the highest level, for the Galeras Volcano, because a non-explosive eruption occurred early Wednesday. Images show a slight plume of smoke and ash emanating from the volcano, which is in southwestern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. Officials have called on about 7,000 nearby residents to evacuate to one of nine shelters in the area, but only 205 people had gone to four of the structures by Wednesday morning, the Ministry of In-
terior and Justice said in a news release. The volcano is not in a heavily populated region, and there were no reports of injuries or structural damage. Galeras, an ancient volcano that previously erupted in January, became active again in 1989.The only fatalities were in 1993, when nine people -- all scientists or tourists in or near the volcano's crater -- were killed. The volcano's summit stands about 14,000 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level.
trapped in the earth for 19 days have been found alive, the focus is shifting to their physical and mental health as they face a potentially long period before being rescued. Chile is calling on experts from space and sea to consult on how to maintain the psychological well-being of a group of men crammed into a small space. Experts from NASA and Chilean navy submarine experts have been called to help, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said Tuesday. The miners have been trapped inside the San Jose copper and gold mine since an August 5 cave-in. A probe over the weekend reached the miners, who survived inside a shelter some 2,300 feet underground. Officials have estimated that it could take three to four months to reach the miners. So far, authorities have spoken with the miners via microphone, but have not disclosed to them their lengthy prediction for a rescue. "We have still not told them the timetable, but we are sure that as miners, they know this will take a long time," Health Minister Jaime Manalich said. As it is, relief such as food and nutrients will also be reaching the miners in small amounts. Manalich said that the miners will likely not be given solid food for five days. Instead, authorities will send down fluids, liquid proteins and liquid vitamins. The strategy is a precaution, Manalich said, as doctors do not know the exact health of the miners. So far, however, the diagnosis looks good, he said. None of the men suffered major injuries, though some have minor injuries, Manalich said. Some of the miners reported eye irritation from the dust. Health officials are designing an exercise program and light work to keep the trapped miners physically and mentally active, Manalich said. On Monday, the trapped workers cheered, applauded and sang the country's national anthem in their first verbal contact with officials. Several of Chile's top officials gathered around a white telephone outside the mine as the miners' voices crackled through the speakers in an emotional conversation that was also broadcast on television. "We are listening all of us, strong and clear. Who's speaking?...How are you doing?" said Golborne, according to CNN Chile. Miner Luiz Urzua responded: "We are well and hoping that you will rescue us." The miners cheered as officials informed them that their family members had been keeping vigil outside the mine, CNN Chile reported. The San Jose mine is near the town of Copiapo, in the Atacama region in northern Chile. "Yesterday, all of Chile celebrated in all the plazas of the country that we had made contact with you. Today they are going to be even happier that we have spoken," Golborne said.
17 days by sharing small amounts of tuna and mackerel that were in a shelter, along with water, President Sebastian Pinera told CNN en Espanol on Monday. "They had very little food," he said. "They told us they ate tuna and mackerel every other day, and that they shared ... a jar of peaches among the 33." The area where the miners find themselves is about 50 square meters (538 square feet), Pinera said. He described the shelter as a type of cavern where they had access to an area called the "workshop," where they found batteries for light and water for consumption. Pinera estimated the temperatures where the miners are hover between 32-35 degrees Celsius (90-95 degrees Fahrenheit). "They've got the immediate problem of getting supplies and food to these individuals who have been trapped for 18 days now. ... They've got to satisfy their basic needs," he said. "Then, they've got the secondary problem, longer-term problem, of drilling down a 28-inch, 30-inch hole and getting it down 2,500 feet in very unstable rock conditions. And to do that, in order to make it successful, they have got to go slow. And that's the problem, is that despite the fact that everybody wants to rush, the fact is they have to use a slow drill in order to try to stabilize and get stable the hole so that they can, in fact, pull people out from that entrapment underground," McAteer said. McAteer told "American Morning" the mental and emotional components of the miners' entrapment may be difficult to overcome. "How do you come up with things for them to do and arrange things so that they can get their attention diverted from just sitting there waiting? That's going to be the real challenge for the Chileans and for the rescuers," he said. "I think the fact that they've made it these 18 days is very, very positive. But the euphoria of making contact with the surface is going to last a couple days and then it is going to be a long slope." McAteer added that the Chilean government and counselors were helping the "resilient" miners, but modern technology could be the biggest boon to the caged miners' mental health. "I see no reason why you couldn't pass cellphones down to them or computers, tethered down to them. We're in a new day. There'll need to be -something will need to be done to divert their attention," he said. Chile's mining minister reiterated Monday that those responsible for the cave-in will be prosecuted, a point also made a few minutes later at a separate event by the Chilean president. "We will investigate and punish those who are responsible," Pinera said. Family members had cheered Sunday when Pinera held up a handwritten note pulled from the mine. The note was tied to a probe authorities had lowered earlier Sunday. Written in Spanish in red ink, it said simply: "We are fine in the shelter, the 33 of us."
18
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
"I can assure you all that if there would be even a hint of corruption by one of my Cabinet Ministers, that Minister would be out the door in a second!"
PM Barrow to Belizean-American Assembly, Los Angeles Town hall Sunday, August 15, 2010
m s i t o p e N nep-o-tism [nep-uh-tiz-uhm] -noun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Belize Upon winning a landslide election in 2008, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has been perceived as practicing nepotism by Making his Ex-Wife Lois Young Barrow the Attorney of the Government, gave his son Anwar Barrow and his Ex-Wife Lois Barrow special seats on the board of directors in the recently nationalized Belize Telecommunications Limited, and gave his daughter Deanne Barrow a position of attorney representing the government in a number of cases. All this was done within the short 2 year period that he has been Prime Minister of Belize
Favoritism granted to relatives or close friends, without regard to their merit. Nepotism usually takes the form of employing relatives or appointing them to high office. Definition found in: The American HeritageŽ New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright Š 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
LEASE No./ REF. No#
The Belize Times
NAME
SIZE 9.626 Ac.
LOCATION
RELATION
OW-502/2008
Ignacio German Vega
Sr. & Karen S. Vega
OW-607/2009
Isela Adela Hernandez
Miller's Bight Reg. Sec, OW
OW-671/2009
Yvette Hernandez
Miller's Bight Reg. Sec, OW
CY-342/2009
Nestor Hernandez
Mount Pleasant Reg. Sec., Cayo Nephew/Deputy Commissioner
CZL-586/2009
Baroni Hernandez
Xaibe Rural Reg. Sec., Czl
CY-343/2009
Baroni Hernandez
Mount Pleasant Reg. Sec., Cayo Registrar of Lands/Nephew
CY-120/2010
Cosme Hernandez
Mount Pleasant Reg. Sec., Cayo Registrar of Lands/Nephew
OW-721/2009
Cosme Hernandez
Indian Hill East Reg. Sec., OW
Registrar of Lands/Nephew
OW-665/2009
Cosme Hernandez
2.69 ac.
San Estevan Reg. Sec., OW
Registrar of Lands/Nephew
OW-666/2009
Cosme Hernandez
7.24 ac.
San Estevan Reg. Sec., OW
Registrar of Lands/Nephew
OW-702/2009
Ignacio German Vega
Sr. & Karen S. Vega
CY-345/2009
Christopher Hendricks
Mount Pleasant Reg. Sec., Cayo Driver of the Minister
OW 514/2008
Cosme Hernandez
San Estevan Reg. Sec., OW
Registrar of Lands/Nephew
11997/28
IGNACIO GERMAN VEGA
ORANGE WALK TOWN
BROTHER
12120/12
MR. EDUARDO VEGA
SUCCOTZ
BROTHER
& ALMA VEGA
12120/12
MR. RONNIE VEGA
SUCCOTZ
NEWPHEW
12321/28
IGNACIO GERMAN VEGA
ORANGE WALK TOWN
FAMILY TO MINISTER
SR. & KAREN VEGA
Parcel 31
Omar Elmer Hernandez
Indian Hill East Reg. Sec., OW
NEPHEW
OW 110/2010
Ignacio Vega
144 Ac.
Carmelita Registration
FAMILY TO MINISTER
& Karen Vega
OW 108/2010
Ignacio Vega
101 Ac.
Carmelita Registration
FAMILY TO MINISTER
& Karen Vega
3.19 Ac.
Indian Hill East Reg. Sec., OW
19
Minister Family
Wife to Cosme Hernandez
Registrar of Lands/Nephew
Indian Hill East Reg. Sec., OW Minister Family
How many more Hints does Barrow need?
20
The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
STOLEN FROM AFRICA… My Mommy was telling me that August 23 is International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition. She was telling me about all the horrible things that happened to the Africans who were captured and brought to the Americas and forced to work as slaves doing farming such as sugarcane, tobacco and cotton. In Belize slaves were used for logging. About 15 to 30 million Africans were forced from their homes to be slaves. “The voyage took between 6 and 8 weeks. The enslaved Africans were chained together by the hand and the foot, and packed into the smallest places where there was barely enough room to lie on one’s side. It was here that they ate, slept, urinated, defecated, gave birth, went insane and died. They had no idea where they were going, or what was going to happen to them…” August 22/23 also remembers the beginning of an uprising of slaves in Santo Domingo (Haiti & Dominican Republic) their fight marks the beginning of the death of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. I’m going to the library to find out more about the slave trade and slavery in the Americas. If you want to find out more you can ask your parents to take you to the library as well…
MAP OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
Picture of how African Slaves were packed on slave ships…
African slaves being loaded on a slave ship…
Children role-playing and acting out how tightly African Slaves were packed on slave ships…
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
Grace
Amazin
PUBLIC AUCTION SALES: PROPERTIES Los Lagos, Belize District & Belmopan, Cayo District
BY ORDER of the Mortgagees, Messrs. Heritage Bank Limited, Licensed Auctioneer Kevin A. Castillo will sell the following properties ON SITE on Monday the 30th August 2010 at the following times:
1.
The Sting Not a week goes by without hearing of a death of some one. Dying, sad to say, is a natural part of the circle of life. Some deaths are caused by senseless killings, carelessness, old age, sickness, passion, or even abortion. Regardless of the cause, the result is the same! I once heard the story of a man who had long hair. He, somehow, found out that an angel was coming that night to take him home (away from the earth). Not yet ready the man decided to shave his head completely and went to the disco amongst a crowd of people. The angel came and being frustrated because he couldn’t find his target, decided… “Well, I’ll just take the guy with the bald head!!!” See ‘death’ is something we have little control over. It’s not a matter of if, but more a matter of when. When someone dies for us they take a big piece of our lives with them. No one on the face of this earth can say they have not experienced some type of death. I personally remember when I experienced death by the closest person to me in my life at that time. I finally understood the Bible when it asks “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. I honestly felt as if I was hit with a hard object or worse, although nobody touched me. It was like a hard sting that caused instant ‘seemingly incurable’ numbness. Overcoming the result of this harsh reality when it hits home is not an easy task, but I believe there were four main things that helped me through my loss. These may also be of assistance to you. So here goes, brothers and sisters… First: Family and Friends: I am still amazed at the support from the church, my family, and the family of friends. They were there during the sudden period of sickness that my loved one experienced, and there long after she passed! Their presence and barrage of encouragement was so strong I found it hard to get properly depressed. Jesus expressed this in the shortest verse in the Bible (John 11:35). He felt their pain and it moved him to action to console and comfort them! Second: Understanding death from a scriptural perspective. (1 Thessalonians 4:13, John 11:11) According to these verses there is life after death and those who are dead are only asleep! Looking closer, all of the rituals practiced to place a person to rest after death is mainly for the benefit of loved ones who are alive and remain. This helps with closure and provides final and manageable memories. If God is real and scripture is His Living Word then that person who has died has ‘bigger fish to fry’! We must all answer to God for whether we accepted His son, or not. Many Christians believe, we cannot be prayed for after we die in relation to our spiritual destiny. This is a ticket that can only be bought while we are alive and kicking (Hebrews 9:27). But whatever is your denominational belief, the fact is that you are appointed once to die and after that the judgment where each will give account for his own deeds while on earth. That is absolutely true. You know, I have been to quite a number of funerals, but one changed my life. I used to identify with the loved ones who were in pain and focus on their hurt. This is a good thing but I remember passing by the casket to take my final observation and there was a smile on this lady’s face. I knew of the hard life she lived, and never thought in my wildest dreams, she would be smiling. Then it dawned on me “death is not the issue”! Our destination after death should be the thing that our loved ones should be mainly concerned about. Third: It dawned on me that death is an opportunity or even a warning to those of us who are alive and remain. It is a reminder that we too are fragile. We are like chaff in the wind not knowing whether tomorrow will be ours. Jesus told the disciples in (Matthew 8:22) Let the dead bury their dead! Simply put Jesus was saying “for those who are dead the opportunity to change has been forfeited and what I am teaching you now is more important as your primary efforts will be rather spent on reaching out to those who are alive and yet having that opportunity ! Lastly, the reality is that while going through, and after, my tragic experience, I made a personal choice not to be angry with God. I chose to trust Him, rely on His judgment and draw closer to Him as He is the ultimate owner of life. For this reason I leave you with the eternal wisdom to remember to : “Learn today as if you would live forever! Live today as if you would die tomorrow.” Let’s make sure we are spiritually sound today should our next breath be inhaled on the other side of eternity! Until next week God bless and try to visit an old friend, a hurting friend or sick friend. !!!!!!
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AT NO. 261 Los Lagos, Belize District at 11:00 am:
ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot 261 in the subdivision known as LOS LAGOS situate near Mile 13, Northern Highway, Ladyville in the Belize District of Belize as surveyed by Kenneth A. Gillett Licensed Surveyor and recorded at the Office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys Belmopan at Register 16 Entry 4460 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon. (Being concrete bungalow dwelling house [29’ X 34’] consisting of 3 bedrooms, 2bathrooms, Kitchen/Living/Dining Room & small Laundry and a two storey concrete/timber building [GF: 17’ X 26’ with 6’ wide verandah + FF: 23’ X 26’ with 6’ wide verandah] together with lot [533.630 sq. metres or 638.22 sq. yards], the freehold property of Mrs. Ann Marie Fuller, surety for Slate Company Limited)
2.
AT PARCEL NO. 4667 Northeast Belmopan at 1:30 pm:
REGISTRATION SECTION Belmopan
BLOCK 20
PARCEL 4667
(Being a vacant corner lot containing 622.483 square meters or 744.50 square yards situate on a street East of the United States Embassy Housing Compound in Belmopan, Cayo District, the freehold property of Ms. Janice Savery)
TERMS: STRICTLY CASH KEVIN A. CASTILLO
TELEPHONE: 224-4473 Email: kevinacas@yahoo.com
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
SCA girls, U-15 & U-19 Brown Bombers win BDFA football champs
SCA girls and the U-15 and U-19 Brown Bombers teams won the championship finals in each of their respective divisions of the Belize District Football Association’s summer football competition at the M.C.C. garden on Saturday, August 21. The SCA girls won 2-1 against the Ladyville Rural Strikers in Game2 of the finals to secure the championship. Kursha Pollard, Tyra Moreira, and Shahida Young led the SCA girls’ attacks, supported by Christiane Rodriguez, Courtney Duran, Shantie Castillo and
Symone Foreman at mid-field. Diedra Gill, Ashley Pelayo, and Inga Woods held down the SCA defense, until they blundered into a handball error and the referee ruled penalty. Vanessa Rose stepped u to convert with aplomb and give the Rural Strikers a 1-0 lead early in the first half. Not for long, as Kursha Pollard soon found an opening in the Ladyville defense to blast the equalizer past Rural Strikers’ goalkeeper Sheraine Flores for a 1-1 draw at intermission. Ladyville’s Mertell Bailey, Janine Henry and Faith
tried to regainthe initiative in the 2nd half, with the help of Kayla Sanchez, Tishana Garcia and Daniela Palacio at midfield. But the Ladyville defenders Janicka Ferguson, Angela usher, Vanessa Rose and Tanisha Ogaldez could nt contin Kursha Pollard who drilled home the winning goal. SCA’s Samari Samos,, Alexis Rosado, Kemisha Williams and Denisha Grant joined the party to hold on to their 2-1 win. The U-15 Brown Bombers burnt Hattieville United 4-1 in Game 2 of the U-15 finals to win the championship. Devaughn Zuniga and Jarron Myvett led the Bombers’ attacks backed up by Naim Wilson, Clinton Dawson, Stephen Goff and Kenrick Card at midfield. Dijeanne Thompson blasted in the 1st goal past Hattieville’s goalie Valentine Tablada early in the 1st half. Devaughn Zuniga penetrated past the Hattieville defenders Cleon Smith, Benjamin Hyde, and Raheem Usher to add a 2nd goal before the half. In the 2nd half, Tablada managed to stop a shot by Bombers’ Naim Wilson, but the deflection fell to the feet of Devaughn Zuniga who booted it back in to lead 3-zip. Jarron Myvett’s free kick gave the bombers a 4-0 lead.. Hattieville’s Kelker Palacio and Richard Waight were unfazed by the score and continued to press their attack with the help of Lennox Clare Aaron King, Trevaun Rhaburn and Jeffrey Buller. Bombers’ goalie Shemar Nunez fumbled the ball on a corner kick, and Armando Heron headed the ball in for the village boys’ only consolation goal. The U-19 Brown Bombers blasted Tropical FC from San Pedro 3-1 in
Game 2 of the U-15 finals to win the championship, following a 3-3 draw in Game 1 played out on the island the week before. The Bombers clinched the championship with a 3-1 victory in the second final at the MCC grounds. The Bombers’ defenders Michael Perrera, Giovanni Jefferies, Rasheed Pollard and Raheem Jones held off all attacks by the Tropical strikers Travis Eiley, Jesse Guerrero and George Barrera in the 1st half, but Bombers’ MVP Avian Crawford, Kendice Williams, Alden Coleman and Clinton Jorgenson also failed to get past the Tropical defenders Samuel Figueroa, Nair Cardona, Daniel Gregorio and Alexander Arnold while goalie Samir Itzab handled all other challenges, and the ball game was still a nil-zip draw at the half. The goals rained down on the Isla Bonita squad in the 2nd half as Kendice Williams embarrassed the san Pedro keeper with the 1st goal. Samuel Leslie entered the ball game to replace Bombers’ John King in the 2nd half, while Akeem Jones and Ceton Martinez took over from Wayne Miller and Alden Coleman. Kendice got a 2nd goal, when he finished a corner kick executed by Mike Perrera, and the ball deflected off one of the visitors’ into the goal. Bombers’ goalie Jason Thurton he converted a penalty for a 3rd goal, but Tropical’s Travis Eiley would not be denied as he booted the ball into the net for the 3-1 final score. At the trophy ceremony, the 1st place trophy and medals were presented to the champions’ in each division, while 2nd place team trophy and individual medals went to the sub-champions. The Most Valuable Player award went to Bombers’ Avian Crawford.
Lady Rebels enter BSF softball nationals D e f e n d i n g n a t i o n a l wo m e n’s softball champs, Lady Rebels, will represent the Belize City softball association at the upcoming national tournament at the home of softball, at the Rogers Stadium
f r o m Fr i d ay t o S u n d ay, Au g u s t 27-29. The Rebels won their last game of the regular competition, 9-0 over the Brothers Habet Hurricanes at the Rogers Stadium on Sunday.
The Rebels led 3-0 when Jolene Davis, shor tstop Lisa Jones and Sherette Jones came home in the 1st inning. Rebels’ pitcher Lanisha Jo n e s s t r u ck o u t 4 b a t t e r s a n d shut out the Hurricanes, who got
no r uns while Sherly Smith, Davis and Lisa Jones came home the 2nd inning to lead 6-0.Smith, Davis and Raven Young rounded the bases again in the 3rd inning for the 9-0 win.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
23
First Caribbean Diamonds win 2010 BVA Mixed volleyball champs
The First Caribbean Diamonds returned as champions of the Mixed Division volleyball competition organized by the Belize Volleyball Association f r o m Ju n e t o Au g u s t , w h i ch climaxed in championship finals and a trophy night at Belize City Center on Saturday night, August 21. The BVA congratulates the winners of the very successful Open tournament which featured over 90 exciting matches in 6 divisions. Individual medals were awarded to the 1st and 2nd place in the female U-15 (Mini S t a r s B u r g u n d y, M i n i S t a r s Green), U-17 (Little Jaguars, Little Stars), U-19 (Codicader,
SQ Stars). Fi r s t C a r i b b e a n D i a m o n d s won over the 3-time defending c h a m p i o n s, Te a m 3 1 3 , i n 2 straight sets, 25-23, 25-23 to become the 2010 Mixed Champions. First Caribbean’s Wallace Tillett, Albert Humes, Mario Aguilar and Victor Hernandez spiked home attacks on balls set by Sherylee Thurton and Gina Requena. Allan Sharp, Patrick Bennett, Shantell Arnold and Nolan Michael led the Team 313 counterattack as they tried to sur vive to a 3rd set, hammering kills on balls set by Jasmine Anderson and Babsy C a d l e . Ve t e r a n Pa u l Pe r r i o t and David Vasquez joined the
p a r t y, b u t F i r s t C a r i b b e a n’s Mario Heredia and Glenn Smith reinforced the bankers’ attacks to win the 2nd set: 25-20 and the championship. The 15-time defending champions, Moen Stars, clinched their 16th title by playing their best game of the season when it mattered most. They beat the undefeated Lady Jaguars, 3 sets to 1, 25-16, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20. The upstart Home Protector Rebels outlasted 2-time defending champions, Scorpions in a classic championship game for the ages requiring extra points in the deciding set to decide the 2010 champion. Final score 3 sets to 2, 25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 18-25, 19-17. After an exhibition All-Star g ame featuring teams Belikin and Lighthouse, individual trophies and team trophies were distributed and individual awards were also presented. In the mixed division, the Best Ser ver award went to F i r s t C a r i b b e a n ’s S h e r y l e e Thurton; while the Best Receiver award went to Team 3 1 3 ’s E l t o n A n d e r s o n . T h e Best Setter award went to Team 313’s Tanesha Encalada; while t h e B e s t A t t a cke r wa s Te a m
313’s Patrick Bennett and Best B l o cke r we n t t o Te a m 3 1 3 ’s Pa u l Pe r r i o t t . B e s t D e f e n s e and MVP award went to First Caribbean’s Albert Humes. In the Female division: the Best Setter award went to Lady Ja g u a r s ’ Ta n e s h a E n c a l a d a ; while the Best Attacker award went to Lady Jaguars’ Barbara Cadle. T he Best Blocker was Lady Jaguars’ Shantell Arnold a n d t h e B e s t D e f e n s e awa r d went to Stars’ Vivianne Avila. T h e awa r d s f o r B e s t S e r ve r, Best Receiver & MVP went to Stars’ Sherlene Johnson. In the Male Division: Best Ser ver went to Scorpions’ Arvid Arnold; while Best Receiver & Best Defense awards went to Rebels’ Keeg an Ack. T h e B e s t S e t t e r wa s M i r a b ’s Ke v i n T h o m p s o n ; w h i l e t h e Best Attacker award went to Scorpions’ Ger maine Audinett. T he awards for Best Blocker & MVP went to Rebels’ Tarike Cambell. The BVA extends a special “Thank You” to all sponsors and the sponsors of the teams, all those who assisted with the fund-raising, to the officials, and especially to all the tremendous fan support.
City Boys rule Belize Bank Superleague playoffs The City Boys rule the 2010 Belize Bank Super League f o o t b a l l p l ayo f f s w i t h 8 p t s from 2 wins and 2 draws, after they burnt Nizhee Corozal 1-0 in Week 5 of the playoffs at the MCC g ardens on Sunday afternoon. Nizheee came to town looking for a win to clinch their berth i n t h e f i n a l s, a n d t o o k t h e g a m e t o c i t y b oy s f r o m t h e getgo, with Michael “chenko” Whittaker blasting off a missile that crashed into the crossbar. City Boys’ Jason Young replied immediately with a forward pass to center to Whitfield Patnett, b u t N i z h e e ’s g o a l i e B e n i t o Moreira g ot up in the air up there to beat Patnett to the ball. Moreira was surely earning his keep as he inter vened again to forestall another aerial attack, this time by Jason Young, but Moriera landed badly and took a few minutes to recover before he could continue. Andrew Allen made a magnificent effort penetrating
up the left sideline all the way to the goal area, but it was there Allen semed to run out of gas, Allen’s shot drained har mlessly over the goal line outside the sticks, an the ball game was still a nil-zip draw at the half. Nizhee got another break to impress the scoreboard in the 2nd half, but the free kick executed by team captain Antonio Castillo sailed over the crossbar. D a l t o n “ Po l l o ” C a y e t a n o m a d e n o s u ch m i s t a ke w h e n Whitfield Patnett centered into the g oal area, and by Tyrone “T-Bone” Muschamp shunted the ball over to Cayetano whose right away right foot shot put the ball into the back of the net for the winning goal in the 59th minute of play. The tenacious defense of Antonio Castillo, Kenny Canul, Alberto Yam and Andrew Allen allowed the City boys’ no more g o a l s, b u t S e r g i o V i l l a nu e va and Russell Casanova who had entered the ball game in the 2nd
made no impression on the City Boys’ defenders Mark Grant, Shawn Thurton, Tyrone Linares and Joseph Mohamed Ali, who locked up shop to secure the 1-0 win. N i z h e e ’s D a r n e l l M o s s i a h , Randy Casanova, Danny Yam, Eduardo “Gigante” Perez and Christian Pena kept trying until the final whistle but to no avail. The Placencia Assassins are also still in the r unning for a berth in the championship finals after a 2-1 win over Hattieville
at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium on Saturday night. Assasssins’ Jason Westby and Gary Young delighted the home town fans w i t h g o a l s, a n d o n l y Ja r r e t Davis goty a consolation goal for Hattieville, who are no effectively out of the running for a playoff berth. With 7 pts, Placencia needs to win when they visit at the R i c a l d e S t a d i u m o n S u n d ay. Nizhee won their last encounter 2-1, and only need a draw to advance.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Atlantic Bank takes on Tuff E’nuff in interoffice basketball finals Defending Interoffice basketball sub-champions Atlantic Bank are once more in the ‘big dance’ and look forward to their first championship after emerging as bridemaids last year. They won 2-1 in their semi-finals best of 3 game series to eliminated FCIB/Quan’s Trading Co to enter the 2010 Interoffice basketball finals against Tuff e’Nuff at the Belize City Center on Wednesday, August 25. In Game 1 last Wednesday, August 18, Tuff e Nuff burnt Telemedia 'Digicell' 67-55. Ashton Edwards led Tuff e Nuff with 5 treys for 32pts, while he also grabbed 2 rebounds and 2 steals and dished out an assist. Eugene “Jay” Jex added 8 pts and grabbed 13 rebounds and a steal by handing off 2 assists. Jamaal Kelly led Digicell with 23 pts and grabbed 7 rebounds and a steal, while Ashley Hemsley hit 4 treys to add 18 pts while grabbing 8 rebounds and 3 steals, also handing out 2 assists.
In Game 2, First Caribbean / Quan's continued their undefeated wining streak by a 62-58 win over Atlantic Bank. Jacob 'Snake' Leslie led First Caribbean with 22 pts and grabbed 5 rebounds and 4 steals while dishing out 2 assists. Jerome 'Penny' Ellis tossed in 9 pts and grabbed 6 rebounds and 3 steals, while handing out 2 assists. Atlantic Bank’s Leon 'Bigs' Williams scored 17 pts, and grabbed 15 rebounds while handing out 2 assists, and Jemaine Tillett added 10 pts and snagged 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Atlantic Bank exacted payback big time on Friday in a 62-47 blowout of First Caribbean / Quan's. Ian 'Penny' Ferrera led Atlantic Bank with 15 pts capturing one rebound and handing out 2 assists, while Hector Locke added 13 pts and grabbed 6 rebounds dishing out an assist. Shamir Martinez led First Caribbean with 13 points and 6 rebounds also stealing the ball once, but their star shooter Jacob 'Snake'
Leslie was shut down to only 7 pts while grabbing 3 rebounds and 3 steals and handing out 2 assists. I n G a m e 2 Tu f f e N u f f secured their berth in the finals by a convincing 64-53 win over Telemedia 'Digicell. Tuff e Nuff ’s Tyrone 'Joka' Edwards scored 24 pts and grabbed one rebound while dishing out 5 assists. Baby brother Ashton Edwards added 22 pts and grabbed 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Lupito Acosta led Digicell with 12 pts grabbing 2 rebounds and 2 steals, and Jamaal Kelly added 11 pts and grabbed 2 rebounds and a steal, while handing out 2 assists. On Sunday, Atlantic Bank upset FCIB/Quan’s Trading Company 69-68 in overtime in a decisive Game 3 to clinch their place in the finals. Andrew 'Head' Staine led Atlantic Bank with 23 pts, while grabbing 2 rebounds and 2 steals, and handing off 2 assists.. Justin Wade added11 pts and snagged 4 rebounds and dished out an assist.
First Caribbean’s Jacob 'Snake' Leslie scored 20 pts and grabbed 4 rebounds and 2 steals, while handing off 3 assists. Jerome 'Penny' Ellis added 17 pts, also grabbing 2 rebounds and 3 steals. Atlantic Bank continues to defy the standings with their second upset of the playoffs to move on to face Tuff e Nuff in the Championship Series. Although they go into the Championships as the top seeded team by virtue of their win over the the #1 seeded team, they lost to Tuff e Nuff during the regular season 67 to 64 in overtime, which dropped them to No.3 seed in their division. They must avenge their loss, to prove Tuff e Nuff are not so tough.The fianls continue on Friday 27 August at 7:00 pm at City Center Game 1 - Telemedia 'Digicell' vs First Caribbean / Quan's - 3rd Place Game Game 2 - Tuff e Nuff vs Atlantic Bank.
Science
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The Belize Times
of the
Sunday, August 29, 2010
TIMES
THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTICS
Over the past weekend, the pristine beaches of the Placencia Peninsula were sullied by a jarring flood tide of unsightly plastic bottles and other debris that had been washed ashore in the seasonal wind phenomenon known as “Squall Season”. The unwelcome flotsam came in ,it is believed, from the Honduran coastline and cast its long, ugly shadow on the beaches, costing the village a pretty penny to clean up. The plight described here brings into focus our excessive use of plastic containers and its damaging effects on the environment. Not only Hondurans wind up with a “plastic Problem” but Belize as well suffers and pays the price for humankind's plastic filled lifestyle. The issue of plastics taking thousands of years to break down is well known and hence the need to recycle them must become a national policy. Belizeans currently pay an environmental tax of which we are given no account as to how these considerable sums are used to deal with the plastics Problem. We might not be able to tell the wind not to impact the currents in such a way that it brings in Honduran plastics and debris. But we can begin to address our our utilization and disposal policies for plastics and the environment
PLASTICS AND THE HUMAN BODY A recent analysis of a US nutrition survey by the Peninsula Medical School discovered that high levels of the chemical BISPHENOL – A (BPA) used to stiffen plastic bottles and line cans were found in urine samples of 93 percent of Americans over age 6 years . This chemical BPA has been linked to heart disease and confirmed analysis has shown it to play a role in diabetes and some types of liver disease. BPA is used
in the production of polycarbonate plastics such as food and drink packaging and even compact discs. It is also found in epoxy resins used as lacquer to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle caps, water pipes and may even be found in some types of dental sealants. Just last Friday, August 20th, Canada's Minster of the Environment
announced that the government was ready to “publish instruments for the preventive control action of BPA” after their own data from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey determined that 91 percent of the Canadian population had alarming levels of BPA in their urine. Canada began investigating the deleterious health effects of plastics on humans in 2008 when it banned the use of polycarbonate “plastic” baby bottles and began investigations by the national agency which has led to this legislation that will ban the use of BPA and place it on its list of toxic substances. So what can we do here? We can buy food and beverages that come in glass bottles when we have a choice. Thereafter we can began to lobby for importers and local producers to limit the use of plastic containers for the foods they sell us. Then we can do our part as individuals and/or a family to recycle and get these dangerous plastics out of our environment. And considering the bounty of our land and sea, maybe we can resolve to just go for “fresh 'n natural” as often as possible and keep our farmers in business and the put the oncologists on hold.
HOW TO ENJOY A DRINK & NOT LET IT RUIN YOUR DIET Wine (white) Wine, red Champagne Wine, sweet Martini Brandy Whiskey Gin Gin & tonic Rum & Coke Bloody Mar y Irish Coffee Margarita Martini Pina Colada Screwdriver
In this era where, for health reasons, ever yone is tr ying to keep the extra weight off, there is often a hidden culprit that under mines the most successful diet-and-exercise regime. It's that “Thirsty Thursday” or “TGIF Happy Hour “. By now, most people learn to limit the wings and other boca consumed as they are usually all fried, with skins and have a lot of salt to boot. Yet most of us are still a little less infor med about the amount of calories we inadvertently consume in that after
work beer or the business lunch cocktail. To help you make an infor med decision when you choose your booze, here is a quick r un down of the caloric count of the most commonly consumed alcoholic drinks; here's to your health! CALORIE COUNT OF COMMON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS Drink Calories Beer 150 Light Beer 110 Stout 168
100 105 106 344 119 100 100 100 189 361 120 159 327 327 312 208
thus:”In Victor y we deser ve it; in defeat, we NEED it!” Medical evidence has shown that no alcohol at all is not the answer to sustaining weight loss. When researchers followed a group of 19,000 healthy women ages 38 to 89, they found that after thirteen years, there were far fewer overweight and obese women among those who had two to three alcoholic drinks a day than there were among women who did not drink any alcohol at all. Just keep in mind that as we age, both men and men's bodies are slower to metabolize alcohol so one could Didn't mean to scare you off binge more readily and not realize a glass of wine with your partner it till you tr y to get up and it all at the end of a hard day. After kicks in. As with all things, good all, Napoleon Bonaparte himself and bad, easy does it- don't overdo spoke of his native Champagne it. Moderation is the word here.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
Sober
Reflections Gone But Not Forgotten…
Guardian newspaper had devoted considerable space to me in their last issue. I haven’t read any of the papers in the past month because I’ve been so caught up in my own stuff but truth be told, I’ve been s c a r e d s t i f f t h a t my d e p a r t u r e would have been unremarked, that I wo u l d h ave g o n e g e n t l y i n t o that g oodnight without so much as a ripple to mark my passing. I understand that the ode to Mike p u b l i s h e d i n t h e G u a r d i a n wa s By: Mike Rudon Jr. A b o u t a m o n t h o r s o a g o I long, spirited, personal, petty and made the very difficult decision to venomous. Guys and gays over at walk away from a job which had the Guardian, I give you thanks become a little too overwhelming. from the bottom of my heart for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.,which a Company dulyme registered the and keeping alive in under your hearts There were different factors Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Ediminds and in the hearts and minds led to that decision but I don’t o f r e a d e r s. I a m t r u l y t o u ch e d feel like2000, sharing them here and tion, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and (though not the way Fonso likes now. It’s enough that the secret Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intent o b e t o u ch e d ) t h a t I h ave not is out…the fat drunken editor of tion to exercise its power of sale as vanished Chargee under a Charge regis- as into political obscurity the slimes (as my friends in the tered as Instrumentrefer #9036/2006 CHARLES MATUTE I so feared, and that even a month UDP affectionately to me) between of 14 Kiskadee Street, Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize and SCO-lives after my departure my memory has left the building, departed on. I know we haven’t always been theTIABANK hallowed (BELIZE) halls, bid political LTD. The said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) on good ter ms but if its not colleagues and friends adieu LTD. will at good the expiration of three months from the date of the too and embraced the joys and sorrows much to ask, could you guys keep first publication of this notice sell the property described in the o f u n e m p l oy m e n t a n d f r e e d o m throwing insults my way, at least for Schedule from stress. hereto. Actually all I’ve done the next little while? Please? See, what pisses off the guys, is exchange the stress of work for g a l s be a n dmade g ay sinove r t h aand t s ifull de is theAll stress of to making endsthe meet but must offers purchase property writing the fact that I have the audacity hey,particulars so far I have regrets. of sale may be obtained from the said and no conditions W i t h t h a t b i t o f p e r s o n a l to openly loathe their supreme SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. garbage out the way, let me just leader, the big cheese, the g reat reveal something which is a little bald hope. How dare I, say they, e m b a r r a s s i n g. I ’ v e b e e n g o i n g insult this sacred creature week in through quite a bit of turmoil in and week out without fail? I must the past few months which has be out of my mind, they opine, to the character of this god affected my life to a great extent. question REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL among men, this modern day black I won’t go into details because I’m BELMOPAN 20 6230 Moses, this paragon of virtue. Well sure nobody cares, but suffice it to Area: 4052 S.M. boss, I’ve got a newsflash for you say that I’ve been going through a – when I was editor at the Belize rough time lately and it’s made me ver y emotional. Hell, an episode Times I thought Dean Barrow was a megalomaniac fool so caught up in of DATED Sponge this Bob10th had day me of sniffling August, 2010. last night and the latest Hannah the hype of his own greatness that Montana had me cr ying buckets. he was running the country into the MUSA & BALDERAMOS ground. I still feel that way even See what I mean – my hormones 91 North Front Street though I haven’t worn the editor are all messed up. mantle for over a month. So you can imagine thatBelize I almost City I won’t say that Mr. Barrow is b r o k e d o w n o ve r t h e Attorneys-at-Law weekend for a stupid man or make disparaging when a friend called me to say Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. references to his intellect because the that the powers that be over at the
FOR SALE
By Order of the Mortgagee
THE PROPERTY CHARGED
FOR SALE
26
dude can sure turn a pretty phrase. But the man does stupid, moronic things which make me question with regularity his mental fitness. I mean, let face it…sometimes the fellow seems to have a screw or two or three missing. Add to that his monumental self-adoration complex and his unhealthy fixation o n h i s e x - w i f e ’s b o t t o m … l i n e (couldn’t resist that one) and what you have is a recipe for disaster. And you don’t even have to imagine the possibilities of the unsavoury stew concocted from such a recipe. We’re living it right now. There ain’t nothing g ood happening in our countr y…nothing to smile about in the jewel. I thought I was in bad shape…hell, just look around and you’ll see what Mr. Barrow has done to Belize. Talk about bad shape. According to my friends at the Guardian, I am, among other dastardly things, a fat, dr unken, wor thless, stupid, ignorant,
dimwitted, immature, irresponsible, hopeless, good for nothing two-bit poor excuse for a human being. According to those same friends, Mr. Barrow is a glorious, divine, intellectual, visionar y bastion of vir tue and unparalleled integ rity who deigns to walk among us common folk with his feet clad in golden slippers. But boss, a month after I resigned from editor of t h e B e l i z e T i m e s, t h a t g l o r i o u s visionary is still giving orders for this worthless, fat drunk to receive ‘rave’ reviews in his newspaper. Who’s the fool now? CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE at www.belizetimes.bz ~ POST YOUR COMMENTS ~ VOTE ON ARTICLES ~ VIEW OUR PHOTO GALLERY ~ CHECK OUT A PDF VERSION OF THE PAPER We are the most visited newspaper website in Belize
For Sale By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgagee made the 17th day of December, 2005 between HECTOR DAVID ROMERO and BLANCA ROMERO both of Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk District, Belize, of the one part, and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. of the other part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 41 of 2005 at folios 1 - 30; and the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of three months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD.
THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 275 comprising 1045.089 Square Metres (1249.926 Square Yards) situate in Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk District, bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 1142 of 2005 attached to Minister’s Fiat Grant No. 1142 of 2005 TOGETHER with buildings and erections standing and being thereon. (This property is now referred to as Parcel 439 – Block 4 – Yo Creek Village Registration Section).
By Order of the Mortgagee DATED this 10th day of August, 2010. Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Chargee under a Charge registered as Instrument #5989/1998 between ERIC MEIGHAN of No. 17 Cor. Racoon & Seagull Streets, Belize City, Belize and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. The said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of three months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said
MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus!
By glenntillett@yahoo.com Wisdom comes by disillusionment. - George Santayana It was a year ago this week that the Honorable Prime Minister stood before the House of Representatives and introduced legislation that would enable the Government of Belize to take away the majority shareholding in Belize’s largest and most lucrative private company. Two weeks ago the Auditor General’s Annual Report for the year April 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009 was tabled in the House of Representatives. These two seeming disparate events a year apart are both excellent examples of the disingenuous nature that is so characteristic of Dean Oliver Barrow. On August 24, 2009, the Prime Minister explained his reasons for e x p r o p r i a t i n g B e l i z e Te l e m e d i a Limited and said that the company wo u l d b e s o l d . I n f a c t h e s a i d : “There will be a prospectus done after the new board of directors takes over and the new articles of a s s o c i a t i o n h ave b e e n a d o p t e d . Shares will be valued and offered for sale to the public. That offer will not be limited to Belizeans. We are determined, however—and the new articles of association that will be adopted will in fact oblige this—that ultimately Belizeans must retain at least a fifty-one percent ownership of the company that’s being taken over.” The simple fact is that a year later there is no prospectus, no sale, and no prospect of a sale. The simple act of expropriating a private company was enough to give prospective investors pause, but that last line about retaining 51%, and utter stupidity about restoring to Government a “golden share,” in effect a casting vote on the Board of Directors , is enough to make almost any investor turn away in horror. Ju s t t h i s we e k t h e B e l i z e Chamber of Commerce and Industry “congratulated the Auditor General for the preparation and circulation of ” his annual report. It went on to laud “The Auditor
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General’s obvious commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability and his grasp of the importance of his role as an independent, objective assessor of the Government’s perfor mance as it relates to the management of the people’s money is refreshing and laudable.” Now no doubt Barrow will imagine he is being praised when the reality is that it is exactly the opposite. Barrow himself has had to make his own release on the report in defense of his administration and in it he lies blatantly. Whenever Barrow
is caught with his pants down he immediately blames someone else as being a worst offender, usually the for mer administration, and pretends that he was just about to do something about it. I am not even going to bother repeating the many things Barrow had to say about “accountability, transparency and good governance” or insult you with “whiff or corruption” quotes. I am not even going to remind him and you that there is a report by the Auditor General titled “AUDIT INSPECTION – BELIZE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 2003 TO DECEMBER 2008” sitting on his desk that details corruption to a heretofore unmatched level. I am not going to revisit the scandals in KHMH, BMA, BAHA,
27 N I C H , Po l i c e , B D F, Tr e a s u r y, ministries of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Housing, Culture, and Transport, just to mention some, and all of which have erupted under his very large nose. I am just going to remind him that he promised just a month before the February 2007 General Elections that he there would be “prosecution under an unjust enrichment law, and empowered Senate controlled by the social partners, and an airtight accountability to the Auditor General, Contractor General and the Ombudsman.” If history is prologue to the future then we know better than to expect Barrow to fulfill his promises. Fo r h i m t h e y ’r e j u s t c o nve n i e n t words then, and inconvenient truths now. Barrow is bogus.
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
For the Sake of the People: Unite
By Marshall Nunez This Tuesday night the twenty three constituents came together in an effort to established unity within the PUP as we head into an announcement of the upcoming Party's National Convention. What can be construed from the Patchakan Accord seems to have created some calm especially around what would have been the factions between the party . Some people at the Northern Caucus event are ecstatic about this latest attempt at unification and yet, some people are a little uneasy even skeptical that it is for real then there is a small group who are sorry that the unity has taken place because they live for the division and excitement that is used to create. For me I have always been an advocate of unity and so I am pleased to see that there is this level of unity within the party. Of course this is only the begging and we are quite away from the coming of next government but when we consider as a nation the what that the UDP has governed the country for the past two years we are hopeful that the PUP with a more united front might present the necessary alternatives that the country may need. Remember that next week the UDP marks the 2 1/2 year benchmark in office but with all that has happened and continues to happen we believe that their term is running down; we have to wake up to the reality that we have less than three years of this administration and a municipal and village council to make a a mark before then. Just to go back little in time, when the UDP won the elections in February 2008 they inherited the budget that was approved and the being managed by the previous PUP government it wasn’t until several months later that the UDP presented their budgets for that year 2008-2009. The point I am trying to illustrate that the true UDP prepared, presented, debated and approved budget the one for 2009-2010 is the only real budget that they were the architects of. When we reflect on the same financial year we are perplexed by the many, many, many things that have gone wrong during that period. Most salient is the bread and butter issue, the economy, the rate of inflation and the most recent revelation of the increasing number of people living on the poverty line of this country. This review of that period put us in a very good position to preview or expect the kind of disastrous economic condition with a widening deficit even as we near the mid-point of the financial year. Already we are hearing the government finding excuses for their failed fiscal management and their inability to manage the national resources in an efficient, prudent and transparent way. As is traditional with the UDP they are excellent at casting blame and pointing fingers already they are blaming the super bond, they are casing blame on the debt servicing which is only 6 percent of the overall budget. The final analysis does not lend itself
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to the lie that all that has gone fiscally wrong over the past two years was a consequence of what the PUP did while they were in government. So ask ourselves the question, why did hell we change the government? Weren’t because we believed that they would have done a better job of administering the goods and services to the people, and managing the natural resources; in the way they had promised prudent and transparency. Obviously the state of the nation- as a failed state- would indicate we were fooled by the propaganda but sometimes the breeze blow pelican just where they want to blow, that is a choice we’ve
made and so we will have to live with it until such time that would be able to correct the wrong. As we look back on the quest and campaign for the general elections in 2007 the UDP seemed to have had such grand plans and knew it all as to how every Belizeans could have been able to live comfortably, particularly as a result of the fact that we had oil. The revenue from the oil would have been great enough to make life better for each and every Belizean. Thirty months in,we aregetting less than ever from the oil because, as the prime minster confessed ,” he would prefer to not bother with the revenues
coming from oil in order to keep the investment cline as it is rather than to ask for and sacrifice investors”. We also need to remember for reasons to this date that are unexplained and somewhat alien to us the government took over BTL with the intention to resell it hopefully to locals. They forgot that it is the tax payers money that has been invested in BTL that in and of its self would have had more financial resources available to the base of local economy in other words more money would have been available to ordinary Belizeans to assist where we need it the most with our bread and butter issues.
NOTICE Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has the following items for sale:
Scrap Wires, Transformers, Lights & Cables The above items can be inspected at BEL’s compounds located at Ladyville and Magazine Road during normal working hours. Bids are to be submitted in a sealed envelope no later than September 03, 2010 and addressed to: Purchasing & Stores Department Belize Electricity Limited 2 ½ Miles Northern Highway P.O. Box 327 Belize City, Belize Re: Bid for Scrap Materials
Envelopes not addressed as per instructions will be disregarded. For more information, call 227-0954 Ext. 1701.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
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Barrow's Gift To Our Children
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
DOMINGO 29 de AGOSTO , 2010
The Belize Times
Issue No. 4708
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The Truth Shall Make You Free
BARROW REHUSA SOMETERSE A LECTORES
A pesar de que cerca de 8.000 residentes han unido sus fir mas en una petición que pide la prohibición de la exploración petrolera offshore en Belice, el Primer Ministro Dean Barrow se ha negado a ceder en la cuestión. El movimiento fue iniciado por la Coalición de Belice para preservar nuestro patrimonio natural, un gr upo no partidista cuyo objetivo principal es por sí misma. El gr upo quiere que la perforación de cualquier tipo de productos petrolíferos costa afuera en el espacio y en áreas protegidas. Toda la zona donde se cree que ocupan representa aproximadamente un poco más del 35% del país. Mientras que el gr upo ha sido bien recibido en sus esfuerzos, sin embargo, Barrow ha dado oídos sordos al clamor del pueblo de Belice, hasta la semana pasa-
E n u n a r eu n i ón especial de l a B a n ca d a d el Nor te celebra d a en l a a l d ea de Patchakan, d i s tr i t o d e C o rozal y donde 1 4 p r es i d en tes constituciona l es s e u n i er o n al Caucus de 9 m i em b r o s, s e a probó una res o l u ci ó n r es p a l d ando el lidera z g o d e Jo h n Briceño y lla m a n d o a l a u n i d ad del par tido. L a r es o l u ci ó n, que fue un á n i mem en te r espaldada por to d o s l o s p r esentes y los m i em b r o s d el Caucus recibi en d o l a a p r o b a ción de todos l o s dem á s r e p r esentantes pre s en tes d i j o :
da, tomando a la ligera las fir mas de los miles de personas que han expresado su objeción a la perforación costa afuera. Pero los organizadores de la Coalición siguen sin inmutarse en su lucha
para conseguir la atención del Gobierno de Belice y en los próximos meses, espera más del doble de esa cifra antes de presentar la petición al Gobierno. Con seriedad contra la perforación de pozos, y vocales acerca de su postura al respecto de Oceana, el nuevo organismo no gubernamental del medio ambiente que pone énfasis en el ecosistema marino. Vicepresidente de Oceana, Audrey Matura-Pastor, dice que planea demandar
al Gobierno sobre una serie de concesiones en alta mar. Atrapados más en la política del día, Barrow prefirió poner más énfasis en el cuestionamiento de la validez de los fir mantes. Él se comprometió a citar, "sopesar muy cuidadosamente las opciones y tener en cuenta las opiniones de la Coalición y las opiniones del público en general", por así decirlo. Él se apresuró a añadir, sin embargo, que no se puede decir que no habrá moratoria sobre la perforación costa afuera. También dijo que la decisión no será tomada mucho antes de las próximas elecciones generales del país, lo que quizás podría ser la única restricción a este régimen sólido UDP tendrá que mantener la llama si tienen alguna pequeña esperanza de ganar en las urnas.
Se resuelve que el 24 de ag osto de 2010, la asamblea PUP del Nor te se reunieron para la sesión especial e hizo suyo el Hon. John Briceño para Líderes del Par tido en la próxima convención del Par tido Unido del Pueblo que se celebrará a finales de este año. También se resolvió que el Caucus del Nor te cele brará su Consejo Nacional tan pronto como sea posible en un esfuerzo por unirse para log rar la victoria en las próxi mas elecciones tanto a nivel municipal y nacional.
Presente en la r e u n i ó n es taban los siguientes Pr es i d en tes y re presentantes d e l o s 2 2 distritos electorales y o tr o s miembr os del Ejecu tivo N a cional: 1. Corozal Bay 2. Corozal del Nor te 3. Corozal Suroeste 4. Or a n g e Wa l k Nor te 5. Orang e Wa l k C en tral 6. Orang e Wa l k O r i e n te 7. Orang e Walk Su r 8 . B elice Rural del Nor te 9 . B e lice Rural del Sur 1 0 . S ta n n Creek 11.Dang rig a O c ci d en tal 12. Toledo O r i en te 1 3 . Toledo 14.Cayo Su r o es te 1 5 .
C ayo C en tr a l 1 6 . C ayo N o r te 1 7 . C ayo O cci d en ta l 1 8 . C ayo N o r d es te 1 9 . B el m o p a n 2 0 , Pi ck s to ck 2 1 . C a r i b b ea n S h o r es 2 2 . Fo r t G eo r g e Pr es i d e n te d el M ov i m i en to Ju ven i l B el i ce (B Y M ) O r d en d e S er v i ci o s D i s ti n g u i d o s (S A D ) Pr es i d e n te d e l o s M a rshalls
La ASAMBLEA Del Norte pide Convención de Unidad para el PUP
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ditorial UN MODELO DE SU GOBIERNO
Sería injusto culpar al Primer Ministro Deán Barrow por proclamar en 2006 que el nuevo Consejo de la Ciudad de Belice UDP encabezada por el alcalde Zenaida Moya serviría como un 'modelo de buena gobernanza "para el resto del país. Aunque dice tener toda clase de habilidades y capacidades divinas, clarividencia extrasensorial nunca ha sido uno de ellos. Pero mientras que el Primer Ministro desde luego nunca se sentiría culpable por el caos que se ha forjado en la ciudad de Belice por su selecta tripulación municipal, parece justo que él debe sentir algo de vergüenza por lo que ha llegado a pasar y tiene cierta responsabilidad en el desastre. El líder de la nación se ha mantenido mudo sobre la crisis que rodea el consejo de la ciudad de Belice. Últimamente su rostro sonriente es más evidente en las páginas de los periódicos y revistas extranjeros cuando se encuentra en el el circuito de cócteles en el extranjero que en cualquier noticiero local y hacer frente a las numerosas cuestiones que afectan a la nación y al pueblo que juro servir. Si el Primer Ministro se digna a permanecer "local" por una semana o dos, tal vez se podría convencer para participar en un debate actual que nunca ha sido nuestra historia política plantear pero que hoy parece ser pertinente - que los residentes de la ciudad de Belice quizá se encontrarían mejor sin un cuerpo municipal "a la cabeza, por así decirlo. Es totalmente exacto decir que nunca antes los residentes de la ciudad de Belice han sido sometidos a la administración municipal de la talla de los cuales lo han hecho desde 2006, cuando el UDP asumió el poder municipal. De hecho la expresión «debe ser utilizado libremente por el Ayuntamiento se ha hecho más de una" libertad para unos pocos-"que una organización que lleven cualquier parecido con una entidad gestionada. Bajo la dirección de Zenaida Moya, todos los principios que deben guiar solo un compromiso, el gobierno municipal honesto y exitoso se ha echado a la basura. Transparencia, rendición de cuentas financieras y el buen gobierno tomó alas y huyó de la escena a principios de la vigencia del nuevo Consejo del UDP, y no se han visto desde entonces. Se presentaron pruebas que mostraban una cadena criminal de ofertas de novia confeccionado entre el alcalde y su hermano - cientos de miles de dólares en el trabajo, sin trabajo para demostrarlo. Se presentaron pruebas que demostraron que la Alcalde, totalmente sin autorización, se había decidido pagar un adicional de $ 3.000 por mes. El Ministerio de Gobierno Local se involucró y condenó públicamente la acción como la apropiación indebida de fondos públicos. Se han realizado auditorías oficiales que revelaron la "desaparición" de cientos de miles de personas y recaudó más de un centenar de preguntas que permanecen sin respuesta en la actualidad. Y, por supuesto, no ha sido el famoso término acuñado por la Alcalde - menor de depósito - que confunde a los contadores y economistas, hasta el día de hoy. El dinero desaparecido a través de "menores de depósito" nunca se le encontró respuesta. Aunque la especulación es que es obvio que las transacciones fueron compensadas a través de "exceso de depósito en la cuenta privada de alguien. En el área de la gerencia interna, el UDP CitCo también ha sido deplorable. La guerra interna y muy pública han estado a la orden del día. No menos de seis altos directivos han dimitido, algunos de ellos con las condenaciones bien escogidas de la alcaldesa, y los concejales encargados de administrar los asuntos de la ciudad han caído en la insolvencia y no ha podido proporcionar incluso los servicios más básicos conforme a su mandato. La basura sigue siendo dispersa, las calles se encuentran dilapidadas y para sumar negligencia, parques y patios se han hundido en mal estado, los drenajes están llenos de inmundicia por la carencia del mantenimiento y la ciudad se ha convertido en un pozo negro. El único concejal que todavía muestra su cara con regularidad es el diestro y intelectual Philip Willoughby, que está intentando maniobrar oportunidades fotográficas para obtener credibilidad política sin éxito. El resto de los concejales se han retirado en el confort de los trabajos privados publicados a través de conexiones políticas. La única cosa que estos concejales pueden ser acusados de es la realización con una cierta conveniencia del cobro de sus estipendios mensuales, cerca de $4000 cada uno. No, el Sr. Barrow no puede ser culpado por carecer la visión extrasensorial para predecir sus fallos del Concilio de la ciudad. Pero él DEBE ser culpado por su determinación firme, constante para no hacer caso de la traición continua del Consejo hacia los residentes de la ciudad de Belice, por un consejo que él puso en poder. El Primer Ministro no ha hecho caso de cada intervención que ha revelado los dineros que faltaban en el consejo. Él ha no hecho caso de la evidencia de la malversación de la Alcaldesa y de las malas gestiones que le muestran constantemente. Él ha no hecho caso de la crisis de la basura y de la crisis de calles arruinadas; el apuro de los trabajadores de BML y las revelaciones impactantes de ésos en el vientre de la bestia. El se ha mostrado ciego al desastre del Ayuntamiento de la ciudad y la gente de la ciudad ha pagado un alto precio por ello. Elocuente como es, tal vez el Sr. Barrow se equivocó al hablar en el 2006 cuando llamó al Consejo de la ciudad de Belice UDP un modelo de buen gobierno. Tal vez quiso decir que el Ayuntamiento UDP sería un modelo de SU gobierno. Seguramente habría sido una medida más precisa para este maestro de la palabra.
Desde el Ecritorio del Lider del Partido La Carretera Menos Viajado
La noche del mar tes, en la aldea de Pachakan distrito de Corozal, el Caucus del Nor te celebró una sesión especial donde 23re presentatives de los diferentes sectores se pusieron de pie para recomendar que teng amos una Convención Nacional para celebrar el 60 º aniversario del Par tido Unido del Pueblo como un evento de unidad. Mientras escuchaba a todas estas altavoces, no pude menos que recordar los dos últimos años como el líder de esta g ran fiesta de los nuestros. Cuando Moisés Mar tínez hablaba, yo lo recordaba en 2008 prometiendo su apoyo a esa Convención Nacional. Desafor tunadamente, su padre murió dos días antes de la convención. Sin embarg o, él sentía tan impor tante asistir que se tomó el tiempo para ir a de positar su voto antes de unirse a su familia para enter rar a su padre. Tal es el sacrificio de los verdaderos leales al par tido. Recuerdo a Rodwell Ferguson, un re presentante del primer tér mino recuperándose de su primera pérdida en las ur nas en 2008. Hablé con él y le anime a no renunciar porque hay demasiado en jueg o en nuestro país. En dos cor tos años, Rodwell ha conver tido la marea política en tor no a Stann Creek Occidental y se dispone a ser el próximo re presentante de la zona. Asimismo, en el distrito de Toledo, tanto Mike Espat y Oscar Requena visitaron mi oficina después de la Convención Nacional, se comprometieron apoyar y me animaron a visitar todas las aldeas en el distrito de Toledo. La experiencia de ir de pueblo en pueblo en el distrito de Toledo, visitando a nuestros seguidores del par tido me han per mitido tener una mejor comprensión sobre cómo viven y los desafíos que enfrentan todos los días. Esto ha sido educativo y que me ha per mitido como líder tener una mejor comprensión de lo que el nuevo g obier no del PUP tiene que hacer en nuestras comunidades r urales más pobres. Recuerdo una noche de vier nes lleg ando a la casa de un g ranjero en el pueblo de Medina en Toledo, junto con Mike y Oscar. Al entrar en su casa estaban sus tres hijos adolescentes sentados alrededor de una mesa, una leía la copia de una vieja edición de Belize Times, otro la Biblia y el tercero dibujaba. No había televisión, computadora, inter net, cor reo electrónico, Facebook o videojueg os. Lo que era impresionante de esto es que estaban juntos como una familia, hablando, compar tiendo y apoyándose mutuamente. Esta es una experiencia que muchos jóvenes de Belice están perdiendo. Ya no tenemos el tiempo para estas experiencias familiares simples pero impor tantes y necesarias. Estas son sólo algunas de las muchas experiencias que he tenido en los últimos dos años, he viajado cientos de kilómetros en todo el país visitando a casi todas las comunidades en el país. Donde quiera que vayamos la g ente de Belice se quejan de lo mismo, se sienten abandonadas, que sus re presentantes ya no escuchan que como país nos estamos deteriorando. Ellos no ven soluciones a sus problemas. Tienen g raves problemas en mantener a sus hijos en la escuela. No pueden darse el lujo de comprar libros de texto y no pueden pag ar las cuotas escolares cada vez mayor. Hoy en día se enfrentan a Belice algunos desafíos inmensos y muchos están siendo invadidos por el miedo y la desesperanza para el futuro. A través de todo esto, las bases del PUP, una vez más cree en la PUP. Reconocen que el PUP es el único par tido que tiene el talento, la experiencia y la visión de avanzar a Belice. Pero hay dos poderosos mensajes que nos dan cada vez que nos reunimos. Uno de ellos, quiere que el PUP sea el Par tido dando ser vicio desinteresado al pueblo, especialmente a nuestros pobres y los que viven en las zonas r urales y quieren evitar el exceso de nuestro pasado g obier no del PUP. Y también están exigiendo que los líderes PUP dejen de lado sus eg os y piensen en las bases del PUP, especialmente los que sufren bajo las manos de este g obier no de un UDP veng ativo. Nuestros fieles PUP están exigiendo que nos unamos y luchemos por salvar Belice. Un famoso poeta, Rober t Frost escribió un poema sobre el camino no tomado. Hoy, el PUP es en esta encr ucijada. Nosotros, en el PUP necesitamos tomar el camino menos transitado y hacer toda la diferencia para el pueblo de Belice. ¡VIVA EL PARTIDO UNIDO DEL PUEBLO!
Español Hacia donde vamos?...........
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Por: Mike Rudon Jr. Deán Barrow todavía se encuentra pateándose el trasero por las palabras que pronunció en la Convención Nacional del UDP, claro se encontraba bajo la influencia de analgésicos - Magia, dijo! La magia sigue aquí. ¡Qué imbécil monumental es Barrow. No sólo es un imbécil monumental, pero al parecer él piensa que todos somos burros monumentales si nos puede decir que hay magia que nos rodea gracias a su excelente liderazgo y divinidad. Supongo que por un momento el señor Barrow olvidó la crisis de la delincuencia, la crisis de la pobreza, la crisis sanitaria, la crisis de la educación, la crisis económica, la crisis del turismo, la crisis del azúcar, la crisis de los cítricos, la crisis de la basura y todas las otras crisis que actualmente paralizan a nuestra nación, porque estoy seguro de que olvidó algunas de ellas. O se le olvidó o tengo que conseguirme algunos de estos medicamentos para el dolor que el utiliza porque son impresionantes. Como Cheech & Chong diría... esta rola es buena!....... El hecho es que la aclamación eufórica que anunciaba con orgullo el ascenso del UDP al poder en Febrero del 2008 ya no existe. En tér-
minos de la economía, mucha gente cree que estamos viviendo tiempos difíciles como nunca antes. El Primer Ministro cita la recesión global como si fuera el principio y el fin de nuestra crisis local, pero mientras la mayoría de las personas coinciden en que es un factor, pocos creen que es el único factor. Abogar por un lado y por el otro, pero la realidad es que temen las cosas »." Costo de vida es alto, el 43% de los Beliceños están por debajo del umbral de la pobreza, las estadísticas muestran que hay un número creciente de estudiantes que abandonan la escuela porque la educación es demasiado caro, nuestro sistema de salud pública ha estado bajo escrutinio tras una serie de muertes presuntamente causadas por la negligencia y / o la falta de equipamiento básico, el crimen violento está en un nivel sin precedentes, nuestro sistema de justicia está en ruinas con un Director del Ministerio Público que se jacta una tasa de condenas de entre 5% y 7%, y nuestro sistema judicial está bajo escrutinio regional e internacional después de las graves denuncias de interferencia política y la manipulación por el Ejecutivo. Hay más, mucho más, pero no es una imagen bastante seguro. El Primer Minis-
tro quizá no esta tan consciente de que las cosas en nuestro país andan tan mal como lo debería estar, pero para que él sepa que las cosas no pintan bien para su Partido Unido Democrático. Por si él no lo sabe, sólo tiene que preguntarles a todos en la calle, No hay más del frenesí de porristas que inauguró al UDP al poder. Con la notable excepción de los Ministros del UDP, sus familiares y compinches especiales, los tiempos nos han golpeado a todos. Hay una decepción muy real en este nuevo Gobierno que prometía tanto. Hay un sentimiento muy real de la traición, un sentido muy real de que se nos estafó a todos. También hay una confusión creciente y incertidumbre. El PUP fue expulsado porque estaba en mal estado. Les dimos a estos chicos la oportunidad y caray, como lo han jodido. Así que ¿qué demonios hacemos ahora? El Partido Unido del Pueblo, a pesar de todos los esfuerzos del nuevo líder, se ha encontrado con contratiempos tremendos puesto en marcha por lo que parece ser una combinación de falta de voluntad para ceder el poder, de egos monumentales y quejas mezquinas y travesuras. Durante demasiado tiem-
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po el Partido se ha visto retrasado por un puñado de personas con una agenda que no ha sido nada si no es confusa y perjudicial. Irónicamente, las facciones que han sembrado la discordia dentro del PUP han sido culpables de un tremendo daño a los Beliceños que están sufriendo en esta administración UDP, incluso en su intento de demostrar que son capaces de liderazgo y servicio superior. Debido a las constantes peleas, los dirigentes del PUP se distraen, los generales no tiene ni idea, los soldados están dando vueltas sin sentido de orientación y los miles de seguidores en todo el país son PUP, sin una representación adecuada. El grito en la calle es una opción al UDP... un PUP unido y solidaria es esa opción. Como he dicho, no es ciencia espacial, gentes. Logren trabajar en conjunto. Un caucus que comprende los Presidentes y representantes de 22 de los 31 distritos electorales en el país ha firmado para una resolución que ratifica el liderazgo del Hon. John Briceño y llaman a la unidad en el Partido. El mensaje es claro. Necesitamos que este espectáculo se ponga en camino, porque las multitudes están llamando al PUP. El que tenga oídos para oír, oiga!
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Belize TimesEn
Ido pero no olvidado………….. memorias. Sé que no siempre hemos estado en buenos términos, pero si esto no es mucho pedir, ¿podrían seguir lanzando insultos chicos? al menos por un corto tiempo? Por favor? Mira, lo que le molesta a los chicos, chicas y gays en el Guardian es el hecho de que tengo la audacia de detestar abiertamente a su líder supremo, el gran queso, el gran Calvo,
Por. Mike Rudon Jr Más o menos cerca de un mes tomé la muy difícil decisión de dejar un trabajo que se había convertido un poco abrumador. Hubo diferentes factores que me llevaron a esa decisión, pero yo no tengo ganas de compartirlas aquí y ahora. Es suficiente que el secreto está fuera... el editor grasiento borracho (como mis amigos de la UDP se refieren cariñosamente a mí) ha dejado el edificio, salió de los sagrados recintos, colegas políticos y buenos amigos y abrazó a las alegrías y tristezas del desempleo y la ausencia de estrés. En realidad todo lo que he hecho es cambiar el estrés del trabajo por el estrés de llegar a fin de mes pero bueno, hasta ahora no me arrepiento. Luego de sacar esa basura de mi sistema, permítanme revelar algo que es un poco embarazoso. He estado pasando por un poco de agitación en los últimos meses que ha afectado mi vida en gran medida. No voy a entrar en detalles porque estoy seguro que a nadie le importa, pero basta con decir que he estado pasando por un mal momento últimamente y que me ha convertido en un llorón! Con decirles que un episodio de Bob Esponja me puso todo emocional la noche anterior y lo último de Hannah Montana me hizo llorar mares. Véase lo que quiero decir - mis hormonas están en mal estado. Así que te puedes imaginar que casi me da el patatus este fin de semana cuando un amig o me llamó para decirme que mis queridos amigos de The Guardian dedicaron un espacio considerable para mí en su último número. No he leído ninguno de las ediciones en el mes pasado porque he estado tan atrapado en mi propio mundo, pero a decir verdad, temía que mi partida habría sido inadvertida, que ni siquiera un murmullo marcaria mi partida. Entiendo que la oda a Mike publicado en El Guardian fue larga, fogosa, personal y venenosa. Chicos y gays empleados del Guardian, les doy las gracias desde el fondo de mi corazón por haberme mantenido vivo en sus corazones y mentes y en los corazones y las mentes de los lectores. Estoy muy conmovido que no me he desvanecido en el olvido político que tanto temía, y que incluso un mes después de mi partida sigo en sus
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esperanza de todo un pueblo. ¿Cómo me atrevo, dicen, insultar a esta criatura sagrada semana tras semana sin falta? Tengo que estar fuera de mi mente, opinan, para cuestionar el carácter de este dios entre los hombres, este moderno Moisés negro, este dechado de virtudes. Bueno jefe, tengo una Noticia de última hora para usted - cuando yo era editor del Belize Times pensé que Dean Barrow era un idiota megalómano tan atrapado en el bombo de su propia grandeza que esta destruyendo al país. Todavía me siento así, aunque no he llevado el nombre de editor en más de un mes. No voy a decir que el señor Barrow es un estúpido o hacer referencias despectivas a su intelecto, pero el hombre hace cosas estúpidas, idiotas que me hacen preguntar con regularidad con respecto a su aptitud mental. Quiero decir, vamos a hacerle frente... a veces el individuo parece tener un tornillo o dos o tres desaparecidos, añadir a eso la adoración por si mismo y la fijación malsana con el trasero de su ex esposa
Sunday, August 29, 2010
(disculpen no pude contenerme decir lo anterior) Lo estamos viviendo ahora. No hay nada bueno sucediendo en nuestro país... nada para sonreír en nuestra joya. Pensé que yo estaba en mala forma... pero rayos! Miren alrededor y verán lo que ha hecho el Sr. Barrow de Belice. Hablando de estar en malísima forma! De acuerdo con mis amigos del Guardian, soy, entre otras cosas malas, un gordo, borracho, sin valor, estúpido, ignorante, tonto, inmaduro, irresponsable, sin esperanzas, no sirve para nada pobre excusa de ser humano. De acuerdo con esos mismos amigos, el Sr. Barrow es un glorioso, divino, intelectual, bastión visionario de la virtud y la integridad sin comparación que se digna a caminar entre nosotros gente común con los pies vestidos con zapatillas de oro. Pero gente, un mes después de que renuncie al editor de Belize Times, ese glorioso y calvo visionario sigue dando órdenes para que este borracho sin valor, reciba comentarios excelentes en su periódico! ¿Quién es el loco ahora?
St. John’s College
VACANCIES
St. John’s College, Belize City, invites applications from suitably qualified persons for full-time faculty positions in its postsecondary division. The positions will be effective immediately.
Junior College School of Liberal Arts 1. 2.
English Language Mathematics
The Teacher will be a person who: • has a strong commitment to the mission of St. John’s College as a Catho lic, Jesuit institution; • is self-reliant, creative, innovative, proactive, decisive, and enthusiastic; • has excellent interpersonal and communications skills; • holds high personal and professional standards; • has excellent information technology skills; • has the ability to provide leadership; and • has the ability to work as a team member and be effective in relationships with others at all levels within the organisation.
Education and Experience:
• Junior College: Minimum qualification for all positions is a Bachelor’s Degree in the subject area from a recognised or accredited university. Preference will be given to candidates with a Master’s Degree in the subject area. Remuneration: In accordance with Pay Scales approved by the Ministry of Education. For more information on the above vacancies, please visit www.sjc.edu.bz/careerservices Click on Career Opportunities at SJC! Application forms are available at the Office of the President or online. Send or deliver completed application form along with cover letter and official seale transcript to: Human Resources St. John’s College Landivar Campus P.O. Box 548 Belize City, Belize C.A. Tel: 501-223-3732 Fax: 501-223-2752
E-mail: hr@sjc.edu.bz
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Belize Times
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Births
Isabella Blanca to Gilbert and Susana Dolores Canton nee Vanzie Kristen Vanna to Kyle Allan and Venetia Idolly Craig nee Clare Angell Francisca to Adran Claude and Alys Jennifer Ramirez nee Carrillo Madison Leigh to Mark Lyndon and Beatriz Teresita Godfrey nee Guerra Sheanna Rianna to Theodore Andrew and Judith Nunez nee Martinez Danica Marie to Sylvestre Enrique Jr. and Maylin Janine Trejo nee Tello Devon Charles to Darwin Gilbert and Rosita Sarita McFadzean nee Ortiz
Marriages Reinaldo Carlos Supal, to Mariana Zenaida Mossiah both of Corozal Town Nigel Rubio to Sandra Maradiaga both of Pomona Village, Stann Creek Orlando Choc to Soyla Felicita Teck both of Maya Mopan, Stann Creek Jose David Gonzalez to Yeniffer Consuelo del Carmen Argueta both of Belmopan, Cayo Joacob Olfert to Aganetha Hildebrand both of Little Belize, Corozal Jerry Friesen to Myra Dueck both of Spanish lookout, Cayo Shezar Dorce of Georgia, USA to Guytelle Cave of Florida, USA Adrian Rosalez to Rosillia Henry Navarro both of Caledonia, Corozal Allen Alden Palacio of Texas, USA to Shanda Jubilee Ariola of Ladyville, Belize Jermaine Jerome Zuniga to Darcel Louise Sanchez both of Belize City Sergio Humberto Ayala to Dinah Marie Lopez both of Belize City Nery Saul Paz Cano to Karen Lizeth Orellano both of Belize City Alvin Llewellyn Stevenson Jr. to Kira Sharima Milligan both of Willows Bank, Belize Rancey Randy Lopez to Elorene Cal both of San Pedro Columbia, Toledo Manuel Makin to Maria Teck both of San Roman, Stann Creek Howard Ryan Jacob to Dawn Marie Loudahl both of North Carolina, USA Raul Edgar Gonzalez Moguel to Shamira Tanisha Aguilar both of Corozal Town Jason Chadwick Graff of Texas, USA to Andrea Diana Baker of Texas, USA Martin Muzikant to Sherolyn Sherilee Moore both of Belize City Lincoln Alexander Cuthkelvin to Marlenie Marciana Madrill both of Maskall, Belize Andre Shamir Salgado to Kelsey Lennie Sampson both of Belize City Peter Peters to Jenny Yesenia Santos both of Cowpen, Stann Creek Jean Paul Pascal Cantareul to Michele Marie Lima both of Belize City Jacob Reimer to Flori Tracy Thiessen both of Spanish Lookout, Cayo Edley Martinez to Laurie Martinez both of Hopkins, Stann Creek Shalton Arana to Evette Shian Martinez both of Belmopan, Cayo Desmond Lewis to Desiree Henry both of Cayo Kerby Montgomery to Jolene Lynne Stewart both of Oklahoma, USA Stephen George Ladd of Washington, USA to Virginia Elizabeth Phelan of California, USA Oscar Rene Velasquez to Silma Edith Saquie both of Belmopan, Cayo Johan Redecop to Agatha Krahn both of Shipyard, Orange Walk Peter Petkau to Susana Olfert both of Shipyard, Orange Walk Johan Braun to Maria Dyck both of Shipyard, Orange Walk Raul Alberto Cervantes Negrete to Crusita Subey Cano both of Santa Clara, Corozal
Deaths Ionie Louise Arnold, 70 Andy Victor Carr, 27 Dale Joseph Sibley, 16 Dennis Luis Smith, 57 Elsie Elizabeth Ferguson, 93 Gilda Unicey Johnson, 67 Lloyd Beet, 54 Richard Michael Nicholson, 48 Lenina Ken, 39
The Queen of the Bay Pageant 2010 will be held at Belize City Centre on Saturday 4th September at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for sale at Record Shack on King Street & BiWay Gift Shop on Freetown Road
Eulogy for Alice Card Written and Delivered by Elvis Card To chronicle the life and out reach of Alice Card in just a few paragraphs is about as hard as capturing a sun beam in a jar. Mother was born on 28th June 1920 in Orange Walk Town. Her parents were Elizabeth Tillett, a grocer and Joseph Cain a baker. She was educated in Anglican Schools and a caregiver to her ill sister Carey. Very active as a young girl, she loved fishing and enjoyed hunting, riding horse and gardening. The love of her life was my father – Rodney Card Sr. and together they shared singing and dancing. During our mother’s lifetime – her goal was to live each day according to Christ principles and to never consciously hurt anybody in any way. Her ambition was – and I quote “To do as much good as I can, as often as I can and in as many place as I can.” Alice Card was a giving, caring, loving sharing individual. High Ideals, integrity and spiritual values were important in her household. Her unselfish acts of concern, generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness will surely be missed by family and friends, especially her grandchildren. Our mother, who had known heart break and suffering continued to sustain others. She could be peppy and witty. She could be spunky and courageous. When our family looked back upon our lives – no matter when or where – Alice Card will be there. She enjoyed her trips, her tea parties, bet together, singing in the choir with the Mothers’ Union and Church Women United. These groups played an integral role in her life. Mother was not rich materially but she was surely blessed. Her faith in her God was simple and unwavering. Her legacy in word and deed remains unblemished. She fed the poor, heal the sick, and open our home to her husband’s children. When we see the broken homes, destroyed dreams, and lost causes in our beautiful Belize today, it is women like our mother – a woman for all seasons. Who had the power to hold on to her family – in spite of everything – she had the power to endure – the persistence to face defeat again and again, the persistence to overcome every obstacle and with God’s grace she kept us together.
Our mother, the best she was – the best she will ever be.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, August 29, 2010