Belize Times April 1, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

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THE BELIZE TIMES

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Issue No. 4789

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SUNDAY April 1, 2012

Fraudsters

the elections. The BELIZE TIMES has discovered, based on the highest law in the land – the Constitution of Belize – that several persons who the UDP nominated as candidates in the March 7th elections should have nev-

Herman Longsworth

Mark King

Belize City, March 28, 2012 Every Belizean knows by now that the UDP had to steal the March 7th elections. They bent every rule in the books – from giving away citizenship and voting rights to Guatema-

lans and Salvadorans, to giving away ham and turkey using taxpayers money, to meddling with the voter’s list and the voting process, to buying out false PUPs who sabotaged the Party, and paying heftily for votes on elec-

tion day – the UDP had their plan well schemed out.

But there is one more act of deception by the UDP which has come to light, and that is that they put up fraudulent candidates for

“I’m packing up and leaving Belize” Senior citizen is ‘sick and tired’ of crime

Victim of home invasion, Wilbert Tillett

Monday, March 26, 2012 72 year-old businessman, Wilbert Tillett, thought it safe to sit on the verandah of his Crooked Tree home and enjoy the peaceful moonlight night last week Tuesday. But little did he know that two robbers, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, had hopped his fence and were waiting for the right moment to attack him and rob him.

They stood right by the

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Gas prices increase beyond $12 Belize City, March 28, 2012 This UDP Government has no mercy for Belizeans. It has allowed the cost of living to increase at such a painful pace that it has Belizeans pinching for the bare minimum of what is left in their pockets. And for vehicle owners, there’s no silver lining in the horizon as fuel prices increased today, pushing the price of a gallon of fuel past the $12 margin.

With no announcement from Government, all fuel prices increased on Wednesday. Premium

its tracks.

Shortly after the March 7th elections, Montero began the UDP’s witch-hunt. He targeted seven employees of

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

UDP leaves OW Town Council in total mess

04 08

Lois on leave, Denys’ turn to make millions?

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UB students robbed inside classroom; they will sue!

Continued on page 4

UDP targets OW Ministry of Works for victimization Orange Walk, March 27, 2012 A sinister plot to fire seven hardworking employees from the Ministry of Works in the Orange Walk District, led by the UDP Minister of Works Rene Montero, has been stopped in

TOP MODEL

Santi Castillo

See page 9

Continued on page 3

The callous Rene Montero

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Small fish investigated for missing $70,000, big fish Zenaida walks free despite still-missing $274,667

Shirlene Sabal

Ms. Under-deposits, Zenaida Moya

Belize City, March 28, 2012 There is a major discrepancy in the manner in which the new City Council under Darrel Bradley has been dealing with alleged acts of serious corruption at City Hall. Yes, it’s only been a few days since the new UDP Council was sworn into office, and there is already news of corruption. But what should we expect after six years of the most tumultuous, embarrassing and scandal-ridden reign at City Hall?

The latest bombshell is that the paymistress, Shirlene Sabal, swindled up to $70,000 from the Council. According to the reports, she did this by stealing fraudulent over time checks made out but never collected by employees, and by making and collecting loans on behalf of employees without their involvement. For how long this occurred, is not known.

The allegations are very serious as it is tax payers’ monies that were stolen, but the UDP Mayor has been very lenient,

and has refused to seek criminal charges against Sabal. Instead they have engaged in negotiations for the “repayment” of the missing money. This has led to suspicion and serious questions asked in this case. Is the UDP protecting Sabal in fear that she could indict other senior officials or UDP Councilors in the scheme? How was this scheme overlooked by the UDP’s hired watchdog, former Financial Controller Partrick Tillett.

Another question is also whether Bradley, who claims to be against corruption, will seek to recover the $274,667 that was never properly accounted for under former UDP Mayor Zenaida Moya’s watch. Moya’s excuse was that the monies had been “under-deposited”. She was charged for “uttering false documents” and tried in Court but the case fell apart.

Where the money really went, still remains a mystery.

Bradley cannot claim to be against

RIP Mrs. Matilde Berry, PUP stalwart

Sunday, April 1, 2012

We need real action Mr. Mayor, not pretty words Dear Editor, Belize City residents have a right to know the answers to the following questions to new Mayor Darrel Bradley: 1. How much did you collect for representation under Zenaida Moya’s helm to defend her wrongdoing?

2. When will you tell treat all employees equally? Your father continues to act like he’s the boss, as he comes to work whenever he feels like while everyone else works normal working hours?

corruption yet remain silent and unresponsive to the corruption that festered under the previous UDP Council, in which a majority of his current Council had served. Apart from Zenaida’s dubious under deposits, there were also allegations of illegal tax breaks of up to $400,000 under Leila Peyrefitte, the incestuous relationship between one of the sanitation companies and a specific “Super” Councillor, the hustling that is going on at the markets, and the wheeling and dealing with services and special interests.

7176 students sit 2012 PSE BELIZE CITY, Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

By Alton Humes Primary School students throughout the length and breadth of Belize, numbering at 7,176, went to various testing centers throughout the country to sit the first half (English Language and Science papers) of the Primary School Examination (PSE).

The BELIZE TIMES visited Anglican Cathedral College, one of the 11 testing centers for the Belize District (among 7 in the city), where Wesley Upper Primary and St. Ignatius Primary students sat the exam to find out how the students got through.

We managed chat with 2 students, Tiffany Weir and Shaheda Sedassy, about what they did to prepare, advice they got beforehand, and their moving forward to

the Math and Social Studies papers, scheduled for Monday, May 7th, roughly a few weeks removed from this date.

The rather shy pair confided that any nerves they would have felt going into the exam were mostly extinguished by the fact that they were prepared well before, through constants, regular test/quizzes and homework galore. On the day, their families simply told them to remain calm, and when nerves try to take over say a ‘Hail Mary’ or four.

Officials from ACC unofficially confirmed to the BELIZE TIMES that 202 students were accommodated at their school, and were invigilated by the school’s full complement of 40 teachers.

Part two of the exams comes up on May 7th, when the students sit the Math and Social studies papers.

3. Are you investigating all the money Zenaida spent, enriched herself with and all the illegal practices that went on since 2006?

4. As the Council is already strapped for cash, where will you find the money to pay for your so-called Independent Auditor who no doubt will have some UDP connection?

5. Please publish the salaries and allowances for yourself and Councillors.

6. As it relates to street maintenance, garbage collection and drain cleaning, how urgent do you plan to begin work in those areas? We are not interested in your pipe dream like the beach. We are interested in a clean city and healthier environment.

7. Transparency can also come by treating your Council employee s with respect and dignity. They deserve, perhaps, you to show that they are more important than your dad.

Your worship, if you carry out the above then you can talk about real transparency. Your failure to carry out the mandate will result in you being recalled. That’s right, we dare you to put that law in place. As citizens of Belize City, we will make sure, you will be the first to bite that bullet.

Signed, Ron Palacio

THE BELIZE TIMES EDITOR

Alberto Vellos OFFICE MANAGER

Fay Castillo McKay PRINTING/PERSONNEL SUPERVISOR

Doreth Bevans LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams STAFF REPORTER

Alton Humes TYPIST

Rachel Arana OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed & Published By The Belize Times Ltd. #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize Tel: 671-8385 Email: belizetimesad@yahoo.com editortimes@yahoo.com

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Fraudsters

Continued from page 1

er been allowed to run, because they never qualified.

Part 6, Chapter 58 (h) of the Constitution speaks to who qualifies to be elected as a member of the House of Representative, and clearly states that “no person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives who…is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the government for or on account of the public service”.

The stipulation is important as it seeks to eliminate conflicts of interest among those in high authority. No elected official should benefit or profit personally from public funds – it is straightforward and a good law to avoid the kind of hustling and stealing that is common in the UDP. But investigations by the BELIZE TIMES show that at least three UDP candidates are benefitting from contracts with the very same Barrow Administration in which they serve. They were parties to contracts with the Government at the time of their nominations as candidates, and continue even though they are elected members of the House.

Case #1 is against Mark King, the UDP representative in Lake Independence constituency. Documents perused by the BELIZE TIMES, show that King is the general manager of a security company called Brints Security Services (formerly Black Hawk Security), which has its office address at #1843 Chancellor Avenue in Belize City. On July 27, 2011, Brints Security entered into a two-year contract with the Government of Belize to provide 24 hour security surveillance at the Charles Bartlett Hyde Building (formerly known as the Complex Building) on Mahogany Street. Aside from the fact that the contract, valuing a total of $135,216 was awarded to a UDP crony, it contravened the Constitution as King is the sole owner and General Manager of the company, yet he was nominated as a UDP candidate and ran in the elections.

Case #2 is against Herman Longsworth, the UDP representative in the Albert Division. While the documents indict Longsworth without question, the evidence is there for all to see and it easily evokes strong bitterness at the injustice meted. On August 2009, Longworth’s company, L&V Construction and Management Ltd. of a Sunflower Street address in Belmopan, signed a contract with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The contract was for the construction of a “perimeter fence” at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, and was valued at a whopping $1,577,341.67.

The Marion Jones Sporting Complex has been a long-awaited project, and while the sports facilities are

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greatly needed, the UDP Government chose to first build a fence. Longsworth, a loyal UDP crony who was hired before the election at BWS as project manager, was greedy enough to accept the contract and slap Belizeans on the face. Yet, he had to audacity to run for office and now he is named the Minister responsible for Youth and Sports. What sick irony!

But according to the Constitution, Hon. Longsworth should have never been, much less Minister Longsworth. The unfinished fence at the incomplete sporting complex is a clear indication that Longsworth’s contract with the Government continues to exist. He is still a beneficiary to a contract, and is breaking the law by breaching the Constitution.

Case #3 is against Santino “Santi” Castillo, the UDP representative in Caribbean Shores. Castillo is the General Manager of Santiago Castillo Limited, which is a conglomerate operating a number of businesses in Belize. Among those businesses is the rental of buildings. One of those rentals is between the Government and Santiago Castillo for the leasing of an office on Hyde’s Lane used as the Office of the Director of Prosecution.

While the Constitution expressly prohibits members of the House from being parties or partners of any company with an interest to a contract with the government, King, Longsworth and Castillo have openly been doing so since right through the election.

We expect the UDP to scramble in desperation and attempt to hide, destroy or concoct evidence against their breach of the Constitution, but this time their backs are against the wall with these transgressions. They only caveats to the Constitution’s prohibitions are that any elected members must have publicly declared his involvement in a newspaper one month before the day of elections, and by our thorough checks, no such thing was done by any of the fraudulent politicians. The second is that the Governor General, acting on his own deliberate judgment, pardons any of the candidates, but this must be done before any legal action has started calling into question the eligibility of the candidates. A petition was filed against Mark King on Wednesday afternoon, and on Thursday morning petitions will be filed against Herman Longsworth and Santino Castillo.

Should the Governor General attempt the make such a pardon on Thursday, it will glaringly show political interference and possible intimidation. We know the UDP is facey enough to try it.

Thousands of Belizeans held their breaths on election night and saw their flames of hope flicker as the UDP was announced election winners on March 8th. It meant there would be 5 more years of madness, harder times and victimization. But it will soon come to an end. The UDP assumed power for another term by stealing the election, but they cannot steal the righteousness of our Constitution. Soon the UDP despots will flee this once tranquil haven of democracy.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

UB students robbed inside classroom; they will sue!

BELIZE CITY, Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

By Alton Humes A robbery in Belize City, in any location imaginable, has become about as common as sand-flies and mosquitoes nipping at your heels at night, but add in the fact such an incident occurred on what is supposed to be a ‘safe’ campus, armed to the teeth with security, and those ‘flies’ suddenly merge into a deadly storm that threatens to leave a campus struggling for answers.

Nirmal Babani, a 20-year-old student in the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Belize, was at the Faculty’s campus on Freetown Road and St. Joseph Street, along with his fellow students Wen Cheng and Hilmer Arias, both 20 years, yesterday, Tuesday, March 27th. The young men were working in a private classroom area, #201, when three other young men entered the room. But they weren’t students; they were robbers, and one of them as much spelled it out for their quarry, when he pointed a sliver firearm at them and ordered them not to move.

What happened next was as horrendous and scary an experience as could be imaginable. With a deadly gun pointed at them, the gunman told them to keep quiet or they would be shot, Babani related to the BELIZE TIMES. The attackers searched the students quickly and took away their cell phones to prevent them from calling the Police. Once that was done, they took away their bags and ransacked it, removing any prized item they could find.

Taken from Babani was his black Hewlett-Packard DV6 laptop computer (valued at $1,160); a black Nokia cellular phone with cell # 634-3028 (valued at $250), a silver chain with a stone medal valued at $240.00 and a silver bracelet with the name ‘Niria’ attached (valued at $160). His colleagues Wen Cheng and Hilmer Arias also had their computers, assorted gadgets, work materials (such as flash drives), backpacks, and various other items stolen

Gas prices increase beyond $12

Continued from page 1

fuel jumped by 49 cents, from $11.63 to $12.12. Regular fuel prices soared by 50 cents from $11.31 to $11.81, and Diesel jolted by 20 cents from $10.70 to $10.90. Even the poor man’s fuel, Kerosene, saw a 10 cent increase that will undoubtedly hurt the pockets of the poor who rely on it.

Prior to the March 7th election, the Barrow Administration boasted that it was absorbing fuel price increases.

Clearly that was simply a campaign gimmick, as only three weeks after the election, the Government is sneaking pass commuters a large fuel increase.

from them. All items taken were totaled to a value of $6,723.00.

The men ordered the students to remain quiet, or they would shoot, and

they ran out of the classroom and the compound into an awaiting golden/ greenish Toyota Camry vehicle that was parked in front of the Ministry of

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Works office on Freetown Road.

With the trauma of their items being stolen is their furious rage over the lack of security. In a letter of complaint sent to the Dean of their faculty, Dr. Thippichetty Thiagarajan as well as the President of the University, Dr. Cary Frazier, the students expressed their collective displeasure in what they refer to as the gross irresponsibility of the school’s Public Safety Department and their Campus Security (or a lack thereof), and its inability to “maintain a safe and secure environment at the University of Belize,” with the stated goal of that Department being “to ensure an environment in which all members of the campus community can safely study, work and live.” They are seeking direct damages, in monetary compensation and/or the recovery of their items.

The BELIZE TIMES was informed that lacking proper response by the school, the students intend to sue the school for gross neglect.

The Police have taken statements from the students and are currently investigating. No suspects have been detained.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Wisdom And Propaganda “A scorpion is a scorpion. It will sting you middle stream even though you are in the middle of the river and that means both of you will drown.” - The Movie shooter “Conoway” The conventional ‘wisdom’ behind the zinc fence appears to be that Mark and Cordel are angels and that the PUP is on a propaganda campaign to smear their good name. In fact, should one read deep into this week’s Amandala editorial for Tuesday, one would get the sense that Mark and Cordel did well in their sworn oath to serve the PUP, but even more mockingly, their sworn oath to serve the people of Albert and Lake I divisions. When one really examines those records, the revelation is one of vicious undermining of the PUP leadership and outright selling out of the Albert and Lake Independence constituencies.

In fact, the very same man whom they underhandedly attempt to big up, former PUP Leader Hon. John Briceño, is one of those who was undermined from the get go by Mark and Cordel. Yes, there are many stories untold and some may remain that way, but there have been enough of these slanted and calculated “editorials” which cannot go unanswered anymore.

It was Mark and Cordel who did not attend Johnny’s conventions, neither in Orange Walk nor Dangriga, showing their disrespect and refusal to openly support the then PUP leader. It was also because of Mark and Cordel’s glaring absence from not one or two, but many House Meetings that the UDP was allowed to attack the PUP Leadership as they did. One can recall the episode when members of the UDP side admitted to having read the then PUP Leader’s presentation, before he himself read it in the House. Who do you think leaked it to the UDP to try to embarrass the PUP? We know very well who it was.

The big question in all of this is what role has the Amandala Publisher, who is father and father-in-law to the two gentlemen, respectively, played in all of this? Can he tell the people of Belize before we do? Wasn’t it he who published a political write-up against Johnny in its entirety in the Amandala, giving it the attention it needed to stir controversy, and then reprinting it in other editions thereafter. And wasn’t it Mark who was seen whispering something into Johnny’s ears before the then Party Leader got up to speak at his last party Executive meeting as head of the PUP? And with all that, it was to Mark and Cordel to whom Johnny turned party over as Interim Leaders at the time of his exit, but they were already compromised with Barrow and the UDP. The rest is still difficult to understand for many, but it will be explained.

No X, no amount of white washing at the trough of public opinion can undo the treachery of Mark and Cordel to the PUP and the Albert and Lake Independence constituencies. Today the peoples’ eyes are open…take a drive in your SUV, from your seaside mansion to the heart of the Albert and Lake I and ask the suffering voters. They saw it for what it is: thirty pieces of silver. No amount of blaming Said or dissing Francis will conceal it. But ask yourself, how does it feel to know that you had a Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the making had you intervened to stop the plot to sell out the PUP for Barrow’s pity and UDP money. In the words of an editorial written by yourself, MARK HIM. So let it be written, so let it be done.

HARD HITTING

Calling Out Santino

It took Dean Barrow 3 ½ years in his first term to behave with some sense of civility with the business community at Old Belize some 3 ½ miles on the Western Highway. The significance of that meeting was that for the first time Barrow seemed to get the sense of how bad the Belizean economy was under his watch. How the industries were going belly up. How businesses were rolling over left, right and center and those that remained alive, were actually on life support. How for the first time in Belize’s history, businesses and homeowners were losing homes and properties. In fact so much was Barrow’s failure with the business community, that when time came to spring an early election on the PUP, the business community was too broke for Barrow, and he had to come up with a sinister move to use the public coffers to finance his party for the March 7 election.

It was against this record of failure that Barrow tabbed Santino with a senior portfolio in the Ministry of Finance. In this second term, Barrow is being his usual deceitful self with the business community in naming Santino. His reason is that by naming Santino, he now has a fall guy should the business community come knocking at GOB’s door.

The publication of more than 105 Belizean home owners and businesses in last week’s newspaper, in a kind of ‘fire sale’ from both the banks and government-owned DFC, sent a chilling message to the business community that it’s still business as usual and that the Albert run things and the only way out of the economic depression is foreclosure. Santino needs to wake up and smell the coffee. He must do something quickly about it as a lot of Belizean businesses are going under and a lot more may make it or lose it depending on their actions.

Belizeans must take note that under the PUP, the economy would not be in shambles. The PUP steered the nation’s economic ship through a recession responsibly and in partnership with the business community. The PUP understands that the private sector has an important role to play. PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca made the economy his number one priority. He was adamant that when the economy is buoyant, then one can invest adequately in education, health care, job creation, crime fighting and poverty alleviation, not poverty distribution as is occurring under the UDP. Santino needs to call a business forum and he needs one fast. Santino needs the help of the Opposition, in declaring this second term as a special period, recommending special measures including passing a law to reduce high interest rates. He needs to get over at DFC and provide small student loans at zero interest and extend mortgage payments for borrowers struggling to pay their loans. But while Barrow says Santino is the man, Belizeans are still waiting to see if he is up to the job.

Santino asked for the job. He got it, or was he hoping to simply continue riding a bicycle? He also needs to realize quickly that this is not San Cas, Save-U nor Bottom Dalla, and so he can’t gamble with this and expect to be rescued. Peoples’ lives are at stake here. You can’t play this like duets, Messengers or when you choose a foreigner to win over Belize in the cross country. This is Belize jack, and it’s bigger than you, and bigger than Cabinet. Put down the bike, put down the mike, take off the dancing shoes and let us get on with fixing the darn economy.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP targets OW Ministry of Works for victimization Continued from page 1 the Ministry of Works in the northern district, namely Cecilio Carballo, Cirilo Teul, Steve Leiva, Caesar Cal, Shelma Herbert, Cornelio Leiva and Adrian Wade. Montero requested that they be terminated, but unlike the petty Minister, not all public officers subscribe to the abuse of power and authority, and at least one of them, one A. F. Cruz who is the Administrative Officer at the Ministry, put the brakes on his callous plan.

On March 22nd, Cruz wrote the Minister a stern letter in response to his request for termination. Cruz listed the many years of service of each employee, and that there was no valid reason for their termination. “I have discussed with the Acting District Technical Supervisor, on the issue of performance of the Officers. He confirmed that the Officers performance is good. It should be noted that the

Officers’ service range from 12 to 24 years. These officers are now career Officers,” he told Minister Montero.

With that, Montero’s cruel intentions to take away food from the tables of seven Belizean families were rebuffed. Word from Cayo is that the Minister may want to exact revenge on Cruz for standing his ground and defending the employees. Montero is not used to that kind of behaviour, as for the past four years of the UDP, he and his fired CEO Gabino “el Gambino” Canto ruled the Ministry of Agriculture as if they were private owners.

Montero scraped through the elections, winning by 44 questionable votes, yet the Prime Minister rewarded him with a lucrative Ministry held before by Anthony “Boots” Martinez.

This might be the UDP’s new term, but nothing has changed about them.

As Montero has shown, they are still chancey and cruel.

“I’m packing up and leaving Belize” Continued from page 1 side of his porch and monitored his movements. A few of the village men were right across the street, unbeknownst of the thieves on the other side of Tillett’s verandah. When the villagers moved off, Tillett decided to call it a night and went inside his house. The door knob, which snapped, could still be opened from the outside, and the thieves were right upon Tillett by the time he reached a chair inside to sit down.

They demanded money and found $10,000 in Belize and US currency, but were still not satisfied. They asked for guns, if he had. When the senior citizen could not produce one, they slapped him several times on the jaw and bound his arms and legs inside the bathroom. That was where they left him, while they ransacked his house, tore open a portion of his ceiling, and left a pair of slippers on the grass where they had been studying his movements outside.

Tillett said he believes his assailants were not from Crooked Tree because he did not recognize their faces. He also believes that they were assisted by someone in the village because earlier that day, he had sold a few heads of cattle and a few villagers knew he had collected for the sale. A suspect later handed himself to Belize City police but that was all that came out of the detention.

What irks Tillett and his relatives most is that the robbery could have been avoided, if only the Area Representative for Belize Rural North, Edmund “Clear the Land” Castro, had heeded repeated

requests by Crooked Tree residents to build a police station for the village. The angry villagers say that Castro had promised them in his last term of office to do something about the lack of a policeman to patrol the village. They say that had an officer been placed in the village, the robbers could have been caught.

There was a police station once, complete with officers and a holding cell.

But it was left to deteriorate over recent years and after tourists began to take pictures of the abandoned building, one of the villagers took shame and burnt down the dilapidated structure. After the police station was no more, a policeman was stationed in the village, but even that has been abandoned and now the villagers are left without police presence.

Tillett said that after his shop, which is across from his house, was broken into some years ago, police officers came to “investigate”, but nothing came out of it.

Now, the elderly man laments that because his experiences in what he once considered a peaceful part of Belize has turned a dangerous zone for thieves and robbers, he is seriously considering selling out his business and his cattle and returning to the United States, where he lived many years ago. Tillett had relocated to Belize after retiring from active work in the US. He, like many more, have come to discover that under this careless, irresponsible government the place we once called “home” has turned into a battlefield for gangs, and a good ground for predators who pounce on the vulnerable.

NOTICE

The Belize Times informs its readers and advertisers that its Easter issue will be published on Wednesday April 4, 2012 Deadline for ads will be Tuesday April 3, 2012 at Midday

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Humor

in UDP Politics!

The following matters were discussed in Cabinet: • That Boots’ special petition be considered by his colleagues, that he get back the Ministry of Works and that the Pantry Ministry be added it. In exchange, he offered Montero free Pantry food bags for the rest of their term. When Boots saw it wasn’t working, he quickly offered ‘how about a 10% cut in the Pool Table business?’

• The Minister of Police was asked what he has against the GSU when the people of Belize City voted overwhelmingly to keep them. The Minister’s response was that he had to show his predecessor, that while he may not be fit, he does have balls. ………………

In other related news: Santino was seen taking a special pink pillow into cabinet marked P.M.S. When asked who it was for, and what P.M.S. was, he smiled, danced a little and said “you all know that the P is for Don P – Perdomo, the M stands for ex-Minister, and the S stands for Sauvecito”.

In his report of his recent victory visit to Cancun, Contreras reported that he ate fish, he ate barracuda and had a little, or depending on who was counting, a lot to drink. But his colleagues pressed him hard about the sweetie sweeties, which he confessed to being twins, one each for his laps. Contreras said he has photos to prove it. ………………

After Gapi had fired all of the high ranking black people at the Lands Department, an elderly woman told him “you are RACIST”.

Fuming with bitterness at the criticism, Gapi scolded the woman by telling her “That is how much u know me, I don’t even drive. I have a driver and he NEVER speeds, oh.” ………………

The UDP Belize City Council’s first meeting was a disaster as it was interrupted no less than six times for bathroom-use by a new councilor, many times for incoming calls and texts messages by a BTL

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councillor, one request for salary advance by a Councilor wearing a cape, and a special appearance by former Mayor Moya to deliver a set of colour-coded post its in an envelope marked “Under deposits”. ………………

Barrow told Castro that he needed to go back to school in the evenings. Two months later, in September, CIB reported to Barrow that every evening at six o’clock, Castro would park behind a high school for an hour in a dark spot with someone who could be a student. He would then drive off and leave without winding down the windows. So Barrow called him in and asked angrily “what you di do, bwai?”

Castro sulked like a nine year old, screwed up his face and kicked the dirt then said, “Boss, you want I go inside too…?” Barrow rolled his eyes and said “duhhhh.” While leaving Castro grumbled under his breath and said “Next e wah want ah actually lawn someting.” ………………

The KTV battle of political clowns is heating up. Anne Marie has been quoted as saying that tight pants Santi is “short on talent”.

Santi responded by cutting his eyes and saying that Anne Marie is short on collecting any electoral victory whatsoever! ………………

Riddle: who or what is a paranoid, a failed politician, and a mischief maker who never brings any solutions. This person or thing pretends to be about black people but has never done ANYTHING for them but collect their monies? We will give you a hint, Zinc is his favorite metal, 89 is his favorite number, jive talking bull*** is his favorite game and he pretends to be an “X” pert. ………………

The poor Nemo Minister was asked to attend a special meeting at UDP headquarters to explain how they got the job over other rabid UDPs. Godwin explained “uno hear the Prime Minister and I have always been UDPs”. This caused Gibson to say he is a card carrying member of the UDP and Grant who said “we go way, way back”. Everyone looked at Lisel, and all she could say was “Rosewood”. ………………

An UNIBAM email has circulated wishing Dough Singh, Juliet Thimbriel, Darrel Bradley, Mark Espat, John Saldivar, Patrick Faber, and Santiago “Santi” Castillo………. a Happy Women’s Month.

O

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THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP leaves OW Town Council in total mess Frmr UDP Mayor Orlando de la Fuente stuffed Council with contract-employees only days before election, diverted $31,000 in SSB payments and unserviced bank overdraft

Philip de la Fuente exits as Mayor in shame & disgrace

Orange Walk Town, March 23, 2012 An audit has been initiated at the Orange Walk Town Council to find out the state of the Council’s finances left behind by the former UDP Town Council, and preliminary indications are that the results will reveal a total mess.

So far, one of the scandalous findings shows the cruel manner which the UDP Council took advantage of their employees. For the period 2009, 2010 and 2011, no payments of social security contributions for Council employees were deposited, even though the records show that monies were deducted.

There are also no records showing how the money was used or where it was diverted to. Over $31,000 is outstanding for that period, and must be paid to SSB. Meanwhile, an assessment is being conducted to tally how much is outstanding for January and February 2012, as there were no payments done for that period either.

The non-payment of social security contributions is a serious breach of labour laws, but the UDP Council got away because the UDP central government and their agents at SSB covered up for them too. It is also a major disregard of the Council’s legal and moral obligation to provide a safety net for its employees through social security.

It has also been discovered that the Council under former UDP Mayor Phillip de la Fuente had maxed out an $111,000 overdraft bank facility and had neglected to service the loan facility since November 2011. This placed the Council in serious legal

and financial risk, and now the PUP Council has had to make the necessary negotiations to get the Council on a proper footing.

There is also evidence that the UDP Council turned a blind eye to and covered up financial wrongdoing. The administrator, Andre Moguel, who had served under de la Fuente, resigned shortly after Mayor Kevin Bernard and the PUP Council took office, but before doing so he handed over a file containing a report of alleged embezzlement of over $16,000 by one of the council’s revenue collectors.

It appears Moguel had been reporting this suspected wrongdoing to de la Fuente for some time, but it was apparently simply shoved under the rug. Clearly, even Moguel has more hopes that the PUP Mayor will root out corruption than his former UDP boss.

And from hiding serious offenses to creating mischief, the UDP further overburdened the Council by granting 3-year contracts to sixteen select employees. The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that the contracts were possible signed between February 24th to March 8th, which is the morning after the elections. The contract’s conditions require that if the person is terminated the Council must pay the remainder of the contract. This was done to create greater mess for the incoming PUP Council. The intention was to create political ruction, as the PUP Council would either have to let go the employees and face legal ramifications that would lead to financial losses of over $750,000, or keep the employees and face financial ruin.

But the UDP will not succeed in sabotaging the efforts of the new PUP Council to serve the people of Orange Walk Town. The UDP will not succeed in their bid to create distractions and disruption. Mayor Bernard, with the support of the residents, has pledged to put the people’s interest first and has indicated that because the contracts are not sustainable, the Council simply cannot afford them. In similar fashion, the Town Council cannot afford the corruption, mismanagement and neglect that went on doing the UDP’s administration. Mayor Bernard and the PUP Council are prepared to take every step to defend and protect the people’s interests.

THE WORLD IS READING

THE BELIZE TIMES www.belizetimes.bz

Sunday, April 1, 2012

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BELIZETIMES SUNDAY APRIL 1, 2012 THE BELIZE TIMES see full color at www.belizetimes.bz or Facebook/ Belize Times

This Week’s Sunday, April 1, 2012

TOP MODEL Make-Up

tips

Fixing broken pressed powders

By Tania Tanesha

Ladies, at some point in your beautylife this has happened to you: your favorite compact pressed face powder is broken!

Clumps of powder and dust get everywhere making a huge mess and making it impossible to use again. So what do you? Throw it out, right? Well, not anymore! There is an easy solution in fixing your broken compacts which could save you some money.

No more will you have to throw away your expensive makeup, and in this article, I’ll be giving you instructions on how to bring them back practically brand new again.

Materials needed: 1: Your broken compact. Try to collect all the powder clumps.

2: 99% alcohol (available at most pharmacies) or regular white rubbing alcohol.

3: A clean cloth 4: Depending on the size of the compact, you will need a round object such as a jar cover that is the same size. For broken eye-shadows that would be smaller, a coin or the round bottom of a spoon can be used.

5: Small separate container (clean) 6: Popsicle stick or spoon Instructions: Step 1: Scrape all bits of powder into the clean container.

Step 2: Crush the product until it is in a loose powdery form Step 3: Add about 5 drops of alcohol into the container with the powder Step 4: Mix until it forms a dry paste (Note: Don’t worry if you put too much alcohol, to fix, just air-dry for a few minutes) Step 5: Transfer the paste back into the original compact. Spread evenly.

Step 6: Allow to air dry for 30 minutes.

Step 7: Take the jar cover or coin (whatever best fits the shape of the compact, perfectly) and cover with the clean cloth. Press firmly into the compact. The cloth will absorb the excess alcohol while at the same time the jar cover or whatever object you’re using, is re-shaping the compact. Do no agitate.

Step 8: Allow the compact to air-dry overnight allowing all the alcohol to evaporate.

Voila! Your compact has been re-pressed and revived! Amazing right? I’m sure a lot of ladies, just like me, have probably wasted a lot of money throwing away broken makeup.

And let’s be honest, quality makeup is pretty expensive and we must take special care of them. So when you drop your compact powder, fret no more. Follow my easy steps; save money; save your makeup and keep putting your best face forward.

Melisa Career Plan: Entrepreneur Sign: Aquarius Favourite Food: Italian Likes: Modeling, dancing, outdoor activities, traveling, hanging with family & friends • Lives in Orange Walk • Fav. Quote: “What lies behind & what lies before us are tiny matters compare to what lies within us” • • • •

CATWALK FASHIONS What’s Hip...What’s Hot...What’s Now! Phone: 203-2936 / 620-7481 #148 Cor. Queen & North Front Streets Belize City, Belize

10

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, April 1, 2012

FC Belize

upsets San Felipe Barcelona

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Other results: Belize Defence Force (No. 2 in Zone A) vs. Juventus – 1-0 Goal by Richard “Cheety” Jimenez (65th minute) Placencia Assassins (No.2 in Zone B) vs. Hankook Verdes – 2-0 Goals by Gary Young (50th min), Rollin Burgess (57th min) Belmopan Bandits vs.

San Ignacio United –1-1 Goals by Jacinto Bermudez, Amin “Tacos” August San Pedro Sea Dogs vs. World FC – 3-2 Goals by Carlos Vasquez (35th min), Kent Gabourel Jr. (39th min), Francisco Mejia (56th min)

Jerome “Jarro” James controls the ball

Grace Kennedy wins Cayo women’s softball marathon Esperanza, March 25, 2011 The defending Cayo district softball champs, the Grace Kennedy women of Roaring Creek, kicked off the 2012 Cayo District women’s softball competition by winning the opening 2-day marathon at the Joan Garbutt Stadium in Esperanza over the weekend.

Grace Kennedy eliminated Camalote 4-2 and shut out the Wolverines 10-0. The Wolverines ended up facing Grace Kennedy in the final game and Grace Kennedy blew them away 7-0 to win the marathon.

Cayo Softball Association president David Cruz presented the trophies to the winners of last year’s and the 2010 competition.

Grace Kennedy received both championship trophies, with the Ontario Rebels taking 2nd place for the first time in the competition last year, while the Esperanza Wolverines were 3rd. Camalote Crystal Parrot was 2nd in 2010, while Camalote Tuff E’Nuff were 3rd.

Game Summary:

Esperanza Wolverines vs.

UB Black Jaguars – 8-3 Camalote vs. Ontario Rebels – 7-0 Esperanza vs. Belmopan Capital City Emeralds – 8-0 Grace Kennedy vs. Camalote – 7-1 Camalote vs. Capital City Emeralds – Camalote wins UB Jaguars vs. Ontario Rebels – UB Jaguars wins Camalote vs. UB Jaguars – 3-2 Wolverines’ vs. Grace Kennedy – 5-2

Awards:

Grace Kennedy’s Shadalee Ho – Most Valuable Player, Most Home Runs (16) Grace Kennedy’s Leandra Guy – Most Strike Outs (51), Most Wins (12) Indira Spain – Most Runs Batted In (18 RBIs) Sharine Reyes – Most Stolen Bases (10) Sherlette Gamboa – Best Batting Average Shameka Andrews – Rookie of the Year Clare Moody – Manager of the Year Anthony Fuller – Coach of the Year

Belize City, Sunday, March 18, 2012 FC Belize is leads the Premier League A Division after posting their 4th win against the up-to-then undefeated San Felipe Barcelona at the MCC Grounds in Belize City on Sunday.

Jerome “Jaro” James and Dalton “Chicken” Cayetano led FC Belize’s offensive but made no impression on the San Felipe defenders. It was Jeromy Bermudez who delivered the winning goal in injury time after 90 minutes of regulation. Bermudez’s shot protruded the goal just under the crossbar and San Felipe’s goalie Bryan Hernandez could not get a glove on it before it crashed into the far corner of the net. San Felipe had no time to recover.

Police FC is also a zone leader, and they sit atop Zone B with 19 points. They posted a 2-1 win over the Paradise Freedom Fighters at the MCC Grounds last Saturday night.

Freedom Figthers’ Delroy Flores scored in the 30th minute, but Evan Mariano tied the ball game in the 45th minute for a 1-1 draw at the half. Mariano scored a 2nd goal in the 62nd minute for the win.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

11

THE BELIZE TIMES

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

UB men win 32nd Annual Relathon

Belize City, March 25, 2012 The University of Belize men won the 32nd annual relathon from San Ignacio to Belize City on Sunday, March 23, making it the 18th time the men have won since the relay-marathon tradition begun at the Belize Technical College in 1978. The girls have won 14 times. In fact, they had reigned the last 3 years, running the 50 miles from the UB Belmopan campus to the city.

The men clocked 7 hours exactly on their 70-mile run and passed the girls at mile 10. Garett Bermudez, having the best time of 4:49 for his mile, while Yserri Palacio had the 2nd best time of 5:04 and Kaylon Young had the 3rd best time: 5:50.

Belize’s top woman sprinter and 100m and 200m Central American gold medalist Kaina Martinez, anchored the women’s relay, which completed their 50-mile run in seven hours 33 minutes. Kaina Martinez had the best time of 7:13 for her mile, Tracy Sabal was 2nd with 7:39 for her mile and Elsaida Castillo clocked 7:59.

Most of the UB Black Jaguars basketball team ran with the men, including: Daniel Nolberto – 6:11 and 5:56; Alfred Bainton 6:15, 6:34 and 7:12, Yserri Palacio - 5:04 and 5:56, Jaleel Lino – 5:20, Uhuru Mckoy 6:30 and 5:18; Farron Louriano, and Ryan Zuniga.

Mirage Lady Rebels win softball marathon

Mary Flowers tagged out Belize City, March 25, 2011 The Mirage Lady Rebels opened the 2012 Belize City women’s softball competition by winning the opening all-day softball marathon at the home of softball at the Roger’s Stadium on Sunday.

In Game 1, the Lady Rebels walloped the Orchid Blazers 9-1, as Sharette Vernon, Lisa and Lanesha Jones came home in the 1st inning. Agnes Lucas scored the Blazers’ only run in 2nd inning, and it was all Rebels after that.

Lady Rebels also defeated Telemedia 6-4 and went on to beat Belize Telemedia 10-4.

Other games:

Telemedia vs. Hurricanes – 12-1 Blazers vs. Hurricanes – 24-0 Telemedia vs. Blazers – 13-4

Oscar Quiros does it again… wins 13th Annual Jr. Cross Country Classic Belize City, March 25, 2012 KREM New Year’s day cycling classic champ Oscar Quiros won his 3rd major race this year when he won the 13th annual Junior Cross Country cycling.

Quiros clocked in at 3:50:11 as he completed the 73-mile ride from the San Jose Succotz ferry on the Western Highway to Belize City on Sunday, March 25. It ended in a sprint across the finish line, with Team Cayo High Road’s Aiden Juan and Team D&D cycling’s Deezan Spence following behind. Juan won the $200 2nd prize and a trophy, as well as a $100 prize in the Youth Category. Spence won the $100 3rd prize and a trophy.

Team C-Ray’s Riis Cattouse finished 4th to receive a medal. All other top 10 finishers received medals. Team Cayo Uprising’s Zahir Figueroa was 5th, and the 2nd in the Youth Category.

Other finishers:

Oscar Quiros wins 3rd race for 2012

Team C-Ray’s Brandon Morgan – 6th place Telemedia’s Giovanni Lovell – 7th place Team Cayo High Road’s Zamir Guerra – 8th place, 3rd in Youth Category Team AAA Loans’ Delawn Abraham – 9th place Michael Wagner – 10th place Team Cayo Uprising’s Gian Zetina – 11th place Team Cayo High Road’s Juan Umana – 12th place Team Greedy’s Joslyn Chavarria – 13th place Team Cayo High Road Anfernee Young – 14th place Dalvin Cowo – 15th place

National Karate Team prepares for Central American/Caribbean Karate Championship March 26, 2012 The Belize Karate Federation held a successful National Team Training and Try-out over the weekend in San Ignacio in preparation for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Karate Championship to be held in Guatemala City from April 16th to 22nd 2012. Twenty athletes participated from different clubs in Belize.

Members selected for the Central American and Caribbean Championship so far are: 12-13 years Categories: 1) Charles Bacab- 45 kgs kumite 2) Basil Brown- -45 kgs Kumite 3) Denton Jones- -50 kgs kumite 14-15 Years Categories 1) Cara Pastor- -54 kgs Kumite and Individual Kata (Female)

2) Andrew Castillo- - 52kgs Kumite 3) Romain Romero- - 57 kgs Kumite and Individual Kata 4) Sheldon Gibson- +70 kgs Kumite 16-17 Years Categories: 1) Devereaux Carrillo- -63 kgs kumite 2) Shawn Grant- +70 kgs Kumite Under 21 Years Categories: 1) Jamaal Avilez- -78 kgs kumite 2) Argazavad Sankey- +78 kgs kumite ADULT Categories: 1) Leon Guild- -75kgs kumite and Individual Kata 2) Jamaal Avilez- -84 kgs Kumite 3) Argazavad Sankey- +84kgs Kumite

Another training meet and try-out will be held this Saturday March 31st at the CSKC Dojo, commencing at 9am sharp to fill other vacant spots. With a view to gender mainstream our participation, a special appeal is being made to female karate athletes to come out and participate so as to represent Belize on the international seen.

This Sunday April 1st, the Belize Karate Federation under the sponsorship of the Kazoku Shotokan Karate Dojo is having its III National Junior Karate Championship to be held at the Mount Carmel High School Auditorium, Benque Viejo Town, commencing at 9am sharp. Come support our youth from 5 years old to 20 years old in this exciting event!

12

THE BELIZE TIMES

GSU unleashes “beat down” on Taylor’s Alley residents BELIZE CITY, Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 The notorious Gang Suppression Unit has become nationally recognised as a rogue unit of the UDP which conducts abuses and illegal raids more than it is known for any effective strategy to fight crime.

Last week, elements of the GSU further smeared their reputation when they carried out yet another attack on a Belize City neighborhood, which from all accounts was unprovoked and unnecessary.

Arthur Young, the reputed ‘don’ of Taylor’s Alley, and 5 of his followers were in the area after 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21st, merely enjoying the company of their friends and families after doing work as part of the Government’s “gang truce”, when

Armed robber assaults YWCA “He pretended to be a concerned parent”, said YWCA Director Sonia Linares BELIZE CITY, Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

By Alton Humes The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), a celebrated charitable service organization that has manifested itself as a school for troubled young women in Belize, is now the latest victim of an armed burglary that occurred less than 48 hours after the institution celebrated its annual Open Day, held on Saturday, March 24th, 2012.

Reports coming into the BELIZE TIMES are heavily sketchy at best??

According to YWCA’s Director, Mrs. Sonia Linares, the terrible incident occurred yesterday, Monday, March 26th, between 8:45 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. at the school’s campus at the corner of Freetown Road and St. Thomas Street.

A male assailant, only identified as tall and likely dark-skinned, entered the school’s office, ostensibly posing as a parent wanting to pay school fees.

Ironically, he wanted the cash-pan containing the school’s fees collected from the students, as well as charitable donations received from generous donors. And he did take said pan, when, using a firearm, he robbed the female Finance Clerk of the proceeds collecting, totaling BZC$2,000, and managed to make good his escape off the campus.

There are no suspects in this incident at this time nor has the money been recovered as yet, and investigations into the matter continue.

Arthur Young has warned the GSU of retaliation

GSU’s Marco Vidal continues to wreak havoc

armed, camouflage-dressed Gang Suppression Unit officers arrived, and they weren’t there to say ‘hello’.

The GSU officers decided the Taylor’s Alley boys were up to something or other, and pounced for a preemp-

tive kill. But there was no danger to be found; not guns or drugs around, but the GSU didn’t seem to care. In their view, six ‘dangerous’, unpredictable, men were around, and discipline and respect had to be meted out to them,

Sunday, April 1, 2012

and it came in many varied forms: boots to the body and to the head, being ‘water-boarded’ with blasts of icecold bagged water, and tased all over their bodies. The injuries that ultimately followed the attack were severe, many beyond description.

It is, by many accounts, the final straw for a neighborhood that desperately wants to, but isn’t being given the opportunity to make a change, and an organization that is now permanently the enemy of potential progress in this ongoing situation. Young personally described his deep-seated frustration with the GSU’s brutal and unprovoked attacks, and made it crystal clear that, as much as he desires peace, “….they are trying to turn us into monsters, [so] they have to watch out, because if we turn into monsters, then there would be a lot of bloodshed, and we don’t want to do that.’”

He also alluded that they know most of the GSU officers, and “where they live”, yet will not encourage or brook any sort of retaliatory actions, only advising his peers to ‘stay strong and focused’ on keeping the peace.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, April 1, 2012

CYDP employee shot six times, clings to life Belize City, Wednesday 28, 2012 Emmanuel Robinson, 49, a man who lives alone and who is employed with the Conscious Youth Development Programme is clinging onto life after he became the nation’s latest shooting victim.

Robinson reportedly left home at around 5:00 this morning and had just ridden off from Kraal Road towards Haynes Street when as he reached in front of a gate, someone rode up to him and shot him six times at close range. Aware of what had happened, Robinson stumbled off his bicycle, but was able to walk back towards Kraal Road where a police mobile patrolling in the area, met him and took him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

It is by now a typical sequence for the police to not have enough to go on. Today their Public Relations Officer, Raphael Martinez, said that they had a lead but no suspects. A quick drive through the Kraal

6 yr. old & 44 yr. old shot dead by accident Cayo District, Tuesday, March 27, 2012 It is the kind of news that we cringe to have to report, but a little girl, only six years old, was shot dead on Monday morning inside her home between La Gracia and Valley of Peace. It happened at around 6:30 am, when the girl’s older brother, 11 year-old Jorge Cano, was playing with the gun when the weapon reportedly discharged.

The girl, Lucy Mateo, died at the Western regional Hospital.

Belmopan police have detained the siblings’ parents because the gun involved was unlicensed. Their children were inside a room in the house when Jorge pulled out the pump action 12 gauge shotgun from underneath a mattress where it was stashed. He reportedly turned toward his little sister and jokingly told her to let him shoot her, but the weapon went off and little Lucy was hit in the chest.

Meanwhile, seven miles away from Belmopan, hunter, Antonio Hernandez, 44, was accidentally shot dead by one of his colleagues while on a hunting trip. The expedition took five men into a jungle near Maya Mopan at around five on Sunday morning and Hernandez released his hunting dog to pursue game.

About four hours into the hunt, the dog reportedly spotted a deer and set chase, leading the animal towards the hunters. That was when one of the hunters, Jose Ramos, fired a shot at the deer, but missed. Minutes later, his friend and colleague, Antonio Hernandez stumbled towards them clutching his right ribcage and bleeding profusely. The two and a half hour drive back out to Belmopan was too long for the injured man and he died on the way to the hospital.

Road area, known for its gang activity, reveals police presence with high-powered weapons, perhaps as a deterrent to possible retaliation. In any event, no retaliation in recent memory has occurred while police has a heavy presence in the afflicted area. The criminal element is smart enough to wait for the ripe moment. That moment to attack Robinson came as he rode to his work site on Haynes Street at the crack of dawn today.

Kraal Road residents are shocked that the victim is, by their accounts, a man

who engaged in no kind of street gang activity or violence. They also feel that his shooting was a message sent to Kraal Road, by some rival gang with whom Kraal Road operatives have had “beef” in the past. Robinson was probably targeted because he frequented the area and is liked by the residents. They say that he normally would be up and about around 5:30 every morning. This morning he was already out by 5:00 when he was shot.

Robinson underwent surgery for all of the morning and part of the afternoon

Emmanuel Robinson

and is now in a stable condition at the KHMH. It is not clear if he was able to identify his shooter or shooters, and his only relative at the hospital has declined speaking to the media.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Of this and that…

Tree-less Biscayne Biscayne is a beautiful village in the Belize River Valley. It is after Sandhill and before Crooked Tree. The Northern Highway cuts right through it. There is a great school at mile 26. A primary school called the Biscayne Government Primary School.

The school compound is always bubbling. The children are being educated but in such a fertile village, the school yard does not even have one flowers or fruit tree.

If not for beauty or educational purposes, then just plant a couple trees for shade. Please.

Church Murder The worst thing happened on West Street last Sunday. The devil was happy breaking the sixth commandment. Jovanni Saldano was murdered inches away from a pulpit.

It was bright sunlight. A beautiful day that the Lord made. Sunday school was in full swing at the Full Gospel Church of God had lots of children inside. The gun man ran past God. Disrespect the holy Sabbath and took a life.

Woe unto the wicked.

Rehab or the Boot Anthony “Boots” Martinez was demoted from Minister of Works. Boots is now the Minister for Boost. He is also the Minister for Poverty. Boots is trying to play it off.

How can a politician win by eight hundred votes and get booted? Well, every Sunday Boots goes to Mike’s Club. The cover is that he goes there for karaoke. Everyone in the streets knows why, but check it out for yourself.

Mandatory Drug Tests Ministers of Government make big decisions. Their choice affects 320,000 people. They are employed by these people. Employers have to know what kind of employees they have. Belize cannot gamble with these politicians.

Ministers should be forced to take mandatory drug tests. We should start with _____?

Fire them/ Butter for Fish The UDP say the darnest things.

Patrick said “it is our turn now”. He fired and persecuted many innocent singlemothers. Now Barrow says “butter for fish”. He says to Audrey Matura and the 20,000 no votes, “no test we”.The gang talk is getting to his head. This man is no example.

The UDP stuffed the Town Councils with bloated political contracts. Some of the Councils were changed. Those jobs are illegal. Those jobs are unconscionable. There is a Supreme Court judge who ruled in a water board case.

He ruled that the water board should have done the honorable things and left when the government changed. I do not agree with him in that case. In this case, accountability means not continuing the waste and mismanagement of the UDP. Butter for fish? No in this case Barrow is saying “Victimization for reform”.

Barrow is a chicken. Every chicken have their Sunday.

For Descency Sake Someone needs to check Barrow’s speeches. He is getting more and more crass. His language is getting crude and lewd. The man speaks for Belize and curses the international people “we don’t give a damn”. This is not parlia-

mentary language. This is not the way a Prime Minister speaks.

Then he says he will be spiteful and “tit for tat” like a child playing last lick.

Not Prime Minister language at all. He also said “if you are not too old to stoop, I am not too old to peep.” That is a sexist and nasty saying. It refers to a man looking under a woman’s dress. This is not the language of Prime Ministers.

Ask yourself, WWGPS, i.e. What would George Price Say? UDP hate Mayans The UDP told Mayans they are fake.

They did this on national television. The UDP is trying to steal their land. This is some Cowboy and Indian story. The UDP have the face of brass. They appoint a UDP mestizo to rule over them.

The Mayan people know who the UDP are. They sent all the UDPs from Toledo district packing. How much longer will the UDP disrespect the Mayan leaders and Alcaldes? The UDP believe that our Mayan brothers are good enough to package like t-shirts and props but not good enough to be respected.

Garifuna People Rebel Mayans are hated by the UDP. But the Garinagu are treated the worst by the UDP. In four years not one single Garifuna man or lady was made a Minister. We are at the beginning of five more years. Not one Minister is Garifuna, again. The UDP plan to always punish Garifuna people. The UDP believe the Garifuna should make punta rock songs. They do not believe they can make decisions.

Cross Country No Belizean should ride in the cross country. Belizeans should just buy foreign riders. They should ride. Big companies like Santi are about personal glory. For them “team” is bigger than country. Prize money bigger than nationality.

Why should Belizeans be optimistic? We get what we pay for. The UDP has not invested in a single Belizean rider. There is no national team after four years.

This year is man vs. road. Country vs. team. Man vs. Boys. Belize should take this event like watching a pay per view on cable tv. The Ministry of Sports has failed us again. The last time a Belizean won PUP was in power. Respect to Shane Vasquez. Belize every time.

In Godwin we trust Godwin Hulse cannot get away with that. He has fooled Belizeans for years. He had told the world that he is “independent”. He even tricked the We the People Reform Party. What he has done is wicked. And Barrow is wickeder for exposing him as a wolf among the sheep. Belizeans are too trusting. Let us hope we learnt our lesson from Godwin, Mark and Cordel. I am not what I say I am.

The Lakers Commissioner David Stern is chancey. The NBA owned the New Orleans Hornets. They stopped the three team trade. That trade would have brought Chris Paul to LA. Chris Paul alone would mean another ring for Hollywood and the Showtime gang. But the league blocked the Lake show. Where were they when three mega super stars bunch up on one team? This must anger you. Let the market do its thing. Look at Denver. No star but that team is steam

rolling. Look at LA in 2003-2004, five all star hall of famers: no rings. Phoenix Suns in the 1992-1995 seasons had an all star bench. No rings.

All of Belize were once Bulls fans, Cubs fans or Laker fans. This is thanks to family in LA, Harry Carey or WGN. Prehistoric times before CBC, CCV and Centaur.

The lesson from sports is important to politics. Everyone in Belize was once PUP. The country only had one political party. The country is PUP. We had some players who hurt the team. They undermined the team. They were bad for team chemistry. They had been betting against the team. They were working against the team. They accepted bribes to work against the team. They may have been good players but the PUP is a championship franchise. The PUP had rings before they came and we will continue to win championships for the people after they are soon forgotten.

Stars do not make championships.

Teams do.

Arthur Young The Taylor’s Alley gang is small. It is not as powerful as the George Street Gang. But Arthur Young is the boss of gangsters. He alone is bigger than George Street. He is well connected and extremely calculating. When Arthur Young, says “I know where your wives and daughter’s sleep”, somebody better

15 move. The game is about to get serious. The UDP need to stop playing with fire. Negotiating with terrorists can back fire. Tantalizing them is a “tara” thing.

Minister of Gangs Being a member of a criminal gang is illegal. Yet Belize has a Ministry for Gangs. The UDP put the dumbest UDP in charge. He is the most volatile UDP. Mark King hangs out with the Brick City Gang. They are part of the “Backa-town Bloods”. Now, a part of their gang is the Minister of Gangs. Does this mean that Barrow’s George Street Gang is being replaced by Brick City?

Mark King was leading Lake I from a gang base. How can the person leading a single gang become Minister for all gangs in Belize? This no make no sense.

Give me a weed Sea weed is the best “put back” drink. It is good for the back. Norman Davis is a committed weed vendor. He sells his product at the corner of King and Albert Street. He is no nonsense.

He is real. He is grass roots. Norman Davis is a success story.

3% Passing Rate The UDP will promote Cherlyn Vidal to be a Supreme Court Judge. She is now the DPP of Belize. Under the UDP she was DPP when they persecute the past Prime Minister of Belize high and other high ranking PUP officials. There was no evidence. The Supreme Court vindicated the PUP officials and put a stop to the political witch hunt.

For the UDP, this same record is good enough to be a judge. How can you take someone with a failure rate of 97% and make them a Judge. How? Pray it is not so.

16

THE BELIZE TIMES

Now playing: Sanctimonious Mark and his Political Sonatas

Contributed by: Gordon Smith Encyclopedia International (EI) describes a Sonata (a musical form) in modern usage as a composition for one or two instruments in three or four movement of contrasting tempo and character. The term which derived from the Italian “Suonare” meaning “Sounding” was first use by the Spanish composer Luis Milan in the early 16th century Guitar piece “El Maestro” a brilliant musical sonata where one can hear the employment of four contrasting sounds consists of an Allegro (in Sonata form), Adagio (in

Stories from Burrell Boom

ALMA - The Woman Of Substance

By Gertrude Velasquez As this is the month for women and the last week of the month, I decided to make some comments about a Woman of Substance, ALMA. She is the only sister between ten brothers of the Gillett’s in Burrell Boom. She is the daughter of Dalton and Juanita Gillett. Alma is the mother of six children; five boys and a girl.

Alma was the first woman to open a bakery in Boom in 1960. She started with three helpers to operate. The bakery lasted about two years. Then she closed it as business was slow in those days.

She wasn’t the type of person to give up so easily. So she decided to raise broilers. She still had her three helpers who started to build houses for the chickens. She was very prosperous with that plan. Alma had five hired hands now. She was going up. Suddenly a grocery store was opened. That shop had everything. It was small but well packed with groceries as her children grew she sees that they got an education.

One day she went to Belize and she bought cotton and print material to open a sewing shop that was a surprise to us. We didn’t know she could sew. She made children dresses and hats to sell to the chinese-owned stores on Orange Street. That was in the 60s. She is a very independent woman. She never gave up.

Now she is residing in the United States with her children and grandchildren. She had an ice cream parlour in New Jersey. Now she is slowing down just like me. She is going towards eighty years. She still goes to party. She never forgets her church. She is always there.

I wonder if there is any more Almas like what we had in Burrell Boom. May God continue to bless her.

two or three form), Scherzo and Presto (in rondo or sonata-rondo form}. The metaphor that Mark Espat has now orchestrated his final composed political sonata will help you to understand the political games that the leader of the local “Hezbollah” is now performing in the theater of “KING DEAN” and the United Democratic Party (UDP).

The People’s United Party (PUP) leadership seemed always cautious of Mark for the last four years as he was believed to be the most serious challenger to the leadership of the PUP, following the 2008 General election, and Mark knew that. So the PUP leadership handled Mark with extreme caution and attempted not to provoke political illfeeling fearing repercussion from his allies the “Zinc Fence” and the so-called independent news media especially

“Jules” Channel 7. However the PUPs have been no fools and knew that Mark Espat had infiltrated the party with surrogates and minions who were working to undermine the leadership of the PUP for some years now. Many thought that that was enough to unite the party but Mark had the Party really divided. There were many within and outside the PUP like Belize Natural Energy (BNE), Emil Arguelles the former speaker of the House of Representative, yours truly Gordon and others that had exposed Mark for his hypocrisy and traitorous behaviors but all effort were ignored.

In the not-too-distant past, Father X and his organization, the Amandala and Krem, were the sole opponents of the Espats, who was a powerful PUP government minister. It is they who led an almost weekly crusade against Mark and his older brother, accusing them of being members of the business oligarchy, making agreement and being protected by Dean Barrow and Finnegan of the UDP, among many things. Today in Mark Espat final sonata, Father X (now Mark’s Father-in-law) and his whole organization have been neutralized and the question is WHY? Dean Barrow has now

Sunday, April 1, 2012

embraced the former PUP politician and has and compensated him better than any of his dodo birds in the UDP. The PUP leadership that chose to be lenient, and accepted him as interim leader and leader-designate, now understands that the treacherous politician was a player of Dean Barrow’s game and the UDP all along.

Sonatas are some of my favorite.

In listening to the contrasting Characters and Tempos of the movement often make me think of the game Mark Espat plays; lively but yet with so much malice, slow and very painful, a joke but still so serious, very swift which makes him so deadly. As I mentioned before Mark Espat was on a mission, a serious political mission to destroy the PUP at any cost which he has achieved with the help of Dean Barrow and the UDP and a few PUPs. Mark should never be underestimated. This sanctimonious fellow has no real life and has all the time in the world to plan your political demise. So take note “KING DEAN” and also you Father X. You may well be in the finale of Mark’s final political sonata. Those that have Ears to hear, Hear! (Comments welcomed at Smithgordon526@yahoo.com)

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Easter Fun!

Easter Word Search Find and circle the words from the list below. Happy Hunting!

Can you help the Easter Bunny find the eggs?

Copyright © www.ActivityVillage.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy

COUNT THE EGGS & COLOUR! How many Easter eggs can you find?

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

Court awards relief to Ex-BSCFA CEO for wrongful termination Aries March 21-April 19 Take a deep breath, exhale just as deeply, and contemplate your next step. You’re not required to make any decisions. All you need to do is listen closely to your heart, and follow its lead.

Taurus April 20-May 20 Just continue to allow yourself the luxury of living in your imagination. Don’t worry about the practicalities.

Your innate pragmatism will take care of those eventualities when they occur.

Gemini May 21-June 21 It’s not an easy call, but if you stay anchored in gathering information, you will collect the necessary data to make a wise decision. Take your time, and refuse to be pressured into an emotional response.

Cancer June 22-July 22 Try not to let harsh words turn into full-blown accusations. Of course you have a right to your opinion, as others do to theirs. Rather than shut down, open up.

Leo July 23-August 22 It’s only a money crisis if you make it one – so be clear about your priorities, and plan accordingly. Remember: No one’s true value is every measured in dollars and cents.

Virgo August 23-September 22 Be clear with your partners about what you need, and listen to carefully to the response. Don’t be fooled by or satisfied with compliance, and you’ll engender genuine compromise.

Libra September 23-October 22 Brood if you must, but don’t get caught by the Brain Worm, that famous mental parasite that steals all your joy as it compulsively chews on the same information. Instead, learn to let go.

Scorpio October 23-November 21 The solution is there, but you’ll only find it if you’re willing to embrace a new perspective. Let go of the need to control the outcome, and you’ll create the space for innovation.

Sagittarius November 22-December 21 You’re still in a wildly creative phase, and this week there are opportunities to apply your vision to all sorts of plans and projects. Don’t hold back and you won’t be disappointed.

Capricorn December 22-January 19 Issues of security continue to rumble deep within, and while you’re not used to these inner quakes, you are used to handling difficult situations. Rather than worry about survival, move into positive action.

Aquarius January 20-February 18 Continue to hold steady to your creative vision and you’ll be immune to the opinions of others who are less informed about the actual situation. This is not about being smug; it’s about having a truly confident heart.

Pisces February 19-March 20 It’s likely you’ve been experiencing profound shifts in consciousness. While some of them may feel like the culmination of hard work, others may feel like unexpected gifts.

Orange Walk Town, March 23, 2012 The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of former Chief Executive Officer of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), David Madrid, awarding him a lump-sum as damages for wrongful termination.

Justice Oswell Legal ruled that Madrid’s 2010 termination was without cause and illegal and awarded $171,292.50 plus 6% interest per annum in damages.

Madrid, who was the Association’s accountant, was hired in July 2009 following the termination of CEO Carlos Magaña.

Madrid had signed on to a three year contract that had specific objectives, which included the re-certification of the Association with Fairtrade, in order for the Association to benefit from financial assistance.

Within a few weeks, the Association was well within its way of recertification and had put in place enough checks and balances to avoid the problems which

led to its sanction under Fairtrade. But

by September 2010, Madrid suffered the same fate as his predecessor. He received a letter from the Association’s Committee of Management informing him of his termination. Among the reasons cited were that he was an ineffective CEO, that he made flawed decisions which delayed critical programs and negatively impacted negotiations with the Belize Sugar Industries, and that he was to blame for the BSCFA’s “crisis of confidence” at that time. Madrid rejected the allegations, and said he was removed because he stood in the way of corruption.

Madrid also rejected the offer given of a month’s salary, contending that the termination is a breach of contract and he deserves full compensation. He hired two attorneys, Eamon Courtenay and Michael Coye, to launch a suit against the Association for wrongful termination.

Ironically, the current BSCFA, which is under a new Committee of Management, says that they are cashstrapped and may have to pay Madrid out of the same Fairtrade funds he helped to acquire as CEO.

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BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

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Selected By Chris Williams

Out of Peru,

the plant that tackles toothache After having her painful molars treated by Amazonian villagers, anthropologist Françoise Barbira Freedman is bringing their painkilling plant to the masses 27 March 2012 by Gaia Vince What took you to the Quechua Lamas community in remote Amazonian Peru?

I was fascinated to learn about the highland people who live in the forests at altitudes between 200 and 800 metres, where there is great medicinal flora diversity. The Chachapoyas people who used to live here traded their medicinal and psychotropic plants, resins and colourful feathers with Incas. I was interested in learning about the forest people now living here, who had preserved their dynamic culture and plant knowledge - in a secret, underground way - despite several

centuries of contact with the modern world. It had never been studied before.

Why did the secretive tribe accept you when they had turned away other anthropologists?

I went there in 1974 when I was a younglooking 22-year-old, and I think they just thought of me as a girl, like their own girls, rather than a woman. I was adopted by “The clan saved my life more than once with their medicinal plants” a clan and lived with them for two years initially, learning their dialect of Amazonian Quechua language. Over Acmella oleracea the past 30 years I have been back It’s a leafy weed with yellow flowers several times to live with them and that grows on disturbed soil. It’s indigenow I’m a member of the council of nous to this part of Peru, and the flower elders. When I was pregnant, I was bud and other parts have been used as introduced to the whole range of hid- a toothache cure for hundreds of years. den medicinal plant culture that they How did you come to develop it as a practise. I tapped into it almost inad- drug for the mass market? vertently. The clan saved my life more When I was living with the clan, I sufthan once with their medicinal plants. fered terribly with my wisdom teeth, and Tell me about the “toothache plant”, so one of the villagers gave me a wad

More evidence that daily aspirin dose cuts cancer risk 21 March 2012 Aspirin just keeps looking better and better as an anti-cancer drug.

Two papers published in The Lancet this week by Peter Rothwell of Oxford University find that the drug not only lowers older people’s chance of developing cancer, but also slows the spread of cancer in patients who already have the disease.

The papers add to a growing body of literature on the drug’s cancer-fighting ability. We reported last year that patients at high risk for colorectal cancer who took aspirin for two years had

a 63 per cent reduction in developing cancer. John Burn of Newcastle University, UK, who led last year’s study, speculated that aspirin might play a role in blocking inflammation and weakening the cancer’s ability to spread - the new study suggests it may be aspirin’s effects on platelets in the blood that slows the spread of cancer.

Rothwell’s group found that middle-aged people who took aspirin daily for just three years had about a 25 per cent lower rate of developing cancer.

Aspirin seems to be good for people who already have cancer as well, the

group reports: cancer patients who took the drug daily for three years had a 15 per cent lower chance of dying from the disease; after five years, these patients were 37 per cent less likely to die than patients who were not on aspirin.

A second Lancet paper published this week by Rothwell’s group found that the “wonder drug” could also prevent existing cancer from spreading to other organs. Cancer patients who took daily aspirin for 6.5 years had almost half the chance of their cancer spreading as those who weren’t taking the drug.

It’s not quite a miracle cure and

of the toothache plant to bite on. It was very effective at numbing the pain, lasting for an hour before I needed a fresh wad. I brought the plant back to the University of Cambridge in 2004, with other medicinal herbs, for a neuropharmacologist colleague who was interested in testing Amazonian plants. This is the first he has tested, and it has performed well as a local anaesthetic in two phases of clinical trials.

Will the Quechua Lamas see any benefit from the new drug if it comes to market as planned in 2014?

We spent two years working with lawyers to design a contract - learning from the best aspects of other pharmaceutical companies - to ensure that the Amazonian people benefit from a percentage of any profits with conservation and education initiatives. We are distributing the money through trusted, long-term local NGOs. So far we have created a beautiful medicine garden to conserve plants used for women’s health. We also want to build a training centre to teach the community the medicine and remedy-making skills I learned, but which the new generation has lost.

shouldn’t be prescribed to everyone, researchers warn, since it can damage the gut and cause intestinal bleeding.

But researchers are trying to blunt those effects; a study earlier this month found that adding nitric oxide and hydrogen sulphide gases to aspirin increased its potency and helped it better target cancer cells while leaving normal gut cells alone.

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Make Children Suffer??

Children should be made to suffer? “Suffer”? At first glance, anyone would confidently argue that there must have been some cruel error in translation.

But that is what it says: “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) Yap, the King James Version undisputedly uses that word.

Surely, the same book that boasts that the kingdom of God is made up of innocent loveable children cannot be suggesting that they be the object of any negativity. In doing the cross references for this piece, we will notice that New International (NIV), New Living Translation, (NLT) and King James 2000 Bibles all use more polite, if not accurate words such as “Let” or “don’t stop” rather than the harsh word “suffer”.

Despite the danger of raising the antennas of the staff of the National Committee For Families and Children (NCFC), it is not impossible to argue that “suffer” may just be the right word. The word of God contains so many great Bible verses about children. Anyone raising children knows how difficult things can get but also what a blessing the children are. The value of the instructions on how being “childlike” and raising children speaks directly to what our life and Christian walk must be.

The most important is that children, not very different from adults are tempted and prone to want their own way. In ignorance, children often are attracted to the most destructive glitters of life. The attractions of open wall sockets or a “bang hookey” trip to go swimming in a river after a full belly of stolen mangoes.

See, a grown man is often times drunken by his own ignorance. In fact, an adult’s decision making is looked down upon in the Bible: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.”

Proverbs 14:12.

Now, the spiritual answer to this folly is quite extreme. The scripture reads “Then he said to them, I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3. So intent on having believers acknowledges the tender and dependent awakening for God’s salvation that the Bible uses the analogy of an even younger stage of childhood. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5.

So why this “suffering”? The truth is we may not want to do what is right and should be made to do it. Well, like children, mankind lacks the spiritual disciple to withstand the wiles of this world alone. We lack the discipline and the smarts. It is for this reason that we must be forced on to rigorous routines and changes from our spiritual delinquency, and be made to find our God. The book of Proverbs 22:6 reminds us, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As we are young in our faith we must adhere to strict discipline which will not fail us when the walk of our faith become challenging.

The second aspect of the “suffering” is the fact that our journey through the valley of the shadow of death and towards the place that He has prepared for us, is a rough and rugged road. We cannot do it alone. Like a child, who is finding his way in the world, and must depend fully on an adult, so too must we give absolute trust and faith to our Lord.

At times in our Christian faith we will need to be corrected like children, for surely, we, “mankind” are the most “haad ears” of God’s creations. As such admonish and monitor your Christian faith, humble yourself. Ask God to continue to show you where that correction is needed because “He that spares his rod hates his son: but he that loves him chastens him early.” Proverbs 13:24.

The final aspect of “suffering” is the fact that we must recognize that getting to God and the place He wants us to be is not an easy task. In fact, we are warned: “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it.” Mathew 7:13.

The beauty of a child is that there is no limit to the imagination, enthusiasm and optimistic expectation. Neither is there any cap on the sense of awe and the joys of discovery they generate every morning. The scripture is calling on us to draw this balance between the necessary dependence on our faith in God and his provision with the truth of the struggle to meet Him. My Brothers and Sisters, let us fight the good fight and run the good race. According to Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, as articulated by Erik Erikson, there are eight stages through which a healthily developing human should pass from infancy to late adulthood. In each stage the person confronts, and hopefully masters, new challenges. The stages are: 1.

Hopes: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infants, Birth to 12-18 Months); 2 Will: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Toddlers, 18 mo. to 3 years); 3 Purpose: Initiative vs.

Guilt (Preschool, 3 to 5 years); 4 Competence: Industry vs. Inferiority (Childhood, 5 to 13 years); 5 Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence, 13 to 21 years).

One day we will dig deeper into these childhood stages, but for now, know that His eyes are on the sparrow and surely He watches you. For you are HIS CHILD. Have a productive week.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

THINK ABOUT IT VENUS AND JUPITER “Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars. Let me see what life is like, on Jupiter and Mars…”

From early March the planets of Venus and Jupiter have been revealing themselves in a spectacular brilliance.

They appeared close together in the western part of our skies. Sometimes they are joined by the Moon. It is awe inspiring. Last Sunday evening, even as the king of the skies – the Sun - had not yet fully set, there was the moon and the two planets close by each other.

One can easily understand why ancient people were mesmerized by such sights in the heavens.

There should be an amateur astronomy club in Belize. We and our children miss out on the glories that nightly unfold in the heavens.

ARTHUR YOUNG For Arthur Young the ill treatment he received at the hands of GSU must be ironic.

Here is a man who has put his life on the line to help the government with the “gang truce”. Now government goons are beating him in public.

There are persons in the streets of Belize and who cross that thin line between law abiding and criminal activities.

Some have exceptional leadership abilities and are charismatic. Alienating and chancing them don’t solve our gang and crime problems.

The road less taken is to find ways to co-opt such persons and get them to be forerunners of a new vision for our young people.

As for the GSU. Any group of police officers who can dress up in military clothes, wear masks and have no regards for the laws and human rights of Belizeans; then they are just another form of a criminal gang.

The UDP government which has been allowing and sanctioning these abuses will have a lot to answer for.

ELECTION PETITIONS The opposition party needs to undertake a public education approach to the election petitions that are being filed.

It is not enough to leave this major issue to the little snippets offered to the public by way of TV and radio news coverage.

The naked and blatant use of tax payers’ money for ham and Christmas goodies and a further disbursement of such monies to politicians for election bribes is a serious abuse.

The unseemly insertion of Central Americans on the voters’ list days after rushing through their nationality documents is a gross abuse.

That such persons were forced on to the voters’ list is in violation of the law (they must live in the division two months as a citizen before they can get on the voters list) and cannot go unchallenged.

Public officers, who by and large performed their election responsibilities professionally, should not have their good names sullied by the behavior of two or three rogue officers following political instructions. It is unheard of and totally unacceptable that two Returning Officers should deny a recount in Cayo District.

Such behavior must be condemned in the highest courts in our country. Election officials must always be impartial and conduct themselves with fairness

and decency – upholding democracy at all times.

Belizeans must be informed that the election petitions will be taken all the way to the Courts of Appeal – with foreign Judges. These are weighty and serious matters, and the battle against injustice is not an overnight thing.

TOLEDO AND STANN CREEK Should the two southern districts of Toledo and Stann Creek consider breaking away from Belmopan?

Should they seek autonomy?

Belmopan obviously has no use and no love for these two districts.

What the UDP government sat back and caused to happen with the rape of rosewood is a national and historical scandal. One Don from the north who is big in government is reported to have been raking in a weekly profit of thirty thousand US dollars from selling out our birthright.

The government is intent on drilling and sucking out oil even if it means destroying the forests of Toledo. The huge foreign oil interests are their masters.

The government’s behavior with Rosewood is the clearest indication of what is to come regarding oil in PG. As for Stann Creek, will this wonderful, scenic piece of nature’s garden never know prosperity? Are the drums of our forefathers from the Orinoco, St. Vincent and Mama Africa always rumbling a sad melancholy.

The future is bleak.

THE SPIRIT IS BROKEN The Constitution of Belize requires that whichever political party wins the general elections, only two-thirds of its area representatives can become Ministers in Cabinet.

The purpose is so that Cabinet and the National Assembly do not become one and the same.

The new UDP government has violated this requirement. Every single UDP member of the National Assembly has been appointed a Minister or a Minister of State.

The seventeen UDP Area Representatives are officially members of Cabinet.

They all have specific portfolio responsibilities and are part of the Executive Branch of government.

All seventeen are also members of the National Assembly. And why is there seventeen Ministries in a tiny country like Belize? There was no need for such huge waste of scarce resources.

DICKIE GARDINER There was a colorful character named Dickie Gardiner in our country.

He had the spirit of the buccaneers and the adventurers.

Dickie Gardiner lived on Foreshore in Belize City. He was also a bodybuilder and exercised at the gym at the Youth Hostel on Dolphin Street (now St. Michael’s College/Maud Williams College).

Dickie Gardiner set up “the Continental”, Belize’s “finest” brothel. It was on Freetown Road between the now traffic light and Ombudsman office in the 1970s. At one time the brothel named “Studio 102” was on Curassow Street at the corner of Cemetery Road where Mobile Hardware is now.

Dickie Gardiner also formed the Cable Company CBC, which is going strong. He was an amazing man in his time.

ADAM AND EVE A priest on the Channel 5 Monday

night show dropped a bomb shell.

He said the famous Bible story of Adam and Eve is more likely a myth.

Duhh! Give me a break.

But guess what, the Father is speaking truth. There is too much about Adam and Eve story that points to it being a symbolic version of how sin came into the world.

It also sounded like the two guests, one a Catholic Priest and the other an Anglican Canon, were suggesting that the Book of Revelations is a kind of anansi story.

The Canon stated that Belize has been drifting farther and farther away from God. Another bomb shell was that the church-state relationship in education is a cause for our educational woes. Because Church schools are hampering the progress of young students and the statistics show some forty odd percent of primary students don’t go on to college.

CHINA IS NUMBER, ONE It’s now official. Statistics for 2011 shows that China has overtaken the USA to become the world’s largest producer of manufactured goods.

CARICOM Caricom is an idea whose time has come – and gone. The Caribbean regional integration grouping is slowly collapsing.

Run by a group of talkers who have accomplished very little and talked quite a lot, Caricom is now running out of money.

The European nations used to pump funds into Caricom, but the waste on conferences and talk shows with nothing to show has frustrated the now cash strapped Europeans. They are pulling the

21 money plugs.

PETER “DUCHO” THOMAS Ducho Thomas has left this earth for a better place. He passed away on 15 March at the age of 86 years.

Ducho was a soldier of George Price’s peaceful constructive revolution.

He was a former City Councilor and a boxing promoter and aficionado.

Ducho is survived by his children: Arthur, Calvert, Peter, Ernest, Yvonne, Joan, Harrison and Jennifer.

A reflection on his life was delivered by former Prime Minister Hon. Said Musa and the Eulogy by Evan X Hyde at the Mass of Resurrection on 24 March.

The Mass was officiated by Rev. Bishop Dorrick Wright and Father Matthew Ruhl S.J. MRS AUDREY COURTENAY Our sympathies to our brother Eamon Courtenay S.C. and his family on the loss of his mother Audrey Courtenay.

Mrs. Courtenay passed this week.

She was predeceased by her husband Vernon Harrison Courtenay, former Area Representative of the Collet Division and Attorney General who played a major role in the march of to Independence.

Audrey Courtenay was an outstanding nurse who became the Matron of Nurses at the medical department, now KHMH. She was a well-loved tutor at the Belize Nursing School and the driving force behind the Belize Red Cross.

GOD’S NAME IS JEHOVAH “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, But by my name JEHOVAH was I not known. “ Exodus, Chapter 6 verse 3.

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE BELIZE TIMES

Lois on leave, Denys’ turn to make millions?

Belize City, March 28, 2012 The Barrow Administration continues to practice one of its senseless and money-wasting acts of its first term – the hiring of the most expensive familial attorneys in Belize when they already have on staff competent and well-paid attorneys in the offices of Solicitor General and Attorney General.

Since 2008 Barrow has practiced nepotism at the highest levels – bestowing wealth among his closest family members. This became apparent when he hired ex-wife Lois YoungBarrow as an attorney in one of Government’s first legal cases against the Belize Bank. When a group of citizens filed a constitutional challenge against the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, it was Lois again. When the Mayas defended their rights against the Government, there she was again, private attorney Lois racking up her taxpayer’s paid bill.

It is suspected that Lois collected millions over the past four years, at least between 4 to 5 million, as proceeds for her legal work for the Barrow Administration.

Now, Barrow is serving his second term, and you would think he’s gotten wiser and more prudent with the nation’s finances. Well, think again. This

Denys Barrow

time it’s even much worse as he had his own brother Denys Barrow, as the legal representative for the Government in Court. The same brother Denys who purchased a 2010 Buick Enclave SUV at zero-import duty after Government had bought it for him when he was a Court of Appeal judge. This is not the first time brother Denys benefits from having his brother as Prime Minister, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Belizeans must demand that Barrow stop enriching his family, and especially at the expense of the taxpayers? Denys once referred to himself as the highest paid attorney in Belize, which means the millions he will likely collect under Prime Minister Barrow

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Sunday, April 1, 2012