Belize Times November 20, 2011

Sunday, November 20, 2011 THE BELIZE TIMES 1

Issue No. 4772SUNDAY November 20, 2011

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Invasion of Chiquibul

www.facebook/Belize Times

Port Loyola is a Living Hell with Boots

Senior Citizen accuses UDP

CitCo of crueltyEConomy haS

no mUSClE for mr. BElizE 2011

PUP Leader Meets with Mennonite

Community

Knox Cumberbatch acquitted of Murder

Belize’s Human Development ranking worsens

“As Belizeans we get the impression that we need to do something, in our case we are say-ing we need to do something urgently” - Rafael Manzanero – Exec. Dir., Friends for Conser-vation

BELIZE CITY, Wednesday, Novem-ber 16th, 2011By Alton Humes

It is no secret that Belize’s na-tional security is under extreme threat. The break-in at the Belize De-fense Force armory from where 42 high-powered weapons were stolen reflected how vulnerable our nation’s

security has become. The increased presence of drug traffickers is more evidence, and so is the heightened and rampant criminal activity. But nowhere is there microcosm of the serious and almost unabated threat than in the area of the Chiquibul Forest in the Cayo District, which

The Record Doesn’t Lie

Belize City, November 15, 2011There is a very interesting situa-

tion in the Port Loyola Division. It is the most neglected division in the en-tire city but it has the second largest number of voters. This is interesting because one of the most influential Ministers, Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, is the Area Representative and also the Minister of Works under the Bar-

Boots lives like a King, while Port residents suffer

in poverty

FCD Executive Director, Rafael Manzanero, raises the alarm over

plundering in the Chiquibul

Rigoberto Gutierrez, a Guate-malan, has his home and milpa deep inside Belizean territory

Belize City, November 16, 2011

Annually, the Unit-ed Nations conducts an analysis of countries ef-forts to make life better for its citizens. The study is called the Human De-velopment Report, and it evaluates developments in health, education, and

basic living standards that would improve conditions.

Over the last ten years, Belize has been making gradual im-provements as the for-mer PUP administra-tion invested widely on priority areas: access to health, access to

education and expan-sion of basic services in rural communities.

In 2000, Belize ranked a healthy 58th

out of 187. That posi-tioned Belize just at the margins of being high-development and

Belize City, November 14, 2011We have heard the many horror stories from inside

the wicked UDP walls at City Hall under Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers, her legal advisor Darrel Bradley and the motley crew who have been getting away with big sala-ries for 6 years.

They have fired single mothers, secretly raised their

2 THE BELIZE TIMES Sunday, November 20, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMESEDITOR

Alberto Vellos

OFFICE MANAGERFay Castillo McKay

PRINTING/PERSONNEL SUPERVISORDoreth Bevans

LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTISTChris Williams

MARKETING/ADVERTISINGRafael Sosa

STAFF REPORTERCarla Bradley

TYPISTRachel Arana

OFFICE ASSISTANTRoberto Peyrefitte

Printed & Published ByThE BElIzE TIMES lTD.

#3 Queen StreetP.O. BOX 506

Belize City, BelizeTel: 671-8385

Email: [email protected]@yahoo.com

PUP Belize Rural North Executive Committee

IN ACTION!

UDP threats force Okeke out of CitCo race

From the ghetto streets“Wi rada Beg dahn Barrow”

Nasty Joe paid $20,000 to retire…then re-hired

Dear Editor,They say, we are living in a good

country, they say it is in the best in-terest of the Belizean, but it seems that after four years of misery and painful days of Mr. Barrow, the UDP Government once again has shown the people of this country what their government is all about, dis-

grace, corruption and disrespectful. It seems as if these people will

never change their nasty ways. Once a UDP, always a UDP. Just to see in every term they come to power, dog the eat wi suppa. Mr. Barrow, you promised us that you were going to make our lives better, but instead you made our lives a living hell. If you don’t believe me, take time out for once in your life and walk through the streets of this city. Oh I forgot that you will never do that because you have too much pride. So you wouldn’t know Mr. Prime Minister how we the Belizean people struggle day by day to try and take care of our family. The way how it is today, ev-ery where you turn and every where you go, you will always have home-less people on the street begging, but one thing they would always say “wi rada beg dahn barrow,” because the cost of living is too high to go get a loan. Thanks to Mr. Barrow and his brainless UDP Government that do not know how to govern a coun-try, but knows how to rob a country.

Mr. Prime Minister, time is al-most up for you to get out and get going, so do us a favor and call elec-tions now! Rise up my Belizean peo-ple, it’s time to stand up.

Roberto Peyrefitte

Belize City, November 16, 2011The UDP vultures stinking up City

Hall for the last six years have been up to nothing but mischief. The Mayor’s agents and Councillors are spending late nights quietly destroying the long paper trail of corruption and mismanagement. Memos are constantly issued to employees to muzzle them, with serious threats of ter-mination if anyone speaks of the UDP ills. Meanwhile, the UDPs are being re-warded for their roles in the fleecing of hundreds of thousands of dollars that have enriched UDP Councillors and their cronies.

The BELIZE TIMES understands that the Mayor has tried to use employment contracts for their cronies as a political tool. Cronies who have been doing the bidding of the UDP vultures have been

given 2 or 3 year contracts. One of those vultures is Joe Bradley Sr., the father of the UDP Mayoral Candidate whose job at the Council is as ambiguous as his son’s fetishes.

Bradley is nothing but a nasty loud-mouth. Trouble follows wherever he goes, and his time at the Cooperatives proves that. Even Zenaida Moya-Flowers had to deal with his sticky-fingers addiction.

Bradley is allowed to arrive to work almost at 10 in the morning every day and can leave early if he wishes. Yet, he col-lects a full week’s salary for doing noth-ing at all. To add insult to injury, City Hall sources say Bradley collected a huge lump sum recently as a retirement pack-age. And then he was re-hired and given a three year contract!!

This kind of waste cannot be toler-

ated, and will not be accepted under the PUP. But imagine if the UDP gets their way for another three years. Their Mayor-al Candidate will be forced to keep his no good dad on the pay sheet, with perhaps salary increases and perks. It can actually get much worse. With Darrel Bradley as Mayor, nasty Joe Bradley will be in com-mand. He will actually believe he is the Mayor.

BELIZE CITY, Monday, November 14th, 2011By Alton Humes

A dream to be a ‘catalyst’ and make a legitimate change in munici-pal politics, even national politics, has been irrevocably shattered for good.

Stephen Okeke, notable Nige-rian-Belizean businessman, artist-sculptor, activist, and burgeoning politician, has dropped out of the upcoming 2012 Municipal elections race as of last week, due in major-ity part to unsavory and downright evil threats from political ‘specters’, presumably and likely from the UDP government camp.

In a brief interview with him to-day, we asked him why he decided to drop out, but he was not as willing to go over an already trying and costly situation. But information suggests that there were multiple (and cred-ible) threats coming from ‘street-lev-

el’ individuals who either work with and/or answer to UDP ministers and insiders, which amounted to some-thing along the lines of: ‘If yu go pan di campaign trail, sohnting wa hap-pen to yu, and di Police noh wa help yu….’

Concerned for his life and that of his family, he attempted to ad-dress his concerns directly to the Minister of Police and Public Safety, Hon. Doug Singh, but, not surpris-ingly, he was cruelly rebuffed there as well. Singh, with the cruel authority bestowed to him by his Prime Minis-ter, Hon. Dean Barrow, told Okeke in unvarnished terms that his candidacy for the Mayor’s office would ‘not be welcome’, said businessman.

What’s worse than threats, in-timidation and thrown vitriol of the basest order? Being ignored and ridi-culed by the very ‘morning radio’ cir-cuit he uses to promote his concerns.

The government-aligned radio station WAVE Radio ‘dropped’ on Okeke, say-ing he was ‘useless’. Even worse than that was the amount of work he had put in, including getting volunteers, at least a handful, despite not gaining much in the way of funds for his fledg-ling, barely-off-the-ground campaign, and the myriad of ideas he would have campaigned for, referring to himself as merely a ‘catalyst’ to induce positive change.

In the end, all of his hopes and plans is were derailed, destroying his short-lived campaign, but he says that if anyone from any political ‘corner’ asked him for advice for their cam-paigns, he would be ‘willing to assist’ as best he can. But his artistic and civic work continues: he is at work on a new book about black Americans, their lives and experiences. We at the BELIZE TIMES have always shown Okeke ut-most respect and wish him the best.


Ayumahati Francis Fonseca luma PUP lun buidulá hásügürüni sun

Balisina Luweyuri Hafedun Garinagu

Francis Fonseca and the People's United Party

wish all Belizeans a Happy Garifuna Settlement Day


Continued from page 1



Invasion of Chiquibul

remains Ground Zero for ‘invasion’ of natural resources that belong to Belize.

That was the chief focus of a press conference held today at the Radisson Fort George Hotel’s VIP Room in Belize City. Spearheaded by the Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), who co-manages the vast area along with the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM), the conference was specifically designed to present an update on the status of the Chiquibul Forest, the issues that face it and its management, and pos-sible long-term solutions.

The press conference served to first and foremost present a clear pic-ture of what was taking place in Beliz-ean territory. The area is niche to some of the finest, more pristine rainforest, and is comprises of three main areas: the Caracol Maya Ruin-Archeological Reserve; the Chiquibul National Park and the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. It houses the largest, most diverse cav-ing system in the country, and its water catchments directly serve the needs of most to all of the Cayo District, and the nation. But that is precisely why its treasures are ripe for plunder by Gua-temalans.

The situation is badly out of hand. There is illegal agriculture encroach-ment, harvesting of non-timber for-est products, illegal logging, poaching of protected animals and endangered

species, and constant incursions. The message was crystal clear…it’s much worse than we’ve known and/or feared, and unless we end it now where it can be controlled, it’ll get way beyond our control.

Since 2007, the incursion unto Belizean territory for agriculture ex-ploitation has increased exponentially. Data shows that deforestation has in-creased by almost 1,500 hectares of land since 2007. Whether the invasion stops or not, it doesn’t change the fact that FCD pretty much stands alone in the area, while valuable and costly flora and fauna (scarlet macaws, xate, cedar, mahogany and general trees and plants) are ‘raped’ from our forest, and to the tune of millions of Belize dollars. Just for context, a man, Rigo-berto Gutierrez, a Guatemalan citizen, has his milpa knee-deep inside Beliz-ean territory, and not even the high-and-mighty Organization of American States has been able to get him off. He has even been busted with firearms used for hunting, and Belize has laws against illegal, unregistered firearms; he hasn’t yet seen a day in our courts.

If the trend continues unabated, in twenty years the total area that would have fallen under exploitation would have doubled, to 9,749 hectares.

“In 2009 - 4,680 odd hectares were cleared. Now as of April, 2011 we have an area of 4,900 almost 5,000 hectares being cleared. From

2009 we don’t have any good imagery for 2010 to see what was the area but from 2009 to 2011 April we had an in-crease, an expan-sion of deforestation of 250 hectares. FCD over the last years have been embark-ing on a monitor-ing system trying to measure the nests. Over three years, 2008, 2010, 2011 a total of 38 Scarlet macaw nests were monitored, out of those 38 monitored nests, 58% of those were poached, more than half. Looking at it year by year, in 2008 – 10 macaw nests were monitored, out of those 50% of those were lost; in 2010 - 19 macaw nests were monitored the percentage lost due to poaching, 47.4% and this year we have the greatest loss, out of all the nests monitored, only one man-aged to fledge so we have a very, very bad situation going on here, there is no indication of a decline or remain stable but we have an expo-nential increase,” informed Boris Are-valo, Wildlife Manager for FCD.

There is a monetary value to the loss suffered from the exploitation to

the tune of millions of dollars.Rafael Manzanero, FCD’s Execu-

tive Director, presented a set of rec-ommendations that would help to end the plundering, but it is unknown if the current Government would implement such recommendations (a ‘Peace Park’ co-operation program with Guatemala is on the list).

When asked about the possibility of a National Environmental Task Force to supplant their small, but strong ranks, Manzanero was hopeful about such a possibility. But this is now, and solu-tions must be found if we are to stave off this sustained and merciless assault on our nation’s bounty.

Port Loyola is a Living Hell with Boots

The Record Doesn’t Lie

row Administration. This is a man that is living the life of the rich and famous as a result of the voters from Port. Now to get the full sense of the article you have to have an understanding of who Boots Martinez is and where he came from. I remember seeing Boots Marti-nez around in the division in 1998 when he lost by over 700 votes. He lived in a small structure behind Excelsior High School. He had nothing.

Now the purpose of this article is not to insult Boots but to highlight cer-tain points. He went on to win in 2008 and within a short space of time every-thing changed for him. Firstly, he was caught making huge deposits in one of the local banks. He now owns property all over the city and lives in fancy con-crete structures outside of Port Loyola. Also, while Boots enjoys a lifestyle be-yond his natural capabilities, the divi-sion became worse and worse. Espe-cially, the Jane Usher area where all the streets are damaged and most are prac-tically impassable by vehicle. Area resi-dents complain that the city busses and taxi operators no longer go in the area because of the terrible conditions they

encounter with the streets. There are big ponds in the middle of the main streets and potholes as deep as graves on most of the adjoining streets. This horrible situation com-pounded with the poor housing condition and the high unemploy-ment rate makes life very hard for most residence.

What makes matters worse is that many residents complain of be-ing treated very harshly and being subjected to insulting words when they visit Boots for assistance. One resident recounted when she got up from four one morning in the pouring rain to see the Minister and was treated in the most disrespect-ful manner. It seems that the Min-ister does not know how to treat people with dignity and forgot that he was living worse than many of these people. Instead of insulting single mothers Boots should focus on fulfilling his party’s manifesto promises and provide the jobs that are needed so people can work and uplift themselves. Belizeans want to know, where are the jobs? Where are the decent houses? Where is the entrepreneurial as-sistance? These very hard living conditions are not the possibilities that people imagined when they elected the U.D.P to office.

On Sunday 13th November, 2011 Gilroy Usher Sr. held one of several committee meetings at his new office location at the corner of Trinity Street and Central American Boulevard. The meeting was well

attended by over 40 adults who voiced their opinions and shared their concerns about the division. Mr. Usher informed the residents of his intentions for the division in terms of creating employment and offered words of encouragement for everyone to continue working to secure victory for the P.U.P., the Party with the history of been on the side of the people.

almost entering the very high-development bracket. Ten years later, the picture is different. In 2010, Belize ranked 78th. Two years of neglect under the Bar-row Administration had done ir-reversible damage to progressive initiatives started by the previous administration. There have been no priority areas of investment un-der the UDP. No sound education policy, no reform in healthcare and access to basic health, and abso-lutely no attention to the needs of rural communities.

With such neglect, the Hu-man Development report this year paints the ugliest picture for Be-lize in the last decade. Belize now ranks 93rd in the index, falling in category with troubled states like

Belize’s Human Development ranking worsens

Oman, Tonga and Sri Lanka.The ranking is a serious indict-

ment on the Barrow Administration whose failed policies have sunk Be-lizean deeper into depression. While UDP Ministers bask in lifestyles of the rich and famous, thousands of Belizeans suffer in despair.

The Party is nothing but

the vanguard of the people,

the active organ of the

people, work-ing at all

times in the service of the

people.”


Red ShiRtS, White WaShed UdP Baggage

There is a strong case against all UDP municipalities as to why they deserve to lose the March 2012 elections. Even though they have failed miserably in the duties they swore to keep and have been found guilty in the court of public opinion for lying to the Belizean grand jury about their manifesto promises, the UDP will come out swinging and fighting to demonize and humiliate anyone who dares stand in their way. Their propaganda will be that they are the best thing and they must hold on to those failed municipalities come election time March 2012. Belizeans, of course, know better.

The reason for such intensity towards March 2012 is that for all intents and purposes mu-nicipal elections are not about just streets and drains because if it were, then 2012 election would be a foregone conclusion as all UDP town and city councils have failed. But 2012 will be a vote on the performance of the national government – a kind of a report card. That is why Gapi is bulldozing cañero farm lands at a time when BSI needs more cane to make house lots to appease some UDP voters or why Montero is blocking a race track in the west from steal-ing his tender but most important why Dean Barrow agreed with a court order but disobeyed it in order to hold on to the cash cow, BTL, because its election time Belize. Plain and simple.

Barrow promised the people of Belize that the UDP City Council would have been a model for transparency, accountability and good governance but what transpired between possibili-ties and the harsh realities was a nightmare for the residents of Belize City. Not a street was paved except for the Ministry of Works’ intervention on Albert/Regent Streets. The grass and the drains have been neglected and Belize City has sunk backwards to the dark days: stink, dirty, infested with rodents, over grown with beggars and with garbage all over like an envi-ronmental disaster.

With all this, the UDP has dusted off failed candidates and presented a white washed team for all failed UDP municipalities. How can they face Belizeans when not a single manifesto promise was kept? Now they are making new ones, without answering where their pledge for transparency went. Where is the accountability? Where are the goods and services which the people deserved for their tax dollars over the past six years? Where is it?

The PUP Town and City Council teams, on the hand, bring fresh, workable, productive faces and energies to the municipalities. Serve The People is the mantra! The candidates are humble and simply believe its time to get on with the work and listen to the people. It is with this renewed spirit to serve that we call on the Belizean people not to endorse failure by voting red but change and hope over incompetence.

The People United Party Leader Francis Fonseca has called for a vote of No Confidence on the UDP municipals come election time 2012. They have failed us miserably even when under a UDP Central Government. It is time to end the stagnation and the incompetence. Before you voted them in you were told life hard out ya. Now that they are in office the cry of the people is life harder out ya. We don’t have to vote failure again Belize to find out life can be even harder out ya. Make the change Belize and give the UDP municipalities their walking papers. Nuff said.


PUP Leader Meets with Mennonite Community

Blue Creek Village, Orange Walk District, November 20 2011

As part of his nation-wide working tour, the PUP Leader, Hon. Francis Fonseca, trav-eled to the village of Blue Creek, located in the Orange Walk South Constituency, on November 7, 2011. Joined by his colleagues, the Hon. John Briceño, Former Party Lead-er & PUP Area Representative for Orange Walk Central and Mr. Jose Mai, PUP Stan-dard Bearer for Orange Walk South, the Hon. Francis Fonseca met with some two-hundred residents of this Mennonite Com-munity at the Linda Vista Shopping Center.

The Party leader listened attentively as the residents candidly shared their issues and concerns which included the following:

• The deplorable state of the roadfrom Blue Creek to Orange Walk Town – The residents noted that since the PUP upgrad-ed the road in late 2007, it has been totally neglected by the current UDP Government. The residents further shared that as a com-munity they’ve taken it upon themselves to maintain the road as the UDP Government has reneged on its promise to pay the main-tenance cost of the road.

• Residentsareseriouslyconcernedabout the increasing cost of fuel which has resulted in the increased cost of their agri-cultural production. The farmers of the vil-lage stated that while their operational costs continue to rise, they cannot and will not increase the cost of their goods as they know that their consumers would not be able to afford.

• The rice producers and mill-

ers lamented that they are unable to sell this staple commodity on the local market. They informed that Blue Creek, alone, currently has some 22 MIL. Lbs. of rice in storage. The farmers and mill-ers shared their high suspicion that the Government has issued permits for the importation of rice from Uruguay. Conse-quently, their revenue derived from the sale of rice continues to decline sharply forcing them to consider abandoning the production of the commodity altogether.

salaries, taxed poor people, taxed dead people, and above all have destroyed Belize City by neglecting every basic ser-vice. There is no semblance of care for city residents, and here goes just one more example of that.

72 year old Sylvia Hunter says she has never seen a heartless bunch such as the UDP Mayor and Councillors cur-rently in City Hall. All she has asked for is to live in clean and safe environs where she could spend her late years in peace, but thanks to the incompetence and plain cruelty her days have been nightmarish.

Mrs. Hunter, who visited the BELIZE TIMES on Monday morning, said she is tired of going to City Hall for assistance. To her it is as if the UDP politicians have forgotten what they were elected to do and they no longer care. Mrs. Hunter says she has been to City Hall at least half a dozen times, to ask for help to deal with various issues on her Police Street exten-sion neighbourhood.

“I gone fi tell them ‘bout the bad garbage situation. It seems dem no longer pickup garbage where I live,” said Mrs. Hunter.

In that case, she was told that she must go see the sanitation manager, Per-cival Murillo. But to get to this city em-ployee, she must endure the arthritis pain and climb three stairs high to reach the 3rd floor office at the Commercial Center.

“One time I went to see the one Mista Willoughby myself, but dat dah one hard man fu see,” the senior citi-zen said, adding that when she arrived the Sanitation Councillor’s office the door was slammed shut on her, and the Coun-cillor shoved an employee to deal with her. “Willoughby was on the phone and he just ignored me.”

Mrs. Hunter said uncollected gar-bage is not the only problem in her neigh-bourhood. She said the street conditions

The residents also shared their deep concerns about Barrow and the UDP’s forced passage of the “9th Amendment Bill”, the increase in land taxes, the as-tronomical unemployment rate, the high poverty rate, with the Orange Walk District being the poorest district in the country at 51% and the escalating crime rate.

In his remarks, the PUP Party Leader acknowledged and lauded the hardwork of the Mennonites of Blue Creek and their brothers and sisters in other Men-nonite communities across Belize and thanked them for their continued contri-bution to agriculture and other sectors of the Belizean Economy. The Party Leader

went on to assure the residents of Blue Creek that, as in previous years, a PUP Government will fully support their initia-tives by providing the necessary infra-structure and fiscal incentives vital to the progress and success of their industry.

In addressing the residents, the Hon. John Briceño endorsed the leadership of the Hon. Francis Fonseca and appealed to the good people of Blue Creek to sup-port the Party Leader and the People’s United Party.

Before departing, the residents thanked the Party Leader and his col-leagues for affording them an audience and stated that they would look forward to similar visits in the near future.Senior Citizen accuses

UDP CitCo of crueltyContinued from page 1

are really bad, and that just makes mat-ters worse.

There is also a water pipe that is owned by Belize Water Services which is misused by young residents who open the pipe and allow water to overrun the street.

Additionally, Mrs. Hunter said there are three dangerous-looking dogs that are not kept in secured yards. She said at nights she has to manoeuvre through the poor-lit area and try to avoid being attacked by the lurking dogs. When she went to City Hall to make a report, they told her she has to go to 4 ½ miles on the Western Highway and ask for a “Mr. Ramon or Mr. Martinez” if she wants to get help.

“I’ve complained over and over, but no one at City Hall wants to help. They just don’t care,” she said, frustrat-ingly.

Mrs. Hunter said she voted for Moya, Willoughby, Dion Leslie, Roger Espejo and a few their uncanny associates in 2009, but they won’t get her support any-more.

“I had the Party, but I noh fraid fu call them in their foolishness. This is just terrible, I can only take so much,” said Mrs. Hunter.

Sylvia Hunter

Hon. Francis addresses residents of Blue Creek community


Our aspirations are still many; Let us

keep moving forward

Gibe mémegili wayumahan;

Wabaronguóun meme wamá

PUP leader hon. francis fonsecaGarifuna Settlement Day

message

The history of The Garifuna people continues to be researched and docu-mented by Garifuna scholars and others. The heritage and traditional knowledge continues to be passed on from Chatuye in Yurumei to Ramos in Dangriga; from Gulisi, the matriarch; to modern day cell phones and social networking fa-cilities; the Garifuna culture is alive, it is a lived experience. In 2001, through the efforts of the National Garifuna Council (NGC) and the Government of Belize, UNESCO proclaimed some im-portant elements of the Garifuna Cul-ture as Masterpiece of the Oral and In-tangible Heritage of Humanity, to be preserved, promoted and celebrated. The celebration of November 19th each year symbolizes the continuity of this living heritage. Mindful of the many changes and challenges facing us Beliz-eans as a people today, let us join hands with our Garifuna brothers and sisters in their many aspirations. Let us move forward as one People to overcome the challenges and live our aspirations for social justice and a better Belize. Hope springs eternal as we live our culture in all its manifestations…Happy Garifuna Settlement Day.

Añahán mémegua Garinagu dise tatu-riahan hama amu akutiha, abürüha gíen, luagu hóuragate Garinagu. Anihán mémegua gíen halagante luma binadu ha-subudi asügüragüdüwa; lúmagien Satuyé Yurumei lumou Ramosu Dangriga; túm-agien Da Gulisi lumoun iseri idawamari le lau cellphone luma amu lúyeri ligabüri ha-fareihan gurigia subudi hámagua. Wíwan-ti lanichugu Garifuna; nibagariwati. Lidan irumu 2001, lídangien láfaagun Hadamuri Garinagu Balisi (National Garifuna Coun-cil) luma uruwei Balisi, puliga lumuti UNESCO lídangien hanichigu (hererun, habinahan luma lúyerigu heremuhan) Garinagu kei katei dawati, lalagante sun ubou, lun lareidahóun, liunrahóun luma lun lafeduhóun. Lidan lafeduhóun hafedu Garinagu 19 lidan Unsu Hati, larufudúña lasügüragüdüña meme la alagan wíwanti le. Laganagua bugan sánsiguaü luma li-derenouga le gadanbádiwa uguñe weyu, ragügua waméi wáhabu hama wabirien Garinagu lidan libe hayumahan. Wabar-onguóun wamá keisi aban gürigia lun wáhiunraguni sun ñübiti, nibagari waméi me gíen wayumahan lubügürü úaraguni lidan houserúniwa gürigia luma aban Bal-isi le buidutimáti. Anihein meme emenigi kei wawiwanduni wanichugu lidan sun ligabüri larufudagun lungua…Buidu la hásügürüni Weyu Hafedun Garinagu.


Knox Cumberbatch acquitted of Murder, Eye-witness caught “amnesia”

Duo remanded for alleged

robbery with firearm

Knox Cumberbatch

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 16, 2011By Roy Davis

Knox Cumberbatch, 27, charged with the murder of Reynold Michael, 21, was acquitted of the charge yes-

terday in the court of Justice Herbert Lord.

After the jury of 5 men and 7 women was empanelled, Crown Counsel Kaysha Grant waived the opening address and called her first witness, school warden Daphne Grant, the only eye witness for the prosecution.

Grant took the witness stand and swore upon the Bible to tell the truth. She was asked by Crown Counsel Grant if she recalled the date, Thurs-day, July 23, 2009, around 11 a.m. when Reynold Michael was shot and killed. Her reply was that she could not recall the date. She was asked if she remembered giving a statement to the police on July 26, 2009, and she said she could not recall giving the police a statement.

Crown Counsel Grant then asked

her if she knows the accused and if she recalled witnessing an incident along West Collet Canal in the vicin-ity of Stanford Bridge and she said, no.

Crown Counsel Grant said that based on the evidence of the chief witness the Crown is compelled to offer no further evidence in relation to the case, the reason being that the Crown’s case resorted solely on the identification of the accused when Michael was shot and killed.

Crown Counsel Grant added that none of the other witnesses for the prosecution can provide any as-sistance in the identification of the accused and therefore the Crown is not in a position to advance its case. She asked that the charge be with-drawn.

Cumberbatch’s attorney, Kareem

Musa, then submitted that the case be dismissed.

Justice Lord agreed and he di-rected the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

But Cumberbatch was not freed because he is in remand for another offence.

Michael, a resident of 11 Mex Avenue, was running on the canal side in an effort to get away from his assailant when he was shot 3 times in his back. He died instantly from his wounds.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 16, 2011Two men, one of them with

a broken leg, who allegedly stole $300.00 and a cell phone from police control room telephone operator Marilou Smith, 20 were charged with robbery when they appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, November 14.

The man with the broken leg is Ernie Miranda, 27, an electrical technician. His alleged partner in crime is Edward Burns, 30, an electrician of 4 Magazine Road. Burns alone was charged with abetment to robbery. They plead-ed not guilty to the charges.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Fra-ser explained to them that the court cannot offer them bail be-cause the robbery was commit-ted with a firearm. She remanded them into custody until Decem-ber 20.

The robbery occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Novem-ber 11.

Smith reported to the police that she was at the corner of LaC-roix Boulevard and Park Street on her way home from work when she was approached by two men, one of them armed with a fire-arm.

She said the gunman pointed the firearm at her while the other man relieved her of her pink purse containing $300 and her pink LG brand cell phone that has a value of $399.

Miranda and Burns claimed that they were beaten by the po-lice.

Miranda said the police re-neged on a deal that they would not be charged if the money and a cell phone are returned to Smith.

According to Miranda, Smith was given $300 and a black cell phone.

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Hilberto Hernandez

gets 10 years for brutal killing in Corozal

Corozal Town, November 14, 2011On October 17th a jury of 9 women

and 2 men were selected to hear the case against 28 year old Hilberto Her-nandez accused of murdering 59 year old former teacher and town councilor Javier Castillo back in 2009. After 24 days of listening to a number of tes-timonies, Hernandez pleaded guilty to manslaughter on November 9th.

Today when Hernandez appeared before Judge Hanomansingh, his attor-ney Lionel Welch asked for the Court’s leniency in their sentencing. During his mitigation plea, Welch noted that on the night of Castillo’s murder both men were under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In Hernandez’s defense Welch also mentioned that even though the scene of the crime indicated that Cas-tillo was brutally murdered, evidence showed that the act was not commit-ted with a vicious mind. Welch further stated that Hernandez has turned his life around by enrolling in a Christian Program provided by an organization called Inner Change for Freedom Be-lize.

Before handing down his sentenc-ing Judge Hanomansingh indicated that he would take into consideration the fact that since the beginning of tri-al, Hernandez intended to plead guilty to manslaughter. He advised Hernan-dez to keep out of trouble, and then sentenced him to 10 years in prison to be served concurrently.

On October 3rd 2009, Javier Cas-tillo was found dead inside his resi-dence on 39th Fourth Street in Coro-zal Town. He was found partially nude with a black extension cord tied around his neck and a slashed abdomen.

A post mortem examination con-ducted on the body revealed that Cas-tillo had been strangled to death. Her-nandez is presently serving a 14 year sentence for stabbing his own brother on the chest. For that crime he was charged with attempted murder. At the time of Castillo’s death, Hernandez was out on bail.

Hilberto Hernandez

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DARREL BRADLEYJOE BRADLEY

Dirty Mouth

Slanders Innocent Belizeans Everyday

Nasty

Doesn’t Give A Damn Who He Hurts

Has Collected Salary for Going To Work at 10am

and Leaves Early

Defends “under deposits” and corruption at

City Hall under Zenaida Moya-Flowers

Silent

Approves His Action and Behavior

Silent

Silent

Approves of UDP Mis-man-agement for Six Long Years

Legally Defends UDP wrong doing, Corruption and Mis-management at City Hall

NOW JOE BRADLEY WANTS HIS SON TO BE MAYOR? MAYOR OF WAVE RADIO PERHAPS

Belize City Can’T afforD another nasty Joe Bradley


Lady Jaguars rule national volleyball finals

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Wesley girls & Sadie Vernon boys advance

to basketball nationals

Continued on page 12

GAME SUMMARY:Lady Jaguars vs.

Orange Walk Hornets – 25-9, 25-7Moen Stars vs.

Belmopan Defendaz – 25-17, 25-22Lady Jaguars vs.

Dangriga – 25-6, 25-20Belmopan Defendaz vs.

Orange Walk Hornets – 25-19, 25-18Moen Stars vs.

Dangriga – 25-12, 25-19Belmopan Defendaz vs.

Dangriga – 21-25, 25-18, 15-10Lady Jaguars vs.

Belmopan Defendaz – 25-12, 25-19 Moen Stars vs.

Orange Walk Hornets – 25-14, 25-15Dangriga vs.

Orange Walk Hornets – 25-17, 25-17

OTHER GAMES:Gwen Liz High vs. Excelsior High – 58-47

Top scorers: Albert Longsworth, 20pts, Dijon Smith, 13pts; Raheem Smith 16pts, Jarvis Tench 11pts

E.P. Yorke vs. Ladyville Tech – 70-41 Top scorers: Terrique Gabb, Daniel Sanchez 17pts;

Isani Pook 11pts, Alex Gordon 9pts Wesley College vs. Nazarene High – 45-42

Top scorers: Brian White 24pts, Kaleem Loredo/Raheem Staine 7 pts; Alejandro Baptist, 11pts, A. Neal 9pts

SJC vs. Maud Williams - 110-23 Top scorers: Devin Daly 38pts,

wTariq Middleton 15 ptsGwen Liz High girls vs. ACC girls – 51-8

Top scorers: Deandra Coote 16pts, Ann Ma Chen 14pts; Kenya Brown 10pts, Shaneen Flower 8pts

Team Belizefinishes 2nd in World

Cup Qualifiers

Lady Jaguars team

Belmopan, November 13, 2011

The Lady Jaguars volley-ball team showed why they re-mained undefeated throughout the 2011 National Senior Volley-ball competition as they won the finals over the weekend.

The Lady Jaguars upset their long-standing rivals, the Moen Stars in 2 sets in the 10th game, the grand finale. The Jaguars’ attacks were spearheaded by Barbara Ca-dle, Shantell Arnold, Sherylee Young-Thurton and Tichele So-lis who spiked home attacks on plays set by libero Tisha Solis, Tanesha Encalada and Bobby Lee Usher. The Jaguars lost Shantell Arnold to a sprained ankle after a bad landing.

The Stars’ tried to capitalize

on this, spiking home attacks on plays set by player-coach Lu-pita Quan and Sherlene John-son, but Alina Scott stepped up as an able substitute for Arnold, helping the Jaguars to win the 1st set 25-22.

In the 2nd set, the Stars refreshed their offensive with Marika Zuniga and Vivianni Avi-la, while libero Ashley Habet rotated into the game to help on defense, but Babsy Cadle and Alina Scott were dominant at the net as they hammered home the 25-12 win.

The women’s tournament had 5 teams who played in a single round robin. The Belmo-pan Defendaz took 3rd place as they won 2 of their games, los-ing only to the Moen Stars and Lady Jaguars.

Belize, November 14, 2011The Wesley College girls and the

Sadie Vernon boys will represent the Central Division in the 2011 Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) basketball competition after defeating their opponents in the cen-tral finals played at the Belize City Cen-ter on Monday, November 14.

The Wesley College girls spanked the Ladyville Technical High School girls: 29-16, with Genae Samuels scor-ing 13 points for Wesley, while Cynthia Garcia scored 6 for Ladyville.

The defending national champs, the Sadie Vernon Technical High School boys, enjoyed an 81-64 win over the Anglican Cathedral College boys. MVP Kaschief Thomas led Sadie Vernon with 27 point, while Lincey Lopez added 18 points, Andrew Ortiz rammed in 15pts more and Roderick Williams tossed in 10 pts.

Belmopan, November 11, 2011

With the losses against Grenada (4-1) and Guatemala (3-1) Belize’s national team was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers, but the team was not finished with its international matches.

Last week Friday and yes-terday evening, Belize played key home and away games

against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which saw the team finishing 2nd place in the Group division.

Belize drew 1-1 with St Vin-cent and the Grenadines when they met at the football Fed-eration of Belize’s stadium in Belmopan. The team then left on Saturday for the rematch in St Vincent which ended in Be-

Wesley’s Brian White scored 20 points


Scorpions too deadly, capture volleyball championship

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win SJC table tennis club inaugural meet

yasser Musa & Joshua Parham

World Cup game summary:Belize vs. Montserrat – 5-2 (June 15 2011)Belize vs. Montserrat – 3-1 (July 17 2011)

Belize vs. Grenada – 3-0 (September 2, 2011)Belize vs. Guatemala – 1-2 (September 6, 2011)

Belize vs. Grenada – 1-4 (October 7, 2011)Belize vs. Guatemala – 1-3 (11 October 2011)

Belize vs. St. Vincent/Grenadines – 1-1 (November 11, 2011)Belize vs. St. Vincent/Grenadines – 2-0 (November 15, 2011)

Scorpions are national champs

Team Belizefinishes 2nd in World

Cup Qualifiers

lize’s favour 2-0.The Federation of international Football Associa-

tions (FIFA) has acknowledged Deon McCaulay as the top goal scorer in the World in these World Cup 2014 qualifiers. Dion McCauley scored 9 goals in the quali-fiers, and so far has 12th international goals.


Belmopan, November 13, 2011The Scorpions male volley-

ball team triumphed in the na-tional senior volleyball champi-onship for the 2nd year in a row, in a gruelling 2-day tournament held at the University of Belize auditorium in Belmopan over the weekend.

The Scorpions had to go to 3 sets to tough it out in the championship final over their upstart young challengers: Bad News from Orange Walk. The Scorpions’ attacks were spear-headed by Arvid Arnold, Ernest Broaster, Eian Galvez and No-lan Michael who spiked home attacks on plays set by libero Raul Arnold, Oscar Arnold and Anthony Wagner to win the first set 25-22.

Deon Macaualy scored Bze 1st goal

Bad News’ counterattack upset the Scorpions in the 2nd set by the same score as the hitters spiked home points. Libero Wer-ner Tovar was absolutely amazing in his reception and returns of what had seemed like sure points for the Scorpions.

Fortunately the Scorpions had a deep bench and they brought in reinforcements in the person of Kevin Thompson and David Vasquez to take the 3rd set 15-13.

game summary:Scorpions vs. Corozal Hard Core – 25-13, 25-18Toledo vs. Corozal Southwest – 25-19, 25-23Belmopan vs. Dangriga – 25-21, 25-16Rebels vs. Orange Walk Bad News – 25-22, 14-25, 15-13Scorpions vs. Belmopan – 25-22, 25-17OW Bad News vs. Toledo – 15-25, 25-18, 15-13Corozal Hard Core vs. Dangriga – 25-23, 11-25, 15-13

Rebels vs. Corozal South West – 25-14, 25-13Scorpions vs. Dangriga – 27-25, 25-19Toledo vs. Rebels – 27-25, 23-25, 15-9Corozal vs. Belmopan – 21-25, 25-23 16-14Bad News vs. Corozal South West – 25-13, 25-15Semifinals Scorpions vs. Toledo – 25-15, 16-25 15-11Bad News vs. Corozal Hard Core – 25-21, 25-19

Belize, November 12, 2011The Belize Table Tennis Associa-

tion got an infusion of new, young blood with 59 young players of the St. John’s College Table Tennis Club who held their inaugural tournament at the Belize Elementary Auditorium last Saturday afternoon.

Students ranging from ages 12 to about 15, their supporting family and classmates filled the auditorium to cheer on their favorite players. Club coordinator Yasser Musa got them all signed up and ready to com-pete in this “first of a kind” event.

Players competed in an initial round robin competition in 3 catego-ries: Advanced, Intermediate and Beginners with over 97 matches.

The winners then advanced to the double elimination final round in each category, which featured an-other 43 matches so play contin-ued late into the evening.

Yasser Musa won the Ad-vanced Category with John Le – 2nd, Aaron Stock -3rd and Khalid Musa – 4th.

Jason Chan won the Interme-diate category with Mishek Musa – 2nd, Gavin Wong 3rd and Harold Nava – 4th.

Joshua Parham won the Be-ginners’ category with Nick Chang – 2nd, Falen Miles – 3rd and Fabio Carballo – 4th. All winners were awarded medals.

Yasser Musa

Joshua Parham (L) won the Beginners’ category


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SJC triathlon tests strength, stamina, speed and spirit

Belize tennis players participate in Conteca Games

Team Garage sweeps Bros habet table tennis championships

Belize, November 13, 2011

Team Garage proved they are a powerhouse to be reckoned with as they took both the 1st Divi-sion and 2nd Division championships when the Belize Table Ten-nis Association held the playoffs and finals of the Brothers Ha-bet Team table tennis competition at the Be-lize Elementary Audi-torium on Sunday.

Team Garage No. 1 won the champion-ship finals 5-3 over the Hurricanes.

Team Garage No. 1 were the No. 3 seed entering the playoffs and upset the up to then undefeated Rac-queteers: 5-3. The Hur-ricanes entered the finals by a 5-2 win over

the No. 4 seeded Rivero’s Welders in the playoffs. Rive-ros’s Welders also scored a surprise upset 5-4 over the Racqueteers in the consolation match for 3rd place.

In the 2nd Division, Team Garage No. 2 also won the championship final 5-2 over Team Tallawah.

Team Garage No. 2 had advanced to the finals by a 5-0 win over the Terminators, while Team Tallawah out-lasted the Fantastic 4: 5-4 to reach the finals. The Fan-tastic 4 won 5-1 over the Terminators in the consolation match for 3rd place.

Winners in 1st division

Winners in 2nd division

November 14, 2011The III Central American and

Caribbean Scholar Games are un-derway in Panama City, Panama. Majority of the games officially started today, and Belize Rural High School, representing the country was right in the mix of things to-day. Earlier this afternoon, Belize defeated the host country Panama by the score of 11-0 in four innings. The winning pitcher for Belize was Ashley Lucas and the losing pitcher for Panama was Kristi Sarzavilla.

The Technical Commissioner for the Softball Competition in Panama is Jude Lizama of Belize. Lizama is now the first Belizean to be appoint-ed a Technical Commissioner at any International Competition level.

The Scholar Games are for stu-dent-athletes between the ages of 15-17 who are currently enrolled in school.

Belize Rural High School

beats Panama

El SalvadorBelize made tennis his-

tory as a small contingent of tennis players participated in the XXV Conteca Games of Central America held in La Libertad, El Salvador. This represented Belize’s first participation since the

creation of the Conteca Games. The contingent consisted of 14 year old Marco Mendez and Belize’s most promis-ing and youngest ever tennis representatives, Samron Pott and Stefan Sosa both 8 years old.

Association’s Development Officer and Level 2 Trainer, Mike Sosa, who was assisted by Mrs. Samira Musa-Pott.

Marco Mendez recorded our first victories winning two singles match-es over Nicaragua and El Salvador. In doubles he paired with Guatemalan Fernando Hernandez to score a win over El Salvador. In the 10’s category Pott and Sosa displayed great deter-mination and promise in their first ever international matches.

Special thanks go out to the Be-lize Tennis Association, The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, The Belize Bank and families and friends who all provided financial contributions and support to the travelling contingent.

Belize City, November 14, 2011It may not have been the

toughest competition in the world, but the Triathlon held by St. John’s College high school alumni on Saturday, November 12, was cer-tainly among the testiest locally. The event, which included swim-ming, cycling and running, tested strength, stamina, and speed and even challenged the students’ spirit.

After braving the chilly weath-er, the participants lined up along the old Sandlighter’s Promenade before diving into the sea for the first leg of the triathlon. Teams were created per class and in Ju-nior and Senior Category. Here are the results:

Overall Winners:

2E team: Giancarlo Sanchez, Yan Cattouse, and Steve Flowers, 1hr 06mins 37secs

Junior category1st place 2E Giancarlo Sanchez,

Yan Cattouse,Steve Flowers 1hr 06mins 37secs

2nd place 2A Wilber Quintanilla, Bruno Bradley, Hsani Martinez 1 hr 14mins 15secs

3rd place 2B Percy Lewis, Daniel Co-com, Triston Ayuso 1hr 16mins 40secs

Senior category 1st place 4B Amin Batty, Eldon

Simmons, Kevin Foreman 1hr 07mins 22secs

2nd place 3A Perry Diaz, Albert Da-vis, Cameron Usher 1hr 07mins 25secs

3rd place 3C Walter Ortiz-Chris-tian Najera, Frank Lorenzo 1hr 10mins 24secs

The contin-gent was led by Be-lize Tennis


OPERATION REBUILDINGParTy PaGEParty leader francis fonseca holds meeting in Belize rural Central

Party leader meets with Western Caucus

Benque Viejo Elects new Town Council Slate

On Sunday afternoon, PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca met with the PUP Belize Rural Central Standard Bearer Dolores Balderamos-Garcia and her ex-ecutive members and supporters. Hon. Fonseca discussed the Party’s plans to become battle ready and move forward a pro-Belize agenda!

The PUP Team 7 for Benque Viejo del Carmen will work hand in hand with the PUP Standard Bearer Oscar Sabido-Puga to ensure victory for the people! Sabido (2nd from left) flanked to his left by Mayoral Candidate Trinidad Mendez

Party Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca addresses members of the PUP Western Caucus


“We sick and tired of being sick and tired!”

Address delivered by PUP Belize City Mayoral Candidate Karen Bodden at presentation of PUP City Council Team 11, Independence Hall, November 10, 2011

It is indeed an honor for me to stand before you this morning. This is a defining moment for we stand on the threshold of a dis-tinct period in Belize’s history. Belize today parallels Belize of

1950 when the late Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price and others recognized the need for action. The social en-vironment at that time threatened the very existence of every Belizean man, woman and child. There was no respect for the dignity of the working class and the people had no voice. Yes, at that time it was clear that un-less action was taken and sacrifices made Belize had little chance of ever becoming a haven of democracy. The vision of a dedicated group of Be-lizeans however, saved Belize from what could have been a devastating fate and charted a new course. A course that would result in a proud and independent nation founded on the principles of social justice and de-mocracy. The bold steps and personal sacrifices of a few resulted in this land we call Belize. Sad to say how-ever, but today we once again face the challenge of saving our beloved country from a fate similar to that of the 1950’s. The very fabric of our Be-lizean heritage is being threatened as the fundamentals of our rights and freedoms continue to be assaulted.

Belizeans today, like those of the 1950’s, must contend with deterio-rating infrastructure; high rate of pov-erty, high rate of unemployment; lack of opportunities and leadership that fails to put people at the center. Ad-ditionally, we no longer enjoy a sense of safety and security on our streets or in our homes. Crime has become the norm. We have gone from being a tranquil haven of democracy to a country identified as being one of the most violent countries in the world. Being recognized as the 6th most vi-olent country has caused us not only much shame but also much pain as we collectively grieve for the Belize that is rapidly disappearing before our very eyes. We grieve not only for ourselves but most importantly, we grieve for our children as we either lay them to rest prematurely or visit them at the Belize Central Prison. We grieve as we struggle to educate our children in an uncaring social climate hoping that they may not become a part of the 24% unemployment rate and we grieve each day as we come in contact with the many weary broth-ers and sisters whose only desire is basic survival. We grieve for the hun-dreds of Belize City residents who, in this 21 century, are living without the basic amenities – water and electric-ity. Walking the streets of what was once a proud city has now become an exercise in grief as we are forced

to look at the poverty and squalor in one neighborhood after another. The saddest part of all this is that our peo-ple have become resigned to what they consider to be their fate – we are sick and tired of being sick and tired. The energy to rage against the onslaught of poverty, neglect and all other forms of injustices has dissipat-ed being replaced with a worrisome state of apathy. We have accepted the notion that we can do nothing to impact the conditions surrounding us; we have accepted the status quo. It seems that we have lost hope.

I stand before you this morning to say that the present status quo of city management or as we have come to know it city mismanagement is not acceptable. I am here to say no to the conditions that currently exist but most importantly I am here to say that hope is alive and blazing in the resilient spirit of every resident of this city. Yes, I am proud to say that there are still a few Belizeans who have the audacity to hope. We recognize that to lose hope is to give up on life. Today you have before you eleven such persons who believe that all is not lost. Like the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we too have a dream. We dream of a Belize that can become a beacon of hope in the region. We have a dream of a Belize City where the basic services are rendered with efficacy; a city where garbage collection is no longer a nov-elty but the norm; a city where the quality of life is such that every resi-dent feels valued; a city where our children experience a sense of secu-rity as they embrace opportunities;

a city where the busi-ness community works in true partnership with a Council that is knowl-edgeable, skilled and creative to ensure an improved economic cli-mate; we dream of a Belize City where we are no longer afraid to walk the streets or sit in a restaurant. Like Dr. King, we are ready to make the sacrifice to move this dream into reality. We fully recog-nize the hard work that lies ahead and we are prepared to undertake it for we know that we must act with the fierce urgency of now. We also recognize the need for every resident of this endangered city to become involved and engaged in the process of change. Unless we all embrace the vision

are ready to let your voices be heard – you are ready to become involved and remain engaged. You are no longer satisfied with a City Hall that provides substandard services and expect you the taxpaying population of Belize City to “stick with what you know.” You are ready to welcome the tide of change – you are ready to welcome eleven hardworking, dedicated Belizeans who have the audacity to hope and recognize the fierce urgency of now.

In conclusion I want to challenge the ‘nay sayers’ who may be wonder-ing how we will go about implement-ing our plan to turn things around in the face of the poor state of the econ-omy. Think back to 2003 when the economy was better than it is today; the tourist dollar was circulating in Be-lize City and City Hall rallied for and received the famous ‘head tax. Was the city any better off? Did we receive quality service? The simple answer is a resounding no. the dollars were rolling in but so too were the issues of mismanagement and corruption. Remember the famous terms ‘under deposit’ and ‘trade off?’ How did the residents of this city benefit from any of those strategies? Did we enjoy bet-ter services? Were we, the residents any better off? So you see my friends, money or the lack of it may be a fac-tor but the determinant factor is the quality of leadership that exist. There are various options which may be ex-plored in an effort to identify and ac-cess resources to carry out the many functions of the City. Assistance may be accessed through the various technical co-operations that exist be-tween Belize and its Caribbean and Central American counterparts. Such assistance will only become a reality however, with the right kind of lead-ership in place. So while I agree that our economy is not the best I do not believe that creativity and innovation must be stifled or limited to just fi-nances.

Belize City has a proud history one that has become buried in the over-whelming stench of filth and the un-sightly scenes of rat infested garbage dumps, broken streets as well as the escalating rate of crime and violence on our streets but all is not lost so let the word go forth that a team of 11 in conjunction with every resident who is sick and tired of being sick and tired is on a mission to rescue a decaying city and restore it to its rightful place as a beacon of hope in a dying world. Our city is on life support but we pledge to render CPR before it takes its final breath and expire.

Thank you for taking the time to share in this, a defining moment in the history of Belize City, a once proud commercial center now teetering on the brink of destruction.

and work to make it a reality we will continue to grieve for our beloved Belize. We must always be mindful that change begins in the heart and minds of each of us.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you sick and tired of paying for services you never re-ceive? Are you sick and tired of hav-ing your tax dollars used to maintain the lavish lifestyles of those elected to serve? Are you sick and tired of crime and violence on your streets and in your neighborhood? Are you sick and tired of tax breaks and incentives being given to those who can afford to pay their fair share while the poor gets hauled off to court? Are you sick and tired of seeing landmark business houses going out of business as a re-sult of the inequity of the tax system? Are you sick and tired of business es-tablishments downsizing, getting rid of their employees not because they want to but because they are forced to do so by a system that cares very little for those who suffer this fate? Are you sick and tired of your children having no opportunities to fulfill their goals? Are you sick and tired of a City Hall that only looks after its own interest? Young people of this municipality, are you sick and tired of a City Hall that has done absolutely nothing to offer you an al-ternative to crime? Over the past six years have you been offered summer jobs to assist you in defraying the cost of your education? Are you motivated and proud to be a resident of this city in its present state? Are you sick and tired of navigating your way around the many potholes now known as cra-ters? If your answer is yes then you

Karen Bodden


U.S. national beaten to death in

home invasion

BELIZE CITY, Monday, November 14th, 2011By Alton Humes

There’s an old Belizean expression which goes: ‘Bad tings neva gah owna…’ Of course, with the rise of crime in Be-lize, especially with regards to the rash of home invasions and burglaries in the Cayo District area might well to take the old chestnut to another level. Dr. Lau-rence A. ‘Larry’ Johnson, aged 68 years, a chiropractor and businessman original-ly from the United States, became the first casualty in the ongoing rash of bur-glaries and home invasions that have ter-rorized and decimated the area. It’s been traced back as far as a few months ago, but unlike this incident, no one got hurt, at least not badly hurt.

That would all change last Wednes-day, November 9th. After socializing with some friends in the area (the above pho-to was taken before he came home), he returned to his residence at the Iguana Creek Resort. But he would not be given much respite, as six armed and masked men invaded the doctor’s home and pro-ceeded to beat him viciously.

Dr. Johnson would not be silenced so easily, and called for help. His Guate-malan employee, Julio Funes, came and attempted to help but the six overpow-ered him and he was assaulted brutally, receiving machete wounds to his back and leg. Yet the horror would be far from over.

After their beatings, Johnson and Funes were placed in Johnson’s van, and gasoline was thrown on them, with in-tent to end their existence, but for the pair, their suffering would not end that way, as the ‘cowardly 6’ disappeared into the Cayo night without completing their inhumane act. Johnson died of his injuries shortly thereafter.

It is not known what the six men came to do (perhaps robbery), or wheth-er Johnson was their direct and total focus for their murderous intent. While the Police are scrambling for clues, his American family must deal with the loss of their figurehead and patriarch. In a per-sonal letter sent to a colleague, his son, Major Dr. Harvey Johnson, spoke fondly of his father as not only a “distinguished and seasoned professional who was dedicated to making a difference” both in his native New Mexico and in Belize, but also of his ‘frankness and candor’ he used while raising the Major, and his 9 siblings and of the family (includ-ing grandchildren and a great-grandchild) he now leaves behind. The Major also let loose on the horror of being told of his father’s murder and his hopes for justice from our criminal justice system.

Dr. Johnson moved to Belize with his wife in 1993 after a dispute over tax-es and bought the rainforest land where he built the resort.

Since the Major will not likely read this story, then may we all hope the same. Police investigations continue.

Dr. Laurence A. ‘Larry’ Johnson


Police secret

lockdown

The cost of spiralling crimeBelize City, November 14, 2011

Just as this newspaper and various local media houses were wrapping up their reports of Bob’ Bou-Nahra’s successful and histor-ic run at the World Series of Poker Main Event, and making note of the positive spin-off effect it had on Belize’s global outlook and recog-nition as a tourist destination, the sudden news of the brutal murder of a U.S. national/resort owner Dr. Larry Johnson threatened to undo all of it.

Bob’s poker success came like a breath of fresh air, a stint of op-timism for a country clamouring for any kind of good news amidst rampant depression. It came after weeks of brutal international press assaults that hammered on the in-competence of the Barrow Admin-istration, which peaked with the announcement that Belize ranked 6th in the Global Homicide rating. With such a small population, and vast resources, experts are at a loss at the way the Barrow Admin-istration has squandered oppor-tunities to make Belize a success story. But that wasn’t the end. It was actually the start of a long road in which episodes of the UDP Government incompetence would become national and international embarrassments.

Following multiple reports on the well-read Washington Post of the Drug Cartel’s increased pres-ence and institutionalised opera-tions in Belize, there were the re-ports of the unresolvable breach

of the nation’s most-secured perimeters: the armoury of the Belize Defense Force. A total of 42 high-powered weapons disappeared and their where-abouts are yet to be traced.

A week later, the compound where the British operated and stored their equipment, weaponry and intelligence was also breached and this time 3 laptops with information went missing. Again, the computers have not been found and no answers have been given.

The international media, already on alert over Belize’s dangerous crime wave, have kept a close eye on the seri-ous acts of defiance to Belize’s national security. Now, every single news item becomes a huge story on the international press.

Belize City, November 14, 2011Using preventive detention as an

excuse, the Police Department has been carrying out arbitrary and unrea-sonable arrests of male city residents, particularly those attending events or-ganised by the People’s United Party.

Sources indicate that up to ten men were under incarceration at Queen St. Police Station for an entire week. We are told they were rounded up and detained nine days ago. No charges have been laid.

This seems to have become the modus operandi for the UDP Govern-ment. It is illegal. By law, no one can be detained for longer than 48 hours without being charged.

What the Police are doing, with in-structions of Prime Minister Dean Bar-row and his UDP Government, is disre-specting citizens’ fundamental rights. The Government has not authority to arrest persons without credible evi-dence of wrongdoing or for investi-gation persons. The Government is abusing its authority and infringing on persons’ human rights when it locks up persons beyond the legal 48 hours.

ridden country and a nation where for-eigners are unsafe. The Barrow Admin-

istration’s inability to deal with crime is taking a serious toll on the nation.

W i t h i n hours of Dr. Johnson’s vi-cious murder, the news had made it to w e l l - k n o w n media organ-isations in-cluding the UK Daily Mail, the W a s h i n g t o n Post, Reuters, CNN and vari-ous smaller U.S. news-stations.

Belize is fast becom-ing known as a drug trade hub, a crime-



The Human Development Index

By Carolyn Trench-Sandiford – Deputy LeaderPeople’s United Party - Belize

And the Next Revolution: One Belize-Prosperous, United and Free

The data contained in the Country Poverty Assessment [CPA] Report 2010 was telling and sounded a warning bell to us. This was one year, eleven months and twenty two days of a Barrow UDP administration, and their single achieve-ment was to make Belize the country with the highest poverty rate in the Ca-ribbean.

The data screamed at us. One hun-dred and forty three thousand, two hun-dred and seventy six [143,276] persons or 43 % of the population was declared poor. This was an increase of 10% from 33% in 2002.

It also revealed to us that almost 5 out of every 10 persons could not find $5.50 a day to survive, to exist, not even to live, as $5.50 only provides for the bare minimum. And to make matters worse, of that 143,276, 16% of the popu-lation or 55,512 persons were described as indigent. That means they are desti-tute. They are not eating as they should.

The CPA Report also warned that an additional 14%, or 46,648 persons, were vulnerable to becoming poor. This was pointing out that a total of 189,924 persons in Belize or an astronomical 53% of the population was at risk. This is more than half, more than 1 in every 2 persons.

Later that year at the People’s Unit-ed Party National Convention on October 17th 2011, I lamented to the nation that the national dish of Belize was no longer rice and beans and stew chicken and potato salad. It was noodles. That was then, and still is the reality of the people, only now there is no Vienna sausage to add some taste to it.

Last week, this time, three years, nine months and two days of the Barrow UDP administration, the United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] con-firmed what we already knew, and what has been staring us in the face for some time now, that Belize is becoming anoth-er Haiti. The UNDP Report places Belize ranking on the Human Development In-dex as 93 out of 187 countries

What is the Human Development In-dex or HDI? HDI is a composite score of three basic dimensions of human devel-opment: education, health and income. Belize’s HDI is 0.69, which gives the country a rank of 93 out of 187 countries with comparable data.

According to the report, the HDI of Latin America and the Caribbean as a region increased from 0.582 in 1980 to 0.731 today. This places Belize below the regional average and 10 out of 13 Carib-bean countries, just ahead of Surinam,

Guyana and Haiti. Imagine, small islands like St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Bar-buda and St. Lucia, and even Jamaica which does not have the wealth as we do, are enjoying a better lifestyle and po-sition on the HDI. This is an ‘in your face disgrace, Mr. Barrow.’

But what is most damning to the Barrow UDP administration is that the slide accelerated between 2008 to 2011, as the data depicts Belize sliding from a ranking of 58th out of 187 countries in 2000, to 78th out of 187 in 2010, to 93 out of 187 in 2011.

If this is not an indictment of the Bar-row administration leading Belize down

a slippery slope, nothing else will be. The report further claims that the HDI trends tell an important story both at the national and regional level and highlight the very large gaps in well-being and life chances that continue to divide our inter-connected world.

In 1950, the Peoples United Party birthed the peaceful constructive Beliz-ean revolution to create a New Belize, to bring about a better quality of life and a just share of the national wealth for all Belizeans.

It set out specific objectives and milestones to achieve, including adult suffrage, self government and political in-dependence. In 2011, the Peoples United Party shall embark on another revolution. But this time it shall be the radical pro-gressive Belizean revolution, to create One Belize-Prosperous United and Free- that will bring about:

1. Economic independence, se-curity and sustainability.

2. Equity in the distribution of our wealth for economic, social and environmental justice.

3. Safety and security of our people and our borders.

4. The recapturing of our sover-eignty, and

5. The consolidation of national

unity…In so doing, one of the objectives

and milestones of the Next Revolution is for Belize to achieve and sustain a minimum HDI of .90, and a ranking that positions us in the top 15 countries of the world, where our people will enjoy a healthy and safe lifestyle and live longer, where the full potential of our children is unleashed as they attain university or the type of education they so chose, and where poverty no longer exist.

Is it impossible? No. When the peaceful constructive revolution was birthed to free our people from the bond-age of colonial slavery and exploitation, when the Rt. Hon. George Price and oth-er generals and soldiers of the revolution went against the greatest super power of the world, the British empire, which was said to be so vast that the sun never sets on it, many considered it an unten-able and impossible dream.

This year we celebrated 30 years of that dream. Let’s begin to dream and hope once again. Let us continue the revolution so we can create the Belize envisaged by our first national hero and home grown revolutionary, the Rt. Hon. George Price.

For comments please email [email protected]


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To Tell The Truth…

My purpose for writing this column is to share my love, respect, con-cerns and appreciation for my fellow Beliz-

eans. I also hope to plant seeds of wisdom into your hearts so that you will be encouraged and your dreams ignited and determination strength-ened as you consider your future and that of this beloved jewel of ours.

When I spoke on adversity last week, I considered the speech de-livered by our new leader and future Prime Minister the Honourable Fran-cis Fonseca. He reminded us of why the People’s Unite Party was formed and upon what foundational truths it was built. I was greatly encouraged. He said, “I Pledge to you today that I will live by this Creed and lead by this Creed... (a) That the nation of Belize is founded upon principles which ac-knowledges the Supremacy of GOD the dignity of the human person and the equal and inalienable rights with which all members of the hu-man family are endowed by the Cre-ator…” . That was especially impactful for me, as I firmly believe that a leader that acknowledges the Supremacy of God will indeed lead his nation in the right path of “faith in human rights and fundamental freedoms, the po-sition of the family in a society of freemen and women and institu-tions…”

To tell the truth, you cannot lead where you have not been. I know that Francis Fonseca was destined to lead this nation. I remember the cam-paigns with his strong and courageous mother and father who was not afraid to raise their children with discipline. I recall the times at St. Johns College Sixth Form when he was an exem-plary student along with his sister, Dr. Carol Fonseca Galvez, former director of Women’s Department in the Minis-try of Human Development (we both served on the campus newspaper) and we all graduated together. I can truly say that Francis Fonseca has proven himself to be a young man of character and ethics. He wears his humility as a badge of honour. A leader that is hum-ble truly serves the people. A leader that is arrogant and proud and puffed up truly cripples the nation.

To tell the truth, with all the ad-versities facing our nation today, it is time for such a leader to emerge once again. Francis experienced adversities in his young life and he used them to rocket him forward. He grew up with-out a father at an early age same as I did, and we both used this adversity to rocket us forward instead of anchoring us down. He can truly be considered a role model for our youths today, and an encouragement to every father and mother out there who are praying for their children to be successful in life. To mothers that are single, divorced or widowed, stay strong and have faith and speak positively into your children’s lives. Convince your children that they can do and be anything they set their minds and hearts to do. Do this as of-

ten as possible. Let them know that God is real and is there to guide them every step of the way. He will teach us, if we let Him, how to use adversities to form strength and character.

It is true that a house divided against itself will not stand. Our Party faced so many adversities over the past few years both from within and without, yes, but like any strong fam-

ily with disagreements and some-times rebellious or runaway prodigals, the wise father stands secure in the knowledge that sooner or later they will all be united again stronger and more mature. Such is the situation to-day. We have resolved our many differ-ences, forgave, made peace and are reloading and harnessing our collective energies, strengths, abilities, creativity and credibility. We are now poised to launch Belize into its best years ahead. We welcome you to participate with

us in this historic adventure. We ap-plaud the Party for the way it handled these adversities. You can do the same in your home, your business or in your relationships.

Other adversities some are fac-ing in this country today include eco-nomic, social and environmental. We will share some ways to turn these into rockets. Write us, tell us how you use your adversities to rocket you forward. Send your comments to [email protected]


Dangriga deserves better – UDP offers no vision for Havana Bridge

Dangriga Town, No-vember 16, 2011

The residents of Dangriga are await-ing the completion of the Havana Bridge by November 19, 2011, as the UDP had failed to meet their origi-nal completion date. Work men are fever-ishly working even in the night to meet the 19th celebrations deadline. It was initial-ly promised that the same bridge would have been ready

was very shaky. The floor was built in such a way that even young school children had to fight to get their bicycle wheels out of the wide space in the floor of the bridge.

The destruction of the bridge has also brought economic hardship to the businesses. Sad to say but the busi-ness people affected also includes some of their very own UDPs who got

no relief for the economic loss. So if they can do this to their own, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY (THE UDPs) WILL DO TO THOSE OF US WHO AREN’T MEMBERs OF THEIR PARTY?

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for our Dangrigans to access for the September 21st 2011. That, as usual, turned out to be a broken promise.

Whether by accident, or by design, it appears that residents in the south side of town have been given substan-dard services. We deserve a better bridge! In my view, it should have been a masterpiece, considering the time it took to build and the budget it took to build. The bridge should have been an opportunity to make a bold statement to us Dangrigans, who deserve only the best, considering that we are the ones who will be paying for it. The location of the bridge itself, at the entrance of town, warrants that it be a very welcoming sight to visitors especially the tourists. I have personally witnessed tourists who become momentarily struck and reach for their digital cameras to take pictures of the unsightly bridge.

Why have we not built a bridge that considers visitors from far and near? In the past, fishing boats passed very eas-ily under the Old Havana Bridge. Today, fishermen will no longer be able to take their boats into safer waters, particu-larly, in times of disaster. It appears that the height of the new bridge was not taken into consideration since no ves-sel will be able pass under it in normal conditions. Therefore, a heavy flood could become even more problematic in the future. I know that resources are scarce but can’t we get value for our money?

Fellow Dangrigans, gone are the days when we take things for face val-ue. It is time for us to critically analyse where we are and where it is that we want to go. This is just a classic case of “de Dangrigans want wa bridge; give de wa bridge.” We can’t take this carefully-orchestrated marginalization of our people anymore. WE DESERVE BETTER!!!

The destruction of the old Havana Bridge brought pain and sorrow to Dan-grigans particularly those of us from South side Dangriga. When the old bridge was destroyed the UDPs gave us one that they believe we deserve. Our elders were disrespected because the temporary bridge the UDP placed was built from a vehicle chassis and

(Left): The makeshift crossing is dangerous to commuters. (Right): The construction of the new bridge is substandard and has taken 2 months over to complete


REALITY CHECK!Youths and Women empowerment!

Take a stand and say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

By Carla BradleyA woman in politics still has not

been accepted by most, but indeed, women have become openly and strongly active in the political arena. Some women to be noted are, Mrs. Jane Usher, Senator Lisa Shoman, Mrs. Audrey Matura, Ms. Patty Arceo, Mrs. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Mrs. Myrtle Palacio and countless others. These women have opened the door for many of us who aspire to contrib-ute to the growth and well being of our nation. It is said that a woman’s touch is always needed, as women tend to be a little more rational when it comes to mak-ing decisions. While there may still be men in the political arena, who are not too fond of women becom-ing a part of pol-itics in Belize, there are men who strongly welcome the movement, the People’s United Party.

In many im-portant issues that have been plaguing our country, women have been more outspoken. For example the r e fe r e n d u m s against drilling offshore and in protected areas, who was repre-sented by Mrs. Audrey Matura, the referendum against the 9th A m e n d m e n t who was spear-headed by Ms. Tanya Usher, Senator Lisa Shoman, and Ms. Jackie Marshalleck. These women stood up for what they believed and as a young woman, I can honestly say, they have inspired me to do the same.

Many years ago, hearing about a female president or Prime Minister was rare and now over 20 female Pres-idents and Prime Ministers are active throughout the world. The first female president was Sükhbaataryn Yanjmaa of Mongolia (1953-1954) and Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka (1960-1965) was the World’s first female prime

minister and first elected president was Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland (1980-1996). Women have become a crucial part of the political arena and a very energetic and vital part of the country’s future.

Besides the importance of women in politics, the youths have been some-what dormant in this game of politics, but some youths have dared to become a part of it, in search of a better future for the generations to come. One youth who has become an important role model and spokesperson for the youths of Chile is Ms. Camila Vallejo, a Geography major, who has stood up to the government’s proposal to privatize education in their country. While her approach may seem communist, the message of the youths standing up for what they believe in is more important.

According to Callie Simon, Path-finder’s Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Advisor, nearly half the world’s population is under the age of 25—yet their needs are going unmet and their rights are going unful-filled.” We the young people of Belize must realize that the future is in our hands, that we have to take major steps forward and become a part of not only the future but the present as well. The issues of crime, poverty and unemployment well plague us for years to come if we don’t take a stand against this and voice our opinions and suggestions.

This current UDP gov-ernment has done nothing for the betterment of our youths, and generations to come. Youths have a hard time finding a job to help sustain not only themselves but their families, as more of us have become part pro-viders for our families and more so if there are young-er siblings. This government in their 2008 manifesto promised 5000 plus jobs, in my opinion 5000 jobs have been taken away, as busi-nesses have closed their doors indefinitely because of the economic crisis, and the political nepotism in the job areas. This means that if you do not know some-one who knows someone who knows a minister, your chances of getting a job are

slim to none. The Minister of Educa-tions boasts about his “wonders” in the ministry, but has failed to realize that the reality on the streets speaks differently. As parents, ask yourself, what has the government done for the students of this country? Has the cost of education gone down? Are jobs readily available for students after grad-uating secondary or tertiary levels? How many children do you see on the streets begging during school hours? Words are no match for the real picture on the streets of this country!

. This govern-ment in their

2008 manifesto promised 5000 plus jobs, in my

opinion 5000 jobs have been taken away, as

businesses have closed their

doors indefinite-ly because of the economic crisis, and the political nepotism in the job areas. This means that if

you do not know someone who knows some-

one who knows a minister, your chances of get-ting a job are slim to none.”


Reid

There are many problems fac-ing Belize at this time and unfortunately, few are being addressed in any practical or proficient manner. If we are

to move forward as a nation, this will have to change. One major problem that has lingered for too long and con-tinues to be ignored by the authorities and tolerated by the public is the cha-otic bus transportation industry. Those in charge have either ignored or exac-erbated the conditions while those affected seem to have taken the path of least resis-tance. We will need to “park our sacred cows at the door” and at some point enter into a room of full and frank discussion about this issue.

A couple of years ago, much was made about a loan given to the Novelo Brothers to implement what was to become in ef-fect, a national bus company. The then government recog-nized the need to im-prove on the status quo and endeavored on a plan to urge and facilitate better ser-vice for commuters. Notwithstanding the questions surrounding the process involved in the dispensation of the loan but in viewing the bigger picture, it was a commonsensical approach to a critical and pressing problem.

It was a time when accidents in-volving buses were all too common and many of these accidents were as a result of racing on the highways. This happens when there are too many indi-vidually owned buses operating on any particular route. The rationale was that one company, properly equipped and operated, could provide a more orderly and safe environment for commuters. It is not unique. Despite its huge size, the bus industry in the United States is virtually dominated by the duopoly of Greyhound and Trailways. Smaller op-erators are confined to short-haul sub-urban routes which make for a much more organized and efficient industry. For their part, government imposes regulations for safety, ticket pricing and the financing of road construction. Makes good sense to me!

What we really should do is to demand that these govern-

ment officials be required to ride public transpor-tation at least a few times every

month. Have you ever seen Dean Barrow, or even Melvin Hulse for that matter, rid-

ing a bus?”

What the Novelo’s brothers did was to purchase all the major runs from existing operators and proceeded to set up terminals countrywide. One could visit the terminals and buy tick-ets or call ahead for run schedules. An express service was implemented and a more modern and comfortable line of luxury buses were slowly but steadily being introduced. Today, ex-cept for James Bus Line which offers I believe one such luxury bus, most of those being used are dilapidated, rejected school buses salvaged from the junk yards of America. Because they were designed specifically for children and short runs, they offer very little leg room and some very uncom-fortable seats. Really, is this all that we deserve?

Interestingly enough, when a few of these same operators decided to branch into tourism, they made sure to bring in some decent and comfortable

buses. One can visit the Marine Parade on any given ship-day and see dozens of these quality buses lined up and waiting to ferry tourists from one des-tination to the next. Is it that they deserve the quality but we don’t? We must be-gin to demand more.

Previous PUP governments have left us the legacy of a network of some pretty decent cross country roads. There was a time when bus operators could com-plain that the road conditions would ex-act expensive wear and tear on their buses but that is no longer true. Today, (except for the Hum-mingbird which is be-ing torn to tatters by

heavy oil tankers) roads to all six dis-tricts are properly paved and suitable to accommodate the very best of ve-hicles. Ask our government ministers and heads of departments; they all have the latest high-end and late mod-el luxury vehicles.

This now, might very well explain the lack of interest in improving the quality of public transportation in our country. Bus service is usually associ-ated with the young, in particular stu-dents, the elderly, the poor, minority groups and women. Though for many it is perceived as a secondary mode of transportation, buses continue to provide crucial services for the vast majority of Belizeans. What we really should do is to demand that these government officials be required to ride public transportation at least a few times every month. Have you ever seen Dean Barrow, or even Mel-vin Hulse for that matter, riding a bus? They need to get a first-hand experi-

ence of how difficult and challenging it is for regular folks to move from point A to point B.

A month or so ago, Belizeans raised concern about a Mexican bus company that was launching a service between Belize and Merida with a stop in Cancun. Bus operators from the north were concerned that a foreign company would gobble up the limited commuters upon which they survived. That is a fair concern but if Belizeans operators were to offer the same qual-ity of service and buses, there would be no need for foreign operators. I will be honest, if I had a choice between the comfortable air-conditioned buses offered by ADO and the rickety ride of a distressing Belizean transport, you will

have to consider me unpatriotic but I will be paying my way in pesos.

As Belizeans, I believe that we have become too accustomed and comfortable with mediocrity. We will have to stand and shout in a louder voice for a fairer share of this pie. It is not unreasonable, it is our GOD given right. Any operator that wishes to bring in any bus from this point on should be required to meet a reason-ably acceptable standard. Sergio Chuc was recently given major concessions to import another fleet of these deplor-able roughriders. Please missa man, you’re already taxing us excessively and taking us on a journey through hell. At least allow us a more comfortable ride as we go.


Making the SwitchBanking may not be your favorite

subject, but it’s a key piece when it comes to managing your finances. If your current bank is no longer meet-ing your needs, it may be time to con-sider switching. Here are steps you should take if you decide to move your account to a different bank.

• Go online. Do you use online banking? If you do, register for online banking at your new bank and reset your preferences and security set-tings; this includes setting up email and or mobile alerts.

• Save your statements. If you used e-statements at your previ-ous bank, download and save copies of all prior statements for your re-cords.

• Get paid. If you have payroll direct deposit set up with your em-ployer, contact your HR department to switch to your new account.

• Preauthorize payments. Contact companies and financial in-

stitutions with whom you have set up preauthorized debit payments and switch them to your new account.

• Keep your old account open. Until bill payment is up and run-ning on your new account, don’t close your old account. Record any biller and payee information from your old online banking. Then, enter upcom-ing payments into your new account’s online bill paying system—verify that all payments will be processed before the due dates so that you won’t incur late fees; afterwards, cancel all pend-ing payments in your old account

Remember, your current bank wants to keep your business. Take the time to talk to someone about the de-tails and stipulations associated with your current account before switching institutions. If there’s a condition that doesn’t suit your needs, ask about other account options. Your bank may be willing to work with you to better meet your needs. If you have further questions or concerns about choosing or switching banks, talk to a financial professional, like a CPA.

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Dealing with Sleep Disorders

BELIZETIMES EXCLUSIVE

Living withAUTISM

Contributed by Yadira Williams

Chris Williams Jr. is one of so many children born with autism in Belize. There is little or no support from the government for Special Needs chil-

dren in this country.

As a mother of three it is often difficult to get your kids to sleep on time, now imagine get-

ting your very hyper Autistic child to bed on time: “impossible”. Some of you may know what I am talking about, as many children with autism experience unusual patterns of sleep.

Problems with sleep are actu-ally common in children with autism. They take longer to fall asleep, wake more often in the night, wake earlier in the morning, and get less sleep overall than typically developing chil-dren. Some autistic children may display a non-24-hour sleep-wake pattern which may cause additional challenges for loved ones. Sleep dif-ficulties are often linked to family distress and may have major results on daytime activities and quality of life. In many cases, sleep problems are constant, rather than random. Some sleep problems are described as bedtime resistance, bedtime anx-iety, waking through the night, night-mares, night terrors, sleepwalking, snoring, bed-wetting, early morning awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Using Melatonin as a Sleep Aid

There is some evidence of low melatonin production in autistic chil-dren.

Melatonin is a natural occurring hormone that is released into the bloodstream during the hours of darkness, while scientists continue to study the function of melatonin in humans; they believe the hormone plays a role in the body’s circadian rhythm. This rhythm regulates the physiological functions that occur in the body within a 24-hour period, such as sleep-wake cycles, fluc-tuations in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.

More recently melatonin has become a popular nonprescription dietary supplement with the alleged ability to combat a variety of health problems and has been success-ful in aiding sleep onset in children with autism as well as children with other developmental disabilities and otherwise healthy children with sleep/wake disorders. Studies have found that children with autism do not create the necessary internal melatonin. Some parents of autistic children give their child a melatonin supplement to encourage sleep and to treat autism related irritability. If you as the parent also receive edu-cation on behavioral approaches to encourage sleep, improvements in sleep cannot be effective with mela-

tonin alone. Melatonin was viewed as being a safe and well-tolerated treatment for insomnia in children studies, researchers reported it in the Journal of Child Neurology.

Treatment for Sleep DisorderI found out that very little in-

formation is available regarding prescription medication for sleep disorder in children with autism or other developmental disabilities. As a parent you can help by estab-lishing bedtimes and wake times, followed by a reasonable bedtime. Educational workshops for parents, along with aids such as step-by-step picture schedules and checklists, de-velop natural and purposeful sleep and daytime behavior restrictions for autistic children.

In some cases of sleep disorder, there may be a precise cause such as obstructive sleep apnea (a block-age of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep) or gastroesophageal reflux (when a muscle at the end of your esopha-gus does not close properly allowing stomach contents to rise into the esophagus and irritate it); assess-ment and treatment are advised. When there is not a certain medi-cal cause, behavioral interventions including sleep-hygiene measures, restriction of daytime sleep, positive bedtime routines and reinforcement methods are often successful.

For those parents that struggle with their Autistic child, they may notice that sleep disorders may also imitate or worsen psychiatric dis-orders. Irritability, indifference and other symptoms suggesting a mood disorder, for example, may imitate chronic sleep deprivation such as early school start times. What ap-pears to be attention deficit disor-ders or learning difficulties in an elementary school child may result from a sleep-related breathing dis-order. Successful treatment of the sleep disorder may relieve or end psychiatric symptoms.

I encourage families who have children with autism to contact me. We can work on getting more sup-port and care for our special children together. Visit my Facebook “Autism in Belize” to share ideas.


THINK ABOUT ITNATIONAL TREASURES STO-

LENThis is slackness, incompetence

and negligence of the worst kind.It is bad that elements of the Po-

lice can beat and abuse citizens with utmost impunity. And that the mental-ly ill and homeless are abandoned like the stray dogs – hungry and neglected in Belize City.

First, Coast Guard big boat is sto-len – in front of their eyes. Then the BDF big guns are lifted – from under their noses. Now – some of the na-tion’s national treasures are removed from the House of Culture.

No one will be held accountable. The Culture Minister and his subordi-nate couldn’t care less.

What else will go missing?Didn’t the government get the

sense? Didn’t they order an immedi-ate review of the overall security and safeguard of all government values and properties and revisit our national security arrangements?

We are in a mess.NEW GUAT PRESIDENTThe newly elected Guatemala

President is bad news for Belize. Otto Perez Molina, 60 years, is the first mili-tary man since 1986 to regain power in that “unhappy regime” next door.

Perez was a former Commander in a region of Guatemala where gross abuses were inflicted on the Maya population. His unit was also accused of the widespread assassinations of political rivals.

Perez has now stated he will have an additional TEN THOUSAND MORE soldiers and 2,500 Police Officers to fight epidemic crime in Guatemala. Philip Goldson would have been sus-picious that such a large increase in soldiers represent a threat to Belize and can be used to protect Guatemala incursions deep into our forest.

Guatemala has fourteen million people. Half of them live in dire pov-erty and the country has one of the world’s highest rates of malnutrition and highest rates of wealth disparity.

IMF TELLS JAMAICAThe International Monetary Fund

(IMF) has told Jamaica it must sell its government majority shares in the na-tionalized Aluminum Company – or no loans and bad ratings will be the con-sequence.

Jamaica has no choice and has agreed to sell.

Z IS FOR ZEROSome da like hero, some dah like

nero. Some dah just plain zero.Z is also for Zenaida, the strange

UDP politician who must have a Minis-terial post or bust.

Rumors flying around are that the Belize Bank has gone to the Northern Road address to foreclose on Z’s big loan. This has given rise to another rumor that Z is seeking employment with Lord Ashcroft.

Z applied for the vacancy of Stan-dard Bearer in Caribbean Shores and was quickly convinced to withdraw the application and focus on Mesop – Mess-UP.

We guess Z knows that the Mess Up representative is working for San-

tino, the candidate with the early lead in the Caribbean Shores races.

The race is between Santino – pri-vately supported by the Prime Minister and Chandra – publicly supported by the Prime Minister’s wife.

Where does that leave Ann Ma-rie Williams? A career headed for the reef!

The young dynamic and genuine Anthony Mahler can take ALL three. The harder they come, the harder they fall. Ask Jimmy Cliff.

TEK BACK POUND YARDThe Pound Yard compound is a

vital and strategic parcel of valuable property in the heart of the much ne-glected Southside of Belize City.

Any vision and any renaissance of South side has to include such a prop-erty.

The longer it takes the govern-ment to repossess, the more expen-sive it will become.

We know the connection between the financiers who now own Pound yard and the UDP government but a land swap can clinch the repossession.

GIVE POLICE A RAISECongratulations are in order to

newly-promoted Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood. Well-deserved and an of-ficer who is a credit to an otherwise tattered Police Department.

Well-deserved but unjustly with-held is the promotion for one of the best active duty officers, Glen Caliz. This is an impressive and impeccable officer. His conduct in operations and arrest is professional and his reports and court testimony are infallible. Highly trained and highly skilled, Glenn has been passed over for a promotion everyone knows he deserves.

In other Police news, the coming of Christmas is as good a time as any to give all hard working Police a salary bonus. They deserve it.

Shucks, the criminals and gang members are getting more money than our Police men and women. And the gangs hardly do any work. Under the UDP government it is more re-warding to be a member of a gang than to be a member of the Police or BDF.

CUBAN SHOWS THE WAYA Cuban national living in Belize is

facing five criminal charges. The charg-es stem from allegations he has been purchasing Belizean crude oil from Spanish Lookout and doing a crude conversion to refined petroleum.

Should such a person be treated as a criminal? Belize is suffering from lack of vision and lack of leadership. Belize is selling its crude oil through a foreign private company named BNE. This for-eign company is making millions and Belize gets a small percentage.

Surely we can get Trinidad, Nige-ria, Mexico and other willing countries help to refine our oil. We sell our crude and buy back refined oil at an expen-sive rate. It’s stupid.

To compound the stupidity we have divided the country into zones and rented out the whole nation to various oil exploring companies. This means Belize will forever be selling it raw/crude oil cheap and buying import-

ed oil expensive.BNE makes huge contributions to

the politicians so we have been sold out by the government. Do not expect any change in relation to how the oil company sucks our blood.

Belize as a nation is rich in re-sources including oil. Belizeans as a people are suffering poverty and great hardships. The oil nor the oil revenues make life better or reduce the wide-spread poverty in our nation.

The Cuban national has shown that small localized refiners can be built in our country. He has shown that refined oil can be used for bus transportation, agriculture, fishermen and other na-tional usage to spur production as well as drive down the high cost of living. Instead of utilizing the Cuban’s knowl-edge and build on it, guess what the government does? Put the Cuban in jail. Working for the big oil companies. That’s what the politicians are doing.

PAIN AND SORROWThe economic news for European

countries and for the USA show no signs of improving soon. Things are actually getting worse in the countries that control the world economy.

All indicators are manifesting dread situations. Businesses are in trouble, unemployment on the rise. Consumer spending is low, money scarce. Gov-ernments cannot provide solutions.

The future is looking bleak.In Belize the government is like

the proverbial ostrich. Hiding its head in a hole. There are no serious dialogue with citizens. There are no think-tanks to generate ideas. There are no proj-ects, projections or on the ground peo-ple/government practical solutions.

Nothing is going on.Belize is like a ship without a cap-

tain or rudder. Rough seas are ahead. Hard winds are going to blow this way.

Pain and Sorrow.


Humor in UDP Politics!

The following matters were discussed in Cabi-net this week

- A new committee was formed to look into the findings of the fourth committee that investi-gated the missing grader. The findings had a side note saying: Don’t hold your breath.

- The investigation into who signed the war-rant to put Minister Saldivar in jail has revealed that the signature was hard to make out but once placed under a magnify glass you could clearly make out the word “Flipping”.

- Members held a random poll on whether Perdomo should serve as Acting Prime Minister. Perdomo won the poll, but had to promise a few more night flights to Gapi Vega.

…………………………..In other related matters:Cabinet erupted in laughter when Flipping

charged Finnegan with taking Major Moya for Cunu Munu. When pressed by his colleagues as to why he just won’t give her Mesop, Finnegan’s reply was crisp and sharp – ‘you think I am crazy? If she could talk out Prime Minister’s business, how much more of mine can’t she? The woman talk too much’.

Three Cabinet Ministers from the West have formed a logging company to purchase all logs from the Chiquibul Area which is cut down by Guatemalans. The purpose they say is to produce a kind of neutral die to make the area invisible to the loggers.

…………………………Things are so bad under barrow that Chendo

Urbina had to close down his gas station. So bad that the former Police Press Officer house is up for sale, along with Salva’s house. To make mat-ters worse nobody can’t talk to Barrow.

After the PUP announced their Mayoral Can-didate, two UDP campaigners from Sedi’s camp got into a heated argument over the gender of the UDP mayoral candidate. After a while one gave up and blurted out ‘okay dah two lady the run for Belize City’.

Cayo businesswoman robbed by gunmen

UDP TONGUE COUNCIL

EConomy haS no mUSClE for mr. BElizE 2011

Belize City, November 16, 2011What is undoubtedly the most

painful and extensive period of UDP economic depression has been nega-tively impacting almost every sector of society. This is evidenced in the fact that even sports and community organisers are having difficulty raising funds for an-nual events. One such event is the yearly Mr. Belize Bodybuilding and Miss Belize Body Fitness competition.

The BELIZE TIMES has learnt from sources that because of the tough eco-nomic times, organisers have been un-able to gather sufficient funds needed to hold the event this year. Under the UDP the economy has no muscle to sustain even a bodybuilding competition.

The event is normally held in Au-gust, but this year it was postponed to December. But with a few weeks to go, organisers are now calling it quits, upon realising that they will not be able to get support to meet their financial target.

This has disappointed the men and women who looked forward to the once-a-year event. Bodybuilding is an expen-sive sport. It takes time, discipline and a lot of money to pay for gym hours and afford supplements. Fitness aficionados rely on competition prizes to provide a kind of subsidy to buffer the cost of the sport. Competitions are already rare, and the announcement that there will be no Mr. Belize this year will likely hurt the level of participation and support which was seeing a positive about-turn in past years.

UDP Mayoral candidate Ivan Leiva doing funny business with his man

tongue

Deputy Prime Minister son Andre Vega

apparantly enjoying tongue action

San Ignacio, November 14, 2011Police are seeking two men in con-

nection to an investigation into an armed robbery that occurred in San Ignacio Town.

Businesswoman Lilian Juarez report-

ed to Police that on Saturday November 12th, she was at her business place when two male persons entered her business. One of the men took out a revolver and pointed it at her, demanding money.

The gunman and his accomplice jumped over the counter and grabbed Juarez’s purse and took out $5,000 in various denominations. The gunmen also took a laptop and cell-phone valued at $7,350. The men then left the scene.

Witnesses say the men left in a red Geo Prism car, which helped Police zero in on three persons. One of them, Jordan Uck, has been detained. Police now seek Jovan Conorquie and Percival Jones who are wanted for questioning.

The stolen items have not been recovered.


Belize Times November 20, 2011

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