05 MAY SCAN HERE
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The Belize Times THE BELIZE TIMES
Established 1957
05 MAY 2013
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ISSUE NO: 4843
The Truth Shall Make You Free
www.belizetimes.bz
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$1.00
UDP IN-FIGHTING Santi to Darrel: Bring it on!
Santiago Castillo
Darrell Bradley
Belize City, April 29, 2013 There is another battle brewing in the UDP, remnants of the bad blood between Vega and Faber. Since the devastating loss, former chairman, Patrick Faber, is bruised and battered and seeking blood. All sorts of intra-party attacks have been launched against UDP Deputy Leader Gaspar Vega and anyone in his camp. Back in March, the secretary general and staff at UDP headquarters threat-
FAREWELL MRS. MOLLY
The PUP and the Belize Times family express our deepest condolences to PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca and his family
Red Eye Boy Gets Paid! Pg. 31
ened to resign. And now, a Faber sympathizer, Darrel Bradley has indicated interest in dethroning Vega-ally, Santino Castillo, in Caribbean Shores. Sounds like one big soap, doesn’t it. Bradley was the first to pull at Santi’s hair, when he issued a City Council stop order that brought a drainage project conducted by Cen-
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Barrow endorses sale of illegal Rosewood
Belize City, May 2, 2013 The Barrow Administration has done a grave injustice to environmental efforts to protect the endangered Rosewood specie. Prime Minister Dean Barrow admitted that there is a “political price to pay” but had no apologies to give to the people of Belize on Monday, when he discussed Government’s secret plan to resume the exploitation of the hardwood.
German Vega The decision to reverse the moratorium on Rosewood exporting to benefit those who had illegally engaged in the cutting was highly controversial and unpopu-
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OPINION !
Dear Editor, This is a letter to the people of the Placencia Peninsula. On Saturday 27th April, the Ministry of Local Government, and high ranking officials from the Ministry of Finance and BWSL descended in mass to the Placencia Basketball Court. The entourage easily numbered (including Security) 25-40 persons. The “reason” behind the meeting, was to “Consult” the inhabitants of the Peninsula as to the implementation of the Peninsula Sewage System. This was a necessary step in the process of securing a US $5 million grant from the IDB. The “goal” of the meeting was two-fold. 1) Complete this procedure and get back to the IDB before a June deadline, thus avoiding the very real possibility of “losing the grant money” 2) Get a “YES” vote from the Peninsula as to whether we want “a” sewage system or not. Right off the bat, Minister Godwin Hulse asked the crowd if they want a sewer system, and he got a very weak, half-hearted “yes” from a few individuals. So, “Mission Accomplished” and within a few minutes, they were ready to call it a night and go home. The reality of this is I believe that “YES” the people of the peninsula do in fact want a sewage system, but NOT THIS ONE with its crippling “Social Costs” attached. No alterna-
3 May
May 1, 2013 The People’s United Party expresses its shock and deep concern at the unspeakable tragedy that unfolded last weekend in which a mother took the lives of three of her four children and attempted to take her own. The Party believes that this unprecedented incident brings into sharp focus the extreme challenges that many women and families face in Belize today, due especially to rising poverty, unemployment, and the increase in domestic violence and abuse based on reports. As a Party we feel strongly that the Belizean public should withhold a rush to judgment against the accused mother and await the relevant facts. Further
tive sewage plan has ever been presented, even though on numerous occasions, including last night, there has been requests for less costly, and less intrusive, more modern scenarios to be put on the table for review. This has not happened, and will never happen, because the Government and BWSL don’t really give a damn about our welfare. They are after what the peninsula generates from the water system. The sewer system is only the “carrot on a stick” to get what they really want-- The MONEY!!! OUR MONEY!!! The MONEY that has traditionally been put back to uplift our communities and the lives of its inhabitants. Conspicuously absent from this process was a representative from the IDB, and, any form of official minutes or record of the contents of this meeting being taken. Both were very wise moves on the part of the Ministry and BWSL, because now they can go back to the IDB, and claim to have succeeded. The IDB needs to hear our voice! I THEREFORE DECLARE THIS CONSULTATION TO BE NULL AND VOID! Behold people! Our 21st century “DESPOTS” have become the present day “INVADERS OF THIS HERITAGE HOLD”. In the name of progress, and promise of a new sewer system, and better life, we will now have to bow down to a new version of what Minister Hulse referred to in decades past as the “Bucket Bembe’s”. Signed, Placencia Resident
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we express our deepest sympathy to the families of these young children as they prepare to lay them to rest. All stakeholders including Government, NGO’s and Civil Society must adopt an attitude of urgency to address the serious problems of the abuse of minors, and women in particular so that there can be no reoccurrence of the conditions that can lead to such result. We all have a responsibility to heighten our awareness of and to respond to families and children who are in need or experiencing severe stress. Likewise we must ensure that we struggle every day to prevent gender based violence and to make sure that young girls of 14 or 15 years of age or less do not become pregnant and thus fall into a vicious cycle of dependency and vulnerability to awful domestic abuse. (Press Release)
Victimized workers sue BWS on eve of Labour Day Belize City, May 2nd 2013 On the eve of Labour Day, five former Belize Water Services (BWS) employees sued the company in the Supreme Court of Belize alleging they were unlawfully terminated. The claim seeks loss salary and benefits. The workers also asked the Court for compensation for BWS’s breach of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the water company and the BWS Workers Union when they fired the five workers in early February this year. The five workers are Don Gillett, Colin Morrison, Charlette Barnett, Michael Novelo and Journett McKoy. They had worked for the company between 2 ½ years and 24 years. In their termination letters, each of the workers was told that their posts had been made redundant in a restructuring exercise BWS was undergoing. However, BWS did not comply with the redundancy and restructuring provisions in the contract governing these employees. The workers allege that since the terminations, BWS has hired several persons in the same departments where the employees had worked. The claimants say that BWS used redundancy as an excuse to fire them when the real reason for the terminations was that they were scapegoats for dissemination of
weather 4 May
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PUP calls on “attitude of urgency” to address family issues
GOB’s Carrot on a stick for Placencia residents
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LOCAL
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THE BELIZE TIMES
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scandalous letters involving BWS staff and management. Two of the five claimants were high ranking executive members in the BWS Union which are the Vice President and General Secretary. Also terminated were the IT Technician for 8 years and a Foreman working for 24 years. All 5 of the above employees where union members also. Senior Counsel Antoinette Moore is representing the five workers.
SCAN HERE
The Belize Times
Established 1957
14 APR 2013
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ISSUE NO: 4840
The Truth Shall Make You Free
www.belizetimes.bz
|
$1.00
serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper. Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus EDITOR
Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST
Chris Williams
OFFICE ASSISTANT
Roberto Peyrefitte Printed and Published By The Belize Times Press Ltd. Tel: 671-8385 #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize
Email: belizetimesadvertisement@yahoo.com
editortimes@yahoo.com
Exchange rate of One Belize Dollar
United States (USD): $ 0.4981
Barbados Eastern Caribbean (BBD): $ 0.9969 (XCD):$ 1.3468
Euro (EUR) : $ 0.3810
Sterling Pound Guatemala Quetzal CANADIAN DOLLAR CHINESE YUAN Trinidadian (TTD) INDIAN RUPEE (GBP): $ 0.3211 (GTQ): $ 3.8780 (CAD): $ 0.5017 (CNY): $ 3.0667 : $ 3.1996 (INR): $ 26.847
05 MAY
THE BELIZE TIMES
2013
PUP leader says discretion laws must go Belize City, April 28, 2013 While appearing on the PLUS TV’s Rise and Shine morning show, PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca signalled that as part of a robust reform agenda, the next PUP Government will do away with the sections of the law that grant discretion to Ministers. Hon. Francis said that in several cases of alleged corruption, the common thread was the final authority given to Ministers through the discretion rules in our laws. The PUP leader indicated that his Government’s reform agenda
would box in corruption while shedding sunlight on Government’s operations to allow a proper system of self-check and oversight. Hon. Francis said another step would be to give the Public Accounts Committee real authority to monitor Government spending. He said he would reduce the Government’s majority influence over the five–member Committee, by allowing
UDP IN-FIGHTING Continued from page 1 tral Government in Caribbean Shores to a halt. Bradley wasn’t invited to the opening of the project held by Santi, and he was mighty upset, we are told. While Santi was away on business, Bradley pulled what seems to be a cheap shot. Then UDP station Channel 7 unveiled Bradley’s political interests in Caribbean Shores area. This red news station has been used many a times to prop up political candidates. But why does Bradley want to run in an area currently held by the UDP? The reason, as shared by UDP insiders, is that Santi drank too much redbull and flew away. Since the elections, Santi has gone missing in action and has ignored the needs of the residents. But Santi isn’t taking this challenge “suavecito”. Via text message from all the way in El Salvador, Santi changed his stage dress to boxing gloves and swung at Mayor Bradley telling the amateur
politician to basically know his role. He sneered, “With the municipal bond, street paving, park renovations, new garbage fees and various disputes with waste management companies, market vendors and taxi drivers…not to mention the fried chicken man, I find it hard to believe that the mayor would have the spare time to even think about running for another office. I have never backed down from a challenge and will defend my seat with all my vigor from any challenger”. The die is cast in Caribbean Shores. UDP leader Barrow has advised Bradley to back down. But Bradley seems to have more than just a height advantage. He has control of City Hall and in effect total say which areas of the city will or will not get infrastructure upgrades. This places UDP representatives in a disadvantageous position of having to kiss up to the Mayor, or risk CitCo-related development in their constituencies. All Santi seems to have are redbulls.
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the Opposition four seats, instead of the two seats it currently holds. The Opposition Leader indicated that the PUP remains committed to an elected senate. Hon. Francis said the PUP is formulating a 100-day agenda with specific targets and timelines for its first hundreds days in office. He said that during his visits to communities Belizeans have made loud calls for reform in Government.
03 3 Barrow endorses sale of illegal Rosewood Continued from page 1 lar. While it was condemned by the Opposition, SATIIM, the Maya Leaders Alliance and other organisations, it was endorsed and defended by the supposed environmentalist Forestry Minister Lisel Alamilla, supposed anti-corruption lobbyist Godwin Hulse and now the Prime Minister. PM Barrow said in his press conference on Monday that allowing the illegally harvested Rosewood to be exported and splitting the revenue with the illegal harvesters was the “legitimate and practical way to go”. While the Prime Minister couldn’t explain why German Vega, the brother of the Deputy Prime Minister, was the only one benefitting from the exporting, Minister Alamilla had already indicated that it’s all about who has the money and connections in Government. There have been numerous reports that even as the amnesty period has come to an end, the harvesting of Rosewood continues in Southern Belize with the same UDP players who have the connections involved.
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Games at DPP’s Office Belize City, April 30, 2013 The BELIZE TIMES has received more troubling news out of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Information coming in to us is that in a recent case where a poor elderly man, Jose Anilla, from Valley of Peace was charged with having 12 bullets in excess of his permit, there was a lot of unnecessary ruckus. Our information is that attorney for Anilla was Senior Counsel, Mr. Simeon Samson. It is reported to us that the DPP, Cherilyn Vidal had left the country and Sampson had applied for a waiver of the cruel ten business days waiting time for bail. The matter was prosecuted by Crown Counsel Sheiniza Smith, who is a junior council recently brought in to Belize. Smith requested a further delay but was asked if at the expiration of the ten days they would be in a position to object to bail. We are told that one of the attorneys for the Office of the DPP said “no”. On that basis and after looking over the entire submissions, Judge Lucas admitted Anilla to bail. We are informed that the most contemptuous and improper behaviour then came from Smith who, by de facto forces, was the Acting DPP at the time. She refused to even take notes from the judge as she is required to do. Furthermore she refused to prepare
the order. It had to be prepared by Mr. Sampson. We learnt that it is the practice that attorneys on both sides sign a draft of the Court order but it was only by the input of the Judge and the Senior Counsel that the order was signed and the elderly man given his bail. This story is important because of the level of crime and the problems in the justice system that the UDP have created. Our first question is how did this junior attorney who is in Belize for less than two years become de facto Acting DPP when there is Senior Crown Counsel, Cecil Ramirez. Secondly, we ask, is this the conduct of the office of DPP that is being carried out daily? What kind of ship is being run over there? What will be done about this? What will the judge do? What will the Chief Justice do? When we wonder how it is possible that criminals are taking stock of the justice system, here are some of your answers. The UDP needs to fix the evils and improprieties they infected into this system or our children will continue to die and murderers and rapist will continue to walk down the Supreme Court steps back into the free society without punishment or closure for the families of victims. Our country is not a toy. It is important to us.
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Hon. Ramiro hands over news jerseys to Buena Vista Female team
RAMIRO RAMIREZ SUPPORTS SPORTS IN SCHOOLS
San Victor male team
Buena Vista school preparing for Bishop’s Cup
05 MAY
2013
THE BELIZE TIMES
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EDITORIAL
A
Waiting To Exhale
t 8:30am on Saturday, April 27, the soul of all Belizeans became a little darker, sadder and culpable. The shock was one thing but the chilling reality that this incident happened in sweet, innocent, beautiful Belize is still sharply shameful despite the torrential news of daily sensational murders. The news flooded the social media with an intensity and confusion reminiscent of the grizzly assassinations of the four Dean Street men in January. This time it was far more personal. It struck a sensitive cord. It was far more grating to our romantic sensibilities of our identity as Belizeans. The story was of an unfortunate twenty-two year old Mayan single mother, Felicia Chen, was confirmed to have drowned her four, three and one year old children in the murky waters of Belizean Beach. We at BELIZE TIMES will not be quick to judge the plight of Felicia because this must be a tormented soul, whose initial intent of ending her own life is a conclusion that she may still be committed to. Yet, the initial wave of reactions were fast, furious and condemning. Equal in vigor to the condemnation, were those voices reminding us, that no one except Felicia Chen knows the dark issues which collapsed on her. The scramble for empirical, even rational, answers will be a difficult task. In Belize, answers to far more simple questions are severely illusive. We simply lack the attention span, expertise and moral endurance as a society to get an explanation of any real value. This is whether that answer be spiritual, psychological, sociological, psychiatric or forensic. We are not a culture that gets real answers. Our culture is completely nomadic in this sense. We will tread on emotionally from this without extracting the substance of a lesson. Our unsuspecting penal and supporting systems were never sufficient for run of the mill crimes and socio-psychotic issues. For the love of four year old Triana, three year old Thomas and baby Trinaya, how can it deal with this? Honestly, tell us. We expect the motions, the procedural song and dance but it will all be lip-synching. Our experts and professionals are simply unprepared and underequipped. After her arraignment, by court order, clinical psychologist Dr. Elma Augustine examined Felicia Chen and diagnosed her as suffering from chronic clinical depression. Ironically, last year’s Mental Health Day Theme was: “Depression: A Global Crisis”. On this strip of mangrove swamp, we all live this roller coaster of ups and downs. In that reality, we may be tempted to quickly dismiss this diagnosis and say, “she should have just talked with someone”. But, as one medical doctor advised in a heartfelt conversation on this issue, we should never confuse everyday “blues” with depressive mood disorders. Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders. In fact, one in eight adults in the Caribbean are affected and in Belize our source puts the percentage at one in seven. Studies have consistently documented higher rates of depression among women than among men: the female-to-male ratio averages is two to one. In Belize, 49% of admissions to community-based psychiatric units are female. Felicia is in an “at risk” category and logs all the factors that would have forewarned her actions. She falls in all the red zones. Persons in the age group 18-29 years old are 70% more likely to experience depression over their lifetime. Blacks, Hispanics, non-Hispanic persons of other races or multiple races, persons with less than a high school education and individuals unable to work or unemployed are more likely to suffer from major depression. This was the pre-existing socio-psychiatric profile of Felicia. The second filter of Felicia’s life condition appears clinically to have sealed the likelihood of her actions because some individuals are more susceptible than others to depression. This is particularly so following traumatic life events, when in difficult or abusive relationships, or as a result of socio-economic factors such as income, housing, prejudice and workplace stress. Looking at the “bare bones” case file presented of Felicia Chen to us through the media we know that she is the poster specimen of these statis-
tics.
Mental Health is the buzzword of 2013 worldwide. However, for persons suffering with mental illnesses it is not a “word”. It is a harsh reality and one that many do not realize they are living. We cannot continue failing the vulnerable in our society. Proof of how much we are failing to address issues relating to mental illness lies in the last WHO-AIMS Report on Mental Health in Belize. It was published in 2009 using data compiled in 2007 based on the previous year (2006). The “off dated” state of this report aside, it dryly highlighted the woeful state of mechanisms to deal with mental health issues in Belize. In 2013 nothing has yet been done. The most glaring issue was the small number of professionals working in our mental health system. According to the report, the total number of human resources working in mental health facilities or private practice per 100,000 is 18. There are two psychiatrists serving the entire country of Belize. We note that up to May 2012 this was reported as still factual. Both psychiatrists work in government administered mental facilities and private practice. This means that dealing with persons suffering with a mental illness falls directly in the hands of other health care professionals. There are nine mental health clinics all located within our polyclinics. Three of these clinics are located in Belize City. These clinics serve as the first point of entry for most persons who are admitted to the Acute Psychiatric Unit in Belmopan. Serving these clinics is a total of 19 psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNPs). Only two polyclinics have permanently stationed PNPs. In Belize like in many other countries, particularly the Caribbean, there is a stigma attached to mental illness. Some persons view depression as a first world illness thoroughly ill suited to life in a third country, which is expectedly hard. In this struggle to survive who has time to be depressed is the refrain. Our circumstances, however, are the kind that breed mood disorders. Perhaps, if greater attention had been paid to Felicia the tragic circumstances that unfolded would not have occurred. Simple things could have saved the lives of four children. Simple things for Felicia like a job, an education, a court order for maintenance, a social worker’s input and counseling. In the fifty-fifty of hindsight, we realize how achievable these things are. Yet none of these things saved those three children and will haunt the fourth. Felicia Chen represents every mother who is suffering from post partum depression. She is the face of every person battling with a mental disorder diagnosed or undiagnosed. Epitomizing every mentally ill homeless person we see roaming our Belize City streets and every teenager in Belize who committed suicide. Personifying every physically, emotionally and verbally abused person. If we are willing to pause and admit the simple truth that Felicia is one of many - we can move forward as a nation willing to take mental health issues seriously. We at BELIZE TIMES have chosen to refrain from the finger pointing; this is an issue of soul tugging. We delicately stand at a social cross roads and moral cliff. For the politicians in Government solving this will not win an election for them but it will begin the cleansing of our society’s soul and its conscience. The raw collective guilt and awakened sensitivities of the Belizean society is the gift that the lives of these three angels have left us. We have all the answers locked up in a mind and body of a fallen mother. It is our labour now to extract penance as a community from this system. We cannot afford to find ourselves drowned here ever again. We need to urge our people to inhale the beauty of life’s beaches and sunrise and excrete the passing conflicts of time. Our society is losing hope. They are become unable to conceive a resolution. We at BELIZE TIMES and the People’s United Party offer our shoulder, ears and heart as we encourage Belizeans who are weary and heavy laden out there. We say, if you get to overwhelmed, keep swimming. Redemption cometh in the morning.
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Of this and that… HOLY REDEEMER The Holy Reedemer Credit Union is an institution. When you say Credit Union, people think HRCU. Even though there are others. There is St. Francis Xavier Credit Union. St John’s Credit Union. There is Mount Carmel Credit Union. When you say HRCU we think Miss Jane. She is an icon. She is director Emeritus. She has freed up the institution. It is a people’s bank. 50,000 members. HRCU is an old place. It is sixty nine years old this year. It is having some problems. They lost 50% in interest earnings. That is brutal. From $9.2 million to $5.4 Million. This is because of the ugly interest rates under this government. This is poor people money. Poor people are rich. This may sound crazy. But the owner members have $458.8 million in assets. Poor people borrowed. We borrowed a lot. $271.8 million. That is only for 2013. 25% of what was borrowed was for House repairs. $13 million was just for Medical expenses. We borrowed the same amount for education and vehicles repairs. That is around $17 million. Power to the poor. Power to the meek. Power to the humble. They inherit the earth. Pride is on the other side. Pride is what happens before we are destroyed. HEALER Olatunji Balogun is an author. He is an eloquent man. He is insightful. He has had 75 jobs. His life story is powerful. He has written several books. He is a spiritual leader. His father in law is the great Godsman Ellis. He was on Love Fm morning show. He has a new book. It is called Victim of our Wealth. It is about reawakening. The book has a back drop. Balogun had a nervous break down. He is sharing his healing. The way Malcolm X shared his. We need more Olatunji Baloguns. See what happened to Felicia Chen. She needed to read his books. Talked to him. She would have found peace. Healing is around us. Balogun is a spring of healing. This is my opinion. He has an email. It is michaelbrewster63@yahoo.com. The Government should call him. He has a cell number. It is 667-2537 or 802-0385. We need to use what we have. Straight. VOIP UNCHAINED Barrow took five years. He is a
neo slave master. We finally get the crumbs of VOIP. He did it because he could not stop it. He will get no applause. None from me. He should a mi do that long time. We no fool. A little sweet to try curry favor. Too little. Too late. NATIONAL UTILITY COMPANY We own the utility companies. We own BTL. We own BEL. It is owned by the people of Belize. That is what they say. Really it is private company. The government has 51% shares in the company. It is really owned by the Government. That means it is owned by the UDP. Not the people. The boards of all these companies are full of UDPs. They do what they want. They do not answer to the people. There is no oversight. We should fix this. The Leader of Opposition should have a representative on all these board. He should have a director appointed representing the 50% of the population that is not UDP. This will allow us to see what they are doing. How they are spending our money. Bet you they will never do that. Shady. KENRICK BLADES Belize is hot. Rich people buy Klondike bars. We normal people are different. We wait for the bell. The cart. The Paletas cart. We buy paletas. We buy magic shell. The carts were owned by Mr. Blades. He had his office on Tigris Street. There was a truck too. It sold nachos. It sold goodies. DEATH BECOME A FAMILY Felicia Chen killed her three children. They were drowned by her. Something was wrong with her. She took a lot. Abuse. Worries. That is a lot of children. They came in a short period of time. It is almost one a year. There is a disease. It is called post partum depression. It is a condition that happens to women after they give birth. It is bad. It is dangerous. This lady never came out of that. She was in perpetual depression. We need to call on BFLA. YES. All the other people. They need to step up.
CENSUS There was a census. They asked all sorts of questions. It finished a year ago. We heard a piece of it. Then there was silence. That means GOB is operating without facts. No stats. The last census was 2000. The one before that was 1991. How can we develop if they are so far apart? The public is operating without taking stock. This is terrible. It is a shame. Give us the census. Why is it being hidden? BACON GUARDIAN The UDP are funny. They are also incompetent. Incompetent people insult other people. They cannot help it. It is all they can do. They are johncrows. They are on a roll. They attacked Jackie Marshalleck. They disrespected the lady. They insult Kay Menzies. They diss up Audrey Matura. Front page. They call her work worthless. They attack Senator Lizzaraga. They have the man in a bacon outfit. For no reason. Well, except that he was talking against what they were doing wrong. Then they diss a judge. Basically saying that his decision is stupidness. Wow. One of these days they will get the sense. Trust me. CXC This is a ruff time for 4th formers. They are in the middle of exams. The middle of CXC. This is the real test. Local exams can be bent. They can be twisted. It depends on the school. It depends on whether the teacher like you. CXC stands for Caribbean Examination Council. It is the big leagues. You have to earn your keeps. Those grades do not lie. We have to say a prayer for our students. Leave them to study. Give
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2013
them our support. Go get that exam. You will make us proud. On a separate note. We need to throw away that exam. The some of the top fifty colleges are in America. The CXC does not prepare you for Uncle Sam. We need to consider making them take SAT and GRE and ACT. Sentimental things are ok. We need results. Dig it. FAREWELL MRS. MOLLY Francis Fonseca is a strong man. An upright man. A man of principle. A blue collar leader. He got all that from his parents. We owe his parents a thanks. Hon. Francis’ mother has been ill. She has been fighting. Hon. Francis has been holding up. He has been there every step of the way. He has led the PUP without a flinch. He has never complained. That must be hard. Other “leaders” have a little death or sickness and they make a production of it. Respect Mrs. Molly. Your strength, love and integrity lives on in your son. Insh’Allah. MESSAGE FROM MOTHERTO SON
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” AND “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” FOR “ Though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” Revelation 21:4, John 16:22, Colossians 2:5.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
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HRCU Enters 7th Decade of Service to Belize
Belize City, April 29, 2013 On Saturday April 27th, 2013 2,500 member-owners of Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited gathered at the SJC Gymnasium for the 69th Annual General Meeting. The sea of Belizeans of all ages that lined up early after lunch for the prompt 3pm start is proof positive that HRCU is a powerful people’s movement that continues to play an important role in Belize’s quest for economic and financial independence. The Board of Director’s Report was delivered by Mr. Karl H. Menzies, who has been HRCU’s President since 1998, the longest such consecutive tenure at 15 years. Mr. Menzies’ term of office as a director came to a close on Saturday but he was once again endorsed by the membership to serve another 3 years. He recalled HRCU’s humble beginning in 1944 when 3 young ladies were convinced by the Parish Priest of Holy Redeemer, Fr. Henri Sutti, to save 25 cents each. Today HRCU boasts a membership of 49,545 and total assets of $458.9 million. For the Fiscal Year 2012/2013 Mr. Menzies reported that HRCU had a gross profit of $36 million with expenses of $9.1 million, leaving a net profit of $26.9 million, or just about $2.25 million per month. For HRCU to record such profits despite a depressed economy and more aggressive and ruthless competition is a testament to the power of people and the credit union difference where you are an owner not a client, a person not an account number. Mrs. Jane Usher has been there since the start of the movement, and in her Treasurer’s Report she spoke about keeping HRCU’s ship-of-state in forward motion at all times. She reported that because of the chronic excess liquidity in the financial sector, the interest that HRCU earned from term deposits in commercial banks was slashed almost in half. She said, “No longer can we depend on investment income. We must go back to the good old days of working our loan portfolio if we are to survive. This is the reason why we are giving back 15% for
loan interest rebates because those member-owners who use our loan service are really the ones responsible for keeping HRCU’s doors opened.” In addition to the 15% rebate on interest paid, the membership also approved a dividend of 6%. In total the member-owners of HRCU shared a profit of $21 million. Other benefits that HRCU offers include $5,000 for Funeral Benefit, $75,000.00 for Loan Protection and $20,000.00 in Life Savings for a combined total of $100,000 in benefits. The loan protection and life savings coverage are free and the funeral benefit comes at a nominal cost of $2 monthly. And as Mrs. Jane reminded everyone, “Borrowing from HRCU is still the cheapest source of obtaining loans which comes with absolutely no fees and no penalties.” The Chairperson of the Credit Committee, Ms. Marion Marsden, informed the membership that for the last fiscal year a total of 22,088 loans were disbursed amounting to $88.2 million and bringing the net loan portfolio to $271.9 million. While HRCU has remained focus on assisting Belizeans of all income brackets to educate their children and own their own home, there has been an increased number of loans for business and investment, signaling a dedicated strategy on the part of the board of directors to jump start the economy by providing capital to small and medium business owners and thus creating jobs. Credit Unions are often called the poor man’s bank, but they are much more than that. Looking at the faces of the member-owners from all walks of life you could see the pride that they felt in knowing that they were part-owners of a profitable institution. HRCU is a people’s institution that encourages its members to pool their resources and help each other in times of need. In unity there is strength. As HRCU enters its 7th decade of service the strength of the institution lies with the loyal member-owners who continue to save regularly, borrow wisely and repay promptly.
05 MAY
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THE BELIZE TIMES
Why the Caye Chapel Deal went sour Belize City, May 2, 2013 Prime Minister Dean Barrow was careful not to shove his foot in his mouth when he discussed the Caye Chapel deal that sunk to the bottom of the sea. Barrow refused to say exactly why a million dollar investment plan went belly-up, and only said that the “Qataris seemed to have gone cold”. The BELIZE TIMES had reported from January 2013 that the deal had gone sour, and we exposed the reason it did. The blame lies squarely on the UDP Minister involved in the deal, who seemed to think he was playing monopoly with real world investors. What really took place was that the Qatari group of investors smelt a rat and pulled out. The UDP Minister sold the Qatari investors a development plan which belonged to a Canadian Group, potentially opening a can of legal worms. The Canadian Group had de-
veloped the plan with a Sheridan Hotel in mind. The Minister went to Qatar with the same plan on hand, and sold the plan to the Qatari Group for a handsome fee with the Four Seasons Hotel chain proposed as the developers of the project expansion. When the Prime Minister boasted publicly in September 2012 that a Caye Chapel deal with multi-millionaires from Qatar was coming soon, the Canadian Group realized they had been taken for a ride. The Qatari investors reportedly backed out for fear of buying a law suit shortly after. How shameless for an entire Government to have this kind of reputation on the global market. This time the Prime Minister is claiming they have new investors for Caye Chapel. He once more said the plan is for a Four Seasons Hotel, so we wonder who fell for the trap this time. It’s only a matter of time before we find out.
PUP Friendly Fort George v. Pickstock
Kareem Musa, Fort George & Dr. Francis Smith, Pickstock
Fort George
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Pickstock
02
MUSA’S FORT GEORGE WINS
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THE BELIZE TIMES
What do you think about the incident at Belizean beach where a young mother killed three of her children?
Rebekah I don’t know what was going through the mother’s head and what would cause her to take the life of her three young kids, and then try to take her own life. Student: Home Econ Excelsior High
Karen
I feel even if she was in a domestic violent relationship, she should not have killed her children because they were innocent. In the worst case, she could have taken her own life instead of the children. Student: Home Econ Excelsior High
Dayna
Hilton
I believe that she committed the crime because she was stressed out. This might have been caused from not having the support needed from the father of her children.
She stole the chance at life away from her kids. As they say “she chance them out of their life.” She should get the death sentence.
Student: Home Econ Excelsior High
Second former Gwen Lizarraga high
FACES & OPINIONS
2013
Shereen She should not have taken her stress and frustration out on her children and killed them because she brought them into this world. If she could not take care of them she should have given them up. Student: Business Gwen Lizarraga
Kenavie
At the end of the day, she should not have taken her anger out on her kids. She should have talked to someone about what she was going through. This would have prevented what happened because it did not have to happen. Student: Science Gwen Lizarraga
Ernest
Sharema
What she did was completely wrong. She should have given the children to the Human and Social Services Department if she knew she could not take care of them and was planning on taking their lives.
Stress drove her into what she did because I don’t think any mother would do that to their kids. I think that she thought that that was the easiest way for her and her children to get out of that stress of not having food to eat or money.
Student: General Studies Excelsior High
06 MAY
Student: Science Gwen Lizarraga High
Shannon
She should not have done that. If she knew she was having problems in her relationship, she should have left the relationship. Then she should have gone to a professional and talked about the situation she was in, instead of taking it out on her children. Student: Science Gwen Lizarraga
05 MAY
2013
THE BELIZE TIMES
Women who lead: lessons from the forgotten district Machakila Village, Toledo District, April 23, 2013 Machakila is a beautiful village in southern district of Toledo. Belizeans consider Toledo to be one of the most pristine parts of Belize. It is not listed in the most technologically advanced nor infrastructural but this village has a great lesson for the rest of Belize. This village is a pioneering village in politics. Not partisan politics but in the expression of progressive politics. BELIZE TIMES has learnt that Machakila boasts the only female Alcalde in the Toledo District. Her name is Conceptiona Ical. An Alcalde is an important and respected position in Mayan Communities which are historically patriarchal. Every 3 years an Alcalde is elected in the month of November. All Villagers are invited to an assembly and a majority vote decides on a leader. The Alcalde is very important to the community as she has complete authority and a mandate to govern. Her role is to ensure peace and harmony in the Village through judging disputes and levying small fines. Under the Inferior Courts Act, Chapter 94 of the Laws of Belize, at sections 67 to 75 the Alcalde wields the power of a fully empowered resident magistrate in both civil and criminal matters. But the progressiveness of this village goes further because the Chairperson of the village is also a strong woman by the name of Ofelia Chiac. Chiac also impressively serves as the Deputy Alcalde of Machakila. The BELIZE TIMES thanks the Toledo East Area Representative, Mike Espat for sharing the accompanying photos and this fact with the nation of Belize. We recall that he has sustained his unbiased work ethic with remote and very often forgotten families in these areas of our country. These images are from one of the routine visits to the people and homes in his constituency. In fact, we at BELIZE TIMES recall that he had opened a road to the village in 2007 which was never graveled or cared for after the UDP took government. The villagers shared with us that since the change of Government that it is only owing to some logging work that is being done in the area that they have collaterally gotten a bulldozed road.
Although we are tempted to tell this story as another instance of the UDP forgetting and ignoring hard working Belizean communities in Toledo, we at BELIZE TIMES believe that the more important story is the political success and evolution of the communities who have shed gender hindrances still strong in other areas with far more modern amenities. This is impressive and needs to be fully commended and promoted as another example of crossing divisive lines. The PUP and the Leader of the Opposition Francis Fonseca together with the Hon. Mike Espat all extend and register our respect, love and acknowledgment to the progressive positive developments and achievements of these pioneering female Belizeans.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
06 MAY
2013
05 MAY MAY 05
THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE
2013
TOPMODEL 13
ENTERTAINMENT
NEWS
Mr. Program’s
new track
He rose to the top with his track ‘See I Rise’ in 2009. Since then Mr. Program has been quiet, but he has been working on his latest track called ‘Tek it easy’ which he released some weeks ago. Since the release, Mr. Program says the public’s response has been amazing and he feels the potential is even greater than his solo track four years ago. ‘Take it easy’ is a comeback track based on the experience and the challenges I’ve been going through for the past 4 years. We are doing a lot, we’re meeting thousands of people, we’re trying to reach out at as much people. The feedback is that we’re doing an outstanding job with the type of music we’re producing’ Mr. Program’s new track is available on also has the songs from his last album. The CD is available by calling Mr. Program at 665-1879.
Keyanni • • • •
Height: 5’ 2” Career Plan: Child Psychologist Sign: Libra Favourite Food: Italian
• • •
TOP MODEL Clothing and Accessories provided by CATWALK FASHIONS
Likes: Writing poems, reading, modeling, socializing Lives in Belize City Fav. Quote: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
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THE BELIZE TIMES
Makoabi R
12
x:
06 MAY
2013
PUBLIC AUCTION SALE
Relationships, Love Tips & Advice…
SECRETS OF HAPPY
RELATIONSHIPS
(part 2)
BY ORDER OF THE MORTGAGEE HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED, a Licensed Public Auctioneer will sell on site the following property at the time as listed. At No. 80 Bougainvilla Street, Ladyville, Belize District on Friday, 3rd May 2013 at 10:00am
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They take a “breather” A weekly date night is good for maintaining the spark in your relationship. However, a few minutes together alone is powerful. Take 10-15 minutes a day to talk about anything, except for your responsibilities or anything mundane. Have fun conversing; this will deepen your understanding and your bond. It is said that 98% of happy couples intimately understand their partners.
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They understand each other’s needs Conflict, communication problems or sexual incompatibility aren’t the main reasons for the break up of committed relationships. The disappointment of the gap between what you expect and how your partner acts is most damaging. To diffuse that frustration, share your expectations with each other.
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They think positive Often, we think that for our relationships to be better we must “iron out” what’s wrong. This may be more harmful than beneficial. The best way to boost your relationship is to focus on the positive elements. Positive energy makes us feel good and motivates us to keep going in that direction. This doesn’t mean that you can’t feel -or talk about- anything negative, but if you want a happier relationship, the positive side needs to far outweigh the bad.
ALL THAT piece or parcel of land situate on Bougainvilla Street, Ladyville Village Belize District, being the Lot No. 80 and more particularly delineated and described as shown on Plan No. 1651 in the Lands and Survey Department, Belmopan, recorded at the General Registry in Crown Lands Book (Plans) TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of KAY USHER DATED this 25th day of April 2013
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They are grateful for the ordinary Once you’ve been together for a while it is easy to take your partner and everything they do for granted. For a healthy and satisfying relationship you need to have an awareness of, and an appreciation for, the routine kindnesses they demonstrate. Such as waking you up early for work, babysitting the children so you can get a breather, cooking your favourite meal or running errands. Through praising your partner you tell them they are important to you. The ripple effect is if you’re positive your partner will be positive in return.
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They use terms of endearment We’ve all heard the “lovey-dovey”, “honey bunny” or “cuddles” terms used by happy couples. Sometimes, we’ve privately poked fun at them. But, being playful, allows couples to let down their guard, to feel closer to one another and deepen their bond of intimacy. These same feelings of intimacy can also come from using a special tone of voice with each other or sharing silly “inside jokes”. The point is to connect with some private message system that’s meaningful to you as a couple.
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They can get from screaming children to passion It’s hard to transition from the daily grind to being sexy. Successful couples find remarkably unremarkable ways to snap each other out of the daily grind mode. How? They figure out their own shorthand for “let’s be sexy together.”
All sales are strictly cash and deemed final. For more information contact:
HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738
05 MAY MAY 05
SPORTS 15
THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE
2013
Belizeans dominate Cycling in Cozumel Team BTL Swoosh
Team C-Ray
Benny’s Megabytes
Cozumel, April 28, 2013 Belizeans who participated in the annual Cedral Cycling Classic in Cozumel, Mexico over the weekend left a lasting impression on neighboring athletes. Kaya Cattouse won as female champion overall, while Team Santinos’ Jim Scott finished 2nd in the ‘Master B’ category and Team C’Ray’s Brandon Morgan finished 2nd overall in the ‘Junior’ category. It was a 2-stage race and the best accumulated time after the 2
stages determined the winner. Morgan placed second in the 1st stage on Saturday, some 18 seconds behind the leader and he won the 2nd stage on Sunday which came down to a sprint. Jim Scott was 2nd in the 1st stage some 00:01:15 behind the leader and he won the 2nd stage in a sprint on Sunday. Kaya Cattouse won the first day of female racing in a sprint; separating herself from the field by 3 seconds. She also won the 2nd stage
in a convincing sprint finish. She had placed 2nd overall last year. Well known Mexican cyclist Juan Manuel Yapur of Team Cape, who sometimes races with affiliation to the C-Ray Team in Belize, won the ‘Elite’ category overall; while Belizean riders Byron Pope and Allen Castillo of Benny’s Megabytes were 2nd and 3rd respectively. A Mexican from Team Depredadores was 4th and Brandon Cattouse of C-Ray rounded out the top 5.
Belize Bank Blazers
BES & Holy Redeemer
in women’s softball marathon
Belize City, April 28, 2013 The Belize Bank Blazer won the allday marathon which kicked off the 2013 Belize City women’s softball competition on Sunday, April 28. The Blazers stopped the Rebels 134. Kiri Lizama, Marsha Wills, Jolene Davis and Fiona Rivero came home in the top of the 1st inning while Rebels’ Mertell Bailey, Patricia Thimbrell and Doreth Young came home as Blazers led 4-3. Pitcher Ortencia Richards gave up no
Other teams who were also represented in Cozumel: - Telemedia Swoosh: George Lovell, Greg Lovell and Jairo Campus. - Santinos: Jim Scott, Santino Castillo and Warren Coye. - Benny’s Megabytes: Byron Pope, Mark Staine, Herman Requeña, Allen Castillo and Angel Tzib. - C-Ray: Brandon Morgan, Kaya Cattouse, Riis & Brandon Cattouse, Henry Moriera and Ron McKenzie
enter basketball semifinals undefeated
runs in the next 3 innings, while Lizama came home in the 2nd. Rebels’ Sharette Vernon came home to trail 4-5. That was all she wrote for the Rebels, as Lizama, Wills and Davis scored 3 runs in the top of the 6th and Lizama, Davis, Cindy Joseph and Nicole Arnold scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th for the 13-4 victory in the first finals game. In the second finals game, the Blazers outlasted the Rebels 4-3 to clinch the championship.
Herman Card made 11pts
Belize City, April 26, 2013 The Belize Elementary School and Holy Redeemer RC School girls have qualified to the 2013 primary school basketball finals, while St. John Vianney, Ephesus 7th Day Adventist, Wesley Upper and St. Martin de Porres boys have advanced to the semifinals by wins in the playoffs at Bird’s Isle last Friday and Monday, April 29. On Friday, the Vianney boys eliminated the St. Luke Methodist School boys when James Pugh scored 9 points to lead them to a 28-22 win over St. Luke’s for whom Adrian Arnold scored 14 points. Also on Friday, the Ephesus 7th Day Adventist boys advanced by eliminating the Holy Redeemer boys: 31-24. Ephesus’ Antawn Palacio scored 21 points while Holy Redeemer’s Herman Card scored Continued on page 16
16 SPORTS
05 06 MAY
THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES
2013
CYDP & Tuff e’Nuff start off with a bang
Belize City, April 26, 2013 The Conscious Youth Development Program and Tuff e’Nuff won the opening games of the 2013 interoffice basketball competition at Bird’s Isle last Friday night, April 26. C.Y.D.P. won 84-78 over Sir Belikin. Leroy Louriano led C.Y.D.P. with 25 points and Felix Bernard added 17 points for a 20-11 in the 1st quarter. Ian Lennon also hit a long trey to add 11 points for a 42-27 at the half. CYDP’s Lincey Lopez scored 9 points, Matthew Young playing big D in the paint, scoring 5 points on the putback for CYDP to lead 69-46 in the 3rd quarter. Sir Belikin made a real comeback in the 4th quarter as Dorian Jones led their counterattack with 22 points. Ty Bradley hit a long trey to add 15 points and Travis Lennon also hit a long trey
to add 9 points. Dorian Jones shaved the lead to 78-74 with 1:23 minutes left on the clock, and scored some free throws to make it a one-point ballgame 77-76 with 59 seconds left on the clock. But they could not stop Leroy Louriano and Bernard who got fouled and stepped to the free throw line for some final points for the 84-78 win. Tuff e’Nuff blew away Oceana No Limits 83-69. Farron “Far-D” Louriano scored 18 points and 5 boards to lead Tuff e’Nuff. Oceana’s Kurt “Chengo” Burgess led with 10 points. The tournament continues on Thursday and Friday, May 2-3.
Tuff e Nuff’s Tyrone Edwards made 12pts
Fabio Carballo wins U-18 table tennis championship
Belize City, April 30, 2013 SJC’s Fabio Carballo won the 1st annual Don Omario Cup when by the Belize Table Tennis Association held its under-18 national table tennis tournament at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium on Saturday April 27. Some 32 players from St John’s College, St. Mary’s Anglican School, St. Joseph’s RC School and Belize Elementary Schools began the competition which was in double elimination format, and it took 62 matches to decide a champion. National under-15 Cadets champion, Fabio Carballo, entered the tournament as one
of the top-seeded players along with Harim Ochaeta, Joshua Gegg, Aaron Stock, Daniel Sanchez, Mishek Musa, Gian Lisbey, and Zachary Ortiz. The championship finals was a close and exciting contest, but Carballo triumphed over against Ochaeta: 3-1. Aaron Stock of St John’s Junior College was third and Gian Lisbey also of SJC was fourth. As champion, Carballo keeps the Cup for a year until the next annual tournament, any champion who wins the Cup three times gets to keep it. The tournament was named in honor of Don Omario Perdomo who was a table tennis player in his time; and the company he founded, Travellers Limited, sponsored the tournament.
BES & Holy Redeemer Continued from page 15
Bandits enter football playoffs as #1 Ontario’s Kenreen Gillett Bandits’ JeromeJames scored 2 goals
Tanya Davis scores
Rebels, Wolverines & Camalote United win softball games
11points. The Wesley Upper boys eliminated the BES boys: 22-19. Wesley’s Jahmar Harris led with 10 points while BES’ Kristian Swasey scored 11 points. The St. Martin’s boys eliminated the Trinity Methodist boys 22-19; when Martin’s Glen Arzu led with 11 points. Trinity’s Michael Bowen had 7 points. On Monday, the BES girls eliminated the St. Martin De Porres girls 16-14 led by Chelsea Williams with 14 points. Martin’s Shantae Palacio scored 11 points. The Holy Redeemer girls eliminated the Buttonwood Bay Nazarene School girls: 10-5; with Holy Redeemer’s Zaria Jenkins scoring 6 pts. Buttonwood’s Tori Aldana had 4 points.
05 MAY
2013
THE BELIZE TIMES
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THE BELIZE TIMES
Scales of
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or binding over order, a suspended sentence order or a community order. A discharge or binding over order is when the court discharges the offender without imposing a sentence on the condition that the offender does not commit an offence during a period of time- between one month and three years. A suspended sentence order, in by anthony sylvestre contrast, is when the court passes a sentence, but the sentence does not take effect, until and unless the offender commits another offence punishable with imprisonment. A community order on the other hand, is where the court, rather than imposing a custodial sentence, orders the offender to perform community service The question is whether a woman, In her well-known novel, Beka ogous experiences, which I shall refer afflicted with the Toycie Syndrome and Lamb, pre-eminent Belizean novelists, to as the Toycie syndrome, is one which who is convicted of infanticide or murZee Edgell has as one of her characters, has beset many a female in our society der be eligible for a discharge the teenage female Toycie Qualo, who and indeed and binding order, suspended suffers great disappointment in her final the world at order or community order? year of high school. This disappointment large. Some The question is whether a woman, afflicted with the In the scheme of things, it later drives Toycie mad and to her grave. have been Toycie Syndrome and who is convicted of infanticide would appear that that may As is well known, Toycie grew up able to overbe the most prudent order for with her Aunt Eila since she was the come, othor murder be eligible for a discharge and binding orthe court to make- after all, the age of three years. She resented the ers, like Toyder, suspended order or community order? mother’s mental faculty at the fact that she did not know her biologi- cie, were not In the scheme of things, it would appear time of killing her child, would cal father and that she had an absentee so fortunate. that that may be the most prudent order for have been impaired. Thing is mother who left her in the care of her T h i s the court to make- after all, the mother’s though, such orders are only aunt while she immigrated to the United week there available to offenders who are States. At one point in the novel Toycie has been mental faculty at the time of killing her convicted of petty offences says “I feel better if she were dead,” much public child, would have been impaired. such as common assault. referring to her mother. disquietude There are clearly situations But this of course pales in compari- over the son to the more psychologically traumat- killing of three infants by their moth- ences leading to a mental breakdown, where it would not serve the ends of ic disappointment Toycie experiences er. Apathy and resentment towards use this as a shield to insulate her from justice if a woman found guilty of inlater on in her final year of high school. the mother have fallen from the lips of conviction, even though she willfully fanticide or murder, is imprisoned. My Like teenagers her age, Toycie felt most. It therefore sets me questioning caused the death of her child? It doesn’t respectful opinion is that those womthat her boyfriend- Emilio- was the cen- and questioning whether the response seem so. Such factors (such as her men- en suffering from the Toycie Syndrome tre of her world. But when she becomes was unsympathetic to the clearly psy- tal breakdown), as the law presently fall into this category. Maybe the law in pregnant and informs him of this, she chological tsunami that would envelope stands, can only be used as mitigating this respect could be revisited. But of quickly realizes that love does not con- a mother and drive her to kill her infant circumstances for purposes of sentenc- course, before this is done, the public quer all. children- if that indeed was what hap- ing; that is, where the mother should be debate on this issue would have to loom Emilio informs her that he doesn’t pened. It consequently led to this article. sentenced to 5 years as opposed to 25 for a while more. Editor’s Note: This article was believe the child is his and that in any The focus therefore of this article years. written originally in April, 2007. It is Should the law be changed? event, he could not marry her since he is to determine whether there are laws The follow up question then is cited in Wikipedia (free encyclopehad to go away to Mexico to finish school in place which address the Toycie Synand that his mother would “collapse if drome that afflicts women in our soci- whether the penalty to be imposed on dia). The Wikipedia authors state he married somebody that wasn’t a vir- ety, leading them to, for instance, cause a mother found guilty of this unforgive- that: “Anthony Sylvestre, an attorable act of causing the death of her child, ney writing for the Belize Times in gin because she’s so religious and she the death of their child. but who is afflicted with the Toycie syn- 2007, coined the phrase ‘The Toycie raised him to be a modest Catholic boy”. Infanticide and Murder Toycie naturally becomes utterly beInfanticide is defined in section 110 drome, is too severe, having regard to Syndrome’ to refer to the crime of infanticide or concealing the death of a her psychological imbalances. fuddled and disheartened and is floored of the Criminal Code this way: Under the Penal System Reform child. Of course, Toycie had actually by this wholly selfish reaction of Emilio. “Where a woman by any willful act She then consoles herself with a sole causes the death of her child being a (Alternative Sentences) Act, the court is lost the child to a miscarriage by the goal-to graduate from high school. But child under the age of twelve months, empowered in certain cases, to refrain time of her death, but Sylvestre uses alas, Toycie’s troubles, however, height- but at the time of the act the balance from imposing a custodial sentence the emotions that befall Toycie as a en. Unable to continue attending school of her mind was disturbed by reason of (that is, sentencing a convicted person metaphor in describing the emotion in uniform because of the obvious her not having fully recovered from the to prison) and instead make a discharge behind child concealment.” changes in her body, this prompted the effect of giving birth, school administration to do a check on then notwithstanding her with the result that Toycie is expelled that the circumstances were such that but from high school. With dreams and yet more dreams for this section the simultaneously crushed, Toycie be- crime would have comes withdrawn. As her aunt puts it, amounted to murder, she “gone some place so far inside her- she shall be guilty of self she forget us back here.” The upshot a felony, to wit, infanof this is that Toycie is put in a Mental ticide, and may, for such crime be death Asylum. Toycie later is taken to the Sibun Riv- with and punished as er area as a form of therapy when the ul- if she had been guilty timate tragedy strikes. In the confusion of manslaughter of of preparation for the impending hurri- the child.” In short, if a cane, Toycie wanders off in her delirious state and a mango tree falls and breaks mother is shown to have suffered some her skull. The experiences of Toycie and anal- psychological imbal-
JUSTICE
The Toycie Syndrome!
ance after the birth of the child, then, if she willfully causes the child’s death, she is guilty only of manslaughter. When a person is guilty of manslaughter, though she is liable to be imprisoned for life, the court wards a range of sentences from say 5 years to 25 years. This is contrasted with the crime of murder where the only two possible sentences are death and life imprisonment. It is significant to note that a mother will only be charged for infanticide if the child who dies is less than a year old. If the child is older, then the mother will be charged for murder. That said, the question is whether a woman, who is afflicted with the Toycie syndrome can use this as a defence at her trial for infanticide or murder. That is to say, can a woman, who has an overwhelming series of traumatic experi-
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THE BELIZE TIMES
06 MAY
2013
05 MAY
2013
approval to on-going hustle in the Rosewood business and chastised Darrel Bradley for even considering running against Santi in Caribbean Shores. Where Mr. Barrow’s hubris shone its brightest however, was in his address to the two recent court rulings that were handed down against his government. The Prime Minister condemned Justice Legall for being the show, Francis Fonseca came “egregiously wrong” and defined across confident, sincere and the judge’ s rulings as being humble. Even when a number of “aberrant”! Although the Prime callers tried to press him on the Minister continues to point out very controversial topic of UNIthat the oil explorations permits BAM, the Leader did not dodge in question were signed under but clearly stated that while pothat past administration, his govlitical parties are comprised of all ernment has, every two years, kinds of people, he and his party signed a renewal to the permits. would fully abide by whatever Not only that, this government ruling was handed down by the spent millions of taxpayer’s moncourts. ey to defend the contracts in Even if I had not already been court and now informs us that swayed to support for the PUP, he is prepared to spend millions watching Francis Fonseca hanmore to appeal the decision. Why dle himself on Monday morning would he not let this issue rest! would have convinced me that To nobody’s surprise, the he is the best person to lead Prime Minister revealed that Justhis country at this time. Similartice Legall would no longer be ly, had I not already had doubts sitting on any bench in this counabout the Prime Minister’s hontry following his June 7th, 68th esty and motives, Monday’s perbirthday. Mr. Barrow tried unconformance would have soundly vincingly to tell that he had no hand in that and that Mr. Legall resignation was of his own doing. Right! I The PM denied that his Belize Infrastructure would need to hear that from Legall himself. Who Limited (BIL) was a “hustle vehicle” for his wants to bet that we nevUDP and one could almost hear a coler will! the end of the day, lective snicker when he suggested that we At were presented with everyone should know that he was two plates on Monday; one was cheese and the above that “kind of thing”. other was chalk. One was palatable and full of promise and the second convinced me that this man is a know that he was above that “kind was course and tasteless. The total fraud. of thing”. choice is clear. Belize is ready for The Prime Minister began Mr. Barrow gave his stamp of Francis! his press conference with a long rambling about the whole Guatemala issue and at the end, told us little more than we already knew. His main revelation was that his cabinet had decided to cancel plans to hold a October 6th referendum. Duh!! The Guatemalans Lenex Trading Ltd. had weeks before announced (“the Company”) that, not only were they not going to hold a referendum but would Notice is hereby given that Lenex Trading Ltd., a company not honor any decision reached by incorporated under the Belize IBC Act (Chapter 270), comour referendum. As is his modus operanmenced on dissolution on April 10, 2012 di whenever his government is faced with too many problems, And the Prime Minister then threw the Belizean people a bone. The Mr. Renan Castillo of 9 Barrack Road, Belize City, Belize is the Prime Minister announced that liquidator of the company, and any claims against the company as of May 1st, Belize Telecommushould be forwarded to the liquidator by 30 days from comnications Limited (BTL) would no longer be blocking Voice over Inmencement. ternet Protocol (VoIP). Now, notwithstanding that there are a few Summit Corporate Services Limited party supporters who might celeRegistered Agent brate, here is the thing. You might consider this move tantamount to a man being incarcerated for no
Reid Chalk and Cheese! By G. Michael Reid Belizeans had an excellent opportunity this past Monday to compare differences between the leaders of our nation’s two major political parties. On Monday morning, Leader of the Opposition Honorable Francis Fonseca appeared as guest on Plus TV’s popular morning talk show “Rise and Shine”. Almost immediately following, listeners were able to switch channels and catch the Honorable Prime Minister giving a press conference at the Best Western in Belize City. There are fundamental differences between these two individuals and never was it more glaring than on Monday morning. Both men in their respective venues gave presentations after which both made themselves available for comments and questions. After listening to the presentations of both leaders, it was almost too easy to discern who was honest and who was simply ducking the issues and questions posed. Francis Fonseca spent much of his time discussing the most prominent concern of Belizeans today. The leader of the PUP laid out his party’s plan for dealing with corruption including a Public Accounts Committee that, according Mr. Fonseca, would under his watch be comprised of a majority opposition membership. This is big and signals a true intent by this new PUP to provide what the people have long been clamoring for; accountability and transparency. Responding candidly to every question asked by the two hosts and later by callers to
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THE BELIZE TIMES good reason for a long period of time. Of course he will celebrate upon being freed but sooner than later, he is confronted with the fact that he had no reason to be in jail in the first place. Why was VoIP ever blocked? It has been five years since BTL was expropriated and the freeing of VoIP was to be one of the first moves. And in the end, the Prime Minister himself conceded that “Technology is moving so quickly that we would have been playing a losing game if we had continued trying to restrict VOIP.” And even if the bone was real, there is another fact to consider. The percentage of our populations with access to the internet is about 15 percent with an even smaller percentage able to afford the necessary bandwidth or equipment necessary to use VoIP. The Prime Minister’s figure of 200,000 citizens benefitting from this move is grossly exaggerated. Among other things, the Prime Minister revealed that his latest oil find was a mirage. The PM denied that his Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL) was a “hustle vehicle” for his UDP and one could almost hear a collective snicker when he suggested that everyone should
NOTICE
22 Home Economics
National Bank of Belize Ltd - falling short? By Richard Harrison The call for national banking is not new....in fact, it is decades old....and various angles of approach have been suggested....varying according to differing objectives. The PM must be congratulated that he has listened to this call...perhaps reinforced via negotiations with the unions....and is taking action. Still...we should collectively seek to give him guidance. THEWORKERS BANK OF BELIZE is a vision for a private entity, wholly owned by the workers of Belize who voluntarily choose to commit 5% of their incomes to be deposited to this bank on workers’ behalf, direct from source....a form of “forced-savings” to be truthful....collateralized by government grant transfers of 30,000 houselots to the bank. Only “owners” would qualify to access low-interest, long-term credit...exclusively for home-construction and home-improvement loans...a sustainable formula based on pooling of existing resources...for savings and investments....not for consumption....making the workers’ money work over-time for workers and their families. I argue that this is more in Belize’s best interest...than the national bank as proposed. Here are my concerns: 1. STATE OWNED - the bank currently proposed by the PM is another step in big-government.... instead of the private sector ENRICHMENT and EMPOWERMENT agenda proposed by the Workers Bank of Belize. With the current proposal, we get more centralization of resources and power....less private sector entrepreneurship and development. This formula does naught to harness the credit raising ability of the workers themselves...raising capital on their own from the private arms of CABEI, WB/ IFC, IDB/IIC, EDF, CDB, etc.....so that the public debt is not put under more pressure....especially at a time when the public debt should be reduced and consolidated to create a more stable macro-economic foundation for rapid growth. Moving more towards state control....than towards private sector empowerment....I argue.... is not in Belize’s best interest. 2. OBJECTIVE - the stated objective of this proposed bank is to pressure interest rates downward, towards an average of 6.5% p.a. While lowering interest rates is ONE of the things that need to be done to make Belize more competitive and productive....it is not a panacea... ALL the factors of input-cost-of-production needs to be lowered. To foment the home construction and improvement market is good...but consumer loans has also been included in the proposed services...and this opens a whole can of ants and wasps and worms. Homes mostly constructed from imported materials...and consumption driven by imports....will only push us further into larger trade deficits. Lowering rates for home mortgages and consumption loans....without lowering rates for investments in the productive sector....will only create temporary housing construction jobs...and import distribution jobs.... without creating the wealth from production to pay for these things. We have been down that road before. The promise of lowering interest rates is like the promise of “lowering the cost of living no matter what”... we already know the result of these politically tempered “objective settings”. At the moment...6.5% p.a. interest can be
06 MAY
THE BELIZE TIMES
considered....merely because the interest rates in developed countries have been at or near ZERO, as a means of stimulating their economies out of recession. There are signs that developed economies are moving out of recession...and rates will rise again. So then what? 3. COLLATERAL - to collateralize this effort with PetroCaribe credit... is much more expensive than collateralizing with workers income and government lands....which we already have....but need only the political will to achieve it. PetroCaribe credit still has to be paid for even if it is back-dated for future generations to pay. Ken Langone describes this thinking as “generational theft”. What this formula does in effect....is bind us to PetroCaribe even further.... at a time when we should be seeking and working towards our greater ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. It also creates the formula that would keep fuel pump-prices high, which is the Achilles Heel of creating a robust competitive and productive Belize. Lowering interest rates, even if transient, without lowering the pump-price of fuel...is not putting Belize on a sustainable development path, based on competitiveness and productivity. The cost of ALL input materials also needs urgent attention, especially via overhaul of the Customs Tariff Law to favor production over importation. Production is where wealth is created. 4. OTHER - what the government should do....is create the enabling environment for the local branches of the commercial banks to trade shares in a BELIZE STOCK MARKET....so that Belizeans can own these banks or at least decisive shares in them....so that major portions of the dividends they earn stay in Belize. The proposal as is...has all the signs....of a carrot in the mouths of the unions hinged on promised gains from an unpredictable harvest of more crude oil from new oil finds (which will decline over time as we have seen with the Spanish Lookout fields) and from PetroCaribe Funds performance (which will only remain if Venezuela does not change its volatile politics, and if Belize continues with energy politics that keep pump-price of fuel high). It does not EMPOWER Belizeans based on their own competitiveness and productivity.....based on our own pooling of our resources that we work for every day....which we have control over....which gives us the potential to define more of our economic independence... and puts us in a position to grow our wealth based on growing our productive output. QUO VADIS BELIZE? Are we going for pie in the sky? Or make ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE our visionary watchword going forward...where our wealth comes from the sweat of our brows....from the work of our hands....from the utility of our brain. We, most urgently, need a concise articulation of our POST-INDEPENDENCE VISION..... this wayward drifting in the high seas is taking us nowhere anytime soon. This lack of VISION is what allow politicos to scheme and plot against our just objectives....against what we pray for in our NATIONAL PRAYER. Richard Harrison is a local businessman and investor in the manufacturing and service industries. Mr. Harrison holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from Lancaster University, United Kingdom. Send comments to harrisonbz@yahoo.com
2013
For Sale By Order of the Mortgagee
Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a Company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgage made the 9th day of March, 2011, between AMOS VELASQUEZ of the one part, and the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. of the other part , and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 6 of 2011 at folios 591 - 652; and the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO ALL THAT piece and parcel of land situate in San Roman Village, Stann Creek District, Belize, and being Lot No. 66 comprising 1137.57 Square Yards bounded and described as shown on Plan No. 356 of 2003 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon. DATED this 10th day of April, 2013. MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street, Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
05 MAY
2013
THE BELIZE TIMES
Why My Mother or Father Sold Me for a Dollar? ARREST THEM!
By Dr. Angela Banner Joseph In my view, nothing is more vicious and outrageous than the abuse, exploitation, and harm of the most vulnerable members of our society, and I firmly believe that our nation’s laws and resources need to reflect the seriousness of these terrible crimes. –Bob Ney The sexual exploitation of children by parents is a crime. As a parent, how could you sell your child for a dollar? Today, we have a few parents in our nation who force their children to work as prostitutes on the streets of Belize. Similarly, some families offer their teenage daughters to men who are old enough to be their fathers in exchange for money to support the family. This should not be acceptable in our community. Allow children to be children. These parents should be arrested by law enforcement and sentenced to life in prison. There is no excuse for this type of crime towards your offspring, so off to jail you go! Some parents or guardians in our nation make arrangements with deviant predators to prostitute their children for a quick buck; sometimes the children are infants. It is hard to say how many parents sell their children to the highest bidder. The number of parents arrested likely does not reflect the number of children who are prostituted. Parents usually prostitute their children for money, drugs, or special favors. We need to protect our children and remove the criminal parent and predator off the streets. It is sad to report that many of the children do not even know they are victims. They usually protect their parents if they are arrested. This type of crime– the commercial exploitation of children–is spreading due to the many clients from outside Belize who know where to find
children who sell sex for a living. Predators are roaming Belize and the entire global community. Sex offenders come from all walks of life and are often considered respected members of their community. Parents who pimp their children should go to jail with their predatory customers. Jennifer Weiner contended, “Whenever people with money have power over people with less money, you have the potential for exploitation.” Our law enforcement numbers may be small, but they need to address this issue using a “sting” operation by posing as parents with children for sale to lure deviant offenders out in public. These dangerous pedophiles are going after our babies, our most vulnerable victims, especially children with special needs. The pedophiles look for prepubescent children by befriending the parents to gain access to the victims. Pedophiles often prey on unsuspecting single mothers. After establishing a relationship with the child’s mother, the pedophile begins to abuse the child. Many pedophiles feel safer when they receive the approval of the parent and they believe that engaging in sex with children for a fee is okay. It is not okay. Situations in which parents are involved in the sale of their children may be rare, but occur on a daily basis. We must not allow parents to sell their children’s bodies for economic survival. When parents are involved, there is a strong probability that many of the children are already victims of molestation. The need for the National Sexual Offender Registry is one area in which we need strong and supportive laws to protect our children. Child victims commit terrible sexual acts and suffer from longterm emotional and psychological problems. They may suffer from sexually transmitted diseases or HIV/AIDS. These children suffer because they live with parents and caregivers who have become pimps and madams instead of protectors. How can they love their children and then sell them? So, Mom or Dad, here is a dollar’s worth of knowledge: Don’t sell your children to the next highest bidder. Dr. Angela Banner Joseph holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Change from the Fielding Graduate University
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UB Faculty & Staff Association Sets the Record Straight April 18, 2013 The University of Belize, Faculty and Staff Association (UBFSA) would like to set the record straight on the issue of the CSB Payroll Audit and the call for an Independent Commission by the Prime Minister of Belize. Firstly, it is important to note that the UB audit is not the annual general audit commissioned by the Board, but a “Special Audit” commissioned by the President, Dr. Cary Fraser, which was a more investigative payroll audit centered on only two units of the university: the Human Resources Department and the Budget and Finance Department. Secondly, the UBFSA finds it necessary to point out that the audit report when it was first released on June 22, 2012, did not indicate that it was a ‘draft’. In fact, the report begins by stating, “We have completed out payroll audit for the University of Belize for the year ended July 31, 20111, as outlined in the engagement letter dated May 28, 2012.” The report included recommendations from the auditors and management’s response. In its conclusion, the report stated, “We wish to thank the University’s staff and management for their kind cooperation while we performed the above procedures.” The statement indicates that the work was completed, and it was signed off by all three accountants, Castillo, Sanchez and Burrell. Furthermore, the document did not have any indication or mark that it was a ‘draft’ or ‘confidential’ on any of its pages, as subsequent versions were, after queries were raised by the Faculty and Staff Association. Almost one year later, the Payroll Audit is apparently still in the ‘draft’ stage. Thirdly, the University of Belize, Faculty and Staff Association takes offense to irresponsible and uninformed statements made against the president of the association, Mrs. Allison Crawford, by APAMO, which calls her integrity into question. Reference is made here to APAMO’s February 18, 2013, press release on Channel 5 which stated, “APAMO there considers the allegations of Mrs. Crawford to be premature as the independent audit has not yet been completed…” Consultations with an auditing firm and legal counsel confirm that the first payroll audit report that was first released on June 22, 2012, is not a ‘draft’. Consequently, based on the completed report, as stated by the auditors, the UBFSA found managerial and financial irregularities of (1) overpayment in overtime (in Human Resources’ department), (2) increase in salary on one unit (Human Resources’ department) of the university, (3) unauthorized retroactive payment of salary, (4) missing signatures on documents, (5) the authenticity of a certain signature and (6) decisions being made by UB officials and individual members of the board
which is charged with policy versus operational functions. These irregularities could adversely impact the operational functions of the university. Fourthly, the UBFSA find it questionable that the auditor(s), according to the Minister of Education, in the House Sitting held on March 1, 2013, wrote to the Chairperson of the board on December 13, 2012, indicating that the report was a preliminary draft, six months after the original report was sent to President Fraser. Furthermore, the Minister of Education also stated that the auditors wrote to him (bypassing the President) in regards to the issue of the Special Payroll Audit giving an account of the firm’s findings. This is highly irregular, since it was President Fraser, who had commissioned the audit. Based on consultations, UBFSA finds this particular auditing process questionable. Regardless of any changes or omissions that may appear in the final report, the contents of email correspondence among UB officials and individual board members, which involve negotiations of increase in salary and change of contract of a UB director, cannot change. The contents of the first and the last reports must be examined thoroughly; any changes must be accounted for by proper documentations. The Minister of Education in the House Sitting on March 1, 2013, announced that the auditors indicated to him that no policies were breached. Therefore the Board of Trustees and the Minister of Education should not be fearful of an Independent Commission to investigate the findings of the CSB Payroll Audit. An Independent Commission would bring impartiality to the process and the most acceptable solution to all stakeholders. (Press Release)
Liquor License NOTICES Notice is hereby given that ROGER LIBERTY is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Sugarland Lounge”, situate 101 Palmar Boundary Road, Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
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06 MAY
THE BELIZE TIMES
2013
Recipes of the week BANANAGINGER SMOOTHIE With the hot days of summer ahead, smoothies make a great liquid meal substitute.
This energizing drink can be served at breakfast, or over ice as a pick-me-up at any other time of day.
Ingredients 1 banana, sliced 3/4 cup (6 ounces) vanilla yogurt 1 tablespoon honey or to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Ingredients 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6 oranges) 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon raw honey 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 2 ripe bananas
Directions In a blender, combine the banana, yogurt, honey and ginger. Blend until smooth.
Directions In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately. Blend until smooth.
MARRIAGES Bert David Bradley, 38, to Gloria Maria Escalante, 43, both of Sandhill, Belize District Abel Jesus Riverol, 20, to Erika Mireya Molina, 23, both of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye Keron Alexander Ciego, 29, to Danna Victoria Ramos, 25, both of Dangriga Town, Stann Creek District Jose Gilmer Mejia Lara, 30, to Erma del Carmen Molina, 29, both of Belize City Roger Dale Williams, 43, to Lelia Raquel Westby, 35, both of Belize City Egbert Michael Flowers, 29, to Cindy Clare Martin, 26, both of Belize City Henry Penner, 26, to Martha Friesen, 21, both of Lower Barton Creek, Cayo District Robert Alfred Jex, 75, to Vernice Eleanor Reynolds, 48, both of Belize City Alexis Edjardo Leon, 25, to Zeida Arelie
GOLDEN NECTAR SMOOTHIE
Franco, 19, both of Belize City Kelvin Anthony Gillett, 33, to Sharette Denise Parchue, 32, both of Ladyville, Belize District Philip Anthony Musso, 39, to Tanya Lupita Mejia, 30, both of Burrell Boom, Belize District Avisworth Albert Cabral, 50, to Margarita Hernilda Pou, 52, both of Belize City
DEATHS Pearline Flowers, 89 Percy Alexander Soliz, 80 Dale James Gibson, 74 Richard Donald Gardiner, 60 Mark Anthony Castillo, 41 Luis Chan, 53 Kevin Harris, 39 Cecil Erington Hamilton, 52 Darrell Kenrick Rivers, 60
BIRTHS Born to Abram Friesen and Elma Friesen nee Thiessen, a boy, Kenroy Born to Patrick James Rosado Bradley and Cassie Alexis Bradley nee Zetina, a girl, Christie Alexa Born to Dane Edwin Westby, Sr., and Shere Ashante Westby nee Tillett, a boy, Dane Edwin, Jr. Born to Jason Dexter Edwards and Petrona Edwards nee Cal, a girl, Leah Elizabeth Born to Jingtao Li and Yuqiong Li nee Li, a girl, Le Ying Born to Juzhong Cao and Xuetei Cao nee Cao, a girl, Judy Born to Carlos Renan Gamez and Sonia Elizabeth Gamez nee Rivas, a girl, Nayelle Maricela Born to Darwin Carl Tzib and Lea Lillian Tzib nee Mossiah, a boy, Alexander Tyler
ROAD Saving Tips There has been a spate of fatal traffic accidents recently. With another holiday coming up and travelling on the highways on the agenda for many, we are sharing some tips on safe driving. - One of the number one causes of accidents on the highway is inattentive or distracted driving caused by answering cellular phones, text messaging or dealing with other things inside the vehicle. Avoid doing this and pay attention to the road. - Don’t drink and drive. This is a recipe for disaster. Always have an alternate driver who is sober enough to take you home safely. - Be courteous when changing lanes. Don’t be in a hurry. - Always be on the lookout for pedestrians or cyclists on the side of the highways, especially at night. Cyclists are advised to outfit their bicycles with reflectors to warn incoming vehicles of their presence. - Learn how to use your light beams at night. High beams are for dark areas or just to have a clear view of the highway. When vehicles are coming from the opposite direction, apply your low beams so as not to blind the other driver’s view. - At night, use your hazard lights wisely. If you pull on the road side for anything, or if you experience mechanical problems. It is also wise to equip your car with reflective cones to warn incoming vehicle of your presence on the road side. - Check to ensure all your lights are functioning. They are there for a purpose. For example, your brake lights play an important role in warning vehicles behind you that you are slowing down. - Speeding might seem like fun, but it’s dangerous. It is a peril to you and other drivers. Always keep within the speed limit. - Always wear my seat-belt and ensure my passengers do the same. This is because in the event of an accident, seat belts are crucial in helping to reduce deaths and injuries. - Lastly, the best drivers are defensive drivers. Always maintain “situational awareness” -- where other cars are in relation to their vehicle, what’s coming up ahead -- and what’s happening on either side of them and behind them. Use your mirrors -- frequently. There are many signs along the highway reminding us to take care on the road. They also remind us why we should do so: Your family needs you! Safe driving.
05 MAY
2013
25
THE BELIZE TIMES
May 3rd is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day! World Press Freedom Day celebrates our right to free speech. It celebrates the great work journalists and reporters do to get information to us.
SAFE TO SPEAK!
Do you have the sharp eyes of a journalist? Can you find and circle the words below? FREEDOM INFORMATION INVESTIGATE JOURNALIST
Bundled Mess Maze Can you help the newspaper boy through the maze to the stack of newspapers he has to sell?
KNOWLEDGE NEWSPAPERS POST RADIO
REPORTER RIGHT SHARE SPEECH
TELEVISION TEXT THINK THOUGHTS TWEET
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06 MAY
THE BELIZE TIMES
PUBLIC service
announcements Subsidised spay and neuter program launched April 28, 2013 In an effort to limit the impact of unwanted breeding on the population of dogs and cats in the streets of the Old Capital, and to try to cut the population of unwanted dogs and cats by half, the Belize Humane Society has introduced a subsidized spay and neuter program in Belize City, called “Project Snip”. Under the program, BHSAS will pay ½ of the cost of spaying and neutering anyone’s dogs and cats at the vets listed below in Belize City. The animal’s owner would only be liable for the other ½ of the costs of these operations. Dr.Floyd Bennett of Lake View Animal Clinic (LVAC) said about Project Snip; “I am so happy to see the introduction of this scheme. A lot of people in my area have been asking for something like this for a long time”. Senior Vet Dr Jane Crawford of Animal Medical Centre (AMC) commented: “Soh mek wi cut down pan di stray animals dem an spay and neuter wi pets!” The following vets are part of the Program in Belize City: Animal Medical Centre (AMC) is located on Cor. Castle & Lancaster Streets off Victoria Street near Freetown Road. Phone 223-3781.Email: info@animalmedicalcentre.net, Lake View Animal Clinic (LVAC) is located on Lakeview Street between Vernon Street and Cemetery Road. Phone 6055822. Further vets will be added to the program if possible in the future.
Answers for last week’s puzzle SUDOKU PUZZLE SOLUTION #14/2013
2013
BRAIN
TEASER
SUDOKU PUZZLE #15/2013
Corozal’s Rotary Questival Fair 2013 Corozal District, April 30, 2013 This year, our Rotary club will host a one-day fair as our annual fundraiser on May 25 2013. This fair will take place on our traditional multi-day Questival of previous years at the Henry Menzies Travel & Tours site across from Corozal Bay. We plan to expand activities, entertainment, and prizes to make this fair even more exciting and worthy of community support. There will be artisans, vendors, food and drinks, popcorn, Rotary BBQ sauce, music, entertainment (dancing, singing, and arts and crafts demonstrations), games, free and for-a-fee lottery drawings for prizes, and more. Vendor and artisan spots are available (1 table and 2 chairs) for $15 or for $25 with electrical hookup. Call Janette McKean, 631- 7181 to register. Here is a chance to market your wares or services to hundreds of people. We need volunteers to help with booths. Schoolchildren, here is a chance to get hours of community service. Since there is a full day of activities, we ask for a minimum time of service to be four (4) hours. Call Earl Johnson, 631-8302 to volunteer. As always, we seek a few good men and women to become Rotarians – financial and time commitments required - or to become Friends of Rotary – no definite financial or time commitments required. Call Earl Johnson, 631-8302 for more details. Come have a good time and support Rotary services to the Corozal community. See you there.
See answers NEXT WEEK
Answers for last week’s puzzle
See answers NEXT WEEK
05 MAY
27
THE BELIZE TIMES
2013
NOTICE
For Sale by Mortgagee Belize Bank International Limited, a company duly formed and existing under the laws of Belize with registered office at 60 Market Square, Belize City, Belize HEREBY gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under Mortgage Debenture dated the 28th day of July, 2008 made between Belize Bank International Limited of the First Part, Hopkins Bay Limited S.A. of the Second Part and Belizean Dreams Estates Limited of the Third Part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 27 of 2008 at Folios 99 – 204 as rectified by Deed of Rectification of Mortgage Debenture dated 30th March, 2009 and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 9 of 2009 at Folios 401-420. Belize Bank International Limited will at the expiration of 2 months from the date of first publication of this notice sell the properties described in the schedule hereto. ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to Barrow & Company LLP, P.O. Box 63, 1440 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize from whom full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained. The properties are being sold subject to any rights of user or easements which may now exist in favour of neighbouring property owners. The Schedule Above Referred to
FOR SALE BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE BY ORDER of the Supreme Court of Belize dated 16th April, 2013 in the matter between DANIEL FABRO and JUDE NAGENDRAN, YOUNGS LAW FIRM hereby gives notice of its intention to sell the properties described in the Schedule below. All offers to purchase the said properties must be submitted in writing to YOUNGS LAW FIRM, No. 28 Regent Street, Belize City, Belize from whom full particulars and conditions of the sale may be obtained. The properties will be sold by private treaty. The successful bidder will be required to deposit 10% immediately after notification that the bid is conditionally accepted. Deadline for bids is May 31, 2013. Contact person - Mrs. Jacqueline Locke. All rights are reserved including to extend the deadline date, refuse any bid or withdraw the properties from sale. THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO (a) All that piece or parcel of land containing 38.803 acres situate Northwest of Middlesex Village and North of the Hummingbird Highway near Mile 25, Stann Creek District and bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 471 of 2008
1. ALL THAT piece or parcel of land comprising 0.57 acres situate at False Sittee Point, Stann Creek District and shown and described as Common Area on Plan of Subdivision Survey of Tract No. 98 by Licensed surveyor J. A Keith dated 4th April, 2009 and registered at the Lands and Surveys Department as Entry No. 8031 in Register 18. 2. ALL THAT piece or parcel of land comprising 1,046.76 Square Metres situate at False Sittee Point, Stann Creek District and shown and described as Lot No. 1 on Plan of Subdivision Survey of Tract No. 98 by Licensed Surveyor J. A. Keith dated 4th April, 2009 and registered at the Lands of Survey Department as Entry 8031 in register 18.
(b) All that piece or parcel of land containing 3.013 acres situate at Southern Long Caye approximately 15 miles Northeast of Dangriga Town, Stann Creek District and bounded and described as shown on Plan No. 470 of 2008
3. ALL THAT piece or parcel of land comprising 740.010 Square Metres situate at False Sittee Point, Stann Creek District, and shown and described as the Parking Area on Plan of Subdivision Survey of Tract No. 98 by Licensed Surveyor J.A. Keith dated 4th April, 2004 and registered at the Lands and Surveys Department as Entry 8031 in register 18. Dated the 24th day of April, 2013. Barrow & Co. LLP 1440 Coney Drive Belize City, Belize Attorneys-at-law for The Belize Bank Limited
DATED this 3rd day of May, 2013. YOUNGS LAW FIRM 28 REGENT STREET BELIZE CITY BELIZE
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THE BELIZE TIMES
06 MAY
2013
DRAW THE LINE AT BELIZE Today a new Imperialism threatens our Nation! Led by Lord Goldsmith, Britain’s former Attorney General, the worldwide homosexual “agenda” has come to Belize to challenge our civil laws and our Constitution, arguing that sodomy is a human right.
We must stop this new Imperialism! This is just the beginning of what will come to Belize….make no mistake; we are fighting to preserve the moral fabric of our Nation. Today the false god of carnality is being made into a golden idol to be worshiped everywhere. In all places that have decriminalized SODOMY, moral decadence is the result. Look at California! Look at Canada! Look at Europe!
SO WHY PRESERVE SECTION 53?
• •
The law in Belize prohibits all forms of unnatural sex, whether committed against a male, female or minors Experience in other societies where SODOMY laws have been decriminalized, demonstrates that the next step is legalization of same sex unions and marriage. The “right” to adopt children. The teaching of homosexuality in primary and secondary schools. Loss of freedom of speech and freedom of religious rights.
IT IS FOR THE PERPETUATION AND STABILIZATION OF OUR SOCIETY THAT WE AFFIRM: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Our constitution recognizes the “supremacy of God.” Man is created in the image of God, and therefore has an inherent dignity and worth As the Book of Genesis teaches us, God created Man male and female. He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply” Man and Women have different and unique sexual characteristics which complement each other are naturally oriented towards marriage, family, and human flourishing. The laws of the nation reflect God’s law and promote human dignity, flourishing, and the common good. The international groups and organizations with their own agenda seek to impose a world view that directly contradicts the supremacy of God as reflected in our laws, national sovereignty and our very way of life. A lawsuit was filed to establish a “right” to homosexual acts in Belize by a homosexual advocacy group, with the aid of prominent international activists. In every country that has granted a new “right” to homosexual behavior, activists have promoted and steadily expanded this “right” to trump universally recognized rights to religious freedom and expression. This homosexual agenda insists upon the promotion of homosexual acts in the schools and society. It also demands that same-sex marriage must be recognized, and that no group may object to this agenda on religious or moral grounds.
Help stop the advance of the great lie in Belize, and to turn it around! The Leaders of all the Christian churches have joined together in one unified voice to defend Belize where the foreigners have drawn the battle line: in the Courts WE NEED YOUR HELP. Moments in history like this one come rarely; the chance to defend our Homeland, our Faith, and our Children. Stand against this new cultural imperialism! Defend religious liberty! Defend Belize’s independence against foreign law and foreign values! Defend our Constitution!
We the people of Belize will not surrender our Constitution, our moral foundations nor our way of life to accommodate a foreign agenda in exchange for foreign aid. The soul of our Nation is not for sale!
WE WILL DRAW THE LINE AT BELIZE!
Paid for by the Militia for the Holy Spirit
05 MAY
2013
29
THE BELIZE TIMES
Nurse Maid’s Elbow
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question most human beings have asked. It has no pat answers and cannot be solved with comfy, neat platitudes. Some people, in their pursuit of the solution to this question, have fallen into bitterness, anger, and even depression. Some look the other way, willing the brutality and unfairness of this world to somehow fade away on its own. Belize has faced many hardships. Murders, burglaries, and mayhem are daily occurrences. Yet, this one heinous act of murder has rocked our country. Ripples of shock, outrage and fear have spread from Belize City to the north and to the south. It is the topic of morning discussions and evening debates. How could a mother drown her own children? What would possess a woman to commit premeditated murder and kill her own young kids? That is so wrong! Belize, we need to call it what it is: murder. We have a responsibility to acknowledge this as a crime because it is. Now, the factors that caused her to react in such a gruesome way are another matter. This young lady got pregnant at a young age. She dropped out of school and soon became pregnant again with her second child. She allegedly had an abusive boyfriend and then gave birth to another baby, her third child. As I review the life of this woman, I see a string of broken relationships and a mess of failure. Failure on the part of her family. Failure on the part of her community. Failure on the part of the church. Failure on the part of every organization and government program that exists in this city. Hear me out, though. I’m not ragging on everybody unjustly. We are all just humans and are bound to make mistakes. There’s no way any one organization or church body can do it all. But that’s my point. Who can you depend on when the systems fail so brutally? Where can you turn when the protective programs and organizations reveal their imperfections? The Manual prophesies that this world will only get worse and lawlessness will increase (Mat. 24:12). Who can we turn to in this time of darkness? Alas! Do not fear! There is hope! There is hope that some good will come from the bad (Romans 8:28). There is hope that light will conquer darkness (John 1:5). There is hope that even amidst all the uncertainties of this day and age we can find peace (John 14:27). We are never really alone (Hebrews 13:5). There is hope even when we do the unthinkable (Psalm 103:12)! Whenever all hope seems lost, there is always a way out. Jesus Christ is that way. He offers us the gift of salvation and the gift of the Kingdom of God. This gift is free. We can do nothing to earn God’s favor. Jesus died to set us free! He died so that we can reclaim dominion of the earth. So, I might not have all the answers. I can’t tell you for sure why God allows bad things to happen. But, I do know he shapes us through the trials. And I know that as long as God is in control, there is always hope. Until next week, God bless.
By Dr. Francis Smith
Nurse Maid’s or Pulled elbow (radial head subluxation) is the most common orthopedic injury that occurs in children between the ages of 1-4 years old.
It is a dislocation of a bone in the elbow called the radius; where the bone has slipped out of its normal position at the elbow joint. The injury happens in younger kids because their ligaments (the elastic-like bands that hold bones together) are loose and bones are not yet fully formed. CAUSES Nursemaid’s elbow can happen if you tug or pull on a child’s lower arm or hand, especially if the arm is twisted. It doesn’t take much force for the injury to happen: • Catching a child by the hand to stop a fall. • Lifting a child up by the hands or wrists. • Pulling a child’s arm through a jacket sleeve. • Swinging a child by the arms or hands. • Yanking on a child’s arm to make him or her walk faster. • A child uses their hands to brace for impact during a fall. • An infant rolls over onto the arm. SYMPTOMS • Arm hangs straight down on side of body • Child is not using the arm • Pain when moving the arm • Pain in the elbow, wrist, or shoulder. TREATMENT 1. DO NOT straighten the arm or change its position. 2. Apply an ice pack to the elbow. 3. Keep the areas above and below the injured elbow (including the shoulder and wrist) from moving, if possible. 4. Take your child to the doctor’s office or emergency room. 5. The doctor will fix the dislocation by gently flexing the elbow and rotating the forearm so that the palm is facing upward. 6. DO NOT try to do this yourself because you may harm your child. HOW TO AVOID 1. Do not lift a child by one arm only such as from the wrist or hand. 2. Lift from under the arms, from the upper arm, or from both arms. 3. Do not swing children by the hand or forearm. To swing a young child in circles, provide support under the arms and hold the upper body next to yours.
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THINK ABOUT IT FREE FELICIA It is a tragedy unlike any other of its kind. A young mother, age 22, kills three of her young children, ages 4, 3 and 1 year. Quite correctly it has sent shockwaves through the Belizean society. With all that we have been subjected to these past years-drastic increases in robberies, rapes, carnal knowledge of minors, shooting of children and elderly, home invasions, rosewood scandal; yet our conscience cried out on this latest unspeakable matter. There is widespread sympathy for the young mother, whom it appears has also been a victim of abuse. She was knocked down in a road accident when she was pregnant. She gave birth to her first child when she herself was but a child- at 15 years of age. It forced her to leave high school. She never resumed her education, giving birth three more times. She tried the job market and worked at a restaurant but a jealous partner would have none of it. Pickney after pickney-four young children. No job. She is poor, her parents are poor. To be poor in Belize City is a curse. If she was a gang member she could have collected money. As a poor struggling mother she was nothing, to no one. There is a multitude of women’s organizations in Belize: the Women Department, the Social Services, Human Development Department, WIN-Belize, Women’s Commission, Committee for Families and Children. All totally failed this young mother and her four children. In her tiny wretched little world, her enormous suffering meant nothing to no one. On Saturday 27 April 2013, her mind snapped. She took her four children to Belizean Beach at Mile 4 on the Western Highway. She drowned three of her children. One by one she held each one under the water. The eldest, 6 years of age, somehow escaped and ran to the highway where a neighbor became curious and then intervened. The mother was trying to drown herself. A hard task in the shallow water. The angels in heaven must have been crying. This was pain and suffering of an immense amount. Poor woman, she could take it no more. The same government, in charge of the very same institutions that had abandoned and ignored this young mother and her children was quick to act on Saturday. Arrest her, lock her up. Put her in prison. The centurions of law and order became efficient at punishment. If she was a young man they would have kicked, beaten and tortured him. Is this what we have become? A brutish and heartless community living in a brutish and heartless country, living under a brutish and heartless government? Sunday morning Christians, genuflecting as a matter of routine, rather than a commitment to the mighty God of love. A love that is to reach out and
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help those in need the same way we would want to be treated if we were in that need? Are we to become the group that chased the woman caught in adultery? If Jesus was not present they would have stoned her to death. For that is one strict interpretation of the law. And whilst the Anas and Caiaphas in our midst are eager to condemn and uphold their version of the law let it be said that not every killing is murder. The law must be tempered with justice and with mercy. Dr. Alma Augustine, a Belizean and trained psychologist has had an opportunity to evaluate the young mother. The diagnosis is she is stricken with clinical depression. Her mind is in a messed up condition. So why is she charged for murder? Why? And what is to become of her single, surviving child? A six year old who saw her mom drowning his siblings. AGRICULTURE SHOW The annual agriculture show, more and more, has become just that-a show. It has less and less to do with agriculture. Agriculture should be one of the top priorities of our country. This country spends millions of dollars importing food and drinks from other countries. This helps contribute to our unemployment and our poverty. There is a further cost which will have to do with hospital expenses for all the citizens who will get cancer eating and drinking cancer products from abroad. Belize is blessed with rich and productive soil. We need to train and retrain our people to eat what we grow and grow what we eat. Agricultural cooperatives, small and medium farming, backyard plantations must become a part of our way of life. This is what the agriculture show should be focusing its energies on. How many fruit trees will be sold at special prices? How many new farmers will be signing up for guidance and basic information? How many idle housewives can be induced into keeping small yard gardens for vegetables and fruits? Agriculture show is showing off buildings on the show grounds. That money could have sponsored trees and chickens and new farmers. We need to be real. SPEAKING OF TREES There are a number of public trees at the mouth of the Northern Highway, mainly young palm trees that are on the median separation that really need to be watered regularly. So too the impressive plants on the boulevard around the area from Home Protector Insurance. Those urgently need water. NURSES DESERVE THEIR RAISE Like the police officers and soldiers who serve our country, nurses deserve
to receive a raise in their salary. For ten years, nurses have not received a raise or even a sort of living adjustment in their take home pay. Nurses are an important part of our health services. Without nurses hospitals cannot function properly. The cost of living in Belize has been going up and up, relentlessly. So has inflation. Nurses are among the many Belizeans who are working but not seeing their way. Their pay cannot cover needed expenses. Cell phone calls and texts are expensive. So is petroleum and cooking gas. So is food stuff and groceries. Nurses’ pay cannot cover these. There are many other costs like rent, school fees, electricity, water and cable. Only a raise of salary will take the pressure of our dedicated nurses and ancillary hospital and clinic workers. NO LABOUR DAY This one takes the cake. While we stand to be corrected, to our knowledge none of the workers union in Belize marked 1st May, Labor Day, with any activities. All over the world, labour day is an international holiday. For workers fighting for their rights the day presented an important occasion to highlight their cause. For those who have achieved a certain level of protection and prosperity they marked the occasion with speeches, marches and picnics. Not in Belize. There was a deafening silence. A silence which is ominous for workers. On Monday this week, two days before Labor Day, the Prime Minister in answering a question about prison officers wishing to join a union, he could not even bring himself to say they had a right to do so. Indeed at the same press conference, the PM announced his appointment of the President of the NTUCB as a member of a strange new creature, a government owner state bank. The NTUCB is the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. It comprises some of the most important and largest unions in the country, including teachers and public officers. These two alone account for over ten thousand workers. NTUCB has been dormant and strangely silent since February 2008 when the UDP became government. Since that date the government has treated teachers and public officers with great disrespect. It should have been the public officers union to denounce the new state owned bank. Such a bank will be headed by a Minister of government as a first step to making her ministry vacant to allow for the appointment of a new minister. But to have a minister directly in charge of a government bank is weird as well as illegal. It is a conflict of interest to be head of a government bank and be answerable to yourself as a member of Cabinet. Requiring even more condemnation is the formation of a company, Belize Infrastructure Limited, which will do what government departments and ministries are constitutionally established to do. Again the public service union or its umbrella organization, NTUCB, has said not a word.
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Labour Day, 1st May 2013, marks the death knell for workers union in Belize. TEN GRAMS Whatever happened to the ten grams of marijuana that the government was considering for decriminalization? SHOES Have you seen the latest models in shoes that are worn in Belize by the young ladies? These have to be the sexiest, fanciest footwear to come this way. PLUS TV VS. UNIBAM Plus TV, given its strong Christian composition, is the only TV or radio station that is openly opposed to UNIBAM and its legal challenge to the sodomy laws in Belize. No other media has uttered a word of opposition. Not only are they all infiltrated by Unibamists, but it is a statement on the changing times. Advertisement dollars come first. Personal interest second and religious beliefs comes last. TEK IT EASY Mr. Program, the artist who brought the big hit, “See I Rise”, has let off another hit, “Take it Easy”. Mr. Program who is a Belizean to the bone, has been hanging out in Orange Walk these last several months. See I Rise has become a classic in recent rap music in Belize. We wish to see “Take it Easy”, sell plenty as well. HURL HAMILTON Hurl Hamilton completed his law degree and at Norman Manley Law School last year June. After serving briefly as a Magistrate, he requested to transfer to the Attorney General’s office in Belmopan which was approved. Now he is back in the Belmopan Court. Would it have anything to do with the Solicitor General not wanting him around? MADE IN CHINA There was a time, say, back in the 1950s and 1960s when Belizeans were shopping for items like nails, knives, cooking utensils and hardware. If they went to Augusto Quan, William Quan or Simon Quan they inquired if the item was made in China. If it was, they wouldn’t buy it. It would be cheap quality. Today shoppers ask if it’s made in China for any product. They know that if it is made in China, it is quality. Incidentally, China has launched a new satellite which can predict natural disasters, and severe weather such as snowstorms. WHO The word “who” is a personal pronoun. It is wrong English to say or write, the dog who bit the lady. It should be the dog which bit the lady. Who is a personal pronoun. The lady who chased the dog.
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KHMH denies “overtime payments” to former employees Belize City, April 29, 2013 The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital administration, which was found guilty of misspending thousands of dollars by an oversight committee, is denying thousands of dollars in overtime payments to its former security guard employees. The hospital administration fired their on-staff security guards in January to privatize the security service. The contract was awarded to SOS Security, a company which has close ties to the ruling party. But since firing the employees, the hospital administration has refused to settle on outstanding payments. Lana Usher, one of the employees affected, explained that the total owed to them is about $1,200. Usher explained that proof of their many hours of overtime work can be found in the hospital’s register. “I don’t understand is how we noh wah have claim to something that we already did. All we are trying to find out is when he is going to give this money owing to us,” she said. She added that the matter was bought up before the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gary Longsworth, but the responses have gone from hopeful to hopeless. “Ever since the C.E.O. told us that they were going to let us go, we asked them about this overtime. Apparently
it wasn’t posted to them and that is not our fault. And he said that he was going to pay everything that’s due to us. Now, every time we go there he turns us or we call in and they tell us they are taking care of it or it will be given to us. At one time they told us we don’t even have no claim to it,” she lamented. The office of the KHMH CEO described the allegations of unpaid overtime as illegitimate. In a release sent out on Monday, April 29th, the CEO indicated that “all legitimate outstanding claims by these former employees were settled at the time of their redundancy in March of this year”. The release further stated that in February the employees brought up claims retroactively. However, the CEO alleges the supporting documents were not appropriate as they lacked the necessary approval signatures that would make them legitimate. But while the CEO is claiming that the allegations are totally false, he also seems unsure. His release indicates that the claims are being reviewed by the hospital administrative audit committee who will decide on their validity. In the meantime Usher and the other former employees are hopeful that the hospital administration, which
Red Eye Boy Gets Paid! Belize City, April 29, 2013 The BELIZE TIMES is reliably informed that on April 25th, 2013 an OFFICIAL WIRE TRANSFER OF BZ$1.6M WAS SENT TO A BANK ACCOUNT belonging to a company under the control of Ambassador Mark Espat, more well known to Belizeans as the RED EYE BOY!! This is reported to be final payment for his role in the restructuring of Belize’s public debt as part of Superbond 2.0. Of course as has been widely recognized, Espat’s role in this matter has been widely exaggerated and in fact his actions may have very likely led to Belize getting a worse deal than was originally anticipated. The PUP views this payment as his reward for selling out his former Party and the people of Albert to Dean Barrow and the UDP. What a payoff!! $1.6M to one man when the teachers and public officers are crying out for a little salary increase, when families can’t afford to send their children to school or to get medical treatment, when Belizeans can’t put food on the table! SHAME AND DISGRACE!
recklessly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad pharmaceutical deals, shows some mercy and pays them what they are due. If that doesn’t happen, Usher said they plan to seek legal recourse.
CARTOON
Ex KHMH Security guard Lana Usher
Fantasia Espejo Belize City, April 30, 2013 There’s an old adage in politics that no publicity is bad publicity. However, it appears that there is one exception to that rule, as one city councilor has sunken to an alltime low in his zeal to seek attention. Readers may recall that a few weeks ago Roger Espejo, the failed UDP politician boasting a solid 0-2 record, was robbed of a fantasia chain valued at $50. This supposedly un-staged robbery then progressed into a heroic civilian arrest by Belize’s very own robin hood in tights, earning him the superhero title “Fantasia Espejo”. Well, it now appears that Fantasia has hit rock bottom. Last Friday night, Fantasia was exiting City Hall when, as has become the norm, he was on the receiving end of a hail of insults for the dismal job that he has been doing as a city councilor.
Allegedly, someone referred to him as a “ba**yboy”, which seemed to have struck a closeted chord. This time though, instead of playing superhero, Fantasia went to cry to the police that he didn’t like being called a ba**yboy. The police department then, instead of solving the real crimes affecting our city, sprung into action for this UDP politician and arrested a young man for the offence of “Calling Fantasia a ba**yboy”. It’s certainly a charge that no one has heard of before but because Fantasia took offence, he insisted that the young man be detained for as long as possible. This request however could not be honored since there was no such charge and the police had no choice but to release the young man on Saturday morning.
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