STARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTAR*STAR ...belizenews.com/thestar///cayostar225.pdf · "It means the sky's the limit." On Thursday, members of the high school's alumni

Sunday, April 25, 2010 - STAR - Tel:- 626-8822 & 626-3788 - Email:[email protected] - Page 1

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SAN IGNACIO TOWN, Cayo,Friday, April 23, 2010: He once served as theCommunity Development Officerfor the Cayo District and today,Nestor Ivan Novelo, 31, fromCaledonia Village, Corozal is outon a five thousand dollar bail ashe stands accused of dishonestlyappropriating almost forty fourthousand dollars in cash from theGovernment of Belize being fundsbudgeted to provide financialassistance to needy persons in thecommunity. Reports reaching us indicatethat the investigation, by theAudit Department, began a fewmonths ago when several persons,who should have been benefitingfrom approved social assistance,began complaining about notreceiving it. At the first sign of irregularity inthe disbursement of these funds,Novelo was placed on immediateemergency leave. Based on theaudit report, Novelo was detainedby Corozal Police on Monday,April 19 in Caledonia Village. Hewas subsequently transported tothe San Ignacio police stationwhere, on Wednesday, April 21,he was formally arrested andcharged for the theft of $43,845

The Accused, Nestor Ivan Novelo, 31being the property of theGovernment of Belize. The theftallegedly occurred betweenOctober 2008 and October 2009. The investigation reportedlyrevealed that the names of at least6 deceased persons continued toreceive financial assistance.According to the report, there

were instances where approvedbeneficiaries reportedly received2 or 3 payments after which theywere required to producesupporting evidence to prove thatthey actually qualified forthe assistance. Some peoplereportedly became frustratedwith the repeated requests for

supporting evidence resulting intheir giving up on receiving theassistance but the record showsthat payments to these personscontinued. There are also reporteddocumented instances where,after receiving 2 or 3 payments,some persons were told thatinstructions were received fromBelmopan to discontinue paymentand so these persons stoppedvisiting the office to collect theirallowances but the record showsthat payments to these personscontinued. In an effort to tidy up the system,the Audit team is reportedlyendeavoring to interview theover 150 persons currently onthe social assistance role. Novelo appeared in San IgnacioMagistrate’s court on Wednesday,April 21 where MagistrateAnna Rachel Montejo informedhim that because of the quantumof the sum involved, the matterwill be transferred on indictmentto the Supreme Court. Theaccused was offered bail in thesum $5,000 with two sureties of$2,500 each. He was ordered to returnto court on Monday, July 26,2010.

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Page 2 - STAR - Tel:- 626-8822 & 626-3788 - Email:[email protected] - Sunday, April 25, 2010

SAN IGNACIO TOWN, Cayo,Monday, April 19, 2010: An Award Ceremony/Social eventfor San Ignacio Police personnelwas held on Friday, April 9, at theGarden of Eden Resort on theWestern Highway between thetowns of San Ignacio and BenqueViejo. Master of Ceremony for theoccasion was Alberto August,Publisher of the STAR Newspaper.The program began with thesinging of the national anthemfollowed by an opening prayerdelivered by Inspector DinsdaleThompson, Deputy Commander,Cayo (Police) District. The welcome remarks wasdelivered by the Commander ofthe Cayo (Police) District, SeniorSuperintendent of Police PaulWade. Guest Speaker for the event wasMr. George Gomez, Prosecutor,San Ignacio’s Magistrate Court. The program continued with thedistribution of Certificates ofRecognition and prizes after whichCommissioner Crispin Jefferieswas invited to share a few wordswith the gathering of policepersonnel, civilian staff, specialconstable and invited guests. The vote of thanks was deliveredby Inspector Dinsdale Thompson Those singled out for specialrecognition included PC #450Santos Marin as Officer of theMonth for January; PC #1213Andy Tun as Officer of the Monthfor February and Sgt #718Reymundo Reyes as Officer of theMonth for March. Each of the threeofficers of the month received giftcertificated from the Lodge at ChaaCreek, Crystal Paradise, Mr.Greedy’s Pizzeria and Hode’s Place. Special Commendation Awardswere presented to the followingofficers in connection with theFebruary 10, 2010 successful

apprehension of Belizean FugitiveGary Seawell and the confiscationof several high powered arms andammunition at the time of hisarrest: Sgt #718 ReymundoReyes, Sgt #137 JamesCayetano; Detective Constable#557 Solomon Mas, DetectiveConstable #1146 Sotero Salamand PC #299 SantiagoHernandez. Commendation Awards werealso presented to the followingofficers in connection with theFebruary 18, 2010 successfulseizure of 20.725 kilos ofcocaine resulting to the appre-hension of Carlos JonathanGibson: Sgt #718 ReymundoReyes, DC#649 Miguel

Sgt #718 Reymundo Reyes (L) receiving Certificate fromCompol Crispin Jefferies (R)

Detective Constable #557 Solomon Mas (L) receivingCertificate from Compol Crispin Jefferies (R)

Detective Constable #1146 Sotero Salam (L) receivingCertificate from Compol Crispin Jefferies (R)

Martinez, DC# 557 SolomonMas, and DC#1146 SoteroSalam Outstanding Special Consta-ble Awards were presented to SCJaime Pinelo, SC AlvanWagner and SC Steve Donuchewhile the Outstanding Justice ofthe Peace Award went to Mrs.Desol Neal. The presentation of awardsended with certificates ofappreciation presented to thefollowing outstanding membersof the community: Mr.Escander Bedran, Mr. WilliamButcher, Mr. Julian Sherrard,Mr. John Escobar and Mr. JoseChoto. The official portion of the eventended shortly after 7:00 pm, afterwhich the bar was officially declaredopened by the MC. The gathering was entertainedwith music provided by DJDiamond. It was indeed a fun time forPolice Officers, Special Constable,Civilian Staff and Special InvitedGuests.











Adapted from the Los AngelesTimes / Local for Thursday,April 8, 2010. by GenaroMolina - Submitted to the STARNewspaper by BRUCE:[email protected] Adversity has stalked 18-year-old Tyki Nelworth. His motheris in prison, his father isdeceased, and for years he wasbounced from home to home.

FOR THE RECORD:West Point:

An article in the LATExtrasection Friday about a senior atWashington Preparatory HighSchool in South Los Angeleswho was accepted to the UnitedStates Military Academy at WestPoint incorrectly said the schoolwas in upstate New York. WestPoint is about 50 miles northof New York City. But the senior at WashingtonPreparatory High School inSouth Los Angeles kept focusedon his academic goals. He tookAdvanced Placement classes inEnglish, calculus, biology,chemistry and physics, and

nailed a 4.23 grade-pointaverage. Last week, he got his wish: Hewas accepted and received afour-year scholarship to theUnited States Military Academy. "For me to make it to WestPoint, that's a big statement,"said Nelworth, who plans tostudy engineering at theacademy in upstate New York."It means the sky's the limit." On Thursday, members of thehigh school's alumni associationjoined a group of currentstudents, faculty, parents andother guests at a special"Principal's Breakfast" tohonor Nelworth. "We've watched you displayamazing resilience, strengthand determination," alumniboard member LaQuitta Coletold Nelworth. "You have beenan inspiration to everyone youcome in contact with, andyour efforts have not goneunnoticed." The soon-to-be cadet wasthen presented with donations

totaling several hundred dollarsto pay for his AdvancedPlacement tests, his senior duesand transportation to West Point. He also received two promtickets, a prom tuxedo, gift cards,clothes and shoes -- donated byalumni, community groups andlocal churches, among others. "I'm just overwhelmed," saidNelworth, tears streaming downhis cheeks. "I honestly didn'tknow that there were so manypeople that cared for me. It'ssomething I definitely won'tforget." Confronted with the toughstreets of South L.A., Nelworthcould easily have fallen into alife of gangs and crime. He hadlittle money and few clothes,and there were always plenty ofillicit temptations. But he chose to aim high. "I always use past experiencesas motivation . . . not as anexcuse not to do something," hesaid. His wake-up call came the dayhis sister told him he had been

Tyki Nelworth, 19.He comes from a Belizeanmother who is currently

serving time in a U.S. jail

"born a crack baby," Nelworthsaid. Such infants, who areaffected by drugs in the womb,are often developmentally slow. "That was a pivotal momentin my life," Nelworth said. "Iknew I had to keep pushing. Ihad to become somebody." Something a pastor once toldhim became his mantra: "Victoryis won by struggling against op-position. Victory is somethingyou have to get up and takecharge of." But it was not an easy journey.Nelworth and his mother, a na-tive of Belize, moved severaltimes over the years, he said. Atone point, he was taken awayfrom her because of childneglect. He lived with an uncle in LosAngeles for a while and thenwith his older sister in Alabama.When he was in the seventhgrade, his father died. Nelworthsaid he was living with hismother when she was evictedtwo years ago from her rentalhome. Earlier this year, she wasconvicted on drug-relatedcharges and sent to prison. Nelworth, who once lived in aconverted garage, now lives witha cousin and his girlfriend. Despite a turbulent home life,he never neglected his studies.He graduated from Henry ClayMiddle School with straight A's,recalled teachers at WashingtonPreparatory. In high school, Nelworth hasalso enjoyed success in sports.He is captain of the footballteam, plays baseball and has runtrack. Last year, he was electedpresident of the student body. "For this young man,academics are first," said ToddUllah, principal of WashingtonPreparatory. "He cares aboutpeople, and that shows in hisacademic work, the respect heshows for teachers. And henever misses an assignment,never misses school."







Please Turn To Page 9






Three handsome male dogs arewalking down the street whenthey see a beautiful, enticing,female Poodle. The three male dogs fall allover themselves in an effort tobe the one to reach her first, butend up arriving in front of her atthe same time. The males are speechlessbefore her beauty, slobbering onthemselves and hoping for justa glance from her in return. Aware of her charms and herobvious effect on the threedogs, she decides to be kind andsay to them, “The first one whocan use the words ‘liver’ and‘cheese’ in an imaginative,intelligent sentence can go outwith me.” The sturdy, muscular blackLab speaks up quickly and says,“I love liver and cheese.”

Liver and Cheese “Oh, how childish,” said thePoodle, “That shows noimagination or intelligencewhatsoever.” She turns to the tall, shinyGolden Retriever and says “Howwell can you do?” “Um. I HATE liver andcheese,” blurts the GoldenRetriever. “My, my,” said the Poodle, “Iguess it’s hopeless. That’s justas dumb as the Lab’s sentence.” She then turns to the last of thethree dogs and says, “How aboutyou, little guy?” The last of the three, tinyin stature but big in fameand finesse, is the Taco BellChihuahua. He gives her a smile, a slywink, turns to the GoldenRetriever and the Lab and says....“Liver alone. Cheese mine”.

A rather attractive womangoes up to the counter in a quietrural bar. She gestures alluringlyto the barman who comes overimmediately. When he arrives,she seductively signals that heshould bring his face closeto hers. When he does so,she begins to gently caresshis beard which is full andbushy. “Are you the manager?” sheasks, softly stroking his facewith both hands. “Actually, no”he replies.

An 8-year-old girl went to herdad, who was working in theyard and asked him, “Daddy,what is sex?” The father was surprised thatshe would ask such a question,but decided that if she’sold enough to know to askthe question, then she’sold enough to get a straightanswer. Steeling himself toleave nothing out, he proceededto tell her all about human

Where is the Manager? “Can you get him for me? - Ineed to speak to him.” she says,running her hands up beyond hisbeard and into his hair. “I’mafraid I can’t” breathes thebarman - clearly in trouble. “Isthere anything I can do?” “Yes there is. I need you togive him a message” shecontinues huskily, popping acouple of fingers into his mouthand allowing him to suck themgently. “Tell him that there isno toilet paper in the ladiesroom.”

What is Sex?reproduction and the joysand responsibilities ofintercourse. When he finishedexplaining, the little girl waslooking at him with her mouthhanging open, eyes wide inamazement. Seeing the look on her face, thefather asked her, “Why did youask this question, honey?” The little girl replied, “Momsays that dinner will be readyin just a couple of sex.”

A Vacancy exist atFIVE SISTERS LODGEMountain Pine Ridge, Cayo District

For aResident General Manager

(Just Across From KO-OX HAN-NAH Restaurant)






(Pomona, 22 April)-Citrus Products of Belize, (CPBL) has received notice of a ruling basedon a complaint taken to the Supreme Court last year by the Citrus Growers Association (CGA),challenging the removal of certain CGA appointees to the Board of Directors of CPBL.

CPBL notes that the Courts ruling, handed down this week by Madame Justice Hafiz,basically refused to grant any relief bought by the claimant, CGA and ordered all parties in thecase to bear their own cost.

More substantially however, the Court ruled that under the Articles of Association of CPBL,that the said Articles did not apply for the removal of the three Directors - Henry Canton,Frank Redmond and Mike Dunker.

The Judge also ruled that she was unable to rule in favour of the CGA on the removal of thesethree Directors at this times, as this would serve no useful purpose since the next AnnualGeneral Meeting is to be held within the next few weeks and that the removal of the directors,at this time, would create administrative difficulties. This has been the position taken by BankHoldings, the Strategic Investor, at a recent Press Conference held in February of this year.

The Judge advised that both parties to the dispute must work together to make suitableamendments to the Articles of Association, the Share Purchase Agreement and the InvestmentAgreement.

SAN IGNACIO TOWN, Cayo,Friday, April 23, 2010: It is with profound sadness thatwe join with the rest of thecounty in expression of sinceresympathy at the sudden passingof a colleague in the newsbusiness, Keith Kevin Swift,30 which occurred on Monday,April 19.

Reports indicate that hislifeless body was discovered bya roommate at around 5:30 pminside his Lizarraga Avenueresidence on the north side ofBelize City. The post mortem examinationconducted between 2:50 and4:00 pm on Tuesday, April 20,by police forensic specialist Dr.

Mario Estradabran certified“the cause of death to beright side heart failure as aconsequence of trombo embo-lism cerebral hemorrhage”.When translated into layman’sterms by a medical professionalwho has always been availableto offer advice, it can beinterpreted to mean the presenceof a blood clot which producedbleeding in the brain possiblyassociated with failure of theright side of the heart. Thiscondition is reportedly not

common in young personsunless there are otherunderlying medical conditionssuch as high cholesterol,diabetes or hypertension. We started in the newsbusiness in 2000, two yearsafter Keith started with Channel7 in 1998. He was the kind ofperson who, on assignment,would always seek us out andlink up with us in covering thenews while we were in Dangrigaand he continued this practice aswe moved up to Cayo. It was always a pleasure towork with Keith. His passing isa tremendous loss to all of us inthe news business. Keith is survived by hisparents Greta Mossiah andFather Robert Clifton Swift.He is also survived byseveral brothers and sisterand his extended family atChannel 7. Keith was laid to rest inBelmopan today following 10:00am funeral services at St. Ann’sAnglican Church in Belmopan.May the soul of this friend andcolleague rest in peace and risein eternal glory.

Keith Kevin Swift, 30SUNRISE: Nov. 30, 1979SUNSET: April 19, 2010






CAPRICORN:December 22 to

January 20 Be sensible and realistic.Fortunes could be won and lostif you allow a stroke of luckto go to your head. A suddenjourney is likely as theweek comes to an end. LuckyNumbers: 06, 51, 70.

AQUARIUS:January 21 toFebruary 19

Getting involved in a newproject seems like a good idea

friendships later in the week.Lucky Numbers: 03, 18, 78.

VIRGO:August 22 toSeptember 21

You will enjoy new jobexperiences and might expectmore success in your career.Some dramatic news is likely atthe very start or the very end ofthe week. Lucky Numbers: 24,77, 81.

LIBRA:September 22 to

October 23 Someone isn’t taking youseriously and expects you tochange your mind aboutimportant plans. You need todrill the message home and letpeople see that you are firm inyour opinions and you do knowwhat you’re doing. LuckyNumbers: 02, 16, 49.

SCORPIO:October 24 toNovember 21

A reunion you hadn’t reallybeen looking forward to couldhave that extra sparkle andsurprise. Renewing old contactscould bring you luck in thenot too distant future. LuckyNumbers: 09, 28, 82.

SAGITTARIUS:November 22 to

December 21A great week for creative efforts.Legal and publishing concernscould bring you a degree of goodfortune. There is better scope fordiversifying your range of socialcontacts. Lucky Numbers: 05,36, 64.

ARIES:March 22- April 20

It might feel as if someone hasbetrayed you but as you willsoon find out, their actions werewith your best interests atheart. For that reason, don’tjump to conclusions. LuckyNumbers: 55, 73, 85.

TAURUS:April 21 to May 21

Finding yourself in unfamiliaror foreign territory is no badthing. All of a sudden you mightrealise how dull your lifehas been and it is time to makesome positive changes. LuckyNumbers: 22, 67, 92.

GEMINI:May 22 to June 21

Accept the chance to use yourtalents to better your financialsituation. The end of the weekbrings change for the better. Asmall gamble could pay off.Lucky Numbers: 26, 41, 96.

CANCER:June 22 to July 23

A breakdown in communica-tions could get interesting whensomeone reveals somethingthey’ve been trying to keep se-cret. You feel more confidentabout the plans you are makingfor the long term future. . LuckyNumbers: 07, 33, 62.

LEO:July 24 to August 21

You aren’t likely to lose moneyon a deal if you think carefullyabout it. Common sense willkeep you right. You get morefreedom to move aroundand experiment with new

but there is something holdingyou back. If you do get involved,you need an exit strategy, just incase!Lucky Numbers: 10, 42,54.

PISCES:February 20 to

March 21 Work and other responsibili-ties get the priority. Money mayneed to be spent on equipmentyou require as back up. Take achance on romance in theweekend. Lucky Numbers: 12,31, 95.






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Continued From Page 5






Dear Editor, The majority of us living inthe Oscar Sabido Area are verymuch concerned about recentcriminal activities taking placein our area. There is a park in theneighbourhood that should beused for recreational purposesbut because of the lack of properlighting, the park is very darkafter sunset. The park had some fancy lightsbut these were destroyed a fewweeks after they were installed. The park has become adangerous place and so we donot use it. This recreational facility isinstead used as a hang out, weedsmoking spot every night by agroup of young boys and men.Those of us living in the area cansmell the aroma of burningmarijuana from a distancebecause it saturates the air webreathe. There is a strong possibility thatthese weed smoking boys andmen are the ones destroying thelight fixtures in the park so theycan engage in their criminalways under the cover ofdarkness. Over the past two month,many are the children that havebeen held up in this area. Theirbicycles have been taken away.Many women have been heldup and relieved of their purses

and other personal possessions.Most of these incidents gounreported because of the levelof mistrust that the communityhas for the police. Now we hear that TamsSupermarket was held up and theproprietor robbed at gunpoint inBROAD DAYLIGHT. Whatelse should we expect? Information circulating withinthe area indicates that a youngman who was recently releasedfrom prison, and a formersecurity Guard from SacredHeart High School, arerecruiting boys and organizingcriminal activities in the area. Those of us residing in the areaare concerned about the factthat the police is not hearingour pleas for assistance. We arealso concerned that politiciansare not hearing our cries for help. We are asking the police toplease conduct frequent patrolsin the area as we are awarethat instituting preventativemeasures is more desirable thanexpending time and energy inapprehending criminals We are asking the police tomake regular visits in the areafrom 8:00 p.m. onward. We call on political leadersto PLEASE install adequatelighting in the park. We the law abiding citizens ofthis community want to feel savewhen we go to the store after

Greetings, My name is Aton Avila, I'm aproud Belizean originally fromSan Ignacio, Cayo, currentlyresiding in Brooklyn, NY, USA.I read the STAR via the net, ona regular basis and mustcommend you guys on thewonderful job you're doing.Keep it up. I read an article in the April18th issue entitled 'From theProspective of a Female Artist'

by Belizean Artist NehandaHiginio and found it to be veryrare and intriguing. I'd like to know if she has awebsite I can visit, to check outand perhaps purchase pieces ofher work. Thanks for keeping usinformed and once again, keepup the good work.God bless,Aton AvilaBrooklyn NY, USA

Aton Writes From The Big Apple

Tel: 626-8822 or 626- 3788

“The Newspaper that cares anddares to bring out the truth”

42A Western Highway,Santa Elena, Cayo,

Belize, Central America

[email protected]

Publisher: Alberto AugustEditor: Nyani Azueta-AugustCirculation: Errol Gonzalez

Visit us online at :belizenorth.com/

thestar.htmbelizenews.com/thestar

star.belizeanlife.comguidetobelize.info/star

We Want To Take Back Control OfOur Park

sunset.. We want to see ourchildren using the park for itsintended recreational purpose. There are times when we wouldlike to take our children to playin the park. We would like to dosome walking around the parkbut the presence of these men

Dear Editor, Please allow me space in yournewspaper to share an issue thathas been paramount on my mindand one dominating many of myrecent conversations. Competitive sports has beenon the back burner in Belize formany years. We hear of a fewgood athletes who emerge anddisappear just as quickly. Many Belizeans will remem-ber when Marion Jones won allthose medals in the Olympics asshe carried the Belizean flag inher victory lap, showing her lovefor this great country. We recallwith great pride our ferventsupport for a woman who "putBelize on the map". We wereso eager to support anAmerican-Belizean, but lessenthusiastically embrace one ofour own rising athletes, a bornand raised Belizean who hasadequately proven she iscompetitive in her own rights! Each year for Easter, NorthAmerican and several CentralAmerican cyclists come toBelize to take part in our AnnualCross Country Cycling Classic.I vividly recall 2003 and 2004'swinner Chris Harkey from theU.S., and while we rallied forhim for his victory, how muchmore would our joy have beenif it had been one of our ownboys. From 1974 to 2007, 20foreigners have dominated thesport, riding across the finish lineeither in first or second place.Let us not forget, though,Belizeans who have "shown up"such as Ernest Meighan, ShaneVasquez, and Michael Lewis.These are a few of the Belizeanswho have patriotically

participated as well to add tothe competitiveness of thisprestigious race. In this list of great athletes,does the name Shalini Zabanehring a bell? Shalini has been anable and strong competitor incycling for 5 years. And whileone may say that the field ofcompetitiveness is not as widein female cycling, Shalini camefrom nowhere, and has certainlycarved her niche on the plaqueof that sport, entering as a rookieamong names that we had beenaccustomed to hearing, joiningtheir ranks and surpassing theirefforts to win or place in ourraces. My pressing issue is this. Itseems as though we recognizetalent but don't do much tofoster it. Shalini has shownenormous potential in thecycling world. She is consistentand eager. She trains diligentlyand often alone. We need to rallybehind a winner, someone whohas proven herself on thenational and international scene.Let's send her to competeinternationally and bring honorhome. She is bursting atthe seams. Let's support her,financially and emotionally,recognizing the potential wehave simmering in ourmidst. Belize has colossal talentsbut it is up to us to maintain andrally behind local athletes. It ishigh time we recognize talentsright in our own back yardsinstead of living vicariouslythrough many internationalathletes we beckon to this greatcountry.Curiously,Janel J. AugustSan Francisco, Calif., USA

Recognizing Local Talent In Sports

prevent us from doing so. We want to take backcontrol of our park and so weare calling on the relevantauthorities to assist us in thisnoble endeavour.(Please Withhold My Name)San Ignacio, 19th April 2010












Chalillo Unit2 ½ Miles Northern HighwayBelize City, Belize

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SESSIONSResidents of Cristo Rey Village, San Ignacio Town, Santa Elena Town and stakeholdersalong the Macal River, are invited to a presentation and information sharing meetingon Mercury in our Environment and the health risk associated with high levels ofmercury in fish.

The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 in Cristo Rey Village atthe Community Center, commencing at 7:00 p.m.

The second meeting will be on Thursday, April 29, 2010 in San Ignacio Town at theCultural Center, commencing at 7:00 p.m.

These meetings are being coordinated by the Chalillo Public Participation Committee.

For more information please contact BECOL at 824-3016.

By Phyllis Lane, SANTAELENA TOWN, Cayo Receivedon Thursday, April 22, 2010: Just before midnight onSaturday, April 17, an electricalfire broke out in a Land Roverparked inside the walledcourtyard at the Fox Club onGeorge Price Avenue in SantaElena, Cayo. The fire started while the ownerand another tenant were soundlysleeping and unaware of whatwas happening, it did not gounnoticed as Valerio “Junior”Estrada who lives across thestreet, smelled the heavy aromaof burning rubber and he beganto investigate the origin. Mostfortunately, at the same time, theGuzman brothers who lives nextdoor arrived with their friendsand heeded Junior’s warning. With last week’s fire, only twoblocks away, still fresh in theirminds, they didn’t hesitate, andmade a dash for the entrancegate. It took several preciousminutes of pounding on the gateand yelling for the owner beforethey were heard and themagnitude of the situation was

discovered, but once the gatewas open they poured throughlike a well-trained SWAT teamand took control of the situation. Using a hose from the faucetand buckets of water from therain vat, they were able to lowerthe heat enough to pop thebonnet and tackle the blazeunder it. Others threw water inside tocontrol that inferno, and it wasnothing short of a miracle theywere able to remove a full,10-gallon tank of butane thatwas at risk of exploding, andwould have incinerated every-thing within the compound and

possibly the houses on bothsides. Within another fewminutes the flames were dyingout, but exploding glass andsearing steam were still hazardsthey withstood without any fearor concern for their own safety. When the Fire Departmentarrived they let them finish thejob, but only smoke and sizzlewere left for them to fight. The “heroes of the hood” hadsaved the day, and sauntered onhome like it was something theydo every day. And as magnifi-cently as they handled things, itwouldn’t be surprising if they do.The whole neighborhood is

fortunate to have these outstand-ing lads around to lend a handwhen disaster strikes. Though all were not availableor too shy to be in the photo, theheroes are: Valerio “Junior”Estrada, Javier “Biejo”Guzman , Jesus“Tesoro”Guzman Jr., Joe “BigBird”Marr Jr., George“Banny”Rosaro, Henry“Tablas” Velasquez, Giovanni“Jack” Lucero, Ian “Big Blue”Young, Rudy “Diego” Neal,Linbert Tate and Sean Flow-ers . To all of you, and anyothers who was inadvertentlygot left out, THANKS ANDGOD BLESS!!!

The fire damaged Land Rover and 6 of the brave fire fightersPhoto by Leslie Kearns






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Clifton NealBrian CasasolaPamela FerminIvor ThompsonTricia Casasola

Velda BattyYvette Joseph

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WINdows - From WINBelizeWomen’s Issues Newtork Belize The call came into our officeat 10:25 A.M. I could barely hearwhat she was saying, so I toldher to try to relax and speak abit slower. “Mi husband di beatmi” was what I heard herwhispering on the telephone line.I stopped for a second; I couldnow recognize that I wasspeaking to an elderly woman.So I asked her if she had calledthe Police, she told me that shehad done so several times and noone had come to her aid. Iproceeded to ask her how old shewas and how I could assist her,she told me she was eighty sevenand her husband was seventyfive. She told me she lived onthe Southside of the city and thatshe had been dealing with abusefor a number of years. The abusecame because of her inability toperform sexually as she wasdiagnosed with cervical cancer.Engaging in sexual intercourse,she told me, could mean deathfor her. After I got over theinitial shock of knowing thatwomen of all ages in Belizehave to deal with DomesticViolence and that a seventy fiveyear old man was still sexuallycapable, I gathered my thoughtsand proceeded to see whatcould be done to assist thiswoman. I somehow felt an instantconnection with this woman; Iwanted to know her story. Ijust could not imagine mygrandmother going throughdomestic violence. Eventhinking about how easy it wouldbe for her to sustain injuries, shewas in her golden years, andshould be relaxing, enjoyingher life. I felt that from my

experiences in life this would beone of the cases that would standout in my line of work. I askedher for her address for I had tointervene. After all, the Policewould not assist; perhaps theyhad more pressing issues to dealwith. I was not afraid, besides aseventy five year old man wouldhave a hard time putting hishands up to me. So I got in mycar and drove to the house.When I got there a frail, cryingand scared woman greeted me.She had no family members inBelize, no children; she was allalone with this man. They hadbeen married for fifty years, hewas the “only man” she knew.It is so unfair for this woman tosuffer for such reasons beyondher control when in essence therecomes a time in a man’s lifewhere he too becomes unable toperform as per normal. It leavesone to wonder if as women, evenin our golden years we have toworry about our safety from thevery men we’ve lived to care for.Should we call her years thebrass years? Surely does notsound golden. After this experience, I learnedthat we are all vulnerable atdifferent times in our lives, I wasa victim myself. It was notphysical, but it was everythingelse. If I got home from workfive minutes late I was cheating,everything that was heardabout me was automaticallytrue and all my days becameunpredictable. The judge, juryand court of public opinionswere in that one person. I didnot know who I would meethome; sometimes I was scaredto go home, always thinking ifmy partner would be in agood or bad mood. I was the

breadwinner in the house, yet Iwas subjected to emotionaland psychological abuse. Everyobject dashed across the roomwas my fault, I had to put onreserve whatever I was feeling,and I could not even get madwithout my partner getting moreupset than me. I did not leavethe relationship because of whatI was going through, I chose tostay. I cannot tell you why Istayed. I had all the information,I knew where to go, who to call,yet I did nothing. Some women experiencedomestic violence throughouttheir lives or at different timesin their lives, while we are oftenquick to judge women it is goodto be supportive and understand-ing of their plights. Women stayin domestic violence fordifferent reasons. Some womenare quick to brag that they don’t

get beaten so they believe theydo not suffer abuse. There arefive different forms of abuse;physical, financial, verbal,emotional and sexual. Whilesome women experience varyingdegrees of abuse, generally,when one form of abuse exists,it is coupled with other forms aswell. It is important for women toknow where they canget assistance if they areexperiencing abuse. Womenshould call the domestic violenceunit at 227-2222 and theWomen’s Department at227-7397. There is no reasonfor women to suffer in silence,abuse often turns deadly.Anyone can be a victim ofdomestic or family violence,family background, age, race, oreconomic status have very littleto do with ones vulnerability toabuse. Speak out about abuse;Silence has a price!

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GALEN UNIVERSITY,Central Farm, Cayo, Tuesday,April 20, 2010: United States Ambassador toBelize His Excellency VinaiThummalapally today visitedGalen University where hespoke on the issues of climatechange and the United States ofAmerica’s role in internationalefforts to develop methods tomanage the environmentalimpact in the Western Hemi-sphere. “It (climate change)almost fools us as if it isnot happening.” remarked theuniversity’s Vice PresidentPlanning, Mr. MarionCayetano, in his brief welcomeaddress. For his part AmbassadorThummalapally spoke about theupcoming 40th Anniversary ofEarth Day, April 22nd. (Galenstudents will be participating inthis event by supporting theGreen Walk from San Ignacioto Belmopan.) . Ambassador Thummalapallywent on to say that, “In a smallway I feel like I’m preaching tothe choir,” as he was veryimpressed with the sustainablepractices already in place atGalen University. He particularly liked thebioremediation system for solidwaste installed last semester.This system is designed toeliminate contamination ofground water by sewagedischarge while using thenutrients within the wastewater

to grow ornamental plants. As Galen’s student bodygrows, there are plans toimplement additional sustain-able practices including solarand wind power systems toprovide renewable energy for theuniversity. Ambassador Thummalapallyended his presentation byreminding us that the effects ofclimate change “will notdiscriminate between rich andpoor, will not make distinctionsbetween race and religions, andwill not leave any countryunaffected.” More impor-tantly,” he said “climate changeis a global issue and as such,we all have a responsibility incurtailing its effects.” At Galen, all students arerequired to take a sustainabledevelopment course and beingsustainable is one of thefoundations of the university.Students in the Applications ofSustainable Development course

this semester will presenttheir community projects onFriday, April 23, 2010. TheseProjects include EnvironmentalEducation at St. BarnabasPrimary, Shop Green Initiative,Dis Da Fi Wi Football – HIV/AIDS Education, San IgnacioOral History website andmore. The goal of these projects isto offer students the unique

U.S. Ambassador to BelizeH.E. Vinai Thummalapally

chance to interact with importantissues concerning Belize as theyleave with a learning experienceoffered nowhere else but atGalen University. Also on Friday, April 23, GalenUniversity will be hosting aforum with Horizon 2030 topresent our students’ vision of a“Green” 2030 Belize. Topicsinclude: energy efficiency,poverty alleviation and generalsustainability practices.

BELMOPAN CITY, Wednes-day, April, 21, 2010: A release from the Embassy ofMexico in Belize today informsthat Mexican Customs has

confirmed that the inspectionschedule for passenger busescrossing the border to Chetumal,Mexico, has been extendedfrom Monday to Sunday from6:00 am to 7:00 pm. The new schedule will allowany type of passenger buses tocross into Mexico any day ofthe week, including Saturdaysand Sundays. Buses arriving between 6:00am and 9:00 am will be visuallychecked by customs officers atthe Mexican border, while busescrossing from 9:00 am to 7:00pm will be scanned by theGamma Ray System that wasimplemented at the beginning ofthis year. The extension of the time,especially on weekends, willfacilitate the entrance ofBelizean buses and passengersand at the same time it willenhance security and safety forvisitors at the border betweenMexico and Belize. The Embassy of Mexico alsoreminds the public that Belizeannationals DO NOT require visato travel to Chetumal or to anyother part of Mexico. In orderto cross the border, Belizeanscan use either their passport ortheir visitor’s card (FMVL). Belizeans are encouraged toapply for the FMVL card at theMexican Immigration office atthe border. The card makes theentrance into Mexico faster andallows traveling within QuintanaRoo, including Chetumal, Playadel Carmen and Cancun up to 3consecutive days. For more information pleasecontact the Consular Sectionof the Embassy of Mexico at223-0193 or 223-0194 or writeto [email protected] orvisit the Embassy´s web page atwww.sre.gob.mx/belice/

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SAN IGNACIO TOWN, Cayo,Monday, April 19, 2010: As San Ignacio police continue tocrack down on the increasingreports of burglary committedwithin the twin towns another manstands accused, this time not forburglary, but for handling goodsreported stolen from the home of anAmerican Professor. Ron Wikins, 64, AmericanProfessor of a Sankar Street addressin San Ignacio reported to police

SAN IGNACIO TOWN,Wednesday, April 21, 2010: A San Ignacio man was todayarrested and charged with twocounts of theft and one count ofdamage to property after he wascaught red handed breaking intoone of two vehicles. At around 12:30 am onTuesday, April 20, San Ignaciopolice were called out to#18 Back Street, San IgnacioTown, where Oliver Sedasey,41, Belizean businessmanhanded over a battered maleperson he caught red handedafter breaking into his lockedgold color Ford Focus car with

San Ignacio/Santa Elena licenseplates 01054 which was parkedon the street in front of his house. Upon arrival, almost an hour

after receiving the call, police observed that theaccused had removed severalpersonal items from inside thecar including the vehicle’s CDplayer and other items thatSedasey had, earlier that day,purchased in Spanish Lookoutvalued at $791.00. The man was identified as IanShish, 25, Belizean labourer,residing on the neighboringMacal Street. Further investigationrevealed that a grey ToyotaHilux, belonging to Juan Ortiz,22, Belizean businessman alsoof #18 Back Street, parked onthe same street side in front ofthe house, was broken into and

personal property valueda $1,251 were missing. Theinvestigation revealed thatentry into the Hilux was gainedby damaging the lock on thepassenger side of the vehicle. After he was detained, theaccused led police to his housenearby where the items stolenfrom the Hilux were recovered. The accused appeared beforeMagistrate Anna RachelMontejo in San Ignacio’smagistrate court on Wednesday,April 21, where he pled guiltyto the two counts of theft. Hewas fined $505.00 on each countone to be paid by May 31 andthe other to be paid by July 31,in default of payment, 1 yearimprisonment. While he initiallypled guilty to the charge ofdamage to property in relation tothe door lock on Juan Ortiz’Hilux, the accused did not agreewith the facts as presented byprosecutor George Gomezconsequently prompting Magis-trate Montejo to enter a notguilty plea. He was granted bailin the sum of $1,000 and orderedto return to court on Friday, May14, 2010.

Ian Shish, 25

with RF&G Insurance. Police investigation led to thearrest, five days later, onThursday, April 15, of OwenAlexander Parham, 33,Belizean, unemployed of a PerezStreet address in Santa ElenaTown. A search of Perez’s houseled to the discovery of an airconditioning unit and a compasswhich were positively identifiedby the professor as his property. Further investigation alsoled to the recovery, on thefollowing day, Friday, April 16,of several pieces of electricaltools including a skill saw, anelectric drill and other items

from a house also in Santa Elena.The person found in possession ofthese items reportedly told thepolice that Parham visited his homea few days earlier and told him thathe has completed a construction joband was getting rid of the toolswhich he offered for sale for $200. In view of the lack of evidenceconnecting him to the burglary,Parham was merely arrested for twocounts of handling stolen goods,being one count for the items found

The Accused,Owen Alexander

Parham, 33that he departed Belize on April6, 2010 enroute to Los Angeles,California. He was only gonefor two days when he receivedan email from an acquaintanceinforming him that his house wasburglarized. He returned toBelize two days later, on April10, and confirmed that his housewas indeed burglarized andthat entry/exit was gained bydamaging the locks of two doors. An inventory revealed the lossof $12,730 worth of missingproperty including several piecesof electrical tools, a flat screenSony television set and an airconditioning unit. All insured

in his house on Thursday, April15 and the other for the itemsfound at the other location thevery next day, Friday, April 16.The accused appeared beforeMagistrate Anna RachelMontejo on Monday, April 19where he entered a not guiltyplea. He was offered bail in thesum of $5,000 and ordered toreturn to court on Tuesday, May18, 2010. He was unable to meetbail and was transported to thecentral prison in Hattieville.











Documents

*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR*STAR ...belizenews.com/thestar///cayostar225.pdf · "It means the sky's the limit." On Thursday, members of the high school's alumni

STARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTARSTAR*STAR ...belizenews.com/thestar///cayostar225.pdf · "It means the sky's the limit." On Thursday, members of the high school's alumni