The San Pedro Sun and Visitor Guide

Thursday, October 30, 2008

JP’s of San Pedro sworn in

On Friday, October 24th, six Senior Justices of the Peace, and six Justices of the Peace took their oath of office at an official ceremony held at the San Pedro Town Council office in Ambergris Caye. The guest speaker for the occasion was Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., who congratulated the new Senior Justices of the Peace and the Justices of the Peace, and welcomed them to the ranks of those that are already serving their communities by affording voluntary and selfless service in support of the judicial system.

On hand for the official swearing-in was Priscilla Banner of the Attorney General’s office who spoke about the legislation and gave a run down of the duties and obligations the Justices of the Peace should uphold. Banner emphasized that the system of Justices of the Peace was the foundation of the Belizean legal system, and urged the new office holders to exercise the functions of their office without fear or favor, affection or ill-will. All eight individuals did this on oath over the sacred Holy Bible.

Banner also encouraged the new Justices of the Peace (JP) to familiarize themselves with their roles as set out in the Justices of the Peace Manual, and pointed out that the new JP’s should seek to cement bonds of fellowship by seeking guidance from fellow Justices of the Peace through the Association of Justices of the Peace. Banner further stated that in the Legislature under the Justice of the Peace Act, the officers have an obligation to the Code of Ethics and should uphold and follow them diligently. Failure to comply would be a breach of the Code of Ethics and would entail legal action. As per the Senior Justices of the Peace, they have in their power to conduct legal marriages which is stated in the Marriage Act of Belize.

A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions. Justices of the Peace are appointed or elected from the citizens of the jurisdiction in which they serve, and are usually not required to have a formal legal education in order to qualify for the office.

These twelve individuals were chosen based on their civic duty and commitment to their communities. Individuals sworn in were: (Senior JP’s) Ruben Gonzalez, Fidel Ancona, Wilfredo Alamilla Jr., Anne Elizabeth Longsworth, Yolanda Parham, and Daniel Guerrero. Whilst Justices of the Peace were: Abelina Heredia, Herman Acosta, Adaleida Gonzalez, Gonzalo Muñoz, Severo Guerrero Jr., and Melita Guerrero.
After the official formalities, Minister Heredia thanked the new Justices of the Peace for accepting their new office of serving the community of San Pedro Town in a voluntary capacity.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Under the Sun

CONGRATS!

Proud parents Alba Delie Heredia and Rudy Williams welcomed the birth of their beautiful baby boy Aidan Radny Williams on October 10th, 2008. Born in Orange Walk Town, baby Aidan weighed six pounds at birth.
Congratulations to Alba and Rudy on the newest addition to their family.

Who dat?

Many people have lived here all their lives and have seen so many changes over the years. The biggest changes are the many faces of the various people walking down the streets. All of a sudden, we don't know who we pass by on the street at all. So, every week we will introduce you to someone new: a friend, your neighbor, anyone walking down the street. Six questions will be answered, who they are, what they do here, where they come from, when they came and why they chose to live here, and a little extra fun question. Hope you like this fun feature!

Who: Lalman Logan
What: Security Officer at S A Security Service
Where: Corozal District
When: 5 months ago
Why: To work
Status: Single and looking out

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Torch Run and Solidarity Walk merged

SP AIDS Commission and WIN-Belize join forces

Press Release – SPAC/WIN-Belize – October 27th, 2008 – In order to bring even more attention and drive to the annual World AIDS Day Solidarity walk, the San Pedro AIDS Commission accepted to merge with the Women’s Issues Network – Belize. Both non-profit organizations will unite on November 30th in commemoration of World AIDS Day. The San Pedro AIDS Commission has for the past eight years been working diligently in San Pedro to bring HIV/AIDS awareness and education to this community. WIN Belize who is also a non-profit organization has been working with issues affecting women in this country including HIV/AIDS. Representatives from both groups agreed to merge with one common cause – bring awareness!

This year, the annual Torch Run that is spearheaded by WIN Belize countrywide will form part of the Solidarity Walk that is also a yearly event in San Pedro. World AIDS Day is being observed under the theme: “Youth Take the Lead” while the Torch Run has as its theme, “Silence has a price.” The Solidarity Walk and Torch Run will culminate with a grand fair held at Central Park. Although in the planning stages, the fair will have various booths, including one which will be carrying out rapid AIDS testing. Tentatively, a Rock Concert is also in the process of being finalized.
Through this medium, both groups are encouraging all schools, businesses and individuals to participate in this endeavor as we march for one common good; to reduce the stigma and discrimination of HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Violence. Join us! Support Us! Make a difference!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Holiday Bash a spooky splash!

Ghouls, goblins, witches and devils made it out for Holiday Hotel's 20th annual 'Horrorween Bash' on Saturday night and what a 'thriller' it was. With a laid out red carpet to welcome the ghostly guests of the night, it could not have been scripted better in Hollywood. Everyone had fun, and partied until the wee hours of the morning. Here are some highlights...