Mangroves and ME poster contest!

With coloring tools in hands and paper on desk, primary school students on the island took the opportunity to sound the alarm of how important the wetlands are to the eco-system. Over a hundred posters were displayed at the Central Park for the first ever World Wetland Day Poster Competition on Monday February 2nd.
The competition was organized jointly by Hol Chan Marine Reserve, The San Pedro Business Association and the Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development. After being displayed for over two hours, the judges had the difficult task to choose the three winners and a winner for the most creative poster.

First place was captured by the Standard Six students of La Isla Bonita Elementary Primary School. The students consisted of Mario Guerrero, Walter Tut and Kristian Marin who walked away with $300 and a trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve (including snacks).

Second place was awarded to the Standard One students of Ambergris Caye Elementary Primary School. Kylie, Rochell, Jye, Brandon, Alina, Steven and Lucy walked away with $200.

Most Creative poster

Third place went out to San Pedro RC School student, Rina Godoy who took home $100. A fourth prize was given out after seeing the effort of the students, and Nathan Lisbey of Island Academy was awarded $100 for the most creative poster.

Other students took to their creativity and designed beautiful posters. Below found a couple that caught our attention.

Read more of this story and more in Thursday's edition of The San Pedro Sun Newspaper!

Update: 2 more bodies found up North of San Pedro

Officers enroute to the crime scene.

Update:

At 4:30 p.m. police positively identified the remains found 19 miles North of San Pedro Town, approximately 2 miles from Tranquility Bay. James Swan and Edwardo Gutierrez both went missing on Thursday according to family members. The two bodies were found lying facing each other in a grave dug three feet underground. Police investigation continues.

Officers investigating the crime scene.

Edwardo Gutierrez

Police have confirmed to The San Pedro Sun that at least one person is known to be dead some 16 miles north of San Pedro Town in the Rocky Point Area, Ambergris Caye. Police would not release further details, but a tearful and distressed Elena Edwards told The San Pedro Sun that she strongly believes the body might be that of her son, James Alexander Swan, who, according to her, went missing since Thursday, January 29th. Edwards says that the last person James was seen with was Elias “Brah Lee” Gutierrez.

When asked what James might be doing north of the island, Elena says that they are fishermen and that is the area where they normally go fishing.

A team of investigators led by Senior Superintendent James Magdaleno and Officer In Charge of the San Pedro Police Department Dennis Arnold has been dispatched to the area to process the scene. The San Pedro Sun will have more details in this weeks issue of The San Pedro Sun Newspaper!

Cuban group note drop in political prisoners

A dissident group in Cuba has issued a new report noting a drop in the number of political prisoners, but says that arbitrary detentions continue. The Cuban Human Rights Commission says the number of political prisoners fell from 234 in 2007 to 205 last year. Last week Cuba invited the United Nations special investigator on torture to visit the island this year, as Havana defends its rights record. Cuba is due to present a report on the human rights situation later this week to the new Human rights Council. Regional response needed...

Latin American leaders assembled Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's rise to power, a period described by state-run television as "a decade of successes."
Chavez and representatives of the leftist group Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our Americas, or ALBA, walked through the National Pantheon, a square on the edge of the old town of Caracas that holds the sarcophagus of Simon Bolivar, whom Chavez credits with inspiring him as "the father of the revolution."
In attendance were presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Jose Manuel Zelaya of Honduras and Evo Morales of Bolivia; Roosevelt Skerrit, prime minister of Dominica; and Cuba's first vice president, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura.
Absent was Chavez's friend and mentor, former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who has been sick. But that didn't stop Chavez from addressing him.

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, center, is flanked by Bolivia's Evo Morales, right, and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega.

Seeds of anarchy planted Sat

It is a tragic and terrible day in northern Belize as anarchy was loosed in the area of the Tower Hill Factory in Orange Walk. Credible reports say one man has died and at least four are injured after clashes between police and protestors. But the seeds of that anarchy was planted many days earlier. Both sides knew they would eventually block the road – and indeed from Saturday hostilities started to spark up between the police who were protecting the sugar factory and the cane farmers who were holding firm outside of it. On Saturday tear gas was released on a few farmers as police had to clear a road. Hearing the news Keith Swift headed to Orange Walk and he found farmers already cultivate the resolve and the hardline that came to bear on those terrible events this afternoon.

Keith Swift Reporting,This was Tower Hill on Saturday – police men standing guard at the road leading uphill to block these roughly one hundred sugar cane farmers and their families. The police men were armed with guns and - one even equipped with tear gas to keep them at bay but the farmers remained calm and resolute.

Francisco Tillett, Cane Farmer“From last night we were here and we will be here night in, day out and we will stay here.”

Click here to read more

Source: Channel 7 News

Murder, robbery and shots fired

Official Belize Police Report:

At about 6:00pm on Friday, 30 January 2009, Police in San Pedro Town received information of a shooting incident in the Rocky Point Area, North Ambergris Caye, about fifteen miles from San Pedro Town. According to the information, the suspects were making their way towards San Pedro Town in a white skiff with green and black stripes on the side, powered by a 150 hp Yamaha engine. As a result, a joint Police/BDF team was deployed to the area. Whilst travelling through the river in the Boca Del Rio Area they heard a vessel approaching in the opposite direction and upon spotting a light on the skiff, they noticed that it fitted the description they had received.
The captain was directed to stop the vessel, however, he refused. Keeping the spotlight on the vessel, the police continue in pursuit and the vessel eventually stopped. They then observed one of the two occupants of the vessels, standing with what appeared to be firearm in his hand pointing in their direction. Fearing for their lives, the police fired at the person with the firearm. This individual then jumped overboard, swam towards the mangroves and made good his escape.
Upon reaching the vessel, police found inside, one Eric Swan, with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the upper right leg, and a graze to the buttock. Also found in the vessel were, six (6) live 7.62 rounds of ammunition, camouflage pants and sea worthiness certificate in the name of Eric Swan. Swan was taken to the San Pedro Poly Clinic and later transported to the KHMH where he remains in stable condition under guard.

Eric Swan

Later in the said evening, Joseph Smith, a 31 year-old carpenter of DFC area San Pedro Town reported to police that he was held up at gun point by persons fitting the description in the same vessel, in the Rocky Point area, where they took away his two tanks of fuel leaving him drifting in his skiff. He managed to reach ashore safely.

At about 8:00am on Saturday, 31 January, Brionne Swift, 29 years, of Boca Del Rio Area, San Pedro Town reported to police that he believe that his friend John Paul Saldivar was shot, on Friday, 30 January around 4:00pm and might still be alive. As a result police visited an area about 16 miles North of Ambergris Caye, where they found a Hispanic decent male person laying face up on the seashore, with appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds and to the head and legs. The body was also observed with bruises. The body which was pronounced dead on arrival at the San Pedro Poly Clinic, was identified as John Paul Saldivar, originally of Corozal Town.

Click "PLAY" to hear an interview with Investigating officer, Sergeant Nigel Sanchez.

San Pedro observes World Wetlands Day

On February 2nd, Belize joins the world in celebrating World Wetland’s Day. It marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2nd, 1971. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general. And in San Pedro was no different, little over a dozen boats made it out at the crack of dawn in support and observance of World Wetlands Day. This year the celebration will feature around the theme, “From the mountain to sea, wetland at work for us.” As part of the local activities to highlight the importance of the wetland, the San Pedro Business Association, Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development (ACCSD) hosted a boat parade on Monday, February 2nd. The boat parade started at 7:30 a.m. from the lagoon side gas station and ended at Boca Ciega Channel.
The purpose of the event is to highlight the importance of the wetlands and the importance to the natural habitat in the area including the reef.

Just click "Play"...Enjoy!

MORE LOCAL NEWS.....

Police make arrest in Caye Caulker

Aaron Adolphus, 22 years

On Monday, January 26, Valerie Walker and Sofia Stefanio, both Canadians, reported that sometime around 3:45pm, whilst in a yard on the south end of Caye Caulker they were approached by a male person of dark complexion, medium built, about 5ft.6ins. in height, armed with a machete and a knife. The man demanded money which was given to him; however, he proceeded to stab both women to the left side of their neck. Sofia was admitted to ward at the Universal Health Services and Valerie was treated and released. Initial investigation has led to the arrest of Aaron Adolphus, 22, of New Site Caye Caulker, who has been charged with: (2) counts Robbery, (2) counts Attempt Murder, (2) counts Deadly Means of Harm, and (2) counts of Dangerous Harm.