Two Special Olympics athletes from Stella Maris competed in the Caribbean Special Olympics Bocce Event in Grand Cayman and brought home four medals. Elijah Martinez and Kiefer Simon were greeted at the Philip Goldson International Airport this afternoon by the school’s marching band. They then headed over to Stella Maris where the celebration continued. Students held up posters and shouted in celebration when the team arrived at the school’s entrance. We spoke with their coach, Sheree Selgado who also underwent training in Grand Cayman to become a certified bocce coach. We also heard from Marshall Nunez, the Disability Desk Coordinator, who joined the athletes on this journey, as well as the athletes themselves.
Sheree Selgado
Sheree Selgado, Coach, Special Olympics Bocce Team
“We actually did a lot of practice before we left for grand Cayman to participate in this competition. Bocce is almost, they would say the cousin to bowling. It entails a small ball that is called a pallino. Each teams would get four balls to play and the objective of the game is you need to get your balls as close as possible to that pallino. It means so much, we went out there. We just practiced in our school yard. WE didn’t even have a proper facility compared to the other regions that we played against. We went optimistic. The boys kept saying we are coming back with gold. We fell short by one point for that gold but we came back with medal.”
Marshall Nunez
Marshall Nunez, Disability Desk Coordinator, Ministry of Human Development
“We attended the special Olympics Caribbean initiative, the first ever Caribbean Bocce Tournament in Grand Cayman, the tournament was from Thursday until Saturday. They had twenty participating countries. Our boys, Keifer Simon and Elija Martinez participated in the individual competition. Elijah won bronze and Simon won silver and in the team competition we won silver medals. So we got three silver medal and one bronze.”
Elijah Martinez
Elijah Martinez, Bocce Athlete
“Well ih feel good for me and for Belize.”
Paul Lopez
And what was going through your mind when you were over there competing?
Elijah Martinez
“I never think I would win any medal for Belize. I think my coach, I thank Belize, My mom, my dad, all my family and Stella Marris School.”
Paul Lopez
“How does it feel to bring home two medal?”
Kiefer Simon
Kiefer Simon, Bocce Athlete
“I feel good.”
Paul Lopez
“What was it like competing, what was going through your mind?”
He was the Belizean version of Crocodile Dundee and was known all over for his fearlessness of crocodiles and snakes. On Sunday, news broke of the death of Chris Summers, the founder and director of operations at the Aces Wildlife Rescue. Summers was the backbone of the organization since its inception, traveling the length and breadth of Belize to rescue trapped or tortured crocodiles or to remove others that posed a threat to humans and other forms of life in residential communities. Aside from crocs, Summers was also called to remove snakes that had found their way into people’s yards and homes. On Sunday, ACES posted on its Facebook page that Summers passed away at his island home. Today the organization informed that it awaits the family of Summers to arrive and deal with the memorial and funeral arrangements.
An inaugural meeting was held in November 2022 and since then, the P.C.C. has held public consultations, lectures, launched simplified and condensed versions of the Constitution, and prepared an interim report. But the People’s Constitution Commission has been quiet for a while now. Today we checked in with the Chairman Anthony Chanona, who informed us that the commission is in the process of finishing the compilation of data it collected following the public outreach campaign. He added that the commission was also awaiting written confirmation to grant it the six months recommended to complete its final report. And as an overall summary, Chanona informed us today that, (quote), “the Commission is currently engaged in a two-fold exercise – one is to conduct a comprehensive review of the Belize Constitution. This is being skillfully led by attorney Darrell Bradley. The second aspect of its work has been delegated to a working group of Chairpersons of the Thematic Committee to categorize the extensive data into thematic areas of the Belize Constitution. This is slated to be completed May thirty-first,” (unquote). Chanona indicated that the commission had circulated hundreds of brochures titled “P.C.C. Update” at the National Agriculture and Trade Show where it had a booth.
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez. The Benny’s Belize Hurricanes are back in the B.E.B.L. Finals. On Friday night, the Hurricanes travelled down to the Culture Capital for game two of their best-of-three playoff series against the Griga Dream Ballers. The Hurricanes were up one win, and the Ballers were facing elimination going into this one.
The Russel “Chiste” Garcia auditorium was electric, as Dangriga basketball fans filled the venue with drumming and celebration. Edgar Mitchell, wide open with an early three in the first quarter. Glency Lopez drives in hard and he is rejected. Mitchell capitalizes on the steal down at the other end. Outstanding ball handling skills on display by Deshawn Brackett, as he gets inside for the bucket.
The first quarter ended with Dangriga up by two with sixteen points. Both teams exploded in the second quarter, which was the highest scoring quarter of the game. Bracket creating space against Lopez, pulls back, shoots the three, gets it and draws the foul. Kyron Molina with a corner three to extend their lead by six points early in the second. Victor Evans fakes the pass and puts up the jump shot. Molina again from three, gets it in. Evans responded on the other end also with a three to cut down the lead. Molina, again from that same corner three position, makes the bucket, ballooning their lead to ten. Molina, catching fire from that three-point position with his fourth, made three in the quarter. Evans, from the corner, keeps the Ballers in reach. Evans, still not done, puts up another three. Molina, back where he made that first three in the quarter, gets his fifth. A little later, Lopez with the three-pointer.
The Dangriga Dream Ballers led by as many as fifteen in the second quarter. But the Hurricanes crept back up and cut their lead back down to two points. Hurricanes up by two with a minute on the clock in the fourth quarter, the ball gets into the hands of Brandon Flowers who extends the lead to four. Down by seven points with thirty seconds on the clock, Guzman makes a basket from beyond the three-point line. Unfortunately, it was not enough to keep their hopes of a game three alive. The Hurricanes won ninety points to eighty-three.
Evans was engaged in a verbal exchange with some Ballers fans right after scoring a free throw to tie the game at seventy-four in the fourth quarter. He finished with twenty-four points.
Victor “Vito’ Evans
Victor “Vito’ Evans, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes
“Whenever I come to Griga they try to attack me from start to finish. So, I decided to get engaged back. I am from L.A., that is what we do, trash talk. I love Griga, I tell people all the time this is the best environment to play in. I love Civic, btu this small environment, this pit, it is amazing, feels like you are at war.”
Jamil Wagner
Jamil Wagner, Coach, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes
“Well going into the finals we can’t expect anything but hard work. To win a championship is never easy, regardless of the talent on your team. We got to go in there and take it.”
Last week, we told you that Port Loyola Football Club won the Premier League of Belize Closing Season Championship. Well, Port F.C. is still in celebration mode. On Saturday, the championship team paraded through the streets of Belize City in celebration. Port F.C. is the first Belize City team in a long time to bring a football championship to the Old Capital. They flaunted that twenty-thousand dollar check during the victory parade for the city to see. Again, they will be representing Belize in CONCACAF. That honor comes with their championship.
And finally for tonight, we must recognize Santiago “Chief” Castillo for putting on yet another successful International Masters Tour De Santinos. Day one of the race was all about the time trial prologue. Each of the sixty-three riders had a mile and a quarter to cover in this leg of the race. Stage two was all about the race along the Coastal Highway. For the third and final stage, riders raced along the Philip Goldson Highway, into Ladyville, through the Burrell Room Road, into Hattieville and back to the city. After all three stages, the first-place prize went to Mario Arroyave. Bob Gabourel secured second, while Gabriel Cardosa secured the third position. And here is a look at the top ten riders for the tour.
Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) and the Department of the Environment (DoE) are issuing a critical advisory regarding significant air quality concerns caused by ongoing wildfires affecting several communities in the Toledo and Cayo districts.
These wildfires have resulted in a considerable increase in air pollution due to smoke, posing health risks, especially to vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions.
The following health advisories are being issued:
Stay Indoors: Residents are advised to remain indoors as much as possible, especially during periods of heavy smoke.
Keep Windows and Doors Closed: Ensure that your living spaces are sealed to prevent smoke from entering.
Use Air Purifiers: If available, use air purifiers to reduce indoor air pollution.
Limit Outdoor Activities: Minimize outdoor physical activities to reduce exposure to polluted air.
Seek Medical Attention: Individuals experiencing respiratory issues should seek immediate medical attention.
Wear Masks: Wear masks when outdoors in affected areas to filter out fine particles.
Efforts are underway to control the wildfires and mitigate the impact on air quality. The DoE is acquiring air quality monitoring equipment to be installed in strategic areas to detect changes in ambient air quality, aiding in the national response and decision-making process.
The fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) is underway in Antigua. More than 20 world leaders, along with representatives from the private sector, civil society, academia, and youth—nearly 4,000 participants in total—have gathered at the American University to tackle critical issues impacting the future of SIDS.
The fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) is underway in Antigua
Under the theme “Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity,” the four-day conference (27-30 May) will showcase innovations and develop practical solutions to address challenges driven by the climate emergency, spiralling debt, and health crises.
The conference will adopt The Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), a Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity, outlining the sustainable development aspirations of small islands over the next decade and the support required from the international community.
The session began with a recorded message from King Charles III. During his speech, King Charles III said, “I’ve seen the critical challenges you face and how they can multiply to a terrifying and existential degree. I have also seen how islands are leaders. You are continuously showing the world in tackling climate change, in protecting biodiversity and in stewarding incredibly 1/3 of the global ocean which is absolutely crucial in the fight against both climate change and nature loss.”
Secretary-general of the United Nations António Guterres
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his opening address, emphasized that SIDS are a “test case for climate justice and financial justice.” He decried the prospect of losing entire countries or cultures due to global warming and the disparities in the global financial system. Guterres called for bold investments from SIDS and substantial support from the international community, particularly from countries with the greatest responsibility and capacity to address these challenges. He underscored the urgency of implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS and demanded a fair and just global financial architecture.
SIDS, spanning the Pacific, Caribbean, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and South China Sea, are home to approximately 65 million people and manage 19.1 percent of the world’s Exclusive Economic Zones. Despite their high biodiversity and significant contributions to renewable energy, sustainable tourism, and conservation, these nations face unique vulnerabilities due to their small size, remote locations, and susceptibility to climate-induced disasters.
The villages of San Pedro Colombia, Jordan, Criquejute, and Ya’axche have all been impacted by wildfires. In response, the entire district of Toledo temporarily closed schools due to poor air quality and multiple fires affecting various villages.
A recent situation report from the Belize Red Cross Society gathered information from the Statistical Institute of Belize and Google, with information gathered from various news sources, to estimate the affected population.
According to the report, approximately 200 families, totaling around 800 individuals, have been affected by these fires across 19 communities and 600 acres in the Toledo district.
The Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve is experiencing severe forest fires that are affecting both the Toledo District and the air quality in the Cayo District. These forest fires have been burning in the Mountain Pine Ridge area for about three weeks. The local government has mobilised volunteers and defence forces to assist. At the request of NEMO, the Belize Red Cross has been distributing cooked lunches to community volunteers and the Belize Defence Force, with 160 plates distributed to date. Farmers and residents in remote areas have been particularly affected, with crops such as corn, avocado, cocoa, pasture, forests, and water sources being destroyed, leading to long-term devastating effects. Multiple agencies are collaborating to provide meals and other relief items, focusing on containing the fires and supporting the affected families.
Forest fires in Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve
NEMO Emergency Committees are on-site in the affected areas, providing support through the DANA Committee,conducting search and rescue operations (including fire suppression) with the Fire Department and the Belize Defence Force. They continue to monitor the situation to determine if further evacuations are necessary. So far, one family has been rescued and relocated to a shelter in Toledo. They are working closely with partner agencies to coordinate the response and have requested that the Belize Red Cross provide protective gear for volunteers fighting the fire, first aid services, and meals.
Preliminary assessments indicate that assistance will be needed for the affected population, particularly in the agriculture sector. The humanitarian aid required includes food, water, and hygiene products. Additionally, livelihood support over the next 3–6 months will be essential, which will encompass various forms of agricultural assistance. The agricultural ministries are particularly concerned about the losses in agriculture and are planning future steps to aid the recovery of the farmers.
It’s been several weeks of fire-fighting efforts across the country, as an extreme heatwave exacerbates the occurrence of wildfires. On May sixteenth, the Forest Department detected a fire that had broken out at the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in Cayo District. As the largest forest reserve in the country, an uncontained fire could have severe, long-lasting effects on wildlife, as well as the neighboring areas. To combat these fires the department launched a collaborative effort to contain and extinguish these flames. While the efforts are still ongoing to manage a few of the fires, the department has reassured us that the situation is under control. For more insight into the process of saving the forest, News Five’s Britney Gordon visited the reserve and with some of the people who were working first-hand to do so. Here’s that story.
Britney Gordon
Britney Gordon, reporting
“I’m here at the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, standing in front of one of the few fires left to contain before it spreads further into the area.” The team at the Belize Forest Department is hoping that the flames will be extinguished by a nearby creek before it can spread into the area and possibly, into Belmopan.”
The past seven days have been a continuous effort to extinguish the flames making their way through the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize’s oldest and largest forest reserve. First established in 1944, the reserve spans over three hundred square miles and is home to rivers, waterfalls, a variety of fauna and as the name suggests, is brimming with thousands of pine trees. However, this natural resource, beloved by locals and tourists for its picturesque views, was recently put at risk when a wildfire broke and quickly started spreading within the area. The fires, which have been burning since last Wednesday, are believed to have been started by a lightning strike. Amin Bedran, Manager at Bulridge Limited, a sustainable logging company that manages Ridge Reserve, says the team jumped into action right away and has since been able to manage the blaze.
Amir Bedran
Amir Bedran, Manager, Bulridge Ltd.
“The fire started as they mentioned earlier with a lightning all the way by Kinloch. We are, east of Kinloch. The fire continued down towards the dam and we were working on this front. As you can see, if the fire had crossed this line, we are on Baki line. It would have been devastating because it would have burned all the way up to Granite Cairn. There’s no breaks between. The only way you can fight and control a fire in the Pine Ridge is with the roads. You can’t out this with water. You have to fight fire with fire by doing back burns.”
As Bedran mentioned, the fires were not doused with water. Instead, a method called back-burning was used. This process involved burning a counter-set of controlled fires to eliminate the fuel in the path of the approaching flames. Shanelly Carillo Balan, forest officer in charge at the Douglas D’silva Forest Station, explained that in order to create the fire line, which is the barrier to the progression of a wildfire, the team had to quickly open roads. They were able to accomplish this with the help of CISCO Construction.
Shanelly Carillo Balan
Shanelly Carillo Balan, Officer in Charge, Douglas D’silva Forest Station
“So at this location where we are right now, we are on line number one which you can see here. This is Douglas D‘Silva. This is where all the camps are, the houses, the offices. The fire was coming south to north, and we had to open this line here as a fire line. The fire was coming in this direction here. So what we had to do is in order to protect the station, the camp on this side, which is very close, we had to back-burn. And this is where you can see the big difference. So when you have the back-burn, you. put it, you make sure that it is done under a controlled environment as much as possible under the conditions that we were, fighting the wildfire and that way we have a fire fighting the wildfire coming back and that way we were able to it helps to make sure that we create a buffer.”
If the team had been unable to contain the fire, it would have put the neighboring camps and resorts at risk. However, they were successful in their mission and that area is no longer a threat.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development & Climate Change
“The ministry, especially the forest department, which is overlooking these forest fires. It’s a concern for them because it falls under their jurisdiction. However, we must recognize also that some of the fires might be intentional fires because they are agricultural landscape fires, and they escape, and they get into the forest without control. Some of them are permitted fires, like what happens in industry. For example, the sugarcane industry, if it’s not controlled, these also get away and then it causes problems. Here in the Mountain Pine Ridge, concern for us because we know we have apart from the logging concessionaires who are up here, this is a real natural resource for the government and people of Belize, but we also have tourism. So we have the resorts, which are a concern because you have tourists, you have people who come up on weekends to spend time with their families. So certainly, a concern.”
Although these fires required immediate action to extinguish, fires within the reserve are not uncommon. Every year, the Belize Forest Department and its partners perform what is called a prescribed burn, which is a controlled set of fires set in order to clear debris on the forest floor to preserve the health of the forest and ensure that these decaying materials are cleared should a wildfire occur. The key to a good forest fire is maintaining control. John Pinelo, Deputy Chief Forest Officer at the Forest Department, further explained this process.
John Pinelo
John Pinelo, Deputy Chief Forest Officer, Belize Forest Department
“In a pine ecosystem, fires are necessary actually, annually we have fires going through. Preferably, we would like to be the ones burning the fires in the cool months, which we call a prescribed burn, and we make sure that we burn the litter that you see on the ground. If we leave this for a number of years, this will start growing, and it becomes a bigger fuel load on the ground. So when we do have fires, it burns really, really hot, and it causes more damage than help. But ordinarily, the ecosystem needs fires. So you don’t want to say that the fire is causing negative effects. It is in some areas, but mostly it’s a good fire we’re having.”
While the Forest Department led the charge in containing the fires, it was a collaborative effort between multiple stakeholders. The Chalillo Dam is used to generate hydroelectricity for Fortis Belize. As it is situated in Mountain Pine Ridge, the company was quick to offer assistance in the fire response mission. Tedford Pate, Operations Manager at Fortis Belize told us about these efforts.
Tedford Pate
Tedford Pate, Operations Manager, Fortis Belize
“We drove all the way to the location to see the extent of the fire, and we noticed that it was quite significant. So from that point, Saturday, we start to mobilize in collaboration with other stakeholders, the forest department primarily. And also, we had the support of mister Bedran with the Bulridge crew. We had mister David Penner providing support with bulldozers, graders, water trucks, BRC. Cisco construction, FCD eventually came out to assist with foot on the ground as well. And we also had about three quarters of our Fortis Belize crew as part of the boots on the ground extinguishing these fires. Astrum, however, was then summoned with the help of a helicopter to assist in this effort and it was very effective using that form of AIM. support. We wouldn’t have been this successful if it wasn’t for the Astram helicopter dousing the fire with water right here from the reservoir. So we are very grateful for all the support we have gotten.”
Preliminary findings indicate that thirty-eight-point nine percent of the reserve was affected by the fires. According to Habet, most of the trees in these areas are recoverable and will regenerate and produce seedlings within the next two months. For the few trees that are severely damaged, he anticipates that those will have a longer recovery time.
Orlando Habet
“From what we understand is that within three or four months, you will start seeing the seedlings already. Of course, many times on natural conditions, you don’t come out to do the thinning unless you do the planting. But the thinning is actually done by way of doing your burns and prescribed burns are very important. And it is something also where we are looking at lessons learned. Areas which possibly haven’t been burned for a while have now been burned purposely. But also the department is looking at maybe addressing some of these burns. And prescribed burns during the cooler part of the year, maybe November, December after the rainy season has ended to do some of those burns so that then you can still eliminate the extra material and fuel is on the ground before the dry season commences.”
While the teams continue their efforts to contain the few remaining fires, the public is advised to proceed with caution if they are planning to visit the reserve within the next week. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management has welcomed a new task force in response to the surge of wildfires observed throughout the country. The National Wildfire Response Task Force was designed to provide immediate response to wildfires affecting Belize, particularly those in the Toledo and Cayo districts. The task force is to be led by the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, and is comprised of the National Fire Service, the Forest Department, the Belize Defense Force, Astrum Helicopters and several other key stakeholders. The task force met today and is coordinating several operations across the country, including the improvement of fire responses in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, response to threats in the Elijio Panti National Park, and continued support of communities in the Toledo District being affected by fires.
