2024-10-08 - Channel 5 Belize

Bringing Pumpkin Carving to the Doors of Belizeans

Halloween is just around the corner! While it’s not a huge holiday in Belize, plenty of folks still love getting into the spooky spirit. One popular activity is carving jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins to display. But finding the perfect pumpkin can be a bit tricky if you don’t know where to look. In this week’s edition of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Britney Gordon visited some local vendors to find out what kinds of pumpkins are available for those eager to carve up some Halloween fun.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

From pepitos seeds to pumpkin soup, Belizeans have found plenty of delicious ways to enjoy pumpkins. But there’s one tradition that hasn’t quite taken off yet: Halloween pumpkin carving. While it’s a big deal in other parts of the world, it’s tough to do here since the special pumpkins used for carving aren’t typically grown locally. That’s why the owners of Cesar’s Fruit and Vegetable Shop have made it their mission to import these pumpkins every year. Victor Perez, one of the shop’s vendors, shares how this all started.

Victor Perez, Vendor, Cesar’s Fruit Vegetable Shop

“As I was a kid and I was fascinated with Halloween. That’s like my favorite month of the year. And then I had my other sister that pitched the idea to my mom that we should bring in pumpkins, for all the, cater to all the the young and everyone who has, who likes the Halloween season and that’s basically how it came about.”

When Perez and his family started importing pumpkins in 2014, it was only ten per season. But as they have expanded their business, they now import up to thirty-five, which are available for preorder. One of the biggest challenges with importing the fruit is the effects of Belize’s weather.

Victor Perez

“Our main challenge is our climate because these pumpkins, whenever they hit in our country, the heat just tends the shelf life, it starts to run. Like fifteen to twenty days would be the most a pumpkin could last in Belize before it starts to rot.“

In addition to the climate, one of the challenges Perez faces is the growing cost of the fruit. Since he began, the cost has increased annually.

Victor Perez

“We’re gonna get a small amount because the reason is that the price went up. Every year it’s going up, but just last year we took it hard because they increased each pumpkin between ten to fifteen depending on the size. If it’s the small, the medium, or the large, then it would be ten to fifteen dollars. And then again, the reason why we’re getting less is because it’s too hot. And then last year we had to throw away like, I think six pumpkins.”

For those unable to get their hands on the limited supply of imported pumpkins, Raylene Tejeda, a vendor at the Michael Finnegan Market, says her pumpkins are perfect for carving and eating.

Raylene Tejeda, Vendor

“You use them to make pies, you can make jam out of them and you carve them for Halloween.”

Tejeda explains that the large, orange pumpkins are too expensive for her to acquire but details how her pumpkins can be used in a very similar way.

Britney Gordon

“What type of pumpkin would be best out of these ones to do something like the carving, if you could pick one?”

Raylene Tejeda

“Like the long ones, they were long like this. You could carve out the eyes and the mouth. Then you’re carving inside the nose and then thing, then you put inside of them from the bottom, you dig out the inside and from the bottom you put light inside it and then it look beautiful.”

Tejeda has noticed a slight uptick in pumpkin sales every October, as people flock to the stalls in search of the biggest ones. Even though Halloween isn’t a traditional holiday in Belize, Perez believes it has a place here because it brings the community together for some fun. He hopes Belize will create safe spaces for kids to dress up and carve pumpkins, just like he did when he was a child.

Raylene Tejeda

“There’s a plenty of space for it. I just like I mentioned, I feel like the Halloween spirit in Belize it’s dying. It’s not like before back in the day children can go trick or treating no problems, but now it’s different because there’s a lot of robbery The guys ride on their bikes and they just look for their prey and they teeth their sweets.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

DFC Launch New Corporate Relations Department

The Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is shaking things up with a fresh vision and mission. As part of this rebranding effort, DFC officially launched its new corporate relations department today. This department is designed to boost efficiency for the institution’s commercial partners, offering loans that surpass those typically given for mortgages and education. Think about industries like shrimp farming and cattle ranching. An official ceremony was held in Belize City today, where we got the scoop on this exciting new development.

Shanelle Reneau, Chief Lending Officer, DFC

“As it relates to what it will look like, it will impact our business positively. Customers will have, our cooperate clients, which we know are our largest clients, will have that one on one. We will have a dedicated team of professionals that will be assigned to the department and able to meet their every need, go to the business directly, communicate with them on timely basis. There will be a quicker turnaround time as it relates to our processing. So, it will enhance our overall effectiveness and efficiency as a development bank. I would say when we look at our portfolio, because of the size of the loans our corporate clients have, I would say that they represent at least sixty percent of our entire portfolio at this point in time.”

Rainaldo Guerrero, Chairman, DFC

“Keep in mind that as an organization that is poised to be a catalyst for change, it is the people that is at the forefront. We deal at the macroeconomic development level, which filters down to improvement for everybody. So, if we are dealing with cattle, we are not dealing with just one big farmer who is selling cattle. We are dealing with the mini farmer who sells cattle to the bigger farmer who then enhances their value by keeping it in a pasture, before it gets out there. So, there are hundred of farmers out there. They have wives, children and they are going to school. It trickles down. So you are looking at the benefit that is not just to the beneficiary who gets the loan but to the people who benefit from that.”

DFC Reduces Non-Performing Loans from 25% to 9%

According to Raineldo Guerrero, the Chairman at DFC, the institution has been able to reduce its non-performing loans portfolio from twenty-five percent to nine percent over the last few years. This is a significant achievement. Guerrero says that DFC has increased its revenue collection department to collect these funds.

Raineldo Guerrero, Chairman, DFC

“Like everything else, it requires focus. What we saw is that here we are lending all this money, but then we are losing. It didn’t have the level of focus that this new DFC is putting into it. So, you put a group of specialized people who came up with proposal on how we can manage it. That team we have been able to make significant contributions to lower that. So, a strategy had to be formulated to make that a specific focus area. And that is why we are where we are and we intend to go lower. It is a step by step process. We didn’t initially develop the strategy. We decided that this is what we wanted to do then the strategy evolved and the staffing, the people and the contracting of people out there, all of that became a part of it.”

Nyasha Harris Wins Gold at CODICADER Games

Seventeen-year-old Nyasha Harris secured Belize’s first gold medal at the 2024 CODICADER Games. Harris won gold in the female one-hundred-meter sprint finals. She was beaming with pride as she stood on the podium with the Belize flag around her shoulder. We spoke with her today about that moment.

Nyasha Harris, CODICADER Gold Medalist

“For the one hundred we had two heats. That was the semi-finals. I ran the first heat, which I came in first and that automatically advanced me to the finals. I ran the finals, and I came in first as well with a time of twelve thirty-one. I was a bit nervous at first, but like I said the team was you know it made it less nervous for me then. It is not a personal best, but it is still better than the semi-finals, because the time I ran for the semi-finals is twelve fifty-eight. So, it was quite faster. I feel grateful, happy and really excited.”

Paul Lopez

“And what does it mean for you to win this gold for Belize and see the type of support you are receiving on social media?”

Nyasha Harris

“A lot of support from my fellow teammates, people back home and the people online as well. I want to say thank you. The support has been great. It helped me a lot with my races and it makes me feel confident while running my race. I would say I got it from the genes, my mom did track, my dad and my aunt too. So, I would say I discovered it from preschool. I usually came in first for sports day, in primary school as well. I did competition for track in primary school. Mostly it started in high school when we had competitions like CSSSA or NSSSA, that is when it started.”

Belizeans in Florida Worried Over Hurricane Milton’s Strength

From tonight through Wednesday, residents in Florida, including thousands of Belizeans, are gearing up for the impact of Hurricane Milton. This dangerous Category 5 storm lost some strength while crossing the Gulf of Mexico but has regained power as it approaches the Florida coast. News Five caught up with Ray Gongora, a Belizean living in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He shared that the hurricane is causing a lot of emotional and mental stress for many people.

Ray Gongora, Belizean Living in Florida

“We have gone to the areas where sand is being distributed and there are also bags provided. Some people take their own shovels in order to expedite the process. We got to fill our own bags and then take them away and bring them home. So that is one of the process of preparation. We are placing sandbags at our doors, uh, trying to prevent water from coming in. Marion, you, you said it’s, it’s a powerful, we’re calling it a monster. This is a monster. And because of that, it’s even affecting us, um, emotionally. We are very anxious about what. the power that this storm will have and the effect it will have upon us. Um, many Belizeans who are living on the coast in, in Tampa, uh, especially Naples have moved inland with other Belizeans. Here people can get information on shelters that they can use the Honorary Council of Belize in Miami has a number that is posted. And can be used for those who need assistance or referral or information regarding shelters. And that number is 305 300 7520. Please, if you need assistance, if you need any information, any beliefs out there, please give that number a call. You can also go online, as I said, to that website.”

Belizeans in Florida can also log online for assistance or information at www.floridadasaster.org/shelter-status/

Teen Breaks Silence After Severe Bullying Incident at SJC

The full story can be viewed on News 5 Live at 6 o’clock.

Thirteen-year-old Dominick Alvarado, a straight-A student at Saint John’s College, is now confined to his bed after a serious bullying incident left him with a severe hip injury. Dominick and his mother, Natalie Alvarado, have broken their silence about the ordeal.

Dominick recalled the moment he was attacked at school, describing how a bully shoved him into a drain after he attempted to report harassment to a teacher. He said, “Before I reached to tell the teacher, he pushed me in the drain and at the time I didn’t feel the pain because I had meat, so I’m chunky, I didn’t feel the pain at the time, so then around a couple weeks now, when I was walking to go to school, it hurt so bad I couldn’t walk I had to limp, and it hurt, so I call, I text my mom on my laptop to come for me at school.”

His mother told News 5, “When I saw him, he was completely soaked with water. I mean completely head the toe. So books was wet, everything was wet. And I went into the office and asked them what’s going on and they told me that they pushed him down. So I figure from, I did not think, take it serious that from then he already hit, had that injury. I just, I thought he was going to grow it out, then he started limping, then it started getting worse.”

Though he didn’t initially feel pain, the impact worsened over time, leading to a significant hip injury that required emergency surgery. Now, Dominick faces a long road to recovery, with a screw in his hip and another surgery.

After the incident was reported, Dominick faced suspension, but two teachers intervened on his behalf. He said that the bullying had been ongoing since primary school.

Natalie said she became frustrated over the school’s handling of the situation. She has also written a letter to Saint John’s College, expressing her disappointment with the school’s response and urging for a detailed plan to support Dominick’s recovery, including mental, emotional, and physical rehabilitation.

Over time, the muscle in his hip deteriorated, causing him unbearable pain as he commuted to school from Boston Village. Doctors compared his condition to “an ice cream cone melting,” with the bone left exposed as the muscle wasted away.

Now, Natalie is taking care of Dominick full-time, helping him relearn basic tasks like walking and sitting up. The financial burden is immense, as Natalie, a tour guide, faces the challenge of providing care while managing transportation costs for Dominick’s future school attendance.

In a 3-sentence statement, St. John’s College acknowledged the Facebook post, is in contact with his family, and wished him a speedy recovery.

“St. John’s College is aware of the post made on Facebook concerning Dominick Alvarado. We are in communication with Dominick’s parent, and this situation is being addressed. We wish Dominick Alvarado a speedy recovery, and his Wildcat family awaits his return.”

Hurricane Milton Returns to Category 5 Strength

Hurricane Milton has regained its Category 5 strength. Authorities in Florida have issued urgent warnings for residents along the west-central coast. With destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges expected, officials are urging residents to prepare their homes and evacuate if ordered to do so.

The National Hurricane Centre has issued a storm surge warning, warning of potential inundations of 10 feet or more along the coastline. Residents in these areas are facing a dire situation and are advised to evacuate immediately. “Waiting until tomorrow may be too late,” officials said.

Milton’s devastating hurricane-force winds are expected to hit the west coast, with gusts reaching inland. The storm is projected to maintain its hurricane strength as it crosses Florida, bringing significant risks of prolonged power outages. Residents are urged to finalise preparations by tonight.

In addition to the wind and storm surge, heavy rainfall across the Florida Peninsula through Thursday could result in catastrophic flash flooding. River levels are expected to rise as coastal and inland flooding combine, amplifying the overall threat to the region.

Is the Placencia Polyclinic Truly Open 24/7?

The recently built Placencia Polyclinic was inaugurated on May 15, 2024. The BZ$4 million facility is expected to enable healthcare professionals on the peninsula to deliver enhanced medical services to both residents and tourists. Back then Minister of Health and Wellness, Kevin Bernard, said, “Of course, this will be a 24-hour facility and provide continuous service, emergency service, routine checkups, and other specialised care when the doctor comes in.”

But is it really?

Over the weekend, Chris Chun rushed to the polyclinic in the wee hours of the morning, seeking urgent medical help for his son. He says that when he arrived there, he found the facility deserted. He said that no one was there to help his son, who was suffering from a high fever.

A worried Chun started to record with his phone. In the video, he says, “I came here as an emergency… Nobody, not even a security guard… not even a sound you hear here.”

According to Chun, he had been knocking on doors for some time, desperately trying to get assistance for his son.

Chun said, “I went there… for an emergency, and no one was there. My son was dying with a high fever, and no one is assisting us or security; nobody is there.” Chun walks through the empty compound, saying, “Why did they build this Placencia polyclinic? For what? I don’t know.”

Chun also noted troubling conditions within the polyclinic, including an emergency waiting area that appeared to be flooded. “In there got at least three inches of water,” he said.

Dominican Republic Deports Nearly 11,000 Haitians Amid Growing Tensions

The Dominican Republic announced on Tuesday that it has deported or repatriated nearly 11,000 Haitians in the past week, fulfilling its commitment to deport up to 10,000 Haitians weekly. This move comes as Haiti grapples with severe poverty and rampant gang violence.

In response to the mass deportations, Haitian officials have called for an emergency meeting at the Organization of American States, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille criticised the deportations on social media, stating that they violate fundamental principles of human dignity.

Activists warn that the deportations endanger the lives of thousands as Haiti struggles with escalating gang violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Dominique Dupuy, Haiti’s foreign affairs minister, condemned the deportations as “dehumanising acts,” while activist William Charpentier highlighted the growing number of abandoned children in the Dominican Republic as parents are forcibly taken.

Concerns have also been raised about the treatment of legal migrants, with reports of extortion by Dominican soldiers demanding payments to avoid deportation, even for those with proper documentation.

PM Briceño Engages in Conversation with King Charles III

Hon. John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize, had a phone call today with His Majesty King Charles III, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth Realms.

The King and Prime Minister Briceño discussed the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Apia, Samoa, from October 21 to 26, 2024.

Press Release