SAN PEDRO DAILY, April 12, 2012,Belize,news,features,newspaper, information,resource,Caribbean,Ambergris Caye,San Pedro,Caye Caulker,

San Pedro Fisherman
missing for weeks

A San Pedro fisherman has been missing for eighteen days. His family and police on the island are now asking for the public’s assistance in locating twenty-seven year old Wilmer Cartajena, also known as Chix, a resident of the Basil Jones area, which is twelve miles north of San Pedro Town. Cartajena disappeared on March twenty-fourth and was reported missing by his brother Oscar on April first. Cartajena was last seen in the Boca del Rio Area, near the bridge in a white boat. He was along with four men, travelling north along the eastern coastline of the island. At the time, Cartajena was wearing a white T-shit, short pants and sunshades. He can also be identified by his three tattoos; one on his back with the word “Angel”, another below his right elbow with his nickname “Chix” and the third is on the right side of his neck with the name “Gloria”. The family extremely worried since they have been hearing rumors that someone was murdered on northern Ambergris Caye. The police are not taking the report lightly and have launched an search for Cartajena. Anyone with information that can assist in locating Cartajena is asked to call the nearest police station.
Meanwhile, another San Pedro man is hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the K.H.M.H. after he was attacked on Monday afternoon. Police say that family members reported that Ian Cabanas was found lying in an alley in the Boca del Rio Area with serious head injuries. He was taken to the San Pedro Poly-Clinic, but as his condition deteriorated, he had to be airlifted to the K.H.M.H. Cabanas received severe intracranial injuries and had to undergo brain surgery. And while it has not been confirmed, police say they have been receiving unofficial reports that Cabanas was involved in a number of street fights on Easter Monday.
CH5

Minister Lisel Alamilla wins a place in the finals of prestigious conservation award competition

Belize’s newly appointed Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, Hon. Liselle Alamilla has been named as a finalist in one of the world’s most prestigious wildlife competitions, the Whitley Awards.
The nomination means that Hon. Alamilla will now travel to London in May for interviews with the panel of experts who will decide which of this year’s seven international candidates will win a share of Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) grants worth a total £210,000 GBP for their projects.
The results will be announced during a ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society, Kensington Gore, London, on Wednesday 9 May at which WFN’s patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) will present the prizes.
Commenting on the shortlist, WFN’s acting director David Wallis said: “Winning a place on the Whitley Awards shortlist is in itself a major achievement. Entries are always high, and of high caliber, and only the most committed and effective nature conservationists win through to the finals. The candidates we are inviting to London for the next stage of judging are particularly impressive. Each one is taking inspirational steps to create a better future both for people and wildlife and we know that our judges are going to find it very difficult to choose between them.”
Hon. Lisel Alamilla has won through to the finals because of her work with the Ya’axché Conservation Trust in promoting conservation of Maya Golden Landscape in southern Belize through multiple-level advocacy. If she is awarded the prize it will fund Ya’axché to continue this important work across the Maya Golden Landscape.
In addition to meeting the judges and HRH The Princess Royal, the trip to London includes opportunities to hear about the work of the six other finalists, attend receptions with leading conservation organizations and academics, meet WFN donors and receive professional development training.
Each Whitley Award winner will also have a new short film made about their work, narrated by the internationally-acclaimed wildlife broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough, a long-standing supporter and trustee of WFN. The films will be premiered as part of the awards ceremony and, later, be available to view online on YouTube.
The Whitley Awards scheme is an annual competition, first held in 1994. In the 19 years since the scheme began, it has given grants worth more than £6m to support the work of more than 130 grassroots conservation leaders in over 60 countries. To learn more about the charity, its donors and past winners, please see: www.whitleyaward.org
San Pedro Sun

Six Distinguished Belizeans Honoured by the Queen

Six Belizeans were today honoured for
outstanding and selfless service to the community.
Receiving the insignia for Commander of the British Empire, Bernard Quentin Augustus Pitts, for his contribution to the Law and Public Service;
Dr. Ann Gillett Elrington received the insignia as Member of the British Empire, for services to the Belizean Diaspora and Medicine;
Louise Bridget Lewis, received the medal as Member of the British Empire for services to Education and Community Development;
His Worship, Simeon Lopez J.P., was distinguished with the insignia of Member of the British Empire, for his contribution to Education and Public Service;
Ludwig Lightburn received the insignia as Member of the British Empire, for his contribution to Sports and to the Belizean
American Community and finally
Mrs. Enelda Rosado, received the medal
as Member of the British Empire for her dedicated contribution to Education and Community Development in Belize.
Governor-General of Belize, His Excellency Sir Colville Young handed
out insignias on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen to the distinguished personalities at his official residence in Belmopan.

2012 Hurricane Names Released

Noted scientists Philip J. Klotzbach and William M. Gray from the Colorado State University have just released their annual predictions for the 2012 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season. The forecasters predict a below-average Hurricane season based on a number of factors which suppress hurricane activity including the cooling of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the developing El Nino in the Pacific. The forecast is based on a new extended-range early April statistical prediction scheme that uses 29 years of past data, according to the report.
10 named storms are predicted to form in the tropics this season along with 4 hurricanes, 40 named storm days, 16 hurricane days, 2 major hurricanes, and 3 major hurricane days. Of the two major hurricanes there is the probability of one major hurricane of a category 3 or higher tracking into the Caribbean.
The hurricane names for 2012 have been listed and are as follows: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie, and William.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season starts on June 1 and ends on November 30.
CTV3

Belizean making waves in Caribbean Fashion Design Competition

Belizean, Rebecca Stirm of Roaring Creek is hitting it big in a Caribbean fashion designer show. Stirm, who heard about the reality series through a friend, auditioned and was accepted as one of the competitors vying for three million Jamaican dollars or over thirty thousand U.S dollars in prizes including the opportunity to show at London Fashion Week. The series features participants from across the Caribbean including Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica. To date two episodes have aired. In the second challenge, where a winning design was selected, the participants had only twenty U.S dollars and limited time to create a winning piece. Stirm won that challenge with rave reviews.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Nineteen-year old Rebecca Stirm’s dream for fashion design started at home and has since mushroomed into a career:
Rebecca Stirm, Fashion Designer
“Well when I was probably about maybe four, I started sewing. My mom used to let me have needles and thread from really, really young and I would always be sewing things from socks and stuff for dolls and as it progressed, I started sewing my own clothing and teach myself how to sew and then I started to sew for other people and just recently over the last two and a half years it turned into a little business for me and a little bit more of a career.”
The talent and passion for the craft has since propelled her on a regional stage. She is one of the competitors in a Caribbean fashion designer reality series called Mission Catwalk. They have since filmed a several episodes. The first was no easy task, but she met the challenge:
Rebecca Stirm
“Oh my goodness, well at first when they took us to the Hope Gardens I was thinking that they would make us make something out of leaves; we’re all like freaking out. But when they walked out in those nightgowns, oh god, and then when they told us thirty minutes, oh god. That was stress and then like I didn’t get any trimmings or anything. I just had the scissors and the needle and just started cutting. It was rush, like as you started thirty minutes was done. It was so fast; everyone was worried about getting eliminated that day.”
In the second episode they were tasked to make a cultural piece that incorporate aspects of independence. It was the first challenge where a winner was declared. Stirm took the top spot with a mayan-mestizo inspired piece:
Rebecca Stirm
“We had to draw from our cultures and stuff so those were the two main cultures that I pulled from. I thought they would flow really well together in a really umph type dress on the way on the runway. So I kinda pull pieces from each culture to create the look that I wanted on the runway.”
Andrea Polanco
“Were you surprised to be named the winner of that challenge?”
Rebecca Stirm
“Oh yeah because a lot of them are really good. A lot of them are on very similar levels. I thought that Janel Jolly was gonna win. I was very sure and I did not expect that at all and I was so excited. My face like all lit up and stepped on my models dress and almost tripped. It was so exciting.”
Andrea Polanco
“What do you expect will be played out for the remainder of the show?”
Rebecca Stirm
“Ummm. You guys just have to see. You’ll have to watch the show.”
Andrea Polanco
“Will it be even more fun or challenging?”
Rebecca Stirm
“Of course. I know things are going to get heated and people will get eliminated. Even close friends will get eliminated like it’s gonna get down to some really exciting, sad, tough and rough stuff.”
And in just a short time Stirm has left an indelible mark on the panel, so much so that she has been invited to Caribbean Fashion Week:
Rebecca Stirm
“The judges after the show encouraged me to do Caribbean Fashion Week to do my line and get more exposure after the show. That’s why I registered and all and I will be in Jamaica at the same time for the show so I don’t have to spend on an extra ticket and everything. And also, one other thing, I am looking for sponsorship right now for Caribbean Fashion Week so if you are interested in helping me to get to Caribbean Fashion Week, the registration fee is two thousand U.S and so it’s gonna be really expensive for me to take my collection there so I am in desperate need for any kind of support that I can get.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
Stirm is set to return to Kingston Jamaica next month to film the final episode of the show, where three finalists will compete for the opportunity to participate in London Fashion Week. If you want to watch the show you can log on to www.televisionjamaica.com. If you’d like to be a sponsor for Stirm’s debut in the Caribbean Fashion Week, you can send her an email at rebeccastirm@gmail.com
CH5

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