School likely to close; alternative emerges as students prepare for graduation... With about a month to go before the end of the school year, the teachers of Western Christian Academy and Ontario Christian School, both located in Ontario Village, Cayo District, have been out of class all of last week, except for Tuesday, over disagreements with the school management.

Mackoy sings of “Real Issues”... Talented Belizean musicians often make the proverbial leap from performing with prominent bands to braving it solo. After 11 years in music, Denroy Garcia, popularly known as “Mackoy,” has made that transition from performing with Griga Boyz, Punta Rebels, Collie Rebels, Gilharry Seven, and Danger Zone, to now establishing himself as a recording artist in his own right.

Did you go to your high school prom? Do you remember what it was like? In a country like Belize, few get such an opportunity. Sure, they can line the streets to watch the fortunate ones glide and strut into the Princess, Radisson, Biltmore, Chateau or Bellevue, having just stepped, bright-eyed, off helicopters or Cessnas, or out of stretch limousines.

For many years, now I have sat by rather serenely and said little or nothing publicly about the madness going on in Belizean football. However, after sitting in on a so-called press conference by the FFB some two weeks ago, I now find it necessary for me to break my silence and join my fellow associate Mr. Orlando “Leech” Jimenez and all others that have been clamoring for GOB’s intervention into this football madness created by Dr. Bertie Chimilio.

Jaime Chavarria walked out of the Supreme Court this morning, freed of the double murder charge that had been hanging over his head. But his two co-defendants, Danny Anderson and Edwin Flowers, will have to stand trial for the March 2007 murder of Kevia Leslie, 24, and Dorian Michael, 32.

I am a passionate environmentalist, but I pretty much try to keep my feelings to myself, the reason being I am sure I am in a small minority amongst Belizeans. Our Belizean people want development and modernization, and they are mostly unaware of the price we humans and planet earth have paid and are paying for “progress.” Let me throw out a statistic, for “kicks”. 46 million Americans drink water daily which is known to contain at least trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, according to an Associate Press investigation released last year. The ground water of the United States has been contaminated.

The Government announced via press release on Friday that it had decided to reduce the controlled price of rice, down by 11 cents a pound, from $1.31 to $1.20 a pound (retail) in Belize City, and down to $1.22 a pound in the districts. The controlled wholesale price for a 100-pound sack of rice has gone down from $126 to $112 – a savings of $14 on the sack.

Some people say that the very big people on the planet have been working towards a one world government. We don’t know about that, but we know that about 20 or 25 years ago, the “experts” began to say that nationalism was dead, that everything was interdependent, above all, and so on and so forth.

Belize’s most brilliant and progressive economist, wait, Belize’s most brilliant and ONLY progressive economist, Mr. Bill Lindo, has on more than one occasion stated that if Belize is to become competitive we need a railway system. Have you ever heard any of the RH Esquivelites at Central Bank, or any old Ralphites, for that matter, gather around the table and discuss the need to bring down the cost of transportation to help our economy? Like…NEVER.

Chief justice Conteh orders Musa’s committal for Supreme Court trial quashed, but DPP Branker-Taitt plans to appeal the CJ’s ruling.... Six months and four days ago, on December 4, 2008, the former Prime Minister and area representative for Fort George, Hon. Said Musa, surrendered himself to Belmopan police. He was fingerprinted and taken to the Magistrate’s Court, where he was arraigned on a single charge for the theft of US 10 million dollars.

Final tally of produced cane says sugar was lower only in 1989; BSI hints at greater role in industry... The news was not so sweet at the close of business Friday evening, June 5, at the Tower Hill factory of Belize Sugar Industries (BSI).

Northside residents may protest; fear “Lake I” problems will cross the river to them... Rush-hour traffic congestion causes major delays for people commuting into and out of Belize City on a daily basis, and among the recommendations made to ease that congestion is the construction of a third bridge over the Haulover Creek, linking the Northside and Southside, thereby providing an alternate route to commuters.

PM Barrow says, “I’m reconsidering” ... Fuel prices continue to escalate, and the latest hike came like a thief in the night on Sunday, when prices at gas stations around Belize pushed past the 8-dollar mark.

Information published by the Central Bank of Belize this week indicates that four of the five commercial banks operating in the country have turned a profit for the first quarter of 2009, even amid the downturn in economic activity that saw leading sectors like tourism, and wholesale and retail trade, contract