Doc: bakery smoke might be causing health probs

The trial involving the Corozal bakery at odds with one of its neighbours continued this morning in the Supreme Court with a doctor presenting medical evidence. This morning, attorneys for the Ek family called Dr. Cardo Martinez to the stand to testify as to the health problems affecting the family, conditions the family alleges were caused by the smoke from the ovens of La Victoria Bakery. Dr. Martinez told the court that the three family members he treated had been diagnosed with medical conditions including chronic bronchitis, pharyngitis: that is swelling of the throat and difficulty swallowing, and airway reactive disease, all of which could have been brought on by continued exposure to smoke. Twenty-nine year old Lionel Ek also took the stand this morning and told the court of childhood memories of cleaning soot from the walls, windows and ceiling of his home and being awaken during the night unable to breathe because of the smoke. According to sixty-two year old Eugenio Ek, he had complained to the owners of the bakery nine years ago about the problem, but the condition did not changed. The Eks are asking the court to award them monetary compensation for monies spent maintaining their home and on medicines and tests, over the last twenty years. The owner of the bakery, Rafael Velasquez has denied the charges and contends that the Ek family is exaggerating the conditions created by the bakery. Documents supplied to News 5 by the Ministry of Health indicates that in May of this year officials from the Department of the Environment and M.O.H. conducted a survey of residents in the vicinity of the bakery to identify those people affected in any way by the business. According to the findings of that survey, the Ek family were the only ones to go on record stating that the smoke from the bakery was bothering them. The trial continues tomorrow before Justice Christopher Blackman. Representing the Ek family is attorney Tanya Longsworth, while across the table attorney Dean Barrow sits with the Velasquez family.