FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.


Last night's TV news on Channel 7 and Channel 5
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The May 27th, 2012 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • Kevin Santos - Back In Trouble Again
  • No Foul Play Suspected In Murcia's Death
  • Twelve Months Jail Time For Escaping Lawful Custody
  • Second Annual Hopkins Mango Festival
  • $1.4 MILLION MARKET PROJECT LAUNCHED IN DANGRIGA
  • My Thoughts On The ICJ, by Rudolph Bowman
  • Cuba Says Prison Population At More Than 57,000
  • Atlantic Bank launches enhanced GoMobile
  • STAR Humor
  • Editorial: Is This Just Another Display Of The Slave Master Mentality?
  • Your Weekly Horoscope and Lucky Numbers
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Public Notices

Misc Belizean Sources

The Way We Lived Then
The Cal family arrived in Big Falls around 1961 from Crique Sarco close to the southern border with Guatemala. They arrived to work on the new citrus plantation being established at the time. There was no paved road, no electricity and no mains water. All that came much later; but when it did arrive things changed rapidly. The Cal family home visit aims to preserve some of the old ways of the Kek'chi Maya before they disappear. One of the features of the home is this Mayan bed. The "mattress" is made from the rolled out bark of the macapal tree which is then secured to the frame by vine ropes. It is remarkably comfortable and when Judy saw it she was overcome by fatigue and just had to try it out.

Rainy Sunday
The 2012 "dry" season wasn't very dry for us here in Belize. After last year's drought, it was a nice change of pace to have enough water in the cistern and nice green plants in the yard all the way into April ! The rainy season has arrived early and with enthusiasm. Our cistern is already overflowing and ordinarily that doesn't happen until much later in the summer. Weather on Ambergris Caye: Last night it rained heavily, wind gusts were to 35 MPH and there was some not to dramatic (probably quite distant) thunder and lightening. Today the winds are blowing from the south, the sea is choppy with white-caps inside the reef. Unfortunately we'd scheduled a big fund-raiser Bar-B-Q for Liberty Children's Home for today and this weather is causing a reschedule. About 500 tickets for bar-b-q were sold, hull-hoop contests were planned and the silent auction gift-list is amazing. Early morning calls concurred that you just can't have a good kid-party in a muddy yard in the rain. Bummer. Will have to reschedule. If you're interested in some wonderful work being done in Belize with abandoned and abused children, check the Liberty website - www.libertychildrenbelize.com I promise it's uplifting and inspiring - really! Enjoy the day! -- Diane Campbell

Ashanti Airbender Auditioned for the NFoA
Congratulations to Ashanti Airbender! She'll be representing Cayo at the National Festival of Arts. Read about her successful audition for the NFoA. "For the first time, I was judged professionally by three judges at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts during my first audition to get into a prestigious show called the National Festival of Arts, which showcases the best in Belizean art and creativity! I was fortunate to get a long warm-up opportunity before I performed, which really prepared my body for some of the most difficult flexibility feats I am currently able to do."

Connecting Kids With Nature Could Just Save the World
This is a great essay on becoming an Eco Kid. There is still a week left to submit entries. Chaa Creek's site has all the information on submitting. "Being an eco-kid would give me the opportunity to learn more about nature and to be able to share that knowledge with my classmates, my brothers and sister and my other friends. This year, I would like to be a Chaa Creek Eco-Kid to learn more about how I can make a difference in this beautiful country called Belize. I wonder� what exactly would await me at Chaa Creek? I'd sure like to find out!! I hope to be there this summer!"

Crisis in Cristo Rey: no potable water

Blogs

Stormy Sunday
Following the deluge of rain I blogged about earlier and then several beautiful, bright days, stormy weather returned with a vengeance yesterday and early this morning. There was actually more wind than rain overnight. I woke up in the wee hours and heard all kinds of banging around outside that I now realize was wind knocking stuff around. The San Pedro Weather station clocked a 36 mph gust overnight. Thanks to a break in the rain, we were able to get out for a beach walk to survey the aftermath. Sammy (also known as Cannelo or "the Grand Caribe dog") came along with us. Paisley was taking her morning nap indoors so didn't venture out. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad -- mostly a lot more palm fronds down than the day before. We moved a few of them out of the way as they were right in the beach trail where we (and many others) ride bikes and walk. Looks like more rain is on the way....

Stormy San Pedro Sunday
Our alarm was set for 6:30 am to be up early for the big day. Upon waking up we knew there was a good chance the fundraiser was not going to happen due to pouring rain, so we both went back to sleep. After waking up and checking my email, I got the following message from Diane Campbell with a request to spread the word - Liberty Event Rain Check - The Liberty Children's Home Bar-B-Q planned for today, 27 May, at Pedro's Inn has been cancelled due to bad weather. A new date for the fundraiser will be announced soon. The rain stopped for a bit, started and stopped again. We are getting lots of loud thunder right now and it looks like it is about to thrown down big time. If you feel like braving the weather, today is Angie and Fritz's last Sunday Jam at Crazy Canucks before the lease is taken over by new management. Belize Rain report by Cowboy Doug via sms - 1 and 1/10th when I emptied last night. Just a bit and I will check I am lighting the grill. Only 1/10th up here since last night. Here are a few pictures from last nights San Pedro Poker run. We started out with drinks, gringo burgers, fries and heavy rain at Roadkill Bar, no one got too soaked though. Wings and drinks Average Joe's came next, followed by Lola's Pub, Wayo's and Pedro's for more drinks and pizza.

CSI Belize Tour: A Night Time Search for Crocs on Ambergris Caye
Most people that visit San Pedro swim with sharks and sting rays at Hol Chan Marine Park. Some go to see manatees, some see monkeys on a trip to the mainland. But there is a relatively new tour that exposes people to a threatened species that lives right here on the island. You hardly have to travel far at all to get a look at the potentially 15-20 foot long American Crocodile in his native habitat. Vince and Cherie, the founders of the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary have spent years saving, rehabilitating and, when necessary, relocating these large predators all over Belize. They are now stationed on this island and have started a really cool tour to allow people to see and, if you are ready, touch these slightly scary animals. (How cute are they? Only a matter of time before they have a TV show I think). As the island becomes more and more developed, the crocodiles lose their habitat, the brackish water of the mangrove trees, and are forced closer and closer to humans. Crocodiles used to people and used to be fed by people is a bad thing. For the tour, everyone meets at the bar at Reef Village just north of the bridge. You can arrive early and have a few drinks and food, you can bring some drinks on the boat...Vince and Cherie are totally flexible. Just as the sun sets, our group loaded onto the boat. Here is the first thing you see. Yikes. The skull of an eleven footer. Cherie gave us the run down on what ACES does, what the tour would be about and answered as many questions that we had. She told us about crocs they have rescued and estimates that up to 90% have been injured in some way...with bullet holes, knife stabs, one was blinded. Poor guys.

Skulls between stalactites at Barton Creek Cave
Barton Creek Cave, and Barton Creek Outpost get good reviews in this article. "Just some metres away there is a cave (Barton Creek Cave), which you can visit by kayak and check out 8km of passages. It is known both: as a touristic destination but also as a archaeological site. In cave there were found remains of at least 28 humans and many pottery shards, which makes scientist believe there was a life already at the beginning of 1st century. The strong evidence exist already in the first kilometre of kayaking, where on the left ledge one can see human bones and skulls. In the dark as hell cave, between stalactites and flying bats, it makes a strong impression."

International Sources

Top 10 zoos around the world
The long summer holidays are slowly but surely coming into view and Mums and Dads are starting to think about entertaining their kids for those six, l-o-n-g weeks. Zoos are a wonderful source of entertainment and information, allowing children to get close to their favourite animals. Which one tops your list?The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre, Belize "The Best Little Zoo in the World" was founded nearly 30 years ago to provide sanctuary for wild animals used in a documentary about tropical forests. Today the zoo, located 47km (29 miles) west of Belize City, exhibits more than 150 animals native to Belize. A major draw are the wildcats found in the Central American country: jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jacuarundi. The Problem Jaguar Rehabilitation Programme is just one of the zoo's initiatives that help to promote conservation and awareness, and to protect Belize's natural resources. Search and compare: cheap flights to Belize City.

Rapper Shyne Launches Bid to Obtain U.s. Visa
Shyne has launched a petition to obtain a U.S. Visa following his deportation to his native Belize in 2009. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former protege, real name Moses Michael Levi, was deported by American immigration officials in 2009 after serving more thaneight years in a New York prison for his part in a 1999 club shooting. Levi has been fighting for the right to overturn his U.S. travel ban and re-enter the county ever since, and the 33 year old has now taken matters into his own hands by creating a formal petition in a bid to win favour from members of the Department of Homeland Security. The petition, posted on the official White House website, reads, "Moses Michael Levi served 9 years in a United States America (sic), while in prison, Moses was a model prisoner and was released and although Moses hasspent (the) majority of his life in USA, he was departed (sic) on October 28, 2009 back to Belize.