This news synopsis will be a bit more condensed than usual for a couple weeks due to time constraints.


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Specials and Events

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 San Pedro Sun

Thank you from The San Pedro Lobster Festival Committee!
The San Pedro Lobster Festival takes the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation and heartfelt THANKS to everyone who made the festival a huge success. The event welcomes the opening of the lobster season and brings businesses together to promote our tourism industry. We would like to thank the Belize Tourism Board and the Honorable Minister Manuel Heredia for their generous support towards the San Pedro Lobster festival 2013. We would also like to thank the San Pedro Town Council for all their logistical support. Very special thanks to Mayor Danny Guerrero and town council foreman, Freddie Gonzalez Jr., who went beyond the call of duty in our time of need!

Wolfe's Woofers: Mousetrap
How do you catch a mouse in a mousetrap with no cheese?

Misc Belizean Sources

Quality Education: English, Math, and Science!
The recent 2013 PSE low proficiency scores bombshell has provided the local media in Belize with some hot news items for the country to follow for a few newscasts; it has also provided a few juicy and eye-catching headlines for online and hard copy local newspapers. Teachers are using this attention-grabbing bombshell to try to win the public to their side, and at the same time publicize their unfair working conditions, including salaries. Even the public finally seems interested in demanding a good Education for our children! Still, no one seems to know what a good education really is. Until we know what it is, and want it, we will not be able to offer, nor receive a good education. Still, we refuse to accept/embrace any change(s) in our Education systems. Perhaps, I should name each article that I post to this Blog, including the Blog itself, Misconceptions of Education in Belize. Other than the constant and heated crossfire of accusations and embarrassments between the public (media) and local politicians consequent to the PSE bombshell, there are no signs whatsoever of any change in Belizeans' concept, attitude, or concern for high-quality education for our upcoming generation. Most Belizeans continue to think of Education as a "their job" (schools and teachers) issue. In stubbornly refusing to change this misconception of Education, Belize also refuses to be "global".

Rotaract Induction Ceremony
The Rotaract Club of San Ignacio inducted 3 new Rotaractors this week. They've been active in Rotaract's community projects around Cayo, and have proven they deserve the honor. Congratulations to Christian, Jorge, and Marlayna! Keep up the great work. "From Prospects to Rotaractors! Induction of three new Rotaractors: Marlayna Lee Larson Hecker, Christian Martinez & Jorge Ruiz! We are PROUD to have you! WELCOME TO THE ROTARACT FAMILY! Photos courtesy of Frankie J. Montero."

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Coolest Harlem Shake Vid Ever!
Scuba Divers doing the Harlem Shake underwater. "Oooookkeeeyyy, we couldn't resist. Here's the Harlem shake of our Sunday fun dive!"

First ever cave diving flash mob video!
16 divers came together for the first ever cave diving flash mob with the goal to show the size and the beauty of the cave like never before. So this video is not about equipment, equipment configuration, cave politics or other purposes. It is to show what is at the end the most important rule in diving: Having fun with friends!

Rasta Pasta restaurant set to reopen!
Marilyn Gill, owner of the former Rasta Pasta restaurant which existed for several years at the location where the Barrier Reef Sports Bar now stands, has returned to the island. According to Maralyn, Rasta Pasta is set to reopen on July 6th. It will be located on the property of the former Sandbox Restaurant, also a landmark on Caye Caulker for several decades. We wish the restaurant much success.

Lobster Fest 2013 Gallery
Lots of photos from the 2013 Caye Caulker Lobster Fest

Blogs

Bumpy and Buggy in San Pedro
If there was ever a time to consider pimping your ride with a lockable glove box, it would be now so your bug spray can be kept safely on your cart at all times. The skeeters are mini monsters right now and out in full force, day and evening, this is the worst I remember seeing them in a long time. It would make a good addition to our tropical horror film ideas along with night Dennis Paul and I outran the malathion truck twice on the back road near home. Along with the bugs the back roads are crazy bumpy right now. Girls wear your sports bras if you are driving off the beaten path right now I will leave you with some pictures I took today when we went to Amal Hardware store to get some screws. Dick building a new garage in his back yard. Off to go get ready for a hot date with tacoboy, he asked me to meet him for dinner at Banana Beach.

Belizean Stew Chicken - A mouth-watering dish from the Jewel
The natural partner to rice and beans is, of course, that other Belizean staple, stew chicken. Elegant in its own humble way, like a philosopher in simple workman's clothes, this is rustic-luxe Belize cuisine at its finest. If you are lucky enough to have recado, that achiote based paste common in Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, it's a wonderful addition. If not, don't sweat - I make it all the time without and have survived. Mix a bit of paprika with cayenne as a substitute if you like. So get out the pots and pans, crank up some Andy Palacio, Garifuna All Stars, Paul Nabor, Aurelio Martinez or any Belizean music, imagine the sounds of toucans, gentle surf or children playing in the background, and get ready to go. Ingredients:

"Just a Lil Bit" in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
No long preamble or ramblings before I get in to bringing readers up to date with our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize.. Just to 'say' that I had a very lazy morning/early afternoon on Saturday watching the Huddersfield Giants v Catalans Dragons Rugby League game followed by a 'visit' to Australia to watch Queensland play New South Wales in the State of Origin game. And a brutal game it was too. As was the weather. Very hot and hardly any breeze. Don't want you to think that I am complaining though. Just take it as a layman's weather report. Knowing that we were going on a Poker Run in the evening Rose and I went to visit our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize earlier than usual and got there around 1.30 pm, not long after the guys had returned from lunch (some of them cycle home for for their meal and then cycle back - doubt that they get much more than thirty minutes to eat). When we got there it appeared that nearly everyone was on clean-up duty. Brooms and shovels at work in all areas. We did see some signs of progress on our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize though but just a lil bit.

International Sources

New World Oil and Gas poised to seek farm-in partner in Belize
New World Oil and Gas (LON:NEW) now owns 100% working interest at its Blue Creek project in Belize. It means the oil group is now ideally positioned to find a farm-in partner to continue its exploration programme in the central American country, it told investors. The relevant government authority approved the final 25% working interest to the firm's subsidiary following the drilling of the well on the West Gallon Jug Crest prospect. The firm's chief executive, William Kelleher, said earning into the whole project marked the end of the required work programme as agreed in its farm-out agreement with Blue Creek Exploration, which exceeded the requirements of the Belize government under the terms of the production sharing agreement. "New World is now ideally positioned to seek a farm-in partner to continue its exploration programme in Belize where a number of prospective locations remain to be drilled.