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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Holiday Lighted Boat Parade 2014 (11 photos)
Wow, what a beautiful night! Full moon peeping out from whispy clouds and the Caribbean horizon aglow with sparkling boats. A perfect evening to kick off the holidays on La Isla Bonita!

San Pedro Police launch Christmas Anti-crime Campaign
With the Christmas Season already here, the San Pedro Police Department are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of the island during these festive times. As such, the annual Christmas Anti-crime campaign was launched on Monday, December 1st and will see increased patrol and police presence during the upcoming months. In addition, police are sharing precautionary tips with residents to avoid criminal incidents as best as possible. According to Deputy of San Pedro Police, Inspector Henry Jemmott, the month of December in particular sees a rise in arrivals to the island as it is the start of the high tourism season, resulting in an increase of criminal activities.

Pioneros of Cancun thrash San Pedro Tiger Sharks
From the onset, it was obvious that the host team was by far the dominant team, pulling an early lead in the match. They won every quarter of the game, but the big gap came in the third and fourth quarters where the score difference ballooned to over 20 points. By the end of the game, San Pedro Tiger Sharks lost by 46 points in a game that concluded in 124 to 78 points in favor of the Pioneros. "The Belize Basketball Federation anticipates that this strong relationship will continue to strengthen the sport of basketball in both Quintana Roo and Belize," said a release from the Belize Basketball Federation ((BBF). Both teams were given special recognitions for their participation in the friendly game. Notables present at the event were high ranking officials from the local government of Quintana Roo as well as Belize's Ambassador to Mexico, His Excellency Oliver del Cid.

Pedro Baki arrested and charged for Carnal Knowledge
San Pedro Police have arrested and charged a man who had been wanted for multiple carnal knowledge incidents on a minor since 2013. The culprit has been identified as Pedro Baki and has since been remanded to the Belize Central Prison for him crimes. The victim had sought the assistance of Human Development Officer Adan Kay on April 10, 2014. An investigation and search for Baki began, but was fruitless.

Chocolate Heredia's Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary faces management problems
According to Vega, the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development has refused to assist FOSC since there is no legal co-management agreement between the two parties. When asked why there was no co-management agreement signed, Vega explained that after the last agreement expired in 2012, they have refused to sign a new one. "We put in a lot of energy, time and work on a proposed draft that was mutually accepted. That draft was taken to Cabinet but when it came back to us for signage, it was totally different than what we agreed on in the draft� it was simply not the best agreement for the country or for the management of the sanctuary," commented Vega. She went on to explain that the agreement in its final stage favored the GOB. "The agreement should give equal status to management authority and it is not reflecting that in the final agreement and as such we have declined to accept."Tours-belize-manatees

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

KREM KRISMUS
Battle Field Park in Downtown Belize City comes alive with KREM KRISMUS from Monday, Dec. 15 - Sunday, Dec. 21 from 8pm - 10pm. Don't miss it.

The Reporter

Mexico City's police chief resigns
Mexico City's police chief, Jesus Rodriguez Almeida, has resigned after strong criticism of his handling of protests in the city. A largely peaceful march on 20 November over the disappearances of 43 students in Guerrero state ended with riot police dispersing the crowd. Rodriquez gave no reason for his departure and the city mayor said he had stepped down immediately. Earlier this week President Pena Nieto announced new justice and police plans. After the 20 November protest, Mr Rodriquez Almeida said he had "congratulated his personnel for their work," in particular for "restoring public order, no matter whether others like it or not". Lawyers for 11 people who were arrested on the day called for his resignation.

BTIA elects new president
The Belize Tourism Industry Association has elected Osmany Salas of the BTIA's Orange Walk Chapter as its new national president. At the association's 29th Annual General Meeting held at the Radisson Fort George Hotel, Salas emphasized that increasing the association's membership is a top priority. "We have lost some members over the years; we need to do what we have to do to regain those members and expand the association," Salas said. "Key to that is to establish chapters where we currently do not have any, for example in Belmopan and the Belize District", he continued. Salas explained that great potential exists for expanding the association's membership, and pointed to the fact that of the total restaurants in the country only four percent are members of the BTIA.

Civil Aviation Day celebrated in Belize
The Belize Department of Civil Aviation observed International Day of Civil Aviation on Friday with a list of events, including a wreath-laying ceremony to honour pilots all over the world who lost their lives in the course of their duties, and a larger ceremony on the Phillip Goldson International Airport compound. Durong that event, the department honoured one of its employees for having 51 years of service in the field. Nigel Carter, chief operations officer at the department, explained that the day was all about raising awareness about the importance of civil aviation and safety-related issues. "By the end of 2014 we will have had 290,000 flight operations," Carter said. "We have different classifications, depending on damage and number of injuries to define an accident and for this year our only accident happened yesterday December 4."

Patrick JonesPJ

Girl commits suicide in Stann Creek
A family from the village of Red Bank in the Stann Creek district is mourning the death of a teenage girl. She has been identified as 14 year old Lydia Pop. According to reports received, the girl who attends the Red Bank Christian School was found hanging inside her home just after 9 o'clock tonight. Sources say that the girl's mother was visiting with other family members in the same village and when she returned home, the sight of her daughter's body hanging from a rope around the neck was what greeted her.

Belizean athletes attend Central American Body Building championship
Belize is being represented at the Central America Bodybuilding Championship which is underway in San Salvador, El Salvador. Mr. Belize Rigo Vellos, Master's Champion Clayton Greenidge and Novice Champion Oyinkro Akpobodor , along the the president of the Belize Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation traveled to El Salvador on Friday for the event which ends on Sunday. The event is being held in Santa Tecla La Libertad in the Salvadoran capital.

PG politician complains about the state of municipal's streets
The bad condition of streets in Punta Gorda town has caught to attention of the People's National Party, headed by community activist Wil Maheia. The PG Town Council has been carrying out some street works around the municipality; however complaints from citizens are that priority is not given to some streets that are really in bad conditions as it shown in the pictures accompanying this story. The PNP's Wil Maheia says that the residents of Punta Gorda must realize that there needs to be more of a proper investment in roads that are child-friendly for the town. It must be noted here that aside from being the leader of the PNP, Maheia is the party's Mayoral candidate that will contest the Municipal Elections next March.

OpEd: The Information Revolution is here!
The history of the world has been marked by great revolutions. Revolutions inevitable change the entire system of how countries and the world operates. Much like the Industrial Revolution this century will be marked by the Information Revolution. The information revolution is marked by the shift to where information is recognized as the most power asset of any country. Similarly, to how the industrial evolution and those that came out better off from it was determined by access and knowledge of use of machines and tools, so too will the information revolution be marked by those that had access and knowledge of use to ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies). In fact, most of the world has recognized that poverty cannot be effectively eradicated in the world unless there is a closure in the global digital divide. "The digital divide is the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalances in physical access to technology as well as the imbalances in resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen. In other words, it is the unequal access by some members of society to information and communication technology, and the unequal acquisition of related skills."

International Sourcesizz

The Ecosystem That Is Disappearing Faster Than Any Other on Earth
Mangroves--the uniquely salt-adapted trees and shrubs that line our tropical and subtropical coasts, the critical membrane between land and sea--are disappearing at faster rates than virtually any other ecosystem on Earth. Mangroves are some of the most productive, complex, and beneficial natural wonders of our planet. They act as filters for our water supply, reduce erosion, serve as nurseries for commercial fisheries, provide opportunities for recreation, nurture vital marine biodiversity, and can act as "carbon sinks," which reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The destruction and degradation of these natural systems--because of factors such as climate change, development, tourism, wood extraction, and non-sustainable farming--bring about tremendous ecological, social, and economic losses, the extent of which we are only now just realizing.

Support A Study Trip to Belize
Greg Whitt is a two-time recipient of the Untied Arts Council Regional Artist Project Grant. In 2011 his project took him to study folkloric music and traditions in Cuba. In 2015, he's headed to study with the Garifuna at the Lebeha Youth Center in Hopkins Village, Belize. His interest is in music of the African diaspora, but also in how we can apply ancient wisdom traditions to benefit modern society. Greg has been sharing this kind of applied philosophy in hands-on rhythm experiences for more than a dozen years. Greg believes life is richer when we communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with one another and with the world around us. Because he believes this, he facilitates programs to help people live, work, and play well together. He works with people in corporations, congregations, communities, and classrooms who want to shake things up a bit for the sake of creating more-meaningful connections.

Videos

Video: Fitballing, 5min. Fitballing In San Pedro with couple of friends down in Belize.

Video: Christmas Spectacular 2014, 2hr, 53min. from Channel 5

Video: May 2014 Belize Highlights, 7.5min. Finally got around to putting together a highlight reel from the Belize trip. We dove the reefs off Ambergris Caye, Lighthouse Reef, and Turneffe. The Great Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Wall were among the highlights. We saw nurse sharks, colorful fish, reef sharks, and turtles all while swimming over and through world-class reef.

Video: Belize RGS expedition, 17min. Reigate Grammar School 2012 expedition to Belize