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Re: Today's Belize News: June 6, 2012 Marty #439894 06/06/12 08:22 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	Caye Caulker Chronicles Caye Caulker Has An Outdoor Cinema� They show movies nightly. Admission is BZ$ 10. There is a full bar on the premises. If you are looking for something fun to do especially on a moon-lit night, then maybe this is the place for you. If you need bottled water, Adrian is your guy! If you need 5-gallon bottles of water delivered to you where ever you are, then AGUA DULCE is your water, and Adrian is your go-to guy. If you see him passing by on the street, just wave him down, give him your order, tell me where to drop it off, and voila! Life on Caye Caulker is simple and easy! Amandala Armed cops, soldier robbed Toledo Teachers' Credit Union in Bella Vista? Police detain 4 persons, but won't confirm who they are; security cameras disabled... Police, BDF officers involved? Independence police confirmed to Amandala this evening that four persons are detained for questioning in connection with a robbery reported this morning at the local branch of the Toledo Teachers' Credit Union (TTCU) in Bella Vista, Toledo District. Steve Williams, 51, killed "for nothing" on Elston Kerr and Iguana Steve Williams, 51, was on an errand on Iguana Street for someone he knew. As the Pelican Street resident rode a borrowed red mountain bike on Elston Kerr going south toward the intersection with Iguana around 11:20 p.m., according to police, the sound of gunfire suddenly rang out as he turned onto Iguana. Baby, 9 months, shot in taxi with mother, 19 Also shot was a man, 24... A gunman reportedly approached the taxi, a Geo Prism, from a side street and fired at the people inside, four adults and the baby. The gunman then ran back through the street and escaped into the night. Bandits acting as police rob businessman at gunpoint Omar Mitchell, a Belize City engineer, escaped with his life after he was held up at gunpoint and shot in his leg by two bandits who posed as policemen, and who stole his vehicle. NICH's technician, 35, murdered in his sleep Police say no forced entry into the house; Rudy Cruz stabbed over 12 times... Rudy Noel Cruz, 35, of Allan Pitts Crescent in the Port Loyola area, was found dead on his blood-soaked mattress on his bed with over 12 stab wounds to the body, around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, June 1. Buttonwood Bay Nazarene girls and St. Martin De Porres boys are Belize City Primary School Softball Champions The Belize City Primary School Softball Tournament concluded on Friday, June 1, at the MCC Grounds with female and male championship matches played. TIDE Freshwater Cup results & plans, semifinals and finals The TIDE Annual Freshwater Cup competition is now coming closer to its end for this year. There are also proposed plans/dates for the Semifinals and Finals for the senior competition. FFB President on nationwide tour The President of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), Ruperto Vicente has started a nationwide tour of all football districts. The aim of the tour is to meet with the Chairmen and Executive of the Associations in order to listen to their concerns and recommendations as it relates to football. The President's tour began yesterday, June 2, in Orange Walk, with his first stop being the Acuario Sports Bar, where he met with Rafael Avila, Chairman of the OWFA, and his Executive at 9:30 a.m. Update from Harmonyville; more land for Belizeans The original 1,300 acres of Harmonyville have all been surveyed and subdivided into six phases, and BGYEA is now negotiating with Government to move onto a larger, 2,900-acre parcel located in the same area, but which is presently occupied by non-BGYEA settlers with whom the group will negotiate as well. 10 named storms, 5 hurricanes, 2 major predicted Two names storms, Alberto and Beryl, have already formed ahead of the official June 1 start-date of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. However, that does not mean that this year's hurricane season is going to be significantly more active than the average year's. EDITORIAL: Early warning signs In Jamaica, the news is that most of the public sector unions - except that of the teachers - have signed onto a wage freeze with the government of Jamaica. The Nurses Association of Jamaica, the Jamaica Civil Service Association and several other trade unions that represent various public sector groups have signed on the dotted line. Lawrence Vernon offers complement to Janus of Sunday, June 3, 2010 As a complement to the piece on Words in "Ideas and Opinions" by Janus, in Amandala of June 3, 2012, I offer the following observation. I had some time ago attempted in an Amandala column to point out a few of the more commonly mispronounced words we hear on our airwaves, both locally and internationally. I repeat three such words/phrases here: Irregardless - this is a word that was coined in the U.S.A. in the early 20th century, and that many mistakenly believe to be correct usage in formal style, when in fact it is used mostly in nonstandard speech, or casual writing. In effect it is an erroneous word, etymologically speaking, which means the exact opposite of what it is intended to express - being probably a blend of IRRESPECTIVE and REGARDLESS. It has been considered a blunder for decades and will continue to be so, even to the extent of being used humorously. Blogs Mangoes EVERYWHERE: Driving from San Jose, Costa Rica to Panama While Central America is relatively compact, the countries really start stretching out in the south...both Costa Rica and Panama are pretty long and skinny. I arrived in San Jose on Saturday evening, we planned to cross the border between Costa Rica and Panama on Monday morning and arrive in Coronado, Panama the same day. We had some driving to do. Let's get going. We woke up early, had our breakfast at the Hotel Aeropuerto, San Jose and paid the bill. It hit me...Costa Rica is expensive! $90USD for a hotel that should have been about $40. Gas per gallon is at almost $6 USD. But there is a reason that people flock to this country and pay a little bit extra. It is absolutely stunning. Mountains, neon green valleys, rushing rivers and waterfalls, trees bursting with flowers and fruit, happy looking cattle, water you can drink from the taps, well fed dogs and much less blatant poverty. All of that doesn't come for free. And look at this! RECYCLING. Totally impressive, Costa Rica. We took to the road. We wanted to make it close to the Costa Rica border by afternoon. Stay for the night and start out early the next day. (For all of you cringing that I was missing Costa Rica entirely...I get it. I pretty much was. But I HAVE been to Costa Rica before for 10 days a few years ago and I will be back...there is so much more to see.) We drove for about 5 hours and decided to stop in the port town of Golfito. Stew Beef & Okra w/ Cilantro & Yellow Ginger Rice..." Mi eye too big for mi belly" Now, Stew Beef is the 2nd favored meat side to Rice & Beans or White Rice & Stew Beans, which most will say is our National Dish and it might be but I personally Believe that here in Belize we have so many different ethnic groups that each dish needs recognition. The Creole will have their Rice & Beans dish, Garifuna might have Sere & Hudut, we have so many types of food and everyone has their recipe... I will share with you MY recipe for stewed beef. And while traditionally you serve this with rice & beans I have decided against it and went with something that is also local but less common, Yellow Ginger & Cilantro Rice. Now, traditionally stew beef has just beef, potatoes and onions and tomatoes...that is nice and all but...I tend to be a bit greedy with food...I want it all...or close to it so i have a general rule of thumb..."anything else that can go in goes in" Now, I know I've been off with my blogging but as I try to make it a weekly gig, work keeps getting in the way lol (just kidding I love my job) so a month later I bring you once again good yummy delicious FOOOOOOOOOD! Chaa Creek Cheers New Chocolate News Having highlighted the ancient Maya's cultivation and use of cacao for many years, The Lodge at Chaa Creek's Natural History Centre and Spa staff welcome recent scientific studies that once again point to the benefits of consuming chocolate, Spa manager Bryony Fleming said today. The new Australian study, supported by an Australian Research Council grant, used a mathematical model to predict the long term effects of daily dark chocolate consumption on people at risk of cardio vascular disease or stroke. The researchers concluded that yes, chocolate is good for you. "Dark chocolate may be a pleasant and effective way of delivering important dietary components that can provide health benefits to the ever increasing numbers of people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease," researcher Christopher Reid, PhD, professor of cardiovascular epidemiology and preventive medicine at Monash University in Australia said this week. Reid's team computed the number of heart attacks and strokes that would occur with and without the dark chocolate, and concluded that eating 100 grams of dark chocolate a day for ten years would prevent 70 nonfatal and 15 fatal heart attacks and strokes per 10,000 people over 10 years. Dr Joe Vinson, PhD, professor of chemistry at the University of Scranton in the USA and a long-time chocolate researcher, said that although the study had limitations in that "It's all theoretical based on statistics," even so, "It's wonderful news again on the health effects of dark chocolate for people who have a little higher risk (of heart problems) than the normal person." However, he recommends eating less than the 100 grams used in the model. He suggests about 40 grams, or about one chocolate bar, daily. Dr Reid suggested that the chocolate should be dark and at least 60%-70% cocoa. Ms Fleming said the study is further proof of what the ancient Maya knew all along. "The Maya were a very wise civilisation, one of the most advanced societies of their time. They would not have held chocolate, or xocoatl as it was known in Mesoamerica, in such high esteem over thousands of years if there wasn't some reason for it," she said. Ms Fleming said the Chaa Creek Spa uses chocolate in several natural therapies, including a chocolate wrap that has many of the active ingredients of cacao absorbed through the skin. "You can see people's skin take on a glow, and they report feelings of peaceful wellbeing afterwards" she said, and pointed out that the Chaa Creek Maya Organic Farm, which supplies the eco-resort's restaurant, grows cacao from local strains developed thousands of years ago in Belize. "There's so much continuity with chocolate in Belize. Many of our staff are of Maya descent, and we're using cacao their ancestors cultivated well before the birth of Christ and considered sacred because of its many benefits. And now, to have modern science confirm something that's such an important part of our local Maya culture is very satisfying. "And, of course, it's a proven fact that chocolate is delicious," Ms Fleming said. International Sources British monarchy's long-lasting love affair with the sea For ardent royalists and keen followers of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, there could have been few more fitting tributes to the British monarch's abiding reign than Sunday's 1000-strong flotilla. The vast fleet of multi-colored, eccentrically-clad yachts - which included everything from ancient tall ships to Viking-style longboats -- was led by a gold-gilded barge carrying the queen herself, reflecting an intimate and centuries-old communion between the royal family and the high-seas. Throughout history, British monarchs have relied on the country's sea power to protect their kingdom and conquer new territories. During the 18th and 19th centuries their naval conquests ensured that the "sun never set" on its empire, but even though times have changed since then, the monarchy still enjoys a very special relationship with the symbolically titled Royal Navy. The queen's husband, Prince Philip, is its Lord High Admiral, while her son Charles holds the rank of Admiral -- having taken command of his own ship in 1976. Prince William is Sub Lieutenant and Commodore-in-Chief for Scotland and Submarines and completed an attachment with the Royal Navy in 2008. Why the Queen Matters A SIXTY-year reign: a span embracing 12 presidents, 6 popes, 12 British prime ministers - starting with Winston Churchill - the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the formation of the European Union, the end of the British Empire and the growth of a multiracial Commonwealth. But then Queen Elizabeth II has reigned, not ruled: hers is not a record in government. The modern monarchy does not begin wars or shape domestic policy. And so the inevitable questions, as Britain and the Commonwealth celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, are now in people's minds. What, in fact, has she achieved? What difference has she made? How are we to measure her years on the throne? For several decades of the queen's reign, British governments saw themselves in the business of "managing decline" - from empire and victory in World War II to the status of middling power. During this time the influence and the symbolism of the crown has been all-pervasive. The queen has not opposed change or helped Britain avoid change; what she has done instead is to enable change without despair. Her permanence has given the British the essential self-assurance they have needed. The poet Philip Larkin caught it well: In times when nothing stood But worsened, or grew strange, There was one constant good: She did not change. Smith Team Departs for Summer on the Reef As the Smith College Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Program enters its 13th year, students gear up for another fun and educational summer running youth camps in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize. The Smith Coral Reef Ed-Centures 2012 team. Smith students lead Coral Reef Ed-Ventures participants in a group activity outside the San Pedro classroom. This year's student participants-Angela Oliverio '12 (majors: biological sciences and philosophy), Kaylyn Oates '12 (geosciences and education and child study), Alyssa Stanek '13 (psychology and education and child study), Kayla Clark '14 (sociology and education and child study), Laura Malecky '13 (study of women and gender), and Megan Svoboda '12 (anthropology)-along with faculty members David Smith, professor of biological sciences, Al Curran, professor emeritus of geosciences, and Denise Lello, lecturer in biological sciences, team up with personnel at the Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve to provide educational summer programs to the local youth. The Smith team departed this week for a six-week stay on the Belize coast. Hurricane Typhoon Season 2012 Message for U.S Citizens U.S. Embassy Belmopan, Belize. The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the hurricane and typhoon seasons in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recommends that those in hurricane- and typhoon-prone regions begin preparations for the upcoming seasons now. This Travel Alert expires on December 1, 2012. The Atlantic Basin, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico: Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center expects to see a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this year with a 70 percent chance of nine to fifteen named storms, including four to eight that will reach hurricane strength (with top winds of 74 mph or higher). Of those, one to three will become major hurricanes (with top winds of 111 mph or higher, ranking Category 3, 4, or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale). Knocking on Heaven's Shore: Bluefin Tuna Carrying Safe Fukushima Nuclear Radiation So the momometer tells us of another huge news story: bluefin tuna have carried radiation leaked from Japan's tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant across the ocean to California, where fishermen are catching them. (The momometer, a Geiger-counter of news magnitude, is my 86-year old-mother, Rose. No computer. When she phones me to tell me she's heard a news story, it means it's huge. And this one is.) The significance: while Californians wait for currents to bring the floating debris of tsunami-devastated towns knocking on their heavenly shores, migratory animals such as tunas, albatrosses, sea turtles, and sharks are rocketing Fukushima nuclear plant radiation across the ocean. We know the whole world is connected, but we didn't quite think about how some of the connectors travel awfully far awfully fast. Long before tsunami debris arrives on Golden State sands, some California sport fishermen are catching radiation packages. And so you ask, "Are the fish okay to eat?" Well, yes, because the amount of radiation - while elevated and definitely from Fukushima - is still miniscule, well below levels that give experts safety concerns (and I mean experts, not just government agencies). Another answer is, "Well, no," because they carry enough mercury to make you sick; that's a different issue. The mercury comes not from nuclear plants but from coal. And if you don't know where your bluefin originates, remember that Atlantic bluefin - of no concern regarding radiation - share the mercury problem plus are deeply depleted by overfishing. So another answer is, "It depends on what you mean by okay." If you mean just the radiation, then yes, they're okay to eat. (The fish, if they could, might ask you to remember that it's also okay not to eat them.) The radiation work was done by some of my colleagues at Stony Brook University on Long Island, where I have a desk, and Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Lab in Monterey, Calif., where I've occasionally encountered a welcome mat. That is to say that when my mother phoned, I did not let on that I'd actually known about the Fukushima-tuna-radiation link for months but had been sworn to professional secrecy. Now the scientific review process has done its thing, resulting in the publication and unveiling of the results, and my mother has heard the news, so I am free to spill a few more beans. Insight: Dengue Vaccine in Sight, After 70 Years (Reuters) - One of the grimmest legacies of the war in the Pacific is still being fought 70 years on, but a victory over dengue, the intensely painful "breakbone fever" which that conflict helped spread around the world, may be in sight. The U.S. Army, which like its Japanese enemy lost thousands of men to the mosquito-borne disease in the 1940s, has piled resources into defeating the tropical killer. But it may be about to see the battle to develop the first vaccine won not in the United States but by French drug company Sanofi. The Paris-based firm hopes for positive results in September from a key trial among children in Thailand that would set it on course to market a shot in 2015 which would prevent an estimated 100 million cases of dengue infection each year. Of 20,000 annual deaths, many are of children. Nurse's Belize trip was educational, life-saving Lorie Ramey of Beavercreek got more than she bargained for on recent trip to Belize, where she passed on her lifesaving skills rather than help with construction projects and work on her tan. Ramey, 52, is an educator with a passion for helping nurses gain skills they need. But the 29-year veteran nurse at Adventist Medical Center spends the majority of her time teaching CPR, so she was looking to do other things. Just before she left, she learned that the employees of a La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital in Santa Elena were in desperate need of CPR training. "My goal on this trip was to do nothing nurse related, so I packed my hardhat and was ready to do construction," she said. "There wasn't anyone to do the renewals, and I said I would think about it, and as soon as I hung up the phone, I realized there was nothing to think about." Her husband, Larry Ramey, 56, is an anesthesiologist for Kaiser Sunnyside in Clackamas. He also didn't avoid application of his medical skills while traveling. While in Belize he oversaw four surgeries and helped construct a basketball court in Georgeville.