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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 July 21st, 2013 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE

The San Pedro Sun

Dr Love: Drinker
Readers, Please send your letters. They can be formal letters or handwritten notes. They are edited solely for grammar and spelling. Also, they are sometimes edited for length Dear Doctor Love, I was married to a man for nine years. Our marriage broke up because of his problems with alcohol. When he got drunk, [...]

Dog-Eating Crocodile Remanded to ACES "Croc Jail" in Ladyville
It is not unusual for residents of Ambergris Caye to have an occasional crocodile encounter. Many enjoy watching the wild reptiles in their natural habitat when they are spotted swimming in the western lagoon side of the caye. From a distance, no harm is done to man or beast when tourists and locals alike marvel at these prehistoric creatures who have evolved and survived the world far longer than mankind. As development on the island continues and crocodile habitat is encroached upon croc encounters have increased, and now there are times when they are anything but welcome. Unfortunately some of these armored lizards with big teeth have become habituated to associating man with food, as in cases when they have been directly feed by locals for entertainment or indirectly feed as a result of improper garbage disposal. Garbage attracts their prey, such as raccoons, rats and yes stray dogs. This is how a crocodile can acquire a taste for a canine meal, and once they do they will not only prey on strays but on pets that are not detained and have wandered near the water.

God Bless You
"What's up, Wolfe," Charlie said, as I took a chair at his table. "I'm running a little late today," I told him. "That line at the bank took me the better part of half an hour." We were sitting on the deck at the Holiday Hotel. We meet there every Wednesday to get away from [...]

Misc Belizean Sources

Feed the Children Fashion Show Stills
They've released another round of pictures from the Cornerstone Foundation's Feed the Children Fashion Show. In related news, the Cornerstone Foundation had a Summer camp that focused on youth empowerment.

Soul Project's First Blues Night
The Soul Project had their first Blues Night, and it was a great success. Emmanuel Mangar and Eddie Allen played their hearts out. Saturday nights are now Blues Nights at the Soul Project. In related news, Emmanuel Mangar is getting a bus from Yute Expeditions on Tuesday, and for only $20 you can ride to Belize and see him on Be the Next Superstar. Contact him for more information. Good luck, Emmanuel!

Effective Public Speaking Seminar
The Effective Public Speaking seminar series starts today at the George Price Centre. If you want to learn how to be more confident while presenting, this class is for you.

Rotaract's Rave at the Grave
Rotaract is having their Rave at the Grave fundraiser next Saturday, July 27th, at Meluchi's. Proceeds will go towards their Adopt a Child program, where they help send kids to primary school. D!rty Jok3s and Mistah Geeh will be providing the eclectic music through the night, and you'll be amazed when you see D!rty Jok3s perform live. "We are raising funds to assist children in Yalbac Village by paying for their school fees, and providing them with school bags, and school utensils for the new school year. SEND AN ENTIRE VILLAGE TO SCHOOL!"

Blogs

Eco Kids Learn about Biodiversity and Conservation
The first day at Chaa Creek Eco Kids summer camp began a little earlier than expected for some campers. After all, it's quite difficult to sleep when a howler monkey troop comes roaring through at the crack of dawn! Of course, once everyone was already awake, it would have been a shame to waste all that good daylight. Today's theme was Biodiversity and Conservation, which meant that birdwatching, a trip to the natural history museum, and a up-close encounter with the Chaa Creek Butterfly Farm were on the agenda. After all the tooth-brushing, face-washing, and breakfast eating (Johnny Cakes with Eggs and Beans on the menu), energy levels were high enough to play a couple intense games of Wizards, Trolls and Gnomes before moving over to work on the Jungle Journals. After gathering enough leaves, flowers and natural artifacts to decorate their journals, campers managed to put together some pretty nifty designs before heading off on their hikes. The journals are intended to give everyone a chance to note down details of their stay, but can also double as emergency flyswatters, should the occasion arise.

"Steamy Windows" in Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Just got to (actually I haven't got to, but I do want to - and I can because this is my blog!) start off today's edition by saying how good the fish cakes were. Could have eaten (at least) another one. Probably two at a stretch (of my stomach that is). When Rose and I were at our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize on Thursday we spent some time re -measuring the widths of the areas for where the vanity units for the five bathrooms will be fitted. Armed with this information I was able on Friday to send an email to Fabro's Glass Limited (based in Victoria Street, Belize City) detailing what we want. I now await a response advising what the cost will be and how long it will take to produce them. Hopefully they will be able to get them to us in just over a week. With that out of the way I took the golf cart to Captain Shark's. The reason for this return visit is that since collecting it after its service last week there have been creaking/groaning noises emanating from the front (note my obviously mechanically knowledgable description (sic)) whenever turning the steering wheel. At times it has sounded as if the axel was going to snap. After dropping off the cart I took a leisurely walk along the beach back to the condo we are renting -sure beats taking the car for a service in the UK- and got there shortly after 10.30 hours when I grabbed my book and headed with it to the beach for some 'quality time'.

TWO Missing Belizean Children- please share with everyone.
Missing: Fanny Romero - girl Missing: Jairo Romero - boy Name of Parent: Felix Romero Missing From Cowpen Area, Stann Creek District, Belize Central America Last Seen: Wednesday July 17, 2013 Reports: Reports of two children of similar Description with older man in Western Belize however Belize is small so they could be in any area of Belize. Please look at these children faces carefully. Many times the kidnapper may attempt to change appearances by cutting hair or changing clothes. Please be on the look out and if you see anything suspicious: call the nearest police station by dialing 911 or call ( 011-501)-624-4051.

International Sources

Retirement investment programme attracting expats to Belize
The Caribbean English speaking country of Belize is seeing an increasing expat population as retired people are moving there from Europe to benefit from an incentive programme, it is claimed. Only a few years ago the number of foreign retirees living in Belize amounted to a few dozen but now there is an expanding community of expats attracted by the Retired Persons Incentive Programme. They are also attracted by the location and lifestyle which includes the Belize Barrier Reef, the world's second largest, nature and water sports. The country is bordered to the north by Mexico, to the west and south by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean and the country considers itself to be both Caribbean and Central American. According to Luke Smith, managing director of Crystal Investment and Real Estate, the Retired Persons Incentive Programme permits people to live tax free. To qualify the individual can come from any country, must have a minimum age of 45 and should have a qualifying non-Belizean based income of a minimum US$2,000 US per month.

COST OF LIVING IN CAYO, BELIZE
Cayo is the largest of Belize's six districts and has quietly become the harbinger of this tiny country. From natural to manmade, the region is rich in resources. Cayo has more protected land than any other district; it is the top eco-tourism destination in the country; boasts the largest underground cave system in the western hemisphere; and, of course, its landscape is dominated by rivers and mountains. Belize is generally considered one of the best values in the Caribbean, but expensive by Central American standards. Like anywhere, the cost of living in Belize is highly dependent upon your lifestyle. But the more time you spend here, the less expensive it can be. All too many expats fall into the trap of living overseas as if they are on vacation-living in a lavish resort-type setting and buying imported wine, food, and other products. After the first few months in their new home, they have blown their budget and never get settled in.

The Best Street Photographer You've Never Heard Of
Four years ago, a Chicago real estate agent stumbled upon a box of negatives. Little did he know that he'd discovered Vivian Maier. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE measure of Vivian Maier's photos without taking stock of her story. She was by all accounts remarkably private, someone who didn't always enjoy the company of other adults. And yet her photographs feel like a celebration of people-a celebration of what Studs Terkel, the late grand oral historian, liked to call "the etceteras" of the world. (One photography scholar I spoke with suggested Terkel and Maier would have made a formidable pair, like James Agee and Walker Evans.) Her subjects are often caught looking directly at the camera, apparently making eye contact with Maier, but she used a Rolleiflex, a box-shaped camera that requires the photographer to look downwards through the viewfinder. In other words, as it turns out, Maier didn't need to directly engage with her subjects, and many undoubtedly were unaware that she was, in fact, memorializing their images. But I'm getting ahead of her story.