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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials


The San Pedro Sun

Letter to the Editor: Assisting Cancer Patient Lizette Alamina Gutierrez
Dear Editor, Mrs. Lizette Alamina Gutierrez was diagnosed with cervical cancer 2B early January 2017 and there is an opportunity to treat her condition with 28 radiation sessions for a 6 week period in Guatemala City and her goal is to raise $35,000 for the radiation and boarding. She will take care of her travel and incidentals. The communities of San Pedro and Caye Caulker have gotten together to raise those much needed funds for her medical expenses. January 13th was the Telethon on Reef TV which raised about $7,000 including the dollar drive held on that same day. The Caye Caulker community got together and managed to plan a BBQ sale on January 14th at the park raising $5,000 including cash donations from various donors. Stella's Smile Wine Bar in North Ambergris Caye also chipped in and put together a fundraiser complete with karaoke on Tuesday, January 17th raising a total of $1,970. She is now scheduled to have one of her final BBQ fundraisers this time at the Boca del Rio Park on January 29th from 10am until everything is sold. There will be food, sodas, beer, desserts and pastries on sale. All proceeds will go toward Lizette's medical fund. Caribbean Kings Band will be there to entertain and place everyone on their dancing feet after a hearty BBQ meal.

Wolfe's Woofer: Liquor and Women
"Ali, bring me two beers," Charley called. "And don't forget the glass of ice." "Do you want anything, Mister Dennis?" Ali asked as he served Charlie's beers. "I'll just take an ice cold bottle of water," I told him. "Well, how was Mexico?" Charlie asked. "It was great," I said, "but it's always good to get back home to San Pedro. I wouldn't even go to Mexico except that it's cheaper to go see the doctors there than it is to fly to Belize City." "What did the doctor say about your health?" "He said I've got the constitution of a horse and that I'll probably out-live him." "He's probably right," Charlie said. "If I recall, your dad lived to be about eighty."

Cries for compassion rise up after tragic death of abused puppy
Local residents of Ambergris Caye and social media supporters from as far as Malta, have voiced their sadness, and outrage after learning of the senseless and preventable death of a young dog named Trooper, on Ambergris Caye last week. What was supposed to be a weeklong volunteer veterinary and education adventure for Dr. Heather McGowan and her team of five from Glanbrook Animal Services in Mount Hope Ontario, became a journey of compassion that ended in heartbreak. Trooper was abandoned overnight on January 19th on the hard cold cement inside one of the outdoor pens at Saga Humane Society. When the travel team from Mount Hope arrived for their fifth and final day of volunteer work, the grim discovery was made. Trooper had suffered for months with a Demodectic Mange condition that could have been prevented. According to Dr. T.J. Dunn, Jr.

Doctor Love: Your Call
Dear Doctor Love, My boyfriend and I have decided to get married next year when we vacation in San Pedro. Marc and I have lived together for ten years, so the wedding will be a small ceremony on the beach; no fancy dress or fan fare. Our best friends, a couple with whom we are very close, are coming with us. When we told my parents, to our joy, they expressed an interest to come. We will rent a house with a pool, pay for our parents' flights and give them a vacation they would not take on their own. The problem came when my mom told my sister. She is furious that she is not being invited. She is pressing for me to pay for her flight and give her a room because I attended her church wedding 5 years ago. My sister is not a fun person. She complains about everything, especially the cost of things and never has any money to spare. Between her disapproval of the drinking, beach attire and tourist activities the rest of us will be enjoying, and her lack of finances, I cannot see having her come on what is essentially a seven day vacation with a fifteen minute wedding ceremony.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Miss Universe Pageant
What a journey and what beautiful and amazing women! Now we need lunch! Thank you everyone for the love and support! You represented us well, Rebecca. You did great!!!You are our Ms. UNIVERSE!!!

Birding Big Day 1 - MPR Highlands
The first of 12 Birding Big Days to cover Belize in 2017. Our 15 participants were from all over the country. Orange Walk, Belize, Cayo and Stann Creek Districts. Plus from Peten Guatemala. Thanks to the Belize Audubon Society for inviting past Bird Guide students and helping with logistics.

The Reporter

Bird flu back on the rise
The Avian influenza is again spreading rapidly across the world and is putting the global poultry industry on the edge. The World Health Organization (WHO) is already on high alert as human cases of the influenza were recently detected in China. WHO has since called on all countries to closely monitor the outbreak of the deadly virus in birds and poultry and to promptly report any human case that could signal the start of a flu pandemic. Humans are also urged to not come into physical contact with birds or poultry and to avoid raw consumption of poultry or eggs. The virus has already spread across Europe and Asia in the last year, resulting in large-scale slaughtering of affected poultry. According to the WHO, nearly 40 countries have reported new outbreak of the influenza. According to an online publication, scientist are saying that the virus is rapidly changing since it was recently discovered in cats in Korea. Scientists also believe that the deadly influenza spreads from country to country in the droppings of migratory flocks of birds, and can survive on truck tires, clothing, and dust particles.

Man still missing after almost a year
There has been no word on a Belizean national of Silk Grass village who was reported missing over eight months ago. Forty-one year-old Saul Castillo was last seen alive in May of 2016 in Silk Grass village. His wife Ulana Dican, reported to police that she has not seen him since then and is asking the public's assistance in helping to find her husband. Castillo is described as being of Belizean nationality, about five feet, ten inches tall, and weighs approximately 138 pounds with a low haircut and brown eyes. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of Castillo they are urged to call the nearest police station.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Letter to the Editor regarding Ms. Belize Universe
Dear Ms. Rebecca Rath, In a few hours, the entire world will be watching you on stage showcasing our little jewel, Belize. I salute you on this big journey and applaud you for representing us with so much confidence, pride and determination. YOU are our queen and I have a gut feeling that you'll be in the top 5. In my eyes, you have awaken an entire nation and proven to all Belizeans that dreams do come true! Thank you for all your hard work & perseverance. I know it's not easy and I am positive that whatever you learnt on this once-in-a-lifetime experience, you'll use it to better off yourself and other young women. You're a true ambassador unlike any other!

Miss Belize Universe - It's show time!!!
It's a few hours down to the big event. Belizeans at home and abroad are anxiously awaiting the big contest and are dying to cast their last votes for Rebecca 'Bex' Rath. Bex, as she is commonly known, is participating later today in the 65th edition of the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines. Miss Belize Universe, Rebecca Rath has been receiving overwhelming support from Belizeans on social media and her fans have been voting passionately on Twitter, fan polls, vodi and the MissU app. But Rath has also been in the spotlight on international pageant watchers and media houses. She was featured in various international newsletters and news outlets as a favorite when she displayed the Scarlet Macah as her national costume and shined in the preliminaries.

Between these lines�'on the war over BTL with the Ashcroft Alliance'
Prime Minister Dean Barrow said in the House Friday that he had learned on Tuesday that representatives of the so-called Ashcroft Alliance were moving to attach Government of Belize assets in the US, hence the special meeting and hasty legislation. In the ordinary course of things this would be an incredible assertion on his part but Mr. Barrow's miscalculations have been so calamitous that I do want to believe he thought, and not just hoped that the British billionaire would just leave the matter pending. In retrospect it is now indubitable that the decision to expropriate BTL and others, was an act of hubris and we, all of us, are paying and will pay dearly for it.

Sports day held in honour of young Tyler Savery
Shakera Young, mother of slain 7 year old, Tyler Savery, yesterday organized a Sports Day for over 70 kids from Pickstock, Fort George, and Caribbean Shores at the BTL park in Belize City. The event was organized by Shakera Young under the banner of the 'Tyler Savery Foundation'. The theme for the event was 'Kill hatred and anger, not each other'. According to Young this is the first of many events to be held in memory of Tyler and all the innocent children that have fallen victim to violence.

Blogs

Lamanai Landing Hotel and Some Great Tours in Orange Walk, Belize
I do love an invitation. Last week I signed up for a pretty exciting trip to Orange Walk. Most exciting because, for years, I was operating under the belief that those who visited the northwest district of Belize were going to see one of Belize's grandest Mayan sites - Lamanai. Only. Let me tell you about one of the busiest 24 hours I've spent in a long time. Friday at noon, I met the group at the Smokey Mermaid in Belize City. Located on the bottom floor of Belize City's beautiful colonial building - the Great House Hotel. We were whisked off to David and Debbie Gegg's new enterprise - "RAZ" or the Rain Forest Adventure Zone. Located in Sand Hill, about 30 miles north of Belize City, the area is easily accessible by the Northern Highway. They have set up 6 brand new ziplines (all the equipment was still shining), rafting and kayaking on the Belize River and a bunch of other attractions. As we entered, we passed a few of the crocodile ponds. Working closely with ACES (the American Crocodiles Sanctuary), many crocs (often problemed ones - who are hurt or are too comfortable around humans) are relocated from other parts of the country now live in ponds here.

A View Of The Caribbean Sea For Half The Cost Of Home
Coming from the Pacific Northwest, Bill Dejardin and Judy Lutz were used to rain and gray skies throughout the year. "The weather in the northwest can be depressing," says Bill. "Fall, winter, and spring can range from 20 F to 60s F or the occasional 70s F." Contrast that to the warm weather and blue skies they savor in Placencia, on Belize's Caribbean coast. "Living in Belize: sunshine almost every single day," says Bill. "Highs can range from the mid-90s F to an occasional 70 F, which doesn't happen often. Blue sky versus gray sky�I'll take blue sky." With such weather, it's no surprise they spend each morning sitting on their patio, having coffee while looking out over the Caribbean Sea. From their porch they have a direct view of the turquoise waters, with palm trees and the beach stretching out in either direction. Placencia Village sits at the southern tip of a 14-mile peninsula. With rustic wood caba�as and cottages painted in every color of the rainbow, along with the "smallest main street in the world" (a pedestrian-only sidewalk filled with shops, bars, restaurants, and stores that stretches from the northern end of the village to the pier-about a mile), Placencia maintains its authentic Caribbean charm.

This is Belize: Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do?
Saturday afternoon, the Texas-based singer Kelly McGuire was commanding the stage at the Dive Bar singing about island life, broken dreams, healing hearts, fresh hopes, sailing away and the joy of a good guitar. We were sitting at the back of the crowd, next to the dock, where the cool breezes were floating in on the rippling blue Caribbean. Everyone was enjoying the island's latest sensation. No, not Kelly. He comes every year to celebrate his birthday and pay homage to the island that has inspired many of his best songs and to one of his heroes, Jimmy Buffett, who used to come down here quite often, I'm told. No, the island's latest sensation is Landshark beer on tap. Suddenly taps are showing up in bars all over the island. Next will come serving beer by the pitcher, but as the Dive Bar's owner Doug said, "We have to solve the problem of the beer growing warm too quickly." Somebody mentioned a container that keeps liquid cold for seven hours.

International Sourcesizz

Miss Universe competition 2017
From swimsuits to evening gowns and everything in between, here are some must-see moments from the 65th Miss Universe competition preliminaries. The pageant aired live on FOX Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 from the Philippines.

Miss France's journey to Miss Universe crown
Iris Mittenaere of France was crowned the 65th Miss Universe on Monday in Manila, beating other heavily favored candidates to win the prestigious beauty title. Mittenaere participated in prepageant activities throughout the Philippines and hurdled preliminary long gown and swimsuit competitions, interviews, and the national costume show. She succeeded the host country's Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. Here's a look back at the newly crowned Miss Universe's journey to her coronation. All photos are from the Miss Universe Organization.

UK supports Commonwealth Caribbean in developing resilient marine economies
Leading marine experts from the Caribbean and the UK joined up last week at a three-day workshop aiming to support the sustainable growth of marine economies in the region. In the Caribbean region, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines benefited from the Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) programme workshop. The marine workshop, hosted by the British High Commission in Kingston Jamaica, was attended by senior-level representatives from governments, regional agencies, external science agencies, academia and key donors.

Miss Universo 2016; FOTOS
Iris Mittenaere � coroada pela Miss Universo da �ltima edi��o, Pia Wurtzbach. Iris Mittenaere acena ap�s vencer o Miss Universo. Iris Mittenaere � abra�ada pelas candidatas ap�s a vit�ria.

Chronic exposure to commonly used insecticide causes diabetes
Scientific study says exposure to malathion (the anti-mosquito chemical) causes diabetes. A study by scientists at Madurai Kamaraj University, Tamil Nadu, has found evidence that chronic exposure to organophosphate insecticides induces diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance in both humans and mice. The researchers found that organophosphate-induced diabetes was mediated by gut bacteria. The results were published in the journal Genome Biology. A survey of around 3,000 people in villages in and around the university found that the prevalence of diabetes in people who were directly exposed to the insecticides was three-fold higher than in people who were not directly exposed to the insecticide. Serum analysis for four organophosphate insecticides revealed a direct correlation between pesticide level and HbA1c. "We saw a linear trend - for every unit increase in insecticide residue there was a corresponding increase in HbA1c level," says Dr. Ganesan Velmurugan from the Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University and the first author of the paper.

Videos

  • Sandy Point Turtle, 2.5min. Turtle trying to shake pesky Ramoras!

  • Miss Universe Pageant, 2hr.

  • Ambergis Caye, Belize 2017, 3min.

  • belize : 2017, 5min.

  • Diving in Belize #1, 4min. Lionfish hunting at San Pedro, Belize with Amigos Del Mar.

  • Honeymoon in Belize, 6.5min.

  • Fly fishing in Belize, 22min.

  • Belize 2017, 4min.

  • Diving in Belize 2016, 5min.

  • Belize boxing, 3min. Esquivel (Belize) vs Duran ( Honduras)

  • Cat Cay, Belize, 1min.

  • Belize 2016, 21min.