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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

Wolfe's Woofer: Robbery
"Se�ora Gonzales; how good to see you," I said. "What are you doing in Guatemala?" Se�ora Gonzales is one of my favorites of all the little old ladies in Belize. "Hello, Mr. Dennis," she said. "I had a little house in Guatemala City and I had to go over there because I sold it. What about you?" "I just wanted to visit Tikal," I said. "I haven't been there in twenty years." Five of us waited to board the bus to the Belize border; Se�ora Gonzales, me, the drunk and two other men. "That is a very stupid, drunken man," Se�ora Gonzales said to me. The man in question had pulled a roll of cash from his pocket and counted it. "One thousand dollars U.S." he said, putting the money back in his pocket.

RediSurge Announces Sister Company, Robotica
edisurge Belize, a company specializing in electrical equipment and LED lighting services, is introducing its sister company Inspection Robotica to the Belize market. RediSurge Belize is dedicated to find solutions in the electrical area and therefore provide viable solutions to protection of equipment and reduction of energy consumption, with their flagship products which include solar panel installation, LED lighting warrantied for 3 years, TVSS (transient voltage surge suppressors) and inverter style A/C units. Inspection Robotica specializes in robotic inspection services, such as UAV's, ROV's, and Crawlers. These flying, swimming, and crawling robots are used in a variety of applications such as aerial marketing footage, ship hull, and pipeline inspections. "By implementing new technologies we can do very interesting things. For example, by using a UAV we can professionally survey land 10 times faster and at less than half the cost of ground based surveys. With this technology we can also provide detailed 3D imagery and accuracy unimaginable by traditional methods," stated Jake Brown CAO. Inspection Robotica says that their mission statement is, "To provide superior robotic inspections that eliminate human injury and reduce costs, while gathering more quantitative data".

Doctor Love: Public Bathrooms
Dr-LoveDear Doctor Love I read the letter in your column last week from a tourist complaining about the lack of bathroom facilities in San Pedro. This is a real problem that should be addressed by the Town Board. There are two parts to this problem. Besides the obvious one of physical discomfort is that of sanitation. San Pedro is no longer a sleepy little fishing village with bushes to squat in. Of course that does not stop the local drunks from stepping into a private yard or relieving themselves on a handy wall. Even tourists, who are reluctant to do this are, sometimes are forced into it. This kind of filth is part of the stigma of being a Third World country. It happens in Guatemala and Honduras but it has no place on an island as beautiful as this. Our town board has spent millions of dollars on roads. They have wasted huge sums on the wharf on the back of the island. Why was none of that money spent on public bathrooms?

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

SHC Business Expo and Fair 2015
Sacred Heart College had their annual Business Expo and Fair. There were lots of businesses and literally tons of food. They had karate and fencing demonstrations through the day.

The Reporter

Traffic accidents and swimming trip claim three lives
Three people are dead following two traffic accidents and a swimming trip over the extended holiday weekend. The first incident happened just before 11 p.m. on Thursday near Edge Water Night Club in Sandhill Village, mile 21 on the Phillip Goldson Highway and claimed the life of Victor Underwood, 27, a resident of Biscayne Village, which is a few miles further north. Marlon Longsworth, 41, a villager of Crooked Tree reported that he was driving a black Ford Ranger pick-up truck from Belize City to Crooked Tree when the deceased appeared suddenly in front of him and the vehicle struck him. Underwood suffered injuries to the head, abdomen, and hands and died while receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Police have served Longsworth with a Notice of Intended Prosecution. The second fatality occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Good Friday in Red Bank Village, Stann Creek and claimed the life of Jose Santos, 22, a resident of the village.

VIP blasts PetroCaribe Bill, supports union
The Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) has condemned the recently passed PetroCaribe Bill and has voiced their support for the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB). According to Robert Lopez, VIP public relations officer, the passage of the bill bypasses the oversight processes and procedures of the National Assembly that are laid out in the Finance and Audit reform act of 2005, which provides for prior authorization of the National Assembly for loans contracted by government of a particular magnitude. The provisions of the Finance Act ensures that transparency and proper accountability of government's loan obligations is disclosed for public scrutiny but the creation of separate or special funds from which the loan proceeds is to be managed, a further derogation of the process since it is possible that the management of the loan funds will no longer require the oversight of the established Public Service entities, the VIP said. The VIP said they were astounded by the vote of abstention by Union Senator, Ray Davis at last Monday's Senate Sitting. Unions exist to champion the cause of democracy and to promote good governance, transparency in government affairs, and accountability, the VIP said before recalling that the Finance Act was promulgated at the insistence of the unions for greater accountability.

Blogs

The Best Way to Sustainable Development
There has been significant interest shown in the last two postings of the Sustainability Now Blog that focused upon religion's impact on the culture of indigenous peoples and their communities. The short story is that these postings describe how present day Mayan populations and other historic peoples have lost their cultural beliefs and heritage by the obligation of religions of all nature being imposed upon them as the only way for them to prosper in a new world. This conflict of religion and cultural heritage in the developing world is just one small example of how I believe there is a real breakdown between prosperous countries and countries, regions, and communities they are trying to assist in the developing world. The development agencies and NGOs come to a development situation in another country and already have a plan (template) that they will use to assist the developing country or community in improving its welfare. This template for "new development" is generally implemented with little input from the stakeholders in the developing venue. Richard Register of Eco City Builders commented to me personally on this dilemma, which I would like to share with you here. I just ask that you substitute the phrase "development path" wherever the word "religion" is used and I think you will obtain the gist of the meaning intended here by modern, often unsuccessful approaches to assisting the developing world.

10 OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN PLACENCIA
Placencia isn't known just for its gorgeous beaches, but it has some of the best restaurants in Belize. Placencia Village is a small village on Placencia peninsula and has become a popular vacation spot, not only because of its 12 miles of golden beaches but its exciting festivals and nightlife. Tourists flock to Placencia because of spectacular snorkeling, diving opportunities, and touring the Maya ruins, caves, and rainforests. You'll find a wide variety of excellent restaurants from upscale eateries to shacks right on the beach. The Quarter Deck Restaurant, Rum Fish Y Vino, Yoli's Bar and Grill, Maya Beach Hotel Bistro, De'Tatch, Tutti Fruti, The Secret Garden Restaurant, Above Grounds Coffee, Tipsy Tuna, and Barefoot Bar.

International Sourcesizz

Local effort helping educate youth in Belize
Michael Newton has been striving to educate young men and women for years. The professor of religious studies at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University is well versed in teaching high school graduates in their quest for a brighter future. When he saw the gap that exists for some young people in Belize to gain a high school education, it struck a chord with him. Newton is part of a team at Grenfell which has been recruiting in that small Central American country for more than 15 years. The partnership has been expanded to include an exchange program. Newton went to the country on a recruiting mission, and fell in love with its beauty and friendly people. He compared the make-up to Newfoundland and Labrador in terms of small population and how everybody seems to know everybody. He has returned to the country on vacation. He went to the island of Caye Caulker, and visited Ocean Academy - a high school established to give all youth a chance at education. Before it was established in 2008, the public school system only extended to Grades 7 and 8 on the small island, according to Newton. "There is little or no money from public contributions coming into the school," the professor said of the institute established by Heidi Curry, an American, and Joni Miller, a Canadian.

Leonardo DiCaprio plans ecotourism resort in Belize
Leonardo DiCaprio has long been known as something of an environmental activist. Now he is putting his money where his mouth is, building a multimillion-dollar ecotourism resort designed to transform an island off the coast of Belize. The actor, a keen scuba diver best known for roles in Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street and The Beach, bought the 104-acre Blackadore Caye almost a decade ago with a partner for US$1.75 million after falling in love with the country. "It was like heaven on earth," he told The New York Times. "And almost immediately, I found this opportunity to purchase an island there. Now he has unveiled plans for a resort of sprawling villas and infinity pools from where a small number of wealthy guests can watch the sun set. He has teamed up with Paul Scialla, of the New York firm Delos, for the development, which is to open in 2018.

Videos

  • Belize Diving, 5.5min. Diving off San Pedro on Caye Ambergris.

  • Belize Barrier Reef- GSSC 1048- Video Project, 3min. The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, 450 sand and mangrove cays, coastal lagoons and estuaries. The system's seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile. The site is one of the most pristine reef ecosystems in the Western Hemisphere and was referred to 'as the most remarkable reef in the West Indies' by Charles Darwin.

  • Belize River Wallace in 3D, 16min. The Belize River Wallace and Altun Ha Mayan Ruins excursion tour from Royal Caribbean Cruiselines. This River tour was followed by a busride to the Mayan Ruins and then a busride back to Belize City.

  • Belize Photos 2015, 5min.

  • Belize Videos 2015, 6min.

  • BELIZE, 6.5min. recently got back from Belize and this video shows you my adventure there!

  • Zip lining in Belize, 2min.

  • Top of the Mast View while Sailing Downwind in Southern Belize, 1.5min. Here's a view of Southern Belize from inside the reef while sailing downwind. This is south of St. George's Caye

  • Belize - El Salvador Avianca (Taca) Embraer 190, 10min. TA415 Belize - El Salvador Flight time: 45 minutes Embraer 190