AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Daily news prior to today Today's Belize News: November 15, 2015

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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, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Verge of Umbra's Rocking Video Premiere
As I've said before, Rock/Metal isn't exactly the driving cultural music force in Belize, but what Verge has created is a sound so unique it can't help but BE Belize. So, after being blown away by their lyrics and sound, then meeting everyone and being a part of their video filming, there was no way I would miss out on the grand premiere! Held at Thirsty Thursdays, and sponsored by Digicell, Belikin and Traveller's Liquors, the party featured an eclectic mix of people who clearly shared one thing in common: a love for rock! Oh my goodness, what a cool video! Everyone around me was cheering as they watched themselves and the main characters onscreen�I particularly enjoyed the concept of the video, split as it was into the various temptations facing each band member. Of course, Cricel Castillo, Belize's top female bodybuilder, was starring in her role as the temptress and head assassin�

Food, Beverage and Hospitality Expo a huge success
On Tuesday, November 10th members of the tourism industry in Ambergris Caye were invited to the annual Food, Beverage and Hospitality Expo. The event was held at Bayan Bay Villas from 6PM to 9PM and was hosted by Madisco and the beverage division of Karl H Menzies. Invited guests got the privileged opportunity to sample food, beverage and wine products carried by the companies. With close to a hundred attendees, the event was quite successful. The expo provided the perfect forum for local hospitality and culinary businesses to browse products offered by both Madisco and Karl H Menzies in hopes of improving the service offered to their customers. Products on display varied from seasonings, cheeses, pastas, juices, wines, and other edible products, to cutlery and sanitation items. Prominent brands featured at the expo were Kimberly Clark (personal products), Milport and Colonial brand cigarettes, Santa Carolin Brut, Tito's Vodka, Errazuriz Max Reserva Chardonnay, Premio Prosseco Frizzanto, Aconcagua Pinot Noir, Le Borgate Cabernet Savignon, Roland canned goods, Sysco goods, Reinland Steaks and Premium Meats, and Caribbean Sunrise juices.

SPTC tackles Garbage issues on Northern Ambergris Caye
Speaking to The San Pedro Sun, Mayor Daniel Guerrero detailed their strategies in alleviating the issue on the north side of the island. "What we have done is that, Gary, the Deputy Mayor, is working along with the people up north and many trash bins have been placed up there, around 50 of them. But we want people to start practicing where to place the trash, it is a very costly project and I believe that the amount of money we spent on garbage collection could be used on other things on the island, we need everyone to cooperate with us. But with the addition of more trash drums up north and Gary working with the people up there we expect to start seeing a major change. However, we are also planning to visit schools and try to teach civic pride in the children, it starts from there," said Guerrero. Guerrero indicated that schools need to teach civic pride to their students, and people should be more aware that our island is suffering the consequences of their behavior. If actions are not taken to tackle the problem, the situation will just continue as it is and it will be more of a tradition trying to keep the island trash free when only a small group of islanders are doing their part. Unity is vital for the eradication of the problem that affects every resident on La Isla Bonita.

Traffic conditions on the island show no improvement
Over the past months, it seems that vehicular traffic in San Pedro has noticeably increased. The increase is not necessarily golf carts, but larger vehicles. Concerned residents are questioning what is being done to control the influx of large cars to the island, especially since our streets are becoming more crowded, and the scene in some areas can be alarming during certain hours of the day. The San Pedro Town Council claims to have put plans in place to alleviate the situation. In an interview with Mayor Daniel Guerrero, he explained how the situation is being handled and what measures are about to take place. "We are considering putting a moratorium on vehicles, including golf cart rental businesses. We have stopped the golf carts, but vehicles have been coming to the island, and we need to stop it. In an effort to control the traffic, especially in school areas, we will hire more wardens," said Guerrero. He mentioned that the Town Board will need to speed up in the implementation of parking regulations in certain streets, something he had mentioned in a previous issue of The San Pedro Sun (Volume 15, Issue #21). "We need to implement as soon as possible the 'no parking of big vehicles on the Barrier Reef Drive, Pescador Drive and Angel Coral Street. Only small golf carts and motorcycles will be allowed to park on those streets. The cart rentals will be notified that their six-seat carts will not be allowed to park in any of these streets as well. So in that way we intend to alleviate the situation; it is not easy but we will do our best," said Guerrero.

Misc Belizean Sources

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE - Power Outage scheduled for the entire Corozal and Orange Walk Districts
on Sunday November 15th from 5:00 a.m. to 5:20 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Corozal & J's Cool Spot Backpacker Hostel
Welcome to Corozal & J's Cool Spot BackpackerHostel OWNER Miss. Jacqueline Usher Coolest Backpacker Hostel in corozal town /ranchito village belize central amercal Friendly and knowledgeable staff Large communal area -KARAOKE Dayle , dominos, cable tv, wifi, drinks, snacks ,coffee ,tea and onsite bar / you can also pick up hand made art works e.c.t and safe & secure tents space we have also Excellent location on bus route in front of gate Close to airstrip 10 minutes walk away,corozal town 20 minutes walk away, taxis & buses up and down all day and taxis Local pick up take u to the airstrip/bus terminal , Clean, basic rooms with bedding & fan Shared baths and kitchen We are conveniently located Featuring clean, comfortable, basic rooms We pride ourselves on keeping our prices low to provide budget accomodations in a convenient location 2 Basic grocery within walking distance 5 minutes walk away . We look forward to seeing you soon! $13 US / $ 25 bz per person per night /$70 week per person 0115016325521 FROM 6 ;OO A.M TO 12 MIDNIGHT EVERY DAY

Caribbean Colors looking for waitress
Caribbean Colors is still looking for the right female waitress to work in high season, from now until Easter. The best candidate is a single mother, not a drinker or partier (except on your day off), likes to get up in the morning early and has a happy disposition, is honest and hard working. Hours will be 7:00-7:30 to start in the morning, depending on how busy we are, until 1-2:30 p.m. 6 days a week. Do not call, but come by the gallery in person after 1 p.m.

Nice shot of yesterdays storm by Ambergris Today
It's on top of us. Take out your mop and buckets

Exploring Business Opportunities in Cuba!
EXPORTBelize, BELTRAIDE participated in La Feria International de La Havana (FIHAV) 2015 in Havana , Cuba from November 2nd - 6th. FIHAV is a multi-sectorial trade fair which had representation from over 60 countries showcasing their products throughout 25 different pavilions. Exhibitors had opportunity to establish contacts, close business deals, exchange business experiences and become familiar with new technological developments. EXPORTBelize participated in pre-arranged business meetings which were facilitated by the Embassy of Belize in Cuba and the Cuban Chamber of Commerce. The objective of our participation was to conduct an initial assessment of the opportunities for Belizean products to be exported and to learn how to conduct business in Cuba. Some of products of interest includes chocolate liqueur, corn, beans, juices, hot sauces, furniture, cleaning products, chicken and beef. EXPORTBelize received strong inquiries for various Belizean products and will continue discussions with Belizean producers and all the necessary government officials responsible for importation in Cuba to facilitate matchmaking and to foster trading relationships between the two countries.

Cayo Garifuna Settlement Day Celebrations
Garifuna Settlement Day is next Thursday. Cayo's celebrations will be great family fun. On Wednesday evening, there will be drumming, and a fashion show at the Cayo Welcome Center. Thursday morning, there will be Yurumei at Macal River Park, starting at 6:00am. A special mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church starting at 8:30am. The parade will start at the CWC at 10:30am, and at 3:00pm, the celebration finishes with Garifuna food, and drumming..

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Caye Caulker Cancer - Arms of Love
On the 22nd of November at 10am, Caye Caulker Cancer - Arms Of Love are holding a bake sale at the basketball court to raise money for this much needed cause. Having lost both parents to Cancer myself, I feel particularly drawn to this. It is a Non-Profit group which gathers all of its funding from the kind donations of people like you. Currently there are 10 active members and they are always looking for others to join to help them. Nothing says "Community" like the gift of giving and helping those closest to us when in times of need. It might be someone you know or a complete stranger, but the gift of helping someone in need is the most priceless gift in the world. If you can't donate money but you can donate time, it's all the same. You are involved in making someone's life better and that is what community spirit is all about. Arms of Love are working this month with and supporting Diabetes Awareness Month with World Diabetes Day, today, Saturday November 14th.

The Reporter

Police have no suspects in home invasion/murder
Police are looking for clues to solve a deadly home invasion in Camalote Village Cayo on Friday night, which claimed the life of a 16 year-old boy. When police responded to the premises of Eluterio Choc, 35, of Young Bank Road, at 8:05 p.m., they […]

Rotary installs park number 15
The Rotary Club of Belize District 4250, this week inaugurated its 15 play ground, this time in Lords Bank village. The park, inaugurated on Tuesday, was built through a cooperation between the Rotary Club of Belize, Rotary Interact Club of Vegreville Alberta Canada, Emmanuel Foundation […]

Latin America and Caribbean need to do more about road traffic accident fatalities says ECLAC
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in a recent report, indicated that the region is not reducing the rate of fatalities due to road traffic accidents, according to its original targets. According to the Commission’s FAL report issue 342, released on […]

UNESCO partnering with Caribbean to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced that it will assist Caribbean countries to help them achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), approved by the United Nations (UN). UNESCO made the decision to offer the support at a recent Cluster Office […]

NEMO issues advisory about flooding
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has issued an advisory that the potential for flooding is increasing, mainly in communities like Blue Creek and along the Mopan, Macal, Belize, North Stann Creek, Bladden, Rio Grande, and Moho Rivers. NEMO informs that flooded rivers and creeks […]

Deadly attacks in Paris prompts state of emergency
France has declared a national state of emergency and tightened borders after at least 128 people were killed in a night of gun and bomb attacks in Paris. Eighty people were reported killed after gunmen burst into the Bataclan concert hall and took hostages before security forces stormed the hall. […]

NAC announces upcoming symposium
The National AIDS Commission announced this week that it will hold a National HIV/AIDS Youth Symposium to commemorate World AIDs Day. The symposium will be held in collaboration with the University of Belize, and hosted at the Jaguar Auditorium at the university's Belmopan Campus. The […]

House of Representatives has inaugural sitting
Nine days after the General Elections, on Friday, elected representatives gathered at the National Assembly in Belmopan for the inaugural sitting of the House of Representatives. The session gathered the 31 area representatives from both the incumbent and opposition for the ceremonial swearing in.� Governor […]

Breaking Belize News

Moist and unstable conditions will continue
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting cloudy skies with some showers, periods of rain and isolated thunderstorms over most areas, but especially among the coast and over the South. The threat of localized flooding still exists for low-lying areas of the country. Winds will be blowing from the [�]

Family mourns the murder of minor in Camalote
The community of Camalote and a family are today mourning the death of one of their love ones who was brutally killed, execution style. According to police, they responded to a shooting incident and visited the residence of 35-year-old Eluterio Choc from Young Bank Road in the village of Camalote [�]

Elderly man charged for drug trafficking in Dangriga
Dangriga police discovered over 154 grams of suspected cannabis at the residence of 56-year-old Mariano Williams in the village of Silk Grass during a search operation. Williams was arrested and charged for the crime of Drug Trafficking.

Mexico confirm they want David Schnitzer in Stanford fraud
According to international news reports, Mexican authorities are seeking the deportation or extradition of a Mexican American said to be involved in one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. history. David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer was arrested last week in San Pedro Town on a charge of uttering [�]

Battle of the Drums kicks off in Punta Gorda
The Battle of the Drums Competition is an annual event in Punta Gorda (PG) town, founded by Darius Avila more than 10 years ago, that brings groups from all across the region to participate and visitors from all across the world to spectate. Usually held in mid-November each [�]

Weather causing flooding in some areas
For more than three days now, the constant down pour has caused many back yard floodings across the jewel. According to the National Met Service, more rains are expected for the next 24 hours. In Spanish Lookout concerns have been brought up by many residents as the level of the [�]

Bullet Tree Falls Elder Passes Away
One of the eldest and last Yucatek grandfathers of Bullet Tree Falls, Don Isidro Pott better known as Don Pascual Pott has passed away. He was born on the 4th of April 1920. At 95 years of age, he was still an outstanding "milpero" and excellent storyteller. He [�]

International Sources

Belize holds Stanford Ponzi scheme suspect with out bail
An associate of convicted former Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford is being held in the Central American nation of Belize without bail as a flight risk. Suspect David Nanes Schnitzer was arrested last week when he was caught with allegedly false documents in Belize. Mexican authorities said Friday that Nanes Schnitzer headed the Mexican arm of Stanford's Ponzi scheme, which allegedly defrauded investors in Mexico of $42 million. Mexico says it is pursuing the deportation or extradition of Nanes Schnitzer to face a 2011 arrest warrant for unauthorized securities transactions.

Backpacker, Go Home: How Tourism Is Ruining Everything
One billion tourists now roam the planet-and the world's most pristine spots are showing the strain. In the new film 'Gringo Trails,' the consequences of unchecked global wanderlust. Twenty years ago, when I first visited the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, it was already one of Mexico's most popular attractions. Though a fair amount of visitors roamed the grounds, the atmosphere was mellow, respectful of the site's history, and vendors were at a minimum. That was then. On a trip there this year, tour buses stretched almost a mile down the road, its big parking lot overflowing. The entrance had been turned into a kitschy Mayan shopping mall, full of cheap restaurants, jewelry stores, and T-shirts featuring drawings of bodacious-and totally mythical-Indian princesses prancing around in next to nothing. The pyramids were still spectacular, but you can't climb them-they've been closed since an Italian tourist fell off one and died. Vendors were everywhere selling sweatshop tchotchkes. And tourist hordes had trampled all the grass, so the huge area of loose dirt that was left became choking dust with even the slightest breeze. There are plenty of far-sighted places. Christ points to Plancencia, Belize, where locals and the government have partnered to protect the local barrier reef, the world's third largest. And Tasmania, which has a master plan to protect the island's largest rain forest (PDF).

The 6 Worst Reasons to Move Abroad
If you're considering moving abroad, are you doing so for the right reasons? This is among the first questions someone should ask before settling across borders. The right motivation can help ensure that the expat experience is happy and successful. But some individuals don't weigh the question enough, and some simply leave for the wrong reasons. In a recent survey, Best Places in the World to Retire, considered the issue of "why" at length. More than 500 expats contributed over 6,500 answers to frequently asked questions about moving abroad. The majority of the answers offered advice and observations on such topics as cost of living, healthcare and safety in different countries. However, many expats said that the most important first question is, "Am I moving abroad for the right reasons?" "Question your motives for wanting to leave," said Ginny Ophof, an Portuguese expat now living in Belize. "Your reasons for leaving will have a huge impact on your experience abroad, and how well you adapt and enjoy your new country. Leave for good reasons, not because you are running away from mistakes or for other wrong reasons."

Mothers' Mistakes - Researcher And Women's Groups At Odds Over Claim That Brutal Beating Of Boys By Mothers Creating Killers
Jamaican mothers are being warned to be careful how they go about disciplining their sons, as the use of corporal punishment could create 'monsters' instead of 'angels'. Following a near two-decades-long study, anthropologist of social violence, Dr Herbert Gayle, has concluded that the severe or brutal beatings of boys by mothers is a root cause of their disturbing behaviour later in life. The academic, who has been invited by the Government of Belize to undertake extensive work on violence in all forms, lamented the unwillingness of local authorities to commission studies on these issues. He insisted that the findings of similar research in Jamaica would go a far way in addressing the root cause of crime, violence and other forms of antisocial tendencies. "We are trying to see if we can sort out some of the painful myths regarding the value of parents to their children," said Gayle. He emphasised that the most painful of the myths is the notion that once a boy does not have his father in his life, the probability of him becoming violent is increased steeply. "There is absolutely nothing in the world to prove that," asserted Gayle. "In fact, it is the opposite."

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