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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

The purpose of the Border Management Agency in San Pedro
The BMA's main purpose is to collect the Departure Procession fee/tax and Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) fee/ environmental Tax from foreign visitors leaving the country. The fees are mandated under the BMA Act Chapter 144 of the Laws of Belize. The Departure Fee is charged to all foreigners once they are passing through or exiting Belize at any entry point less than 24 hours. The fee is $30BZ. Foreigners should have a stamp that verifies that they have entered into the country legally in order to avoid problems during their departure. The PACT Fee is charged to foreigners that have been in Belize for more than 24 hours. This fee is $7.50BZ and benefits the maintenance of protected areas in Belize.

Sticking it to the rich man
This week in our articled titled "Local rates vs. tourist rates; no governing body to monitor this", we learn that there is no government body that monitors this issue. Sure we have the Belize Bureau of Standards that makes sure we all pay a fair price for rice and beans, but when it comes to other expenses, many of them still essential, we are at the mercy of the vendor. It puzzles me that although the mission of the Bureau is "to create equitable and non-discriminatory market conditions for consumers," foreigners are not considered consumers. What this really comes down to is blatant discrimination. In Belize a vendor can charge a person based on how they look. In Belize it is legal to set prices based on the color of the customers skin, or because they are not from here. Although discrimination is wide spread in our country and certainly is not limited to price gouging tourists, why is the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), the Belize Bureau of Standards, civil rights activists and other stakeholders tolerating this? Shouldn't the BTB be at the front of this issue, denouncing businesses that practice this modern day piracy? They should be up in arms! Just because there isn't a law in place to keep this from happening do we have no respect for those who SPEND to be here?

Police Report
*On Thursday, March 26th at about 4:22PM, a businessman of Laguna Drive, San Pedro Town reported to the Police that at 1:20PM he was at his Store, namely "San Pedro Caye Mart" when two females, both of dark complexion, entered his store behaving in a suspicious manner. Both female persons then left the location. He then rewound the security camera and noticed that each of the females took a bottle from the liquor shelf and pushed it under their skirts. Both females left, however, only one of the females left with a stolen Absolute Brand Vodka Litre Bottle valued at $99.95. *On Sunday, March 28th at about 1:45PM while conducting operations in San Pedro Town, police searched a hotel room occupied at the time by 27-year-old Paul Jamil Jex, 25-year-old Eustace Lewis, and 28-year-old Shane Mcfoy all of Belize City, and 29-year-old Jason Gillett and 29-year-old Earl Acosta of San Pedro Town. During the search police found a black plastic bag containing 70.4 grams of cannabis.

Local rates vs. tourist rates; no governing body to monitor this
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB), also has no control over tourists being over charged for goods and services. BTB is characterized as "a strategic partner in marketing the Belize tourism product; developing tourism initiatives and programs; and implementing tourism policies, to address the changing needs of visitors and stakeholders. The organization's goal is to ensure socioeconomic growth of Belize through prudent, transparent and effective governance". While they are the main governing body in the tourism industry they cannot set price controls on services and goods offered to tourists. Not even the Belize Port Authority can regulate the price for service charged by water taxies. Their jurisdiction is limited to maritime safety, port security, licensing and registration of vessels, Belize port statistics, entry regulations, licensing of masters, port state control and regulatory oversight for ports.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Death of Toddler due to blunt force trauma
On 01.04.15 at about 7:55a.m., police visited 8694 Curl Thompson Street in Belize City, where they saw of 11-month-old Mia Eusebia Lopez, lying face up on a sofa inside the house. Her 21-year-old mother Karen De Jesus Perez, reported that on 01.04.15 at about 7:30a.m., she was attending to her baby when she began to cry and upon making checks on her she noticed Mia was gasping for air and shortly after she became motionless. Mia Eusebia Lopez was then transported to the K.H.M.H for medical attention where she was pronounced dead.

It's all fun until someone gets killed
This company does this all the time, running full speed between the docks into the shallows in front of Ramon's. Shortly before this there were Ramon's guests snorkeling in the same area. Shortly after this all the kids were ejected into the shallows. The second shot is a jet ski running about 30 mph within 15' of Ramon's Village Resort snorkeling area. I'll be surprised if this weekend doesn't end up with someone getting hurt.

Crazy cheap airfare
There are the cheapest airfares to Belize from various areas like Cleveland, Boston, Billings Montana for example, in June, July, August, September, October and November for as low as $360 round trip tax included on United. I haven't checked the other airlines.

The Reporter

Toddler dies of multiple skull fracture; police investigate
Belize City police are investigating closely, the death of a baby girl after a post mortem exam certified she died of multiple skull fracture caused by blunt force wounds. The child, 11 month-old Mia Lopez died around 7:30 on Wednesday morning at her house on Curl Thompson Street in Belize City. The child's mother, Karen de Jesus Perez told police that she was attending to the child when the baby began to cry and gasp for air. Shortly after, Lopez said the child stopped moving.

BEL proposes to lower electricity rates
The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has proposed to lower electricity rates by 10 percent. In a submission this week to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) BEL offers, effective July, 2015, to lower the average electricity rate from 41.29 cents to 37 cents per kilowatt hour. This would benefit customer who falls particularly within the social, residential and the commercial rate categories, with consideration also for the industrial category. In addition, BEL also pledges to install more streetlights throughout the country, with emphasis on crime-ridden areas. BEL, which just reduced rates by five percent at the start of the year, purchases about half of the energy that Belize consumes from Mexico's Comercial Federal Electricidad (CFE) which has shifted its mode of power generation from diesel energy to the cheaper hydro-electricity and from natural energy. The PUC will respond to BEL's proposal within 21 days.

Justin Williams wins 87th Cross Country Cycling Classic
Belizean-American, Justin Williams of the BelCal cycling team brought home the garland, as he won the 87th annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, organized by the Cycling Federation of Belize. Ryan Bauman's 2008 record of 5:40:12 was in no danger of being broken, as Williams clocked 5:54:39 on his 142.8-mile ride from the rolling start in front of Leslie's Imports to the finish line in front of the BTL park in Belize City. Williams won the $6,000 first prize sponsored by Digicell 4G, the winner's garland of roses from Florasol and a trophy. He also won four other trophies: the Elston Kerr Cup from Jex Trophy.com, a trophy from the Jeffery O'Brien family, honoring the four-time Cross Country winner, the Altreith Smith Memorial trophy from the Smith family and the Ludrick "Buno" Smith Memorial trophy. He also won a $400 shopping spree at Mirage, a round trip ticket from Maya Island Air, a weekend stay at Ramon's Village in San Pedro, and a case of Coconut Rum from Travellers Liquors. Williams also won several bonus prizes as the first Belizean to win the Cross Country since Darnell Barrow's victory in 2013: he won $10,000 prize from Massy United Insurance, a $5,000 prize from the Ministry of Education and Sports, $250 from LC Distributors and a parcel of land from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Belizean-American sprints to win Cross Country championship
Belizean-American, Justin Williams sprinted in a five-man finish to win the 2015 Holy Saturday Cross Country championship. Williams, the son of former Cross Country champion, Calman Williams, won the race in five hours, 55 minutes, 39 seconds at the finish line in front of Our Bar on Newtown Bar in Belize City. Williams' younger brother, Cory Williams, finished fifth after setting the stage for his brother, keeping off the competition from around mile 12 on the return journey.

Patrick JonesPJ

Man shot in Belize City
There was a reported shooting incident in Belize City late on Holy Thursday night. Around 11:45, 22 year old Winston Baptist of Wagner's Lane in Belize City was walking on Berkeley Street when a man appeared from a dark pathway and fired several gunshots at him, leaving him nursing [�]

Justin Williams wins Cross Country Cycling Classic in dramatic sprint finish
Belizean-American Justin Williams, older son of veteran rider Calman Williams, is the winner of the 87th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic following a dramatic sprint to finish the race at the BTL Park. It was another 140 grueling miles on the George Price Highway beginning just after six [�]

Actor and environmentalist Leo DiCaprio plans eco-resort on private island
Best known for a star-making turn in the 1997 film "Titanic", winner of two Golden Globe Awards and four-time Academy Award nominee 40-year old actor Leonardo DiCaprio is also a committed environmentalist, and this week he announced plans to turn his privately-owned Blackadore Caye located 15 minutes southeast of [�]

Man drowns in Bladen River on Good Friday
There was an apparent drowning in the South of Belize on Good Friday. Around 4:05 in the afternoon according to police, Honduran national Jose Luis Lieva of Camp 6 in Trio Village went to swim in the Bladen River and reported went under. The body was later retrieved and [�]

Easter Weekend Report: Two Fatal Traffic Accidents
The Easter weekend is known for tragic traffic accidents and other tragedies and already to start this weekend there have been two fatalities reported in the Belize and Stann Creek Districts. On Thursday night around 11:05 near the Edge Water Night Club in Sandhill at Mile 21, Phillip [�]

Belize City Police investigating baby's death
Police are investigating the sudden death of an 11-month old girl reported earlier this week. Around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, police visited a residence on Curl Thompson Street where they saw the lifeless body of Mia Eusebia Lopez on a sofa inside the house. According to [�]

BREAKING: Belizean Justin Williams Wins Cross Country Cycling Classic
The Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic came to a dramatic conclusion after 140 grueling miles on the George Price Highway beginning just after six this morning. The sons of veteran rider Calman Williams of Los Angeles, California, Justin and Corey Williams, dominated the race almost from its start and [�]

UPDATE: Belize Cross Country Cycling Classic 2015 - Get Real Time Results Here
Belizean-American Justin Williams wins 87th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic; American Scottie Weiss 2nd. First Belizean-American to win the Ride for the Roses! More on this will be posted shortly. UPDATE 1 HOUR AGO: Riders now at mile 18. Justin and Corey Williams of Belcal, David Henderson Jr from team [�]

Belize Cross Country Cycling Classic 2015 - Get Real Time Results Here
Officials of the Cycle Federation of Belize are indicating that the time recorded for this year ride from Belize City to San Ignacio is similar to 2009.Record time 2 hours and 31 minutes.

Destination Travel Magazine Features Belize's Award-Winning Chabil Mar Resort
When a travel magazine finds a secret treasure, that secret doesn't remain so for long, which is why Darlene Perrone, publisher of the 10-year-old Destination Travel Magazine, decided to dedicate seven pages to Chabil Mar Resort, a Belize boutique hotel that is starting to run out of places [�]

Blogs

Easter Cake/Rabbit and Egg Patch
Have some fun with the kids decorating this delicious chocolate cake to look like an egg patch.

Belize Service Projects
The incredible moment when you are in a crowd and everything goes silent around you, except in the halls of your mind. You get that heavy incomplete feeling - as if something is missing from your life. Something, not like a boat of a house or a car or anything like that; its not material and at that particular moment you just cannot wrap your thought fully around it. The incredible moment when you are driving down the road in your car, or riding the bus or the train; when you are on your bike or just out walking or jogging and the heaviness comes upon you and you are forced to think that there is something more for you to give of yourself. You meet your friends at the pubs or around a lunch and dinner table and you let them know your experience - that heaviness that came upon you. Certainly, they all want to remove all doubt that its not somatic - its psychological. No you are not 'losing it', its even more powerful than that. Your universe exploded within you and it now demands of you. You must now give of yourself.

BUSY BUSY WEEK!
As I mentioned in our prior post, Golf Carts & Grills, we decided to rent a golf cart instead of purchasing one. At the time, that was the best option because we hadn't yet learned the in's & out's of golf cart ownership down here. Since we aren't "Belize Residents" and don't own land, we cannot "own" a golf cart. Well, I should say, we can "pay" for a brand new golf cart but it isn't really "our" golf cart. All documentation is held in a leasing company name, including the title, insurance, and traffic permit. Peter, The Jaegermeister King, referred us to James Ritchie over at Captain Sharks, (the local Club Car® distributor, boat yard and marine shop), so we headed over there to have a little chat with him. After a discussion with James and Dennis Ritchie about permits, in-stock golf carts, carts coming in from Miami later in the week and available accessories and add-ons, we put down our deposit and then went out for a celebratory breakfast! Holy crap! We bought a golf cart! Dennis gave us a call four days later and told us our cart was complete. Wow! That was quick! We headed back over to the shop, paid our balance in full and then the adventure began. (Here's a picture of our new wheels!)

Leonardo DiCaprio to "Heal" Blackadore Caye in Belize? Seriously?
I love Leo DiCaprio, I really do. He's a fantastic actor (LOVE his sexy accent in "Blood Diamond"), an enthusiastic activist for the environment and provides endless juicy tabloid fodder with his love of beautiful women and bad facial hair. Love him. And the idea of him and 45 of his friends being in close proximity is quite exciting BUT�. �the announcement in yesterday's New York Times, while thrilling, begs some questions. Like�what exactly is altruistic capitalism, how is the developer of two wellness condominiums in NYC going to translate that to an island in BELIZE and� did they hire the recently unemployed architect of Google Glass to design this resort?

International Sourcesizz

On a mission
All the pieces fell in place this year for students and faculty from Waldorf College to take a mission trip outside the country. Since restarting an annual spring break mission trip five years ago, the campus ministry program chose destinations in the United States. Organizers felt now was the time to make a trip to the Central American country of Belize. "Every five years, the campus ministry program at Waldorf College wants to take an international mission trip," said campus ministry coordinator Anne Marie Werthmann. "Since Belize is an English speaking country we thought it would be a good foray into international missions." Ten students and six staff members traveled to Belize for the trip. It was organized by Praying Pelican Missions.

Former Chichester pupil speaks about fighting in one of the world's most hostile places
INFANTRYMEN are putting all their soldiering skills to the test as they learn to fight and survive in one of the world's most hostile environments. About 120 troops of the 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (2PWRR) have been sent to Belize on a tough jungle training mission. Among them is 20-year-old Private Jason Owens, formerly of Chichester. "It's been tough, hot and sweaty," he said. "Yesterday we set off at around 7.30am and had to set off through the jungle. "We got to where we needed to be and it was only 2.5km, but because it is so tough going out here it took us until 5pm to get there." Private Owens' A Company has been thrown into the climate of Central America to learn how to do battle and keep themselves alive in the impenetrable vegetation. From finding food and water in the wilderness to creating fire and fighting through the trees, the unit is being put through its paces to drill each soldier in jungle warfare. The troops are spending each day fighting against intense heat, biting insects and relentless tactical studies - but say the training will leave them prepared for anything.

Videos

  • Cruise to Belize and Cozumel March/April 2015 with the Johnsons, 3.5min. A video montage of some of the many highlights of our cruise to Belize and Cozumel with our good friends the Johnsons. 1.5hrs+ of footage was condensed to 3.5 minutes for your viewing pleasure.

  • Belize, 2min. San Pedro & Lamanai

  • Belize Sharks and Rays, 12min. Shark and Stingray encounter taken in Belize. March 2015.

  • Belize 2015, 16min.

  • Terri & Scott Belize 2015, 6min. Belize Scuba.

  • MASTERBLADE VYBZ STAGESHOW IN BELIZE, 7min. masterblade performance in belize.......opening act for turbulence

  • Caving in Belize, 11min.

  • Belize Lamani, 10min. Vacation Belize 2015.

  • LiveLeak - Quick Wheelie to the Store, 3min. This is how we do it in Belize. I was just heading out for breakfast, made sure to save some rubber on my tires. Here is part 2 The Ride Home. In which my friend does a proper wheelie.