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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

Letter to the Editor: Abuse of power and corruption in Government
Dear Editor, I write to express my concern over the issue of abuse of power and corruption in government. Since our 34 years of independence there has been outright and open corruption by both Governments who have been placed to manage the affairs and develop this country economically, educationally, politically and otherwise. We have seen the privilege given to some individuals to manage the affairs of this country being misused, abused and dynasties created, some have enriched themselves and their cronies and in turn the very people who have elected them to serve have been neglected and the country is saddled with enormous debts which our children and grandchildren will have to repay. In my opinion it is a frustrating scenario on repeat with nothing being done to alleviate the biasness and abuse of authority of some government officials. We must agree that it is unfair for educated individuals with the right qualification deserving jobs but not getting them due to nepotism being displayed. With our Healthcare under intense scrutiny and Immigration scandals arising every now and again we must anticipate more is yet to come. I am not choosing sides of this political dynasty but simply making it clear that no matter who we put into government that they almost always end up losing site and focus on the primary job.

Wolfe's Woofer: Lost
"I want to report that my grandson's bicycle was stolen from my house," I told the policeman at the desk. At that time a man stumbled into the police station with tears running down his face. "Excuse me," the policeman said to me. Then he said, "Sir, all you all right?" "No," the man sniffled. "My wife went to the city yesterday and hasn't come home." "How tall is she?" "I'm not really sure," the man said. "Maybe five feet or five feet six inches." "How much does she weigh?" "I don't know. She's not skinny but she's not real fat."

Drugs Found at Tropic Air Cargo
On Saturday, November 21st at 12:05PM, acting on Special Branch (SB) information, a joint team of Special Branch and Criminal Investigation Branch personnel headed by Corporal 1037 Allan Woods visited Tropic Air Cargo located on Sea Star Street, San Pedro Town where a small corn flakes box was retrieved. Upon opening the box, police noted that it contained a black plastic bag with 12 wrapped parcels in transparent plastic containing a green vegetable substance suspected to be Cannabis. The suspected drugs amounted to 375.9 grams. The drugs were labelled and deposited as found property, whilst the matter remains under investigation to confirm if the names of the sender and receiver are genuine.

Doctor Love: Doting Grandmother and Family Ties
Dear Doctor Love, Our twenty-six year-old son is married to a girl from Belize. She is a wonderful person, very well spoken and her English is as good as or better than mine. They have a nine month-old baby girl that all of us adore. The problem I am having is that my daughter-in-law speaks to the baby only in Spanish. The rest of our family, including my son, are all English speaking. I have tried to explain to her that she is isolating the baby from us, even from her own husband. She did not take this seriously. She said that we will have to be the ones to teach her English. This has me very upset. My son is uncomfortable at the thought of disagreement so I'm wondering if I should I go further with this. What should I do? /s/ Doting Grandmother

Ambergris Today

Visit by Guatemala's President-Elect Does not Sit Well with some Belizeans
The visit did not sit well with some Belizeans as they are aware of Morales' stance on the ongoing Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute. This past September, during a television interview while campaigning for his presidency, Morales stated that if he becomes President he was going to 'recuperate the territory of Belize, without utilizing violence or provoking a fight because the territory belongs to Guatemala.' Clearly, Belizeans are upset by this statement and in response Belize's Prime Minister Dean Barrow has fired back at Morales by saying that Belize will not be bullied by Guatemala. During Saturday's visit by Morales, COLA president, Geovanni Brackett was arrested for staging a protest with a group of COLA supporters joined by members of the Belize Progressive Party (BPP). Ten members of both organization met Morales with protests and Brackett apparently threw himself on the ground, which led to his arrest.

Belize Telemedia Ltd. to Launch Region's Fastest LTE Network in 2016
Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) announced on Friday, November 27, 2015, that the company is in the final stages of selecting its mobile network vendor to build out and launch its Mobile LTE network in 2016. The new mobile LTE network is expected to be among the fastest, most robust mobile data networks in the Americas, as the company plans to take full advantage of advances in LTE technology and equipment. "Our ambition at BTL is to catapult Belize to the top of the region in terms of the quality and speed of both mobile and landline broadband speeds," noted Anwar Barrow, Chairman of the BTL Executive Committee. "Our customers - business and residential - are using their mobile devices more and more to access the internet on the go. They demand and expect to be able to stream YouTube and Netflix, play games, do video conference calls and conduct business in a seamless way whether they are at work, at home or out on the road."

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Florentino Valesquez (aka Papaito) found guilty
On Thanksgiving Day the magistrate found Florentino Valesquez (aka Papaito) guilty of (1) aggravated burglary, (2) grievous wounding of Douglas Kelly, (3) grievous wounding of me, and (4) wounding of our neighbor Tom. Aggravated burglary carries a mandatory jail term of 10 - 15 years. Each of the other charges carry 2 years sentences which can be served either concurrently or consecutively. So he will be in prison for 10-20 years. The exact amount of time will be known at his sentencing hearing on December 10. He only has 21 days to appeal his conviction.

A Painted Conversation Mural Launch
The Cayo Mural, A Painted Conversation, had its launch on Friday. The finished mural is amazing in its vividness and how it really does tell a conversation about Cayo, from young to old. 175 different people helped with the painting. Thanks, Natalia, and Galen University! "The Cayo Mural came out wonderfully! Be sure and stop by to check it out. A huge thanks to everyone that helped out on this amazing community project."

BTL Entrepreneurial Challenge Winners
The winners of the 1st annual BTL Entrepreneurial Challenge were announced, and Cayo teams took 2nd and 3rd place. Congratulations A&S Covers for winning the challenge. The Cayo teams were eBelize(promo video) and BITS Hotspot(promo video). Thanks also go out to SBDC and Beltraide for making this great event happen. Congratulations to all the winners. In related news, SBDC and Beltraide had their 1st Entrepreneurship Start- Up Weekend powered by Google for Entrepreneurs.

Three young girls apparently burned to death when this building on the Youth Hostel Compound went up in flames
The girls had allegedly been placed in that small building in lockdown as punishment. Onlookers says the girls were screaming for help as the building burned but could not get out. The flames burned for at least an hour before the first fire truck arrived.

BelChoral Children's Choir
The U.S. Embassy Belize is a proud supporter of the BelChoral Children's Choir. Make sure to mark your calendars for their holiday concert December 7 in Belmopan! Come and see what the kids have been working so hard on! Singing songs from around the world... in many different languages!!! St. Ann's, Monday December 7th, 7 pm! See you all there!

The Reporter

Dance X 5 seven years of dance
Dance X is celebrating its seventh year of existence by holding dance presentations and workshops throughout November 23- 29 2015 at the Bliss Center for performing Arts. Karen Vernon, theater director at the Bliss Center for the past eight years and artistic director of the Dance X company for the past eight years, explains that the significance of this week's event is to "move dance forward, teach and hone dancers with different techniques so they can better themselves and in turn teach the younger ones and we have some continuity". Dance X is hosting a week-long event of dance performances and workshops involving local and international groups. The official opening was held on Wednesday where a forum and presentation to honor the visiting groups was held at the Memorial Park. The week-long event started on Monday with pre-empting workshops with established dance groups and marching bands. Jamie Thompson from Live Art Projects international, worked with the Lero Huno Dance Group from Dangriga, who presented at the Bliss on Saturday. Thompson also conducted a workshop with Gwen Lizarraga High School marching band on Tuesday.

Three girls die in fire at Rockview Youth Hostel
Three young girls,aged 14, 16 and 17, are dead after a fire broke out at Rockview Youth Hostel on Sunday. They are: Shadesha Arnold, Ana Carlos and Elizabeth McKoy. The fire took less than half hour to consume the building, where the young girls were locked in. It started before 3:00 p.m. The fire authorities quickly responded to the scene but could not quench the consuming flames in time. The three girls perished in the blaze. Their parents arrived to receive news of their children's death. Later in the evening, an investigation was launched by the police department, where approximately 15 officers were trying to gather information on the origins and causes of the deadly fire. They met with the Manager of the hostel and the girls who were there when the fire broke out. At 6:00 p.m., while smoke was still emanating from the building and Belize Emergency Response Team's (BERT) ambulance was still gathering remains, Minister Anthony "Boots" Martinez, Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation, arrived at the scene. No particulars of the how the fire started and what caused it were disclosed until the investigation, being led by Superintendent Romero, is completed, according to officers at the scene.

Prime Minister says he regrets Belize couldn't hand over wanted fugitive, David Nanes Schnitzer
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has said that he wanted to get wanted Mexican fugitive, David Nanes Schnitzer extradited to Mexican authorities, the principal investigators in a case against him, but he was obliged to follow due legislative process. The Prime Minister was addressing reporters on Saturday, following the visit to Belize of Guatemalan President-elect Jimmy Morales. "We have a legal process that we must follow. And in the course of trying to comply with due process requirements in this country, he was taken before the court and the court gave him bail. I have my own views about that determination of the court, but you know in this country, we respect judges." Barrow stated that although the decision to present Nanes Schnitzer before the court went against the Mexican authorities' request to have him extradited, he stands firm in following the due legislative process. "The Mexicans are very upset - understandably so - but we have to follow our rules and requirements; we have to follow due process. As I said, we have to comply with our laws."

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Generally fair weather to prevail
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting sunny skies with cloudy spells this afternoon and tomorrow morning, with skies expected to be partly cloudy tonight. Winds will be blowing from the Northeast at 5-15 knots and the sea state will be choppy to moderate. High temperatures today are expected [�]

Belize Progressive Party defends Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action protest, condemns Gang Suppression Unit's behavior
A press release issued by the Belize Progressive Party (BPP) today, conveyed its dis-satisfaction towards the way 'peaceful' protesters were treated yesterday during the escorting of Guatemalan President-Elect, Jimmy Morales, through Belize City. One incident in particular that likely triggered this release form the BPP, was the arrest of Citizens [�]

Belize's Economic Outlook: Buckle Up For a Bumpy Ride
Belize is at a juncture in its history where it must make wise decisions for its future and for the sustainability of the country's economy. This, however, will require an understanding from the Belizean public of the serious current state of the country's affairs [�]

Details of Youth Hostel inferno emerge
Belizeans were shocked and saddened yesterday as word spread on social media that three teenage females were trapped in and died in an inferno at the Princess Royal Youth Hostel, located at mile 21 on the George Price Highway, in the Rockville Village of Belize District. According [�]

Blogs

San Pedro Snapshot Sunday: A Wrap Up of My Week on Ambergris Caye, Belize
For the full planes that came down to celebrate Thanksgiving with us in Belize - I couldn't be happier�it was a gorgeous week�and this weekend, perfection. I have been struck with a bit of head cold over the last few days�and trying to nest and rest so that I can be at my best to plummet into a 300 feet deep sink hole tomorrow. Yes. No joke. I don't want to talk about it tooo much because I am terrified of heights and will easily wimp out. But this is a CRAZY opportunity and only a complete ninny would say no. SO let's get QUICKLY to the snapshots - both mine and some that I love from around Instagram. I just LOVE to know what others are doing around Belize. Jr. Buddy at the Belize Zoo. Posing for the camera. He is such a national treasure.

It's Easy to Live a Healthier, Happier Life in Belize
Belize first attracted me because of the spectacular Caribbean seascapes and the vibrant offshore barrier reef teaming with colorful, diverse sea life�the laidback lifestyle�affordable cost of living�and the friendly Belizeans. But after moving here another advantage became apparent. Maintaining a healthy, happy lifestyle in Belize is easy. As a matter of fact, many expats who move to Belize remark that they have lost weight, are in better shape, and feel better than they have in years� With such an enticing, balmy environment it's natural to spend a lot of time outdoors. The warm sun, soft sand, and breath-taking scenery make it a pleasure to travel around town on foot, or on a bike, especially if you live on a caye, or in a beach town. Many expats who live on Ambergris Caye skip the golf cart entirely. They walk or bike most of the time, but call a friend, or their favorite taxi driver, when hauling a larger than normal load of groceries.

Snorkeling the Clear Blue Waters of Belize
The engines revved as we left the harbor, our bodies got into the rhythm of the boat slicing through the waves and the salty wind and spray covering our faces. Belize is paradise. And when you are in paradise, at the top of the list of things to do in Belize is to get out on the water - preferably, get under the water. We took a Belize snorkeling day trip with Splash Dive Center to the outer reef cayes that lie between Placencia and Belize's Barrier Reef - second in size only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Marco, our snorkel guide, gave us snorkeling tips as we headed out to the Silk Cayes. The Cayes are a string of tiny (and I mean teeny-tiny!) islands formed by fisherman dumping their conch shells in one shallow are of the reef. Sand eventually built up around the conch piles and slowly Mother Nature turned it into a little island. As we pulled up to anchor I gazed at the tiny slice of paradise with its light blue water, white sand, and 4 little palm trees. I wanted to be stranded here forever. The island was actually a small park with a little grill, restrooms, and a few picnic tables. Dive boats and locals came to the park island for a day in the sun.

Beaching it Up in Belize's Placencia
I watched her expressions as she dipped a toe in the ocean for the first time in her life. As an aunt I may not get to see their first steps or hear their first words, but this was one first that I was there for - and I soaked in every delicious moment of it. Placencia isn't exactly off the tourist trail, but it's the less-touristed trail for sure. As everyone heads to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, Allie and I went south to Placencia, a peninsula where they have 16 miles of sandy beach to relax on. As we turned onto the road to the peninsula Allie's eyes were focused on the horizon, as this would be the first time she would see the ocean. And strangely, we were both excited about it. Upon arriving at Chabil Mar resort located directly on the beach, Allie was ecstatic�well, as ecstatic as Allie will ever get with me. "I don't know why my parents go to Mexico when they could come here," she exclaimed. As we walked around the 2 pool areas, outdoor bars, and the beach chairs lined up on the white sand, I think we were both pretty excited to be out of the humid buggy jungle and onto the beach. This was the nicest place Allie had probably stayed in her life so far, and it was really rewarding to see her expression of excitement.

San Pedro ready for busy season
The weather was divine early in the week, the beaches gorgeous, with calm water and barely a whisper of a breeze... Thank goodness, the sargasso grass was no longer drifting inti shore... Restaurants have re-opened, many with a face lift, such as the beloved Estelle's, on the beach. It's right next to the Town Square in San Pedro. The breakfasts are outstanding. This is a favorite expat hangout and an easy place to meet people who live on the island.

Ixcacao Chocolate Tour and Hiking Antelope Falls at Bocawina National Park!
Our guests have raved about the Ixcacao (pronounced Ish-cack-cow) Chocolate tour, and we finally had a chance to take it ourselves, with Mark from Cayequest Tours. It was wonderful! It is a full day tour, where you start off visiting Juan and his lovely wife Abelina. You get to try so many fun, exotic treats along the way....hot cacao drink, sugarcane right off the plant, roasted cacao beans, chocolate at every stage of making it (including making your own!), all kinds of chocolate flavors - even liquor!, and then you get one of the best authentic Belizean meals I've ever had. So good in fact that I even bought a little cookbook of her recipes. Another highly recommended activity is to hike at Bocawina National Park, There are several hikes to choose from, as you can see on this map: We did Antelope Falls this time, and please note, this hike was NOT for the faint of heart. Much of it was uphill, and you had to use ropes to pull yourself up and let yourself down at times! But, totally worth it....the waterfalls were totally amazing the whole way through.

Tips for Flying with Your Pet
For some people, traveling without their pets simply won't do; being away from Spot the pooch or Jinxy the cat is just simply unbearable. Fortunately, modern air travel has branched out to include passengers of the four-legged variety. Most airlines offer travel for pets in the plane's cabin or in its cargo hold. Now, before you go shopping for cute outfits and sunglasses your pet can wear to the beach or a night on the town; check out our tips for flying with your pet: Just about every airline in the world requires documentation from a veterinarian that your pet is in good health before it can board a flight. Most airlines including Maya Island Air, require that your pet's clean bill of health be no more than 10 days old. Arrange for your pet to fly when you book your own tickets. Maya Island Air allows pets in the passenger cabin but they must be transported in a pet carrier that is small enough to be stowed under the seat in front of you or in your lap and big enough that the pet can stand up and turn around inside. Only one pet kennel per ticketed passenger is permitted.

How to Maximize Your Shore Experience if Your Cruise Ship Stops in Belize
Rumor has it that cruise ship passengers have fallen so in love with Belize when they disembark for day trips and shore excursions, some have come close to missing their departures. It happens. Belize's top attractions, sites and cultural experiences are in close proximity to port, so it's not unusual to find passengers racing for their cruise liner at the very last minute! If your cruise itinerary includes a Belize stop, these tips can save you time-and last minute sprinting! Hire a guide to maximize your shore time because he knows where everything is and he won't waste your valuable time. These independent contractors work hard to get you where you want to go so you see and experience the sites you've prioritized. Ask to see your guide's license if you need assurances and then put yourself into his hands. Walk around the old capital for a taste of Belize's governmental origins. There are fascinating tales behind buildings like The House of Culture, Belize Supreme Court, St. John's Cathedral and Baron Bliss Lighthouse that recall days of British colonization. If time allows, visit the Museum of Belize, formerly a prison, to see artifacts and historical documents. Don't leave for the ship without taking a selfie.

Buen Fin in Corozal small Businesses Promotion
On November 28, 2015 the Corozal Town had their "Buen Fin" promotion. Small businesses came out promoting their products. They had from Furniture's, Grace products, coffee, cars, cheese, souvenirs, Finger Licking BBQ and more all in half price. Even Santa Claus was having a good time. This Buen Fin in promotion here in Corozal was a success for small businesses to promote their products made in Belize and advertising their business. As you can see below here are some pictures from the Buen F held in Corozal.

Belize Garnachas Recipe
Belize News Post is proud to share this recipe for Belizean garnachas along with beautiful images of the process provided to us by a community member. Garnachas as any Belizean knows are a common snack or party food. I personally grew up eating them at recess while in primary school. Students could buy a garnacha for 15 cents a piece. If you had a shilling you could get one garnacha and a ten cent ideal. Amazing.

Toledo, Belize the Mayas and its culture.
As the most sparsely populated and least developed region in the country, Toledo is certainly not for the ordinary tourist. However, for those with the spirit to venture off the beaten track, the natural and cultural diversity of Toledo makes a visit to a Southern Belize an unique adventure. The land is blanketed with some of the most pristine rainforest in Belize. The uplands to the Northwest, consist of the foothills of the Maya Mountains bordered by limestone outcrops - rugged, unexplored territory. The coastal lowlands consist of softer grounds, formed from the flood deposits of the many rivers draining the uplands. Towering riverine forests line the rivers and flood plains, while pine ridge savannahs and mangrove surround coastal lagoons.

International Sourcesizz

What Could The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Be Like? - A First Very Preliminary Look
I wanted to give you my ideas on what the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season may be like based on the various current and forecast factors. Let's first start out with the current and forecast ENSO state: Currently, we are well within El Nino conditions and this El Nino is forecast to continue through this entire winter into spring, 2016. Some of the forecast guidance suggests that the ENSO state will evolve into a neutral state by Summer, 2016 and possibly a La Nina towards Autumn, 2016. It should be pointed out that not all of the guidance suggests this and that some of the guidance suggests that El Nino conditions will remain in place through much of 2016. There are two previous El Nino's that are similar to this one - the first is the 1982 strong El Nino and the second is the strong El Nino of 1997. The difference between these two El Nino's were that the 1982-83 El Nino lasted longer (well through 1983) while the 1997-98 El Nino flipped fairly quickly into La Nina conditions during 1998. This difference had large implications on each of those Hurricane seasons. The long lasting El Nino of 1982-83 led to a inactive 1983 hurricane season, however, with that said, there were 2 Gulf of Mexico hurricanes in 1983 as well as a US East Coast landfall of a tropical storm. On the other hand, the El Nino of the winter of 1997-98 flipped quickly into a La Nina during the summer and autumn of 1998. This led to a very active 1998 Atlantic Hurricane Season with multiple landfalls in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and along the US East Coast. Based on the latest data, I think that we will cool down from the current strong El Nino conditions to a neutral ENSO state during the Spring of 2016 and very possibly into a La Nina during either the Summer or Autumn of 2016.

Dental Hygiene students return to Belize again
Madison College's Dental Hygienist program students return to Belize for spring break this year to help less fortunate people receive dental care. The team will consist of seven second-year students, two instructors: Heidi Petersen and Susan Kloosterboer, and dentist Dr. Adina Ness. They will spend two days at Holy Cross School in San Mateo and two days at San Pedro High School. The South American country is impoverished and getting access to healthcare is a challenge, especially dental care. "Almost all of the children who will visit the clinic will have untreated cavities and gum infections," explained Klooseterboer, who went on to say, "The dental hygiene students will provide dental cleanings, dental sealants and fluoride treatments to prevent cavities. The dentist will do restorative work (fillings)." The trip is more than just about sealants and fluoride treatments. "We take the students to allow them to expand their view of the world and the (sic) show them how sharing the skills they have developed can help improve and save lives," Floosterboer said.

Videos

  • This guy trained his dog to retreive lobsters!, 15sec.

  • BELIZE THANKSGIVING WEEK 2015, 9min. DIVE in Belize.

  • Belize, 9min.

  • Belize, 6min. Snuba combines free diving with a scuba regulator connected to a surface tank. Filmed in Belize: Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley, and Mexico Rock

  • Belize Snorkeling and Diving, 9.5min. Belize Snorkeling and Diving at Ramon's Village.

  • Sydney Belize slides, 9min. My family went to Belize over the summer...

  • Angry Caribbean lobster in Belize, 1min. This lobster did not approve being filmed.

  • Diving from Yok Ha Resort. Dive sites South Water Caye and Tobacco Caye in Belize, 10min. Diving South Water Caye and Tobacco Caye week of 11/15/2015 Mostly Video using a Canon S95 in a Ikelite Housing with W20 Wide Angle lens, Sea & Sea YS90 Strobe. The fish where holding so tight to the reef structure that photography was almost impossible so I removed the strobe and just shot video. Glad I did! Diving from Yok Ha Resort at Water-foot Caye a few miles from some great dive sites, South Water Caye and Tobacco Caye in Belize. Eagle Ray, Barracuda, various Angelfish, Tangs, parrot fish, turtles and more...

  • Belize full HD, 6min.