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Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The latest Tia Chocolate column is ready for reading!!! Coming Back - III
Breathing deeply to calm down, a trick she employed often when Michael was especially rambunctious, she closed her eyes for a few moments while she cleared her head. Upon opening them, she once more looked at him standing at the water’s edge, and said, “But yes, if you must know, you’re the father.” She wasn’t sure what burned more, the hot sun that blazed down on them, or the look of smug satisfaction on his face. What had she really seen in him? Was it really the alcohol-fueled stupor that led to this moment? She found herself questioning every rash decision made that led to this particular point in time. Again, her reasons for returning eluded her – she had been drawn back for something – but the anger she currently felt didn’t quite make those reasons obvious.

The June 17th, 2012 issue of The STAR (Cayo) is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • Three New Classrooms For Bishop Martin School
  • Caretella And Pagett Freed Of Murder Charge
  • Improved Water Services Coming Soon
  • OCEANA HOST FAMILIARIZATION TOUR FOR MEDIA
  • Faith Nazerene Gets A Facelift
  • Gomez Remanded To Prison On Carnal Knowledge Charges
  • Farewell to a Belizean Child
  • STAR Humor
  • Editorial:
  • Your Weekly Horoscope and Lucky Numbers
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Public Notices

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Animal Hospital offers free Spay and Neuter services to the community
Stray dogs on the streets of San Pedro are an ever growing concern for residents and tourists alike. With the population on a constant upswing, the San Pedro Animal Hospital (SPAH) has decided to offer their services to help curb this problem. In a letter dated, June 6, 2012 addressed to the San Pedro Town Council, Dr. Laurie Droke, DVM, at the SPAH offered, “As the owner and veterinarian of San Pedro Animal Hospital I am offering my services to the San Pedro Town Council to aid in the control of the dog population in San Pedro. The spaying and neutering of pet cats and dogs, has been shown to be the most effective method of population control in communities worldwide. I, the San Pedro Animal Hospital, and the San Pedro Animal Foundation are offering to assist the Saga Humane Society in San Pedro with their work in this area. We will provide one spay or neuter per week free of charge to any animal in need.” According to Dr. Droke, the hospital is willing to do this for a year, bringing the value amount to the donation to around $10,000.

Guest Editorial: “Mommy don’t drink”
Submitted By Golda Swift (M. Ed) “I can’t make a decision for myself, mommy, don’t drink.” This is probably the cry of every baby that is in a mother’s womb, while the mother is about to put an intoxicating substance to her mouth. Statistically proven, there is no guarantee that the intake of alcohol does not harm an unborn child. On the contrary, it has been proven that unborn babies have been affected if mothers drink during pregnancy. Yet, there are many mothers ignoring these warnings and continue drinking during their pregnancy. Also, doctors have advised if planning to become a mother, you should not drink. This situation becomes a reality when children are in danger of being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which has tremendous negative effects on a child’s physical, mental and emotional growth. Research has not indicated as to what percentage of drinking is safe; it is only recommended that there should be no intake of alcohol when pregnant. FAS effects the child from within the womb; causing poor growth, decreased muscular tone, heart defects, delayed development in thinking, speech, movement and social skills.

Misc Belizean Sources

Southern Highway near Placencia Junction Impassable
A flash flood caused major damage to the Southern Highway north of the Placencia Junction last night. Traffic in this area will be interrupted for an extended period of time. This means interruption of road deliveries in and out of the Peninsula and bus schedules. We will try our best to bring you updates on this matter. In the meantime, please monitor Love FM reports on the radio or on Patrick Jones’s Facebook page:

WET WEATHER
We've lived on Ambergris Caye for 20 years. This is to my memory, the wettest May-June we've ever seen. The rains keep coming. Cisterns are full-up, potholes are full-up too, but this is a time when our topography as a narrow island works in our favor. The rain runs pretty easily off to the sea without flash-floods, major erosion or other dangers. On mainland Belize there are rivers full-up, a chunk of the Southern Highway washed out, rural villages inaccessible and fields of vegetables that are flooded and destroyed. It's on it's way to being a serious situation. At present San Pedro's biggest worry is how to entertain the tourists! Thankfully lobster season just opened and Lobster Fest is in full swing, rain or shine. Eating, signing and dancing continue regardless of the weather.

Cayo Welcome Center Progressing
The Cayo Welcome Center is looking great! Downtown is getting a major facelift with this project.

Ancient Light: Images from a Mayan Crystal Cave
This photographer has done some interesting 'Light Paintings' with her pictures from Actun Tunichil Muknal. She had an exhibit based upon ATM. "This series of photos and paintings is inspired by the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave system in Belize, Central America. ATM is known for its miles of chambers believed by the Mayan to be the entry to the sacred underworld of Xibalba. In ancient times only dancing torch flame brought this pitch black world to life where fifty foot stalactites and stalagmites inspired reverence and creativity. Clay offering bowls, painted urns and full sacrificial skeletons are housed in crystalline limestone chambers to this day."

Student Groups in Bullet Tree Falls
Feelgood story of the day. A student group from University of Central Arkansas and Hendrix College was recently in Bullet Tree Falls to help with construction projects and do missionary work. One student explains how the trip changed her life for the better in this wonderful article. "When we weren't teaching or working on construction, the kids were grabbing at our hands begging us to play games with them, share jokes or just sit and talk. They had so much energy and joy that it did not matter how tired I was that day, I tried hard to be there for them. Every night after we were through with our work, the missionaries gathered in the chapel at the old monastery where we were staying and offered reflections on the day. Everyone felt that we were making an impact on the people, but more importantly, we felt the impact they were making on us. I gave Belize a piece of my heart. I think it's only natural to do that when you spend time in work and fellowship in a foreign country."

ROAD RECONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY
Work is continuing into the night to replace the washed out culvert along the Southern Highway in the area of the Placencia Junction and Mayan King. Estimation is that by midnight (Monday morning) the washed out area should be passable by motor vehicles.

Blogs

Reality, responsibility and restraint: The three Rs for journalism in Belize
Those who know me know that Belize, land of my birth, is never far from my mind. And, because of my profession, journalism in Belize is also something I think about a lot. Since independence from Great Britain in 1981, Belize has seen it’s media offerings grow from a handful of weekly newspapers and a government-run radio station to what seems like a vast and continuously proliferating ecosystem that includes: at least half a dozen television stations that offer local news and talk shows about the same number of newspapers as ever (one now comes out twice a week) news websites blogs providing news and views There are at least six radio stations–that I know of–airing local news, and there are more than fifty radio licensees on the government books (not all operational yet). On the social media scene, Belizeans are all over Facebook and are testing the Twitter waters; many media outlets have a presence in these spaces as well. Tourism industry professionals have been particularly active in social networking and blogging, using these platforms to spread the good word about Belize as a tourism destination.

Happy Birthday Chilo!
Today we want to say a big shout out to our wonderful Chilo. 26 years ago today, Chilo was born in the beautiful fishing village of Sartenaja and that is where he is again today, as his mother is baking him a cake for his birthday – ahhhhh! Chilo has been a new arrival as he became part of our Raggamuffin crew in February of this year. Since then he has become an integral and valuable member of the team as his charm, hard work and professionalism has won the respect of the crew. If you have had the fortune to get to know Chilo you may have experienced his famous ‘belly dance’!! On hearing this many passengers immediately think he will be wining his waist something like Shakira – unfortunately it is not quite as sexy but equally as amusing!! Happy Birthday Chilo!!

International Sources

VIDEO: No Doubts
Day two of San Pedro and I have already done everything I planned to do. No doubt.