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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7 and Channel 5
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Village Expo 2013
The Belize Tourism Board Village Expo 2013 is being held on the grounds of the newly inaugurated Fort Point Pedestrian Walk all day today August 31st in Belize City. Lots of artisans and incredible artwork/pieces are on display and for sale!!

Miss San Pedro 2013-14
Congratulations to beautiful Solani Graniel, Miss Castillo's Hardware, on winning the title of Miss San Pedro 2013-14!! Solani will be officially crowned on September 10th by outgoing Miss San Pedro Naiely Puc. 1st Runner-up was Gabriela Varela. Miss Photogenic was Yanira Lara, and Miss Congeniality was Venancia Choc. Congratulations to all the participants!!

Miss San Pedro 2013 - Costume Competition
Photo

Misc Belizean Sources

Bread and Butter Pudding
2tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing 8 thin slices bread 4tbsp raisins 2 tsp cinnamon powder 1 1/2c milk 1/4c double cream 2 eggs 1/4c granulated sugar nutmeg, grated, to taste

Sunday Show Day at Express Oh! Cafe
Express Oh! is having their big Sunday Show day today. it'll be after the Santa Elena sports day. Emmanuel Mangar and Dania Arana will be there playing and singing. It'll be a great time for the whole family. They'll even have face painting. Have fun!\ In related news, the Central Cayo football is tomorrow morning at 10:00am behind the Santa Elena basketball court. "Every one is invited to Express-Oh Café on Sunday, Sept 1st at 4pm for our first SUNDAY SHOW @ Express-Oh! Enjoy live performances of dance, music, story telling and much more! Delicious food and drinks will be on sale! Art and local crafts people will also have displays set up for your viewing/purchasing pleasure! So, bring the family and your friends to enjoy this fun Sunday Evening Show!! Admission is free."

NICH at 10 Video Presentation
The National Institute of Culture and History is celebrating it's 10 year anniversary, and they put together a video for the occasion. It covers a lot of what they've done over the past decade, and is definitely worth a watch. They talk about Caracol, and how they used LIDAR to find out that it was even bigger than previously thought, around 8 times bigger. If you want to learn more about NICH, you will.

The Belize Times

NTUCB backs PAC Reform – PUP, Chamber & Unions tell PM to end charade
The People’s United Party’s efforts to reform governance in Belize, even while in Opposition, got a tremendous boost this week when the Chamber of Commerce and National Trade Union Congress of Belize reiterated their support. The organisations, which represent the private sector and workers, have once more called on the Government to ensure that the Public Accounts Committee, an oversight body that reviews and investigates public expenditure, is a functional body. On Tuesday August 27th, the Opposition members led by PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca stood on Independence Hill in the capital, City of Belmopan, to make a public declaration and commitment that the PUP will fight for the reform of the PAC. “The Belizean people are demanding REFORM and SOLUTIONS to the many very serious problems and challenges facing them and our Country each and every day, NOT more UDP POLITICS,” stated Hon. Francis. The Party Leader also condemned the Prime Minister’s constant attempts to undermine and erode the reform efforts for the PAC.

Sweet Deals & Dying Reefs
Here’s something you probably haven’t heard on the local news circuit: 80% of our reefs in the Caribbean are dead. Think about the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) deal. If you are the proud parent of a ...

Faber shuts down another school
On the heels of a scathing Inter-American Development Bank report that exposed serious inequalities in Belize’s education, including evidence that more than half of Belize’s secondary school-aged children remained out of school, ...

Fire guts Ramon’s Village Resort
One of San Pedro’s most popular resorts, Ramon’s Village, was substantially destroyed by a fire on Tuesday night. Fire Officials say the fire originated from one of the cabins just before 8pm, and spread quickly through 29 ...

WHAT IS BARROW HIDING?
Before the 2008 general elections Dean Barrow, as the Leader of the Opposition, was in a self-righteous frenzy, shouting catchy buzz words like “transparency” and “accountability”. As a matter of fact, in his first public address ...

Driving in the drink
By G. Michael Reid The recent rains have exposed just how ridiculous it is to fix streets and not factor in drainage. No one can deny that the streets that have been cemented are pleasant to drive on but without proper drainage, there is much inconvenience when it rains and you ...

THINK ABOUT IT
Hon. Julius Espat, Deputy Leader of the People’s United Party and elected Representative agitated for a re-registration of voters, and if necessary even a reconfiguration of voters constituencies while on the Dickie Bradley Special on Channel 5 on August 19th. This would be a major undertaking. It has not been ...

GOOD NEWS
This is a healthy time for the People’s United Party. The secure and steady leadership of Francis Fonseca has yielded a public confidence and an internal Party energy long repressed. Hon. Francis represents a real time symbol of progressive and mature politics. As an enduring political force the PUP has no ...

Brutalized youth freed of charges
Deon Vernon, a 21 year old student attending the University of Belize was freed of all criminal charges purportedly committed against police officers, following an incident which ...

AMAZING GRACE – Are Christians Better?
How many times do humans look at someone else in a situation and pass judgment to find, sooner or later, that they suffer from the same behavior in that area? Have you ever noticed a driver who wants to stop in the middle of the street? When they are committing that ...

HOME ECONOMICS – BELIZE ~ USA TRADE DISCREPANCY?
By Richard Harrison The USA reports that its exports to Belize in 2012 was US$265.6m (BZ$531.2m) and its imports from Belize during that period was US$161.8m (BZ$323.6m). Belize reports importing BZ$514.8m from the USA, and exporting BZ$307.1m to the USA. There is thus a discrepancy of BZ$16.4m in the amount of imports to ...

Respect Me: Do Not Undermine My Voice
By Dr. Angela Banner Joseph “A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman. But the search to find that voice can be remarkably difficult. It's complicated by the fact that in most nations, women receive substantially less education than men.” - Melinda Gates How do we encourage men to ...

PUP stalwart passes
We remember in life a wonderful man, Mr. Blas Rosales from Caledonia Village, Corozal District. Don Blas, as he was affectionately called was born to Mr. Asuncion Rosales and Esfonia Lino in the village of Chunox on the 3rd of February ...

Eulogy for Raimunda Aurora Medina
Delivered by Hon. John Briceño Being asked to say some words today is a great honour. Just last week my Tia Delia who lives in Canada was here on a visit. She was staying in Orange Walk Town but a few days ago ...

The Tip of the Iceberg – Reforming PAC and Calling for Re-Registration
Hon. Julius Espat delivered an impassioned TV presentation to the Belizean people via Channel Five’s Dickie Bradley Special two weeks ago. The show was on fire from start to finish with Julius providing many of the ...

The Battle over Belize Ex-Services League: Canada House
The National Executive Council of the Belize Ex Services League headed by Mr. Bernard Adolphus was back in Court today trying to lock out the members of the League’s Belize City Branch from the use of the League headquarters known as Canada House at the ...

Sweetheart deal between CitCo and UDP Crony?
There seems to be a too-good-of-a-kind relationship between City Hall and the Arguelles family and their architecture company, International Environments. The Arguelles Company has been awarded a series of lucrative contracts such as the monstrous, multi-million dollar Memorial Park construction and the controversial project at the Battlefield ...

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – PLEASE, MR. SPEAKER
By Dolores Balderamos Garcia The fallout from the now infamous Finnegan incident in the House of Representatives on August 7, 2013 seems to be extensive. As far as can be seen the condemnation has been virtually universal, and I have been surprised at the numerous expressions of support and solidarity. I ...

“Norwegian” Exposes its Racist Policies and Cultural Insensitivity – Impelled by Greed and Profits, it wants to make Belizeans a part of its Disney circus
In a “facey” and barefaced display of arrogance, greed and cultural insensitivity, the Project Director for Norwegian Cruise Line’s controversial proposal to build a massive cruise ship port in an eco-sensitive area of southern Belize, a gringo, placed on display at a recent press conference, ...

From Speaker to Speaker!
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte Speaker House of Representatives Independence Hill City of Belmopan Dear Hon. Michael Peyrefitte As former Speakers of the House Representatives, we write to you to register, for the record, our strong disapproval and dismay regarding the conduct publicly displayed in the House of Representatives over several months and in particular the ...

Evan Hyde Obsession
Dear Editor, After reading the From the Publisher in the mid-week Amandala issue, I have no choice but to conclude that the publisher is a serial writer with a sick obsession with Said Musa and the PUP. It is as if his many pens with ink and container load of paper is ...

Demanding FIU Action
Dear Editor, I agree with last week’s letter calling on the Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate the member from Port Loyola who is flagrantly flaunting his ill-gotten gains in our faces. That one building he is doing on Cemetery Road is at minimum $400,000. Where did he get that money? But I ...

Colonial Barrow
Dear Editor For the better part of most of our lifetimes, if you are older than thirty, we the people of this country have witnessed and participated by the thousands and for many decades in our political and economic struggles against a ruthless, oppressive and exploitative British colonial government. For years ...

Blogs

My Lucky Day
You do not have to be a chef to Like Mmm, Taste This facebook page. Aside from many easy to follow recipes you will find yummy looking foodie pictures, nutritional information and more. Yesterday liking their page turned me into one lucky girl. Imagine my surprise and delight when I got home from a joyride to town with Mary1220 and found the following , message and picture from Jane West on my facebook page: !!! — DING! DING! DING! — !!! And the winner of being our ** 200th** LIKE on our Mmm, Taste This page is – Laurie Norton! Yep, no lie, for true! You are our lucky #200! Next time we come down, you will receive not one, not two, but THREE Chocolove Premium Chocolate Bars! (It may be a few months, but don’t worry – I won’t forget!) Thanks Laurie, and everyone else who LIKED our page!

Seine Bight, Placencia Peninsula: Food, People and Lola’s Art
On the same peninsula and only about 5 miles north from Placencia is the village of Seine Bight (pronounced Sane Bite). So close by, yet so so different, Bight is a Garifuna village to Placencia’s tiny Creole and Gringo population. (Like how I use “Gringo” as a ethnic term for my people?) At my hotel, I mentioned to a tourist couple that I was planning on walking over to Seine Bight in the morning. They looked a bit surprised and told me “there isn’t much to see”. After visiting twice the next day, I beg to differ. Here is the main sign on the road in Seine Bight. I passed a 4 year old walking with a dog who asked me where I was going. Lola’s I told him. Pursing his lips and sucking his teeth (translation: Belizean distain), he told me he’d been there a year ago and kept walking. I wish I got a picture but it’s hard when you are getting told “what’s what” by a toddler.

“Accidents Will Happen” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Ten months in to this blogging ‘lark’ I am starting to realise just how addictive it can get. When I was working for a living there were times (if you were to ask my wife Rose she would probably say all of the time) when I became a little (OK, a lot) obsessive. Wouldn’t say that I became OCD but wouldn’t be surprised if I came extremely close to it. When I retired (well to tell the truth, made redundant which ‘encouraged’ me to take early retirement) I chilled out. Yes, we had stuff (lots of stuff actually ) to do for our build in Ambergris Caye, Belize to move from a dream to reality. Declutter our two bedroom apartment, put it up for sale, decide which things we would bring with us and which we would discard. Get our finances in order. You know the kind of things. But all of this was accomplished in a fairly relaxed manner. And then I started blogging. What am I going to write about? How long should it be? How short can it be? Which photographs to use? And then there’s the song title!

How to Prepare for Allergic Reactions When the Grid Goes Down
According to the CDC the prevalence of food and skin allergies has increased at an alarming rate in children under the age of 18 from the year 1997 to 2011. Additionally, they say that Allergic conditions are the most common medical conditions affecting children in the US so it is highly likely that you will have to plan for dealing with allergies in one form or another if the grid goes down. Your plan may involve members of your own family or if you are working within a larger group, chances are that one of the members will have some level of allergic concern. Allergic Reactions: What’s Normal, What’s Not? Allergies are common and usually not life-threatening. But there can be cases of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that needs immediate medical treatment. If you aren’t able to get to medical treatment, you will need to know the difference in a normal allergic reaction and one that will require treatment. If you have a family member who has allergies you will need to take that into consideration when you are planning your family’s medical supplies and even food stores. It is great to have plenty of stored food for your family, but you will also need to take precautions that members with allergies are protected, planned for and you know what to do if they are faced with a serious allergic reaction.

International Sources

For fantastic adventure, consider Belize
Belize is a land of diversity. On the mainland, dense jungles shroud ancient Mayan ruins. On the islands, long stretches of beaches attract throngs of tourists. There are more than 500 species of birds; 145 species of mammals and nearly 140 species of reptiles and amphibians, including crocodiles and iguanas. Marine life includes everything from whale sharks to manatees to clown fish. The scuba diving is world-renowned, and the snorkeling is spectacular, although not as colorful as some of the fish I’ve seen in the Caribbean. In Belize, I swam amongst huge black grouper, stingrays, nurse sharks, sea turtles, barracuda and other fish that were more than half my size. The food is fantastic: Ceviche, seafood burritos and quesadillas, beans and rice, plantains, grilled lobster (if it’s in season), and fresh grilled fish is the daily special on most menus. It is all supremely fresh.

Belize Invites You To A Wild Animal Escape!
Escape to the private and remote paradise, Belize! Located in the heart of Central America, and is bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south. Breathtaking Belize consists of a land area of 8,867 square miles and is known for having the longest living Barrier Reef in the world that stretches out along the Eastern Coast of Belize. One of Belize’s main must-see attractions is The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary dedicated to the preservation of the native Jaguar. This spectacular sanctuary consists of forests, fauna and watersheds approximately 400 square kilometers located at the eastern slopes of the Maya mountains. Established in 1990, there is over 128,000 acres of lush jungle ringed by the spectacular Cockscomb Mountains.

Scuba Diving Tranquility Bay, Ambergris Caye, Belize (Or: I Finally Get it Now!)
Readers of this blog will know that my short career as a scuba diver has been less glorious marine brochure and more P.S.A. warning. It began with four treacherous certification dives in the frigid Southern California winter, and continued immediately with a Vietnamese dive in near zero visibility that saw me separated from the group and forced to practice my just-learned skills immediately. (Now what were they?) I’m writing now after a pair of dives off Tranquility Bay on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize, and I’m happy to report: I get it. I totally, totally get it. The appeal of diving, when it’s good, is intensely powerful and wonderful and undeniable.