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Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials
The San Pedro Sun
Wolfe’s Woofers: Native Wisdom
How native are you? A visit to the jungle gives an insight to Dennis and his friend Richard.
Letter to the Editor: Helping Paws Across Borders says Thank You
I am writing you from New Mexico, USA where Helping Paws across Borders is located. My organization was just recently in and around San Pedro for a weeklong spay and neuter campaign hosted by Saga.
I wanted to say thank you to all of the local businesses and people that welcomed Helping Paws across Borders volunteer team with such kindness and generosity. I wanted to let you know that your community went above and beyond to assist us.
I would like to just mention a few of the businesses that helped with this venture.
Exotic Caye Resort, The Melt (incredible), Road Kill Bar, Fido’s, Wet Willy’s, Captain Morgan’s, Ultimate Golf Carts, Belize Golf Carts, Monchos Golf Carts, Ramon’s kitchen staff, the owners of the wonderful rental house, the wonderful people of San Pedro, the community of DFC, the local volunteers that came in to help, Caye Caulker Humane Society and of course Saga Humane Society.
Doctor Love: Business Tips
How can new islanders take a business and ensure its success? Well, the Doctor has some tips.
Ambergris Today
Honeymooners’ Adventures in Ambergris Caye, Belize
Newlyweds Mark and Jen Ledford just recently spend five nights at Casa Azul in Ambergris Caye, Belize for their honeymoon. We came across their awesome video footage of them snorkeling with the marine life at Hol Chan Marine Reserve/ Shark Ray Alley, ‘golf carting’ around the back roads and San Pedro Town, jet skiing, kayaking, and more snorkeling off the resort’s dock.
Mark did a great job at putting the video together and documenting all the fun and adventure they experiences as the new Mr. and Mrs. Ledford. Congratulations to the newlyweds and we wish them a wonderful life together; and many more future visits to Belize.
Misc Belizean Sources
Education in Belize: Difficult Students (From Challenges to Solutions)
In previous articles I reviewed both positive and negative ways to deal with “Difficult Students” who constantly misbehave at school. Dealing with Difficult Students Effective Ways to Deal with Difficult Students Dealing with Loud and Playful Difficult Students I encouraged teachers to have unbending and effective classroom management, and I suggested positive ways for them to deal with repeated and distractive behavior of students. However, several parents recently contacted me to complain about several difficult students whose constant power struggles with teachers at a high school in Belize City hamper the learning process of other students.
While re-reading my previously published articles, I noticed a reader’s comment to suggest that today’s difficult students need “a good paddling” as they used to get in the past. Once more, I remind readers that we cannot live in the past! This is 2013 and we need to adapt classroom management methods that are in line with 21st Century ways of living and learning.
Help our Dogs help us! Keep our homes and neighborhoods safe by getting them Medical help to stay Healthy! (9 photos)
Yesterday's Free Clinic in San Ignacio provided full services such as: Check Ups, Tests for Heart-worms and Tick Fever, Free medications for Heart-worm & Fleas/Ticks, De-worming Vaccinations
Coordinators and Volunteers are: Ms. Clara Lee Arnold - Hopkins Belize Humane Society Mr. Humberto Wolhers - Curator at The Belize Zoo Mr. Ruben Tesucum - Vet Assistant at Paws Veterinary Clinic Mr Sean Kuylen - Volunteer
Visiting Veterinarians are Dr. Jen Riley, Dr. Angela Gimmel, Dr. Kelly Schmitz
Local Veterinarians are Dr. Isabelle Paquet-Durant, Dr. Mia Canton, Dr. Eduardo Tesucum and Dr. Jorge Lopez.
Weather permitting, they will be going on to the Belize Zoo, Monday and Tuesday.
FLOODING IN BELMOPAN
(12 photos)
ENTRANCES TO SPANISH LOOKOUT CLOSED
(9 photos)
PROCEED WITH CAUTION OVER LOW LYING BRIDGE ENTRANCE TO SAN IGNACIO.
(6 photos)
In Hopkins village, flooding was also evident.
(4 photos)
HOPE CREEK BRIDGE (5 photos)
Water level was elevated at the bridge in Hope Creek, Stann Creek on Sunday afternoon.
Even the banana farm along the Southern Highway at Mayan King was affected by flood waters on Sunday afternoon
72 hours will cause root rot!!
FLOODING IN SAN ROMAN (5 photos)
This is the situation as it was in San Roman around midday on Sunday. Water was touching the deck of the small bridge rinning through the village.
The river in Teakettle village
In front of the Dream Valley Jungle Lodge.
VIDEO:
A group of men and boys from San Roman village, Stann Creek turned a flood event into a fun Sunday afternoon.
Swasey Bridge
Reports from the south say that the level of the flood waters flowing under the Swasey Bridge has risen significantly.
The junction of the George Price Highway and the Hummingbird Highway on Sunday morning.
The George Price Highway in Roaring Creek village had water covering the road near the Garbutt Service Station on Sunday morning.
A chunk of the Southern Highway near the junction with the Georgetown road was severely compromised today
(4 photos)
Bridges on the Buena Vista road
There are reports that the approaches to two bridges on the Buena Vista road (Cayo district) may have been compromised/washed away. Motorists need to be extremely careful and it is not advisable to attempt to drive through the water at this time.
AT THE SWASEY BRIDGE (5 photos)
Flood waters flowing under the Swasey Bridge along the Southern Highway.
At the junction of Trio village on the Southern Highway.
FLOODING AT BLADEN (5 photos)
Water levels were up at Bladen along the Southern Highway on Sunday afternoon.
Fishing, VIDEO
While in Blue Creek, Toledo on Saturday evening, I observed two little boys fishing in the flooded river. In about 15 minutes, they had collected quite a good catch.
Sittee river
Placencia village ...
Sittee River at Kendall community
The Sittee River at Kendall community is also flooding at this time. The new Kendall brdige keeps traffic flowing on the Southern Highway.
On the Southern Highway ...
the people in this house assured me they were ok. The house is surrounded by flood waters.
Water on the Santa Familia road.
Flooding yesterday in Maya Mopan, Belmopan.
Spillway at the Vaca Dam
More water is heading towards San Ignacio town as water has started to go over the spillway at the Vaca Dam. Unconfirmed reports are that both the Mollejon and Vaca Dams are spilling at this time.
The Iguana Creek bridge is inundated.
The road to Spanish Lookout via this route is closed.
Water level in Roaring Creek is below the deck of the bridge.
The low-lying wooden bridge spanning the Macal River in San Ignacio/Santa Elena is open to vehicular traffic as of Sunday evening.
A part of the Southern Highway close to the Georgetown raod junction has started to collapse.
Concerned motorists have erected makeshift warning signals to alert motorists of the danger.
Girl Empowerment Campaign
The Special Envoy for Women and Children will be embarking on a countrywide Girl Empowerment Campaign, which will be launched in Belize City on Monday, October 28, 2013. This tour is an extension of the My Precious is Precious initiative, which started with the launch of a child friendly book on “good touch, bad touch” in April of this year.
As we continue efforts to educate the public on sexual abuse of children, the Girl Empowerment Campaign will focus on high school girls. Our aim is to encourage these young ladies to delay their sexual debut and not to give in to the pressures they may face at this critical point in their development. The campaign will also seek to educate teenage girls about sexual abuse, and to provide information for those who have been or are still being victimized on seeking help and recovering from the trauma of these experiences. We want to remind them that their bodies are also precious.
The tour will make 9 stops over 6 days as per the schedule below. In each location, a mini rally will be held in which Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow and other inspirational speakers hope to inspire the young ladies in attendance to see their true value and cherish their bodies.
HURRICANE AT HALLOWEEN, Hattie in 1961
Just as the residents of British Honduras were starting to breathe a sigh of relief because the 1961 hurricane season would soon be ending, a powerful Category 5 hurricane named Hattie hit Central America on Halloween. The Atlantic hurricane season in 1961 officially began on June 15 and ended on October 31.
Unlike the hurricane which devastated British Honduras in September of 1931 and killed over 2000 persons, eleven years previous to Hattie Atlantic tropical cyclones began to be given names; and three years later in 1953 were first given female names. Janet was therefore the first ‘female’ to hit the country in 1955 when it made landfall in the north. Hattie’s appearance in 1961 was the second female-named hurricane to make landfall in the country; and packing winds in excess of 150 miles per hour was unprecedented until hurricane Mitch in 1998.
HBHS Animal Clinic
They had a very successful weekend of free spay and neuter clinics, seeing 100's of dogs and cats. Shelly Marin got some great pictures of the doctors and their clients. Thanks to all that made this happen!
"Exhausted but happy after a busy Spay and Neutre day in San Ignacio. Thanks to Clara Lee Arnold, Hopkins Humane Society and Humberto Wohlers and with the largest amount of Drs in one single clinic so far: Drs. Edwardo Tesecum, Mia Canton, Jorge Lopez, Isabelle Paquet-Durand, Angela Gimmel, Jennifer Riley and Kelly Schmitz. About 100 dogs and cats were seen, dewormed, treated and operated today. Now we gather up again to go get ready for one more day tomorrow."
Team Belize Visited Basketball Showcase
Feelgood news of the day. Earlier this year, a group of Belizean students were able to attend the Lebron James basketball showcase in Akron, Ohio. They had a great time, and learned some valuable lessons, before heading back to Belmopan.
"Belize is a small Central-American nation located on the Carribean Sea to the southeast of Mexico. A coastal nation of less than 350,000 people, you would think that the basketball talent pool would be quite minimal. Though Belize is not quite known for it’s basketball talent on the world stage just yet, a team of high-schoolers were able to make the trip up to Akron, Ohio this spring to showcase their talent in the King James Classic – LeBron’s annual showcase for young talent and collegiate scouts. Though they came motivated to make a name for themselves in the USA, they left with an even stronger message to bring home with them to inspire others in their country."
National Bartender Competition
Benqueño Andres Ponce took 2nd place at Traveller's National Bartender Competition. The 3 drinks he created at the event were a Kumquat Caipirinha, a Pitaya and Mango layered Ru-a-Rita, and his slippery banana mystery drink. He is been the senior bartender at Chaa Creek. Congratulations, Andres!
Free Spay and Neuter Clinic
The BWRC, along with the Paws animal clinic and the Hopkins Belize Humane Society, are offering free spaying and neutering today at the Santiago Juan layout.
"In conjunction with PAWS clinic and Belize Wildlife referral Clinic- free spay/neuter clinic coming to san Ignacio."
Road condition in Corozal from junction of Copper Bank
Oct 27th - Road condition in Corozal from junction of Copper Bank - Progresso Road - Saltillos - Pueblo Nuevo Ferry. Exercise caution when travelling these areas especially at night!
Saint Francis Xavier Primary School Inducts New Scout Members
Today a very important activity took place at the Saint Francis Xavier Primary School in Corozal Town as the students and faculty of the institution were honored with the visit of the Governor General himself Sir Colville Young. But this was no ordinary visit, the G.G travelled to Corozal for the second Investiture Ceremony of Scout and Cub members of the 13 Corozal Saint Francis Xavier Scout Group.
Group Scouts Leader, Valdomir Catzim, told us that the 13 Corozal Saint Francis Xavier Scout Group plays an important role in the development of the school and the community itself. The group, we understand, has assisted several organizations in their activities to raise funds. Members have also always been at the forefront of the schools activities.
Dental Health Week Comes To An End With Video Competition
Eight students will receive prizes for their brave participation in a one of kind video competition held by the dental department of the Northern Regional Hospital. The video competition was planned in line with the celebration of Dental Health Week celebrated under the theme; “Brush and Floss Everyday and Keep Cavities Away”. Four primary schools from the Orange Walk District participated in the competition as two of their students submitted their video. Out of the eight submissions, only three came out as the winners of the competition, however, everyone single participant won a prize. Selecting the winner was very difficult for the judges since all the videos were at par.
Shop Till You Drop With Grace
Imagine getting the opportunity to shop till you drop even if means shopping for one particular product. Sounds exciting right? Well, this morning one lucky Grace Kennedy customer from Orange Walk had the opportunity of a lifetime as she won a Wheelbarrow Shopping Spree. Meaning that she was allowed to grab Grace Kennedy Products off the shelves of S.P Store for free. Mine you; she only had five minutes to do so. Here is how Consuelo Tuyul did.
Irvin Aragon – Reporting
Consuleo Tuyul makes the wheelbarrow shopping spree look easy right? But in realty it’s not, yet the difficulty of the game was the last thing on Tuyul’s mind as she ran down the aisles of S.P Supermarket and filled her cart with strictly Grace Products.
MCHS Holds First Time Ever Mega Alumni Mixer
In commemoration of their 60th anniversary, Muffles College High School held a Mega Alumni Mixer last night. Since its inception in 1953, Muffles College High School has been providing quality and exceptional education to its students. The achievements of the institution to date are countless and as student enrolment grows, so do the challenges. But that aside, last night’s reunion served two purposes.
Maria Johnston, Principal, Muffle College High School
“We had Alumni Mixer, it is a first of its kind in Belize for a high school to be inviting the graduates to just get together and to mingle and to reconnect with the school.”
P.M Pulls A Fast One On The Media
Yesterday we reported on the ongoing corruption that is stirring up in the Immigration Scandal where another Minister namely, Edmund Castro is being accused of facilitating over 200 Visas for Chinese Nationals at two thousand dollars each. If you do the Math, that’s 400 thousand dollars in a span of 5 months from October 2012 to March 2013.
And while his name is making the rounds in the media headlines, a telephone interview provided by our colleagues at 7News revealed that Castro categorically denied having taken any bribes or facilitated any transaction of visas. It’s a very disturbing accusation and a growing pain for the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, who returned to Belize today from his somewhat personal and business trip to Los Angeles.
Broad Daylight Robbery Turns Deadly, Yo Creek Resident Is Murdered
A broad daylight robbery turned to murder today claiming the life of 61 year old delivery truck driver, Jorge Blanco, from the Village of Yo Creek in the Orange Walk District who was traveling back home to Orange Walk after a day of business in the city. The incident happened near the village of Sand Hill in the Belize District, at mile nineteen on the Philip Goldson Highway to be exact. Our news team comprised of Maria Novelo and Cameraman Jesus Melgar has the story.
Maria Novelo – Reporting
This pool of blood on the Philip Goldson Highway marks the spot where 61 year old Jorge Blanco laid mortally wounded. The Yo Creek resident and father of 3 was returning from Belize City around midday today driving a truck accompanied by his employers, Abraham Penner and his two sons of Shipyard Village. And in just a few seconds as they crossed this pedestrian ramp in Sandhill, tragedy struck. It is alleged that the culprits robbed Blanco and his travelling mates of almost ten thousand dollars in cash that was contained in a bag. Abraham Penner told us what he witnessed.
Caye Caulker Chronicles
Caye Caulker Chronicles is looking for help
Caye Caulker Chronicles is looking for someone who is willing to volunteer their time with keeping the Caye Caulker Chronicles up to date. Anyone interested can email [email protected] for more information. (Caye Caulker Residents Only)
It was another great Halloween in San Pedro
We started out at Pedro’s Hotel annual pimp n ho party for some live music with the Cover Ups, this is always a good party to start the night before heading into town. As I mentioned in my Rainy day Belize City shopping post, I was in it to win it for a prize and I walked away with a $100 gift certificate for Red Ginger Restaurant at the Phoenix Resort. That was a great way to start the night and as soon as the prizes were handed out we all headed to town for the main event.
Every year Caprice Bar at the Holiday Hotel hosts the island’s biggest Halloween bash and costume competition, it’s always guaranteed to be a good time. As always the famous red carpet was rolled out for the party and the street was packed with people watching the costumes arrive. DJ Dzl kept the crowd dancing and the bartenders were super busy all night long.
2013 Halloween in San Pedro, Belize is HUGE Once Again – Plan for Next Year
If you are a fan of Halloween or just amazing parties, San Pedro Belize is the place for you to celebrate the holiday. As always, the biggest party is at the down town Holiday Hotel and this year, the costumes were as elaborate and creative as ever. The intermittent rain did not keep the crowds away.
I honestly don’t know why this town is not FLOODED with tourists at the end of October. It totally should be. Holiday Hotel is the HUGE party but there are many many more. Halloween Belize style is the real deal.
My buddy GingerScoop (this time aka Princess Fiona of the Shrek group) attended the big bash and took some amazing pics for me. Check them out…
Kevin and Krista look amazing.Jackie and Adam of Casa Picasso…a real life Yin and Yang.
Chaa Creek Congratulates Andres Ponce
The Management of The Lodge at Chaa Creek takes this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Andres Ponce for winning 2nd Place in the National Bartender Competition that was held in Belize City on October 25th 2013.
According to Andres, he had to prepare three signature drinks to secure the 2nd place position. The drinks he created were:A tropical Ru a Rita which was layered with Pitaya and Mango, a Kumquat Caipirinha which is named Katryna and a Mmystery drink with slippery banana and ancient barrel.
The competition was sponsored by Travellers Liquor, Smart and Tropi Gas.
Andres has been working at Chaa Creek for the past two years as a senior bartender.
Heavy rainfall causing localized flooding
The National Emergency Management Organization hereby informs the general public that heavy rainfall from a cold front that’s passing over the Yucatan is causing localized flooding across certain parts of the country. This is expected to continue within the next 48 hours. NEMO is monitoring and responding to the affected areas.
CAYO DISTRICT
Roaring Creek is rising fast and will likely flood the Roaring Creek Bridge and low-lying areas in the village of Roaring Creek.
In Arizona, Teakettle at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Friday 25TH October 2013 the Teakettle Creek rose and flooded out which affected about eight families.
Maya Mopan, Belmopan is experiencing flooding which has affected several families. The Belmopan City Council deployed a team to provide assistance to people.
- See more at: http://bigmedicine.ca/wordpress/2013/10/belize-heavy-rainfall-causing-localized-flooding/#sthash.bjy5Wfvh.dpuf
International Sources
Calamity Calling: A GlobalPost investigation into global climate change
Forget the debate over climate change. Calamity is already upon us. A yearlong GlobalPost investigation assesses the damage from the Amazon, to Africa, to the Gobi, Greenland and beyond. Listen carefully to what the world's climate experts are saying.
Their latest report on global climate change is — quite literally — a list of climatic calamities.
Here's a sample, with italics added for emphasis:
"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia."
"Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1,400 years."
We've also examined the impact of climate change on coastal regions and sea life, including the disappearing beaches of the Mexican tourist mecca of Cancun and the dying coral reefs off the coast of Belize.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
