Today's Belize News: March 11, 2014

Print Thread

Today's Belize News: March 11, 2014 #487797 03/11/14 05:28 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,392 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV3 Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials The San Pedro Sun San Pedro RC hosts Cultural Day Fair On Friday March 7th, The San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School held their Annual Cultural Day Fair. The various cultural groups represented included the Mestizo, East Indian, Maya, Creole, Mennonite, Garinagu among others. Parents were invited to the campus to observe each group from each division's display booths on the various cultures that depicted the history and lifestyle of each as assigned to them. Child Stimulation Month opens with Pre-school Sports Day Child Stimulation Month is here once again and the various pre-schools of San Pedro opened their calendar of events on Friday, March 7th with a fun sports day at the beach. This year's celebrations are being held under the theme "Early Childhood: Where Our Future Begins". The pre-schools were divided into two groups that simultaneously held sports events in two different locations. San Pedro Pre-school and Little Angel's Pre-school teamed gathered at Boca del Rio Park while ABC Pre-school, Brighter Tomorrow Pre-school and Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) Pre-school held their sporting activities at Central Park. It was a day of fun in the sun, and parents joined their children in playing fun games, such as tug and war, three legged race, wheelbarrow race and much more. Afterwards, the children enjoyed delicious healthy snacks and refreshing drinks. Belize Forest Department celebrated World Wildlife Day On Monday, March 3rd the Belize Forest Department (BFD) celebrated the first ever World Wildlife Day in a big way. The celebrations were held under the portfolio of the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development to raise awareness and promote conservation of the world's wild fauna and flora. In Belize, fauna and flora play a key role in economy, in fact it is one of the main aspects of Belize's Ecotourism. As such it is very important that they cared for and protected. As a result, BFD announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ACES, the Belize Bird Rescue, Wild Tracks and the Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic. The MOU outlines the efforts and collaborations that the groups will partake in conserving and fostering Belize's wildlife. La Ruta Maya A few final shots of the paddlers as they made it through the final leg of the race. Westrac crossed the line first, but the cumulative time gave the Belize Bank Bulldogs the big win! (4 photos) Misc Belizean Sources Wildlife Protection Act of Belize The Belize Forest Department will be present during the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge 2014. We are geared towards bringing awareness to the general public and enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act of Belize. Thanking the communities along the Belize River Valley and the General Public in advance for their kind cooperation and we encourage everyone to comply with the laws of Belize. Hunting and Dealing Licenses: FISHING REPORT: Week of March 1 - 8, 2014 Spring is in the air�and that means time to plan your tarpon fishing! This from Andy Mill's, "A Passion for Tarpon." "There's nothing more simultaneously exciting and nerve-racking than hooking the fish of your dreams. There are countless nights of tying fresh knots, designing new flies, massaging tackle. Hell, our lives are driven by passion and love, memories and dreams. But we are also driven by work, triaffic, bills, phones, e-mail and all the other things we race away from to get to the rivers, oceans or mountains. We are rarely more keenly alive than when something to which we've dedicated so much of our energy and attention comes to fruition. Or failure." Moments I Can Never Forget Moments I Can Never Forget High school life has been the most remarkable and energetic moments in my entire life. Being at high school provided an excellent medium as a student to engage myself in fun filled and beneficial activities. Although I faced many difficulties and problems, it was through these that I learnt to become a more esteemed person. My academic life was very successful since I demonstrated a keen interest in my studies. The ultimate goal for my dedication towards academics was to attain a justifiable honor at the end of my high school era. At school, many students saw me as their "star" role model. Sunny skies this holiday Monday Mainly fair and warm conditions are dominating factor in our weather this Baron Bliss Day holiday. Similar conditions will continue for most of this week. The general forecast for Belize and her coastal waters is for sunny skies with a few cloudy periods. Tonight will be partly cloudy. Winds over the open sea and along the coast will be easterly at five to fifteen knots. The sea state will be choppy. High temperatures today will range from 86 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast, to 92 degrees Fahrenheit inland. It will be a comfortable 78 degrees Fahrenheit up in the hills. Low temperatures tonight will be around 73 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast; 68 degrees Fahrenheit inland a cool 64 degrees Fahrenheit up at the exposed areas of the Mountain Pine Ridge and along the Maya Mountains in the south. BELIZE ~ THE NATIONAL BUDGET 2014-15 COMMENTARY (by Richard Harrison) This week the Government of Belize read its 33 proposed annual budget for the nation, after political Independence in 1981. The proposed TOTAL REVENUES & GRANTS should increase from around $900 million, to around $956 million�.a growth of 6.2%. The proposed TOTAL EXPENDITURES will grow from around $974 million, to around $1,013 million�.a growth of 4%. Thus financing will be required to bridge a deficit of around $57 million�..which when combined with loan amortization of $69 million, total financing of around $126 million is required. Ride to the Reef Pictures The Cycling Federation of Belize took 100's of pictures from the race. Benque Animal Health Clinic The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic and the Institute for Sustainable International Studies teamed up to provide a vet clinic at Cancha Marshalleck. Thanks, ISIS and BWRC! "The whole town went to the dogs this morning......had a busy Community Animal Heath Clinic." View The Results of The 2014 Belikin La Ruta Maya Spanish Lookout buzzing with activity It is a Public and Bank Holiday in Belize, the official celebration of Heroes and Benefactors Day which this year fell on a Sunday. The holiday was known previously as Baron Bliss Day in honor of Belize's greatest public benefactor Baron Bliss. But while most Belizeans are out celebrating or spending the day with family at some waterside or exotic destination, the mennonite community of Spanish Lookout is open for business. Tractors are busy in the fields preparing for planting or harvesting; the school buildings are open and children are learning; sawmills are busy putting out lumber and just about every ot Clash of the Titans Clash of the Titans By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez Is it King Kong vs Godzilla? Flexing of muscles or an expression of anger When the Catholic bishop expressed his church's non support For the Special Envoy and Women's Department 20,000 Women rally effort Quoting the Pope Man, Belize is heading down a slippery slope This one is surely no joke! Does the layman and woman Truly understand how the bishop's stand will impact the nation? Knowing that the PM is a vindictive man And can be misinterpreted that the bishop diss di the First Lady's plan His government is running a perceived Anglican ministry of education That is responsible for giving schools subventions Is this a war of religions? Western Ballaz Defeat No Limit The Western Ballaz defeated the Belize City No Limt by one point: 74-73. The Western Ballaz will be hosting the Toledo Diplomats this Friday, March 14th. The warm up game will be SHC vs. Ladyville. The Western Ballaz will be travelling to UB to play the Belmopan Bandits on Thursday, March 20th. Thanks to Adma's Photography for the great pictures. The Western Ballaz got some great pictures too. Belize Bank Bulldogs Win LRM The Belize Bank Bulldogs won La Ruta Maya with a total time of 17:25:13. Congratulations, Bulldogs! NICH took 2nd place. Bread Bowl I used the same recipe that I used to make the Baguette to make 2 round loaves. Just a simple cut out at the top to make a lid and remove the inside of the bread and voila we have a bowl made out of bread. I put chili inside my bread bowl, but you can put any type of soup or dip. Video: BTL & Belize Bank Race for the Finish @ Henderson Bank RAW EXCLUSIVE footage from the close of Day -Three of the Belikin La Ruta Maya River Challenge. If you didn't see it live, then YOU SAW IT HERE Video: Rencontre avec des dauphins au Belize Une belle rencontre avec des dauphins pendant une plong�e au Belize avec Phocea Mexico. Video: I had A Dream of Belize Belize is a very rich country and new in the production of oil in which many people can benefit from it because it is a natural wealth and we should all enjoy the benefits and wealth of such natural blessing in our country. Unity is strength. Let's all join hands and think as one. One mind One Country Our Destiny. Long Live the People of Belize!! Video: Caribbean squid Video: View of the ramp area at Belize City airport Belize City airport Video: Cane juicer in Belize This is a 1906 cane juicing machine. Come and see it work for yourself. Video: Finish of La Ruta Maya Video: Belize In America on tour in Belize - Pedestrian Artisan in Placencia, Belize Video: Snorkelling near Placencia Belize During our recent stay at the Green-Parrot resort in Maya Beach, Belize, the resort manager arranged the most amazing snorkelling trip I have ever been on. The plant and animal life was incredible! Aside from the usual variety of fish, we saw nurse sharks, lemon sharks, loggerhead turtles, eagle-rays, stingrays and a thick forest of colorful coral and plant life. Truly an amazing experience! There were about 15 of us who snorkelled that day and from the novices to the seasoned veterans, we were all amazed by what we saw. CTV3 2014 Is A Year Of Miracles For GOB Says P.M Among the Prime Ministers several administrations public contentions is the salary adjustments to teachers and public officers. Today, in the budget presentation, Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that government will come through and this salary increase is on the way for teachers. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize "Teachers and public officers with this budget, this budget Mr. Speaker are receiving the nectar of a not less than 5% of salary increase on top of the annual 2.5% increment, all together this translates up to around 34 million dollars more that this government is finding just this year alone for its employees. Truly 2014 is a sort of anus mirabilis, a year of miracles, under this United Democratic Party government, unfortunately notwithstanding government extra ordinary munificence there seems to be in some quarters in gratitude sharper than a serpents tooth but we will not allow that to rain on our grand raise of pay parade." CEMJC Beautifies Corozal Bay A joint initiative with CEMJC and the Corozal Town Board for the beautification of the Corozal Bay is currently underway in that municipality. It's a project being undertaken by the students for their sustainable tourism course. Lisbet Cabral - Tourism Lecturer at the Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College told us more. Lisbet Cabral - Tourism Lecturer, CEMJC "Really what we are aiming for is to really make Corozal more of a tourist destination as well as to give back to our environment and we believe that making that possible we need to attract people and we need to excite them and making them want to come and so what more is better than do to beautify our biggest asset to the sea." Rene Montero Talks Sugar Roads As we have been reporting over the last months, one of the major problems within the sugar industry has been the deplorable conditions of the sugar roads that have made sugar cane deliveries a lot more difficult. Reports were that at least ninety percent of sugar roads were in very bad conditions and during the rains some of these roads were impassable. Towards the end of 2013, the government committed to allocate 2.7 million dollars towards the rehabilitation of these roads, and today at the request of Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceno, Minister of Works and Transport, Rene Montero gave an update on those works. In the Corozal District, one million one hundred fifty thousand dollars were allocated of which over eight hundred thousand was spent. Things Get Heated Inside And Outside The House Over Land Matters Following the adjournment of today's House Sitting, one of the hot pressed matters raised was surrounding land matters. This was made by Cayo South representative Julius Espat who raised concerns over land distribution in Cotton Tree. Julius Espat - Area Representative, Cayo South "Mr. Speaker the residence of Cotton Tree is concern, there is a land distribution, a property that the government is dividing into lots, it is 111acres, it will give approximately 254 lots and we know this Mr. Speaker, because the residence of Cotton Tree went to the lands department and they spoke to a high level official in the ministry and they went because they wanted to find out how is it that they could apply for one of these lots. We were informed Mr. Speaker and the chairman of Cotton Tree is here along with some of his councilors, we were informed that this land is a government project and the 254 lot have already been given out and they are all to residence of Belize City specifically to Port Loyola Area. Ministry Of Natural Resources And Agriculture Appoints New CEO A new Chief Executive Officer has been appointed for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture. Sharon Ramclam will now oversee operations for the Department of Lands & Survey, Hydrology, Mining, Policy Coordination and Planning Unit, and Solid Waste Management Authority. A release from the Ministry says that Ramclam possesses more than 16 years' experience in the natural resource profession and brings both private and public sector management experience to the Ministry. P.M Says There Will Be No Early Elections There has been much speculation surrounding possible early elections due to the numerous scandals that have plagued Prime Minister Dean Barrow's administration. Add to this the Prime Minister's earnest interview as to the damage these controversies have brought his administration. Today however, he laid those questions to rest as he declared that his government is prepared to continue working throughout their term. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize "The mandate of this administration is five years, we have every intention and what is, more we have every ability to fully discharge that mandate. And discharge it we will, because the majority that I speak of is not just the majority in the house it is the majority in the country made up of all those that have benefitted and are benefitting from UDP social justice, from UDP nationalism, from UDP jobs and from UDP opportunities for the poor. Blogs "Many Rivers to Cross' in Belize. I've done a bit more weeding - in fact I think I probably did no more than pull up the weeds that have grown since I last weeded, no fresh ground cleared- and I've painted some more of the fence. I washed the golf cart - so much easier since getting a hose pipe! I have not unsurprisingly continued to enjoy my 'me time' on the veranda early morning and I've made the trip to Estel's a couple of times but it hasn't been a 'stand out' week if you know what I mean. You know one of those weeks where you feel, in fact you know, that you've accomplished something. OK, so Rose and I,flushed with the success of gaining our Masters (boat captain) Licenses, did spend some time making our first foray in to trying to find a boat to buy. And the obvious place to start our 'window shopping' was at Captain Shark's boatyard in the DFC area. Belize photographers share their best photos of 2013 by Lorenzo Gonzalez of BelizeAdventure.com At the beginning of this year I reached out to a few of the top photographers in Belize and asked them to feature their best photographs of 2013. I soon found out that it's hard to ask a photographer to quickly narrow down their favourite photos on a random request, especially during Belize's high tourism season. After some time they finally got back to me and now I can share with you the lovely photos. Penner on the Run, Police to File Complaint on Tuesday "i have been elected by the people to serve them under the UDP and I will continue to serve my area to the best of my ability." That was disgraced former immigration Minister Elvin Penner to Jules Vasquez of Channel 7 on Thursday, September 19th, 2013. Six months later, it seems that Penner has had to bail on that commitment. On that day, a release from the Office of Prime Minister Dean Barrow informed the nation that Penner had been sacked because he (Penner) "did not discharge his responsibilities with either the due judgement and balance, or the scrupulous regard for appearances which the Prime Minister demands of all his Ministers." Whose appearance Penner failed to be scrupulous about? That was jailed South Korean, Won Hong Kim who was detained in a Taiwanese prison for violating the immigration laws of that island nation. He had allegedly illegally entered Taiwan in an effort to avoid embezzlement charges in his native, South Korea. Taiwan and South Korea do not have an extradition treaty therefore Kim may have calculated that if he entered Taiwan, he could escape facing charges on a multi-million dollar embezzlement charge in his country. Dry Rice and Beans Served to Women at Kim Simplis' 20,000 Strong March According to history, slave masters ate the best part of the pig and then gave the parts they didn't want to their slaves - thus why descendants of slaves to this day eat pigtail and pig snout (nose). Whether true of not, similar scenario played out that last Thursday's 20,000 Strong march held under the auspices of the Prime Minister's wife, Kim Simplis-Barrow. From the get-go, the event was all sorts of wrong. First Simplis-Barrow could not articulate what exactly the March was about, except to say that it was to empower women�.then gee�we here at NBZLive are wondering how does marching in the broiling heat of the sun after being bussed in from various parts of the country "empower women?" Perhaps tired of Simplis' charades the Catholic Church issued a release criticizing the march because it excluded men and ignored their contribution. The event, it was said was more a smoke screen to promote the government's gender policy which has been heavily criticized by Belize's Christian community. International Sources Chiquita to Buy Fyffes Creating Biggest Banana Supplier Chiquita Brands International Inc., (CQB) owner of the namesake banana label, agreed to buy Ireland's Fyffes Plc (FFY) to create the world's biggest supplier of the fruit for about 403 million euros ($559 million). The merger would make ChiquitaFyffes the world's No. 1 supplier of bananas, catapulting it past Dole Food Co. David McCann, currently Fyffes's executive chairman, will become chief executive of the new company, while Chiquita's chief executive, Ed Lonergan, will be chairman. The new company is positioned to exploit growing global demand for bananas, supported by improvements to shipping which allow the yellow fruit to stay fresh for longer. Exports of bananas increased by 7.3% in 2012 to an all-time high of 16.5 million tons, according to the United Nations. Giant virus comes back to life after 30,000 years While it lacks the fear factor of the discovery that set the fictional Jurassic Park in motion, there's still some cause for concern about what lies frozen deep in the Siberian permafrost. According to a team of French scientists, an ancient virus has "come back to life" after lying dormant for at least 30,000 years. The virus was found frozen and harmless in a deep layer of the Siberian permafrost. It nevertheless became infectious again after it had thawed. While researchers say the contagion poses no danger to humans or animals, other more deadly pathogens could be unleashed as the ground becomes exposed. Guyana trying to tie up small rice opening in Belize With a large amount of rice on hand from bumper harvests, Guyana is trying to sew up a small market in Belize and aiming elsewhere. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has been thrust into the responsibility of marketing Guyana's rice overseas according to the General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association (RPA), Dharamkumar Seeraj. Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental Now Open in Belize Enterprise Holdings has announced the March opening of new international airport and neighborhood franchise locations for its Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands. Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental will serve customers at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport and in Belize City, Belize. Alamo Rent A Car will also open a location serving Peru's Jorge Chavez International Airport, as well as two locations in Turks & Caicos in Providenciales and at Providenciales International Airport. All locations are offering grand opening promotions in celebration. Available on qualifying minimum six-day car rentals, specific country offers include: Belize: From March 31 through May 30, both Alamo and National locations will offer up to a $25 discount off weekly rentals. National customers can use coupon code: ND9357KRT; and Alamo customers can use coupon code: AD2894HED. Chiquita-Fyffes merger creates new top banana The two form the world's biggest banana supplier. Yes, they have more bananas. Fruit supply companies Chiquita of the United States and Fyffes of Ireland said Monday they had agreed to merge to create the world's biggest banana supplier. The all-shares agreement means the two companies will become ChiquitaFyffes PLC, to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange and be headquartered in Dublin, a more tax-efficient corporate base. The companies said the deal, which requires shareholder and regulatory approval in Ireland and the United States, would generate $40 million in pre-tax savings through more efficient operations. Treaty Energy Corporation Retains Oil & Gas Industry Strategic Development Consulting Service Treaty Energy Corporation (OTCQB: TECO), a growth-oriented international energy company, today announced it has retained Inspire Energy Services effective March 10, 2014 to conduct a full review of the Company's oil and gas operations and assets to further develop and enhance the Company's on-going oil and gas strategy. Inspire is a group of petroleum engineers and business development experts who advise small public and private companies seeking investment in operated and non-operated oil and gas exploration. The consultants review reserves and recommend reserve value, property acquisition and financing strategy as well as direct operational efficiency. Inspire Energy Services advocates to management framing in reasonable stock price targets and works to disseminate that information through the management to the Company's current and potential investors. Book Review: 'Mother Nature Is Trying to Kill You' First a word on the author. Riskin is a evolutionary biologist who specializes in bats. That's right, he's a bat doctor. Don't you wish you knew that this was an actual career option before wasting all that time wanting to be a fireman/astronaut/cowboy? You might even recognize Dr. Riskin from Animal Planet's "Monsters Inside Me," which he hosts. This isn't a book for the frail of heart or the easily nauseated. Dr. Riskin introduces his tome with a graphic description of an experience he had with a botfly that had lodged itself in his head during a bat-finding trip to Belize. From that point on things only get more cringeworthy. So if phrases like "chest-bursting parasitic larvae" and "convoluted duck vaginas" cause you to instinctively fan yourself against an onset of the vapors, this isn't the book for you. But Dr. Riskin doesn't gratuitously dish out horrific and disgusting factlets merely for shock value. He makes the case that what may seem horrific on first impression can become fascinating when viewed in context, and sometimes even beautiful. CARICOM Leaders Discuss Regional Issues Leaders from the 14 state members of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) today discuss here at the 25th Intersectional Meeting on new strategies to boost economic growth and development in the region. The two-day meeting agenda includes issues such as human resources development in the Community, Information and Communication Technology, economic growth and sustainable development and climate change. According to Caricom, head of states will receive preliminary reports of that Economy and Transport Commission. Participants in the meeting will also debate on the therapy use of marijuana, an issue in the Caribbean during the last months. Ancient Maya Live Again at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science The largest exhibition about the ancient Maya ever to be displayed in the United States is running from February 14 to August 24, 2014 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed uses a combination of never-before-seen artifacts, hands-on activities and immense walk-in environments to explore the rise, accomplishments and eventual decline of the ancient cities of the Maya. At their height, the Maya developed an incredible system of roads and built huge cities filled with gigantic stone temples. They developed astronomy, created one of the world's most accurate 365-day calendars, conceived a new system of mathematics and invented a hieroglyphic form of writing. They were even able to make rubber and invented one of the world's first team sports -- a popular ball game that involved putting a rubber ball through a ring. It was a game that could literally mean life, or death, for the team players and the fans, as the losers were often sacrificed. Diving with the biggest shark in the deepest hole The Great Blue Hole is known to be one of the world's top ten dive sites, dubbed by the famous Jacques Cousteau, who discovered it in 1971. I along with many other divers would not disagree. It is here, even as a Dive Master, I have experienced one of the best days of diving ever. Belize is a little country in Central America; it's located on the southeastern side of Central America, just below the most eastern part of Mexico and fronting the Caribbean Sea. I spent 5 days just off the coast on an Island called Ambergris Caye, which is just north of another amazing island named Caye Caulker, famous for its super chilled vibe. From either of these two Islands you can take tours out to dive or snorkel the famous Blue Hole. The day tour that I took consisted of 3 dives, which I will never for the life of me forget. Our first dive was into the Great Blue Hole,