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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

Doctor Love: Couple's Fight
Readers, please send your letters. They can be emails, formal letters or handwritten notes. They are edited solely for grammar and spelling. Also, they are sometimes edited for length. Dear Doctor Love, My boyfriend had been living with me for a year and a half when he broke up with me. He is 26 and [�]

Wolfe's Woofer: The Beautiful Widow
"Ah, Mr. Dennis. It is good to see you se�or." "Reuben, it is good to see you, too," I said. "Thanks for letting me stay in your little house." "The little house is for my son," Reuben said. "He's working in Mexico right now but I know he wouldn't mind you staying for a week." [�]

Police Report
On Wednesday, April 16th, Nadir Nu�ez, 55-year-old San Pedro Traffic Warden, reported to the San Pedro Police that while out patrolling town core on Pescador Drive, he heard a person insulting him with vulgar words. Nu�ez approached the person, identified as Justo Francisco Mar, and confronted him. Mar responded by punching Nu�ez on the left cheek. Mar continued to attack Nu�ez, who fought back to defend himself. Nu�ez immediately called for backup, but Mar fled the area. Nu�ez has requested court action. Police have since formally arrested and charged Justo Francisco Mar, 38, for wounding.

Misc Belizean Sources

Murder in San Pedro town
A shooting incident in San Pedro town on Saturday night claimed the life of one man. The victim has been identified as Dennis Palacio, also known as Chingy. Reports from San Pedro say the shooting happened around 11:30 pm on Saturday in the San Juan Area. Palacio, according to reports, sustained four gunshot wounds. Police investigations continue.

Daniel Silva wins PUP convention in Cayo Central
San Ignacio businessman Daniel Silva today won the Cayo Central convention and is the new standard bearer for the People's United Party (PUP) in that division. A total of 1,933 persons voted in today's convention. Daniel Silva garnered 1,426 votes, while Luke Espat obtained 487 votes. There were 19 spoiled ballots. The hotly contested convention was held at the Santa Elena Roman Catholic primary school in Santa Elena town. Some observers note that when the polls closed at 5 pm and when the counting started just after 6 pm, Silva jumped out in front and never looked back, easily winning the convention. The atmosphere around the convention venue was like that of a general election. When he spoke with reporters just before the announcement of the official figures, Espat said that it was a hard-fought convention.

Belize Sweet Potato vs Irish Potato Production Industries
"Potato (Solanum tuberosum) originated some 8,000 years ago in high-altitude tropical areas of Peru, where a staggering 5,500 cultivated varieties have been developed by generations of farmers. Taken by the Spanish to Europe in the 16th century, the tuber quickly adapted to northern growing conditions and soon became a staple food at a time of rapid population growth. From Europe it spread further across the globe: today potatoes are grown on an estimated 180,000 sq km of farmland, ranging from China's Yunnan plateau and the subtropical lowlands of India, to Java's equatorial highlands and the steppes of the Ukraine. Potatoes are also crucial to the food security of hundreds of millions of people in the developing world, where annual consumption has risen from 9 kg/capita in 1961-63 to around 21kg today. While potato output has declined in Europe, growth is so strong in developing countries - notably China and India - that global production has nearly doubled over the last 20 years. Since the early 1960s, FAO says, the increase in the production area dedicated to potatoes in the developing world has outstripped that of all other food commodities, and by 2020 demand for potato is expected to be double that of 1993.

Belize can save over a billion dollars by becoming more energy efficient
Switching to energy efficient equipment can save the Government millions of dollars in electricity, says the Ministry of Energy Science and Technology and Public Utilities. Referencing preliminary findings from a study conducted last year by consultants, Project Manager for renewable energy projects in the Ministry of Energy, Jorge Aldana said the preliminary findings have targeted key areas where substitutions can be made to decrease energy intensity. From 2012 to 2033, Belize can save an estimated $1.6254 billion, in electricity, just by becoming more energy efficient, Aldana explained.

Corozal Police Report
DRUG TRAFFICKING: At around 3:00 a.m. Sunday April 27th Corozal Police were on mobile patrol in the south end area, Corozal Town, where their attention was drawn to a male person of dark complexion dressed in black t-shirt and green short pants acting suspicious after seeing the Police. As a result, the mobile patrol stopped and a searched was conducted on the said male person for illegal drugs and firearm. A search on the left front pants pocket and left upper arm pit, lead to the discovery of two transparent parcels containing green leafy vegetable substance suspected to be cannabis. The male person was informed of the offence committed, cautioned and placed under arrest. The Suspected drugs along with the accused were then taken to the Corozal Police Station. The male person identified himself as 43 year old Dalkeith Leslie, Laborer of Dangriga Town, Stann Creek District. The suspected drug was then weighed in his presence which amounted to 453.5 grams of cannabis. He was subsequently arrested and charged for the offence of drug trafficking.

Earth Day Clean Up Campaign
Earth Day Clean Up Campaign under scorching conditions but a huge success. Earth Day was commemorated, yesterday April 26th". Friends of Corozal United for Sustainability (FOCUS) heads the "Adopt the Corozal Green Mile" trash clean-up campaign. Women, children and residents from all sectors of Corozal, including the Corozal Police Cadets, Corozal Junior College, Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico (ESTM) started Earth Day's trash clean-up campaign from the northern border Santa Elena in Corozal to the southern boundary in Buena Vista Village on the Phillip Goldson Highway (formerly Northern Highway). After the clean-up activity was completed around 11:30 a.m., participants met at in Mangrove Park, Finca Solana area where there were invited speakers, food, prizes and an educational tour to finalize the day's activities to express appreciation to the participating working groups.

Passion of the Christ
Some powerful pictures from the Passion of the Christ re-enactment procession which went through Benque last week. "Benque Viejo Passion Play images. Not much to say, images speak for themselves. Beautifully created, well directed, passionately acted.... gets better every year. Please feel free to share and tag someone you know. Photography courtesy Subrata Basu."

BBG Professional Gardeners' Programme
The Belize Botanic Garden is gearing up to offer another Profession Gardeners' Programme. It starts on May 26th, the classes are free, and they are looking for 12 students. Contact Natalie at [email protected] for more information. There is also a webpage with more information. The current class finishes on May 23rd. They recently installed a garden at the little bus stop along the George Price Highway at the Chial Road turnoff.

Belmopan Football Awards
The Belmopan City Council had an awards night for the Belmopan Football Association Executive and the coaches of the Kids Cup. The 33 coaches were also given awards for their hard work and dedication to the youth. Congratulations! Album 1, 2, 3.

DAN SILVA WINS CONVENTION (5 photos)
San Ignacio businessman Daniel Silva today won the Cayo Central convention and is the new standard bearer for the People's United Party (PUP) in that division. A total of 1,933 persons voted in today's convention. Daniel Silva garnered 1,426 votes, while Luke Espat obtained 487 votes. There were 19 spoiled ballots.

The Reporter

Cadets take part in sports day
Police Cadets from rural Belize are today taking part in a day of sporting events. The event is taking place at the Elton Gillett Park in Burrell Boom Village and has the participation of 125 youths from Hattieville, Ladyville, Bermudian Landing and Burrell Boom. Winning teams will receive trophies at the end of the day's event, which culminates at 6 p.m.

Belize looks to Trinidad for technical advice with oil find
The Government of Belize has issued a formal request to the Trinidadian prime minister for assistance in extracting the hard-to-reach oil discovered a month ago in northern Belize, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said Friday. Barrow told reporters that he has reached out to prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to ask her to authorize a team from Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Petrotrin), the 21-year-old state-owned oil company that operates that country's single petroleum refinery, to travel to Belize and advise Maranco Limited of the optimal extraction methods to employ. "I thought that perhaps their experts would be able to advise us; give us a better handle on what exactly it would take to get at the oil�.[that is] lodged in rock formations that are not very porous," he said. Although Bissessar is yet to respond, Barrow said he expects a favorable response from Belize's "sister Caricom country", and he went as far to say that he suspects that Bissessar's government may even choose to "finance the mounting of the mission to Belize" themselves.

Chikungunya virus confirmed in Antigua
Antigua has reported its first case of Chikungunya, an Aedes aegypti mosquito-borne disease that causes a dengue-like sickness. On Friday Antigua and Barbuda health officials revealed that the first patient is a man in his mid 60's. Dr. Orita Zachariah, the Antiguan Medical Officer of Health, said that the case was detected on April 22 and the patient works in the capital, St. John's. The health authorities say they are also awaiting test results from the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) of four other suspected cases. The report came less than 24 hours after Saint Vincent and the Grenadines confirmed that they have an outbreak of the virus.

Popes John Paul II and John XXIII declared saints
Popes John Paul II and John XXIII are now saints. Pope Francis declared the deceased pontiffs saints today at Saint Peter's Square in Rome in front of hundreds of thousands watching worldwide. He praised his two predecessors as "men of courage" during the historic canonisation. This is the first time that two popes have been declared saints in one day. Pope Emeritus Benedict, who resigned in that capacity one year ago was present to witness the event, as were roughly 100 foreign delegations. The Vatican estimated some 800,000 pilgrims to be present to see the two-hour ceremony first-hand. Huge screens were installed at strategic points in the city to accommodate those who couldn't make it into Saint Peter's Square.

Youth drowns in Macal River
A 14 year-old boy reportedly drowned in the Macal River on Saturday. The Reporter understands that 14 year old Jonathan Requena went swimming along with another youth around two p.m. and that while swimming, he began experiencing problems. Requena's friend has reported that he and other youths nearby retrieved him and attempted to perform CPR but their efforts were futile. Police are investigating. Requena's drowning brings to four the number of drownings that have occurred in the Macal in April alone.

Post mortem certifies woman died of natural causes; community not convinced
The post mortem examination on Myra Miller, 68, certifies that she died of brain damage due to natural cause, much to the surprise of fellow residents of Boston Village, Old Northern Highway. The villagers point to several "unexplained scenarios" at Miller's home where she was discovered on Good Friday evening for their reaction to the autopsy results. They question the wounds/injuries on her head and over her body, the window that was "pried" open, her missing dvd player, and when they found the deceased widow, she kept saying it was "the man" who had caused her harm. The police, meantime, are still continuing with their investigations into the death of the Jamaican retiree, and some of her neighbours have vowed to carry out their own investigations. Chairman of Boston Village, Victor Cortez, who was also Miller's neighbour, was one of the first persons by her side following her discovery. He is not one bit convinced by the findings. Cortez responded to a comment on his Facebook page following the autopsy results, "you bet i will not let this one go off so easy".

Police cadets shine during weekend disciplines
A number of youths who make up the rural Police Cadet units in the Belize District won awards for excelling in sporting events on Saturday. They received medals and trophies in each of the disciplines. In football, the Ladyville Cadets won first place while the Hattieville Cadets claimed second prize. Michael Flowers of the Ladyville Cadets earned an award for scoring the most goals and Joseph Seguro of the Burrell Boom Cadets snagged the Most Valued Player title. Shawn Flores of the Ladyville Cadets too home a prize as the Best Gold Keeper. After several innings in the sport of softball, River Valley Cadets captured first, while Hattieville Cadets placed second. Winford Broaster of River Valley won the MVP title. In basketball, the Ladyville Cadets conquered the Hattiville Cadetsto place first. Allen Anderson from the Ladyville team took home the prize as the MVP, and his teammates, Michael Flowers and Allen Anderson earned the awards for Best Defensive and Best Offensive Players respectively.

San Ignacio Market to receive upgrade
After only a few years since its construction, the San Ignacio Town market is about to receive an aesthetical upgrade. San Ignacio Mayor John August told The Reporter that his municipality is in the process of receiving the gift of US $65,000, which will be invested in a food court, awnings to protect shoppers from the elements, and technical training for vendors on hygiene and packaging. An added feature will be the development of a farmers' manual to guide them on how to conduct their day-to-day business.

Blogs

Honeymoon For One Please: A Blissful 24 Hours at Portofino Beach Resort, Ambergris Caye
One night in the honeymoon suite at the gorgeous Portofino Resort - as you can imagine, I was pretty excited. Portofino is located 6 miles north on Ambergris Caye along a pretty gorgeous stretch of beach and even more gorgeous reef and snorkelling area called Mexico Rocks. I was greeted at the dock with ice cold eucalyptus wash clothes and cocktails. Love. Portofino is what I love in a resort in Belize. You KNOW that you are in Belize. Beautiful Belizean hard woods, palapas, fabrics and arts. This spot is so tastefully done. So many pictures�so much gushing�I know! But I am absolutely in love with Portofino. So charming, so personalized, so beautiful. AND, another way to my heart, the best internet service I've experience at any hotel or resort in Belize.

"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Let's go back a bit. I got up this morning at the place I'm staying at for four weeks to greet John (he's the less attractive one out of the two people I'm staying with) when he came out if his bedroom. I gave him the old tail wagging routine to make him feel like I missed him, let him stroke me, wagged my tail some more and then we headed downstairs. He then went into the room that they call the kitchen (I'm not allowed in there) where he put some brown stuff in a mug, poured boiling water over it (strange,very strange), grabbed his (they have 'him' and 'hers') iPad and went out onto the veranda with me following him. And that's when it all started. I heard him muttering something about it being Sunday - a day of rest - and how he felt like taking a break from, as he put it, "knocking out an edition for the blog". He also mentioned something about watching the Liverpool v Chelsea game before turning to me and saying "It's about time you did something for your keep. You can churn out today's edition". So there you are, for today's offering you have the pleasure - and I mean PLEASURE (I'm a modern blogger so I like the use of caps) - of me.

International Sources

Sugar Production Gains Traction as Jamaica, Guyana Lead the Way
The chairman of the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, Karl James, says that after a slow start to the 2013/2014 sugar crop, the production of sugar in the Caribbean is gaining momentum. According to the SAC, Jamaica led the way in regional sugar production in March with 37,990 metric tons, followed closely by Guyana with 37,794 metric tons. Belize recorded production of 23,767 metric tons and Barbados totaled 1,788 metric tons. The SAC says for the current crop, the region has supplied 151,527 metric tons of sugar to the European Union; 5,570 metric tons to the Caribbean market and 2,552 metric tons to other markets.

The Ancient Maya and Virtual Worlds: Different Perspectives on Material Meanings
A UC researcher explores the Maya perspective on the material world and begins to uncover parallels with today's online culture. If Facebook was around 1,400 years ago, the ancient Maya might have been big fans of the virtual self. The Maya believed that part of your identity could inhabit material objects, like a courtier's mirror or sculptor's carving tool. Maya might even name these objects, talk to them or take them to special events. They considered these items to be alive. The practice of sharing your identity with material possessions might seem unusual in a modern context. But is it that different from today's selfie-snapping, candy-crushing online culture, where social media profiles can be as important to a person's identity as his or her real-world interactions? Even money is virtual now, as digital currency such as Bitcoin gains popularity.

Videos

Video: Reefs In The Balance, 20min.
Shot and edited in only 2 weeks, the Marine Conservation Expeditions (MCE) team delivered this short film to the people of Belize. 'Reefs In The Balance' was showcased at two local outreach events and shown on national television. Appealing to truly adventurous and influential people wanting more from their precious travel time, MCE´s filmmaking expeditions give individuals the unique chance to work with a dream team of international filmmaking talent on documentaries that leave potent environmental and social legacies. Our primary objective is to create films and outreach events that inspire local participation in marine conservation. With world class talent, we contribute professional media that directly supports local outreach efforts.

Video: Belize - BV Expedition 2-14 (PART 4), 5min.
My expedition together with the amazing Blue Ventures Team and volunteers in Belize, 14 feb - 27 mar 2014. More videos soon, stay tubed. Like, subscribe and expect every part of nature. "Based in Sarteneja and Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve our Belize expedition involves volunteers in marine conservation research and community projects as you immerse yourself in the culture and marine environment of Belize. "

Video: Sarteneja Baptist High School on EPI course, March 2014, Calabash Caye, Belize, 12min.

Video: Go Pro Belize Scuba Diving, 19min.

Video: Ambergris Caye, Belize scuba diving, 8min.

Video: Xunantunich, Barton Creek. Belize, April 2014, 10min.
Mayan site of Xunantunich, the Stone Maiden. Kayaking trip to underground caverns of Barton Creek Cave.

Video: Belize Bridge and Waters from 1920s -1970s, 3min.
Belize old pictures of the bridge and waters

Video: Belize Beaches, 3min.

Video: San Ignacio, Cahal Pech. Belize, April 2014, 7min.
San Ignacio, Belize. Mayan ruins of Cahal Pech.

Video: Skydive belize, 5min.

Video: Belize Zoo, April 9, 2014, 7min.
Visit Belize Zoo to see wild animals of the Belize jungles up close.

Video: Best of Belize February 2014, 14min.
Blount Small Ship Adventure

Video: More Belize diving with Paul and Lisa, 13min.

Video: Belize: Study Abroad, 14min.