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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

SPHS students participate in art and drama exchange program
Five San Pedro High School Students (SPHS) participated in the second annual student exchange program with Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC) in the USA. An initiative by Larry and Debbie Heimgartner, the program allows students to participate in a one week art and drama exchange. This year, participating students included Jaqueline Caliz, Brittany Cornejo, Eddie Jackson, Elina Palma and Yasir Roberts along with SPHS counselor Alexis Guerrero. The program ran from Saturday, May 23rd to Saturday, May 30th and provided essential experiences to the participants as it connected them with students from other countries in an effort to work together on a project called "Our World". In hopes of continuing the aim of "Our World", as it helps spread awareness on different social ills affecting young people globally, SPHS worked on several project. "The project that three of our students worked on was from the "Our World V: Zanzibar Edition" which focuses on the environment, and specifically looks at food, water and shelter shortage. Because this is a global project, the piece written can be applied to any country in the world. As such, Larry will be working along with certain individuals to modify this piece to make it specific for Belize and San Pedro. Afterwards, our goal is to have our students learn the piece and present it to the school and to the community. The other students worked on pieces referring to "Drugs" and "Divorce" which I am proud to say will be performed in November, 2015 when Larry returns to the island with other presentations from the "Our World" project," said Guerrero.

Wheel of Fortune Winners enjoy Grand Prize Trip to Ambergris Caye
Well this past week Grand Prize winner Dan Keyser and wife Sharlene enjoyed their prize which was a seven day/ six night stay at the Ramon's Village Resort. Dan is the the fourth person to have won the show's Grand Prize within the last two years and what a prize this was! During their stay the two were provided with daily breakfast, Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley snorkel trips and round trip Tropic Air flights to and from the island! Talk about a come up! The couple was welcomed to the island by Ramon's Village owners Richard & Gina Headrick along with the legendary host of the iconic beach resort Mr. Ramon Nunez . While here they certainly got to experience the best of the island as they explored town, enjoyed shopping at the Tiki Turtle Trading Company, snorkeled with Ramon's Divers and of course dined at Pineapple's on the Beach. We absolutely love the food there, so we know they enjoyed as well!

Coral Reef Ed- Ventures movie night
The Coral Reef experts are already on the island gearing up for the 16th Annual Coral Reef Ed-ventures summer program scheduled for June 29th. The program is organized by students from Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts, USA with assistance from Hol Chan Marine Reserve. To kick off the fun, members of the program held a movie night on the evening of Tuesday, June 9th at the Lion's Den 6:30PM sharp. According to co-leader Riley Gage, the movie night is a way to get the word out about the program to everyone on the island. "Movie night is for the whole family, especially the children as we are showing "Finding Nemo", which I am sure any child loves watching! The movie does relate with our program, which has to do with the reef and learning about its many inhabitants," said Gage.

Adventure Sports Ministry Volunteers visit Holy Cross
A group of 31 volunteers from Adventure Sports Ministry (ASM) of Houston, Texas in the United States are presently on the island at the Holy Cross Anglican School providing volunteer services. The group, which mostly consists of high school students, will be in Belize for a week starting Monday, June 8th. Their mission is to motivate high school students to get out and do things with their lives, to give back to their community, to show love, compassion and support the less fortunate. The main focus is on religious schools where students primarily go to church but are involved with their faith. ASM finds easy ways for students to experience ministry and missions. During their week's stay, the group of volunteers will be engaged in different activities from beach cleaning to religious concerts. According to the organization founder, Graham Gamble, this is the first time they have visited Belize, and they can't wait to start doing all the activities they have planned. "During this week, we are doing some manual labor at the Holy Cross School, like painting, cleaning around the school and the beach as well. Also, we are doing some work at Pastor Palacio's Church, and then in the afternoons we work with the kids at Holy Cross where we do vocational bible studies, games, crafts, music, stories, and talk to the children and build relationships and have fun together," said Gamble.

Living Tree Academy donates to San Pedro Town Library
Early this year, representatives from Living Tree Academy (LTA) met with San Pedro Librarian Brianne Leiva with the purpose of initiating a partnership with the San Pedro Library. The LTA is developing a process in the United States to ship/ transport books via visitors, expats, and volunteers to San Pedro. The first shipment of books has already been donated to the library and there are plans to have more in the coming weeks. Librarian Brianne Leiva welcomed this assistance to the library. "We are happy to be working together with Living Tree Academy and appreciate their donation of books to the library. These new books will assist students who come to the library to do their homework," said Leiva. "The library provides many services such as general information, printing services, and internet. We have holiday programs as well, like for Easter and during summer." Leiva mentioned that with the new flow of books, the library expects to attract more people as they want everyone to make use of their services and resources. She is also making a call to volunteers in any trade to come to the library and get involved in the different programs they are initiating.

Ambergris Today

SP Graduating Class of 2015
Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2015, San Pedro High School that held commencement exercises on Saturday, June 13.

This is how LOBSTER SEASON is looking in Belize!
Season opened today with great numbers on the first day's catch.

"Speeding and reckless driving"
We are first time visitors and liked the idea of a golf cart island. During a 2 week vacation: We have been in an accident with a speeding motorbike driver who ignored our left turn signal completely. His bike was damaged. Luckily he got away with minor injuries. A second time a similar accident was just avoided due to our additional care knowing already that a hand signal for a left turn would be ignored. A third time our golf cart was hit from behind by an impatient taxi driver. Our most concern was for our daughter sitting in the back. This is not what tourists can expect and deserve for a relaxing vacation. And btw. can anyone tell your island car drivers that the horn is not in place to greet each and every friend you might spot on/near the road.

Government Looks into Grounding of Guatemalan Naval Vessel on Belize Reef
On June 11, 2015, the Department on the Environment (DOE) received a report of a vessel grounding near Middle Caye on the Glover's Reef Atoll. Upon receiving such report, the Department of the Environment (DOE) responded by dispatching personnel to the site along with members of the Fisheries Department, the Belize National Coast Guard and the Belize Port Authority in accordance with the National Standard Operating Procedure for Marine Casualties.

Belize Canoe Team Brings Home Silver and Bronze Medals from Puerto Rico
On June 6 and 7, 2015, four Belizean paddlers - Chris Guydis, Wilberto Daniels, Bayron Cruz and Amado Cruz - from the Belize Canoe Association competed in the Puerto Rico Olympic Cup and managed to place in two competitions fairly new to them. The Puerto Rico Canoe/Kayak Association hosts this grand event annually, which incorporates Kayak Sprint Races of distances of 200M, 500M, and 1000M in K1, K2 and K4 Categories. This year, the event was attended by Belize, Guatemala, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico. Usually more countries are represented; however, due to the upcoming Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada this summer, many countries were not represented. A first of its kind for Belize, the guys struggled to master the art of the kayaks due to their slender style. After only 2 days of practice, all four men raced and even though they did not medal in the K1 or K2 events, they managed to place 2nd in the K4 1000 m and 3rd in the K4 200 m events. Working together, Belize managed to bring home silver and bronze medals from their first ICF sanctioned event. Mr. Amado Cruz also placed 9th overall in the 5000 M race with a time of 26 minutes 16 seconds. The top time was 22 minutes, 30 seconds.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Learn to Swim!
Registration Form YMCA Swimming Prorgam 2015 Please complete the following registration form for our child and return it along with the payment by June 20 to YMCA Belize: 7539 Faber's Road Extension, Belize City, Belize. Phone: 222-5526 Email: [email protected]. The program runs from July 6th to July 23

Rotaract Soca Party Fundraiser
The Rotaract Club of San Ignacio is having a Soca Party fundraiser this Saturday at Thirsty Thursdays. It's only $10, and all proceeds go towards their amazing community service projects. See you there! "Rotaract San Ignacio Presents: SOCA PARTY! On 20th June, 2015. Thirsty Thursdays San Ignacio $10 Admission, Music By: DJ Jessie!!! & Mr. ROS!! Join us for this event,all proceeds go to community projects. See you There.... It's Soca Time...."

Calla Creek Community Center Project
4 the World is helping to refurb the Calla Creek Community Center. It was unusable, but soon it'll be nice again, and will be used for many village functions. Thanks, 4 the World! "Today 4 the World volunteers from Calla Creek Village along with the Village Chairman Saul Uck and 4 the World's Executive Director Robert Keith Froom started a project to refurbish the village's Community Center... This project will continue throug the summer. And will provide a place for the school to use durring the day as classrooms by the end of August 2015. The Community Center will provide shelter to the village during severe storms and will also house the NEMO early warning alarm system that warns the village of dangerous floods. "

Governor General Welcomes Four New Ambassadors to Belize
The Governor General of Belize, H.E. Sir Colville Young, was presented with letters of credence from four ambassadors to Belize. The Ambassadors are H.E. Manuel Roldan Barillas of Guatemala, H.E. Oren Bar El of Israel, H.E. Masanori Nakano of Japan and H.E. Alfredo Raggio Lafone of Uruguay. In his presentation to the Governor General, H.E. Manuel Barrillas conveyed greetings and best wishes from President Otto Perez Molina, and expressed his desire to "further promote and enhance the relations that so happily exist between our peoples and government". Ambassador Bar El expressed his intention to "contribute to the strengthening of relations and friendship between Belize and Israel, as well as to join efforts to help shape a better world". He also stated that both countries share the "same democratic principles, a desire for peace, and a true pluralistic and heterogenic society".

50 years for Holiday Hotel
"The Holiday Hotel opened it's doors on June 15, 1965. This was the start of tourism for Ambergirs Caye. Thank you Celi, eres un orgullo sampedrano."

LITERALLY STANDING ON LOBSTER
Aha, those lovely crustaceans! June 15th marks the official opening of the 2015 Lobster Season . For many of us Belizeans and visitors to our jewel, especially around our coastal communities, grilled lobster, lobster kebabs, lobster dip or a lobster ceviche and even lobster ice cream is something they look forward to from June 15th to February 14th. There is no need to punish those taste buds any longer, as the Fisheries Department has officially declared the 2015/2016 Lobster Season open yesterday June 15th. Scientifically known as Panulirus Argus, the Caribbean Spiny Lobster is the only lobster that is regulated in Belize. Because lobster, like conch, is considered commercial species, a fisherman's license is needed to engaging in the catching of Caribbean Spiny Lobster. While the season is open, the Fishery Department will still be monitoring for undersize lobster. To crack down on the catching of undersized lobster, the Fisheries Department will be using two ways to determine the lobster size; one for whole lobster and the other for the tail only. In the case of the whole lobster, Hall explained that the vernier caliper (from center of eye to the starting of the tail) carapace must measure three inches or more. When it's only lobster tails, it must weigh four ounces or more to be considered legal for consumption.

BEL Annual Meeting ofShareholders
Thursday June 18, 8:30pm

Belize Archaeology and Anthropology Symposium XIII
The 13th annual BAAS starts on Tuesday, June 30th. Once again, it'll be in the Bedran Hall at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. They have some interesting topics this year. Call 822-2016, or email [email protected] for more information. "Be sure to look out for one of the highlight events of this summer, the 13TH Annual Archaeology and Anthropology Symposium set for June 30th - July 3rd, 2015 at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel (in San Ignacio, Cayo). This year, local and international scholars will congregate to present scholarly papers and discourse topics such as; 'Settlement and landscape Archaeology' ; 'Social Organization & Political Boundaries of the Ancient Maya' and also 'Examining the Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Belize and the region.'"

Flor de la Feria's Miss Photogenic
You can vote for Miss Photogenic in the Flor de la Feria pageant. Voting is open until July 10th. Just go to their fb page, and choose your favorite. They are having a special presentation of the candidates this Saturday, come rain or shine.

RESPECT JAGUARS - CONGRATS BELIZE!
History was made today by Belize's National Football Team. It was perhaps their best performance ever, and it earned us our first ever trip to the Third Round of World Cup Qualifiers. All Belize needed was a draw, but we got a convincing 3-0 victory at home, winning the series by an aggregate of 5-1 in the Second Round against the Dominican Republic. The goal scorers today were Harrison Roches, Elroy Kuylen and Deon Mccaulay; but it was a complete team effort by the entire National Selection. Also playing their key role were Belizean fans in the stadium, throughout the nation and around the world, whose palpable support lifted the spirit and confidence of our boys as they played their hearts out and got great results. It was an exceptional series for Deon McCaulay who scored 3 of Belize's 5 goals overall. Respect, Jaguars! Congratulations, Belize!

Channel 7

Jaguars Win! Belize Advances To Third Round!
For the first time in history, Belize will play in the third round of a world cup qualifier. That's the bottom line after the Jaguars won in style yesterday at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan - thrashing the Dominican Republic three to nil. The game was a tour de force performance and a joy to behold for the thousands of Belizeans in the stadium and the tens of thousands who got to watch it live on TV. Channel 7 had live coverage - and we got reaction from the goal scorers and the assistant coach after the game:..

PUP Will Contest Bye-Election
Turning now from sports to politics - the PUP has decided that it will contest the bye-election for a new Dangriga Representative on July 8th. The party met last week Tuesday - and opinion was divided on whether it should even contest the election. That's principally because the party is low on finance - and was hoping to direct its limited funds towards an imminent general election. So, while it should be automatic that the PUP would contest any election - particularly to hold unto a seat - those senior party members who hold the purse strings urged a more conservative approach. Well, they are the same ones who did the assessment - and it seems the overwhelming reaction was that, the party must fight - even if it is an uphill battle. An official announcement is expected tomorrow - one week after the party took a wait and see approach. And it's one week lost - because in being so cautious about what some say should have been automatic - the opposition has sacrificed critical campaign time - because the election is now only 23 days away.

Guat Vessel Removed, Opposition Not Happy
The Guatemalan Naval vessel has been removed from the reef. The gunboat was removed on Saturday morning at 11. When we spoke to Coast Guard Commander Bennett he told us that it only took about 10 minutes to tug the vessel off. Bennett told us that the new tug line from Guatemala made all the difference in this case -it was stronger and more durable. By 11:40, the gunboat was tugged all the way out of site. Now, a team from the Department of Environment was sent out today and their assessment should be finalized by tomorrow. The official report will then be sent to the Ministry of National Security and of Foreign Affairs. So, that's good news right? Seems like a happy ending �.Well not for some, there are still a number of questions arising from the public and in this case the PUP. The PUP sent out a release today questioning the description of events by the CEO in the Ministry of National Security. In the release, the PUP also questions the presence of the naval vessel in Belizean waters. It says "How is it that a Guatemalan naval vessel could enter and traverse Belize's territorial waters unannounced and undetected by Belize's national security apparatus." The release goes on to outline 4 questions relating to the Guatemalan naval vessel issuing a distress call on time and if charges will be laid for breaches of the Harbours and Merchant Shipping Act and the Environmental protection Act.

Belizeans Detained By Guatemalan Armed Forces Tell Their story
But did the embarrassment of the grounded vessel have anything to do with what appears to have been the hostile detention of five Belizeans in Guatemala this weekend?

EXTORTION...
But, the men told us today that the entire ordeal could have been avoided at the initial stage. They say that the Guatemalan soldiers tried to extort them for 25,000 quetzales, and if they paid, they would be released, no questions asked. Here's how that encounter went:

Cops: Hon. Saldivar's Driver Hit And Run
Police Minister John Saldivar's driver has been arrested and charged for knocking down a man in Camalote on Saturday night. Around 8:00, the driver, Orlando Castillo was heading to Belmopan in his Volkswagen when he hit Vallan Paul Cucul between mile 50 and 51. Castillo said that Cucul veered onto the road on his bicycle and he couldn't avoid hitting him. Cucul died on the spot. Well, today 6 charges were brought against Castillo at the Magistrates Court in Belmopan. We wondered- was there any special treatment afforded to Castillo? - After all he is the police minister's long time driver. OC Howell Gillett today assured us that everything was done to maintain transparency in this case.

Man Run Over And Killed While Repairing Motorbike
There was another fatal accident out west, but this time on the Jaguar Paw road. Last night at around 9:00, 33 year old Marco Antonio Gutierrez was fixing his motorcycle on the side of the road when another motorcycle driven by a 17 year old crashed into Gutierrez - instantly killing him. Belmopan police updated us on the case so far. We also spoke to his wife today who was at the station looking for answers about the death of her husband.

First City Murder In Three Weeks
There hadn't been a murder in Belize City for about three weeks - but the peace was broken on Friday night when a man was murdered on the southside. Today Monica Bodden spoke to his family to find out why - here's her report:..

Caye Caulker Makes Changes
Last week, we had extensive coverage of the story of 18 year-old Hilberto Sotz who became the third man in 12 years to die in the Custody of Caye Caulker Police. The outcome of that incident is that 2 police officers have been criminally charged with murder, and they are also facing disciplinary charges. 3 more officers, including the former commanding officer of the island, have also been put on interdiction because it is suspected - but still unproven - that while they were on duty, they may have known that Sotz was being brutalized and tortured, but they did nothing to stop it.

Men Cleared Of Security Guard Murder
Accused murderers Talbert Mena and Jamal Jackson are free tonight after they were acquitted before Justice Troadio Gonzalez.

Bar Battles GOB In Court Over Judges' Tenure
How long should a High Court Judge appointed to serve before it appears that his or her tenure security is not at risk? And, do judges with short appointments by the Government of Belize appear to be under influence by the Cabinet of Ministers, especially when the Government is a litigator?

Major Upgrade For G. Price Hwy. From Belmopan To Santa Elena
The Western Highway between Belmopan and Santa Elena Cayo is a quite ragged stretch of road - but now 65 million dollars will be spent to upgrade it. The Financing comes from the IDB which is providing 27 million US dollars - while the European Union is chipping in with 5 million Euros and Government puts in 1.5 million US dollars. Now if 65 million dollars sounds like a lot for 19.4 miles of road - well it includes the installation of a new Roaring Creek Bridge with a higher and wider bridge. The current one is flood prone and can barley hold two lanes of traffic. The project emphasizes a reduction in road fatalities, and a decrease transport times.

Coach Nunez Speaks
For the past week - the news has been all about the National Football Team, the Jaguars. We've had extensive coverage in the Dominican Republic and in Belize. But, through it all you haven't heard very much from Brazilian Head Coach Jorge Nunez. He lets his assistant Charlie Slusher do all the talking to the press. He does that, primarily - we suspect - because his English isn't very good - but also because it's his style - he's naturally very laid back and shies from the spotlight. But, there must be something substantial behind the shy exterior - because this Brazilian Coach has Belize playing the beautiful game. Yesterday his assistant told us it has a lot to do with coaching continuity:�

Goodbye Round 2!
And so, tonight, we end as we began - with visions of football artistry - for the first time Belize can say goodbye to the second round of world cup qualifying and hello to a third round where the opponents will be tougher, the stadiums will be bigger, and the stakes will be higher... We close tonight with images of the second round from the D-R to the FFB Stadium� Have a great night and join me back here tomorrow�.

Channel 5

Belize Jaguars Dominate Dominican Republic
Sunday's momentous victory in front of hundreds of cheering fans at the F.F.B. Field ensures Belize a place in the third round of qualifying matches ahead of the 2018 World [...]

Belizeans Detained in Santa Cruz�
The detention of five Belizeans in Guatemala, and the alleged abuse of those detainees, has resulted in a formal protest being forwarded to Guatemala. It's an incredible story which started [...]

�Say They Were Terrorized by GAF�.
Despite the worst fears of the detained men, they were not shot and left in that grassy pasture as they expected. Instead they were taken eight more kilometres where they [...]

�.But Plead Guilty to Offences
McKenzie and his companions were taken back to the Police Station without being allowed to speak on their own behalf. They were first put into a cell with other Guatemalan [...]

Belize Issues Formal Query to Guatemala
As we told you earlier, a formal note has been sent to Guatemala through diplomatic channels, following the reports made by the men. According to Acting C.E.O. in the Ministry [...]

Belize City Man Gunned Down
Three persons lost their lives over the weekend in separate incidents in the west and the Old Capital.� On Friday night, shots rang out on Partridge Street Extension sometime around [...]

Another Shooting in the City
Twenty-four hours after the murder of Williams, shots rang out once again in the city. Just after nine p.m., twenty-seven-year-old Jason Sutherland was shot to the left foot as he [...]

Replacement Officers Detached to Caye Caulker
Last Wednesday, two officers, PCs Leonard Nunez and Hallet King were arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate Court for the murder of eighteen year old Hilberto Sotz. Sotz, a second [...]

Sotz Family Still Grieves Senseless Murder
The sensational murder of eighteen-year-old Hilberto Sotz of Caye Caulker left the country stunned. Sotz was beaten and killed whilst in police custody at the island's police station. As we [...]

Minister's Driver Charged in Hit-And-Run Fatality
On Saturday night a man on a bicycle was hit by a speeding government vehicle and killed on the George Price Highway, between Miles fifty-one and fifty-two in Camalote. It [...]

Customs Officer Involved in RTA in Corozal
On Friday night around nine, sixteen year old Azir Zalazar was knocked down off his bike on College Road in Corozal. Zalar, who was complaining of pain in his hands [...]

World Day Against Child-Labour Observed
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June twelve. It's an opportunity for the globe to raise its voice against child labour and at the same time make a [...]

Prison Officer Speaks About Inadequate Conditions
Earlier this month, twenty-four-year-old Michael Robinson, recently released from a seven year stint in prison, visited the media with a list of allegations against the management and even prison officers [...]

Are Inmates Allowed Home Visits?
When Michael Robinson spoke out about conditions at the prison in early June, he mentioned that certain privileged inmates were given temporary "get out of jail" cards which allowed them [...]

Prison Officers Beat Down on Inmate
According to Staine, the trafficking of drugs into the prison is rampant, and so is the abuse of prisoners. And that's just the tip of the iceberg where the Belize [...]

Belize at the World Series of Poker
It’s not a game that is followed by the masses but for those who know a thing or two about poker; it is understood that the World Series of Poker [...]

Sporting Highlights with James Adderley
Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   There comes a time when opportunity presents itself and indeed you've got to grasp it with both hands. 3 [...]


Joined: Oct 1999
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CTV3

Eighteen Years Hilberto Sotz Laid To Rest
There is still much controversy surrounding the death of eighteen year old Hilberto Sotz in Caye Caulker. The teen was killed while in police custody following his detention as police investigated a series of burglaries on the island. The Sotz family laid him to rest over the weekend but his father approached the media to express his hurt over what had happened to his son. Sturino Sotz told the media he had high hopes for his child as he has for all his children and is now left hurt over the way the family was robbed of his son's future and dreams. "I got hurt because due to what, I fight for my son, my father never does me this, he never supported me this way and that is why say I'll give my heart for my son is, I have four of them and they are doing good in school, if they wouldn't be doing good I would say I wouldn't defend them but because I still have to help them anyway, but the thing is that Hilbert he told that he wanted to be a doctor and he also told that he will his best on what he can do,

Guatemalan Naval Vessel Removed From The Reef
The Guatemalan vessel that got lodged on the Belize Barrier Reef has been removed after several days but there are more speculations surrounding the entire incident. Several Belizeans took to the social media to express their concerns over how the vessel ended up in Belizean waters and subsequently on the Barrier Reef. While the Ministry of National Security has reported that the vessel was travelling to La Isla Mujeres, Mexico, when it encountered mechanical difficulties and consequently went aground, there are many questioning the lawfulness of the vessels route on Belizean waters. One of those is the People's United Party which has issued a release condemning the way the matter has been handled.

Team Jaguars Makes Belize Proud
Belize's National Football Team, the Jaguars have secured passage to round three of the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 qualification. Cited as one of the best performance by the team, the Jaguars who needed a draw, made history with a convincing 3 - 0 win against the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Statistics show that the Jaguars have won the series by an aggregate of 5 - 1 in the second round against the Dominican Republic. Although it was a complete team effort by the entire National Selection the goal scorers were Harrison Roches, Elroy Kuylen and Deon Mccaulay. Here is clip of the highlights of the game. The Belize National Team is now in round three and pending the outcome of other matches, the draw will be held on July 25th 2015, in Saint Petersburg Russia and the dates of the games will take place during August 31st to September 8th. Apart from Belize the others teams advancing to the third round of the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers are Curacao, St. Vincent, Barbuda and Barbados.

Honorable John Briceno Pays Tribute To Mom And Dad
There was much celebration held over the weekend and one of those was a celebration for mothers and fathers from the Orange Walk Central division. The event, which is held annually, was organized by Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceno and his team and was held this year at the Gala Lounge. The evening was filled with fun activities for men and women and some activities that included the participation of couples. There were a series of games and competitions that had the crowd fully entertained. These ranged from eating contests to dancing and even singing. Central Area Representative John Briceno was present and joined the crowd in the evening of entertainment and surprises. At the end of a wonderful night, Briceno addressed a grateful crowd and gave thanks to those who made the event possible.

Belizean Receives Prestigious Award
A Belizean has been awarded with the elite distinction of "Christie's International Real Estate Luxury Specialist". Christie's International Real Estate is an invitation-only affiliate network composed of the world's most proven and qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector. The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, and Palm Beach, and 139 global affiliates with 32,000 real estate professionals in 47 countries, Belize being one of them. Every year, Christie's awards an outstanding member of its residential sector and on June 9th, during the second edition of the world's leading luxury real estate network's Top Agents Conference, Gil Castillo, President of San Cas Realty Ltd. was the recipient of the award.

OWTC Acquires Dump Truck For Garbage Collection
In an effort of normalizing its temporary delay on garbage collection, the Orange Walk Town Council has acquired a much needed dump truck. The purchase of the ten-wheeler truck comes at a time when a few of the Sanitation's fleet were non-operational. According to Mayor Kevin Bernard, the purchase of the dump truck will assist the Sanitation Department get back on track with their garbage collection schedules.

Lobster Season Officially Opened
The Belize lobster season was officially declared open today. For many seafood lovers, lobster is one of the most succulent delicacies enjoyed as part of the coastal lifestyle. Scientifically known as Panulirus Argus, the Caribbean Spiny Lobster is celebrated in festivals all over the country right after the season opens. Because lobster is considered a commercial species, a fisherman's license is needed to trap and catch these crustaceans. However, there are some legal details even lobster aficionados should note and insist upon. If you are thinking of enjoying lobster tails, they must weigh a minimum of four ounces to be legal. If you are thinking of enjoying a whole lobster, the body of the lobster from the center of the eye to the starting of the tail must measure three inches or more. The Fisheries Department will be actively monitoring fishermen and establishments who trade lobster. Individuals or restaurants with lobster below the minimum prescribed sizes will be charged for being in possession of undersize lobster. The charge carries a fine of around $20 for each undersized tail or whole lobster. The Lobster season ends on February 14, 2016.

Three Belizeans Detained In Guatemala
Since the signing to amend the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala a few weeks ago, there has been a spike in instances involving Guatemalans in our country's turf and waterways. Last week, we reported on the Guatemalan Armed Forces Naval vessel which ran aground on the reef at Middle Caye in the Glovers Reef Atoll and this weekend, a trio of Belizeans were detained in Guatemala. According to reports, sometime Saturday evening, a group of five Belizeans socializing on Guatemalan soil at Santa Cruz bordering Belize's southernmost village Jalacte, were detained and escorted away by Guatemalan police to San Luis, Peten. Other Belizeans who witnessed what transpired informed the families of the individuals involved, among them Punta Gorda Town Councilor, Ashton McKenzie, teacher Ray Martinez and credit union employee, Mitchell Romero. We are told that Punta Gorda Mayor Fern Gutierrez sought the involvement of the Belize Ministry of Foreign Affairs whose officials, in consultation with their Guatemalan counterparts, secured the return of the detainees.

Police Change Command on Caye Caulker
Following the sudden death of 18 year old Hilberto Sotz of Caye Caulker last week, the Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie has dispatched Inspector Dehanne Augustine to take command of the Caye Caulker police formation. Inspector Augustine has a background in community policing and came to public notice as the first face of the Jasmine Alert program formed by citizens after the death of Jasmine Lowe to provide faster response to child abductions and kidnappings. For context, officer's Leonard Nunez and Hallet King face criminal charges of murder and disciplinary charges by the Department after allegedly beating the teenager to death in the station while questioning him over a series of burglaries. A post-mortem examination revealed that Sotz died from trauma to the body and head.

LOVE FM

Minister John Saldivar's Driver Charged in Hit and Run Incident
Orlando Castillo, the driver for the Minister of National Security has been charged with a number of offences following a fatal hit and run incident in Camalotte Village on Saturday night. He was charged with manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, failure to stop and render aid, failure to provide blood and/or urine [�]

Jaguars Roared Victory Against Dominican Republic
Belize's National Football Team will be moving on to the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers after a convincing three-nil win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday. The FFB Stadium was filled with fans, urging on the home team to victory. Harrison Cafu Roches opened the scoreboard giving Belize a one to nil lead [�]

PUP Finds Holes in Government's Report on Guatemalan Vessel
One of the four questions in the release is asking whether Guatemalan authorities had informed Belize of their intent to transit our territorial waters and if so, when and to whom, did they advise. The problem with this question is that our officials have told us that the vessel was traveling through international waters but [�]

Opposition Party In Doubt of Government's Report on Guatemalan Vessel
The PUPs are planning for a National Party Council meeting to take place over the weekend in Dangriga �. And while those plans are being made, they have also found time to present questions for the Government of Belize surrounding the recent incident where the Guatemalan Naval Vessel was lodged onto the reef in Belize's [�]

Senior Supt Explains Increased Police Presence and Decrease in Crime
It is to be noted that the amount of reports on firearm offences, shootings and murders has tapered off in the last few weeks; we asked Dawson to talk to us about their added efforts particularly considering that the areas under Precinct Two were the hot spots for crime. ALDEN DAWSON "We have acquired some [�]

Shooting Victim Refuses to Cooperate with Investigators
While police are trying to find the man who shot and killed Allison Williams over the weekend, they have also been trying to find the person who shot and injured 27-year-old, Jason Sutherland on Saturday night in Belize City. Senior Superintendent Alden Dawson, who runs Precinct Two, told Love News that they have been experiencing [�]

Belizeans, Including Town Councillor, Detained by Guatemalan Police
Five Belizeans, including a Punta Gorda Town Councillor, were detained in Guatemala on Saturday. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lawrence Sylvestre provided an update on Saturday night. LAWRENCE SYLVESTRE 1 "Since receiving the reports of the detention of a group of five Belizeans, officials have been in contact with their Guatemalan [�]

Who Killed Allison Williams and Why?
A murder on Friday night has the victim's family members believing that the deceased was lured to his death. Renee Trujillo has the story. RENEE TRUJILLO REPORTING "Investigators of Precinct Two of the Belize Police Department are investigating Friday night's murder that took the life of 28-year-old, Allison Williams. Williams was at home with his [�]

PUP Supporters to Unite for Nomination Day
According to Usher, the process of consultations began immediately following the National Executive meeting and will continue through to the weekend when the party will be bringing its members countrywide to aid in the campaign process. HENRY CHARLES USHER "We had a team that went down there, right after the meeting on Tuesday. It consisted [�]

PUP Will Contest Dangriga Bi-Elections
At the news of the possibility that the main opposition, People's United Party would not be taking part in the upcoming bi-elections slated for Dangriga on July 8, 2015, supporters and members of the party expressed their disappointment and discontent that the idea was even being contemplated. Following a National Executive meeting last Tuesday, June [�]

PlusTV

FinSec: No problem with Patrick's Petro sponsored Pibil
Hon. Patrick Faber's Comments on National Television on his latest spending of petro caribe sponsored dollars on a few members of his constituency sparked a heat of opposition from sectors of the public including the Belize Chamber of Commerce who openly condemned it as the, "misuse of Caribe Loan Funds." In his statements aired on June 8th, the Hon. member for Collet said he treated 22 bus loads of people from his constituency to tacos and pibil at a family fun day event held in Corozal Bay all through the courtesy of Petro Caribe. In an exclusive interview today with Plus TV, the Financial Secretary of Belize, Joseph Waight said the member for Collet was well within the guidelines of Petro Caribe spending.

Hopkins vs Sitee, who owns what?
Villages, by law, can own about a mile out from the furthest point of the village in each direction. But what happens when two villages are exactly adjacent to each other? Two words, "land dispute." That is the reality of two villages South East of the country. Hopkins and Sitee River are both claiming rights to the area South of Hamansi, all the way town to Sitee Point. For context we have to understand the political demography of the two villages, which are as follows: Hopkins is operated by a PUP village council while Sitee River is operated by a UDP village council. One of the key points surrounding the dispute is who collects moneys for the liquor license. Plus News spoke to Wayne Casimiro, the Chairman of the Hopkins village council who gave us their side of t he story.

Jaguars return home victorious
Belize’s national football team, the Jaguars, gave a commendable performance at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, taking a 2-1 away win...

She topped the PSE in Cayo
The top scorers for this year’s Primary School examination (PSE) were announced on Monday earlier this week via a press release. Gabriel Hope, of Bernice York institute of Learning, bested the PSE this year with a score of 386 out of 400...

Road Safety Project Gives Ambulances
Two brand new type 3Ambulances were donated this morning to the Belmopan Medical Chapter as part of the third component of the Road Safety Project, funded by the Government of Belize and the Caribbean Development bank, (CDB)...

Two men arrested for fire chief murder
Dangriga police have charged two persons for the murder of retired� Fire chief 51 year old �Ralton Wilburn Patnett. Parnett's burned� body was found earlier this week in a car which was set on fire...

Gunboat Still Stuck On Our Reef
Efforts continue to remove the Guatemalan military�vessel that was grounded near Middle Caye on the Glover’s reef Atoll in the early hours Thursday morning...

Second Graduation of Youths for Road Safety
On June 12th, 16 youths graduated from a two week training course as part of the youth component of the Road Safety project, Youths for Road Safety...

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Men charged with security guard's murder acquitted
Supreme Court Justice Troadio Gonzalez today directed a jury of seven men and five women to declare Talbert Mena and Jamal Jackson not guilty of the murder of Nigerian security guard Kabiru Olun-gu-dudu in February of 2010. Olungududu was working at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel [�]

Deon McCaulay making Belize proud in 2018 World Cup Qualifiers
The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process is currently underway and while the host team Russia has automatically advanced to play, 31 of 32 teams are battling out to make the cut. All 208 remaining FIFA member associations are eligible to enter the qualifying process and for the first time [�]

PUP leader denies meeting over new party
Belize Media Group has learned that unconfirmed information we received this afternoon that high-ranking People's United Party (PUP) members had travelled to Peru in South America to meet with a multi-millionaire financier is in fact incorrect. According to former party leader of the PUP Hon. John Briceno, the allegations made [�]

BTIA to host 30th Bi Annual GM
On Thursday, June 18th, the Belize Tourism Industry Association, BTIA will be hosting is 30th Bi-Annual General Meeting at the Ramada Princess in Belize City. IDB's Chief of Operations, Jose Manuel Ruiz will be the speaker in the morning portion of the session. The meeting will include a seminar focusing [�]

Belize national team might not have funds for 3rd round of the 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers
After an excellent performance yesterday, June 14, ultimately winning the game 3-0, the Belize Jaguars are looking stronger than ever with Deon McCaulay once again playing in a Belizean jersey. McCaulay scored 2 of Belize's goals in game 1 against Dominica and again scored a beautiful header yesterday to help [�]

5 teams advancing to the 3rd round of the CONCACAF 2018 World Cup Qualifiers
Ten teams participated in the second leg of the CONCACAF 2018 World Cup Qualifiers yesterday. The teams that have advanced include; Belize, Curacao, St. Vincent, Barbuda and Barbados. At the FFB stadium in Belmopan, Harrison Roches got the scoring started for the Jaguars in the 17th minute and teammate Elroy [�]

Belize's National Youth Cadet Holds Graduation
Belize's National Youth Cadet Corp, an organization which falls under Department of Youth Services, teaches troubled young men between the ages of 13 to 17 years old, good work ethics and values. On Thursday, June 11th, the Corp's 16th intake of cadets graduated from the program after 10 months of [�]

Ebenezer Methodist Primary School receives donation from SMART
The Ebenezer Methodist Primary School's feeding program has been running for the past 15 years. During that time it has provided nutritious meals for its needy students and ensuring that no child fails to reach their maximum academic potential due to hunger. The feeding program was born from the concept [�]

Belizean receives prestigious award in Chicago
Christie's International Real Estate is an invitation-only affiliate network composed of the worlds most proven and qualified real estate specialists in the luxury residential sector. The company has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, and Palm Beach, and 139 global affiliates with 32,000 real estate professionals in [�]

The Belize Met. services predicts relatively moist and unstable conditions
The general situation over Belize is for relatively moist and unstable conditions to continue across the country. The 24 hour forecast is for cloudy at times with few showers and thunderstorms mainly over the coastal and northern areas this morning and tonight. Showers and thunderstorms will become isolated this afternoon. [�]

Blogs

What's new at Caribbean Beach Cabanas!!!
The long break in blogs is due to friends' visits, weddings, being BUSY here, and I have been in the US for a lot of the last couple months, leaving my husband Dave in paradise to work :). Thanks to his efforts, there have been a lot of great changes to our place, and many of them are going to be very exciting for upcoming guests!! One of the great changes....we just upgraded our wifi so that it is STRONG!! you will be able to get a strong signal throughout and even out past our property now--even in the water (not recommended :))! This is quite a feat in Belize, where you have to ship in everything you need :) Dave was "excited" to learn all that programming :) We also have two brand new bikes for guests to use! Two of them are old fashioned beach cruisers that have baskets for groceries, and the other two are great for longer journeys up the peninsula.

A WEEK TO 10 DAYS IN BELIZE - WHAT TO DO?
Belize is a perfect destination for North American travelers during the winter months for a ton of reasons: Its warm for starters, just off shore lies the 2nd largest reef system in the world along with a bunch of beautiful islands, on the other side of the country is full of rain forest, and they even speak English! This small country, nestled under Mexico's famous Yucatan, packs a lot of punch for its size. There is something for everyone beaches, jungle, relaxation, and plenty of adventure. It many only be a few hours away on a plane, but once you are there you will feel worlds away.

Belize has a new luxury residential project
Belize has a new luxury residential project to celebrate these days named after the Mayan god of day and night called Itz'ana Resort & Residences.In the quaint coastal village of Placencia, Belize, Itz'ana Resort & Residences has a prime location on the destination's 16 miles of Caribbean peninsula, with the sea on one side and lagoon on the other. The resort is ideally located next to islands, beaches, rivers, jungle, caves and the world's second largest barrier reef, affording residents and guests' endless opportunities for adventure and exploring. The 39 luxury boutique cottages and villas are designed for waterfront living featuring tall windows and doors with high ceilings to emphasize spacious, open-air living. Boston-based architect Roberto de Oliveira Castro, a native of the region, uses traditional forms and materials to deliver a modern take on Belize's British colonial past. Famed interior designer Samuel Amoia will outfit the residences. Itz'ana Resort & Residences vary in size from 1,000-5,000 square feet, with opening prices ranging from $240,000 - $925,000 (USD). Buyers will have the opportunity to choose between beach or lagoon front living, with all residences located directly on the waterfront.

Scrumptious, Savory Tuna Salad
Simple Summer recipe for tuna salad. You can serve this with bread to make a sandwich or serve with avocado or spinach or lettuce wraps.

A Brief History of San Pedro, Belize and Dia De San Pedro: Part One
This gorgeous mural in the House of Culture is a representation of Ambergris Caye's history from the Maya to present. In 1847, the Caste Wars began in the Yucatan peninsula - where the native Maya (the very bottom of the caste system) revolted against the colonial Spaniards. Many of those of European descent were driven out�and some in the south, from Tulum and Bacalar, fled to British Honduras or Belize. Coming to Orange Walk and Corozal and Ambergris Caye. People fleeing from the town of Bacalar (I put a little sun next to it on the map) named the Northern part of Ambergris Caye - Bacalar Chico. Or "Little Bacalar". In 1850, the very first document was signed and sent to Belize City� by residents of the island asking that Cristiano Novelo (great great�uncle of Mito) be named head of the alcalde - the government system used for small villages. The village was officially called San Pedro in the document.

International Sourcesizz

Itz'ana Resort & Residences Announced in Belize
Belize has a new luxury residential project to celebrate these days named after the Mayan god of day and night called Itz'ana Resort & Residences. In the quaint coastal village of Placencia, Belize, Itz'ana Resort & Residences has a prime location on the destination's 16 miles of Caribbean peninsula, with the sea on one side and lagoon on the other. The resort is ideally located next to islands, beaches, rivers, jungle, caves and the world's second largest barrier reef, affording residents and guests' endless opportunities for adventure and exploring. "Eight years ago, we knew that Belize would become a world-class destination because of its natural beauty, culture and proximity to major markets. Ka'ana's success in the jungle continues to exceed our expectations. With the entire destination now coming of age, we're thrilled to launch Itz'ana on the beach in Placencia and share this investment opportunity," said Colin Hannan, developer.

More railway lines needed in Panama and Central America
Representatives of the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) will meet in Panama from Tuesday, June 16 to Friday, June 19 to define joint actions towards the development of a competitive regional logistics platform, to stimulate trade between the countries of the Mesoamerica Project (PM). Addressing the REPICA 2015 meeting, Tomas Avila, Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) secretary general, expressed support for "complementary formulas" to maritime transport that avoid cargo movement by road because "studies say that land cargo in Central America moves at an average speed of 18 kilometers per hour." This is without taking into account the occasional road closures due to social problems. Costly delays can be incurred due to poor road condition and crime, factors that limit truck movement to daytime hours, in addition to numerous border crossings with divergent Customs regulations. The cost of transportation by truck is more expensive than other options, such as rail. A railway can transport thousands of containers per journey, as compared to articulated trucks that can only carry up to two containers.

Videos

  • Reefs for People - Mangroves, 6min. Mangroves play a key role maintaining fisheries, as well as providing services for tourism and shoreline protection. In spite of their indisputable economic, social and environmental importance, throughout Belize mangroves are getting cut and dredged.

  • Giant Cave HD, 8min. Cave diving exploration at Giant Cave, Belize, Caye Caulker Island

  • Winter Wonderland HD, 7min. Cave Dive exploration at Winter Wonderland, Caye Caulker Island, Belize

  • Belize Zip Line, 3min.

  • I promised and now you have it. San Pedro La Isla Bonita Long ago!, 7min. Check out La Jefa rubbing shoulders with the one and only Don Fransisco. This video is a must watch. I can taste Mr Chico's world famous ceviche!

  • Belize 2015, 7.5min.

  • OATS - Route of the Maya, 18min. Our last day in Guatemala........After breakfast at hotel Camino Real, we visit the Mayan ruins at "Yaxha" and had lunch at the restaurant were the TV show "Survivor" crew members also ate........ Crossed the border into Belize and continued on to our hotel in Belize City.........

  • Belize with Appleseed Expeditions, 3min. Belize blends the best of two worlds, lush tropical rainforest and blue Caribbean Sea. Offshore, kayakers glide from one sandy, palm-dotted islet to another, while snorkelers swim through translucent seas, gazing at a kaleidoscope of coral, fish, dolphins, and turtles. Inland, explorers investigate ruins of ancient civilizations, and birders aim their binoculars at some 570 species. Between national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and marine reserves, more than 40% of the country's area is protected in one form or another, creating a haven for countless creatures of land, sea, and sky.

  • Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge, 2min. This one hour film covers a 3-day adventure race through the heart of the Chiquibul mountain region of Belize

  • Belize Fishing Video, 8min.

  • San Pedro beach cruiser time-lapse from the northern tip of Ambergris Caye | Belize, 1min. Beach cruiser ride from the northern tip of Abergris Caye through the town of San Pedro... Belize!

  • Snorkeling the Great Blue Hole of Belize, 3min. The Great Blue Hole is mostly known as a dive destination, but that does not mean you cannot visit it for a nice snorkeling adventure. Divers love to add a cave/sinkhole experience to their diving list and that is a huge draw for divers from all over the world. But the Blue Hole is also available to snorkel for those non-divers who also want to experience the world wonder.

  • BELIZE LOBSTER SEASON KICKOFF 2015, 3min. LOBSTER, IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER~~Nothing better than a day out with for a Lobster and Fish BBQ. Friend, Food Good Times and Adventure....Gear up! Let's Go!

  • BREDDA DAVID: WORLD LEADERS!, 4min. The reggae hit single, World Leaders, by bredda David marks the Belizean artist's consciousness and broad musical spectrum. The legendary Belizean musical artist, bredda David, has rose to become one of Belize's most consistent national artist that has represented the country of Belize worldwide as a cultural ambassador for Belize. He is the innovator of the popular Belizean musical art form called Cungo Music, which is a combination of Belizean Creole Brukdong, and Garifuna Paranda rhythm. The legendary artist once made his home in Los Angeles after his migration from Belize in the 1960's, and later returned home to Belize in the 1980's becoming an intricate part of Belize's musical and cultural forums that aim to promote and develop Belize's musical and cultural institutions. Also a passionate activist for the promotion of the African Belizean culture called Creole, bredda David has worked for the advancement of the recognition of Belizean national heroes like Isiah Morter, Cleopatra White, and the former British slave enclave in Belize City, called Ibo Town. The featured track, World Leaders, is one of bredda David's reggae hits in the country of Belize, among many others that he has written and produced throughout is long career as a Belizean musical artist with a worldwide recognition.

  • DADDY TRACEY: LE GO!, 5min. The hit single Le Go from Daddy Tracey's second album in 1992 called Daddy Tracey!


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