Today's Belize News: March 27, 2016

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Today's Belize News: March 27, 2016 #512660 03/27/16 05:42 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	HAPPY EASTER! 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, 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 Old World Explorer encourages boomers to go solo Linda J. Brown, at 78 and a half years old, is not your ordinary retired senior citizen. Over the years, she has made exploration not only a hobby, but her lifestyle. One would think that traveling the entire world once is a great personal achievement, but Linda has exceeded her accomplishments by traveling the world three times. She is definitely not shy when coming out of her shell and has since motivated many people to travel. Linda's adventures and experiences inspired her to publish her first book back in 2008 entitled "Hey Boomers, Dust off Your Backpacks" and she also created two blogs: www.heyboomers.com and www.insecretdiffusion.com. Her book rotates around the 'baby boomers' of America, which is the name given to the generation of Americans born after World War II. The dramatic growth of newborns became known as the baby boom. So Linda correlates her book around her generation of her peers that grew up in the sixties, where selective groups were hippies. "In the 1960's, before hippies got married and had kids like I was doing, they were going all over the world with backpacks, discovering Blue Lagoon and Bali. And that's what I am doing now. I am calling out to the boomers," explained Brown. SPTC introduces new Sports Coordinator A well-known sports figure has joined The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) family as its new Sports Coordinator. He is no stranger to the island, much less the athletes around the country, as his sporting career has seen him representing the Jewel as far as the international stage. Kent Gabourel, or Bob as everyone knows him, is widely known for being an enthusiastic sports activist on Ambergris Caye. He is always very involved in the community, whether it is organizing sports camps for children or planning tournaments. Gabourel is familiar with various sports, and his experience in these makes him an asset to the community. His disciplines include swimming, running, football, softball, and volleyball just to mention a few. One of his greatest accomplishments was when he represented Belize at the 20th Commonwealth Games that took place in Glasglow, Scotland in July 2014. His greatest accomplishments do not end there, however, as he is a proud winner of the Belize Lion Man Triathlon three years in a row (2013-2015). The Charikanari Garifuna Dance Group represents Belize in Mexico Talented Belizeans continue to put our Jewel on the map beyond the country's borders. Whether in sports or in cultural presentations, Belize is truly blessed with a wealth of talented people. Such is the case of the San Pedro Garifuna Charikanari Dance Group, who recently participated in a cultural show in nearby Mexico. Their performance was the most anticipated of the event, and they did not let us down! It is was Charikanari's second visit to the event called "Cultural Evening of Latin America-Music, Dance, Culture," and hosted by the Universidad Juarez Autonoma de Tabasco in the city of Tenosique in Tabasco Mexico. The event took place on Thursday, March 17th and saw dance groups from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico performing. The Belizean dance group was accompanied by members of The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) and The San Pedro Cultural Committee. The Belizean delegation's participation in the event was made possible through the Honorary Consul Jorge Valencia and The SPTC, along with the support of a few businesses on the island. San Pedro AIDS Commission's new board members set goals A mural at the local high school aims to create awareness through education via a sensitive message on HIV/AIDS. Newly elected members of the San Pedro AIDS Commission (SPAC) seek to launch an aggressive educational campaign on the deadly virus, starting with the mural. The newly installed board members of the SPAC were elected during their general meeting held early in March. The new members for the 2016 board are: Felix Ayuso (President), David Jenkins (Vice President), Carmen Trejo Ancona (Secretary), and Nesher Acosta (Treasurer). According to President Ayuso, the mural by the San Pedro High School (SPHS) is being funded via money collected during the organization's participation group in this year's annual Carnaval Comparsas back in February. "As part of the educational campaign being launched, we have selected attractive images about HIV/AIDS Awarenes," said Ayuso. "These images will be painted on the fence and serve as a constant reminder to the students about the importance of educating themselves on the disease and making the right choices." The artist who will be painting these images will be Pablito Guerrero who has done many of the organization's murals. NCL announces first call to Harvest Caye set for November 2016 Even after much debate and controversy, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) still plans on opening a port at Harvest Caye. It's been over three years since news first broke of the construction of a cruise port on Belize's southern island of Harvest Caye, and even though local tourism stake holders and environmentalists protested its construction, NCL proceeded with the development. Now, NCL has announced that the first call to Harvest Caye will be on November 15, 2016. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 16th during a presentation at Seatrade Cruise Global (the world's largest cruise industry event). Both the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., and the Director of Tourism, Karen Bevans, were present for the announcement made by President and Chief Operating Officer for NCL, Andy Stuart. "Belize is one of the most ecologically and culturally rich gems in the Caribbean, and Harvest Caye will be the perfect destination for guests to experience all that the country has to offer in authentic, unique ways. There is so much to do on the island, from the spectacular seven-acre beach and watersports, to interactive wildlife programs. Beyond Harvest Caye, we will strongly encourage our guests to explore Belize through the spectacular eco-adventure and cultural tours this incredible destination has to offer visitors," said Stuart, during the big announcement of the port opening. Misc Belizean Sources Western Ballaz Host Running Rebels The Western Ballaz host the OW Running Rebels on April Fools Day. It's almost playoff time, and the Ballaz need to win this match. Go Ballaz! JOEL BORLAND: BELIZEAN LEGENDS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPION! It's is amazing to us here at Belizean Legends of the guts, brain, and bran that Belize Cross Country legend, Joel Borland, showed in the 2016 88th Belize Holy Saturday Cross Country Race. He is our champion here today, since Belize did not win the Cross Country. But Borland's third place is like first place for us here. He made us all proud at home and abroad for his relentless strength he endured being 'double benk' by two serious Guatemalan brothers cyclist who appeared to have come to Belize to win by all means necessary. Joel Borland was impressive to us here from this side of the world. We had hoped for a repeat of the 2015 Belize Cross Country Champion, Justin Williams win here, but it was not meant to be. Hopkins International Paranda Music Festival 2016 A full night of paranda melodies by some of the best in the music industry! CTV3 Traffic Accident Near Crooked Tree A traffic accident that occurred earlier this evening on Mile 31 of the Philip Goldson Highway near the cut off of Crooked Tree Village has left one individual hospitalized. CTV3 News understands that the driver of the vehicle did not stop to render aid but instead fled the scene in a white pick-up truck traveling towards Orange Walk Town. We will have details of this story in Tuesday's newscast. PM Leaves For Easter Vacation After two consecutive days of debate inside the House of Representatives in Belmopan on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the 2016-2017 budget, today Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow left the country on personal leave during the Easter holiday. He left Belize today and is scheduled to return on Tuesday March 29th. During the Prime Minister's absence, the Hon. Gaspar Vega, Deputy Prime Minister will act as Prime Minister. Belize Strengthens Capacity To Fight Human Trafficking Belize along with four other Caribbean countries took part in a two-day workshop with the main purpose being to Strengthen Capacities to Fight Trafficking in Persons in the Caribbean region. The workshop which was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was held in Belize City on March 16 and 17 where future areas of collaboration and cooperation were discussed. A press release issued by the organizers of the workshop quoted project manager Rukiya Brown as saying that "One aim of the workshop is to promote among the participants the use of regional cooperation and to share information, ideas and techniques."According to the release, Government representatives charged with leading their country's counter trafficking efforts from Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and Belize have all displayed their commitment to countering trafficking in persons in their countries which would lead to an increase in the number of cases investigated and successful prosecutions. P.M Barrow Defends Budget 2016/2017 The 2016/2017 budget debate ended late yesterday evening with the Prime Minister of Belize's presentation. The Right Honorable Dean Barrow's speech only lasted for half hour but during that time he lashed out the Opposition for claiming that the unemployment rate is at an all-time high. "He talked about what the average earnings in this country are, but he offered no source or authority for the figure he gave. Likewise he said he had embarked on some sort of tax per dollar calculation for the people's earnings, but in coming up with the number, and in telling us how he did so he used such outrageous sleight of hand that it required a scolding from the Minister of National Security who is the only true economist in this House. It was not surprising then Mr. Speaker that when it came to our Statistical Institute of Belize the leader of the Opposition cited them and their data with approval when it suited him." The Reporter Man shot dead in Lake I Reports are that a man was shot dead about half hour ago in the Lake Independence area of Belize City. While information is sketchy at this time, the Reporter understands that the shooting occurred in the Complex area. We will have details of this incident on Sunday. Guatemalan brothers are top two Cross Country cycling race winners Guatemalan cyclist, Alejandro Padilla, is the winner of the 88th Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, which ended just before midday today in front of the BTL Park in Belize City. Padilla finished the race in 5: 51:09. The second place finisher was Padilla's younger brother, Julio who rode in side by side with his older brother and allowed him to cross the finish line in a tenth of a second before him. The younger Padilla was the first to break away from his older brother and the only Belizean cyclist, Joel Borland, who was able to hang onto their repeated attacks. That break-away occurred near mile 10 coming in. At about mile eight, Alejandro rode left Joel Borland, who held on to that position to cross the finish line solo about two minutes later. Breaking Belize News One of Belize's most fascinating characteristics is an exotic mix of cultures and peoples, but it's anyone's guess how the name of a Russian saint was bestowed upon St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. St. Herman was born in Moscow in 1755 and became a legendary North American missionary, yet he never traveled further south than Kodiak, Alaska. You might want to solve the mystery yourself–before or after you visit. St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park is more than just the place 200 species of birds and exotic cats call home. Caves, hidden amid forested land marked by nature trails used by jaguars, ocelots, tapir and armadillos when humans aren’t around, take visitors to a 180-foot-wide entrance that could easily be missed because jungle vines are everywhere. This cave was once used for Mayan ceremonies and rituals, remnants of which were left behind when the cave dwellers moved on. The blue sinkhole on premises is fed by underground streams and it's fascinating enough on its own to draw crowds. Why you should visit St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park The unique geological features within this 575 acre forest plus the beauty and wildlife combine to offer visitors plenty of reasons to tour this area. But it's the cave system that’s the big lure: walk the 200 yards into the enclave to marvel at prehistoric-looking speleothems and Mayan artifacts. What's the Blue Hole? It's the lush blue pool deep within the cavern that's 100-feet deep and 300-feet in diameter. Don’t confuse this Blue Hole with the place near Lighthouse Reef atoll that’s beloved by divers. That said, what other excursion offers opportunities to see wildlife, Mayan artifacts, a cool cave and a sinkhole fed by underground rivers all in one place? What makes this park unique? Every notable site in Belize has its own romantic history and St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park is no exception. Created by Mother Nature when an underground limestone cave collapsed, this natural wonder is connected by a river that invites swimmers and tubers eager to navigate aspects of the cave via the waterway to jump in and have fun. First showcased as a great place to visit back in 1965, this popular destination became an official Belize National Park in 1978 after funds from the MacArthur Foundation, the Chicago-based philanthropic entity, underwrote a project that enhanced the location by helping to stem erosion. Where is it located? This destination is close to the nation's capital, Belmopan, but you don't have to be headquartered there to visit because licensed tour agents will be happy to escort you to and from this natural wonderland. When is the best time to go? Any time of year! How to get here From Belmopan, travel about 12 miles southeast along the Hummingbird Highway to the park's entrance. Expect to hike through the jungle to reach your destinations. Best way to experience St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park Travel through dense forest to the entrance where a picnic area, visitor's center and gift shop await. Because this site is so easy to wander, you won't need a guide. Visit the cave, the Blue Hole and surrounding environment using easy-to-follow trails before using the site's changing rooms to get ready for a refreshing swim. One cautionary note: because this site is, by its nature, a wet adventure, exercise caution when you encounter slippery steps on your journey back in time. BDF soldier allegedly shot by Guatemalan Word reaching Breaking Belize News is that a BDF soldier on patrol was allegedly shot this evening by a Guatemalan in the Caracol Area. Information is sketchy but BBN was made to understand that the soldier was injured during an exchange of fire against [�] Premier League of Belize weekends results On Thursday night after the final whistle, the Verdes Fc won 3-0 against Wagiya FC. Shamir Pacheco scored a penalty and the other 2 goals were from Deon McCauley. Then in Belmopan, the visiting Placencia Assassins took 2 goals from the Belmopan Bandits Amilcar [�] BBN Player of the Week: Jamie Carbajal Jamie Dominic Carbajal was born in San Ignacio. His friends and family call him "Kemba". Growing up in one of the twin town, Carbajal went to Sacred Heart Primary School and then moved on to Sacred Heart High school where he started playing basketball. At [�] Belizean family reportedly in collision in Guatemala Guatemalan authorities are reporting a traffic accident in La Maquina Village along the way to Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala. Reports are that a Belizean family of five suffered a collision where one Andres Lloyd, 68, died on the spot. The other four are reportedly [�] Guatemalan brothers take the Garland Alejandro Padilla Miranda of the Guatemalan National Team edged out his brother Julio for first place in today's Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Third went to Joel Borland of Team Digicell. A full story is coming shortly. © 2016, www.breakingbelizenews.com. This article is the copyrighted property [�] Cross Country 2016 - the story so far� The 88th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic kicked off under clear skies this morning with more than 80 elite riders participating, including visitors from Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. Team Starlight, all of whose members including two women were involved in [�] The 88th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic underway The 88th edition of the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is underway on the George Price Highway. Official ceremonies were held this morning at BTL park, followed by a lead-out to the traditional starting point at Mile 2 on the George Price Highway, [�] Blogs Palapa Papas Surprise and My first Ad with Belize Tourism Board As I write this I am sipping my big Easter chocolate treat iced coffee with Noah's Boah's Chocolate Syrup on top. If you have not tried it yet I highly recommend. At $12 a bottle it blows the regular chocolate syrups out of the water. Very rich flavor and simply delicious and made locally with all natural organic ingredients: sugar, water, cold pressed organic cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. A while back the BTB wrote me with news that The Belize Tourism Board has teamed up with The Reporter Newspaper to develop Toucan Talk - a full page, full color feature twice a month. These publications are geared at bringing awareness to Belizeans and encouraging them to be a #BelizeanTraveller. The ads will feature different sites, activities and festivals throughout Belize, and have some great visuals. Fresh Organic Greens Grown on Ambergris Caye Plus a Super Fun Fact Just recently I heard that people were getting deliveries of fresh organic lettuce and greens. The company called Ambergreens Organic Aquaponics Greenhouse was up and running. The very first of its kind on the island. I'd visited a hydroponics greenhouse on the Belize mainland over a year ago - that supplies some of the bagged lettuce and greens here in San Pedro� But I wondered: what's the difference between hydroponics and aquaponics? Here is my very basic understanding. Fish. The fish provide the fertilizer and keeps the whole system organic. I walked over to Mahogany Bay to meet up with Markus and Melanie, the owners of the new business. When I'd heard that they were a pair from Austria, for some reason I was picturing a much older couple� Pool Project: Week Two This week has been exhausting for the crew, us, and the dogs. The guys were bound and determined to pour the floor for the pool seating area, finish digging out the pool area, installing the drain and release valve, plus building the pool's vertical steel basket. Let's see how they did. I am going to start with the pool seating area. At the end of last week, this is what that area looked like: Not much room there for seating with all that dirt. The crew obviously removed the piles of dirt, as well as the earth beneath it to create a level base. With that task done, they put down plastic and tied the steel grid for the floor. International Sources Green light stops sea turtle deaths Illuminating fishing nets is a cost-effective means of dramatically reducing the number of sea turtles getting caught and dying unnecessarily. Illuminating fishing nets is a cost-effective means of dramatically reducing the number of sea turtles getting caught and dying unnecessarily, conservation biologists at the University of Exeter have found. Dr Jeffrey Mangel, a Darwin Initiative research fellow based in Peru, and Professor Brendan Godley, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University's Penryn Campus, were part of a team of researchers who found that attaching green battery powered light-emitting diodes (LED) to gillnets used by a small-scale fishery reduced the number of green turtle deaths by 64 per cent, without reducing the intended catch of fish. The innovative study, carried out in Sechura Bay in northern Peru was supported by ProDelphinus, the UK Government's Darwin Initiative, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and published in Marine Ecology Progress Series. It is the first time that lighting technology has been trialled in a working fishery. At a cost of £1.40 ($2) for each LED light, the research showed that the cost of saving one turtle was £24 ($34) -- a sum which would be reduced if the method was rolled out at larger scale. Videos , 1/4min. Padilla brothers... winners of the 88th Annual DigiCell Cross Country Cycling Classic! Congratulations to the Guatemalans who won the cross country classic. Fly Fishing bonefish Ambergris Caye Belize, 1min. Guide Wil Flack of Tres Pescados with the save. San Pedro and Orange Walk Town, Belize, 3min. Easter in Belize, 1min. Easter in Dangriga/Belize Belize 2016 - What a Time to Be Alive !, 4min. 20160316 Belize cave tubing, 6min. 20160313 Belize cave tubing 2, 7.5min. 20160316 Belize cave tubing 3, 11min. 20160316 Belize ATV, 17min. Butts Up Cave Tubing - Belize with Jimmy, 39min. This is a video of out Cave Tubing excursion we took in Belize with Butts Up Cave Tubing you can find them here http://www.cave-tubing.com/ Pieces of the description were taken from trip advisor and applied perfectly to our trip as follows: They picked us up right outside the cruise terminal. After leaving town, it took about an hour to get to the national park. Along the way Jimmy, our guide, provided useful information. - The "hike": About 30 minutes. Mostly a reasonable dirt path through the woods, a couple of points where it is a bit steep up or down a hill and 3 points where you wade across a river (under 2 feet deep at the deepest) - The water: Refreshing after the hike. 20160316 Belize zipline, 5min. 20160316 Belize zipline 2, 4min. Belize 2016 - Wake Forest University, 4min. WHS Belize Ziplining, River Caves, & Snorkelling, 5min. Snorkeling and Diving in Belize - March 2016, 12.5min. Snorkeling and diving in the beautiful waters of Belize along the coral reef. Amazing colorful corals, tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, and nurse sharks. Gladden reef Belize. Silky caye, 1min. Paddle Me Hard in Belize., 6min. This video showcases our recent adventure in Belize. Highlights include: Belize City, Caye Caulker, snorkeling the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, exploring the Lamanai Ruins, and kayaking the mangroves of Caye Caulker with Ocean Academy. Captain Jack throws a fish to a bird - Belize, 1min. 2016, 88th cross country cycling race in Belize, 2min. Belize 2016, 13min. This video is about traveling to Belize in 2016 with my girlfriend and 4 year old son! It was a pretty amazing experience! 2016 Valentine's Cycling Tour - Belize, 4min.