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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
Lily’s Treasure Chest celebrates 10th anniversary!
One of the island’s most popular beach restaurants, Lily’s Treasure Chest, celebrated their 10th anniversary on Sunday, November 27th. To commemorate such an occasion, an all day celebration was held on the beach in front of the restaurant, replete with music by DJ Smallz, special deals on food and drinks, and the best live performance of the island’s number one band, Rompe Raja!
Owner Nellie Brown told The San Pedro Sun that she is grateful for all the support her patrons have given her for the past ten years. Brown also took the opportunity to extend her deepest gratitude to all of her staff for their hard work. “Each and every one of you are magnificent, never complaining and always smiling,” stated Brown. “I am truly indebted to you all.”
SPTC holds consultation on revitalization of downtown area and Boca del Rio
In an effort to make La Isla Bonita a safer and more attractive island, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) hosted a consultation on Tuesday, November 29th to discuss the revitalization of the downtown and Boca del Rio Areas. Members of the San Pedro Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA), among several other business and tourism stakeholders gathered at the SPTC’s Conference Room to give the SPTC feedback and strategic recommendations to consider when finalizing their completed plan.
Thanks to the Ministry of Local Government, Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED), and the Mayor’s Association, SPTC has secured their revitalization expert, Jason Fox, who is a native of Nova Scotia, Canada. Fox split the gathering into groups and issued geographical maps of Ambergris Caye to each table. The purpose of the activity was for each group to discuss the key challenges San Pedro Town faces, while brainstorming methods and recommendations that will help alleviate traffic congestion, as well as ideas that will revamp the aesthetics of the island.
Fire destroys Belize City’s Iconic Chateau Caribbean Hotel
A big fire on Sunday morning, November 27th destroyed one of the oldest buildings in Belize City, the Chateau Caribbean Hotel. The hotel was located in the Fort George District by the Marine Parade and from a distance thick smoke billowed into the sky as the blaze swept through the historic building, consuming everything in its path. Despite quick response by the fire department, after hours of battling the flames most of the hotel building was gutted by the fire. The restaurant portion was reduced to rubble.
The building was of great significance to the city. Built from Canadian cedar wood in the early 20th century, the building served the community as the Holden Memorial Hospital. In 1977, the hospital was closed, and thereafter it was turned in to a restaurant and hotel. The hotel, considered an iconic landmark, thrived for decades, recognized for their warm hospitality.
Candlelight vigil held to honor Tyler Savery
The Belize Youth Movement (BYM) and Footprints For Peace organized a candle light vigil on Saturday, November 26th to honor the life of Tyler Savery. 7-year-old Savery lost his life to gun violence on November 11, 2016 in Belize City. Several San Pedro Lion and Leo members, along with community members, gathered at the Central Park at 6PM for a peaceful demonstration. Lion Pamela Zetina was the Mistress of Ceremonies, while Pastor Clive Welsh delivered the invocation. He prayed for the protection of Belize’s youth and for strength for Savery’s mother, Shakera Young. candle-light-vigil-for-tyler-savery-2Miss Chiquitita 2016-2017, Lindsey Williams, then read a poem that reflected the negative impacts of gun violence to the society. [excerpt] “Another young body lying there silent. Do people really think they are cool because they are violent? How many more lives are going to be lost with one gun? A mother now loses her once beloved son.”
SP Red Cross holds successful blood drive; First Responder training underway
The Belize Red Cross San Pedro Branch (SPBRC) held their final blood drive of the year on Saturday, November 26th at Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. From 9AM to 3PM, donors went to the polyclinic to contribute the vital red fluid. In total, 16 pints of blood were collected, which is enough to save 48 lives. A simultaneous dollar drive brought in $205 in collections as well. The next blood drive is scheduled for Saturday, February 25, 2017 at the polyclinic. Laurie Norton of SPBRC reminds potential donors that giving blood is a simple process. “Please note that if you are thinking of giving blood, the experience is a very painless one. There is rarely a line and there are always yummy refreshments waiting for you after you donate. Please think “RED” before you donate. You should get plenty of Rest, Eat a healthy meal, and Drink plenty of fluids,” said Norton.
Ambergris Today
San Pedro Person of the Year 2016
It's that time of the year when Ambergris Today starts looking for potential nominees for San Pedro's Person of the Year award.
Who do you think deserves to be recognized as Person of the Year for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye? Do you know an exceptional person who is doing great and positive things for the island community? Someone who is helping others, giving of his/her free time, making a positive change for the betterment of others or promoting a good cause? Let us know; we would love to find out more about that special person and place him/her on our list of potential nominees.
Talks Commence on Revitalization of Downtown Area and Boca del Rio
Business owners gathered at the San Pedro Town Council’s conference room on Tuesday November 29, 2016, as the municipality held consultation for a beautification project for the island designated from downtown San Pedro to Boca del Rio.
Jason Fox from Canada has dedicated time into coming to Belize along with five climate change experts who have a desire in making San Pedro a better place. They presented various options that the Town Council can take into beautifying key areas of town.
Business owners were given a couple minutes to come up with ideas of their own on how they could go about doing this. They were then given the time to explain their ideas to everyone.
However, the San Pedro Town Council also seeks the voice and opinions of the general public. Therefore, a community consultation will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2016, where everybody is invited to listen and make suggestions on how to beautify our Isla Bonita and make it a better and more pleasant place to live. Everyone’s opinion counts and can hopefully make a difference.
However, the San Pedro Town Council also seeks the voice and opinions of the general public. Therefore, a community consultation will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2016, where everybody is invited to listen and make suggestions on how to beautify our Isla Bonita and make it a better and more pleasant place to live. Everyone’s opinion counts and can hopefully make a difference.
Misc Belizean Sources
26 new vehicles to the Belize Police Department’s (BPD) fleet
The Minister of State, Hon. Elodio Aragon, and the Ministry of Home Affairs are pleased to announce the addition of 26 new vehicles to the Belize Police Department’s (BPD) fleet. The vehicles which are Isuzu D-Max 2017 models are outfitted with police logos, lights, sirens, digital video recording and tracking systems.
This donation is made possible by the Government of the United States of America, through the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). The Government and people of Belize are grateful for this donation valued at over BZ$1.6 million as it will enhance the department’s crime fighting efforts and will go a long way in making Belize a safer place.
These vehicles become a most welcome addition to the BPD’s fleet and will be utilized for law enforcement purposes in compliance with the Bilateral Implementing Agreements for the vehicles between both governments.
The vehicles will be officially handed over at a brief ceremony at the ITVET compound on Freetown Road, Belize City at 10:00am on Thursday, December 1.
Belize Council for the Visually Impaired Opening
BCVI is looking for a responsible, driven, friendly person, with minimum 6th Form degree, to work in our Belmopan Clinic. Email your resume and cover letters to bcvibze@gmail.com.
Accident on 4th Avenue in-front of Scotia Bank in Corozal
Involving a Volkswagen pickup and a motorcycle. Fortunately no one was hurt in the accident but the motorcycle's front was damaged.
Power interruption 6:00am to 8:00am, Sunday, December 4, San Pedro
Southern portion of town from Sunbreeze Hotel onward to Island Cottage Resort. BEL to repair hotspots and fuse cut-outs on distribution system.
Power interruption 9:00am to 1:00pm, Friday, December 2, Belize City
Lacroix Blvd, Holy Emmanuel St, Rootsville & entire Gungulung area. BEL to remove power transformers & replace switch on distribution system.
Can you guess which years the two Google Earth images of Belize City represent?
You can actually see history in motion when you go to the Google Earth Timelapse feature: https://earthengine.google.com/timelapse/
Pick a location and watch changes from 1984 to 2016!
VACANCY: Tourist Information Officer
The Tourist Information Officer will perform service under the supervision of the Cruise Manager. The post is designed to collect data of our cruise visitor disembarking from Norwegian Cruise Lines vessels. The individual is also responsible for monitoring operators, collecting data, welcoming guests, answering questions and facilitating the travelers’ visit as they enter the country.
Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project Winner
We finally got a picture of our first place winner in the Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project's Belize City Primary School History and Social Studies Competition, Hazey Perez of St. Mary's Anglican Primary School. We wish her and her school lots of success.
Belize Fishing Report, November 20th – November 26h, 2016
Thanksgiving was the theme of the week here at the lodge with 75 of us at Thanksgiving dinner. It was more family time than fishing time, with just a few boats heading out during the week. The weather was poor for several days making the fishing tougher than normal. The Tarpon fishermen/women faired a little better with Chris Z and his family getting into the tarpon action, Mark landed a Silver King, and Cody followed suit with a fun fight with a tarpon. There were many other encounters with these great fish but no others resulted in landed fish.
October 2016 Trade, GDP & CPI, Labour, Business Survey
During the month of October 2016, the prices of goods and services purchased by Belizean households were, on average, 0.7 percent higher than they were in October 2015. The All- Items consumer price index stood at 103.6, an increase from 102.9 in last October. For the first ten months of 2016, an inflation rate of 0.6 percent was recorded.
Imports were down across almost all major categories, with goods destined for the ‘Export Processing Zones’ recording the steepest drop, from $13.8 million in October 2015 to $2.6 million in October of this year. Decreased purchases of turbines, gaming equipment, telecommunications equipment, and structures made of iron or steel were among the items that saw the greatest decline. The ‘Commercial Free Zones’ category fell by over $4.3 million for the month, owing to minimized importation of textile material, tennis shoes, cigarettes and clothing. While less imports of lard (shortening) and milk and cream resulted in a $3.7 million decrease in the ‘Food and Live Animals’ category, reduced beer, cigarettes, brandy and whiskey purchases were the leading cause of a $3.4 million wane in the ‘Beverages and Tobacco’ category.
It is not 'where do we go from here' but 'what do we do from here'
By Wellington C. Ramos.
Our Garifuna people were forcefully removed from their homeland in 1796 to Roatan in the Bay Islands, now a part of Honduras, where they arrived on April 12, 1797. The living conditions on this island were not satisfactory to them, which led to the voluntary migration of our people to Belize in 1801. Others opted to move to other areas of Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala, where they established villages. Why? Because of our desire as one people to live in these countries just like how we once lived in our original homeland "Yurumein", now known as St Vincent and the Grenadines. In Honduras, where most of our people live, some of them were slaughtered in the village of San Juan, which led to another large migration of our people to Belize in 1823.
Again, some migrated to Nicaragua and Guatemala to join their relatives. Garifuna people in Nicaragua maintained an ongoing relationship with their relatives who live in the countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and the United States. If they are not satisfied with their living conditions in Honduras, their relatives would send for them to reunite with them in their new countries.
Ocean Academy Jingle Mingle Gala Fundraiser
Save the date: Saturday, December 10th 2016!! Caribbean Kings Band will be debuting with their first ever performance! Please come out and support a worthy cause!
Celebrating the 4G LTE PreLaunch in San Pedro
DigiCell is readying to launch its 4G LTE Next month. Here they are celebrating the PreLaunch in San Pedro. They have been very busy with customers all day long. Low prices on phones and plenty of giveaways!
Belize Special Olympic Torch March
Belize Special Olympics is an organization that dedicates itself toward children with disabilities. Every year around this time a fundraiser is held with proceeds going to different children in need.
The Special Olympics Torch arrived in San Pedro last night and was placed on display at base of the Town Clock and donations were accepted. Today the torch was paraded through downtown San Pedro to raise more awareness for the cause.
Funds collected go towards a special retreat for disabled children which will be held in Corozal Town on Friday, December 2, 2016. All children with debilities and their parents are invited.
EXPORTBelize and Directorate General for Foreign Trade Host Export Opportunities Session in Spanish Lookout
EXPORTBelize along with the Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) hosted an Export Opportunities Session with various companies within the Spanish Lookout and other surrounding communities. EXPORTBelize along with the Directorate General for Foreign Trade have been closely monitoring the trends of products recurring on the Common External Tariff (CET) Suspension List.
With that, they presented their findings for three products of interest – soy bean oil, sunflower oil & palm oil along with potential target market and investment opportunities for each of those products. EXPORTBelize will be having another Export Opportunities Session with companies in the northern part of the country sometime in January.
Belize Bird Rescue thank you to Ian Sophie
While I am on a roll with the thanks, I have to say a HUGE thank you to this lovely lady - Ian Sophie. She was a BBR intern this summer (see her post of 9th November) and in addition to being an enormous help with the busy baby season, she took on a lot of admin tasks too. One of those tasks was to get the Global Giving programme moving for BBR. And it's entirely thanks to Ian that we had our first ever Giving Tuesday campaign - and what a success it was!! She has continued to help from her perch at U.C.Davis and has kept up the nagging and post creation beautifully. What a star!
Here is a gallery of her in action at BBR. Thank you Ian - absolutely would not have been able to do it without you!
Workshop to introduce youths to the Birding career in Belize
Do you live in the area between Belmopan and St. Margaret's Village in the Cayo District? Or, know someone in that area who might be interested in taking Birding as a career? If so, this is your free opportunity to take this 2-day workshop. On December 12 and 13, the Belize Audubon Society will be hosting a workshop to introduce youths to the Birding career in Belize. We will discuss birding gear and equipment, basic bird biology, birding market statistics in Belize, eBird, various activities focusing on bird migration, habitat and threats. We are looking specifically at young females who might be interested, but young men are also invited to participate. We will also be birding the beautiful grounds of our host lodge; Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. Feel free to contact me or Belize Audubon Society to confirm participation
Michelle Perdomo Art Gallery opens
This unique painting is named Still Life and was created by the late Michelle Perdomo. This past Saturday, St. John’s College opened the Michelle Perdomo Art Gallery, in commemoration of her talent and dedication to SJC’s Art Department over the course of four decades. She taught or influenced much of the artists that have produced memorable work in Belize. She was always energetic and her enthusiasm was contagious. She was the wife of Carlos Perdomo, former Minister of National Security and later Cabinet Secretary. Michelle Perdomo passed away on July 24th, 2013. We join the SJC community in remembering and honoring Michelle.
Channel 7
UN Convention on Corruption Sparks Debate In House
Today, the Senate met in Belmopan to consider a number of significant motions, and tonight we'll report on 3 of them. Those include the upper house giving authority for Belize to approve the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the ratification of the special agreement to submit Guatemala's territorial claim over Belize to the International Court of Justice, and The appointment the Integrity Commission. We start first with the robust debate on the UNCAC, and its ability to help in the fight against corruption in public life.
Here's what the Senators had to say about the Government's handling of the process to get the treaty enforced on Belizean soil:
Hon. Godwin Hulse- Leader of Gov't Business - Senate:
"Now therefore be resolved that this Senate authorises the government of Belize to accede to the United Nations convention against corruption a full text of which is here to annex."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator:
"Mr. President as you know the business community for many, many years now beginning way back when the leader of government business shared the very seat that I share today; we have been championing for these very things."
PUP Senators Call Out Politicization Of Integrity Commission
As viewers are aware, the Prime Minister agreed to sign on to the UNCAC when he was negotiating with the Teachers to end the 11-day strike. They were on a campaign for good governance, and integrity in public life, and as part of their 9 demands, they also wanted the Prime Minister to reactivate the long dormant Integrity Commission. With today's motion, the Commission will once again be doing its work, but the Opposition harshly criticized the Government not really intending to make the this body a robust watchdog group. That's because all of the Prime Minister's appointees are either very UDP friendly, or are outright UDP allies.
He has also appointed Nestor Vasquez as the Charted Accountant for the Integrity Commission. Now, the Government's explanation for the years of dormancy of this oversight body, was that no Chartered accountant was prepared to serve. The Business Community asked the Institute of Chartered Accountants to nominate someone who would, and they decided on Warren Coye – who happens to be the son of a former PUP minister. The Prime Minister chose Vasquez instead, and he became a flashpoint in today's debate.
Senate Stalls On Bze-Guat Special Agreement
The Senate was also asked to ratify the Special Agreement Between Belize and Guatemala to submit their territorial claim to the ICJ. That was signed in 2008, and it has been long delayed for Parliament to put it into force. The Government sought to do this today, along with seeking Senate Approval for the Amendment to the Special Protocol, signed last year.
When the motion was tabled today, most of the Senators who are not Government Appointed publicly asked the Barrow Administration to explain, "why now?"
First out of the gate was PUP Senator, and Former Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay. He made it clear that the PUP is still committed to the ICJ process, but he stressed that the PUP does not feel that now is the right time for a referendum on the matter. Why? Well, he says that the Guatemalan Aggression this year is to blame:
Killer Brought To Court Four Months Later
Back in July, stabbing victim Alfonso Castillo died the day he was supposed to have been released from the hospital. Today, the man who stabbed him was back in court to have his charge upgraded to murder.
24 year old Raheem Marsden allegedly stabbed Castillo three times in an alley not far from his Victoria Street home in Belize City. He was initially charged with attempted murder, and today, four months after Castillo died, he was charged for murder before Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Marsden was remanded into custody until February 6.
Alleged Gardenia Killers To Court
And two more were charged for murder today. After an error in the court books yesterday, the accused killers of 27 year old Gardenia Village resident, Nelson Zelaya were arraigned today. 19-year-old Lenford Harris Jr., and a 16 year-old minor were both charged with murder. They were both remanded into custody until January 30th, 2017.
Recession Deepens: GDP Negative Growth For Third Successive Quarter
Belize's economy is in a deepening recession. That's based on the most recent figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize, which were released today. They show that for the third successive quarter, the GDP showed negative growth. The first quarter was a contraction of 0.2%, the second quarter there was contraction of 1%, and now the third quarter figures show contraction of 0.8%
Now, a recession is defined by two successive quarters of decline, and this is the third quarter of decline, which suggests that the recession is only getting worse.
Now, because of citrus deliveries, the third quarters usually shows growth, and the figures show this is the first time in six years that the third quarter showed negative growth. It's also the first time since 2007/2008 that there has been three successive quarters of contraction in the GDP.
Unemployment Rose In September
And while the GDP is down, unemployment is up – an expected mix for a faltering economy. That's the figure coming out of the labour force survey, conducted in September of this year. It's the counterpart to the April 2016 survey which showed unemployment at a 10 year low of 8%. Well, September doesn't bear such good news. Unemployment is up to 11.1% - which is just about one percentage point more than where it stood in September 2015. Statistician Curwen Arthurs explained:
Curwin Arthurs - Statistician I, SIB:
"So looking at the unemployment rate so we see that we had increases in the size of the labour force many due to women entering in but we also saw increases in terms of the labour force in terms of employed persons but also in terms of unemployed persons. So what that lead to is the national rate going up from 10.2% to 11.1% so it was a combination of the labour force going and more persons entering into the labour force mainly females at a rate higher than jobs were being created."
Imports Decline In October
And the economic picture looks even more depressing when we look at the trade statistics for October – and the ever widening trade imbalance. Imports were down, but exports were waaay down. How much? Try 43%. And much of the decline in imports had to do with the downturn in exports. That's because with lesser activity at the shrimp farms, there was less shrimp feed imported. Statistician Tiffany Vasquez explained:
Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician II, SIB:
"Imports to the export processing zones experienced the largest drop in imports at 60% falling from 61 million to 40 million with reduced shrimp feed imports accounting for 12 million of that declined. Imports destined for the commercial free zones fell by 6% or 14 million dollars to 246 million due in large part to reduced import of cigarettes, textile material and clothing."
Deep Dip For Exports In October
And that's where the exports come in. As we told you earlier, exports for October 2106 were down a whopping 43% from October of the previous year. Well most of it has to do with aquaculture and farmed shrimp. That industry got wiped out by disease over the past two years. Production is at a six year low, but the SIB says there are encouraging signs of a rebound:…
Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician II, SIB:
"From the period January to October 2016 export earnings contracted for all major commodities with the exception of citrus which grew minimally owing to the fall of shrimp which plummeted by 88%. Marine exports dropped from 49 million to 30 million; however on a very positive note one shrimp farm has seen vast improvements in both production and exports hence recovery is afoot. To me the big positive here is that shrimp is about to rebound because I think it's Belize Aquaculture Limited the farm they have had very good results and they project a 4.95 million pounds for next year but that is only a projected estimate."
Citrus: Good Prices For Grapefruit
The only encouragement in export crops came from citrus. Production was down, but world prices were up. Orange concentrate sales dropped by over one million dollars, but grapefruit concentrate almost double din October.
Tiffany Vasquez - Statistician II, SIB
"Our citrus products right now on the market it's in demand because prices are good for citrus products on the outside market but however orange concentrate exports decreased but we still got increased earnings."
Exports for the first ten months of 2016 is down 23% from the same period last year.
SIB: Belikin Always Bountiful
And while the export picture, and productivity overall looks bleak, there's almost always one bright spot – and that's in beer production. Routinely, the SIB reports double digit growth in local beer production – even as more than 10 million dollar sin foreign beer was imported last year. But, according to the statisticians, Belikin continues prolific production. Here's how they explained it:…
Angelita Campbell - Statistician II, SIB:
"Beverage on the other hand went up by roughly 11.3% and that is because of an increase in beer production. Flour on the other hand went down by roughly 5.7%. Beer production actually went up by roughly 24.7% or roughly 143,000 gallons. Given that this quarter has the holiday of September celebration I would have expected some amount of increase in beer production."
Reporter:
"You're comparing year on year."
Angelita Campbell - Statistician II, SIB:
"Well yes for the quarter but we also had an increase in tourism as well so that could be of a result of an increase in beer. Everybody comes to Belize will want to try a Belizean beer so with the increase in tourism and celebration. Hotel and restaurants went up by roughly 10.1% within that industry we saw cruise passengers going down by roughly 3% as a result of cancellation due to Hurricane Earl; however overnight visitors went up by roughly 16%."
Inflation Trickles Up Due To Fuel
And while the price of beer is stable, inflation is not. In October of 2016, the consumer price index jogged up 0.7%. The increase is driven mostly by fuel which was up more than a dollar when compared to October of 2015. Here's how the inflation figures looked in different municipalities across the country.
Jacqueline Sabal - Statistician II, SIB:
"For October of 2016 all municipalities recorded higher consumer prices for the month with the exception of Dangriga and Punta Gorda. These were the only 2 municipalities reporting over all decreases in the transport index. Corozal town once again had the highest increase in home rental prices at 9% and as a result the highest inflation rate of 2% for the month of October. Guatemala reported the highest rate at 4.8% while prices are actually falling by 0.9% in El Salvador. Belize falls somewhere in the middle at 0.7% alongside Honduras at 2.8, Nicaragua at 3.4%, Costa Rica at 0.6%, Panama at 1.4 and Jamaica at 1.8%."
Figuring Out Zika
Today was the first in a three-day training workshop designed to educate healthcare providers about new methods for diagnosing mosquito borne viruses like Zika, Dengue and Chik-V.
It's the product of a new partnership with the Mexican Ministry of Health and PAHO. Belize's Ministry of Health's Epidemiologist Russel Manzanero, told us how we benefited from this new relationship, especially with the prevalence of Zika…
Dr. Russel Manzanero - Epidemiologist, Min of Health:
"What we're currently engaging in right now is a training that's being carried out for health personnel, vector control, public health, infection control nurses from the Ministry of Health and as well we invited a few of the private and other institutions to familiarise and get on board on what is viral surveillance training. We have been trying to diagnose it's not only Zika; Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, Malaria so we know that we had certain limitations without referral lab in CARFA so as a Ministry of Health we reached out to PAHO to let us see where we can get additional testing."
A Convoy Of Crisp, New Cop Trucks
Today a convoy of 26 brand new 2017 Isuzu D-Max pickup trucks made its way into Belize City on the George Price Highway. It made for an impressive sight with all the lights and flashy chrome grilles – a moment certainly worth recording for posterity, because with all the roughing up of police usage, it's downhill from here.
Each truck is outfitted with police logos, sirens, lights, and digital recording and tracking systems.
The $1.6 million fleet was donated to the Belize Police Department by the United States Government under the CARSI program. The vehicles will be handed over to tomorrow to and deployed to formations all over the country.
Keeping The Torch Going For The Kids
Today was the 5th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run. Police from the Eastern Division North, along with students and other members of the public ran through the Northside's principal streets. Participants collected donations along the way, which will all be used to aid children with disabilities. The Northside Formation's public relations officer Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, spoke to us about the run, and their hopes for next year…
Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood - Public Relation Officer:
"This is the 5th annual law enforcement torch run and it's in support of children born with disabilities. We have police officers, police personnel, our civilian staff as well has joined with some students and we have ran through the principal streets in Eastern Division North. Up ahead we have the torch which will be passed on to OCD North Commissioner Phillips and then she will do the final leg up to the Benny's round about."
More Guate Gold Diggers In Chiquibul
Two more Guatemalans were cuaght panning for gold in Belize. It happened last Friday, in Ceibo Grande Creek, located in southern Chiquibul National Park, five miles from the border. A joint unit patrol of Police, BDF and FCD park rangers detained Anibal Quiix Cucul of Monte Los Olivos, Peten and Jose Amilcar Garcia Morales of Huite, Zacapa, Guatemala.
The Guatemalans were found deep in the jungle, and the patrol team took hours of hiking, riding by tractor and pikcup to get them to the San Ignacio Police Station. They were both charged for illegally operating inside a protected area without any permit and for illegal entry into Belize. It is unclear at this point if the Mining Unit will charge them for extracting minerals without a permit.
Quiix carried a vial with what appeared to be gold nuggets and he told the patrol that he had come into the Chiquibul 7 times to pan for gold. Most recently he had collected 2.5 grams of the precious metal which he sold for 500 quetzales, or about 135 Belize dollars.
Teenager Got Off Easy For Home-made Weapon
Nineteen year old student Brandon Smith who pleaded guilty to keeping a prohibited firearm and ammunition without a gun license two weeks ago spent 15 days in jail. But he got lucky at his sentencing today when Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith gave him a suspended sentence of 6 months for both offences. She decided on the sentence after she heard a plea for mitigation from attorney Ellis Arnold and Diane Finnegan that she will enrol him in an apprenticeship program. Police arrested and charged Smith after they searched him and found him with a home made firearm with one bullet.
Sobering 2016 Hurricane Season Ends
Well tonight, if you were traumatized and taxed by Hurricane Earl, you can breathe a slight sight of relief tonight, because the 2016 hurricane season is over. It was an above average year with a total of fifteen named storms, seven of those became hurricanes, and three of them reached major hurricane status, meaning category three or higher.
Hurricane Earl was a Category one storm which made landfall in Belize on the night and early morning August 3rd and fourth. The storm didn’t cause any deaths in Belize, but it caused major flooding and residential damage in the Belize district, while destroying crops in the north and south. The estimate of total damages was close to 200 million dollars.
A Real Inspiration
On Monday we told you about the 2017 Belikin Calendar launch. Well, today the Inspiration Center launched its calendar and agenda, so you have a choice: you can pick up the copy with lovely ladies modeling, or you can grab the calender featuring the drawings of 12 kids with diverse abilities, or better yet, just pick up a copy of both! The Inspiration Center's Calendar launch was held today at their office on the Western Highway. Special Envoy for Women and Children Kim Simplis Barrow told us how important this initiative is to these kids and to the center.
Kim Simplis Barrow - Special Envoy for Women and Children:
"Every year we bring out this inspiration calendar and it is really a way to showcase the talent of our children with disabilities especially those who are receiving services at the inspiration center so over the summer as part of their summer activities they get to draw and paint and then we put it all together with McNab design, we put together this amazing, beautiful calendar and it is so great for them because it's a motivation for them to want to do more and participate in all the activities we try to do here at the Inspiration Center."
An ID For Kids With Diverse Abilities
Today Belize celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, an initiative created by the UN in 1992. This year, the celebrations were held under the theme of “Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want”, which refers to the sustainable development goals designed to build a more inclusive world for people with disabilities. Today, BAPDA held a rally, parade and open day to inform the public about their new Disability ID initiative. BAPDA President Roxanne Marin told us more…
BAPDA’s Disability IDs are available for members of the organization.
Crooked Tree Got New Shelter From Southcom
Crooked Tree has a new Emergency Operations Center - slash - Emergency Shelter, or just a community center.
The US Embassy invested 680 thousand dollars into the new building which was handed over today. The area representative said that it is a huge relief:
The Shelter was funded by the U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance Program.
Making Greenbacks From A Green Initiative
Conservation Organizations are always looking for new sustainable revenue sources, and the Ya’axché Conservation Trust thinks it may have found one with a new ecotourism initiative. It’s called EcoTourism Belize, a new ecotour and rustic accommodation provider in southern Belize. The idea is to use the vast area of green which Ya'axché manages to provide visitors with a unique ecotourism experience such as accompanying a local ranger on an official ranger patrol, taking part in Maya culture and traditions, and exploring and taste food from local organic farms. The new venture was launched today at the Ya’axché Field Station in Golden Stream, Toledo, Belize – and they provided us with some video:
100% of the profits will be reinvested directly into Ya’axché’s work.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
