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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, and other specials


The San Pedro Sun

Doctor Love: Unsigned
Dear Doctor Love, Recently our family lost a close friend to illness. She was like a godmother to my six year-old child and my daughter is taking it very hard. She is now afraid that me or her father is going to die. She checks all the time to see where I am and sometimes she doesn't even want to go play without me. How can I help her be okay? We are not religious so saying that there is God, heaven and a better place does not work for us. Do you think that she too young to understand if we are honest with her? /s/ Unsigned

Top Tourism destination in Belize still does not have a hospital
Despite being the fastest growing municipality and prime tourism destination in the country, Ambergris Caye is without a proper medical facility. The island lacks most of the medical services offered to other municipalities across the country, leaving residents and visitors vulnerable when the need arises for emergency medical care. Talks of the construction of a community hospital in San Pedro Town have been ongoing as early as 2011. In April 2012, newly-elected Mayor Daniel Guerrero said that a parcel of land had been identified for the construction of the hospital. He said that the land, located opposite to Bowen and Bowen Crystal outlet on Blake Street, was in the hands of the Ministry of Health (MOH), who was then tasked to identify funds for the building. However, five years later, nothing has come out of that statement, and authorities at the MOH have declined to speak on the matter.

Kenyon College installs solar panels at ACES and Brighter Tomorrow Preschool
More schools on Ambergris Caye are utilizing renewable energy by going solar. Thanks to volunteer help from Kenyon College of Ohio, USA, and the Belize Red Cross San Pedro Branch (BRCSPB), solar panels were installed at Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) and Brighter Tomorrow Preschool (BTP) last week. This green alternative to regular electricity is expected to reduce the school's electricity bill, while serving as a learning opportunity on renewable resources for students. On Wednesday, March 15th, the Kenyon College crew installed 10 solar panels at ACES. Denice Ryan, Principal at ACES, told The San Pedro Sun that they were grateful to be a part of the college's field study. "I have to thank the crew, along with Laurie Norton, because without their interest, we wouldn't have had solar panels installed. As this is also a field study, Kenyon College will be collecting data from the solar panels," said Ryan.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Belize to improve national rainfall monitoring and assessment
CCRIF SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) and the government of Belize have signed an agreement for CCRIF to provide US$100,000 to the government to purchase 40-50 automatic weather stations that will provide the Meteorological Service of Belize with access to real-time rainfall data. A ceremony to mark the signing took place on March 21 during CCRIF's quarterly board meetings, which are held in different CCRIF member countries. CCRIF chairman, Milo Pearson, indicated that doing so enables the CCRIF board and team to deepen their interactions with national stakeholders and spend time addressing any concerns that members may have.

Today our Peninsula Police Cadets partnered with OCEANA Belize
and Projects Abroad on a beach cleanup campaign in Seine Bight Village. Thanks to Mrs. Giselle Marin, Mr. Celso Cawich, Police Officers, volunteers and cadets who made it possible.

2nd Annual Drug Awareness Run in San Pedro
Fun Run one more time let's go out in big numbers!! "PUT A CAP ON DRUGS"

Tennis Festival was in full swing this morning at the Pickwick tennis courts for our beginners
The children were all spectacular and great sports as they ran, jumped, skipped, dribbled and controlled the tennis ball and some even rallied the ball!! Great job to the kids and thanks to all parents and to the tennis coaches for a successful festival!! Look out for more events in near future.....

Miss Corozal Catwalk
8 Feisty combination of divas to ever hit the runway in competition...Drop our fashions on them and we in for an evening to rival any. Sarurday April 1st.

Hopkins International Parranda Music Fest 2017
April 15 - April 16, Palmento Grove Cultural & Fishing Lodge - Hopkins Belize. Welcome to the 4th Annual Hopkins International Parranda Music Festival highlighting Belize Indigenous Music. Come hear the inspirational Garifuna music and songs. Sharing the richest of the Garifuna Culture with the world which is a UNESCO proclaimed intangible heritage of humanity. Fest kicks off at 10:00 a.m with cassava baking exhibits, Isiah Nicholas Garifuna folkart & Music Exhibition with cultural art & music memorabilas for viewing & sale not to mention lot to eat and drink. Come meet our Cultural Music Artist and secure your autographs throughout the day. At 8:00p.m the first Band strikes and the Parranda Fete begins. Lineup will include 5 bands including Garifuna Collectives and 12 artist including Aurelio Martinez, llyd Augustine, Nuru Ellis, Adrian Doc Martinez and many more. Come celebrate with us our survival journey.. Highlighting all things Garifuna.

Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
YLAI reverse exchange mini conference was a HUGE success! Thank you, James Robinson, Belizean YLAI fellows, and ALL who participated, for helping to create meaningful, impactful, and enduring partnerships between Belize and the United States!

Beyond the Horizon: 2017-Belize
Beyond the Horizons 2017 is kicking off in Belize and U.S. service members are arriving to construct humanitarian assitance projects and conduct medical readiness exercises (MEDRETES) to increase capacity in Belize. On March 25, Charge d'Affaires Adrienne Galanek welcomed newly arrived troops to Belize as they prepared to get to work with their Belizean counterparts. For the next three months, U.S. service members will rotate through Belize constructing a new emergency room in Belmopan, medical clinics in Ladyville and Double Head Cabbage, and a school building at the St. Matthews Government School. Additionally, three MEDRETES will be conducted at various times throughout the exercise to provide free medical care for Belizean people.

Land & Housing Expo
On Saturday April 1st, Western Pines and CP Buildings Ltd. Will be hosting its first of the year Land & Housing Expo at mile 8� on the George Price Highway at the Western Pines Community. Bring along the entire family from 10am to 4pm at Western Pines Park. This Land & Housing Expo promises incredible discounts, financing by various banks and lending institutions. Food and drinks on sale by Western Pines Working Committee and games will be on hand for the children while the grown-ups shop.

Reflections on the Budget Debate: Bogus UDP Budget!
On Friday I listened keenly to the presentations made by the UDP Area Representative for Orange Walk East. A large portion of the East lies within our jurisdiction so I was hopeful that we would hear of some allocations for projects in that area. After all, political differences aside, we are here to serve the people. The Hon. Aragon spoke for exactly 33 minutes. In all that time, he mentioned the words Orange Walk East only one time. He made reference to his people only one time - not to thank them for having him there, because he seems to have forgotten that they are the only reasons he is able to sit in that honourable House. He devoted only one sentence in a 33-minute presentation to his people, to remind them, ironically, that he is a champion of the poor.

The Reporter

Belize takes up chairmanship of ACP Sugar sub-committee
Belize will take the leading role in helping the sugar industries in the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries deal with the upcoming challenges of this year. H.E. Dr. Dylan Vernon, Ambassador of Belize to Belgium and the European Union (EU), assumed the chairmanship of the ACP Sugar sub-committee this week, with only months before the European Union prepares to end preferential quotas for developing countries.

Days of Healing goes to Orange Walk
Residents of the Orange Walk community known as "Backa Town" gathered on Saturday with other residents throughout the district for a Day of Healing. The initiative, hosted by Perry "Stix" Smith, is a day where community members gather for sporting activities, positive messages, good food and drinks (non-alcoholic). On this, its 42nd event, the Orange Walk Days of Healing was held in the Louisiana Field, in Orange Walk Town. Smith explained that members from the Orange Walk community had seen a Day of Healing in Belize City, and asked that it be held in that district, due to an increasing concern about violent crimes.

UB and NICH team up for National Symbols lecture series
The University of Belize (UB)), in collaboration with the Museum of Belize, under the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), is holding a lecture series this week, focusing on the national symbols of Belize. Both lectures are scheduled for Wednesday March 29. The first lecture segment will take place at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, Belize City, at 10a.m., while the second will be hosted at the University of Belize Jaguar Auditorium, Belmopan City.

The Belize Times

NO BOUNCE & NOTHING BOLD - Johnny Decimates Barrow's Bogus Budget
In his presentation which launched the debate scheduled for Thursday and Friday, PUP leader John Brice�o surgically decimated the bogus budget presented to the nation on March 13th. The Prime Minister, with a trademark rhetorical flourish, gave his lame duck presentation the ostentatious title - "Bouncing Back - a Bold Belizean Recovery. Brice�o was having none of that, and responded that there is no bounce and nothing bold in the Budget, asking what many Belizeans routinely ask - in what country is Mr. Barrow living? "No ordinary Belizean will benefit from anything contained in this budget," stated Brice�o. In fact, said Brice�o, "the Prime Minster with little passion introduced a budget that is once again void of imagination and lacking of any plan to rescue a nation that he and his UDP Administration have driven to the verge of bankruptcy and is bordering on a depression."

Cayo Police Hunt for Head of Murder Victim
As we go to press today, Thursday, Cayo Police are trying to identify the victim of a gruesome murder, allegedly in that jurisdiction. On Tuesday, two minors from Blackman Eddy, found a plastic bag near the river bank while hunting iguanas. That bag held a crocus sack containing neatly severed body parts. Sources in the Police Department told us that the first grisly discovery yielded two legs severed at the knees and two arms severed at the elbows. Police could not determine at that time if the body parts, determined to be those of a light skinned female, had floated to that location from upriver.

Belizeans Are Squatters, Declares Sedi!
It is unquestioned that Sedi Elrington has been Belize's worst Foreign Minister! Sedi after almost 10 years of apprenticeship remains an amateur and a dangerous one at that! Since 2008, Belize's formerly stout diplomatic position has been completely undone by Sedi and the UDP. The Guatemalans have danced circles around Sedi, and Dean Barrow seems too consumed with his own "legacy" to even care. Sedi clearly suffers from an acute superiority complex; he believes that because he is a lawyer that somehow he is superior to the rest of us. The level of his arrogance can be measured by his public pronouncements, especially those related to Guatemala.

'Gunman' Son of UDP Minister Charged�
It only took two months, but finally, after sustained pressure, on Tuesday Kenzle Hulse, son of Minister Godwin Hulse, was charged. Very quietly, with no fanfare or Police disclosure until after the fact, Hulse was charged with Harm and arraigned in the Belmopan Magistrate's court, where he was granted bail of $1000 and the matter was adjourned to May 18, 2017. The fact is that the entire matter was handled very differently than it would have been if Hulse were just a normal Belizean accused of the same act. On January 22, 2017, the young businessman allegedly pistol-whipped an elderly man, Alberto Santos Lopez. According to Lopez, without provocation Hulse hit him with the pistol, then choked him and threw him to the ground. Lopez reported the matter immediately, but we are reliably informed that from the very beginning political interference reared its ugly head.

Squatters
The People's United Party has taken the firm position that it will not support going to the International Court of Justice at this point in time. That is not to say that the PUP does not want a definitive answer where the unfounded and lately increasingly aggressive claim to a significant portion of Belize is concerned. But there is no way that Belizeans in general should support the ICJ move when a man like Wilfred Elrington is steering the diplomatic and territorial ship. Sedi Elrington has shown himself to be a very dangerous man where our nation's interest is concerned. At times it seems that he is looking out for the interests of Guatemala over ours. That is an unacceptable thing. There is just too much at stake, too much that can be irretrievably lost.

Orange Walk Girls Win National Primary Schools Football Championship
The Progresso RC Primary School girls from the Orange Walk District won the national football championship which the National Sports Council held at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex grounds last Friday. In Game 1, Progresso RC won 2-0 over the Belize district champs, the Wesley Upper girls, when MVP Britney Zuniga scored a goal in each half. In Game 2, the Cayo champs - the St. Francis Xavier RC girls of Esperanza drew 0-0 with the Corozal champs, the Caledonia RC girls. In Game 3 Wesley Upper won 1-0 over the Toledo champs, the Forest Home Methodist girls, with a goal by Karin Eagen.

San Pedro Boys Win 4x NSSSA Softball Championship
The San Pedro High School boys won their 4th National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) softball championship at the Rogers Stadium over the weekend. San Pedro High School has now won 4 national championships this school year: boys' volleyball, girls' basketball and football, and now softball! In Game 1 Friday afternoon, Northern champs San Pedro High School boys hammered the Western champs, the Sacred Heart College boys, to a 13-3 win by mercy rule in 3 innings. SPHS pitcher Lester Gamez struck out 8 batters, walked 3, and gave up 1 hit; while the SPHS boys got 8 hits off SHC pitcher Kever Smith, who walked 5 batters.

E.P. Yorke High Girls Win NSSSA Softball Championship
The Edward P. Yorke High School girls won the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) softball championship at the Rogers Stadium over the weekend. In Game 1 Friday afternoon, the Western champs the Belmopan Comprehensive girls outlasted the Northern champs, the Belize Rural High School girls: 10-9; as pitcher Renisha Richards struck out 13 batters, while the Compre girls got 6 hits off pitcher Keena Pott who also walked 3 batters.

THE WONDERER AND THE BELIZEAN SPLIT
You must be wondering if it's the Belizean Split at Belmopan House of Representatives or the Belize - Guatemala Split at the Sarstoon�..it's the CAYE CAULKER SPLIT! Yes, Belizeans, friends and tourist "The Caye Caulker Island split has its story." Have you ever wondered if it is natural? Well it was initially caused by the old fishermen who once dug a small channel for their canoes, then their sailing boats through the wetlands and mangroves. Finally Hurricane Hattie came and really made a mess and it's getting larger ever since. Hurricanes play a large role in changing the coastal shape but its worse when the human touch has been there first. Do you remember when Hurricane Mitch chased us all to Belmopan! Thanks to God it did not come this side, but we felt the effects of it. The entire coastlines of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker were affected.

THE GOV'T'S BUDGET 2017/18:
The government's budget for the next fiscal year that begins in April is a hodge-podge jumble of figures made to look like economics but far removed from the reality of good governance. It is slash and burn economics short of a rational national development strategy. The Prime Minister's Budget speech, which he delivered as the Minister of Finance about two weeks ago to the House of Representatives, is the narrative, or executive summary, about how the government intends to earn and spend money in the next twelve months. But the PM's rhetoric just does not jive with a breakdown of how the government will manage this budget. It is based on speculation and scalping of the productive sector and consumers.

HARD TIME BUDGET
By Gilroy Usher, Sr. Government is in a financial pickle. It is broke. To get out of this financial jam the 2017- 2018 Budget outlines plans to collect $80 million more in taxes than last year and reduce spending by $30 million less than that of the previous year. This is serious business. If this financial situation becomes worse, it could lead to the devaluation of the Belize dollar which would mean huge suffering for us countrywide. The government intends to raise the additional millions it needs with new taxes on cement, soft-drinks, beer, stout, fuel, cigarettes, aerated (purified) water and an increase in the environmental and departure taxes.

Sober Reflections – Monsters Among Us�
By: Mike Rudon Jr. Last night I was shown a picture of some human parts found in a crocus sack - two legs and two arms, neatly cut off, discarded like just so many pieces of garbage. Police have been unable or unwilling at this time to reveal the identity of the victim of this especially heinous crime. It comes on the heels of another vicious murder of a teenage girl, Keona Ara. From all accounts she was killed inside the bathtub of a home in Belmopan. She was stabbed to death, her throat sliced. She was then taken to the dump outside the municipality where her killers set her body on fire.

Thinking Out Loud
By: Kevin Bernard. I was pleasantly surprised recently by the words of my brother Mayor Darrell Bradley who recognized the scope of works which have been taking place in our municipality. Sometimes I fear that we have become so divided over politics that we will never unite as a people. I always wonder why. Politicians should serve the people always, so if we all have the same mandate why is it that we should not get along. So I express my appreciation to Mayor Bradley for his kind words.

MY PERSPECTIVE – RE-REGISTRATION IS A MUST
Much is being said these days about the Re-Registration process that must take place and that should have been done long ago. The Electoral Roll of any democratic country is plainly the lifeblood of a properly functioning democracy. We have to know who the eligible voters are whenever an election comes around, and the lists need to be complete, accurate and easily accessible. I believe that on the present lists for the thirty-one electoral divisions there are over 190,000 voters registered, close to 200,000. At the moment I get the sense that not too much activity is taking place regarding voter registration, since the issue of re-registration is very much alive. However, already we are within a year of municipal elections. Things are bound to heat up.

Dissecting Barrow's Budget 2017/2018 pt.2
Less Spending�Less Growth! Concurrent with the struggles of our export industries, the PM has proposed in his budget to cut capital expenditure to $149.7 million from the $243.5 that was allocated in the last financial year. This means that there will be $93.8 million less in government spending on projects that will find its way into the Belizean economy. This reduction in the government's capital expenditure once again demonstrates the smoke and mirror game being played by the PM. Less investment cannot translate into increased growth!

Dissecting Barrow's Budget 2017/2018
The budget presented and the expected results are not in alignment. The expected result, according to the PM, is a 3% to 3.5% growth in GDP, a 2% primary surplus and an economy that has recovered from the grip of recession. Although these goals are not ordinarily lofty, the present economic climate that prevails in Belize is not favourable for their achievement. If an objective observer were to scan the Belizean economic landscape, he or she would see an ailing economy. To compound this situation, the budget proposes a virtual freeze on government spending and additional tax measure affecting tourism and international trade. So where does the PM expect this growth and rebound to miraculously appear from?

A BOLD Vision�A REAL Belizean Recovery
PUP Leader John Brice�o: Today I want to share our vision with the Belizean people. It is rooted in a philosophy that goes back to the Father of our Nation the Right Hon. George Price. Mr. Price always believed ours was a work in progress; he led a revolution, one that is at its core peaceful, always constructive, progressive and uniquely Belizean. These values remain true today and form a part of our PUP Creed, one that seeks to achieve social economic and environmental justice. It is a commitment to the socio-economic improvement of all Belizeans. This is why last week when I spoke to a group of Junior College Students I told them that my plan is to rid Belize of poverty. To us poverty is an ugly scar on our nation's collective conscience, and no amount of cosmetic surgery can paste over the suffering of close to half of our people who live on less than ten dollars per day, most of whom are women and children.

OAS Pushes for Referendum on ICJ
OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro Lemes was in Belize for a few days last week, mainly to urge Belize to step up efforts to hold the referendum on whether Belize should take Guatemala's unfounded claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This was his second visit here since being elected to the helm of the hemispheric organization. Though Guatemala has been guiltier of foot-dragging on the referendum issue than Belize, and despite their acts of aggression against Belize in the last 2 years, the funds for the OAS Peace mission are starting to run out. The donor community, made of wealthy and friendly nations advocating for a peaceful resolution to the territorial claim, have been spending their money to fund the OAS Adjacency Zone Office at the Western Border.

Sista B and SonShyne: Barrow's gift to the UDP?
It appears that the war in the UDP is about to re-commence. On March 13, 2017 Dean Barrow boldly announced to the nation that he will anoint two of his immediate family members to assume leadership roles in the Queen Square and Mesopotamia divisions: Sista B and SonShyne respectively. Were political leadership not such an important undertaking Barrow's announcement would be hilarious. What does either of the royal Barrows have over other aspiring members of the UDP that Dean could just anoint his sister and his son? What qualification does Sista B and SonShyne hold that the good peoples of Queen Square and Mesopotamia would want them sitting in the House of Representatives? Dean Barrow claims to be one of Belize's best minds and look at the mess he has made of the economy!

GOB Screw-ups Costing Belizeans Millions�
The Government is trying to get out of paying an $8.8 Million dollar award to Bahamians Rohn Knowles and Kelvin Leach. The Supreme Court has ruled that the Police Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit were excessive when they cleaned out both men's Titan International Securities Office in September of 2014. That raid was ruled to be unlawful and a breach of their constitutional rights, but the Government is attempting to convince the Court of Appeal that the judge was wrong and that they shouldn't pay a single cent for their actions.

Senate Inquiry Watch� – More Incredible Tales of Irregularities & Corruption
The Senate Select Committee, tasked with investigating corruption and irregularities at the Immigration Department, had a very long day listening to a current and former immigration official give testimony filled with doubtful information. While they had only more questions than answers, they did get one mystery solved. The alleged immigration agent, who reportedly got paid big money for his wheeling and dealing at the Department, was finally revealed to the Senate as Barton Middleton, a businessman from Orange Walk Town.

If Dah Noh Soh
Sick� What the hell is going on with people to be killing up other people and cutting throats and stabbing and shooting and slicing and burning? It ain't no laughing matter. It's scary as hell. Seems like we've been learning all the wrong things from our neighbours around us. Evil I tell you. Y'all need to go to Church and find God in your lives. Mr. Dean Sir, we need you to get serious on crime. Really now there's too much happening and it appears that you and your ministers have your heads stuck firmly somewhere the sun don't shine. Do you all even hear the cries of so many mothers who have to bury their children? Cha man wake up.

Questions to Ministers
Would the Member for Queen Square and Minister of Finance please say why, if BTL is a Belizean company, the Barrow-appointed Board of Directors has chosen to let go most of the Belizean management staff and has instead hired foreigners to those positions? Would the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please provide an update on the investigation into his friend the former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, accused of rampant corruption in the Ministry of Natural Resources? Would the Member for Belize Rural North and Minister of NEMO, Transport and Hustling please say if he would be willing to allow auditors to check into the finances of that Ministry since he took over? And could he further say if he would be willing to provide a list of his personal assets before and after becoming a politician?

Belize City Resident Savagely Attacks and Murders Sister
The quiet of the First Street vicinity in the King's Park area of Belize City was broken early Sunday evening by the pained shrieks of 29-year-old Juliane Burke. She was being savagely attacked by her younger brother, 26-year-old Elijah Burke who had hidden waiting for her in the yard of her rented apartment. Neighbours say they saw him arrive at around 4 in the afternoon asking for his sister. When they informed him that she was not at home, he reportedly muttered that he had to "bring the Police for her because something di goh aan eena da yard."

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Jose Mai offers sound economic advice to GoB
Orange Walk South Representative, Jose Mai, in registering his discontent with the 2017-2018 proposed budget, shared with Parliament how just one investment in the productive sector using PetroCaribe funds could have helped to grow the Belizean economy. According to Mai," �An investment of $10 - $15 million from the PetroCaribe funds in the poultry industry would have increased slaughtering capacity from 2,000 to 5,000 birds per hour!"

Police officer dies after fatally stabbed in Belize City
The police officer that was fatally stabbed at the Raccoon Street Police Station in Belize City passed away at the KHMH a short while ago. The victim has been identified as PC Marvin Locke.

Police officer stabbed at Raccoon Street Police Station
Reports reaching our newsroom indicate that a police officer was stabbed a short while ago at the Raccoon street police station in Belize City. The police officer is being transported to the KHMH for medical attention at this time.

6 dead since Friday, police silent
In less than 72 hours, six Belizeans have died in tragic circumstances. The first fatality was that of female police officer, Jennifer Hibberd, attached to the Punta Gorda police station. She lost her life on Friday night in a traffic mishap in Elridgeville. Further details surrounding her death are not yet known.

BTL holds official launch of new downtown office
Crowds gathered yesterday morning at the corner of Regent and Bishop streets for the official launch of Belize Telemedia Ltd.'s new office building "the Digicell Store." After a brief ceremony, detailing the functions of the new facility, BTL opened the doors for a short media tour before allowing customers in to browse promotional items and services...

Bills passed to provide parole for convicted murderers
On Thursday, during day one of the budget debate, GOB presented several bills, including four bills to update parole laws in Belize. Currently the punishment for murder is the death penalty. That is to change, however, as on Thursday in the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Dean Barrow presented a ...

Blogs

Getting South of San Pedro Town - Changes and Shopping
Today we have family arriving from the states and my usual shopping list was modified to include "nice things for visitors" - wine from Wine De Vine, smoked fish from the Farmers' Market and Ian Anderson. So I set off early on a beautiful Saturday morning. (This was my view down the easement by the house later that afternoon�) I had a few stops south of town - near my old stomping grounds - and decided to walk a bit on the beach. But first, I stopped for some sustenance. The new French Bakery just across the street from the exit to Tropic Air is the best worst thing that has ever happened in San Pedro - or the worst best thing. It is so ridiculously good - REAL croissants and baguettes - but man�the last thing I need is a buttery buttery 1/2 lb of buttery snack.

International Sourcesizz

Caribbean Cat Facility CCRIF Donates $100,000 to Belize to Aid Rainfall Tracking
Belize SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) is providing US$100,000 to the government of Belize to purchase 40-50 automatic weather stations that will provide the Meteorological Service of Belize with access to real-time rainfall data. The weather stations will significantly improve the government's ability to monitor, record and forecast rainfall within Belize and better prepare the country for hydrometeorological events, said CCRIF CEO Isaac Anthony, who quoted comments from Belize's Met Service. The CCRIF also has supported Belize by funding in 2010 two scholarships to meteorologists, Michele Smith and Shanea Young, to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology at the University of West Indies.

Wyndham Grand Cruises into Belize with luxurious five-star destination
Continuing its aggressive development in Latin America and the Caribbean Wyndham Hotel Group, the hotel giant with an unmatched global presence of more than 8,000 hotels, today unveiled plans to manage the stunning 242-key Wyndham Grand Ambergris Caye, the first resort in Belize to fly the Wyndham Grand flag. Caribbean tranquillity meets Venetian romance and charm at this five-star oceanfront resort, scheduled to open in December 2018. Situated along the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea, the resort's five towers - housing elegantly designed one-, two-, and three-bedroom hotel and residential suites - feature eleven cascading waterfalls and rise up from sparkling pools connected by bridges and canals reminiscent of Venice. The various waterways create the largest pool of its kind in all of Belize for guests and residents to enjoy. Wyndham Grand Ambergris Caye - owned by Venezia del Caribe, LTD, and developed by Sandy Point Developments, LTD - will offer a signature spa, a fitness center, multiple restaurants, 7,000 square feet of meeting space, and an onsite excursion center. It puts guests within just yards of Belize's Barrier Reef, the world's second largest coral reef system, which runs the length of the country and is just three miles from San Pedro, the island's only town.

Belize students receive introduction to ham radio
Engineering Students at the University of Belize have been given an Introduction to Amateur Radio by members of the Belize Amateur Radio Club (BARC) The introduction was held at the University of Belize (UB) Engineering Department in Belize City and included a summary of BARC´s educational goals, a short video, a lesson on ham radio basics (such as propagation and the radio frequency spectrum) and a question-and-answer session. BARC President Emil Rodriguez, V31ER, encouraged the young students to grasp the opportunities that Amateur Radio offers to expand their skills in their field of study, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Technologies.

Mermaids are making a splash in Texas and beyond
Angela Lorio paid for her first tail with a summer beekeeping job. Gold and shimmery, the new appendage was a bargain deal, a magical entree into the watery world of professional mermaiding for the Houston-area woman. Now she and her mer-partner, Sherry Rozas, are eagerly awaiting the spring party season. "There's a lot of mermaid demand," said Rozas, also known as Mermaid Sherielle. Every year for about a week, a handful of dedicated merfolk fly down to Belize for a trip Russo likens to "mermaid summer camp." The island visit, which benefits a nonprofit high school in Belize, includes mermaid-themed movies, mermaid yoga and mermaid boot camp, along with hours of swimming in tail.

The New High-Tech Fly Rod That Makes You a Better Fisherman
If you want to know what makes the Scott Meridian fly rod special, I can spell out all the science-y reasons. A good fly rod is light and strong and allows you to cast with just the right balance of power and finesse. In developing the Meridian's state-of-the-art composite materials, Scott used a new process that creates bonds between each graphite fiber that are 20 percent stronger than those found in traditional rods. But what good is technology if it doesn't allow you to do something amazing? To experience the awesome? To come away with a good braggy story? Last spring, I traveled to El Pescador Lodge on Ambergris Caye, in Belize, in an attempt to land my first permit. Among the most prized saltwater game species, Trachinotus falcatus are notoriously finicky eaters and bruising pound-for-pound fighters. To land one, you've got to make a cast of maybe 60 feet or more (any closer and he'll see you and take off), drop your fly within a foot of the fish's nose (any farther and he won't notice it), and then, if you're lucky enough to get a strike, wrestle your prey to the boat as he tries to beeline it for the horizon. A permit of five or six pounds might run 100 yards before you can even begin to reel him in, then, just when you've brought him to within a few feet of the boat, run 100 yards more. Half-hour tussles are not uncommon.

Videos

  • Dogs of the Caribbean, Caye Caulker, 1min. I think I found the perfect mix of dogs and paradise, right here on the beautiful Caribbean island of Caye Caulker in Belize

  • Spotted Drums are one of my favorites, 1min. This is what they look like before they grow up. Juan shot this today with the Gopro.

  • Dangriga Dream Ballers vs Belmopan Bandits Live from Ecumenical High School, Dangriga! , 3hr.

  • Belize Ecology Adventures!, 2min. My field ecology class at the University of Richmond went to Belize for spring break 2017! While there, we went to BFREE rain forest field station, Monkey River Village, the Belize zoo, and the Mayan Village center. Here is a little glimpse of some of our activities and adventures while there!

  • White-bellied Emerald, 1min. Female White-bellied Emerald feeding nestlings.

  • Belize Vacation March 2017, 7min. 2 days in the Jungle at Maruba Jungle Spa visiting the Altun Ha Maya ruins, followed by 5 days in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

  • Comedor de ni�os Belize, 1min. Los ni�os de Belize se preparan para recibil los alimentos

  • A Summer To Remember - Belize 2016, 6min.

  • A Night in Belize, 3min. A night in San Ignacio Belize. This was such a fun trip, I'm ready to go back already. We filmed this video the night before I came home.

  • Adventures in Belize, 3min.

  • Tropical Biology: Belize 2017, 16min. Concordia University Tropical Biology class in Belize and Guatemala, March 2017.

  • Belize Sea Turtle Nurse Shark, 18min.

  • CRUISE WITH BOYS TO BELIZE, HONDURAS, COZUMEL 2002-2003, 90min. Christmas at Uncle Rob's; Mike 13 yrs, Nick 15 yrs; Cruise - Dune buggy on Cozumel, walking through Honduras, Belize; Inez and Jeanne visit, NC sledding and fishing

  • Sadie Vernon Sports Day 2k17 Belize City Belize, 6min.

  • Scuba Diving in Belize, 5min.