AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Daily news prior to today Today's Belize News: November 6, 2017

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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

Health Corner: Your Top Questions About Going to the Dentist-Answered!
Here are some frequently asked questions about going to the dentist. Why do regular dental visits matter? Regular dental visits are important because they can help spot dental health problems early on when treatment is likely to be simpler and more affordable. They also help prevent many problems from developing in the first place. Visiting your dentist regularly is also important because some diseases or medical conditions have symptoms that can appear in the mouth.

Wolfe's Woofer: Seasick
"Mr. Dennis! Mr. Dennis!" As I struggled up the beach in a driving rain, I heard Mario calling to me from the water taxi dock. "I didn't think you was coming out in this weather," he said, when I finally joined him. "Are you sure you want to catch a boat in this storm?" "Caye Caulker is only fifteen miles from here and besides, I don't really mind this weather." "Why you going to Caye Caulker?" "I don't have any choice. Alvin Spurling has been my friend since I came to this country twenty-nine years ago. He's one of the first people I met. Now he's old and sick and his wife says that the doctor told her he won't last much longer."

Guest Editorial: A Love That Kills
Try Google searching 'Why do people have wildlife for pets?'�. I constantly find myself asking this question, because truthfully, I cannot understand the motive for having monkeys, snakes, birds, and other such wild animals, as pets. My second question is, usually, "don't dogs and cats satisfy the desire to have a pet?" I have heard stories of people chopping down trees to capture parrots, or to "rescue" a quash (coatimundi) from the highway. They then would keep the animal in hopes of giving them a better home. I recall, while I was still a child, that my eldest sister had two turtles. Their names were Muschamp and Hipolito. Someone had given her Muschamp but she had "rescued" Hipolito. Both ran away (twice) and my sister was convinced that Hipolito had instigated the escape.

Doctor Love: Anon
Dear Doctor Love, I'm an outgoing guy in my mid-twenties and I have found my soul-mate in a quiet, soft spoken girl. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but we are complete opposites. She rarely talks about herself where I am naturally talkative, so I end up chatting away while she just smiles and listens. We can be in the same room together for hours and never speak to each other and that feels strange for me. At a party she will hang back and watch the room and I can neglect her when I am having a fun time with a group of friends. She doesn't complain and often offers to let me stay and she will catch a taxi home, and I believe she really doesn't mind, but it makes me feel terrible.

Misc Belizean Sources

South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch Meeting
Wednesday NOVEMBER 8, 2017 @ 7:00pm LONE STAR GRILL and CANTINA (Full menu available)

Jungle Birthday Rave at RawSpa
The most amazing DJ's came together to celebrate many of their birthdays, and what a wild night it was. Night Quest was superb, and DJ Nonstop rocked the house! DJ Gracie Rock and DJ Iceberg Fuentes both mixed like there was no tomorrow. No mics allowed, and it showed. The night will never be forgotten. In related news, they did it again for Halloween. The It Came From the Jungle rave was wicked!

Xander Avelar Wins Father Marion Ganey Quiz Contest
Congratulations, Xander Avelar! He won theNational Belize Credit Union Father Marion Ganey Quiz Contest! St. Andrew's did it again. The National Channel has a video of the entire Quiz Contest.

36 Cayo Youth Complete Job Preparedness Training
Thirty-six youths from San Ignacio and Santa Elena have graduated from a Job Preparedness Training course as part of the Employability Enhancement component of the Ministry of Human Development's Youth Rise Project. During the 8-week course, the eighteen young men and eighteen young women, aged 14-24, were exposed to a variety of topics including skills identification; personal SWOT analysis; effective communication; conflict management; Belize's Labor Laws; work etiquette; career exploration, resume and cover Letter writing; and interview skills.

Rotaract's Costume Competition 2017
Pictures from the Rotaract Costume Competition. There were some good ones. Is that Bender?!?!? A huge thanks to all the individuals and businesses that came together to make it the best yet! More pictures from the contest. Video of the entire contest. "We'd like to thank everyone who came out last week to our annual Haunted House and Costume Competition! All the proceeds from this event goes towards our annual Christmas program for underprivileged kids. We'd like to give a huge thank you to Hode's as always for their support and generous contributions!

Ride Out Diabetes
The 9th annual Ride Out Diabetes bike race will be next weekend. The Sunday ride starts in Santa Elena, and goes to Belize City.

The Reporter

PUP introduces Belize City Council slate
After weeks of finalising, the People's United Party (PUP) introduced its Belize City 11-member slate for the March 2018 municipal elections. Accompanied by the theme: The Rebirth", the party held its introduction rally at the Pound Yard bridge area in the centre of the old capital. The PUP's Belize City mayoral candidate is Bernard Wagner, and councillor candidates are: Dr. Candice Pitts, Delthrude Hylton, Ryan Elijio, Ayesha Gentle, Oscar Arnold, Allan Pollard, Javier Castellanos, Michael Noralez Micah Goodin, and Albert Vaughan.

Two elderly Americans drown
Two elderly Americans died from drowning in southern Belize this weekend, according to police reports. Police say they were alerted sometime around 6:00 Saturday morning of a body on the northern side of Hopkins village. When they responded, police saw the corpse of a man floating face down in the sea near the beachside. The man was identified as Paul Panarese, 67, an American national, who reportedly left around 6:45 the evening before, went en route to Kismet Inn after socialising for about an hour. Police say there were no signs of violence on the body, but that a post mortem examination is scheduled. The other drowning was reported sometime after 1:00 Saturday afternoon near Naia Resort in Placencia. When police arrived, they saw the body of Robert Lotz, 68, a retired American who was on vacation, floating in the sea. Police say Lotz reportedly went kayaking around 10:00 in the morningon and did not return. His body also showed no signs of violence but a post mortem examination is scheduled to be performed.

Breaking Belize News

PUP introduces Belize City Council slate
Last night, the People's United Party (PUP) officially launched its slate to contest the Belize City Council elections next March. The launch was held at the Pound Yard Bridge in Belize City.

American on vacation found floating dead
A retired American National has been reported dead by Placencia Police. According to reports, at about 1:49 pm yesterday, police visited an area near Naia Resort in Placencia where the motionless body of a man was seen. The man was identified as 68 year old Robert Lotz a retired American of Illinois, USA who was on vacation in Belize.

Manatee fundraiser held at Old Belize
In an effort to continue public awareness campaigns on Belize's precious manatees, researcher Jamal Galves is hosting the third annual "Cocktail for Manatees" fundraiser at the Old Belize Pavilion. The initiative features live entertainment as well as auctions, forming a part of the efforts to raise around $13,000 for the educational campaigns to continue.

Blogs

They Were not Looking to Uproot but the Business was Irresistible
The annually anticipated Casa Picasso season-opening celebration happened this week. Many of us were already well done from all the Halloween Bar Crawl circuit this year but that did not affect the turnout. When it comes to events where you get "the royal treatment" there is always room for one more. This year something different happened at the party, new owners Gary Zwierznski and Donna Chamblee were the welcoming committee at the door. Casa has the same great menu made so popular by previous owners Jackie and Adam along with a few additions from new owners. Gary and Donna also kept all the wonderful staff. I chatted with Gary to find out a bit more about their backstory beyond knowing they were from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He told me they were not looking to uproot but found Casa Picasso for sale online. After they came to check it out in person, experienced the ambiance, the delicious food and the outstanding staff - they could not resist taking the plunge. Before buying a business here.

A Home For Kids on Ambergris Caye: The MOVING Opening of Hope Haven Home
Yesterday was a beautiful day in more ways than one. In the afternoon, under the shining Belize sun, a group of persistent, motivated, hopeful women cut the ribbon for the Shine Center and Hope Haven Home in downtown San Pedro, Belize. The home was filled with donors and supporters for this AMAZING project that doesn't just give hope and sanctuary to children who have suffered greatly in their short lives but gives hope to a community that like others around the world, can feel overwhelmed at times. Two years after dreaming up a MUCH needed home for children on Ambergris Caye, a powerful group of women cut the ribbon for new Hope Haven Children's Home. 2 years of dreaming, begging, scraping, soliciting donations, fundraising - incredibly hard work, INCREDIBLE persistence. It can be easy to assume that nothing will change or say "I'm not the one who can change this" - none of these women stopped there.

International Sources

Philadelphia Native Offers Destination Weddings in a Unique Locale
Most people associate weddings with love and commitment, and rightly so. After all, it's a ceremony to unite two people together, building a life they will share. That's the part they write songs about. But a wedding also comes with another constant: questions. So many questions. It's not for everyone. But for those who want a unique wedding outside of Philadelphia, it's a really great option: the Central American country of Belize. Some people might be aware Belize rates high as a stunningly beautiful wedding location. What they may not know is its other advantage, a woman named Lara Goldman. The Philadelphia native lives in Belize and runs a company that specializes in coordinating destination weddings. She knows Philadelphia. She also knows everyone and everything about Belize. She's the person to talk with if you want to, say, swim with sharks or zip line your way to a ceremony in a hut in the jungle. Or, as Goldman puts it, "The answer is yes, what's the question?"

It's Now Officially Legal to Have and Use Marijuana in Belize - But with Restrictions
An amended Misuse of Drugs Act, which decriminalized possession and use of small amounts of marijuana, is now law in Belize. Governor General Sir Colville Young has assented to the Bill, following approval by legislators in the House of Assembly and the Senate late last month. Now that the Bill has been signed into law, adults can have up to 10 grammes of marijuana in their possession and smoke it on their own premises or somebody else's private premises, once the owner gives permission. However, it is still illegal to take the drug on school premises, and the amended legislation provides for monetary and non-recordable penalties for that. Minors caught with any quantity of the drug would also be subject to punishment.

Belize Tourism Continues 2017 Surge
Belize is continuing to show seriously strong growth in its tourism sector so far in 2017, according to the latest data from the country's tourist board. Stayover visitors to Belize totaled 319,119 through the end of September, an 8.6 percent increase that's among the fastest growth rates in the Caribbean. That follows a boom in 2016 that saw Belize post a 13 percent increase in stayover arrivals over 2015. The United States continues to be the strongest source market for Belize, though Canadian arrivals are set to jump with the recent debut of the new WestJet flights to Belize from Calgary.

'Entered the loo, had a pee, exited' Lord Ashcroft DENIES hiding in the toilet to dodge BBC reporter asking about his finances
Tory donor Lord Ashcroft today denied allegations he hid in the toilet to avoid questions about his offshore investments - claiming he just needed 'a pee'. The former Conservative Party deputy chairman was filmed by a Panorama journalist after he was named in the controversial Paradise Papers. He can be heard repeatedly saying 'dear dear dear' as he is followed around last month's Tory conference before heading to the toilet. Last night Lord Ashcroft, who has an estimated fortune of �850million, faced a torrent of online abuse over the exchange and responded by repeating his words 'dear dear dear'. When asked if he was hiding from the journalist he said: 'No hiding..went in ...had a pee..and walked out'.

Lord Ashcroft used offshore trust to shelter wealth while Tory peer
Lord Ashcroft, one of the Conservative party's biggest donors, faces fresh questions over his offshore affairs after the Paradise Papers revealed a previously unknown trust sheltering his vast overseas wealth. Scores of emails and financial statements chart the inner workings of the Bermuda-based Punta Gorda Trust from its creation in 2000, just after he became a peer. The documents run until 2016, when the offshore law firm Appleby, which acted as trustee, terminated the relationship, a decision questioned at the time by Ashcroft's representatives. The value of the trust fluctuated, but a leaked financial statement recorded it as having assets of $450.4m (�341m) in 2006.

Paradise Papers: Lord Ashcroft faces questions over offshore investments
Conservative Party donor Lord Ashcroft faces more questions over his offshore investments after the Paradise Papers revealed a previously unknown offshore fund, and that he retained nom dom status for tax affairs despite pledging to become a permanent UK citizen. The peer, 71, who is one of the party's biggest donors and reportedly gave �500,000 towards its most recent campaign, is said to have given assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bermuda-based Punta Gorda Trust in 2000. The leaked documents suggest that, between 2000 and 2010, Lord Ashcroft received payments of around $200m (�150m) from his offshore trust in Bermuda. He continued to sit in the House of Lords and, as a "non-dom", he did not have to pay tax on these payments.

Paradise Papers: Lord Ashcroft 'retained his non dom status' while serving in the Lords
Multimillionaire Tory donor reportedly kept hundreds of millions of pounds in Bermuda-based offshore accounts. Lord Ashcroft, a major donor to the Conservatives and the party's former deputy chairman, reportedly retained his non-dom status while serving in the House of Lords, documents released as part of the Paradise Papers suggest. The revelation suggests the peer continued paying tax only on his UK earnings, against his previous promises and despite attempts by parliamentary authorities to make members of the House of Lords pay their full share of tax. When he was awarded a peerage in 2000, the businessman vowed to become a permanent UK resident and drop his non-dom status. However, in 2010 he was forced to admit that he was still a non-dom. Following the admission, new laws were introduced to force anyone who sits in Parliament to pay all British taxes.

Tory donor Ashcroft faces tax questions over control of offshore trust
Lord Ashcroft, the Conservatives' biggest donor, apparently avoided millions of pounds in tax by putting his money in an offshore haven. Leaked documents suggest that the former Tory treasurer retained some control of a trust that would be free from tax only if he had handed its running over to trustees. When allegations were put to him by a BBC reporter, he walked away saying: "Dear, dear, dear." The disclosure puts Lord Ashcroft, 71, at risk of an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs for a fortune in unpaid tax, BBC's Panorama claimed last night. It is likely to embarrass Theresa May because Lord Ashcroft has given more than �10 million to the Tories, including �500,000 to their latest campaign.

Diver gets in fight with shark after cheeky predator tries to steal the fish he caught for dinner
A diver had to wrestle a shark for his lunch after the cheeky predator decided it fancied a bite of the fish he had just caught. Footage shows the diver swimming over a reef off San Pedro, Belize, as he tries to hold onto the grouper he is carrying in a mesh catch bag.

Videos