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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials


The San Pedro Sun

NEBL prepares for grand opening of 2019 basketball season
The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) will be tipping off its sixth annual basketball tournament on Friday, January 18. The opening game will be held at the Belize City Civic Center in Belize City and will feature the rematch of last season's semi-finals series, as defending champions, Belize Hurricanes will host Griga Dream Ballers. Tip-off is at 9:00 p.m. The game will be aired live on The National Channel (TNC), starting with a pre-game show at 8:30 p.m. The seven participating teams in the upcoming season are Orange Walk Running Rebels, San Pedro Tiger Sharks, Belize Hurricanes, Belmopan Bandits, Griga Dream Ballers, Belize City Defenders and Verdes.

Belizing in Belize tourism
Belize should play to its strengths: its unparalleled and pristine natural beauty, the wellness of mud spas and natural remedies, the delights of Belizean cuisine and Marie Sharpe's pepper sauce, Belizean rums and bird tourism. These were the recommendations from Carol Hay, - the Caribbean Tourism Organization's director of marketing for the United Kingdom and Europe, in her keynote address at the opening of the annual tourism industry conference hosted by the Belize Tourist Board at the Ramada Princess Hotel last Friday, October 19. Hay noted that while wellness travellers are seeking a therapeutic vacation to help them revitalize to face the challenges of their home society, Belizean spa operators have the opportunity to offer their guest a unique Belizean experience that will keep them coming back for more, and also spread the word to their friends.

Consolidated Water Company looking to move out of Belize
The Cayman-based water company Consolidated Water Belize Limited (CWBL), which currently supplies Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL), is considering in leaving the country after experiencing difficulties in repatriating profits out of Belize. The company is reportedly looking to sell its shares and the Government of Belize has therefore acquired a millionaire loan to improve the water services, including the purchasing of shares from CWBL. CWBL which also operates in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and Indonesia, explained that the main reason to leave Belize is the hardship they go through when transferring profits to their home base in the Cayman Islands. The company's office in San Pedro Town did not comment on the topic, but a communique from the company's management explained their concerns.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Grand prize at this year's Holiday Hotel's Halloween Party!
The Snow Queen costume, by Alex Rodriguez, wins the grand prize for the most creative at this year's Holiday Hotel's Halloween Party!

Two Dangriga Residents Charged with Drug Trafficking
On Thursday Dangriga police arrested and charged two persons from Dangriga Town for the crime of drug trafficking. Officers conducted a search at number 35 Gumagarugu Street. Police found 2089.8 grams of marijuana. Present at the time of the search were Andrew Garcia and Amybelle Perez who were charged for the aforementioned crime.

Shotgun Found In Belmopan
Information received by Belmopan Police last night led officers to an open lot in the Piccini area where a search was conducted. There police discovered a 12 gauge shotgun under some bushes. No one was in the area at the time of the discovery and as a result the firearm was labeled and deposited as 'found property'.

Forum on growing industrial hemp in Belize
Pro-Organic Belize is sponsoring a forum about growing industrial hemp in Belize. Tuesday, November 6th 1:00 - 2:30 pm at Maya Mountain Lodge in Santa Elena. All welcome - no charge.

Halloween Auto Show
The Santa Elena Shell station will be having a Halloween Auto Show next Saturday, November 3rd. They'll have a costume contest, a raffle, and prizes. "Stop by Shell Santa Elena, Nov 3,2018 for a Spooktacular events...kids come with your costumes for prizes"

U.S. Embassy staff and their families enjoying the first annual Belize Birding Festival!

Vacancy for a Peace Corps Response Program Manager!
Do you want to join the Peace Corps Belize team? Basic Functions of the Position: The Peace Corps Response Program Manager (PCR PM) is a long-term contracted position with primary duties in strategic leadership and representation, volunteer support and supervision, and program management.

Finals of the Belize City Primary School History and Social Studies Competition
Yesterday the Belize City House of Culture and Downtown Rejuvenation Project completed the finals of the Belize City Primary School History and Social Studies Competition. Eight schools and their supporters participated. The competition was close and the noise inside the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts was deafening; it could have been described as a cross between customers at the Old Fish Market on a Saturday morning, a political demonstration and an outright public riot. The decision went down to the wire. The competition started at 9:00 a.m. and three hours later Dwight Gillett of Holy Redeemer Primary School was crown champion followed closely by Tyrone Mckoy of St. Ignatius and Essence Anderson of Bernice Yorke. For coming in first, Dwight will receive a laptop, printer, a Samsung Note 3, $600.00 Gift Certificate, $200.00 gift Certificate for getting all his answers correct with the highest number of points and a trophy. His school will receive the History Cup, a school trophy, desktop computer, monitor, printer, and a UPS. The second and third place schools received the same.

The Reporter

Squatters at Gungulung and Krooman to Benefit from Low Income Housing Through CitCo Initiative
Families in the Krooman Lagoon area of the Collet area and in the Gungulung area in Lake Independence will have a real chance of owning their own low-income homes very soon, through a joint initiative by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and the Council. This week, Mayor Bernard Wagner and other Council officials, walked through the two communities along with leaders from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community to get a first-hand view of the living conditions of the squatters in these areas.

A NATIONAL HOUSING CRISIS?
There is a serious housing crisis in Belize and despite all the political promises the crisis has gotten worst. Surely in 2018, housing has to be viewed as a basic human right. If we accept housing as such then it has to be the duty of the Government to do all in its power to ensure that such a right is fulfilled. You can tell a lot about a country's development pathway by looking at the systems it has in place to deal with housing; after all housing is what anchors the family. People need good, decent and affordable housing in which to raise their families.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Sacred Heart College celebrates Tarde Cultural
Last night Sacred Heart College (SHC) in San Ignacio, Cayo celebrated their annual 'Tarde Cultural' which was held at the Sacred Heart College's Auditorium. According to the organizers, annually, third form students are assigned to present on the culture of a Spanish-speaking country as part of the requirements of the school's Spanish Course.

Birding Festival comes alive today
The Belize Birding Festival is taking place today at the George Price Center in Belmopan City. The event is the first of its kind and is being organized by the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) in partnership with the Belize Audubon Society (BAS), the Belize Hotel Association (BHA) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB).

Vehicle stolen in Santa Elena
The owner of the above vehicle is seeking the public's assistance in recovering it. The vehicle was stolen on Wednesday evening from a parking lot near Shell Gas station in Santa Elena town.

Ambassador Oliver del Cid: Belizeans must make informed decision on ICJ
Belizeans will be asked to vote in favor of or against taking Guatemala's long-standing claim on Belize's continental, insular and maritime territory to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a national referendum scheduled for April 10, 2019. In the events leading up to the referendum date, the Government of Belize has embarked on a countrywide ICJ education campaign.

Two busted with weed in Dangriga
Police have arrested and charged two people from Dangriga for drug trafficking. On Thursday night, police conducted a search at the home of Andrew Garcia, 32,in Dangriga. There, police found 2089.8 grams of cannabis.

Belmopan police find gun
Last night, Belmopan police were on patrol and based on information received, proceeded to an open lot in the Piccini area, Belmopan city and found one 12 gauge shotgun under some bushes. No one was in the area at the time of the discovery.

Police recover $35,000 worth of stolen jewelry
Police are investigating a report of burglary in Belize City. Brittney Myers, jeweler of Belize City reported that yesterday around 12:20 p.m., while she was at work at Pacheco's Jewelry shop, two men entered the store and robbed the place.

Mexico offers temporary work permits to members of migrant caravan
The Government of Mexico has offered temporary work permits to some members of the 'migrant caravan' that registered for asylum. The 'March of the migrant' began on October 13, 2018. The over 1,000 Central Americans comprised mostly of Hondurans, Salvadorans and some Guatemalans made their way to Mexico last week after the group had swollen to thousands.

Body spotted in Mopan River identified as missing man
Yesterday we had reported that a body was spotted in the Mopan River near the village of San Jose Succotz. Today BBN is able to confirm that the body has been identified as Jose Rivas, 64. He had gone swimming on Wednesday but was subsequently reported missing.

Fair weather to continue
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly fair weather to continue. Sunny skies with a few cloudy spells are expected today. Showers will be mostly isolated. The wind will blow from the east to northeast at 5-15 knots.

Blogs

Three Belize Brands & Products That Might Get Me Traveling!
There is so much going on across Belize - and my favorite way to see it all is Instagram. Following people that travel the country or just skimming thru the pictures of those visiting�it's a great way to check out the entire country. Here are some cool new products and places that I discovered over the last few weeks�things I NEED to know more about. Site visits are DEFINITELY in order! A new beer is a BIG deal in Belize. When I first moved here in 2007, Belikin was EVERYTHING. And then in 2009 - a treaty was signed and trade was opened with other CARICOM countries. Red Stripe from Jamaica and Heinekin brewed in St Lucia and Carib from T&T - I've seen Banks from Barbados in the south and Kubuli - the beer of tiny Dominica. We even have the beer of Jimmy Buffett - Landshark. But CHECK THIS OUT! A beer that says it is brewed and bottled in San Ignacio. But then�

International Sourcesizz

Overcoming fear is key to Belize's future
In the introduction to his quite remarkable new book on the long-running Guatemalan claim to Belize, the author, Assad Shoman, makes the riveting comment that: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts." He is right to make this statement because protagonists in territorial claims, particularly the ones with the least facts to support their case, propagate much propaganda to suit themselves. Guatemala's claim to Belize and Venezuela's claim to two-thirds of Guyana are telling examples of reliance more on opinion and territorial ambition and less on facts. But, there can be little doubt about the facts that are set out in Shoman's latest book, Guatemala's Claim to Belize: The Definitive History. He has meticulously provided impeccable sources and references for each of his statements, especially the more controversial ones.

CDB approves USD8.7 million to improve water supply on Ambergris Caye, Belize
The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved funding of US$8.7 million to the Belize Water Services (BWS), to improve the supply of potable water on Ambergris Caye. Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize, and a popular tourist destination. Water on the island is provided by a reverse osmosis plant, which desalinates sea water. Although the desalination plant is currently producing at its maximum capacity, there are still periodic water shortages on the island, as a result of increased demand since the plant was incorporated in 1996.

Videos

  • San Pedro's grand Halloween Party at the Holiday Hotel, 7min.

  • Feria Chetumal Y Belize, 7min.

  • Belize, 8min.

  • Sea turtles at Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize, 2.5min. Please enjoy this video of these majestic sea turtles we enjoyed while scuba diving at Glover's Reef Atoll in Belize. The Isla Marisol Resort is the place to go as a base to some of the best diving in The Caribbean.

  • Mayan Princess Belize, 15min. Diving at Mayan Princess, Belize

  • BBBFF, Mr. Belize 2018, 2hr.