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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: December 28, 2015 - 12/28/15 11:34 AM


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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

Letter to the Editor: DentaVac responds to Barbara Madden
Dear Editor: Dr. Hall was not a clinical dentist in Costa Rica or DentaVac but was at the clinic and only spoke with patients and answering emails and phone calls. He has 20+ years in dentistry and very knowledgeable. He was completely in a communication position with patients. Dr. Hall and DentaVac mutually agreed to part amicably without any hard feelings. He was not fired as this troubled patient suggested. As it relates to Barbara Madden (she provided her name), Dr. Hall did not do any of the clinic work. She agreed with the design prior to fabrication and signed the chart that she accepted the veneers before cementing. She complained in her blog about her posterior bite and trigeminal nerve damage�.we did not perform ANY posterior dental work on her�.only anterior teeth. She went to a dentist in Colorado and the report was sent to us. The report said the veneers looked great and were not involved in her posterior problem that needed calibrated.

Officers from the Belize Forest Department and San Pedro Police Formation receive hands-on training from ACES
On December 1st thru the 3rd, 2015, four Belize Forest Department (BFD) Wildlife Officers, Edgar Correa, Minerva Gonzalez, Mercedes Valdez and Erwin Gillette, spent three days addressing wildlife concerns and laws in Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. The evening of Dec. 1st, the four Wildlife Officers, along with two police officers from the San Pedro Police Department joined the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) on one of their evening crocodile research excursions. Belize's Crocodile Expert and ACES's Co-Founder, Vince Rose, and ACES's crocodile conservationist Chris Summers shared pertinent crocodile biology and behavior facts with the enthusiastic officers. ACES has been humanely tagging crocodiles with Pro-ID microchips for an ongoing population distribution study since 2008. To date, over 500 crocodiles in Belize have been tagged providing pertinent scientific data and enabling the identification of problematic crocodiles for relocation, or captivity, to ensure human safety. On December 2nd, the BFD and ACES visited the Estuary of Caye Caulker, a culture interpretive center with nature trails through a mangrove lagoon. The BFD had received reports that there was possibly illegal crocodile feedings taking place. However, along the beautiful nature trail over the lagoon there were clearly signs warning the public against this activity. ACES looks forward to working with the Estuary at Caye Caulker and assisting in training their guides about Belize's crocodiles under the direction of the Belize Forest Department.

Wolfe's Woofer: Why Shoot?
"Mr. Dennis, will you go to court with me?" Mario asked. "I need you for a witness about my character." "I suppose I could be a character witness for you," I told him. "Why do you need a character witness?" "The resort where I been working says I stole some tools from them. I didn't steal any tools. I just borrowed them and somebody stole them from me. I don't think that's stealing, do you?" "It sounds a lot like it," I said. Mario asked, "When I used to work for you did I ever steal anything?" "I'm not sure," I said. "You borrowed a lot of money and tools that I never got back."

Police Report
Drug Trafficking: On Sunday, December 20th at 9:40AM, police visited a water taxi located on the beach front, San Pedro Town where they intercepted 18-year-old Saul Rodas carrying a white box containing 428.5 grams of Cannabis. Police have since arrested and charged Saul Rodas of San Mateo Area for the offence of "Drug Trafficking."
Theft: On Thursday, December 17th at around 10:13AAM, 23-year-old Sheila Alexis Eiley reported to the San Pedro Police Station that on Friday, November 27th she went to pick up her 4-year-old daughter from school, when she noticed that her gold chain with a red ruby stone medal, valued at $1,000BZ was missing. Eiley mentioned she questioned the teacher about it, but the teacher told her she didn't notice when the child dropped it or where she misplaced it, and that she would search to see if it fell in the classroom. On Thursday, December 7th, Eiley went to pick up her daughter at school, when again, she noticed another gold chain with a gold frog medal valued at $1,500BZ was missing from around her daughter's neck.

Doctor Love: Relationships
Dear Doctor Love, I met a man in a chat room on the internet. He comes down to Belize on business on the weekdays and stays in the U.S. weekends and holidays. We got together six months ago. At first we were seeing each other two or three nights every week. Then, because of the pressures of his job we started averaging two days a week and then one day. Last month all of a sudden he disappeared. No phone calls, texts or chatting. I know he is still here every week because a friend of mine works at the same company where he works. She believes that he has found another woman. When I asked her why she thinks that is true she said it is just a feeling she has. I finally got an email last night from him saying that he just can't handle a relationship at this time. He wished me the best of luck and boom, that was it. I was just devastated. Is this the normal way men get out of a relationship? /s/ Feeling Stupid,

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Help send Rebecca (SanPedroScoop) to India!
Rebecca is trying to get an invite for a writer trip/tour to Kerala India. It would be AWESOME. It's the third year it's being held... an event called the "Kerala Blog Express" where they invite 20-30 writers for a two week trip. Selection is based on a review of one's work, social media following and also... votes. What Rebecca does with her blog is truly great. She works tirelessly at it and with a great voice and perspective, manages to capture a lot of what is really unique and special about this country. I'd love to read about Kerala through her eyes. This is the link people can go to for voting... takes but a second. http://keralablogexpress.com/index.php/user/single_participant/421 Voting ends the 31st!!!!

SAN PEDRO FIRE DEPARTMENT RELEASE
At about 5:00am Sunday December 27th Ricardo Valladarez, 34yrs mechanic of Escalante sub division same street as W & W Supermarket woke up by the smell of smoke when he noticed the inside of the house was on fire. The house is a plycem and wooden building 24X 26 with a garage and a store room 10X10 to the back also three vehicles that was on repair was damage . The house and store room was totally destroyed by fire department responded at 5:45am to location and ran out of water, the house and contents were not insured.

Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic Newsletter
Happy Holidays and All the Best for 2016 with our first BWRC Newsletter. Enjoy the annual report for 2015 and let us know what you think.

Buffalo Wing Monday
Buffalo Monday... $1 wings at the Lazy Lizard, all day, every Monday. Chef Rey says come and get messy at the Split!!!Location : Lazy Lizard at the Split. Date: December 28, 2015. Time: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Rotaract Christmas Food Drive
The Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo did their 2nd annual Christmas Food Drive, and it was a huge success. They've delivered 61 baskets of much needed groceries to families in need. Thanks, Rotaract! "This is our 2nd Annual Christmas Food. Families with financial need from Benque Viejo Town and San Jose Succotz Village were given food baskets on Sunday, December 20, 2015. Among the recipients were single mothers, elderly, disabled persons, and families going through illness. Approximately 40 baskets were distributed on Sunday. In total, we have 61 food baskets which are being distributed this week to assist families during the Christmas season."

The Reporter

Fuel prices going up!
Belizeans can expect higher fuel prices for the new year, following confirmed reports that the price of all three types of fuel will be going up this week. Sources have informed The Reporter that the price for a gallon of premium gasoline will increase from $8.58 to $9.30, an increase of 72 cents. Regular goes up by 97 cents from $8.51 to $9.23, and diesel increases by 81 cents, from $6.41 to$7.22. The new prices are scheduled to be introduced at 12 a.m. on Tuesday December 29. The price increase notably corresponds with falling prices of oil on the world market, which should translate into eventually lower prices at the pumps for consumers. The Telegraph in the United Kingdom reported last week that the price per barrel for oil on the international market ranged between US$34.04 and US$36.35 per barrel; a considerable fall from the US$115 in years prior. Earlier this year, Belize made the list of the top five Caribbean countries where fuel is most expensive, ranking at fifth place on a list of 15 countries. The list, compiled with data from the Caribbean Statistics and Data Services institute, said that Belize has one of the highest per capita gasoline consumption rates in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and fuel imports equalled 15.22 percent of its merchandise imports in 2013.

CARICOM reducing hunger and undernourishment, says FAO
A new report issued by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are making good strides in their global targets in reducing hunger and under-nutrition. The FAO's "The State of Food Insecurity in the CARICOM Caribbean 2015″ report, released this week, showed that the number of undernourished persons in the Caribbean declined from 8.1 million in 1990-92, to 7.5 million in 2014-16. The reduction represents a 7.2 percent decrease, from 27 percent to 19.2 percent. The report also said that three Caribbean Community countries: Barbados, Guyana and St Vincent and the Grenadines, had met both the World Food Summit (WFS) hunger reduction goal set in 1996 and the hunger reduction target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed upon in 2000. Four countries were also shown to have undernourishment levels of less than ten percent; they are Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Bahamas, Belize, and Jamaica. In contrast, the remaining CARICOM nations registered undernourishment levels of between 10-20 percent, and Haiti was found to be the furthest behind, with undernourishment levels of almost 50 percent.

Police detain man for raping ex-girlfriend in her sleep
Belmopan police have detained a 29 year-old man pending charges after his ex-girlfriend reported that he raped her in her sleep. The 24 year-old Honduran wan who resides in Belmopan reported to police that sometime after 1:00 a.m. on Boxing Day (December 26th) while she was at home sleeping, she woke up to someone touching her and she noticed that her pants and underwear were removed. The woman said that just prior to that she had heard her roommate shouting her ex-boyfriend's name, and that she realized he was at her house as well. Confused by the fact of what was happening, coupled with her inebriated state from drinking prior to that, the woman said she got up and ran outside for help, but a medical exam at the Western Regional Hospital determined that she had already been raped.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Christmas morning brawl in Punta Gorda leaves one hospitalized
Amidst the celebration on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning, violence erupted outside a nightclub in Punta Gorda (PG) when a man was stabbed multiple times and had to be transported to the PG Hospital emergency room for treatment. Reports are that sometime around [�]

Fatal stabbing at dance following Boxing Day horse racing
Teenager Lennox Flowers of Belize City was the victim of a fatal stabbing incident just after 9 p.m. in Burrell Boom Village, Belize District. He was attending a paid and organized entertainment event at the Castleton Park, near the race track in Burrell Boom. The [�]

Blogs

A WINDY Boxing Day Walk North: From Costa Blu to X'tan Ha Resort on North Ambergris Caye
I am worried about the beaches! The winds have been up to 30 mph for the past 4 or 5 days�and will continue a bit. While the weather has been clear and sunny, THE WIND! Great for sailing, bar hopping, pool lounging, kite boarding but tough for other activities. Small craft advisories (boats) and warnings are in effect. I took a drive�and then a walk northward. Miles 6 and 7 on Ambergris Caye. Boxing Day. Here's what I saw. Costa Blu Resort - the old Costa Maya Resort (that closed maybe 4 years ago) - is looking fantastic. How you all had a fabulous Christmas and Boxing Day and are weathering the winds. I was headed back down the Mata Grande Grocery Store for an iced cold Coke Light.

The Best Place for Cave Swimming in Toledo Belize
Blue Creek in Toledo Belize is a popular adventure place for many tourists. Get to know some of the sights and activities that await you in this adventure vacation in Belize. The lush forest of the preserve is home to huge orchids, bromeliads, heliconias and cohune palms, with numerous vines weaving their way through the jungle and a guided hike to reveal numerous medicinal plants. This place is home to so many birds, including the keel-billed toucan, and you can hear the distinct roar of howler monkeys a short distance away. These monkeys are popular in the country, and are named because of the loud howls that they make. Blue Creek is also home to the Hokeb Ha Cave. This cave features a large entrance from the summit of a hill where the creek gurgles up right from underground. Many Late Classic Maya ceramics have been found inside the cave and an altar. Archaeologists believe that the cave was specifically used for ceremonial purposes. Continuing upstream from the Center's dock, you clamber on the rocks of a dry creek bed to reach the river emerging from the cave. The limestone caves are teeming with pristine crystal-clear mineral pools and lagoons, with a constant water temperature of 75 degrees. With headlights and life jackets, you can swim into the cave and visit a couple more waterfalls, and enjoy the view of the stunning stalagmites and stalactites. Although not recommended, it is possible to visit the cave all on your own, and although the calm water at the main entrance is great for swimming for most of the year, heavy rains can cause a sudden rise in water levels. You have to be accompanied by a guide if you want to explore the inside of the cave system. You can arrange this either at the Research Center or in the village.

Split Peas Dhal With Salted Pigtail
You can soak the split peas overnight in cool water for faster cooking time. Traditionally at the end of cooking toasted geera (cumin) seeds are added to the dhal for an enhanced flavor. I'm not a fan of geera, so you'll notice that I didn't add any to my pot of dhal. The salted pigtial should be enough to 'salt' this dish, but do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly. The first thing we've got to do is to remove some of the salt from the pieces of pig tail (trust me, salted pig tails are very salty). BTW I cut the pieces of pig tail into 1-1.5 inch pieces, then placed them in a pot with water. As it came to a boil I reduced the heat and allowed it to go on a rolling boil for about 20-25 minutes. The idea is to get the pieces a bit tender and remove some of the salt it's been cured with. Drain, rinse under cool water a couple times and get ready to add to the main pot with the other ingredients.

Pay or Die: The Crisis facing the Medical Industry in Belize By: Aria Lightfoot
Like a recurring nightmare, almost every week in the media, victims of serious medical problems are asking for donations from the Belizean population to assist with medical care. Many need long term life saving surgeries, cancer treatments, kidney treatments, or some major medical intervention. Treatments can cost upward in hundreds of thousands of dollars to a million dollars for effective lifesaving measures to take effect. It plays out as a desperate last ditch attempt from victims to save their lives; and in reality, the public could never realistically sponsor these cases unless of course there is some major overhaul in how we administer medical care to the public. I recall my mother's own plight with the Belize medical system. She initially received medical treatment in Houston and Canada because of help of her sisters but when she returned to Belize, I recall Dr. Pott telling my aunt that he would not "waste his time" to treat her (as he had promised the Canadian doctor he would) because she was going to die anyway. My aunt was devastated and in tears desperate for some medical intervention. It was the Belmopan community, her family, friends, church members and nurse Johnson, who helped my mother transition into the next world. A few years later, my aunt lost her healthy baby boy at the Belize City Hospital, because she did not use the private hospital system. Her baby had a healthy heart beat at the doctors office however, he did not practice at the public hospital and when she went into labor, neglectful nurses were not around when her baby began to crown and the doctor who was expected to be there, was absent. It was a series of unfortunate events. The baby was perfectly formed except he was blue. When I was pregnant, my aunt gave me money so that I did not have my son at the public hospital. She did not want a similar fate and treatment for me�my medical care was excellent.

International Sourcesizz

Jomo and his trombone
DON'T LET JOMO SLUSHER'S SMALL SIZE fool you, he plays one of the baddest horns in the land - the trombone. Why is it the baddest? According to music writer Nick Coleman: "Trombones are difficult, awkward even. In a world that prizes compactness, speed and flexibility, trombones are slow, cumbersome and not awfully flexible. Trombonists need to be fit. They need good joints, jaws, strength, stamina. Trombones do power, they do grandeur, they do riffs, they do brooding, they do tearing calico." Jomo was born in Belize and raised in Barbados with an older brother ("my father is from Belize and my mother is from Trinidad so I did not grow up in a typical Bajan household"). Past student of Louis Lynch Secondary and Combermere, he has an assosicate degree from the Barbados Community College's music programme. Jomo grew up with parents who were big music enthusiasts, exposing him to many different genres, but jazz was what he heard the most.

Trinidad and Tobago Central Bank Governor fired
Embattled Governor of the Central Bank Jwala Rambarran has been fired after weeks of controversy surrounding his announcement that the twin-island republic is officially in a recession and disclosing the names of companies that are the biggest foreign exchange buyers. Former bank deputy governor Alvin Hilaire has been named as his replacement. Rambarran was sent home on a recommendation from Cabinet, Minister of Finance Colm Imbert said. Acting president Christine Kangaloo signed off on the dismissal in the absence of President Anthony Carmona who is overseas. "Cabinet took the decision after very careful deliberations," Imbert said. The minister was among those who harshly criticized Rambarran for the statements he made as he addressed the Fifth Monetary Policy Forum on December 4. He said the Governor was "discourteous" for making the announcement before communicating the situation to government first, in keeping with the Central Bank Act.

CARICOM countries show progress in meeting global hunger targets
The State of Food Insecurity in the CARICOM Caribbean 2015 Report, published yesterday by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), shows progress in the Caribbean region in reducing undernourishment and towards meeting global targets. The number of undernourished persons in the Caribbean declined from 8.1 million in 1990-92, to 7.5 million in 2014-16. The proportion of undernourished persons declined from 27 per cent to 19.8 per cent during the same period. Three Caribbean Community countries - Barbados, Guyana and St Vincent and the Grenadines - met both the World Food Summit (WFS) hunger reduction goal set in 1996 and the hunger reduction target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed upon in 2000. Additionally, Dominica, Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago all have undernourishment levels less than 10 per cent of their population. Despite this encouraging progress, the FAO said, the remaining countries in the region register undernourishment levels between 10 and 20 per cent, with the exception of Haiti, which has extremely high levels of undernourishment that affect close to 50 per cent of the population.

Zika virus confirmed in Martinique, PAHO reports
Martinique has become the latest Caribbean island to report the Zika virus (ZIKV), according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). In its latest epidemiological report, for the week of December 20 to 26, PAHO added Martinique as well as the French overseas territory of Guiana to the list of countries where there have been confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne virus. It did not give any details about the number of cases or status of the patients. Suriname remains the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM) territory on the list.

Videos

  • A fiery compelling Marcus Garvey speech, 5.5min.

  • Visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to Belize, 1985, 50min. Here is a recording for those of us who love royalty. This video recording however, is more than just royalty, it recalls an historic event just 4 years after Belize attained it's Political Independence from Great Britain. Those of us who were 10 years old at the time are now fully grown adults. those of us who were 30 years old are now senior citizens. Amazing and interesting to see once again, so many faces at time when Belize was in it's infancy and those people and faces who were a part of that historic chapter in the existence of our beloved Belize. Chances are you might just happen to see yourself here...

  • Almens in Belize, 4min.

  • KTM Adventure Tours Belize Dec. 2015, 64min. Short trip around Teakettle.

  • Cruisin' to Mexico, Honduras, and Belize, 3min. Cruisin' to Mexico, Honduras, and Belize with my girlfriend! We explored the Caribbean, made a lot of friends, and created great memories!

  • Taxi ride in Caye Caulker, Belize, 1min. December 2015.

  • KTM Adventure Tours Belize Nov 2015, 40min. Short trip around Belmopan.

  • Diving in Belize! The Blue Hole, 34min. The Blue Hole, one of the worlds' greatest dive stops. A natural sink hole, 407 ft. deep...filled with natural architecture once you hit 100+ feet. A must dive!

  • Belize Documentary, 20min.

  • Arielle & Dan's Honeymoon Collaboration - Belize, 55min. Highlights from our amazing week in Belize! December 14th-December 22nd Matachica Resort & Spa Ambergris Caye.
  • © Ambergris Caye Belize Message Board