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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: March 26, 2016 - 03/26/16 11:40 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

Quarterfinals are set for Mayor's and Minister's Cup
Eight teams have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mayor's and Minister's Cup Tournament. They are: Catrachos, Progresso Boys, Peacemakers, Ambergris Divers, Belize Pro Divers, Veterans, San Mateo, and Searious Warriors. A series of six games were played at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sports Complex over the weekend. With three more weeks until finals, all teams are aiming for the first place trophy. Best of luck to all teams for making it this far in the tournament.

Completion of barracks to alleviate inadequate police housing
Both Deputy Coastal Executive Officer Jemmott and Bowden indicated that some of the buildings in which officers are currently living are truly sub-standard. Despite numerous complaints about structural issues, leaky roofs, electricity and water outages, and poor plumbing, the rental contract on the subpar buildings were recently renewed at $3,600 a month. Limited space and resources are some of the biggest challenges the department faces on a daily basis on Ambergris Caye. Due to the lack of space, housing is not available to place much-needed additional officers. The San Pedro Police Department hopes that long-term changes and upgrades can be made by the Commissioner in Charge to ensure proper living spaces for the island's officers. "The government needs to ensure that the island housing is up to standard so our police officers can live comfortably here," ended Bowden. Upon the completion of the new barracks building, three more officers will have proper housing while serving on Ambergris Caye.

NEBL 2016 Tournament winding down
The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) saw much excitement this past weekend. Basketball fans were not only treated to four spectacular matches, but also to the All Star Night. As for the San Pedro Tiger Sharks, they seem to be back in the game, nabbing a much needed win in their latest games. While the Tiger Sharks still remain in the fifth position on the NEBL leader board with 15 points, hopes are still high for a comeback. All four scheduled matches for the ninth week of the tournament were held on Friday, March 18th. Starting off the games were the Belize City No Limit who hosted the Cayo Western Ballaz at Bird's Isle in Belize City. The home team jumped out to an early 20 - 16 first quarter lead, which they extended to 36 - 27 by intermission. In the second half, the lead was extended to 26 points, which Belize City No Limit never relinquished, easily winning the game 85 - 61. In the following game, Smart Belize Hurricanes traveled to the south to face their rivals, Dangriga Warriors at the Ecumenical High School. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, the Dangriga Warriors delivered a 72 - 54 blowout win at their home court. Also playing on Friday were the Orange Walk Running Rebels who hosted Belmopan Bandits at the Orange Walk Multi Purpose Complex in Orange Walk Town. Belmopan Bandits won 98 - 67.

San Pedro Library hosts Easter Camp
Easter season in Belize also means no classes for around two weeks for students countrywide. In Ambergris Caye different organizations set up learning programs in order to keep students occupied and learning new things, specially the very young ones. As a result, the San Pedro Library held a series of activities for the youngsters in an Easter camp that tested their imagination and creativity. The camp was held from Monday, March 21st to Wednesday, March 23rd targeting children between the ages of 7 to 12. During the three days of camp from 9AM to noon, different activities kept the children well entertained. They watched educational films, played games and even got to do some arts and craft, all related to Easter. According to Senior Library Assistant Marlene Coral, the children had fun at the camp while at the same time learning new things during their holidays. "Many of the activities dealt with teaching the children the importance of the holiday and why we celebrate Easter. Some of these children may not know the significance of the holiday, thus, through fun activities we teach them about it," said Coral.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Needs More Consideration for Bicycle Tourists
Dear Editor, We love to bicycle ride while on vacation. This is the reason we only book vacation on low traffic vacation destinations and preferable on island's with predominantly golf carts. We thought that your island's traffic made bicycle riding unpleasant and even dangerous at times. You have too many cars, too much speeding causing too much dust, danger and health concerns. Neither bike riders nor tourists on a golf cart want to inhale dust while driving to town or inhale vehicle exhaust in San Pedro's caravan traffic. From a tourist point of view, the traffic on the island needs containment and speed regulations. International guests will not accept such speeding and high traffic during their vacation. Tourists need to relax and re-charge while vacationing and not fight with traffic.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Caye Caulker 2nd Annual Kayak Island Challenge
Saturday March 26th. Triathalon for Men and Women Sunday March 27.

Caye Caulker Fuels Easter Schedule

Caye Caulker Free Italian, German, and karate lessons
Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th are free Italian and German lessons (3-4pm) and karate classes (4-5pm, equipment provided). Meet at the library. All ages welcome for both language and karate classes. Natascia Silvestri Jones, husband Paul and children Elisa and Luca are Ocean Academy supporters who are happy to give back to the community with these free classes over the holidays. Come on out! More info: 626-0408.

Cayo Easter Fair Setup
Happy Easter! The Cayo Easter Fair is almost ready. The fair is this weekend.

Stations of d cross, Good Friday March 25th 2016, Caye Caulker
Christians in Belize mark Good Friday with a procession through the streets, which stops to pray at several Stations of the Cross along the route. Each Station of the Cross has a special meaning. Here's wishing everyone a Happy Easter if you believe, and if not, a happy holiday! (For those that do not know, the long Easter weekend (Holy Thursday to Easter Monday) is Belize's equivalent of the long Thanksgiving weekend.

Fire on Roches street
Behind the Complex Building on Friday night.

Standard 1 sayings for Good Friday

Las Alfombras del Viernes Santo
Benque's famous Alfombras del Viernes Santo. The Benque HoC also got some great pictures, along with pictures of the Passion of the Christ. Happy Easter! "Las alfombras del Viernes Santo (The Mats of Good Friday) is a tradition in Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town in Belize which commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. The community gathers together to make various designs on the streets where the Santo Entierro (holy funeral) passes by later in the evening which is carred out by the procession. They are designed by vaious materals such as sawdust, salt, flour which are colored using various other materials to create the designs which represent christian images and messages."

ON THIS 2016 BELIZE CROSS COUNTRY EVE (PART SEVEN)! KENRICK 'THE KING' HALLIDAY!
The four times Belize Cross Country Cycling Champion, the legendary Kenrick 'The King' Halliday who won four Belize Cross Countries has gone down in Belize sports history as one of the few Belizean cyclists who had won four Cross Countries like Aston Gill, Jefferey O'Brien, and Johnito Miguel before him. It appears that no other Belizean Cross Country champion had repeated four wins as these four legendary Belizean cyclists, and Kenrick Halliday has gone down as one who had accomplished this phenomenal record in Belizean cycling. From his book, Sports, Sin & Subversion, the acclaimed Belizean writer, Evan X Hyde wrote: My Uncle (Buck Belisle) is always arguing that Hutchinson would have continued to beat Halliday on Holy Saturday, but I'm not so sure of that. I loved The Tank, but Halliday just kept getting better and better, and he and Alfred Parks ruled the remainder of the golden seventies.

A beautiful, relaxing Good Friday
With the amazing birds at Belize Bird Rescue.

The Reporter

Man found murdered in front of night club
Belmopan police are investigating a murder that was discovered early Thursday morning in front a popular night spot on the outskirts of the capital on the Hummingbird Highway. The victim, Noe Cruz, 37, a Belizean labourer of Las Flores community, Belmopan, was discovered sometime before 3:00 a.m., in a seated position beside the right front wheel of a grey and green Nissan Patrol SUV, which was parked in the parking lot of La Cabana night club. Cruz was bleeding from a cut wound above the left eye and had severe head and neck injuries. According to Lilian Raquel Salazar, 27, a food vendor who makes her living selling from the compound, she discovered Cruz' body while making her routine rounds picking up pint bottles.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Belmopan man murdered on Good Friday
After a dance concluded at popular Belmopan City night club, La Cabana this morning around 3:00, police were called by a food vendor who saw a badly wounded man leaning against the front wheel of a vehicle and bleeding profusely. Upon arrival at the [�]

Alleged Murder suspect commits suicide
Breaking Belize News has been reliably informed that the victim who pulled the trigger on himself this morning is well-known Shane Bennet. Bennet is allegedly a suspect wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of Dwayne Logan. He is also known for a [�]

Attempted murder turns suicide
Best information reaching Breaking Belize News is that a man in Independence Village attempted to shoot a lady but the gun snapped. Shortly after the man turned the gun to himself and it went off fatally impacting the culprit. This is a developing story. [�]

Blogs

A Gorgeous Night For a Party at the Palapa Bar
It's Good Friday and today there is no alcohol sold or served in Belize. In San Pedro, many tour companies are closed - it is considered by many to be bad luck to be on the sea today. But last night, was a different story�a huge surprise party was planned for Scott's (aka "The Palapa Papa's) 60th birthday. We arrived a bit after 5:30pm (the invite read 5) and the place was packed and it was an absolutely gorgeous night. Did we miss the surprise? We did not. So I took a look around�Jodie and Scott have done an amazing job of relocating perhaps the most famous bar on Ambergris Caye. Scott finally pulled up after a day of spear fishing and beers with some friends. He was indeed surprised when the crowd broke out into HAPPY BIRTHDAY. And then another surprise�his son flew from the states for the party. I just happened to be sitting right behind him. Super fun and I know the party continued for many many hours�but we had a 6:30pm reservation for the hottest ticket in town, Finn & Martini.

Case study of Agricultural Policies in Belize
This Report provides an analytical review of the major policy provisions for the agricultural sector in Belize. The focus is on the appropriateness of the policy mix in facilitating transformation of the sector into one characterized by higher levels of efficiency and competitiveness. The review is conducted within the context of the challenges confronting agriculture as a consequence of direct liberalization and globalization. While the primary interest was on the commodities selected for the CARICOM competitiveness study (hot pepper, sweet potato, papaya, coconut and small ruminant), the review was necessarily broader in scope to include sector-wide policies since such policies could provide incentives for enhanced efficiency and competitiveness of Agriculture in general. The review also examined commodity-specific policies for other important commodities, since it was felt that lessons could be learnt with respect to policy relevance and effectiveness from such cases.

St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park
St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park is more than just the place 200 species of birds and exotic cats call home. Caves, hidden amid forested land marked by nature trails used by jaguars, ocelots, tapir and armadillos when humans aren't around, take visitors to a 180-foot-wide entrance that could easily be missed because jungle vines are everywhere. This cave was once used for Mayan ceremonies and rituals, remnants of which were left behind when the cave dwellers moved on. The blue sinkhole on premises is fed by underground streams and it's fascinating enough on its own to draw crowds. The unique geological features within this 575 acre forest plus the beauty and wildlife combine to offer visitors plenty of reasons to tour this area. But it's the cave system that's the big lure: walk the 200 yards into the enclave to marvel at prehistoric-looking speleothems and Mayan artifacts. What's the Blue Hole? It's the lush blue pool deep within the cavern that's 100-feet deep and 300-feet in diameter. Don't confuse this Blue Hole with the place near Lighthouse Reef atoll that's beloved by divers. That said, what other excursion offers opportunities to see wildlife, Mayan artifacts, a cool cave and a sinkhole fed by underground rivers all in one place? This destination is close to the nation's capital, Belmopan, but you don't have to be headquartered there to visit because licensed tour agents will be happy to escort you to and from this natural wonderland. From Belmopan, travel about 12 miles southeast along the Hummingbird Highway to the park's entrance. Expect to hike through the jungle to reach your destinations.

International Sourcesizz

Lavallette scientist helps animals in Belize
Editor's note: Earlier this year, Sherri Paris of Lavallette, a marine scientist, mother and entrepreneur, went to Belize to help volunteer with a nonprofit organization that rescues animals with life-threatening conditions. With a strong science background and a passion for educating youth, she started New Logic Educators to help individuals with supplemental educational needs. She combined her love for marine science and education and created Marine Science Camp, a weekly hands-on summer learning adventure with more than 20 locations along the Jersey Shore. I did it - an entire month completely off the grid, in the jungle, 2,000 miles away from home, with no connection to civilization. Forget hot water, social media, Wi-Fi, cell phones, TV, the newspaper, emails, voicemails - all I had was here and now. With heavy, packed-to-the-brim bags in my hands, one completely filled with medical supplies, I traveled by myself to a remote area of northern Belize called Sarteneja, a sleepy fishing village tucked away on Corozal Bay. No, this wouldn't be a vacation, or a personal retreat. I was there to volunteer at Wildtracks, a nonprofit Manatee and Primate Rehabilitation Facility that rescues animals with life-threatening conditions. I was on a mission to give back, to make an impact, and as I stepped foot on to the dirt road that led to a shack that I would call home for the next month, I had no idea what would really be in store for me. This journey would be an experience of a lifetime.

Bob Bounahra Wins 2015/16 WSOP Circuit The Bicycle Casino $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em
Bob Bounahra from Belize triumphed on Friday in Event #6: $1,125 No-Limit Hold'em on the 2015/16 WSOP Circuit The Bicycle Casino schedule, collecting his first cash from the Circuit series and his first gold ring. The player's share of the tournament's entire prize pool amounted to $26,555. Bounahra does not have much experience in WSOP Circuit events. However, the player has been seen at the tables of WSOP tournaments over the years. He has cashed in a total of 5 Series events, scooping a little less then $1.5 million in those. Bounahra's best career performance was his 7th place in the 2011 WSOP $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event. He took the amount of $1,314,097 for his efforts.

Videos

  • Belize 2016 Tour, 48min. Maya ruins

  • Belize Jungle Exploring, Cave Tubing, and More- Emerson Action Cam, 10min. God's Creation is beautiful! What an awesome experience with family.

  • Whale Shark Rescue, 1min. Huge Whale Shark lets divers approach it to cut a commercial fishing line that's wrapped around its body.

  • Belize 2016 - If You Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em, 3min. Family trip to San Pedro, Belize for spring break 2016. Great diving, and snorkeling. All filmed on a GoPro Hero 2.

  • Caye Caulker Belize Scuba Diving, 3min.

  • Escape Away Belize fun at Palapa Bar San Pedro, Belize, 1.5min. Enjoy a beverage and a swim at the Palapa Bar near Escape Away Beach House

  • 2016 Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic teaser - BELIZE, 2min. The 'Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic' is a yearly cycling race in Belize, Central America. The race is the oldest (88 yrs) and arguably the largest one-day cycling classic in the region. Every Holy Saturday, Belizean and foreign cyclists (USA, Mexico, Guatemala) take part, covering the distance of 144 miles.

  • 2016 Valentine's Cycling Tour - Belize, 4min.

  • First zip line at Bocawina Rainforest Resort - Belize, 1min.

  • Second zip line at Bocawina Rainforest Resort - Belize, 1.5min.

  • Birds flocking on coastal island - Belize, 1.5min.
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