It's a Birthday Celebration at the Bikini Bar tonite!

Easter madness at the Bikini Bar! Don't miss it!

The Belizean Beach on Ambergris Caye will be the hub of activities during the Easter weekend. Of the many activities and events planned, one that should be day to remember will be taking place at the Bikini Bar on the beachfront near Big Daddys Nightclub. Bring your friends and family for a fun filled Easter 2010!

Earth Hour tomorrow!

Participate in Earth Hour this Saturday, March 27th, 2010 at exactly 8:30pm the island joins the rest of the world by turning all their power off.

Earth Hour is now a global initiative. At 8:30 p.m. on March 27th, individuals, communities, towns and cities across the world will turn off their lights for one hour sending the powerful global message that working together we can make a difference and that our voices will be heard on climate change. For more information feel free to visit the Earth Hour website.  www.earthhour.org 

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people in 88 countries around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour.

This year Earth Hour has reached more countries than ever before. If you would like to find out more about Earth Hour activities happening in your local area then please contact us.

Earth Hour will be observed on March 27th at 8:30pm

In 2009 hundreds of millions of people in 88 countries around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour. This year Earth Hour has reached more countries than ever before. If you would like to find out more about Earth Hour activities happening in your local area then please contact us.

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.

Pledge your support here and turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010.

It’s Showtime! Show what can be done!

Will there be more litigations on land rights?

Sir Barry Bowen died tragically in a plane crash on February, twenty-six in the San Pablo area of La Isla Bonita. But this morning the written decision on a landmark case that he had taken before the courts was handed down by the Court of Appeal. It had to do with the Sixth Amendment Bill which the government had amended at a Sitting of the House.  Bowen and the Landowners Association first went to the Supreme Court where Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh ruled in their favor that an original proposal to amend the constitution would take away landowners’ rights to access the courts if government seizes their land. Government appealed the ruling, and on October twenty-sixth, the Court of Appeal dismissed that appeal.  Before the arguments concluded, the House amended the Bill and the Court of Appeal concluded that the appeal was academic.  Attorney for the respondents, Eamon Courtenay, thinks that because the appeal was not allowed to continue there will no doubt be more litigations of similar nature.

 Eamon Courtenay, Attorney for Barry Bowen

“First of all it’s regrettable that Mr. Bowen passed before the decision was handed down.  Of course as you know what happened on the last occasion was that the appeal was dismissed because the Attorney General had amended the law before the appeal was finished and therefore the court said that the thing that the government had appealed against no longer existed and therefore the appeal was academic.  So this is the reason why they held that the appeal was academic.  As I said it’s very regrettable that Mr. Bowen has passed.  He fought for a very important point, the right of access to the court and the limitations of the powers of the legislature to pass laws which are on their face in contravention or at variance with the structure of the Constitution.  So I think this decision will be just one other thing that will last beyond his life.” 

Marion Ali
“What does it mean now for landowners who have similar concerns as Mr. Bowen, if you feel you have a legitimate cause to come to court and argue your point?”

 Eamon Courtenay
“I think that unfortunately, I would have wanted the appeal to go on because when government made the amendment to the Sixth Amendment Bill they only dealt with the question of royalties for petroleum, and there are other issues just as fundamental as the learned Chief Justice had dealt with. What it means now is that the decision that the Chief Justice gave is the law of the land and there are parts of the sixth amendment bill that are still unconstitutional in so far as the Chief Justice’s decision is concerned. So I think that there is going to be possible further litigation on this because I don’t see how the government is going to bring it in to force. The Chief Justice is already saying that portions of it are unconstitutional.

Source: Channel 5 News Belize 

BEL extends Electricity lines across Lagoon!

BEL, Brahma Blue, and Mr. Bob Dillon would like to proudly announce that Costa Del Sol Island, Caribbean Cove is now official a customer of BEL. On Saturday March 13, 2010 Brahma Blue Resort was officially power by BEL. This success is the result of a two year project by BEL and its partner customers.

BEL began by submerging a cable from their generating facility in San Pedro, across the lagoon and then to Costa del Sol island. A transformer was then installed and the cable connected. This portion of the project was completed November 2008.

The more challenging aspects of the project involved distributing, and trenching hundreds of feet of wire that will eventually supply power to all the different owners and projects on the island. A limestone rock base, an unusually soggy season, and equipment problems made this more difficult than anticipated, thus erasing a projected completion date of November 2009. However persistence and hard work on the part of all parties involved produced the intended outcome, consistent, and reliable electrical power.

Anthony Anderson, General Manager of Brahma Blue stated, “We have waited patiently, as this has been a long time coming and is a blessing in so many ways.”

For the past two years all the power to run the resort has been produced by four generators, three of which experienced mechanical failure on Christmas day 2009, resulting in a stressful, hectic, and negative PR producing effort from which the resort is still recovering. The smiles on the part of the entire resort staff, guests who were in attendance, and Mr. Paul Tillett and his BEL workers indicated that the wait was well worth it!

Police fatally wound one of their own!

 Sergeant Paulino Reyes claims self-defense was motive for shooting!

 

Sometime after 3 am gun shots broke the still of night. Neighbors claim to have heard up to eight shots and as dawn broke in San Pedro Town reports pouring into our offices state that police corporal Gavin Sanchez, detached to the San Pedro Police Department had lost his life after being fatally wounded by one of his own.
Witnesses report to have seen Corporal Sanchez frequenting one of the local island bars until late at night. Sergeant Paulino Reyes, also of the San Pedro Police Department arrived at the bar’s beachfront location where he met up with Corporal Sanchez. Witnesses claim that Sergeant Reyes was accompanied by two Belize Defense Force soldiers. It is unknown and there are many speculations as to what might have transpired but Corporal Sanchez reportedly intoxicated was transported to the Police Department where he was relieved of his firearm.
 
Reports from officials close to the investigation reveal that the incident unfolded at the police barracks behind the police department. Corporal Sanchez allegedly aggressed Sergeant Reyes who realizing that the corporal was armed opened fire.
Corporal Sanchez, after being shot, fell where he stood in the hallway inside the barracks. Director of the San Pedro Polyclinic Dr. Javier Zuniga pronounced him dead at 3:30 a.m. with the fatal bullet wound being inflicted to Sanchez’s forehead. Police officials have remained tight-lipped about the incident but a press conference will be held this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in Belize City.

Source: San Pedro Sun Newspaper 

Officials attempt to remove barge from reef

Pics taken off the San Pedro Sun. Island Newspaper

There is a barge lodged on the reef near Ambergris Caye. The barge is estimated to be 30 feet by 23 feet in size and is currently stuck on the reef some eight miles north of San Pedro Town near Blue Reef Resort. With the wave actions, the barge turned upside down and lodged itself where it remains tonight. Authorities believe that it happened sometime during the course of last night since residents travelling in the area, state that the vessel was not there yesterday. Port Authority, Coast Guard and the Department of the Environment has been on the scene since morning investigating the incident. Earl Valerio is the Head of the Port Authority Office in San Pedro Town and told us more.


Earl Valerio; Head, Port Authority Office

“We were trying to get it off the reef. We are trying to separate the sections of the barge because it has three sections. They have cut some of the metal that holds the barge together; there was a section that was under water. It was cut with a hag saw. It looks like it floated in because it is sitting firmly on the reef and there are some cuts on the top part of the barge. It has no markings on it. The barges in Belize are marked; they have some markings with numbers and sometimes the name of the mother ship on them but that barge has no marking on it. We are only speculating but maybe it broke away from a bigger convoy and then floated into Belize. It is highly unlikely that it belongs to a Belizean because where it is lodged right now it seems as though it floated out from the high seas and landed directly on the reef.”

The barge has no markings and authorities believe that it is a part of a larger vessel that may have drifted in the open waters outside of Ambergris Caye. Authorities are working in dismantling then removing the barge before it causes more damage to the reef.

LoveFM

Sportfishing law to be amended

The enacted Sport Fishing Law has stirred quite a controversy in the past few weeks nationwide. From North to South, people have voiced their concerns about the Law. In San Pedro Town, the San Pedro Tour Guide Association has taken a stand, in conjunction with other related agencies countrywide, and circulated a petition which will be delivered to the Ministry of Fisheries. Signatures were requested up to March 10th and according to Billy Leslie, President, over 1,000 people placed their names on the dotted lines. Strong voices that are standing together for one purpose which will be made clear in a draft of suggested amendments which will be presented to Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI).

A press release issued by CZMAI has recognized the fact that amendments need to be made. A press release was issued on Thursday, March 11th stating the following: The Coastal Zone Management Authority wishes to inform the public about certain changes that will soon be made to the new Sport Fishing legislation, S.I 115 of 2009.
    The term ‘Sport Fishing’ will now be amended to define in more detail what sport fishing is and those groups that will be required to hold sport fishing licenses.
    A Sport Fishing license will now be needed by two main groups of fishermen. Visitors (non-Belizeans, non-permanent residents), and Sport fishermen (Belizean or otherwise) who are looking to target the main Sport Fish species as listed in the Fisheries legislation (S.I.114 of 2009).
    Exemptions are now being granted to all tour guides of Belize who possess a valid tour guide license upon application to the CZMA. Consideration is now being taken for full exemption for these tour guides.
    In an effort to stimulate the love of fishing in our young people children under the age of 16 and ease the burden on elderly persons over the age of 65, exemptions for these two groups of anglers will also now be granted.

    Exemptions will also now be granted to anglers who are simply fishing from a dock or pier as well as those who are fishing from the sea shore.
    Another amendment to S.I. 115 of 2009 will only require the angler that is fishing to hold a sport fishing license. Other passengers who are not fishing will not need a sport fishing license.
    The CZMAI remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders to allow for a smooth implementation of the new regulations.
    Any questions about these new changes can be forwarded to the CZMA offices on Princess Margaret Dr. in Belize City or telephones: 501-223-0719, 501-223-5739 or 501-223-2616.
San Pedro Sun

SPHS are Math Olympiad Champs!

 San Pedro High School students are the 2010 Math Olympiad champions, besting out Belize Christian Academy (which placed 2nd) and Muffles College (which placed 3rd). Aftre the teams arrival back on the island, a school parade/jump-up was held on the main streets of Town. Congrats to all team members and the school for proving once again that with hard work, and dedication you get the best results. Big up!

New listing! Buyers Advantage Real Estate - Small Farm 4 Sale

Located in the Progresso Heights community in the Corozal district (North Belize), this small farm measures approximately 39 Acres. The farm consists of three significant Belizean hardwoods such as mahogany, Santa Maria and Zericote, coconut palms and cane. The farm sits on the lagoon side of the Progresso lagoon and offers stunning lakeviews of the area. Perfect for a resort or to build that dream lake side home of your choice! This is a steal deal! Call us or email for more information: AmbergrisProperty@gmail.com

La Ruta Maya Challenge slated for this Weekend!

Preparations are underway for the thirteenth annual La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. The race will begin on Friday in San Ignacio under the Hawksworth Bridge. Participants will row for four days down the Macal and Belize rivers before crossing the finish line on Monday under the Belcan Bridge in Belize City. Orlando Harrison is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.


Orlando Harrison; Chairman, Organizing Committee, La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge

“The race is scheduled to start seven am sharp because BATSUB will be doing refereeing and time keeping again and they are very punctual when it comes to that. The race takes off the first day from here and ends at Banana Bank as the first leg. On the second day, we take off from Banana Bank at 6:30a.m en route to Bermudan Landing. On the third day we take off at 8:00 o’clock to Burrell Boom and on the last day from Burrell Boom at 9:00a.m to Belize City.”

Harrison says that up to Friday they already had 49 teams registered.

Orlando Harrison

“I am very happy to report that out of that 49 team we have had 13 foreign teams so far. We expect to have at least about 80 to 90 teams registering in this year. I am also thrilled by the fact that he amount of phone calls and queries we have been getting to show the sport is of high interest from participants and viewers alike. We encourage that and we are pleased to know that the sport is alive. We had initially placed the 26th of February for the deadline, however, because of the tremendous demand we have extended that to the pre-race meeting here which will take place on the 4th. So, teams do have yet an opportunity to get registered at the pre-race meeting in San Ignacio. However, there will be a cut off time because we don’t want the registration to get in the way of the meeting. We are asking the teams to place registrations prior to the start of that meeting.”

The prizes for this year’s competition add up to about 40 thousand dollars and according to Harrison there will be first, second and third prize winners in all seven categories of the race and from first to tenth place for those who arrive at the Belcan Bridge.

Orlando Harrison

“We have a host of other station prizes along the route over the four days. So, that is a significant amount of money to talk about and that does not include the in kind prizes which we still canvassing business for. We want to encourage paddlers to participate. This is not an event only for the money. It is more than just the race. There are seven divisions teams can sign up in. you have the male division normally made up of the more competitive teams. We have the mixed division that is comprised of male and female. We have the intramurals which you must be a registered student in a learning institution. We have the masters made up of members forty years and older. We also have the pleasure craft which is where the bulk of team participates because they are made up of people who do not know to paddle and are in it for the fun and just for the adventure of having to do the race itself. I must commend all participants in fact for their bravery because this is none of the most extreme sports we know of in Belize.”

The La Ruta Maya Belize RiverRiver Challenge is a 179 miles long race that started back in 1998.

Source: LOVE FM