Lions Board of Directors Installation this Saturday!!

Karaoke 2010 Continues!!!!!

Thursday August 19th marked the second week of Reef Radio's annual Karaoke competition! Julio Sosa, former resident of San Pedro, now visiting, performed one of his original songs "Virtuous Woman", to open the night and made up part of the judges' panel along with Karen Canul and Laurrety Novelo. The Judges pick was Moises Tzul, while the audience was captivated by two outstanding performances by Velma Melendez.

Velma Melendez - was the Audience's Pick!

Moises Tzul was the Judge's Pick for the night!

Alex Garcia

Gaby Hicks

Carol offers her rendition of "I believe I can fly"!

"Gift of Life" Program offers free Cardio Clinic at KHMH

Tertiary level care in Belize has become available only over the past years, and only to a limited extent. Open-heart surgery, especially pediatric open-heart surgery is one of such care that has not yet become available, and even if it was, the larger portion of the population of Belize would not be able to afford such a surgery.
“Gift of Life Belize” is a program that works with its partners to identify patients, doctors, and the facilities that are willing to accept these cases at a nominal fee, and is sheltered under the umbrella of the International Rotary Club.
Dr. Genevieve Lee-Dickson, eco-cardiographer is visiting from Orlando Florida. She is part of a group of specialists working with the Gift of Life Program in Belize, providing a full service Cardiac Clinic at the Karl Heushner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) on Tuesday August 18th, and Wednesday August 19th for a half day or until the last patient is seen. The team includes a physician, pediatric cardiologist from Tampa, nurse practitioner from Tampa and a group from the Rotary Club along with other local volunteers. In the states, Dr. Lee-Dickson works in pediatrics for adults or featuses with congenital heart defects. She came to Belize for the first time about five years ago as an Ecotech, with a group that did medical volunteer work here in the country.
As part of the team, Dr. Lee-Dickson is responsible for performing eco-cardiograms (Ultrasound of the Heart) on patients. She looks at the heart, blow flow – direction and speed, defects that children may be born with. Through the tests, the group of specialist is able to identify conditions such as Rheumatic Fever which she mentions, is a little prevalent here in Belize, heart defects and or children with an acquired heart defect.
This group of specialists visit the country every August, a second group visits in February of every year to hold the clinic. Last year, during their clinic, 70 patients were seen, Dr. Lee-Dickson performed echocardiograms on 40 patients and identified 12 patients that needed surgery. Through the efforts of the Rotary Club, all 12 patients received surgeries and are presently doing well.
The Rotary Club of Belize, under the Gift of Life program facilitate the surgery, travel - including passports, visas and airfare and ensure that their partners have established boarding and lodging for each of the young patients and the accompanying parent or guardian once patient is identified and a hospital has accepted the case. Presently they are working with hospitals in the United States as well as the Surgical Center in Guatemala for these surgeries.
This year Dr. Lee-Dickson and her family decided to come a week early and visited San Pedro where they stayed at the White Sands Resort and enjoyed the warm service of the staff there, did some site seeing and snorkeling along our lush Barrier Reef. She commented that her “love for Belize and the kindness of the people in Belize”- keeps her coming back.

SPRC Church holds summer program

-Press Release – San Pedro Roman Catholic Church - August 17, 2010 - The San Pedro Roman Catholic Church, together with The Legion of Mary and auxiliaries and Sister Amalia had a summer program for children in San Pedro Town. The program taught the children about The Sacraments, The Commandments, and The Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, prayers and songs. The children also learned how to make their own rosaries along with other fun crafts. It was well attended by approximately 50 children. The program started on July 6th and ended on August 13th with a mass and parents’ night, where the children performed a liturgy Dance and a skit portraying the Luminous Mystery. After the program, a small reception was held at the Church Courtyard.

ACES Hosts First Ever Fund Raising Event in Punta Gorda

ACES founders Cherie & Vince Rose welcome their guests.

On Friday, August 13th the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) held their first fund raising event ever at the Coral House Inn in Punta Gorda. Situated on the inviting ocean-side grounds and pool area of the Inn, the evening was well attended by local supporters and tourists visiting the area. Guests enjoyed live guitar music and vocals by “Croc Man” Vince Rose who is the Animal Behaviorist at ACES, savored a variety of hors d’oeuvres generously donated by friends and local businesses and sipped cocktails and drink specials.

The night was highlighted by two fire dance performances by Marisa Tellez who is a student intern at ACES and a PhD candidate specializing in Crocodilian Parastiology.

A raffle was held at the end of the night where guests anxiously awaited to hear if they had won cashew wine or a special tour of the ACES facility. The evening, full of socializing and entertainment was enjoyed by all who attended.

ACES is permitted by the Belize Forest Department (BFD) and rescues problematic, inhumanely and illegally kept crocodiles country-wide. Problematic crocodiles cannot be re-released because they have been fed by humans and now seek out humans as a food source. Instead of euthanizing these large reptiles, and in order to help save this threatened species from extinction, ACES contains the animals in secure, natural habitats where they are professionally cared for while educating local school children and raising public awareness on how to safely co-exist with these highly threatened apex predators.

This problematic Amercian Crocodile, named "Satan" by the locals, is one of the many relocated to ACES from Ambergris Caye.

The proceeds raised from the recent fund raiser will enabled ACES to purchase one more roll of fencing for a new croc habitat at their facility. Currently 80% of the crocs housed at ACES are from Ambergris Caye where they had to be removed after deemed dangerous by the BFD. The new natural containment area will be for 'Fast Eddie', the 10 foot American Crocodile recently rescued from the WASA lagoon south of San Pedro. The croc was named after Eddie from Coastal Xpress in recognition of their generous support in quickly transporting two crocs to the mainland for their transport to ACES in Punta Gorda. The second croc, a female, was named Xanadu in appreciation for the hospitality and exceptional support from Xanadu Island Resort and Carts Belize. While Xanadu is residing nicely with three other rescued crocs from Ambergris, a new facility needs to be finished for Fast Eddie. Large male American Crocs over 10 feet need individual space or they will fight till death. $5,000BZ still needs to be raised to complete his new home. He is currently in a holding pen receiving special care until construction is completed. Fast Eddie is a very sick croc, lacking teeth just like the croc from Banyan Bay, “Bubbles” who passed away during a rescue effort.

The ACES compound (left) is located on the Rio Grande river in Punta Gorda.

Cherie Chenot-Rose, ACES biologist, will be on the island the end of the month to discuss the extreme importance of a crocodile population survey on Ambergris Caye. According to Chenot-Rose, one of ACES long-term goals is to remedy the croc-human conflict on Ambergris by establishing a crocodile sanctuary on the island so that problematic crocs do not have to endure the stress of such a long transport. The sanctuary would not only provide a safe contained habitat for the problematic crocs right here on the island, but would provide a place for implementing an educational program at a facility where people could learn about the unique wildlife of the island. In addition, such a sanctuary would yield huge economic benefits to the community. The population assessment is the first step of a crocodilian conservation effort on Ambergris Caye.

ACES would like to thank all those who helped with the successful fund raiser. Cottontree Chocolate, Judith Supaul, Josephine Supaul, James Store, Whitts Store, Coral House Inn and The San Pedro Sun. For more information about ACES please visit their website at www.americancrocodilesanctuary.org.