Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Bush fire tests the Fire Department Response

A fairly large bush fire next to the Ambergris Stadium prompted fire officials to come into action just after 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. According to the San Pedro Fire Chief, Jerome Garcia, the department got a call of a bush fire in the San Pablo Area next to the stadium. When they arrived they saw thick smoke and high flames and quickly came into action. According to fire official, while the fire was not a direct threat to lives and properties at the time, it was still an inconvenience to residents in the area.
The fire which neighbors believe was intentionally set was quickly brought under control. Many spectators rushed to the scene to get a first hand glimpse of the fire which caused a large thick cloud of smoke in the area.

New Salvadoran Ambassador visits San Pedro

His Excellency (HE) Julio Milton Parada presented his credentials to the Governor General of Belize His Excellency (HE) Sir Colvin Young and Prime Minister of Belize Honorable Dean Barrow yesterday and today the new Salvadoran Ambassador to Belize visited San Pedro Town.
New Salvadoran Ambassador to Belize His Excellency (HE) Julio Milton Parada
Ambassador Parada meets with local leaders of the Salvadoran community in San Pedro Town
Parada meet with the Salvadoran Community Leaders of San Pedro Town and the Mayor of San Pedro Her Worship Elsa Paz as part of his first official working visit to the island. The Ambassador also spoke to The San Pedro Sun about his plans for Belize and the Salvadoran Community in San Pedro. Read more in this week issue of The San Pedro Sun newspaper.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Weekend Fundraisers...

There were several fundraisers over the course of the weekend, with many centered around the Halloween Theme.

Miriam Barrientos Fundraiser
Friday night saw the fundraiser for Miriam Barrientos. Mrs. Barrientos has been hospitalized in Guatemala City, and her son Carlos Perez (of Carlos & Cuts) along with friends and family, organized a fundraiser at the Lions Den. With music by Rompe Raja, and fun Halloween costumes, $5 drinks, everyone had fun and the fundraiser was a success!
Miss World Belize Fundraiser
Lety Lara was at Central Park hosting a BBQ fundraiser with her brothers and friends, in hopes of raising enough funds to help her on her trip to South Africa. Miss Lara will represent Belize in the upcoming Miss World Pageant 2009. Anyone wishing to help her reach her goal can do so by contacting her at 629-5676. Lety leaves the country to South Africa on November 6th.
ACES Halloween Bizarre
Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) held their annual Halloween Bazaar (Bizarre) complete with Spooky House, Fun House, Fish Pond, Tombola and even a Texas Hold 'Em Tournament for the big "kids". A Halloween costume contest was the highlight of the night, and students and parents alike who dressed up were able to take part and win fabulous prizes. Proceeds of the fundraiser will be used to cover classroom expenses and more.
SAGA Halloween for the Homeless
With the intent of raising funds for an anesthesia gas machine*, SAGA held its second annual Halloween Bash at Pedro’s this Sunday, October 25th. From midday, owners were encouraged to dress up their pets and have the opportunity to win fabulous prizes. The festivities included many games for the children, raffles and an amazing silent auction. Food and drinks and general fun was had by all.


*The primary purpose of the anesthetic machine and system is to deliver an inhaled (gas) anesthetic to the animal to keep him unconscious through surgery. The machine proves to be safer and it allows animals to wake up faster after surgery and will, therefore allow Saga time for more treatments.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

White Sands Dive Shop installs more mooring buoys at the reef.



Submitted by Elbert Greer, White Sands Dive Shop

Hotels and Condominiums on Ambergris allow tourist to visit the reef on Kayaks and Hobie Cats for snorkeling experiences. When the tourist arrive at the reef they want to get out of the kayak or hobie cat and snorkel, without a mooring to tie to they are tempted to tie to the corals or drop anchor on the reef. The Mooring Buoys provide an alternative less detrimental to the reef.

Emeliano Rivero, Samuel Lin and Juan Carlos Montejo pictured above installed new and repaired old buoys at the reef in front of Las Terrazas and Journeys End Resorts. Juan Carlos said,” The season is starting and the tourists are coming, we need to protect our reef.”

White Sands Dive Shop wants to help by share information about the benefits of embedment anchors. "Mooring Buoy Program Planning" To order a copy, call Kristin Valette at PADI
(714) 540-7234 or FAX (714) 557-7940,
or write to her at
PADI INTERNATIONAL
PROJECT AWARE
1251 East Dyer Road, #100
Santa Ana, California 92705-5605
USA.

"Mooring Buoy Program Planning"
is also available on the Internet at
http://www.projectaware.org/

Friday, October 23, 2009

Exploring Caves Branch with Discovery Expeditions

Belize is a rich Central American and Caribbean country that has a lot to offer to its visitors and people. Visitors can easily enjoy a trip into the past by discovering the underworld water caverns, adventure and view Belize’s lush rainforest and sample the typical Belizean flavors all in one place. A trip to Caves Branch Outpost at Nohoch Che’en National Park allows you to enjoy a little bit of what Belize has to offer, all in one day. Discovery Expeditions takes eager travelers from San Pedro via the Reef Rocket speedboat on a 45 minute drive to Belize City.

With our destination located some 37 miles west of the city, the journey on the bus wiggles its way through several villages until it reaches the far end of Frank Eddie Village. Our able and knowledgeable tour guide briefs us on the activities for the day. First we get our comfortable footgear and head to the waiting area where we are all introduced to the managers of Cave Branch Outpost and Canopy Café. A small trek along the green thick rainforest brings us to the new zip lining area. Even though under construction, it is plain to see that the coming attraction will be exhilarating. High above us workers are setting up platforms on trees, thick cables run through the canopy of trees, and you can almost expect Tarzan to come sailing out of the treetops. But, our actual plan for the day is cave tubing through some of the most mysterious and historic cave systems in Belize.

Read the full review here ...