Daily San Pedro Belize Weather Forecast March 10th
IR Satellite Photo
Mar 10th 10
General Situation: Fair and mostly dry weather will continue to dominate for the next few days. 24hr Forecast: Sunny skies today with a few cloudy spells. Mostly clear tonight. Winds: Southeast at 10 to 20 knots with occasional gusts. Sea State: Moderate-Rough. *Small Craft Warning** Outlook: Through Friday: Similar weather pattern prevails. Highs: 29°C/84°F – Lows: 23°C/74°F
Mar 10th 10
Rescued American Crocodiles at ACES in Belize
American Crocodiles in Belize Need Your Help! ACES / American Crocodile Education Sanctuary is permitted by the Belize Forest Department and rescues problematic, and inhumanely and illegally kept crocodiles country-wide. These rescued crocodiles currently need a larger habitat. These problematic 12 foot crocodiles cannot be re-released, because they have been fed by humans. Just like bears, these apex predators now seek out humans as a food source and their only other alternative is to be killed. ACES houses these large reptiles to help save this threatened species from extinction and in hopes of aiding researchers in finding cures for diseases. In laboratory studies, Crocodilian blood kills HIV and Herpes simplex. So contact ACES today and learn how you can help ‘Take a Bite Out of Extinction!
Mar 10th 10
Out and about in San Pedro
The Crew out on the Weekend
What a weekend this was. There was a 80’s themed party at Holiday Hotel, that for sure brought out all the fun, vibrant, and unique individuals of San Pedro. There were of course members of the gay and lesbian community on hand, I mean an 80’s party in tropic on the beach is something that just made perfect sense to attend.
When I drove past on my golf cart earlier I saw the red carpet and at the head of the line was Tina Turner, Tom Cruise, and Slash. I got quite excited as it reminded me of drag shows back home. I mean I have not seen a Tina drag queen a over 6 months, I nearly rear ended another cart.
The night was full of dancing, drinking, shooters, and lots of laughs. We did not finish at Holiday Hotel, we continued on to Jaguars, and for the fearless ended at Big Daddies. Another 5:00am night, and another very tired Sunday. Source: Gay Travel Belize
Mar 10th 10
Belize City man faces Judge in San Pedro
A Belize City man was arrested by San Pedro Police after he tried to cash a forged cheque at one of banks on the island. Just before one o’clock on Friday afternoon, acting on information received, San Pedro Police visited the Atlantic Bank Limited office on Pescador Drive in San Pedro where a man identified as 40-year-old Orion Paul Vernon of a Regent Street West address in Belize City attempted to cash a cheque.
The cheque bearing serial number 2-1-9-3-5-9 was made out in the amount of Belize $53,000 and was from the Belize Food Supplies Company bank account. As a result, police closed in on Vernon and he was apprehended and charged for the crime of Forgery.
Vernon was arraigned today at the San Pedro Magistrate Court before Magistrate Emerson Banner. Magistrate Banner read a single charge of forgery and no plea was taken since the matter is an indictable Vernon was offered bail. Prosecutor Sergeant John Sanchez objected to bail on two grounds. The first grounds for objection were that Vernon was granted bail for similar charges in the Belize City Magistrate Court. Sergeant Sanchez told the court that Vernon failed to appear in the Belize City Magistrate Court on the date of his adjournment and the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. The second ground for objection was the fact that the investigation is still ongoing and it is likely that Vernon would interfere with the witness.
Magistrate Banner upheld the prosecutor’s objection to bail and Vernon was remanded to the Hattieville Prison until his next court date scheduled for April 6th at the San Pedro Magistrate Court. According to police, they were on the lookout for Vernon and had set up an operation since he is allegedly implicated in similar activities in other parts of the country. Source: LoveFM.com
Mar 10th 10
Notice for US Citizens in Belize
Starting Monday, March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens seeking new or renewed passports, additional passport pages, notarial, and Consular Report of Birth Abroad services at the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan will need to schedule an appointment. Other services will continue to be available on a walk-in basis during new walk-in hours listed below. Emergencies that involve the death, injury, hospitalization, or arrest of an American citizen will continue to be handled without prior appointment.
This change is being implemented so that sufficient time and attention can be focused by consular staff on each service request. To make an appointment, please visit the citizen services page of the U.S. Embassy website at http://belize.usembassy.gov/citizen_services.html, review the information on required documents for each service, and schedule the appointment online.
Same-day appointments for passports lost due to accident, theft, or robbery will be available during the service hours listed below, or by phone request, as appropriate. Please note that overlooking that a passport has expired (or is about to expire) when making travel arrangements does not constitute an emergency.
Non-appointment services are provided Monday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00, Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00, and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00. Non-appointment services include questions about U.S. social security benefits, U.S. veteran benefits, voting, tax filing, consular registrations, passport pickup, non-emergency requests for assistance, and general inquiries.
For emergency services, the American Citizen Services office at the Embassy is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Americans requiring emergency services on weekends, holidays, or outside of normal business hours should contact the Embassy Duty Officer at 610-5030.
Non-emergency questions for American Citizen Services may be directed via e-mail to: ACSBelize@state.gov. The U.S. Embassy is located in Belmopan on Floral Park Road. The telephone number is 822-4011.
Mar 10th 10
Belize National Heroes and Benefactors honored
Belize’s Heroes and Benefactors are being honored at the House of Culture. Exhibits honoring Baron Bliss, Belize’s greatest benefactor, and Belize’s heroes opened this morning. Love News spoke to Nigel Encalada, the Director of the Institute of Social and Cultural Research.
Nigel Encalada; Director, Institute of Social and Cultural Research
“The holiday was yesterday but March 9 is recognized as National Heroes and Benefactors Day. This was a small effort to begin to put together in an educational way information that is attractive and highly visual four our young people and for the public about Belize’s heroes and benefactors. We have two named national heroes but it goes without saying that we have a number of other individuals named and unnamed in our country who have made sacrifices for Belize. It is one of the ways NICH tries to educate people; our young people and this is something we will do continuously in terms of choosing those individuals whose information is available so that we can put together exhibits that highlight their lives as heroes. Highlight their lives as of service; highlight their lives of having made contributions to Belize.”
Encalada says that the exhibit is also a way for the National Institute of Culture and History to develop archives of all the Belizean men and women who made many selfless sacrifices for Belize and Belizeans.
Nigel Encalada
“There is the opportunity as we explore our history that there are more but the main benefactor is Baron Bliss who left this endowment. Then in terms of heroes today we are looking at two national heroes; the Honorable George Price and the Honorable Phillip Goldson. We chose two other who represent different facets of development in Belize; one being Samuel Hanes. Samuel Hanes went to war, recognized the oppression when he came back and leads this emerging consciousness of the injustices that befell Belizeans during the colonial era. There is Cleopatra White; the woman, the pioneer, the community service nurse whose lifetime of sacrifice made a difference. There are many others that we could have used. We did not exclude them because they were not worthy of anything. It is a part of the process. The next time we do it we will do another five or as many as we can until we can develop a full scope of who our heroes are.”
The exhibit will run until the end of the month. Source: LoveFM.com
Mar 9th 10
Daily San Pedro Belize Weather Forecast March 9th
IR Satellite Photo
General Situation: High pressure influence continues to support fair and mostly dry conditions. 24hr Forecast: Sunny skies today with a few cloudy spells. Mostly clear tonight. Winds: East to Southeast at 10 to 20 knots. Sea State: Moderate. Outlook: Through Thursday: Similar weather pattern prevails. Highs: 29°C/84°F – Lows: 23°C/74°F
Mar 9th 10
Manatees in Belize
Mar 9th 10
Traffic and Behavior on Ambergris Caye
Dear SPTB
There are many nice friendly and honest people in San Pedro. I own rental property in San Pedro – at least 12 Belizeans make their living working for our home owners and condominium property. Many more Belizeans benefit from the guests we bring down to Belize who patronize restaurants, grocery stores, shops . They also dive, go fishing, boating sailing etc..
We depend on our guests to spread the good word about San Pedro when they return to their home towns, if guests have a bad experience unfortunately that is what they will remember and tell their friends and relatives back home about.
The traffic in San Pedro is a big problem – an even larger problem is the behavior of the drivers. I am afraid they will not have good reports when they are very nearly run down by carts, trucks, motorcycles, taxis and SUVs.
Our condos are very close to the San Pedro Police Department and many a time people will speed right past the police station! But the problem is certainly not limited to that area it is all over town.
I have also noticed people being harassed in town, on the beach etc. There are drug dealers frequently asking people to buy drugs. People do not feel safe when this is happening.
We own condos at Paradise Villas, we are constantly repairing damage to our pier and have people with bikes and drugs hanging around at all hours of the day and night. Vandals make graffiti on the property and leave garbage there.
You need to educate the public – the tourists – should be perceived as guests in Belize, they should be treated as guests. They should feel safe on the roads, on the beach and at their lodgings. They should be protected by the authorities. The taxi and truck drivers and the residents need to be reminded that the guests to San Pedro drive the economy.
Remind them that the guests are on vacation, not used to the narrow crowded streets and they must have patience..
Sincerely,
Cynthia Beer
Mar 9th 10
Belize Celebrates Baron Bliss Day
Belize Lighthouse
Yesterday Belizeans celebrate Baron Bliss Day, a national holiday recognized on Monday, March 8, providing a three day weekend. The fourth Baron Bliss of the Kingdom of Portugal, Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, was an Englishman by birth. In 1926, he sailed in his yacht Sea King to Belize and fell in love with the green Caribbean Sea, the cayes and balmy climate.
The Baron came to Belize from Trinidad, where he was a victim of food poisoning. He spent some months off the coast of Belize aboard the Sea King, attempting to recover from this illness. He never came ashore. Fishermen and colonial administrators treated him kindly and taught him about Belize. The Baron died of food poisoning, but not before he changed his will, leaving almost $2 million dollars to Belize in a trust fund. The fund is used for the benefit of Belizeans and has made possible the building of the Bliss Institute Library and Museum in Belize City, health clinics and markets around the country, and has helped with the Belize City water supply system. The Baron is considered Belize’s greatest benefactor.
Part of the trust was designated for an annual boat regatta which is held every year in honor of the Baron. The focus of Baron Bliss Day in Belize City is this regatta. Other towns in Belize celebrate the day by having small boat races and parties. There is a Baron Bliss Memorial Lighthouse and Park located in Belize City in the Fort George Area. The Baron’s tomb lies under the lighthouse overlooking the harbor entrance to the city. Source: San Pedro Sun
