Miss Costa Maya '08 Arrives

Ambergris Today and San Pedro welcomes Jennifer Chiong, Miss Costa Maya 2008, back to the island. This time around Jennifer returns not to compete but to enjoy her stay in San Pedro while she cashes in on her prize winnings - free golf cart rental during her stay and free scuba certification, among others. She hands over the crown on Thursday, August 6. Welcome back Jennifer.

Actor Michael Jai White Visits Island

Michael Jai White came to Belize for the Belize International Film Festival. Before leaving to the U.S. he was invited by Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, to tour La Isla Bonita. His visit will be short but he will have time to enjoy lunch at the famous Elvi's Kitchen. Here he is arriving at the Maya Island Air terminal and being greeted "Island Styly" by a barefoot Hon. Heredia. White's latest role is portraying the mob boss 'Gambol' in the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. He is also starring in the film Blood and Bone and the blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite which is slated for a 2009 release.

Costa Maya Delegates Have Arrived!

Click on pictures to enlarge

The eight Costa Maya delegates who will be competing at this year’s Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant have arrived in San Pedro. They set foot in Belize City on Thursday, July 30, and were taken on a city tour and enjoyed lunch at the famous Riverside Tavern before arriving in San Pedro. They are being hosted by Ramon’s Village, the official hotel for the Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant. If you would like to meet all eight contestants be sure to make it to Noche Sanpedrana, Friday, July 31, where the San Pedro Lions Club will host them for a night of entertainment and dinner at the Lions Den at 7:00p.m. The event is open to the general public. Miss Costa Maya 2008 Jennifer Chiong (from Guatemala) will also join the ladies at Noche Sanpedrana.

The ladies visit the Barron Bliss Memorial Tomb, Belize City

Pageant night at the Costa Maya Festival is on Thursday, August 6 at the festival grounds. To view a full itinerary of the contestants leading up to pageant night CLICK HERE!

Lunch at Riverside Tavern

San Pedro Themed Restaurant in Wisconsin

San Pedro in Hudson, Wisconsin??? Morgan Keldsen stumbled upon this Cafe in Wisconsin and sent us the link to its website. The Cafe features an Ambergris Caye themed atmosphere complete with a 100 gallon coral garden salt water aquarium, Belizean made wooden table tops, Marie Sharp Hot Sauce, artifacts of Maria Imports, tropical named menu items and a large wood-fired oven to prepare fresh seafood, slow-smoked meats and vegetables, specialty pizzas and a variety of other culinary delights including Rice & Beans. The owners, we are told, lived in San Pedro for some time and when they moved back to the US, they decided to run a San Pedro-themed restaurant. Its pretty cool - check out their website at www.sanpedrocafe.com/home.asp

Who is your Favorite Costa Maya Contestant?

Vote for your favorite candidate of this year's Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant on our online poll at Ambergris Today Online. VOTE HERE!

Volunteers Offer Swimming Classes

Volunteers to Holy Cross Anglican School from St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades, California taught swimming classes all last week. Almost 50 Island children participated in this program and learned vital water survival skills. The group stayed at the Tides and the management there graciously offered their pool and dock for swimming lessons. Classes were held each morning from 9am until 11:30am with a mid-morning snack served by the volunteers.
Saturday morning was the culmination of a week of fun and learning as the First Annual Swim Meet was held. Prizes were awarded and all participants received new bathing suits and delicious ice cream cones from Manelly’s.
Another team from St. Matthew’s will be in San Pedro offering swimming classes from Monday, August 3 until Friday, August 7th. Monday is reserved for adults who would like to learn how to swim. Classes are free for all children in San Pedro.

Neighborhood Cleanup on Sunday

In an on-going effort to keep San Pedro Clean and healthy the South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch in conjunction with the San Pedro Town Council will be conducting a massive clean-up operation on Sunday, August 2, 2009 starting at 7am at the San Pedro water tower opposite Royal Caribbean Resort.

The clean-up should take approximately 2 hours and will include the area from Victoria House Hotel south to the end of the island. The cleanup will be on the road and the beach. All residents in the area are asked to provide at least one volunteer per residence, condo complex or business to assist with the project. If possible please bring tools such as machete, shovels etc and any vehicles that are appropriate for hauling sacks of trash, logs etc. Be prepared to work and wear sunscreen, mosquito repellent, hat, work gloves, closed toe shoes and appropriate attire. SACNW will provide trash bags and drinking water. Please come along and join in with the cleanup effort, bring a friend and a neighbor – let’s keep San Pedro clean and healthy.

Costa Maya Delegates Arrive Thursday

Miss Costa Maya 2008 Jennifer Chiong (Miss Guatemala)

The eight contestants for the Reina de la Costa Maya Pageant arrive this Thursday to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Follow them around the island and get a glimpse of how HOT the pageant will be on Thursday, August 6. View their full itinerary before they hit the stage on Pageant Night CLICK HERE! Also visit Costa Maya Festival Online! and on Facebook.

Exploring Toledo!

It is the southernmost district in the country of Belize and probably one of the least visited areas both by locals and tourists, but that is all about to change and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) wants everybody to get to know Toledo a little bit better. Ambergris Today was there for all of you to see what Toledo has to offer. Read the article HERE and view the GALLERY HERE to witness the natural splendor of Toledo.

Scheduled Power Outages for Weekend

Belize Electricity Limited advises its customers in San Pedro Town that the supply of electricity will be temporarily interrupted over the weekend during the following dates and times:

*Saturday, July 25, from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon - Areas to be affected: Angel Coral Street, Coconut Drive, Sea Grape Drive, Holiday Land, Mosquito Coast and Boca Ciega.

*Sunday, July 26, 2009, all of Barrier Reef Drive from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Vehicular traffic will be restricted on all of Barrier Reef Drive while the Company conducts works to upgrade the distribution system in the area. BEL recommends that pedestrians avoid the area during this time. Pedestrians who may need to traffic the area are asked to exercise extreme caution.

Three New Restaurant Reviews

Three new restaurant reviews have been added to the list. Click on the images below to be directed to their restaurant reviews. For more reviews on excellent restaurants in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye visit our Restaurant Rave section on Ambergris Today Online.

El Patio Restaurant and Lounge
Elvi's Kitchen
Fido's Restaurant

Ecoli Outbreak Points to Cookie Dough

The Consumer Protection Unit of the Belize Bureau of Standards is warning consumers about the outbreak of E.coli in raw refrigerated pre-packaged cookie dough. Consumers are being advised not to eat the Nestle Toll House refrigerated, pre-packaged cookie dough and to throw away the product if they have already purchased it.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, June 22 of this year issued an alert regarding the outbreak of Ecoli in the cookie dough, saying that 70 persons from 30 states in the United States were infected with a particular strain of the Ecoli virus.
Those affected range from persons two to 65 years of age, with 66% being under 19 years old. Females make up the majority of infected persons, representing 75% of the total who have become ill from eating these cookies. “People infected with Ecoli may develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps two to eight days after swallowing the organism, but some illnesses last longer and are more severe,” the Bureau explained in a press release this week. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meanwhile has posted a warning to consumers advising them not to eat the Nestle Toll House prepackaged cookie. (Source: The Reporter Newspaper)

Moondancer Photo Shoot

Check out the new Moondancer ad for their Costa Maya promo. Ambergris Today collaborated with Jose Luis Zapata Photography for the photo shoot. Take a look at more pictures of the photo shoot at Moondancer Online.

Other Links:
Designing Solutions (Jose Luis Zapata Photography)
Moondancer for Her

Señorita Comunidad Salvadoreña

Here is a video of the dance presentation by the eight contestants of the Señorita Cominidad Salvadoreña fundraiser that took place this past weekend.

Police Cadet Fundraiser

The San Pedro Police Cadet Youth Corp is a group of 30 civil-minded children who meet at the police station three times per week to perform drills, participate in team sport events and to conduct community service projects. They are trained and observed under the guidance of the Police officer in charge of Community Policing.

This group of youths should be commended and praised for their commitment to the community of San Pedro and to youth in general – they are working towards a better San Pedro and a better Belize.

The group has received a kind donation (from a SACNW member) of material to tailor their uniforms, and they must now raise funds in order to have the uniforms sewn. Please show your support to the Police Cadet Youth Corp program in San Pedro by purchasing a $5.00 raffle ticket which will assist the cadets in fund raising and will offer you a chance to win the prize – A brand new Acer Aspire One notebook computer.

The drawing will be on August 12, 2009, at the regular monthly South Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch meeting and the lucky winner will be notified and does not need to be present to win. To purchase a ticket please contact PC Tun at the San Pedro Police Station or telephone him at 627-9478; or contact a Police Youth Cadet.

Each ticket sold by an authorized cadet will have special stamp on it and the letter will be validated by a Justice of the Peace. Prize is a lightweight – 2.3 lbs, Mini-note pad – only 8.9 inches – Full color screen, stereo speakers, microphone, web cam, wi-fi, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB hard drive, SD card reader, 3 x USB slots – Windows XP Home Edition – Value: $1,200 Bze

Good luck! Thank you for supporting your local Police Cadet Youth Corps.

San Pedro Town Council Notices

Northern Road Update
The public is hereby informed that the San Pedro Town Council has begun work for the declaration of the Northern Road. Surveyors have commenced their work assessment and thus the cooperation of the residents of that area is asked and is appreciated.

Sunday- Boca del Rio River Clean- up
On Sunday, July 26 the San Pedro Town Council is spearheading a clean-up of the Boca del Rio River. The clean-up will commence at 6:00a.m. All water vessels are asked to exercise caution while traveling through this area. Anyone wishing to volunteer their service may contact Councilor Nano Guerrero at telephone 600-8428.

Tropical wave rains lash Caribbean islands

At least four Caribbean islands were yesterday lashed by heavy rains from a tropical wave located east of the Windward Islands. The heavy rains, accompanied by lightning and thunder, affected the islands of St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Barbados.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that "cloudiness and showers would continue in association with the tropical wave". It said that upper level winds were expected to remain unfavorable for the development of the system for the next couple of days, but that "regardless of development locally, heavy rainfall and gusty winds will affect the Windward Islands during the next day or so as the wave moves westward at 15 to 20 miles per hour".

"There is a low chance, less than 30 per cent, of this system becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours," the NHC said. However, if the system develops into a tropical storm with winds of 29 to 73 miles per hour, it would be called Ana - the first named storm of this year's hurricane season that ends on November 30.

Cases of Dengue Reported in Belize

Cases of Dengue In Belize

Over the past week residents of the Cayo District have expressed concerns about the recent outbreak of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in that locality. But after making a few check in San Pedro, Ambergris Today has discovered that there has been a few reported cases on the island as well.

In the absence of the Director of Health Services, Dr. Michael Pitts, Deputy DHS Marjorie Parks spoke to Love FM and said that since dengue is endemic to Belize it is expected that there will be sudden occurrences on an annual basis. Parks said because of Benque Viejo’s proximity to Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala residents in that town are experiencing a slight increase in the number of cases because Melchor is considered a hotspot for the illness.

She further mentioned that the Ministry of Health has already begun an awareness campaign on proper health practices to avoid the fever by destroying breeding grounds for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito responsible for its spread. (More on Dengue in Thursday’s edition of Ambergris Today Newspaper)

* What is Dengue?
It is an infectious disease caused by a virus and is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. There are two types of Dengue; (i) Dengue (ii) Dengue Hemorrhagic. Dengue Hemorrhagic is when a person that is already affected by Dengue gets bitten a second time, then develops Dengue Hemorrhagic which in most cases is fatal. Dengue cannot be transmitted by direct contact by someone who is already infected; it can only be transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito after it has fed on sick person’s blood. The mosquito can travel for very long distances and thus it can contaminate people from different communities.

Symptoms:
*Sudden and sharp high fever that last for five or seven days.
*Intense pain on the muscles, bones, head and eyes.
*Shin rash, vomiting and diarrhea
*Bitter taste in the mouth
*Some patients can suffer from bleeding episodes in ears and other body parts.
*Dengue Hemorrhagic is particularly serious. It can be fatal especially for children under 15.

Treatment:
There is no treatment or vaccine available for Dengue. If a person is infected he should drink plenty of liquids and rest in bed. He should take some medications to reduce the fever, malaise and intense pain. No aspirin should be taken. If a person suspects that he could have Dengue Hemorrhagic he should immediately go to the nearest medical center.

General Characteristics of the Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes:
These mosquitoes need accumulated and uncovered water for its reproduction so that they lay and rear their eggs. This process can take place both in clean or dirty water. They can develop in any type of receptacle such as bottles, old car wheels, flower vases, roof water drainage, tin cans and toys. Also natural water areas such as ponds, tree holes, fruit peels and plants. These mosquitoes develop in both rural and urban areas but mostly bite during the daytime.

BEL Says Enough Power Supply at the Moment

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has sent out a press release stating that it currently has sufficient generation in place to meet the country’s energy demand over the next few days. Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) advised that following the inspection of the Merida III generating unit, they have determined that the unit needs to be taken out of service until the middle of August. In the meantime, CFE is able to supply Belize with approximately 15 per cent of its energy demand. However, the cost of power from CFE at this time is much higher than normal and BEL will only take power from CFE as a last option.

In addition to CFE, BEL is currently taking approximately 16 megawatts (MW) of power from Belize Aquaculture Limited and 32.5 MW from Belize Electric Company Limited. Hydro Maya remains off line, while repairs are being carried out to its generating equipment. The nozzle and the tools for the repairs to the Gas Turbine have arrived and BEL plans to complete works on the Gas Turbine by July 24, 2009.If any planned power outages are necessary, BEL will provide customers with advanced notice, where possible.

Salvadoran Community Crowns Queen

Jasmin Rodriguez crowned Señorita Comunidad Salvadoreña

The Salvadoran Community of San Pedro selected their representing queen, not in a convention beauty pageant, but through a popularity contest in the form of a bazaar. The event was held on Saturday, July 18, at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium where Jasmine Rodriguez was crowned as the Salvadoran Queen among the eight competing contestants. She was the recipient of the most votes (monetary contributions) that was raised through sponsorships, donations and fundraising at the bazaar. The pageant was a fundraiser aimed at raising money for the Salvadoran Community living in San Pedro. (More on Thursday’s edition of Ambergris Today)

Seleni Perez

Monica Muñoz

Fatima Pereira

Jessica Flores

Emeli Carpa

Amanda Ack

Yanira Lara

Salvadoran Pupusas were on the menu

Power Crisis! Weekend Outages Scheduled

Belize’s Public Utilities Commission has warned consumers of electricity to brace for more frequent and perhaps more prolonged power outages in the weeks ahead. The primary cause of the problem is the break-off of supply from Mexico, from the Comisión Federal de Electricidad. But adding to the crisis is the failure of the BEL Gas Turbine plant at Mile 8 to produce power to relieve the emergency.

Here on Ambergris Caye, we already see an arsenal of portable generators already up and running behind the old BEL power plant. We only hope that these will be enough to sustain power on the island and not cause multiple power outages, as these can be detrimental to our tourism industry that is already in “slow motion”.

Already announced for this weekend are scheduled power outages for Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday, July 18, 2009 will be Feeder 1 which is all of Barrier Reef Dr. This will commence at 6:00am until 12:00Noon

Sunday, July 19, 2009 will be Feeder 4 which is all of Angel Coral Dr from Hol Chan Office, Coconut Dr., to the end of the line @ Boca Ciega. This will commence at 6:00am until 12:00Noon

Portable generators set up behind BEL Power Plant

Just for Fun! Jammin' to the Beat

These guys were having much fun entertaining passersby in front of The Rum House in downtown San Pedro. They took to playing the drums and dancing, especially when they saw the cameras of Ambergris Today. Much fun!

Holy Cross' Land Raffle

The Great San Pedro Land Raffle has expanded to allow for more community involvement!!!! Holy Cross Anglican School and Mr. Alex Canalez announced that all schools and non-profit organizations here in San Pedro can now be part of this exciting fundraiser and can benefit by selling raffles. In addition some lucky person will win a lot in the New Marina area two miles south of San Pedro. The lot is 60 feet of road front by 80 feet deep and is described at: http://affordablebelizerealestate.com/belize-real-estate-raffle.html The Great Land Raffle drawing will be held in December 2009 - just in time for Christmas.

If your school, service group or non-profit organization is interested in sharing in the proceeds of this raffle by selling tickets, please contact:

Alex Canalez , Raffle General Coordinator (Interim)
alex_canalez@yahoo.com
608-5535/663-5425

The more tickets you sell the more money your group can make! Only 10,000 raffle tickets are available at a cost of $10 each so get involved as soon as possible.

New Reef Currents Newsletter

This is the first issue of the newsletter “Reef Currents” produced by the Northern Marine Reserve Management Unit of Belize (NMRMU) and Hol Chan Marine Reserve Office. Through this initiative NMRMU seeks to improve communication with its stakeholder groups by informing them of current activities at our northern Marine Reserve and by encouraging them to participate through articles and letter. Northern Marine Reserve Management Unit of Belize encourages everyone to read its inaugural issue and to contribute positively to the development of the newsletter. The next issue is due in October as it will be produced quarterly. Northern Marine Reserve Management Unit of Belize expects contribution from readers for that issue, so feel free to send in your articles or comments to hcmr@btl.net. To get a copy of the newsletter (even electronic copy) you can contact the Hol Chan Office at 226-2247.

Dorian's Angels visit Guatemala

In view of the fact that we are always searching for unique cultures all around the world in one town, Pearl, Sofia and I decided to tryout the lifestyle of the Guatemalan community. As a result, this week the three Angels went to familiarize with Mrs. Elena Mendoza, the owner of a distinguished Guatemalan gift shop. Mrs. Elena’s warmth and humbleness made us feel right at home.

There are many Guatemalans who call Ambergris Caye their home; and you can easily identify a few Guatemalan vendors by the beach selling their products of “Mantas”. They balance their products on their heads and carry their small children neatly wrapped in cloth and bundled up on their backs. (Click here to read more)

Meet Miss Guatemala Costa Maya

Angelica Guevara Morfin

Age: 22 years old

Height: 5.6 Feet

Profession: Primary School

Teacher, Model, International

Relations Student

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color: Brunette

Skin Color: Light Brown

Hobbies: Reading and Dancing

She participated at the Miss Guatemala Universe Pageant where she place second and will represent Guatemala at the Miss World Pageant 2009 held in December.

Lions Club Announces New Website

The San Pedro Lions Club would like to announce the launching of their new website which is designed to help keep the public informed of their purpose and upcoming event. You can learn about the Club's history, view the board of directors, know about upcoming meetings, learn about the Poly Clinic and also donate to a worthy cause. The website address is http://www.sanpedrobelizelions.org/ . Click on image to view website.

More Influenza 'A' Cases in Belize

Press Release – Ministry of Health, Belmopan, July 14, 2009 - The Ministry of Health informs the general public that as of July 14, 2009, Belize has fifteen (15) confirmed cases of Influenza A H1N1. As of today, the Ministry awaits the result of twenty two (22) outstanding samples sent to the Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC).
All fifteen positive cases came from the Corozal District and are linked to the Corozal Free Zone. These cases have presented with mild flu-like symptoms and have recovered. The Ministry of Health continues with its enhanced surveillance and health education countrywide.

The general public is reminded to continue taking the necessary precautions which include the following:
*Wash hands frequently and use disposable tissue when possible to cover nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing.
*Public places must ensure that door knobs, bathroom counters and other similar surfaces be cleaned on a regular basis with disinfectant.
*Upon presentation of any flu-like sign or symptom the public is advised to visit the nearest health center or your health care provider.
*The Ministry would also like to inform the public that there is no need at this time to limit any mass gatherings or travel plans.

BEL Says More Power Outages to Come

Over the weekend, there were a number of power outages that had to be endured and according to Belize Electricity Limited, bad weather and equipment maintenance is to blame. On Friday night the power went out countrywide and it was due in part to a ground wire that broke away from a pole near the Buena Vista Substation and caused a fault on the transmission line between Mexico and Belize. The outage was extended because the Gas Turbine is currently out of service for maintenance for two weeks.

A release from BEL says that because the Gas Turbine was out of service the restoration had to be coordinated with Belize Electric Company Limited and Belize Aquaculture Limited. Hydro Maya Limited has also informed BEL that their generating equipment has suffered damage due to a mechanical failure and consequently will be out of service while the repairs are being completed.

On Sunday Belize City lost power around 2:30pm due to a lightning arrestor failure. The arrestor was replaced and power was restored shortly before five thirty. Other power outages were reported on Sunday night and Monday along the Western and Southern Highway. To make matters worse, CFE had limited the supply to BEL so as to complete repairs to their system. Those restoration works at CFE were supposed to be completed within three months. However, BEL has been informed that CFE continues to experience generation problems and will have to take out another one of their large generators for maintenance. BEL says that this can worsen the current power supply situation, which is already critical but they will keep the public informed of any further developments.

Police Station gets facelift

Have you passed by the police station and noticed the bright colors in the building? The San Pedro Police Station has been undergoing a facelift both inside and outside. Sgt. Paulino Reyes stated that there was enough money in the police budget for the much needed renovations and so police officers have volunteered their time to paint the building in bright yellow and green.

“The police station is undergoing some changes the plan was to remodel inside the station and to fix up the counter,” commented Reyes. “But not only was the counter changed, a small office was built so that police can record statements in a more private manner and not have everyone at the station listening to what is happening”

But that is not all the changes, lockers are going to be built so that officers can place their personal belongings while at work and for the station to look in a more orderly manner.

New room built to take more private statements from the public