Friday, April 16, 2010

Caye Caulker Village Council elections this Sunday

Caye Caulker Village held last night an open forum where community members had the opportunity to meet and talk with the five candidates vying for the post of Chairman of the village.
It was a good turnout as members eagerly awaited for the commencement of the forum. The candidates are Alberto Villanueva, Marcial Alamina III, Robert Blease, Bartolo Rodriguez, and Emmanuel Rodriguez.

After a brief introduction by all candidates, members of the island were invited to ask questions. It is interesting to note that all five candidates have held positions within the Village Council in the past including the Chairmanship. Concerns were many but among the more heated one was the question of land sale in Caye Caulker. Land had been previously reserved for park/recreational purposes on the North side of the island and people were concerned that it had been removed from Belizean hands and was now in privately owned. Present Chairman Ralph Hulse was on hand to answer the very controversial question. He stated that to his knowledge the land was divided into three lots and sold to an individual from Belize City. During the meeting, this topic kept being raised and candidates were poignant in saying that once elected, they would conduct proper investigations into the matter in an effort to find out if the land can be returned.

Another topic was the issue of the main palapa where families conduct business either by selling crafts or delicious home made food. According to villagers, at the council is a plan for the palapa and there main concern was that it would be broken down. Candidates stated that what they intended to do was re-furbish the palapa and while that would be taking place, members would be temporarily moved to a new location.

Of much discussion was the area known as Bahia Puesta del Sol, a subdivision that is much neglected and of much concern to residents who live there. With the advent of the Hurricane Season, residents expect much water to rise into the subdivision. "Our children have to walk through the water for them to go to school, making them very sick," commented a father. Poor streets in the area were not their only concern and brought up at the meeting was the fact that the subdivision does not possess an entry or exit point. The access road to enter the subdivision is private property and residents wanted to know what would happen. Candidates stated that they would look into purchasing the private property or at the very least continue dialoging with its owners to find out the best possible solution.

Elections will be taking place on Sunday and Caye Caulker has an estimated 800 registered voter population.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Public Consultation on the Revised Ambergris Caye Master Development Plan

The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute is facilitating the revision of the San Pedro Ambergris Caye Master Development, a project activity that is supported by the Hol Chan Trust Fund, World Wildlife Fund-Belize and the Coastal Zone Management Authority.

The first draft of the revised plan has been prepared and, as is a customary part of the process, the public is being invited to participate in a public review and discussion of the first draft of f the revised document. The objective is to share, exchange and incorporate into the document ideas and views of the San Pedro community

The consultation will take place on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lion’s Den, San Pedro Town.

For further information, kindly contact Mr. Fidel Ancona, phone # 226-2023 or Vincent Gillett, Coastal Zone Authority at 223-5739.

Monday, April 12, 2010

San Pedro Traffic Department receives Two Motor Cycles!!!!!!

This afternoon at a little after 2:00pm, Mayor Elsa Paz, along with members of the San Pedro Town Council, presented the San Pedro Traffic Department with two new Honda motorcycles.


5 inmates escape from Belize Central Prison

Five (5) prisoners escaped from the Belize Central Prison shortly after midnight this morning, April 12, 2010. These inmates were all housed at the Tango 10 building. They made good their escape by breaching security systems in that building and overpowering the Prison Officer posted at that location.

They are:
1. Terry Bainton, 30 years of Creole descent, weighs 150 lbs, and is 5’8” in height2. Dennis Quilter, 35 years of Creole descent, weighs 128lbs, and is 5’4” in height 3. Jose‐Luis Cocom, 30 years of Mayan descent, weighs 126lbs, and is 5”6” in height4. Juan Melendez, 45 years of Mestizo descent, weighs 140 lbs, and is 5’9” in height5. Jose Melgar, 22 years of Mestizo descent, weighs 102lbs, and is 5’6” in height The general public is asked to please be on the lookout for these prisoners and call the nearest police station or the Belize Central Prison at 225‐6229 or 225‐6191 with information regarding the sighting or identification of any or all of these prisoners.

Two San Pedro bartenders to compete at Taste of Belize 2010

On Easter Sunday, five San Pedro bartenders competed in the Traveller’s National Cocktail Challenge held at Central Park. With a crowd cheering on their favorite mix master, the contestants were put through a series of three elimination rounds.

The first round required each bartender to prepare three original cocktails based on three Traveller’s liquors. The second round was a speed round requiring the bartenders to prepare at least four cocktails from a list of seven specific recipes, and the last round paired two finalists against each other.

The finalists were asked to prepare two cocktails based on ingredients from a mystery box. The mystery box contained four ingredients and the bartenders were required to choose three of the ingredients. They were allowed 15 minutes to write their recipes and name their two cocktails and then 10 minutes to prepare both concoctions. Each cocktail needed to be prepared with different techniques such as frozen, shaken, stirred, etc.

Judges were on hand at all times gauging their scores on taste, technique, originality, presentation, showmanship, personality, punctuality, portions, procedures and garnishes. Scores earned specific points and the bartender with the highest score was the top winner.

During the Traveller’s National Cocktail Challenge there will be a total of six competitions held in regional areas of Belize. Each first and second place regional winners will automatically be entered in the Taste of Belize Bartender’s Competition scheduled for August, 2010.

Renan Rodriguez

Romeo Kotch

San Pedro bartender Renan Rodriguez of La Playa Lounge won first place and bartender Romeo Kotch from El Divino placed second. We applaud both these talented gentlemen and look forward to cheering them on at the BTB Taste of Belize competition.