From Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development (ACCSD)

DO YOU AGREE WITH OFFSHORE DRILLING FOR OIL IN BELIZE?

ACCSD is part of the Belize Coalition against offshore drilling for oil. We are working on gathering enough signatures to call for a national referendum on the issue.

If you are a registered voter in Belize, We URGE you to come to the ACCSD office above Blu on Barrier Reef Drive opposite the Holiday Hotel and sign up to get the Government to listen to the people.

Our office hours are Mondays to Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thanks in advance for your support.

Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development
63 Barrier Reef Drive
San Pedro Town
Belize
226-2799

Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development

Website - www.accsdbelize.com

Embracing development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Life’s a Beach Bar - where the party is on the Beach! And the coldest beer in town

LIFE'S A BEACH - WHERE THE PARTY IS ON THE BEACH AND THE COLDEST BEERS IN TOWN!

People move to San Pedro for many reasons. And some of the most common are; “The people are so warm and welcoming. The view – I wake up to this; the pristine waters of the Caribbean sea, white sandy beaches, the constant blowing cool wind, tropical weather all year round, the sound of the waves washing over the coral reef”.

Come and witness live entertainment on selected nights!

Kathy Roman moved to San Pedro from the state of Arkansas in the United States. Kathy moved to the island on January 11^th 2011. This was her first visit - which actually wasn’t really just a visit, as she decided to make San Pedro her permanent home. She and her cousin had seen San Pedro on House Hunters International – and just decided to move.

With years of Bartending experience under her belt, Kathy knew exactly what she wanted to do and saw great potential in the former “Bikini Bar”. She admits that her vision for the bar is to completely re-vamp the establishment and curb the general reputation that it formerly held. She agrees that this has been and certainly continues to be a task – “but when you get to wake up and come to work and have this, “pointing to the view of the Caribbean sea” as a view – it is soooooo worth it”.

Relaxation is the ambiance at Life's a Beach Bar

With a love for animals, Kathy hopes to create an environment that is animal friendly, homey provides a family feel and above all, safe. Life’s A Beach – where the party is on the Beach! And the coldest beer in town ….” has been opened just a couple weeks now. Tuesday nights, come on out and enjoy Yappy Hour Mix-N-Mingle where you can get local rum drinks at 2 for 1. Thursday nights, bring the family out and enjoy a night of Karaoke with Doug and Valentino. Specials include $4.00 Belikin Beer.

Stop by and enjoy a frosty drink or an ice cold Beer – ideal to quench your thirst in our tropical sunny weather. Life’s a Beach is opened Monday – Saturday 4:00pm – 12:00am except for Wednesdays when it’s closed; and on Sundays from 11:00am – 12:00am.

Skydivers donate to San Pedro Town Library and Be Kind Belize

The Boogie in Belize skydivers are back on the island for the seventh time. As per usual, the organizers of the annual excursion to Belize encourage participants to contribute to the education process on the island. Each participant is encouraged to gather educational and fun items which would later be donated to different organizations on the Island.

This year, the recipients of these goodies were the San Pedro Town Public Library and Be Kind Belize, both institutions that cater to children and furthering education.

The first donation was presented to Colette Kase of Be Kind Belize at the Sun Breeze hotel on Tuesday February 15^th. Items donated included dozens of cuddly stuffed teddy bears, note pads, markers, pens and crayons among others. Colette graciously accepted the gifts and expressed that some of the donation will travel to the country in the villages where the children do not readily have access to donations of the sort.
The donation to the San Pedro Town Library was a result of the REAPER annual Sky Divers Poker Tournament held at Pedro’s Inn on Sunday February 13^th. Starting at 7:00pm, there were a total of 39 players who bought into the game at $200.00 each, leading to a bucket of $7,800.00. At the end of the game, Mad John took first place, Mike B took second, Kerry and Nick took third and fourth respectively. The payout was $1,800.00 to 1^st place, $1,000.00 to 2^nd place, $700.00 to 3^rd place and $400.00 went to 4^th place. The remaining 3900 went to the San Pedro Public Library. There was an additional $225.00 collected in the form of donations from patrons at Pedro’s Bar that night.
On February 15^th, a check in the amount of $4,100.00 and $25.00 cash was presented to Ms. Ira Acosta of the San Pedro Town Public Library, along with a huge variety of donated items brought by the visiting skydivers and supporters.

Among the items donated were notepads, pens, markers, crayons, stick glues, a digital camera, one laptop and a huge variety of other school supplies. Ira accepted the donation and explained that some of the moneys will go towards much needed Air Conditioners for the library, help out with the daily up keeping of the library as well as with programs that will benefit the children that make use of the library.

As part of the donation, the San Pedro Town Library has agreed to produce monthly reports showing how the funds are being used.

National Agriculture & Trade Show Dates Announced

The National Agriculture and Trade Show Committee met on the 14th of February 2011, as part of its ongoing preparation for this year’s show. The dates of the show are April 29th & 30th, and May 1st. The theme for this year’s show will be “Agriculture: Securing the Future for a Better Belize.”

Statement on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Belmopan, February14th, 2011. The recent revelation surrounding the sale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the domestic market is underscored by the need for the Bureau to take immediate action to protect the interests and rights of consumers.

As the entity responsible for legal metrology we do not refute these revelations, neither should we be mistakenly viewed as upholding acts of deception that deprive the average Belizean consumer. In an effort to address this issue the Bureau is expeditiously pursing the following:
*In the immediate term the Bureau expects very shortly to pursue measures to provide additional assurance to the consumer as it relates to purchases of LPG in the domestic market.
*In the medium term the Bureau will seek financial support from the Government of Belize to purchase metrology equipment that will assist with monitoring the LPG industry in terms of weights and measures or quantity and quality of LPG mixtures imported.
*In addition the Bureau has been able to secure technical assistance from the PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) of Germany through its Technical Cooperation arm for Latin America and the Caribbean. The consultancy which is expected to commence in March 2011 will pursue the following objectives:
*Conduct a thorough analysis/assessment of the status - use and needs of standards and application of metrology as appropriate - of the LPG industry in Belize
*Assess product quality and safety
*Evaluate current storage and distribution methods in Belize
*Evaluate and assess suppliers’ facilities and infrastructure - plant and equipment
*Seek recommendations for the development of standards applicable to this sector
*Provide guidance on minimum level of investment (capital and technical) necessary of the Bureau for conformity assessment. This includes testing, sampling, inspections, certification and accreditation.

The Bureau acknowledges that this is a serious problem and we are addressing the issue in the quickest and shortest time as resources permit. At the same time, the Bureau reminds the general public that the pursuit to protect consumers cannot be shouldered by one single entity but rather requires active participation by the public and coordination among all relevant regulatory agencies.