Press Release – San Pedro Town Council – May 31, 2011 – On Saturday 4th June a group of 12 emerging (future) leaders will arrive in Belize on AA 2103 to commence a Study Tour of Belize from June 4 – 8, 2011. The members of this group have been selected from several countries, including Canada, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.
During their visit they will be travelling to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Xunantunich, Spanish Lookout, Marie Sharp Fine Foods, Citrus Products of Belize, Belize Natural Energy and Belize Sugar Industry; they will also be addressed by a representative of the Banana Industry. These visits will serve as an opportunity for dialogue and for participants to be exposed to the diverse challenges faced by leaders in Belize. They will report on their experience in plenary sessions in Barbados at the end of the conference.
This is part of a unique experience and initiative entitled the Caribbean-Canada Emerging Leaders’ Dialogue (CCELD) which brings together 120 future leaders from Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean to participate in a two week, leadership development conference from May 28 to June 11, 2011 under the Theme: “Growth Through Connection – Enabling Sustainable Progress”. The CCELD opened in Ottawa, Canada on May 28 where they participated in discussions on the challenges facing leaders and engaged in two days of presentations, discussion and networking.
While this group is visiting with us here in Belize, five (5) Belizeans will be participating in other Study Tours in various Caribbean territories. The countries involved in this initiative include the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, and Trinidad & Tobago.
The Local Planning Committee takes this opportunity to thank all our sponsors/partners, without whose support the Belize Tour would not have been possible. These include: Social Security Board, Belize Electricity Limited, Belize Natural Energy Ltd., Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., The Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina, Belize Defense Force, Atlantic Bank, Mirage Belize, National Trade Union Congress of Belize (BNTU), Bowen & Bowen, Belize Telemedia Ltd., House of Culture, The Mayors of: Belize City, San Pedro, San Ignacio & Santa Elena, Dangriga, and Belmopan.
Special appreciation is also expressed to all the companies and enterprises that opened their facilities to host the group of emerging leaders during the Belize Tour.
Showing posts with label San Pedro Town Council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Pedro Town Council. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
San Pedro participates in FERPROTUR
A delegation from Belize consisting of the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) travelled to El Salvador at the invitation of Belize’s Ambassador to El Salvador, Mrs. Celi Paz Gonzalez. The invitation was for the participation in the FERPROTUR (Feria de Proveedores de Turismo/Tourism Trade Show) trade show held in San Salvador. The UR trade show is a grand trade show which boasts the participation of the United States, Mexico and the Central American countries such as Colombia, Panama, Belize and others.
Representing the BTB were Ms. Amy Leiva and Honorable Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture accompanied by his wife Mrs. Carmelita Heredia. The SPTC was represented by Mayor Elsa Paz; Assistant to the Mayor, Mr. Felix Ayuso; Town Administrator, Mrs. Patricia Tillet, Councilor Pablo Ico and Ms. Raquel Lopez.
While the group’s presence at the fair drew attention to San Pedro in a whole as a touristestination, the main focus was on selected establishments which contributed greatly towards the delegation’s participation in the trade show. Represented were; Ambergris Lake’s Villas, The Palms Condominium, Banana Beach and Grand Caribe Resort. Also on display at the booth were products of Ambergris Caye such as Elvis Kitchen’s jalapeño sauce and pepper sauce, Kakaw Chocolate from Chris Beaumont, products from the Rum House and Visitor Guides fromThe San Pedro Sun.
Mayor’s Assistant, Felix Ayuso informed The Sun that the event was a big success as the booth saw traffic on average of about 500 patrons per day. The trade show was a three day event which started on April 8th though April 10th and targeted high-end tourism. At the end of the event, the delegation representing Ambergris Caye raffled a three night stay The Palms Condominiums.
As part of the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to visit with El Salvador’s Minister of Tourism, the Mayor of San Salvador and received a tour of the Belize Embassy. Mr. Richard Cordova, resident of San Pedro living in El Salvador while he studies tourism, also assisted the San Pedro delegation during the show.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
San Pedro AIDS Commission holds Toy Drive
This year, the San Pedro AIDS Commission is teaming up with the San Pedro Lions Club and Mr. Wil Moreno of the Belize Association of California to collect and distribute toys in San Pedro. Through the program “A Christmas Giving”, Mr. Moreno will provide a couple of boxes of stuffed toys and baby clothing to be distributed by the Members of the AIDS Commission and the Lions Club.
This partnership will allow the Association of California to assist in providing clothes, toys, books and gifts to children on the island. The AIDS commission takes this opportunity to encourage the residents of San Pedro to do the same and help the families and children that are less fortunate with gifts this Christmas season.
In charge of the Toy Collection are San Pedro AIDS Commission members: Gonzalo “Chalo” Alamilla, Nita Marin and Tammy Peterson. This trio is working diligently to make this endeavor a successful one. There is a collection bin at the San Pedro Town Council, where the general public is invited to stop by and drop off any gift item that they would like to contribute to the Christmas toy drive.
According to Tammy Peterson of the San Pedro AIDS Commission, “We have decided to partner up with the San Pedro Lion’s Club on the 23rd of December to deliver the gift items, while the Lions carry out their annual Christmas caroling spreading cheer to the San Mateo and Boca del Rio Areas of Ambergris Caye”.
The general public is invited to participate and become a part of this noble effort to bring Christmas to many families, who if not for this drive, would have a Blue Christmas.
This partnership will allow the Association of California to assist in providing clothes, toys, books and gifts to children on the island. The AIDS commission takes this opportunity to encourage the residents of San Pedro to do the same and help the families and children that are less fortunate with gifts this Christmas season.
In charge of the Toy Collection are San Pedro AIDS Commission members: Gonzalo “Chalo” Alamilla, Nita Marin and Tammy Peterson. This trio is working diligently to make this endeavor a successful one. There is a collection bin at the San Pedro Town Council, where the general public is invited to stop by and drop off any gift item that they would like to contribute to the Christmas toy drive.According to Tammy Peterson of the San Pedro AIDS Commission, “We have decided to partner up with the San Pedro Lion’s Club on the 23rd of December to deliver the gift items, while the Lions carry out their annual Christmas caroling spreading cheer to the San Mateo and Boca del Rio Areas of Ambergris Caye”.
The general public is invited to participate and become a part of this noble effort to bring Christmas to many families, who if not for this drive, would have a Blue Christmas.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
NEMO holds First AID Training!!!!!!!!!!!
In keeping with the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) trainings schedule, another in the series is here on its second round. Community First Aid training is scheduled for September 8 - 9, 2010. The Venue is the San Pedro Town Council's Conference Room.
All trainings commence at 9:am and runs through 4:pm.
The training days are split into two sessions to accomodate twenty five participants on any given day. Please schedule your people as seems fit.
This training will be essential to both participants and workplace.
Feel free to call the District Emergency Coordinator at 666- 7476/600-8672.
or Nurse Natalie Palin 226-2500, to confirm your participation and dates.
Any contribution towards the training will be gratefully appreciated. Example
snacks.
Thanks in advance for your participation in preparing our Community to
respond in rendering first aid to those in need.
The life you save may be yours, a friend or your family member.
The training days are split into two sessions to accomodate twenty five participants on any given day. Please schedule your people as seems fit.
This training will be essential to both participants and workplace.
Feel free to call the District Emergency Coordinator at 666- 7476/600-8672.
or Nurse Natalie Palin 226-2500, to confirm your participation and dates.
Any contribution towards the training will be gratefully appreciated. Example
snacks.
Thanks in advance for your participation in preparing our Community to
respond in rendering first aid to those in need.
The life you save may be yours, a friend or your family member.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Dump Still Stinks
While talks of a national garbage dumpsite are in motion, the future of San Pedro’s waste management program remains cloudy. In a press release published last week on News 7 Belize, the Solid Waste Management Authority is closing its current dumpsite on Mile 3 and creating a centralized storage unit for the majority of the nation’s trash. San Pedro’s garbage, which currently sits in a smoldering pile in the Mosquito Coast area, will be carried by barge and relocated to the new facility on Mile 24.The plan, while a step forward in environmental accountability, will take at least a year to begin.
“It has been going on for a while. I think from the previous government and they’re still going,” says Nano Guerrero, San Pedro Town Council’s Director of Waste Management and Health. “Apparently, this coming year things should be starting to move.” As nice as the prospects of a transfer depot for barge service may be, the current method of waste management on the island presents a mess that needs to be addressed on a wider scope, especially since there is no town solicited collection service north of Palapa Bar. “When you’re talking about the northern part, well that’s a different story. I think they do their own and burn it. Some of them bring part of it but some of them still burn part of their garbage,” says Mr. Guerrero. Town Council has lobbied to see an effective northern road subsidized by the GOB, but the process has been slow.
“They always give the impression that we have a lot of money and we can do things on our own. Which is not really true,” says Mr. Guerrero. “Maybe the island does generate a lot of money and the government gets a lot of it, we don’t get the fair share. All we are asking if we can get a fair share of the pie. It seems they all take San Pedro that we have money for everything.”
Besides this disconnect between Government and San Pedro Town Council, many environmental concerns exist. Burning trash in uncontained spaces causes irreparable biological harm. Even though little study has been conducted on the dumpsite’s ecological footprint, there is much speculation on the long-term effects of the dump’s synthetic depository.
Miguel Alamilla, Biologist & Manager of Hol Chan Marine Reserve, is conscious of the adverse effects caused by biological amplification surrounding the dump. “What happens is the plants would absorb those chemicals and make it part of their system,” says Alamilla. “The herbivores would come and feed on that which would be bacteria or small fish, and those are preyed upon by larger animals on the food chain. As you go up [the food chain] those persistent chemicals are amplified.”
Additional to the wildlife, the surrounding citizens face risk from the smoke. Efraim Bardalez, a general contractor working on a construction site south of the dump, is aware of the hazards posed by the San Pedro dumpsite. “Where I’m working if there’s smoke blowing [from the dump] we have to quit working,” says Bardalez. Even though the smoke usually blows west, changing winds carry the smell of garbage to residential areas. The wafting smoke towards luxury resorts and residential developments threatens San Pedro’s image as a slice of pristine paradise – the island’s top selling point for foreign clients. “Sometimes you get some complaints about the garbage especially when the wind shifts. When they burn the thing you know all the smoke comes in to the area,” says Guerrero. “It’s very rare when it comes closer to town. [It’s] more on the hotels in the south when the [wind] shifts from the north.”
The exponential population growth on the island in recent years is one of the reasons why the waste management program is difficult to regulate. New developments open the doors for foreign workers and retirees alike. Expansion has strained the Town Council’s waste removal services and the town’s fleet of five trucks circle every day from three in the morning till night. Often, there is not enough time to empty San Pedro’s many trashcans and dumpsters. Without any separation of the organic, inorganic, and recyclable the island’s waste management program must undergo a dramatic facelift in policy. Separating the trash is an expensive endeavor that requires education for all citizens. This will take time to implement and an increased effort and awareness for all. With years of little-to-no separation, creating the habit will suffer from growing pains. “There’s no separation. Everything goes in the dump,” says Mr. Guerrero. “They have no other options I guess.”
Article and photos submitted by Daniel Reed
“It has been going on for a while. I think from the previous government and they’re still going,” says Nano Guerrero, San Pedro Town Council’s Director of Waste Management and Health. “Apparently, this coming year things should be starting to move.” As nice as the prospects of a transfer depot for barge service may be, the current method of waste management on the island presents a mess that needs to be addressed on a wider scope, especially since there is no town solicited collection service north of Palapa Bar. “When you’re talking about the northern part, well that’s a different story. I think they do their own and burn it. Some of them bring part of it but some of them still burn part of their garbage,” says Mr. Guerrero. Town Council has lobbied to see an effective northern road subsidized by the GOB, but the process has been slow.“They always give the impression that we have a lot of money and we can do things on our own. Which is not really true,” says Mr. Guerrero. “Maybe the island does generate a lot of money and the government gets a lot of it, we don’t get the fair share. All we are asking if we can get a fair share of the pie. It seems they all take San Pedro that we have money for everything.”
Besides this disconnect between Government and San Pedro Town Council, many environmental concerns exist. Burning trash in uncontained spaces causes irreparable biological harm. Even though little study has been conducted on the dumpsite’s ecological footprint, there is much speculation on the long-term effects of the dump’s synthetic depository.
Miguel Alamilla, Biologist & Manager of Hol Chan Marine Reserve, is conscious of the adverse effects caused by biological amplification surrounding the dump. “What happens is the plants would absorb those chemicals and make it part of their system,” says Alamilla. “The herbivores would come and feed on that which would be bacteria or small fish, and those are preyed upon by larger animals on the food chain. As you go up [the food chain] those persistent chemicals are amplified.”
Additional to the wildlife, the surrounding citizens face risk from the smoke. Efraim Bardalez, a general contractor working on a construction site south of the dump, is aware of the hazards posed by the San Pedro dumpsite. “Where I’m working if there’s smoke blowing [from the dump] we have to quit working,” says Bardalez. Even though the smoke usually blows west, changing winds carry the smell of garbage to residential areas. The wafting smoke towards luxury resorts and residential developments threatens San Pedro’s image as a slice of pristine paradise – the island’s top selling point for foreign clients. “Sometimes you get some complaints about the garbage especially when the wind shifts. When they burn the thing you know all the smoke comes in to the area,” says Guerrero. “It’s very rare when it comes closer to town. [It’s] more on the hotels in the south when the [wind] shifts from the north.”The exponential population growth on the island in recent years is one of the reasons why the waste management program is difficult to regulate. New developments open the doors for foreign workers and retirees alike. Expansion has strained the Town Council’s waste removal services and the town’s fleet of five trucks circle every day from three in the morning till night. Often, there is not enough time to empty San Pedro’s many trashcans and dumpsters. Without any separation of the organic, inorganic, and recyclable the island’s waste management program must undergo a dramatic facelift in policy. Separating the trash is an expensive endeavor that requires education for all citizens. This will take time to implement and an increased effort and awareness for all. With years of little-to-no separation, creating the habit will suffer from growing pains. “There’s no separation. Everything goes in the dump,” says Mr. Guerrero. “They have no other options I guess.”
Article and photos submitted by Daniel Reed
Monday, March 29, 2010
Math Olympiad champs are honored by SPTC, Mayor Paz and the Town
The San Pedro High School (SPHS) Math Olympiad champs were honored this afternoon by Mayor Elsa Paz and the San Pedro Town Council. On behalf of San Pedro Town, the students received glass plaques, a cash prize while the alternates received certificates and a cash prize.
Congratulations to the students and San Pedro High School. Mayor Paz expressed her sincere pride in what the students accomplished.
The SPHS students who participated in the Senior division were: Jing Han (4C) and Vicky Balam (4C), their alternates were Lucio Nuñez (3A) and Cindy Novelo (3C). In the Junior division the two participants were: Emily Gomez (2A) and Ismael Kay (2E) and their alternates were Walter Tut (1C) and Yanni Garcia (2G).
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