No Caye Caulker Lobsterfest for 2011

The San Pedro Sun was able to confirm that there will be NO Lobsterfest in Caye Caulker this year. This was necessary due to a decrease in support from the business community over the past years. The Lobsterfest Committee is a non-profit organization, and without the necessary support, the decision not to have a Lobsterfest was necessary. The main beneficiaries of Lobsterfest are the business community.

Our investigations further revealed that this is NOT the end of Lobsterfest for Caye Caulker. The team responsible for the event will be pounding the streets and working tirelessly immediately after the September Celebrations, preparing for Lobsterfest 2012.

With Lobsterfest not happening; you may ask, “What can we do in Caye Caulker instead?” Well, unconfirmed reports are that Lazy Lizard is planning a private Lobsterfest at The Split. Apart from that, Joanna Arellano, the Chairperson for the Caye Caulker Marketing Committee informed The San Pedro Sun that they have organized 2011’s Caye Caulker Cool Seafood Fiesta. The fiesta is scheduled to span two days, Friday June 24th and Saturday June 25th at the Central Park/Basketball Court. The event promises to be filled with music, fun games, lots of food and drinks. Times for the fiesta are Friday 12:00pm until and on Saturday 9:00am – 3:00pm.

Ambergris Caye Chamber of Commerce - closing a chapter

Press Release – Ambergris Caye Chamber of Commerce - May 5, 2011 - The Ambergris Caye Chamber of Commerce came into being with the signing of documents on November 7, 2002 and was registered as a Non-Profit Organization December 17, 2002. The first officers were Tom Vidrine, Boatyard; Malcolm Hitchcock, Fido’s; Melanie Paz, Amigos del Mar; Keith Newton, Palapa Ventures; and Debbie Sharko, Iguana Gardens Apartments. We would like to thank these people (and others) for bringing this important organization to San Pedro Town. During the time of organization, a multitude of talented and thoughtful people gave leadership and direction to much needed subjects for our town. Accomplishments were many. They addressed beautification of the town, safety issues on the water and streets, safety of the citizens in working with the Police Department and national issues of importance, among others.

As personal agendas changed, the San Pedro Business Association splintered off to cover issues which they felt they were more in tune with. Mr. Vidrine continued to head ACCC, but a leadership role for a long time takes its toll also. June 2010, Tom decided to step down. He was also leaving the country for an indefinite time. At a moments’ notice, the roll of Acting President was given to me as the First Vice President. Sadly to say, it was during an extremely busy time for me while working on the Marco Gonzalez Maya Site Project. My dance card was full; I was not in a position to lead the Chamber. Although we tried to restart it over the last few months, no one else has agreed to take the Presidents’ position and form a new slate of officers. The San Pedro Business Association is, however, discussing merging with the Chamber.

Times have changed and the Chamber is now calling it a day for now. It is a good organization – a prestigious organization – for any town to have. When it is time and the need is there, leaders will again come forth to start anew. A quote from Chris Emmanuel last week was, “Make experience the only success and you will never fail”. He talked about the fact that we all like to win, but sometimes you have to accept losing as winning at times. To “embrace failure and see the wisdom from our efforts……and see the beauty of doing our best in all situations.”

The Ambergris Caye Chamber of Commerce was a winner. We did our best. Thank you San Pedro.

Very Sincerely Yours,
Jan Brown, Past Acting President

At the final meeting, Rebecca Arceo from the San Pedro Business Association (SPBA) attended and invited members from both organizations to attend a meeting on Wednesday May 11th, 4pm at El Divino. A discussion will be held regarding the possible merging of the organizations into the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce.

Editorial -- Is that US $$ or Belize $$?

In the matter of a couple weeks while going about my daily life I was quoted prices from a cab driver, a realtor, a tour guide operator and a water-taxi business for their services. Twice I purchased their services only to find out afterwards that the price quoted was in US currency, not in Belize currency. What the heck? What country are we living in people? Hello, THIS IS BELIZE!
This policy of marking prices in US dollars is not only confusing, but is a clever way to lead people into thinking they are getting a deal, since the common exchange ratio is two BZ$ to one US$. The conversation usually goes, “Thanks, I can afford that! What, you mean US$? What? You mean EACH person?” If a vendor’s price is in US$ then it is their responsibility to be up-front and clear about that from the beginning, not after the service has been rendered, and frankly I think this practice should be abolished all together, if not outlawed!
This practice is not limited to tourists and “clear-skinned” people, as there are many Belizeans who complain of the same problem amongst themselves. The bottom line is the country we live in is Belize, and our currency is Belizean, not US.
For those who argue that they mark their prices as such because the bulk of their business is catering to tourists, since when is every tourist from the US? Do they also quote their prices in Euros? Tourists who visit foreign countries certainly know that the currency is different and they are prepared to make money conversions accordingly. Since the US dollar seems to be a common denominator, many visitors do use that when deciphering costs, but I am sure there are others who have to calculate the exchange rates of more exotic foreign currency to BZ as well.
When a vendor quotes a price it should always be in Belize currency (after all, this is where we are), and for those who are mathematically challenged or just clueless, adding “that equals x in US$” can be helpful, but one has to wonder if they refrain from mentioning a price in BZ$ because essentially the amount quoted is DOUBLE, which can scare off a customer. Instead they wait to drop that little bomb on the unsuspecting consumer after they have already enjoyed the product, and more often than not the consumer reluctantly pays the difference.
Let’s keep it simple, when in Belize let’s keep the currency to her Royal Majesty the Queen and leave the Benjamin Franklin lingo to the good ole US of A.

Apprentices complete their program

The Apprenticeship program has helped many people get on-the-job training on the island, and today, Friday, a fresh batch of apprentices received their official certificates of completion. They are ready to join the workforce, with some already hired full-time at various businesses around town. Congratulations graduates!