| Monday,
November 20, 2000 Restaurants and Bars.
Just opened - Tipsy Tuna (Placencia Village's only 3-story building) and Bella Beach,
Placencia Village's only Italian restaurant (and very good, we hear - may have to try it
tonight). Both places are next door to each other, just south of Sea Spray, Ranguana
Lodge and Julia and Lawrence's Guesthouse.
Road. In pretty good shape, believe it or not.
(Would we lie?)
Thursday, November 17, 2000
Airfares: Maya-Island Air has announced a price
increase of approximately 15% (we hear it's 26% in Corozal). Fares between Placencia
and Belize City are as follows:
International/Placencia:
$147 USD roundtrip; $73.50 USD one-way
Municipal/Placencia: $112 USD roundtrip; $62 USD
one-way (Note, the Municipal fares may be incorrect because roundtrip fares are usually
double the one-way fare. These fares were given to us by a Maya-Island
representative in San Pedro - they were not part of the press release announcing the fare
increases.)
Tropic Air has not yet released its new fares.
However, Brian Yearwood, the Tropic Air Station Manager in Placencia, tells us that
he understands that Tropic fares will increase only by 10%.
Wednesday, November 15, 2000
Road: Drying up quickly. Also, Minister of
Public Works and "Sort of" Area Representative, Henry Canton, reported at a meeting in Placencia last week that the Placencia road from
the dock to Village Inn would be paved within the next 8 months. (Canton is the
"Sort of" Area Representative because of an odd split - the Peninsula is in the
Stann Creek District (Canton is the Area Rep. for western Stann Creek) for judicial and
government purposes. However, it is in the Toledo District for electoral purposes.
The result has been that Placencia really has no representation. Canton has
been acting like the Area Representative for Placencia lately, though.)
Resorts and Hotels: An ad in the paper this past week solicited
employees for the "Blancaneux Turtle Inn." Guess that means the new
ownership is official. Denys
Barrow's new 4-unit guesthouse on the
sidewalk just south of Omar's is now slated for completion by January 1.
Costs. Several recent gasoline price increases,
plus rising food costs resulting from Hurricane Keith, have led to price increases in the
local tourism industry - primrily for tours. Land tour prices have increased by
about $5 USD per person, while fishing rates have increased about $25 - $30 USD per boat.
Not all lodging facilities have increased rates, but many have, so make sure to
double check rates before booking. Tropic Air and Maya-Island Air fares are also going up in December, but we're not sure by how much yet.
Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Resorts: Singing Sands has a
new marketing manager, Ron DeCrane. Email is rdecrane@penton.com.
Friday, November 3, 2000
Restaurants/Bars.
 |
Dockside
Bar in Placencia Village is under the new management of Glenn
Eiley (Placencia Village Council chairman) and Phil
O'Clereigh of Maya Beach (Phil's wife, Margaret O'Clereigh,
is the comptroller for Fyffe Produce, the major exporters of
bananas in the area. Phil and Glenn are renovating Dockside and will have satellite
TV for sporting events, plus deli sandwiches. This month's schedule: Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays - European World Cup Soccer; Saturdays - English Premier Soccer;
and Nov. 11th - Lewis fight. The traditional ring toss tournament will still be on
Sundays. Winners of the ring toss receive a bottle of rum (which we locals insist be
consumed at the bar - and NOT taken home). |
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Wood for building is
again available (it all went to San Pedro and Caye Caulker after Hurricane Keith).
Therefore, Jake's Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe is
proceeding with expansion plans and will be adding 4 new email stations. They also
plan to add dinner service. |
Fishing.
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November starts the dry
season, so snook and juvenile tarpon action should be picking
up at Monkey River. |
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The mutton snapper action off the docks and beaches is slowing down
(average catch was around 24 per day - Kevin caught 42 one day last week - could have
caught more but he ran out of bait). |
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|
Try throwing in a line
from the beach in December, January and February - reasonable chance of catching juvenile tarpon and and some good-sized snook
in the early morning and late evening - use a light spininng rod (10-20# test) with small
Mirrolures, spoons, lead head jigs with soft plastic bodies and live bait (try buying some
conch or lobster head meat from the Placencia Village Co-op at the dock). Especially
good is the sandy point just north of the Placencia Village dock. If you have some
spinning gear, bring it even if you just plan to primarily snorkel - the cayes are good
for fishing directly from shore (except from Laughing Bird - fishing is not allowed there
and only catch and release from the Silk Cayes). (Kevin says its against the laws of
fishing to have a rod and not bring it with you.) |
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Seeing quite a few tarpon around right now out at the cayes. December and
January should be especially good for big tarpon down in Deep
River and Punta Ycacos area (80-200 pounds). |
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For flyfishing anglers
who just want a little fun on a 5-6 weight, yellowtail snappers and
jacks should provide some nice action through the winter months. |
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Trolling for large black groupers should be very good after the full moon in
November, December and January. Bottom fishing for Strawberry
Groupers (and occasionally Nassau Grouper and big yellowtail
snapper) will also be good in January and February. Let us know ahead of time
if you want to take home fish fillets so that we can get you a permit to
export your fish (25 pounds or less). Also, make sure to bring a cooler. |
Roads. What can
we say? Rain is letting up, so hopefully the muck will dry out soon.
Unfortunately, that may mean some whopper potholes. We saw a grader up in the Maya
Beach area on Monday, but the roads were still very wet, so don't know whether Monday's
grading will do much good.
Resorts, Hotels and Guesthouses.
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Luba
Hati just re-opened for the season. |
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In December, Denys Barrow will open a new 4-unit guesthouse just south of Omar's
on the sidewalk in Placencia Village. (Denys is the Belize City lawyer who just
obtained an injunction to prevent BTL from shutting down Net2Phone and Dialpad access via
the Internet.) Each unit will be fully furnished, with air conditioning, 2 bedrooms,
full kitchen and bath, living room, veranda, private balcony off each bedroom, cable
television and phone. Each unit will rent for $100 USD per night, double occupancy.
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Verly
and Mike (of Placencia Grocery in Placencia Village) are nearing completion of 2
new two-bedroom apartments on the Placencia Lagoon. Each apartment is fully
furnished, with two bedrooms, full kitchen and bath, living area, large veranda.
Rent is $500 USD per month, or $350 USD per week. |
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Sandi
Johnson (former bartender extraordinaire at Lagoon Saloon)
is now heading up office operations at Nautical Inn. |
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Rum
Point Inn has new managers, John White and Nicola Smith
from Australia (no, Corol and George haven't left, just
slowing down a little). |
Snorkeling, Diving and Monkey
River Tours.
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Calbert
Gardiner of Nite Wind Guide Service at the Placencia dock has just purchased a new
26' boat with twin 115 hp Yamaha engines, sound system, and comfortable ride for up to 22
people. Offering trips to the cayes and Monkey River. |
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Nautical
Inn is finishing up construction of a new dive boat, the Happy Banana.
35-foot with twin 200 hp Yamaha engines, should be up and running by Nov. 25, 2000
- should be fast and comfortable. |
Civic. Local
Village Council elections for Placencia Village and Seine Bight have been postponed until
March. Work is proceeding on the renovation of the Placencia Village school (which
will also double as a hurricane shelter).
Thursday, October 19, 2000
Transportation.
Z-Line has changed its route schedule . . . again!
Placencia to Dangriga: 5 am,
6 am and 9:30 am daily (no longer an afternoon bus).
Dangriga to Placencia: 12:15 pm, 3 pm
and 6 pm. daily.
Restaurants/Bars.
The Lagoon Saloon sale fell through, so Mike and Bonnie are
back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Road.
Continuing rain has made the road awful, terrible, rotten, ugly and inhospitable - - fly!
Friday, October 13, 2000
Resorts. Well, for once, the rumor mill seems to have come up with some
accurate information! Francis Ford Coppola's people from Blancaneux
Lodge are here and up to their eyeballs in renovations of Turtle
Inn (next to Kitty's Place). This should be
interesting . . . and could be good for Placencia Village, since it will give us a luxury
lodging facility close to the Village. Wonder if they'll have a big opening night
party? The Bahia Laguna Beach Resort
(Seine Bight Village) is for lease. Seven rooms, restaurant, pool, owner's loft,
caretakers dwelling, 288' prime beach. No information on lease rate.
Road Conditions.
The Peninsula road isn't that much worse than it ever is - still potholes, ruts,
etc. However, some roads up north and west are in poor condition or actually
underwater as rains continue (a stationary cold front over the Yucatan is bringing all the
rain). If you're coming to Placencia within the next couple of weeks, we'd suggest
flying. Unfortunately, the road conditions are making it a little difficult to get
supplies into Placencia just now. So if you're visiting, don't expect a lot of fancy
food (as if you would, anyway).
Halloween. Big
Halloween Bash at Pickled Parrot. Get your costumes ready! The Pickled Parrot is
having a Costume Halloween Party on Saturday, October 28th at 9pm. Lots of prizes for
costumes, games and the first Halloween Trick or Drink walkabout in the village! Donations
for the Hurricane Keith Relief will be accepted to help out our friends in Caye Calker.
For more information, call 23230.
Monday, October 9, 2000
 New Resident. A belated welcome to our
newest resident, Zeke John Arnold (8.5 pounds, 21.5"), born on September 23, 2000 to
parents Maija Lee Priebe and Allen Glenford Arnold. Zeke's already stirring things
up and keeping Maija and Allen from getting too bored this fall. Congratulations,
Maija and Allen - - and hang in there - it'll only be 20 more years or so!
Weather. Rain
almost every night. Clearing up nicely by about 7 every morning. Hot, but with
a light breeze. Fish seem to like it, and the diving and snorkeling are very good
right now.
Wednesday, October 4,
2000
Hurricane Keith.
Keith is gone, but not forgotten. As illustrated by the picture to the left, taken
this morning at Kitty's Place, Placencia escaped unscathed with no property damage or
personal injuries (well, there was that old thatch covered boatshed in the Lagoon that
collapsed, but everyone was wondering why it hadn't collapsed a long time ago).
Unfortunately, northern Belize was not so lucky.
Flooding is of primary concern right now, as is getting suppplies out to San Pedro
and Caye Caulker where Keith did the most damage. Although we don't yet know the
extent of the damage to either, we do know that damage was extensive. Also, one
casualty has been confirmed - that of an American woman who owned a house on San Pedro.
She was apparently a crew member transporting a chartered Catamaran to south San
Pedro. Another crew member was found unconscious and three crew members are still
missing. See our Severe Weather Page for additional
details on Hurricane Keith.
Roads. Believe
it or not, the road is no worse than usual. Rains brought by Keith were not
particularly heavy - no worse than a winter norther.
Saturday, September 30, 2000
Hurricane Watch. Placencia
is south of Keith, so we don't seem to be in any danger. Weather is cloudy, with
light sprinkles from time to time. Light/moderate winds from the west, sea is pretty
calm. Further Hurricane Keith reports for Placencia will be posted on our Severe Weather Page.
Accommodations.
Rumor is that Francis Ford Coppola purchased Turtle Inn. Rumor not yet
confirmed. Denys Barrow is building a 4-unit guesthouse just south of the school on
the west side of the sidewalk. Each unit will have 2-bedrooms, air conditioning,
full kitchen and a living area. Barracuda and Jaguar Inn (including the
Pickled Parrot Restaurant), Placencia Village, is available for $325,000 USD.
Restaurants.
Omar's has just finished an expansion on the north side of the existing building.
Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe is building an addition for more computers. The
Sea Monkey is changing management (no details yet).
Gift Shops. One
World has also expanded on the south side of its building. Some really nice new
items, too.
Road. Paving
still not completed - don't ask.
Sunday, August 20, 2000
Utilities. Water
service was finally restored after about 36 hours, and the electricity seems to e hanging
in there. Once again safe to visit Placencia without a nose plug.
Weather. August
weather seems to have finally settled down into its normal pattern of nice days and rainy
nights.
Environment and Beer.
Barry Bowen, an Belize senator (appointed position), owner of Belikan Beer, the
Belize Coca Cola® distributorship, Chan Chich Resort and who knows what else, seems
to be on a rampage. This week's newspapers (all of them - The Reporter, The
Amandala, The Belize Times (the PUP paper - Mr. Bowen's political party) and The
Guardian (the opposition UDP party newsaper) published an article by BB denouncing
all environmentalists as enemies of Belize. (Hmmm...is Belize an eco-tourist
destination or was that all in our imagination?) Seems BB doesn't like
environmentalists OR business competition. At least that's the impression we
received from an article in this weekend's Guardian which claims BB influenced
the government to stop the sale of all imported beer in the Corozal Free Zone. Since
Belize has not yet enacted copyright law regulations, we've provided copies of BB's article, the beer article, and an article from The Belize Times supporting
BB's environmental positions.
Interestingly, the World Conservation Congress
just passed the following resolution concerning the Chalillo Dam (environmental groups
seeking to stop the am were among the groups blasted by Mr. Bowen in his article):
THE REPORTER Sunday,
August 13, 2000, p. 13: World Conservation Congress condemns Chalillo Dam
project
The World Conservation Congress (WCC) has urged
the government of Belize, Belize Electricity Limited, its parent company Fortis and
related financial interests to give up plans for a second large dam on the Macal river.
The resolution, passed at a WCC meeting in Amman, Jordan last week, is quoted in full
below:
Recognizing that the tropical forests of Belize
provide some of the richest and best preserved habitat for endangered flora and fauna in
Central America;
Recognizing the large proportion of natural areas
of Belize which are protected under Belizean law;
Recognizing the efforts of the government of
Belize to maintain and preserve these protected natural areas;
Noting, in particular, that the Macal River Valley
provides important habitat for endangered species of international value, such as the
jaguar, Morelet’s crocodile, and Belize’s national animal, the Central American
tapir (Tapirus bairdii);
Noting that the upper Macal and Raspaculo rivers
are included in IIJCN’s Tapir Action Plan as one of the last strongholds in Central
America for the Central American tapir;
Noting that the Macal River Valley contains a
floral flood-plain habitat, classified as riparian shrublands, in hills which are found in
less than .3% of the area of Belize;
Noting that 80% of this habitat, or 45.3 square
kilometers, is found along the Macal and Raspaculo rivers;
Noting that recent studies have found the only
known nesting sites for an endangered subspecies of Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera)
in the Raspaculo and Upper Macal River Valley, most of them along this
"floodplain" habitat;
Noting that it is likely that fewer than 200
individuals of this species of Scarlet Macaw remain in Belize;
Aware that the IUCN has adopted a recent Action
Plan to save the world’s threatened parrots;
Noting that the Scarlet Macaw (Ma macao), and many
other species which inhabit the Macal River Valley, are listed in CITES Appendix I;
Noting that the local subspecies of the Scarlet
Macaw is morphologically distinct from the nominate subspecies and that the range of the
local subspecies is restricted to extreme Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras,
and Nicaragua.
Noting that the local subspecies is more
threatened than the nominate subspecies.
Noting that a dam was built on the Lower Macal
River in the early 1990’s known as the Mollejon dam;
Noting that the Belize Electricity Limited, a
private company, majority owned by Fortis, Inc. of Canada, has submitted documentation to
the Belizean National Environmental Advisory Council of the Belize government proposing to
build a second dam in the Macal River Valley, known as the Chalillo Project;
Noting that the Chalillo Project would flood parts
of the legally designated Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Chiquibul Forest Reserve,
and parts of the Chiquibul National Park;
Noting that the area to be flooded also includes
much of the floodplain habitat of Belize, and most of the nesting sites known in Belize
for Ara macao cyanoptera;
Noting that important habi tat for numerous other
endangered species would be flooded;
Aware that the Belizean National Environmental
Advisory Council found the documentation by Belizean Electricity Limited inadequate due to
its lack of any documentation on the possible effects of the dam on wildlife;
The World Conservation Congress at its 2nd Session
in Amman, Jordan, 4-11 October 2000:
Urges Belize Electricity Limited, and its majority
owner, Fortis Inc. to discontinue plans to develop any hydroelectric facilities which
would affect the Chiquibul Forest Reserve or Chiquibul National Park;
Urges the National Environmental Advisory Council
of Belize to reject any plans to build a dam in the Macal River Valley;
Calls on the Government of Belize to maintain its
record of environmental stewardship, ensure the continued protection of the endangered
species of the Macal River Valley, and prevent the construction of the Chalillo Dam
Project in the Macal River Valley.
Saturday, August 12,
2000
We're all Just One Big Thirsty,
Malodorous Family. Electrical storms blew out a
transformer in Independence. Unfortunately, the transformer supplies the electrical
power to pump water to Placencia. We've been out since around 2:00 p.m. on Friday
(it's now 9:00 a.m. on Saturday). Managed to scrounge 2 cases of 500 ml. water from
Wallen's Grocery this morning (they're out of gallon jugs and liter bottles - in
fact, Pearl bursts into peals of laughter at the mere mention of water).
Thunderstorms all night last night prevented repairs. We're hoping mid-day
today. The electricity was supposed to be cut last night around 8:00 p.m., but that
never happened. Good thing. With the humidity today and the lack of water for
washing, the US EPA might have declared Placencia out of compliance with clean air
standards.
Weather. Except
for Friday, the entire week was pretty much of a bust for any form of water sports
(although fishing was pretty good for about 3 hours in the Lagoon on Wednesday).
Tropical waves, depressions, storms, etc. kept us pretty wet and cloudy throughout the
week. Figures that today is the only day we probably won't have any rain - at least
we could have taken "rain showers."
Road. DON'T
TAKE THE BUS IF YOU CAN AVOID IT!!!!! On Wednesday, the road up around Maya Beach
resembled a very wet moonscape and it's not much better in the Village today.
LobsterFest 2001.
Dates are June 30 and July 1, 2001. Caye Caulker registered the name
"LobsterFest" and claims we can't use it. Sounds pretty generic to us -
any intellectual property experts out there with an opinion? (We promise not to hold
you to it - at least not until the Belize courts increase their damages awards for legal
malpractice - we do need that sewage system for the Peninsula, remember?)
Planned for next year: more booths, night lighting, more children's activities.
Casinos on the Cayes.
Contrary to the rumor mill, Mr. Sosa, Permanent Secretary of Trade, claims to know
of no applications for casino licenses in the Placencia area. Word on the sidewalk
has it that the Gaming Commission is allowing applications to be made without designating
a geographic location for the casino (apparently contrary to the gaming law). We
didn't ask him that question, having momentarily forgotten that one of the skills needed
for success in Belize is to figure out the right question to ask - because no one is going
to volunteer information.
Friends of Laughing Bird
Caye. A Peace Corps volunteer has been assigned to Placencia to work with
Friends of Laughing Bird. The PC volunteer will be concentrating on grant writing
and environmental education programs. Renovation of the old Placencia Dive Shop at
the dock is almost finished. When completed it will house offices for the Village
Council, Friends of Laughing Bird Caye and the Tour Guide Association. We believe
public restrooms are also in the plans.
Gladden Spit/Whale Shark
Certification. An emergency law passed by the Belize National Assembly
several months ago requires special licensing for whale shark tour guides. Problem
is, to get the license guides have to take a special whale shark guding course. But
- - there are no courses to take. The Advisory Committee formed under the
emergency law is now working on putting certification courses in place for the next whale
shark season in 2001. Over the next several months, a series of public meetings
("community consultations" in funding agency lingo) will be held in Hopkins,
Seine Bight, Placencia, Monkey River and Independence to flesh out the emergency
regulations to allow designation of the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes area as a marine
reserve.
Municipal Ordinances.
The Placencia Village Council is hard at work completing initial building and
development regulations for the Village. Examples of regulations likely to be
enacted: 35-foot building height limitation, four-foot building setbacks, indoor
plumbing and bathrooms required for all residential buildings, Council review and approval
of building plans for all new buildings, including storage sheds, 6-foot height limitation
on fencing (with no fences allowed east of the sidewalk).
Tourist Center.
Ellie Dial has been hired as the new manager for the Placencia Tourist Center
located at the Placencia Village dock area next to the gas station.
Police. Two
tourist police officers have been assigned to Placencia beginning August 21. The
tourist police will be replaced by newly graduated cadets sometime in November. The
Placencia Water Board has contributed police housing next to the jail in Placencia
Village. (No, the job of the tourist police is not to police tourists - at least not
officially.)
Cruise Ships.
The official Belize cruise ship policy states that one of the
objectives of cruise tourism policy is "To explore . . . ports and suitable
anchoring sites on the coast of Belize with a view to making additional cruise ship calls
to other areas of the country, e.g. Big Creek, Placencia, etc." Ok, so now we
have to worry about shrimp farms, large-scale residential development, sewage
treatment AND cruise ships. This is getting to be too much like work.
Guide Licensing.
A number of guides and tour operators in the area are purportedly not licensed.
Belize laws require guide and tour operator licensing and tourists may be fined for
booking tours with unlicensed guides (not likely, but theoretically possible).
Please take the time to ask to see your guide's license - and don't accept a story about
"paperwork" - the Belize Tourism Board issues guides a paper receipt until
the physical laminated license becomes available. Licensed guides must
complete courses in first aid (including CPR), Belize history, and natural sciences, so
making sure you use a licensed guide helps ensure that your Belize experience is
educational AND safe. Also, before signing up for "scientific expeditions"
make sure the tour operator has a scientific research license and the promised equipment -
BEFORE you get to Belize.
Border Management
Fee/Airport Departure Fee. The fee is now $20 BZD for crossings into
Guatemala and Mexico by non-Belizeans. The fee is creating a great deal of
dissension at the Guatemala border and the Belize Hotel Association has suggested charging
everyone a $1.00 BZD fee, including Belizeans. Media reports have stated that
persons crossing the border and returning within 48 hours are not subject to the fee.
However, the language of the new law does not include this exemption.
Remember, the Airport Departure Fee is now $22.50 USD, not $15 USD.
Tuesday, August 1, 2000
Fees. The
increased airport departure tax goes into effect today. The fee is now $22.50 USD
instead of $15 USD. Also, a new border management departure fee becomes effective
today. All tourists over the age of 12 who depart Belize from the Santa Elena
border into Mexico or Guatemala must pay a departure fee of $10 USD.
Sunday, July 30,
2000
Condolences.
Condolences to the family of Mrs. Gretta Young
who passed away Friday evening, July 21, 2000. Mrs. Young was the wife of Carleton
Young, Sr. and the mother of Brian Young (Seahorse Dive Shop), Carleton Young, Jr. and
Malcolm Young.
New Pictures. New pictures of people, kids and places/things.
Hotels/Resorts/Restaurants
and Bars. Bahia Laguna is closed, and we don't know when or if it will
re-open. Luba Hati is closed until November, 2000. Robert's Grove plans to add
several new rooms. We're told that Mike and Bonnie Cline have sold Lagoon Saloon
and will soon be closing it and returning to the States for a few months to buy a sailboat
for a "cruising" retirement. Jake's Internet Cafe (a/k/a Purple Space
Monkey Internet Cafe) has new summer hours: 8 am-1 pm, 4 pm - 9 pm. BJ's is
closed while Betty takes R&R in the States. Ellie Dial has closed
Tentacles Restaurant. Mangos in Maya Beach is for sale.
Road. Still no
road equipment seen paving the road. However, a grader has been dealing with
potholes.
Departure Tax.
As of Tuesday, August 1, 2000 it will cost $22.50 USD to get out of Belize (instead of the
current amount of $15 USD). No one has ever satisfactorily answered the question of
what happens if you can't pay the tax - do they make you stay?
People. Pearl Eiley is in Miami visiting
friends and family. Lucy
Wallen and Jodie
and Norman Leslie just returned from Miami. Candy Powers and Sue Williams are
working for the U.S. Park Service at the Grand Canyon. Bruce Leslie is headed for
the States for a break from flyfishing. Nina Wallen is working at Aquamar
Shrimp Farm in Mango Creek. Marilyn
Beckstead will return from Canada on August 16. Sam is back managing the
gas station.
Weather. Have
had several tropical waves in the area in the last couple of weeks - nothing serious, just
winds and a lot of rain.
Sunday, July 16, 2000
We apologize for our dereliction of duties in
keeping this page updated. Our only excuse is that the summer has either been boom
or bust. When "booming," we had no time (which has been most of the
summer), when on a "bust," we were too busy recovering from the booms.
Anyway, here's a quick update:
Roads. The
Placencia roadwork still hasn't been completed. In fact, we haven't seen any road
equipment for quite some time. The Village "elders" no longer try to blame
the weather. Mostly they just sigh when questioned about when road work will start
up again. The road work is being (or actually, not being ) performed by the
Ministry of Public Works. However, the old road isn't in very bad shape since we
haven't had any sustained period of heavy rains. Our guess is that employees and
equipment are being diverted to construction of Southern Highway, which is proceeding wily
nilly.
Weather. Weird.
June is typically fairly calm, light breezes, moderate temperatures. July is
typically wetter, windier and wilder. Not so this year. June brought lots of
storms and a decent amount of rain. July has been relatively calm and hot.
Blame it on the bossanova (or on the Ministry of Public Works if you'd prefer - maybe it
has something to do with all the dust being kicked up from the Southern Highway
construction).
LobsterFest.
Steve Christensen's boat came if first in the fishing tournament with the greatest number
of total points (Kevin's boat came in second). Lots of good food, including lobster
fritters, lobster rangoon, lobster sandwiches, lobster chow mein, etc., etc., etc.
LoveFM broadcast the entire event. Father Sam Rose, the temporary replacement for
Father Bell, conducted the blessing of the boats (and captains - several people were heard
to remark that Kevin needed a whole gallon of holy water all for himself).
The prayer for our fisheries:
"O almighty God, who hast made the sea, and
all that move therein; Bestow thy blessing on the harvest of the waters, that it may be
abundant in its season, and our sailors and fishermen, that they may be safe in every
peril of the deep; so that we all with thankful hearts may acknowledge thee, who art Lord
of the sea and of the dry land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
The Placencia LobsterFest is sponsored by the
Placencia Tourism Center, the Placencia BTIA, the Placencia Village Council and the
Placencia Fishermen's Co-op.
Placencia Cycle Classic.
The Cycle Classic benefits the Placencia Village Council and proceeds are used to
finance improvements to Placencia's sports facilities. First place, and a $2,500 BZD
prize, went to Chris Fredericks and Santinos Jamis.
Environment.
Shrimp farms and commercial and residential developments may be threatening the
health of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the area's abundant mangrove forests, wildlife
and marine life, and area waters such as the Placencia Lagoon, Monkey River,
Sennis River and Indian Hill Lagoon.
The Placencia Lagoon is a shallow lagoon, fringed
with mangroves. Studies indicate that the Lagoon may harbor the world's largest number of
endangered West Indies Antillean manatee, as well as significant numbers of the endangered
salt-water crocodile. Dolphins find shelter in the Lagoon and it nurtures much of
the area's lobster, finfish (including tarpon and snook), crab, conch and other shellfish.
Extensive pine savanna bordering the Lagoon to the
west is home to the endangered yellow-head parrot in addition to a wide variety of other
wild flora and fauna, including deer, jaguars, gibnut, coatamundi and may varieties of
orchids and bromeliads.
Currently, five shrimp farms are located on the
Lagoon. Two new shrimp farms have been proposed and are in the process of applying
for operational permits. Two expansions of existing farms are nearing final approval
and expansion is almost complete for a third farm.
Little hard information is available about the
Lagoon even though it was slated for formal protective status as a marine reserve in 1992.
(We haven't yet been able to ferret out why reserve status has not yet
materialized, but official Belize protected area maps still list the Lagoon as a proposed
marine reserve).
However, the soil composition and geology of
southern Belize indicate that the Placencia Lagoon is likely to have a low carrying
capacity and high pollution susceptibility. A 1997 report prepared by the UNDP for
the Belize Coastal Zone Mangement Authority warned that the shrimp farm industry in this
area was already rapidly approaching its limit for sustainable shrimp farm production and
recommended that further shrimp farm industry expansion occur elsewhere in Belize.
Local residents have already seen some decline in
the area's fish stock and fear that the new and expanded shrimp farm operations, plus
increasing commercial and residential development will continue to degrade the Lagoon
environment - - and their livelihoods.
Belize is a small country, both in population and
area. Its residents are well off by Central American standards, but too poor to
provide Belize with the tax base needed for necessary infrastructure, law enforcement and
environmental protection. For example, only two people in the Department of the
Environment are responsible for environmental monitoring throughout the entire country.
Further, even with local community-based
monitoring, little can presently be done by the national or local governments to stop or
clean-up pollution of the Lagoon environment once it has begun.
The Belize government does not derive any
significant tax revenues from either the shrimp farms or new developments because the
national Belize government has given extremely favorable tax incentives to the shrimp farm
industry, including, in some cases, perpetual tax abatement. Nationally imposed
property taxes are very low and are not shared with local governments, and most municipal
governments in Belize do not have the legal authority to levy local taxes.
Further, Belize has no cohesive aquaculture
regulations. For example, effluent laws do not specifically address shrimp farm
effluents and shrimp producers are not legally required to set-asid funds for pond
reclamation or to clean-up waters polluted by pond effluent. Further, fines in
Belize are too low to deter much illegal conduct. For example, the fine for illegal
cutting of mangrove is only $500 BZD ($250 USD); a low enough amount to be accepted by
residential and commercial developers as merely a cost of doing business.
Finally, Belize desparately needs foreign dollars
- and its national government supports shrimp farm industry expansion as a way to obtain
those dollars.
Concerned local citizens have organized the
"Friends of Placencia Lagoon" to begin addressing the environmental threats
facing the Placencia Lagoon. Goals identified include:
- A baseline study of the Placencia Lagoon to
document current Lagoon conditions including carrying capacity, water quality and flora
and fauna using the Lagoon as natural habitat
- A moratorium on futher shrimp farm approvals or
expansions until a baseline study can be completed
- A Peninsula-wide solid waste sewage system
- On-going water quality monitoring
- Enforcement of existing laws such as laws
prohibiting the cutting of mangrove without a permit, including the use of private
injunctive actions, as necessary
- Enactment of zoning regulations for land uses
affecting the Lagoon.
Please
contact
us for additional information about these issues. Also, Friends of Placencia
Lagoon has opened a bank account at Atlantic Bank for donations. Donations may be
sent to Friends of Placencia Lagoon, c/o Placencia BTIA, General Delivery, Placencia,
Belize. Donations may also be made by credit card using our Credit
Card Authorization Form (check Friends of Placencia Lagoon donations box).
Saturday, May 20, 2000
Roads. National
budget constraints may limit paving of the Placencia Village road from the dock to the
Village Inn (approximately 1 mile). Placencia Council members are lobbying the
Department of Works to extend road paving to the airstrip. Council members have also
requested funds for road signage. The speed limit on the paved portion of the road
will be 15 mph and a number of speed bumps will be installed.
Word is that Shell has agreed to pave the gas
station area at the dock.
After about 5 days of rain, the roads are in
fairly bad shape with LOTS of potholes.
Weather. Rain
has stopped, at least for today (which is very hot and still).
Air Transport.
A Guatemalan operator has applied for a license for regularly scheduled flights between
Belize City, San Pedro Sula and Guatemala City. Wouldn't THAT be great!
Community Center.
The Placencia Village Council is attempting to obtain funding from the Ministry of
Works for the renovation of the Placencia Community Center. Extensive renovation is
needed and will be costly. Donations are welcome.
Electricity.
BEL has promised a new transformer, so electric woes MAY soon be over (we still aren't
holding our collective breaths, although it looks like BEL is getting ready to install something).
Annual Cycle Classic.
The Placencia Village Council has voted to make the cycle race from Belize City to
Placencia an annual event. Proceeds from the Classic will be used for infrastructure
improvements at the soccer field across from Wallen's Grocery Store.
This year's race is on June 2 and will include
food and games booths at the soccer field.
Gladden Spit Marine Reserve.
The Gladden Spit Marine Reserve was officially established on Thursday, May 18,
2000, with opening ceremonies on the Silk Cayes.
The Reserve consists of a General Use Zone and a
Conservation Zone.
Under new legislation establishing the Reserve:
- Fishing. All
fishing in an area immediately adjacent to the Silk Cayes (the Conservation Zone) is catch
and release only. No fishing licenses are as yet required to fish in the any portion
of the Reserve, including the Conservation Zone. Fishermen must report the weight of
any fish caught within the Reserve to upon request by a Reserve ranger (of which there are
none).
- Tour Guides.
Only tour guides with special licensing may conduct whale shark tours (snorkel or
scuba). However, special licensing requires graduation from a certified whale shark
course. As yet, such a course does not exist. Whether this means no one or
anyone can now conduct whale shark tours is anyone's guess. Dive and snorkel guides
must accompany all divers and snorkelers into the water. Maximum ratio of 8
snorkelers and 10 divers per guide permitted.
- Tour Boats.
Boats used for whale shark tours must also be specially licensed. A maximum
boat size limitation was deleted from the final regulations. Dive and snorkel boats
must approach whale sharks at idle speed (not exceeding 2 knots) and maintain idle speed
in the vicinity of whale sharks. Boats may not get any closer to a whale shark than
40 feet. Dive and snorkel boats must maintain a distance of at least 200 feet
between each other. Divers and snorkelers must begin dives or snorkels shortly after
arriving at the site or upon encountering a whale shark. Boats must leave the whale
shark area when divers and snorkelers have returned to the boat.
- Prohibited Activities.
- Water skiing and jet-skiing are not allowed in the
Conservation Zone (the regulations do not address this issue for the General Use Zone).
- Removal or damage of any flora, fauna or part
thereof from the Zones
- Defacement or tampering with any sign, buoy or
notice installed in the Area.
- Touching, chasing or molesting whale sharks.
- Fees.
Swimmers/snorkelers - $10 BZD per person per day. Scuba divers: $50 per person
per week.
- Fines.
Contravention of Reserve regulations subjects the offender to a maximum fine of not more
than $2,000 BZD and/or up to 6 months' imprisonment. Damage to coral can result in a
fine $10,000 BZD OR a higher penalty based on actual damage,
up to $1,000,000 BZD.
Saturday, May 13, 2000
Roads. Lots of road work
"in the works." Seine Bight has been paved north to Augustineville.
The road surface in Placencia Village is being prepared for paving from the dock to the
airstrip. Grading and rolling have been completed to just south of Placencia
Grocery. The Fishermen's Co-op is negotiating with Shell Belize Ltd. over the paving
of the gas station pump area.
Other Transportation.
Ritchie Bus Service was purchased last week by Z-Line Bus Service which included
the acquisition of the Dangriga, Hopkins, Sittee River, Placencia route.
(Consolidation of bus services seems to be the trend lately, with Novelo's Bus Line
acquiring Batty Brothers Bus Service earlier this year.)
In northern Belize, a new ferry service is
operating on the New River between Orange Walk and the villages of Copper Bank and
Progresso.
Weather. Hot!
Had a good thunderstorm last night, but not enough rain to compensate for the
extended dry period we just endured. Reports are that Central America is in for a
drought this summer. Lots of brush fires in the uninhabited areas of the Peninsula
and south of Big Creek.
Tourism Center.
The Placencia Tourist Center has a new home at the dock next to the gas station.
Bigger, brighter and with even more info.
LobsterFest. LobsterFest
2000 will this year feature a 2-day fishing tournament, along with games, blessing of the
fleet, and a special fishermen's appreciation service on July 1st and 2nd, 2000.
Condition of the Southern
Belize Coral Reef - Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated!
An article in the prestigious Nature magazine prompted widespread reports
about the death of all of the coral in Belize. As is often the case, the
media sensationalized the story. Following is a copy of an email received this week
from Richard B. Aronson, one of the authors of the article:
"Dear Friends,
"An article my colleagues and
I published recently in Nature has stirred some interest, ignited some anger, and hurt
some feelings.
"I am writing to clarify what we said and to
let you know my own feelings on the matter.
"An unfortunate perception, based largely on
media accounts, is that our paper stated that the Belizean barrier reef was killed by the
1998 bleaching event.
"That is not true, and that is not what we
said in our paper. We stated in the paper that our study area was a
375-square-kilometer area of the central shelf lagoon, not the entire sweep of the barrier
reef. (We did our study on the rhomboid shoals in the lagoon between Wee Wee Cay to the
north and Laughing Bird Cay to the south.)
"Furthermore, we specifically said that most
corals in fore reef, offshore atoll, and other environments in Belize recovered from the
1998 bleaching. Recovery has been observed and documented in those environments by Melanie
McField, Tom Bright, Peter Mumby, and other marine ecologists working in Belize.
"We made this point repeatedly in interviews
with the print media, but perhaps that was the less interesting side of the story as far
as they were concerned.
"The goal of our paper was to send out a
three-part message based on the results of our research. That message is that:
"(1) an area of the Belizean lagoon
experienced the first bleaching-induced mass coral kill in at least the last 3,000 years,
(2) that the bleaching episode was related in part
to global warming, and
(3) that everyone--in Belize and worldwide--should
be concerned about the effects that global warming is having on reefs in general.
"We are only the messengers here; the angry
emotions that some have expressed about the possible implications for tourism would be
better channeled into campaigning against the things humans are doing regionally and
globally that are bad for Belizean reefs.
"On a personal level, it hurts me to see
corals dying in the Belizean lagoon, because that area--the central lagoon--is my favorite
place in the whole world to dive and do research. My colleagues and I are committed to
doing high-quality scientific work and reporting our results accurately and honestly, and
I can assure you that we took no pleasure in writing that Nature paper.
"Nobody is happy that coral reefs throughout
the Caribbean are under threat. It seems especially unfair that reefs in Belize should
suffering when Belize is one of the most forward-thinking countries in terms of
conservation and ecotourism. Fair or not, it is our responsibility to prevent what
happened to an area of the lagoon from overtaking the rest of the barrier reef, and the
rest of the world's reefs.
Belize is a shining example of successful
conservation policy in action.
Now Belizeans have a reason and an opportunity to
go a step further and lead the world toward solving global problems. That leadership will
benefit not only the people of Belize but everyone else as well."
With kind regards,
Rich Aronson
Dauphin Island Sea Lab
101 Bienville Boulevard
Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528, USA
Whale Sharks.
Emergency national legislation has been introduced to license whale shark guides
and boats. If the legislation is enacted, only guides holding special licenses may
conduct whale shark tours in the Gladden Spit area off the Placencia coast. The
legislation also establishes a conservation zone around the Silk Cayes where fishing will
be limited solely to catch and release. Whale sharks are an endangered species and
the legislation is designed to protect the whale sharks while also allowing snorkelers and
divers to view the world's largest fish in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
A similar license for manatee tours has also been proposed.
Departures.
Reverend Aubrey Bell and Hilda Bell finished their "tour of duty" in Placencia
and have headed to Canada to visit Hilda's parents. Then on to Scotland where
Reverend Bell has chosen to retire (Hilda plans to continue her education and
teach). Placencia owes a great debt to both Aubrey and Hilda. Both had become
mainstays of the Placencia community, and Hilda will also be greatly missed in Monkey
River Town where she had established a lay mission. Aubrey left Thursday and Hilda
left Friday - - we miss them already. Good luck and God speed!
Restaurants/Bars/Hotels/Resorts.
J-Byrd's, the venerable Placencia Village fisherman's hang-out, was completely
rebuilt for the Easter bashment. We liked the old place better (more
"character"), but Janice isn't done with the new place, and you never know what
Janice will come up with. Lighting at night leaves a LOT to be desired
(aesthetically speaking).
Luba Hati is closing for an extended period (we've
heard 5 months). Purple Space Monkey is now closed from 2 pm to 5 pm daily.
Malu is serving up some very tasty rotisserie chicken at End of the Road Restaurant at the
dock.
Utilities.
Electricity outages and brownouts are becoming increasingly common. Sags are
wreaking havoc with electrical equipment, especially freezers, refrigerators and computer
equipment. BEL (Belize Electric Ltd.) continues to ignore complaints, although
after a negative newspaper report in this week's Amandala, BEL claims it has plans to link
Placencia to its new substation in Dangriga by the end of this year (we're not holding our
collective breaths).
Humane Society.
At the first Placencia Spay/Neuter Clinic on April 30 and 31st, 2000:
- 14 dogs and cats were spayed or neutered (11
subsidized by funding from the Placencia Humane Society and the national Belize Humane
Society and Animal Shelter);
- 25 pets were vaccinated (15 subsidized); and
- 6 kittens were adopted.
Placencia Chapter, Belize
Tourism Industry Association (BTIA). New officers elected on Wednesday, May
10, 2000 are: David Vernon (Toadal Adventures), President; Steve Christensen
(Professional Building Supplies), Vice President; Mary Toy (Kevin Modera Guide Services),
Secretary; Marti Cottrell (Singing Sands), Treasurer.
Thursday, April 20, 2000
Easter Weekend.
If you haven't experienced an Easter weekend in Placencia, you ain't seen nuthin' yet.
Belize Citians traditionally trek to Placencia for a long holiday weekend that
begins today (Holy Thursday) through the Monday following Easter Sunday, and raise as much
"holy" hell as possible while here. Many locals split for the cayes
during Easter weekend. Less fortunate souls over the age of 30 hole up in their
homes, and keep the women, the children and the animals inside (you can imagine what the
ones under 30 are doing). A national law prohibits the sale of liquor on Good
Friday, but the parties start at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Anyone near Cozy Corner,
Sunrise or Serenade better have ear plugs. Wallen's Market closes today at noon, and
doesn't re-open until Tuesday (so get your ear plugs and your food early). Blackouts
are another Easter tradition in Placencia, so if you're trying to get emails through,
better relax until Tuesday.
Transportation Schedule for the
Easter Holiday:
- Airlines (Tropic and Maya): no change
Gulf Cruza Ferry: no service
Hokey Pokey Ferry (to Independence):
Saturday and Monday service only
Ritchie Bus Service: Saturday and Monday
service only
Z-Line Bus Service: No service on
Good Friday
Saturday, April 8, 2000
Tour Operator and Tour Guide of
the Year. Placencia was well-represented in the
first Belize Tour Guide and Tour Operator of the Year Awards by David Vernon and Kevin
Modera, both nominated as Tour Guide of the Year, Dave's company, Toadal Adventures and
Kevin's company, Kevin Modera Guide Services, both also nominated as Tour Operator of the
Year. Dave and Kevin represented 2 of the 3 nominees in both categories, and Dave
brought home the gold with Tour Operator of the Year. Maybe a Grand Slam next year!
Humane Society Event and
Fundraiser "A Night to Remember." Fun, fun, fun was the prevailing
sentiment for "A Night to Remember," a Peninsula talent show held at
Sonny's Resort in the Village on April 2, 2000 at 6 p.m. Guests were treated
to comedy by Miss Lilly, a ragtime dance number by the new children's Placencia Dance
Group, magic by Dylan Goss, Mary Smith and her performing dog, Pixie, classical guitar by
Ted Berlin, Patsy Cline from Tanya Patrick, poetry by Miss Carrie Fairweather, and belly
dancing by Mariuccia Levoni.
Whale Sharks.
The Belize barrier reef near Placencia will be the focus of whale shark research by Dr
Callum Roberts of the Environment Department at the University of York who has been
awarded GBP130,000 by the UK Darwin Initiative Fund to work with the Belize Department of
Fisheries, conservation organizations and local communities on conservation strategies for
migratory species such as the threatened whale shark. He and colleagues Rachel
Graham and Will Heyman will assess how marine reserves could be better designed and
managed to protect endangered species.
The project will provide much-needed new
information on the population, ecology, movements and behavior of these gentle giants. The
initiative will focus on a recently identified large seasonal grouping of whale sharks on
the southern Belize Barrier Reef, the study area where Dr Roberts and Ms Graham will work.
In Belize and the Caribbean, gatherings of whale
sharks are threatened by the rapidly-growing, but as yet unregulated, whale shark tourism,
and also by potential commercial over-exploitation of their food sources by fishermen.
(Taken from report by M2 Presswire Net, http://www.presswire.net.
For more information, contact Rachel Graham at
rtg@btl.net.)
Resorts.
Kitty's is for sale for $1.5 Million USD, Nautical Inn for $1.4 Million USD. Luba
Hati now has a saltwater swimming pool and seaside cabanas (Luba Hati is still in search
of a general manager and diners report long waits for meals).
Roads. Work on
the Southern Highway is rapidly proceeding. Looks to be a 4-lane, and official word
is that the road will be completed by Christmas. The Peninsula road remains in
decent shape (as decent as ever, that is). Lots of mangrove being taken out where
the road has been re-routed for the Plantation development. Wonder what effect that
will have on flooding up on the north end of the Peninsula? (Won't be beneficial, we
can be sure of that.) Placencia Village Chairman Glenn Eiley reports that the road
from the Village dock to the airstrip will be widened and paved this year. The
Placencia Village Council also has set aside a parcel of land near the ballfields for a
parking lot. (Hmm, sounds like a song - "they paved paradise and put up a
parking lot.")
Weather. Dry,
and seems a little hotter this year than normal. However, a couple of days ago, we
had a rainy spell, and the nighttime temperature dropped to around 65° F (you can bet
some blankets were hauled out of storage).
Friday, March 10, 2000
Phone Calls.
BTL now charges 15 cents BZD per phone call for calls within Placencia. This rate
change was not announced, just published in the front of the new phone books. BTL had
announced that it was lowering long-distance rates within Belize - and it has.
However, phone rates in several communities are now charged on a per-call basis (guess
they had to make up the lost revenue somehow - as if BTL profits were not already
obscene).
Weather/Road.
Unseasonably hot and dry. Wind starts kicking up around 4 p.m. Road is in good
shape, but very dusty.
Placencia Village Council.
Under the Village Councils Act, Village Councils now have regulatory authority over
a number of local issues including building construction, animal control, parks, gardens
and public recreational grounds, sanitation, drainage, sewage, fire control, nuisances and
local environmental practices. The Placencia Village Council is now holding weekly
working meetings to draft a building code for the Village.
Monkey River.
Construction of a new Anglican Church building has started in Monkey River. The new
church will cost approximately $60,000 BZD and should be ready by the end of this
year. Donations are welcomed. Funds are also being sought for a health center
.
Demons. Yes,
you read right - demons in Placencia. Panic struck school children at the Placencia
public school this week when several children believed they had been possessed by demons.
What really happened may never be known, but several children were struck by
"seizures" (hyperventilation?) and others fell unconscious (oxygen
deprivation?). A number of parents refused to allow their children to return
to school until the demons had been exorcised. The demons have now apparently left
the building, and school is returning to "normal." (We're not making this
up - and it's not April Fool's Day yet, either.)
Saturday, March 4, 2000
Stuff. Butane gas shortages are playing havoc with home-cooked
meals. Restaurants have generally been able to obtain gas (or have extra tanks), so
no impact yet on evenings out.
Little rain and winds have decreased.
Maya and Tropic flights are filling up fast, so
make reservations early!
On March 15, One World Gift Shop will move from
the front of Ranguana Lodge to a new location just south on the sidewalk (with a new
green, blue and coral color scheme - you shouldn't be able to miss it). Contact
information for Kevin Modera Guide Services will available at the new location.
A film crew is coming to Placencia! Portions
of a new movie based on the Hemingway short story, "After the Storm," will be
shot in Placencia (rumor is the locations will be Joanna's Cabanas and Mother Ocean).
Auditions will be held in Placencia on March 9. The film will star Benjamin
Bratt (Law and Order, Red Planet), Armand Assante (The Jury, Gotti, Mambo
Kings) and Vincent Pastore (Goodfellas, Gotti, The Sopranos) star in the
film. The story is set in the 1930s and involves a newly poor rich kid, an
amoral French sea captain and his sexy wife, a beautiful local woman, a crooked policeman,
a gangster, a hurricane and a treasure. Julia Roberts will purportedly accompany her
significant other, Benjamin Bratt, to Placencia. Wonder if they'll want to fish?
Humane Society. Birds and Beasts was a great success! A sell-out crowd with over 80
people attending and proceeds collected were triple the amount originally projected!
Half of the proceeds will be used to subsidize the spaying and neutering of pets of
low-income families. Remaining funds will go to educational programs, low-cost
pet-care supplies and medications, and caring for injured or ill strays. Special
thanks to Blanche Berlin, Barbara Edrick, Candy Power, Marilyn Beckstead, Marcia Fox,
Debbie Coston, Jake Roberts, Laurie DeLong and Tom Giblin.
Don't forget the following events (proceeds from
fundraisers benefit the Placencia Humane Society):
- March 12, 2000:
Children's Movie Matinee from 1-3 pm at BJ's Restaurant in Placencia Village (first
showing, Benjy). Movie to be preceded by short educational program on pet
care. Cost: 50 cents BZD per child. (Donations of animal/pet videos for
the monthly program greatly appreciated.)
- March 18-19, 2000:
General veterinary clinic (Dr. Michael DeShield, Belize City).
- March 19, 2000:
Placencia Peninsula Talent Show from 4-7 pm at Sonny's Resort in Placencia Village.
Featuring local talent including stories of old Placencia by Miss Lily. Donations
in lieu of entrance fee.
- April 27, 2000:
Lecture and slide presentation on dolphins and whales by Barbara Bilgre, Marine Mammal
Biologist, Oceanic Society, Belize City. Location and admission charge to be
announced.
- April 28-29, 2000:
General Veterinary Clinic and Reduced-Cost Spaying and Neutering Clinic (Dr.
Michael DeShield, Belize City).
Trash. (Contributed
by Lee Dusa - the article, not the trash)
First the scorecard: 28 derelict cars and
trucks, three old buses, and 23 dump truck loads of large trash were hauled to the
landfill this week. The project was started Monday and was designed to conclude
Thursday but because of the growing spirit of the people more and more trash began
accumulating along the roadside. Responding to a request from Glen
Eiley, Placencia Village Council Chairperson, the Ministry of Works Chief Engineer,
Mr. Bill Cuevas generously extended the use of their equipment and operators through noon
today. That extension allowed us to totally complete the work.
The huge loader picked up old vehicles
and heavy objects from the southern tip of Placencia all the way to Maya Beach. Many
were hauled on the Ministry's' trucks. The larger buses and multiple vehicles were
transported on a long bed "low boy" trailer supplied by Philip and George Dueck
at their operating cost. Aron Loewen funded the cost for the use of this truck and
trailer.
In order to save the operators daily
commute time from Dangriga and therefore lengthen their work day, overnight rooms were
supplied by the Placencia Clean and Green Committee for the men. Donations of meals
were provided by BJ's, Internet Cafe, Serenity, Merlenes, and Verns in SB. Clean up
hand labor was supplied by Clean and Green to remove all the old trash around the ice
house and other village locations which was loaded on the trucks and hauled.
Thursday was an emotional one for Harold
Wallen as he watched the loader pick up the rusted hulk of an old truck cab. He
commented that this red truck was the one used to start his business over 25 years ago and
it was hard to part with it. However, with a smile he said, "progress feels
right".
The project was sponsored by the Village
Councils of Placencia and Seine Bight. We all owe thanks to them led in Placencia by
Glen Eiley and in SB by the Chairperson, Mrs. Alejandra Cacho.
What next? All peninsula property
owners are reminded that a loading and hauling service exists today. Available from
peninsula garbage contractor, Mr. Alvin Cabral who has a backhoe and dump truck, the
service can be obtained by calling the Placencia Water Board Office. They will
arrange a cost estimate for your load. Less than full loads can be accommodated.
Both Village Councils have a strong
resolve to work with everyone to clean the whole peninsula. Individuals will be
contacted for clean up plans for their properties. The cooperation from
virtually everyone was truly fantastic this week. Those of you who dropped
other duties to participate are to be especially thanked. Apologies to anyone I
should have mentioned and didn't. Truly the peninsula is a different place today.
We all recognize that the person who made
this project possible is Dr. Henry Canton, Minister of Works. Without hesitation, he
contributed the equipment and manpower which made this project a reality. We truly
thank him.
Next week is Seine Bight Village Clean Up
week.
Wednesday, February 23, 2000
Humane Society. Only 15 tickets left for Birds and Beasts of Belize on February 29
at Serenity Resort. Contact us or your
hotel/resort for reservations. A raffle and auction have been added to the program,
with prices including meals at local restaurants and resorts, a trip for two to Monkey
River with Kevin, a day trip to French Louie Caye by Kitty's Place, T-shirts from One
World Gift Shop, dinner for 4 at Cheers Restaurant in Belize City and tickets to the
Belize Zoo.
Butane Gas Shortage. Butane gas is in short supply throughout Belize. Locally,
area residences and businesses have been unable to obtain butane gas since last Thursday.
More Seine Bight Trash Pickup. The
Village Council for Seine Bight has circulated the following letter:
Seine Bight Village
Council
Mrs. Alejandra Cacho, Chairperson
Phone 06-23547
Seine Bight Village
Stann Creek District, Belize
February 23, 2000
Dear Friends:
The villagers of Seine Bight Village are planning
a Seine Bight Village Grand Clean Up Week. The village youth, the village business people,
the tourism related businesses and village residents recognize the need to provide a
healthier climate in which to live, to create a more beautiful village to attract tourism
spending, and to preserve the fragile environment that is Belize’s legacy to our
children. We have committed our local resources and our manpower to remove accumulated
garbage and trash from the beach, from the roadsides, and from private property.
The weeklong event is scheduled for March 5th
through the 11th. The week will start with volunteer work crews loading debris into dump
trucks to be hauled to the new dumpsite off the peninsula. The reward for the volunteers
will be the satisfaction of knowing they personally contributed to a cleaner community.
During this week derelict vehicles will be hauled as well. Heavy equipment to load and
haul these vehicles has been committed by donors. The weeklong event is being planned and
organized by Mr. Jeffrey Lopez. He needs to assemble work crews of fifteen people each day
for six days. Businesses and resorts can contribute their workers. Please call Mrs. Cacho
at 06-23547, to indicate how you can help.
The Grand Village Clean-Up Week will be followed
up with the beginning of regularly scheduled trash pick up in Seine Bight Village three
times a week. The Seine Bight Village Council has authorized this plan requiring that each
resident subscribe to this weekly garbage service. Each resident will use an appropriate
can to be provided to them at no charge by the Seine Bight Water Board. Each resident will
have to furnish the can liners (plastic bags) at their own expense. For a few people this
expense will be a hardship. The supply of 300 cans should arrive in about 3 weeks. The
contact person for the on-going pick up operation is Mr. Angel Moreira, Chairman of the
Seine Bight Water Board. Please join us by becoming a team member to help create a more
beautiful and prosperous Belize by contributing to our local effort. Below are some areas
to which you might contribute dollars, machinery, manpower or supplies:
- Workers need 5 metal rakes, 5 plastic rakes, 5
shovels, plastic bags, 15 pair of gloves. These items will become the property of the
Village Council after Clean Up week to be used by the Village for continuing clean up
work.
- Thirty gallons paint, 10 rollers and pans, 10
brushes for the Community Center and Rest Room at basketball court.
- Materials for two 4’ x 8’ "Betta No
Litta" roadside billboards. Painters are standing by ready to go!
- Lunch each day for work crews. Can you donate one
day’s food and drink?
- Materials to repair bathroom at basketball
court—two sinks, two toilets, one door, door locks; labor to install and paint
building.
- Prizes for homeowners with cleanest yard: First
prize – paint and labor to paint house, Second—paint for house, Third through
Fifth—one years supply garbage bags.
- Cash donations directly into an account owned and
administered by the Seine Bight Village Council Lands Committee to be used to pay salaries
of Village clean up workers.
- Plastic trash bags to be distributed to low income
residents.
The week will conclude with a community
celebration sports marathon during the day on Saturday featuring visiting teams for
soccer, basketball and softball. These games will be followed by a jump-up fundraiser,
Saturday night, commemorating this historic achievement. Admission fees and bar profits
collected will be used for on going Village clean up and will be administered by the
Village Council Lands Committee. Your generous support for the Seine Bight Village Grand
Clean Up Week will help Belizeans to create a more beautiful, more prosperous Belize.
Please choose from the above list and contact me as soon as possible regarding your
contribution.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Alejandra Cacho, Chairperson
Seine Bight Village Council
Phone 06-23547
DONATIONS RECEIVED SO FAR
- Use of large grass mower called Bush Hog to mow all
grass along roads and public areas by the Seine Bight Village Council.
- Work crew to clean north dumpsite by Ray Twanow.
- Huge truck to haul derelict vehicles by Dr. Henry
Canton, Minister of Works
- Sky Trac loader and operator for derelict vehicles
by Aron Loewen Construction
- Machine to unload truck at landfill by George Dueck
- Two dump trucks and track hoe with operators by Dr.
Henry Canton, Minister of Works with Mr. Bill Cuevas, Chief Engineer supervising
- Two new fiberglass backboards and rims for
basketball court by Mr. David Craig at Bowen and Bowen
- Use of stencils for can and house numbering by
Placencia Water Board
- 300 new Rubbermaid garbage cans and lids by Seine
Bight Water Board
- Clean up worker by Peter and Marcia Fox
Saturday, February 19, 2000
Seine Bight Trash Pickup.
At a special meeting of the Seine Bight Village Council on Sunday, February 13, 2000, Mrs.
Alejandra Cacho, Council Chairperson, announced that Seine Bight Village will institute a
Village garbage collection program.
Mr. Angel Moreira, a Council Member and Head of
the Seine Bight Water Board, reported that the Water Board will manage the garbage
collection program and that:
- The garbage pickup service contract would be
executed within a week, with service to begin as soon as possible;
- The Water Board will furnish garbage cans marked
with house numbers to residents;
- The cost to residents and businesses for garbage
collection will be based on 4 classifications - resorts, business, village households,
outlying households
- Eleven pickup points will designated and marked by
signs within the Village. Outlying locations will be picked up at roadside;
- The program is mandatory for all residences and
businesses;
- Police and special constables have the authority to
issue tickets to anyone disposing of garbage other than in approved cans;
- Seine Bight's local public school will participate
by including classroom discussions and assignments for the children regarding the health,
community beauty, and environment reasons for proper disposal of garbage
- Garbage collection fees will be assessed as part of
water service bills
Mr. Jeffrey Lopez also announced a Village Clean
Up Week to kick-off the new garbage collection program. Among the events to be held
during the week of March 5 are the following:
- Volunteer teams will pick up litter throughout the
Village, including the beach, roads, private property, and the Lagoon;
- Subject to availability of funding through
donations, the Village Community Center and the bathrooms near the basketball court will
also be painted and new backboards and rims need to be installed;
- Prizes will be given for the cleanest yard;
- The week will conclude with a community celebration
jump-up Saturday night.
Letters are being sent and phone calls are being
placed to potential donors to solicit support for this much needed and major undertaking.
(Information provided by Lee Dusa.)
Thursday, February 17, 2000
Weather: Warm
and breezy during the day, mild and breezy in the evening. No rain for the past
several days.
Flora and Fauna:
Mango trees are starting to bloom. Lobster season ended Tuesday, February 15,
2000. Will re-open Thursday, June 15, 2000.
Fishing/snorkeling:
Lots of good-sized barracuda (25-30 lb. range), grouper and permit around
this week. Decent numbers of wahoo (serving wahoo on our angler's lunches for the
next day or so). Water remains cool, visibility a little hazy because of the
wind.
Humane Society:
Only 25 tickets left for the February 29th event at Serenity Resort: "Wild Things: Birds and Beasts of Belize," a
lecture and slide show presentation by Alan Richards, internationally renowned
ornithologist and author of many well-known ornithology books, Jim Beveridge, Belize
wildlife photographer specializing in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve photography, and
David Vernon, Placencia's own premier naturalists and eco-tourism operator. Proceeds
of the fundraiser will be used to defray neutering and spaying costs for low-income pet
owners on the Peninsula.
People and Things:
Looks like a 4th story is being added to the "mystery building."
David Dial has left for parts unknown. A new guesthouse is nearing
completion at the northern end of the sidewalk behind Dave Rayburn's house. The
Natty Mermaid Giftshop now offers a delivery service and is renting golfcarts (they've
taken over Cool's business - location is behind Kingfisher on the road near the middle of
the Village). Cost is $50 Belize for a half-day, $100 Belize for a full day.
We're moving - location unknown (our landlady wants her building back - anybody got any
ideas?).
Environment (mixed signals?):
- According to the weekend's newspapers, the
government wants to downgrade Belize from an "ecotourism" destination to a
"soft adventure" tourism destination
- The location of a proposed major landfill is almost
"on the doorstep" of the Belize Zoo, The Tropical Education Center and the new
town of Democracia
- The Environmental Impact Assessment for the
Chalillo Dam has been attacked as lacking a complete summary, no description of proposed
development in the area, no description of the existing local and regional environment,
inadequate information about significant environmental impacts, no wildlife studies, no
stated mitigation measures for environmental impacts, no analysis of energy alternatives,
incomplete hydro studies, etc.
- Belize received a certificate of recognition for
"an act of extraordinary leadership to preserve life on Earth" from the World
Wildlife Fund in Tulum, Mexico on February 8, 2000. At the ceremony, Dr.
Marcelino Avila, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Cooperatives reconfirmed Belize's "strong commitment" to conservation and
sustainable management of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and to the Tulum
Declaration (a contract among Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras to manage and
conserve the barrier reef system for its "aesthetic, scientific and conservation
benefits for all humanity").
- The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute
received funding from the Inter-American Development Bank for its remote sensing program.
The funds will be used to train CZMAI staff to use remote sensing data to monitor
biophysical trends, the impact of land use changes on coastal ecosystems, planning for
low-impact infrastructure development in the coastal zone and other aspects of
environmental protection.
Saturday, February 12, 2000 Placencia
Village is busy! May be the best season yet.
Weather has been windy, very pleasant
temperatures, not a lot of rain (at least not for the past week or so).
The road is in relatively decent shape, and the
trip to Dangriga by bus is only taking a couple of hours.
The Village Council will begin holding public
Council meetings on the first Monday of every month (courtesy of the Village Council Act).
Meeting will be held in the Community Center.
A dress shop has opened at the dock next to Boledo
Bill's (End of the Road Cafe)!
The Toledo Marine Reserve program in
the Bay of Honduras was officially opened last week. The program targets
illegal fishing and manatee slaughtering (manatee meat is considered a delicacy by
Guatemalans, and many manatee in the area are illegally poached for market).
The new Reserve is 27.02 square miles
and runs from the southern boundary of the Monkey River (just south of Placencia) to the
Rio Grande in the south, and includes the Snake Cayes. The Reserve includes 3 major
zones:
Wilderness Zone - 2% of overall
area - no development allowed, primary focus on scientific research
Conservation Zone - 8% of overall
area - scientific monitoring and educational activities allowed
General Use - 90% of overall area -
sustainable commercial, sport and recreational fishing allowed
Fishermen from the Toledo District
will assist in policing the Reserve.
Thursday, January 20, 2000
First Ever National Tourism
Award!!!!!!!!!! Vote for
your favorite tour guide by contacting the Belize Tourism Board by email, phone (02-31913) or fax (02-31943). Provide
the name and location of the guide in the body of the email (and any comments you'd like
to add).
Ring Toss Championship.
First place went to Venancio Chi with a score of 15, Mike Cline and Benji Eiley both scored
14 points, resulting in a play-off for 2nd and 3d places. Mike won in the play-off
for second place - with Benji coming in third.
Weather.
Beautiful day today (finally). Perfectly clear sky, no wind, calm seas, right now
(2:03 p.m.) about 84o F.
Saturday, January 15, 2000
Weather. Rain,
wind - - more wind, more rain. Cool here today - temps only in the lower to
mid-70s. Quite the breakers rolling onto the beach yesterday, sea's still pretty
choppy today (but fishing is good in the Lagoon). Surfing, anyone?
Update: 5:55 pm - looks like we're in for a
REALLY big blow. Sky is very ominous, wind is is getting stronger (coming from the
south), as are the breakers. Sea is coming up over the rise.
National. The
national government is floating a proposal to double the departure tax. Tourism
organizations are uniformly opposed.
New Tours. Now
available - a roundtrip flight from Placencia to the Cayo District, including tours
of Xunantunich, Chaa Creek's Morpho Butterfly Farm and Natural History Center and Ix
Chel's Medicinal Trails, lunch at Chaa Creek and a guided canoe trip on the Macal River
from Chaa Creek to San Ignacio. Cost is $225 US per person, 3 person minimum, 16
person maximum. Contact us if you're
interested.
Marriages. Big wedding and reception last Friday at Cozy Corner for Miss
Lydia's son, Gareth Longsworth, and his new bride, Janis Waldie.
Gas Station.
Shell Belize Ltd. has promised no more gas shortages at the gas station! Hope
springs eternal.
Restaurants. Ed Shepler has opened up a new take-out restaurant on the road (the
small building across the road from the Kingfisher/Sea Spray feeder sidewalk). Great
barbecue chicken dinners. The Purple Space Monkey Internet
Cafe plans to begin serving food by the end of January (burgers, BLTs, soups).
Resorts/Hotels.
Rumor is that Kitty's Place is for sale - $1.5 Million
- US. Turtle Inn has finished construction of
their new cabanas - each cabana sleeps 4 adults comfortably, full kitchen, beachfront -
new on-premises commissary. Tradewinds has added a new
cabana.
Events.
"Wild Things," Birds and Beasts of Belize. Lecture and Slide Presentation,
8-10 p.m., Tuesday, February 29, 2000 at Serenity Resort by Alan
Richards, ornithologist and author of The Birdwatchers A-Z, Waterside Birds,
Seabirds and Pocket Guide of Shorebirds, Jim Bevridge,
Belize wildlife photographer and David Vernon, naturalist and
Southern Belize eco-guide. $25 BZD per person. Reception following program
(cash bar). Tickets may be purchased at the Internet Cafe in Placencia Village or
through your resort. Proceeds benefit the Placencia Humane
Society.
Monday, January 3, 2000
More info on Guatemala City
Bus. The bus leaves from the Marine Terminal in Belize City. Bus
operators recommend purchasing tickets at least 2 days in advance.
Tickets may be purchased by cash or credit card
(MasterCard and Visa) at the Marine Terminal (same location as tickets for San Pedro and
Caye Caulker), or at the offices of Zippy Zappy Tours, #36 St. Thomas Street in Belize
City (near the BTL office on St. Thomas Street - on second floor above Tweetie's Ice Cream
Shop).
The $55 USD one-way fare does not include sales tax (actual fare is $59.40 USD,
including tax).
Saturday, January 1, 2000 Happy New Year!!!!!!!!
Well, Placencia seems to have survived the New
Year and Y2K relatively intact. The morning rolled around with electricity, water,
phone, email and Internet still in operation.
The only problems we've heard about so far have
been credit card approvals (and, as usual, Atlantic Bank has
been decidedly unhelpful in resolving these problems). Will be interesting to find
out what shape bank and BTL records are in on Monday morning.
The Purple Space Monkey
Internet Cafe opened (electricity is via long extension cord since BEL can't seem to make it over from Independence), but it's open
nonetheless, with great expresso, cappuccino and latte.
Cozy Corner was again
the place to be in the Village - quite a New Year's Eve crowd!
And speaking of crowds, the Village has been full
for the past 5 days - no rooms at the inns. A tent city even sprung up overnight on
December 30 near Dutch Treat and Toucan
Lou Lou's near the northern end of the sidewalk.
James Leslie, of Natural Mystic, was injured in a boating accident last week (a
concussion), but has fully recovered.
Thomas Blanco is back
as manager of the Placencia branch of Atlantic Bank,
replacing Patricia Murray.
The road between Dangriga and Placencia is in
decent shape - the grader went through last week.
Produce is in extremely short supply in Placencia.
However, Olga's had plenty of rum yesterday, so the
produce shortage may not be noticed by many (except, of course, by Cuba Libre drinkers).
Mango trees are in bloom and the local papayas
have set fruit.
Beginning January 7, 2000, luxury bus service will
be available between Guatemala City and Belize City, courtesy of Mundo Maya Bus Company. Buses feature air conditioning,
onboard restrooms, 3 televisions and VCRs, reclining seats, cafeteria, individual reading
lights, onboard supper service and hostess service. Cost is $55 USD one-way.
Buses depart Belize City on Fridays and Mondays at 4:00 p.m. Departures from
Guatemala City are on Thursdays and Sundays at 8:00 p.m. Trip length is
approximately 12 hours one-way. Mundo Maya is also now offering daily bus service
between Belize City, Flores and Tikal. Belize City-Flores fare is $20 USD one-way.
Round trip between Flores and Tikal is $5 USD. For more information, contact Zippy Zappy Tours, 02-34955 (fax is 02-32844) or the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association, 022-2992. |
