At this moment the Belize Coast Guard contingent is also housed in these barracks. The Belize Defense Force and Special Police teams patrol the island and are specialized in working to combat drug trafficking and gang threats. The funds raised over the past month are sufficient to continue operating this task force through until December of this year. This project benefits the entire island. Together as a community we can keep our island and town safe and secure. Many thanks to:

Ab Fay * Amanda Syme * Browne Rice * Blue Water Grill * Byron Warren * Calientes Restaurant * Casa Cayo Real Estate * Casa Pan Dulce * Caye Casa * Chris Berlin * Chris Allnatt * Cliff and Joanne Arthurs * David Baker * Dennis Allen * Debbie Fisher * FCS Aluminum * George Parker * Gigi Sharp * Grant Crimmins * Greg Sawyers * Hidden Treasures Restaurant * Island Construction * Indigo * Las Terrazas * Los Encantos Villas * Jay Ward * Jeff & Sandy Baham * Jerry and Coleen Kuhnlein * Linda Percy * La Perla del Caribe * Mata Chica Resort * Mata Rocks Resort * Milo Paz * Paradise Management * Patrick Stiley * Pelican Properties * Peter Jones * Phil Rigby * Red Ginger Restaurant * Seaside Real Estate * Sew What * Solaria Villas * Stan and Phyllis Jones * Seacluded Sands * Seaduced by Belize * Southwind Properties * Suenos Construction * Sundancer Properties * Sunrise Realty * The Island Cottage * Tropic Air * The Phoenix * Jay Ward * Victoria House Hotel * Villa Plata * Xanadu Resort *?

San Pedro Lobsterfest 2010 is going to be HOT HOT HOT, as celebrity weatherman Joey Stevens and Bob the Parrot of One Caribbean Weather/WSEE TV will be on the island filming the entire week’s events. Joey and Bob travel around the Caribbean and feature different destinations during their weather forecasts and on the One Caribbean Weather Satellite Channel.

San Pedro Lobsterfest 2010 Official Schedule

Monday June 14th 2010, starting at 6:00 pm
“Meat & Greet” Cocktail Party at El Divino (Banana Beach Resort)

San Pedro Lobsterfest 2010 officially kicks off on Monday June 14th with El Divino’s “Meat & Greet” Cocktail Party. Starting at 6:00 pm, this event features Drink Specials, Prizes and Live Entertainment by Banda Cubana. El Divino will also be introducing its brand new Tapas Menu. With great food, great friends and a fun atmosphere, this is always a ‘must do’ event.

Contact Banana Beach at www.bananabeach.com

Tuesday June 15th 2010, starting at 11:00 am.
Fido’s Beach Carnival, BBQ and Lobster Weigh-In

Featuring a Carnival-style atmosphere, enjoy a full day event with Beach Games, A Horseshoe Tournament, an Enormous Raffle, Live Music, ‘Grill Your Own Lobster’ Beach BBQ and the Official Lobsterfest Opening Day Weigh-In. Play the Lobster Spin, Lobster Darts or Pin the Tail on the Lobster to win great prizes. Bring your ‘A’ Game to the horseshoe tournament (Sign up by 1:00pm, starts at 2:00pm). Grill your own Lobster or choose from the Special Lobster Menu. Win great prizes from Local Businesses in the Raffle (4:00 pm – all proceeds to the Flow River Flow Foundation), Watch the Official Lobster Weigh-in and then dance the night away.

Contact Fido’s Restaurant & Bar at www.fidosbelize.com

Wednesday June 16th 2010, starting at 6:30 pm.
The Official San Pedro Lobsterfest Pub Crawl

The fun begins at 6:30 pm at the Lime located across the street from Tropic Air. Kick off this Pub Crawl in style with Drink & Food Specials and other fun surprises. The girls from Lime know how to throw a great party. The Pub Crawl continues on to the Tacklebox Bar & Grill at 8:00 pm for more fun, games, food and drink specials. Enjoy the view from this beautiful dock. The Roadkill Bar is the next stop at 9:30 pm for a special night of fun Karaoke, high jinx and more. The Pub Crawl then finishes at a special version of Wet Willy’s World Famous Ladies Night from 11:00 pm on.

Thursday June 17th 2010, starting at 6:00 pm.
Pedro’s Inn – All You Can Eat Lobster Pizza, Lobster Trivia Night and Texas
Hold’em Poker Tournament

On June 17th the fun shifts to Pedro’s Inn with the ‘All You Can Eat’ Lobster Pizza event. While there, try your luck in the 3rd annual Lobsterfest Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament or prove how smart you are in the Lobster Trivia Challenge. Be sure to arrive early, Pedro’s thin-crust Lobster Pizza is always wildly popular.

Contact Pedro’s Inn at www.pedroshotel.com

Friday June 18th 2010
Captain Morgan’s Retreat Lobsterfest Event

The original “Temptation Island”, Captain Morgan’s Retreat is home to Buena Vista Restaurant, which has gained fame for its gourmet dining, featuring a menu that includes home-baked breads, fresh seafood and the best of Caribbean and Central American cuisine.

Contact Captain Morgan’s Retreat at www.captainmorgans.com

Saturday June 19th 2010, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Lobsterfest Arts & Culture Festival

Join us in San Pedro’s Central Park in the afternoon for the 1st ever Lobsterfest Arts & Culture Festival featuring live music, arts & craft displays and Belizean Cultural exhibits from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Featuring local artists and entertainment, this new event will highlight the rich culture of Ambergris Caye and Belize to locals and tourists alike.

Saturday June 19th 2010, starting at 5:00 pm.
San Pedro Lobsterfest Town Block Party

The ever-popular ‘Lobsterfest Town Block Party’ will be the grand finale of San Pedro Lobsterfest 2010 and kicks off at 5:00 pm in Central Park. This Event features the Lobsterfest King and Queen Pageant, Live Entertainment by Belize’s own Supa G, Food Competitions, Drink Competitions, Booth Competitions and a whole lot of fun! It’s the
party of the year and you do not want to miss it.

In addition to Food Booths, the Town Block Party will also feature a new ‘Community Corner’ where local charities and community organizations can set up displays and draw attention to the many worthwhile causes in San Pedro.

Lobsterfest King and Queen Pageant participants will be required to perform a unique talent on stage for the judges, and points will be awarded for costume & appearance as well as their talent. This competition is open to all.

The ‘Flavor of San Pedro’ Drink competition will feature the best bartenders in San Pedro creating the perfect cocktail on stage, to be judged by a panel of celebrity judges. Points will be awarded for presentation as well as the quality of their creation. This competition is open to all bartenders, even if they do not have a booth.

The Best Lobster Dish competition and People’s Choice Booth competition are open only to businesses that are participating in the Block Party. The celebrity judges will once again be called on to select the best food of the night, while everyone will be able to vote on crowning the best overall booth.

Participants in the Food Competition will be judged both on the quality of their food as well as the presentation of their dishes from their booth to the judges table. The creativity of their presentation as they move through the crowd to present their dishes to the judges is a key component this year.

The San Pedro Business Association would also like to thank this year’s Platinum Sponsors: Banana Beach Resort, Belize Tourism Board, Captain Morgan’s Retreat, Casa Cayo Real Estate, Fido’s Restaurant & Bar, Pedro’s Hotel, Pelican Reef Villas, Xanadu Resort, The Phoenix, Seaduced by Belize and Tropic Air. A special thanks goes to tacogirl.com, Rebecca Arceo of Seaduced by Belize, Paul Jewitt, Renita Dellacca of Changes in Latitude and Diane Lawrence of Quicksilver for helping to organize this year’s event.

San Pedro Lobsterfest 2010 is sure to be the biggest and best Lobsterfest ever! If any local artists or entertainers are interested in performing at the Block Party, or if local businesses would like to rent a booth they are asked to contact the San Pedro Business Association at: 226.2254 or email: info@sanpedrobusiness.com.

The San Pedro Business Association members pledged/donated a total of $4,650.00. Fortunately the shortfall was made up from pledges/donations from other stakeholders who recognize that this proactive project is effective and is a worthy cause to continue supporting. We would like to collect the pledges at your earliest convenience. Cheques or cash can be dropped of at the office of Seaduced or Sunrise Realty. For those that haven’t had a chance to make their pledges yet, please do.

Thank you for your continued support. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact the SPBA Safety Committee through the San Pedro Business Association info@sanpedrobusiness.com

After the expected initial trials and tribulations the project has proven itself to be a success and now contributes 70% of the officers who solely conduct night patrolling from 9 pm to 5 am 7 days a week. The team does not have sick leave or regular leave as they are simply replaced by relief from Belize City.  It consists of 2 police Anti Drug Unit officers, 2 Anti Gang Unit officers and 6 BDF soldiers. The police work in teams assisted by the BDF soldiers.

The cost of setting up this project, as well as monthly maintenance, has been primarily funded by dues and donations through the Business Association. We are now at a point where we are nearly out of funds and owe $ 5482.00 for loans to handle some emergency housing issues which occurred recently at the barracks.

We need to raise emergency funds at this time to ensure that we can continue to have this additional security for at least over the next 3 months. We would like to ask that all members pledge a minimum of $200 by this Monday November 2nd. We shall also solicit private funds to further supplement the program. We need a minimum of $ 13,000.00 to continue.

If we cannot get sufficient pledges then we will have no option but to close down the barracks next week. If we do so then we will only have 3-4 officers available at night to patrol and respond to reports for the entire island – which is what we had before we started this project. Obviously we must ensure that this does not occur.

Please email your pledge to info@sanpedrobusiness.com and you will be contacted to arrange for payment at your convenience. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you know who would be willing to contribute.

Thank you for your continued support.

San Pedro Safety Committee

As many of you already know, Bandage International is a Canadian based
Medical Charity that has been working with the Belize Red Cross, local
tour guides, resort staff, government officials and the general public
to provide medical training in Belize for the the past 4 years.

Come learn First Aid, CPR, and more!
Help make San Pedro Healthier and Safer!

San Pedro Lions Den

Monday May 11th & Tuesday May 12th
9am – 4pm each day

$10 BZ to register including a certificate from the Red Cross!

Presented by Bandage International and the Belize Red Cross.

To register please contact:

Darryl Chickness

President
Bandage International
dchickness@hotmail.com

http://www.bandageinternational.org

There will be Block Beach Party on Sunday April 26th from 11 am to 5 pm in Central Park.

Anyone wanting a booth to sell food can contact Rebecca at 610-1697. Booths will be $175 BZ.

Agenda
1:00 Introduction By Chairman Elito Arceo
1:15 Claudio Azueta Explanation of Property Tax increases and comparisons.
1:30 Update on Lobster festival Rebecca Arceo
1:45 update on membership and fees
2:00 nomination of additional board members.
2:15 Question and Answer period.

Any one wanting add to the agenda needs to please e-mail in what they would like added.  Also anyone wanting to make nominations for the board can do so by e-mail.

Following this meeting regular meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month.  Board meetings will be held bi-weekly.

Also, just a quick reminder that 2009 Membership Fees are now due.

San Pedro Business Association February General Meeting

Chairman Elito Arceo welcomed the members, and introduced Miguel Alamilla from Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Mr. Alamilla addressed the Association, noting the attendance of members of the Ambergris Caye Concerned Citizens for Sustainable Development in the audience. Costal Zone Management has been working with the community for some time to raise awareness of the importance of our natural environment here on Ambergris Caye. The Function of Costal Zone Management is to implement and execute Management Projects for both Hold Chan Marine Reserve and Bacalar Chico. They have a full time staff, including Biologist and Environmental Researchers. Costal Zone has been very active in establishing educational programs in both the area schools and in the community. They see a very strong need for community involvement in how we use our environment on Ambergris Caye.

Mr. Alamilla wants to spread the word about the threats to the environment based on coastal development. Mangroves are key to whole ecosystem, including the reef. The impacts are felt through the entire food chain, including important commercial species such as Lobster. The Barrier Reef has great economic value to the local community and to the country as well. It takes a lot of work to protect and manage a resource area like Bacalar Chico or Hol Chan, but it is very important work.

Mr. Alamilla hopes that the Ambergris Caye Concerned Citizens for Sustainable Development will help to bring the community into the process to help, and he encourages everyone to join, for the benefit of the entire community.

Questions:
How far does the Bacalar Chico Reserve actually extend? There has been some confusion on this matter in the past.

Answer:
Bacalar Chico has actually always extended south to the Basil Jones Cut; however there has been a misconception due to a lack of presence and enforcement in the north part of the island. There are now Rangers in the area more frequently.

Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Honorable Manuel Heredia then addressed the Association, noting that the SPBA has always been good at moving issues forward and finding solutions in the community. Minister Heredia has enjoyed an active and ongoing relationship with the SPBA and is happy to ensure this relationship continues.

The Ministry of Tourism is keeping on top of events that are shaping the Tourism Industry. Although the industry has seen a drop in the past year, the economic downturn has not hit Belize as hard as it has other Central American and Caribbean countries. There has only been a 3% drop in overnight stays in Belize to date. The BTB has been active at 4 different trade shows over the last few months and will continue to provide whatever support it can to the industry stakeholders. It is not his job as Minister of Tourism to dictate to the industry. Minister Heredia will continue to allow the industry to move things forward.
Tourism is a key focus of the current Government. He expects things to improve after 2009.

He also noted that Cabinet has been responsive to the needs of San Pedro. Cabinet has responded to the San Pedro Town Board, even if they have not been able to give all that has been requested, they have responded. There has been recent GOB assistance with Road Issues during the rainy season (Hardcore and Transportation).

Minister Heredia will also be pushing for Ambergris Caye to become the 7th District in the Country this year.

The designation of an official road north of the bridge has not happened yet, however he is hopeful that officials from the Ministry of Works will be here soon to make the designation.

Transport Department revenue has been transferred from Central Government to the Town Board already, and other similar revenue shifts will be occurring shortly. The Building Authority revenue is also now under the Town Board. He noted that San Pedro accounts for 50% of tourism, however San Pedro accounts for 70% of the Hotel Tax generated nationwide. He is fighting for San Pedro to receive a fair share of the revenue it generates.

The Road Sweeper has arrived, and the first trial of the vehicle was to take place over this past weekend. 1 Garbage Compactor has also arrived on the island and another is coming soon.

Minister Heredia let members know that they should feel free to leave suggestions and ideas with the local office of the BTB. The Director of the BTB will also begin working at least 1 day per month at the office above the Library, in order to better serve the community. Several things are in the pipeline in terms of Tourism, and the BTB will be bringing those to the industry stakeholders soon.

Mayor Elsa Paz then made some remarks to the Association. She reminded members of the upcoming election. She has been visiting with various groups and individuals to ask for their support. She was happy to have the opportunity to speak to the SPBA. She has decided to run for another term because of the fact that a UDP Central Government is in place. Even under a PUP Central Government they have been able to accomplish much for San Pedro. She feels that now that a UDP GOB is in place, they should be able to accomplish much more for the community. She noted that this is the first time that a San Pedrano has been the Minister of Tourism and has held a Cabinet Position and wants to take advantage of that fact. If re-elected, the Mayor would like to take a much more active role in the SPBA.

Mayor Paz is pleased that the GOB is granting more autonomy to the Local Governments. She feels that the 4 main areas of concern right now are Crime, Traffic, Garbage and the Roads.

Regarding Crime, Mayor Paz would like to get more police and BDF officers on the island. She noted that most Municipalities in local countries have their own Police and Fire Departments, and would like to see the same thing happen here. The present Police Force cannot handle the present demand. She is lobbying Central Government to move in the direction through Minister Heredia.

Councilor Pablo briefly addressed the group; highlighting areas of concern including a lack of funding for Sports and Youth related activities. He thanks businesses that have provided support to these endeavors previously, and is confident that government funding can be found to expand services in this area to the youth of San Pedro.

Minister Heredia jumped back in to touch on two issues that had been missed previously. He noted that the Old Football Field rehabilitation project should be starting by May 2009. 4 to 5 million dollars are being spent to revitalize this area, extending and fixing it.

The other issue is that of San Mateo. The Prime Minister is aware and supportive of improving the situation there. A Proposal for the Rehabilitation of San Pedro needs to be formulated. Once that occurs Central Government will support the proposal and assist in taking it to the World Bank for funding. Minister Heredia believes another 4 to 5 million dollars could be provided to the project in this manner.

Councilor Nano then took the floor. His goal is to have a Vocational School established in San Pedro. He feels the opportunity to learn a trade and get a good education is very important for the children of Ambergris Caye. He is working with the Town Board, the Central Government and the Business Community to make this a reality. His other goal is to see Ambergris Caye made the 7th district.

A Question was posed about building a new elementary school. Councilor Nano agreed that there is a great need for a new school on the island. He also noted the need for a Hospital as well. San Pedro is the main tourist destination in the country but does not have adequate Medical Care at the moment.

Minister Heredia noted that the Poly Clinic will be expanding coverage and operating hours in the next budget.

The floor was opened to questions.

Minister Heredia was asked about the Dredging that is taking place on the lagoon side south. It was noted that this dredging is directly impacting the livelihood of Tour Guides, as critical Bone Fish feeding and breeding areas are being destroyed. That area is a critical area for Bone Fish, and is teeming with life. Something needs to be done to protect those areas, as the Master Plan tried to accomplish. It was also noted that there are already too many piers on the east side of the island, which are cutting off access to the flats.

Minister Heredia noted that a National Master Plan is being developed. He agreed that the pier situation is an issue along the front of the island. He stated that we all must work together to identify areas that are in need of protection.

The Mayor was asked about the fact that Traffic is now one of the biggest complaints that visitors have about the island. Now that the Transport Department is under the Town Board, what is being done about this issue, and will the Transport Department be issuing a moratorium on permits to examine permits already in existence?

Mayor Paz noted that the Committee has the responsibility to work on those issues. She is part of the committee but is not the chairperson of it. She agrees that it is an issue and the committee is trying to get a handle on the situation.

The Transport Department Manager then made a few remarks. He took over the department in February of 2008. When he took over they did reexamine the permits allowed in the previous 4 months. They did not refuse any at that point. Now, the department evaluates the need of every applicant. They have been doing their best in this area. He feels that one of the biggest issues presently is the classification of vehicles. Vehicles keep getting larger and louder, but are still classified as Golf Carts. The department has been working on a reclassification system to address this issue.

They are presently developing a database to maintain control over the inventory of vehicles on the island. The Transport Department is a revenue-producing department for the Town Board now. Things are changing slowly but are improving.

Mayor Paz mentioned that she feels the biggest issue at the moment is Parking.

Various questions came from the floor regarding Traffic, including questions about Speeding, Vehicle Condition and Drivers License Revoking.

The Manager explained that there isn’t much that can be done about speeding since there is no way to prove how fast someone was actually going. When they do see someone speeding however, they try to get them on some other traffic related offense. Regarding the condition of vehicles, he mentioned that they have just implemented an inspection process before a permit can be renewed. This process began in October of 2008. Vehicles will need to be in relatively good shape before the permit will be renewed. He also mentioned the need for a secured impound yard, so that poor vehicles or offenders can have their vehicles impounded. He also explained that people can report traffic offenses. In order to do this, they need to give a sworn statement, signed by a Justice of the Peace. The Transport Department can then get the Police into the mix, however the complainant would need to appear before the Magistrate when the issue gets to that point.

Minister Heredia was asked what the Vision for Tourism in San Pedro is. What do we want to accomplish in terms of tourism? Do we want to ignore the niche that we have already created here, which helped to curb the losses that other tourist destinations have felt during this economic crisis? Do we want to become island of High Density Developments, like what has happened in Cancun? We do need development and growth, but why are we allowing development in this direction? Where are we going?

Minster Heredia answered that the new Master Plan that is being developed is the key to answering that question. He is in favor of Green Projects, and was against the High Density Development that is in the process of being approved personally. He noted that the Department of the Environment has scaled that development back. He said that personally it’s not the type of development he would like to see, but that he can’t become involved in the situation. He did say that he is committed to working with all stakeholders on the development of this new Master Plan. He also stressed that the Government is committed to ensuring that no decisions are made without the input of the local community.

A Member asked if Minister Heredia could verify a rumor that the Department of Environment had issued a Stop Work Order on South Beach. Minister Heredia responded that development activities have been stopped, but that he wasn’t sure if a Stop Work Order had been issued or not. He did mention that the developer is having difficulty finding a Bank or Insurance Company to handle the required $250,000 Bond.

Another member asked about Motorized Vehicles driving on the beach, especially in the North part of the island. They mentioned that Carts, and especially Motorcycles are driving over private property, through resorts with tourists present and becoming a nuisance and a safety issue.

Minister Heredia agreed that this is a big problem. He is hoping that the Department of Works will be over very soon to officially declare a North Road so that enforcement can be started on issues like this. Until there is an officially declared road, however, it is very difficult to stop this practice.

The Agenda is as follows:
Greeting By Chairman
Introduction of UDF Town Council Candidates
Information on Up Coming Events
Nomination for Vice Chairman Position
Question and Answer Period.