2001
Placencia News Archive |
Hurricane
Iris Information
Monday,
December 24, 2001
Utilities. Electricity has been restored to most homes
and businesses. Most resorts hotels and restaurants now have water service - by hook
or crook (many have hooked up to the main line without waiting for a meter - those have
been very slow in coming from the water board). Water service to homes is hit and
miss. Homes closest to the water tower in Placencia Village and north have had water
service for a couple of weeks. Water is available in mains through most of the rest
of the Village to the dock, but service has not been hooked up to homes. (Like the
hotels and resorts, many homeowners have been hooking up without waiting for a meter from
the water board.)
Phones are another story.
Belize Telephone Limited (BTL) should have its license and monopoly yanked NOW for failure
to provide phone service to Placencia. Iris hit on October 8 - almost 3 months ago
now, BUT, despite the fact that busineses here are desperately trying to recover, and NEED
phones, here's the situation:
1. Only 3 small areas on the
Peninsula have any land-line service (where hubs were not destroyed by Iris). Fixed
cell phones were promised to businesses not within these areas, but have yet to
materialize.
2. BTL admits that it sold
too many cell phones here and that its towers can't handle the volume of calls - meaning
calls frequently don't go through (calls don't go through more frequently than
they do go through). Yet, cell phone costs remain extraordinarily high -
almost $5 BZD a minute!!!!
3. A BTL press release
stated that it provided free email service to Placencia residents after Iris. A
bald-faced lie.
4. No residential phone
service is anticipated at least until July, 2002!
5. Most local businesses
lucky enough to be within the remaining land service areas are still waiting for land line
installation.
BTL says the reasons for the
delays are (i) its plan to install fiber-optic cable underground here, and (ii) its need
to rebuild the BTL building in Placencia. Sounds good, but that requires 9 months
for a 12-mile long peninsula with fewer than 1500 residents (not households or businesses,
just people)? And no phones in the meantime?
Does BTL realize that it is
sounding the death knell for many small, Belizean owned businesses? It probably
does, but does it care? BTL's profits last year were around $48 million for a
country with a population of around 220,000 - Michael Ashcroft, the majority owner,
received $8 million of that. But, BTL has now apparently been told that its monopoly
will not be renewed -- you figure it out.
(Oh, yeah - forgot to mention a
recently announced phone and Internet service rate hike that has sparked countrywide
protests - and an actual protest march in Belize City -- almost unheard of in Belize.)
Tuesday, November 28, 2001
Funeral. The ashes of Miles Patrick, former Placencia
resident and chef at Rum Point Inn, were scattered at Buttonwood Caye on Saturday,
November 25, 2001. Miles died suddenly on October 19, 2001 of coronary failure.
St. John's Anglican Church. The old St. John's structure located in the
school yard in Placencia Village has been condemned.
Water. Water pipes in Placencia Village have been
cleaned and sterilized, and it looks like water service will be a reality on Friday!
Additional Hurricane Iris
Information
Thursday,
November 22, 2001: Happy
Thanksgiving to all our friends in the U.S!
Hurricane Iris. See the following pages for additional information:
Village Council
Meeting.
Garbage.
Regular garbage pickup has resumed post-Iris. Property owners only have a short time
left to request free debris removal. Contact NEMO to schedule pickup for large items
such as washers, refrigerators, furniture, etc. Controlled burning of debris will be
allowed with a permit obtained from NEMO.
Utilities. Electric
service upgraded as part of service restoration post-Iris (old lines were over 27 years
old). Water service may be restored sooner than originally anticipated. 4,500
feet of pipe needs to be replaced under Lagoon. John Bell, engineer, found several
problems with installation of old pipe. Anchors were previously below ground and
pipe above ground which would have been a problem with the larger boats that now are using
the Lagoon. Pipe and anchors will now be below surface of bottom of Placencia
Lagoon. Pipes also fit too tightly into old anchors, which caused pipe to twist
during surge caused by Hurricane Iris. Welding of pipe to be installed under Lagoon
should be completed by Nov. 22 or 23. When pipe is installed, boat traffic in Lagoon
will be restricted, especially in area around the airstrip. Pipes to businesses and
homes are now being checked, and all pipes will be sterilized before water service is
restored. (Water Board is only responsible for installing pipe three feet into
private property.) As an upgrade to system, bypasses will be installed so that water
doesn't have to be turned off when new service to individual properties is installed.
Information concerning a sewage system for entire Peninsula is now being gathered.
Village Planning.
The Placencia Village Council is now working on a Master Plan for the entire
Village which will include building codes, sewage disposal, setbacks, police and fire
protection, rights of way, right of Village Council to condemn properties, etc. New
12-foot rights of way will run from road to sidewalk.
Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Hurricane Iris. See the following pages for additional
information:
Roads.
Iris pretty much sounded the death knell for what little paving remained of what
was a very poor paving job to begin with. In other words, roads are back to normal
on the Peninsula - potholes and all. Not too muddy, though. However, the
Southern Highway work is moving right along, with relatively small sections remaining
unpaved.
Weather.
Unseasonably cool, with frequent short showers.
Deaths. Albert
Gill is dead, an apparent suicide in Belize City.
Friday, October 19, 2001
Hurricane Iris. Please see our Severe
Weather Page for a full report as of today. Pictures of Placencia Village are
available on our Hurricane Iris Pictures Page. Also see
our Lodging Report for information on available lodging
facilities. Kevin Modera Guide Services/Destinations Belize will be fully
operational as of November 1, 2001 for snorkeling and fishing trips. We have no
information on the condition of area Mayan ruins and Monkey River trips will not be
available until further notice.
Monday, October 8, 2001
Hurricane Iris. Placencia is under evacuation. Weather
here right now is overcast with a light breeze. I'll be leaving in another couple of
hours and still need to pack and get the house as secured as possible, so no more reports
for at least a few days. Please pray for us.
Mary
Thursday, October 4,
2001
Air Travel. The trip back to Placencia yesterday from
St. Louis was relatively uneventful. Checking in at Continental took about a
half-hour. Stateside airports now seem to have two security checkpoints now.
Before you get to the x-ray and metal detector area, you now have to present your ticket
and a photo ID, and the two must match. Laptops have to be taken out of their bags
and placed in a plastic box before being scanned. Getting through security in St.
Louis took about 10 minutes. The St. Louis airport seemed to have about 75% of
normal traffic. However, Houston Intercontinental seemed deserted in parts, but that
could be because it's so much larger than the St. Louis international airport.
Passengers exiting customs in Belize now have to go outside and come back in through a
single set of doors where a guy with a wand scans passengers (but luggage is not
searched). The porters can sometimes get arriving international passengers through
the line without a scan, or get them to the front of the line.
Departing international passengers
must now check-in at the Belize International Airport at least 3 hours (not two)
ahead of time. It also seems to be a good idea to make advance reservations with
Tropic Air and Maya Island Air to be assured of a flight.
The plane to Belize had 66
passengers on it - about half full. However, I talked to a flight attendant who told
me that starting next week, planes to Belize were booked at about a 75% occupied seat
rate.
Weather. Cloudy, short burst of intense rain today.
At 6:45 p.m., the temperature is 80o F, 80% humidity, light breeze,
keeping things tolerable.
Cat Burglar. We have a very crafty (and agile) cat
burglar in the area targeting local residences (not tourists). He (or she) takes
only a few things, usually liquor or jewelry, is extremely quiet, and seems to prefer
brandy over rum.
Road. OK. Not great, but okay. Much of
the asphalt used to pave the road from around Turtle Inn to the Placencia Village dock has
broken through, so once again, driving is a pot-hole obstacle course.
Saturday, September 22, 2001
Tragedy. I left Placencia on September 3 for a visit
with family and friends in St. Louis. So, I was in the States on September 11 and
have helplessly watched the tragic and heart-rending events that began with the first
plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I was scheduled to return to Belize on
September 25, but have delayed my trip back until October 3 - - not out of any fear of
flying or other safety reasons - - it just seems right to spend more time with loved ones.
The entire world is embarking on a
dangerous and uncertain journey that will affect almost everyone alive. Things will
change, not only in the U.S. and the Middle East but everywhere, including small,
out-of-the way countries like Belize.
None of us know what changes are
in store for us. But, with faith, hope and love, we can work to make those changes
blessed ones for all of humanity.
May God be with each one of you.
Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Tom Giblin Memorial Service. A memorial service for Tom Giblin was held
at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 28, 2001 at the St. John's Memorial Anglican Church in
Placencia Village, where Tom attended services. The Revered Jerry Jones led the
service. People from all walks of life on the Peninsula attended the Memorial
Service to remember Tom, his kindness and generosity toward all of us, to mourn his death,
but most importantly, to celebrate his life.
Personal remembrances of Tom were
given by Kevin Flynn, Miss Sonija Leslie, Percy Neal and Candy Power. Kevin kindly
provided us with a copy of his remembrance:
"Tom's cousin, the Rev. John O'Neill said at his funeral service 'We are not here
to forgive the people who killed our brother Tom. That is reserved for another time and
place.'
"There were 750 people at Toms
wake in Connecticut last Wednesday and over 500 at his funeral conducted with full police
honors and mounted guard. For a man so long absent from that area it can only show the
esteem in which he was held by his hometown ….. we are here today to pay tribute and
give thanks for the Tom we knew and loved in Belize.
"Tom was above all a family man. We can all
remember the love and pride with which he talked of his children and grandchildren.
Brothers and sisters and his cousins and by the very nature of this ceremony we must
remember and pray for them. ….
"Tom also had a very special gift ….he
made everyone feel a part of his extended family. Most of us here today have memories of
Toms openness and generosity. The number of people he helped over the years in his own
quiet and unassuming way are countless……I once mentioned to him that it was
about time Mel and I got married ………… three days later we were
standing under Tom's beach palapa in front of Father Bell with Tom giving away the bride.
"Tom had a rare and infectious enthusiasm for
life……One of his greatest pleasures whilst in Chetumal was to sit in the park on
a Sunday morning watching families walk and play together…….. it didn't’t
have to be anyone he knew he just got a kick from seeing people being happy.
"Once Tom got his teeth into an idea or
project he would talk to anyone and everyone getting their ideas and input. Remember
when he was building the Bamboo Room? He went around and around the village with a
tape in his pocket measuring everyone’s bar so as he could build his just the right
height and width.
"To travel with Tom was a great experience.
He was known and loved the length and breadth of Belize and he never forgot
anyone….. no matter which town or village you were traveling through there was always
a friend he just had to stop and see for five minutes and they were always pleased to see
him on their doorstep.
"No one can really talk about Tom without
mentioning his work with A. A. He brought his strength and his love for the program
to Placencia with him. For several years he was alone apart from the occasional
tourist or visitor…..eventually a small group formed and that group is still going
strong today, thanks to the strength, hope and experience he was always willing to share.
"I for one owe him a great deal.
"To finish I would like to read a few lines
for today's date from a book Tom always carried with him.
"Happiness cannot be sought directly; it is a
by-product of love and service. Service is a law of our being. With love in your heart,
there is always some service to other people. A life of power and joy and satisfaction is
built on love and service."
We will all miss you, Tom.
But, you'll ever really be gone from us, because we'll remember you forever in our
hearts.
Monday, August 20, 2001
"Hurricane" Chantal Nothing extraordinary taking place in the
Placencia area -- just lots of rain. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air did stop flights
out of Placencia between 10 and 11 a.m. this morning because of increasingly high winds in
the Belize City area. Atlantic Bank is also closed and moved its computer equipment
somewhere yesterday (we hope not to Belize City, but that's what we suspect).
We've had occasional difficulty in getting Internet access because of heavy usage
related to the storm. It's also difficult to call out of the country.
Electricity and water still going strong (thank goodness).
Lagoon Saloon. It's official - Mike and Bonnie are now
retired. The new owners are in Placencia, but haven't yet announced when they will
re-open. We haven't met them yet, and don't know their names.
Tom Giblin. A memorial service is planned for this
Thursday (unless the weather interferes). Following is Tom's obituary from his
hometown newspaper in Bridgeport, CT:
GIBLIN Thomas
F. Giblin, age 63, died suddenly and tragically on Tuesday, August 14, 2001, in Honduras,
Central America. Born in Bridgeport, he attended Sacred Heart School, Lasalette Seminary
and Bassick High School. Tom served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. He was
a member of the Bridgeport Police Department for 20 years, retiring in 1988 with the rank
of lieutenant. He did special work in the field of narcotics while assigned to the
Tactical Squad, as well as working on the Police Marine Unit. He also served as commander
of the Police Scuba Team. He achieved five awards for meritorious service. He was an
instructor for Dive Rescue International. He was a life member of the National Association
of Naval Veterans (Port 5), a member of the Retired and Disabled Police Association, a
life member of the Patrolman`s Association of Connecticut, and the Police Union. After
retiring, Tom followed his dream and headed for Belize on a 76-foot shrimp trawler, named
the "Tinker" which was refitted by his brother, Jack, and himself. In Placencia,
he established "Serenity" a beautiful resort in a tropical paradise, where he
lived for more than 12 years. Tom had devoted the past 25 years of his life helping others
recover from alcoholism. He introduced the 12-step program of recovery in Belize, Central
America. Tom always had time to listen to a problem or help someone on the road to
recovery. The number of lives and the countless families that were touched by his efforts
are unknown but to One. His beautiful smile and the twinkle in his bright blue eyes will
be sadly missed by all. Tom is survived by one son, Thomas Patrick Giblin and his wife,
Deborah, of Fairfield; three daughters, Deborah Giblin Barber and her husband, Ron,
Theresa Emily Giblin, Mary Ellen Giblin, and their mother, Nivea, all of Florida; six
grandchildren, Emily, Jacqueline and Anna Giblin, all of Fairfield, and Ron, Riely and
Remington Barber, all of Florida; two brothers, William Giblin and his wife, Peggy, of
Fairfield, and Brian Giblin of Florida; two sisters, Mary Casey and her husband, Jim, of
Bridgeport, and Nancy Hurley and her husband, Jack, of Monroe; a stepsister, Dorothy
Mingolello of Bridgeport; one sister-in-law, Barbara Giblin of Bridgeport; and many nieces
and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Jack Giblin of Bridgeport; and his
parents, John Giblin and Emily Crehan Giblin of Bridgeport, originally from County Mayo
and County Clare, Ireland. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. in the
Lesko Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, in Fairfield Center. Friends are invited to join his
family DIRECTLY at St. Ann Church, 481 Brewster Street, Bridgeport, on Thursday at 10 a.m.
where a funeral Mass will be celebrated by his cousin, Father John O'Neill. His burial
service will be private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bridgeport Police
Benevolent Association or the General Service Organization of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Wednesday, August 15,
2001 Tom Giblin Update:
9:00 a.m. Story
Filed: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 1:01 AM EST (EFE via COMTEX) --
HONDURAN POLICE CONFIRM U.S. MAN
MURDERED
Tegucigalpa (EFE).- Honduran police on Tuesday
identified a body found in the country's Caribbean region as Thomas Giblin, the retired
U.S. police officer kidnapped from his beachfront home last weekend.
"It's been confirmed, we have found the
remains of Mr. Giblin," Rene Panachame, department head of Honduras' criminal
investigation directorate, told EFE in a brief telephone interview.
In addition, U.S. Embassy spokesman Carlos Bakota
told EFE that Giblin was killed by the criminals who kidnapped him and that his family
members in the United States have already been informed.
Story Filed: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 8:54 PM EDT:
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- Police have recovered what they believe is the body
of a retired Connecticut police officer who was kidnapped in northern Honduras last week.
A body tentatively identified as Thomas Francis
Giblin was discovered Tuesday in a shallow river near the town of Tulian on Honduras'
Caribbean coast. Authorities had not determined the cause of death.
On Saturday, Giblin was pulled from his unfinished
beachfront house outside the nearby town of Puerto Cortes, the U.S. Embassy said.
Officials from the embassy said police found enough evidence at the scene of the crime to
treat the case as a homicide.
``The body was found in a river near Giblin's
residence,'' police said in a statement released late Tuesday. ``We are conducting a
rigorous autopsy.''
The body was discovered just hours after police
arrested four employees of Giblin and another man in connection with his alleged
kidnapping. Authorities refused to comment on whether the suspects told them where
to find the body.
Giblin retired from the Bridgeport, Conn., police
department as a lieutenant in 1988, said Joseph Gresko, a spokesman for the city. He
moved to Belize in the 1980s, built a small house on the beach and gradually developed a
small hotel, the Serenity Resort, near Placencia. Police here reported his age as
76, but the U.S. Embassy and friends said he was 64.
A worker at the Serenity Resort, Graham Berrie,
said by telephone Tuesday that Giblin had recently sold his interest in the resort and
moved to Honduras.
Giblin's Honduran girlfriend, 24-year-old Leticia
Lopez, was also briefly kidnapped, but escaped. She later told authorities that four
masked men with machine guns were holding Giblin and demanding a $50,000 ransom.
According to the U.S. embassy, Giblin is the 14th
American killed in Honduras since 1997. Embassy officials say they are becoming
increasingly frustrated with the country's police force and criminal justice system.
In an interview with a Honduran television station
Tuesday morning, U.S. embassy spokesman Carlos Bakota called Honduras ``a high-risk
country in which to live or invest.''
``We are concerned for the security of the 12,000
U.S. citizens who live in the country,'' Bakota said. ``To come to visit, invest or
establish residence in this country represents a lot of risk due to the crime and the
fragility of the judicial system.''
Honduran Presidential Minister Gustavo Alfaro said
Bakota was overreacting. ``The government of President Carlos Flores Facusse has
made great progress in combatting common crime,'' Alfaro said.
Copyright İ 2001 Associated Press Information
Services, all rights reserved.
6:30 a.m. We understand that Tom's body has been
recovered. However, we have no additional information. Late yesterday's AP
Wire update:
TEGUCIGALPA,
Honduras (AP) -- Police said Tuesday they have detained five men in the kidnapping and
possible murder of a Connecticut man. U.S. officials warned about dangers in Honduras.
"We fear that the American has been killed by his kidnappers," police spokesman
Rene Maradiaga said Tuesday. "We searched for his body, without finding it, in a
river near his house."
Thomas Francis Giblin was pulled from his
unfinished beachfront house outside Puerto Cortes on Honduras' Caribbean Coast Saturday
night, according to said U.S. Embassy spokesman Carlos Bakota. Giblin retired from the
Bridgeport, Conn., police department as a lieutenant in 1988, said Joseph Gresko, a
spokesman for the city. He moved to Belize, built a small house on the beach and gradually
developed a small hotel, the Serenity Resort near Placencia.
Police here reported his age as 76, but the U.S.
Embassy and friends said he was 64. Gresko said he did know Giblin's date of birth. A
worker at the Serenity Resort, Graham Berrie, said by telephone that Giblin had recently
sold his interest in the resort and moved to Honduras. "It's tough to believe
everything so fast," Berrie said. "He was just here a month and a half
ago."
"Five men, four of them employees of Giblin,
are being interrogated by police in Puerto Cortes," Maradiaga said. "We
hope to have satisfactory results soon." "We believe that Giblin was killed on
the banks of the Tulian River and thrown into the water afterward," he said.
Giblin's Honduran girlfriend, 24-year-old Leticia
Lopez, was also briefly kidnapped, but escaped. She later told authorities that four
masked men with machine guns were holding Giblin and demanding a dlrs 50,000 ransom.
In an interview with a Honduran television station
Tuesday morning, Bakota called Honduras "a high-risk country in which to live or
invest," and said that on average, a U.S. citizen is killed in the country every two
months. "We are concerned for the security of the 12,000 U.S. citizens who live in
the country," he said. "To come to visit, invest or establish residence in this
country represents a lot of risk due to the crime and the fragility of the judicial
system," Bakota said. He said the killings of at least 11 U.S. citizens over the past
three years remain unresolved. At least six U.S. citizens were killed here last year. The
U.S. State Department's travel advisory for Honduras warns that "violent and petty
crime are prevalent throughout the country" and says that tourists are often
targeted."
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved.
Tuesday, August 14,
2001
Tom Giblin, Serenity Resort: AP Newswire - "TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) - A retired American police officer was kidnapped and
possibly killed in northern Honduras, a U.S. Embassy official said Monday.
Thomas Franklin Giblin, 64, was
pulled from his unfinished, beach-front home outside Puerto Cortes on the Caribbean coast
Saturday night, said embassy spokesman Carols Bakota.
Giblin's Honduran girlfriend, 24-year-old Leticia
Lopez, was also briefly kidnapped, but escaped. She later told authorities that four men
with machine guns were holding Giblin and demanding a $50,000 ransom.
But Bakota said police have recovered ``a
significant amount of evidence'' suggesting that Giblin's kidnappers probably killed him
just moments after his abduction.
A former officer with the Connecticut State
Police, Giblin had lived in Belize for the last 12 years and owned a casino and several
large homes there. He moved to Honduras in February.
Bakota said police in the city of San Pedro Sula,
about an hour by car from Puerto Cortes, were planning to arrest four men late Monday
night on charges they kidnapped and killed Giblin.
``We have notified family members that this is a
homicide, not a kidnapping,'' Bakota said.
Police were also questioning Lopez.
Last month, William Patrick Donahue, a 49-year-old
Miami native, was fatally shot on a Honduran highway. Bakota said that attack
brought to 13 the number of Americans killed in unsolved cases in Honduras since 1997.
``We are pleased that these arrests are being made
so quickly in what would have been case number 14,'' he said. ``But the embassy has been
putting a lot of pressure on Honduran authorities and that probably had a lot to do with
it.' '
Tuesday, August 7,
2001
Utilities. In a meeting today with the Village Councils
and other area representatives, BEL promised no more power outages of the lengthy duration
we've been having lately. BEL also promised to upgrade the Placencia's electric
service, and to complete installation of service to new residential areas. BEL
reportedly received over 2,000 email complaints about the last service disruption.
The Placencia and Independence Village Council are purchasing a water generator, which BEL
agreed to service to make sure we always have a water supply - - even IF we have a power
outage. We'll see.
Sunday, August 5, 2001
Cayes. The Coastal Zone Management Agency (CZMA)
held a public meeting in Placencia on Thursday, August 2, 2001, to discuss the Agency's
new cayes development program. CZMA recently completed a survey of the cayes in the
Placencia area to catalog the conditions of the cayes, improvements and suitability for
development. CZMA plans to use this information to develop comprehensive guidelines
for cayes development in Belize, on a caye by caye basis. Guidelines will include
recommended development density, recommended power and waste management systems, etc.
Local advisory committee will be formed to review guidelines and to monitor
compliance with final guidelines. Recommendations from Placencians attending
Thursday's meeting included: (1) making Ranguana Caye a part of the Placencia area
cayes region; (2) including cayes within the Placencia Lagoon in the program; (3)
designating Slasher, Little Morris and Booby Cayes as protected cayes.
Road and Weather. The paved portion of the road up to Turtle
Inn is in good shape, the unpaved portion of the road up to Maya Playa is OK, but the road
in front of Maya Playa is almost impassable and the rest of the road through Maya Beach
north of Maya Playa isn't much better. Evening storms are the culprit. Days
remain fairly dry, warm and calm (except for the tropical wave that passed through last
Sunday through Tuesday).
Utilities. During the last month, we've lost them all
periodically. Lightening hit at least one of three generators in Independence,
knocking out electricity for about 18 hours. With the electricity went the water,
since we had no power to pump water from the wells in Independence. Electricity
continued to fail periodically for several weeks until the generators were finally -
usually for 3-4 hours at a time. The Placencia and Independence Water Boards are now
discussing the juoint purchase of a generator so that water can continue to be supplied
even during power outages. (Dark, we don't mind, but dark, dirty and thirty can get
pretty gamy.) Phones and Internet service also failed a couple of times in the last
month. (Probably just wanted to join in the fun.) During the power outages, it
was fairly common to hear people speculating that BEL was staging the power outages to
prove that the Chalillo Dam was really necessary.
Resorts. Rumor is that Luba Hati will close until a
buyer is found for the resort. Robert's Grove is actively selling its new condos
($185,000 USD for the lower units, $210,000 USD for the upper units). Robert's Grove
is also purportedly telling potential condo buyers that a marina will be built on its
property fronting the Placencia Lagoon. However, we've seen no environmental impact
assessment.
Housing. Another rumor is that Dave Rabren will be
building a boatload of townhouses on the main road in the Village and that the Aronians
plan to build condos on the Lagoon side of the road next to Robert's Grove.
Placencia Village Council. The Council now has an office upstairs over
the Fishermen's Coop, next to the post office. All letters and documents for the
Council should be delivered to this office. Office hours are Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to Noon. Phone and
fax number is 06-23369. Marissa Cabral is the new Council Office secretary.
Tourism Awards. Belize will again recognize its premier tour
guide, resort/hotel, tour operator and a host of other "bests" in the 2001
Tourist Awards. If you have anyone you'd like to nominate, nominations can be
submitted online through a link on the BTB homepage (http://www.travelbelize.org).
Don't worry when you get a message that the nominations needed to be submitted by
March, 2001 - somebody just forgot to change the message when the awards were moved from
April to August. However, nominations do need to be in this week.
Thursday, July 5, 2001
New Source of News from Placencia. The Placencia Breeze, our local
monthly newspaper, is now on-line at http://www.placenciabreeze.com.
Let us know what you think!
Development. Rumor is that MNM Hardware (headquartered in
Independence and owned by the Zabaneh family) will soon be constructing a large hardware
store in Placencia Village (on the Placencia Lagoon side of the main road). The Nova
Company, new owner of the Laguna Madre shrimp farm in the upper Placencia Lagoon area, has
proposed a 60' wide sea water intake canal to cut the Peninsula above the cut proposed by
the Plantation housing development. Nova is also seeking approval to significantly
expand shrimp farm operations at Laguna Madre. Another rumor is that two large marinas
will be constructed in the Lagoon in the Placencia Village area. Sounds like a lot
of "stuff" for a shallow, slow-circulating estuary.
Thursday, June 28, 2001
 Placencia LobsterFest 2001. LobsterFest 2001, held on June 23 and 24 at
the Placencia Village dock was great fun! Estimated attendance on Saturday was about
500 people, with about 25 booths - a long way from the first LobsterFest just 4
years ago, with one booth, and attendance of about 30 people. Earl Godfrey won the
fishing tournament, and Chris Butler was first in the Cycle Classic. Santino's
Messengers were outstanding performers on Saturday night. Lots of fun and games for
kids, and lots of food and drink for everybody (the lobster fritters were awesome).
Brad Turton, co-owner of the Internet Cafe in Placencia Village, generously allowed us to
publish his pictures of the Fest on our 2001 Events Page.
Weather. Finally getting some rain from a tropical
wave that blew into the Peninsula Tuesday night. Temperatures have moderated some,
too.
Road. The road is paved from Placencia Grocery
almost to the Placencia dock. The rest of the road has been upgraded and is in
pretty good condition, except right after a heavy rain (takes a couple of hours for the
road to settle again after a heavy rain).
Tuesday, June 12, 2001
Laura
Smith, owner of Green Bottle Winery in Dangriga, passed away in her sleep last Friday.
Services will be Thursday at the Anglican Church in Dangriga. Laura was a
mainstay of life in Stann Creek, and a good friend to many people. She will be
greatly missed.
Monday, June 11, 2001
Weather. It's HOT!!! Generally calm during the
day with the wind picking up about 6 p.m., dying back down about 7:30 p.m. Little
rain for the past 10 days or so.
Fishermen's Coop. The new Board of Directors was elected June
1, 2001. Board members are: Leopold Gavin, Carlton Young, Sr., Earl Godfrey,
Elton Eiley, Bruce Leslie, Leslie Faux and Sydney Lopez, Jr.
Road. Road is in great shaped - not paved, of
course, but in really good shape nonetheless.
Beach. Winds from the south are blowing in
jellyfish. Some Portuguese Man O' Wars have been spotted on the beach in the early
mornings, so check the water before swimming.
The Moorings. Placencia will be base port for The Moorings
charter yacht sailing vacations starting in mid-November of this year. We don't know
where the yachts will be based (the yachts are 35-45 foot catamarans).
Placencia Breeze. The Placencia Breeze, Placencia's monthly
newspaper, is now online at http://www.placenciabreeze.com.
Sunday, May 27, 2001
Weather/Roads. Got our bayama Saturday morning and
it had the expected effect on the roads - they were a sticky, gooey, slippery mess until
they dried up Saturday afternoon. Not too much damage to the road in terms of
potholes or ruts, though. Getting some dark, ominous clouds now and it's really hot.
Rum Point's annual Fiddler on the Reef is tonight, so we hope the weather
holds up.
Cayes. David Alvarez, the new owner of Ranguana
Caye is planning on some changes to upgrade lodgings. Rumor has it that changes will
include private baths in each cabana (eliminating the existing kitchens) and a restuarant
(or at least a central kitchen from which meals can be pre-ordered. Tent camping
also may be restricted at some point.
Internet Service. We've heard that BTL is planning on finally
installing a server for the Peninsula. That's supposed to help our download times,
but we're wondering if they have any plans to train personnel to keep it up and running.
IF they can keep the new server up and running, should help local communications,
especially for businesses like the Internet Cafe in Placencia Village.
Resorts. Turtle Inn plans to tear down the Dragonfly
House (the cement igloo building at the northern end of the resort) and replace it with a
wooden beach cabana. Seems the Dragonfly almost drowns everytime it rains.
Wednesday, May 23, 2001
Weather. Extremely calm tonight, very low tide,
somewhat eerie. Wind earlier today from the south. The older people in the
Village say we're in for a "bayama" (certainly not spelled correctly).
Apparently a bayama is a a very sudden, short and intense storm.
Guess we'll find out in the next day or so.
Road. Road bed has been upgraded almost to the
Placencia Village dock from just south of Seine Bight. Right now it's in very, very
good condition (we'll see what the bayama does to it).
Resorts. Rum Point Inn has a new manager (Ms.
Boudreau) from New Orleans. Paul has been named the interim manager of Serenity
Resort. Kitty Fox is in the States for medical tests (nothing serious, we're told).
Marti Cottrell, co-owner of Singing Sands, is also off to the States, but just for
some R&R.
Animals. Mrs. Clover Lowell of Coral Gables, Florida
has generously donated to the Placencia Humane Society a good deal of pet care
health care supplies and enough funds to spay or neuter approximately 35 area cats and
dogs! (Thanks Clover!)
Thursday, May 3, 2001
Skip
White. Skip White, the original
owner of Turtle Inn, died Saturday night, April 28, 2001 of lung cancer in Chicago,
Illinois. Skip built, owned, and operated Turtle Inn until late last year when it
was purchased by Francis Ford Coppola. Skip had a big heart and a great sense of
humor, and will be very much missed. Our condolences to his family.
Easter/Water Update. Well, we survived. Actually, the
Easter crowds weren't too rowdy this year and a number of people left because of the lack
of water until late Thursday afternoon. The water literally dribbled in most of the
weekend, with almost no pressure except around 4 a.m. when few people take showers or wash
clothes. Hope the Water Board purchased a spare pump.
Weather. Seems the weather is FINALLY calming down.
The whole week has been beautiful, with only mild winds and the fishing, snorkeling
and diving have been great.
Restaurants. The Luba Hati restaurant is now on summer
hours, with dinner served only on Friday and Saturday evenings. Rasta Pasta is
temporarily closed until it completes its move from Serenade Hotel in Placencia Village to
a free-standing building on the sidewalk (the old Driftwood Cafe). Jake's
Purple Space Monkey Internet Cafe has switched to summer hours and opens at 8 a.m.-1 p.m.,
and re-opens at 5:00 p.m.
Gift Shops. One World Gift Shop has changed its name to
Beach Bazaar. (Or is that "Bizarre"?) A new gift shop has opened at
Cozy Corners.
Markets. Olga's Market is now air conditioned!
Wallen's Market started a delivery service with scheduled deliveries on Mondays,
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Orders should be placed at least a day in
advance. The truck leaves Wallen's at 9:00 a.m.
Placencia Village Talent Show. The Placencia Village Talent Show on Sunday,
April 29 at the Community Center was a blast - and a sell out! Performers included:
Albert Gill, Belize's Reggae Ambassador, Dillon Goss, the Placencia Houdini, Funky
Fizzy and Tricky Pixie, the Placencia Wonder Dogs, Cheryl Rabren and the Silver
Starlettes, Kulcha Shak Garifuna Drumming and Dancing, Patricia Celenza, interpretive
dancing, Ted Berlin, classical guitar, and Pearl Eiley, Placencia's own Loretta Lynn.
Bianca (Blanche) Barkan did an outstanding job as producer and director. The
talent show was sponsored by the Placencia Humane Society.
Road. Road work to pave the road between the
Placencia Village Dock and the airstrip was supposed to have started right after Easter -
- but hasn't yet. No rain, road is really dusty.
New Sailboat. The Talisman is 52' Gulfstar ketch that is
now available for day trips and overnight cruises. Day trips (minimum 4 people)
include open bar, full lunch, snacks, 3 restrooms, hot and cold water, stereo, water toys
and shade seating - $90 USD per person plus 8% sales tax. An 8-day/7 night cruise
begins in Belize City and visits English Caye, Turneffe Atoll (Douglas Caye, Caye Bokel
and Turneffe Island Lodge), Tobacco Caye (optional side trip to Dangriga), Long Coco Caye,
Placencia Village, Monkey River and Seine Bight Village.
Placencia Village Ordinances. Rumor is that the ordinances are almost
ready to be presented to the Village residents for approval. (This ought to be
interesting.)
Internet Service. Internet service (including email) continues
to deteriorate with increasingly slow speeds and faulty connections. According to
BTL, they have "more customers than they can handle right now," so they're
giving Belize City most of the bandwidth and DON'T plan to purchase necessary new
equipment so that us schmucks out in the districts don't have to pay for crappy service.
If the government is going to continue grant monopolies, maybe they should put
something in place to ensure that the monopoly actually gives SERVICE in return for its
obscene profits! So, don't panic if emails to Placencia aren't answered immediately
- we probably can't GET your email to answer it!
Saturday, April 14, 2001
Water. Water service (of a sort) was restored
Thursday night/Friday morning. Not much pressure, though -- but still, we do have
fresh water again. Apparently, no one was paying attention to the pump and the
sinking water table level (always happens this time of year at the end of the dry season).
The water fell below the pump level and the pump burned itself out. Of
course, no one in Belize had a replacement, so one had to be ordered and shipped from
Miami. The pump hadn't arrived by around noon on Thursday, so someone came up with
the idea of diverting water from two other wells to service Placencia (using another
pump). It's working, but just barely.
Electricity. Most people expect the electricity to go out
at some point this weekend given the huge drain on electricity that we'll have on Sunday
(bands, live broadcasts, number of people in the Village, etc.). The electricity
always does go out at some point on Easter weekend, so why should this weekend be any
different.
Good Friday. Good Friday is the only day in Belize on
which bars must be closed. It's also often the most peaceful day of the year (and
gives us some respite over the Easter Weekend holiday which starts on Maundy Thursday).
Yesterday evening was delightful, no noise, light wind, few lights as everyone
seems to have gone to bed early.
Weather. Wind is kicking up again, although not as
badly as in the Belize City area where winds were around 30 knots yesterday. Still
hot and sunny, so the wind is welcome by everyone except divers, snorkelers and fishermen
(which, when you think about it, is just about everybody on the Peninsula).
Plantation. We understand that the Plantation
salespeople are still telling prospective lot purchasers that the cut will be made through
the Peninsula -- and a marina constructed. However, the politicians are still
telling local people that there will be no cut. Anyone want to try for what's behind
Door No. 3?
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Heat and Water. Well, it's HOT - - AND we've had no running
water since about 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, April 10. Apparently, the water pump in
Independence broke (again). Water is supposed to be back on today -- and we sure are
hoping they're right. With the Peninsula filling up for the Easter holidays and the
heat, it could get fairly aromatic around here fairly quickly.
Weather. HOT, HOT, HOT. No rain other than a
few very light sprinkles a couple of nights ago (not even enough to turn the dust on our
van into mud). But, the winds are dying down a bit, making for some great fishing
weather.
Accommodations. A couple of rooms left here and there for
the Easter weekend holidays, but not many. Big bashes planned for the beach.
Keep your women, children and animals indoors.
Seine Bight Village Council
Elections. The following were
elected this past Sunday:
- Leonard Williams, Chairperson
- Norman Marin, Vice Chairperson
- Gerry Palacio, Secretary
- Buck Martinez, Assistant Secretary
- Ramirez Martinez, Treasurer
- Ruben Palacio, Assistant Treasurer
- Marcello Williams, Councillor
Monday, April 2, 2001
Placencia Village Council
Elections. Glen Eiley was
elected Chairperson of the Placencia Village Council at Council elections held Sunday,
April 1, 2001 at the recently renovated Placencia Village Community Center. Newly
elected council members are: Harald Wallen (Wallen's Grocery), Graham Cabral
(Wallen's Hardware), Karen Young (second term - Wallen's Grocery), Lydia Villanueva
(second term - Lydia's Rooms), Percy Neal (second term, Percy's Taxi Service and BJ's
Restaurant), Wendy Westby.
Council elections began at
approximately 9:45 a.m. at the Community Center with nominations from Village residents.
Nominated for Council Chairperson were Glen Eiley, Fred Cabral, Janice Leslie and
Harald Wallen (declined to accept nomination). Nominated for Council Members were:
Lydia Villanueva, Harold Wallen, Ruthford Westby, Karen Young, Percy Neal, Graham
Cabral, Bruce Leslie, George Westby, Brian Yearwood (declined to accept nomination),
Garret Longsworth (declined to accept nomination), Kurt Godfrey, Wendy Westby and Adrian
Vernon. Polls closed Sunday night at 6:15 p.m.
Only citizens of Belize who have
lived in the Village for one year immediately preceding the election are eligible for
Village Council office. Voters must be citizens or permanent residents of Belize who
have resided in the Village for two months immediately prior to the election.
Weather. Still unseasonably hot and muggy.
Still no rain. Portions of northern Belize are facing brownouts due to insufficient
amounts of water for electric generation at the Mojellen Dam.
Thursday, March 29, 2001
Whale Sharks. Whale shark migration in the Gladden Spit
area (the "Elbow") will be at its peak during April and May. Prime times
to see whale sharks in this area are 3 or 4 days before and after the full and new moons
(April 8, April 23, May 7 and May 23). The first Belize whale shark guide training
classes were held March 22-24, 2001 in Placencia. The following guides are now
certified whale shark guides:
 |
Vance Cabral, Advance
Diving |
|
|
Prince Gongora, Aquatic
Adventures |
|
|
Eloy Cuevas, Eloy's
Tour Guide Service |
|
|
Julie Berry, free-lance
dive instructor |
|
|
Cardinal Andrews,
Hamanasi Resort |
|
|
James Leslie, Natural
Mystic Dive Shop |
|
|
Sean Faux, Nite Wind
Guide Services |
|
|
Francisco Linarez, Rum
Point Inn |
|
|
|
Alfred Williams, Alfred
Williams Guide Service |
|
|
Gareth Longsworth,
Eco-Belize Guiding |
|
|
Luke DeSilva, Friends
of Laughing Bird Caye |
|
|
Sydney Lopez, Jr.,
Kevin Modera Guide Services |
|
|
Dorianney Perez,
Nautical Inn |
|
|
Elroy Tucker, Rum Point
Inn |
|
|
Christopher Lewis, Sea
Horse Dive Shop |
|
|
Louis Godfrey, Sea
Horse Dive Shop |
|
(See our Whale Shark page for more information on whale shark snorkeling and
diving regulations.)
Road. At a public meeting last Wednesday evening
(March 21, 2001), new Area Representative Henry Canton (also Minister of Public Works)
announced that the national government intends to pave the Placencia road from the
Placencia Village dock to the airstrip sometime during the next year. (Mr. Canton
told the assembly that the cost to pave the road is $1.5 Million BZD per mile.) The
remainder of the unpaved road from north of Seine Bight to Riversdale will be improved (in
a manner yet unspecified). A $307,696 BZD contract was awarded to Albert Reimer,
Valley Ranch Enterprise Ltd., Orange Walk to begin paving work. The work is being
funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Belize government.
Coast Guard. The email version of The Reporter
reported on Wednesday, March 28, 2001 that the British government is providing funding for
a patrol boat and other related equipment to assist Belize is forming a new Belize Coast
Guard.
Placencia Village Council
Elections. Elections will be
held this Sunday, March 25, 2001 for the Placencia Village Council positions. As
yet, no announcement on who is running (guess we'll find out when we show up to vote).
Glenn Eiley is reportedly floating the idea of slate of Glenn, Harald Wallen
(of Wallen's Grocery), Graham Cabral (of Wallen's Hardware) and Bruce Leslie, flyfishing
guide.
Weather.
Unseasonably hot and dry for the last 2 weeks, resulting in a lot of dust from the (as
yet) unpaved road.
Medfly. A fertile medfly was discovered in
Placencia Village last week. The Agriculture Department has set up a roadblock at
Professional Building Supplies to prevent fruits and vegetables from being taken out of
the Village.
Nature "Stuff." Mangos have borne
fruit, cashews are ripening, producing a beautiful sweet aroma. Fiddlewoods are just
starting to bloom. Guavas are putting out new leaves. Tarpon fishing should be
good throughout April. Dog and Mutton Snappers are spawning.
Saturday, March 3, 2001
Our apologies for the long hiatus
- - January and February were incredibly busy, PLUS our computer completely crashed around
the 15th of February. Fred Evans, an incredibly gifted "techie" in Belize
City at Business Machines and Solutions Ltd., was able to restore everything EXCEPT our
local copy of our Website. Just got it back up and running about 10 minutes
ago. We'll try to provide an overview of everything that's happened since the middle
of January. I'm sure we'll forget a few things, though, so our apologies if we leave
out something significant.
Road. The road is being graded on a regular basis,
making driving much more pleasant. Some talk of paving, causing concerns about
increased traffic, parking, noise, air pollution, etc. New lights have been
installed on the road around the ballfield area in Placencia Village (and the ballfield
has new lights to allow night-time games).
Weather. Absolutely beautiful today -- high '80s,
sunny and a light breeze. February's weather was very odd - - more like March than
February - - very windy and unsettled.
Hotels, Resorts, Apartments. The Manatee Inn near the northern end of the
Village is open for business as are the new "Easy
Living" Apartments near the school and the southern end of the sidewalk.
The Easy Living apartments bring a bit of luxury to Placencia Village - - each apartment
is a fully furnished 2-bedroom unit with full kitchen, living room area, air conditioning,
spacious tiled bath, cable television, phone and private verandahs.
Restaurants. Claudette Cabral has opened "Haul U
As" snack shop on the road near the Sea Spray "feeder" sidewalk in
Placencia Village. Best burritos in town. Pearl Cabral is again making the
best conch fritters on the Peninsula at the "End of the Road" restaurant at the
Placencia Village Dock. Pickled Parrot and J-Byrds in Placencia Village are
alternating nightly weekend entertainment, J-Byrds on Fridays and Sundays, Pickled Parrot
on Saturdays. Rum Point also hosts a "Latino Night" on Saturday evening
featuring Latin music and food.
Airstrip. The Placencia airstrip has some new
developments -- a fence to define the airplane's space from the people space, new signs
identifying the airport and welcoming visitors to Placencia, as well as a new baggage
claim check policy. (Yes, you read that right - - so don't lose those claim
checks!). Local officials are also attempting to obtain approval for emergency
airstrip lighting so that medical emergencies can be airlifted out of the Placencia area.
Police. The Peninsula now has two new "tourist
police" officers who concentrate on tourism-oriented police matters such as enforcing
tour guide and tour operator licensing laws and offering special assistance to tourists.
Politics. Elections for new Village Council members in
Seine Bight and Placencia Village will be held this month. No info yet on
contenders. Rumor is that Glen Eiley will not stand again for Placencia Village
Council membership. Henry Canton, Minister of Public Works, is (or soon will be) the
new Area Representative for Placencia. Canton replaces Mike Espat, Area
Representative for a portion of the Toledo District in which Placencia was inexplicably
placed for the purpose of District representation.
Environment. Environmental issues are getting a lot of
attention in Placencia, as well as in the rest of the country. Locally, Placencia
and Seine Bight Village residents are outraged over the proposal by "The
Plantation" developers to cut through the Peninsula to access the Plantation's
proposed marina at the northern end of the Placencia Lagoon.
A new group, "Friends of
Placencia Lagoon," is becoming active in issues affecting the Placencia Lagoon (and
ultimately, the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef). These issues include: proposed
Plantation marina and causeway, proposed causeway from Independence Village, large-scale
residential development, unauthorized cutting of mangroves, proliferating shrimp farms and
lack of enforcement of environmental laws. Friends of Placencia Lagoon is seeking
funding to conduct a full baseline study of the Lagoon, originally slated to be conducted
by the Government of Belize in 1996, but later abandoned. The Belize Department of
Environment estimates that a full baseline study will cost approximately $200,000 USD.
Nationally, the proposed Chalillo
Dam continues to brew controversy about the actual electric output of the proposed Dam,
its efficiency as a source of electricity, ultimate cost to consumers, pollution, and
destruction of significant ecological habitats for endangered species and Mayan
archeological sites. A New York Times article this week reports that a
national government official "speculates" that the real reason behind the Dam is
the lining of well-placed pockets. We hear rumors that lake-front lots that would be
created by the Dam have already been doled out to deserving supporters.
On another national front, the
internationally renowned Belize Zoo is fighting a plan to put a landfill directly in front
of the Zoo - - despite serious concerns about seepage into drinking water supplies, as
well as the negative environmental impact on the Zoo itself.
Saturday, January 13, 2001
Earthquake. Placencia experienced a minor earthquake this morning at about
11:30 a.m. No damage or injuries.
Weather. We know you all have been cold -- but so
were were during the first week or so of January. Temps got all the way down into
the low to mid-60s at night (just remember, it's all relative). Weather today,
however, is beautiful - - sunny with just a few scattered cumulus clouds to make the sky
interesting, about 80 degrees F, light wind.
Road Conditions. The road is quite good on the southern end
of the Peninsula - a grader just went through yesterday and smoothed out the potholes.
Population. The Belize government has released its
initial results on the 2000 census. The first report deals only with total
population numbers by gender, later reports will provide breakdowns on income levels,
education, ethnic origin, etc. For the Stann Creek District, population information
is as follows:
| Location |
2000 |
1991 |
%
Growth |
| Placencia Village |
501 |
361 |
38.8% |
| Seine Bight Vill. (includes
Maya Beach) |
871 |
544 |
60.1% |
| Mango Creek |
660 |
605 |
9.1% |
| Independence |
2,269 |
1,364 |
60.1% |
| Hopkins |
1,027 |
810 |
26.8% |
| Maya Center |
765 |
369 |
107.3% |
| Red Bank/Maya
Mopan |
1,472 |
794 |
85.4% |
| Dangriga |
8,814 |
6,449 |
36.7% |
| STANN CREEK
TOTAL |
24,548 |
18,085 |
35.7% |
Preliminary conclusions for the
entire country are:
- Total Belize population is now 240,204, 189,392 in
1991 - a growth rate of 2.7% per annum
- Stann Creek and Toledo each gained one-half of one
percentage point in total population since 1991
- Belize City is the largest urban center in
population, with Orange Walk Town remaining in second place, but now with only 223 more
persons than San Ignacio/Santa Elena (in 1991, Orange Walk had 2,634 more persons than San
Ignacio/Santa Elena)
- Belize has 121,278 males, and 118,926 females, a
ratio of 1.02:1
- Urban/Rural distribution remained the same - 48:52
Laws of Belize.
The laws of Belize are now online at http://www.belizelaw.org
Environment.
The Plantation Development at the northern end of the Peninsula is attempting to gain
approval to construct a causeway that would turn the southern 2/3's of the Peninsula into
an island. The causeway would allow boats to pass between the Caribbean Sea and the
Placencia Lagoon without having to travel around the southern point of the Peninsula.
(The Plantation Development is also seeking approval to construct a marina in the
Lagoon, and the proposed causeway would directly benefit the proposed marina.)
Opponents of the causeway believe a causeway will harm the Lagoon as well as create access
problems for persons living south of the proposed causeway. Proponents counter that
the causeway will increase land values on the Lagoon.
Tour Guides. An
updated list of licensed tour guides in the Placencia area can be accessed on our Tour Guide Page.
Monday, January 1, 2001
Happy New Year!!!!! J-Byrd's and Dockside were the scenes
of the action in Placencia Village last night (and this morning) despite very cool
temperatures (for Placencia, at least) and rain. Winds have been steadily increasing
in velocity throughout the day today, with strong intermittent rains. Could be worse
- - could be snow, as those of you in the frigid north well know (sorry, couldn't avoid
rubbing it in). Rum Point celebrated with live music with Albert Gill and the
J-Vibes Band, plus a special New Year's dinner. Robert's Grove, Serenity and Luba
Hati also rang in the New Year with special gustatory delights. Very quiet right now
on the Placencia - the partyers (tourists and locals alike) seem to have all decided that
a good night's sleep is the better part of valor. |
