Officials of the Belize
Port Authority, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and President of
the San Pedro Tour Guide Association, Mr. Phillip
“Billy” Leslie met with local media to explain about
their plans on improving maritime safety in San Pedro.
In October of 2011, after an unfortunate tragic accident
involving a local water taxi vessel and a tourist losing
a leg the Belize Port Authority, along with the Belize
Tourism Board, agreed to take immediate action to
address maritime safety for the island.
The Belize Tourism Board has already placed notices on
piers for swimmers. The signs have ‘welcoming words’ and
include some rules and regulations about designated
swimming areas off the piers for the safety of all.
As a follow up to this meeting, the BPA met once again
with island officials to continue placing signs
especially on the “no wake zone” in the Boca Del Rio
Area and along the lagoon area for the safety of all
swimmers and boaters.
stated Mr. Phillip
‘Billy’ Leslie. Signs indicating the areas which are “no
wake zones” will be erected, as well as for designated
safe swimming areas.
One of the main reasons why this is being addressed with
much importance is because residents are taking the
entrance of Boca del Rio as a swimming area. The
geo-tubes which were placed in front of the Boca del Rio
Park have sieved out all the sand making the area
shallow; residents have taken the dangerous area for
swimming.
To prevent any accidents the area will be properly
marked off and a different swimming area will be
assigned for everybody to enjoy. The Belize Port
Authority will also have personnel carrying out
periodical inspections so that rules and laws are not
being violated.
This plan of action will commence immediately in the
town area and then spread out in the entire island for
the safety of all.
Each year the
hurricane season starts June 1
st and ends
on November 30
th. Prior to the beginning of
the season the National Emergency Management
Organization (NEMO) hosts a “NEMO Week” in preparation
for the season. This year, the week is observed under
the theme, Preserving Life and Property and will take
place during the week of May 27 – June 1, 2012.
As part of the national activities, all schools
throughout the country have been invited to join and
participate in a National poster contest to be judged
in Belmopan for NEMO Week. The contest is open to
students in standard 4 to 6 in all primary schools
countrywide. Entries must be submitted through the
school’s principal or a class teacher no later than
May 22
nd and depicting the theme
“Preserving Life and Property”. Posters will be judged
on expression of the theme; creativity and
originality, visual clarity and appeal; broad audience
appeal and educational value. There will be prizes for
first, second and third places. The winning posters
will be used as display during NEMO week at NEMO
Headquarters in Belmopan and other displays throughout
the year as well as will be considered for promotional
materials. Poster contestants will be competing at a
chance to win $1,600 in prizes.
Locally, all schools in the Belize Rural South
constituency are invited to participate in the quiz
contest scheduled for May 29
th. Other
activities include a church service, scheduled for
Sunday the 27
th, radio and TV talk show
appearances to promote Public Awareness on Monday 28
th,
Quiz contest at the Lion’s Den on May 29
th
at 1PM, and ending with an entertainment night on June
1
st scheduled to start at 7pm at Central
Park. For more information about NEMO training, feel
free to Contact Ms. Jeromey Timrose, district
emergency coordinators for Belize Rural South at
telephone number: 206 – 2891 or cell 600-8672/666-
7476
While NEMO goes into full preparation mode, on the 4
th
of April 2012, Drs Philip J. Klotzbach and William M.
Gray, of the Department of Atmospheric Science at
Colorado State University, issued the expected
forecast for the Atlantic hurricane activity.
According to the release, information obtained through
March 2012 indicates that the 2012 Atlantic hurricane
season will have less activity than the median
1981-2010 season. It is estimated that 2012 will
have about four hurricanes (median is 6.5), 10 named
storms (median is 12.0), 40 named storm days (median
is 60.1), 16 hurricane days (median is 21.3), two
major (Category 3-4-5) hurricanes (median is 2.0) and
three major hurricane days (median is 3.9).
The probability of a U.S. major hurricane landfall is
estimated to be about 80 percent of the long-period
average. The Atlantic basin Net Tropical Cyclone (NTC)
activity in 2012 is expected to be approximately 75
percent of the long-term average. This forecast is
based on a new extended-range early April statistical
prediction scheme that utilizes 29 years of past data.
Analog predictors are also utilized. A somewhat
below-average Atlantic basin hurricane season is
expected due to a combination of an anomalously cool
tropical Atlantic and the potential development of El
Niño.
Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one
hurricane making landfall to make it an active season
for them, and they need to prepare the same for every
season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.
On April 13
th, the name Irene was retired
from the official list of Atlantic Basin tropical
storm names by the World Meteorological Organization’s
(WMO) hurricane committee because of the fatalities
and damage caused in August 2011 and will be replaced
by Irma. Storm names are reused every six years for
both the Atlantic Basin and eastern North Pacific
Basin, unless retired for causing a considerable
amount of casualties or damage. Irene is the 76th name
to be retired from the Atlantic list since 1954.
The storm names for 2012 are as follows
: Alberto,
Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon,
Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine,
Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and
William.
San Pedro Sun
Justice Sam Awich
sworn in as new Justice of Appeal
Justice Samuel
Lungole Awich was today sworn in as a Justice of
the Belize Court of Appeal by the Acting Governor
General, His Excellency Carlos Perdomo, at Belize
House, Belmopan. Present at the swearing-in
ceremony were his wife, son and daughter.
Justice Awich who is originally from Uganda has
served as a Supreme Court Judge in Belize since
April 2001. He retired as a Judge of the Supreme
Court on 15th May 2012 after attaining the age of
65 years.
Justice Awich was appointed as Acting Chief
Justice in October 2010 on the retirement of the
former Chief Justice, Dr Abdulai Conteh. He
continued to act as Chief Justice until September
2011 until the appointment of Justice Kenneth
Benjamin as Chief Justice.
Before coming to Belize, Justice Awich served as a
Judge of the High Court of Solomon Islands from
March 1995 to 2001. He also sat as a Judge of the
Court of Appeal of Solomon Islands from March 1998
to February 2001.
Other Justices of the Court of Appeal are Justice
Manuel Sosa as President and Justice Dennis
Morrison and Justice Douglas Mendes.
The next Sitting of the Court of Appeal commences
on 11th June, 2012 in Belize City. Also sworn in
at today’s ceremony was Mr. Bernard Pitts as the
Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries
Commission. Mr. Pitts’ appointment was approved by
the Senate at its meeting held on 11th May 2012.
Mr. Pitts’ appointment is for a period of five
years with effect from 15th May 2012. He will
replace Mr. Alberto August who resigned last
month.
San Pedro Sun
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
NOTICE
Dr. Baptist is at the
Saga Clinic this week through Thursday.
Please call for your appointment. 226-3266
***********************
FREE First Aid Training
As part of the
2012-2013 Disaster Risk Reduction Project in
San Pedro the Belize Red Cross offers a FREE
community first aid training
Date: Saturday, May
19th
Time: 9am to 3pm
Location: Fido's
Note: This is not a
commercial first aid training for e.g. the
tour guides license. Those refresher
trainings can be booked via the Belize Red
Cross office at 227-3319.
************************
Saga Humane Society
Monthly Cook-Off
Fundraiser
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
6 - 9 p.m.
Hosted by AJ’s (Average
Joe’s)
“Bar Food or Finger
Food”
is the theme!
Known for their
fabulous wings and chili, AJ’s will be our
host for May! Challenge the host…think about
all the different ’Bar Food or Finger Food’
available to make. It’s easy to enter a
dish. And a Nano IPOD is the First Place
Prize for the winning dish!
The monthly cook-off is
always a fun social event for the whole
family. Bring the kids...bring your dog! We
look forward to seeing you all there!
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
You
have power over your mind - not
outside events. Realize this,
and you will find strength
Marcus Aurelius
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