AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye I had a dream . . .

I've thought long and hard about whether I would respond to this thread. I try to never post anything that could be conveyed as controversial until after 24 hours of writing. I went back and fort on the following all day yesterday. Last night I had to ask myself why I wanted to even bother with this. Upon awaking I had decided to let sleeping dogs lie - then I read the latest posts and changed my mind. You may not want to read this - and that is OK by me. My intent is to let you know that for many years I have tried to stand up for environmental issues. My objection to 'street lighting from the bridge to Journey's end' is the agenda behind it. In my original post of course I got silly - future tripping. I just want people to think about the consequences of their behavior and not be blindsided by questionable proposals. So - here I am - How do you like me now. Ha ha ha ha.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 - Some very interesting responses.

Hello Chris - I'll continue to give compliments whether you want them or not. LOL

In answer to the rocks being thrown at my glass house:
I first came to Belize in 1998 and came back at least once every year for eight years before buying on Ambergris Caye.
My first intention to buy here was a deal with Chris Allnat who had planned to build a condo complex south of town. That plan fell through.

In the meantime I did purchase two lots on Long Caye at Lighthouse Atoll BECAUSE of the eco-friendly guidelines in place. I have been an advocate for protecting those and successfully fought the plan to dredge a canal just off shore of the wall into the swamp. This dredging would have done what was planned to be done at South Beach affecting Hol-Chan.

I had never planned to live on Long Caye - I like to go out there and do the diving that is promoted around the world; then come back to civilization. BTW how often do tourists tell you that the diving here on the reef is not what is depicted in all the promotions? Uh huh! Splain that Lucy! Unfortunately a handful of developers now have their fingers in the Long Caye pie and are trying to change the ego guidelines.

I am an active member of Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Development.
Why so many people can't read this correctly baffles me. ACCSD is NOT against development - we simply want development that does not destroy the environment.

I also joined the Chamber of Commerce and advocated for trash cans which we got. Fortunately others, like the Mayor and Bowen & Bowen, got busy and also put out trash containers. We all benefited from this.

Yes, I bought a condo north of the cut when there was a beautiful lagoon along the western side of the cart path bordered by healthy mangroves. Yes, I was verbal in trying to stop Reef Village from tearing out the mangroves and dredging and filling the lagoon.
Yes, I realized that this area is quickly being developed in a density that I choose not to live in.
Yes, I bought a lot in the Tres Cocos area (I bought directly from an owner even though a realtor had shown the property on their web page without permission) and started building a house. The cost over-runs were prohibitive so I have only the lower 1/3 built.

I became active in the North Ambergris Caye Neighborhood Watch (NACNW) and have worked with my neighbors to make this a clean safe environment. I headed up the committee that got the children of San Mateo involved in what we called "The Great Garbage Games). Our initial motivation was to make the area where the sky divers were planning to come on their first trip clean and safe. The first year we took out an overflowing dump truck full of trash from the bridge to the Palapa Bar.

When NACNW tried to get the government to do something about the deplorable condition of the "Cart Path" we were told in no uncertain terms that THERE IS NO ROAD NORTH OF THE BRIDGE. Those of us who live up here put in our own time and money to make the CART PATH navigable. Personally I dug drainage ditches.
Prior to the bridge the resorts UP NORTH transported their guests by boat. MANY of the people who bought here continued beach front building and did so mainly because of the quiet nature of the area.

The bridge was built over protest of the majority of the northern residents but we were ASSURED that traffic would be limited to golf carts. ROTFLOL.

When I returned from my hip replacement surgery the end of September last year I moved up to my little place north of the Palapa Bar and leased out my condo.

This place, I call Birdland, was not CLEARED. The bush was removed saving as many trees as possible and I have planted many many more shrubs, vines, bushes and trees then were removed. I have worked diligently to preserve the nature of the place.

Yes, I am an old, fat, gringa living alone and feel totally safe here with my landscape lighting and my one remaining dog. (I've lost two to poisoning in the last year). I have a lovely amber light on my entry gate that lights up the cart path without interfering with the night sky. I have three other colored lights spread around the property so I can see when anyone comes onto my property. My dog Pepe also warns me. My neighbors have similar lighting and we watch out for each other (hence the words neighborhood and watch.)

I loose track of exact dates but sometime before Christmas Belize Electric Limited came through and cleared large expanses of jungle along the CART PATH. They were very nice to work with and where ever there was something built they trimmed rather than cleared the access. Then before the lines were finished very large road building equipment came through and built a road. Someone even gave it a name! TROPICANA? The first we who live here heard of it was when signs were put up. So, now I guess it is officially a road.

Just before Christmas, we experienced the caravans of speeding taxis from early morning until late at night. A sign was posted at the bridge saying that the neighborhood watch would maintain the road. We had never been consulted. On the third day, after a loud outcry, some actions were taken and the taxis slowed down. Most of them now wave at me.

The issue about maintenance was promptly taken to what is called "The President's Meeting" and the sign was removed. (This is a once a month meeting of the presidents of ALL the neighborhood watches with the Mayor, Area Rep. and Officer in Charge of Police.) I would like to say that this group has done more to combat crime than any of the government agencies.

There is so much more needed here to fight crime and street lights would be like putting a band aide on a slashed artery.

Boy - did this get lengthy!

Bottom line is - no one can stop progress - but every person who cares for their fellow man , the future generations and this beautiful planet we are privileged to squat on needs to stand up, show up and speak up to protect and preserve it. We need to question the long term plans of what goes on around us. We need to confront greed and corruption at all levels.

I beg of you to look around this island at the half finished projects, the parcels sold as lots to the hard working locals that are filled with water and sewage at every high tide, the vacancies of rental units and the unsold finished units. What about the 'developers' who put up buildings, take the money and leave without finishing the infra structure?

What about the four local San Pedro people who were caught brining in Thousands of dollars worth of alcohol from Mexico, were able to pay the $10,000 fine ON THE SPOT but whose names were never released? What happened to the booty? What happened to the$10,000?

What about the crack houses that are never closed down because they always seem to know when they are going to be raided but the poor day laborer who is repeatedly arrested for a few grams of a leafy substance goes to Hattiville? What happens to the substance?

What about the property owners who never pay their property taxes but the officials refuse to publish their names as "it might embarrass them?

What about the idiots who get stinking drunk, don't know what they did or where they went but want a 'safe environment' in which to do it?

Many years ago a radio show host pointed out that when we have a problem for which we do not have a solution we make up a problem for which we do. STREET LIGHTS ARE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE CRIME PROBLEM WE FEAR.

I am not saying that AC is any worse than anyplace else - but that does not make it right. Why not work to make it the best OR at least better?

We need to learn to live by the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Wisdom is the toughie here.

I welcome anyone to stop by and visit me and the birds at Birdland.
And thanks to all of you who had kinds words to say about me. I'll fix you a nice glass of cold rain water.

"There's a fair amount of knowledge/research required to provide proper safety/security lighting for an area- far more than just throwing up some poles and running wires."
As I look out my window in Houston I see security lighting placed high on equally spaced poles. It doesn't appear that a whole lot "of knowledge/research" beyond what it takes to install bright lights high on a pole and spaced every 15 meters run parallel to a roadway is necessary. BEL has done this before.

Proper lighting is part of any equation when your trying to crime free an area. I dont think Cris or anyone else believes that putting in proper lighting is going to crime safe the north end of the island alone. It will definitely will eliminate many points of ambush on the road north. Also it will allow drivers to see whats ahead of them at night to avoid dangers such as an ambush by criminals at night on the road north. This is a huge step in beginning to realistically tackle the increasing crime threat on the north island.


As Amanda says in an earlier post "lets put our true efforts against threats that can indeed ruin our collective lives." What reason agaisnt lighting the road north can possibly be more important than that?

Harriette, very well thought out post. You make some very good points and I respect your opinion. Janet & I very seldom take our golf cart north of our condo at night. But when we do, I have to say it's a very creepy feeling going down that narrow dark road from Legends north and I'm not ashamed to say that I keep "the petal to the metal" as much as I can when we do. IMHO, I think lighting is a huge crime deterrant and in most cases far out performs a security guard. Look what happened at Bermuda Palms just a day or two after they hired a "security guard". About a year ago we replaced the incandescent bulbs on the exterior of our complex with CFL's which give off a great amount of light and last 10 to 20 times longer. However we can walk out on our dock and the lighting doesn't cause any light pollution at all. I think you can tell that I'm for the lighting.

I neither stated nor implied street lighting was the wrong action to take or that BEL didn't know what they were doing. I stated there is more to the action than stringing lights on poles, that you disagree doesn't make it a false statement it only demonstrates what most people believe: put up some lights and the road/walkways will be safer. That's false security and ignorance of documented fact. Further, your statement "it will allow drivers to see whats ahead of them at night to avoid dangers such as an ambush by criminals at night" is patently false. What it will allow is faster driving (subject to the road conditions) that *might* in and of itself reduce ambushing cars on the road.

I can point to many BEL light strings in residential areas that are fine for drivers seeing the road ahead but wrong for security lighting in a residential area.

I'm sure the discussions between BEL and the interested community highlighted what's important and BEL will provide. OK, I hope.

Bottom line as pointed out by others: Lighting is not a panacea but only part of a comprehensive, sustained neighborhood security program. You' likely have better success with that than stopping off-shore drilling.

"I stated there is more to the action than stringing lights on poles, that you disagree doesn't make it a false statement it only demonstrates what most people believe"-
"I dont think Cris or anyone else believes that putting in proper lighting is going to crime safe the north end of the island alone."

GOOD WE AGREE

"it will allow drivers to see whats ahead of them at night to avoid dangers such as an ambush by criminals at night" is patently false. What it will allow is faster driving (subject to the road conditions) that *might* in and of itself reduce ambushing cars on the road. (and dangers such as potholes, crocodiles, small children, , land mines,mud holes ect ect ect)

GOOD WE AGREE AGAIN

C2C thanks for supporting my point

You're very welcome.

Shame on Rykat, and great replies Amanda. Kudos to Harriet for taking the high road, albeit dark or light.

Chunky, mayhap Rykat was making an offer?

Thanks for the kudos.

On a whole other track - I do wish we could all stop making this a more personal matter than it should be. And yes, I know I am as guilty as the rest when it comes to getting emotional and personal about posts from time to time.

his is a community issue - should we or shouldn't we light the street north of the bridge, who will pay for the work, who will maintain it and who will ultimately pay the bills in the future?

Let's leave the petty warfare for the kids to hash out in the school yard. I will do my best to take the high road along with Harriette.

Maybe Collette could do a "Be Kind Belize" for all of us!