Both electricity and telephones and internet service are coming back to a lot of Caye Caulker. Things are getting back to normal. Tourists are coming in and most places are already ready to receive visitors. Or will be by the end of the month.
Things look bright and clean around the town. On the bad side, the few palm trees left, look forlorn and scared with whatever few branches still attached, like some European skin head full of a Mohawk brush cut, painted orange.
The front beach never got damaged by Keith, as the storm came from the back, or west side, but the beach was not reclaimed properly according to contract either. The measurement of beach in front of the park area by the police station was supposed to be 24 ft beach street, plus 66 ft of public right of way. What actually got filled was about 30 feet measuring from the property line we are told by villagers estimates. So beach street got reclaimed by the contractor, but the "right of way" is 60 feet missing of sand width.
The dredge got sunk in the storm and we don't know who owned it, or whether whoever owned it, got it stripped and cleaned and back in condition again right after the submerging. If they didn't, the engine at least will be a total loss. Wonder who swallows that cost? And if the dredge will be replaced and the reclamation project continued?
Things need to get back to normal and this dredge, or a substitute operational again and continue with the work. Who will arrange that, I wonder? Was the dredge insured? Is a replacement underway? Was the contractor bonded? Did the contractor collect full contract price, for less than half the work? How does the project work, I wonder?
Ray Auxillou
AmbergrisCaye.com 
