March 2012

Page 1

MARCH 2012

The Placencia

REEZE “The Peninsula Paper”

Please Take One.

Est. 1999

Traveling to Placencia for Easter? See Page 4 for what you need to know.

Placencia, Stann Creek District, Belize, C.A.

Peninsula Voters say NO to Offshore Oil

The Placencia Breeze/MUZAMANZIE PHOTOGRAPHY

When an effort by a coalition of environmental groups to put the question of offshore oil exploration to an official referendum was rejected by the Belize government, the environmentalists were undeterred; they held an “unofficial” referendum and the results were impressive, both nationally and locally. Of the 520 registered voters in Placencia and Seine Bight who participated in The People’s Referendum on February 29, 94 percent said NO to offshore oil exploration and drilling, while only seven (six percent) said YES. One spoiled vote was counted at the Seine Bight polling station. The Placencia Peninsula results closely parallel national tallies where 28,208 (96 percent) said NO to offshore oil exploration and drilling and 799 (four percent) said YES. “It was a solid NO coming out of this region and seeing the same opinion echoing from the rest of the country – I think the results were overwhelming,” said Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development (PCSD) Director Adrian Vernon. Vernon sits on the executive committee of the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage, who organized the referendum along with

Oceana Belize. “Overall, the results tell us that people of Belize see that they don’t want their jewel to be harmed, no matter if they live inland or on the coast like the people of Placencia,” added Vernon.

dum and were required to show their voter’s identification card or any valid identification card (e.g. driver’s license, social security card or passport). Volunteers at the polling stations were equipped with lists of names of registered voters. Please see People’s Referendum on page 5.

Placencia and Seine Bight held two of 51 polling stations opened countrywide. Only individuals who are registered to vote in the Belize national elections were able to participate in the referen-

Karate Kids!

Annual Fundraiser Dishes Out Cuisine From Local Kitchens

The Placencia Breeze/MUZAMANZIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Tania Emmanuel greets Lynn O’Brien at the De Lite Café station inside Tipsy Tuna Sports Bar. An impressive crowd got “A Taste of the Peninsula” at the Placencia Volunteer Fire Department’s annual fundraiser. Please see PENINSULA VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS LIGHT UP THE NIGHT on page 6.

Nyah Young and Erica Howarth test for their yellow belts in the Placencia Community Center with visiting senseis from the Belize Shotokan Karate Association. Find out who earned their yellow belts on page 25.


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