Councilor Jose Castellanos

An official ceremony occurred on Friday, June 21st, to inaugurate the Department of the Environment (DOE) office in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. The office space will also accommodate the Belize Forest Department and will not only serve Ambergris Caye but Caye Caulker and Caye Chapel. The event was held at the Boca del Rio Beach Park and consisted of a brief ceremony attended by officials and guests. Area Representative and Minister of the Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management, the Honourable Andre Perez, Minister of Sustainable Development, the Honourable Orlando Habet, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai, and Councilor Jose Castellanos were present to officiate this significant milestone for the island.

The San Pedro Police Northern substation received a golf cart on Friday, June 14th, through a partnership with the Middle Island Neighborhood Watch, which secured the valuable donation. Councilor Jose Castellanos at the San Pedro Town Council also played a role in acquiring the golf cart, which is customized for the rugged terrain in northern Ambergris Caye. The vehicle will provide the unit in the north base with additional transportation to enhance and increase their patrols in the area.

As San Pedro Town expands, the island police formation’s responsibility to man the country’s leading tourism destination also grows. To balance its workforce, the local police force functions along with additional police constables. Some of these are islanders with regular day-to-day jobs. However, they remain on standby and ready to assist when needed. At a meeting on Thursday, November 30th, select members were commended for their service and presented with new uniform shirts by the chief and deputy commanders of the San Pedro Police Station.

With the collaboration of the San Pedro Town Council, Councilor Jose Castellanos, and stakeholders such as Fabrigas, the San Pedro Fire Service hosted its second fire safety awareness fair. Held at the Honourable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Arena on Saturday, April 22nd, the fair included presentations on properly using fire extinguishers and learning about first aid kits.

Starting Saturday, January 8th, island children interested in football will have the opportunity to learn more about the sport with an initiative to establish a football academy in San Pedro Town. The project, headed by Councilor Jose Castellanos, invites children between the ages of six and 12 to participate in the sporting activities at the Ambergris Stadium from 9-11:30AM every Saturday. There is no charge to participate and interested parties can contact Castellanos at 627-3795. The councilor also announced a football tournament for adults beginning on Thursday, January 13th.