Stephanie Lindo, Belize City Council’s City Administrator has written to the National September Celebration Committee Co-Chair Sapna Budhrani. She wrote on behalf of the Belize City Council informing the National September Celebration Committee, that the council has made the decision to cancel the 10th September Bram/Municipal Fair, which was scheduled to be held following the conclusion of this year’s 10th September parade.
The reason cited for the Council’s decision was the shortage of finances.
Our records show that the Bram/Municipal Fair was started back in 2006 by the then Belize City Council under the leadership of then U.D.P. Mayor Zenaida Moya. Back then it was called the Belize City Multicultural Fair. The Fair has being held successfully every year since 2006 .This year it was supposed to be the thirteenth such fair held.
Back when the fair was started, the reasons given for holding the Fair was to afford the residents and visitors a wholesome family event to attend after the 10th day parade. It was also a chance to display the city’s culture, food and music. In street terms our people including our artists, artisans and cooks “eat”. The fair was a very profitable event for the council and the finances raised from the fair were then used to assist the council in its many community based programs.
It came as no surprise that the P.U.P. would try such a thing, we know their history of trying to destroy the 10th September and anything related to it. The P.U.P. at its highest levels have always referred to the Battle of St George’s Caye, as a myth. Older folks would remember, how the P.U.P. used to hire all the bands, months before the 10th of September Parade, just to make sure that the NIP/UDP could not get bands for their parade. To cross that hurdle, they started to utilize music boxes and dance bands in the pans of trucks and they laughed at them, calling it disco on wheels. However the LOYAL AND PATRIOTIC ORDER OF THE BAYMEN, and other Patriotic Belizeans kept the spirit of Simon Lamb and the Battle of St George’s Caye alive for generations.
With the cancellation of this event, there is a void left for the St George’s Caye Day. We were hoping, that some other organization would be able to hold some sort of event that will be able to supplement the cancellation of the Bram/ Municipal Fair. Alas, we now understand that an event is being planned for the historical Birds Isle. That event we were told will start at noon and will run until 7pm, all be it a paid event. However we don’t mind a cover charge because it is a business venture and the persons investing their money must recover their investment and make a profit. Thank God that there are such patriotic Belizeans. Here at this newspaper we wish them well in this venture.
The 10th September is too much of a big part of our Belizean History and Identity for us to allow anyone to destroy the way we commemorate it. As soon as Belizeans found out exactly what the P.U.P. was attempting to do through the city council, a public relations spin was started by the council. They put the story out that the reason they could not do the Fair was because their budget for the Celebrations was being cut by 20% or $15,000. Surely there was less money given to municipalities this year, but that should have not affected this particular event.
We checked with persons who were in charge of the event last year and asked them, what did it cost the council last year to host the fair. We were told that the cost was virtually ZERO DOLLARS, because basically the event was and has always been a sponsored event, because of a very good partnership between the council and the business community. According to last year’s organizers, the council’s role is basically logistics and the little money the council does spends on the preparation, cleaning of the venue and traffic control, is recovered from the profit it makes from the rental of stalls and booths.
Even though the P.U.P. is trying to kill our 10th spirit Belizeans won’t allow that to happen. We will go out and celebrate the 10th September in the same way like we have always done. If it means that we will spend an extra dollar or two to attend the Birds Isle Event so be it. To paraphrase the words of Lord Rhaburn, we say to the P.U.P. “NOH PUMP WITH THE TENTH!”
