Bay Islands Voice - News magazine for Roatan, Utila and Guanaja; Bay Islands of Honduras info guide

Monthly news magazine for Roatan,
Utila & Guanaja

September, 2005 Vol.3 No. 9

Bay Islands Voice Updates:

On November 27 Hondurans will take part in national and local elections. For the Bay Islands congress seat, a veteran Liberal Party politician Jerry Hynds will face a National Party freshman- Shawn Hyde. Bay Islands VOICE interviewed the two candidates about what got them here and how they see the future.

Eloquent, energetic and approachable, in the last eight months Shawn Hyde had to learn on the go about Bay Islands politics. He honed his skills at identifying issues, building alliances, making public appearances, you name it. And he has done it well, so far.
Hyde has caught-up with his liberal competitor in the eyes of some local electors, but still has much more catching-up to do. An underdog in the primary elections Hyde squeaked-by incumbent congressman Evans McNab to receive national party's nomination to congress. Hyde also had to do a lot of adjusting and alliance building since in the internal party elections his presidential running mate Miguel Pastor lost the nomination to Pepe Lobo.
Shawn Hyde, 36, attended his primary school at the 7th Day Adventist school in French Harbour. He finished high school at Forest Lake Academy in Florida and in 1992 received a B.A. in Business from Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas. The same year Hyde began working as a port captain at his family business- Mariscos Hybur and for the last seven years he has been the general manager at the fishing and packing plant. He has been married for five years to his wife, Kandy with whom he has two children: Evan, 4, and Ashtyn, 1.
Shawn is following his father, Allan in a family tradition of public service.
Allan Hyde, with other family members started a fishing, packing and shipping businesses before being a Roatan Mayor and a congressman. Now it's Shawn's turn to try.

Shawn Hyde on one of the Mariscos Hybur shrimp boats.

Bay Islands VOICE: Why are you running for congress?
Shawn Hyde: To make a difference. I feel like if I want to live here, I can't sit on the sideline and criticize. There are so many things happening on this island, in this department, that I had no idea about until I got into politics. The deeper I get into politics the more changes I see coming and I want to be part of those changes. We need government officials that are interested in doing it, not just the status of it. It does require a lot of time, a lot of personal time to do this. It's not a 2-hour-a-day job, this is 24/7, and I'm willing to give my time to do it.
B.I.V.: Why start in politics at this level, at congress?
S.H.: If I want to make a change, I'll start at the top. I have no doubt of my capability of doing it. (…) I felt that I was going to get a lot done together with Miguel. As I get in with this crowd, I meet people. (…) I've gone to him [Pepe Lobo] with a couple of projects, and he sits down, he listens, and then he gives you an answer. And the thing is, he follows up with his answers. (…) The future is tourism, but a lot of people forget that present is the fishing industry. It's still a viable industry if it's taken care of and if the fishermen are taken care of. The fishing community generates a lot of employment. (…) In Guanaja, the fishing industry is the only industry. The tourism industry there is either forgotten, or nonexistent. It is discouraging because they have such a great potential on Guanaja. That is one of the things that I would like to be a part of: to see Guanaja meet its potential as far as tourism and provide the people of Guanaja a different source of income. I take heart with Utila, for the local people they still have the fishing industry and it ties perfectly to the tourism industry. (…) To the east, in Santos Guardiola there is a lack of projects going in. I feel, as a government official, I should be part of the process to help these projects go in. I, as congressman, should be a driving force to encourage the investments in areas that are being developed and in areas that are not. I, as congressman, should be a facilitator to these people, these investors, and these projects. If they're good for the island then I should be part of the process to help them speed their licenses through, encouraging other government officials to give them a fair hearing.
B.I.V.: What can you do as congressman that Jerry Hynds wouldn't be able to do?
S.H.: I would say, in eight months that I've aggressively been in this, we've identified problems in the communities: water. (…) We've identified where there is a need and we come in with the solution. We've drilled wells for water, participated in the water project for Barrio Los Fuertes to get water there, where they were getting water about every 15 days and now they're getting water like every 3 or 4 days. We drilled a well in Colonia Bodden in Coxen Hole. We've dug a well in Juticalpa up in Santos Guardiola. It was something that the people have asked for years, and we find a way.
B.I.V.: So you think that Jerry would not be able to do this?
S.H.: He's been in office for eight years… I don't criticize, or talk negatively about anybody.
B.I.V.: What's changed in the last four years inside the mind of the Bay Island's voter? Do you feel that this time around they will vote more for national party?
S.H.: In areas like Santos Guardiola and Utila you have red mayors going for reelection. In those areas people want to change. I feel that the candidates that we have which are Perry Bodden in Santos Guardiola and Richard del Olmo in Utila. (…) With Guanaja Richmond is an excellent candidate. I've been working hand in hand with him on encouraging the government officials to start the road project up there, a promise that has been made. Everyday we set up a call list and everyday he makes calls and I make calls and we compare our calls. That's the type of people I like to work with. Don Julio, he's a man of experience. Roatan's municipality now is not a municipality with a little budget. Roatan's municipality is the economic driver of the Bay Islands and it has to be managed as such. It has to be someone that's hands-on, someone that's willing to give his time, someone with experience because the future is tourism and Don Julio is one of the pioneers in the tourism industry.
B.I.V.: You were an underdog in the primaries and you're an underdog right now. How do expect to close the gap?
S.H.: I just find great pleasure in being the underdog. I don't have anywhere to go but up. I prefer to be under because I don't have to protect the lead. It's just as simple as that and all I need is 50% plus one vote, that's all. I know that I have a mountain to climb, but I climb it one step at a time.
B.I.V.: Do the Bay Islands deserve another congressman representing them?
S.H.: What we have to do is make our own study and present to the government and say: "you know your census is wrong… this is the reality." We need to get a good, independent firm, to make that study. (…) That floating population in and out of these islands is huge. People come here and lay down roots and become fabric to this community. (…) One person can make a difference. If one [congressman] is good then two [congressmen] ought to be a whole lot better.
B.I.V.: What's your biggest strength as a candidate?
S.H.: I'm approachable. I'm willing to help and I will help this community. I feel like it's a pleasure to be able to participate in this political arena.
B.I.V.: What's your biggest weakness as a candidate?
S.H.: Inexperience in politics. Time gives you the experience and I'm putting in the time so I'm gaining the experience quite rapidly.
B.I.V.: How have you changed in the past few months?
S.H.: Its been a trial by fire. It's a new process and I'm trying to get used to it. It's a big job and it takes a lot of time. It's interesting [and] at the same time it's taxing so I'm trying to find the balance between business, family and politics.
B.I.V.: What's your priority at this point: family, business or politics?
S.H.: Family for me is always first. Good thing with the business is that I've got a lot of help and many responsible people working with me.

Governor Mrs. Johnson
Mayor Hynds can be articulate and charismatic. Hynds takes the stage at Solomon building in Coxen Hole, on August 17, with a personal anecdote about the new governor. On that day Governor Clinton Everett resigned his post and a new governor, Janice Johnson took office. Everett is campaigning as a National party candidate for vice mayor of Roatan and Honduran law required him to resign his post before the election. "I was not just a figurehead and I hope she won't be either," said Everett about Governor Johnson as he handed over the keys to the governor's office and the office seal. Governor Johnson was a Roatan municipal secretary (1972-1995) and for the past 10 years she worked as secretary for Samuel Grant's real estate office in Coxen Hole. During one of the speeches: Larry McLauglin, Rosendo Rosales, Clinton Everett, Mayor Jerry Hynds, Governor Janice Johnson.

Ceibeños Dominate Utilian Carnival

It seems that Utilians couldn't compete with the mainland floats as the trio swept the first three places in the best float competition. Rainbow Bilingual School from La Ceiba received first place, Fantasy from La Ceiba's Canal 7 got second and Galeria- a the gay dance troupe from La Ceiba got third. The organizers paid for the passage, float car rental, food and accommodation of the three floats from La Ceiba. The Carnival committee also brought in three live bands, a dance troupe and a DJ.
"We went to the island public and asked around 50 about who had the best float. All of them picked the winners in the same order," said Lilian Henderson, president of the 2005 Utila carnival committee. The remaining committee members were: Westley Cooper, Patrick Flynn and Michelle Fernandez.
2005 saw a drop in participation of floats from 20 to 17. Still a few Utilians were surprised to see such La Ceiba float dominance. "The judges need to review their priorities in order to have a more fair understanding what a carnival and what a float is," said Miguel Montoya, owner of the winning "Montoya Mart" float from 2003 and runner-up in 2004. "Montoya Mart," spent $1,000 to prepare an elaborate Viking theme float to win back the 2005 championship, but didn't even make the top three. Asked if Montoya Mart will participate in the next year's Carnival Float competition Montoya responded: "No comment."
Still, the existence of the next years Utila Carnival is by no means assured. Few houses and businesses decided to decorate their façade and fewer floats took part in the parade. "Utilians just don't want to volunteer," said Henderson who complained that the committee had to do all the work themselves.

Free Money
Bay Islands to lose $2 million in investment projects as repercussion of inaccurate census

Honduras has been picked as one of only three Amero-Caribbean countries to have part (65%) of their foreign debt restructured. Honduras doesn't have to pay the debtors, but is obliged to invest the funds in development projects at municipal level. 50% of the funds will be divided equally among the 298 Honduran municipals, 35% will be divided among the municipals proportionally to their population and 15% will be allocated based other criteria.
In 2006 Honduras will reinvest its external debt repayment fees of $160 million and the project, expected to last four years, will total $665.8 million. Not every municipal will benefit equally.
With the 2001 census grossly undercounting Bay Islands population Bay Islands Voice estimates that over four years the department will loose $2 million of investments.

Into the Finals

In a two day tournament in May, Church of God bilingual school beat four other Roatan School teams (Instituto Jose Santos Guardiola, Methodist Bilingual, Joyce Coleman, Jane Isabel) to take the Bay Islands junior basketball championship. Third year in a row, the Coxen Hole team takes the championship and this year they have a chance at becoming the Honduran champion.
Roatan was in line to host the regional finals this year, but due to the lack of adequate venues, had to forfeit the home field advantage to La Ceiba's Don Simon Ascona. In July "bay islanders" beat San Isidro school team in two game series: 45:66 and 55:59. "Beating San Isidro was the biggest obstacle," said Bodden.
The North Coast regional finals were held in La Ceiba. This was only the second time in history, after 2003 victory, that the Church of God basketballers beat the favorites- San Isidro and qualified to the National Finals. Roatan Municipal, Julio Galindo, Shawn Hyde, Serrano Industrial and Dillon Howell all chipped-in to dress, house, transport and feed the team at their tournament in La Ceiba.
The Coxen Hole team will face the winners of the three other regions in a tournament August 23 thru September 1 tournament. The three teams that Roatanians will face are: "Modelo" from Tegucigalpa, "Guadelupeño" from El Progreso, "Bon Samaritanos" from San Marcos.
With a couple weeks before the tournament "the Bay Islanders" practice every day at a open-air basketball court in Gravel Bay, but wish for better facilities. "We are looking for facilities for children to practice," said assistant coach Curby Bodden.

'You Can Count on Us'

Roatanians Bail-Out Government Organized Festival for Foreign Tourists

A two day music festival -Caribfest 2005, debuted at Roatan's Coral Cay on August 5 and 6. Twelve bands from around Central America and Caribbean entertained visitors from 2pm till midnight. Most Roatanians and Hondurans would probably agree that it is good that it happened. How it happened however left much room for improvement.

"We decided to have an event that promotes Honduras as the most Authentic experience of Central America," said Kenya Zapata, Director of Honduran Institute of Tourism. According to Zapata, President Maduro requested that by the end of his term a large, international cultural event would be organized. In the end the idea of doing Caribfest was conceived by Ministry of Tourism Marketing Department in April.
Zapata said that ideas about music themed festivals competed with a soccer theme and search for a destination that could be visited year round and could handle volume of tourists narrowed the site to Roatan. "We wanted to do it as an 'organized disorder' and Coral Cay was perfect for this," said Zapata.
According to Zapata, the studies of last five years of rainfall determined that August 5, 6 were least likely to have rain. It just so happened that the dates fell on the fiestas Agostinas. "That guaranteed we would have an audience," said Zapata who believes the following year events will be held independent of other events, probably in June or July. "Down the road it will be our [Institute of Tourism] biggest source of income."
A long road awaits the festival, with its current concept, would break even. The logistics of bringing-in tourists, artists and locals to an island off 30 miles off Honduras' coast remains a challenge. Galaxy, for three days prior and during the festival, added another La Ceiba-Roatan connection to their schedule. At capacity that is1050 people a day. Airlines provided a La Ceiba-Roatan air bridge, increasing island arrivals by around 600 people.
To bring 5,000 people from the mainland one needs at least a week and the accommodations are just not there. Roatan has only 1,000 hotel rooms and 2,500 hotel beds. In 2004 a vast majority of them filled out for the fiestas Agostinas week.
The marketing of the 2005 event was in the hands of one wholesaler. According to Sandra Sampayo, owner of TropicalRez, a tourist reservation company in French Harbour, Grayline tours acted on the news of Caribfest before anyone else knew about the event. In April, Gray Line bought-out almost all available hotels and resold them to tourists.
TropicalRez was only able to buy out the remaining 118 rooms, out of the 1,000 rooms that the island is estimated to offer. An opportunity to have various wholesale companies, Mesoamerica or MC Tours promoting the festival and Roatan, was lost. "Next year the ministry should open it to all wholesalers," said Sandra Sampayo, owner of TropicalRez, a Roatan based reservation bureau.
"Where are the people from Guatemala?" shouted from the stage one of the DJ hosts on the opening night of the event. About a dozen people raised their hands. "Anyone from Panama?" Four more from about a crowd of 1,200 claimed a tie to Panama.
Two days before the event, ministry of tourism personnel worked around the clock doing direct tourist marketing, wherever tourists could be found: restaurants: West End streets, airport, etc. 13 Municipal Police officers joined a group of 140 police, army, firefighters and coastguard to provide security at the event.