sunday, December 13, 2009
The Belize Times
23
VOICES Village
from the
SANDHILL
Elizabeth Pridgeon Of all the places I have visited during this column, Sandhill was the biggest surprise. A place where I had previously encountered drunks skulking around shop fronts, dubious looking characters trying to secure
are the rightful owners today; thus the village is restricted in its size, and as it already spreads several miles along the highway, it is illogical to extend it even further without creating a whole new subdivision. The village is well served by two
rides into the City at every bump, and an (occasionally irritating) police check point determined to delay travellers, it is perhaps forgivable that I had a somewhat negative impression of the village itself. Yet when I actually took the time to stop in Sandhill, meet the villagers and discuss village issues with them, I felt so embraced by them, and so delighted to witness sincerity and community support (which are increasingly elusive qualities in today’s society) that the hours seemed to disappear far quicker than I would have liked. Sandhill was appropriately named due to a casual reference of the nearby sand mound that was visible from the Belize River during the 1940s, when boat travel was the principal means of transport, and when people began populating the area. Asking to disembark the boat by the ‘sand hill’ was a phrase used for so long that the name stuck. A predominantly rural area throughout the course of its life, Sandhill has become more ‘urbanised’ since the paving of the Northern Highway, and latterly since the development of two new residential areas: Maxboro and New Site, both of which were opened since the 1990s, and both of which are full to capacity today, suggesting that Sandhill is increasingly popular as a place to settle. However, many of the old-standing families of the village have since emigrated to the United States, and the few remaining locals complain that they no longer know their fellow villagers because so many have arrived from ‘outside’. Whereas in the 1960s, residents remember land values peaking at around $20/acre, today there are serious problems with land distribution because several deceased members of the community held vast land titles and there is little comprehension as to who
progressive schools, where the syllabi are insightful and modern (including a strong emphasis in ‘Expressive Arts’) and an excellent pre-school. However, despite ‘Clear the Land’ Castro basing his rural north office in the village, he is deemed relatively useless as far as village progression is concerned. The preschool approached him for assistance with the tiling of the premises, but to no avail. Recently, he has also been criticized for attempting to evict a farmer from Baker’s Ranch, despite the ex-patriot having successfully created a unique agricultural industry for the village. Despite the mainstay of the village surviving on subsistence agriculture, the fish, cattle and fruit farms are nowhere near as abundant (nor productive) as in the past with the exception of lime trees, which still prevail in the “Lime Walk” area. Aside from this, industry is seriously lacking in Sandhill and even though BWSL has its water plant in the area, few villagers are directly employed by the utility provider. The relatively fledgling cashew seed processing plant has already been closed due to financial restraints, and the pepper plant never became as big an employer as was hoped for. Perhaps it is this perception of hopelessness that has encouraged the crime rate to soar over the past year, and the village now regularly reports on thefts, hold-ups and burglaries. However, many of the perpetrators are thought to come from the City area (and to a lesser extent Ladyville), although only a minority are caught and brought to justice, partly because of the flaws in the local police system. The one resident policeman is expected to maintain order in the far-stretching village despite having his police vehicle donated to a ‘more deserving village’: an action which is condemned by villagers
as being purely political, in true UDP style. Despite villagers being forced to deal with different problems today than in the past, it continues to be a pleasant place to live and raise a family, according to residents. Sandhill retains its reputation as a sporty society, boasting a plethora of teams including cricket, basketball, softball and football. But above all, it is the caring and sharing sentiments of the villagers that make it so admirable today. People appear to go
beyond the call of duty to help a fellow villager (and to an only slightly lesser extent, anyone in their midst), and the community solidarity is what has held the village together throughout times of adversity in its history. It can only be hoped that – whatever other tricks the UDP have up its sleeve to disadvantage or ‘chance’ the folk of Sandhill – the village community will unite even stronger than ever and provide the hope necessary to believe in a brighter Belizean future.