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Lights For Marion Jones Complex
posted (October 13, 2016)

And switching to now to another kind of transparency in public life, the media was called today to witness the signing of a contract for the installation of lights on the football field at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex.  Now, you mightn’t even know that there is a field at the stadium – but it’s there, alright, just buried under some dense overgrowth.  Well, now as part of the ongoing plan to revive that moribund facility, the field is being resurrected. And while the signing of a contract to put up four lights wouldn’t normally draw national media attention – this one did because it’s the first contract awarded under an agreement with the Mexican Government.  The Mexicans gave Belize a grant of 5 million US dollars for a sports facility at Marion Jones.  What’s novel about the grant is that it is being administered through an organization called UNOPS, the United Nations Office For Project Services.  That means no hanky-panky politics in the awarding of the contracts; this money is administered by a UN Agency. Maheia’s construction won the 450 thousand dollar contract to construct what are called “Class Two lightsâ€￾ and they signed the contract today.  Here’s more:…

Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr. - Minister of State, Youth, Sports, Culture
"Today we are witnessing the signing for the contract for the lighting of the football field at the Marion Jones stadium. This lighting will meet FIFA standards therefore allowing for evening and night football tournaments to be held here at the Marion Jones sporting complex. Our goal is to get the existing infrastructure to be utilised for sporting activities and bring back to this location the love sport and make continue to make this our national stadium."

Allan Sharp - Steering Committee Member
"Through a bidding process which UNOPS handles the Mehia group won that bid to put up the lights and we should soon be started and we have a 4 month period in which to have the lights installed and ready; which means that the sports council will be working hard as well to be getting the field ready in time so that we can use the field as soon as the lights are ready."

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