If you thought that Belize City carnival bands took their competition in the carnival seriously, we assure you, they've got nothing on the folks up north. The Orange Walk Magistrate's Court today was the staging ground for a full out battle over who can use the name "Orange Walk Carnival Group." Today Former President of the group Flavia Burgos, wife of Orange Walk East Area Representative Dave Burgos, took the current President Mineoli Alonzo to court over ownership of some costumes. In the end, the Magistrate ordered that 5 costumes, 2 Styrofoam Stellaes and 5 sheets of plywood be handed over to Flavia Burgos. At the end of the ruling present president of the group Mineoli Alonzo told our Orange Walk Affiliate, Northern Cable, that she didn't like the ruling one bit.
Mineoli Alonzo,
"This thing belongs to the community because it was the community that donated the money to purchase all of these items so that's why we tried to reach to an agreement with her and she didn't want to listen, she wanted me myself as president of the group to decide what to do but I told her I cannot do that because I represent this group. I told her to let's have another meeting with the group but she didn't want to and she wanted me to decide but because I didn't do that, she brought me here. She told the court that requested this item and the court told me to return some of the things which I didn't see as fair because right now she is still using the Orange Walk Carnival Group name and she went again for donations under that name."
Reports are that later in the day, Burgos again took Alonzo to court, this time for two more costumes and a handkerchief. The Orange Walk Carnival is set for September 21st the group will be participating under the name Orange Walk Cultural Revival Group as the Magistrate also ordered that the original name not be used by Alonzo or her group members this year.
