Spanish Lookout 65th Anniversary | As it Happened

March 4

First and foremost came the cavalry, waving the flag of Belize. Behind them a procession of Spanish Lookout employees, managers and business owners in groups, all on foot and decorated with their respective company's uniform complete with caps and umbrellas to shelter them from the blistering midday heat as they walked the quarter mile from the parade's starting point at Plett's Home Builders to Countryside Park. Most of the employers were considerate enough to provide hats, some umbrellas, others hats and umbrellas as well as transportation back to the workplace; while 1 or 2 businesses appeared to be operating on a tight budget and provided no hats or umbrella for their employees. Spectators lined the roadside, a temporary platform was set up for the speaker to announce each company as it passed by, some of the individuals in the parade scattered candies for the children. It was a thrilling moment, watching group after group of Spanish Lookout employees march past; however, being a "Mennonite" parade, there were no beating drums, no dancing girls in costumes, and no DJ's. Except for the natural hum of human voices and tired feet on the hot pavement, the parade was largely quiet.

Employees and managers gather in preparation for the much-anticipated parade

  Once the procession arrived at the park, the groups scattered and headed to the fence to join the crowd waiting for the second bigger parade; the farm machinery, company trucks and other equipment which symbolizes the economic power and stunning agricultural might of Spanish Lookout.

  As the leaders of some countries glory in their nation's strength displayed before them during military parades, so this was a moment of triumph for Spanish Lookout as millions of dollars worth of machines and equipment rolled by before the eyes of thousands while in the sky above no less than 7 airplanes cruised past in line formation with one crop duster giving us a glimpse of its purpose by spraying water along the fields close by and later dumping a cloud of pink fire retardant.

  First of all the old but gold 1950's tractors from back in the day when the world was young but full of hardships, followed by the upgraded slightly bigger versions which highlighted a thriving community of industrious and successful pioneers. Not far behind them and towering over the spectators lumbered the pride and joy of the farmers, the culmination of decades of sweat and worry, the ones which form the backbone of Spanish Lookout and which cause many aspiring younger farmers no end of excitement: sleek, shiny, massive dirt-eating tractors, sprayers and combines. New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Case IH, John Deere were all there. I heard the oohs and aahs and wows of various spectators. Due their size, these machines are not seen often on the main roads so for many it was their first time viewing them at close range.

  After these the dump trucks, excavators, stone-crushers and other types of construction machines rolled past. Cattle transport trucks, logging trucks, and commercial trucks were in the parade too. Smaller light duty trucks and a fleet of cruiser motorbikes completed the parade.

  The thirsty visitors then formed lines to buy the only available cold drink. Bottled water. After quenching their parched throats one and all headed to the welcome shade of the open building where scores of schoolchildren prepared to sing the national anthem. The Prime Minister, John Briceño, gave a speech but for some reason I lost interest at this point and headed to the pop-up museum outside.

  The dates on some of these common household furnitures were astonishing. One straight-backed chair was labelled as approximately 125 years old ! Another wooden chair was described as being brought from Canada to Mexico in 1928, later to Belize. Displayed on the table was an antique and rusty typewriter, a chainsaw which hailed from the 1960's, a unique butter churn, and some sort of wool-carding machine I had never seen before.

  A panel discussion was held later where elderly gentlemen from several surrounding non-Mennonite villages were given time to reflect on their own history related to Spanish Lookout.

  And then one of the activities that hundreds had been waiting for: tug of war with a massive New Holland tractor. Young and old, white and brown, arrayed themselves behind the tractor in long lines and held on to ropes attached to it.

  The sport done, everyone was invited to a free supper yet the celebration was not over. Celebrations continued on Sunday but on a much quieter note with less people attending. I did not attend the Sunday gathering.

A. Mendoza