Articles

To the Honorable Chairman of the House of Parliament
Dr. MD LLOYD RICHARDSON
And to the honorable members of parliament of country Sint Maarten
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please permit me to draw your kind attention to the following problem taking place here on this lovely twin island of st martin we all love to call home home to the Dutch national as well as home to the French national
going back to the Concordia treaty when emancipation came to the north those slaves from the south shed their chains and ram across the border to the French side where they embraces freedom
some years later the movement reverse abandon by the French colonial powers of the day and left to fend for our self the French subjects ram back to the Dutch side to survive at the cause of sometimes given up their French nationality and the name given to them by their French slave masters in order to go to curacao to work with SHELL, or to Aruba to work with LAGO WE SAY THANK GOD FOR THOSE DAYS so you see st martiners has always been true to SAINT MARTIN DUTCH OR FRENCH TO US was secondary YOUR ARE A ST MARTINER FIRST WHEN TOURISM SMILE ON ST MARTIN IN THE EARLY SIXTIES it was great bay that lead the way and people came from French quarter , from st James from Ram beau  Saint Louis , Freetown Grand Case , French cul-de-sac (CULSAC LAVIER) COLOMBIER TO work in Great Bay , Little Bay, maho and Mullet Bay so from  After working together for so many years we cannot benefit the same pension because of a law that was made up in Curacao MISTER CHAIR MAN AND YOU HONORABLE MPs TODAY THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THE DESTINY OF YOUR COUNTRY IN HAND
IT IS TIME TO RIGHT THIS WRONG THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, TO YOUR BROTHERS AND YOUR SISTERS , YOUR AUNTS AND YOUR UNCLES . AND CORRECT THE INJUSTICE THAT WE HAVE SUFFERED please referred to my< OPEN LETTER TO THE HONORABLE PRIME MINISTER
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE EXWORKERS NOW RETIREES
FROM THE NORTHEN SIDE
RESPECTFULLY YOURS
RAYMOND HELLIGAR
chevalier de l,ordre national du mérite
--
RAYMOND HELLIGAR
chevalier de l'ordre national du merite
MEMBRE DU CESC DE ST MARTIN
president de la commission des affaires culturelles et cadre de vie

Open letter to the honorable prime minister
From Mr Raymond Helligar. C O N M
Colombier st Martin 19 /09/2015

To the Honorable Mr Marcel Gumbs
Prime minister of Country
Saint Maarten
Government building
Phillipsburg.

Dear Sir,

Please allow me. The privilege to draw your attention to the following many st Martiners from the northern side were privilege to find employment In st Martin south and benefit from the various other social plans in place for it workers. Namely the Sociale verzekerings Bank. But in life nothing last forever we were Yesterday's work force, Today we are the senior Retirees on the northern side So not to be of an extra burden to the already overloaded French social system. We have applied For our pension on the Dutchside and to our greatest surprise and disappoint We where told that we are not In their system
Mister Prime Minister we are appealing to your sense of brotherhood and your understanding of the St Martin Specifities when it comes to the movement of her people. And the St-Martin families Living on the French side and working on the Dutch side. Which goes back many years to the reaping of. the salt In the great salt pond And still continue to this present day

Respectfully. Yours
Raymond Helligar
Chevalier de l’ordre National du merite

On January 4, 2015 I wrote the following in an earlier Letter to the Editor:
"...to our Parliamentarians: I challenge you to make one of your first endeavors to be the changing of the Ordinance regulating benefits for former Ministers and former Parliamentarians (known as "Political Authorities"). AB 2010, GT no. 8 states in article 1d, that DISMISSAL of a Political Authority is: "the formal termination of the appointment as a Political Authority, BY ANY MEANS". Now I can understand if during any 4 year term, should a Government fall and Ministers abruptly become unemployed, there is a "catch-net" in place to allow them to find new employment. But why should we the tax payers continue paying ex-ministers and ex-Parliamentarians when their appointment, or the 4 year term to which they were elected ends? That COULD not have been the intention of the authors of the Ordinance, nor SHOULD it be. In the Private sector when someone accepts an employment contract for a specific term, they know that at the end of that term there is no more income. Yet I know of at least 9 former Parliamentarians, whose term ended on October 10, 2014 (something they knew would be the case since at least October 10, 2010), that have formally requested Government to continue their benefits in accordance with this 24 month catch-net provision". I went on to quote Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, when in his 2015 NEW YEAR'S Message he said: " Good Governance and Integrity are priorities to ensure the needs of the Community are met with the utmost of honesty and fairness; in order for St. Maarten to get where it needs to be, we need everyone to play their part; we will strive to set the ship right so that we can continue moving forward to becoming the great nation we all know St. Maarten can be".
So eagerly I looked forward to changes to be proposed by our new Parliamentarians, many of whom campaigned on the theme "WE READY!", as well as others who promised OPENESS in Government and CUTS in Government expenses..... Now I read in the daily papers of September 8 and September 9th, 2015 that " Ex-MP's cost taxpayers close to NAF 811,000 in the first year after 10-10-2014". I take it that they will probably cost the same amount for the next 12 months! That is in excess of 1.6 MILLION guilders for 9 people who worked PART TIME at an already PART TIME job, when they HAD a job and now are still getting paid for doing NO JOB!! No wonder every Tom, Dick, Harry, Leroy, Louie, Romaine, Gracita and others clamor to get a seat in the Parliament of St. Maarten, where they are guaranteed 6 years of US$ 12,000+ per month pay for 4 years of promise-to-work. WHAT A COUNTRY WE LIVE IN!
Prime Minister Gumbs: Good luck with getting "everyone to play their part to set the St. Maarten ship right"! I for one am counting on you!!
Michael J. Ferrier

La CCI Saint-Martin a été légitimement sollicitée dans le cadre de la réalisation du Plan Local d’Urbanisme en tant que Personne Publique Associée. Naturellement, la CCI Saint-Martin se doit d’être force de critiques et de propositions pour que les dimensions qui permettent ou permettront le développement économique nourrissent le PLU dans sa version finale au bénéfice de ses ressortissants, de l’économie locale et de l’emploi tout en préservant les qualités naturelles et patrimoiniales intrinsèques du territoire.

Dans les secteurs du commerce, de l’industrie et des services, la CCI Saint-Martin observe qu’aucune libération foncière substantielle n’est planifiée et que les coefficients d’occupation du sol et d’élévation ne permettent pas d’envisager un développement économique en phase avec les besoins du territoire et de la population. Les zones d’aménagement commercial restent réduites et peu motivées en l’absence de DAC (document d’aménagement commercial). Si la CCI Saint-Martin peut comprendre la logique de désignation de deux grands pôles urbains représentés par Marigot et Quartier d’Orléans, leur articulation reste confuse et ne justifie pas par exemple que la zone U2 préconisée à QO ne soit pas étendue aux zones U3 voir U4. En cela, les capacités de développement commerciales des deux pôles urbains apparaissent déséquilibrées.

Sur le plan du tourisme, qui constitue le pilier de notre économie et une clef vis à vis de de l’emploi direct et indirect, la CCI Saint-Martin constate que si des zones ont bien été identifiées comme porteuses de développements potentiels, ces secteurs restent cloisonnés. Parallèlement, les secteurs qui présentent un attrait touristique exceptionnel sont maintenus en zone N, bridant par là tout projet de développement.

Au niveau agricole, alors que la CCI Saint-Martin s’efforce depuis plusieurs années à restructurer le secteur et apporter le soutien nécessaire à la filière, le PLU ne propose en terme de réserve foncière qu’un espace de 400 hectares là où le plan de développement agricole adopté par la Collectivité en préconisait 800. De plus, l’essentiel de ces espaces agricoles présente une topographie en inadéquation avec le pâturage ou la mécanisation alors même que l’abattoir et son devenir sont inféodés à ces espaces.

Enfin, plusieurs inconnues ne trouvent pas de réponse dans le PLU :
- la problématique des flux de véhicules et leur prise en compte dans les développements planifiés ou attendus, qui constitue un point particulièrement défavorable au développement,
- les problématiques liées aux réseaux (Eau Potable, Eaux Usées, Eaux pluviales, désenclavement numérique...).

Il apparaît évident que le PLU en l’état actuel privilégie la protection de l’environnement et du patrimoine au détriment de potentialités de développement certes consommatrices d’espaces mais nécessaires pour faire face aux besoins de la population dont, rappelons le, l’accroissement a été aussi soudain qu’important. La CCI Saint-Martin en appelle donc au choix de la responsabilité pour que le zonage final et les contraintes attenantes puissent être éclairés de l’expertise consulaire notamment pour ce qui relève de la capacité du territoire à accueillir de nouvelles entreprises, indicateur incontournable de la portée durable du PLU.

Monsieur Jean Arnell, Président de la CCI Saint-Martin et Madame Maggy Gumbs, Directrice Générale, ont effectué le déplacement à Lyon pour assister à CCI Forum, évènement annuel organisé pour la première fois par le réseau des Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie de France.

La thématique du forum pour cette première édition était “L’entrepreneur des Futurs”. Les ateliers et débats se sont tenus dans les locaux de la CCI Lyon.

L’objet était de parvenir à projeter le monde de l’entreprise, les entrepreneurs et donc l'emploi dans 3 futurs connexes et qui semblent vouloir s’imposer mondialement : la virtualisation et l’hyper-connexion, l’économie “verte” (issue du mariage du durable et du rentable) et enfin l’accès à la connaissance, à la formation tout au long d’un parcours professionnel.

La CCI Saint-Martin prend pleinement la mesure de l’importance de ces sujets et débats lorsque ramenés au territoire de Saint-Martin, au besoin prégnant d’emplois, de professionnalisation et de perspectives économiques ainsi que de gestion durable et responsable. Ces trois axes de réflexion retenus par CCI Forum ne sont pas territoriaux, ils répondent à un principe de réalité mondiale et Saint-Martin n’échappe pas à celui-ci.

La participation de la CCI Saint-Martin à ce forum est une opportunité claire en ce qu'elle permettra de mieux intégrer les projections en cours à Saint-Martin que ce soit au niveau du PLU, du projet d’aménagement de la Baie de Marigot ou du Contrat de politique de la ville au cœur desquels il s’agit bien de coucher aussi, et surtout, l’avenir économique de notre territoire.

La CCI Saint-Martin, au bénéfice de ses ressortissants, accompagnera, sur le fil de ces futurs, les initiatives porteuses d’emplois, de valeur ajoutée et de formation en cohérence avec les politiques retenues et soutenues à Saint-Martin.

Les horaires d’ouverture de la déchèterie de Galisbay-Bienvenue seront exceptionnellement modifiés, le lundi 28 septembre et le mardi 29 septembre 2015. La déchèterie sera ouverte de 10 heures à 17 heures. Les horaires habituels reprendront dès le mercredi 30 septembre 2015.

La Collectivité de Saint-Martin vous remercie de votre compréhension.

Les services techniques de la Collectivité de Saint-Martin débuteront, le jeudi 24 septembre 2015, les travaux de marquage au sol et de pose des panneaux informatifs, visant à délimiter la zone bleue de stationnement, dans le centre-ville de Marigot. Cette première étape nécessitera un mois et demi de travaux. La mise en service de la zone bleue est prévue pour la mi-novembre, juste avant le démarrage de la nouvelle saison touristique.

La création d’une zone bleue de stationnement est la première mesure initiée par la Présidente Hanson et son équipe dans le cadre de la redynamisation du Centre-ville de Marigot. Elle a été actée par délibération du conseil exécutif, le 05 mai 2015. Cette nouvelle réglementation territoriale entrera en vigueur à la mi-novembre, et concernera environ 450 places de parking.

La nouvelle zone bleue aura pour objectif de régulier le stationnement en centre-ville de Marigot, en initiant une rotation continue des stationnements de véhicules. Une mesure qui vise à dynamiser le stationnement au cœur de Marigot et ainsi permettre aux touristes de se garer plus facilement.

Les places publiques de stationnement des voies suivantes seront concernées par la zone bleue :

- les places du Boulevard de France du numéro 1 jusqu’à la rue des pêcheurs,
- toutes les places de la rue de la République,
- toutes les places de la rue de la Liberté,
- toutes les places de la rue du Général de Gaulle,
- toutes les places de la rue Saint-James,
- toutes les places de la rue du président Kennedy,
- toutes les places de la rue Victor Maurasse,
- toutes les places de la rue de l’hôtel de ville.

Dans les zones indiquées, tout conducteur laissant son véhicule en stationnement sera tenu d’utiliser un disque de contrôle de la durée de stationnement. Ce disque devra être apposé en évidence à l’avant du véhicule en stationnement sans que le personnel affecté à la surveillance de la voie publique ait à s’engager sur la chaussée pour le lire. Il devra faire apparaître l’heure d’arrivée en même temps que l’heure limite de stationnement. Le disque devra être enlevé dès que le véhicule sera remis en circulation. La durée maximale de stationnement dans la zone bleue est fixée à 1 heure 30, de 8h00 à 18h00 tous les jours, sauf le dimanche et les jours fériés.

Le moyen de contrôle « disque » sera mis à la disposition des administrés à raison d’un disque par foyer à titre gratuit. Tout disque supplémentaire sera facturé 1€ auprès des services de la Collectivité. Les disques ont été commandés et devraient arriver sur le territoire début novembre.

La zone bleue sera signalée par des panneaux en entrée de zone et de rues. Un service de navettes desservant le centre-ville depuis les parkings de Galisbay et de l’Office de tourisme sera mis en place par la Collectivité, simultanément à la mise en fonction de la zone bleue.

Après 25 jours sans commission de vol à main armée, un commerce d'électroménager de Marigot a été victime de ce type de fait ce Mercredi 16 Septembre à 17h50. L'un des auteurs était porteur d'une arme de poing tandis que le second d'une machette.

Immédiatement alertée, une patrouille de gendarmes mobiles en renfort à Saint Martin a pu interpeller un des individus qui tentait de se dissimuler à proximité du lieu de commission des faits.

L'enquête judiciaire a été confiée à la Brigade de recherches de Saint Martin et au cours de la journée du Jeudi 17 septembre, deux autres personnes ont été interpellées. Trois mis en cause sont actuellement en garde à vue.

La Collectivité de Saint-Martin et son service Jeunesse et Sports ont organisé deux grandes journées d’information visant à promouvoir les activités sportives proposées sur l’île. La première journée porte ouverte s’est tenue au Stade Thelbert Carti, le samedi 12 septembre 2015, et la deuxième aura lieu ce samedi 19 septembre 2015, à la Salle Omnisport de 9h à 15h. L’objectif de cette manifestation est de sensibiliser le grand public, et en particulier la jeunesse, à la pratique d’un sport.

De nombreuses associations sportives seront présentes, afin de renseigner les familles sur les activités proposées au public. Sports collectifs, sports individuels, arts martiaux, sports nautiques et pleins d’autres disciplines, se tiendront à la disposition du public pour lui donner le maximum d’informations.

Cette année encore, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin a mis un point d’honneur à décentraliser les Portes Ouvertes des Sports à Quartier d’Orléans, afin que les jeunes de ce secteur excentré ne soient pas oubliés et puissent bénéficier du même service.

La Collectivité vous invite à venir nombreux découvrir les disciplines sportives exercées à Saint-Martin et rencontrer les responsables d’associations pour inscrire vos enfants.

Suite au signalement de nombreux cas cliniques de parasitoses, il est rappelé à la population que la Collectivité de Saint-Martin a pris un arrêté territorial 33-2014, en date du 12 mars 2014, portant réglementation des conditions de détention des animaux de compagnie et de leur circulation sur la voie publique.
Cet arrêté stipule que les chiens sont strictement interdit sur les plages afin d’éviter la prolifération de la pollution parasitologique du sable (Interdiction rappelée sur les sites par un affichage).
Il est également rappelé aux propriétaires d’animaux domestiques que toutes les déjections animales sur la voie publique et dans les espaces publics (Front de mer, trottoirs, etc.) doivent être ramassées et jetées dans les bacs à ordures.
Les propriétaires d’animaux sont tenus d'empêcher qu'ils ne soient à l'origine de transmission de germes pathogènes ou de nuisances pour l'homme.
La présence d’animaux sur les plages et la constatation de déjections sur la voie publique relèvent de contraventions de 3ème classe – 450 € ; les infractions constatées seront immédiatement verbalisés par la Police Territoriale.
La Collectivité de Saint-Martin vous remercie de votre compréhension.

La Collectivité de Saint-Martin informe la population que la prochaine capture de chiens errants sur la voie publique par la fourrière territoriale aura lieu du lundi 14 au mardi 29 septembre 2015.

Tous les propriétaires d’animaux sont priés de les garder attachés et de les surveiller, même après la phase de capture. Pour toute information complémentaire, merci de contacter la Direction de l’Environnement et du Cadre de vie au 0590 52 27 30.

Dans l’intérêt de tous, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin vous remercie de votre compréhension.

Arrêté territorial 033-2014

La Présidente du Conseil territorial, Aline Hanson, a pris un arrêté (n°033-2014) portant règlement des conditions de détention des animaux de compagnie et de leur circulation sur la voie publique.
Cet arrêté stipule qu’il est interdit de laisser divaguer les animaux sur le territoire de la Collectivité. Pour éviter tout accident, les chiens doivent être tenus en laisse, les chiens dits dangereux doivent être muselés.

Les auto-entrepreneurs artisans ou commer- çants doivent désormais solliciter leur immatri- culation au registre du commerce ou au réper-
toire des métiers.

Le régime de l’auto-entrepreneur a évolué. L’auto-entrepreneur est remplacé par le micro-entrepre- neur. Depuis le 19 décembre 2014, le micro-entrepreneur doit, lors de la création de son activité, s’immatriculer au Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS) ou au Répertoire des Métiers (RM).

Cette obligation s’applique pour une activité principale ou secondaire.

Si vous êtes commerçant

Vous devez vous immatriculer au RCS (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) auprès du CFE (Centre de Formalités des Entreprises) de la CCISM (Chambre de Consulaire Interprofessionnelle de Saint-Martin).

Si vous êtes artisan

Vous devez vous immatriculer au RM (Répertoire des Métiers) auprès du CFE (Centre de Formalités des Entreprises) de la CCISM (Chambre de Consulaire Interprofessionnelle de Saint-Martin) via le formulaire Cerfa 14105*01.

Vous devez aussi suivre le stage préalable à l’installation (coût moyen 220 €) organisé par la CCISM, pour obtenir votre immatriculation.

Auto-entrepreneurs déjà en activité

L’obligation d’immatriculation concerne également les auto-entrepreneurs artisans et/ou commer- çants qui ont débuté leur activité avant le 19 décembre 2014 ou déclaré leur activité après le 18 décembre 2014 sur le site www.lautoentrepreneur.fr

Ils doivent se régulariser avant le 18 décembre 2015 en utilisant l’imprimé Cerfa 15260*01 à trans- mettre au CFE de la CCISM (Chambre de Consulaire Interprofessionnelle de Saint-Martin).

La Collectivité de Saint-Martin informe les administrés domiciliés dans le secteur de Cul de Sac, qu’il a été une nouvelle fois procédé au ramassage et à l’étalement des algues brunes (dites Sargasses) dans le secteur de l’embarcadère de Cul de Sac, durant la période du jeudi 03 au lundi 07 septembre 2015.
Dans l’attente des opérations de nettoyage des plages qui seront prochainement menées par la brigade verte, qui interviendra dans ce secteur fortement impacté par le phénomène, des interventions de nettoyage à l’aide d’une pelle mécanique seront régulièrement réalisées dans les semaines qui viennent.
L’Etat et la Collectivité de Saint-Martin font leur possible pour traiter au mieux ce problème environnemental et répondre aux attentes de la population.
Des effets sanitaires de type irritation oculaire, irritation des voies respiratoires, nausées, céphalées peuvent survenir en cas d’exposition prolongée. Il est donc conseillé aux personnes sensibles de ne pas fréquenter les plages impactées.
La Collectivité de Saint-Martin vous remercie de votre compréhension.

THE GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS
DELIVERED BY
HIS EXCELLENCY GOVERNOR EUGENE B. HOLIDAY
ON THE OCCASION OF THE
OPENING OF THE 2015/2016 PARLIAMENTARY YEAR

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
I herewith congratulate the people of Sint Maarten and the members of Parliament on the opening of the 2015-2016 Parliamentary year. As prescribed in our constitution this annual recurring event, held on the second Tuesday of September, marks the beginning of a new political year where as Governor, I present you and the people of Sint Maarten with an outline of the policy plans of the government for the coming year. This constitutional act as such represents an act of projection, an act of accountability and an act of transparency.

In just over one month, on October 10, 2015, we will celebrate Sint Maarten’s fifth anniversary as a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. As we approach this lustrum celebration, I invite all Sint Maarteners to reflect and to project. And in doing so, I encourage all Sint Maarteners to imagine ways to build a better and brighter St. Maarten for our and future generations. I believe that to achieve that, that we the people of Sint Maarten must work together: to strengthen families, to nurture and educate our children, to increase community engagement, and to grow the general interest.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
Together with government, you have been entrusted with a profound responsibility to serve the public interest on behalf of all Sint Maarteners. Thus as we look ahead I trust that you will carry that responsibility in concert with government to address the variety of challenges our country faces today.

Challenges due - in part - to our changing demographic landscape. Our population is ageing and people are living longer. There is an increasing number of single parent households and an associated increase in the number of lower income families. Attention is therefore needed to safeguard and promote equality, social inclusion and social cohesion as well as to facilitate the necessary support mechanisms. This is especially the case for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the disabled, youths and migrants. This in the face of moderate economic growth, tight budgetary conditions and an increasingly competitive regional and global tourist economy.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

The Government has, based on its assessment of the issues faced by our nation, outlined its policy plans for the coming year. These plans are anchored in the Governing Program 2014 – 2018, entitled “Ready to work for you”.

The objective of government’s policy agenda is to improve the quality of life of the people of St. Maarten. That through measures to stimulate sustainable development and economic growth.

Government’s point of departure in seeking to realize its objectives is the continued adherence to the principles of good governance through effective representation, greater transparency, improved accountability and stronger fiscal discipline.

As a result government aims to create awareness and to motivate the general public; that through the completion of a National Development Plan with priorities in the short and in the medium to long term. Through the National Development Plan government intends to establish a shared national vision by working with and taking into account the aspirations of all stakeholders.

Having a national development plan is important. However, an implementation strategy is needed to strengthen national planning and to ensure that development objectives succeed. Essential components of government’s implementation strategy are (1) that its evidenced-driven “strategy for growth” development projects are results-based and (2) that these projects take place in a sound governance system.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

Central to the implementation of government’s policy plans is the strengthening of the civil service to provide effective and efficient services for the people. Much has been done over the years, but improvement and re-development are concepts that are always on the move. Essential in that regard are:

• First, establishing standards, increased use of technology, and data synchronization, aimed at reducing redundancy and bureaucracy;
• Second, strengthening legal capacity through recruitment and a partnership with the Legislative Academy in the Netherlands to improve the legislative process;
• Third, the creation of incentives in support of the “Brain Gain” activities;
• And fourth, the further enhancement of the public service center formula based on the one-stop service provider concept.

Government’s efforts to strengthen its administrative capacity will - to be successful in meeting the needs of the people - go hand in hand with initiatives to strengthen national identity, participation and capacity. In that context government will take steps to implement a number of cultural programs. These include:

1.  Development of national cultural awareness campaigns to teach citizens about the culture of Sint Maarten, along with support of existing efforts by local cultural organizations;
2. Supporting of programs that create opportunity for talented young artists to contribute to the development of the creative industries;
3. Investing in the national cultural infrastructure by building a Center for the performing arts, a National Library, a National Art Gallery, a National Museum and an Archaeological Center to develop, showcase, record, protect, and preserve Sint Maarten’s cultural heritage;
4. The preservation of and support for our national monuments; and
5. The development, revision and establishment of the requisite legislation to regulate these programs.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

Integrity of government has been and continues to be at the forefront of the national debate. Addressing these issues is therefore essential. Government is committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the four integrity reports, that were published recently. Based on the recommendations, the national ordinance regulating the introduction of the integrity chamber has recently been presented to and approved by you and subsequently ratified. The implementation of the ordinance is one of the priorities of government. In addition, draft laws are being prepared to adjust existing legislation and where necessary to introduce executive regulations of the existing laws. The project bureau integrity, as was established last year, is charged with the coordination of the execution of the recommendations.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

With the focus on improving the quality of life, government’s education, youth and sports policies will focus on providing quality opportunities for all, with lifelong learning and career development. In 2016 government through its education, youth and sports policies will place special emphasis on continuous personal development, on capacity building and on standards and organizational reforms.

Government will therefore guide, partner and support the further strengthening of educational institutions offering secondary vocational education and tertiary education, namely NIPA and USM. Government will as a result present Parliament with (1) the Study Finance Ordinance, (2) the Higher Education Ordinance, (3) revisions to the Foundation Based Education ordinance and (4) amendments to the Secondary Education Ordinance, during the 2015-2016 parliamentary year.

With respect to secondary education government will continue adapting Secondary Examination requirements to maintain the equivalency of diplomas within the Kingdom. Plans also include the introduction of higher standards within Vocational Education to ensure that all students leaving secondary education possess the skills required for continued education or to join the labor market on their way to becoming independent responsible adult citizens. Government considers vocational education a key in the future of our economy. As a result innovative strategies for learning will be sought and implemented. This to ensure that students remain engaged in further lifelong learning to enhance their position in the labor market, decrease youth unemployment and build resilience that contribute to our youth reaching their full potential.

Within Public Education, initiatives such as the extension of the school day will be introduced as a strategy to enhance student performance. Government will also establish one public school as a Dutch primary school. These initiatives will be supported by the establishment of a Summer School Program, a “One Tablet per child program”, a Comprehensive National Early Childhood Development Policy and an After School Care Policy.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
Government’s 2016 objectives are to ensure the continuity of Sports Development on Sint Maarten as part of its quality of life vision. The focus remains on the further development of National talent, National Teams and National facilities. Government will to that end through its sports awareness campaign and the establishment of a national sports institute continue to work at partnering with schools and the various sporting governing bodies.

An area of concern however, is the number of at risk youths. The strengthening of prevention programs is as a result an essential policy strategy, to curb and ensure that the number of at risk youths does not continue to rise.

In the context of the social environment we must safeguard our youth against poverty, drug abuse, unemployment and human rights violation. The Court of Guardianship has, in this context, recently activated a child abuse alarm center.

In the context of the economic environment, youths must be prepared and given the opportunity to contribute as employees or productive citizens within the society. Government’s emphasis will be placed on an interdisciplinary strategy to identify at risk youths and generate support mechanism to cater to their needs.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
Government will in addition move to realize essential reforms to the social safety net systems such as healthcare programs, government welfare provisions, and pension schemes to safeguard their accessibility and sustainability.

With people living longer government is in the process of introducing reforms to increase the participation of the elderly and secure the financial sustainability of support systems. Government plans to work with Parliament to introduce the draft legislation to increase the old age pension and to increase the pension age from 60 to 62 by the end of this year. Moreover government is reviewing the feasibility of a compulsory pension system.

In the area of health care government’s emphasis is on managing health care costs and securing quality service. This by promoting public and private investments in preventive measures through the encouragement of healthy life styles and reducing medical measures and costs. That with a focus on reducing the number of persons suffering from prevalent illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

In the area of the labor market government’s objective is to decrease unemployment and to increase labor productivity. To complement its education and training policies to prepare youths for the job market, government’s labor policies focus is on providing frameworks that encourage employers:

• to take more responsibility for risk prevention in the workplace;
• to promote good occupational safety and health conditions; and
• to foster improved industrial relations.

As a result government is in the process of pursuing labor market reforms in the area of

1. short term labor contracts;
2. the counterpart policy;
3. occupational safety and health policy; and
4. enforcement of existing laws to promote fair business practices.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

Government to comply with its objectives and responsibilities, shall take measures to safeguard and improve the living environment and conditions of our citizens. Important programs in this regard are:
a. First, the review and update of the public housing policy aimed at providing affordable housing;
b. Second, the continuation of work on zoning plans directed at realizing greater control on the spatial development of our island; and
c. Third, continued investment in the expansion of the sewage treatment facilities within the various districts.

Moreover, located in the north eastern Caribbean, hurricane preparedness is key for our island. As a result it is a priority of government to ensure the safety of residents and visitors by investing in the disaster preparedness infrastructure of our island. As a result government intends to introduce revised legislation that focusses on the quality of the construction of buildings and structures and to develop a storm water drainage and management plan.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

Safety and security is key to the quality of life of our citizens. Recent developments in violent crime and the murder of police officer Benjamin in the line of duty is cause for grave concern. It is government’s policy to put safety and security first.

In line with its safety and security first policy government has decided to deploy a country wide security camera system to help fight crime and to realize a more effective and efficient logistical use of police resources on patrols as well as ambulance services. The preparations to implement this measure are in their final stages.

The security camera program will complement the community police program which has proven to be successful. Moreover, a new police sub-station was opened in the Maho area, while plans for another sub-station in the St. Peters area are being prepared.

In addition, government is continuing to invest in the training and development of law enforcement officers. A board for the Justice Academy comprised of the representatives of the law enforcement services has been installed. And a complete new program for basic and further training and education as well as certification of officers is in its final stages of development. At the same time plans for the purchasing of property to establish a new state of the art shooting range, operational training and logistical center, as well as a forensic laboratory for the police force, have already been worked out and are nearing completion.

Moreover, government has introduced a new comprehensive justice information system with the Court of Guardianship functioning as a successful pilot. Meanwhile information systems for the Prison, Customs, Probation Services, Youth Detention Center and Immigration are ready for installation for use in combatting crime.

And finally in the area of law enforcement, the renovation of the present prison has been finalized and concrete measures to increase the security around and in the prison at Pointe Blanche will be implemented by the end of this year. Additionally plans for the expansion of the prison are ready for implementation.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

The realization of government’s policies is dependent on favorable economic developments. As a result government’s economic policy agenda will be geared at facilitating sustainable economic growth and development within its coordinated “Strategy for Growth”. Central aspects of government’s economic agenda are the enhancement of service, the creation of jobs and economic diversification. To pursue its economic agenda government intends to make use of the following policy instruments:

1. maintain reporting on key economic and social indicators;
2.  establish a tourism authority;
3.  strengthen its marketing efforts;
4.  reinforce product development through tourism awareness programs, service level training, and the cruise conversion program;
5. promotion of private investments to complement public sector investments;
6.  introduce legislative and policy reforms supportive of services to foster Small and Medium Enterprises; and
7. establish a national Civil Aviation and Shipping Registry.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
Essential to Sint Maarten’s development as a small open economy is the maintenance of good external relations.

On a Kingdom level government will continue to work at partnering with other members in Kingdom. Key areas of cooperation are law enforcement, central banking, and dispute regulation.

The joint cooperation teams of the police, royal military police, customs and immigration and border protection services are proving to be effective. Recently successful operations have been carried out in the area of human smuggling and trafficking leading to the arrest of several perpetrators.

The functioning of the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten continues to be a point of attention and discussion with the government of Curaçao. Government is at the same time also working towards the renovation of the existing facilities and the transformation of the local office into a full-fledged branch. This in addition to plans to pursue the construction of a new building.

In fostering good relations, Government will host a tripartite meeting with the prime ministers of Aruba and Curaçao, in November of this year. And next year Government will host the fourth Kingdom Conference.

Considering the tensions between the Kingdom partners related to the discussions regarding the instructions by the Kingdom Council of Ministers, Government is a strong advocate of the introduction of an independent Kingdom dispute institution. Government considers an institution like this necessary to build trust and strengthen ties between the Kingdom partners.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

On a foreign relations level, government considers cooperation on a regional and international level important to support its domestic agenda. As such government will continue to work at maintaining good relations with its regional and international partners. Government’s objective in this regard is to continue to develop closer ties with Saint-Martin. This through an efficient cooperation structure to address issues of mutual concern. In particular, Government as part of its safety and security first policy, will work closely with its Saint Martin counterparts on the implementation of the recently ratified Treaty on Police Cooperation in the fight against crime.

As a young country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands Sint Maarten intends to present itself in the region and at international fora to protect and promote St. Maarten’s national interests abroad. This will be realized through bilateral partnerships with regional partners and participation in international organizations.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

To cover the costs of government’s policy agenda it is essential to generate additional revenues. This to ensure compliance with provisions of the national ordinance for government accounts as well as with the criteria of the Kingdom Law on financial supervision. In that respect government has in an effort to generate funds developed a Strategy for Growth as part of its policy agenda. The objectives of this strategy are:
1) to promote economic growth as outlined aimed at providing a stable long term financial basis for increased government revenues; and
2) to organize the tax system to improve the levying and collection taxes with a focus on addressing tax arrears in the short term.

To support these actions and generate needed additional funds government shall implement measures:

• to control and clean-up the tax registry;
• to accelerate the collection of tax arrears and the handling of complaints;
• to improve tax compliance; and
• to reform the tax system starting with the wage, income and profit taxes.

In addition, government to support its national development plans, shall seek external funding from potential donors such as the European Union, the International Labour Organization as well as the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organization. This where possible in collaboration with French and British territories.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,

Government in keeping with its governing program “Ready to work for you” is committed to delivering its policy agenda to improve the quality of life of the people of Sint Maarten.

In this new parliamentary year, government will therefore present you with various legislative initiatives towards the execution of its plans and realization of its objectives. As representatives of the people of Sint Maarten, government looks forward to your participation and your support to serve the public interest on behalf of the people of Sint Maarten.

Mr. Chairman, Members of Parliament,
Thus, as you deliberate and decide on the issues that will come before you in the period ahead, I wish you much wisdom, strength, and God’s speed.

Thank you, God Bless you and God Bless our Beloved Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:---  University of St. Martin (USM) announced the opening of the St. Martin School of Continuing Education & Life Long Learning, (SCELL) on August 1, 2015. Since the opening of SCELL the new school has received overwhelming reception from the St. Maarten Business Community. Information Technology Consultants, CaribWork IT offer their support to SCELL by sponsoring the SCELL’s Brain Bytes Men, Fathers Son's & Young Males Series
Owner of CaribWork-IT, Serge Bakker stated: "We are proud to support this Brain Bytes series, especially because the target group are males. I am proud of SCELL's commitment to the community and their courage to highlight the need for these types of inspiring workshops that motivates change and personal development in our male population at large”.
SCELL Director, Dr. Natasha J. Gittens stated: “this series is uniquely designed for Men, Fathers, Son's & Young Males of the St. Maarten community and surrounding areas. This series is specifically developed to foster men to make positive life changes in their lives, while simultaneously evaluating their purpose and male role(s). The objective of the series, is to teach participants basic skills to make changes, identify and establish reachable life goals and provide them with tangible opportunities to earn their GED at USM, an Associate’s degree and possibly pursue a Bachelors or Master's degree offered by our academic partner, The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) on USM's campus. We believe this series will encourage males to enroll in our courses and increase USM’s male presence on our campus and in our classrooms in general”.
The series will be facilitated on Saturday, October 17, 2015 @ USM. All participants will receive a certificate of completion. The cost will be $50 US per workshop for adults, $35 for attendees 15-19. The workshop is open to the public and SCELL encourages everyone to attend.
For Information: Contact SCELL @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 554 – 2437.

L’Ecole Elémentaire de Quartier d’Orléans 1 porte désormais le nom d’Ecole Omer Arrondell, et ‘Monsieur Omer’, comme l’appelle affectueusement jusqu’à aujourd’hui ses anciens élèves et leurs parents à Quartier avait peine à contenir son émotion ce lundi matin 1er septembre 2015. Non pas parce qu’il était, bien sûr, satisfait de cette reconnaissance pour la postérité, mais surtout et essentiellement en raison des liens d’affection qui ont été tissés pendant ces années et de son dévouement à l’éducation des enfants saint-martinois qui se rappellent de sa droiture et de son efficacité à la tâche si difficile d’éducateur du peuple. Car c’est bien ce que Monsieur Omer a été tout au long de sa carrière où il s’est spécialisé, entre autres, au redressement et à l’avancement des moins adaptés.
La carrière de Monsieur Omer est donc consacrée à la jeunesse et en particulier aux jeunes en grande difficulté. C’est ainsi qu’il débute comme instituteur à Gustavia, Saint Barthélémy, au cours du troisième trimestre en avril 1961, puis l’année suivante à Grand Case. Après deux ans d’interruption pour effectuer son service militaire, il termine cette année scolaire à Baie Mahault, Ecole de Bragelogne, avant de rejoindre son île natale, où il est affecté à l’Ecole de Garçons de Marigot, puis à l’Ecole de Grand Case, et 4 années scolaires au Quartier d’Orléans de 1965 à 1969, où il est titularisé en 1967.
Par la suite, il prépare le Certificat d’Aptitude à l’Education des Enfants et Adolescents Déficients ou Inadaptés (C.A.E.I.), option déficients intellectuels, à l’Ecole Normale de Pointe-à-Pitre au cours de l’année scolaire 1969-1970. Il travaille ainsi en Classes de Perfectionnement à l’Ecole de Garçons de Port-Louis en Guadeloupe de 1970 à 1976.
A partir de ce moment, il passe au Second degré et est nommé Directeur d’Etablissement spécialisé, annexé au Collège du Raizet aux Abymes. L’année scolaire suivante, il prépare le diplôme de Directeur d’Etablissement Spécialisé au Centre National d’Etudes et de Formation pour l’Enfance Inadaptée (CNEFEI) à Suresnes (92150), et est affecté comme Directeur du SES annexée au Collège ‘Général de Gaulle’ au Moule de 1978 à 1980. Il est ensuite « mis à disposition » par l’Inspecteur d’Académie comme Directeur Administratif et Pédagogique au Centre Médico Psycho Pédagogique Emeraude de Basse-Terre (C.M.P.P.), relevant de la Direction Départementale de l’Action Sanitaire et Sociale (D.D.A.S.S.) de 1980 à 1984. Devenu Professeur de Collège en Lettres-Anglais en 1990, puis Hors Classe en 1995 et Classe Exceptionnelle en 1999, il termine sa carrière comme Directeur adjoint de la SES/SEPGPA au Collège Joseph Pitat de Basse-Terre, Section d’Enseignement Général et Professionnel Adapté de 1992 à septembre 2000.
Omer Arrondell a reçu la ‘Mention Honorable’ de l’Inspection Académique de la Guadeloupe par arrêté de du 04/12/1981. Il est décerné la ‘Médaille d’Or’ enregistrée sous le numéro 261 à Paris le 10/10/1984. Il est ‘Officier des Palmes Académiques’ par décret du Premier Ministre du 17/07/1986. Au cours de ce parcours riche et exemplaire, il n’a cessé d’oeuvrer pour la jeunesse guadeloupéenne par son bénévolat dans plusieurs commissions, organismes et associations.
Ce fils du pays a répondu présent au parti politique ‘United Saint-Martin Movement‘ en 1999, lorsqu’il a été sollicité pour mener à bien l’avenir de la jeunesse de son île. Malheureusement, il n’en a pas eu l’occasion, car en politique au lieu de résoudre les problèmes, on finit par les perpétuer. Avec Monsieur Omer, notre jeunesse n’aurait jamais été délaissée et désespérée comme elle l’est aujourd’hui.

Daniella JEFFRY
07.09.2015

Créé en octobre 2010 sous l’impulsion de la Collectivité de Saint-Martin, l’Observatoire de la Santé de Saint-Martin est né d’un projet de coopération entre la Collectivité, le gouvernement de Sint Maarten et l’hôpital Louis Constant Fleming, financé par l’enveloppe de fonds européens Interreg Caraïbes IV 2007-2013. S’il a mis du temps à se mettre en place, l’assemblée générale qui s’est tenue vendredi 04 septembre 2015 a permis de formaliser le fonctionnement de l’association qui régit l’observatoire.

La principale mission de l’Observatoire de la Santé est de mener des enquêtes auprès du public et de conduire des études sur la santé des habitants des deux parties de l’île dans le but de renseigner les institutions locales sur les besoins prioritaires en matière de santé publique. A terme, l’observatoire doit pouvoir faciliter l’établissement d’une cartographie des maladies chroniques jusqu’ici insuffisamment répertoriées dans les statistiques courantes, et permettre d’établir des protocoles thérapeutiques et de gestion des soins aux patients. Autant dire que l’enjeu est important et que la Collectivité, tout comme le gouvernement de Sint Maarten, sont déterminés à voir fonctionner cet observatoire.

Vendredi 04 septembre 2015, le docteur Louis Jeffry, président de l’association Observatoire de la Santé de Saint-Martin a tenu une assemblée générale extraordinaire en présence de la vice-présidente de la Collectivité en charge du pôle Solidarité & Familles, Ramona Connor, de la vice-présidente Rosette Gumbs-Lake, en charge de la Caisse territoriale des Œuvres Scolaires (CTOS), de la ministre de la Santé de Sint Maarten, Rita Bourne-Gumbs, du parlementaire de Sint Maarten Cornélius de Weever, du directeur de l’Agence Régionale de Santé Pascal Godefroy et des membres actifs de l’association. Il s’est agi lors de cette séance de formaliser la mise en œuvre de l’OBS.
Comme l’a mentionné le docteur Jeffry, l’Observatoire est désormais prêt à fonctionner, il a pour essentielles missions de collecter, analyser et coordonner les données sanitaires, sociales et épidémiologiques, réaliser des études et en diffuser l’information. A l’issue de ces travaux, l’Observatoire pourra présenter ses préconisations à la Collectivité et au gouvernement de Sint Maarten. .

Le 30 juin 2015, la convention attributive d’une subvention FEDER dans le cadre de ce projet de coopération a été signée par la Présidente de la collectivité de Saint-Martin, Aline Hanson, et le docteur Louis Jeffry. Ainsi, la somme de 578 777 € a été arrêtée en faveur de l’observatoire de la Santé, par arrêté territorial, la Collectivité étant le chef de file du projet. La Collectivité a, dans un premier temps, attribué la somme de 200 000€ pour la mise en œuvre des actions de 2015.

Pour la vice-présidente Ramona Connor, ce projet de coopération s’inscrit dans une politique sociale globale. Le Plan Santé Territorial et le Plan Santé Jeune, signés avec l’ARS en 2014, en sont aussi deux axes majeurs. La vice-présidente a également mentionné d’autres actions mises en œuvre dans ce domaine, à l’instar de la création prochaine d’un parcours de santé et des actions de prévention santé dans les cantines scolaires, tout en saluant l’excellente synergie avec les dirigeants de la partie hollandaise pour voir aboutir ce projet de coopération. Des enquêteurs seront prochainement recrutés pour réaliser les enquêtes de terrain, la Collectivité attend désormais de pouvoir mesurer les premiers effets du travail de l’observatoire de la santé.

Pour pallier les difficultés rencontrées par les éleveurs de bétail en raison de l’épisode de sécheresse qui affecte le territoire depuis le début de l’année, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin a décidé de se mobiliser. La somme de 20 000 € a été débloquée en urgence et versée à l’Association pour le Développement de l’Elevage et la Promotion des Produits Agricoles Locaux, afin de lui permettre d’acheter de la nourriture pour les animaux d’élevage. Le vice-président Wendel Cocks, en charge du pôle de développement économique, supervise cette opération depuis sa mise en œuvre.
Un premier conteneur en provenance de Guadeloupe est arrivé au port de Galisbay, vendredi 04 septembre 2015, en matinée. Les techniciens de la Collectivité et Julien Gumbs de l’association ADEPPAL se sont assurés sur place de la bonne livraison des aliments.
Les éleveurs ayant préalablement rempli la fiche de déclaration permettant de connaître l’état de leur cheptel, ont, en effet, pu recevoir une première partie de l’aide octroyée (aliments concentrés).
Prochaine étape, la livraison du fourrage en provenance de métropole qui arrivera à Saint-Martin aux alentours du 20 septembre prochain.

Cette aide de 20 000€ de la Collectivité permettra à terme de fournir 600 sacs d’aliments pour les jeunes bovins, 200 sacs d’aliments pour les cabris et 1026 bottes de fourrage. La quantité d’aliments est répartie selon les espèces (ovine /caprine ou bovine) et selon le nombre de têtes répertoriées sur chaque exploitation. Cette répartition est déterminée en fonction du volume total d’aliments destiné à chaque espèce (ovine/caprine ou bovine) par rapport au nombre d’UGB (Unité de Gros Bétail).

La Présidente Aline Hanson et sa majorité ne pouvaient pas rester insensible à la détresse des Dominiquais, frappés le 27 août dernier par la tempête Erika. A l’image de la population saint-martinoise qui s’est fortement mobilisée, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin s’est associée à ses satellites, la CCISM, la CTOS et le port de Galisbay, afin d’organiser une aide de premier secours.

Le lendemain du passage de la tempête Erika en Dominique, la Présidente Aline Hanson a envoyé un message de soutien au 1er ministre de la Dominique et demandé à ses équipes de répertorier les besoins urgents auprès du gouvernement dominiquais afin de lui apporter une aide adéquate.
Ce travail réalisé, le directeur du port Albéric Ellis s’est mobilisé à son tour, pour organiser le transport jusqu’au principal port commercial de Roseau en Dominique. L’armateur Jacques Gadarkhan, via l’agence locale STMC, a répondu favorablement à cet appel et mis à disposition son bateau gratuitement.
La Collectivité de Saint-Martin et la CTOS ont fait livrer 3366 bouteilles d’eau (561 packs de 6), la CCISM 20 160 bouteilles, un chargement complété par le sénateur Guillaume Arnell et la société Netter qui ont ajouté du lait (552 briques) et des denrées alimentaires sèches.
Précisons que cette action de Coopération Régionale a été mise en place avec le Commonwealth of Dominica, le Ministère des Affaires étrangères et le Gouvernement de la Dominique, pour un suivi effectif des dons. Une aide d’autant plus naturelle pour notre collectivité qu’elle a récemment adhéré à l’Organisation des Etats de la Caraïbe Orientale.

Comme l’a précisé la présidente Aline Hanson aux médias, jeudi 03 septembre, date de départ du convoi humanitaire, « C’est un premier geste qui sera suivi d’autres actions et il était normal que la Collectivité se mobilise en faveur des amis caribéens de la Dominique qui ont été très durement touchés ». La Présidente a remercié tous ceux qui ont contribué à la préparation de ce convoi, ainsi que l’ensemble des Saint-Martinois qui ont fait preuve d’un bel élan de solidarité.
Le Président de la CCISM, Jean Arnell, a, de son côté, lancé un appel aux entreprises, mais aussi aux particuliers et associations religieuses pour qu’ils poursuivent la mobilisation.
Le directeur du Port a en outre précisé que l’activité portuaire en provenance de la Dominique représentait une part importante pour le port de Galisbay, qui accueille trois navires de fruits et légumes par semaine pour alimenter les étals de nos commerces.

Le bateau devait quitter Saint-Martin en fin de soirée, jeudi, il faisait ensuite escale à Pointe-à-Pitre pour récupérer le chargement d’eau de la CCISM et d’autres dons, avant de rejoindre le port principal de la Dominique.

Pour faire un don, merci de vous rapprocher :
- de la CCISM au 10 rue Jean Jacques FAYEL à Concordia, Marigot,
- ou du comité Dominica Disaster Relief Committee via notamment la superette mini prix au rond-point d’agrément.
Les besoins urgents sont : de l’eau, du lait, des produits secs non périssables, du sucre, du sel, de la farine, des produits d’hygiène, des provisions et des produits spécifiques pour les bébés et les personnes âgées, des vêtements.

Afin de répondre efficacement à l’échouage massif des algues brunes sur nos plages, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin et l’état français ont décidé de créer une brigade verte qui entrera en action à la fin du mois de septembre. Jeudi 03 septembre 2015, la signature du contrat unique d’insertion entre le Pôle Emploi, l’association Centre Symphorien d’insertion de Quartier d’Orléans et 18 demandeurs d’emploi recrutés en contrats aidés, a été actée en collectivité, sous le regard bienveillant de la Présidente Aline Hanson, de la préfète Anne Laubiès et du directeur régional du pôle emploi, Jacques Gustave.

Sous l’autorité de la Collectivité, les 18 brigadiers verts seront donc déployés sur les plages impactées par les algues sargasses dès la fin du mois de septembre, pour redonner à ces espaces naturels leur apparence initiale. Un chantier considérable mais néanmoins nécessaire et urgent, le littoral étant le principal atout touristique de notre territoire.
Jeudi dernier, les 18 futurs brigadiers verts étaient invités à l’hôtel de la Collectivité pour signer leur engagement auprès de pôle emploi et des institutions locales. Désormais, ils pourront suivre une formation qualifiante courant septembre, et intégrer les équipes de nettoyage. Ces jeunes chômeurs de longue durée, pour la plupart issus des quartiers prioritaires que sont Quartier d’Orléans et Sandy Ground, se sont montrés enthousiastes et impatients d’entrer en action.
Les brigades vertes sont financées à parts égales par la Collectivité (100 000€) et l’état (100 000€) avec une aide supplémentaire de l’ADEME (92 000€). Le gouvernement a par ailleurs débloqué la somme de 2 M€ en faveur des collectivités antillaises touchées par le phénomène dans le cadre du plan interministériel anti sargasses.

L’Agence Régionale de Santé, représentée par le directeur des îles du Nord, Pascal Godefroy, réalise des prélèvements hebdomadaires pour mesurer le taux d’hydrogène sulfuré présent dans les algues qui impactent notre environnement, notre économie, mais aussi notre santé lorsqu’on vit à proximité. L’ARS s’est engagée à former les brigadiers à l’utilisation des capteurs de contrôle, afin qu’ils puissent optimiser leurs interventions sur le terrain.
La Préfète Anne Laubiès a tenu à saluer le centre Symphorien d’insertion, et sa présidente Mme Rousseau, notre territoire ayant désormais une association d’insertion dans chacun des deux quartiers prioritaires.

Pour la Présidente Aline Hanson, « la mise en place d’une brigade verte est une mission d’utilité publique qui va permettre d’optimiser l’accueil de nos touristes. C’est une priorité pour la Collectivité d’autant que cela permet le recrutement de 18 jeunes en attente d’emploi ».
Ce tremplin professionnel (CDD d’un an renouvelable), avec à l’issue une formation qualifiante, devrait offrir à ces jeunes la possibilité de rebondir vers d’autres missions, telles que celle d’ambassadeur du tri sélectif, et pourquoi pas leur permettre à terme de créer leur propre entreprise.

Dans la soirée du 25 août 2015, une patrouille de surveillance générale du PSIG de St Martin assiste à un accident matériel entre un deux roues et un véhicule à Marigot. A la vue de la patrouille qui s'arrête sur les lieux pour sécuriser la zone, le conducteur du scooter prend la fuite à pied. Avant d'être interpellé par les militaires de la gendarmerie, il se sépare d'un pistolet COLT calibre 380 et plusieurs sachets de stupéfiants. Il est immédiatement placé en garde à vue auprès de la Communauté de Brigades de Saint Martin.

Le mardi 01 septembre 2015, le mis en cause est déferré devant le Procureur de Basse Terre en Guadeloupe afin d'être jugé en comparution immédiate. A l'issue de l'audience, il est condamné à 06 mois d'emprisonnement ferme.

La Collectivité de Saint-Martin et son service Jeunesse et Sports organisent deux grandes journées d’information visant à promouvoir les activités sportives proposées sur l’île. La première journée porte ouverte se tiendra au Stade Thelbert Carti, le samedi 12 septembre 2015, de 9h à 13h, et la deuxième date le 19 septembre 2015, à la Salle Omnisport de 9h à 15h. L’objectif de cette manifestation est de sensibiliser le grand public, et en particulier la jeunesse, à la pratique d’un sport.

De nombreuses associations sportives seront présentes lors de ces deux journées d’information, afin de renseigner les familles sur les activités proposées au public. Sports collectifs, sports individuels, arts martiaux, sports nautiques et pleins d’autres disciplines, se tiendront à la disposition du public pour lui donner le maximum d’informations.

Cette année encore, la Collectivité de Saint-Martin a mis un point d’honneur à décentraliser les Portes Ouvertes des Sports à Quartier d’Orléans, afin que les jeunes de ce secteur excentré ne soient pas oubliés et puissent bénéficier du même service.

La Collectivité vous invite à venir nombreux découvrir les disciplines sportives exercées à Saint-Martin et à rencontrer les responsables d’associations, afin d’inscrire vos enfants.

Le service Jeunesse & Sports de la Collectivité se tient à votre disposition pour toute information complémentaire, au 0590 29 54 14.

Organisers of the Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference are delighted to welcome back Tenet as the Premium Plus Sponsor of the event. One of the largest healthcare delivery systems in the United States, Tenet Healthcare continues to show their support as the top tier sponsor at the conference, a commitment they have demonstrated annually since the conference’s inception.

Now in its sixth year, the conference is scheduled to take place from 29 to 31 October, 2015 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman covering the theme ‘Embracing Emerging Trends’. A wide range of topics will be covered including new and emerging trends in areas of allied health, palliative care, oncology, mental health and vascular surgery, just to name a few.

The Honourable Alden McLaughlin, Cayman Islands Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, Health & Culture said his Ministry is again looking forward to hosting this national healthcare conference.

“I am pleased to continue offering this conference free of charge to our delegates,” Hon McLaughlin said. “It is because of the support from sponsors, especially Tenet Healthcare, which allows us to continue to host this world-class conference.”

Underscoring Tenet’s allegiance to furthering Cayman’s healthcare offering, Mr Craig Bloom, Chief Business Development Officer for Tenet Healthcare’s Florida region, said this annual event is vital as an educational tool not only for Cayman’s healthcare professionals but for the entire community.

“Supporting interactive forums like this conference that allow for clinician collaboration is the key to ensuring patients have access to the latest treatment options,” Mr. Bloom said. “This year, we are pleased to present Dr. Adrian Legapsi, surgical oncologist and Medical Director of the Advanced Surgical Oncology Network for all ten of Tenet’s Florida hospitals, speaking about the latest trends in surgical oncology and management of gastrointestinal malignancies with minimally invasive robotic surgery.”

Tenet Healthcare is a leader when it comes to the provision of quality healthcare services in the United States with extensive experience, currently overseeing 80 hospitals in 10 states, with more than 100 outpatient centres, 57,000 employees and four million outpatient visits.

While there are still opportunities for sponsorship of this exciting event, the following organisations have already pledged their support: Ironshore Pharmaceuticals & Development, Tower, Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Dart, BAF Insurance, Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Baptist Health International, Ronco Cayman, BritCay, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Broward Health, Jackson Memorial, The Wellness Centre, Fidelity and Generali Worldwide, among others.

For more information about the conference or to register for free, visit www.healthcareconference.ky or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PHILIPSBURG:--- There will be 11 Permanent/Ad Hoc Committee meetings of Parliament on October 2nd.

The Committee meetings are set for Friday, starting at 9.00am and with the last committee scheduled to start at 10.40am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda for all committee meetings of Parliament is the appointment of the Chair person and Vice Chair. Each committee will meet in session for 10 minutes.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

Willemstad:--- The budget for 2016 is solid. The Cft had a number of recommendations on the draft 2016 budget, particularly focused on the downward revision of the budgeted economic growth figures and a more realistic capital service. The Government has taken the recommendations of the Cft and the Advisory Council into account and adjusted the budget accordingly, which resulted in a budget that is now in order.

The Board of financial supervision for Curaçao and Sint Maarten (Cft) visited Curaçao in the last week of September. The Board met with the Governor, the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Finance and the Finance Committee of Parliament. The Board also met with various stakeholders. Working visits were made to Aqualectra, C-Post International (C-Post) and Curacao Ports Authority (CPA). Finally, there was an introduction to the Bankers Association.

Execution 2015
The Cft evaluated the second execution report on budget execution of the first six months of 2015. For now the image looks positive, according to the report. The budget would close the year 2015 with a positive result that would for a great deal be reserved for economically more challenging times. The purpose of this reserve is to prevent that a possible hiccup will directly lead to additional cuts. However, it is expected that the reserve will have to be used right away because the deficits of the social funds have not yet been resolved. Although measures have been taken to solve these deficits for the coming years, partly because of a delayed introduction these do not result in the anticipated savings for 2015 as yet.

Draft 2016 budget
The Cft has received the draft budget for 2016 in time, and submitted its advice. The main conclusions were that the capital service was difficult to carry out, and in addition the Government's economic growth forecasts were too optimistic. The necessary caution is requested in the estimates, since the Cft still perceives some risks for the multiannual budget, such as the enduring deficits in the social funds and a number of ailing Government entities. The Cft learned that the Government of Curaçao has downwardly adjusted the economic growth estimates and in addition has taken several measures to make the capital service more realistic. Herewith the main recommendations have been agreed to and Cft now considers the budget realistic. The management measures regarding personnel charges are an integral part of the measures the Government previously agreed to in order to ensure long-term sustainability of public finances.

SVB
It became apparent that the measures to reduce the deficits in social funds have been delayed. As a result, the economization efforts have led to the lower results than was anticipated. Considering the fact that the measures had to yield savings in 2016 and the coming years, the Cft pleads for the earliest possible implementation, in order to ensure the financial sustainability of social funds. In case the measures do not lead to the desired savings, additional measures will be necessary. A careful monitoring of the implementation of the measures is therefore of the utmost importance.

Public companies
During this visit to Curaçao Cft also visited a number of public companies. The plans of action at the ailing Government entities aimed to the strengthening of the financial situation seem to bear fruit. The preliminary results of the Aqualectra are better than those of previous years.
The preliminary results of Aqualectra are better than previous years. Aqualectra is working on a structural reduction of its operating costs and other efficiency improvement measures, which should make its financial position sustainable, allowing for new investments. Regarding C-Post a revised plan of action was drafted, which should make the financial position structurally sustainable; the respective measures will be further worked out in the coming months.

The Cft has also visited CPA. For years this public entity has consistently led a healthy financial management and is now working on projects to increase the economic growth of Curaçao and to create more employment in the ports.

Quality of reports is expected to pick up

Kralendijk – After having made some adjustments Bonaire is now on track with the implementation of its budget. Bonaire is expeditiously implementing the multiannual action plan to improve the financial management. Even though many improvements are still needed, the Cft ascertains that progress has been made with regard to the financial administration. Nevertheless, a timely submission of suitable report, which will contribute to a better control of the budget, is still considered necessary.

The Board of financial supervision Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (Cft) met on September 28th with the Executive Council and the Island Council of Bonaire. During these meetings much attention was given to the subject of financial management and the various reports submitted by Bonaire. Although Cft finds that since mid-year the budget execution is lagging behind, no problem is foreseen for the second half of 2015. The Board furthermore paid a visit to Cargill, and the importance of the company for Bonaire's economy was the main focus of the meeting.

Report obligations
Bonaire was able to timely submit the audited 2014 financial statements to the BZK minister. Nevertheless, this has resulted in delays in meeting other reporting obligations. For example, the first performance report, including budget amendment, was only adopted by the Island Council in August. The second budget amendment of 2015, which has now been submitted to the Island Council, is mainly used to compensate the revenues that will not be realized in the current financial year. Cft will provide a positive advice for this budget amendment.

Budget implementation
Once the minister approves the 2nd supplementary budget submitted by the public entity, the total budget amounts to approximately USD 60.1 million. In the first half of the year USD 27.2 million was realized in revenues and 25.5 million in expenses, which is respectively 45% and 42% of the total budget. Although the gains and losses hat were realized in the first half of 2015 are lagging behind, for the time being the Cft does not consider this to be a problem, since Cft has noted a similar trend in the last three years as well.

Liquidity position
The Cft is concerned about the declining liquidity position of Bonaire and has urged the Executive Council to build an adequate liquidity buffer. Any possible windfalls can be utilized to this end.

Financial management
During its visit the Cft observed that the multiannual financial management improvement plan is keenly carried out. In the course of the implementation of said plan in 2014 it was already pointed out that most of the improvement will be completed in the second half of 2015. Cft will therefore follow the future developments of the financial management with extra attention. In any event Cft currently notices that progress is made in the area of financial administration. With the current financial system, it is fairly simple for the Finance department to provide interim reports at a very short term. This allows the Executive Council to make better use of the financial reports as management tools. It also enables a faster production of performance reports. Since the drafting of the reports will take less time, it is anticipated that future performance reporting will now be supported by a more detailed interpretation. This in its turn will reinforce the supervisory function of the Island Council.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The eight members of Parliament who voted on a motion of no-confidence against the Gumbs cabinet on Wednesday did not waste any time on forming a new government.
According to information reaching SMN News as soon as the motion was passed in Parliament, two letters were dispatched to the Governor of St. Maarten, one informing him of the motion of no confidence along with a copy of the motion and another informing the Governor of St. Maarten that there is already a majority in Parliament that are ready to form a new government.
The source said the new government will consist of four Members of Parliament from the National Alliance, one from the Democratic Party, the USP and two Independent Members namely Silvio Matser and Maurice Lake.
SMN News further learnt that at least two MPs from the National Alliance faction will leave their seats in Parliament to go over to the executive branch. Unconfirmed reports states that the leader of the National Alliance William Marlin will become the next Prime Minister, while MP Silveria Jacobs will be taking up the Education, Youth and Sports Ministry.
While the Members of Parliament that formed the new government are tightlipped as they continue negotiating, SMN News could not get full confirmation on the make-up of the new government.
It is further stated that the two incoming Members of Parliament that will replace the leader and deputy leader of the National Alliance is Rodolph Samuel former Chairman of Parliament in the last governing period and Hyacinth Richardson also a former Member of Parliament during the last governing period.
Several persons in the community said that they are pleased with what transpired on Wednesday since the country has been in total disarray with the UPP/De Weever/LRM/USP coalition.
SMN News will be following the developments on the formation of the incoming government and will bring you more information as it develops.

PHILIPSBURG:--- For Dominicans living in Anguilla, the 27th of August will forever be remembered as the date that 31 countrymen’s lives were lost when Tropical Storm Erika rolled over their native country. In an effort to help, they quickly formed the “Nature Island Club Anguilla” which to date has sent one container of dry goods and medical supplies to Dominica. A second container is being prepared to ship and in order to speed up that process, the Nature Island Club is doing a fundraiser this Saturday at the James Ronald Webster Park in the Valley. The “To Dominica with Love” benefit concert will include musical performances by True Intentions, Omari Banks, Bookie and the Crew, Omalie 360, Nadica, Gershwin Lake, Bankie Banx and many more.
Darius James of popular Reggae Band True Intentions was too young to remember the devastation that Hurricane David caused Dominica in 1979, the year he was born. For him and his fellow band members Dennis Warrington and Jonathon Warrington, also originally from Dominica, Tropical Storm Erika has instead become the most deadly natural disaster to ever impact their country.
True Intentions is now coming together with some of the other musical talent of Anguilla and St. Maarten in order to raise funds for people of Dominica. Concert goers can expect food, drinks and kids entertainment in addition to the live performances. The entrance fee is $20 for adults and $10 for children and all proceeds will go to providing food and medical supplies to those in need in Dominica. Entertainment will start at 2 PM and organizers believe the party will go on well into the wee hours of the night. Sponsors include Lime Anguilla and Blue Water Rum. More information about the event can be found on www.bluewaterrum.com/news.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Nature is informing all stakeholders of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area that they must adhere to the Rules and Regulations of the Marine Park. “Yesterday we had to ask a vessel to leave the Marine Park because it was completely not in compliance with the rules and regulations of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. The vessel was not registered at the Nature Foundation as a dive vessel, the guests on board had no SCUBA Diving tags which allows them to dive in the Marine Park, the vessel was tied up wrong to the mooring causing damage to expensive equipment and the captain was rude and belligerent towards Nature Foundation staff,” commented Tadzio Bervoets of the Nature Foundation. It is important that these regulations are adhered to for the safety of visitors to the Marine Park as well as for the conservation of the fragile marine ecosystem of the area. Tourists to the island must purchase a dive tag which goes towards the maintenance of equipment in the Marine Park. Locals do not need to purchase a dive tag.

The Banker magazine’s recent survey has confirmed the Cayman Islands position as the world’s number 1 specialised financial centre. The jurisdiction’s dominance as a leading banking centre remains firm as this is the seventh consecutive year that the Cayman Islands has maintained the top spot in this highly-regarded, global survey.
“This unprecedented dominance in banking confirms our role as a global facilitator of the allocation of Investment capital and financing around the world through excellence, innovation and balance in global financial market products and services,” said Mr Jude Scott, CEO of Cayman Finance.
Mr. Scott said that the leadership of the Cayman Islands as an international banking centre can be attributed to a combination of the world’s top professionals and the jurisdiction’s strong legislative and balanced regulatory framework.
“The Banker Survey is a prestigious global survey and it is indeed encouraging to see that our efforts together as a jurisdiction are achieving consistently high results in terms of global recognition. With over 12 points between us and the next ranked jurisdiction it is clear that we continue to demonstrate the excellence in client service that maintains our position as the leading specialized financial centre”, Scott added.
Hailing strong working relationship between the Cayman Islands Government, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, the judiciary and the financial services industry as a key factor in Cayman’s success, Mr. Scott said that these organisations recognize the jurisdiction’s important role in the global financial market and have continually demonstrate a commitment to ensuring the strength of the banking sector.
Cayman’s modern and robust infrastructure, tax neutrality with a key focus on tax transparency, geographical location, best in class banking professionals, English speaking population and business friendly environment facilitate the accessibility of banking services to an international clientele, he added.
The Banker magazine is part of the Financial Times Group, a globally recognised and respected finance publication and its IFC rankings are based on data ranging from financial markets indicators to economic potential to business environment factors. The ranking focuses on the level of international business and the value for institutions seeking to expand their international operations.
Of the specialised financial centres, the Cayman Islands retains its lead followed by Jersey, Guernsey, the Bahamas and Mauritius.

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Wednesday September 30th Brian Deher officially resigned from the Advanced Vocational & Adult Education (Stichting Secundair Beroeps Onderwijs en Educatie) School Board which oversees the operations of the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA). In an invited comment Mr. Deher stated “while I have great hopes for the future of NIPA I do have some very different opinions about the board’s management decisions and style since our inception. During our tenure I was willing to continue to work with the board regardless of any disagreements we may have had but at this point in time I cannot proceed to work on a board that the Ministry of Education and the Members of Parliament no longer seem to support. I am of the belief that the boards of Government Owned Companies, schools, or other institutions need to work with government and all stakeholders to achieve the goals originally set out by Government which are presumably in the best interests of Country St. Maarten. I’ve sat by and watched in utter disbelief as other boards have used the legal system to act autonomously from any directives given to them from our elected officials in Parliament or our ministers and I cannot in good conscious continue on a board that is taking a similar stance against our Government.” Mr. Deher went on to say “I understand the need for arms-length separation between boards and Government but when serious questions of performance, compliance, or transparency come into question I feel that the only honorable decision for boards to take is to either prove your strategic plan for success, work with the applicable departments within Government to correct any shortcomings, and/or allow full transparency so there is no doubt about the board’s intentions and undertakings. In my specific case with NIPA I believe that my opinion about how to work with Government and all stakeholders in general, and the Ministry of Education specifically, is different than the majority of the board so I have chosen to offer my resignation.”
Mr. Deher was appointed to the AVE Board as a representative of the Chamber of Commerce mainly due to his involvement in the private sector, most notably the marine industry on St. Maarten. “I have great respect and admiration for the individual members of the NIPA board and I know that their hearts are in the right place and that they truly want what’s best for NIPA, the students, and Country St. Maarten and to that end I wish them much success.” stated Deher.

Mrs. Marcella Hazel
Chairman of the Board
Advanced Vocational
& Adult Education
Stichting Secundair Beroeps
Onderwijs en Educatie
Cay Hill, St. Maarten

September 30, 2015

Re: B. Deher Resignation from the AVE Board EFFECTIVE IMMIDIATELY

Dear Mrs. Hazel,

Due to irreconcilable differences of opinion regarding the management of The National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) by the AVE Board I hereby tender my resignation from the board effective immediately.

I will make myself available until Friday October 30th, 2015 to the extent needed to sign checks that are pre-approved by the Executive Director and the Chairman of the Board. This should allow sufficient time for the board to elect a replacement Treasurer and to update the authorized signatories at the Windward Islands Bank.

I will also make sure to continue with the job training and competency evaluations of the Maritime Students in order to help insure that they are able to graduate this year and find gainful employment in the marine sector.

Going forward I am happy to help NIPA and the AVE Board with job training, interaction with the private sector, and financial planning if that would be deemed appropriate by the board.

I wish you and the rest of the board much success and hope that the full potential of NIPA will be achieved.

Sincerely,

Brian Deher

PHILIPSBURG:---- Dance Bootcamp Events is an organization, founded by Marcelino Zandwijken (Surinamese/Dutch) in June 2015, that is focused on the development of dance talent through a variety of dance workshop events.
Marcelino Zandwijken, has gathered together renowned choreographers Miss-Bee Ada, Mygella Zandwijken, Jay Mills, Lincoln Arrundell, Kishana Vlaun, and Fally van Gennip to share their expertise on St.Maarten
The price is $10 per workshop or $65 for a whole day package.
To sign up or for more information, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (011590) 690583252
or you may call NIA at (1721) 5430600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PHILIPSBURG:--- All the Members of Parliament including those from the coalition government supported a motion presented by the National Alliance and Democratic Party on Monday to demand that Attorney General Guus Schram tender his resignation and also repudiate the statements he made on September 11th 2015 at the swearing in ceremony of a judge on St. Maarten.
Faction Leader MP William Marlin outlined the motion which he said is insulting, degrading and unacceptable to the people of St. Maarten. The motion that was presented by Marlin was passed unanimously by all 15 Members of Parliament.
Prior to submitting the motion to Parliament, Marlin outlined the statements made by Attorney General Guus Schram where he said everyone on St. Maarten is involved in the underworld crimes. Marlin further explained that Guus Schram is an appointed civil servant that is in charge of the entire justice chain including the Prosecutor’s Office. “He is the one that decides which case has priority and which case should be given extra manpower in order for it to be taken to court.” Marlin said that if the Parliament of St. Maarten ignores the statements made by the Attorney General who does not even live on St. Maarten then they as elected officials would have missed the boat. Marlin further explained that when St. Maarten and Curacao were negotiating the status aparte with the Netherlands one of the things they fought for was for each country to have its own Attorney General but they lost that battle. However, that he said that does not mean that St. Maarten will accept everything that is said about the country and its people.
Leader of the Democratic Party, MP Sarah Wescot Williams said she is cognizant of the fact that the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson does not agree with the statements made by the Attorney General Guus Schram however, she felt that the matter is not closed off. Wescot Williams said it is important for the people to know that the appointment of the Attorney General is political, which she said is regulated by Kingdom Law.
Wescot Williams said that the Attorney General is the Chief Law Enforcement representative and when he was asked to substantiate the statements he made he referred those that asked him to look at the three integrity reports. MP Wescot Williams also reminded parliament of the statements made by the Chief of the National Police Bouman when he visited the country earlier this year. She asked where these law enforcements agents gets the authority and audacity from so that they could make the statements they made. The DP MP said that if this is not stopped then this will live a life of its own for years if not decades.
Members of Parliament from the coalition also expressed their concerns on the statements made by the Attorney General. MP Johan Janchi Leonard said he fully agrees with the opposition and he also supports the motion they present to parliament because if the Parliament does not take a stand then these very statements will be used against St. Maarten in the future.

Leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger said that Schram has committed an atrocity against the people and country with the statements he made on September 11th. Heyliger said in his view the Attorney General is just as bad as the criminals he prosecutes because he committed a crime against the country which is affecting the country’s image and economy. Heyliger stressed that the statements made by Schram has far reaching consequences. The UPP leader said in his view the Attorney General has gone to another level by intimidating the people of St. Maarten because even the banks are using these statements against the people and politicians when they try to obtain loans.
MP Leona Marlin Romeo read out information she took from Wikipedia where it pointed out that the Netherlands has been involved in corruption and drug trade since the 18th century. She said while the Attorney General made statements he has no proof yet he is making allegations towards the country and its people. MP Cornelius de Weever, also expressed his concerns about the allegations and statements made by politicians in the Netherlands and even by civil servants including the Attorney General.
Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson again informed Parliament that he remains steadfast on what he said about the Attorney General and the statements he made. Minister Richardson further explained that the Attorney General is appointed by the Kingdom and in order for him to be removed from his position he would need support from the Ministers of Justice of Aruba and Curacao.
Minister Richardson said Schram is the Attorney General of St. Maarten, Curacao, and the BES islands and because of this he believes he is in charge of one district.

Motion of No Confidence against Gumbs Cabinet passed, Eight MPs voted in favor --- UPP/ De Weever/LRM/USP Government falls

PHILIPSBURG:--- The government of St. Maarten is now in shambles. The UPP/ De Weever/ LRM and USP Government fell on Wednesday when three Members of Parliament supporting the current coalition voted in favor of a motion of no confidence against the Gumbs cabinet which was presented by MP Sarah Wescot Williams. Wescot Williams highlighted the situation at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) the latest being the decision taken by the Council of Ministers to no longer grant land to the Operating Company, but instead to the Holding Company. SMN News published the letter sent by Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on August 25th, 2015 instructing and informing Domain Affairs of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers.
Member of Parliament Silvio Matser finally came out and informed the people of St. Maarten when he announced publicly on the floor of parliament on Wednesday that he will be sending a letter to the Chairman of Parliament and declaring himself as an Independent Member of Parliament. Matser said that he formed a government with a set of people, yet he does not know what is going on in government. He said what is even worse he is not informed as to who does what or who is being appointed to office. Matser said while he has an ongoing tax related court case, he has been ridiculed constantly by the same people he formed a government with. MP Matser said he is constantly being accused for dropping the government but the time has come when he has had enough. Matser further explained he lost his father when his photograph appeared on the front page of one of the newspapers stating that he was convicted in his case. “This is something I will never be able to change but I have to live with it for the rest of my life.”
The announcement made by MP Matser left several Member of Parliament stunned. MP Franklin Meyers said he was expecting the motion presented because he got a phone call Tuesday night from someone who told him that a new government was in the making.
MP Maurice Lake also gave a long speech about what has been taking place within the government he is part of. MP Lake said he has been very vocal in several news articles about the things he is not pleased with and because he too has had enough he voted in favor of the motion presented by the opposition. MP Frans Richardson also voted in favor of the said motion. The motion of no confidence against the Gumbs cabinet got eight votes in favor with seven against.

Members of the GUMBS Cabinet that got a motion of No Confidence are:--

• Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs
• Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson
• Minister Claret Connor
• Minister Rita Bourne- Gumbs
• Minister Raphael Boasman
• Minister Ernest Sams
• Minister Maarten Hassink

PHILIPSBURG:---- October 4, 2015 is World’s Animal Day, a day we celebrate mankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom. Did you know that the St Maarten Zoo has 46 different types of specifies? Well we do! Did you also know that the St Maarten Zoo houses an animal that can also be found in the secondary forest in northwestern Colombia? Well we do, it’s our Cotton-top Tamrin, a small new world monkey weighing less than 0.5 k.g.

Along with rest of the world, we will be celebrating animal life in all its forms including endangered and rare species. We should acknowledge and be thankful for the many positive influences and diverse roles animals play in our lives. They not only bring wonder to this world we share but also help keep a natural balance.

The St. Maarten Zoological & Botanical Garden Foundation will be celebrating animals and its existence with an Arts, Crafts & Stuff event at the zoo on October 4, 2015 starting at 11 am until 5pm. There will be vendors in which you will be able to buy items in preparation for St Maarten Day’s such as, t-shirts and accessories. Delicious food and drink will also be on sale.

Using the saying one man’s junk is another man treasure!, you will be able to find your own treasure at affordable prices. To entertain the younger generation and educate them about our animals, there will also be an informative- interactive tour for which they will be able to ask questions about animals in zoo.

We are also collaborating with Funtopia, children will be able to get their face painted, balloon molder will be on stilts, there will be appearances by the popcorn mascot & junior bouncing castle will be there for their playful entertainment and Funtopia will also be given the children the opportunity to register onsite to join the Funclub. All proceeds will go towards the Funtopia Youth Initiative.

We are inviting families, vendors to come down and celebrate World Animal day at the Zoo on Sunday, October 4, 2015. Tickets may be bought at entrance, children are $2 and adults are only $5. Starting at 11 am until 5pm.

Should you be interested in being a vendor at the World animal day, please contact Public Relations Officer of the Board, Caisha Evans at tel. 5273530 and/or contact us by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- Be the Change Foundation has made a special donation to Ari Sutton, social worker, for materials for Life Skills classes being taught at ICAN Foundation. Ms. Sutton is teaching life and social skills classes to the residents of the ICAN children's home. This 18 week program provides training in life skills to the children in order to empower them to make positive changes in their lives.

The program is aimed to strengthen and support children by teaching better coping skills to prepare them for adult life.

Be the Change is proud to support this effort, contributing funds from the Erika Cannegieter-Smith Educational Fund.

The Erika Cannegieter-Smith Educational Fund was created with monies raised in Erika’s memory by a GoFundMe campaign.

Ms. Sutton thanked Be the Change for their donation

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs during his working visit in the Netherlands met with Sint Maarteners which included students and young professionals working and residing in the country.

The reception was organised by the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s first official working visit to the Netherlands. The reception took place at the Babylon Hotel.

Many students and young professionals were in attendance and showed much interest for the message the Prime Minister brought to them.

This message entailed amongst other issues, the need for the young professionals to return to the island to assist in the building of the young country.

“In the Prime Minister’s message to them, he further indicated that the necessary changes were in the make to provide the needed changes to facilitate their return, and in particular in the area of job security under beneficial circumstances.

“Other areas touched on briefly were the relations within the Kingdom and a brief personal history of his appointment to the post of Prime Minister back in December 2014.

“After his introduction and message to the gathering, the Prime Minister made use of the opportunity to mingle and exchange views with those present on issues pertaining to the country in general, and to issues brought up by those in attendance.

“The gathering was deemed inspiring by many of the students and young professionals present, as for many, this was the first up and close contact they had ever experienced with the current Prime Minister.

“They also expressed the wish to have this type of informative exchange on a more frequent basis with not only visiting dignitaries but also with the Cabinet of Sint Maarten in The Hague, something that most certainly will be executed in the coming months and going into 2016.

“The visit ended with the Prime Minister thanking all present for this pleasant surprise while wishing those present continued success in their individual endeavours,” Sint Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG:----  Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte last week during his working visit to the Netherlands, was an opportunity to discuss pertinent issues related to the relations between both countries within the Kingdom, Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Tuesday.

“Prime Minister Gumbs touched on all the current issues related to the country, and specifically regarding the Integrity Chamber and the instruction related to financial matters.

“Prime Minister Rutte responded with great respect. The tone of the discussion was cordial, and Prime Minister Gumbs put his points on the table elaborating on the issues of concern to him and where we could move forward together.

“Building relations cannot be carried out from a distance when there are serious concerns. There must be a bilateral conversation.

“The trip to the Netherlands where Prime Minister Gumbs met with various institutions can be termed a success, and it is clear that the challenges can be solved through regular and open communication,” Sint Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Tuesday.

GREAT BAY:---- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) is advising the public not to consume any fish from the country’s ponds.

The Nature Foundation over the weekend issued an alert concerning tilapia fish die off in the Great Salt Pond. In the meantime, the aforementioned Foundation and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) have been working to ease the serious drought situation that has been impacting the water levels in the ponds.

Over the weekend, based on reports received, individuals were seen catching fish from the Salt Pond for possible human consumption.

According to the Collective Prevention Service (CPS), a department from Ministry VSA, the Salt Pond fish could be poisonous, and residents/visitors should refrain from eating fish from the Salt Pond or Fresh Water Pond.

Fish poisoning symptoms can occur anywhere from two to 12 hours after eating fish. Symptoms include: abdominal cramps, diarrhea (severe and watery), nausea and vomiting.

Residents and other persons are strongly advised to leave the fish alone, do not take them home to cook or to be sold to others as the fish are not fit for human consumption.

The Nature Foundation during its recent drought surveys of the Great Salt Pond, took various soil samples in order to test for a wide spectrum of heavy metals and the results returned were positive for nickel, zinc, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and other heavy metals.
The main threats to human health comes from some of the aforementioned heavy metals that can cause cancer and may also result in organ poisoning to those exposed to the heavy metal.

CPS is once again advising individuals not to consume or sell any fish from the Great Salt Pond or the Fresh Water Pond.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The adjourned Plenary Session of the House of Parliament about the Landfill has been reconvened for October 1.

Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Claret Connor will be present for the public sitting of the House.

The public Plenary Session is set for Thursday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

This session of the House was initially held on September 18, 2015.

The agenda point is the dumpsite (landfill) in Philipsburg and the plans for a waste to energy system for the country’s garbage problems.

This plenary session of the House was initially requested by the National Alliance (NA) faction Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon. William Marlin and Hon. MP Silveria Jacobs, and the Democratic Party (DP) faction MP Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on October 1st.

The plenary session is set for Thursday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is: incoming documents; second on the agenda, is an advice regarding the installation and composition of the Permanent and Ad Hoc Committees of Parliament; the third agenda point, is an advice regarding the installation and composition of the Committees of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The outages on Monday, 28 September throughout the country was a result of a fire and mechanical failure at the Cay Bay Power Plant. There were no injuries with respect to the fire.

One of the medium sized power generation units caught fire which was quickly extinguished by the fire systems and staff at the power plant.

Thereafter, power plant personnel had to deal with one of the larger units developing a mechanical problem. After a thorough inspection of the medium sized unit, this generator was brought back online.

Later in the day on Monday the larger unit was also brought back online. On Tuesday there were no mechanical challenges. NV GEBE apologizes to its customers for the inconvenience caused.

PHILIPSBURG:---- A follow up information session creating Business opportunity in the St. Maarten Festival Village will be held this evening Wednesday September 30th , 6:30 pm in the conference room upstairs in the Festival Village.
This program is aimed to stimulate entrepreneurship and more usage of the Festival Village while offering vendors the opportunity for selling of drinks, foods, arts & craft etc. The vendors in this program will be allowed to have booths, tents or tables for vending.
SOG who manages the venue would like to encourage persons within our community to get involved in this program.
The weekday program will be open on a daily basis throughout the entire month from Monday thru Sunday during normal working hours. In addition to the weekday program, the Festival Village will also be hosting live entertainment at every last weekend of each month.
There will not be no entrance fee charged to enter the Festival Village and the entire population is urged to get involved by visiting & supporting our local vendors and promoters.
The management of the Festival Village is urging small entrepreneurs to take advantage and register for this opportunity for vending of food, drinks, arts & crafts etc. during this program.
Registration forms can be picked up at SOG office at the Festival Village on weekdays between the hours of 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Call 5430506 for more information on the weekday program.
Be a part of this program and the opportunity that it offers with great business perspectives of being your own boss.

GREAT BAY:---- The new lecture organized by the Independence for St. Martin Foundation (ISMF) is “Reparatory Justice and the Decade for People of African Descent: The CARICOM Case” by Dr. Verene Shepherd.
The lecture will take place at the University of St. Martin (USM) on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at 8 PM, said lecture coordinator Dr. Rhoda Arrindell.
Keynote speaker Dr. Shepherd is an author, historian, and professor at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. “The lecture focuses on the CARICOM case for Reparations. It can also gain great insights for us about the involvement of St. Martin, South and North, in the growing reparations movement,” said Dr. Arrindell.
“Furthermore, St. Martin is naturally part of the Decade for People of African Descent, 2015-2024. Dr. Shepherd will shed light on this historic decade in a way that we’ve not yet heard in St. Martin from an official or an international expert,” said Dr. Arrindell, who is also an educator.
Dr. Shepherd is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group of Experts on people of African descent. “There are around 200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent [who] live in the Americas. Many millions more live in other parts of the world, outside of the African continent,” stated the UN in its declaration of the Decade. (http://www.un.org/en/events/africandescentdecade/background.shtml)
In addition to planning meetings, talks with youth groups, visiting maroon communities, and a range of critical engagements for the Decade, Dr. Shepherd’s human rights work takes her beyond the Americas.
The professor has spoken out against the Zwarte Piet practice on national television in the Netherlands, where “United Nations investigators have been threatened and insulted ... after calling for an end to ... Zwarte Piet.” (news.nationalpost.com)
“The Zwarte Piet practice has also been called racist and resisted in St. Martin since the 1960s,” said author Lasana M. Sekou.
In addition to her historic Decade duties, Dr. Shepherd’s research interests are in Jamaican Economic History during slavery (especially the history of non-sugar activities), Migration and Diasporas, and Caribbean Women’s history.
Books by Dr. Verene Shepherd include: Livestock, Sugar and Slavery: contested terrain in colonial Jamaica (2009); I Want to Disturb My Neighbour: Lectures on Slavery, Emancipation and Post-colonial Jamaica (2007), Maharanis Misery: Narratives of a Passage from India (2001), and Transients to Settlers: The Experience of Indians in Jamaica (1994). She is editor of Working Slavery, Pricing Freedom (2002) and Slavery without Sugar (2002). She is the co-author (with Prof. Hilary Beckles) of Liberties Lost: Caribbean Indigenous Societies and Slave Systems (2001), Freedoms Won (2004), Trading Souls (2007), and Saving Souls (2007).
“Dr. Shepherd is also a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society and Director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at UWI-Mona Campus,” said Dr. Arrindell.

Nature Foundation initiates Coral Bleaching Response Plan, Suggests Structured Clean-up of Sargassum Affected Communities

PHILIPSBURG:--- For the last few weeks the St. Maarten Nature Foundation has been very busy confronting the effects climate change has been having on the island and is concerned that there may be an increase in climate related issues on the island in the future.

On the Ocean Front; the Foundation has been monitoring the Coral Reefs inside of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park for incidents of Coral Bleaching. Coral bleaching is the dying of corals due to high water temperatures. The Nature Foundation decided to check for coral bleaching due to the prolonged period of very hot, calm weather the island has been experiencing over the last few weeks. Based on the results it was decided to put into effect the Coral Bleaching Response Plan which was drafted by the Nature Foundation in 2010. The initial phase of the plan includes continued monitoring and the implementation of various management strategies to combat the effects of Bleaching.

Similarly, The Nature Foundation has been assisting the VROMI Ministry in raising the water level of the Fresh and Great Salt Ponds which were dangerously low because of the drought. Because of the dangerously low water levels in the Great Salt Pond Tilapia were dispersed in areas through the wetland. Once the floodgate was opened between the Fresh and Great Salt Ponds an increased number of tilapia could be seen by the Firgos Channel, many of which were already stressed by low oxygen, salinity and elevated water temperatures. These fish will eventually die because of the conditions caused by the drought.

Additionally, the Foundation has been researching ways to mitigate the effects of Sargassum Seaweed on the island. “Many nearshore communities, in particular in Pointe Blanche, are being very negatively affected by the decomposing Sargassum which may not be healthy to breathe. We are in constant contact with colleagues from around the region in looking for a solution against the seaweed invasion. Unfortunately when the seaweed has been cleaned from beaches it washes back ashore the very next day. This is a significant problem due to the health effects the decomposing seagrass has on the population and steps should be taken to implement a structured cleaning program while we research ways to mitigate the effects, commented Tadzio Bervoets.

“Unfortunately these are the effects of a changing climate and we will have to deal with these and potentially new challenges. As a Small Island Developing state in the Caribbean we need to address these issues locally, regionally and globally in order to find solutions to these serious problems which will affect our communities more and more,” stated Bervoets.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin donates to Dominica the day after Dominica was hit by heavy rainfalls due to Tropical Storm Erika, the Board of Directors and Management of the University of St. Martin (USM) addressed a letter to the Prime Minister of Dominica Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, in an act of spontaneous solidarity. In that letter USM pledged its support to the recovery of Dominica. That very same day students, faculty, and staff began to pool resources to assist with the relief efforts. The President of the Board, Mrs. Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet commented that “Dominica remains holding a special place in hearts and minds of the people of St. Maarten, this is our sister island”. Her words reiterated the spirit of the letter penned by the USM President Dr. Francio Guadeloupe, whereby the promise was also made to accommodate Dominica students handpicked by that government to help rebuild the country.
The funds collected by the USM staff, faculty and students were used to purchase Baby supplies. Other items such as clothing and food supplies were also collected. The products were handover to members of the Dominica Disaster Relief committee, Mr. Clayton Felix and Mr. Romain Laville.
USM would like to thank all those who contributed to this effort by donating supplies or funds.

 Roumou has to appear in court on October 21st for most recent crimes

PHILIPSBURG:--- In the case of the 40-year old woman J.R. the Judge of Instruction followed the request of the Prosecutors Office to suspend the pre-trial detention again. The Prosecutor’s Office dropped certain special conditions, which means J.R. is no longer obliged to cooperate with the
Probation Department, neither with a psychologist or psychiatrist. The remaining conditions are that she is still not allowed to contact the people that pressed charges against her, that she needs to be available for police and justice and that she cannot commit new crimes. J.R. is summoned to appear in court for the two most recent crimes on the 21nd of October. The
other cases are still under investigation.

Press Release from Prosecutor's Office.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on September 30th. The Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, has confirmed to be present for the parliamentary session.
The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point are remarks made by the Attorney General Guus Schram on the occasion of the installation of members of the Joint Court on September 11, 2015.

This urgent meeting of the House was requested by the National Alliance Faction Members of Parliament (MP) W. Marlin, MP S. Jacobs, MP C. Emmanuel and Democratic Party Faction MP S. Wescot-Williams.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo continues to donate sports equipment to the country’s public primary schools.

The Prins Willem Alexander School, Ruby Labega School, and the Oranje School, all received soccer equipment from the MP.

All six public schools have now received sports equipment from the MP.

The MP is urging others to take up both the social and community responsibility in giving back, be it in time or in needed material for a school as ultimately it benefits the well-being of our children, the MP points out.

PHILIPSBURG:----  NV GEBE hereby informs the General Public that due to the overhauling of its engines, power interruptions can periodically be expected.

These interruptions can last up to two hours. NV GEBE understands your frustration with the power outages. The current works will be completed by the end of next week at which time customers will see improvement in the reliability of power distribution throughout the country.

NV GEBE will continue to make other power related upgrades during the months of October and November to catch up with deferred maintenance.

NV GEBE apologizes for the inconvenience caused and we thank you for your understanding as we continue to improve our service to the community of Sint Maarten.

AIRPORT:--- Stagnating the expansion and projects at the Princess Juliana International Airport has taken yet another level. This time the Council of Ministers decided on August 19th 2015 that they will instruct Domain Affairs not to issue any more long lease land and or renew long lease for any land that the Operating Company of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJAIE) has and that all land must be given to the Holding of the Government owned company.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs dispatched a letter to the head of Domain Affairs on August 25th 2015 instructing the department head of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on August 19th 2015. The letter along with the decision taken by the Council of Ministers could be viewed beneath this article.
SMN News learnt that the Operating Board seems to be having some serious issues with at least two of their members that are also on the Holding Company. Those two members it is alleged are close friends of Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs and the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger. Sources close to PJIAE identified the two persons as Michel Hodge and Ludwig Quenniche. It should be noted that the latter has been fired from the Ministry of Finance some months ago.
SMN News learnt that the other members of the Operating Company are upset that all decision they took as the Operating Company are being leaked to the Prime Minister which they said is a breach of trust and the actions of the two members that are on both boards are not helping the growth and expansion of the Government owned company. The sources said that the Operating Board are working on having the two members that are on both boards replaced in order for them to preserve the integrity of the Operating Company and the Airport as a whole.

Click here to view the letter sent to Domain Affairs and the decision of the Council of Ministers.

Hosted by the St. Maarten Golf Association at the Mullet Bay Golf Course

MULLET BAY:--- The members of the St. Maarten Golf Team that will compete in the upcoming annual Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament are looking forward to represent their country as good as possible while having the benefit of their ‘home field’ advantage at the Mullet Bay Golf Course.

The St. Maarten Golf Team consists of the following 12 players that will compete in 4 categories:

• Ladies : Sidsel Jacobsen, Gitte Poulsen and Anne-Marie Bouillé
•  Men : Howard Hobgood, Jesus Rivera, Kit Lee and Stanley Samuel
• Seniors : Sam Bashir, Steven Mix and Philippe Thevenet
• Super-Seniors : Richard Gibson and Keith Graham

The St. Maarten team members were selected based on their 5 best scores from a total of 9 monthly Medal Play tournaments that were organized by the SMGA during the period from October 2014 until August 2015. These monthly Medal Play tournaments attract average around 30 golfers, most of which are very competitive and eager to make the St. Maarten team.

The St. Maarten golf team has been practicing on and off island during the last 2 months to prepare the best way possible for this two day 36 hole tournament and to be able to win team and individual prizes when Sunday evening comes.

The Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament is organized each year by a different host-country and consists of the best players from eleven countries that are a member of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Association (ECGA). These countries are: Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

This prestigious tournament is made possible due to our year round major contributors namely, Mullet Bay Resort and Golf Course, CC1 / Coca Cola and the St. Maarten Tourist Office. Combined with the tremendous support and sponsorships the SMGA received from Air France – KLM, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canon Business Systems Services, Caribbean Alliance Insurance, Cariburo Office Equipment, Dauphin Telecom, Holland House Beach Hotel, KPMG accountants, Oyster Bay Beach Resort, PricewaterhouseCoopers, RBC Royal Bank, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Winair Airlines.

Besides these sponsors the SMGA was able to attract other contributors that contributed in different ways through golf materials, hospitality and other services, manpower, vouchers etc.

The SMGA is a non-profit organization of avid golfers that promotes the practice of the game of golf and to foster community sense. The SMGA organizes golf matches and tournaments for its members and non-members and donates most of its proceeds that are made through membership fees, club tournaments and the annual St. Maarten Open, to multiple community organizations on the island.

If you like more information about this event or schedule an interview with either the SMGA, please contact Marc van Iersel.

The Board of the St. Maarten Golf Association
(Keith Graham, Marc van Iersel, Rodney Tackling, Mark Hanauer, Ricardo Perez, Jan Peter Holtland and Ivan Havertong)
www.facebook.com/St.MaartenGolfAssociation

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group personnel capped a month-long campaign of cervical and prostate cancer awareness with a potentially life-saving talk from businessman Michael Ferrier and the KaLaHa Projects founder, Keoman Hamer.
The session took place in the TelEm Group main building Friday with close to 80 persons in attendance. It will be followed up in the coming days with special screening sessions for male and female workers in the company.
The talk was organized by TelEm Group’s Change Champions group in collaboration with the KaLaHa Foundation to bring attention to cervical cancer awareness for women.

“Since we were doing this for women in the company, a decision was taken to also include prostate cancer awareness information for men in the company also,” said Foundation founder Ms. Hamer at the start of Friday’s session.
Ms. Hamer introduced, businessman, Michael Ferrier, as a former prostate cancer sufferer who has been recounting his own experiences to various audiences over the past 10 years since successfully receiving treatment for the disease.
Friday’s session was stimulating and interactive, with much information being provided to the TelEm Group workers.
“If anything comes out of this, it is the importance of getting checked regularly and being aware of the steps you can take towards better health and even extending life,” said both speakers.
Both were presented with a token of appreciation from TelEm Group Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Mr. Bring Mingo, for taking time out to educate company personnel.
“We are all very grateful to Mr. Ferrier for sharing such personal information with us and to Keoma for assisting our team to put together this campaign in an interesting and understandable manner,” said Mr. Mingo.
According to Change Champions spokesperson, Mrs. Shadira Lont, collaboration with the KaHaLa Foundation included the production of a cervical cancer and prostate cancer awareness brochure, a short promotional video which can also be viewed on Youtube, Friday’s talk with staff and the upcoming screening sessions.
“We titled the theme of the campaign “Go Teal” to represent the color of the ribbon everyone wore to bring attention to cervical cancer awareness and we also had large ribbons made out of wood and balloons for outdoor and indoor display in public areas,” said Mrs. Lont, who was also most impressed with the many males members of staff who turned out to attend two separate sessions given by the two speakers.
On behalf of the Change Champions Team, Mrs. Lont has once again thanked the speakers, Ms. Hamer and Mr. Ferrier along with the various volunteers who assisted Friday.
“We want to especially thank all the staff members who participated with real enthusiasm, showing they truly care about their health and the health of their loved ones,” said Mrs. Lont.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday September 28th 2015, at approximately 08.35 a.m. under orders from the Public Prosecutors Office, the 40-year-old woman J.R. was arrested for violating the conditions of her suspended pre-trial detention. The conditions were set by the Judge of Instruction on July 6th 2015. One of the conditions is that she should not commit new crimes. J.R. is suspected of offending an attorney and a police officer in public. J.R. will be lead before the judge of instruction tomorrow (Tuesday)

Press Release Public Prosecutors Office

Pond Island:--- The 3rd annual TelCell Breakthrough talent show at the Theatre Royale, Maho, has been hailed another runaway success by event organizers and Minister of Education Youth & Sports, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

At the end of a grueling night of performances, the judges were very candid in their assessment of all the performers and named the following winners on the night:
Aldi Farrell - Instruments
Rumari Rogers - Rapping
Lian Borsje - Dance
Kyanni Atmpawiro - Vocals
Paul Brown – Beatboxer

Awards were also presented to the finalists for:

• Best Team Spirit: Rumari Rogers
• Most Punctual: Lisha Maduro
• Producer’s Pick: Aldi Farrell
• Most Creative Performance: Celina Monsanto
• SMS Campaign Winner: Leann Richardson

According to show organizers, Saturday’s event played to a full house with many persons unable to get into the show where they would have witnessed an impromptu singing performance from Member of Parliament, Tamara Leonard and VIP guest for the night.

Also an honoured guest was Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, who gave a feature address in which she pleaded with parents to continue to foster the natural talent that their children have.

Minister Bourne-Gumbs also appealed to the youths to continue to follow their dreams and TelEm Group to continue to provide the important vehicle of the Breakthrough event to assist the island’s youth.

TelEm Group Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Mr. Brian Mingo thanked the special guests, judges, MC for the night, and everyone who turned out for another spectacular show, but reserved the highest praise for the performers themselves who have been practicing for several weeks to that they can have their moment under the spotlight.

“The TelCell Breakthrough event is our way of giving back to the community and to the youth of St. Maarten as good corporate citizens with a duty and responsibility to society in general,” said Mr. Mingo.

“The night was about nothing else, but the youth, our youth, and what they have to say, not in words, but through their creative actions and talents,” said the TelEm Group CCO.

Saturday’s event was once again successfully managed through collaboration of a team of volunteers from TelEm Group, and promoters Xtratight Entertainment.

Speaking on behalf of TelEm Group, event coordinator Angel Richardson thanked everyone for making the finals another huge success,

“We continue to learn and grow every year and we already have some great ideas for the 4th TelCell Breakthrough event for next year,” said Angel. She has thanked all the parents who continue to support the event and the youth who have embraced the show as a platform for creative expression.

Mr. Berteaux “Mr. Rude Fleming” of Xtratight Entertainment, now has the task of working with this year’s winners under the Rock N Vibes Studio to fine tune their talents. They will collaborate on a hit track, which they will put together themselves, in all the stages, including writing the lyrics, making the beats, producing their own music video and then promoting the end product once it has been professionally mastered.

The TelCell Breakthrough winners will also feature on posters and promotional material for the next year delivering positive messages to their peers and youths throughout the island.

The first performance of the new group will be on November 1st for the Little Miss St. Maarten show, at the cultural center with the group’s first photoshoot planned for October 19th.

PHILIPSBURG/MARIGOTSt. BARTHS:---- A joint Radio-thon by Lions Clubs of St. Maarten/St. Martin and St. Barthelemy raised much needed cash for the Dominica relief effort over the weekend. In just four hours, the service club members consisting of the Lions Club of St. Maarten, the Lions Club of Fort Louis, the Lions Club of Doyen, the Lions Club Qualichi and the Lions Club Ile de St. Barthelemy raised an impressive $6,262.55 for Dominica relief.

Even though the amount is short of the $30,000 target set for the Radio-thon, the Lions Club members are satisfied with the joint effort and the generous pledges that were made by members of the public in such a short amount of time.

“We received very few pledges from the many large companies on St. Maarten, St. Martin or St. Barths, so we are still hopeful that they will come on board during the coming week so that we can announce a total collection that is closer to our target figure,” said St. Maarten Lions Club President, Eldert Louisa, following Saturday’s Radio-thon.

Speaking on behalf of his fellow Lions and members of the sister clubs, he thanked radio listeners and members of the public for calling in and doing their part for the benefit of Dominica, following the devastating floods which claimed more than 30 lives several weeks ago.

Lion Eldert Louisa said considering the various efforts that have been made on behalf of Dominica in recent weeks, the Lions Clubs were amazed at the outpouring of sympathy from the various communities for this latest effort.
During the four-hour appeal Saturday, more than 100 persons called with their pledges, and their funds will be collected in the coming days.

For persons still wanting to assist, the appeal is being kept open until Friday, October 2, 2015 for contributions and donations. Donations can be made to the various Lions Clubs and in the case of the Lions Club of St. Maarten, at the Lions Den in Sucker Garden next to the Sol Gas Station.

Arrangements have also been made to donate directly through the St. Maarten Lions Club “Dominica Relief Fund” account at the Windward Islands Bank, which is:
NAF 627101-04 and USD 627101-06

Persons making online banking donations via WIB@ Home or wire transfer donations are kindly asked to be sure to put “Dominica Relief Fund” as the recipient subject for the transaction.

“We could not have had such a successful start to our Dominica Relief Fund without the generosity of the general public and the assistance of the many people who volunteered their help. The media and especially the two radio stations Media One
X104.3 FM and 102.7 FM Voice of St. Maarten PJD3 did a fantastic job of getting their listeners to call in and pledge during the Radiothon” said the St. Maarten Lion President Eldert Louisa.

He thanked his club and board members and also the club and Board members of the sister clubs for their tireless efforts behind the scenes for the past weeks preparing for the Radio-thon and on Saturday for seeing the event through to it’s successful end.

“We still have a lot of work to do getting all the funds in and then we will be in touch with our sister Lions Club in Dominica who will be responsible for ensuring that all funds collected are distributed to those in most need,” said the Club President.

On Thursday, September 24th , 2015 the The Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland (KPCN) and the Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar) conducted a preventive control at the airport on Saba. The audit focused on illegal weapon possession and was implemented under the authority of the Arms Act BES. All persons, including their items of luggage, who were at the airport in a space provided for arrivals and departures, could be investigated. The control was randomly conducted on both arriving and departing guests.
Because of the preventive effect, the two services indicated to continue this kind of control. KPCN and KMar were satisfied with the control and the cooperation.

Preventieve fouilleeractie
Op donderdag 24 september 2015 hebben het Korps Politie Caribisch Nederland (KPCN) en de Koninklijke Marechaussee (KMar) op de luchthaven op Saba een preventieve fouilleeractie uitgevoerd. De controle was gericht tegen verboden wapenbezit en werd uitgevoerd op grond van de bevoegdheden zoals die zijn vastgelegd in de Wapenwet BES. Alle personen die zich op de luchthaven bevonden in een voor aankomst en vertrek bestemde ruimte konden onderzocht worden en ook de meegevoerde bagage. De controle is steekproefsgewijs gehouden op zowel aankomende als vertrekkende personen.
Vanwege de preventieve werking hebben de beide diensten aangegeven vaker dit soort controles onaangekondigd te zullen uitvoeren. KPCN en KMar waren tevreden over de controle en de samenwerking

PHILIPSBURG:---– The community of Simpson Bay, Beacon Hill, Pelican, Cupecoy and the Low Lands are invited to a NV GEBE information session on Tuesday, September 29.

The information session is being organized as part of NV GEBEs efforts to continue to improve services to its customers by engaging them in the aforementioned and at the same time providing information regarding the company.

The information session is being held at the Sister Regina School in Simpson Bay from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

An additional information session is scheduled for Cole Bay on September 30 at the John Hodge Hall (Methodist Church). It will take place at the same aforementioned time and residents of Cole Bay, Almond Grove, and Cay Bay are also invited to come out for this informative meeting.

Residents will get the opportunity to learn from department heads about new projects and what the company is doing to continue to improve services to the customer and the community at large.

The information session also allows those in attendance to ask various questions to the NV GEBE Managers and department heads.

Managers and Department heads will give presentations about current services such as billing cycles; payment of bills; important information for seniors 62+; the reading of electricity bills with respect to kilowatt hours and the fuel clause; the new electrical and digital water meters; street lights; the electrical production facility; trenching and much more.

MARIGOT/PHILIPSBURG:--- The first initiative project of the Observatory Sint Maarten / Saint Martin, the ‘How Healthy is Sint Maarten / Saint Martin?’ Study, has garnered the support of UTS with a donation of 70 4G LTE sim-cards to facilitate the data collection process during the upcoming field work phase of the project.
Momentarily over 90 persons are being trained to execute the door-to-door survey, after certification, a pilot survey will ensue. The results of the pilot will in turn will be a selection process facilitating the selection of 70 interviewers who will then be ready to go out into the field.
The project will consist of a digital survey via a tablet, supported by the newly introduced 4G LTE UTS network, as well as a physical measurement section. All parts are fully voluntary, and every household selected to participate will be done so fully random and anonymous. The data collected will contribute to the creation of evidence-based policy and programming catering to the needs of the population, it is therefore of utter importance to have all selected persons participate.
The Observatory and the Health Study are ground breaking on its own, being the first cross-border initiative and study to have ever been executed locally. An initiative that started in 2012 and officiated in 2014, with both Governments and Public Health Stakeholders collaborating to improve the health of the population through (improved) policies, programs, and services.
The Observatory is grateful for the local support the initiative the project has been receiving, especially the facilitation of data gathering through UTS’s new 4G network.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Fire Department which falls under the Ministry of General Affairs is organizing Fire Prevention Month from October 1st to November 1st.
The theme for 2015’s Fire Prevention Month is: ‘Smoke Detectors Save Lives.’

The Fire Department is doing this in collaboration with the Friends of the Island Government Fire Fighters.
Fire Prevention Month will be packed with activities to raise fire safety awareness within the communities.

The activities will include: Fire Safety Awareness Workshop for all primary school third graders; Installation of smoke detectors in houses. Every week a different district in the country will be visited by fire fighters.

Lecture and workshop for architects and engineers on Fire Safety on October 21st.

And an Open House and Fire Safety Expo on November 1st from 9.00am to 5.00pm, with a walkthrough at the fire station, and demonstrations of firefighting skills. Fire safety providers will be able to exhibit their products and services at the expo.

Fire Prevent Week is celebrated annually around the world in the month of October. This year the Fire Department decided to extend the activities over a one-month period.

For those who have any interest in sponsoring smoke detectors or to obtain a booth at the Open House, or have any questions related to the activities planned, you can contact Antonio Gibs via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Fire Department at 543-1316 or 543-1318.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs visited the President of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament Anouchka van Miltenburg on Friday. The Second Chamber is also referred to as the House of Representatives.

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen stated over the weekend the visit to the President of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament was the last official visit that Prime Minister Gumbs had scheduled as part of his official working visit to the Netherlands.

“The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the Second Chamber about his efforts to promote the Kingdom of the Netherlands candidacy for the United Nations (UN) Security Council with respect to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of nations who have seats in the UN General Assembly.

“Prime Minister Gumbs also explained to President Miltenburg that his efforts have been made even more difficult due to the constant stress in the relationship between Philipsburg and The Hague on a number of issues.

“The Prime Minister extended an invitation to President Miltenburg for her and the Dutch Inter-parliamentary delegation to meet with the Government during their visit to the country in January 2016,” Sint Maarten’s Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen said over the weekend.

Anouchka van Miltenburg was elected President of Parliament (Speaker) on 25 September, 2012. Miltenburg has also been a Member of Parliament since 2003.

The representatives or Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected directly by the Dutch voters. There are 150 MPs.

The main duties of the Second Chamber of Parliament are co-legislation and checking that the Government carries out its work properly. Parliament also plays an important role in policy-making.

MPs have certain rights in order to carry out their duties as well as they can. For instance, they have the right to propose bills themselves, or to amend bills proposed by the Government.

By motion they can ask the government to take action on a certain issue, or they can give their opinion on the policies of the Government.

Ministers and State Secretaries must inform the House of Representatives adequately. MPs have the right to ask questions of the members of the Cabinet and to call them to account.

The members of the Sint Maarten delegation that met with President Miltenburg also included the Prime Ministers Chief of Cabinet Julien Larmonie and Legal Counsel to the Minister Plenipotentiary Maarten van Rooij.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister concluded his official visit to the Netherlands by attending the 200 years celebration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Sint Maarten – The House of Parliament will meet on Tuesday afternoon September 29 as the adjourned Plenary Session regarding the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) and other related educational matters is reconvened.

The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs will be present for the plenary session of the House. This meeting was requested by the National Alliance (NA) Faction.

The public plenary session is set for Tuesday at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is: pending and urgent challenges being experienced by students and staff of NIPA; second on the agenda, a status update and the action plan of government as pertains to students who have been placed (or not placed) in Secondary Public Schools, and have to date not started school as yet; the third agenda point, students in the Netherlands and other countries abroad who have complained that they have not yet received their Study Financing Funds; and the fourth agenda point, status of Study Financing Ordinance.

This plenary session of the House was requested by the NA parliamentary faction Members of Parliament (MPs), namely MP Hon. S.E. Jacobs, MP Hon. W.V. Marlin, and MP Hon. G.C. Pantophlet, in a letter dated September 10, 2015.

The first sitting related to this plenary session regarding the aforementioned agenda points was held on September 14th, 2015.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

CHATA & Culinary Partners in preparation for September 27th

Willemstad:---- CHATA and its partners are gearing up for the island’s largest culinary festival. The Flavors of Curaçao team is working hard, in order to ensure an awe-inspiring and memorable culinary experience by 20 of Curaçao’s finest restaurants and chefs on September 27th, World Tourism Day.

The past week, CHATA campaigned with Flavors of Curaçao through several Radio and TV ticket raffles and the Flavors of Curaçao Treasure Hunt that took place on September 22nd, allowing the lucky finder of the Treasure Chest Key, Laura Gouw, to win an American Airlines Sponsored Round Flight to Miami, 2 Flavors of Curaçao Tickets, NAFL. 100,00 Worth of tokens, and 2 tickets for Flavors of Curaçao 2016. Furthermore, CHATA organized a CHATA After 5 – Flavors of Curaçao Happy Hour that took place at CHATA Member and Flavors of Curaçao participant Scuba Lodge Boutique Hotel on September 24th.

Up until Saturday, September 26th CHATA’s Flavors of Curaçao Team will gradually be morphing the Kleine Wharf into an up-scale venue to accommodate the Flavors of Curaçao restaurants and visitors on Sunday. Flavors of Curaçao will be the island’s largest culinary event featuring 20 participating restaurants which will be serving a plethora of delicacies for prices ranging from NAFL.2,50 - 20,00 at Kleine Wharf in Willemstad. Flavors of Curaçao serves the purpose of a fundraising event from which the proceeds will be invested in professional trainings of employees & destination branding in the local Tourism & Hospitality industry.

Flavors of Curaçao will be featuring awesome LIVE entertainment, and engaging activities for children such as a Kid’s Corner, and cooking workshops for children between 5 and 12 years of age! The adults can immerse in the local culinary world in the VIP section of Flavors of Curaçao that can be accessed by everyone. The Flavors of Curaçao Bars will serve a variety of thirst - quenching and enjoyable alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Flavors of Curaçao on World Tourism Day, September 27th, is an opportunity for our community to spoil their taste buds with culinary delights from 20 of the island’s finest Restaurants and their creative culinary team.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 29.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Tuesday, at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first of three agenda points are: the establishment of the draft proposal regarding the Double Taxation between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten; advice regarding the installation and composition of the Permanent and Ad Hoc Committees of Parliament; and advice regarding the installation and composition of the Committees of the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

Oranjestad:--- The Board of financial supervision Aruba (CAft) made its first official visit to Aruba on September 25th, after the National Ordinance temporary financial supervision (LAtft) came into force. The visit was focused on the practical aspects of the LAtft and the further development of the trust basis, according to Chairman Age Bakker. In the meantime, shortly after the ratification of the LAtft by Aruba Parliament, the CAft issued an advice on the implementation report of September 11th, 2015, the draft budget 2016 and the annual accounts of 2014.

The Board visited Aruba on Friday September 25th. The Board met the Acting Governor, the Minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers and the Finance Committee of Parliament and the ATIA.

A good start
The LAtft was adopted by Parliament on August 27th, 2015. Subsequently, the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom agreed to the LAtft and the nominated members of the CAft on September 4th. In addition to Chairman Age Bakker upon proposal of the Kingdom, the CAft also consists from Robert Croes upon proposal of Aruba, and Sybilla Dekker upon proposal of the Netherlands. During the visit the midyear figures were discussed and various action points arising from the LAtft were elaborated on. These action points include: agreements about how to go about the obligation to provide information, the periods during which advice on various documents is to be provided, agreements regarding the improvement of financial management, agreements for entering into loans and the stipulation of the collective sector.
Second execution report
In the recently released advice on the implementation report of September 11th the CAft noticed that the budget realization was 48% over the first half year, both in terms of resources as costs. The operating deficit up to June 2015 amounted to AWG 80 million, about 50% of the amount budgeted for the entire year. Execution of the budget thus seems to be on schedule, but to reach a final conclusion is difficult since a seasonal analysis has not been possible so far, and the quality of the financial management is still not at the desired level. Some caution in interpreting the exhaustion figures is therefore required. The implementation of the consolidation measures shows progress compared to the first quarter of 2015 but is still lagging behind, particularly with regard to the curbing of personnel costs. CAft recommends reinforcing the control on the implementation of the consolidation measures in the second half of 2015. In the third quarter of 2015 the CAft expects to see positive effects resulting from the increase of the BAZV rate.
Draft budget 2016
On September 17th, 2015 the CAft submitted its advice on the shortened 2016 draft budget. In its advice the CAft zoomed in on a number of important topics. The recommendations partly see to the strengthening of the control and substantiation of proposed modifications, such as the revision of the tax system and economization on staff. The CAft finds that the shortened 2016 draft budget provides limited insight into the intentions for 2016. The link between policy and the numerical multi annual calculations is not sufficiently transparent: e.g. there is no connection between on one hand, the Spearheads Note (Speerpuntennota) and on the other hand the budget. The proposed measures should be supported by both legislative proposals as explanatory figures. The CAft is of the opinion that, considering the figures supplied by Government, further changes are necessary in order to realize the budgeted deficit of 2,0% of the GDP for 2016.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Professor Salt Founder of Salt Ministries International - Kingdom Citizen Church (St. Maarten) has announced that Kingdom Ambassadors now have another alternative to gospel music. The new online station is called SOUND OF SALT. The young pastor has informed this media house that his dream has always been to be able to manage his own gospel radio station. Although this station is strictly broadcasted online, he is very pleased with the response he is getting from persons on the island and overseas. "Our listeners are not just on St. Maarten but internationally, that's the power of the internet." The station caters for persons who hold any smart device and also for those who have a computer, ipad/tablet or laptop. It is strictly GOSPEL music and there are time sermons are pre-recorded sermons and are aired. There are times in the evenings live broadcasting is done. What is interesting about this is the fact that this station is broadcasted live from his own home. He encourages those who are looking for good encouragement music and God's word to tune in anytime during the day.. It can be accessed on the ministries website www.saltministeries.com or on tunein.com (Sound of Salt).
When his online live communication is done via his facebook page (Pastor Salt Man).

PHILIPSBURG:---- Based on the ongoing dry and hot weather associated with the current drought the island has been experiencing and based on measures being taken regarding the management of the Water Level of the Great Salt Pond it has been decided to issue an alert concerning Tilapia fish die off in the Great Salt Pond.

The Nature Foundation is assisting the VROMI Ministry in raising the water level of the Fresh and Great Salt Ponds considering the expectation of a higher than normal tide because of the full moon of the coming days. Based on the NOAA tidal tables a spring tide is expected which would mean an above normal tide by about two feet peaking on Tuesday at six am and subsiding gradually over the subsequent six hours. During this time seawater from the Great Bay entrance will be channelled into the ponds in order to raise the water levels which are dangerously low due to on-going drought conditions. Because the ecosystem is used to a saline to a saline-brackish environment there should be little negative effect on the ecosystems.
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Regarding Tilapia; because of the dangerously low water levels in the Great Salt Pond Tilapia were dispersed in areas through the wetland. Once the floodgate was opened between the Fresh and Great Salt Ponds an increased number of tilapia could be seen by the Firgos Channel, many of which were already stressed by low oxygen, salinity and elevated water temperatures. These fish will eventually die because of the conditions caused by the drought. The area is already being cleaned and the fish disposed of considering the health effects on the communities surrounding that area of the wetland. Although unfortunate the reducing of the number of tilapia will have a positive effect on the ecosystem balance of the wetland considering they are an invasive species. This is confirmed by tilapia being the only species affected. Species such as Tarpon (bass) can be seen congregating in large numbers by the Great Bay Channel due to the influx of oxygenated water, which is very beneficial to the species.

The Nature Foundation will continue to monitor the situation.

Willemstad:---  CHATA’s world tourism day celebration will be done through a culinary food festival; Flavors of Curaçao. CHATA regards partnership as an essential factor to move forward in the tourism and hospitality industry. This food festival is a clear example of CHATA’s partnership stance, as several important stakeholders worked towards the realization of this event. The profits made during the event will be invested in culinary educational programs and awareness campaigns. Flavors of Curaçao will reinvest all profits and employs roughly 200 people therefore, definitely acting as an economic stimulus.

CHATA is proud to acknowledge that Flavors of Curaçao is yet another achievement that attests of CHATA’s stance that partnership is important to move forward in the Tourism & Hospitality industry. CHATA has embraced cooperation and partnership in its operations, this reflects through the Flavors of Curaçao stakeholders that are conjointly realizing Flavors of Curaçao on World Tourism day. The stakeholders contributing to the realization of this event are both CHATA members and non-members, consisting of the 20 participating restaurants, food & beverage distributors, tour bus operators, car rentals, hotels, the media, the public sector and many more.

CHATA’s proceeds of this celebratory event will be invested in culinary educational programs and awareness campaigns. The Curaçao Tourism & Hospitality industry currently employs approximately 11,000 people. With Tourism growing at a rapid pace, the tourism & hospitality industry is in need of more personnel with culinary expertise to join the industry. With the proceeds CHATA will ensure that personnel in the industry will have the required competencies and contribute to Tourism- and Economic development.

Flavors of Curaçao will employ 200 people on World Tourism Day, varying from Chefs to Bar tenders. CHATA is proud to organize an event that will have a great socio-economic impact through employment of people during the event and investment of proceeds in the community.

PHILIPSBURG:----When we look around us on the streets of St. Maarten or in our work environment we hardly ever see someone who is physically or mentally handicapped. No people in wheelchairs, visually impaired people or otherwise physically/mentally limited people. Don’t they exist? Unfortunately, there are many people in St. Maarten who are not as mobile as the most of us. But why don’t we see them?
Many of our sidewalks are in a deplorable state (if there are any sidewalks available), many businesses and (government) institutions are not wheelchair friendly or set up in a way that wheelchairs can pass through a door or are easy to find for the visual impaired. Workplaces often are not set up in a way that a less physically/mentally able person can make him or herself useful. This most of the time limits the less able persons to earn a living to provide for their selves. Not because someone cannot walk or see means that they cannot be productive.
We tend to look at government to solve everything. Government sure has a role to play in setting up the right infrastructure and setting up workplaces in a way that makes it possible to hire less able persons. Businesses and other institutions also need to be open to hiring people who are physically or mentally handicapped and make the place of business more accessible. Last, but not least, it is the people who need to be more considerate. A simple example is the parking spot for the physically handicapped. No healthy person has any business parking in any of such spots, yet if you take the time to look around you will see that those spots are always taken by those who those spots are not meant for.
In this modern day and age it should not be so that a large group of people is left out, simply because the rest of us are too busy thinking about ourselves. It is about time that government, the private sector and we, The People, take into account those who are physically and mentally handicapped. Not only by having institutions in place where they are dropped off for the day, but to provide chances to have them included in our society and have them participate in our daily lives.
Sjaoel “Shooz” Richardson President Soualiga Social Movement

PHILIPSBURG:---- CHTA President and St Maarten Hotelier, Emil Lee, recently spoke about the Economic Value of Tourism at the Statia Sustainable Conference held September 24 and 25, 2015 on the island of St Eustatius.

Lee spoke about the many changes that CHTA is undergoing and the new CHTA Hub and Spoke model where National Hotel and Tourism Associations or NHTA’s and Tourism professionals curate new ideas, best and worst practices. “Many of the islands in the Caribbean share very similar problems and issues, which provides a great opportunity to share the solutions. There is no need in the Caribbean to reinvent the wheel.” Said Lee.

Lee also took the opportunity to integrate some of his experiences and knowledge about the tourism industry to offer some recommendations on how to enhance the Economic Contributions of Tourism in Statia. Some of the recommendations included:

1. In order for tourism to be viable and economically sustainable, it must also be environmentally and socially sustainable. The development of Tourism for the sake of tourists and the industry is not sustainable. The first step in any Tourism Development plan must be to determine, what do the people want? What do the citizens want their home to look like? The best way to attract tourists to your destination is to make your home the best place to live.

2. The small size and limited number of tourists gives Statia an amazing opportunity to manage its tourism marketing efforts to a degree that few others can. This is an opportunity to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, collect data and manage visitor experiences to an amazing degree. Some very specific recommendations on marketing strategies were presented.

During the conference, some initial discussions were held with Mr Winston Fleming about the possibility of the St. Eustatius Business Association or STBA and the CHTA forming closer working relationship. Since Statia has no formal hotel association, the possibility of Hotel representation could easily fall under the umbrella of the STBA.

According to Lee, “It has been several years since I have been to Statia, it was wonderful to be able to return and spend more time in Statia. Statia has some interesting challenges and opportunities ahead. I believe there is a capacity to offer one of the most authentic Caribbean experiences to visitors. Properly stimulated, I could easily envision a successful farm to table dining experience. The people were very friendly and gracious. I am delighted to have received the invitation to speak.”

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Friday September 25th 2015 all 18 recruits presently in training for the Police Force have been sworn in by the Honorable Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson. The ceremony took place at the Philipsburg Police Station in the presence of the Chief of Police Peter De Witte, Acting Chief of Police Commissioner Carl John, instructors at the Justice Academy Inspectors Norwin Villareal and Kethura Brown. The recruits will be undergoing a six week practical training to get a hands-on view of actual police work. To be able to do this practical training the recruits have to sworn in. The recruits will be guided and given instructions by certified mentors in the office and on the streets.
Minister Richardson congratulated the recruits and encouraged them to continue to do well during the training.

POINTE BLANCHE:---- Tenants at the recently inaugurated Walter Plantz Square (WPS) at Down Street continue to prepare for the upcoming 2015-2016 cruise season which is just a few weeks away. WPS was inaugurated almost a week ago in the presence of a large cross section of the community who came out throughout the day to experience and see what WPS is all about.
Cruise passengers will have a new venue to visit and sample the products and services at the various ginger-bread houses at the square.
Last week Saturday at the opening of the WPS included a number of activities for the entire family including the kids.
Sports and other activities organized for the day was the traditional boat race that included boats from Anguilla, namely Upsetter, Kiedro Pride, No Big Ting, R.O.B.B., Alma Gloria, Dark Shadows, De Storm and F5 Tornado. The winner of the boat race was Alma Gloria.
One of the highlights was the Kids Fishing Tournament where 14 children took part and the winners were: first place Keyron Baptise, second place Kendrick Richerson, and third place Anthoine Carty.
Port St. Maarten management was very pleased with the turnout to the opening of the Walter Plantz Square last Saturday, adding that the St. Maarten community overall, and the Down Street community in particular welcomed the new project that would attract new business and bring opportunities to that part of Philipsburg.
The Walter Plantz Square at Down Street will generate a new spirit of life into the area for locals and visitors alike.
“Once again, we would like to use this opportunity to thank everybody for coming out to the opening including Members of Parliament and the Council of Ministers as well as the William and Plantz families last week Saturday.
“The promotion of our national heritage is part of Port St. Maarten’s re-inventing cruise tourism and is essential to the new products and services to be offered to cruise and stay-over visitors. This is very important in order for our country to maintain its position as a premiere matured cruise destination,” Port Management said on Friday.
Port St. Maarten had organized a packed program for the inauguration of the WPS last Saturday which included music from Deejays and various bands as well as performances from dance theatre groups.
The day’s events created a social media buzz where all had a fun time. There was an activity for each member of the family from the toddler to the senior citizen.
The WPS comprises of eight small buildings constructed according to the traditional St. Maarten architectural ginger-bread design, to reflect the national heritage of the destination. The essence of the project is to bring in the heritage value of the destination by showcasing the ginger bread homes of the past.
The approximately US$2 million project entailed the construction of a square with cabanas to be used for a bar/restaurant, the selling of arts and crafts and other tourist related goods; water fountain; palm trees; toilet/bathroom facilities; lockers; the square will be disabled accessible; parking for five taxi’s; parking on the beachside and around the area; small splash pool for kids; water fountain illuminating 30 different lights at night; 24-hour security.
The square is strategically located next to the Walter Plantz Tender Jetty which connects to the boardwalk/beach promenade, Down Street and Front Street which allows for a broader distribution flow of passengers.

PORT ST:---- Sunday, September 27 marks World Tourism Day (WTD). Port St. Maarten on behalf of the Board of Supervisory Directors, Management and Staff, wishes everybody working in the hospitality and tourism sector a Happy World Tourism Day.
The theme for WTD 2015 is ‘One billion tourists, one billion opportunities.’
With five consecutive years of growth, tourism has been a major contributor to the economic recovery, creating jobs and opportunities for communities in many parts of the world.
Every time somebody travels, for whatever reason, they are part of a global movement; a movement that has the power to drive inclusive development, create jobs and build sustainable societies we want for our future; a movement that builds mutual understanding and can help us safeguard our shared natural and cultural heritage.
This year highlights the global potential for socio-economic development. With more than one billion international tourists now traveling the world each year to an international destination, tourism has become a powerful and transformative force that is making a genuine difference in the lives of millions of people.
These billion tourists have made tourism a leading economic sector globally contributing 10 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or US$1.5 trillion annually; six per cent of the world’s total exports; and one in eleven jobs in the world.
Tourism is one of the world’ leading employment sectors, tourism provides important livelihood opportunities, helping to alleviate poverty and drive inclusive development.
Port St. Maarten came in second in a 2012 Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) study carried out by the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA), about the Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies.
The average expenditure per passenger in St. Maarten was $185.40, which benefitted numerous industries through purchases of goods that included food and beverage at restaurants and bars, clothing, shore excursions, ground transportation, local crafts and souvenirs, watches and jewelry, perfumes and cosmetics, electronics, entertainment/night clubs/casinos, retail purchases of liquor, and telephone and internet. Total cruise tourism expenditures amounted to over US$356 million for 2011/2012 cruise year.
The same study showed that the average expenditure per crew in St. Maarten was $135.50 on similar products and services. Plus it revealed the direct and indirect employment generated by the cruise industry on the island, totaled 8,123 jobs and US$159.8 million in employee wages.
The aforementioned demonstrates the socio-economic input into the economy of the country making the port a contributor of one-third of the country’s annual GDP.
Earlier this month it was revealed at Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Convention, that Port St. Maarten is ranked number five (5) in the World as a Cruise Transit Port. In 2014, the country’s national port received 2,001.996 cruise passengers for the first time ever. 2014 also marked 50 years St. Maarten as a cruise destination under the theme “Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten.
“Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten,” is about the port continuing to strategically invest and work with local stakeholders and cruise partners to keep the destination in this leading position.
To successfully maintain and develop port activities, Port St. Maarten has been actively involved in the life of the community where it concerns supporting sustainable development. The recent inauguration of the Walter Plantz Square is a clear example of the aforementioned and in line with the international principle of shared natural and cultural heritage.
As part of “Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten,” the destination needs to continue to diversify the shopping product mix and experience by offering new tours which also includes the further development and expansion of culture/heritage tourism which is what sets the destination apart from the rest. This can only be maintained and further pursued by having an aggressive marketing and development strategy.
The development of home-porting requires the support from other stakeholders who are willing and ready to invest in the hotel rooms that are needed to support this expansion of tourism.
In order for St. Maarten to continue to be a premiere tourism destination and a mature cruise port, all sectors in hospitality and tourism have to work together from the cleaner, the guard, the car rental agent, store clear to the manager. Tourism is interlinked into everything that transpires on St. Maarten and therefore nobody can become complacent. The development and building of relationships are essential for the future of cruise and stay-over tourism.
Security and safety of visitors to the destination is also a key factor to sustainable development.
Remember, tourism is everybody’s business as it revitalizes history and traditions of the past to set the foundations for the future. Last year the country received over two million cruise visitors, and with that comes opportunities.
Once again, on behalf of the Board of Supervisory Directors, Management and Staff of Port St. Maarten, to all tourism and hospitality workers, the people who, each and every day, wake to work in the sector, playing their part, making their impact, and sharing their story, and to the community of St. Maarten, a Happy World Tourism Day.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen accompanied Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs to the Dutch First Chamber of Parliament, also referred to as the Senate, on Thursday, where he met with President Ankie Broekers-Knol.
Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen stated on Thursday that President Broekers-Knol was very interested in the relationship between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten, and this was one of the points that was discussed in the meeting.
“Several issues were discussed during the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Broekers-Knol. The Integrity Chamber was one area, and the President wanted to know the latest developments, and how it was progressing.
“The financial situation of Country Sint Maarten was another area that was discussed. The meeting concluded where President Broekers-Knol looks forward to a strong productive relationship between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten,” Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming–Artsen said on Thursday in The Hague.
President Broekers-Knol has been serving in her capacity since 2nd July, 2013, and has been a member of the parliamentary group VVD (Liberal Party) in the Senate since 2nd, October 2001.
The Dutch First Chamber of Parliament has 75 members who are elected by the members of the 12 Provincial Councils. These elections are indirect in the sense that voters elect the members of the Provincial Councils, who in turn elect the members of the Senate.
The Senate's main duties are in the legislative field, but it also plays a role in scrutinising the actions of the Government. Formally the Senate can only reject or accept legislation. In practice, however, it has rather more possibilities and debates are of importance.

For example, statements made by government ministers in debates on bills (draft legislation) can play a role in future lawsuits. The debates in the Senate contribute to the interpretation of a law. Moreover, members of the Senate can elicit undertakings from ministers about the implementation of a law.
Like their counterparts in the House of Representatives (Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament), members of the Senate are entitled to put written questions to the Government.
The debate on the Government's budget also gives them the opportunity to debate current and future policy with the government.

Citizens of St Maarten,

September 27th has been declared World Tourism Day by the United Nations World Tourism organization. The theme for this year is “1 Billion Tourists 1 Billion opportunities”

This year, the emphasis is on highlighting the awareness of the global impact of tourism on the economies, the environments and the populations of the world.

In St. Maarten, tourism is the pinnacle of our economy. It creates jobs, promotes sports, culture and promotes the sustainable use of our marine environment. We can attest to the impact of tourism on our society as it is a valuable source of livelihood for a great percentage of our population. As the number of cruise passengers grow and the number of stay over guests increase, so will our economy grow.

While we are proud of our tourism product, the ever changing needs of the industry and the increasing expectations of our visitors, is forcing us to create more opportunities and better services for our guests. Our success would be determined by our ability to anticipate these changes and to put the necessary mechanisms in place in order to meet and surpass our visitors’ expectations.

On this World Tourism Day, as the Minister with responsibility for tourism, I will like to say a heartfelt thank you to every resident of this great country who has worked in whatever capacities in helping to showcase our tourism product to the world. Whether you have worked at our ports of entry, our hotels, restaurants, stores, casinos, car rental, taxi driver, police officer or in whatever area of this economy, you have either effected or been affected by this great phenomenon called tourism. I salute you all for your contributions to this industry.

So as we celebrate World Tourism Day, I challenge every stakeholder in this valuable industry, to work together with me and my ministry, so that we can provide memorable lasting experiences for our guests. In so doing, we are proudly demonstrating our commitment and strong contribution to the transformative potential of one billion tourists.

Have a happy World Tourism Day

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation is reporting that a piece of important scientific equipment has been stolen while the Foundation was conducting research on shark populations in the waters surrounding St. Maarten.
The equipment stolen was a so-called Baited Underwater Video System, or BRUV that consist of tourist-grade "Handicam" video cameras in simple underwater housing made of PVC pipe with a bag of 'Japanese Bait' on the end of a stick. The housings are held in steel frames and are deployed and picked up after an hour of filming on the seabed. A string of three BRUVS are dropped five hundred meters apart. The Foundation noticed a blue fishing boat retrieving one of the systems and subsequently heading to the direction of St. Barths. The Foundation gave chase but the Boat managed to escape. The authorities on both sides of the island and of St. Barths have been contacted.
“We are appealing to the operators of the blue fishing boat to please return the equipment either to the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, the Reserve Naturelle of St. Martin or the Reserve Naturelle of St. Barths. This is very important scientific equipment and is invaluable to us as a small organization trying to get the information necessary to protect nature on the island,” commented Nature Foundation Manager Tadzio Bervoets.
On Sint Maarten the BRUV System is being used in shallow waters as a simple and cost-effective way to monitor the shark population. BRUVS are non-invasive, give permanent records and are remotely controlled, so the animals get closer to the camera and are widely used in shark research in Australia, Fiji, South Africa and many other locations. The data collected will be used to establish behavior and migration patterns and species numbers which can then be used to support fisheries management and mapping for breeding grounds both inside and outside of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Social and Health Insurances (SZV) in collaboration with JS Consulting Services announces the start of its Customer Satisfaction Survey this week, as part of SZV’s Action Plan 3.0.
The survey forms part of the core of SZV’s Action Plan, creating a more efficient and customer friendly environment.
Data-collection began on Monday, September 21 and will continue for approximately 3 to 4 weeks. The survey's target group includes SZV insured persons, healthcare providers and business owners.
Research Coordinator, Julio Romney will be assisting SZV with the collection and analysis of the data surveyed. SZV staff members will also be distributing and collecting the surveys and will be on-hand to provide any additional assistance that may be required.
The survey, which takes only a few minutes to complete, is designed to measure customers’ sentiments about SZV schemes, service and quality.
SZV is appealing to the public of St. Maarten to participate in this survey, as their input is essential to improvement of its customer service.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As part of NV GEBEs 55th anniversary celebration this month, the power and water distributor will be having an Open House on Saturday, September 26 from 10.00AM to 2.00PM.

The Open House is a great opportunity for the entire family to come out and celebrate with NV GEBE employees and management.

The Open House will take place in the parking lot at the Management Building on C.A. Cannegieter Street where snacks and drinks will be provided.

All NV GEBE departments will have a booth with various types of information. Promotional materials will also be given out to the public who comes to the Open House on Saturday.

Persons interested in a tour of the Cay Bay Power Plant have to have a valid Identification (ID) card with them. A bus at the Open House venue will take interested persons to the power plant where they will receive a tour of the facility.

NV GEBE recently celebrated its 55th anniversary having been in the electricity generation business since 1960.

Sint Maarten has transitioned from the kerosene lamp to 24-hours per day electricity. Prior to that, electricity was supplied from 6.00pm to 11.00pm at night, and on weekends until one o’clock at night.
When the power plant in Cay Bay became operational in 1961, it provided electricity 24-hours per day to the community in areas that were connected, and by the end of 1963, the public of the entire island had electricity 24 hours per day up until today.
NV GEBE looks forward with confidence in order to be able to address the challenges that are to come and the opportunities that lay ahead; and the investments that need to be made in new technologies in order to keep serving the people of Sint Maarten. NV GEBE the Power to Serve.

Oranjestad:--- The Council of Ministers of the Kingdom approved the proposal of drs. Robert W. Cardenas as a member of the Board of financial supervision Aruba (College Aruba financieel toezicht CAft).

Mr. Robert W. Croes has over forty years of experience as a businessman and has a background in business and administration. Mr. Croes serves on various supervisory boards. In addition, he is active in various organizations within the Aruban society.

met de LAft en de voorgedragen leden van het CAft. Het CAft bestaat naast voorzitter prof. dr. Age F.P. Bakker op voordracht van het Koninkrijk, uit drs. Robert W. Croes op voordracht van Aruba en mevrouw Sybilla M. Dekker op voordracht van Nederland.
The State Ordinance Aruba temporary financial supervision (LAtft) was adopted on August 27th, 2015 by Aruba Parliament. Subsequently, the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom agreed on the LAtft and the proposed members of the CAft on September 4th. Next to the President Prof. dr. Age F.P. Bakker, upon recommendation of the Kingdom, the CAft consists of drs. Robert W. Croes upon the recommendation of Aruba and Mrs. Sybil M. Dekker upon recommendation of the Netherlands.
The Board is visiting Aruba on September 25th for further acquaintance and to give content to various action points arising from the Latft.

PHILIPSBURG:----On Friday, September 25th 2015 representatives from the Public Prosecutors Office and members from the Police Force (KPSM), including the Chief Prosecutor Ton Maan and the Police Chief Peter de Witte, met at the Philipsburg Police Station for an urgent meeting regarding the increase in robbery’s and other gun related crimes recently. Both law enforcement agencies also expressed their concern about Thursday’s gunfire against police officers, especially with the recent killing of bike patrol Benjamin in mind. This cannot be tolerated and every effort needs to be made to protect the people of St. Maarten. One of the measurements discussed is intensification of the zero tolerance strategy against illegal gun possession. Further joint measurements are being worked on and will be executed as soon as possible.
Joint Press Release from the Public Prosecutors Office And KPSM

PHILIPSBURG:----On Thursday September 24th 2015 at approximately 11.25 p.m. a very serious traffic accident took place on the Welfare Road in the vicinity of Puerto Del Sol.
The accident was between TAXI 46 and a motorcycle without license plate. The Taxi which was driving on the Welfare Road in the direction of Cole Bay made an abrupt left turn without giving the oncoming motorcycle the right of way causing the motorcycle to collide with the taxi. The motorcycle rider suffered, fractures to his jaw, broken right arm, broken nose and a deep wound to his neck. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedic and then transported to the Medical Center for further treatment. The victim remains admitted for observation. The Police traffic department is investigating. this case.

KPSM Police Report

Airport:--- According to well-placed sources the supervisory board of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) will meet soon to further discuss the issues and letter sent to the chairman of the board regarding the Airport’s managing director Regina Labega. Earlier this week the Prime Minister of St. Maarten dispatched a letter to the board informing them that they have to dismiss Labega because she failed the screening process. However, Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson clarified to SMN News that Labega has the rights to appeal the results of the screening.
SMN News further understands that while Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs sent a letter to the Supervisory Board to take action, that board cannot sanction or dismiss Labega, instead such decisions have to be taken by the Holding of PJIAE who would have a hard time firing or dismissing Regina Labega based on the five-year contract she signed.
According information provided to SMN News the contract Regina Labega signed with PJIAE did not state she is obliged to take any screening for the job she now holds. However, the contract did state that if at any time Labega is convicted of any crime while holding such senior position at PJIAE she must vacate her position immediately. The five year contract will expire in the next eight months and if PJIAE chose not to renew Labega’s contract when it is expired she can then return to her job at the Tourist Office because she did not quit her job there instead she took a leave of absence from the Tourist Office to take up the position at PJIAE.
What is a known fact is that the prosecutor’s office has announced almost five years ago that they are investigating the former Director of the Tourist Office who is currently on leave of absence from her previous position but to date the Prosecutor’s Office has not taken Labega’s case to court. Her colleague Edward Dest already appeared in court and he was cleared of the charges that were brought against him. One of the disadvantages several persons in the community are facing when their names are submitted for screening is the fact that they will fail if someone files a complaint against them even if the Prosecutor’s Office chose to take a decade to investigate the case.
Several persons in the community told SMN News that just recently one person passed the screening to become a Minister and that Minister has been appointed and is now part of the Council of Ministers. Speaking to several persons in the community who spoke to SMN News on the conditions of anonymity said that if that person passed the screening anyone else could pass because the Minister in question was involved in huge scandal at the Receivers Office in the 1990’s, the Minister was also acting in conflict of interest with his government jobs because while being a senior civil servant he was affiliated with at least two companies that were in direct conflict with his government job. Most of all they said that the current Minister even admitted to the Obudsman that the position he held at a government owned company was also a conflict of interest with the two positions he held while working for government.
The persons most of whom are well educated civil servants said that while they are not picking up or supporting anyone they believe that the screening process has huge flaws especially since there are no set criteria for the screening and it appears as though some persons that has connection will pass the screening even though they have elephants in their closets while others that are simply under investigation are blacklisted without given the chance to defend themselves.
SMN News will be monitoring the outcome of the Labega saga and will bring you more information as this unfolds. Regina Labega is represented by Attorney at Law Cor Merx wo told SMN News that he is not at all nervous about the Labega case and therefore, he sees no reason for his client to be nervous.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The UPP/De Weever/LRM and USP coalition has submitted a name to take up the vacant position on the CFT board. The board of the CFT told members of the media on Thursday that a name has been submitted and appointment of the candidate is the pipeline but the chairman of the  CFT board refused to divulge the name of the candidate stating that it is the government of St. Maarten that has to do such. Age Bakker went as far as stating that the CFT has removed the vacancy sign on their office door which is a clear indication that the candidate St. Maarten proposed has been accepted. Based on research conducted by SMN News it states that the government of St. Maarten submitted the name of prominent St. Maartener who resides in the Netherlands, she is no other than Maria Plantz the former member of the Council of Advice. Plantz is someone that has a wealth of knowledge and will surely represent St. Maarten’s interest in a transparent way on the board of the CFT if and when appointed.

PHILIPSBURG:---- During his working visit to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs met with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Bert Koenders on Wednesday.
During the meeting a number of issues were discussed including an invitation to travel to New York City for a meeting of the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
All Prime Ministers from the Dutch Kingdom will be in attendance including His Majesty King Willem Alexander.
The Kingdom delegations will be in New York City on Monday and Tuesday, September 28 and 29.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The last activity for the month of September of the “SXM Reads” initiative will be “Reading and Learning in the Park”. This event will be held on Saturday, September 26th, 2015 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Emilio Wilson Park. This will be a fun-filled day with various activities, such as: storytelling, decorating cupcakes, creating musical instruments and much more.

The Philipsburg Jubilee Library, in collaboration with the Community Outreach Mentorship & Empowerment International Center (COME), the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, the Rotary Club St. Martin Sunrise, and Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO, embarked on a Literacy Awareness Campaign called “SXM Reads”. Evident by the motto “Building a Strong Literate Community,” the aim of SXM Reads is to promote literacy; and by promoting literacy SXM Reads will transform the lives of many. The aim of this campaign is not only to raise awareness in the community, but also to bring forward concerns regarding illiteracy on the island.

The newest literacy event sets out to promote literacy, as well as offering a fun day outing for the entire family. All are welcome to attend the “Reading and Learning in the Park” activity this Saturday at the Emilio Wilson Park. For any questions regarding this event please contact the Philipsburg Jubilee Library at 542 2970.

PHILIPSBURG:---- United People’s (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake has mixed feelings about Tuesdays Parliament meeting with respect to the agreement between ZEBEC and the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies.
“No matter the agreement is legal and according to the law but if you look at it from an ethical and moral point of view I have mixed feelings. The Minister did a good job of answering the questions but he also raised some eyebrows with certain answers.
“I also am looking forward from the Minister to receive in writing the SZV written investment policy and their investment plan for the year or for the next five years for the people of Sint Maarten. The reason I asked this question is because most Institutions, Foundations or Government Owned Companies sit on a lot of monies but don't have an investment plan for the people of Sint Maarten.
“They operate more on an adhoc basis and based on the situation and who is in power which is not good. Since I was in Government I have never seen a written investment plan for the people from these institutions.

“I was happy with the meeting because I have also learnt that SZV has set a trend where they can also invest in other projects with a return on investment for the people of Sint. Maarten. I am amazed that SZV, APS Pension Fund, sit on millions and have this 60/40 rule but after 10 10-10 have done little investment into our people and local economy, and that is a shame. Why they don't invest within their island but prefer to lose the money investing abroad.
“Since these entities complain that there must be a return on investment for them and they had little proposals for local investments, I am going to encourage some local institutions and government to write some proposals that meet their criteria for local funding and they can also get their return on investment. As MP Leona Marlin-Romeo stated, if SZV can invest in the harbour, they can invest into our local University of St. Martin expansion plan and programs, the new Government Building and the expansion of the Hospital.
“Why they can't invest in affordable housing for our local professionals which is a return on investment, invest in improving SZV health care and improving the service for the senior citizens and the people, create preventative plans for the people by educating the public of their improved services, medication and vitamins for the people and create financing by giving soft loans for local small business development and local entrepreneurs?
“Based on Integrity and all the discussions of checks and balances, I would like to know how an interim Managing Director can sign off on a 10 million dollar loan of the people’s money without the Board enforcing checks and balances. There should be a limit of Naf. 250.000 a Managing Director being able to sign off but on such a large sum of millions you need the Board’s approval, Investment Team of SZV and Government.
“We can't have Managing Directors spending the people’s money without holding them accountable for it. That’s why I say in the House of the people, we need to review and update most of the articles of incorporation of Foundations and Government Owned Companies for them to be more transparent, open and accountable where it concerns the people’s business. Government has to come with some rules for Managing Directors to sign off on a certain amount but needs to Board approval.
“Since SZV set a new trend, I would like to know how much investment they did over the years for persons who are physically challenged and our senior citizens. I understand that SZV can only invest where they can get a financial return.
“I would like to know how much funds have been used over the previous years from the AVBZ funds for the elders and handicaps. I am sure a lot of seniors and handicaps don't know much about these funds that exist for them. If there are not much funds in the AVBZ, please let the people know because they are paying a premium for these funds.
“I understand SZV looking for a financial return to regenerate monies for generations to come. The 60/40 rule which is implemented by the Central Bank, but then we need to see more investments into our economy and people.
“Prior to 10 10 10, we never did any investments at all and that’s why these institutions need to develop a yearly investment plan instead of investing in an adhoc manner.
“As a Community spirited person and a Representative of the people, I had some good and bad experiences with SZV which needs some serious improvements on communication with the service patient referrals, and following up with patient’s payments abroad.
“I had the opportunity to go to the Senior Citizens 5th Anniversary Celebrations at the Roman Catholic Church while the seniors was complaining to the Governor and the Minister of Education about the service at these institutions and Government needs to create a one stop shop for the seniors to get any kind of document from Government Departments. A lot of local families and senior citizens are upset with the long process of standing hours in line or are told to go and come back to get assistance or medical referrals for their family member or themselves.
“Civil servants need to understand they are there to serve the people and you are not doing the customer/patient any favours especially in a life and death situation. These are areas SZV needs to spend some money to improve their services to the people of Sint Maarten.
“In closing, we need to get back to basics and start investing into our people and local economy and start making decisions in the best interest of the people and Sint Maarten instead of making decisions in the best interest of politics,” United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday.

PHILIPSBURG/ MARIGOT:--- The Lions Clubs of St. Martin & St. Maarten are organizing a joint Radio-thon this Saturday September 26th between 9am to 1pm. in aid of the island of Dominica after the island and its inhabitants were battered by Tropikal Storm Erika.

The radio stations on St. Maarten/St.Martin that will be participating are PJD3 102.7FM, X104.3FM, SOS Radio 95.9FM, Radio Transat 93.7, Youth Radio 92.5FM & WTN Cable TV.

The general public of St. Maarten and St. Martin can call the following numbers to make there pledges: 721-524-0210, 721-524-0217, 721-524-0230, 721-524-0234 and 721-524-0274.

Members of the public can also come to the Upper Princess Quarter Community Center or the Lions Den on Suckergarden Road next to the Sol Gas Station to personally make their pledges. Members of the various Lions Clubs will be on hand to assist.

This Radio-thon is a joint fundraising effort by the Lions Club of St.Maarten, Lions Club of Fort Louis, Lions Club of Doyen, Lions Club Qualichi with assistance from the Lions Club of St. Barthelemy. All proceeds will go to Dominica Lions Club which will distribute the funds where needed on the island of Domnica.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The food industry is responsible for producing, preparing, serving and selling safe food, and the Government is responsible for setting food safety standards, conducting inspections, and monitoring food products, including imports.
The Inspectorate of Health, Social Development and Labor (IVSA) in collaboration with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) organized a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)/audit workshop at Holland House Hotel from September 14th, 2015 – 18th, 2015.
The objective of HACCP is safeguarding food safety. HACCP is a method where systematically every step in the food processes is monitored in order to guarantee a safe final product. The subjects addressed during the workshop were the implementation of a HACCP plan and the technique of auditing HACCP programs.
The workshop was well attended by food safety inspectors from Sint Maarten, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The facilitators from PAHO were Mrs. Graziela Correa-Costa and Ms. Rosana Silva.
All attendees received a certificate at the end of the five day workshop which was very educational and informative. With this training the participants will be better equipped to audit food safety programs based in HACCP programs and guarantee high level of food safety on the island.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In celebration of World Animal Day, the St. Maarten Zoological and Botanical Garden Foundation will be hosting an Arts, Crafts, & Stuff Fair on-site at the Zoo for the general public. The event will take place on Sunday October 4, 2015 from 11am to 5pm. Set up time for registered vendors will be from 9:30am to 11am.

The World Animal Day Arts, Crafts & Stuff Fair will be bringing you a range of special festive activities where you’ll find hand-crafted goods, great gift items, with food and drinks sold by various vendors. There will also be educational activities and games to entertain your kids while you browse through the vendors at the Zoo. Tell your friends and family to come out the house and enjoy the fresh, upgraded ambiance of the Zoo.

The Arts, Crafts & Stuff Fair will be a fun filled day with a great selection of vendors. There will be entertainment, food and drinks on sale for you to enjoy at our event. Fun Miles will also be present with many prize giveaways.

The St. Maarten Zoo hereby would like to request your establishment’s participation in our Arts, Crafts & Stuff Fair.

If interested, kindly complete the attached registration form and submit to either the Zoo front desk or by replying via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For all inquiries, please contact the St. Maarten Zoo at +1 721 543-2030 or to the emails below.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Police arrested its first suspect in the ongoing armed robbery investigation of the Sonesta Great Bay Casino, which took place on September 18th 2015. During the robbery the culprits managed to steal an undisclosed amount of cash. Shortly after the robbery a possible suspect in this case was chased by police in the vicinity of the Sint Maarten Zoo but he was however successful in avoiding his capture that day.
An amount of cash believed to be that from the robbery was found in the vehicle the suspect left behind. Based on information received and intense investigation done by the police department the suspect in question was apprehended at a home in Middle Region Wednesday September 23rd in the evening. The arrest took place without any resistance. The 39 year male suspect remains in custody for questioning and further investigation.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the CFT that are currently on St. Maarten for its working visit told members of the media on Thursday afternoon that they met with several stakeholders to further discuss the targeted instruction to St. Maarten. Among those the CFT met with are the Acting Governor Reynold Groenveldt, Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson, Minister of Finance Martin Hassink, the Finance committee of Parliament and persons from SZV and APS.
Age Bakker said that St. Maarten has to comply with the instructions given to St. Maarten and meet the deadline which is November 1st 2015. He said the Government of St. Maarten already indicated to them that the deadline given to government is almost impossible but government do believe that they could fully comply by the end of 2015. Bakker said that the board of the CFT is willing to advice the Kingdom Council when they are contacted for an advice to extend the period to December 31st 2015. Apart from the deadline Bakker said that the CFT will give Government a negative advice on the 2015 budget amendment since government already indicated to them that the projections they made in the amendment cannot be guaranteed. Bakker further explained that St. Maarten has to work hard on meeting the terms of the instruction in order for the country to be able to borrow monies again for capital investments. He said that St. Maarten already borrowed a lot of monies and they do have some monies for investments but government has to come up with a plan as to how they will use this money.

The Kingdom Council of Ministers (Rijksministerraad) in its meeting on September 4, 2015 issued a targeted instruction to Sint Maarten. During its visit this week, the Board of financial supervision (Cft) discussed the specific terms of the instruction and the way in which they can be met with the Sint Maarten government. Until the terms of the instruction are met, Sint Maarten will not be able to issue any new debt for capital expenditures.

The Sint Maarten government has indicated it will take action to meet the terms of the instruction. This includes the implementation of the Strategy for Growth, a multi annual program aimed at structurally elevating Sint Maarten's economic development level and thereby structurally increase government income, settle payment arrears and compensate for past deficits.

Age Bakker (Cft): “We welcome this multi annual program which can provide a basis for meeting some of the terms of the targeted instruction, and which may provide the additional financial means needed for an adequate level of public services. However, in the opinion of the Cft, the expected results of the program may be overstated. More realistic assumptions are needed, before the Cft is able to advise that the terms of the instruction have been met, after which the Sint Maarten government will be allowed to borrow for capital expenditures. Therefore, some tough choices need to be made now.”

On September 23 and 24, 2015, the Cft met with the acting Governor, the Minister of Finance, the Council of Ministers and the Financial Committee of Parliament. The main topic of discussion was the targeted instruction and how its terms can be met before November 1, 2015.

Targeted instruction
The instruction obliges the Sint Maarten government to: 1) settle its payment arrears, 2) compensate for the deficits accumulated in 2010-2014, 3) amend the 2015 budget to include all costs related to the public pension scheme and the healthcare system, 4) implement the measures related to the retirement and healthcare system that have already been agreed upon in the Council of Ministers, and 5) reform both the pension scheme and the healthcare system. As long as criteria 1 to 4 have not been met, Sint Maarten will not be able to issue any new debt to make capital expenditures.

An analysis of the payment arrears with SZV and APS shows that both the healthcare and pension system need urgent reforms to attain financial sustainability in the near future. Although several plans have been proposed by the Council of Ministers to restructure both systems, the underlying legislation still needs to be adopted by Parliament. The government's plan to increase the pension age to 62 years needs to be implemented shortly as part of the terms of the instruction. Healthcare expenses are increasing rapidly, causing some SZV funds to reduce reserves to cover their deficits. Cost-cutting measures that were included in the 2015 budget, such as the exclusion of over-the-counter medicines, the introduction of a 10% deductable, and an increase of the salary threshold, are just a few examples of measures that have been approved but have not been executed yet. Urgent action is needed here.

Reform of Sint Maarten's public pension system is needed to attain long term financial sustainability. The final-pay pension scheme needs to be substituted by an average-pay scheme, as is best practice elsewhere. Without such reform, pension premiums would have to be increased to unrealistic levels, which would undermine Sint Maarten’s competitive position by adding to labor costs.

Strategy for Growth
The Cft supports the government’s plans to structurally strengthen the Sint Maarten economy and lay the foundations for sustainable public finances. The Strategy for Growth program can help to strengthen the tax base, so as to providing the financial means needed for an adequate level of public services. An improvement of the financial management, strengthening of the tax authority and improvement of tax compliance should underpin this strategy.

While the Cft supports the idea of the Strategy for Growth program, it questions the expected outcomes presented by the government of Sint Maarten. The expected accumulated additional government income over the period 2015-2018 needs to be realistic, taking recent economic growth figures of not only Sint Maarten but also its main trading partners into account. Therefore, additional measures are needed to meet the terms of the targeted instruction.

PHILIPSBURG:---The popular Power of Knowledge sessions are back at the library. Starting Tuesday, September 29th, the library will be hosting information sessions on insurance, financial planning, labour law and the services offered at the Ombudsman. The lectures will take place each week for a duration of four weeks. Experts in the areas of interest will be at the library to speak about the topic of the evening, which will then be followed by a question and answer session.
Do you wonder about how you can make sure that you can go on pension comfortably? Should you get that extra life insurance to safeguard your children’s futures? How can you budget or plan for your mortgage or your next project? If you have questions like these you should not miss the “Know your finances” segment in the first two weeks of the Power of Knowledge series at the library. The “Know your finances” series will encompass: how to manage personal finances, loans and mortgages, pensions, insurance and many other topics in the area of financial planning.
What about your rights? Do you know what your rights are? The “Know your rights” segment of the Power of Knowledge series, starting from September 13th, sets out to empower and inform you about labour law: workers’ rights and responsibilities, the types of work contracts, overtime & holiday compensations, etc.; and also general information about the services offered by the Ombudsman.
Tuesday, the 29th of September at 6:30 pm, Rolando Tobias, Senior Sales Leader at the Windward Islands Bank Ltd., will come to the library to provide an information session on personal finance & financial planning. On October 6th at 6:30 pm, Neil Henderson, Managing Director at Henderson Insurances, will discuss insurance and financial planning. On October 13th at 6:30 pm, Gwendolien Mossel, Legal Advisor at the Ombudsman, will discuss the services offered by the Ombudsman. On Tuesday October 20th at 6:30 pm, Nikima Groeneveldt-Hickinson, Policy Advisor at the Department of Labor, will provide a lecture on labour law. Entry to all the information sessions will be completely free of charge.

We will not be intimidated by the gunfire by Criminals says KPSM

BETTY’s Estate:--- Several police vehicles including Chief of Police Peter de Witte rushed to Betty’s Estate Thursday morning where bandits that were busy breaking into a home in Betty's Estate fired shots at Police Officers that were on the scene. Preliminary information reaching SMN News states that even though shots were fired no one was injured. Efforts made to reach Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson proved futile as Henson did not answer his telephone. SMN News will update this news article as soon as more information becomes available.

Suspects invade home/ Shots fired at police

Several police patrols and detectives were directed, by the Central Dispatch, to a home on Pointsetta Road in Betty Estate on Thursday September 24th at approximately 10.30 a.m. The officers were sent to investigate a case of “home invasion” that was taking place at that moment, at the home in the area.
The call came in from a seemingly very scared female victim, who stated that she and her child were alone at home and that two unknown men, dressed in dark clothing, armed with handguns had forced themselves into her home and that they were in hiding. At the arrival on the scene of the first police patrol they indeed saw one of the suspects who was dressed completely in black, wearing a bullet proof vest, with his face covered, holding a gun in his hand, walking on the premises. As the officers approached the suspect, he aimed and fired a shot at them and then took off running towards the back of the building into the hills. Neither of the officers were hit. The officers took cover and then returned fire; however they were not successful in hitting the suspect. When back-up arrived an intense search of the area was conducted, but  the suspects were not found.
The female victim who was obviously traumatized by the incident and her child were not physically injured. They were both checked out by paramedics. Forensic was on the scene collecting evidence. The investigation into this case will be dealt with by the Special Robbery Unit.

Note: The police department is informing the general public and those persons responsible for any criminal activity in our community, to rest assure that the police will not be intimidated by this type of action. The police will do everything in its power, to locate and apprehend those responsible in Thursday house invasion and firing shots at law enforcement officers.
In this case it is clear to see that the suspects were totally prepared to confront law enforcement and were the ones to initiate the gunfight. This criminal act is totally un- acceptable in any society.
These criminals can rest assure that the police will not stop or back down in the fight against crime. The police will continue, under all circumstances, to perform their duty, and which is to provide safety and security to the community and visitors to Sint Maarten.

In an invited comment Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte said that the Police Management have taken the incident on Thursday very serious especially since they just recently lost an officer due to crime and gunshots. De Witte said that KPSM has a meeting scheduled for Friday with the Prosecutor's Office where they will discuss this issue among others and how to re-enforce the combatting of crime now that criminals in the community have gone an extra mile in protecting themselves with  fire-arms, bullet proof vests and are not afraid to fire shots at police officers.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG :--- The Philipsburg Jubilee Library would like to remind all teenagers and parents about a special new multimedia course at the Media Lab that is geared especially towards their needs. During this course you can learn about media literacy and safety online for teens, as well as how to support our teens in dealing with problems faced online.
The Media Lab instructor Lavern Nelson will be teaching on topics such as cyber bullying, social media addiction and online privacy. This course will deal with safety online, because this is an important issue as we live in the age of rapidly changing technology and social networking.
All teenagers, their parents and grandparents are invited to this new and exciting course which takes place in the Media Lab every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:00 pm. The sessions for teens will be on Tuesdays and for parents and grandparents will be on Thursdays. If you would like to register for this course, you can contact Francia Housen on telephone number 542 2970 or register via the website www.medialabsintmaarten.com.

South Reward:---- Siddharth Jethwani a first year International Baccalaureate Diploma student at St. Dominic High School attended the IB World Student Conference (IBWSC) held at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York from the August 2-8, 2015. Under the theme ‘Creating solutions through the instinct to play’, this conference afforded IB students from all around the world come together with one goal in mind - -to develop innovative solutions to global issues, whilst simultaneously gaining knowledge, wisdom and experience. This year IBWSC received delegates from over 42 countries. Siddharth Jethwani was the first student to represent St. Dominic High School and St. Maarten. Being one of the 209 students, Jethwani believes that the overall experience was enriching and has developed him into a rather critical thinker, a trait required for IB learners.
With the set theme, creating solutions through the instinct to play, there was no doubt that the entire conference revolved around play whether it be in terms of sports, board games, or even the inspiring speakers. Students were addressed by the following speakers: Bob Mankoff, the cartoon editor for the magazine The New Yorker and Jane McGlonigal who is known for her 2012 TED Global talk explaining how games can make the world better. By engaging with these and other professionals, the students had to create a project that used the theory of human play to solve issues of global importance with their Global Action Teams. Keeping in mind the theme, creating solutions through the instinct to play, Jethwani and his fellow Global Action Team established an innovative viral challenge entitled “The JunkDunk Initiative”. Jethwani and his team aimed to engage persons of all ages in the following simple challenge: create a film of yourself creatively dunking junk into a trash can and post it to any means of social media with the hashtag #JunkDunkChallenges and nominate a minimum of three friends. This challenge seeks to improve living conditions of individuals in terms of transforming the surroundings in which we live into a cleaner, and healthier one through the instinct to play. More information on Siddharth’s Global Action Project can be found under the title 'JunkDunk Initiative' on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Tumblr.

SIMPSON BAY:-- Emirates, the flagship of the United Arab Emirates, and Norwegian Air are among a number of airlines who have indicated interest in further exploring service opportunities to Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM.
A delegation of SXM airport attending the World Routes Conference in Durban, South Africa, which was led by managing director Regina LaBega, held an introductory meeting with Asim Hussain, Manager, Route & Analysis Planning, Aero, Political and Industry Affairs of Emirates.
At this meeting, Hussain expressed interest in exploring route service opportunities to the Caribbean and possibly to SXM.
Hussain said the company’s model is based primarily on non-stop and daily service, but depending on market size, it could adjust accordingly. It will be recalled that the Ministry of TEATT had signed an MOU with the government of UAE in 2013.
Emirates, headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), recently began service to Orlando, Florida, USA, and will be introducing service to Panama, in February 2016.
The SXM delegation also met with Norwegian Air, at the request of the latter. Based in Norway, the 13-year old company, recently announced service from Martinique and Guadeloupe to a number of US markets (New York, Boston, and Baltimore).
With a current fleet of 101 aircrafts and a firm order for 250 more, over the next eight years, Norwegian Air operates in approximately 40 countries and started operating long haul services two years ago.
“As we continue to expand our reach into the Caribbean and North America, we recognize, based on preliminary studies, and are very interested in the route opportunities in and out of SXM,” said Michael Ambs, head of Regional Marketing Development at Norwegian Air.
According to LaBega, World Routes is where airlines, airports, and tourism executives from around the world convene to focus on growth opportunities. “This Routes conference was important as airlines have never been so profitable while passenger growth remained strong. According to ACI, world airport growth averages four to five percent while SXM increased by seven percent over last year.”
BlueSky Airlines’ Mark Ellinger expressed great interest in a potential service between Grand Cayman and St. Maarten. The airline, based in Grand Cayman, will commence service in the first quarter of 2016 to 10 destinations, including Cancun, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Tortola, Colombia, and Costa Rica.
Using a Bombardier Q400 aircraft with a seating capacity of 71, the company focuses on routes not exceeding two hours flying time. Its target markets include business, leisure, and ethnic travelers. Ellinger said the airline recognizes the market opportunity into and beyond SXM airport.
The discussions with Virgin Air and South West were also positive for potential service in 2017 or beyond, LaBega said. “They all hailed the Air Service Development Committee (ASDC) concept and recognized the potential of the hub partners,” she added.
“As we continue talks with a number of carriers, in efforts to maintain and increase service, we cannot stress enough that the participation of all stakeholders is critical,” LaBega stated, adding that marketing of the destination is key.
“Brand awareness is indeed a must. While meeting with one airline, they indicated that when talking about and referring to the Caribbean, Barbados automatically comes to mind. This is obviously as a result of the destination’s marketing efforts,” LaBega said.
Commenting on the participation of the SXM delegation, LaBega disclosed that
carriers like COPA expressed satisfaction with its service and performance at SXM Airport. She said the COPA executives indicated that a growing market has resulted in good load factors and yield for the airline’s service to SXM.
“To further stimulate the market and increase additional awareness of SXM and its hub partners, the company said it would look into possibly hosting its annual fam trip in 2016 in St. Maarten. Further consultations are needed with the various stakeholders to make this happen and SXM Airport will do its part,” LaBega assured.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Ernest Sams recently met with COSME Team Leader Diana Hendrickson-Fleming where he was informed about the COSME Programme's CHENACT (Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency Action Program) Energy Efficiency workshop on Sint Maarten.
The COSME Programme has been developed to improve the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
In a meeting that included Department of Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (EVT) advisors, Minister Sams was briefed on how the European Union (EU)-funded COSME Programme will support small and medium sized enterprises on St. Maarten.

Moreover, the Minister was informed of how the Programme’s next initiative will encourage small hotel properties to be more energy efficient.

PHILIPSBURG:---- On the second day of his first working visit to Holland Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs met with the Vice-President of the Council of State for the Kingdom Piet-Hein Donner, where they exchanged views on current affairs.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Marcel Gumbs was an active member of the Council of Advice for Sint Maarten.
In a pleasant atmosphere, information was shared with respect to the position of Sint Maarten towards the current instructions that came from the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
Donner and Prime Minister Gumbs a discussed the National Ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber, which has recently been brought to the Constitutional Court by the Ombudsman.
The Vice-President of the Council of State for the Kingdom Donnor, stressed the importance and need for a Kingdom dispute regulation and the need to improve communications between the four countries within the Kingdom and on all levels.
The Prime Minister’s delegation included St. Maarten Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen, Chef de Cabinet of the Prime Minister Julien Larmonie and Legal Counsel to the Minister Plenipotentiary Maarten van Rooij.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In the aftermath of Police Bike Patrol Officer Gamali Benjamin’s tragic demise, S.E.L. Maduro & Sons, in keeping with its pledge to the Police Force, has donated 10 bulletproof vests to Chief Inspector Rudolph C. Bloeiman and Chief Inspector Ricardo V. Henson. The vests are specifically for the Bike Patrol unit who are considered “Ambassadors” of St. Maarten.

Raquel Coupland Wathey, General Manager of S.E.L. Maduro and Sons, said: “The safety of our officers is very important to us as a business and members of the community. We deemed it necessary to step up to the plate and contribute to their well-being in the line of duty. After all, if we expect them to protect us, as residents, then we need to protect and support them.”

The Bike Patrol Officers are a fixture on the streets of Philipsburg. Their presence goes a very long way in creating a feeling of safety and security to residents, cruise lines and their passengers and stay-over visitors, Ms. Coupland Wathey said.

Member of Parliament (MP) and former Tourism Minister Franklin Meyers, whose brainchild it was to make the contribution of vests was on hand for the presentation. He is most concerned about the security of the country and the ensuing damage crime can cause on the tourism product.
“I hope these vests will help the officers who will don them feel a bit more secured as they keep us and our streets safe. It is unfortunate that a tragic incident and the loss of a valuable life brought us here, but today we can say we are making a difference. I commend the Police Force on their continued tireless efforts and dedication,” Meyers said. Meyers has also personally pledged two All-Terrain Vehicles (Quads) to the Police Department.

Chief Inspectors Bloieman and Henson were very honoured and grateful to receive the first bullet proof vest on behalf of the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) and stated that these vests would definitely help protect their officers when carrying out their duty which mainly is to provide the safety and security for the community and visitors to Sint Maarten.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- The community of Middle Region and surrounding neighborhoods are invited to a NV GEBE information session on Thursday, September 24.

The information session is being organized as part of NV GEBEs efforts to continue to improve services to its customers by engaging them in the aforementioned and at the same time providing information regarding the company.

The information session is being held at the Sister Marie Laurence School in Middle Region from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

Residents will get the opportunity to learn from department heads about new projects and what the company is doing to continue to improve services to the customer and the community at large.

The information session also allows those in attendance to ask various questions to the NV GEBE Managers and department heads.

Managers and Department heads will give presentations about current services such as billing cycles; payment of bills; important information for seniors 62+; the reading of electricity bills with respect to kilowatt hours and the fuel clause; the new electrical and digital water meters; street lights; the electrical production facility; trenching and much more.

The information evening will be very informative and residents of Middle Region and surrounding communities and the public at large are invited to come out and be informed.

POINTE BLANCHE:---  Port St. Maarten Security as well as several law enforcement agency representatives from St. Maarten recently attended a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL) security conference where a strategic security alliance has been formed.
RCCL allowed a team of security and law enforcement professionals from country St. Maarten to speak at a security conference held by Global Security for the company’s security staff. This conference is held twice a year, and this is the first time that a port destination has been included as speaker at the conference.

The St. Maarten team was made up of Acting Chief Police Commissioner Carl John, Immigration and Border Protection Policy advisor, Erling Hoeve, Customs Department Deputy Chief, Linda Ros, a Liaison Officer for the St. Maarten National Security Service, and Port St. Maarten Safety and Security Manager Roberto Levenstone.

This initiative was championed by Mark Mingo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Port St. Maarten, and supported by Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson of country St. Maarten, and came about as a result of a meeting that Richardson and former Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Hon. Claret Connor, held with President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Michele M. Paige, and the association’s security advisers in Miami Florida, several weeks ago.

In the presentation to the conference delegates, the team shared strategic security plans that highlighted the network that offers security for cruise ship passengers explaining the workings of the existing network and security barrier from the cruise docks extending to the country’s borders.

Security professionals were given the opportunity at the forum to share concerns with providers of those services. It was pointed out that global events that increase threats to developing nations, are a reality, and security professionals must consider and share knowledge for a better interphase with each other.

Compiling information from open sources and analyzing industry’s data will aid in destinations enhancement of overall security for the visitor. With the constant evolution of global terrorism, destination facility security plans must merge with the country’s security plan and include partner and stakeholder’s wishes. Good contact and endured cooperation serves to help avert a country’s crime situation affecting the industries critical to its development it was pointed out at the conference. The terrorist attack in Tunisia and criminal acts in Honduras are just two examples of risks that destinations must exhaust all resources to mitigate.

Other speakers at this conference were representatives of the FBI on Crimes on the High Seas and the inner workings of the Global terrorist networks; RCCL brand President Michael Bayley; Celebrity Cruises Brand President Lisa Lutoff – Perlo and the Senior Vice President for Global Security and RCCL’s Company Security Officer Gary Bald.
Because of this opportunity that was presented, RCCL and country St. Maarten have now connected creating a strategic ally for security, and this will allow for the members to share in each other’s knowledge and best practices.

During the working visit to Miami last week, the St. Maarten team was able to be part of RCCL’s boarding operations for Majesty of the Seas alongside with a US law enforcement contingent that protects United States borders from illegal movements. Last Thursday the team observed the boarding operations for Carnival Cruise Line at their terminal in Port Miami.

PHILIPSBURG: --- From September 16th – 18th 2015, the Social Economic Council (SER) took part in the board meeting of the international board of International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS) which were held in Moscow, Russia. The Sint Maarten delegation consisted of SER Chairwoman, Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet and Legal advisor Daniëlle Choennie-Babel.
AICESIS is a worldwide organization representing over 70 member states from four different continents. AICESIS functions as an important international organization for social and economic policy. Sint Maarten, Curaçao and Brazil together represented the region of Latin America and the Caribbean on the international board from 2013 - 2015. The term of the board came to an end this month. SER Sint Maarten was elected to the AICESIS board in 2013 during the tenure of former SER Chairman René Richardson.
The purpose of the board meeting was to elect a new board for 2015 – 2017 period, debate on the various topics of common interest and select future working topics. Outgoing Chairman of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation dr. Evgeny P. Velikhov chaired the meeting. Topics of concern were, Human capital, New models of economic growth, New resources of national competiveness and Fighting poverty.

The incoming board representing the region of Latin America and the Caribbean for 2015-2017 period consist of, Curacao, Brazil and the Dominican Republic. The Chairman, Monseñor Agripino Antonio Núñez Collado of the Consejo Económico y Social of the Dominican Republic, will also serve as Chairman of the AICESIS for a period of two years. The SER is pleased with the selection of the Dominican Republic as Chair of the international board of AICESIS. The working relationship between SER Sint Maarten and the Económico y Social of the Dominican Republic, was established in 2011 and we are confident that working together will yield mutually positive outcomes.

Furthermore, SER Sint Maarten aims to develop more working relationships with similar advisory bodies in the region. As the majority of the Caribbean islands face similar socio economic challenges, SER Sint Maarten can benefit from best practices by sharing experiences on topics of common interest.

Since 2008, under the influence of the financial crisis, global economy has been in a complex and volatile situation. Latin America and the Caribbean region narrowed the income gap and made gratifying achievements in reducing poverty. Thanks to the continuous increase in the implementation of conditional cash transfer payment programs in the past 20 years, the number of poor people in our region had dropped from 53 million in 1990 to 32 million in 2010, the poverty rate had dropped from 12.2% to 5.5%, the lowest figure until now.

The Social Economic Council of Sint Maarten drafted an advice titled “ Boost Sint Maarten” – A conditional cash transfer program to reduce poverty in Sint Maarten, in May of this year, urging the Government of Sint Maarten to introduce such a conditional cash transfer payment program on Sint Maarten. Please visit our website www.sersxm.org click on the “advice tab” to download the advice.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Wlliams said in a press release that she took note of the presentation to government of the initial report by the tripartite group, consisting of VSA ministry, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and SZV. This report is in keeping with the protocol signed by these entities in March 2015, the basis of this protocol being to put SMMC back on a solid footing. In the meantime, the SMMC has also presented its long awaited business plan.
September 26th will mark 6 months since the signing between aforementioned parties. Albeit that health-care and the future of the SMMC are priorities for the Democratic Party, the DP allowed the parties mentioned to work things out together, as they had been in each other's cross hairs for too long.
On August 25th, the faction of the DP requested a meeting of the Public Health, Social Development and Labour (VSA) committee of Parliament, chaired by MP V. H. Cornelius de Weever. One of the proposed agenda points was the St. Maarten Medical Center, its upgrades and the financing thereof. It was also proposed by the DP that the medical insurance law be put on the agenda. This meeting has not been convened. On September 19th a reminder of this request was sent.
The hospital is another vital institution that must be protected and its future ensured. Government and health care insurers have to rely too heavily on services to our people outside of St. Maarten. The amount of money spent on medical care abroad is alarming and there is also a social cost, when sick persons have to be cared for far away from home.
In 2014, the hospital was included in the capital budget of government for 35 million guilders. That money was not utilized. Let's see where the priority for the hospital lies in the amended budget 2015, which is on its way to Parliament.
Given the keen interest the faction of the DP has in the matter of healthcare and our hospital in particular, I recommend that the business plan of the SMMC be sent to Parliament as soon as possible, to avoid this matter becoming a political pawn as this type of project tends to become all to easily.
At least in Parliament, the people will hopefully get a glimpse of what the future plans are for their hospital.
A word of caution, keep our hospital out of the political wheeling and dealing.

DP Press Release.

Simpson Bay:--- Aqua Mania Adventures will be hosting a Pink Sunset Sail on October 1st, 2015. This one of a kind event will function not only as an awareness event, but also as a fundraiser. When the local community found out about this event, it went out of its way to support Aqua Mania Adventures by donating items for the raffle that is part of the event, or by buying tickets for the event. Proceeds will go to the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations to help continue their quest to raise Breast Cancer Awareness on the island of St. Maarten and other future projects and activities.
In order to guarantee the success of the event, the support was needed of local businesses. Aqua Mania Adventures reached out to many businesses for donations for the raffle and the support received was incredible. Due to this support people going out on the Pink Sunset Sail now have a chance to win fantastic prizes such as a smartphone and Beats headset by UTS, a weekend stay at the Summit Resort, a necklace from Splash Jewelers, several items by Keijzer Computer Systems, a weekend stay at Simpson Bay Resort, a dinner for 2 at Pineapple Petes, a night stay at Divi Little Bay Resort and gift certificates from Simpson Bay Pharmacy, Bamboo Bernies, Grand Marche, Temptation, TriSport, Sushiitto and the Good Life Spa.
The Pink Sunset Sail is the first event on St. Maarten’s official calendar for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The goal of the event is to generate awareness among the local community about this devastating disease that affects so many of us. The primary message is the importance of self-examination and how early detection can save lives. Aqua Mania Adventures decided to team up with the Positive Foundation and the Elektralyets Foundation to successfully get this message across.
Some companies decided to support the event in a different way, like Island Water World who is joining the Pink Sunset Sail with 13 female employees. They take this opportunity as a staff outing, where they will get to enjoy the beautiful coastal sail, open bar and snacks while wearing the unique pink t-shirts provided to them by Aqua Mania Adventures.
“It is amazing to see the entire community supporting our event. Whether it is by promoting it for us at their locations, by donating raffle items or by joining the actual event itself. I was thrilled to hear about Island Water World’s attendance. We are hoping to get even more local companies involved, as it is important to make Breast Cancer, or any type of cancer, discussable in our small community. What better way to accomplish that then by seeing everyone on the island supporting this event?!” said Michele Korteweg, from Aqua Mania Adventures.
The Pink Sunset Sail will take place on October 1st, 2015 and departs at 5.30pm from the marina in Simpson Bay Resort where Aqua Mania Adventures is located. The company made Lambada and Tango, 65’ sailing catamarans, available for a coastal sail into the sunset, allowing 140 people to be part of this unique event.
Tickets are for sale at $40pp, which includes a unique Pink T-shirt, a goody bag from Penha, a Pink Lemonade mimosa, open bar, snacks and a wonderful sail along St. Maarten’s golden coastline, sightseeing, sipping cocktails and watching the green flash. Proceeds of ticket sales and the raffle tickets will be donated to the Positive and ElektraLyets Foundations to support their programs regarding breast cancer. Tickets can be bought at Aqua Mania Adventures locations in Simpson Bay Resort, directly online at www.stmaarten-activities.com or at the activity desks for hotel guests. Book in advance to prevent disappointment of the event being sold out.
For those who would like to support the event by donating raffle items, or any other way, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1721 5442640

Pond Island:–--- Organizers of the TelCell Breakthrough talent show have started their final countdown to Saturday’s finals at the Theatre Royale, Maho.
Last-minute arrangements for the night, including seating, security and crowd-handling were discussed during a meeting of the entire team in the Conference Room, main TelEm Group building, Tuesday.
According to coordinator, Angel Richardson, everyone is upbeat and excited that the day for the show is almost here.
“We have been promoting the event for many months and there really is a buzz in the social media and around the island generally for our Breakthrough show this year once again. Everyone wants to see and hear what these stars of tomorrow have to offer,” said Angel.

During Tuesday’s meeting Angel outlined where the group is in terms of preparation for Saturday and also what arrangements have been made to accommodate the panel of judges and also the VIP guests who will be arriving.
She said the show is completely sold out, therefore no tickets will be available at the door at show time Saturday.
The program for the night and other matters related to sound and recording were also finalized with the assistance of co-organizer, Bertaux “Mr. Rude” Fleming of Xtratight Entertainment.
Present at Tuesday’s meeting was Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Brian Mingo, who thanked everyone for their tremendous effort, particularly, the co-coordinators Ms. Richardson and Mr. Rude.
“I am very happy to see the energy that everyone continues to put into making this the biggest and best event for St. Maarten’s youth each year. It makes us very proud that such an event carries the name of TelCell,” said Mr. Mingo.
Mr. Mingo said from the reports he received Tuesday, he is “very satisfied” that all the bases are covered and that everything is in place and being put in place for nothing short of a spectacular night at the Casino Royale Theatre, Maho, Saturday.

CAYHILL:----The Breastfeeding Committee of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) will hold a Breastfeeding Expo at the SMMC on Friday, September 25th, 2015 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm.
The Breastfeeding Expo is to promote breastfeeding as the best nutrition for babies and support and educate families who choose this option for their babies.
At this free event, a variety of information and resources will be available to breastfeeding and soon-to-be breastfeeding families.
Educare Foundation will help parents plan and prepare to continue breastfeeding after returning to work. Daycare centers and caretakers also have a shared responsibility with breastfeeding parents to ensure that breast milk is stored, handled, and fed in a safe manner. Such child care professionals will also benefit from the Expo.
A Dietician at the Expo will give nutritional information about breastmilk and give recommendations about how and when they can introduce solid foods in the child’s diet.
Special attention will also be given to breastfeeding mothers. Finding the ‘perfect bra’ is challenging for many women, even more so breastfeeding mothers. Tee’s Closet will be present at the Expo with a selection of nursing bras and fitting tips.
Another special treat for mothers is a make-up booth. “Sometimes mothers are working so hard to take care of their families that they neglect themselves. We want to pamper the mothers and give easy-to-do beauty tips,” says breastfeeding team leader Nurse Carleen Griffith.
“It is an opportunity to interact with other breastfeeding mothers and share and learn from one another.
Mothers should use this opportunity to ask questions that are not clear to them while enjoying being pampered,” Supervisor OBGYN Ward Sherryl Carty.
Due to bad weather in the month of August, the Breastfeeding Expo was one of a few breastfeeding awareness activities that were rescheduled.
During the year, information sessions will continue to be held to educate families and empower them to provide the best nutrition for their babies.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation during various research dives has noticed an increase in Nassau Grouper, a once critically endangered species and one considered almost extinct in Sint Maarten waters, in the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. The Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) is a large fish that inhabits reef ecosystems. As is typical of groupers, it has a robust, elongated body, rounded fins and big lips. Its overall color is pale tan for fish found in shallow areas and pinkish red for fish found in deeper waters.

“The fact that during research dives within the Marine Park we have noticed an increase in Nassau Grouper is good news for us and shows that our conservation methods are having some slow success in bringing the species back from the brink of disappearing from our waters,” commented Tadzio Bervoets of the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation.
Nassau Groupers were once plentiful and an important source of food within the Caribbean region, but populations are estimated to have declined by approximately 90% in the waters surrounding Sint Maarten due to overfishing and habitat loss. Nassau groupers inhabit shallow to mid-range coral reefs (typically between 6 and 30 meters) and rocky areas where they can hide in crevices; juveniles are commonly found in seagrass beds. Both coral reefs and seagrass beds have suffered much degradation within the past few decades.
“Although we were happy to see an increase in the number of this very important keystone species they are in no means as abundant as they used to be and still are under serious threat of disappearing from our waters forever. That is why it is very important that we maintain the Marine Park as an area closed to fishing so that fish stocks have an area to regenerate without having any pressure from humans. Eventually fish populations will spillover from the Marine Park and repopulate the territorial waters of the country,” concluded Bervoets.

PHILIPSBURG:--- During the tenure of former Minister William Marlin of the National Alliance, the Waste to Energy Plant would have cost the people of St. Maarten a total of ZERO investment. The terms of reference was designed as such that the WTE supplier would be granted a concession for 20 to 25 years where GEBE would buy the Energy generated by the WTE plant. So you see MP Heyliger, you are not correct. Things can be done for free, in the beginning at least, resulting in no huge debt for the people of St. Maarten.
MP Heyliger also has a unique ability to confuse the numbers, so let us try to clarify things here for the Honorable MP. All relevant numbers are in Guilders.

• The WTE plant would produce 8 Mw or 8000 Kw.
• Over 24 hours this would be 24 X 8000 = 192,000 Kwh per day
• Over a year this would be 365 X 192,000 = 70,080,000 Kwh per year.

Currently GEBE’s electricity rate is approximately 0.48 per Kwh.
Under a National Alliance Government, the companies estimated a Kwh price of between 0.31 and 0.45 per Kwh. Taking the above into consideration the WTE would collect a yearly amount of:

• 70,080,000 X 0.45 (let’s take the bigger number) = 31,356,000 Guilders
• For the 20 to 25 year term of the concession the WTE Company would collect a grand total of:
• 20 X 31,356,000 = 627,120,000 Guilders or
• 25 X 31,356,000 = 783,900,000 Guilders

According to MP Heyliger, this is not a valid deal and St. Maarten or GEBE needs to invest in this project to make it feasible. The strange thing is even with an investment by the people of St. Maarten or GEBE he still envisions a cost of 0.56 per Kwh.
To use the numbers of Honorable MP Heyliger, who it appears is confused and still thinks he sits in the chair of the Minister we get the following:

• An investment of a minimum of 200 Million Guilders (cost of most 8Mw plants)
• 70,080,000 (Kwh per year) X 0.56 = 39,244,800 Guilders
• For the 20 to 25 year term of the concession the WTE Company would collect a grand total of:
• 20 X 39,244,800 = 784,896,000 Guilders or
• 25 X 39,244,800 = 981,120,000 Guilders (close to a Billion Guilders)

We would assume that GEBE would benefit somewhat from this Billion Guilders being a share holder in the WTE. MP Heyliger needs to explain why GEBE would invest if it is not necessary.
So with MP Heyligers’ terms of reference, the people of St. Maarten would be burdened with a loan of a minimum of 200 Million Guilders. We even heard of a figure of 700 Million Guilders which we don’t quite understand. In addition we would also be paying more for Electricity than we are currently paying.
With the terms of reference of MP William Marlin the people of St. Maarten would not be burdened with any loan and the cost of electricity would be lower, saving the people of St. Maarten Millions of Guilders over the years.
Since MP Heyliger seems to know more about the entire issue than the Minister and has taken it upon himself to answer questions for the Minister. He should also answer the question as to why the done deal during the tenure of former Minister William Marlin was not executed by Former Minister Maurice Lake. Even more questionable, is why the deal done by former Minister Lake is not being considered. Why is MP Heyliger dead set on burdening the people of St. Maarten with yet another multi million guilder loan?
It’s all about negotiating in the interest of the people of St. Maarten MP Heyliger, it can be done!
Board of the National Alliance

On Tuesday, September 22nd , a case of vandalism was reported around 10.00 PM. Different spots of graffiti were applied on a car parked at a house on the Sorrel road. This took place after 7.00 PM. The case is under investigation.

Vandalisme
Op dinsdag 22 september werd omstreeks 22.00 uur aangifte gedaan van vandalisme. Op een auto die bij een woning aan de Sorrel road geparkeerd stond, werd op verschillende plekken graffiti aangebracht. Dit heeft na 19.00 uur plaatsgevonden. De zaak wordt onderzocht.

PHILIPSBURGL:--- Readers are Leaders are holding their official opening ceremony for the 2015-2016 term today, Thursday, the 24th of September, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm at the library.
Readers are Leaders is a program for teenagers which encourages them to read a minimum of seven books and gives them a chance to win great prizes. All teenagers are encouraged to come in and join. Not only will you be encouraged to read, but you can also take part in the Readers are Leaders poetry evening, its St. Maarten day celebration, the Black History Month ceremony and more. At these events you will get a chance to showcase your talents in the areas of poetry, song and dance. The prizes that can be won for reading and performances include tablets, cellular phones, USB sticks and laptops.
For the opening ceremony there will be a musical performance by popular artists Elemental Jedi Crew and dance. Pizza will be on sale. For any questions about the Readers are Leaders event, please contact Maryland Powell at telephone number 542 2970.
Come to the opening ceremony and get acquainted with the Readers are Leaders club, because “to be a leader is to be a reader”.

Digicel, a mobile telecommunications company that operates in 31 markets across the Caribbean, Central America and Oceania regions, has been presented with a plaque of appreciation in recognition of its contribution to the ‘Have a Heart’ campaign in partnership with Health City Cayman Islands.

Have a Heart, a philanthropic organisation formed in 2000, has supported more than 6,000 paediatric heart surgeries in India to date. The charity formed a partnership with Health City Cayman Islands, headed by Mr Gene Thompson, and subsequently joined forces with Haiti Cardiac Alliance, a US-based non-profit organisation, to facilitate cardiac surgery at Health City for a number of Haitian children.

“Many of the heart problems faced by these children cannot be dealt with in Haiti as the surgeries are too complicated. We are extremely excited to be working with the surgeons and staff at Health City as we know that they have the expertise and facilities to help these children,” Mr Owen Robinson, Executive Director of Haiti Cardiac Alliance said.

Digicel stepped in to support the initiative by generously providing one of its private jets to transport the children and their families from Haiti directly to Grand Cayman for their life-saving surgeries. The plaque was presented to Mr Martin Bould, CEO of Digicel Group Cayman and Rahul Nicholson-Coe, Chief Operating Officer of Digicel Cayman.

“We’re proud to have been a part of such a worthy cause,” Mr Bould said. “To see these children, some of whom could hardly walk without difficulty breathing, now playing as children should, is really touching. We are glad that Digicel could be involved and help people in need in our region.”

The cardiac surgeries, completed free-of-charge at Health City Cayman Islands, were led by Dr Binoy Chattuparambil, Senior Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, and Dr Sripadh Upadhya, Senior Paediatric Cardiologist.

Dr Chandy Abraham, Medical and Facility Director at Health City said, “The operations went extremely well and many of the children were eating and smiling and interacting with our staff soon after surgery. They were extremely brave.”

Mr Gene Thompson thanked Digicel and said without its contribution of its company plane, the children and their families would have needed to travel via the USA with a visa, adding a tremendous amount to the cost of their trip, and possibly making it unachievable.

“We are incredibly grateful to the generosity of Digicel, who have been instrumental in changing the lives of these children for the better. We look forward to extending this charitable offering to many others in need, which is the philosophy that Health City was borne out of.”

Willemstad:---  Today CHATA organized the race to find the key to the Flavors of Curaçao Treasure Chest. 5 Uniformed Groups participated in this race, which required them to make cocktails, shoot shout out videos after which they received the final clue. The final clue led contestant Laura Gouw to the key that was on top of the DUSHI sign on Wilhelmina Square. Laura Gouw Wins an AA sponsored round trip to Miami, 2 Flavors 2015 Tickets, NAFL. 100 Worth of Tokens and 2 Flavors 2016 tickets.

As a consequence of CHATA’s Flavors of Curaçao Treasure Hunt Campaign, there were numerous submissions of potential contestants whom had taken selfies in front of restaurants participating in Flavors of Curacao. The 5 contestants with the most likes were chosen as the winners of the first round, making them eligible to participate in the treasure hunt.

The Treasure Hunt was short but required quite some creativity from the participants, as quite some Flavors of Curaçao elements were included in the Treasure Hunt. The first step was to make a cocktail at the Academy Hotel with which they had to take a selfie and post this selfie on CHATA’s Facebook page to receive the next clue. The clue led the participants to the Kleine Wharf, where they were required to shoot a Shout out Video and post this on CHATA’s Facebook page. After having obtained 10 Likes for the Shout Out Video post, they were provided with the final clue, which led Laura Gouw to the Flavors of Curaçao Treasure Chest key which was on top of the DUSHI sign on Wilhelmina Square.

CHATA congratulates Laura Gouw with the prizes and extends a special thank you to American Airlines for its partnership in Flavors of Curaçao and the Flavors of Curaçao Treasure Hunt.

CHATA and American Airlines will be raffling more prizes during Flavors of Curaçao, hence the importance not to miss out on this unique opportunity on September 27th!

PHILIPSBURG:---- A well-known former taxi driver known in the community as Alberto “Freaky” Gumbs has been tortured to death by some unknown persons. According to information reaching SMN News the former taxi driver told some persons in his neighborhood that he was saving monies to buy a vehicle about two nights ago and this apparently caused the perpetrators to torture him to death. SMN News learnt that the body of the former taxi driver was found with burn wounds on his back and belly. along with other visible wounds. SMN News learnt that the body of Gumbs was found by some friends who went to look for him at his apartment in Dutch Quarter when they saw his lifeless body in his apartment.
Relatives of the dead man said they will contest the decision of the police doctor who ruled the man died of natural causes even though the body of Gumbs bore several burnt wounds and other bruises. Some members of the family who spoke to SMN News said they will go as far as possible to seek justice because some years ago one of their brothers they identified as Jack Gumbs was murdered and the case has never been solved. The body of Alberto Gumbs had burnt wounds even on his back, the family said it appeared as though the killers hot an iron and burn their relative both on his back and belly before killing him, yet the police doctor ruled he died of natural causes.
SMN News contacted press prosecutor Karola Van Nie who said she could not comment on the case and that SMN News should make contact with KPSM. SMN News also tried reaching several members of the management team of KPSM Tuesday night for a comment but none of them could be reached by telephone including the Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation is having a Meatless Month fundraising food sale to raise funds for pupils of All Children’s Education Foundation (ACE) School, who are unable to pay their school fees.

The fundraising effort is themed: “Give a child a chance to attend school.”

The fundraising food sale will be held for the entire month of October. Ticket buyers will be able to pick up their meals at Cake House Supermarket on LB Scott Road every Friday and Saturday.

To make it interesting and to offer variety, Tzu Chi will be offering eight different vegetarian options for the food sale. This means that there will be different food items offered every Fridays and Saturdays throughout the month.

The options are: Veggie ham and cheese sandwich (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice); or Veggie fruit salad sandwich (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice); or Veggie ham pasta (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice); or Cassava cheese pasta (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice); or Tuna pasta (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice); or Sushi veggie plate (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice) and Veggie burger (with eggless cupcake and fresh homemade juice).

The tickets cost US $6 or NAf. 11 for the sandwiches and burger options and US $8 or NAf. 14.40 each for the Veggie sushi plate and pasta options.

Tzu Chi Foundation Commissioner Sandra Cheung thanked Cake House Supermarket for donating the food items to Tzu Chi for “Give a child a chance to attend school,” food sale. She said the foundation is happy to assist the ACE pupils to obtain an education, while promoting healthy eating with the healthy vegetarian options that will be available for the fundraiser.

She said the food sale is unique in that patrons have eight different options to choose from and she expressed hope that the community rallies behind this event in support of education.

Food sale tickets are available at Tzu Chi Foundation office on LB Scott Road or Cake House Supermarket on the L.B. Scott Road or from any Tzu Chi Foundation volunteer. You can also call tel. 586-3019 or 542-0521 for tickets or for more information.

PHILIPSBURG:---The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau hosted two customer service training programs under the banners, “The Successful Taxi Driver Training,” and “St. Maarten Immigration Department Service Excellence Training.” Approximately 50 persons took part.
Immigration Officers and Taxi Drivers are the first persons that a visitor to the island meets at the Airport.
Tourists get a first impression from these individuals, and therefore the training enhances service delivery and quality. These workers are also considered as part of the backbone of the country’s tourism economy.
The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau recently presented a certificate to the first batch of those who had completed the training. A second presentation of certificates to Taxi Drivers and Immigration Officers is scheduled to take place on September 25.

Board calls for Emergency Meeting ---- FBO permit in Limbo

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs has dispatched a letter to the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Princess Juliana International Airport ordering them to get rid of the Airport Director Regina Labega. According to information SMN News received is that Labega did not pass the screening and the Prime Minister is using it against her because he got what some board members describe as having a “hard on for Labega.” Board members of the Supervisory board told SMN News that Labega has been doing an extremely good job but the Prime Minister does not seem to like her and thus he will do any or everything possible to get rid of her.
SMN News further learnt that Labega received the letter on Tuesday and she already consulted with her lawyer, while the chairman of the Supervisory Board Gary Matser has called for an emergency meeting to discuss the letter he received from the Prime Minister. Board Members of the Supervisory Board are at loss because they said that the Prime Minister sent out the letter while he is supposed to be off island.
It has been months now that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs have been obstructing PJIAE especially when it comes to the expansion and renovation of the country’s airport, some of the board members told SMN News.
Labega and management of PJIAE requested a building permit from government almost a year now for the Food Based Operations (FBO) which SMN News learnt was sent to the Prime Minister since June 2015 but the Prime Minister refused to sign off on the building permit. SMN News understands that the Prime Minister wanted an apology from Regina Labega and unless he gets that apology he will not sign off on the FBO building permit.
Most recently, SMN News learnt that the Prime Minister hired some contractors to further investigate the contract that was awarded to Taliesin Construction because he believes that the price Taliesin charged to construct the FBO facility is too high. A source close to the United Peoples Party and the PJIAE told SMN News that the Prime Minister already indicated to them that he will not sign off on the FBO building permit instead he will wait until the time expires then he will force PJIAE to conduct another bidding process which would allow a construction company of his choice to bid on the project.
The said source told SMN News that several of the UPP Members of Parliament are very dissatisfied with Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs who the party intends to send home on his first anniversary in December because they are not at all satisfied with his performance. Another concern for the UPP is the fact that the Prime Minister has been visiting a certain bar far too often while they are concerned that he is being investigated as where he resides on the island.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The parliamentary Committee of Finance (CF) will meet in a closed door session on September 24.

The Committee of Finance will meet on Thursday at 12.30pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is a discussion with the Committee of Financial Supervision for (Cft) regarding the financial situation of Sint Maarten.

York fathered 26 children --- Suspect said she and her late father went to Notary to put land in her name.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The suspect police arrested last week Wednesday for the murder of Eddie York has to spend eight more days behind bars as the judge of instruction extended her pretrial detention on Friday. Press Prosecutor Karola Van Nie confirmed that the prosecution got the eight day extension they requested on Friday.
The suspect is the 34 year old daughter of the late Eddie York identified as J.Y. The woman told the judge of instruction that she did not put any of her father’s land in her name, on the contrary she told the judge she was her father’s favorite child of his 26 children and that her father went with her to a notary “Mingo” with her to put his property in her name.
Last week press prosecutor Karola Van Nie confirmed that police had arrested one person in the ongoing murder investigation but she did not give any further details. Van Nie did not even release the initials of the suspect in custody and her relations to the victim who was shot in his bed during the wee hours of the morning on December 31st 2014.
Ever since Eddie York was murdered several members of his family spoke out saying the suspect in custody is responsible for her father’s murder, they even alleged that the woman contacted several of her nephews and offered them $1,000.00 to kill their grandfather. Some of the relatives who spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity said that while most of York’s grandchildren refused the offer made to them one of his grandson did accept the money and he allegedly shot his grandfather while he was sleeping. The relatives who spoke to SMN News said that the suspect was in control of her father’s wealth even his bank accounts and when her father realized that she was abusing the power he gave to her he changed things and took back his bank book and other documents she had for him and this move angered the woman now in police custody.
The suspect considered all that is being said about her and her father are rumors and she even told the judge that she does not know why the police did not arrest her nephew and question him just like they arrested her.

Mother of 14 year old fainted when she saw the text conversation between principal and her son

PHILIPSBURG: ---- The board of the Methodist Agogic Center has refused to comment on the arrest of one of their school principal’s last Friday. SMN News contacted the school on Tuesday morning and were told that the school board will not be making any comment. However, the Principal attended school at the John A Gumbs Campus on Monday and held a meeting with his staff for about seven hours. SMN News further learnt that the principal broke down and asked his staff to pray for him as he will be out of school for a few days. According to information provided to SMN News states that the principal met with the chairman of the school board after that meeting where they discussed the matter further.
SMN News has been reliably informed that a 14 year old boy that is attending the MAC high school is the victim that the Principal made contact with and was luring him to go to a hotel at after 10pm one night. According to the information SMN News received is that the child was on the phone texting the principal and he then asked his mother to go to a hotel. The source said that this incident occurred about a month and half ago and when it happened the mother took the phone from her son and when she read the conversation between her son and the school principal she was shocked and even got devastated. The source said that the mother took her son’s phone to the police station the following day and the police kept the phone and was in constant contact with the principal via the young man’s phone. SMN News further learnt that the police took their time with the investigation and when they believe they had enough they arrested the principal and conducted a search at his home where they seized a number of electronic items for further analysis. It’s not clear why the Public Prosecutor chose to release the principal even though police investigated this case for almost two months.
When SMN News contacted Press Prosecutor Karola Van Nie she said an arrest was made and house search was conducted on Friday  and the person that was arrested was released the same day within the six hour time frame allotted to the police. Prosecutor Van Nie declined to release any further information on the ongoing investigation. Van Nie said that the principal still remains a suspect in the ongoing investigation.

Mr. Jean Arnell, co-founder of COMPUTECH will empower entrepreneurs at POWER HOUR

Great Bay:---- After the success of the first BOSS Edition of POWER HOUR held on May 27, 2015, INFOBIZ, a foundation aimed at developing successful entrepreneurs and businesses, is excited to announce that Mr. Jean Arnell, of COMPUTECH will give the keynote at BOSS Edition 2 on September 30, 2015. INFOBIZZ has redefined the word BOSS to mean Building Others’ Success Stories and in this edition, COMPUTECH has committed to making available ten (10) tickets for aspiring entrepreneurs from the University of St. Martin and any secondary school on either side of the island to attend the POWER HOUR.
In the first BOSS Edition of POWER HOUR, INFOBIZZ introduced PitchIt™, an exercise where two (2) entrepreneur have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to an experienced and successful entrepreneur/investor. Inspired by the ABC’s hit show, “Shark Tank”, all attendees gain valuable information that can be used in their specific business. This is unique only to the BOSS Editions of POWER HOUR.
POWER HOUR is the premier networking event of INFOBIZZ, bringing together on average 80-100 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs. Designed to provide tips on how to achieve more success by those who have achieved notable levels of success while connecting entrepreneurs and professionals to like-minded people, POWER HOUR has enriched the lives and businesses of close to 700 entrepreneurs since its inception in 2013.
Although, the POWER HOUR attracts entrepreneurs at various stages of their entrepreneurial walk, it is not strictly for entrepreneurs. POWER HOUR is open to anyone who wants to develop as a leader and want to achieve new levels of success. Entrepreneurs by the very nature of what they do, need leadership skills to launch, grow, and improve their business. However, leadership skills is not limited to entrepreneurs only. Thus, professionals and aspiring leaders are also welcome to the 2nd BOSS Edition of POWER HOUR.
On September 30, 2015, INFOBIZZ will also officially launch its marketing campaign for iDOMINATE 360 Conference, the first ever. This conference will have international, regional, and local entrepreneurs sharing information for entrepreneurs to dominate in their business and achieve greatness in their business. This conference will take place during November 16-22, 2015 when more than 150 countries all over the world will organize activities to stimulate entrepreneurs to start their business and equip them to grow accurately.
INFOBIZZ has already secured four international entrepreneurs from the United States of America, Canada, and the Netherlands for the iDOMINATE 360 Conference, who will equip aspiring and established entrepreneurs to dominate in their business and take their success to the next level. All pertinent information will be officially disclosed at the upcoming POWER HOUR on September 30, 2015. Interested potential partners can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information on partnership opportunities.
Tickets for the POWER HOUR: BOSS Edition 2 are available for $30 including materials, a welcome drink, and snacks. To reserve your ticket, please email Foundation INFOBIZZ at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call +1-721-523-1842 or connect on Facebook www.facebook.com/powerhoursxm. For aspiring students from the University of St. Martin or any secondary school, please send a copy of your student card to the abovementioned email address.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---- A joint training session commenced on Monday, September 14, 2015 at the University of St. Martin (USM) to train a group of 70 selected persons who have applied for the job as field interviewers for the ‘How Healthy is Sint Maarten/Saint Martin’ public health survey.
The field interviewers who are currently undergoing the training have a medical and social background which would ensure proper data collection. Once they have completed the training, a pilot project will be initiated followed by the big survey that will take place over a six week period.
The training is mainly facilitated by the University of the U.S. Virgin Islands through their collaboration with USM (UVI @ USM). The training as well as the health survey project is being hosted by representatives from the Dutch and French Government as well as Health Care Professionals that together have initiated the Observatory of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.
The health survey is a collaborative effort between the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, and the Collectivite of Saint Martin.
During this training the field interviewers will acquire the skills necessary to conduct the door-to-door interview and physical measurements.
They will receive a certificate of participating in the training and the ones qualified to continue on as an interviewer will then be hired for this purpose. When going out in the field, the interviewers will go to randomly selected households interviewing one adult of the household on the general health status. All interviewers will be fully recognizable as such through t-shirts, and other necessary materials.
The training will end this week with a certification and closing ceremony.
The Health Study preparations, execution, analysis and reporting is a collaborative effort between the Governments of both sides of the island, co-financed by Interreg European Union (EU), and supported by UVI at USM.
The first Sint Maarten health survey was conducted more than 15-years ago (1999) and results released in 2002. The survey also included the other islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. It gave an overview of the general public’s health status of the community. A health study of this nature does not exist for French Saint Martin.
The survey will be carried out on both sides of the island at the same time. Public participation is very important in order for the survey to be a success.
The collaboration of the two sides of the island, in this case, is very important, as it is known that persons reside, work and make use of services on either side of the island. A collaborative study will therefore portray a more realistic picture for both sides of the island and results derived from the study can then better plan and fulfil health care needs of both Governments with respect to their communities.
The initial health study results can be considered outdated due to factors such as population growth, high migration rate, infrastructural change, pollution, etc. It is therefore of high importance to execute a similar study to get a general description of the population’s current (subjective and objective) health status, the factors that affect health, current use of health services and the factors that affect the use of services.
As of the end of September, persons can expect interviewers to come by their home to request their participation. All interviewees are randomly selected, and all interviewers properly trained and dressed in recognizable and identifiable attire.
The interview will also include a physical measurement section whereby parameters such as height, weight, blood pressure, and blood glucose will be measured.
The interviewing will go on into October and potentially the beginning of November. It is the intention to have the first results of the study made public before the end of the year.
The participation of the public is vital and will ensure the health study objectives being met, with current and accurate health data leading to informed decision making, policy making and programming, which in turn will lead to a generally healthier, and happier population as well as a better collaboration between French and Dutch health care systems.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Last Friday, Posh Productions hosted its first Corporate Cocktail Pageant Presentation for Corporate St. Maarten. This very “posh” evening was hosted at Princess Port de Plaisance and was well attended by the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, the Honorable Rita Bourne-Gumbs and representatives of various businesses on the island.
Posh Productions recognizes the general perceptions and reservations many institutions and individuals have about pageantry. Often times, pageantry is perceived as not serving much purpose or holding any value, but quite to the contrary, pageantry has significant importance for our community and serves as a pillar for growth throughout the world. The informational evening was deemed a success and Posh Productions accomplished their main objective,since many of the attendees expressed their change of perspective for pageantry after the presentation.
Posh Productions CEO & President, Anna Rabess-Richardson has been on a mission to change the concept and ideas of pageantry on St. Maarten by showing the community at large how pageantry, education and philanthropy are interlinked and can be very pertinent in directing the lives of our youth in a positive direction. These ideals and values were the main focus of the proposal that herself and Posh Productions’ Vice-President, Cassandra Weekes-Jeffers, presented to Minister Bourne-Gumbs at the Cocktail Presentation.
Like Maya Angelou, Rabess-Richardson believes that [her] mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style. She encourages the schools and school boards to seriously consider nominating potential candidates for the various pageants geared towards young ladies.In the next few weeks, she will be in close contact with the various school boards to further the discussion about the benefits of pageantry and education.
Posh Productions will be hosting a second corporate cocktail reception in November. It will be at this next event that aspiring delegates for the 2016 Carnival Queen pageants and Corporate St. Maarten can get the opportunity to learn more about one another in the form of a meet and greet.
The Foundation extends its gratitude to the Minister and to all attendees for taking the time to learn more about this brand new pageant platform and how Posh Productions will make an influential difference for Sint Maarten through pageantry.

PHILIPSBURG:---- A public Plenary sitting of the House of Parliament will take place on September 22. It is the continuation of the House session of September 21

The plenary session is set for Tuesday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the settlement between the Harbour Group of Companies and Zebec.

This parliamentary meeting was requested by the Democratic Party faction and the National Alliance, Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams, MP William Marlin, and MP Silveria Jacobs.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

“Information session this Wednesday evening at Festival Village”

PHILIPSBURG:---- A small business weekday entrepreneurship program is being initiated by Stichting Overheidsgebouwen (SOG) and is schedule to start on October 12th 2015.
This weekday program is aimed to stimulate entrepreneurship and more usage of the Festival Village while offering vendors the opportunity for selling of drinks, foods, arts & craft etc. The vendors in this program will be allowed to have booths, tents or tables for vending.
SOG who manages the venue would like to encourage persons within our community to get involved in the weekday program from Mondays to Thursdays from 10AM – 5PM and on Fridays from 10 AM – 1 AM.
Every last weekend of each month on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the village will be open from 10 AM – 1 AM serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner with entertainment.
There will not be no entrance fee charged to enter the Festival Village and the entire population is urged to get involved by visiting & supporting our local vendors.
The management of the Festival Village is urging small entrepreneurs to take advantage and register for this opportunity for vending of food, drinks, arts & crafts etc. during this weekday program.

Registration forms can be picked up at SOG office at the Festival Village on weekdays between the hours of 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Call 5430506 for more information on the weekday program.
Interested persons are invited to attend an information session this Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 at 6:30pm in the conference room of the Festival Village, where more information will be shared. Be a part of this program and the opportunity that it offers with great business perspectives of being your own boss.

Great Bay:---- On Friday, September 18, 2015 Social & Health Insurances (SZV) updated Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Rafael Boasman on their future developments entitled” Action Plan 3.0.” During the morning session Glenn Carty, interim CEO at SZV explained in detail SZV’s future developments for Country St. Maarten.
Within the SZV “Action Plan 3.0” Carty explained SZV’s first priorities for 2016-2018 with the intention of transforming SZV to a performance driven and client focused organization. The action plan clearly states that to ensure structural progress, a new management structure, cultural change instruments and programs, client focused processes and SMART IT solutions will be developed and implemented.
In addition to the above, it is the intention to have some of the following actions taken, such as: make processes and procedures more efficient and client friendly; improve the medical claims unit; set up professional healthcare procurement and align care demand and supply amongst others. The latter, will be taken care of by the tripartite consisting of the Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor, SZV and St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).
As it relates to the actions for client communication and service delivery SZV plans to set up a one stop shop by reorganizing service lines; communicating SZV’s more efficient procedures and improving complaint and compliment procedures.
Also during the morning session, Director of the SMMC, Kees Klarenbeek presented the hospital’s business case, which relates back to the protocol, which was signed on March 26, 2015, whereby an agreement to cooperate to develop a sustained and sustainable business case for SMMC together with SZV and the Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labour. The update on the development of the business case of SMMC was explained in detail to Minister Boasman by Klarenbeek.
Minister Boasman is supportive of the presented plans and urged the parties involved to continue to collaborate to improve the healthcare needs of the country.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament were called to vote on Monday when a member of the opposition asked for speakers time to be extended and a member of the coalition opposed the extension. MP Frans Richardson who supports the government voted in favor of the extension citing that he believes that Members of Parliament should be given extra time if they need when debating certain topics. This brought the proposal to a vote because the ruling coalition objected. After the vote the chair of parliament indicated that he will hold a meeting on the topic so that the Members of Parliament will not have to go through such exercise again. MP Sarah Wescot Williams read out an article from the rules of order that states that the speakers time ‘may’ change. Wescot Williams said unless the rules of order is changed then Members of Parliament would have to abide by the current rules of order.
As for the Zebec settlement several members of parliament from the opposition asked pertinent questions on the settlement which came after a court case was initiated by ZEBEC and statements made by the management of the Harbor of Group of Companies who said that they would be taking ZEBEC to court.
The ZEBEC issue relates to the Dutch Village which was stopped and the company said they would take the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies to court for $100M because they did not live up to the contract/agreement they had. Members of Parliament questioned the authority given to the Director of SZV who gave what has been described as a soft loan to the harbor. Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said that since SZV is able to grant loans they should be able to provide financing for the infrastructural projects that cannot be executed due to the lack of money from government. Wescot Williams outlined several projects in the Cole Bay area and the Dutch Quarter project that had to be scaled back because government said they did not have monies needed to complete these projects
Wescot Williams also stated that it’s been a while now APS and government have been working on a settlement for the new government building. She suggested for SZV to enter the negotiations for the government building on Pond Island. The DP MP asked if the contract between ZEBEC and SMHGC has a payout clause in the event the contract is terminated. Wescot Williams said that the statements made in the past creates confusion, thus Parliament needs clarity on the payout/settlement.
Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel questioned the rumors in the community about the director of SZV whom he said claimed to have saved a particular politician and the harbor with the loan he granted the harbor for the settlement.
Emmanuel questioned the amount of land that was given to Royal Caribbean and the building permit issued for the project.
MP Silveria Jacobs said that the current government boasts about transparency and she believed that if government own companies provide information to parliament and government then they would eliminate most of the problems regarding integrity and transparency.
Other speakers includes MP William Marlin, MP Theodore Heyliger, MP Maurice Lake, MP Tamara Leonard, MP Silvio Matser, MP Leona Marlin, MP Cornelius de Weever and MP Franklin Meyers.
In Parliament on Monday to represent the Prime Minister and Minister of VROMI was Deputy Prime Minister Dennis Richardson who told Parliament that he was asked by the Prime Minister who is currently off island to attend this particular meeting since the Minister of TEATT who is responsible for the Harbor is fairly new.
The meeting will continue on Tuesday at 2pm where the Minister will begin answering the questions posed by Members of Parliament on the ZEBEC/Harbor settlement.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday members of the media on St. Maarten boycotted the meetings of parliament due to a press release sent out last week informing members of media the dress code of parliament. In that press release its states that members of the media should wear a “jacket” in order for them to access the press-room in parliament. The press release further states that those members of the media who does not abide with the dress code will have to sit in the public tribune.
While parliament sent out a press release to say how members of the media to dress in order for them to attend parliament meetings, so far parliament have not taken the initiative to keep Members of Parliament out of the press room while meetings are taking place. Most of the time certain Members of Parliament would leave their seats and occupy the press room where they hold conversations to distract members of the press from the speakers that are on the floor speaking. Besides that Parliament is yet to install head-phones that would allow members of the media to listen to the meetings and not be distracted by noise and disturbances from some politicians and members of parliament.
During the meeting on Monday MP William Marlin said he heard that members of the media chose to boycott the meetings due to the press release that was sent out informing members of the media of parliament’s dress code. Marlin said he expects to discuss this matter with the President of Parliament and the faction leaders and if that is not possible he will call for a public meeting.

 St. Eustatius:--- On St. Eustatius, Mrs. Benita Bayer-Bowen of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) recently led an information session to inform teaching staff of St. Eustatius and Saba about the CPEA (Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment) testing system of the CXC. The purpose of this system is to ensure that students can make a smooth transition from the elementary school to a secondary school which uses the exam structure of the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC). The reason for this is the fact that effective this school year in St. Eustatius English is the language of instruction and the secondary school on St. Eustatius is preparing itself to work with the CXC examination system.

The CPEA system tests pupils in primary education on their competence in mathematics, language and science. The assessment of students is done in accordance with this system for 40% on school level based on projects, presentations by the students and tests made by the teacher. For the remaining 60% the rating is based on CXC made external test that the pupils sit in the final year of primary education. The system is very child friendly and shows from different angles at what level the students function. On the basis of this information the school can advise which direction in secondary education is the most appropriate for a student.

The schools are now going to look into the possibility of gradually introducing this system on St. Eustatius and Saba. The secondary school on Saba has been working for quite some time with the CXC examination system and is now also considering introducing the CPEA examination system

Hosted by the St. Maarten Golf Association at the Mullet Bay Golf Course

MULLET BAY:--- The St. Maarten Golf Association SMGA is pleased to announce the upcoming annual Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament. This highly competitive tournament will take place over 2 days at the Mullet Bay Golf Course in St. Maarten on October 3 and 4.

The Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament is organized each year by a different host-country and consists of the best players from eleven countries that are a member of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Association (ECGA). These countries are: Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

Each country will be represented by a team of maximum 12 players which are divided in 4 playing categories. These categories are:

• Ladies : 3 players
• Men : 4 players younger than 50 years old
• Seniors : 3 players between 50 and 60 years old
• Super-Seniors : 2 players older than 60 years

At the present moment 113 players are registered which will compete for team and individual gross and net prizes. Over the last years, the teams to beat were Antigua-Barbuda, St. Kitts and St. Croix who all have a long history of representing teams with very talented and low handicap golfers.

This year Guadeloupe and Martinique are also bringing some low handicap players to try entering the winners circle and challenge the previous year’s winners. Besides that St. Maarten as host country will do their utmost to capitalize on their ‘home field’ advantage. Mullet Bay Golf Course is a relatively short golf course but nevertheless not an easy pick. With lots of water hazards and windy conditions it might be trickier than most players will expect.

The festivities will begin with the team registration on Thursday and Friday October 1st and 2nd at the Golf Course followed by an opening reception for all participants, sponsors, media and invited guests on Friday evening at the SONESTA Great Bay Beach Resort. At this venue the tournament will be officially opened by the honorable Prime Minister of St. Maarten Mr. Marcel Gumbs, which will be followed with a flag raising ceremony and introduction off all participating countries and teams.

The 36 holes stroke play tournament will kick off with the first round of 18 holes on Saturday morning October 3rd at 7:00AM. The second round will be played on Sunday October 4th. Following the tournament, an awards and recognition party will be held for participants, sponsors, media and invited guests at a venue to will be announced later.

This prestigious tournament is made possible due to our year round major contributors namely, Mullet Bay Resort and Golf Course, CC1 / Coca Cola and the St. Maarten Tourist Office. Combined with the tremendous support and sponsorships the SMGA received so far from Air France – KLM, Bank of Nova Scotia, Canon Business Systems Services, Cariburo Office Equipment, Dauphin Telecom, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Winair Airlines, the SMGA is looking forward to host a fantastic tournament.

Besides these sponsors the SMGA was able to attract a large amount of other contributors that contributed in different ways through golf materials, hospitality and other services, manpower, vouchers etc.

The SMGA is a non-profit organization of avid golfers that promotes the practice of the game of golf and to foster community sense. The SMGA organizes golf matches and tournaments for its members and non-members and donates most of its proceeds that are made through membership fees, club tournaments and the annual St. Maarten Open, to multiple community organizations on the island.

If you like more information about this event or schedule an interview with either the SMGA, please contact Marc van Iersel.

The Board of the St. Maarten Golf Association

PHILIPSBURG:--- Police arrested a primary school principal on Friday and also searched his house that same day. Press Prosecutor Karola Van Nie told SMN News in an invited comment Sunday night that a school principal was arrested on Friday and heard as a suspect. Van Nie said that a house search was also conducted that same day. The Public Prosecutor said that she will not divulge any information as to why the School Principal was arrested and why his house was searched. She also said she will not release names or any other information at this moment. The press prosecutor said that the principal was heard as a suspect and was released within the six hour time frame the day he was arrested.
SMN News learnt from other sources that the Principal teaches at the John A Gumbs Campus in Betty’s Estate and he was arrested as a suspect that is involved in a case related to child molestation.

Sonesta Maho:--- In a world where challenges abound in relationships, businesses, organizations and communities, many persons often find themselves stressed out without tools to cope effectively with life. Consequently, relationships suffer, marital discord increases, the family unit becomes vulnerable and unstable, and our communities feel the negative consequences through school drop outs, crime and violence.
Research shows that resilient people think differently. They have a set of skills – sometimes learned, other times innate – that allow them to persevere, manage stress, and triumph in the face of challenges.

Recognizing that many persons are hurting, and struggling with life, Victorious Living Foundation (VLF) exists to empower, enlighten and reconcile individuals, couples, families, communities and nations to maximize their potential in life. Consequently on October 9th 2015, Victorious Living Foundation is hosting Live 2 Lead, a live simulcast half-day, leader development experience designed to equip leaders from all walks of life with new perspectives, practical tools and key takeaways to take their leadership and vision to a higher dimension.

Live 2 Lead is organized by the internationally renowned leadership expert John C. Maxwell who in 2014 was identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association® and the most influential leadership expert in the world by Business Insider and Inc. magazines. By registering and attending Live 2 Lead, persons locally will join thousands around the world, learning significant leadership truths and practical applications for their work and life.

Life coach and bestselling author, Valorie Burton, one of the speakers at Live 2 Lead will focus on How to Thrive Through Challenge and Change. She will help participants create building blocks of resilience to effectively manage challenges encountered in leadership and life. Burton will equip participants with a survival toolkit that will allow them to navigate disappointments in a way that makes them better, not bitter. They will learn to maximize opportunities, bounce back from setbacks, and develop the thinking style that research has proven will help them succeed under pressure.

In addition, Live2Lead has partnered with the University of North Georgia (UNG) Continuing Education Division to provide Continuing Educational Credits (CEUs) for the 2015 Live2Lead event. The UNG Continuing Education Division has approved 3 contact hours or .3 Category 1 Professional Development CEUs for this event.
Registration is open until October 2nd 2015. Persons may register by going to http://tinyurl.com/registerL2LSXM or learn more about the event at http://tinyurl.com/Event-L2L-SXM. Persons interested in the VIP packages of an all inclusive stay at Sonesta Maho by registering for Live 2 Lead may visit http://tinyurl.com/Victory4u.

Victorious Living Foundation is located at the Royal Palm Plaza # 92 Front Street, upstairs. For more details persons may call VLF at 1-721-524-8731/1-721-542-2652 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Sunday September 20 a crowd of 416 enthusiastic nature minded volunteers showed up at the Le Sands/Dreams property on Nettle Bay to volunteer for the 2015 International Coastal Cleanup.
The volunteers consisting of individuals, high school students, social groups and business employees who showed true dedication in helping to solve our marine environment for this annual event spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy.
The local leg of the ICC is organized and coordinated by the Dutch side environmental foundation The Sint Maarten PRIDE Foundation and the French side hiking group SXM TRAILS.
Volunteers ranging from the several businesses on the island were in full force wearing their companies T-shirts to show their team spirit, represented were KOOYMAN, Garnier, Fedex, DOTCOM Mktng, Rotaract Sunrise, Be The Change Foundation, Sxm DOET, Simarc, We Can Give Foundation, Tzu Chi, Rotary Club from both sides of the island, Les Fruits de Mer, Filipino Community of Sxm, EPIC, Interact Club of SDHS and many students of St. Dominic, CIA and Learning Unlimited.

For the 3 hours beach cleanup exercise volunteers combed the secluded beach which has a difficult access due to the bushy vegetation on the coastline, volunteers still managed to collect 153 bags of trash weighing 5193 pounds! This amount does not include the large debris found such as ironing board, bath tub, fridge, beach chairs, signage, and lots of plastic buckets.
Since this beach is not used for recreation, It is very clear to determine that this sort of trash found is washed up from the currents in the oceans.
A very large amount of trash from the Maritime Industry was found, buoys, large ropes, nets. However the largest item found was the ubiquitous plastic bottle. All shapes and sizes.

Difficult to determine if this sort of trash was dumped from boats, maritime industry, or dumping activities on land.
The International Coastal cleanup offers volunteers to play scientist for a day by recording every piece of trash collected. This is added on a special data card and total results will be sent in the coming weeks to Ocean Conservancy.

"Volunteers have collected data since 1986, and the numbers are used to raise awareness, identify hotspots for debris or unusual trash events, and inform policy solutions."~Ocean Conservancy

The PRIDE foundation thanks our sponsors who have been donating to this event annually. Zeebest , Cake House Bakery, Heavenly Water, Kooyman, Mediocosmetic , PRIME distributors and J&B Brothers.

We also thank Le Sands/Dreams Restaurant, the French Municipal police, and the St. Martin Collectivite for their assistance .

PHILIPSBURG:--- Finally, last week the committee meeting on the 2013 annual reports of government-owned companies took place. A meeting that I had requested since April of this year.
By this time, according to law, the annual reports 2014 are due and should have been in the possession of Parliament. They are not.
But al least the 2013 reports gave Parliament something to go by in questioning government regarding the operation of these government entities. The Finance Minister, who is obligated by law to forward these reports to Parliament, obviously is not privy to any operational details of the companies.

The parallel which is often made between this type of institution and privately owned companies does not hold on one crucial point and that is the point of ownership. Differently than privately-owned businesses, government companies are owned by the people, represented by the government, that in turn entrusts the respective boards, and it -the government- is accountable to Parliament. A Management/Manager/Director is responsible for the daily operations of these respective companies. This is how it should be!
Parliament is not copied on the annual reports of these companies to fill their file cabinets. Parliament needs to act on these, by calling government to give account for what they allow the companies to do or not to do.
The Gumbs-cabinet has agreed that all ministers are collectively responsible for government-owned companies, so I would expect the Prime Minister to be briefed on all matters pertaining to government owned companies.
It would be a crying shame if again on Monday, the Prime Minister comes to Parliament unprepared to give account of the Harbor-Zebec deal or hides behind the excuse of non-disclosure, which is an act of infringement on the rights of parliament.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS) attended the Caribbean Postal Union (CPU) and Universal Postal Union (UPU) 18th annual Postal Conference in the British Virgin island of Tortola.

The St. Maarten delegation arrived on Sunday in Tortola comprised of Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Directors (SBD) Stuart Johnson and interim-Managing Director Antonia Wilson. The conference duration was from September 14 to 18, 2015 and the conference was held at Maria's by the Sea Hotel.

The primary purpose of the conference was to formulate a strategy to highlight and adequately address several facets within the postal Caribbean region. The St. Maarten delegation joined with a selected number of countries to form a working group which will work out improvements to the regional movement of mail traffic especially by air transport.

"PSS felt it fitting to join this working group considering that our country serves as a hub for the north eastern Caribbean especially with our two main modernized ports of entry," PSS SBD Chairman Stuart Johnson stated.

The Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Marcel Gumbs joined the conference on Thursday morning for a two day session of the Caribbean Council of Ministers of Postal Affairs which concluded late on Friday afternoon.

"We need to look creatively at how the postal organization fits in our society today especially considering the many influences facing PSS," Mr. Gumbs stated.

Mr. Gumbs stated, "I was truly grateful for the warm welcome received by the Honorable BVI Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, the BVI Post and all conference support staff."

Johnson mentioned, "we need to continue networking regionally with our colleagues in the postal world and truly build the young organization of PSS which serves to ensure the continuity of our postal company."

The CPU/UPU conference also focused on a number of topics such as, point of sales, postal security, regional logistics, identifying global/regional trends, E-commerce and the CPU's 2016/2020 strategic plan.

"PSS surely gained a lot of knowledge and exposure during this conference as we continue to ensure the further growth of our postal organization. We will continue to work diligently with all stakeholders both locally as well as regionally," PSS Interim-Managing Director Ms. Wilson stated.

The next CPU/UPU conference will be held in the twin island nation of Trinidad & Tobago in the month of May 2016.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In a press release NV GEBE stated that the demolition of the water tank #3 in Cay Hill will commenced on, Monday, September 14, 2015. This is part of NV GEBE’s strategic business plan on improving our island wide water storage facilities. The demolition of tank 3 is the first step in replacing both of the Cay Hill Water Tanks consecutively with more modern and high volume, capacity tanks. The demolition of the existing tank and construction of the new one will not affect residents in any way.

PHILIPSBURG:---  University of St. Martin (USM) announced on Friday that it received accreditation of its Hospitality and Tourism Management programme by Business and Technology Education Council in the United Kingdom (BTEC).

BTEC accredited degrees are recognized in the US and in Europe. This is the first programme under the USM to be accredited.

USM also received "recognition" from American Hotel and Lodging Association, and that USM will be the third institution in the Caribbean to offer courses from American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, especially in the North Eastern Caribbean where personnel from American hotels can come to upgrade their skills.

“It's high time that our Government recognize USM in writing based on our Government Program. USM was recognized in writing by its Founders the late Dr. Claude Wathey and Ambassador H. Anasary, and the previous Executive Council of St. Maarten.

“All USM needs from Government is an updated letter stating that our Government recognizes them so they can continue to work on other accreditation agreements which will benefit our young people who study at USM. This would also promote more young people wanting to study at our locally home-grown institution of higher learning.

“If your own Government does not recognize USM, how can one expect the youths, the future business and political leaders of Sint Maarten; who will also be the ones to continue to develop our Sint Maarten, take USM serious if the Government of the land does not want to recognize our own university.

“The first thing when you do business abroad with other accredited Universities, the first thing they ask you is ‘are you recognized by your Government?’ I find it "simply amazing" that we question our own National University based on content while others recognize our own before us. We have to change that trend by starting to recognize our own institutions, and supporting our local professionals.

“USM has to also start promoting their alumni association whose members hold key positions in the private and public sectors of Sint Maarten. The majority of the students who graduate and further their studies, excel abroad at any University or Ivy League institution. You can go anywhere from USM, but you have to start promoting in order to change the image of the University.

“As a Member of Parliament, I have brought this topic up within my faction. I also brought it up several months ago in our parliamentary educational committee where the committee sat with the Minister of Education and the University of St. Martin, and Government stated that they will recognize the University and increase funding in their subsidy to USM on the 2015 Budget.

“I was very happy to hear this news from our Government but we can start recognizing the University in writing right away because they need to continue their work towards accreditation which only benefits our youth who will study at our own accredited institution of higher learning. Other institutions abroad in the United States of America and in Europe see the content and curriculum is as good as theirs, so let's recognize our own.

“The board and management of USM are trying their best and have to be diplomatic when dealing with Government. Recognition of USM is in the Governing Program. It’s the little important things that make a big difference. We need to set priorities, and the recognition of USM should be a priority. I can address it in the House of Parliament by presenting a motion for Government to recognize USM within 30-days. The sooner we recognize the better.

“I am very passionate about USM because I see the potential for USM to grow into one of the best in the Caribbean and being an educational hub for the North Eastern Caribbean,” United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Senior citizens 60+ on Saturday came out to the Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) 2015 event making it a success. The event took place on Saturday morning, September 19 at the White & Yellow Cross Foundaiton in St. John’s Estate.

It was a fun day of activities for the country’s seniors who are 60+. The event was organized under the theme “Age Active...U 2 Can Move!”

The three entities responsible for organizing the event were the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the White and Yellow Cross Foundation (WYCF), and the Windward Islands Physical Therapy Association (WIPTA).

The three aforementioned, CPS, WYCF and WIPTA, would first of all like to thank all the seniors and their families that came out to participate in the events of the day. The organizers would also like to than the sponsors, contributors and volunteers for their support and help to make the day a successful one.

Caribbean Wellness Day takes places on the second Saturday in the month of September. It is an annual event geared at increasing awareness and promoting activities to address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which continues to severely impact the health, economy and development the Region.

While the attention of CWD is on persons of all ages, the focus of attention this year was on the seniors, promoting more movement for them, and as the saying goes, ‘if you don’t use it ...you lose it.’

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries recognized the threat posed by NCDs, in The Declaration of Port of Spain. It outlined key strategies to prevent, control and reduce NCDs through the life course. This includes the need to increase physical activity in the entire population, especially in the workplace.

The event and activities planned for seniors was initially scheduled for September 12 but had to be postponed until September 19 due to the approach of Tropical Storm Grace.

The event organized on Saturday still fell within “Wellness Week” activities in the Americas which ran from September 12-19.

The overall objective of both campaigns on Sint Maarten and throughout the Americas was to engage individuals, families, and communities in healthy, active lifestyles for senior citizens.

Saturday, September 19 started off with an opening address by the Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Joy Arnell at 9.30AM.

Words of welcome will be delivered by the coordinators of the day representing their respective organizations, Dr. Virginia Asin, CPS, Bregje Boetekees WYCF, and Peter Prinsen, WIPTA at 9.40AM.

The activities for the day for seniors kicked off right after. At 11.20AM goodie bags were distributed to all participants ending the day’s activities.

The activities included a Zumba class; Moving with live music; Bocce game in the garden; Obstacle course; Tai Chi class; and mobility, agility and fitness testing by a therapist.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The community of Dutch Quarter is invited to a NV GEBE information session on Tuesday, September 22.

The information session is being organized as part of NV GEBEs efforts to continue to improve services to its customers by engaging them in the aforementioned and at the same time providing information regarding the company.

The information session is being held at the Dutch Quarter Community Center from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.

Residents will get the opportunity to learn from department heads about new projects and what the company is doing to continue to improve services to the customer and the community at large.

The information session also allows those in attendance to ask various questions to the department heads.

Department heads will give a presentation about current services such as billing cycles; payment of bills; important information for seniors 62+; the reading of electricity bills with respect to kilowatt hours and the fuel clause; the new electrical and digital water meters; street lights; the electrical production facility; trenching and much more.

The information evening will be very informative and residents of Dutch Quarter and the public at large are invited to come out and be informed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Government of St. Maarten regulates the prices of petroleum products by imposing a maximum price at which wholesalers and retailers can sell these products on St. Maarten. Due to the ongoing developments on the international level , the prices of crude oil have experienced adjustments. Given the aforementioned, the general public is hereby informed that as of Tuesday 22"d September 2015,
6:00am the maximum consumer prices ofULG and Diesel (gasoil) are adjusted as follows:

UGL Diesel

Current Price
2.015 Naf/liter
1.540 Naf/liter

New Price
1.826 Naf/liter
1.430 Naflliter

Below is the complete price buildup showi ng all components that result in the new prices. All numbers are rounded to three decimal places.
Price Buildup

Effective date
Petrotrin Posted Price USc/AG

22-Sep-15
180

22-Sep-15
170

ULG Gasoil
Nafper
liter
0.804
0.063
0.000

0.080
0.230
1.177
0.059
- 1.236
0.126
1.362
0.068
1.430
ULG Gasoil

PHILIPSBURG:--- Friday's long awaited meeting of Parliament was a huge disappointment for those persons who waited anxiously to hear from government what the plans are for the dump site in Philipsburg on short term. And if government thinks the people are not listening and watching, they are sorely mistaken.
The new minister of VROMI knew of this meeting request since he was sworn in, so to act as if the topic was a surprise was downright an insult to the intelligence of the people.
The minister for the meeting was accompanied by at least 2 persons who should know this topic inside-out.
Minister Connor had the opportunity to explain why no progress has been made with the company that government had an agreement in principle with and why he could not appear before parliament before, yet took off to Miami to talk about the same waste processing. And mind you, the one who left the project behind is a coalition MP!
Who else "happened" to be in Miami for these talks will hopefully come out when the answers are provided by the Minister.
That the Minister, who seemed intimidated by his own coalition partners, could not even put to rest the widespread allegations that again personal agendas are getting in the way of a solution for this "burning" problem, is regrettable.
Why could the minister not answer there and then to at least the following questions:
Is there a current contract for a waste disposal plant on St. Maarten?
What was the purpose of his trip to Florida?
Who is now leading this process? Government, GEBE, or one or more individual politicians?
What part of these questions, did the minister have to "prepare" for?
He got on a plane, right? He had an agenda, right? He met with persons, right? He knows their names, right? He knew what city or county he was in, right?
The answers, in my opinion, can be found in the action of the members of the coalition who turned their backs on their minister and on the people on St. Maarten and walked out of the meeting of Parliament on Friday. That picture of those members leaving the hall at that specific time, spoke volumes. "Minister, be warned, if you slip up, woe unto you", the action of the MPs seemed to convey.
No reaction from any of these members as to why they did this. So again we are left to wonder and speculate.
It would be interesting to learn how much money has already been spent on this project due to individual politicians/ministers going contrary to advice and breaking agreements every time they fancy a new opportunity(!).

GREAT BAY:---- Columbus, the Moor / Colón, el Moro / Colomb, le Maure / Colombo, il Moro by Charles Matz “is remarkable in many ways,” said literary scholar Dr. Fabienne Viala about the new book from House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
In Matz’s Columbus can be found, among others, a “termite crew,” the dread roll call by death, “the kings of Aethiopia,” a host of saints, “and the utterly ingenious appearance of the notary. As in the English original of this performance poem, with its inextricable, multilingual planks, the same legion tenants the Spanish, French, and Italian translations in the one book,” said HNP publisher Lasana M. Sekou.
“History and Fiction can become bride and groom,” in Columbus, the Moor, said Viala, and “The edition in four languages highlights ... inter-linguistic performance. It is not the meaning of words that matters, but their encounter with one another, Toscanelli speaking Latin, the Arawaks speaking Taíno, Columbus speaking either Spanish, English, French, Italian and Latin... It does not happen often in literature.” Dr. Viala is the Caribbean Studies Centre director in the Spanish Department at England’s Warwick University. She is also a native French speaker.
Matz, a decorated WWII veteran now in his 90s, is a literature professor at Long Island University in New York City. He has also taught in Italy. His book-length poem comes “From the depths of his personal experiences, plotted through a diversity founded in World War and international academic acclaim,” said author Dr. Jay Haviser.
Matz “brings us a unique glimpse into the mindset of cultural contact between the New and Old Worlds,” said Haviser, a leading archeologist in the Caribbean, where Columbus first encounters people of the Taíno civilization in 1492.
In her review Viala is clear: “Columbus, the Moor by decontextualizing the historical texture of Columbus story (which journey? which island? when exactly? we don’t know and it does not matter) opens a new route for bringing together the languages of the region.”
“Instead of a historical traditional story, what we have is a Concert of voices – Columbus talking to historical characters (Toscanelli, Las Casas), to his ship (a female voice), to himself (like symptoms of his madness at sea) – echoes the voices of the sailors (English, Irish, Spanish), the voices of the Arawaks on the island awaiting for this encounter and wondering if it will be a curse or not, ... the voices of children singing,” said Viala.
The Italian poet Andrea Zanzotto once wrote: “The literary works of Charles Matz are extremely complex. What distinguishes his work is his plunging into the bottomless pit of lasting orality, the long and varied history of poetry-song-ritual.”
“It is in this brilliant depth, often in the disturbing Dante-esque caves of this pit where Matz rears his Columbus interpretation and voyages it toward our averted gaze. What we have here is a terrifying testament to add to the epic genre of the Atlantic World,” said Sekou, himself a poet.
Viala lodges the poem’s protagonist solidly in a New World reality of “multicultural and multilinguistic Caribbeaness.” What else to make of her quintessential “quincentenario” tag of irreverence, to “remember Burning Spear’s Pirate’s Dub in which Columbus is nothing but a rascal and ‘a damn blasted liar’...”
Why would Matz, a renaissance scholar, dub the Admiral of the Sea “the Moor”? (As “terribly problematic for Spanish history” as that is, according to Viala and literary critic Fabian Badejo)? Reading Columbus, the Moor for oneself is worth the discovery.
Matz’s advocacy of “shout poetry,” with its Mediterranean and African influences, could be telling of his take on certain titles, topics, and multifaceted directions, said Sekou. Matz has worked with the great Zanzotto and Norman Mailer. He founded New York’s CAM Art Company and has contributed articles on contemporary artistic concepts to Opera News, Vogue, and Testuale. Matz was also awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur of France.
Columbus, the Moor / Colón, el Moro / Colomb, le Maure / Colombo, il Moro by Charles Matz – Poetry, Drama, Multimedia/Performance Text – was launched at the St. Martin Book Fair 2015. The book is available at SPDbooks.org, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, Arnia’s in St. Martin, and other bookstores.

PHILIPSBURG:---Police, Fire and Ambulance Department was sent on Saturday September 19th at approximately 01.45 p.m. to a house in Defiance next to the Car wash for a house on fire. On the scene the Fire Department immediately went to work in putting the fire out. The home in question is a wooden structure from which a lot a smoke was coming. The electricity to the home was immediately disconnected by personnel from G.E.B.E who immediately came to the scene. Traffic on the Sucker Garden road, Upper Princess Quarter and Middle Region were diverted so the emergency departments could successfully do their work. At the time of the fire no one was at home. The Fire Department quickly put the fire out. It is still unclear what the exact cause of the fire is. After the fire was extinguished all roads were again open and traffic could flow freely.

Emlployee at Star Mart in Cole Bay robbed.

On Saturday September 19th at approximately 04.00 p.m. Police Patrols were sent to Star Mart Cole bay to investigate an armed robbery which took place shortly before. According to the female cashier, an unknown man dressed completely in black clothing wearing a black motorcycle helmet arrived at the establishment with another man, also wearing a helmet on a red dirt bike. This man pulled a gun and threatened to use it while he took all the money from the cash register. The other suspect remained on the out side on the look out. After committing this act both suspects took off on the motorcycle. Police searched the area for the possible suspects without any positive results. This case in under investigation by the Special Robbery Unit.

Man arrested for attempted manslaughter and car theft.

A 32 year old male suspect was arrested by the Multi Disciplinary team on Saturday September 19th between 04.00 and 05.00 p.m. after refusing to stop when receiving a stop sign from one of the officers. The suspect driver increased the speed of the vehicle when he noticed him being stopped. In his attempt to get away he struck one of the officers with his vehicle knocking him to the ground. The suspect fled into the direction of Mary’s fancy at very high speed. A short high speed chase by police through the Mary’s Fancy and Saunders area followed. The police succeeded in blocking the path of the fleeing suspect however he did not stop and in his attempt to get away tried to maneuver around the police vehicle but lost control and impacted the vehicle causing severe damage to both vehicles. The suspect attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was immediately arrested by the officers. The suspect resisted his arrested but was quickly brought under control by the arresting officers. During a control of the vehicle the officers noticed that the wiring to the switch of the vehicle was cut and that the vehicle is probably stolen. The suspect was taken to the Philipsburg Police Station where he remains in custody for questioning. The vehicle in question has also been confiscated for further investigation. The officer that was struck by the vehicle has filed criminal charges against the driver.

KPSM POLICE REPORT.

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Sept. 25th and 26th a conference will be held for medical professionals on Elderly Care.
The conference is organized by a collaboration platform of the Ministry, Health Care institutions, the AUC and the NASKHO. It will be hosted by the AUC in Cupecoy.
Life expectation has increased considerably also over the past 25 yrs. In a few years almost 25 percent of the population will be 60 years or older.
This age category is characterized by a higher rate of chronic diseases with complications and often not limited to just one disease.
These diseases determine the quality of life at an elderly age for a great part.

•  How can we reach an elderly age healthy and fit? What is needed to accomplish this? How can we influence this?
• What does the elderly person prefer? As long as possible at home, but how?
• Are we prepared on Sint Maarten for this ever growing group of citizens with its own health and social care demands?
• Is the current health care system accessible to the elderly and sufficient?
• How is the care for the elderly organized? Is it well synchronized and coordinated?
• Is there collaboration between the first, second and third line of care?
• How do the surrounding and regional countries deal with this matter? How can we learn from them?

These are all questions that we are looking to provide answers for during the conference. There will be speakers from abroad as well as from Sint Maarten.
The conference is funded through sponsoring and we would like to express our gratitude to the AUC, Sint Maarten Laboratory Services, Rotary Sint Maarten, The Guardian Group, Sint Maarten Medical Center, White Yellow Cross Foundation, Roche and the Pharmacy Association Sint Maarten.
The collaboration platform its ultimate goal is to organize three accredited conferences every year on Sint Maarten. Medical professionals will be able to obtain CME credits locally this way.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---- The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is calling on the community to take action to prevent mosquito breeding as a reminder since current rain showers has the potential to increase the number of mosquitos and therefore action is needed.

Preventative measures are needed and will go a long way in preventing one getting dengue, zika or chikungunya.

Dengue fever, zika and chikungunya are transmitted by the female vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is distinguished by its markings. The body of the mosquito has alternate black and white horizontal stripes. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays her eggs in clear (clean) stagnant water. Within eight days the mosquito can complete its life cycle from egg, to larvae to pupae and to and adult mosquito.

Persons are therefore requested to keep their homes, yards, neighborhoods and work environment free from potential mosquito breeding sites.

Actively destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the saucers of flowerpots, cemetery urns/vase or in pet dishes for more than two days. Throw out the water and turn them over every time it collects water.
Clean debris from rain gutters and remove any standing water under or around structures, or on flat roofs. Check around faucets and air conditioner units and repair leaks or eliminate puddles that remain for several days.
Change the water in birdbaths and wading pools at least once a week. The treatment of ornamental pools should be discussed with the experts. Fill or drain puddles, ditches and swampy areas, and/or remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar and regularly treat and monitor.
Eliminate seepage from cisterns, cesspools, and septic tanks. Eliminate standing water around animal watering troughs. Flush livestock water troughs twice a week.
Check for trapped water in plastic or canvas tarps used to cover boats, pools, plastic bags, foam dishes or even plastic cups strewn on the road side.
Clean the dead leaves from banana and coconut trees. Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Trim overgrown vegetation.
Check around construction sites or do-it-yourself improvements to ensure that proper backfilling and grading is realized to prevent drainage problems which can be a source for standing water. Empty all construction containers such as blue tanks, buckets, paint cans etc.
Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days. If ditches do not flow and contain stagnant water for one week or longer, they can produce large numbers of mosquitoes. Report such conditions to the respective government agency.
Mosquitoes can be kept out of the home by keeping windows, doors and porches tightly screened (16-18 mesh). Those insects that do get into structures can be eliminated with a fly swatter or an aerosol space spray containing synergized pyrethrum.
Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes can find shelter by cutting down weeds adjacent to the house foundation and in their yards, and mowing the lawn regularly. To further reduce adult mosquitoes harboring in vegetation, insecticides may be applied to the lower limbs of shade trees, shrubs and other vegetation. Screen off cistern outlets, cover and screen septic tanks properly.
The aforementioned measures should also be taken in and around the workplace, social gatherings and living quarters to eliminate mosquito breeding sources.

An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. For information about dengue fever, zika and chikungunya prevention measures, you can call CPS at 542-2078 or 542-3003.

PHILIPSBURG:----  An urgent public Plenary sitting of the House of Parliament will take place on September 21.

The plenary session is set for Monday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the settlement between the Harbour Group of Companies and Zebec.

This parliamentary meeting was requested by the Democratic Party faction and the National Alliance, Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams, MP William Marlin, and MP Silveria Jacobs.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):----  Senior citizens 60+ are invited to the Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) 2015 event that will take place on Saturday, September 19 at the White & Yellow Cross in St. John’s Estate.

September 19 will be a fun day of activities for the country’s seniors who are 60+.

The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the While and Yellow Cross Foundation (WYCF), and the Windward Islands Physical Therapy Association (WIPTA), are organizing the activities for Saturday which will allow the nation’s seniors to do some form of exercise that will be good for their health and is held under the theme “Age Active...U 2 Can Move!”

Busses will be transporting seniors who would like to attend the day’s activities.

Two coaster busses will be used. One will be departing from SOL Gas Station, Cole Bay (Tackling location) at 8.15AM and the other bus will be departing from Belvedere at 8.00AM.
The 8.15AM bus would drive from SOL to Le Grand Marche (Bush Road location) and then to White and Yellow Cross (WYC) in St. John’s Estate. The 8.00AM bus would drive from Belvedere to Kentucky Fried Chicken in Philipsburg (by the Clem Labega Square) and then on to Le Grand Marche (Bush Road location) before traveling to WYC at St. John’s Estate.

The reversed routes would be done at 11.30AM, after the event ends.

Saturday, September 19 starts off with an opening address by the Minister of Public Health at 9.30AM.

Words of welcome will be delivered by the coordinators of the day representing their respective organizations, CPS, WYC and WIPTA at 9.40AM.

The activities for the day for seniors kick off at 9.50AM. At 11.20AM goodie bags are distributed to all participants and the event comes to an end.

The activities include a Zumba class; Moving with live music; Bocce game in the garden; Obstacle course; Tai Chi class; and testing by a therapist.

For WYC residential clients, there will be a “snoezelen,” multisensory activity.

PHILIPSBURG:----The police department is informing the general public that in connection with several ongoing “On site and walk through information gathering sessions” for projects that have to be done in the Philipsburg area as of Friday September 18th at noon until 07.00 p.m. Front Street and Back Street will be closed for all motor vehicle traffic. This information gathering will be ongoing daily until further notice. Front Street and Back Street will be closed daily from 07.00 a.m. until 07.00 p.m. with the exception of Sundays. All persons living or have businesses on these streets who wish to enter with their motor vehicle should get in contact with the police department. The Police bike patrols will be available during these hours in letting vehicles in and out of these two streets. The Police Department expresses deepest regret for any inconvenience this situation may cause.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Friday September 18, 2015 the Ombudsman of Sint Maarten, Dr. Nilda Arduin after careful consideration, submitted the National Ordinance for the establishment of the Integrity Chamber to the Constitutional Court for review.
The reasons for the foregoing are as follows:
1. Important amendments were made to the law without the advice of the Advisory Council;
2. Considering that third parties not being the subject of the investigation are obligated by law to cooperate with the Integrity Chamber in the execution of its task, certain facets of the Integrity law must be reviewed against the constitution. The relation between the administrative versus criminal investigations of the chamber, the scope of the administrative authority including the mandating thereof to personnel of the secretariat, and the legal protection of the citizens, particularly when they are not directly the focus of the investigation.

The Constitution of Sint Maarten prescribes the procedure by which a national ordinance is established and ultimately becomes the law of the land. Part and parcel of this procedure is that the advice of the Council of Advice must be sought. In this case, after the advice of the Advisory Council to expand the authority of the Integrity Chamber Council was accepted by Government, changes were made without the Advisory Council being provided the opportunity to render an additional advice on the changes. One change in particular, which includes the removal of the legal protection against actions of the Integrity Chamber, affects the citizens who are not directly the subject of the investigation. It is the opinion of the Ombudsman that the removal of the pertinent clause may be contrary to the fundamental rights of the people provided by the Constitution.

Relation between administrative and criminal authority
The Integrity Chamber has been afforded far reaching powers in order to effectively execute its tasks. These powers include the authority to investigate actions that establish a crime, to issue fines and even prison sentences. Such matters are regulated by criminal law. Executing these powers by means of an administrative law, without sufficiently providing the guarantees that the criminal law constitutionally demand, should be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. The clear lines that should exist between administrative and criminal authority are therefore blurred.

The scope of the administrative authority including the mandating thereof to personnel of the secretariat
On the advice of the Advisory Council, the Integrity Chamber was granted additional administrative power for investigation. However, while the Chamber was given additional administrative authority, after changes were made to the draft ordinance, this is not supported on the opposite end with the required legal protection for the citizens. Administrative authority and the legal protection of the rights of the citizens should be balanced. The fact that these administrative powers can be mandated to secretariat personnel without special provisions is also cause for concern.

The legal protection of citizens when they are not directly the focus of the investigation
The Ombudsman is charged with guarding the Constitution. It is the opinion of the Ombudsman that the Integrity Chamber ordinance in its present arrangement insufficiently guarantees the legal protection of the citizens. While the Ombudsman supports and applauds the idea of a law that attempts to regulate the integrity of public authorities, it is not acceptable that in the process the same law tramples on the constitutional rights of the citizens.

A free society such as Sint Maarten is governed by the rule of law. The primary purpose of law in society is to protect the citizens. Hence, in keeping with the role of, the Ombudsman as protector of the rights of the citizens and guardian of the Constitution of Sint Maarten, the national ordinance for the establishment of the Integrity Chamber is submitted to the Constitutional Court for review.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Ombudsman of Sint Maarten, Dr. Nilda Arduin, will be attending the annual IOI Board of Directors meeting scheduled to be held from the 21 – 23 September, 2015 in Windhoek, Namibia.

Dr. Arduin is one the directors of the Latin America and Caribbean Region represented on this board. The meeting will be chaired by the President of the IOI and Ombudsman of Namibia, Mr. John Walters. The board meeting will be attended by representatives from among others: Thailand, Argentina, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Korea, China, Africa, United Kingdom, USA and New Zealand.

As member of the IOI Board, Dr. Arduin was instrumental in bringing the Anti-Corruption Training that was held during the 8th Biennial Caribbean Ombudsman Association (CAROA) Conference in Willemstad, Curaçao in May of this year. The Anti-Corruption Training was sponsored by the International Ombudsman Institute and was also attended by members of Parliament upon the invitation of Dr. Arduin.

The Ombudsman listens, investigates, and recommends
Government to act on the concerns of the people

The Ombudsman is the Voice and Protector of the People!

MP Meyers and MP Marlin engaged in verbal war during live meeting of Parliament

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several Members of Parliament expressed outrage on Friday morning in Parliament while posing several questions regarding the dumpsite in the middle of Philipsburg. Recently Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel posted a video on Facebook on the current situation at the Landfill. Emmanuel an asthmatic patient got extremely passionate when he expressed his feelings while posing several questions regarding the state of affairs at the dump. Emmanuel wants to know if government knows the effects of the toxic material that are emanating from the dump and how many persons living in close proximity of the dump that are suffering. Emmanuel said that he believes that there is a disaster waiting to happen on St. Maarten because what he has seen tells him that soon St. Maarten could find itself with a cholera outbreak.
Emmanuel said based on what he knows there is a solution for the dump but one of the 15 Members of Parliament is against that plan and for him there is no democracy in parliament and or government instead there is dictatorship taking place, while a number of residents of St. Maarten are suffering because of the dumpsite.
MP Sarah Wescot Williams also expressed outrage, she read out some of the dangers residents of St. Maarten are facing when it comes to deadly diseases that derives from lead and other toxic materials. MP Wescot Williams also read out the statements made by the former acting Minister of VROMI and Prime Minister of St. Maarten Marcel Gumbs regarding the Waste to Management plant. Wescot Williams also posed several questions to the current Minister Claret Connor based on the statements made by the Prime Minister. She asked how much longer do the people of St. Maarten have to wait before government find a solution to the growing problem on the dumpsite, she further asked how did GEBE got involved in waste to management plant, she even read out statements made by officials of GEBE. Those statements led MP Wescot Williams to ask if GEBE was strong armed into getting involved in the landfill affair. MP Wescot Williams also questioned the contracts for garbage collection.
MP Leona Marlin Romeo also expressed her concerns since she lives in Sucker Garden and have been feeling the effects of the landfill which is constantly on fire. Marlin Romeo said that while she is part of a coalition she is able to ask questions on issues that affect the people. She said she has to constantly give answers to her neighbors and other residents in her area and the sad thing is she does not have answers.
MP Johan Janchi Leonard also expressed his concerns because he also lives on the Pondfill and have been experiencing the effects of the dump and as well as the Great Salt Pond that is now dry. Leonard said he wants to know if government knows the types of gases and other toxic materials that are seeping into the pond. He asked if the dump is closed off and if garbage that is dumped there goes through a sorting process.
Leonard said his daughter, and grandson are suffering from asthma because of the toxic fumes they inhale. Another Member of Parliament that shared her own personal health issues in Parliament on Friday and how much she is affected due to the dump was Member of Parliament Silveria Jacobs. MP Jacobs said while she has certain illness her son has the same problem and on several occasions she has to pick up her child at school when he suffers from his asthma attacks. MP Jacobs asked if there ordinances or policies in place to manage the dump.
MP William Marlin said the Landfill was put in place in the late 1990’s after the passing of hurricane Luis and the intention was to have the dump at the current location for a period of ten years. Marlin said that the time span has almost doubled yet there seems to be no solution in place. He asked about the garbage collection contracts. While MP Marlin was speaking a verbal war broke out in Parliament when he said that the rules are being changed far too often. Marlin said that at point they are told that those who request the meeting are the ones that get to speak first but at least two members of Parliaments spoke on the issue while they did not call for the meeting. That statement angered Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers who wanted to make a point of order while Marlin had the floor. Marlin told MP Meyers that he had the floor and he could not make a point of order while he Marlin was speaking. The chairman of Parliament could not even get his word in as MP Meyers began shouting on the floor of Parliament, while the verbal war was taking place between Marlin and Meyers the live meeting of Parliament went offline. The Chairman of Parliament obviously got nervous and adjourned the meeting without saying what time it will resume.

When the meeting resumed at 3pm MP Franklin Meyers said based on the rules of order he was in his right to interrupt MP William Marlin. MP Meyers said that while he could boast about being part of the Democratic Party for years and all the development the island has seen while they were in government for a number of years. Meyers said likewise he is man enough to accept responsibility and say that they the landfill is a problem and has to be dealt with. He said that his government stands ready to work collectively with the opposition on the proposals and solutions in order to clean up the mess at the landfill. MP Meyers said that as a government they should not wait for anyone to give them credit or validate them for the things they have done for the country instead they should be able to validate themselves for their achievement. MP Meyers further asked the Minister of VROMI to take stock of all the persons living on Pond Island and if there are methane gas around Pond Island especially where the Government Building is located because if there are such gases there then he would also want to know what health effects that would have on the civil servants that have to work in that building when it is completed.

Police and Prosecutor Tightlipped.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Police arrested the daughter of Eddie York who was murdered in December 2014 in his bed. According to information reaching SMN News police arrested the suspect some time on Thursday, however, both the police and prosecutor’s office is very tightlipped on the arrest.
Press Prosecutor Karola Van Nie said she could only confirm that an arrest was made but she could not give any details on the arrest as the investigation is currently ongoing.
While police made the arrest almost 10 months after the brutal murder of the elderly man who was shot to death in his bed in December it has been widely rumored that the suspect now in police custody is the one who masterminded her father’s murder. Relatives of the dead man said the suspect paid her nephew $1,000.00 to commit the gruesome crime. However, none of the information that are being rumored have been confirmed. The suspect in custody carry the initials J.Y.

Police Recoverd Substantial amount of Cash in abandoned vehicle.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Two armed robbers robbed the Great Bay Hotel around midday on Friday. SMN News learnt that the two robbers escaped with monies and other valuables. However, police managed to find the get-away car while the two robbers escaped on foot. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed the robbery which he said took place around midday on Friday. Henson also confirmed that police got the vehicle but they are still searching for the two armed robbers whom he said managed to escape by foot. SMN News will update this article as soon as more information becomes available.

Armed robbery at local casino

Several police patrols, detectives and the “Multi Disciplinary Team” were directed the Sonesta Great Bay Hotel at around 11.35 a.m. on Friday September 18th, to investigate and armed robbery which had taken place shortly before. According to reports two unknown and armed men who were in the casino at the time threatened to use their weapons and succeeded in robbing the establishment and after committing their act fled the scene. It is still unclear how the suspect made their escape but with the little description of both suspects the investigating officers identified one possible suspect in the Sucker Garden area. When the suspect noticed that he was pursued by police he tried to flee in a gold colored SUV. The suspect was chased by the officers and in that process shots were fired by police. The suspect fled on foot in the direction of the “Sint Maarten Zoo” leaving the SUV behind. A search of the area by several officers including the K-9 unit however did not lead to the capture of the suspect. During a search of the SUV in question considerable amount cash was found and confiscated for further investigation. Both suspects thus far remains at large and the police department is asking anyone who may have any information concerning this case to get in contact with the police department via the tip line # 9300 or 54-22222 ext. 203, 204 or205. This investigation is still in its early stages and as more information becomes available the media will be informed.

KPSM Police Report

Gartner revoked suspension with immediate effect, claiming that he used the wrong charter.

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Supervisory Board of Directors of GEBE along with their legal counsel ordered the Chief Financial Officer Rene Gartner to reinstate the internal auditor Sharine Daniel by 10am on Friday. Gartner was given the instructions Thursday night during a meeting with the members of the Supervisory board who made it clear to him that he was out of line when he took the decision to suspend the internal auditor without proof that she leaked documents to any media outlets. Furthermore, the board informed Gartner that he has no jurisdiction over the internal auditor since she falls under the audit committee.
Gartner accused Daniel for leaking internal documents including invoices from Chippie’s Café and the information she gathered during an investigation on the SAP payroll system he is paying an American company to install without approval from the Supervisory board. It should also be noted that the SAP payroll system was not even budgeted for and Gartner is paying $9,600.00 weekly to a company called Spectrum.
SMN News understands that the internal auditor already hired legal representation who sent a letter to the Supervisory Board questioning the suspension. Based on information SMN News received is the Supervisory Board informed Gartner and his legal representative Thursday night that if by 10am Friday morning the suspension is not lifted they will inform the attorney representing the internal auditor that they instructed the CFO to revoke his decision since he used the wrong charter. Further to that Gartner told the members of the Supervisory Board that he suspended Daniel with the intention of paying her out but that angered the members of the Supervisory board even more.
SMN News learnt that the members of the Supervisory Board informed Gartner that he was ‘over his head” with the position he currently holds and one of his biggest problems is that he “drinks too much alcohol” which is hindering his performance on the job. Some members of the board informed Gartner Thursday night that while he is looking to fire honest and hard-working employees he should start counting his days because his days are numbered.
Information reaching SMN news on Friday morning states that around 9:30am Gartner sent an email and letter to Sharine Daniel informing her that he revoked the suspension with immediate effect citing that he used the wrong charter to suspend her last week Wednesday.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Democratic Party said in a press release that the buzz word independence has been carried and dropped many times during parliamentary debates recently. The Faction of the Democratic Party considers it opportune at this time to reiterate its stance on the political future of our country.

Politically going forward, in our opinion there is only one way, as going back is not an option.
Our faction has remained steadfast over the years about the political future of our island.

Back in 1994, it was our belief that the Netherlands Antilles had served its time. In the referendum of that year, however, the majority of persons on St. Maarten did not feel the same way and voted to remain in the Antillean constellation.

The DP respected the will of the people and continued to represent the people on both levels. However, we never wavered about our belief that it was time for St. Maarten to shed the "territory" mantra.

Consequently, after 2 postponements another referendum was held in 2000, a bare 6 years later.

The result is the constitutional status we enjoy today, achieved on October 10, 2010, a short 5 years ago.

Well, we are surely learning what it means to "hold our own" in so many ways.
A lot of what was expected of us was known and foreseen, but then again not everything was.
On paper we did most of what was expected, but the implementation was and still is a challenge.

The 2 most critical resources needed to further our autonomous status are human and financial.

We are nowhere close to the ideal level of any of these 2. We lack (local) resources in many areas and our finances are under stress.

I am of the opinion that we are going through a learning process in every sense of the word.
Nowhere is this more glaring than in politics itself. From a territory to a country within the Kingdom. From an island council to a parliament, from an executive council to a council of ministers and there is still a lot to be righted.
There is still a lot to be learned by elected persons and the electorate.
And so, in looking at our political future, I believe:

1.  While there is only one way forward, there is a lot still to be righted.
2.  Since we know where we are heading to or at least would like to, there should be a roadmap to get us there.
3.  The roadmap must include a program to equip and empower our own to hold the critical positions in our country;
4.  Education must be a top priority.
5.  Social cohesion must be advanced.

Left up to the DP, there are currently more important and urgent matters for the government and parliament to attend to than devising a roadmap to independence at this time. And believe you me, if there is one person who can speak of what it takes, that person is me.
There is however all reason to start putting the building blocks in place.
It is in line with this thinking, that the DP submitted the motion regarding the English language as the first official language of the 2 mentioned in our constitution.

 Sarah Wescot Williams Leader of the Democratic Party

PHILIPSBURG:---  Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo on Thursday said that three public schools namely the Genieve De Weever School, Martin Luther King School, and Charles Leopold Bell School, were asked what they were in need of for their sports activities.

The schools indicated that sports materials such as baseballs, and bats, soccer balls, and shin guards were a necessity and these were donated by Independent Member of Parliament Leona Marlin-Romeo on Thursday, September 10th 2015.

This is a mere fraction of the bigger picture on the adopting a school program where, certain needs of schools are met through donations from the private sector.

This is part of promoting social and community responsibility and is part of the MP’s give back to the community program. Three other public schools will also be receiving sports material from the Member of Parliament.

Fund meeting international financial challenges.

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten’s general pension fund administrator, APS, now finds itself at an important juncture of its 5-year existence and plans to forge ahead with a reorganizational phase.
The reorganization is linked to the fund’s sustainability goals and is in keeping with trends worldwide, whereby pension funds are facing major challenges. These include the increase in the average life expectancy, meaning that pensions must be paid out for a longer period of time.
Another issue is that of the interest rate, where exceptionally low levels are allowing pension funds to hold more capital now and in the future with their obligations. Whereas international financial markets remain extremely volatile, this is a reflection of what is faced by governments and pension providers across the world, who are now engaged in major reforms to ensure that their pension systems are sustainable and affordable. This also applies to APS, which has decided to restructure its internal organization in order to meet these challenges head on.
Most important to APS is its unwavering goal of a sustainable and affordable pension scheme for former, current and future employees of the government of St. Maarten.
The reorganizational efforts come at a time when APS reports a somewhat improved financial position in 2013 with total assets of APS increasing from 457 million guilders in 2012 to 511 million guilders in 2013.
In addition, APS hopes to strengthen its financial position by increasing investment income.
APS reports that the return on assets was 6.34% in 2013. This was an increase compared with the yield of 5.49% achieved in 2012. The return achieved in 2013 was also better than the target of 5.50%.
This respectable investment result is mainly due to the international portfolio, which showed a return of 11%.
Domestic investments of APS consist primarily of fixed-income securities. The fund seeks to support opportunities and is therefore in discussion with various agencies to expand domestic investments with in real estate and private projects, so that APS is able to inject funds into the local economy. Projects must, however, meet the requirements for investment risk and return, which APS has outlined in its investment policy.
APS, meanwhile, continues to be in discussions with the government of Sint Maarten on repaying the sizable debt of the government owed to the pension fund.

POINTE BLANCHE:----  Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo is now a graduate of University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Executive Development Program in the area of Leadership and Integrity and Risk Management.
Mingo joined Port St. Maarten 13-years ago. Prior to this, he worked in a Blue Chip Tech Company Hewlett Packard (HP).
Since then he has transformed the group from a traditional operations company to an innovative commercial entity representing a third of the country’s annual Gross Domestic Product.
Just out of Seatrade Europe in Hamburg, Germany, Port St. Maarten was designated 5th in the World as a Cruise Transit Port.
Port St. Maarten came in second in a 2012 Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) study carried out by the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) about the Economic Contribution of Cruise Tourism to the Destination Economies.
The average expenditure per passenger in St. Maarten was $185.40, which benefitted numerous industries through purchases of goods that included food and beverage at restaurants and bars, clothing, shore excursions, ground transportation, local crafts and souvenirs, watches and jewelry, perfumes and cosmetics, electronics, entertainment/night clubs/casinos, retail purchases of liquor, and telephone and internet. Total cruise tourism expenditures amounted to over US$356 million for 2011/2012 cruise year.
The same study showed that the average expenditure per crew in St. Maarten was $135.50 on similar products and services. Plus it revealed the direct and indirect employment generated by the cruise industry on the island, totaled 8,123 jobs and US$159.8 million in employee wages.
“The achievements at Port St. Maarten are the result of the hard work of the Supervisory Board, Management and Staff and the support of the shareholder. The cruise partners and business stakeholders also play a very important role in our success over the years. We all work as a team in order to execute the things that need to be put in place to keep us in the lead,” CEO Mingo said on Thursday.
2014 also marked 50 years St. Maarten as a cruise destination under the theme “Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten and also for the first time the country received over two million cruise passengers.
Mingo took part in the two week program back in March which has further strengthen and enhanced his knowledge and executive business skills. The program included in module one Community Building, Finance Accounting Essentials, Creating & Sustaining a Competitive Advantage.
Module two dealt with Marketing Strategy and Simulation & Planning; module three, Leadership and Integrity, Operation Management & Link to Financial Performance, Setting Strategic Direction, The Power of Corporate Culture and how to Harness It; module four, Valuing Strategic Decisions.
Module five, Merger and Acquisitions; Participating in the Ecosystem; Managing Global and Policy Risks; Industry Consolidation; and module six, Influence & Persuasion; and High Performing Teams Wrap-up.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that part of Front Street will be closed to motorized traffic from 6.00AM on Saturday, September 19 until 2.00AM Sunday morning.

The street closure on Front Street will take place from Stille Steeg to School Steeg, and at Back Street the Drukke Steeg.

The closure is related to the official opening of the Walter Plantz Square.

Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group has announced that technicians will be working on a fault detected on company’s backup power supply located at the Earth Station, Pond Island, with possible loss of internet, mobile roaming and mobile data service.
The schedule of work is from 6:00 am until 8:00 am Friday morning.
Technicians plan to bypass power connections so that telecommunication equipment located at the Earth Station can continue to operate normally, however, in the event power has to be taken off, customer connections may be affected.
TelEm Group says work on the backup power supply is very important to ensure continuity of service in the event of a loss of GEBE power and has meantime apologized to its customers for any inconvenience caused.

Pond Island:---  Organizers of the upcoming TelCell Breakthrough talent show finals are whipping up excitement for the youth talent event of the year.
With only nine days to go before performers strut their stuff on the Theatre Royale stage in Maho, Breakthrough coordinators are stepping up their own presence on the social media sites to build up momentum and excitement come show time.
The group has already received hundreds of SMS messages from mobile customers voting for their favorite performer, but this week they are asking everyone with a Facebook account to visit the Breakthrough Facebook page and give their support by liking the page.
The Facebook page is filled with information about the contest and the performers themselves.
And for those who missed out on the auditions that won the performers a place in finals, there is a chance to see a review of those performances by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miJ54--2RSQ and also by visiting the facebook page at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/breakthroughtalent
“The rehearsals are all but over and everyone is ready to do their thing with all the glitz and glamor or Hollywood,” said coordinator, Angel Richardson, who wants to send a strong message to the performers and to our youth generally that the entire island is rooting for them.

Miami, Florida, September 17, 2015 – Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services, announced the finalists of its 2015 Winners Circle contest, an annual incentive program that recognizes exceptional vacation ownership sales professionals at affiliated resort properties. Leading producers will be honored this month at the much anticipated 17th Annual Shared Ownership Investment Conference, which will take place September 30October 2 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
“We have nominees from North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean, all of whom have contributed to the success of the resorts they represent,” said Jan Wyatt, Interval’s vice president of corporate marketing. “These individuals play an integral role in furthering the growth of our industry. We look forward to honoring this year’s outstanding finalists.”
According to Debra Anderson of Gold Key Resorts, last year’s grand prize winner, networking with colleagues in the industry was very exciting. “It was such an honor to be chosen by Interval International for the Winners Circle. The trip and the opportunity to meet other top sales professionals in the industry were inspirational and rewarding on so many levels."
During the conference, finalists attend educational sessions and special events and have the opportunity to network with industry leaders. They also are eligible to participate in a special drawing with cash prizes up to $5,000.
2015 Winners Circle honorees include:

• Juan Pedro Alcala Duran, Villa del Palmar Cancun (Cancun, Mexico)
• Elizabeth Brito, Westgate Vacation Villas (Orlando, Florida)
• Carlos Ingram, Westgate Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Jeison Lima, Plaza Vacation Club (Porto Alegre, Brazil)
• Michael Oliveira, Vacation Internationale (Bellevue, Washington)
• Jimmy Revlous, Royal Floridian South (Ormond Beach, Florida)
• Jorge Saravia Mendiola, Sauce Alto Resort & Country Club (Lima, Peru)
• Ann Thomas, Oyster Bay Beach Resort (St. Maarten)
• Nathanial Williams, King’s Creek Plantation (Williamsburg, Virginia)
• Erika Zurita, Azul Sensatori Hotel by Karisma (Cancun, Mexico)

“We encourage all resorts in active sales to nominate their top sales professionals for this special opportunity to be recognized by their industry colleagues,” Wyatt added. Companies interested in participating in the 2016 Winners Circle contest can enroll on resortdeveloper.com, starting January 1st.

About Winners Circle
In its 15th year, the Winners Circle contest celebrates outstanding producers from Interval’s member resorts. Sales managers at eligible Interval member properties nominate their highest achievers for a random drawing. Ten finalists are chosen to receive complimentary airfare, accommodations, and conference registration for themselves and a guest. During the conference, each winner has the opportunity to network, participate in planned activities, and enter to win special prizes, including a grand prize of $5,000. Interval also offers Winners Circle programs with varying structures in other regions, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Learn more about the Winners Circle program.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Members of Parliament from the National Alliance Faction and Democratic Party dispatched a letter to the Chairman of Parliament requesting an urgent meeting to debate the statements made by Attorney General of St. Maarten Guus Schram on September 11th 2015.
The letter sent to the chairman of parliament was signed by four Members of Parliament namely, William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, Christopher Emmanuel and Sarah Wescot Williams.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Health City Cayman Islands is expanding its services to include a wide-range of neuro-spinal procedures, overseen by a team of certified neuro-spinal surgeons. The services will include the treatment of various conditions of the brain, such as brain tumours and aneurysms as well as back and neck problems

Dr Komal Prasad, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon, said there was a common misconception that neurosurgeons only perform brain surgery, however they are the only physicians who treat the entire spine as well, including the spinal cord.

“Choosing a neurosurgeon for your brain as well as your spine health will ensure you’re getting the most experienced and relevant medical attention,” Dr Komal said.

The Department of Neurosurgery at Health City is equipped with state-of-the-art operating microscope for various minimally invasive brain and spinal procedures. Health City offers treatment for various diseases of the brain including brain tumours and spinal conditions like neck pain, back pain, surgery for herniated disc and Sciatica.

“The minimally invasive approach we use result in smaller scars, shorter recovery times, less post-operative pain and shorter hospital stays. In fact, many patients are home within 24 hours after this kind of minimally invasive spinal procedure,” said Dr Komal.

Health City opened this service on September 14th, and offers patients with brain or spinal health issues a world-class specialist treatment at an affordable price.

To speak to a member of Health City’s Patient Care team and learn more about the Neurosurgery services, please call 1 (345) 945-4040, 1 (345) 640-4040 or visit healthcitycaymanislands.com

About Health City Cayman Islands
Health City Cayman Islands, the vision of renowned heart surgeon and humanitarian Dr Devi Shetty, is supported by two major healthcare organizations, Narayana Health and the U.S.-based Ascension, which is that nation's largest faith-based and non-profit health system, providing the highest quality care to all with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Health City Cayman Islands provides compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services in a world-class, comfortable, patient-centred environment. Offering healthcare to international, regional and local patients, Health City Cayman Islands delivers excellence in adult and paediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery & spinal surgery, medical oncology, orthopaedics, sports medicine, paediatric endocrinology, sleep lab, blood bank with apheresis, bariatric and pulmonology.

PHILIPSBURG:--- During the recent drought surveys of the Great Salt Pond the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation took various soil samples in order to test for a wide spectrum of heavy metals caused by the Philipsburg landfill. Results have shown that the soil samples returned positive for nickel, zinc, arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and other heavy metals.

Because of the numerous amounts of materials containing heavy metals dumped on the landfill, the material has percolated into the Great Salt Pond in the form of leachates causing the area to test positive for heavy metals compounds.

“Of particular concern to us are arsenic, lead, cadmium, and copper because of the human health effects. Although the samples we tested did not give us levels on the amount of these heavy metals, they did show that they were percent and that is a concern to us. Particularly lead, arsenic and copper can be quite toxic to humans and have been shown to cause some forms of cancer.

According to the US National Institutes of Health the main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated with exposure to lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. For example, Cadmium compounds are currently mainly used in re-chargeable nickel-cadmium batteries and have been shown to have cancer-causing agents. Similarly Arsenic, chromium and lead have also been shown to have compounds that may result in cancer or organ poisoning to those exposed to the heavy metal.

Materials tested were cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and nickel (Ni). All materials tested returned with a P

Marigot/ Toronto:--- After the large success of the Martha Stewart Wedding Show in Chicago, St Martin/ St Maarten is once again in the international spotlight. Sint Maarten Marry Me along with Ricardo Bethel from the French Tourist Office traveled to Toronto for the most renowned Canada's Bridal Show established since 1984. Hosted at the Metro Convention Center in Toronto, a high volume of Exhibitors and Visitors showcased all the latest trends in the Bridal industry as well as Wedding Destinations!
Attended by thousands of soon to be newlyweds, guests mingled among the Exhibitors, attended fashion shows, caught up on the latest trends and met one on one with representatives of the wedding industry. They were focused on searching for their perfect paradise to tie the knot, amongst various Caribbean Destinations, where more than 50% of the region was represented.
"The three-day event was very successful and we have already had many inquiries for wedding services as well as assistance with hotel bookings! Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten is an all time popular destination among brides due to the unique dual nation status, as well as the fact that it is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. “Partnering with the French Tourist Office gives us the opportunity to promote all aspects of the island”! Sint Maarten Marry Me representative Milagros De Windt said during the show.
Sint Maarten Marry Me is one of the leading Wedding Planning companies on St Maarten, celebrating 12 years of turning dreams into reality for many brides-to-be, from North America and beyond.
They have recently branched out to include the French side of Saint Martin to offer their clients a "Fantastically French or Delightfully Dutch" experience! Saint Martin, otherwise known as the French Riviera of the Caribbean, is reminiscent of a typical fishing village full of flora and fauna and luxuriously trendy boutique hotels.
“Saint Martin is indeed a unique destination experience and the French Tourist Office is dedicated to promote our island paradise by attending the most prominent Trade Shows the industry has to offer. We are hoping to establish more collaboration with the Dutch side in the future for a better representation for Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten as we believe both sides complement each other and have much to offer!” added Ricardo Bethel from the French Tourist Office.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The House of Parliament is open to the general public. Plenary and Central Committee meetings can be attended by members of the community unless otherwise indicated.

A dress code is in place and the public is reminded to adhere to the requirements when visiting the House of Parliament whether it’s to attend a public meeting or to meet with a Member of Parliament of faction staff. Persons who visit Parliament are reminded to visit the reception desk in the lobby where they would be assisted further.
Proper attire is required by all including the media when visiting and attending meetings of the House of Parliament. It is strictly prohibited to anyone who is in the public tribune to use mobile phones, video cameras, laptops, etc. during the meeting.
For the public, the dress code is wearing clothing that is neat, clean along with appropriate footwear. No shorts or slippers are allowed. For formal events and other special occasions, the President may stipulate a special dress code such as a dark suit.

For the media, the rule applies that with a jacket without a tie, members of the media have access to the press room. If a member of the press comes without a jacket, he must take a seat in the public tribune.

For invited guests, proper attire could be described as formal and semi-formal wear. You can envision in that case the European model of “jacket and tie” and the models as we described under the term “Nehru jacket” (with the so-called stand up collar) appearing in the Caribbean region, the “Mau Zedong jacket”, originating from China, the safari suit and the Guayabera which is also very often worn in the Caribbean and Latin American region, as well as the “liquiliqui”-model that is often seen in Venezuela. Provided that these models all have long sleeves they meet the qualification of proper attire.
For the meetings of the central committee the requirement is that the clothing can be a “jacket without a tie”, or the above mentioned models, the latter with short sleeves.

For female invited guests smart casual and also business casual applies. If the ladies wear skirts, then it should be at least knee length. It should be clear that wearing provocative clothing in this case is not permitted; thus no tight fitting, no see-through, nor revealing clothing. With regard to footwear, modern fashionable slippers are allowed.

POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten has put in place parking provisions for the official opening of the Walter Plantz Square (WPS) on Saturday, September 19 where a large turnout of the community is expected.
Dignitaries will be able to park in front of the Sea Palace Hotel on Front Street. Signs will be in place designating the parking area.
Since the opening of the WPS is a public event, parking has been allocated for residents and visitors at the open lot opposite the cemetery near the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Hotel. Trolleys will take residents and visitors to WPS and back to the parking area during the course of the day and evening.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo of Port St. Maarten earlier this week extended an open invitation to the public to come out during the day and night on Saturday to attend some of the activities that are planned for the entire family.
The day kicks off from 7.00AM until. Between 8.30AM to 10.00AM, DJ Dekembe; Official Opening Ceremony 10.00AM until 11.30AM; DJ EM from 11.30AM to 1.05PM; Percy Rankin from 1.10PM to 2.10PM; DJ Marky Mark 2.15PM to 4.15PM; Satellite Band from 4.20PM to 5.20PM; St. Maarten Dance Theatre from 5.20PM to 6.05PM; DJ Boss Man from 6.05PM to 7.35PM; Fred York & Musicology, Betty V, Singing Olivia, Oddessy, and Roxsy from 7.40PM to 8.40PM; DJ Fabulous from 8.45PM to 10.15PM; Control Band from 10.20PM to 11.20PM; DJ Biggers from 11.25PM to 12.45AM; and Youth Wave from 12.50AM to 1.50AM.
The Masters of Ceremonies will be Kevin “Suppa” Petrona and Darin “King Vers” Hodge.
For the kids there will be a Fun Park that includes Bungee and Rock Climb Combo, a wet slide and a dry slide.
Sports and other activities organized for the day includes a boat race that starts at 1.30PM which will include boats from Anguilla, namely Upsetter, Kiedro Pride, No Big Ting, R.O.B.B., Alma Gloria, Dark Shadows, De Storm and F5 Tornado.
A Beach Volley Ball Tournament is also planned from 11.30AM to 2.30PM; as well as a Kids Fishing Tournament, Tug of War and Crab Racing.

PHILIPSBURG:--- NV GEBE in its efforts to continue to improve services to its customers, has organized an information session for the residents of Hope Estate, Guana Bay, Sucker Garden, Dawn Beach/Oyster Pond, and Over the Pond for Thursday, September 17.

The information session is being held at the Senior Citizens Recreational Center from 7.00am to 9.00pm in Hope Estate.

Residents will get the opportunity to learn from department heads about new projects that the company is working on in order to continue to improve services to the customer and the community.

The information session also allows those in attendance to ask various questions to the department heads that would be present. Questions can be about the Cay Bay Power Plant to customer bills etc.

Department heads will give a presentation about current services such as billing cycles; payment of bills; important information for seniors 62+; the companies new website and how to login; the reading of electricity bills with respect to kilowatt hours and the fuel clause; water production and distribution; the new electrical and digital water meters; the SMART City Concept which includes the TelEm Group of Companies; street lights; the electrical production facility; trenching and much more.

The information evening will be very informative and residents of the aforementioned areas are invited to come out and be informed, and also use the opportunity to ask questions and get additional information regarding the national electricity company.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The Inspection Department of the Ministry Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), last week Thursday, September 10th, led a joint control team of 25 law enforcement officers of various departments including Tax Administration, Inspectorate of Public Health, Social Services & Labor, Immigration, Control Unit, Economic Control and Casino Control, in a control operations of a number of businesses.

The joint multidisciplinary team controlled two locations namely, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Princess Juliana International Airport.

The purpose of the control was two-fold, firstly to control machines involved in games of chance to ensure that they are properly licensed and registered and secondly to control the businesses operating on the airport for proper licenses and registration with the relevant authorities.

In total nine businesses were controlled at the airport and 60 gaming machines were controlled at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort.

The Inspection Department TEATT advises all businesses to have their business and director licenses and Chamber of Commerce registration visible in their establishment at all times as required by law.

All business, director and Chamber of Commerce annual fees must be up to date for 2015 as well. Controls on businesses will continue and the business community is advised to ensure that their administration is update and in order.

Any questions, concerns or comments can be made by calling 542-4509/4511 or sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- International Peace Day in Sint Maarten will be commemorated on September 21st. The Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise invites the general public to a Peace Declaration Event at the Peace Monument located at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Monday, September 21st , 2015 at 8:45 a.m sharp.
September 21st is designated as International Peace Day through United Nations General Assembly resolutions 36/67 of 1981 and 55/282 of 2001. It is a Day established for an annual commemoration of non-violence and ceasefire. While the quest for non-violence is an ongoing process, September 21st is also a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All”. This theme aims to build understanding about the importance of all segments of society working collectively to build and strengthen peace.
On May 31, 2014, the Rotary Clubs on St. Maarten unveiled a Peace Monument at the Philipsburg Library. This Monument is dedicated to promote peace, justice, nonviolence, and social change in our community.
Also in 2014, Rotary Sunrise, in a parthnership with various organizations within the community and the Office of the UNDP Resident Representative for Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Aruba, Curacao & Sint Maartren, Mr. Richard Blewit, held a peace seminar and a cultural manifestation. Over 200 persons including youth participated.
This year and as part of the Youth At Risk Initiatives and in remembrance of late Police Officer Gamali Benjamin, loving known as Benji, an avid bicycler, who lost his life in the line of duty due to violence, Rotary Sunrise will organize a Peace Declaration Event on September 21st. The venue will be at the Peace Monument located at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Monday, September 21st , 2015 at 8:45 a.m.
At a later date to be informed in due course, another event will be organized on the theme of 'Partnerships for Peacebuilding through Sports. With this theme, we aim to strengthen partnerships for peacebuilding initiatives. This will have a meaningful impact on St. Maarten with sports as an interactive platform to bring together youth from all schools to interact together. The ideals inspired in sports for development provides a healthy environment for discipline, respect, dedication and teamwork. This event will highlight different sporting activities with a special segment on St. Maarten old sporting games. We believe that will draw in the parents and coaches as well.
President Marcellia Henry and members of the Rotary family looks forward to welcoming you on September 21st. . Together, we can help to educate, inform, and inspire our peers on the movement for peace, tolerance, good citizenship and peaceful coexistence in our community.

PHILIPSBURG:----  An urgent Plenary Session of the House of Parliament that was scheduled for September 9 will take place on September 18.

Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Claret Connor will be present for the public sitting of the House.

The public Plenary Session is set for Friday, at 10.30am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the dumpsite (landfill) in Philipsburg and the plans for a waste to energy system for the country’s garbage problems.

This urgent plenary session of the House was initially requested by the National Alliance (NA) faction Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon. William Marlin and Hon. MP Silveria Jacobs, and the Democratic Party (DP) faction MP Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations (CKAIR) of Parliament will meet in session on September 18.

The Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations meeting is set for Friday at 9.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The five point agenda are approval of the decision list CKAIR Parliamentary Year 2014-2015, no 15; incoming documents CKAIR; draft law change regarding Double Taxation Regulation between Sint Maarten and the Netherlands; proposals for agenda points for IPKO January 2016; follow-up Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) and Tripartite May 2015.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and parliament’s website www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Buncamper family still has wait a few more months before they know whether or not the case brought against them by the Prosecutor’s Office will be thrown out or not. The Court of First Instance ruled on Wednesday that three more witnesses have to be heard by the Judge of Instruction and continuation of the management hearing will take place on January 13th 2016.
Last week Wednesday the Prosecutor’s Office willingly dropped the second charge they brought against the Buncamper’s due to prosecutorial misconduct by the prosecutor that was handling the case. The Buncampers through their attorney Jairo Bloem raised several technicalities and asked that the judge to throw out the entire case since the charges are linked. The Buncampers are being prosecuted for selling the economic rights of Government lease land. Bloem said that Buncampers were not treated equally simply because Maria Buncamper Molanus is a politician.
So far there have been four management hearing of the case dating back to January 7th 2015. The three witnesses that have to be heard is a request from the attorney representing the Buncampers, they are Public Prosecutor Gonda Van der Wulp, an RST detective F. Machielsen and Claudius Anthony Buncamper Jr. Attorney Bloem wanted these witnesses to be heard in order for the court to understand why Chief Prosecutor Ton Maan removed Prosecutor Van der Wulp from the case. Bloem told the court that Prosecutor Van der Wulp committed some serious violations when she took pictures with her personal cellular phone during a house search at the Buncampers residence also about a report she wrote that has incorrect information. As for the RST detective Bloem told the court he contradicted several witness statements while Buncamper Jr. witnessed the house search and he would be able to tell the investigating judge exactly what transpired during the house search. Last week Wednesday Bloem highlighted several violations including what he described as illegal operations of the RST detectives that are working on St. Maarten that were not officially sworn in by St. Maarten's Minister of Justice.
While the Buncamper’s still have to wait a few more months, the verdict rendered on Wednesday can be considered favorable to them since they got the judge to hear the three witnesses they wanted heard.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General has difference of opinion on how RST detectives should work on St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson who reported to Parliament on Wednesday to continue answering questions posed to him by Members of Parliament on the protocol he signed with the Dutch government to establish an integrity chamber on St. Maarten.
Minister Richardson said he was not so concerned about the bold if not judgmental statements made by the Chief of Police of the Netherlands Mr. Bouman when he visited St. Maarten earlier this year. The Minister further told Parliament that he did not even question who sent Mr. Bouman to St. Maarten and on whose behalf he made the statements, rather he was much more concerned about the protocol he signed with the Dutch Government on behalf of the Government of St. Maarten.
Minister Richardson said that right now the Dutch Government did not fully remove the instruction they want to impose on St. Maarten from the table, however, they are not pushing the Council of State for permission to impose the instruction.
The Minister of Justice said discussions are still taking place and that no final decision has been reached at this moment.
On the issue regarding the 55 RST detectives that the Dutch Government wants to send to St. Maarten Minister Richardson said while the Dutch have their focus on “under-world- corruption” for him these law enforcement officers will be coming to St. Maarten to further strengthen the justice chain especially the Police Force. He said that he is currently in discussion with the Attorney General because he has a difference of opinion on how these detectives are allowed to work on St. Maarten. He said it stated in the Kingdom Consensus Law that RST detectives have to be sworn in by the Minister of Justice of the country they intend to work, namely St. Maarten, Curacao or Aruba. He said that the Attorney General does not share his opinion and he firmly believes that St. Maarten should have its own Attorney General because the current Attorney General who is currently based in Curacao does not work in St. Maarten’s best interest.
Already the Minister of Justice of St. Maarten already sent a strong message to the Attorney General of St. Maarten Guus Schram who described St. Maarten as a corrupt country last week Friday. Minister Richardson said on Monday and again on Wednesday morning that the Attorney General should not make statements based on assumptions but they should have facts and substantiate what they accuse people for. Minister Richardson said that the Attorney General is in charge of the Prosecutor’s Office that is charged with investigating and finding facts and not based on assumptions and or hearsay.
Minister Richardson also addressed the statements made by Member of Parliament Johan Janchi Leonard who was very critical and even attacked the current Chief of Police Peter de Witte. Leonard said he wants to see locals in top positions on St. Maarten, he went on to name persons he wants to see in critical positions, one being the acting Secretary General Richard Pannflec who was removed from his position. Another person MP Leonard said he wants to see in his position is the incoming Chief of Police Carl John. In responding to the statements made by MP Leonard Minister Richardson told MP Leonard that he needed to know who he attacking because the current Chief of Police Peter de Witte maintained his word when he agreed to train a local to take over from him, he said De Witte jeopardized his future with the Netherlands because he fought for St. Maarten’s best interest and has decided to stay on St. Maarten to assist in crime fighting. The Minister of Justice further explained that Assistant Chief of Police Carl John will be appointed Chief of Police of St. Maarten in the near future because the Council of Ministers already took a decision on that especially since such appointments have to be done by Landsbesluit.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Saturday, September 12, 2015 saw a great turn out of Sports Organizations, Healthy Lifestyle options and Foundations at the 2nd Annual Sports Open House at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex. This year, in contrast to the previous year, not only focused on what the various Sports Organizations had to offer in terms of trainings, competitions, tournaments and fitness options, but also Healthy Living options, which look at healthy eating, drinking and supplements.

In light of the turn out the Department of Sports would first like to thank the Honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, Rita Bourne-Gumbs; the Honorable Minister of Health, Social Development and Labour, Rafael Boasman; Honorable members of Parliament MP Silveria Jacobs, MP Cornelius de Weever and MP Leona Marlin-Romeo.

“We would also like to thank the Sint Maarten Sports Federation, which collaborated with the Department on this endeavor and the National Sports Institute which has been newly introduced as the executing arm of government as it pertains to sports and the various Sports Organizations who participated in the event. They are as follows: SXM Volleyball Association (SIMVA); SXM Amateur Athletic Association (SMAAA); SXM Boxing Federation” (SMBF); SXM Basketball Federation (SMBF); Soualiga Youth Basketball Association (SYBA); Walichi Girls Basketball Association; SXM Body Building & Fitness Association (SMBBFA); SXM Cycling Association (SMCA); SXM Cricket Association (SMCA); SXM Soccer Association (SMSA); Special Olympics SXM (SOSM); SXM Netball Association (SMNA); SXM Judo Federation (SMJF); SXM Baseball Association (SMBA); SXM Pony Baseball & Softball Association (SMPBSA); SXM Little league Association (SMLLA); SXM Tennis Federation (SMTF); SXM Aquatic Federation ( SMAF); Carib Swim Association; Sharks Swim Association; SXM Triathlon Fed (STF); SXM Racing Association (SMRA); SXM Kick Boxing Association (SKBA); SXM Domino Federation (SMDF). SXM Chess Association (SMCA). Also on hand were Healthy Lifestyle companies: Ardy’s Life and Sweetie Pops Epicurean Icery and Service Foundations: Turning Point and the Rotary Club ”

The expectation of the Sports Open House is to give the different entities the opportunity to showcase what they have to offer to the general public, which should encourage healthy living and participation in Sports and Recreation on the Island.

The Department of Sports is extending, once again, an invitation to the various sports organizations and healthy living businesses and companies to attend the 2016 Sports Open House.

“We look forward to this endeavor becoming even bigger and better in 2016, with new organizations, including gyms and other health related entities so that the Sint Maarten community can continue to learn more about all there is to partake in competitively and recreationally concerning sports and health fitness. Our aim is to have an informed and active community on the island.”

The SXM Hospitality Educational Institute (SXMHEI) is offering Hospitality Management Certificates.

PHILIPSBURG:--- “Hospitality continues to be a key driver in St. Maarten,” says Glen Yeung, SXMHEI’s executive director, whose professional background includes hospitality education and instruction as well as hospitality industry management. The SXM Hospitality Educational Institute was established in order to focus on the business aspects of the hospitality industry.
Yeung is the former Dean of Academics and Hospitality Division Head and veteran instructor at the University of St. Martin and he holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the Florida International University (FIU) and became St. Maarten’s first AHLEI Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) in 2013.
Students who enrol in SXMHEI’s courses will benefit from strong local industry support for and participation in class. Professionals are invited to make classroom presentations, mentor students, and provide internships and job leads. Participants will earn an academic course certificate of completion from SXMHEI. The course is targeted primarily to supervisors and management professionals in hospitality, hospitality marketing, tourism management, service management and service industry in general.
"The hospitality and tourism industry in St. Maarten continues to grow and with that, there is an increasing need for a focused approach to hospitality education and training. The respective courses in the Hospitality Management Certificate program at SXMHEI are providing professionals with a wide range of career pathways available in the industry,” said Yeung. Interested persons are requested to email the program director Ms. Glenda York at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for additional information.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday Dec 15, 2015 the ICUC, the Intercontinental University of the Caribbean, officially handed out diplomas to its St. Maarten based students in their Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management program who were unable to travel to Curacao. Two students, Jazmin Sambo and Crystal Gumbs received their hard earned bachelor degree from Executive Director Glen Yeung and Program Director Glenda York of the SXM Hospitality Educational Institute-SXMHEI. These students now join their 13 fellow graduates.

The International Hospitality & Tourism Management (IHTM) program of ICUC was started in 2001 on the recommendation of the World Bank to establish “a good quality hotel and restaurant school that could also attract students from elsewhere in the Caribbean” as an integral part of the overall economic reform and recover strategy of the island.
In its 8 years of existence, ICUC’s bachelor program in International Hospitality & Tourism Management has hosted over 150 students who have all experienced an innovative approach to international-career education.
The Study Abroad aspect of the program includes that students spend each year part of the program abroad. The program can look back with fulfilment on the realization of its international focus with a student mix including students from more than 20 countries and the wide range of international internship placements at places like: Miami, London, Amsterdam, Hawaii, Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
Since the dismantling of the former Netherlands Antilles the respective graduating St. Maarten students have been under the guidance of the ICUC in collaboration with the SXM Hospitality Educational Institute-SXMHEI which is now located at its new facility on Backstreet # 172, level 2 in Philipsburg.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Technicians at the NV GEBE Cay Bay Power Plant on Tuesday had to implement load shedding measures due to mechanical issues with one of the oldest and smallest generators. Technicians have since resolved the problem.

Technicians initially started working on resolving mechanical challenges that developed with DG-18 on Sunday morning around 5.00AM, which resulted in load shedding on Sunday and Monday.

Once the generator developed a mechanical failure, prior to technicians starting to work on DG-18, a cool down period is necessary. This requirement is based on the health and safety of the workers.

Removal and assembly of the failed parts took place within an eight hour period. Once completed, the unit was put through a running program to ensure that there was no sudden loading or stress on the newly installed components. On Monday evening around 9.30PM the last cable came back online.

Power generation units DG-7 and DG-19 are currently offline due to a major overhaul of those units. Technical crews are working with two crews from the engine manufacturer to reduce downtime of the generators currently undergoing scheduled overhaul.

Priority has been given to get DG-19 back online as soon as possible as DG-7 requires more time. DG-19 is one of the newest engines, and this unit will take approximately two weeks before it comes back online. The technical work on DG-19 has to be done at preset intervals to avoid engine failure that could have led to engine damage.

An overhaul of a generator normally takes four to five weeks and with the additional manpower, technicians are aiming for three to four weeks.

NV GEBE also has technicians working at night when demand is low to do some minor repairs to generators which would not affect electricity demand and supply.

Load shedding becomes necessary when the production capacity cannot meet the load demand of consumers. In order to have a stable electricity production network, it is imperative to switch out some areas in order to be able to have a stable system. If this does not happen, this would lead to a complete black out.

Because the country has one power plant, this is a challenge faced by small island developing states. Larger countries have several power plants which can act as a back-up should one or more units go offline.

In the future, if NV GEBE loses its largest production unit DG-19 (once back online) and another large unit goes offline, the chances are that load shedding would be implemented as a measure. The outage period for load shedding is shared throughout the districts and is usually one hour to 90 minutes.

NV GEBE Managing Board apologizes to customers for the inconvenience that the current challenges have caused.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Walichi Basketball Association Program Director Ms. Marit Gumbs and Vice President of the board Mr. Dennisio Duzong presented a Basketball Afternoon School Program to Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten Executive Director Mrs. Lilia Aventurin - Hodge and Head Coordinator of the Afternoon School Programs Ms. Jamila Oliver. Mrs. Aventurin - Hodge and Ms. Oliver welcomed the program with open arms and were excited for the plans of the association as a way to keep the youth active.

Walichi Basketball Association has taken the responsibility of developing the youth in the sport of basketball and allowing them the opportunity to display their talents and skills in hope of future basketball opportunities. The use of sports, music and dance as a way to balance the students will be used throughout the program and Interscholastic Basketball Championship.

Each Catholic School will be approached with a Basketball Afternoon School Program as a way to teach the sport from a young age for both girls and boys as well as to enable them to be better prepared to take part in the upcoming Interscholastic Basketball Championship (IBC) in late 2015.

For more information, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +17215549881

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Tuesday September 15th at approximately 03:00 p.m. several police patrols and detective were sent to the home of a colleague from the Dutch Marechaussee located in Almond Grove Cole Bay to assist her after she had been robbed by an unknown armed man. On the scene the colleague stated that she had just arrived at home when she was confronted with an unknown masked man, who was armed with a gun. This man threatened to use the weapon if she did not cooperate. The robber then went on to take two shoulder bags containing personal items such as a wallet, cellular telephone and some cash. After committing the robber fled the scene through the bushes at the back of the premises. An intense search of the area by several police officers including the K-9 unit was done however the suspect was not found. The investigation is being done by the Special Robbery Unit.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson did not mingle with words on Monday when he reported to parliament to continue discussions on the protocol he signed on behalf of St. Maarten with the Kingdom. In addressing the questions posed to him especially when it comes to corruption “the underworld and upper world” Minister Richardson said that the Dutch have been accusing everyone on St. Maarten, from politicians, civil servants and almost everyone in society to be involved in corruption “To be honest I am dead tired of these statements but has ignored the statements and accusations thus far, but today my perception has changed because the Attorney General of St. Maarten made those same statements on Friday. The has changed the ball game because the Attorney General has to know, he has to make statements based on facts. He cannot make assumptions or generalizations. The role of the Public Prosecutor’s office is not assume but they have to come up with facts.”
Minister Richardson said when these statements were being used in the Netherlands he did not pay much attention to it  even though the entire country has been smeared and even members of his family would question him about it. The Minister of Justuce said with the statements made by the attorney general has changed his opinion. “Today my position has changed it is either Attorney General put up or shut up, the attorney general has to prove and or justify his claims or shut the hell up. This has to stop.”
Several Members of Parliament questioned the Minister on the role of the 55 RST detectives that will be coming to St. Maarten. Most of them wanted to know who these extra detectives will be reporting to while working on St. Maarten.
Based on the statements made by the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson it is clear that he will not be tolerating nonsense from the Attorney General and it seems as though the days of this Attorney General is numbered. The Minister of Justice did not say what actions he will take but it is clear that he is disgusted and will not tolerate anymore insults from Dutch civil servants working on St. Maarten.
On Wednesday morning Minister Richardson reinstated the statements he made on Monday. The Minister quoted articles from two integrity reports namely the Do it Right Committee and Transparency International. Both reports indicated that while there are perceptions of corruption there are no hard facts or proof of such. He further stated that the Public Prosecutor’s Office especially the Attorney General represents an institution that has to base their statements and conclusions on facts and not perceptions, therefore he will take the necessary actions in order for the Public Prosecutor’ Office on St. Maarten to refrain from making statements or allegations based on political perceptions in the Netherlands.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A Plenary sitting of the House of Parliament will take place on September 17 with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

The public plenary session is set for Thursday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is incoming documents; second agenda point is a draft National Ordinance to change several ordinances that would establish Constitution Day as a national day; third agenda point are resolutions from the Tripartite May 2015.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- After the successful opening events of September 11th & 12th, The next activity of the SXM READS campaign will be held on Saturday September 19th at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. The evening will start with a showing of the Movie “The Reading Room“, starring James Earl Jones. During the second part of the evening a panel discussion will be held. Professionals in the field of Education and Culture, as well as a social worker will discuss the problem of functional illiteracy on our island and strategies to mobilize support for functionally illiterate persons. Partners in the SXM Reads campaign are the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, COME center, UNESCO St Maarten and Rotary and Rotaract Sunrise.
The general public is invited to “The Reading Room” evening on Saturday September 19th from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm at the library. Entrance is free of charge and drinks and snacks will be available. For more information contact the library via phone number 542 2970.

PHILIPSBURG:---- As part of the continued efforts to enhance access to COCI and COCI services to the general public, COCI has implemented yet another phase of its modernization strategy and has restructured the layout and workflow of its Registry. Under the guidance of Chamber President Ms. Peggy Ann Brandon staff members have been undergoing a reevaluation of their skill sets and after training sessions have been placed within the new organizational structure. COCI has hired three (3) new Customer Service Representatives to provide front-office support.
“All of the efforts undertaken over the past months, such as migrating to a new registry database, Quick books for billing and digitization of files, have been with the goal of placing COCI as one of the top institution on St. Maarten in terms of our customer service.” Ms. Brandon further states: “This current board is committed to the continued success of the COCI and in providing a first-class experience to the Chamber’s clients. This board believes that providing a supportive environment inclusive of the necessary tools to the staff is instrumental in achieving formulated goals and shall continue to support management and staff of COCI.”
COCI shall in the coming weeks and months be introducing additional (online) services to further accommodate customers and reduce turn around times.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In connection with pouring of concrete at a construction site on Front Street permission has been granted to SINGH CONSTRUCTION N.V. to execute this job on Wednesday September 16th 2015 from 09:00 p.m. to 03:00 a.m. The section of Front Street between the Court House and RBC will be closed for all motor vehicle traffic during the construction. All drivers should take keen note of this information to avoid any inconvenience.

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Monday September 14th at approximately 07:00 p.m. during an investigation conducted by the “Multi Disciplinary Team” on Ruby Road in Pelican Key a dark colored SUV in which two men were driving was stopped for driving at very high speed. When the officers approached the vehicle they noticed the driver was behaving quite suspicious and tried to hide something under his seat. When the vehicle was searched by the officers they found a pouch containing an amount of marijuana and cocaine which were confiscated. Two pistols were also found in the vehicle and confiscated for further investigation. Both suspects (25) were arrested on the spot and taken to the Philipsburg Police Head Quarters. The suspects remain in custody for questioning and further investigation.

KPSM Police Report

NEW ORLEANS:--- Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas, announced yesterday that its newly created affiliate, Pan-American Life Insurance Company of the Cayman Islands is now open for business and operating as a Class A insurer in the Cayman Islands.
“We are very pleased to be expanding our presence in the Cayman Islands,” said José S. Suquet, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Pan-American Life Insurance Group. “As a Class A insurer we are now able to offer customers across the country the benefit of our knowledge and expertise in best in class, health, life, and accident insurance solutions.”
Pan-American Life will be adding new product lines, beginning with their employee benefits solutions, to the individual life and annuity businesses acquired in 2012 as part of the purchase of select MetLife/Alico assets.
“We believe that our experience in the employee benefits market both in the U.S. and Latin America, particularly when it comes to offering top quality multinational solutions, will be attractive in a sophisticated insurance market like the Cayman Islands,” Suquet explained. “Pan-American Life Insurance Company of the Cayman Islands will allow us to continue leveraging synergies across our organization thereby delivering superior service to clients in the Cayman Islands as well as the wider Caribbean.”
About Pan-American Life
The Pan-American Life Insurance Group is a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas. New Orleans-based Pan-American Life Insurance Company, the Group's flagship member, has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911, employing more than 1,500 worldwide, providing top-rated life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 47 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Group’s member companies offer individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has branches and affiliates in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life Web site at palig.com, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group.

CAYMAN ISLANDS:--- The Orthopaedic department at Health City Cayman Islands has proudly reached the landmark of over 100 surgeries since it opened its doors just over a year ago.

Dr Alwin Almeida, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon said the first surgery was undertaken on 5th June 2014 and involved a shoulder arthroscopic surgery.

“Since then we have had a wide range of cases from hip replacements, arthroscopic biopsy to multi-ligament reconstructions, and it is a proud moment for us to have achieved this milestone,” he said.

The Department of Orthopaedics provides both surgical and non-surgical orthopaedic and sports medicine treatment, offering a number of services including joint replacements and reconstruction, arthroscopic surgeries and deformity corrections.

In order to accommodate the growth of the department and provide best in class service and patient responsiveness, the department has recently added orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Niranjan, to its team.

“With nine years of experience in orthopaedic surgery, Dr Niranjan is a welcome asset to the Department of Orthopaedics,” Dr Almeida said. “With such highly skilled surgeons and staff, we are set to achieve even greater milestones and breakthroughs in medicine in the coming year.”

Dr Niranjan joins Health City from Hosmat Hospital in Bangalore, India, and specializes in arthroscopic sports medicine, surgeries and joint replacement of the hip and knee.

The department is also in the process of acquiring the latest technology in computer navigation equipment, which is similar to robotic surgeries. This will allow Health City surgeons to even more accurately track, analyse and monitor surgical procedures. The Orthopaedic service also now offers patient-specific knee-joint replacements, whereby a CT scan is done and a customised model of the knee and joint is developed with moulds to make joint replacements, specific to a particular patient.

“We are extremely excited about investing in our future and the future of medicine, with computer-assisted surgery and custom-made knee replacement options,” Dr Almeida said. “Commitment to quality care is our top priority here at Health City and with the new equipment; we will continue to honour that commitment.”

To speak to a member of Health City’s Patient Care team and learn more about the Orthopaedic Services, please call 1 (345) 945-4040, 1 (345) 640-4040 or visit healthcitycaymanislands.com

Involved in Sabotage with new airline --- Three Wise Men Fired.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Three senior employees of WINAIR namely its chief pilot Jeff Oliver, Chief of Operations Elvis Quealy and Chief of Security Michel Carter were suspended last week after management of WINAIR found out that they have been consulting with the persons that are involved in establishing a new Airline called St. Maarten Airways.
SMN News understands that the person is involved in establishing the new airline is businessman Ralph Ledee from International Liquors and Tobacco (ILTT). SMN News contacted Ledee on Tuesday morning for confirmation and he said that he would like to speak with SMN News but he is not in the country. Ledee then hung up his phone when he was asked if he is involved in establishing a new airline on St. Maarten.
SMN News further understands that another person that is involved in establishing the new airline is the CEO of Nagico Insurances Imran MacSood Amjad. SMN News contacted Amjad for an official comment who said he was indeed contacted by someone who wants him to invest in a new airline. Amjad said that he did not take any decision on investing in an airline. Amjad further stated that several persons would contact him regularly to invest in all sorts of businesses but he is too busy to spend too much time and energy with all these proposals. Amjad said it is unlikely that he would even consider investing in this airline.
Further research done by SMN News showed that the liaison officer for the group of businessmen that are behind the establishing of a new airline is a former employee of WINAIR who now owns a marketing company. The former employee has been identified as Rolando Bryson who was fired from WINAIR for alleged theft. Sources at WINAIR said that Bryson remained in touch with some senior employees of WINAIR whose main intention is to steal the Government owned company ideas, and intellectual property. The source said that Bryson intends to work as a consultant for the new airline if they managed to obtain a license from Civil Aviation. Efforts made to reach Louis Halley from Civil Aviation proved futile. SMN News understands that Civil Aviation is currently processing the request which will probably kill the country's national airline.
It should be noted that Rolando Brison is a close friend and former employee of Michael Granger, self-appointed director of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF). Just recently Bryson and Granger sealed a deal with ILTT to be the only person to sell alcoholic beverages at Festival Village during the 2016 carnival season.

One of the main questions now being asked is what role did the former Minister of TEATT Claret Connor played in what has been described as a sabotage towards the country's national airline since Elvis Quealy was part of Minister Claret Connor election campaign in 2014.

SMN News understands that management of WINAIR fired the three senior employees they suspended last week after they consulted with them and asked them to give up their shares in the new company but they all refused. A source close to WINAIR said that three senior employees namely the Chief Pilot Jeff Oliver, Chief of Operations Elvis Quealy and Chief of Security Michel Carter admitted to management of WINAIR when they were confronted that they were all doing consulting work for the businessman that is working on obtaining a license to operate a new airline on St. Maarten and instead of being paid they were given shares in the company. The termination took place on Wednesday.
The source said when management met with the three employees who have worked for years with the company and made the proposal to them and they refused it they leave the company’s national airline with no other choice but to terminate them immediately. SMN News further understands that Jeff Oliver was the highest paid employee of WINAIR who was receiving well over $20,000.00 per month while his two colleagues were also well paid. The three senior employees of WINAIR carries the name "the three wise men.”

PHILIPSBURG:---  The technicians at the NV GEBE Cay Bay Power Plant have been working diligently to resolve the technical issues with several of the power generators. NV GEBE is hoping to have the issue resolved by midnight Monday, September 14.

On Sunday morning the Cay Bay Power Plant started to experience problems with production unit DG-18. Power generation units DG-7 and DG-19 are currently off due to a major overhaul of those units.

All districts were affected by load shedding on Monday. NV GEBE has attempted to limit load shedding in the various districts to a minimum.

NV GEBE tried on Monday to avoid having to disrupt the main feeder cables that supply electricity to schools, water production facilities, the Airport and the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).

Various districts have been impacted with load shedding since Sunday at 10.20AM and included: Cupecoy, Dutch Low Lands, Cay Hill, Cul de Sac, St. Peters, Mary’s Fancy, Oyster Pond, Pointe Blanche, Over the Bank, Pelican Keys, Paper Garden, Dutch Quarter and Belvedere.

NV GEBE Managing Board apologizes to customers for the inconvenience that the current challenges have caused.

In the meantime, NV GEBE continue to work to resolve the challenges being experienced within the shortest period of time.

POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten has organized a packed program for the inauguration of the Walter Plantz Square on Saturday, September 19 which is located near the Sea Palace Hotel. The entire affair is open to the public.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo of Port St. Maarten extends an open invitation to the public to come out during the day on Saturday and attend some of the activities that are planned for the entire family.
The day kicks off from 7.00AM until. Between 8.30AM to 10.00AM, DJ Dekembe; Official Opening Ceremony 10.00AM until 11.30AM; DJ EM from 11.30AM to 1.05PM; Percy Rankin from 1.10PM to 2.10PM; DJ Marky Mark 2.15PM to 4.15PM; Satellite Band from 4.20PM to 5.20PM; St. Maarten Dance Theatre from 5.20PM to 6.05PM; DJ Boss Man from 6.05PM to 7.35PM; Fred York & Musicology, Betty V, Singing Olivia, Oddessy, and Roxsy from 7.40PM to 8.40PM; DJ Fabulous from 8.45PM to 10.15PM; Control Band from 10.20PM to 11.20PM; DJ Biggers from 11.25PM to 12.45AM; and Youth Wave from 12.50AM to 1.50AM.
The Masters of Ceremonies will be Kevin “Suppa” Petrona and Darin “King Vers” Hodge.
For the kids there will be a Fun Park that includes Bungee and Rock Climb Combo, a wet slide and a dry slide.
Sports and other activities organized for the day includes a boat race that starts at 1.30PM which will include boats from Anguilla, namely Upsetter, Kiedro Pride, No Big Ting, R.O.B.B., Alma Gloria, Dark Shadows, De Storm and F5 Tornado.
A Beach Volley Ball Tournament is also planned from 11.30AM to 2.30PM; as well as a Kids Fishing Tournament, Tug of War and Crab Racing.
The Walter Plantz Square at Down Street will generate a new spirit of life into the area for locals and visitors alike.
Comprising of eight small buildings constructed according to the traditional St. Maarten architectural ginger-bread design, to reflect the national heritage of the destination which is part and parcel of Port St. Maarten’s reinventing cruise tourism, the essence of the project is to bring in the heritage value of the destination by showcasing the ginger bread homes of the past.
This is part of the country’s cultural heritage and what makes us who we are, port management pointed out, adding: “It’s part of us and this is interesting to cruise and stay-over visitors.”
The approximately US$2 million project entailed the construction of a square with cabanas to be used for a bar/restaurant, the selling of arts and crafts and other tourist related goods; water fountain; palm trees; toilet/bathroom facilities; lockers; the square will be disabled accessible; parking for five taxi’s; parking on the beachside and around the area; small splash pool for kids; water fountain illuminating 30 different lights at night; 24-hour security.
The square is strategically located next to the Walter Plantz Tender Jetty which connects to the boardwalk/beach promenade, Down Street and Front Street which allows for a broader distribution flow of passengers.
On Saturday the public will get to experience the full features of the square that has been outfitted and equipped for local musicians, artists and bands with a ‘plug and play entertainment’ feature.
Entertainment is an important part of heritage square which will also feature a stage, speakers and a generator.

PHILIPSBURG:---- On Saturday September 12th, 2015 Sint Maarten observed Caribbean Wellness Day. A day established by Caricom since 2007 for awareness and promotion of physical activity through the nation.
This year’s Caribbean Wellness Day focusses on the elderly with the theme: “improving the quality of life of the region’s ageing population”. In light of this theme the Ministry of VSA, the Windward Island Physical Therapist Association (WIPTA), and the White and Yellow Cross Foundation came together to organize a day of activities in St John’s Estate.
The focus is on person’s, 60 years of age and older. There will be a variety of sports activities and the participant will be tested on their level of physical abilities by the WIPTA. Due to weather conditions this day was postponed from September 12thto September 19th ,2015.
The District Nursing is a department of the White and Yellow Cross Foundation. The nurses working in this department are the ones who take care of the clients in their home environment. The client is therefore able to stay at his or her own home environment by receiving care customized to their needs.
What is striking within the District Nursing client population is the increasing amount of clients who suffer from diabetes and hypertension. At this moment about 60 % of our clients are diabetics and about 70 % suffer from hypertension. In most cases it’s a combination of both diabetes and hypertension. Results from research show that regular exercise and weight loss have a positive effect on both diabetes and hypertension. Therefore the District Nursing supports and is involved in the Caribbean Wellness Day celebration on the 19th this month.
The District Nursing team serves an average of 150 clients per week. The care varies from support with a daily bath, to wound care, to medication and vital signs controls. We also provide care to clients that are terminally ill. A fairly new product is homecare. This entails care to clients who need support with light cleaning in the house, cooking, laundry and the homecare nurse can transport the client to the doctor’s office. When requested, the homecare nurse also runs errands and does the grocery shopping for the client.
If you would like to receive some information on the services provided by the District Nursing Department of the White and Yellow Cross Foundation you can e-mail to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We can also be reached via telephone on: +1721-5819657 and you are always welcome to pass by our office situated in the Sint Martin’s Home in St John’s Estate.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, Emergency Support Function (ESF-6) of the country’s national disaster management system, provided assistance to the Commonwealth of Dominica in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Erika.

Dominica’s Permanent Secretary Helen Royer of the Dominica Ministry of Health, last Friday acknowledged receipt of the disaster relief supplies.

“On behalf of the Government of Dominica and the Ministry of Health and Environment, I extend profound gratitude to the Department of Health for the generous contribution of medical supplies and drugs to assist with the emergency and recovery efforts after the passage of Tropical Storm Erika.

“Your contribution reflected your steadfastness in humanitarian values and deep solidarity with the Dominican people. We have been touched by your expression of love and the promptness in getting these supplies to Dominica. These emergency supplies will certainly help us on the way to recovery. Once again, sincere thanks to your Department of Health,” the letter from Permanent Secretary Helen Royer read.

ESF-6 had an emergency meeting with its stakeholders after Tropical Storm Erika torrential rains had devastated parts of Dominica. During the meeting, those in attendance collectively defined the support that can be best made available in response to the identified need and timeline.

The collective assistance came from various agencies in the local medical field such as the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), Martijn Trading, ALPHA Healthcare Services, the Public Health Department and the Collective Prevention Services.

This entire process at the time was supported by then Acting Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

Minister Bourne-Gumbs addressed a letter to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) representative requesting its facilitation in getting the committed St. Maarten’s assistance to Dominica.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Finance Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 16. The Minister of Finance Hon. Martin Hassink will be present for the House session.
The public Finance Committee meeting is set for Wednesday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is a discussion on the proposed changes to the tax system; second agenda point is a discussion on the annual reports of the year 2013 of government owned companies.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on September 16th. This session of the House was adjourned on Monday and will continue on Wednesday.

The Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, has confirmed to be present for the parliamentary session.

The plenary session is set for Wednesday at 9.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg, and is a continuation of the House sitting that was initially held in August.

The agenda point is the protocol signed between the Governments of the Netherlands and Sint Maarten and the apparent unilateral decision by the Netherlands/Dutch Police Agencies regarding the Justice System on Sint Maarten.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Kooyman B.V. supports St. Maarten Pride with regards to the upcoming International Coastal Clean-up. This large scale clean-up campaign is slated for Sunday September 20th 2015. And Kooyman will once again show their support through a monetary donation of ANG 1000,- towards the purchase of gloves, garbage bags and other sanitary items used to facilitate the volunteers during the event.
International Coastal Clean-Up puts the spotlight on the importance of environmental well-being and sustainability of the island of St. Maarten and its coastline. Kooyman commends the St. Maarten Pride Foundation for their efforts to mobilize people to take action every day to protect our paradise.
“Kooyman St. Maarten has organized a team of 10 employees to give a helping hand at this year’s event , though we hope to get more volunteers leading up to the event. Through this initiative, we hope to encourage all local businesses and residents to come out and give back to your community” said Evencia Carty-Seabrookes, Kooyman commercial officer.
The St. Maarten Pride Foundation is grateful to have Kooyman‘s support in the 2015 International Coastal Clean-up and encourages the public of St. Maarten to come out and support this event. For more information of the 2015 International Coastal Clean-up. Visit www.facebook.com/sintmaartenpride

Pond Island:---  TelEm Group has taken another step toward increasing health awareness amongst company workers by organizing a month-long Cervical Cancer and Prostate Cancer awareness program.
Earlier this year personnel became the first corporate organization to invite government’s mobile health bus to conduct health checks on company workers.
Now, for the entire month of September, personnel will be receiving important information about the strategies they can use to help avoid cervical cancer and prostate cancer, how and where to test for both conditions, and how to cope with diagnosis and treatment.
The company awareness program is being coordinated by TelEm Group’s Change Champions team with the assistance of the KeLaHa Project group. KeLaHa is also promoting Cervical Cancer awareness during the month of September, and will also be conducting workshop sessions with TelEm Group staff.
The Change Champions effort is being supported with a Youtube video that was produced in-house, giant models of the blue cervical cancer ribbon, a professionally printed brochure, posters and pamphlets which are being circulated to staff and members of the public.
“We have erected a giant blue ribbon made out of balloons in the main foyer of the TelEm group main building on Pond Island so that the public can also be aware of what we are doing and also to give to the public some important information about cervical cancer and prostate cancer,” said spokesperson for the Change Champions group, Shadira Lont.
She said although September is the month designated for cervical cancer awareness, the Change Champions also included prostate cancer awareness because of the large number of men who make up the majority of workers in the company.
“We are urging all employees to take note of the information we are disseminating and to sign up for the workshops that will be given,” said Shadira.
On behalf of the Change Champions, Mrs. Lont also thanks Keoma of the KeLaHa Projects group for her involvement.
“Our staff have had a lot fun doing the promotional video and alerting their colleagues to some very real health concerns that they can do something about,” added Mrs. Lont.
KeLaHa Projects is leading the campaign with the slogan: “Together We Fight – Together We Win” Cervical Cancer and HPV awareness project. The group says its campaign helps women get the facts about cervical cancer by providing important information about the disease.

Ministry is at its last straw --- Wednesday meeting Government will give NIPA Board ultimatum, situation gotten worst.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education Rita Bourne Gumbs told Members of Parliament on Monday afternoon that her hands are tied while her lips have to remain sealed until Wednesday since she has a meeting scheduled with the board members of NIPA. The National Alliance Faction of Parliament called the Minister of Education to Parliament in an urgent meeting to get further information on what is happening at NIPA.
Minister Bourne Gumbs told Parliament that it is not ethical for her to divulge information to the public prior to sharing the Ministry’s decision on how they intend to move forward with NIPA. Several Members of Parliament asked the Minister for an update on the NIPA saga ranging from decisions taken by the Ministry and dropouts and if the board complied with the requests of the Minister.
Minister Bourne-Gumbs said that she could tell parliament that the situation at NIPA has worsened even though she sent several letters and held meetings with the NIPA board. The Minister said she even called on two members of the board to resign since they did not have the time needed to properly manage the school and at least one of the members did honor her request. The Minister was very vocal on the amount of power given to boards which she said has tied government hands. MP Maurice Lake, MP Silveria Jacobs, MP Leona Marlin, MP Christopher Emmanuel all expressed dissatisfaction during Monday’s meeting on the situation at NIPA. MP Frans Richardson requested that the meeting be adjourned since the Minister was not able to provide answers to Parliament due to the meeting she has scheduled for Wednesday. While MP Richardson made the request no other Member of Parliament second his proposal which prompted some Members of Parliament to walk out of the meeting leaving the chair with no other option but to adjourn the meeting due to a lack of quorum.

Landfill and Harbor and Zebec meetings will not be held this week.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams representing the Democratic Party faction in parliament told reporters during their bi-monthly press conference on Monday that they are pleased with the acknowledgement of the Governor who mentioned the progress the former government had with the OCTA regional meetings and the preparation on obtaining EU funding along with the French side. These acknowledgements were made when the Governor of St. Maarten addressed both Government and Parliament during the opening ceremony on September 8th 2015.
Wescot Williams also said she is also pleased that the Governor reminded both parliament and government about the National Development plan which she said a lot of monies, effort and time was spent on.
On another note Wescot Williams is not too pleased with the functioning of parliament when they request urgent meetings. One being the settlement with St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies and Zebec and the current status of the landfill.
Wescot Williams said that the current Minister of VROMI could have informed Parliament that he is off island with personnel of GEBE to work on a waste to management plant. She said that had the Minister inform parliament that he was working on the issue they would have been willing to wait on the Minister but saying nothing does not sit well with Parliament. As for the Harbor and Zebec she said that on Monday morning she asked the Minister of Justice who was in parliament if the Members of Parliament could forward their questions to the Prosecutor’s Office who is currently conducting an investigation at the Harbor in order for Parliament to get the information they needed.
Wescot Williams said that her faction will be keeping their eyes on several issues that are affecting the country, one being transparency and integrity, the proposed change to the tax system which they believe must be simplified. Economic Reform also has their concern, one being a larger economic vision for the country. The General pension scheme, health especially regarding the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).Higher education especially at USM, electoral reform, disaster management and more focus on government owned companies.
Advisor to the Democratic Party Emil Lee said that St. Maarten is already seeing the negative effects with tourism due to the lack of promotion. Lee said that already the Dutch side is already seeing a 20 to 30% decrease while there are increases on the French side. Lee said all of this is happening because of the constant change of Ministers in the Ministry of TEATT and the lack of continuity.

MARIGOT:---- By decision of the Territorial Council of St Martin, dated from June 25, 2015, it was decided to proceed to the public inquiry about the PLAN LOCAL D’URBANISME (PLU) of the Collectivité of St Martin.

From Thursday 1st of October to Friday 30th of October 2015.

The public inquiry document will be available from the 1st of october untill the 30th of October, at the Direction of Aménagement du territoire – Urbanism department - n°6 Fort Louis road, between 8 a.m and 3 p.m, from Monday to Friday.

The Commissioner-Investigator will be available :

Thursday, 1, 8, 15 and 22 of October : From 10 a.m to 1 p.m and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Friday, October 30 : From 10 a.m to 1 p.m and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

MARIGOT:--- Two days after the opening of the 2015-2016 school year, President Aline Hanson met with the Rector, Camille Galap, and his team at the Collectivite to discuss the negatives/positive of the opening school year, noted, went very well.
Several issues were discussed during the meeting including:
-the back to school preparations for the new public school, which will open after the Christmas break.
-the fight against illiteracy by the inclusion of mother tongues in schools
-the development of post BAC courses in Saint-Martin
The Rector stated that much interest exist for the inclusion of bilingual students. He established two working groups to strengthen the issue and make concrete proposals. Amongst the ideas mentioned by the Rector Galap, routine evaluations of students could be considered in order to enhance their linguistic potential; new teachers to the area, may obtain a training program taking into account the general languages.
President Aline Hanson stated that all applications from St. Martin should be given top priority in order to form a local pool of teachers. The Rector assured the President of his determination to see the Saint-Martiners’ included in the academic policy. The Collectivite and Rector also considered the creation of post BAC courses that meet the needs of the area. To begin, the creation of a BTS management assistant course could be put in place.

MARIGOT:---- As part of its dedicated Youth policy, the Collectivite of St. Martin has organized two days of information for its 2015-2016 territorial job training program, supported by the Human Development department under the portfolio of President Aline Hanson.

French Quarter and Sandy Ground, both considered priority areas in the new City contract, have successfully hosted the two days of information with record attendance.

The Collectivite agreed to invest 2 million euros this year in which the European Social Fund (ESF) in vocational training funds 85%. Since 2012, the partnership of the vocational training is widely developed to allow many job seekers (30% of the working population) to find a job easily.

This year, the Collectivite offers 27 different courses with fifteen seats each, more than 400 seats in total. After previous studies, the training program was adapted to the needs of the territory. Restaurant, construction and boating are the main industries. These academic courses are coupled with internships in companies.

For further information on the various training programs of the Collectivite and its partners, you may contact the human development department from 8 am-3 pm at 0590 29 59 24.

MARIGOT:--- On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, a steering committee meeting was held at the Prefecture on the establishment of the first European cross-border program for Saint-Martin/Sint Maarten. This European program implementation and success is being observed under the microscope of Brussels up to this date.

The board of authority represented by Prefete Anne Laubiès, the President of the Collective of St. Martin, Aline Hanson and Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Marcel Gumbs, gathered around the table with specialists of each establishment in order to resolve some technical issues and finalize the overall program of the evaluation phase, which will move to the operational phase in January 2016.

The Asconit firm, recruited by the Collectivite of St. Martin, presented environmental assessments of the program. In regard to the objectives of Europe 2020, the environmental stakes are high, since 85% of the 10 million Euros’ allocated by the European cross-border program are dedicated to environmental issues. One of the programs main projects is the realization of a cleaning station in the Cole Bay area.

Prefete Laubiès, President Hanson and Prime Minister Gumbs, are particularly attentive to the success of this first cross-border development program of 2015-2020, whose primary objective is to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of both sides of the island.

POND ISLAND:--- The Rotary Club of St. Maarten donated a shipping container to the Little League to be used as a Science lab as part of their after school player development program. Before athletes in the program begin their baseball training they first receive help with their homework, read, do some math and will now also do science.
Saturday, members of the Rotary joined the Little Leaguers in painting the container so the outside looks as good as the inside, which sports a microscope, fossils, telescope, electricity learning kit and a chemistry set.
“This is why I joined Rotary,” said John Caputo from Domino's Pizza. He is also the chairman of the Rotary’s Service Projects Committee. “We help local community organisations by doing things.”
Rotary members arrived at 10:00am and were scheduled to finish at noon. The plan was to paint the container blue with yellow trim, have a small lunch and play a quick game of softball against the children. Robert Judd and his wife Sheridan Moreton-Judd brought the sound system and provided music. There were coolers of beverages and the grill turned out hot dogs and hamburgers almost as fast as the young boys and girls could splash paint on themselves, some on the container and then take a break for more food.
Despite the work, everyone had such a good time the “paint-party” did not end until 3:00pm.
After touring the inside of the Science Lab Rotary President Jeffrey "Soc” Sochrin from Island 92 said. “This is really a good thing. I think we are going to have to get more involved.”
Sherwin Williams St. Maarten donated the paint.

GREAT BAY:--- The Cay Hill Community Council (CHCC) invites Cay Hill residents and other interested persons to a public meeting on Wednesday, September 16 at 7.30pm at the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School.

The CHCC would like to discuss a number of issues relevant to the Cay Hill Community, and all residents and other stakeholders who have a vested interests in their neighbourhood should come out and attend the meeting.

Some of the issues to be discussed with community members are: empowering Cay Hill Youth, a Safer Cay Hill, a Cleaner Cay Hill, an Active and Healthy Cay Hill, and a more Caring Cay Hill.

CHCC says it’s all about strengthening our community together.

Cay Hill:--- St. Maarten - Walichi Basketball Association members, Founder and Program Director was present and had a great fun filled day with Government & Parliament Officials as well as the youth showcasing how sports really do bring everyone together.

Walichi Basketball Association (WBA) Treasurer Ms. Agnes Monte and LBC Program Director Ms. Marit Gumbs were available under the tent to answer any questions pertaining to the Ladies Basketball Championship (LBC), Interscholastic Basketball Championship (IBC) and about youth basketball training for both girls and boys.

During the day, Honorable Ministers Rita Bourne - Gumbs, Rafael Boasman and Honorable Members of Parliament Cornelius de Weever, Silveria Jacobs and Leona Marlin - Romeo participated in a competitive shootout versus the youth that were present. It was a fun filled activity that had everyone laughing, high-fiving and eager to win. LBC Founder Mr. Elliot Laurence, WBA Vice President Mr. Dennisio Duzong and Secretary Ms. Chiaira Bowers were also present to give information when needed and encouraged the youth to stay active through basketball and in general sports.

Any youth, young adult or parent who are interested in the sport of basketball can contact the team on www.facebook.com/LadiesBasketballChampionship and www.facebook.com/InterscholasticBasketballChampionship or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Minister Hon. Claret Connor has been thanked by Dominica Coach of the Senior Female Soccer Team Kenneth Esprit, for the hospitality rendered by the community of Sint Maarten to the group who got stuck in transit from the Dominican Republic to the Commonwealth of Dominica on the day that Tropical Storm Erika passed near the country.
One of the team members lost five family members.
Coach Esprit in his email message to Minister Connor states: “Allow me therefore, to express my deepest gratitude to the various persons and institutions who played their parts in ensuring that we were cared for and able to ensure we reunited with our families in this time of crises.
“First and foremost, allow me to five thanks to Almighty Yahweh for his continued blessings, strength and protection during this time. Thanks to Minister Claret M. Connor of St. Maarten who did everything possible to make sure that the players feel comfortable during their short stay.
“Your support during this time has not gone unnoticed because we all hold you so dear to our hearts and you will remain in our prayers.....Thanks for the gift of friendship and thanks giving!! To Dr. Lloyd Richardson and his beautiful wife Mrs. Richardson, your warmth and loving hearts has touch in more than one way....thanks for opening your hearts to us and gifting us with your loving friendship.....
“To the Dominican Association in St Maarten we applauded each of you, guys like Lloyd Paul, Shanka Serrant, Steve Leblance, Rohi, Esther Warrington....You guys were champion to the causes and showed tremendous love and support to the girls.
“To the DFA executive membership, I commend each of you for quick response and commitment shown to the players during this time....The Staff of the Paradises Inn in St Maarten we thank you for your patience and understanding....,” the email letter from Coach Esprit said.
Minister Connor on Sunday said that the assistance provided by others and himself was part of the humility and humanity that exist in helping others in times of need.
“We are and forever will be a ‘one Caribbean people’ and as such we take care of our own. Our brothers and sisters in Dominica had been struck by an act of nature. The soccer team were on their home, and were faced with the reality of what had transpired. Sint Maarten rose to assists and everybody who assisted had a role to play in helping our brethren. It’s all part of us in helping others, because we have had our own experiences with nature and also received assistance and help in return.
“I encourage the people of Sint Maarten to continue praying for the recovery and sound rebuilding of the Commonwealth of Dominica. The countries leaders and professionals have a task at hand and I am certain they will rebuild better and stronger,” Minister Claret Connor said on Sunday.
The soccer team numbered 25-strong.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Dutch Ambassador to Cuba, Mr. Nobert Braakhuis, paid a courtesy visit to the Chamber of Commerce & Industry during his trip to St. Maarten. On Wednesday, September 9th the Ambassador met with Chamber President Ms. Peggy Ann Brandon and representatives of the Indian Merchants Association, Chinese Community Foundation, St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association and the Arabian Business Community. The Ambassador gave vital insight into Cuba’s recent developments and economic outlook. The candid exchange that ensued between the Ambassador and the attendees was indicative of the interest of our business community in the developments in Cuba relating to the attraction of foreign investments.

The business community aware of the opportunities of business expansion, realizes that it must also prepare for adverse effects on the longevity of its business in Sint Maarten, as a result of Cuba’s developments. COCI will commence with the assistance of the embassy in Cuba to obtain relevant information for the business community in Sint Maarten and shall undertake in this context the formulation of fact finding missions to Cuba, allowing for better preparations by our business community. COCI is thankful to the Ambassador for the time spent with our business community representatives.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Philipsburg Jubilee Library will restart its Baby and Toddler activities for the little ones, starting on Wednesday, September 16th.

The Baby and Toddler Rhyme Time is a fun and entertaining hour full of dance, song and play for children up to 4 years of age. Children and their parents will sing along to popular children’s songs, including old-time Caribbean children’s classics and have an enjoyable time. These sessions will take place every other week on Wednesdays at 10:00 am, starting on September 16th. “The aim of this program is to enrich the childhood experience of babies and toddlers in St. Maarten and to enhance child development through music, drama and physical activity” stated activity leader Zahira Marmar. Every second Thursday of each month, at 6:00 pm, Millicent De Weever will also provide Story Time, which is a fun-filled storytelling session for the little ones.

If you have any questions about the Read to Me: Babies and Toddlers programs, please contact Melackia Spencer at telephone number 542-2970.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The House of Parliament will meet in an urgent public plenary session on Monday afternoon September 14th at the request of the National Alliance (NA) Faction.
The plenary session is set for Monday at 3.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is: pending and urgent challenges being experienced by students and staff of the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA); second on the agenda, a status update and the action plan of government as pertains to students who have been placed (or not placed) in Secondary Public Schools, and have to date not started school as yet; the third agenda point, students in the Netherlands and other countries abroad who have complained that they have not yet received their Study Financing Funds; and the fourth agenda point, status of Study Financing Ordinance.

This urgent plenary session of the House was requested by the NA parliamentary faction Members of Parliament (MPs), namely MP Hon. S.E. Jacobs, MP Hon. W.V. Marlin, and MP Hon. G.C. Pantophlet, in a letter dated September 10, 2015.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

POINTE BLANCHE:---- It was revealed at Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Convention, that Port St. Maarten is ranked number five (5) in the World as a Cruise Transit Port. In 2014, the country’s national port received 2,001.996 cruise passengers for the first time ever. 2014 also marked 50 years St. Maarten as a cruise destination under the theme “Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten.
A delegation from Port St. Maarten headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, returned over the weekend from Hamburg, Germany, where they attended the aforementioned conference.
Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, on Sunday announced that St. Maarten as a cruise destination is leading, and as part of the theme “Reinventing Cruise St. Maarten,” the port will continue to strategically invest and work with local stakeholders and cruise partners to keep the destination in this leading position.
“It is very important that we continue to invest in the development of the destination and the product. Port St. Maarten in the past years has invested heavily into infrastructure, but more product development is needed as well as maintenance of existing buildings that provide services and products to locals and visitors to enhance the total experience. A place looking rundown is not attractive and will play into the cruise passengers surveys which determines cruise line itineraries.
“In order to maintain our ranking of 5th in the world as a cruise transit port, continued investments are required in various areas including new tours. By making these necessary investments, we can achieve the position of 1st in the world as a cruise transit port. Port St. Maarten also needs to continue to diversify its revenue base. Offering fueling services is one area, and this is already being pursued by ports in Europe such as Hamburg. In order to increase shareholder return and investments, we have to look into the possibilities and at developments. Cruise lines are building vessels that are more environmentally friendly and will be using dual fuels such as LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). Port St. Maarten will continue to execute its 2019 Strategic Business Plan that would further enhance internal processes for a more effective operations. This is part and parcel of our audit umbrella and we will do this in conjunction with stakeholders.
“There are destinations within the Region and across the world that Port St. Maarten and the country overall has to compete with on a daily basis, and therefore we need to be at the top of our game to maintain what we have achieved over the years with the help and diligence of all stakeholders and partners.
“More partnering and alignment with stakeholder plans is part of moving forward in 2016 and beyond. We have to continue to look ahead and plan strategically. The establishment of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority is key. We need to synchronize our approach as stakeholders where tourism product and development is concerned. A right balance has to be found between cruise and stay-over, as repeat cruise visitors have gone up or more than doubled. These are passengers who keep coming back, but may stay onboard the vessel, hence why we need to diversify the shopping product mix and experience by offering new tours which also includes culture/heritage.
“The contribution of crew members is also a huge contributor to the country’s gross domestic product, and we must not forget them. In October the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association will present their new report on the economic impact of cruise on destinations.
“During the conference we learnt a lot from industry experts and editors about the opening up of Cuba, and the overall message was ‘partnering with Cuba’ is a must when looking at joint promotions and product development. Cuba is being marketed as part of the Caribbean, but promotes Cuba. A similar approach is needed, destination St. Maarten needs to re-vamp and re-invent its approach and a tourism authority is critical at this juncture in our national development where synchronization of marketing processes are required,” Port St. Maarten CEO Mark Mingo concluded.
Seatrade Europe brought together industry decision makers and insiders to discuss and set new trends, and network.
The world’s fastest growing source market to support it, the cruise industry in Europe has taken its place in the mainstream of the leisure sector. Industry peers and experts at Seatrade Europe debated the opportunities and challenges that go with the aforementioned status during the two and half days of high-level conference, covering a broad spectrum of topics from September 9-11.

In Europe, the market has grown by an impressive 44 per cent since 2008 where a total of 6.4 million guests from Europe went on board in European ports in 2014. The sales volume was 40.2 billion Euros, and the number of jobs have increased to 349,000.
Seatrade Europe brought together approximately 250 exhibitors from 50 nations with their products, services and innovations.

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Director of the Immigration and Border Protection Service hereby wishes to inform the general public of Sint Maarten, that the IBP is working forcefully to ensure that illegal immigration is tackled.
The decision to move forward on stepping up controls has been confirmed and is presently being executed with by the Immigration Mobile Control Unit, in collaboration with the Coastguard and Customs Department.

The last 2 weeks 40 persons have been held and deported from the island and received a ban for 3 years. The coming weeks the controls will increase with controls within establishments (bars, restaurants, barbershops) and within the districts and on main roads.
The IBP urges everyone to please walk with their valid documents (ID, Resident permit) to ensure swift and smooth controlling. Persons residing illegally on the island are hereby strongly advised to leave the island immediately, to avoid being incarcerated, deported and banned for 3 years.

Information about applying for residency and or extending your tourist stay on the island can be found on the website www.sintmaartengov.org. You can also direct your questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also use these email addresses when you need assistance to return to your country.

PHILIPSBURG:---- While preparations for the 2016 carnival is taking place. Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard is addressing the much-talked-about involvement of young people in adult-oriented festival events must be dealt with for their best interest and development.

In a media statement she says, “We have all seen very young children out all hours of the night, mothers pushing babies in strollers behind Carnival trucks. There is talk in government circles about limiting traditional Carnival Jump-Ups in an effort to stem the involvement of youngsters in these events. I can understand that this would be a reaction to the situation but in my opinion doesn’t hit at the root of the problem,” MP Leonard said. “Carnival, itself, should not have to suffer if a more prudent approach can be taken to the issue of youth involvement in what many see as adult activities. That approach focuses on parental responsibilities.”

“Every Caribbean island has a Carnival activity and the governments of these islands recognize their responsibility towards the future generation of the country. St. Maarten Carnival models itself after the largest Carnival in the Caribbean basin; Trinidad & Tobago. As recently as 2012 the government of Trinidad & Tobago enacted the “Children Act”, a broad, far reaching law that also touches on parental responsibilities (in terms of children being out in public) and the consequences of not living up to those responsibilities,” she said.

The MP continued: “From what I have observed, Carnival and its local stakeholders cannot afford to lose any more of its festival upon which the same stakeholders depend. Case in point: The jump-ups. The Carnival Foundation hosts five jump-ups a year. Three of these jump-ups are traditional mainstays (opening of Carnival Village, Jouvert and Last Lap). The other two, the Causeway Jump-Up and Around Town Jump-Up, are sponsored by the government own company TelEm and are vital to local bands who secure much needed funds for participating in these events.”

In other words, the MP explained if any of these events are disallowed it would directly eliminate any opportunity local bands and artists have at not only showcasing their talent, but securing funding to assist with their general Carnival preparations. “And, again, this would not address the root of the problem.”

She recommends that government and the Minister of Justice in particular use a similar approach as was used this past Carnival by the Police Department in curbing juvenile delinquency during Carnival; use a model that would issue fines to neglectful parents whose children are out on the street without responsible, adult supervision. “Naturally the police department cannot round up every youngster on the street, but they can start by holding many parents accountable and sending a strong message that this practice will not be tolerated. An entire campaign can be tailored around this new approach, legally cemented in an MB.”

“To compliment these efforts, I’ve been informed that the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has already passed a new regulation for Carnival 2016 and beyond that would impose age restrictions for Carnival Village. The SCDF, as I understand it, would prohibit entrance to unsupervised youngsters 14 years of age or younger to adult oriented shows while maintaining general entrance for youth oriented shows. The SCDF will also be prohibiting booth holders from bringing their underage children to Carnival Village who stay there until 3:00am sometimes,” the MP said.

Combined with fines on the road, the MP said these efforts by the SCDF can be good first steps in achieving what all parties want to achieve without negatively affecting Carnival itself. “Government should not play the role of parents, rather remind parents of their responsibility of being the first line of defense in safeguarding their children. Parents owe a duty of care to their children and they must understand that they can be held legally liable for any harm that may befall their child once it has been discovered that they were negligent in discharging their responsibilities.” MP Leonard plans to call on the Minister of Justice, SCDF and other relevant authorities to discuss this approach and at the least have a framework in place for the upcoming Carnival season.

In response to the Member of Parliament call, the SCDF has issued a statement that Children aged 14 or Youngers will no longer be allowed entry to the Festival Village during carnival without adult supervision during adult-oriented shows. The SCDF will apprise concert promoters of the age-restriction rule. The foundation is looking forward to discussions with the minister of justice and the police department “before any regulations are imposed.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) Hon. Rafael Boasman over the weekend in a statement congratulated all Sint Maarteners on Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) which was observed across the Region on Saturday, September 12.
CWD takes places on the second Saturday in the month of September. It is an annual event geared at increasing awareness and promoting activities to address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which continues to severely impact the health, economy and development the Region.

“The local theme that CWD 2015 is being held under is: Age Active...U 2 Can Move! Every year our age goes up, but as we get older, it does not mean that we have to sit by and watch everybody else run by.

“Age is just a number. Age Active...U 2 Can Move. Up in age as they would say does not mean that we sit by. Not at all. We are still alive and well, and seniors are living longer due to better health care and living a healthy life style. I encourage our seniors to remain active both mentally and physically. There is no age limit to exercise.

“You are never too old to exercise. Every little movement does wonders. Muscles need to be kept active, and regular exercise does the body good. If you don’t keep your muscles active you lose them. There are various forms of exercise for seniors to keep us fit and our minds alert. Exercise keeps us healthy and keeps chronic diseases at bay or under control. Regular exercise also helps with balance, ensures confidence, and one is less likely to fall.

“Government would like to see more of our seniors taking a holistic approach by exercising regularly and stay active. Let it become either your daily or weekly routine. There is no age limit to exercise. By doing this, our senior population will continue to stay healthy and live well. Get together and form groups, and this social engagement also will build new friendships.

“On Caribbean Wellness Day 2015, let us as a nation embrace and celebrate ageing. Together, let’s aspire to a Sint Maarten where we can all age actively, and healthily within our society,” Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Rafael Boasman said in a statement to mark CWD 2015.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries recognized the threat posed by NCDs, in The Declaration of Port of Spain. It outlined key strategies to prevent, control and reduce NCDs through the life course. This includes the need to increase physical activity in the entire population, especially in the workplace.

The Caribbean region has one of the highest rates of obesity in children and adults in the world. This can be attributed in part, to poor diets and a lack of physical activity, driven by profound changes in the way we live and play, with massive marketing of foods high in sugar, fats and salt; as well as several hours per day spent watching TV and playing video games.

PHILIPSBURG:----  Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams in a press release questions the motives of the Parliament of St. Maarten. MP Wescot Williams was referring to meetings the oppositon factions of parliament requested and are not being called on a timely basis.  Wescot  Williams said if any-one is holding his or her breath for answers regarding the harbor's pay-out to the Zebec company, these answers will not be forthcoming any time soon.

"At least not in a meeting of Parliament. The meeting requested by the NA and DP on this matter can not take place next week, because the Prime Minister has other engagements on Monday, Parliament has other meetings on Tuesday and as of Wednesday, the Prime Minister will be off-island until September 27th. MP Wescot Williams said. She then posed two questions which are the following:-

1.  Where is the Minister responsible for harbor affairs, namely the Minister of TEATT?
2. where is the deputy prime minister?

It is by now public knowledge that there will be no meeting about the landfill and the plans for a waste-to-energy plant any time soon either, because up to Friday last, the new minister of VROMI was still ill, so no date could be set for that meeting.
If Parliament accepts this type of behavior from the government of the country, then Parliament deserves every bit of criticism that is levied against it regarding its below par functioning as the oversight body for government.
At least in the case of the harbor, we might get some answers from the ongoing investigation by the Public Prosecutor's office.
Imagine, the harbor that threatened to sue Zebec for damages not too long ago, now turns around and borrows money to pay the same company out. If it was all a big to-do about nothing and more saber-rattling, do not the people deserve to know? Oh, I forgot, "non-disclosure"!
And, we, the members of parliament should not ask anything?"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunications & Transport (TEATT), Honorable Mr. Claret Connor, singed off on Quality of Service (QoS) documents that sets clear guidelines and standards for St. Maarten Telecommunication providers to comply with, for the further enhancement of Telecommunication services in St. Maarten.

The new service standards are now officially implemented and will allow Telecom Regulator; Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP), to quantitatively measure Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) of Telecommunication Services that are being rendered to residents of St. Maarten. The performance indicators are mostly focusing on bandwidth, through put, drop call rate, set-up time, success rate, error rates, transmission delays and signal strength.

With the implementation of these new QoS/ QoE standards Minister Connor takes a major step in the improvement of Telecom Networks on the island and Telecom services that are offered to end-users. He stated that “all levels and areas of service on St Maarten, must be based on defined standards and these standards must be measurable in order to be effective”. The QoS and QoE are aimed to ensure that all consumers receives what is promised”. Minister Connor furthermore stated that "a promise made should be kept’, and it is government's duty to ensure that its regulators, in this case Bureau Telecommunications and Post is equipped with the necessary instruments to measure performances. This way the citizens and visitors alike will be assured that they are receiving the highest possible quality of service from our telecom providers. And that can only add to a high quality of experience”.

Director of BTP, Mr. Anthony Carty expressed the importance of the Quality of Service document for the regulator in this process. “We now have a document which we can apply across the board for telecom services on St. Maarten, and by same hold service providers accountable for the level of service provided. To measure and manage performance, additional modern measurement equipment will be acquired. As the regulator for telecommunications services, we have the responsibility to ensure consumer satisfaction and to create a level playing field, by enabling fair competition among telecommunications operators in the industry”.

COO Mr. Giovanni King, who was instrumental in developing the service standards, stated: “with the liberalization of the telecommunications market and the ongoing technological developments in the sector, measuring of quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) have become important concepts. Measuring and improving QoS and QoE, though challenging, should be undertaken in order to assess the most accurate and complete vision of the value offered by network providers to consumers”.

With the signing of the QoS/QoE documents the Minister has given BTP the means by which to evaluate to what extend the networks operators of St. Maarten are providing the consumers with value for money. Operators will be given a year to make the necessary amendments to their networks in order to be in compliance with the QoS/QoE values as outlined in the aforementioned document.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 15.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Tuesday, at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first of four agenda points are: a presentation by the Ombudsman related to the Year Report 2014; second agenda point is, a report on several National Ordinances; the third is about an invitation for the President and Secretary General of Parliament to attend the 200th anniversary of the First and Second Chambers of the Dutch Parliament on October 16th; and the fourth agenda point is an invitation to attend InterExpo Congress and Matchmaking from September 22-25 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 15 with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Tuesday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is a draft National Ordinance to change several ordinances that would establish Constitution Day as a national day. Constitution Day has been acknowledged since Sint Maarten became a country on October 10.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be civil works taking place on Sunday, September 13 on Arch Road.

The civil works are related to urgent repairs of a water main leak opposite Abu Ghazi Shoarma. The works will be carried out where the water leak is located and will be for a period of eight hours.

A 40-meter trench will be excavated. Motorists and pedestrians are advised to be vigilant for the traffic directional signs that will be posted with respect to the civil works that will be undertaken on Sunday to repair the water main.
Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.

POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten became a Diamond member of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) while at Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention in Hamburg, Germany. The conference started on Wednesday.
Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, on Friday from Hamburg, said he would like to thank CLIA President Cindy D’Aoust for accepting Port St. Maarten into the organization.
CLIA was established in 1975, and is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community.
The association supports policies and practices that foster a safe, secure, healthy and sustainable cruise ship environment and is dedicated to promote the cruise travel experience.
The world’s largest cruise sector association represents the interests of 60+ member cruise lines that represent more than 90 per cent of the global cruise capacity and serve more than 22 million passengers; 275 executive partners; and 13,500 global travel agency members that include the largest agencies, hosts, franchises and consortia and represent more than 50,000 individual travel agents.
“Port of St. Maarten together with CLIA has launched its new Re-inventing programme. It is not just a sticker of re-branding, however a strategic approach to aggressively conquer market share working with CLIAs over 13,000 global travel agency members, and numbers talk.

“Cruise lines executives and partners also discussed the situation with Cuba opening up. They don’t really have a clue on what is happening there. It is simple, Cuba is coming up and we better be prepared and step up our own game. There is a lot of talk, but we need innovative solutions to keep us ahead.

“At the end of the day it is inevitable and St. Maarten/St. Martin, has to step their game up collectively with a strategy to combat the change while enhancing our inland experience. We are strong advocates in engaging in solutions to strengthen our market position together, however we must pool together to develop new products on the island and not cannibalized the current business environment.

“After speaking with European stakeholders it was advisable that St. Maarten must be part of the Cuba development. The Dutch Ambassador of Cuba has approached Port St. Maarten with respect to advice on Cuban development in regards to possible collaborations which may give a strategic advantage comparing to the other Caribbean islands.” CEO Port St. Maarten Mark Mingo disclosed.

Mingo added that St. Maarten has underestimated Europe. “Reality check, stop wasting resources on declining and risk markets, remember the Brazilian currency has devalued by half, and cruise lines are pulling out in seek of emerging markets with new things to do, and we as a country must tap into this. Our strategic theme for the 21st annual FCCA conference was Reinventing cruise St. Maarten and it is what we have to do to maintain the current market share.

“Cruise destinations will have to take an aggressive approach if they want to survive an ever-changing industry, but I am very upbeat. Virgin Cruises represented by Richard Branson at the conference is preparing a new approach. St. Maarten understands this new approach however as destination we must do more. As discussed during state of the industry the sustainable success is dependent on private sector participation which is at an all-time low. Criticism is easy but put your mouth where your money is, because in the end we all have something to lose,” CEO Mingo concluded.
Seatrade Europe brings together 250 exhibitors from 50 nations with their products, services and innovations, and runs from 9 to 11 September.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Port St. Maarten CEO Mark Mingo (left) meeting with cruise line executives from Pullmantur Cruises discussing opportunities and business for St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will meet in a public plenary session on September 14th. The Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, has confirmed to be present for the parliamentary session.

The plenary session is set for Monday at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg, and is a continuation of the House sitting that was initially held in August.

The agenda point is the protocol signed between the Governments of the Netherlands and Sint Maarten and the apparent unilateral decision by the Netherlands/Dutch Police Agencies regarding the Justice System on Sint Maarten.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

Thank you so much. I am deeply honored with this opportunity to speak at the installation of Sander van Rijen -- Guss Schram.

Dear Mister Chairman, Members of the Joint Court, it indeed gives me great pleasure to congratulate Sander van Rijen. I wish you much judicial wisdom, but of course also a lot of happiness and fun in your new activities. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is looking forward to a pleasant cooperation and I also congratulate the Court with this new Judge.

Today no Prosecutors are being installed. Usually this means that the Public Prosecutor’s Office only uses a limited amount of your time. of the granted speaking time. I do not know if I will succeed in that, Mister Chairman. In particular I would like to address the current events around the fight against crime in Sint Maarten. And there is a lot to say about that. For that matter the period in which mr Van Rijen starts with his work, can be described as turbulent and exciting at best.

Wednesday, August 5th., Sint Maarten was shocked by a horrific incident, which took place in the middle of the day, nearby the Courthouse in a busy Front street. Officer Gamali Benjamin together with a colleague arrived at the scene of a reported armed robbery at a jeweller's shop. On site the assailants directly opened fire on them. Shopkeepers, tourists and Members of Parliament experienced mortal fear and ran for their lives with dozens of bullets flying around. Also those present in this Courthouse heard the shots and the screaming. They must have experienced the most dreadful moments.

Officer Benjamin turned out to be mortally wounded and passed away after three days. The funeral service made a big impression. The island is in shock. Sadness, anger and indignation struggle for preference. Officer ‘Benji’, as he was nicknamed, was somebody well known in Philipsburg and loved by many. Sint Maarten has lost an excellent cop and above all a good person. This horrible drama has painfully demonstrated how crime increasingly affects the society, while costing the lives of the best kids of this island.

With the violent death of Officer Benjamin a critical boundary has been crossed.
The Friendly Island has lost its innocence. Needless to say that the Public Prosecutor’s
Office with its work partners shall do everything within their power to have those responsible for this crime arrested and tried, but more needs to be done. The population of Sint Maarten deserves a safer community with less crime. That is a communal undertaking. Police and Justice have an important role therein, but they cannot do it on their own. The community must also raise its voice and demonstrate adamant rejection of crime. I am calling upon that community to speak out: leaders of civil society organizations and associations, such as churches, schools, trade unions, community centres, as well as business people and politicians. You all can constitute an important counterforce. I would in particular like to call on our parents and families: criminal behaviour is not acceptable and it is threatening individuals and society. Teach your children and lead by example . Protect your children: they are the sons and daughters of this beautiful island.

Another threat exists by the transnational undermining crime, the crime which consists of and results from a mixing of the upper world and the criminal underworld. During the past weeks the Caribbean and Dutch media paid much attention to the discussion between the Governments of Sint Maarten and The Netherlands about how to tackle this type of crime. Not all information published on the subject, formed an accurate representation of reality and not all opinions voiced did correspond with the ones from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Since this issue largely concerns a political matter between both governments, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is reluctant to raise its own voice regarding this subject .

However the Public Prosecutor’s Office ideas in this matter (on fighting this type of crime?) need to be told to the community of Sint Maarten. .
After all it is responsible for and in charge of the investigation and prosecution of
criminal offenses. The community has to be informed as objectively and as completely as possible, about the manner in which the Public Prosecutor’s Office fulfils that task.
Therefore it is essential that the Public Prosecutor’s Office actively communicates about this as well.

Three extensive reports about integrity on Sint Maarten were published within a year. The conclusions of these reports are the same: in comparison with international agreements and frameworks concerning integrity promotion and the fighting of corruption, the overall integrity architecture of Sint Maarten falls short. Several serious wrongs have been observed and there were, inter alia, instances that politicians, directors, top officials and other influential people, deliberately went against government policy for the sake of self-interest, interests of third parties, financial gain, or on other illegal grounds. The De Wit Committee sees the political-governmental culture and the official organizations therefore as a transcended problem and states in

its report that, and I quote, “in particular, the time-honoured system of patronage,
nepotism and ‘give a little, take a little’ is an obstacle for further improvements”.

Besides these reports, Sint Maarten also knows of specific criminal examples which confirm the image of structural integrity violations. I refer to the case in which a Member of Parliament and a brothel owner were condemned for , subornation and human trafficking amongst other things; or the case in which a Member of Parliament was condemned with regard to tax evasion and forgery. There still criminal cases going on sub judice with reference to election fraud as we speak.

In short , there are numerous indications showing that the underworld and legitimate society in Sint Maarten, are structurally intertwined . This expresses itself through undermining crime: corruption within politics and governance, abuse of power, self enrichment, intimidation, election fraud, criminal organizations which are unassailable, etc. Unfortunately the list of examples is very long.
Subversive crime is a malignant and many-headed monster: violent, unscrupulous, deeply rooted and solely focused on power and financial gain.
Moreover it is extraordinarily well-organized and more or less accepted by a large part of the society. As a result it gnaws away at the foundations of our rule of Law and Democracy.

At this moment the Law enforcement chain is not sufficiently able to fight this type of crime, which seeks the vulnerable shell of our young democracies and small-scale societies in which to nestle. Where the crime has developed itself further, the chain of law enforcement agencies, including my own organization the Public Prosecutor’s Office, is insufficiently organized to respond adequately. We, Mister Chairman, can no longer afford this to go on. It is in the interest of the whole Kingdom, that an incorruptible, broad and well organized, professional Law enforcement system is positioned, which is motivated and able to address all types of criminal behaviour to counter the flood of crime. The Public Prosecutor’s Office considers as her task and responsibility to render a substantial contribution to this.

In that framework plans have been made during the past months and are being put in place to adequately deal with transnational undermining crime. Therein, my Office has an initiating role and can count on widespread support of the Judicial Chain Partners within the Kingdom. The Dutch Government has recently made financial means available to contribute to the realization of these plans. To this end the Joint Criminal Investigation Bureau (RST), the Joint Court of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office will be strengthened. The need and urgency to take action now, is broadly felt within the judicial chain as well as in the whole community. I am keen to make optimal use of this momentum: if we do not grab it now, when will we ever?

The image may have arisen by the coverage in the media that the collaboration with the local law enforcement agencies , such as the Police Force of Sint Maarten and the Landsrecherche, is dismissed. That is certainly not the case.
A constructive collaboration between the several judicial and law enforcement agencies within the Kingdom is essential for success in fighting crime effectively. That has always been the case and that will always be the case.
Its relevance is recognized and emphasized wholeheartedly by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Would that have been different, the support of those local services for the current plans would have never been so substantial.

This need for cooperation does not change the special approach required because of the nature of the transnational subversive crime Teams specifically designated for this purpose with specialized detectives must, operate in a shielded environment and set apart from investigation subjects for a longer period of time. They need tobe able to conduct complex and sensitive investigations. Such so-called embargo-investigations, have a high risk of failure which need to be limited as much as possible. Therefore it is necessary that such a team can operate independently. Under those circumstances , cooperating with other investigation services is only possible to a certain extent.
The intended result of this approach and the interest which is thereby being served is our, common goal which is a safer and fairer community with more integrity and less crime.

The basic principle is that where possible the current successful cooperation with local law enforcement agencies will continue, and that also a valuable and appreciated contribution will continue to be rendered to the further professionalization of these services. Only in certain cases, such as embargo-investigations on transnational subversive crime, , there will be a need for restraint in information sharing in the interest of these investigations .

The Court will also be confronted with these current developments and will have to deal with them. The financial means at our disposal are also intended for a strengthening of the Court, and rightly so. An Extensive RST and Public Prosecutor’s Office are meaningless if the judiciary is not organized to deal with the expected influx of large , complex and sensitive criminal cases. In any event sufficiently specialized Criminal Court Judges and Supervisory Judges will have to become available, and the legal and administrative support must be up to standard.

Moreover, attention must be paid to more fundamental issues, such as the question whether it is realistic and desirable to continue the procedure where in first instance only one judge rules in major criminal cases. This not only puts a heavy burden on the individual judge, but also enlarges the risk for intimidation and miscarriages of justice. The mere fact that the Law currently prescribes single settlement, should not stop us from continuing to reflect on how law enforcement may be strengthened and improved and what would be required to reach that goal. We should not allow ourselves to be limited in reflecting on the future, by the reality of the now and here.

Having said all this, you will understand that these are challenging times. Times in which we need to be inventive to be able to carry out changes in the existing structures and resources, and to get other organizations involved., But it is also a time in which we will be looking for new resources so that further reinforcements are made possible.
As the Public Prosecutor’s Office we will commit ourselves wholeheartedly to it. Let me finish by inviting Mr Van Rijen and by him the complete Law enforcement chain, to do the same. That way we all will render a contribution to a safer and fairer Sint Maarten.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you.

Simpson Bay:--- Aqua Mania Adventures will be actively involved in generating awareness for Breast Cancer during the whole month of October by taking part in several organized events and by organizing its own, the Pink Sunset Sail on October 1st, 2015. This one of a kind event will function not only as an awareness event, but also as a fundraiser. Proceeds will go to the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations to help continue their quest to raise Breast Cancer Awareness on the island of St. Maarten and other future projects and activities. The Elektralyets and Positive Foundations have organized a series of event for the Month of October which is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and have teamed up with several businesses in the community to help raise funds and awareness.

The Pink Sunset Sail will take place on October 1st, 2015 and departs at 5.30pm from the marina in Simpson Bay Resort where Aqua Mania Adventures is located. The company made Lambada and Tango, 65’ sailing catamarans, available for a coastal sail into the sunset, allowing 140 people to be part of this unique event.

Tickets are for sale at $40pp, which includes a unique Pink T-shirt, a Pink Lemonade mimosa, open bar, snacks and a wonderful sail along St. Maarten’s golden coastline, sightseeing, sipping cocktails and watching the green flash. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations to support their programs regarding breast cancer. Tickets can be bought at Aqua Mania Adventures locations in Simpson Bay Resort, with Eugene at Divi Little Bay, directly online or at the activity desks for hotel guests.

Fabulous boat trips is what Aqua Mania Adventures is famous for, so they took things a step further and organized a raffle which takes place during the Pink Sunset Sail. With the assistance of local businesses, such as of Penha, UTS, Keijzer Computer Systems and Splash Jewelers, who generously donated fantastic prizes, Aqua Mania Adventures created a fundraising opportunity which will increase the total proceeds for the Foundations.

Aqua Mania Adventures’ Michele Korteweg is excited to organize a fundraiser event that creates awareness for such an important cause. “Breast cancer affects so many people, not just women, as entire families are devastated by this disease. By creating awareness and raising funds for the local foundations, we support the local community with free screenings and education, hopefully emphasizing the importance of having yourself checked as early detection saves lives. It often seems as if there is a taboo on talking about cancer, with a bit of luck an event like our Pink Sunset Sail makes the topic more approachable in an informal and relaxed environment.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- WIB Staff remain committed to deliver their second week of goods collected for the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee of St. Maarten.

“The Windward Islands Bank Ltd., your partner in progress.

Pointe Blanche:--- A fight between three inmates at the Pointe Blanche House of detention has left one of the prisoners injured who was transferred to the St. Maarten Medical Center for emergency treatment. According to information SMN News received states that the fight broke out around 10am Friday morning between three inmates and one of them was stabbed and had to be rushed to the St. Maarten Medical Center.

Efforts made to reach Prison Director Edward Ruan proved futile. SMN News tried contacting press prosecutor Karola van Nie for a statement on the prison fight but the press prosecutor also could not be reached.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that an incident took place at the Pointe Blanche House of Detention and Police Officers had to visit the scene where they conducted a search at the House of Detention. Henson said after the search was conducted police did not find anything illegal. The police spokesman refused to divulge any information on the prison fight stating that members of the media has to find a way to obtain relevant information from the Prison Director Edward Ruan.

 Rene Gartner trying to get his subordinates to cover up for him with the SAP Deal.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of GEBE Rene Gartner has suspended the Financial Auditor of GEBE Sharine Daniel on Wednesday claiming that she went out of line when she conducted a forensic audit at the company and it is there she found out he was misusing his rights on the operational cost for management employees. According to information reaching SMN News Gartner claimed that the financial auditor of GEBE has no authority to conduct such audits without his consent. It should be noted that Gartner is also concerned about the bills that appeared on SMN News that showed how much of the company’s money he has been spending on food and alcohol. Gartner began misusing the coupon and bonds of GEBE after he was caught misusing the company’s credit card. If one should pay keen attention on the food bill of Chippie’s Café they will see how much alcohol Rene Gartner drank on one day. In the letter suspension letter Gartner quoted that Daniel was suspended on behalf of the management and supervisory board whom he said are upset with the information she obtained. It should be noted that Gartner recieved a warning letter from the Chairman of the Supervisory board just weeks ago warning him that he should not be speaking on behalf of the Supervisory Board since he Gartner is not a member of the Supervisory Board.
Daniel wrote a report when she audited the company recently and found out that Gartner paid at least two companies in the United States of America to install a new payroll program for GEBE.The first company Oxford Global was paid $180.00 per hour but Gartner cut that deal and then began doing business with Spectrum where he chose to pay $240.00 per hour ($4,800.00 per week per person which sums up tp ($9,600.00 per week) Gartner did not get any authorization from the Supervisory Board of GEBE to conduct such business with the two American companies. It was during this audit the financial auditor of GEBE found the bills that Gartner had from Chippies Café and Kings Mart. Both of which showed he has chosen another way of bleeding the company funds for his own personal gain.
SMN News further understands that when Rene Gartner found out that the SAP payments he has been making will create a problem for him he wrote an email to one of his subordinates in the company in an effort to influence the person to cover-up for him by telling that person that he must say that the SAP expenditures were budgeted. However, the employee told him that he could not do such thing because there is nothing in the budget of GEBE related to the SAP and when he started his deal with the two companies namely Global Oxford and Spectrum the budget of GEBE was already completed.
It should be noted that Gartner suspended Daniel illegally since he has no authority over Daniel, the financial auditor Sharine Daniel falls under the audit committee whom she is obliged to report to and not the CFO or managing director of the Government owned company. SMN News further learnt that Gartner even blamed Daniel for leaking internal documents that showed all his illegal dealings to SMN News. SMN News also learnt that Gartner had all the locks to Daniel’s office changed late Thursday night, all of which was done illegally.
SMN News further learnt that Rene Gartner will have to explain himself thoroughly on Friday afternoon to the Supervisory Board who will be meeting with him. SMN News will bring an update on the outcome of that meeting later today. Already there are indications that Gartner is in a serious situation because the SAP expenditures which is far more than what Maduro spent when he hired St. Maarten Service Provider without the Supervisory Board consent.

Appointment of CEO William Brooks Delayed by Shareholder

SMN News further learnt that the shareholder representative of the Government owned company Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has been delaying the appointment of William Brooks who got a full nomination from the Supervisory Board since June 18th 2015. It is understood that the shareholder representative is asking the for a profile for Brooks the former CEO of GEBE. If the Prime Minister had read the articles of incorporation of the Government owned company he would realize that the Supervisory Board does not have to provide a profile for the candidate they submitted for appointment.

PHILIPSBURG:---The opposition factions in parliament namely ( the DP and NA that is) has not taken the postponement of the meeting they requested, lightly.
This meeting was requested to debate the government's intention for the dump site in Philipsburg and was convened for Wednesday, September 9th. The opposition agreed with the proposal of the Chairperson of Parliament to hold the meeting on Wednesday, which would have been later than within the 4 days, stipulated by law.
Reasons relayed by the Chairperson were:
The absence of the Prime Minister, Minister VROMI a.i.
The closing and opening of Parliament.
The swearing in of the new ministers.
All valid reasons for us to agree to the Wednesday date.
However, on Tuesday afternoon the Members of Parliament received notification of the meeting's postponement until further notice, "due to illness of the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and infrastructure" (VROMI).
On Thursday Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said in press release that she  informed the Chairperson that this postponement until further notice is illegal, due to the stipulation that a duly requested urgent meeting should be held within four days.
Capitulating to the government's agenda, whatever that agenda may be, will not be accepted.
The Government has to explain what the role of successive ministers of VROMI has been in furthering the solution to the nation's garbage woes over the years.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The opposition factions in parliament namely the National Alliance and the Democratic party wasted no time in trying to obtain informain on the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies and Zebec settlement. In the letter requesting the urgent meeting, the two parties have outlined the reasons for their request as follows:

"The government-owned Harbor Company and its representatives have in the recent past labeled the court action by Zebec against aforementioned company as “wholly without merit” and the claims by the Zebec company as “blatant misrepresentation of facts”. In a round-about way therefore way accusing the Zebec representatives of lying. The lawsuit, which Zebec initiated, was deemed “frivolous” by the representatives of St. Maarten Harbor. The harbor further stated that it would “LOOK INTO OPTIONS OF RECOVERING DAMAGES FROM ZEBEC”!
Now we learn from newspaper reports that Zebec is being paid out and the details are subject to a non-disclosure clause."
What could have transpired that caused such a drastic turn and now the Harbor rather than recover damages, has to pay damages? In the end, all this means is that the taxpayer has to foot the bill, one way or another.
Next week being a meeting week of Parliament, the members are looking forward to this meeting being held within the period stipulated by law, namely 4 days. The same two parties also requested an urgent meeting on the landfill which was supposed to be held earlier this week which was postponed because the Minister claimed to have gotten sick. Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot questioned the sudden illness of the Minister who seemed to have been well enough to attend the opening of Parliament on Tuesday.

GREAT BAY(DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (Ministry ECYS) is closed on Friday, September 11 for Sports Day activities.

The Sports Day activities have been organized for the staff of the ministry to promote team work and team building.

Sports Day activities will take place at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex from 8.00AM to 5.00PM.

The teams that will be competing are: Stafburo and Department of Sports (Aqua Team), Minister’s Cabinet and Inspection (Yellow), DPES and Exam Bureau (Red), Study Financing and Youth Affairs (Purple), SSSD and Department of Culture (Orange), and Education and DEI (Green).

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Dutch Ambassador to Cuba, Norbert W.H. Braakhuis, made a courtesy visit to the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on September 9th.

Both exchanged views about the possible opportunities and challenges for St. Maarten as a result of Cuba’s growing economic development in the Region.

WILLEMSTAD / PHILIPSBURG:---  Gerrit van de Burg, member of the Dutch ‘College van Procureurs-Generaal’ and Steven Burgmeijer, ‘concerndirecteur’ of the Public Prosecutors Office in the Netherlands were this week on a working visit in the Caribbean.

The visit started last Sunday on Sint Maarten and lasts until Friday. During the week they also visited Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba. The agenda included the fight against transnational subversive crime (ondermijnende criminaliteit). The delegation has spoken about the project to combat the subversive crime in Sint Maarten the most adequate and effective way. Discussions were also held on all islands on the legal aspects and staffing period for the OM staff from the Netherlands working in the Caribbean.

The delegation was received in Sint Maarten by Attorney General Guus Schram. In Sint Maarten, Curaçao and Bonaire meetings were held with each Chief Public Prosecutor and all expatriate staff from the Netherlands working in the Caribbean.

The delegation will visit Friday the new location of the Public Prosecutors Office on the Waaigat in Curaçao. This new location for the OM Curaçao will soon open its doors.

Thursday the delegation will be on Aruba where talks will be held with the
Attorney General and the Chief Public Prosecutor from Aruba.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Seven Seas Water recently continued with is regular donation to educational initiatives, this time sponsoring the locally produced HYPE school agendas.

Seven Seas Water sponsored 2015-2016 HYPE school agendas to provide to 300 underprivileged students at our nations schools. Seven Seas stands firm in its belief that education is the key to a brighter future and welcomed the opportunity to make the HYPE Agendas available to high school students in St. Maarten.

This is the fifth edition of the school agenda, which was produced by a team which included students from various high schools in St. Maarten.

Seven Seas Water Managing Director Franklyn Richards said the company supported the initiative in keeping with its philosophy of being a good corporate citizen and a firm supporter of education and educational initiatives. “As such, we regularly embrace the opportunity to contribute towards the development of our community in general, and youth in particular,” Richards said in a press release on Thursday.

Richards noted that Seven Seas Water recognizes education of the country’s youth as a fundamental necessity in preparing the younger generation to assume their social, civic and corporate roles in the future.

“Many of these students do not always have all the needed tools and accessories available to them, during their years of attending school. Some come from underprivileged backgrounds and deserve all the extra help they can get. A school agenda is a practical tool that could be put to very good use. Contributing to education, in general, remains one of our interests. With all of the aforementioned in mind, Seven Seas Water quickly got on board when approached about this initiative,” remarks the Seven Seas Water official.

HYPE coordinator Zulayka Peterson says that all the persons involved in bringing the agenda to fruition are extremely grateful to Seven Seas Water for recognizing the essence of supporting the education of youth in St. Maarten, by providing students with a product that can help make their lives easier in school.

“Thanks to Seven Seas Water, our budding leaders and young academic scholars have an item to help them as they are moulded to take over our roles in the future,” Peterson said. “Seven Seas Water has again demonstrated that it is a good corporate citizen and a supporter of education.”

The HYPE Agenda 2015 – 2016 is themed, “The journey travelled to achieve one’s goals.”

PHILIPSBURG:---- Whenever we see the dehumanizing images of young children from Syria and Somalia washing up on the shores of the European Union, we cannot shake off the feeling that the effect of this in the Netherlands is contributing to the birth of a new “Black Peter” figure (Zwarte Piet). This is admittedly a bizarre, and some would even say obscene connection, but one that began to make sense to us when we took the time to reflect. Permit us to share our reflection with you.
For those unfamiliar with Dutch folklore: Black Peter is the collective name given to the servants of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas), a bearded Santa Claus like figure, originally a Catholic Bishop that brings gifts for children in the Dutch Kingdom on the 5th of December. In the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium the tradition is 500 years old. With colonialism it also became bon ton on Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. You can meet Dutch citizens who would die, metaphorically speaking of course, if someone would dare change their tradition and deprive children of what they consider a perfectly honest fantasy—Black Peter: black clown like figures, with afros, and thick red lips.
According to the myth, Peters are black because of having to go down chimneys to supply well behaved children with the gifts of Saint Nicholas. Since myths aren’t about empirical truths, it is somewhat understandable that the afro and the thick red lips or the impeccable page costumes worn by Black Peters aren’t given any consideration. Neither is the fact that Saint Nicolas who is said to be a Spaniard, was born and raised in Turkey and lived in that country until his death on the 6th of December 324 A.D. Yearly Saint Nicholas travels with his Black Peters from Spain to the Dutch Kingdom with a boat full of presents and returns home with naughty children that his helpers imprison in their empty bags. What becomes of those children no one knows. Although one of us (Francio Guadeloupe) once jokingly heard adults in a pub comment that when these kidnapped children grow up they become Black Peters as only Saint Nicholas is immortal. So much for this all too brief explanation of what is in fact a rich tradition.
As is to be expected there is a growing minority in the Netherlands that are contesting this tradition. Taking over the baton from activist groups such as the Solidarity Movement Suriname (Solidariteits Beweging Suriname) public and academic intellectuals as diverse as Quinsy Gario, Kno’Ledge Cesare, Anousha Nzume, Sunny Bergman, John Helsloot, Zinhi Ozdil, Sylvana Simmons, Kunta Rincho, Alex van Stipriaan, Artwell Cain, Abulkasim Al-Jaberi, Manu van Kersbergen, Ramona Sno, Mitchel Esajas, Corna Dirks, and Kevin Roberson to name but a few, argue that the Sint Nicholas tradition with its Black Peters is a remnant of Dutch imperialism.
Yearly Dutch children with a darker hue are teased and called Black Peter—meaning insipid happy-go-lucky black servant. What’s more, they stress that the tradition symbolically legitimizes the continuing blight that is racism against dark skinned people of Sub-Saharan descent in the Netherlands. These activist intellectuals use their scholarly prowess to make the case that Saint Nicholas gained black servants in 1850, more precisely, in the work of the Dutch author and educator Jan Schenkman.
This date is of course interestingly close to the period that slavery was being abolished in the Dutch World. It does not surprise these intellectuals that eight years after his first appearance in print, Jan Schenkman proceeded to depict Black Peter as an eternal boy (read “boy” in terms of Jim Crow USA and the UK’s golliwog figure) with an Afro, thick lips, a beret and page costume. Scientific racism—science being used to present the lie of there being biological races instead of one human race—had its companion in the racist culture and arts of the time. White, was alright, Black, slave like. Activist intellectuals emphasize that the intentions of those who celebrate Black Peter do not count; what does count are the consequences, which prolong the racial nightmare the Dutch world is trying to awaken from.
Rather simplistically put, these are the two camps: 1) the pro Black Peter bloc that base themselves on myth (Black Peter is actually a white man), intentionality (most people do not mean to denigrate black people when they engage in the Saint Nicholas celebration), and the noble cause of defending cultural heritage and the right of children in the Netherlands to have fun free from the intellectualizing of grownups, 2) the anti-Black Peter bloc that base their argument on history, consequential ethics, and the need to decolonize Dutch cultural heritage so black children will not to be negatively stereotyped.
Our take on the whole debate surrounding the figure of Black Peter is to connect this cultural heritage with the new political correctness in the Netherlands on the refugees seeking to enter fortress Europe.
If we were to believe the dominant message coming out of the mouths of leading politicians, conservative pundits, and opinion makers in the Netherlands, we would think, that as is supposedly the case in the entire European Union, Les Pays-Bas is being flooded by Third World peoples who may have Jihadist leanings and cultural mores that are backward when compared to Enlightened Dutch citizens. In fact these refugees may strengthen the intolerant tendencies displayed by the new Dutch, those from the Third World and those who have parents that were born in the Global South. We however consider this new political correctness politically suspect, as it obscures vital aspects of the current refugee crisis.
Of the 60 million human beings on the run, only 600.000 sought entry into the 508 million strong European Union in 2014. When we look at the Netherlands with its population of 16 million, it needs to be emphasized that about 13.500 persons sought asylum in 2015. The supposed flood of refugees turns out to be, to put it mildly, an overstatement. There is also a clear connection between the growth of refugees and the exploitative practices of multinational companies in the Third World whose centers of operation are located in the wealthy parts of the globe (the Netherlands and the EU as a whole being an example hereof). Then there is the undeniable historical record of the governments of wealthy countries, the capitals of these multinational companies, helping to keep many of the Third World dictators in power (think Syria). And last, we cannot but see the colonial legacy staring us straight in the face. The countries, from which the refugees are fleeing, are the same ones that were dominated by Imperial Europe. No, we haven’t succumbed to the new political correctness.
So what does this all have to do with Saint Nicholas and Black Peter? A lot, if you know how to look. Through education, popular opinion, arts and craft, commerce, and a host of state backed activities, an ideal conception of the citizen is created by contrasting it with a fantastic image of an intimate yet ultimate outsider. Both images find their translation, amongst other things, in the dominant childrearing practices of a society. In the Netherlands of the 19th century, the time when Black Peter was born, the ideal conception of the Dutch citizen was a white, wise, rational, sober, upright, god fearing, principled, emotionally in control person that carried his/her body like a knights armor. The intimate yet ultimate Other bore all the characteristics that according to the dominant narrative Dutch people should not be: an irrational, emotional, playful, black or brown, hedonistic, malicious, eternally childlike person unfit to govern him- or herself. But of course most Dutch exhibited these traits, except for well being black or brown! These negated traits had a certain attraction, especially because they were frowned upon. Slowly, as is always the case in every centralized society, a national figure emerged in the popular culture related to upbringing through which this drama of repulsion and attraction could be ritually enacted: Black Peter from Spain (in a fantastic feat, the Spanish from whom the Dutch gained independence was tied to the black colonized in the Dutch possessions!). Black Peter, the malicious one with a spice of attraction.
Now fast track to the second half of the 20th century, the time of decolonization, the period that the offspring of the colonized living in the Netherlands join hands with the progressive descendants of the nation that colonized them to fight the racism they see in the figure of Black Peter. Think of the work of Quinsy Gario and the other intellectuals we mentioned. Concessions are made (never without a fight). Attraction gains more ground. Black Peter becomes a more likable figure. Children want to be like him, they are more interested in him than Saint Nicholas. With United Nation committees on cultural heritage and racism choosing the side of the anti-Black Peter protesters (for example the Working Group for the People of African Descent of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), leading politicians like the Dutch Deputy Prime Minister, the honourable Lodewijk Asscher, admit that in the poly-ethnic Netherlands, black and brown, despite being predominantly white, the tradition will have to undergo more changes (the Prime Minister however, the honourable Mark Rutte, and Dutch EU Commissioners, such as Frans Timmermans, aren’t so forthcoming).
As an aside we must mention that on the Dutch Caribbean islands, the majority has traditionally employed the subtle tactic of co-production. Black people on Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire paint their faces black or white thereby perpetually severing the link between these Black Peter and Saint Nicholas and human beings. In co-producing the tradition they have also successfully made Black Peter blue, green, and red, beside black (Perhaps in the spirit of creating equitable ties within Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministers of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the commissioners on the BES islands/overseas municipalities, ought to encourage their counterparts in the Hague to be more sensitive to the racial underpinnings of our colonial legacy).
Back to the Dutch case. The burning question is what happens next with Black Peter recognizing that s/he will change dramatically? To answer that question more fully one needs to appreciate that a new image of the ideal Dutch citizen is emerging: educated, trustworthy, feminist minded, gay friendly and secular to the bone, yet defending a Judeo-Christian heritage. And his/her Other, his/her new “Black Peter”? Well, it is too soon to tell. But s/he seems to be a religiously fanatic (Islamic), homophobic, misogynistic, uneducated and untrustworthy refugee out to steal the wealth of the Netherlands. And with all the repulsion there is for this Other that embodies the repressed parts of Dutch people, one can smell the faint whiff of attraction. Soon a fantastic translation of this Other will emerge in the nationally endorsed popular culture. This is what we mean when we say that in the Netherlands the new “Black Peter” will be grafted on the refugees washing up on the shores of fortress Europe.

• Dr. Francio Guadeloupe: President/Interim Dean of Academics of the University of St. Martin (USM)
• Mr. Erwin Wolthuis: Division Head of Business and Hospitality programs of USM.
• Mr. Pedro de Weever: Lecturer at the USM
• Ms. Sharelly Emanuelson: guest lecturer at the USM
• Ms. Jordi Halfman: guest lecturer at the USM

SABA:--On September 9th , 2015 in the evening, a hotel owner came to the police with the announcement that two hotel guests had not returned from the Sandy Cruz Trail.
The hotel owner was worried about the man and the woman who were regular guests and who also had a reservation booked for dinner for that evening.
Shortly afterwards the Police, in collaboration with the Fire Brigade, the ranger and the Island Governor launched a search operation and the victim support services searched the entire Sandy Cruz Trail, from 10.30 PM. Around 1:45 AM, the search was halted.

The following morning the emergency services, in collaboration with the Saba Conservation Foundation, again searched on different trails.
This time with result because around 11:00 AM the two persons were found by the search team.
This made further up scaling and use of a helicopter unnecessary.
The two persons were taken to the A.M. Edwards Medical Center and questioning by the police will continue during the day in order to get to the exact circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

The Police Department, the Fire Department and the Island Governor would like to acknowledge the outstanding cooperation of all parties involved.

Twee vermiste personen terecht

Op 09 september 2015 in de avonduren, kwam er bij de politie een melding van een hotel eigenaar met de mededeling dat er twee hotel gasten, niet waren teruggekeerd van de Sandy Cruz Trail.
De hoteleigenaar maakte zich zorgen om de man en de vrouw, die vaste klanten waren en ook hadden gereserveerd voor het avond eten.
Kort daarna heeft de politie in samenwerking met de Brandweer, de range en de gezaghebber een zoek actie gestart en hebben de hulpverleningress diensten de volledige Sandy Cruz Trail afgezocht, waarmee omstreeks 22.30 uur mee is gestart. Rond 1.45 uur is de zoekactie gestaakt.

De volgende morgen is wederom door de hulpdiensten in samenwerking met de Saba Conservation Foundation op verschillende trails gezocht.
Dit keer met resultaat, want rond 11.00 uur zijn de twee personen door het zoek team aangetroffen op de trail.
Hierdoor was verdere opschaling en het inzetten van een helikopter onnodig geworden.
De beide personen zijn voor onderzoek naar het A.M. Edwards Medical Center gegaan en zullen verder op de dag door de politie worden ondervraagd om zo achter de exacte toedracht rond de vermissing te komen.

Namens de politie, brandweer en de gezaghebber worden alle betrokkenen bedankt voor de perfecte samenwerking.

PHILIPSBURG:---The Government of St. Maarten “quietly” via the Department of Communication made known the postponement of the Miami 2 St. Maarten Showdown Roy Jones Jr. and Danny Santiago fight, to which fight the government said “it contributed”.
The Government went on to say that the postponement had to do with hurricane Danny etc. etc.
What government did not say was that it entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the foreign Keaton Corporation to organize this event to the tune of $ 185.000,--.
By letter of September 2nd, 2015 Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said she requested from Ministers Connor and Hassink, a copy of this MOU.
MP Wescot Williams said they learned from news reports of alleged legal woes Roy Jones Jr. is facing or might be facing in the future.
MP Wescot Williams said in a press release that she is still awaiting a copy of this MOU, before asking the government any further questions about its role in bringing this fight to St. Maarten in the first place. What government needs to explain firstly is whether the $ 185.000,-- was paid out and if this money was taken from the tourism promotion budget.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Breakthrough finalists are into the last round of rehearsals for the upcoming TelCell Breakthrough Talent Search contest later this month, but will be taking a well-deserved break this Saturday, to receive some words of wisdom and encouragement from music star Omari Banks.
Show organizers say Omari offered his services after the names of the finalists were announced following a gruelling audition session on St. Maarten in August. Managers of the Summit Hotel, in Cupecoy, also jumped on board soon after to offer a venue for the gathering.
According to TelCell Breakthrough coordinator Angel Richardson, Omari knows only too well what the young stars in the making are going through, having been on that side of the stage himself many years ago when he won many talent shows as a youth.
One reviewer notes of Omari Banks’ music, “With a simple musical mission to spread messages of love and consciousness, his assimilation of traditional Jamaican Reggae music, accentuated with Rock and Blues backbeats, is an adult contemporary fusion that blends seamlessly with Lovers Rock and R ‘N’ B.
Omari received his own inspiration from his father, well-known musician, Bankie Banx, having sung his first song alongside “pops” in Milan Italy, while only a child. It has however generally been his own hard work and ambition to perform that has helped him to create some very personal and deeply moving music, which has topped regional charts and has also earned him international acclaim.
“We are so grateful to Omari for giving up his time and coming over from Anguilla to speak with the Breakthrough finalists and to also answer any questions they may have about the industry and how to navigate the talent in the Caribbean and wider afield,” said Angel.
She said the performers are “very excited” about Saturday’s gathering even if it means giving up some hours of their own rehearsal and practice time. Most are interested in the many stories Omari tells about his life as a cricketer and the first Anguillan to play for the West Indies, also about this travels around the world.
Angel has also thanked the Summit Hotel for hosting the star and allowing organizers to host the gathering of finalists there before they take to the stage at the Casino Royale, Maho, September 26.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Starting September 16th, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library will be providing a course for adults on how to use Microsoft Excel. The course will take place in the Media Lab and will be provided twice a week by instructor Kenneth Peters.
The course is targeted towards people who are familiar with Excel and would like to do better analysis. Would you like to bring innovative solutions to your personal budgeting at home, business or company you work for? Then don’t miss this innovative course in Microsoft Excel. Some of the things that you can learn during the course are calculating with and using functions, creating powerful analysis, understanding how an analysis flow or tree can be designed, translating business-requirements into data-driven solutions and making better use of your data in excel sheets or other file formats.
This 20-part course will take place on Wednesdays from 6 pm to 8 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm. The fee for this course is $ 5 for each session. If you would like to take part in the Excel sessions, sign up by calling the library on 542 2970, e-mail Francia Housen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or register online at www.medialabsintmaarten.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Animal Defenders Foundation held a successful Doggie Bingo last Saturday, where some 300 animal lovers from all walks of life attended to raise funds for animals on the island; “The Doggy Bingo and Adoption Drive was an overwhelming success. We had an excellent Bingo caller Sylvia Fromstein and an excellent MC Jennifer Carty who entertained and informed an excellent turnout of about 350 people,” commented Animal Defenders President Mercedes De Windt.

The Funds raised during last week’s Bingo will go towards the Animal Defenders Animal Care Day to be held on the fourth of October on World Animal Day, where professionals in the animal field will inform pet lovers how best to take care of animal family members giving information on what to feed and what not to feed; the importance of grooming, nail clipping and other hygiene and health issues. Pets at the event will also be able to get a free dip or other flea and tick treatments for a significantly reduced price. “During the Animal Care Day it is also our aim to have the pets vaccinated and have their caretakers pledge to spay or neuter their pets. This will also be possible thanks to our sister foundation St. Maarten Animal Welfare who has always supported us tremendously. Both foundations wish to see and work hard on solving the animal overpopulation problem we have on Sint Maarten, so the funds raised with the bingo event will go towards the vaccinations and spay/neuter operations and after care, “continued De Windt.

During last Saturday’s event there was one kitten adopted and the Foundation is now in the process of having two additional animals adopted. If anyone is interested in adopting a pet all animals can be seen on the Animal Defenders SXM Facebook Page; “The animals on our Island are lucky to have such heartwarming and dedicated volunteers working for them. Animal Defenders has four feeding teams at four different locations but it would be great if more teams of feeding volunteers could be set up in more districts on our island. We could also use more foster parents for the dogs until we find them a permanent home,” concluded De Windt.

Animal Defenders would like to thank Mr. Michel Cleaver of Winair, Pamela Sims of Animal Welfare, our MC Jennifer Carty of Altus, the Bingo caller Mrs. Sylvia Fromstein and the two Carnival queens Teen Queen Jondalin Brown and Junior Queen Doranyia Pascal, La Bamba Beach Bar, all sponsors who contributed to the event, all volunteers and animal fosterers and the event’s Photographer Mr. Bas van den Bosch.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) 2015 event that was scheduled for Saturday, September 12 at the White & Yellow Cross in St. John’s Estate, has been postponed until Saturday, September 19.

The decision was taken on Monday/Tuesday due to the approach what was then Tropical Storm Grace out of safety for senior citizens, volunteers and organizers.

Senior citizens can continue to sign-up for activities planned now planned for September 19 at the White & Yellow Cross in St. John’s Estate, can continue to register for the event.

September 19 will be a fun day of activities for the country’s seniors who are 60+. Look out for the registration form in the Government Information Page (GIP) in both daily newspapers between now and Thursday. This form should be filled in and dropped off at one of several locations.

The registration form can be dropped off at the Post Office in P.O. Box 1018 or at the Department of Collective Prevention Services (CPS), Vineyard Office Complex; the Baby Clinic, behind Guardian Group Fatum Insurances; Sint Martin’s Home Front Desk, St. John’s Estate Road #6, St. John’s Estate; Health Care Clinic, Cole Bay, Welfare Rd. #15 (opposite Vlaun Car Dealer); Physio Fit, Welgelegen Rd. #33 or FAX to 542-9716.

The registration form should be submitted by the end of the day on Thursday, September 17.

The CPS, a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the While and Yellow Cross Foundation (WYCF), and the Windward Islands Physical Therapy Association (WIPTA), are organizing the activities for September 19 which will allow the nation’s seniors to do some form of exercise that will be good for their health and is in line with the local theme: Age Active...U 2 Can Move!”

CUL DE SAC:---- The Management of St. Maarten Academy’s academic campus would like to announce that Parent Evening for Forms 2 to 5 is set for Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 6:30pm.

This meeting is mandatory for all parents of students of Forms 2, 3, 4, and 5 attending the academic campus. Very important matters that relate to students’ education at St. Maarten Academy will be discussed, including the way forward on tracking your child’s academic progress.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education will also be on hand to make a presentation and answer questions as they relate to compulsory education.

Principal Drs. T. Baly-Vanterpool would like to encourage parents to invest in their children’s education by attending the meeting. Parents we can’t do it without you.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that that there will be a temporary road closure on Thursday, September 10 of Link 1 Little Bay Road.

The closure will take place between 10.00am to 11.00am and again at 3.00pm to 4.30pm.

Loose soil at 32B Little Bay Road will be removed from a slope coming down to the main road.

The Little Bay Road is a high traffic area. The removal of the loose soil is to ensure the safety of motorized traffic and pedestrians along that particular stretch of road.
Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.

POINTE BLANCHE:----  Seatrade Europe Cruise & River Cruise Convention kicked off on Wednesday in Hamburg, Germany, where a delegation from Port St. Maarten is representing the country at the Caribbean Village.
Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo, on Wednesday from Hamburg, stated that the conference is important for destination St. Maarten where it brings together industry decision makers and insiders to discuss and set new trends, and network.
Mingo and his delegation were informed about the state of the industry which revealed that economic output is all up 18 per cent since 2009; source market up 14 per cent; direct expenditures up 18 per cent; and cruise employment up 18 per cent.
“European lines are investing in building new ships. The Europeans are responsible for around 50 per cent of the new builds. Despite the challenges that Europe is facing, the dilemma of the massive shifts of refugees impacting the economies along with weak economies, there are a lot of opportunities for St. Maarten.
“We learnt that the European lines will also be launching new technology vessels running on dual fuel usage including LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). The state of the industry report clearly indicated the leader will be ports that have an answer to the fueling strategy of LNG vessels.

“Ports will have to cater to these new vessels, and indeed Port St. Maarten has prepared itself with this new development and created the new Harbour Fueling Company together with TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) which was based on the business meeting with the Dutch Government over a year ago. This will impact the growth of cruise calls.

“Other topics brought forward so far at the conference specifically to deal with important matters for Ports and Governments were, improving Port Infrastructure, impact on inconsistent European Union policy enforcement which includes French St. Martin; less restrictive visa processes and localized issues and unrest in historic destinations.

“The aforementioned does impact St. Maarten. Europe loses a potential of six million new visitors due to visa restrictions. This is killing for European Cruise passengers. I am very disappointed with the approach of French St. Martin still wanting to compete with the Dutch side of the Island. I could remember discussing this where European funding is just not the way to compete with us.

“Port St. Maarten will continue to remain focused and develop our strategic plans to keep destination St. Maarten ahead. We will be taking an aggressive approach in order to increase European market share. Our participation in Seatrade Europe is indispensable for building new relationships and intensifying existing ones,” CEO Mingo concluded.

The world’s fastest growing source market to support it, the cruise industry in Europe has taken its place in the mainstream of the leisure sector. Industry peers and experts at Seatrade Europe are debating the opportunities and challenges that go with the aforementioned status during the two and half days of high-level conference, covering a broad spectrum of topics.

In Europe, the market has grown by an impressive 44 per cent since 2008 where a total of 6.4 million guests from Europe went on board in European ports in 2014. The sales volume was 40.2 billion Euros, and the number of jobs have increased to 349,000.
Seatrade Europe brings together 250 exhibitors from 50 nations with their products, services and innovations, and runs from 9 to 11 September.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Former Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Maria Buncamper- Molanus and her husband Claudius Buncamper urged the court of First Instance on Wednesday to throw out the entire case the Prosecutor Office brought against them after four years.
The judge is expected to give a ruling next week Wednesday. On the other hand the prosecutor’s office has decided to drop the second charge of ‘money laundering’ against the Buncamper’s because of improper procedures by the former prosecutor that was handling the case. Prosecutor Gonda van der Wulp who took her cellular phone and took photographs of a desk that had letters and other documents that the prosecutor and their search team could not touch during the house search some months ago. The prosecutor office admitted that they have decided to remove Prosecutor Gonda van der Wulp from the case after learning of her actions on the day of the search. SMN News reported earlier that the attorney representing the Buncamper’s wrote the prosecutor’s office highlighting the misconduct of Prosecutor Gonda Van der Wulp. On Wednesday Prosecutor Dounia Bennamar who once worked on St. Maarten travelled from Curacao to represent St. Maarten’s Prosecutor’s Office.
The Buncamper’s case finally went to court after the Buncamper’s took the Prosecutor’s Office to court last year after waiting on the Prosecutor’s Office to either say whether or not they will be charged after it was made known through various media articles that the Buncamper’s had sold the economic rights to a company called Eco-Green. The Buncamper’s sold the economic rights for some three million dollars.
At first the prosecutor’s office charged the Buncamper’s with tax evasion, claiming that they did not declare the sale of the economic rights when making their tax declarations, they then changed their strategy when they realized that they had made a mistake, later they said the company Eco- Green did not  declare its taxes based on the sale of the economic rights of a parcel of lease land on the Pondfill.
The Buncamper’s through their attorney challenged the Prosecutor’s Office on equal treatment since other methods were used against other companies and or persons who did not make proper tax declaration. Attorney at Law Jairo Bloem told the court that it seems as though the prosecutor’s office have different rules when it comes to politicians since they (prosecutor’s office) went as far as falsifying documents in the Buncamper’s case. Another point that the Buncamper’s highlighted and basically smashed the legitimacy of the RST on St. Maarten whom they said must be appointed but so far there is no proof that the RST working on St. Maarten were appointed since they are unable to obtain documents from the Ministry of Justice to show that the RST detectives that investigated their case were appointed based on the Police Law of Country St. Maarten.
The Buncamper’s  told the court that in their view the Prosecutor’s Office and RST acted dubious, unethical and even illegal when investigating the case in order to mislead the court.
Wednesday’s hearing is the fourth so-called Management Hearing that was handled in the Buncamper’s versus the Public Prosecutors Office. Previously, management hearings were conducted on January 7th, February 26th and June 10th, 2015. The material handling of the case were delayed on Wednesday because one of the defendants, namely the ex-notary Mr. F. Gijsbertha, could not attend the hearing for personal reasons.
During the hearing attorney at law Bloem who represented the Buncampers first asked the court to hear three witnesses, namely; the previous case Public Prosecutor, Mrs. Gonda Van der Wulp, police officer Mr. F. Machielsen and Mr. Claudius Anthony Buncamper, junior. The reasons given for hearing the previous case public prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp, who was removed by the chief Public Prosecutor Mr. Ton Maan from the case for committing serious violations, is to be able to question her decision to take pictures of confidential information during the house search of the Buncampers. Bloem pointed out that a written report made under oath by Mrs. Van der Wulp furthermore contains factual representations that are simply incorrect, factually impossible and contradictory to other reports of officials, also made under oath.
The hearing of Mr. Machielsen was necessary because his written statements are contradicted by statements of several witnesses. Mr. Claudius A. Buncamper junior witnessed the house search by the removed Public Prosecutor, Mrs. Van der Wulp and was able to render testimony pertaining to what exactly happened.
The justice Lemaire who handled the hearing through videoconference from courthouse in Aruba, stated that he wanted to hear the possible preliminary defense of the defendant parties, before taking a decision on whether or not witnesses would be heard.
Newly appointed Public Prosecutor Mrs.Dounia Benammar proceeded with explaining the Court that pictures were taken by only the previous Public Prosecutor, Mrs. Van der Wulp, during a house search at the residence of the Buncampers, without in short permission of the Judge of Instruction. This second house search was deemed urgently necessary by the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp, after having conducted a house search by the witness Mr. F. Fleming, previously. Bennamar explained that by law taking pictures is considered seizing goods. Pictures were taken from confidential letters between the Buncampers and their attorney. This is illegal and absolutely not sanctioned by the Public Prosecutors Office. The Public Prosecutors Office values integrity and therefore decided that it should be declared inadmissible in its second indictment against the Buncamper’s, for what it considers a serious infringement that tarnishes the integrity with which it must conduct itself.
Benammar stated that although it could be argued that it is doubtful that Buncamper’s suffered any damage because of the violation, the violation in question was severe enough to justify the non-admissibility of the Public Prosecutors Office in its second indictment against Buncampe’s. This violation in her opinion however does not affect the first indictment and also not the cases against the other defendants.
Benammar proceeded by explaining that the pictures taken by the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp were subsequently sent by Mrs. Van der Wulp to both the Chief Public Prosecutor Mr. Tom Maan and to Benammar herself, as the Coordinating or Researching Public Prosecutor in that case. Although she received the email with the attachments, she did not open the attachments, at least not all of them. She started opening some attachment and read that a letter was addressed to Bloem by stating “Jairo” or “Beste Jairo”. According to Benammar, she then stopped reading the attachments. Bennamar also stated that she did not have any more communication with the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp.
The attorney Hatzmann who represented the defendant Havertong put forward a technical plea, in which he argued in short for expansion of the so-called ‘Schutznorm’, which in short states that if the defense interests of a suspect that are protected by a rule of law are not violated directly by a violation of said rule of law, but interests of other parties were, then such violation of no consequence for this suspect. According to Hatzmann strict appliance of the Schutznorm can result in unfavorable and unfair consequences. The law is always moving/changing and there is no place for a strict appliance of the Schutznorm in this case, Hatzmann said. The Public Prosecutors Office would not be able to explain to the general public that in the case that carries the name “Buncamper versus the Public Prosecutors Office” the Buncamper’s are no longer being prosecuted because of mistakes made by the removed Public Prosecutor, whilst the other defendants that are well known in the community will still have to appear before the courts..
Bloem argued on behalf of Buncamper’s that there were various violations by the Public Prosecutors office in the case of his clients. These violations should all be considered jointly, in determining whether or not the Public Prosecutors office is still admissible in its prosecution of the Buncamper’s.

According to Bloem the principles of equality, proportionality and whether or not legal prosecution is opportune, should have resulted first and foremost in exploring a solution for an alleged tax issues through the Inspectorate Office and/or the Receivers Office. Bloem quoted the names of various prominent business persons and companies on the island, with same and scope-with much larger and complicated tax related issues, that were resolved out-of-court, by means of investigation and concluded agreements with the Inspectorate/Receivers Office. The only difference in this case is that Mrs. Buncamper is a public figure, next in line to become a parliamentarian, if any of the existing ones cease to function. This however cannot constitute a valid reason to prosecute her criminally, in deviation of the existing policies and manner in which same/similar cases were handled for various other persons on St. Maarten. Bloem said that this is an arbitrary.
Bloem next pointed out that there were severe discrepancies in what the investigating officer Mr. Machielsen said that the witnesses Hollard, Fleming and Boasman allegedly said, and in what these witnesses who testified before the Judge of Instruction actually stated that they said. “There is absolutely no justification for these differences, moreover, Mr. Machielsen never read his notes to these witnesses, did not make statements for them to sign and also, despite requests of some of the witnesses to obtain copies of the statements that Mr. Machielsen made of what they allegedly said, also did not give this them the statements to read.”

The Public Prosecutors Office moreover violated the law by, whilst the hearing of a witness was suspended by the Judge of Instruction so that the Public Prosecutors Office could obtain only obtain the digital bookkeeping from the witness and immediately give this to the Judge of Instruction and the defense, the Public Prosecutors Office decided to wait more than four weeks before handing over the information. What is even more troublesome is that it proceeded by questioning the same witness itself, extensively, outside of the presence of both the defense lawyer and the Judge of Instruction. This is clearly another example of misusing, not to say abusing prosecution rights and violating the principles of good criminal procedural order. The witness was also said to have been unduly pressured by the Public Prosecutors Office.
Bloem also explained that contrary to the specific representation of the Attorney General, Mr. Taco Stein that no charges for money-laundering would be brought against Buncamper’s, the Public Prosecutors Office decided at a very late stage to proceed with the charge. Mr. Taco Stein also said during the procedure initiated by Mrs. Buncamper to bring a resolution to the fact that she was being considered a suspect for more than four years back then, without any concrete action on the side of the Public Prosecutors Office, that the delay in the investigation which was acknowledged was regretful, but caused by the fact that there were no investigating police officers on St Maarten. Stein said these investigators would have arrived in August, 2014. However, Mr. Machielsen was stationed in St. Maarten before and he is the one who conducted the investigation, allegedly within the three month deadline given by the Court of First Instance and with the help of other police officers that were also residing on St. Maarten long before.
Contrary to 3- months deadline to conclude the preliminary investigation imposed by the Court, the Public Prosecutors Office continued its investigation on the sideline in a so-called ‘parallel investigation’. Under given circumstances, this should be deemed improper and/or illegal, according to Bloem. Another troublesome issue Bloem raised is that the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van de Wulp explicitly told to the previous case justice, Mrs. Paulides, that absolutely no further investigations were needed and that the case was completely finished and ready for trial which she said would have been done expeditiously. Mrs. Van der Wulp subsequently proceeded to, as soon as the justice Paulides denied her petition to join both the first and the second indictment and awarded the petition of all defendants to hear all requested witnesses again in the second indictment case pertaining to money-laundering, conduct further house searches, and question several witnesses. This further investigation does not only violate the representation and commitments by the removed Public Prosecutor, it was performed in an illegal way, by intervening in the investigation that was performed by the Judge of Instruction, as per order of the previous case justice, Mrs. Paulides.
The issue pertaining to the legality or illegality of RST police officers who are appointed and sworn in the Netherlands, to perform investigative actions on St. Maarten, without any appointment by St. Maarten’s Minister of Justice and without being sworn in, was also addressed. Bloem stated that both the investigating officers Lutterman and en Berge were not appointed and sworn in, whilst they conducted the majority of the investigation in the case of Buncamper’s, for years. He said after the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp was instructed by the previous case justice Paulides to report in writing when referenced police officers were appointed and sworn in, she tried to dodge this question by referring to a statement of the back then Researching Public Prosecutor Bennamar, who now became the case the public Prosecutor. Mrs. Bennamar stated in short that under the existing “working together regulation” for the RST, police officers from the Netherlands could work directly on St. Maarten, without having to be sworn in. Bloem explained that this is in dire contrast with the existing laws and that this position is also not sustained by the Minister of Justice of St. Maarten. Consequently, the investigation performed by the RST officers whilst not being appointed and sworn in on St Maarten is simply illegal and this is another reason why the Public Prosecutors Office should be declared inadmissible in its claims against Buncamper’s.
The points raised by Bloem now raises eye brows as to the intention of the Dutch Government who wants to send some 55 RST officers to St. Maarten to work as they apply certain measures.
If RST officers have to be appointed and sworn in but were not, this could have far reaching consequences for investigations conducted in various cases and result in so-called revision procedures. This would certainly explain why Netherlands insists in being able to appoint investigating police officers directly on St Maarten, a measure that does not seem to be supported by the St. Maarten Government
Finally Bloem pointed out that while it is commendable that the Public Prosecutor Bennamar accepts that a severe violation by a public prosecutor raises questions pertaining to integrity of the Public Prosecutors Office, the conclusion that this violation only affects the second case is incorrect. Furthermore, by accepting that there was a severe violation that must be sanctioned by the inadmissibility of the Public Prosecutors Office in the second case, same Public Prosecutors Office accepted that there is a disadvantage for the Buncamper’s. “There is nothing that limits this disadvantage to only the second case. Moreover, since the correspondence that was illegally obtained and of which pictures were made, regarded both the first and second indictment and actually mostly the first indictment.”
Bloem furthermore stated that although there are two separate indictments there is ultimately one case. The second indictment continues on the charges made in the first indictment, since the charge of money-laundering requires a crime and that crime is described in the first indictment. According to Bloem the legislator does not require Buncamper’s and their defense and the justice to speculate as to whether or not the newly appointed Public Prosecutor took notice of the illegally obtained evidence/documents and spoke with the removed Public Prosecutor. The sanction to such severe violations should simply at all times the inadmissibility of the Public Prosecutors office. Experience shows that a sound those of distrust in also the functioning of the Public Prosecutors Office, is in practice warranted, Bloem said.
Contrary to what Bennamar stated to removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp was not open and transparent with her violation. Whilst she discussed the house search afterwards with the judge of instruction, she never mentioned taking pictures of nota bene confidential information. It was only after the defense wrote the judge of instruction and informed him accordingly almost one week after the house search, that the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp came forward and admitted this ‘mistake’. That cannot qualify as openness and being transparent. The question remains as to whether or not this Public Prosecutor would have also come forward if the defense would not have pointed this mistake out to the judge of instruction.

If the Public Prosecutors office would have found evidence during the second house search at the residence of Buncamper’s pertaining to the five charges in the first indictment, they would have most certainly used this evidence and no one could have argued that the evidence was illegally obtained. Why is it then, that after a severe violation is established, this violation should only have repercussions for the second indictment, Bloem asked?
While Prosecutor Bennamar wants the Court to believe that there are so-called “Chinese Walls” in the Public Prosecutors Office, this is not the case, Bloem continued. The Public Prosecutors Office is “one and inseparable” (in Dutch: “een en ondeelbaar”). Information in possession of certain of its members should therefore be considered generally known within this office. The legislator did not intend for third parties to have to speculate as to whether or not all members are aware of certain data, Bloem told the court.
Bennamar stated, in response to the statement by Bloem that Buncamper’s are not required to believe her because of her beautiful blue yes, well actually brown in her case, that she did not take any notice of confidential information, that she takes her oath of telling the truth and her job quite seriously and when she thus states that she did not take notice of the attachments to the emails sent to her by the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp, she is simply stating the truth.
Bloem explained that contrary to what Benammar said it was not only the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp who took pictures of confidential data in the house of the Buncampers. The investigating officer Lutterman also took various pictures, contrary to what Benammar stated or in any case what the removed Public Prosecutor Mrs. Van der Wulp told Benammar. If this case should continue, it is imperative to therefore hear Mrs. Van der Wulp, Mr. Machielsen, Mr. C.A. Buncamper junior and Mrs. Lutterman, Bloem said.
The fact that this case is now ongoing for almost 5 years and that it will soon be 1 year since the court procedure started was also brought forward, causing undue delay, is yet another procedural mistake that together with all the other ones, warrants declaring the Public Prosecutors inadmissible.
Justice Lemaire will render a verdict on September 16, 2015.

SIMPSON BAY:---The St.Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) has been asked by the Dominica Marine Association to assist after the passing of TS Erika, which left Dominica devastated from flooding. The SMMTA on behalf the Dominica Marine Association is urging the community to assist in any way possible. As a huge rush is going out at the moment, we will be sending our donations and supplies within the next few weeks, as the need becomes great again. Donations can be made locally to the SMMTA at the office at Isle De Sol Marina and we will then transfer the entire amount to the Dominica Marine Association. If anyone would like to donate supplies, these can also be dropped off at Isle De Sol Marina. If you have a vessel that can be used to transport supplies to Dominica, please contact us directly. If you prefer to donate individually or have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club recently hosted about 100 visitors from various Lions and Leo Clubs around the region for the 1st Cabinet Meeting at the Sonesta Maho Beach Convention Center. The meetings were chaired by 2015-2016 District Governor for Sub-District 60B Lion Marvin Grant MJF from Tortola.

The events over four days included; Welcome Cocktail Reception, Courtesy call to the Prime Minister’s Office by the District Governor and his delegation, various workshops, District Forum, Leo Forum and 1st Cabinet Meeting which was streamed live to all 70 plus clubs across the district courtesy of the Telem Group of Companies. This entire four hour meeting will be placed on the district website which is www.sub-district60b.org

Each night the various Lions gathered in the designated Hospitality Room at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort for dinner and dancing to the sounds of DJ Petty. Other generous sponsors for the Lions 1st Cabinet Meeting were the Government of St. Maarten, St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, SXM Airport, Sheriff Security and the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino.

President of the St. Maarten Lions Club Lion Eldert Louisa said, “I am proud of the hard work and commitment of the St. Maarten Lions Club members under the Organizing Committee Chair PDG Lion Claudius “Toontje” Buncamper who helped make the 1st Cabinet Meeting a resounding success as all our Lions & Leo visitors had a good time”.

According to District Governor Lion Marvin Grant MJF, “one of the hot topics of the meetings included the recruitment of new and energetic young Lions for the various Clubs across the region which would assist in the carrying out new projects. Other lively discussions were financial state of the District and how this could be improved”.

The St. Maarten Lions Club will be celebrating 45 years in December 2015. A number of projects by the local club are already being planned this year. These include the Peace Poster Contest, Lion Nelson v/d Linde Seniors Party, the Annual Lion Wally Havertong Christmas Bingo Spectacular and the Lion Rudy Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair. Person that would like to assist or donate to the St. Maarten Lions Club can reach the club via email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via their Facebook page.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Standing firm on their belief that education is the key to a brighter future; the Indian Merchants Association (IMA) have proudly sponsored HYPE Agendas 2015-2016 for 200 of high school students in the country.

The IMA sponsored Agendas were distributed to students, who were in need of Agendas. The students were eagerly awaiting the publication so that they can use them to plan and schedule their school work in the just-started academic year.

Student writers from several of the high schools, who were involved in compiling the articles in the agenda, presented copies of the agenda to representatives of IMA’s board last week Friday, September 3, 2015.

HYPE Coordinator Zulayka Peterson said the coordinators of the product are extremely grateful and thankful to the IMA board members for recognising the need to support the education of students in St. Maarten by providing students with a product that can help make their lives easier in school.

“Because of the Indian Merchants Association, our future leaders now have a useful product to use to help keep them better organised throughout the school year,” Peterson said. “Thanks to the IMA, these students also now have easy access to a number of useful information about education and about local home grown role models as well as local heroes and heroines to inspire them along their educational journey.”

“It is also always admirable and commendable to see businesses and organisations in the country support a local product,” she added.

The HYPE Agenda 2015 – 2016 is themed: “The journey travelled to achieve one’s goals.” This is the fifth edition of the Agenda, which was produced by a team that included a group of energetic students from the various high schools in St. Maarten, who wrote most of the enlightening articles and profiles that appear in the Agenda.

Numerous young and adult role models from right here in St. Maarten as well as from Saba, St. Eustatius and internationally are featured throughout the Agenda, including our past and present national heroes.

Peterson said now that many of the Agendas produced for this year is in the hands of students; work will soon start for the production of the 2016-2017 Agendas.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Caribbean Gems on Front Street and American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine Phi Chi Fraternity in Cupecoy have thrown their support behind education with donations to All Children’s Education (ACE) Foundation School on the L.B. Scott Road.

Caribbean Gems blessed the school with a donation of US $555.55, while AUC blessed the institution with US $350. The Phi Chi Fraternity acquired the funds donated via a fundraiser it held.

The funds donated were used to acquire much-needed educational material for classrooms, teaching material and ample stationary for pupil’s daily work.

The school said after the institution had been cleaned in preparation for the start of the new academic year, the funds were used to ensure that ACE’s grades two to six had sufficient school material to start off the new academic year. Items such as math books, exercise books, colouring books, story books, sciences books, chalks, pencils, pens, colour pencils, crayons, glues, rules, sharpeners, erasers and copy papers, etc were acquired for the school to use.

Pupils and teachers were very happy to receive the items, which were handed over on August 10, 2015. The teachers said the items received would definitely help make their work to educate pupils much easier and would save them a lot of time that they would have used to make their own materials due to the financial constraints at the school.

ACE School said it is very grateful for the donations from the two community minded groups and thanked them for their gesture and thoughtful blessings.

CAYHILLL:---- The St. Maarten Medical Center Breastfeeding Committee has rescheduled the breastfeeding awareness march which was previously scheduled to take place during August.
The new scheduled date is Thursday, September 10th, 2015 to begin at 4:00pm.
The march will begin at the Pier on the boardwalk by Barefoot restaurant down on the Front street to Jump up casino, turning unto back street and back to the pier after passing the tourist market.
Organizers of the Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign is Nurse Carleen Griffith and Stacey Violenus.
On Thursday, September 24th, 2015 the breastfeeding awareness campaign will conclude with a Breastfeeding Expo at the St. Maarten Medical Center. This event also had to be rescheduled due to bad weather in the month of August.
The breastfeeding committee joins with the World Health Organization August 1-7, to encourage breastfeeding to improve the health of babies around the world. In St. Maarten, the breastfeeding committee, Public Health and other stakeholders use the entire month of August. During the year, information sessions will continue to be held to educate families and empower them to provide the best nutrients for their babies.

Pond Island:---- TelEm Group on Tuesday teamed up with members of the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee (SXM) to give much-needed telecommunication assistance in the continuing Dominica Relief effort.
Company personnel last week donated food, clothes and other items to assist thousands in Dominica still affected by the passing of Tropical Storm Erika, which claimed the lives of more than 30 persons with dozens mores still missing.
This week the company itself pitched into the relief effort by announcing greatly reduced rates to Dominica so that persons living in St. Maarten can keep in constant touch with family and friends back home.
From today (Wednesday) anyone on St. Maarten can place international calls to Dominica at the local tariff rate (TelCell to TelCell) of $0.25 cents.
“We have decided to maintain this low tariff rate for the entire month of September to assist many people who have been calling the island and running up their personal bills since the recent disaster,” said Manager, Marketing & Sales Mr. Emile van der Weerd.
He said the company is making its mobile network available to Dominicans on St. Maarten and the people of Dominica at these reduced rates because there is still a great need to keep communication channels open to give assurance to those on St. Maarten and also to allow those in Dominica to keep their loved ones up to date with their own deteriorating or improving conditions,” continued Mr. van der Weerd.
He made the announcement Tuesday, with the assistance of the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee, which is made up of a group of concerned Dominicans that has signed documentation from the Office of the Prime Minister in Dominica to undertake relief work “and receive donations of any kind on behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica.”
“On top of the reduced rates to Dominica, we have also provided used of five mobile phone packages with donated call credits and provided mobile access to three more board members via their own mobiles, for the exclusive use of committee members during the month of September,” continued Mr. van der Weerd.
He said the officials will be able to make free calls to Dominica to coordinate with efforts there and also to ensure that their distribution of items being sent from St. Maarten are being handled fairly.
According to relief committee leader Maria Joseph, her group members have each gone to some unexpectedly high expense to communicate with each other and also to keep in touch with various persons in Dominica from day one after the storm.
“This initiative from TelEm Group is a blessing for us right now and will enable us to continue to work in the relief effort,” said Ms. Joseph.
She urged Dominicans especially to make use of the TelEm Group and TelCell offer to call home at the reduced rates since calling for them will now be more affordable.
“Any little helps right now and on behalf of Dominicans on St. Maarten, we wish to thank the management of TelEm for their help,” continued the disaster relief committee member.
Also present at Tuesday’s announcement of reduces rates to Dominica were fellow committee members, Mr. Clayton Felix and Ms. Julietta Charles, along with TelEm Group employee Shamarra Jean Pierre, who kicked of a successful Dominica Relief Drive amongst company colleagues last week.

PHILIPSBURG:--- University of St. Martin (USM) announced the opening of the St. Martin School of Continuing Education & Life Long Learning, (SCELL) on August 1, 2015. Since the opening of SCELL the new school has received overwhelming reception from the St. Maarten Business Community. Information Technology Consultants, CaribWork IT offer their support to SCELL by sponsoring the SCELL’s Brain Bytes Men, Fathers Son's & Young Males Series
Owner of CaribWork-IT, Serge Bakker stated: "We are proud to support this Brain Bytes series, especially because the target group are males. I am proud of SCELL's commitment to the community and their courage to highlight the need for these types of inspiring workshops that motivates change and personal development in our male population at large”.
SCELL Director, Dr. Natasha J. Gittens stated: “this series is uniquely designed for Men, Fathers, Son's & Young Males of the St. Maarten community and surrounding areas. This series is specifically developed to foster men to make positive life changes in their lives, while simultaneously evaluating their purpose and male role(s). The objective of the series, is to teach participants basic skills to make changes, identify and establish reachable life goals and provide them with tangible opportunities to earn their GED at USM, an Associate’s degree and possibly pursue a Bachelors or Master's degree offered by our academic partner, The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) on USM's campus. We believe this series will encourage males to enroll in our courses and increase USM’s male presence on our campus and in our classrooms in general”.
The series will be facilitated on Saturday, October 17, 2015 @ USM. All participants will receive a certificate of completion. The cost will be $50 US per workshop for adults, $35 for attendees 15-19. The workshop is open to the public and SCELL encourages everyone to attend.
For Information: Contact SCELL @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 554 – 2437.

PHILIPSBURG:---A brand-new literacy campaign, called “SXM Reads” will be officially launched this week with an opening ceremony on Friday September 11th at 7.00 pm at the Asha Stevens School in Cay Hill.
The “SXM Reads“ campaign aims to create awareness and find support for persons with low literacy skills. Many persons in our society have difficulty with reading and writing. People with low literacy skills are often neglected and suffer from isolation and low self-esteem.
The keynote speaker of the evening will be Ms. Jenny Fraai, President of the Pro Alfa Foundation Curacao. Ms. Fraai and her fellow volunteers have more than 25 years of experience in working with illiterate and semi-literate persons in 9 different communities in Curacao. Minister Bourne-Gumbs will also be present at the opening ceremony at the Asha Stevens School and will address the audience.
The partners in the campaign are the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, COME center and the Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO. The opening ceremony on September 11th is the first activity of the September literacy awareness month. Other upcoming activities are a workshop for literacy tutors on Saturday morning, September 12th, at the COME Centre, a movie and discussion evening under the title “the Reading Room” on September 19th at the Library and a “Reading and learning in the park event” on Saturday September 26th at the Emilio Wilson Park.
The General public is invited to attend the launching of “SXM Reads” this Friday September 11th at the Asha Stevens School.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry (COCI), University of St. Martin (USM) & Bureau Telecommunication and Post St. Maarten (BTPSXM) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly support the “I AM SXM” initiative of MP Tamara Leonard whereby St. Maarten students interested in journalism and seeking a career in this field, will be educated at USM.
The course, to be offered for a period of sixteen weeks shall enable at least five eligible students to participate and be certified in the field of journalism. The course design, content and certification will be created by USM who will also provide classroom space. BTPSXM will make available funds to cover tuition fees and equipment expenses while COCI will make available its Biz Center facilities as well as coordinate the pre-registration and registration process for students found eligible with USM. The progress monitoring system and conditions for students participating in the program will also be developed by COCI with USM to ensure the success of the program.
COCI, the entity representing the business community of St. Maarten, strives to support any form of socio-economic growth in St. Maarten and finds this initiative to serve this purpose.

CAYHILL:---The St. Maarten Medical Center has acquired a Laparoscopy Tower as the newest addition to medical equipment in its Operation Room Department.
The high definition Richard Wolf Laparoscopy Tower is an upgrade in biomedical technology; it is a replacement for a dysfunctional existing tower. The Laparoscopy Tower is used to provide visualization of the anatomy during minimal invasive surgery.
The Operating Room department is extremely proud of the state-of-the-art equipment which was used on August 20th, for the first time.
Frank Curiel, managing director at Mederi, an Aruban-based medical distributor, affirms that the SMMC do have reason to be proud, as the hospital currently owns the most innovative laparoscopy tower in the Dutch Caribbean. Mederi provided training to the operating room staff on the best use of the user friendly equipment.
With this high definition laparoscopy tower, the surgeons can perform surgeries with better visual quality, making the entire procedure more efficient and reducing surgery time.
What is also special about this equipment is the ability to save images and videos of the procedure on a removable memory stick. This can later be used to print or save images to the patient file. Furthermore, videos of procedures can be saved and used for instructional purposes. The staff is happy with the equipment which will be a great tool in performing laparoscopic surgeries.

In photo: General Surgeon Dr. Menno Misset (center) uses laparoscopy tower during surgery, with Operating Room technician Charles Smith and Anesthesia Assistant Giovani Diran.

PHILIPSBURG:--- An urgent Plenary Session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for September 9.

The public Plenary Session is set for Wednesday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the dumpsite (landfill) in Philipsburg and the plans for a waste to energy system for the country’s garbage problems.

This urgent plenary session of the House has been requested by the National Alliance (NA) faction Members of Parliament (MPs) Hon. William Marlin and Hon. MP Silveria Jacobs, and the Democratic Party (DP) faction MP Hon. Sarah Wescot-Williams.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Are you suffering from social media stress? Do you know what your child is doing with their mobile phones or other electronic media when you are not around? Are you or your child a victim of cyberbullying? If these are questions that you would like to know more about, then this workshop is for you!
The Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs is organizing an interactive and informative session entitled, “The Dangers of the Internet and the Effects of Technology on the Family.” The information session is intended for the general public and especially parents and teens in order to empower them and their families in using the media to their benefit as opposed to protecting and shielding children and families from the many dangers.
Parents and other interested persons are encouraged to come out to this session which will be held on Wednesday 9th September, 2015 at the University of St. Martin from 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.
The objective of the session is to bring awareness to parents about the many uses and types of media, the effects that this can have on parents and their children (both academically and socially), and how parental support plays a great role in the future outcome of their child(ren).
For more information, you can contact the Student Support Services Division at 543-1235 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The SSSD office is located in the Amigo Building across from the Police Station and next to the WIB.

The Student Support Services Division(SSSD) provides support services to students referred by the care team of their schools. These services consists of psychological services, counseling services, social work services, educational diagnostic services, career services, speech therapy services and parent education sessions.

POINTE BLANCHE--- Port St. Maarten continued its solid commitment to education and the youth of St. Maarten with a major donation of 500 HYPE Agendas 2015-2016 for high school students in the country.

In addition to covering the cost of 500 Agendas which were distributed to students to use; the Port has also supported the HYPE Agenda in several other ways, including gracing the back cover of the Agenda this year.
Port St. Maarten management says education is the future of St. Maarten stressing the importance of an education in order to keep the country moving ahead whether it’s at the port or in other sectors of the economy.
“Port St. Maarten has been active in the area of education over the years and will continue to do so. The port cooperates with school tours where the students get the opportunity to learn about the port in operations and about the career opportunities that exist.
“The Port has supported the HYPE Agenda since its inception and in this edition we have a full page advertisement which points out the various careers in and around the port. There are so many jobs that are directly and indirectly linked to our national port,” Port Management pointed out.

HYPE Coordinator Zulayka Peterson said the Port has been a major contributor to HYPE since the first one was produced in 2008. The Port has continued its commitment by supporting the initiative and ensuring that large numbers of students get Agendas in 2010, 2013, 2014 and now again in 2015.

“Port St. Maarten was one of the first organizations to come on board as a sponsor for the HYPE Agenda, when we first started this project, and they have continued with their unwavering commitment to ensure that the HYPE Agendas are in the hands of our young people in schools,” Peterson said on Monday.
“Thanks to Port St. Maarten 500 students from Milton Peters College can now use this educational product in the classroom this year. We are very happy about this because creating a solid future starts by making sure that our young people are given the tools needed to make their process of being educated smoother.”

The Agenda was produced locally and is themed: “The journey travelled to achieve one’s goals.”

Peterson thanked the Harbour for putting Agendas in the hands of students in the country and by extension helping young scholars remain organized during the academic year.

The Agendas are tailored for the months that cover the school year making it a useful item for students to use for education reminders such as noting down their assignments, projects, homework and other school related things. Also included are useful information such as school vacation dates and study financing information.

The Agenda was produced by a team, which included a group of students from the various high schools in St. Maarten. These students were actively involved in the production process and they determined the information they want to see reflected in the Agenda. They went out and conducted research and wrote most of the enlightening articles and profiles that appear in the Agenda. The articles reflect the general theme and they relate to the youth.

Numerous young and adult role models from right here in St. Maarten as well as from Saba, St. Eustatius and internationally are featured throughout the Agenda, including our past and present national heroes.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Chairman of Parliament, Prime-Minister, Ministers, Invited Guests, good afternoon and welcome.
And a special welcome to Mr. Rafael Boasman, Mr. Ernest Sams and Mr. Claret Connor for this appointment and swearing in ceremony.
On December 19, 2014, a new team of five of seven ministers were installed with responsibility for the governing of our island. Today we are here to complete the team. Mr. Connor you have decided to continue in a different capacity with the team and Mr. Boasman and Mr. Sams you are about to join that team. Each of you have been screened in keeping with the regulatory provisions and your appointment decrees have been signed. As a result there rests one legal requirement before you can perform your duties as Minister of Public Health, Labour and Social Development, as Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication and as Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, respectively. That is the legal obligation to take the oath of office of Minister of Sint Maarten.
Accepting the function of minister through the oath which you are about to take in a few moments, is

• First, a solemn expression of your commitment to perform your function with integrity;
• Second, it is your pledge of allegiance to the King and the Kingdom Charter;
• Third, it is your individual declaration to always uphold the Constitution of Sint Maarten; and
•  Finally, it is your pledge to always dedicate yourself to foster the wellbeing of the People of Sint Maarten.

In that regard, you have been entrusted and as such there rests on you individually as ministers and jointly with your colleagues in the Council of Ministers a great responsibility. Through your oath, you will be accepting the obligation to serve all the people of Sint Maarten.
And in doing so you have accepted to serve in challenging times. At a time when there is much to do and scarce means to do it with. Your decisions on the use of the scarce means will have lasting influences on the lives of the people of Sint Maarten. As a result I recommend that you use the oath as a guide in the performance of your function aimed at addressing the variety of challenges which our people face. Thus, as you deliberate on taking action on the matters that will come before you during your tenure, I wish you wisdom and strength, individually and jointly, in the conduct of your responsibilities as you seek to meet your constitutional responsibility to the people of Sint Maarten.
In closing, I therefore invite you, Mr. Boasman, Mr. Sams and Mr. Connor, to take the oath of office of Minister of Sint Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Three armed men dressed completely in dark clothing with their faces covered stormed into the “Splash Jewelry Store” located in Simpson Bay resort on Friday September 4th at approximately 11.30 a.m. The suspect threatened the staff that was present with their fire arms and then smashed the showcases and took an undisclosed amount of jewelry. After committing this act they jumped into an awaiting vehicle and fled into the direction of Cole Bay. Several police patrols and detectives were informed of the incident and started to search for the suspects. During the search the suspect vehicle was located in Cole Bay but the suspects had already fled the scene leaving the vehicle behind. The suspect are still at large. This case is being investigated by the Special Robbery Unit.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Lions District Governor for District 60B Lion Marvin Grant MJF from Tortola along with his delegation paid a courtesy call to the office of the Honorable Prime Minister of Sint Maarten Marcel Gumbs where they had discussions about the work that the various Lions Clubs have been doing around the Caribbean region and also specifically on
Sint. Maarten.

Photo Caption: (from left) Zone Chairman 2B Lion Merlyn Schaminee MJF, District Governor 60B Lion Marvin Grant MJF, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten Marcel Gumbs, Cabinet Secretary-Treasurer Maria Vieira MJF, 1st Vice District Governor 60B Lion Errol Lee MJF and St. Maarten Lions Club President Lion Eldert Louisa.

Health City Cayman Islands recently hosted its inaugural Healthcare Explorers Day Camp for local youth. Nineteen teenage students, aged between 12-14 years, spent the day getting to see ‘behind the scenes’ of the prestigious hospital.

“It’s important to encourage our youth, here in the Cayman Islands, to consider medicine as a career choice. At Health City, we pride ourselves on career development and continued learning and skill enhancement, so a day like the Healthcare Explorers Day Camp is very close to our hearts,” said Dr Chandy Abraham, Facility Director and Head of Medical Services and Health City.

The event followed on from the successful summer intern programme, which saw 23 college and high school seniors participate in an intensive two week internship programme.

The Healthcare Explorers Day Camp was initiated with a welcome address from Dr Irka Ebanks, a Caymanian doctor at Health City, who discussed her medical career path with the students. Following on from Dr Ebanks, the students met with Councillor Winston Connolly, who spoke to them about healthcare as a career choice and described government’s plans to assist more Caymanians in the field of medicine. The students were also treated to a Q&A session with a specialist doctor in their field of choosing, allowing them to find out more about their specific area of interest.

Programme sponsor, Gene Thompson closed out the day, thanking the students and encouraging them to continue to study hard. “These are our future doctors, so it is important to nurture their interest. As I said to the students, hopefully in the years to come, some of them will be here, practising medicine at Health City, telling other students about their career path to becoming a surgeon,” he said.

A number of students won prizes, generously donated by Cayman Turtle Farm and Dolphin Discovery, to which the programme manager, Richard Parchment graciously thanked.

The day was a huge success with the attending students and parents, so much so, that Health City are planning on making the day camp an annual event in future years.

More information on this annual event will be posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthCityCaymanIslands.

PHILIPSBURG:---- Faction leader of the United Peoples Party Franklin Meyers in his remarks during the closing of parliamentary year 2014-2015 said that the moment the UPP and MP De Weever formed the coalition that formed the current government they got all sorts of pressure from the Dutch Government (Kingdom Partners) which includes an instruction. He said during this parliamentary year his government were busy dealing with all the constraints placed on St. Maarten rather than working on the things that would benefit the people of St. Maarten that elected them to office.
Meyers said when the National Alliance, USP and DP formed the first coalition in the wee hours of the morning after the 2014 parliamentary elections there were praises coming out of The Hague but the current coalition have been getting undue pressures and have been given instructions.
Meyers said the UPP is the first party that complied with all the requirements that is laid down by law yet they are the ones that have been getting strong arms from their Kingdom partners.
Faction leader from National Alliance William Marlin did not leave no stone unturned when he highlighted the failures of the current parliament, even though they were warned by the governor of St. Maarten during the opening of this parliamentary year. Marlin quoted several statements from the Governor Holiday speech that he delivered on the opening of the 2014-2015 parliamentary year. Marlin said that while the UPP faction leader boasted of all the things they were first to do he failed to mention that they buckle to their Kingdom Partner when they voted for the law to establish an integrity chamber even though they do not agree with it. Marlin said the UPP drafted some 18 changes that they wanted in the draft law but when the Dutch flexed their muscles the elected officials forming the government of St. Maarten ran and hid under a rock instead of standing up and fight. He further stated the governor spoke of a tourism driver’s license that should be implemented but that along with several other legislations is yet to reach the floor of parliament for debate.
Marlin called on the current government to take a page from St. Eustatius to see what they did when they did not agree with their Kingdom partners. He said government has on their plates an instruction to get their budget in order, settle the debts of SZV and APS, while the same government agreed to increase the pension age to 62 yet parliament is the first to send home certain civil servants who made 60 this year. Marlin even mentioned the court case that is currently taking place with the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies and the latest settlement with Zebec and the SMHGC, the security contracts with Checkmate Security and the construction of the causeway all of which he said are questionable.
Faction leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams called on the government to work with her to work on much needed reforms that will benefit St. Maarten. She spoke of the episode that transpired when the Democratic Party secured two seats.
Faction leader Frans Richardson was absent, while MP Cornelius de Weever and MP Leona Marlin Romeo also gave their remarks on the role of parliament. Marlin Romeo considered the past year successful. She felt that the chairman of parliament did a commendable job. She said she personally worked hard and is part of several committees. She thanks the current recorder of parliament for her hard work and most of all thanked the voters for giving her the opportunity to work for them when they elected her to office.

Sound bites of the presentation made by the DP during the closing session of Parliament.

The so-called twinning" of ministers with factions and individuals in Parliament, as if these ministers are property of the MPs, only serves to further blur the roles between the two bodies. Whatever the internal arrangements, in this house, every member of government is accountable to the entire parliament. So my questions are just as important as any other member, coalition or not.
I suggest to those members who languish in this House of Parliament, because they want to sit across the road in the government building, to work with me, so we can bring some further electoral reform, so that persons elected by the people are less constrained if they opt to sit in the executive branch.

The DP faction for one is not sitting idly by, twiddling its fingers and looking for a government crisis around each corner.
The primary role of Parliament is one of scrutinizing government, of holding government accountable for its actions or inactions. Of speaking out on behalf of the people we represent.
We are often times quick to conclude that Parliament is the Legislature and while that is true, Parliament is actually the co-legislator. In others words, while parliament always passes or rejects laws, it's only together with government that laws are established or put into effect. Government AND parliament adopt legislation and the government ratifies such. There must be some consensus therefore on the legislative agenda to be pursued by Parliament.

There is a lot of work for Parliament to do. And many reports tell us this; the integrity reports, general audit chamber reports, and most of these tell us we are not, by a long shot, sufficiently exercising the oversight and control of government function as Parliament.

it is quite telling, when, were it not for the DP faction, the governing program presented to Parliament would have been shelved. Not even the members who presented the program to government asked for it to be debated in Parliament. It's a pity that the program offers no structure, no targets, no monitoring, no financial paragraph, simply put, a poor excuse for a program.

As part of my faction's efforts to make parliament more efficient and self controlling, we today have an integrity committee of Parliament.
If all goes well, my efforts to have a structured consultation with members of government via so-called weekly or bi-weekly question hours or question time will be included in the revisions to the rules of order.
Furthermore I believe that more attention should be paid in these revisions to communication internally and externally by electronic means and appropriate guidelines should be set.
I also believe the committee structure of Parliament should be further fleshed out to give these bodies more teeth. Some of these committees are still viewed too much as an extension of government, which they are not.

I look forward to an agenda of this parliament for the coming year, with clear goals and objectives to get things done.

Government has a dismal record of responding to parliament. I hope soon, all answers provided by government will be made public by parliament. Government also scores poorly in managing its institutions properly, especially the government companies. Some they do not touch with a 10-foot pole, others they want to sit in the seats of the board and management of these companies.
Coalition members are communicating via the media with their government and government should therefore be cognizant of the fact that they need to be open with all members of Parliament, because they are not assured of the unequivocal support of their entire coalition clique on all matters.
And until government spontaneously responds and openly addresses matters, every avenue to get government to react will be utilized by this faction.

We have from the outset also established some priorities, which I shall repeat here:

Tax reform, Healthcare (locally, accessible and affordable), Labor/unemployment, General pension and elderly care, Electoral reform, Transparency and accountability, Higher Education (USM), Climate change and its effects on St. Maarten and a National Development a Plan for St. Maarten.

Some immediate concerns: SMMC, Tourism (STA), Timeshare Legislation, Increase in pension age, Healthcare for the elderly and the uninsured, and Waste management (the landfill in particular).

Our faction invites the people of St. Maarten to critically think along with us, give us your feedback, so we in turn can keep the pressure on government that they not only respond to us and to you, but also be proactive in informing the people about what matters to them.

MP Leona Marlin-Romeo Closing Remarks for the 2014-2015 Parliamentary Year

PHILIPSBURG (PARLIAMENT/Independent Faction) – Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo on Monday addressed the House of Parliament during the closing of the parliamentary year 2014-2015. In her address as faction leader the MP stated the following:

“The 2014-2015 Parliamentary session has been brilliantly chaired by the honourable Dr. Lloyd Richardson, and he has led it to a successful conclusion.

“I would like to convey a sincere thank you to the Presidium, that consisted of Dr. Lloyd Richardson, MP Cornelius De Weever and my person, who successfully finalized a new: Function book, Relaunched the Parliament Website, Adapted the new travel guidelines for Parliament, finalized the process for the purchase of a new server for Parliament, Key issues that have a fundamental impact on the effectiveness of Parliament.

“Congratulations to the Secretary General, the driving force behind the entire operation of Parliament. I thank you Nancy Joubert for your relentless efforts to ensure that the Chair, Presidium, staff and the entire parliament functions as it should.

“A warm thank you to my staff, as a team we were able to send 2 initiative draft laws to the Council of Advice for scrutiny: namely

1. Voting Registry: Objective was to address the ongoing issues of students and other groups living abroad voting in local elections.
2. Small Claims Court: Objective addressed the issue of allowing citizens to take matters to court for claims less than 5000 guilders. An initiative of Reynold Groeneveldt supported by my person

“In this parliamentary year, I was able to start the process and expect to complete them in the next parliamentary year the issues of:

1. Neonatal screening: Objective is to allow all babies born on Sint Maarten to get the heel prick to test for genetic disorders, this is a preventative measure that can save the government substantially in health care cost. And I would like for this preventative measure to be included Public Health Ordinance
2. Consumer Protection: Objective is to establish an entity that would serve as the body for consumers to complain about the quality of inferior services rendered and products on Sint Maarten.
3. Beach Policy: Objective: allow appropriate access to the beach for emergency vehicles
4. Creation of a Separate Personal Document Registry: Objective is to have personal documents such births marriage and death certificates of persons born in the kingdom registered in Sint Maarten
5.  Foster Care Concerns: Bring about awareness of the situations in the Foster Care
6. Central Bank & Notary: Objective was to bring about awareness on the lack of legislation to regulate financial institutions and notaries specifically consumer protection
7. Sint Maarten Anthem: Objective is to start the debate on creating a National Anthem for Sint Maarten, and put to the rest the debate on whether to have one or not
8. Driver’s License: Objective is to allow persons the ability to get a license on Sint Maarten according to the rules of Sint Maarten.
9.  Electoral Reform: Objective is to ensure that the mishaps or the areas that were lagging be rectified. The Main Voting Bureau is expected to present a report on what was discussed in the meeting, along with areas identified by MP Wescot Williams. A debate on this matter in its entirety needs to still come to the floor of Parliament.

“A special thank you to the Committee members of the committee that I chaired, namely the Petitions Committee. We were able to establish the rules and guidelines for Petition entries, MP Wescot-Williams, MP Christopher Emmanuel, MP Johan Leonard, Because of the efforts of the committee members petitions coming to “Parliament must meet certain criteria’s established by this committee and approved by Parliament. I am delighters to see that our collaborative efforts surpassed party affiliation and together we were able to prepare such. Setting the example for other committees.
“It has been a very busy year, for my person, being part of the Presidium, chairing 2 committees, being actively part of other committees, researching the various laws that need changing, participating in healthy debates in and out of Parliament, Being part of the IPKO delegation, Parlatino, Faction Leaders, yes it is meetings after meetings, But to whom much is given much is expected. I have been executing my tasks. Each of the 15 members have a duty to fulfil as well.
“What lies ahead? I have pledged to work for the people of Sint Maarten, and this entails defending the democracy of this constituent state. Our democracy was consistently challenged in this Parliamentary year, and I expect no different tomorrow and years to come.
“But we have to make a fundamental decision whether we will collectively put party politics aside and fight together to defend Sint Maarten. Our democracy has been tested by others but we must also test it.

“When tested the issue of ethics, morals and values emerges and brings a different perspective to the matter at hand.
Max Cannon stated that “People are going to behave however the social norms permit, and beyond that.”

“This means that we the people of Sint Maarten including Parliament will have to determine what we find acceptable for our island, this is part of democracy.
“We the people of Sint Maarten must determine what is our norms and values as this will be key in situations that entails making and taking ethical decisions. This should not be determined by any outside entities but by us, the people of Sint Maarten. This is not a selective process, it should be reflected and practiced across the board. Our decision should be a holistic discussion, to be debated publicly not only in Parliament but with input of both Church and State.

“Yes I will state again, to whom much is given much is expected. We must collectively brace ourselves for what is to come, there are serious challenges ahead. But I can firmly say, The ANCHOR holds, in spite of the storms.

“I thank the voting population for this opportunity to serve them and I pledge to continue to work in the best interest of the people and this constituent state. I pledge to continue to give and be my best and promote stability in Sint Maarten. May God continue to bless Sint Maarten,” Independent Faction Leader Hon. MP Leona Marlin-Romeo said on Monday during the closing of the parliamentary year 2014-2015.

PHILIPSBURG:----The Harbor and Zebec have in the recent past publicly leveled serious accusations of breach of contract against each other that included claims of 100 million USD in damages, repeated failure to adhere to contractual obligations, failure of the harbor director to comply with terms of the agreement, frivolous lawsuit and serious misconduct and so forth.
According to the latest media reports, the Harbor and Zebec have now resolved all differences and have settled all issues and damages, however the terms of the settlement have been obscured by a yet another confidential and out of court settlement. The DP is adamant that the people have the right to know the terms of the settlement.

Given the seriousness of the accusations and the sizable financial consequences to the Harbor, the DP believes the details of the settlement should be made public, after all if the Harbor had to pay serious penalties for contractual failures, the people have a right to know. If failure by the Harbor to honor terms of the agreement resulted in substantial financial losses, the people have a right to know. If future commitments have been made to Zebec, the people have a right to know.

The Harbor is an asset that belongs to the people. In the event there is a financial crisis, the burden will fall on the backs of the people of St. Maarten. If a settlement was made that was in the best interests of the people, why the need for a confidentiality agreement?

The question can be rightfully asked if this settlement has something to do with the "administrative" investigation, initiated by the Prosecutor's office on St. Maarten.

The Democratic Party has campaigned for open government and will continue at every opportunity to advocate for an inclusive government with integrity, one that is transparent, accountable and fiscally responsible. It is a well established fact that the citizens of a country that have an open government are more prosperous and happy.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Senior citizens are invited to sign-up for activities planned for Caribbean Wellness Day (CWD) 2015 event that will take place on Saturday, September 12 at the White & Yellow Cross in St. John’s Estate.

September 12 will be a fun day of activities for the country’s seniors who are 60+. A registration form can be found in the Government Information Page (GIP) in both daily newspapers between now and Thursday. This form should be filled in and dropped off at one of several locations.

The registration form can be dropped off at the Post Office in P.O.Box 1018 or at the Department of Collective Prevention Services (CPS), Vineyard Office Complex; the Baby Clinic, behind Guardian Group Fatum Insurances; Sint Martin’s Home Front Desk, St. John’s Estate Road #6, St. John’s Estate; Health Care Clinic, Cole Bay, Welfare Rd. #15 (opposite Vlaun Car Dealer); Physio Fit, Welgelegen Rd. #33 or FAX to 542-9716.

The registration form should be submitted by the end of the day on Thursday, September 10.

The CPS, a department in the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, the While and Yellow Cross Foundation (WYCF), and the Windward Islands Physical Therapy Association (WIPTA), are organizing the activities for Saturday which will allow the nation’s seniors to do some form of exercise that will be good for their health and is in line with the local theme that CWD 2015 will be held under: Age Active...U 2 Can Move!”

CWD takes places on the second Saturday in the month of September. It is an annual event throughout the Caribbean geared at increasing awareness and promoting activities to address the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which continues to severely impact the health, economy and development the Region.

The Caribbean region has one of the highest rates of obesity in children and adults in the world. This can be attributed in part, to poor diets and a lack of physical activity, driven by profound changes in the way we live and play, with massive marketing of foods high in sugar, fats and salt; as well as several hours per day spent watching TV and playing video games.

MARIGOT:--- The Health Observatory of St.Martin was created in October 2010 under the leadership of the Collectivité of St. Martin. This project was born of a cooperation between the Collectivité, the Government of Sint Maarten and Louis Constant Fleming Hospital. It is financed with European INTERREG IV Caribbean funds. The general meeting held on Friday, September 4, 2015 helped to formalize the functioning of the association that rules the Health Observatory.

The mission of the Health Observatory is to conduct public surveys and health studies on the both sides of the island in order to inform local institutions on priority needs for the population. The Health Observatory must facilitate the establishment of a mapping of chronic diseases and put in place adapted treatments and patient care protocols. Because of the very important mission of the Health Observary, the Collectivité and the government of Sint Maarten are determined to see the results of this cooperation project.

Dr. Louis Jeffry, president of the association ‘Health Observatory of Saint-Martin’ held an extraordinary general meeting on Friday september 4, with the active members of the observatory and the elected officials of the french Collectivité, Ramona Connor and Rosette Gumbs-Lake, and the Health Minister of Sint Maarten, Rita Bourne-Gumbs, the member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever and the Director of the French Regional Health Agency Pascal Godefroy.
As mentioned by Dr. Jeffry, the Health Observatory is now ready for its missions of collecting, analyzing and coordinating the health, social and epidemiological data. Following this work, the Observatory will present its recommendations to the Collectivité and the government of Sint Maarten.

The amount of € 578,777 was planned in favor of the Health observatory, the Collectivité of Saint-Martin has, firstly, given € 200,000 to start the studies for 2015.

For the vice president Ramona Connor, in charge of Social Affairs for the Collectivité of St. Martin, this cooperation project is part of the social program of her government. The Territorial Health Plan and Health Plan for Youth signed with the French Regional Health Agency in 2014, are also two major parts of this program. The Vice-President also mentioned other actions implemented by the Collectivité, like the forthcoming creation of a fitness and Health trail and the measures of health taken in school restaurants. She concluded by welcoming the good synergy with leaders of the Dutch side for this project. The Collectivité of Saint-Martin now expects to see the first results of the Observatory’s work.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The House of Parliament will hold a Solemn Plenary Session on September 8. The Plenary Session is set for Tuesday, at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The Chairperson of Parliament will open the parliamentary year 2015-2016, with a speech by His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday.

A number of dignitaries will be in attendance for the opening of the parliamentary year.

As a reminder to motorists and the general public, the Wilhelmina Straat in front of the House of Parliament will be closed on Monday, September 7 from 3.00PM to 12.00AM. The closure is in connection with a dress rehearsal for the personnel from the various uniformed services who will be participating in the opening of the new parliamentary year as well as some other preparations.

Back Street and Front Street will be closed on Tuesday, September 8 from 6.00AM to 2.00PM.

This is in connection with the official ceremonies for the opening of the new parliamentary year.

The solemn parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---  TelEm Group mobile provider, TelCell, reported Friday night that technicians have regularized a problem affecting a cell site located at Fort William Hill and in the process have improved mobile calls originating from this cell site and surrounding areas.

According to Manager, Network Operations, Mr. Julien Lake, a number of drive tests were carried out late Friday to confirm better operation of the mobile network in parts of Cay Hill, Bush Road, St. John and Saunders.

He said a radio unit on the Fort William Hill cell site has been temporarily adjusted to enable more efficient calls on the network until more permanent adjustments can be made and signaling equipment moved.

“Customers who have been experiencing dropped calls and who have not been able to make calls will now have regular service resumed, however since the affected cell site is not operating at full capacity there may be capacity issues at peak times of the day and especially at the weekend,” said Mr. Lake.

He said the permanent fix involves discussion and cooperating with another telecommunication provider in the same location. Mr. Lake has informed that as soon as these discussions are concluded, TelCell’s permanent solution will be put in place.

“We apologize to our mobile and data customers for the inconvenience caused and we assure them that we are diligently working on this cell site issue as a matter of priority,” said Mr. Lake.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Motorworld put bright smiles on the faces of many primary school students when they donated school supplies including school kits and backpacks to many of the primary schools over the past weeks. The primary schools include St. Joseph Primary School, Hillside Christian Schools, Seventh Day Adventist school, Sr. Borgia Elementary school, Oranje School, Ruby Labega School and M.G. De Weever School with more primary schools to follow soon.

In Motorworld’s continued effort to focus on education, primary school children were handed a handy pack filled with school utensils such as a ruler, eraser, pencils and the like.

“It is important to remember that we have so many talented students in our schools that deserve positive attention, that is the reason Motorworld felt compelled to step up to the plate and contribute towards our future stars”, said Lorenzo Gomez Motorworld’s Marketing Officer.

Motorworld will remain involved in education throughout the new school year and encourages the students to become the best that they can be.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Now that the Pandora box on GEBE Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rene Gartner has opened there are more worms crawling out that anyone would have expected. SMN News got its hands on the reports made on the SAP payroll contract that Rene Gartner signed and then later dissolved without the approval of the Supervisory Board of GEBE. The documents which includes the invoice will show how the company’s CFO has chosen to bleed the government owned company in several ways. Gartner had an unsigned contract with Oxford Global Resources INC. where the company will provide services for their client GEBE and billed at an hourly rate. One of the persons working for Oxford was Shiela Jackson who was charging GEBE $180.00 per hour. However, Jackson chose to leave Oxford and opened her own company called Spectrum Consulting and IT Associates INC. GEBE then annulled what they had with Oxford and chose to do business with Spectrum who charges them $120.00 per hour along with another person whose name is Keith King. Both Solomon and King are being paid $120.00 per hour totaling $240. 00 per hour instead of the $180. 00 per that was paid to Global. For the month of July GEBE paid $4,800.00 for each week to Keith King, a total of $14,400.00 for Keith King for the month of July, this can be seen on invoice number 270 which is attached to this article while Shiela Jackson was paid $4, 800 for one week of work for the month of July 2015.
The internal investigation done at GEBE already shows that Global was paid over $230.000.00 not including hotel, lodging and car rental when representatives of the company are on St. Maarten. Further to that the SAP program that was implemented by Rene Gartner has been considered to be very questionable since it can hamper the accuracy of GEBE payroll system which is so far is accurate. With the SAP employees can run the risk of not getting paid on time since SAP is fully integrated system which can be affected if there are upgrades. The report stated that such problems already occurred in the past while there are concerns on the privacy since SAP is not a standalone program.
Now that SOAB is contracted by Government to conduct a forensic and operational audit one would hope that these contracts and figures will show up in their report if it is not being influenced by the shareholder representative (government.)
Click here to view parts of the report on SAP System.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of GEBE Rene Gartner has become smarter when it comes to abusing his power and the finances of GEBE for his personal benefits. Gartner who was caught and warned for the abuse of the company’s credit card has chosen not to use the credit card any longer but instead using food and beverage bonds and coupon to fulfill his personal desires.
The management board of GEBE secured agreements with at least two businesses namely Chippie’s Café and Kings Mart where the members of the management team could order food and beverages with no limited amount. The companies would then bill GEBE at the end of each month through its finance department. At the end of August Chippie’s Café sent in an invoice to GEBE with number 1150901 where Gartner racked up $1,228.26 through food coupons.
The invoice which is attached to this article shows that Gartner had an outstanding balance of $650.28. On August 15th 2015 Gartner had a food bill of $208.43, August 26th $359.55 while on July 15th $10.00, the total of the August invoice comes up to $1,228.26. Besides these coupon use Gartner has added to his salary Naf.615.00 for personal cost in the event he should be representing the company at any lunch meetings. The latter is clearly stipulated in Gartner’s working contract.
While the management board has this agreement with these two companies Gartner is obliged to indicate what meetings he attended and with whom on behalf of the company but nowhere that is shown. More stunning is amount of alcoholic beverages Gartner purchased on August 15th 2015.
Clearly Rene Gartner believes that this arrogance and abuse would not come out now that the COO was fired and he is the sole captain of the management board.
It is also rumored that Gartner is protected by certain politicians who hired him after he was fired from one of the banks on the island and was without employment for two years. SMN News did some research on Rene Gartner which shows that the so-called banker did not hold any job longer than six months but he will soon make a year at GEBE because certain politicians and friends he have in high places are protecting him. Hopefully, this invoice along with several others will appear in the audit that is now being conducted by SOAB.
Click here to view August 2015 invoice from Chippie’s Café.

How credible would SOAB Reports be if they sacrifice one of their own employees to secure contracts?

PHILIPSBURG:--- A 34 year old senior employee of SOAB was asked by her employers to resign from the Supervisory Board of GEBE since that is one of the requirements the current Gumbs cabinet in order for the firm to secure the contracts to conduct forensic and internal audits at GEBE, PJIAE, the SMHGC and TELEM. The government of St. Maarten claim they will clean up house starting with government owned companies. While their intentions might be sound, how is it possible for government to dictate to this company to remove one of their senior accountants from the supervisory board who have been trying to clean up the mess they found at GEBE? One would think having an employee on the supervisory board would help SOAB gather valuable information to provide a sound report with facts, but it seems as though the client (government) will dictate to SOAB what they want in the reports from GEBE and not facts.
Sources close to the supervisory board of GEBE said the employee was contacted on Thursday and even three persons from government visited her to let her know that is one of the requirements of government in order for SOAB to get the contracts. SMN News learnt that the employee has agreed to resign from the Supervisory Board in order to please her employers.
The question now remains as to how credible the reports from SOAB would be if they are willing to do whatever their clients ask of them including sacrificing one of their own. One major concern at this moment is if the Government of St. Maarten would have any influence on the investigation and reporting in order for government to use to victimize other workers of GEBE that are not doing what they want.

PHILIPSBURG:----  The House of Parliament will hold Plenary Session on September 7.
The public Plenary Session is set for Monday, at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The Chairperson of Parliament will close the parliamentary year 2014-2015, and prior to that each faction leader will deliver a speech.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Windward Islands Bank staff team were very pleased to deliver to the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee of St. Maarten our first week’s collection of items gathered during our Food and Clothing drive. . We thank those of our clients who went out of their way to bring goods during our food and clothing drive. WIB will continue with week # 2 in order to fully support those in need in Dominica. Items which can be dropped off are; non-perishable foods, water, bed sheets, bath towels, clothing and toiletries, in the marked boxes at WIB’s Main Office branch and now also at WIB Simpson Bay branch .
WIB would hereby like to thank the community and its’ staff for assisting.

“The Windward Island Bank Ltd., your partners in progress cares for the people of Dominica”

Decision taken based on an Advice from the CFT

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Kingdom Council of Ministers voted on a decree to officially place a financial instruction on St. Maarten based on an advice they received from the CFT in June 2015.
The instruction basically calls for St. Maarten to settle its arrears with APS and SZV while the country must increase its pension age to 62 years on a short term.

The Kingdon Council of Ministers has decided to place an instruction on St. Maarten in order for the country to bring its 2015 budget and multi-year plan in order.
The Kingdom Council of Ministers is following the advice of the Financial Supervision Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CFT).

Sint Maarten must take action to reduce the arrears amounting to at least ANG 189 million road and offset the shortfall from previous years of at least ANG 60 million in the period 2015 to 2018. The country has also make its spending on pensions and health care realistic in the 2015 budget process and take steps to make the health system sustainable and retirement for the future.

These measures should be recorded in a budget amendment which should be set for not later than October 31, 2015. CFT will assess whether the budget amendment and proposed measures are sufficient. For a sustainable health care system and old age pension St. Maarten got until the end of 2016 to implement the necessary measures.

The Kingdom Council of Ministers considers it necessary to give this designation now. St. Maarten has been given ample time to take action, but despite promises always failed. The designation aims to prevent further financial problems for the country.

Click here to read the decision taken by the Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday.

St. Maarten:---- With a new vision and strong commitment, CC1 St. Maarten reinforces their beer portfolio with the acquisition of the #1 Beer of the Caribbean, Presidente. Beginning September 7th, CC1 is in charge of the marketing and distribution of the beer on the Island. Also, they will be the only authorized Distribution Company that will collect all Presidente’s account receivables, from past and present. Inquiries and new orders should be made with CC1 directly.

The inclusion of Presidente is part of CC1’s aggressive expansion plan, which is already evident in the construction of a new distribution center, a larger and more extensive distribution fleet, as well as modern and ground-breaking information systems.

“Our commitment is to have the broadest and most diversified product lines. We are very proud to increase our Beer portfolio with Presidente, a leading brand in the Caribbean, renowned for its quality and a favorite throughout St. Maarten. We are confident that this alliance will yield excellent results for everyone, particularly customers and consumers”, said Ada Iris Delgado, CC1 St.Maarten General Manager.

CC1 is one of the largest distributors in St. Maarten and currently sells some of the top brands in the market, such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Dasani, Canada Dry, Corona Extra, Budweiser, among others.

Ms. Delgado finished saying, “We are focused on providing the Island with a complete line of premium products, excellent services and expertise. We do this by continuing our legacy—authenticity, innovation and leadership— always focused on our customers and consumers.”

PHILIPSBURG:--- A number of road closures will be in place on Monday, September 7 and Tuesday, September 8 for the annual traditional Opening of the new Parliamentary Year 2015-2016.
The Wilhelmina Straat in front of the House of Parliament will be closed on Monday, September 7 from 3.00PM to 12.00AM. The closure is in connection with a dress rehearsal for the personnel from the various uniformed services who will be participating in the opening of the new parliamentary year as well as some other preparations.
Back Street and Front Street will be closed on Tuesday, September 8 from 6.00AM to 2.00PM. This is in connection with the official ceremonies for the opening of the new parliamentary year.

PHILIPSBURG:---- The Chief Financial Officer Rene Gartner got a warning letter from the Supervisory Board because Gartner wrote a company in the United States of America claiming that he is representing the Supervisory Board of GEBE.
Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the Supervisory Board warned Gartner that he not authorized to speak or write on behalf of the Supervisory Board simply because he is not a member of the Supervisory Board.
On another note SOAB began conducting the operational and internal audit at GEBE, the members of the Supervisory Board provided SOAB with a number of points they believe have to be investigated.

POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten staff on Thursday went to the Dominica Relief Effort depot on the Pondfill at the Ring Road to drop off relief items that they collected for the people of Dominica.

The staff decided after seeing television and social media pictures of the devastation, and from the appeals made to the outside world by the Government of Dominica, decided that they needed to help in some way and collected a jeep full of goods that could be used.

The Commonwealth of Dominica was devastated by torrential rainfall from Tropical Storm Erika last week Thursday.

Port St. Maarten management thanks the staff for their worthy initiative in helping brothers and sisters in need, adding that we are all in solidarity with the people of Dominica for a speedy recovery.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Officer Rishmer York who was charged with murder/manslaughter is set to appear before the Court of First Instance on October 28th 2015. On Wednesday (September 2nd) was the performa hearing where a number of witnesses were heard.
Prosecutor Karola Van Nie said the case is now set for October 28th 2015.
Officer Rishmer York is the main suspect accused of shooting to death Ackeem Isidora on March 4th 2015 across from his Belvedere Home.
Isidora died on the spot while another shot was also fired from the officer’s firearm towards Junior Isidora but that bullet missed its target and ended up in a wall.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In connection with the ongoing investigation regarding the two threats sent by email to the management of the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) on Monday August 31st and Tuesday September 1st 2015 police have arrested a suspect. The arrest was made after thorough investigation by the police department, the prosecutor’s office and with assistance of the management and security of the AUC and the expertise of our local communication providers TELEM and UTS.
The arrest took place on Wednesday September 2nd at approximately 07.00 p.m. The residence of the suspect was searched and several electronic items were confiscated for further investigation.
The male suspect was taken to the Philipsburg Police Station where he will remain in custody for questioning and further investigation. The investigation is in its preliminary stage and due to the sensitivity of this case no further information will be given at this time.

KPSM Police Report.

PHILIPSBURG:----  CC1 St. Maarten has also offered with a significant support for the island of Dominica, the island that has been struck by Tropical Storm Erika.
“We were touched and saddened by the devastation in Dominica and saw the need to help, General Manager, Ada Delgado of CC1 St. Maarten said “. The island was battered on Thursday last week with heavy rains, causing streets to flood and rivers to overflow, leaving many people without homes, drinking water and food. We were very distressed when we received the news about Tropical Storm Erika and we felt we had to act immediately.
According to reliable resources the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee St. Maarten represented by Maria Joseph , Romain Laville and many others were in contact with the Prime Minister office , Presidents office of Dominica and they managed to acquire a 2 x 40ft container to fill with goods to be sent to the island of Dominica this weekend.
CC1 St. Maarten saw the opportunity to assist immediately, and is given an initial contribution of 10 pallets of Dasani Water. We have successfully delivered the pallets of water to the Pond fill ring road in Philipsburg yesterday afternoon to be shipped out this weekend.
CC1 St. Maarten, previous B & C Beverages, has a strong commitment to the people of St. Maarten and neighboring islands for more than 25 years, and will continue to do so in the near future. CC1 St. Maarten is one of the largest distribution companies in St. Maarten and currently sells some of the top brands of the world, such as Coca Cola, Sprite, Dasani, Canada Dry, Corona Extra, Budweiser among others.

PHILIPSBURG:---- August 23rd was the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. To commemorate the UN observance, the Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO and the Africa Caribbean Heritage Alliance (ACHA) showed the DVD, ‘The Middle Passage’ and held a discussion with the members of the Youth Parliament on Friday August 21, 2015 at 7pm the Rupert Maynard Center.
The DVD, ‘the Middle Passage’, which can be rented from the Philipsburg Jubilee Library, focuses on the route between Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas and the bringing of enslaved persons to exchange for sugar and tobacco. This story is told by an enslaved person of African Descent who was sold into slavery by the King of Dahomey. The film gives a visual imagery of the journey from his home and life on the ship.
The main objective of the viewing of the DVD is to 'break the silence' on the Slave Trade, Slavery and their consequences, and to promote intercultural dialogue.
Ms. Henry, started the dialogue by asking how they felt after watching the film included:
Expressions of the Youth Parliamentarians included:
Weird; Disappointed; Unfair; Felt the struggle; Sadness; Fought over the rebellion; Locked up; Fear; Helpless; not in a situation to fight; No weapons; Rather die from fighting on my knees than doing nothing; Mental sickness.
Some of them further elaborated on their feelings as:
Weird: cause of all the struggles they went through while some of us children take so many things for granted.
Disappointed: Even if they were monkeys, would not have treated them so bad.
Unfair: because everyone should be treated better than this
Felt the struggle: because their situation was so bad. Even those that escaped, they still had
When asked if films like these should be shown, they all responded yes. They noted that films like these need to be shown because not many people really know what happened. The fact that the film takes one in-depth into the situation is quite enlightening. Know what the ancestors went through. Knowledge of the past helps young to evaluate the past in order to move forward. Yes, it should be shown especially to young people as some of our young persons today are smoking weed and hanging around the block. They indicated that two wrongs don’t make a right. We need to watch the film to know our past so we can build our future. On the issue of moving forward, the young people feel that they now have a voice to play a stronger role as activists.
When asked if showing the film to racists would make any difference whether slavery still exists, they responded that slavery still exists although some people don’t accept it as such. But that it is there and it manifests in activities like human trafficking, prostitution, etc.
The conversations continued on the issue of slavery where the comment was made, that ‘Take away slavery, no more racism! True or false? As this continued to generate much discussions, it was suggested as a new topic for debate by the Youth Parliamentarians.
The dialogue session was concluded with a recommendation that before showing the movie, a certain level of sensitivity is required. This is to prepare and sensitize the audience to what is coming. Otherwise, the dramatic nature of the brutality could be disturbing to some children.
Ms. Okama Ekpe Brook, president of the ACHA who partnered with Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO on this program, noted the identities of the enslaved Africans as Ibos, Yorubas, Hausas, etc. She asked the Youth Parliamentarians who the enslavers were. The responded by saying they were Europeans. On further probing, they named the British, French, Spaniards and Dutch. The fact was highlighted that the Dutch were the last ones to release their enslaved plantation workers. For 15 years, the enslaved people on the French side had been freed. As a result, the enslaved people from the Dutch side used to make the long treacherous trek through Colombier across to Bellevue to enjoy some freedom. Eventually when the enslaved people were freed, they still had to work for another 6-8 years for their masters without pay. On top of that, the slave masters received extra payment before they will allow the people to go. This is all documented in the literature, ‘Lest We Forget’ a copy of which was handed over to the Youth Parliaments for research work.
Ms. Maynard, the Coordinator was impressed with the conversations and thanked Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO for organizing the event. She noted that some of the youth had participated in the Diamond 26 reenactment of the run for freedom. It was an emotional real experience that gave the youth an appreciation of a little bit of what the ancestors must have endured. She was hopeful that such events including the reenactment would be conducted on a monthly basis.
Visit Sint Maarten National Commission for UNESCO and participate in the various activities. Contact Ms. Marcellia Henry, Cell #5203051, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The ACHA aims to positively reconnect the Caribbean with Africa. For more information on how you can join our activities, contact Ms. Okama Ekpe Brook by Tel: +1721 5207286 or visit our website: www.afrocaribbeanalliance.org , email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Watch out for the next ACHA event taking place on September 30, 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Media Lab in the library currently has a new course available for teens and their parents. The course will touch upon all aspects in the area of Media Literacy and safety online.
The Media Lab instructor Lavern Nelson is certified as a Media Coach by the NOMC. She will be teaching on topics such as cyber bullying, social media addiction and online privacy. Earlier this year the Media Lab also hosted sessions for children and teens on Media Literacy, how to make games, play memory activities, make short film clips and programming basics. In this newest course the emphasis will be on safety online, as this is an important issue in this digital day and age.
The Media Literacy course takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:00 pm. The sessions for teens will be on Tuesdays and the session for parents will be on Thursdays. Parents and teens interested in enrolling for this course can register for this course with Francia Housen on telephone number 542 2970 or via website www.medialabsintmaarten.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Motorworld and NAGICO recently collaborated to become a Major Partner of the DigiKidz project to assist the Foresee Foundation execute this imperative ICT (Information and Communications Technology) driven educational program. The program is aimed at providing students, teachers and management with the ICT/Technology infrastructure, tools and training to make learning and teaching more engaging in a technology driven world. ICT is a medium for learning that expands the learning process as in integral part of a school resulting in students and teachers being engaged in a stimulating and challenging environment.

In a small ceremony organized at the Christian Hillside School in Cay Hill the cheques were handed over to Mrs. Jose Sommers, President of the Foresee Foundation along with the Directors of the school and Mrs. Manisha Amjad, Motorworld Sales Manager, Mr. Lorenzo Gomez, Motorworld Marketing Officer and Ms. Jamie-Lee Peterson, NAGICO Marketing Assistant.

“In order to become the next business leaders on St. Maarten, it’s crucial that students and teachers incorporate digital media as much as possible in the school’s curriculum in order to be able to excel in the digitally driven world”, said Mrs. Manisha Amjad of Motorworld.

“For NAGICO, we encourage projects that improve the capabilities of our students and teachers which will be beneficial for the community in general and stimulate continued learning, according to Ms. Jamie- Lee Peterson of NAGICO.

Both Motorworld and NAGICO emphasize their commitment towards education on St. Maarten annually and this donation is another example of their continued corporate support. The donation will mainly go towards outfitting one classroom with the needed ICT infrastructure and will carry the names of the sponsors once operational.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that that the Simpson Bay Road will be closed from 11.00AM on Friday, September 4 in front of the Mary of the Sea Church.

The road will reopen after the funeral services of L. Johnson have been concluded.
Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconveniences this may cause.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament that was scheduled for Thursday, September 3 has been cancelled.

Faction leaders need additional time to finalize discussions on the proposed changes prior to handling in a Central Committee meeting.

The public Central Committee meeting was scheduled for 10.00am on Thursday in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point was the revision of the Rules of Order of Parliament.

Willemstad:--- Pan-American Life Insurance Company of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, a member of Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), facilitated a discussion yesterday with other members of the local insurance association about the practical implications of the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) which was introduced in July 2014.
“Although FATCA is a federal law of the United States, it impacts financial service providers, such as insurance companies, on an international scale,” explained Valery Sinot, Pan-American Life’s General Manager for the Dutch Caribbean. “Pan-American Life operates in 21 markets outside of the United States so there was a need for us to develop a comprehensive strategy for incorporating FATCA’s requirements into our daily business activities.”
In the case of the insurance industry, FATCA requires that insurance companies report, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), general information about certain cash value polices or annuities held by U.S. taxpayers. Most policy owners in the Dutch Caribbean who are foreign nationals will not be overly impacted by this legistation although they will be required to provide documentation supporting their status as a non U.S. citizen or resident.
As a result, local insurers will be assessing the need for changes to their operations and underwriting processes in order to faciliate compliance with FATCA. “We wanted to share the experience that we had adapting our business to be compliant with this legislation,” explained Martine van Oorsouw-Hofhuis, Pan-American Life’s Curaçao based Regional Counsel and Compliance Officer. “It is part of our wider commitment to compliance, and to being an active and responsible corporate citizen in all the markets where we do business.”
For more information about FATCA and how it impacts policy owners, you can visit Pan-American Life’s website at palig.com/curacao and click on the FATCA link.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A three-car accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon on Cannigieter Street. SMN News understands that two jeep and a car were involved in the accident, one eye witness said one of the jeep almost ending up under someone’s residence. So far no press release from the Police Department has not yet been issued. SMN News will update this news item as soon as information on the accident is released by the Police Department.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Tuesday August 25, 2015, the Immigration and Border Protection Service more specifically the National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking (NRB) is making strides in the fight against human trafficking by proactively informing and educating every sector of the community about their bureau’s core tasks and the role we all play in combating Human Trafficking. In addition, the bureau takes pride in publishing the results received from the Department of State in the TIP Report.

The National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking (NRB) is the executing agency for prevention and protection of victims of Human Trafficking. After approving the policy on “Temporary residency”, by the Minister of Justice; victims are empowered and are being encouraged to assist in the investigation and prosecution of the offenders of human trafficking. Presently, the National Reporting Bureau on Human Trafficking (NRB) is focused on launching the “Human trafficking and smuggling” awareness campaign. The goal is to inform civil society and other stakeholders about the serious issue of human trafficking and smuggling. Periodically the NRB strategically organizes information sessions for the representatives of the immigrants, with the business community and the tourism sector. It provides information about indicators of Human Trafficking and also about its’ core tasks, to the incoming immigrant and domestic workers, and those working in the adult entertainment industry, who collect their residence permits at the IBP office.

In addition, the NRB makes it a priority to consciously inform immigrant workers of their legal rights and how to report a possible case of human trafficking, it also develops special folders for “Prostitution & Exploitation” and Labor & Exploitation” with information regarding combating exploitation to distribute to these workers.
Not to mention, the quarterly visits the NRB pays to all the local brothels and dance clubs, to cautiously inform them about the core tasks of the NRB and how to contact them to report a possible human trafficking case. The NRB is working diligently to facilitate the flow of communication during these visits by ensuring that there are NRB personnel who speak multiple languages, this is to ensure that the quality of the message remains intact even when being translated. And by specifically organizing a separate info session, the NRB assures that information is certainly provided to the club owners, to ensure their awareness of the core tasks of the NRB and also strictly remind them about the rules and regulations they are required to comply with.

The NRB remains extremely focused on achieving its’ main goal which is bring global awareness to the community at large, this also includes those on the frontlines who may be at one point or another direct contact with potential victim of Human Trafficking. These personnel in the following sectors; Immigration Officers at the different Border points, the Mobile Control Unit and also to the first responders entities like; ambulance, community police, the family doctors and the SMMC personnel. It also works closely with the non-governmental organizations like Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) and Safe Haven where victims can be housed and sheltered. Since the establishment of the NRB in September 2013, this bureau has received several reports of possible cases of Human Trafficking. Those reports were all alleged cases of labor exploitation.

Each TIP Report narrative contains specific recommendations for a government to consider implementing over the coming year. In addition to the country-specific recommendations within the TIP Report narrative, the Department of State is providing our government with a short suggested action plan that reflects these recommendations. Both the action plan and accompanying recommendations are aimed at providing countries with guidance related to the minimum standards outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act; these standards are generally consistent with the standards set forth in the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the “Palermo Protocol”).

In closing, the report confirmed that the Government of Sint Maarten by means of the NRB is certainly complying with the minimum required standards, by identifying that “Total Awareness” is “The Key” to beginning to combat this global problem of “Human Trafficking”. The Department of State commended Sint Maarten on the positive results it has attained and encourages it to maintain this standard by continuing to advance and work in a focused, strategic, and very proactive manner.

Former Labor Mediator Raphel Boasman passed screening --- will be sworn in as Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs.

Harbour View:--- On September 2nd, 2015, His Excellency the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E.B. Holiday, received the final report regarding the reshuffling and appointment new ministers of the current Marcel F. Gumbs cabinet.
The Prime Minister has nominated the following persons for appointment as new Ministers:
1. Mr. R.A. Boasman, Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labor;
2. Mr. E.V. Sams, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication;
Furthermore, the Prime Minister nominated the current Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication, Mr. Claret M. Connor, for the position of Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment & Infrastructure.
The vetting of the three nominated Ministers, based on the pertinent regulations regulating the appointment of ministers, has not produced any data that could impede their appointment and swearing-in.
The Governor has scheduled the appointment and swearing-in of the new Ministers on Monday, September 7th, 2015, 15.30 hours, at the Governor’s Cabinet.

CAY HILL:--- A concerned citizen sent at least two photos of a location in Cay Hill highlighting the danger should St. Maarten see some much needed heavy rainfall. The businessman and concerned citizen said in a short caption “mudslide looking for a cloudburst.” When contacted the businessman stated that the photo was taken above Emerald Funeral Home in Cay Hill. The parcel of land was cleared off and left as is. He said that should heavy rainfall begin now or anytime soon then the residents and even Emerald Funeral Home will be in danger.

Greetings from the St. Maarten Academy P.S.V.E.

By means of this add we hereby request your presence at our Parent Evening which will be held on
Tuesday 8th September 2015 from 6.00p.m. until 8.00p.m.
The student handbook will be one of the document issued on that night.
It is in the interest of your child and if necessary please make arrangements with your employer to be able to attend this very important meeting.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Kavel Wilson-Farquharson
St. Maarten Academy PSVE
Administrative Assistant
1 (721) 548-4821
1 (721) 550-7110

PHILIPSBURG:---Judge Paulides is currently on leave of absence and did not attend court on Wednesday after she was threatened by a suspect last week Wednesday. According to information SMN News received the suspect identified as Reynold Reo Raymond born on February 18th 1989 on St. Maarten appeared before the courts on ten different charges ranging from attempted murder, firearm possession, drug possession and fencing of stolen goods.
The suspect was charged with four cases of attempted murder/ manslaughter. According to the verdict released on Wednesday last week the suspect attempted to take the lives of four people, one of whom became a handicap due to gunshot wounds. The four victims are listed as Brown, Glascow, Mauvais, Lanville and Aventurin.
He was acquitted on four of the ten charges but was condemned to 16 years imprisonment. Information reaching SMN News states that after Judge Paulides rendered the verdict (read the sentence) out to the suspect he threatened her verbally by stating the following “ An old woman like you will not be allowed to die on your bed.” The threats and statements made by the convict has shaken up Judge Paulides who went on leave of absence. On Wednesday a judge from Curacao was brought in to deal with the criminal cases that were on the docket for Wednesday. SMN News contacted Judge Mauritsz de Kort for a comment on the incident. Judge de Kort said that there was an incident which is currently under investigation, therefore he is not allowed to make any comment on the matter.

POINTE BLANCHE:---- Port St. Maarten Management Team led by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo recently met with the Down Street Business and Community Council Association (DSBCCA) headed by Godfried Richardson to discuss the Walter Plantz Square Cruise Heritage Development.
The meeting was held to give an update about the project and to further build upon the relationship between Port St. Maarten and DSBCCA especially looking at the long-term.
DSBCCA will be a tenant of one of the booths at the heritage square, and will be providing the opportunity to local vendors of locally made products to showcase them at the booth to cruise and stay-over visitors.
A number of points were discussed during the meeting which included the official opening of the Walter Plantz Square; upgrading of the area; entertainment initiatives; Jazz program; street fair; safety and security; lighting; taxi area; among other issues.
The parking in the area was also discussed with the DSBCCA as it is indeed a challenge. Port St. Maarten is looking into the possibility of acquiring properties in the area that could be turned into a parking lot with turn-around space for taxi’s and tour busses. This would be done in consultation with Ministry VROMI with respect to development regulations for the area.
Port St. Maarten and DSBCCA are planning to work closer together and on a more structural basis by having regular meetings in order to ensure that all stakeholders get the maximum benefit out of the Walter Plantz Square Cruise Heritage Development.
The Walter Plantz Square at Down Street will generate a new spirit of life into the Down Street area for locals and visitors alike.
Eight small buildings have been constructed according to the traditional St. Maarten architectural ginger-bread design to reflect the national heritage of the destination which is part and parcel of Port St. Maarten’s reinventing cruise tourism.
The essence of the project is to bring in the heritage value of the destination by showcasing the ginger bread homes of the past. This is part of the country’s cultural heritage and what makes us who we are, port management pointed out. “It’s part of us and this is interesting to cruise and stay-over visitors.”
The Walter Plantz Square at Down Street is just one of several change community projects that will further enhance the country’s tourism product.
These types of projects in the various communities will anchor them into tourism. It is a ground up approach where Port St. Maarten wants to bring back the rich traditional heritage of the country’s forefathers.
As Port St. Maarten management has pointed out before, “This is the future where product enhancement is concerned. We are not only talking about cruise, but stay-over tourists as well. No other destination has a duplicate of our cultural heritage. We are all unique in each of our own way. These change community projects will also be a showcase for our youth and generations to come.”
The approximately US$2 million project entailed the construction of a square with cabanas to be used for a bar/restaurant, the selling of arts and crafts and other tourist related goods; water fountain; palm trees; toilet/bathroom facilities; lockers; the square will be disabled accessible; parking for five taxi’s; parking on the beachside and around the area; small splash pool for kids; water fountain illuminating 30 different lights at night; 24-hour security.
The square is strategically located next to the Walter Plantz Tender Jetty which connects to the boardwalk/beach promenade, Down Street and Front Street which allows for a broader distribution flow of passengers.
The square will be fully equipped for local musicians, artists and bands with a ‘plug and play entertainment’ feature. Entertainment is an important part of heritage square which will also feature a stage, speakers and a generator.

GREAT BAY, (DCOMM):--- The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is calling on the community to take action to prevent mosquito breeding. The current rainfall has the potential to increase the number of mosquitos and therefore action is needed.

Preventative measures are needed and will go a long way in preventing one getting dengue of chikungunya.

Dengue fever and chikungunya are transmitted by the female vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is distinguished by its markings. The body of the mosquito has alternate black and white horizontal stripes. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays her eggs in clear (clean) stagnant water. Within eight days the mosquito can complete its life cycle from egg, to larvae to pupae and to and adult mosquito.

Persons are therefore requested to keep their homes, yards, neighborhoods and work environment free from potential mosquito breeding sites.

Actively destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the saucers of flowerpots, cemetery urns/vase or in pet dishes for more than two days. Throw out the water and turn them over every time it collects water.
Clean debris from rain gutters and remove any standing water under or around structures, or on flat roofs. Check around faucets and air conditioner units and repair leaks or eliminate puddles that remain for several days.
Change the water in birdbaths and wading pools at least once a week. The treatment of ornamental pools should be discussed with the experts. Fill or drain puddles, ditches and swampy areas, and/or remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar and regularly treat and monitor.
Eliminate seepage from cisterns, cesspools, and septic tanks. Eliminate standing water around animal watering troughs. Flush livestock water troughs twice a week.
Check for trapped water in plastic or canvas tarps used to cover boats, pools, plastic bags, foam dishes or even plastic cups strewn on the road side.
Clean the dead leaves from banana and coconut trees. Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Trim overgrown vegetation.
Check around construction sites or do-it-yourself improvements to ensure that proper backfilling and grading is realized to prevent drainage problems which can be a source for standing water. Empty all construction containers such as blue tanks, buckets, paint cans etc.
Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days. If ditches do not flow and contain stagnant water for one week or longer, they can produce large numbers of mosquitoes. Report such conditions to the respective government agency.
Mosquitoes can be kept out of the home by keeping windows, doors and porches tightly screened (16-18 mesh). Those insects that do get into structures can be eliminated with a fly swatter or an aerosol space spray containing synergized pyrethrum.
Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest on weeds and other vegetation. Homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes can find shelter by cutting down weeds adjacent to the house foundation and in their yards, and mowing the lawn regularly. To further reduce adult mosquitoes harboring in vegetation, insecticides may be applied to the lower limbs of shade trees, shrubs and other vegetation. Screen off cistern outlets, cover and screen septic tanks properly.
The aforementioned measures should also be taken in and around the workplace, social gatherings and living quarters to eliminate mosquito breeding sources.

An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. For information about dengue fever and chikungunya prevention measures, you can call CPS at 542-2078 or 542-3003.

PHILIPSBURG:---  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, presented “daughter of the soil” local author Latoya Lake with a token of accomplishment at the official book launch of “It’s like Déjà vu with You,” on Friday last at Holland House Beach Hotel on Front Street.
Surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers, Mrs. Lake who is lab technician and pharmacist assistant by profession, was lauded for the accomplishment of her book.

During his speech, Minister Connor encouraged the St. Maarten youth at the gathering to use Ms. Lake’s work and dedication as an inspiration to develop their own natural talents. “As a daughter of our soil, she made us proud by what she has accomplished” he noted.

“Her dedication to her family and her profession, coupled with her willingness to ingeniously translate a myriad of thought and encapsulating more than 80,000 words in the form of a novel is a testament to this. He added that the potential of how far this novel can reach is immeasurable; referencing the successful TV series “Empire” and the like.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Sint Maarten, I am extremely proud of you and wish you well in your future endeavours” Minister of Tourism Hon. Claret Connor said on Friday.

GREAT BAY:---  A meeting is being requested by the Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo to discuss the implementation of a mandatory neonatal screening for all babies born on Sint Maarten.
What is Neonatal Screening?
It is referred to as the Neonatal heel prick screening tests or as the Guthrie tests. It looks for developmental, endocrine, genetic, and metabolic disorders in newborn babies, and for those babies with the conditions, allow physicians to start treatment before some of the harmful effects happen or prevent or slow down the harmful effects of the disease. This is done in many countries including the Netherlands and the BES islands.
The Member of Parliament is a founding member of the Sint Maarten Sickle Cell Foundation which promotes the awareness of Sickle Cell Disease.
Sickle Cell disease is one of the genetic diseases that is tested in the screening. Other diseases that are tested in the screening are PKU, Congenital Hypothyroidism, Galactosemia, just to name a few.
When detected at an early stage, treatment can be given to prevent mental retardation, growth deficiency amongst others.
The Member of Parliament is hoping for the support of all 15 members of Parliament to ensure that this law is passed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The shareholder representative (government) the Supervisory board and management board of GEBE approved the operational and forensic audit government want to conduct at the GEBE.
Based on the articles of incorporation the various boards had to agree and approve the audit that government wants done. The meeting between the various boards and the shareholder representative was held on Monday where audit was approved by all parties.
Having such an audit with show exactly those that abused the use of their credit cards, and their authority while working at GEBE. Right now Rene Gartner seems to be in the hot seat since he have lots of skeletons in his closet since he bought a vehicle without the approval of the shareholder representative, Gartner also bought airline tickets for his personal use and was the one that signed the first check for St. Maarten Service Provider.
It is not yet known which auditing company will conduct the audit and how soon the operational and forensic audit will commence.
Several other persons who holds senior positions in GEBE are now scratching their heads because they do not know what will audit reveal.
SMN News understands that the current Chief Financial Officer Rene Gartner is already shaking since he allegedly did things that were swept under the proverbial carpet.
Efforts made to reach several members of the Supervisory Board who began cleaning up the mess they met at GEBE could not be reached on Tuesday evening.

The Cayman Heart Fund continues its support of the Cayman Islands Health Service Authority (HSA) through a generous donation following its 8th annual Discovery Day 5k. With the goal of purchasing a new ambulance for the HSA, the Cayman Heart Fund (CHF) is fundraising through events over the course of the year, such as the Discovery Day Walk and its inaugural celebration of World Heart Day.

“The 2015 Discovery Day 5k attracted a record number of participant’s including competitive runners, families, walking groups, and even a couple expecting a baby! I was thrilled to see so many people come and raise money for such a worthwhile cause,” said Christine Gibbs, Race Director and owner of A Step Ahead Physiotherapy. Nadira Lord, CHF committee member and daughter to the late Ken Chand after whom the 5K walk is named, proudly stated that “the support received from the sponsor and public this year was amazing and the atmosphere on the day was incredible.”

Since inception in 2008, the Discovery Day 5K has raised funds for several pieces of important cardiac equipment such as; a new ultrasound probe in the George Town Hospital children’s ward, new AED units in schools across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac – and now this year, towards the purchase of a new ambulance.

Cayman Heart Fund board member, Dr. Bella Beraha reiterated the importance of reducing delay to improve cardiac outcomes, “Time is of the essence and outcomes are greatly changed depending on how quickly medical professionals are able respond.”

Mr. Stephen Duval highlighted the importance of public awareness and ambulance response times adding that “having a robust fleet of vehicles and building capacity for the future is something we have to plan for, so this donation from the Cayman Heart Fund is most valuable.”

According to the Cayman Heart Fund, cardiovascular disease remains the most common health problem in the Cayman Islands. As cardiovascular disease continues to increase, demand on health services, particularly the ambulance service has intensified.

At a community level, awareness programmes, CPR training and training in the use of automated external defibrillators have been rolled out in some school and corporate settings by the Cayman Heart Fund. However, the Fund also advocates that every individual should recognise early warning signs of a cardiovascular event. Immediate recognition of these early warning signs will in turn lead to a swifter and comprehensive 911 call.

CEO Ms Lizzette Yearwood, personally thanked Cayman Heart Fund, saying “we are always grateful for the strong support offered by the wider community through organisations such as the Cayman Heart Fund. It is through partnerships such as these that we are able to provide the best possible medical care to all residents of the Cayman Islands.”

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 3.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Thursday, at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The agenda point is the revision of the Rules of Order of Parliament.

Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

PHILIPSBURG:----  The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on September 3.

The public Central Committee meeting is set for Thursday, at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.

The first of four agenda points are: National Ordinance to amend the Ordinance related to Notaries; second agenda point is, National Ordinance to amend the Ordinance on Admissions and Expulsions; the third is about the National Ordinance related to September 27, 1968 in Brussels about Civil Affairs; and the fourth agenda point is the National Ordinance to amend the Ordinance on Administrative Rechtspraak.
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations.

The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.

The parliamentary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 120, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and via www.sxmparliament.org.

DOMINICA:--- NAGICO Insurances has donated EC75 000 to the Dominica Social Welfare Committee to assist in the relief efforts following the catastrophic passing of Tropical Storm Erika last week, which left over 30 people dead, several injured and scores of families homeless.
In a meeting with the Dominica Social Welfare Committee yesterday; Lisa Brown-McKay; Jr. Marketing Manager of NAGICO Insurances announced that the company will donate EC$75,000 which will go directly to the victims as they will be in the form of vouchers. This is being organized and coordinated in collaboration with the Welfare Department.
“We have partnered with a few Supermarkets and Department Stores which will allow persons with a NAGICO voucher to come in and get items at no charge to them, based on the limit on the voucher,” she said. “We are cognizant that at this time people have various needs and with this effort we are trying to offer immediate assistance, however I would like to caution that these vouchers can only be used for necessary following a disaster; e.g. food, toiletries, clothing etc.” A list will be provided by the Welfare department upon receipt of the voucher.
Chairman of the NAGICO Insurances Group of Companies; Imran McSood Amjad said, “We are very saddened at the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Erika, Dominica is not only part of our group, it is apart of our family,” he said. “We have several staff, friends, families, agents, brokers and clients living there and we have been operating in Dominica for over 20 years. So this has hit close to home for us”.
The Chairman of the Welfare Committee thanked NAGICO Insurances for their corporate citizenship, especially at a time when it is greatly needed. “We have done our assessments so far and right now we have 9 priority areas that we have classified as Special Disaster areas and 5 others of concern,” he said. “We are truly grateful for the support from NAGICO as this will go a long way to help us with our efforts.”
The monies will be distributed in the form of vouchers which will be distributed by the Social Welfare Committee and can be used at select Supermarkets and department stores to be advised by the department.
“We encourage other businesses and partners to come on board as we try to bring restoration back to the community as soon as possible,” Amjad said. “In addition to this donation our staff have set up an internal Dominica Relief Drive, throughout our organization at all our locations in our other 18 territories in the Caribbean. This fund is geared at providing further assistance to those affected by Tropical Storm Erika. We know that it will not be able to replace the loss and pain caused by this devastating storm, but it is a first step to creating some sense of normalcy in this troubling time. Our prayers continue to be with the people of Dominica and their families.”

PHILIPSBURG:---- Maho-SXM: Live 2 Lead will be hosted at Sonesta Maho on October 9, 2015. This worldwide leadership simulcast event will be hosted by Victorious Living Foundation (VLF). Live 2 Lead is part of Victorious Living’s commitment to empower, enlighten and reconcile St. Martin and the surrounding islands. This commitment is reinforced by the over 350 persons who have demonstrated their desire to increase and improve their leadership capacity over the past three years of consistent leadership development by VLF through Leadercast.
Persons familiar with Leadercast recently held in May 2015 to a maximum capacity audience would appreciate Live 2 Lead which is a half-day, leader development experience designed to equip leaders with new perspectives, practical tools and key takeaways to implement right away.
Apart from empowering the community, VLF utilizes Live 2 Lead and Leadercast as fundraising tools to continue their transformational work with youth, families, and couples.
Speakers include John C. Maxwell, leadership expert, speaker, coach, #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 77 leadership books, who has sold more than 25 million books. John Maxwell was recently selected by Inc. Magazine as the #1 Leadership expert in the world. He was identified as the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association® and the world’s most influential leadership expert by Business Insider and Inc. magazine in 2014. Valorie Burton, bestselling author, speaker, and life coach dedicated to helping people get unstuck and be unstoppable in every area of life. She is the founder of The Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute and has served as a Certified Personal and Executive Coach to hundreds of clients in over 40 US states and ten counties.
Live 2 Lead is designed to deliver the very best leadership content to inspire and motivate leaders and their teams in every sphere of life. Plus connect with other influencers in their community and expand their business network with relationships that produce tangible results.
Past Leadercast attendees have the opportunity to claim their discount until Thursday September 3rd. Other persons who’d like to take advantage of Live 2 Lead receive a discount for registering themselves and a friend by Thursday September 3rd at http://tinyurl.com/registerL2LSXM. Registration closes on October 1st 2015.
Additional information may be obtained by contacting Dr. Erna Mae Francis-Cotton at 1-721-524-8731 or any member of VLF’s board or events team and by visiting VLF’s office at Royal Palm Plaza #92 Front Street; www.victoriouslivingsxm.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- Well placed information reaching SMN News states that Minister of Finance Maarten Hassink has sent an email to the leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger informing him that he has taken the decision to make his position as Minister of Finance available to the UPP. It is further understood that after Minister Hassink email to the UPP leader a coalition meeting was held at the Parliament Building Monday afternoon and MP Maurice Lake did not attend that meeting. Efforts made to reach Minister Hassink on Tuesday proved futile as he did not respond to the phone calls made to him.
Clearly Minister Hassink were having problems with the UPP leader who asked him to stay on as Minister of Finance when they formed the first coalition but later submitted another candidate name for screening while not informing Hassink of his decision. When the candidate Richard Gibson Sr. failed the screening process Minister Hassink was asked by the coalition to stay on until someone is found to take his place. During that period of time Minister Hassink was supposed to work on the completion of the 2015 budget. Minister Hassink had informed the media of his decision to stay on for a period of six months during one of the the weekly press briefings some time ago. The move by Minister Hassink was expected as he got a motion of non-confidence from the CFT who advised the Kingdom Council to issue an instruction on St. Maarten which will take place on Friday September 4th 2015.
SMN News further learnt that former member of the CFT Richard Gibson Sr. who failed the screening process some months ago may now get clearance to take up the position as Minister of Finance if he is fully exonerated by the Prosecutor’s Office on the two complaints that were filed against him which caused him to fail the screening process the first time around.
Already press prosecutor Karola Van Nie had told SMN News that they had sent a letter to the young woman and her parents who filed the first complaint against Gibson for sexual misconduct that they will not proceed with any criminal charges against Richard Gibson Sr. However, Van Nie had said back then that they were still busy investigating the second complaint which involved a working permit.
SMN News now learnt that the prosecutor’s office had taken the decision to charge Gibson Sr. with human trafficking and human smuggling but that seems to be thrown out and it is now considered an oversight.
SMN News contacted press prosecutor Karola Van Nie for an update on the complaints filed against Gibson Sr. and if the Prosecutor’s Office had taken a decision as to how they will proceed with the case. Van Nie said that the case of the working permit is still under investigation and that there is no news on this at this moment.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Self-appointed director of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) Michael Granger who denied when contacted by SMN News in June 2015 if he had changed the articles of incorporation to appoint himself as director and will earn a sizeable salary is now dictating and threatening booth holders. When SMN News published the article that Granger had changed the articles of incorporation and asked him if he was the one that will take on the post he created he denied and then wrote some malicious statements on his Facebook page. Just some weeks ago Granger chose to send a press release to his former boss where he publicly announced that he was the new director of SCDF.
SMN News understands that Granger held a meeting with booth holders Monday night and basically told them that they now have to sign a new contract which will prohibit them from purchasing alcoholic beverages from the Chinese Supermarkets or any other agency that sells alcohol.
According to the information provided to SMN News Granger told the booth holders during the meeting that if they did not sign the new contract he presented to them in the meeting then their contract to have a booth at Carnival Village in 2016 will not be renewed.
A source close to SCDF alleged that Granger has a deal with the owner of International Liquors and Tobacco (ILTT) Ralph Lebdee who would be the only person that will be allowed to sell alcoholic beverages both wholesale and retail during the Carnival season.
SMN News tried to contact Granger on Tuesday by telephone for comment on his latest idea but he did not answer his phone.

Several booth holders told SMN News that during the 2015 Carnival season several booth holders were asked to purchase beers from Heineken who also had a booth in the village, the booth holders said Heineken were allowed to sell beers wholesale and retail while booth holders were charged very high prices. The booth holders said that Heineken paid $5,000.00 for their booth and that is the reason SCDF recommended Heineken to the booth holders. One booth holder said Fantasy lottery paid $7,000.00 for a booth while organizers from various troops and calypsonians were not paid. Another source said that while SCDF charged high prices for almost everything, Granger and his former employee were milking monies out of SCDF through a marketing company and SCDF were busy writing bounce checks when paying others.

Questions are now being raised as to why government who is still cash-strapped is subsidizing SCDF when their books are not in order. This was one of the questions SMN News posed to Granger in June when he was contacted and he said that SCDF is protected since they are a foundation and does not have to share information with government or anyone else.

DP Faction plans to take back draft timeshare legislation and move forward with them in Parliament.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The leader of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters on Tuesday that she has several concerns with the current government, one being the status of the Waste to Management Plant. Wescot Williams said that based on the statements made by GEBE utility company whom she said stated that such a project is too expensive for the government owned company to handle while the Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs she said is going around in circles when he is asked about this particular project. Because of the lack of proper information the Democratic Party faction parliament secured the support from two Members of the National Alliance namely, MP William Marlin and MP Silveria Jacobs and they submitted request to Parliament calling for an urgent meeting to get information on this particular project since the situation at the Landfill is hazardous while the landfill has already outlived its lifespan. She said that they motivated their reasons for wanting an urgent meeting on this matter since there are conflicting stories out there in the public.
The Democratic Party is also concerned about several projects that are being stagnated, one being the drainage plan which has not yet been approved by government, the upgrade of Well Road, Union Road and Orange Grove. Wescot Williams said the upgrading of Union Road should have been completed since this was part of the causeway project which was co-financed by the St. Maarten Harbor Group of Companies. She said she also concerned about the European Development fund (EDF) which government was supposed to work on and the OP. All of this she said started during the last governing period and in her view as this Parliamentary year open it is the time for Members of Parliament and Government to get things moving.
Another issue the DP faction is concerned about the lack of the Time Share Legislation which the Democratic Party worked on while they were in Government during the last governing period. Wescot Williams said she recently asked the current Minister of Tourism Claret Connor for information on the draft legislation which was put together by experts both from St. Maarten and abroad but to her surprise the written response she got from the Minister indicated that his legal team plans to ‘redo’ the draft legislation. She said that she advised the Minister to sit with the persons who prepared the draft legislation to regulate the timeshare industry in order for them to trash out what is wrong with the current draft according to his new legal team. Wescot Williams said that the Minister agreed to meet with the person who worked on the draft but should the Minister delay the process she intends to take back the draft legislation she worked on and make sure it is presented to Parliament through her faction in Parliament. Wescot Williams said she plans to do the same for other draft legislations that her team worked on while she was part of the executive branch of government. The other being the amendment to the civil code to regulate the short term contracts.
Advisor to the DP Faction Emil Lee said in a press statement and at the press conference on Tuesday that had government worked in the Time Share Legislation it would have prevented the disaster at one of the island’s resorts. Lee said that there is a lot of damage done to St. Maarten on the blogs but situations such as these are preventable. Below is the press release from Emil Lee.

Where is the Timeshare legislation that would have helped prevent this disaster?
By Emil Lee DP advisor

We celebrate the legal victory of the handful of timeshare tourists who were willing to organize against a well funded and larger opponent, put up their own money, and fight for their rights to keep their timeshare weeks as purchased, but what we don’t see are the thousands of timeshare owners at the former Caravanserai who gave up and as a consequence signed away their rights. Sadly, the collateral damage to our tourism industry translates into a tainted reputation for St Maarten, lost jobs and lost contributions into St Maarten’s economy.

The draft legislation which would regulate the Timeshare industry has been working its way through our Parliamentary system for many years is still not approved. Supported by ARDA ROC and the SMTA, this legislation would have helped to prevent this travesty and yet still awaits debate and ratification. Through MP Wescott-Williams and previously MP De Weever, the DP has been and will continue to champion the need for timeshare legislation.

(According to newspaper reports)Last week the Court of First Instance ruled in favor of the Timeshare Owners at Caravanserai Association or TOCA and 17 individual members. Of the 2200 timeshare owners, 62 TOCA members and 17 individual members received news that their agreements are protected by law and therefore could not be nullified. This means that many of the other 2100+ owners that signed an agreement to accept Alegria’s notification that their previous ownership rights had been nullified and that Alegria would offer hotel units against payment, have unwittingly signed away their rights.

Clearly the losers of this fiasco are the people of St. Maarten and the timeshare owners who did not choose to fight for their rights. Just read the blogs to see the damage that has been done to the timeshare industry and in St Maarten’s reputation in particular.

The private sector provided key moral support; however, what was embarrassingly missing was any support from Government or even the least bit of encouragement for what is one of our most important sources of tourism revenues. This does not even consider any moral responsibilities we have to our loyal visitors. This is typical of our government’s approach to tourism these days and represents a clear and present danger to each and every citizen of St. Maarten.

St. Maarten has been the envy of every other Caribbean island when it comes to the success and vibrancy of St. Maarten’s timeshare tourism. Many other islands would covet the stable tourism base that we have in our timeshare visitors. The number of jobs in our economy due to timeshare tourism is a substantial percentage of the total. The independent business men and women, from taxi drivers, to corner snack bars, to pharmacists, to graduating young adults looking for work or opportunities, and more that rely on our timeshare tourists is staggering.

The Democratic Party has campaigned for open government and will continue at every opportunity to advocate for an inclusive government with integrity that is transparent, accountable and fiscally responsible. It is a well-established fact that the citizens of a country that have an open government are more prosperous and happy.

GREAT BAY:--- Lexus Ryan, one of the poets from the book Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in Anguilla performed his poetry in Haiti at CARIFESTA 2015, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
Ryan is one of Anguilla’s busiest poets and the edition of Where I See The Sun published by HNP last May is one of the region’s newest anthology of poems, said Sample.
Ryan recited his poems, exhibited copies of Where I See The Sun, and showcased his fashion designs as a member of Anguilla’s official delegation to CARIFESTA XII, August 21-30, said Sample.
CARIFESTA is the largest festival of the arts and culture of Caribbean peoples. Each of the 22 countries and territories that took part this year showcased its nation’s excellence in painting, plastic arts, literature, drama, music, song, dance, and fashion design among other creative areas. “There were also parades in national dress, large music concerts, and panel discussions on topics such as Reparations by leading artists and intellectuals from the region,” said Sample.
CARIFESTA XIII will be hosted by Barbados.

GREAT BAY:---- CARIFESTA 2015, the 12th edition of the largest Caribbean festival of arts and culture closed in grand style in Haiti last weekend with 22 nations participating, said St. Martin cultural activist Shujah Reiph.
Reiph, along with educator and former regional councilor Louis “Lulu” Mussington visited Haiti and attended CARIFESTA XII, August 21–30. It was a chock-full event of art, literature, music, song, dance, theater, fashion, panel discussions by leading artists and intellectuals, and other related activities, said Reiph.
“We were not at CARIFESTA in any official capacity but thanks to House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), we had books published in St. Martin about our island’s culture to present to people and institutions that we came in contact with,” said Reiph.
“Some people were very surprised by the number of books and the important authors like George Lamming that are published in St. Martin from other Caribbean islands, including the two books in three languages on Haitian literature,” said Reiph.
Reiph and Mussington presented HNP books by Laurelle “Yaya” Richards (St. Martin), Emilio Jorge Rodriquez (Cuba), George Lamming (Barbados), Howard Fergus (Montserrat), Lasana M. Sekou (St. Martin), and Amiri Baraka (USA) to the National Library of Haiti, the University of Guyana Library, participating scholars such as Dr. Hilary Beckles, and to Haitian tourist office representatives, and officials of the CARIFESTA secretariat, among others.
“With the gift of books, and at the symposia, we got an opportunity to highlight St. Martin’s culture and promote quality book publishing in the Caribbean, especially multilingual publishing,” said Reiph. Only a government can send a delegation to CARIFESTA to represent the country or territory. St. Martin, South and North, did not send a delegation to CARIFESTA 2015.
“Shujah’s coordination of the book presentations was a selfless help to St. Martin writers, like those in Where I See The Sun – Contemporary Poetry in St. Martin, to symbolically reach CARIFESTA 2015,” said HNP projects director Lasana M. Sekou.
“Sometimes your book will reach places before you. Sometimes literature will be the only art form at hand for a friendly exchange, or to proudly or humbly present to represent a culture, a people, a St. Martin nation,” said Sekou.
Regionally, CARIFESTA is attracting more non-delegate visitors from throughout the Caribbean and the Americas to the host country. Caribbean carnivals have been doing this for many years. “These visitors are attending the rich array of cultural performances. They are visiting exhibits of national and popular culture and tourism promotion in the CARIFESTA village,” said Sekou.
“Consequently, official delegations, general publics, and Caribbean tourists can engage openly in cultural exchanges beyond the level of governments. That interaction is vital for Caribbean people. HNP wants books published in St. Martin, by authors from our region and from around the world, to be part of that meeting,” said Sekou.
In Haiti, Reiph was also on the look out for authors and speakers for the Conscious Lyrics and St. Martin Book Fair programs. “I invited the cultural people that I met at CARIFESTA to visit the next St. Martin Book Fair, June 2 – 4, 2016,” said Reiph. He is also the book fair coordinator and producer of Conscious Lyrics radio magazine.

GREAT BAY:--- The Dominica Female Football Team of 25-strong got stranded here on Thursday, the day Tropical Storm Erika passed well south of the country. The team travelled to the Dominican Republic for an activity and on their way back to Dominica they landed in Sint Maarten the day the storm passed their island.

The team spent several days here since the passing of Erika because of the devastation caused by the storm back in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Since last Thursday was very limited air travel to the island, due to damage assessments that needed to be carried out to the different airstrips prior to any resumption of commercial travel to the country.

The Dominica Female Football Team have been received a good dose of Sint Maarten Hospitality while on the island.

Loyd Paul and Shanka Serrant, were instrumental in coordinating accommodations, meals and transportation while they were here on the island, and at the same time worked tirelessly to get the team back home to family and friends.

President of Parliament Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson and the Director of All Waste in Place also assisted as well as Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Hon. Claret Connor.

The team left the island on Sunday for Guadeloupe and took the ferry over to Dominica on Monday morning and have arrived safely back in their homeland.

PHILIPSBURG:---The President of Parliament Hon. Dr. Lloyd Richardson on Tuesday on behalf of the Parliament of Sint Maarten offered his condolences to the Government led by Prime Minister Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, on the tragic loss of life associated with the passing of Tropical Storm Erika.
Many persons have been injured and there has been significant damage to the infrastructure of Dominica.
Severe flooding from Erika’s torrential rains inundated the landscape of Dominica several days ago as the system passed through the Caribbean.

POINTE BLANCHE:---  On Sunday afternoon in a small ceremony that included Port St. Maarten Supervisory Board members, representatives of RBC Bank, and port management officials and staff, witnessed the transfer of several pieces of the newly acquired Terex Gottwald Model 6 Crane from the Motor Vessel Schippersgracht which transported the crane from Germany to the island. The crane was offloaded over the weekend.

Port St. Maarten now possesses the largest mobile crane - Terex Gottwald Model 6 – in the North Eastern Caribbean. It will be part and parcel of the operations at the cargo section of the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility.

Prior to pinning the official Port’s pin as a token of appreciation on RBC Royal Bank representatives Raquel Lo Fo Wong and Peter Beishuizen, Port St. Maarten’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo told the small gathering that cargo section is a 24/7 operation. “It’s all about serious business here at the port where cargo movements represents a big chunk of the revenues generated by Port St. Maarten.

“The process started back in 2008 to develop and expand cargo operations. We started with RBTT Merchant Bank which later became RBC Bank, who I consider a real partner. I would like to take this opportunity to thank RBC for believing in us.

“My management style here at Port St. Maarten has been about believing in your people. You have to be able to connect with your staff, because it is the people that brings success to a company. You also have to listen to your customers about their needs and requirements, and then as a port you look at how we can facilitate the business development aspect in an efficient and effective manner,” CEO Mark Mingo said on Sunday.
Mingo also thanked the Supervisory Board of Directors for their role in seeing the need for the expansion in order for Port St. Maarten to remain ahead, as well as the Port’s Chief Financial Officer Ton van Kooten and Terminal and Cargo Operations Manager Roger Lawrence, for their steadfast guidance in ensuring the completion of the purchasing and technical/shipping process.

Assembly efforts started immediately by Germany Gottwald technicians on-site and Port St. Maarten Gottwald certified crane experts once all crane parts were offloaded on Sunday. The estimated time to have the new crane up and running, as it relates to the assembling, erection and commissioning is estimated to be around four to six weeks.

Port St. Maarten sold its 14-year old HMK 260E Gottwald known as Crane 1 to a group in Mexico via broker Pacific Handling Systems Inc. The crane was loaded onboard the Cargo Vessel BBC Congo for a six-day voyage to Mexico back in July.

The acquisition of the Terex Gottwald Model 6 Mobile Harbour Crane and the additional Bromma spreaders will in no doubt bolster Port St. Maarten’s position and continue to expand its cargo related activities and foot print within the North Eastern Caribbean region.
By trading in the older version Model 4 Gottwald Crane for a newer Model 6 crane with an outreach of 15 across and load capacities of 125t, Port St. Maarten will be able to properly accommodate and continue to grow its foot print within the north eastern Caribbean region.
The Terex Gottwald Model 6 harbour crane is high performance for higher handling rates, and is part of the large crane family from Terex Port Solutions. The crane can be used on ships up to post-Panamax and Capesize Bulker class.
The Model 6 crane is equipped with the technical and ergonomic functions and features required to improve productivity, environmental compatibility and facilitate operation to boost economical and sustainable cargo handling in ports and terminals. Port St. Maarten crane staff is already trained in using this model of crane.
Over the years Port St. Maarten has invested significantly in Cargo, where infrastructure, dredging, and upgrading of Cranes are concerned; training of staff leading to six local certified operators and supervisors.

With increasing cargo volumes especially related to transshipment where enormous growth opportunity exist, brings about a good feeling for port officials.
Port St. Maarten cargo facility investments have led to a steady growth in containerized business making the island a regional sub-hub for the North Eastern Caribbean.
Port St. Maarten serves the islands of Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Antigua & Barbuda. The port is also in the process of developing a special relationship with the Caribbean Netherlands islands of Saba and St. Eustatius with respect to port handling, operations, economic development and sustainability. Both islands receive their cargo shipments/services from Port St. Maarten.

WILLEMSTAD/St. Maarten: --- Curacao Prime Minister Ivar Asjes tendered his resignation on Monday citing lack of support from his political party. Asjes was sworn in on June 7th 2013 by acting governor Adele van der Pluijm-Vrede.
Shortly before Asjes resigned the members of his faction Pueblo Soberano called an urgent meeting where all five Members of Parliament from PS faction informed him that he no longer has their support to be the head of Curacao’s government. After that meeting Ashes called an extra-ordinary meeting with the Council of Ministers of Curacao where he informed the other members of his cabinet and officially tendered his resignation. Around 5 pm on Monday Asjes visited Governor, Lucille George-Wout, to make his resignation official.
Asjes told reporters he will give a statement on Wednesday.
By 5:30 pm Monday Minister Ben Whiteman went to the Governor to officially assume the position of Prime Minister of Curacao.
The party (Pueblo Soberano) said in three months things should be reestablished and be back to normal.
For quite some time there have been feuds between Asjes and his party, especially the MP’s from PS. The Curacao population was quite aware that there were internal problems within the PS especially with Asjes and that at some point things would have boiled over. Curacao still has a government that is counting on the support of 11 members of parliament.