Articles

To the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth affairs
Ms. Rhoda Arrindell

 

Sint Maarten, February 10th 2011

Honorable Minister Arrindell,

To our complete shock and dismay we were informed today of your letter, dated February 9th 2011, informing all school board members of an upcoming 2-day closure of all elementary schools.
You have granted permission to close all elementary schools on February 17th and 18th to accommodate the teachers to participate in the ASCD annual conference.

It is mindboggling to read your letter as we just lost four school days due to the industrial action of the teachers to secure their rightful cost of living payment. Your harsh "no work no pay" stance cannot rhyme with your subsequent letter of yesterday, closing down all elementary schools for two whole days.

Let us remind you that this school year alone, all civil servants (including all teachers) already received 3 extra and unscheduled days off, namely: October 11th, November 12th and January 3rd. On top of that there was no school for 5 days due to the passing of hurricane Earl. Add to that the four days of strike and your planned two days next week, and this results in a loss of classes of 14 full days (almost three whole weeks of classes).

As our minister of Education, the PTA of the Sister Magda Primary School sincerely believes that you are playing with the education and the future of our children. The students who are in the sixth grade (group 8) already have to do their secondary school entry exams one month earlier than last year. Taking away almost another month of class - and preparation time puts them in a severely disadvantaged position.

We certainly expect differently from you as minister and strongly urge you to reconsider your letter and planned school closure.

We are absolutely in favor of upgrading and training our teachers, but urge you to schedule these events outside school hours to prevent any further damage to an already very disrupted and disturbed school year.

Since our last letter, concerning another possible school closure to accommodate the Census 2011, went completely unacknowledged by your office, we have decided to send this letter to you and simultaneously to both newspapers on Sint Maarten, hoping to receive a swift reaction or response from you this time.

Wishing you wisdom in your decision-making, we remain,

Sincerely,

The Parent Teacher Association
Sister Magda Primary School
Sint Maarten.

Like many people, we too learned from the local media, back then on Friday, January 21, that 5 persons had been arrested by Federal detectives in a so-called BTA investigation.
Of those five persons, three are reported to work with the BTA project located in the IND-Building, which if I am well informed, falls under your portfolio.
While many people had hoped that you would follow the example of former Minister of Health, Mr. Stanley INDERSON, back then in doing the 'honorable thing'-, since the 'buck stops' at your desk as minister of Justice.
Of course, that was indeed too 'wishful thinking' to expect such high standard to apply to our 'honorable' politicians of 'Country St. Maarten'.
However, as we today again were informed of yet another arrest in the ongoing BTA investigation - your driver-, we wonder if, as 'honorable' Minister of 'Country St. Maarten', when-, or if you will do the honorable thing this time around.
After all this is now the fourth person - directly/indirectly under your portfolio that has now been arrested.
Especially, since it appears that at least one has acted based on oral instructions, issued by your honor.
It is clear that such instructions, not formulated 'Black-on White' can easily lend themselves for 'misinterpretations'.
In ending, 'honorable' Mr. Minister, we would not want to be tempted, like certain people are saying; 'Who knows the direction this investigation is pointing into, the good minister might not be left with much time to do the 'honorable thing'.
Wonder what they mean, Mr. Minister.

Yeah,
Me, the 'messenger boy',
Leopold JAMES

'Honorable' Prime-minister Mrs. WESCOT-WILLIAMS acknowledges that a 'National Development Plan' is now pertinent.
OUR COMMENTARY;
We have 'been there' before-, when it is very convenient for certain politicians.
Using very fundamentally important issues when it is 'politically correct'/'to score political points'-, or to confuse the people, or take the focus off some other current 'hotbed-issues'.
However, for the moment-, we will not bore you with listing of such past examples of deception.
Nevertheless-, as far as the P.M.'s sudden interest-, and call for some 'National Development Plan' of sorts, one question comes to mind, 'right off the bat'.
It is this.
Does the P.M. really means a 'half-o'-national-development- plan' only for the Southern ('Dutch') side of the 'Friendly island', with its open borders and with its one indivisible native St. Martin population ?
How does our 'honorable' P.M. envisages this brilliant idea ?
When WE first, years ago, proposed that idea of a NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN , it was THEN not necessarily 'political correct' for the politicians to give even the slightest of support to the idea.
Anyhow, while we still are willing to give the P.M. the benefit of the doubt, should she survive the intention of the petition currently going around to have Government removed-, let the following serve as CAVEAT.
Refusing-, and/or neglecting to amend the constitution to include among others; the name St. Martin instead of St. Maarten, the definition of the native St. Martiners, making sure that 'charity will start at home' for native St. Martiners, and recognizing the importance of the grassroots St. Martin nation building- and unification movement etc,- will reduce- and relegate this already 'half-o'-national-development- plan' to the status of an 'oxymoron' or non-starter'.
It should very very clear-, that there will never really be anything called country 'St. Maarten', if at its very 'core'-, there is nothing St. Martin about it.
Simple as that.

 

Leopold JAMES,
The one proud to be native-indigenous St. martiners, without the slightest of any apologies - that one.

Dear 'Honorable' cousin Jules JAMES,
Member of Parliament, St. Maarten.

After having read this morning the Opinion & Commentary Section of the TODAY-newspaper of today, Wednesday, February 9, 2011 ( Abuse of identity-difference), I must publicly admit that I agree completely with its content
That should be no surprise to you-, and to whom know what we stand for, without being perfect ourselves.
Without an doubt, you will recall that evening, when I personally called you by phone a number of weeks ago.
I did not hide-, I did not send a messenger.
No-, I contacted you in a very personal-, and very honest manner.
I made it my business during that conversation to share a deep concern with you about the 'double role', you had assumed.
Meaning the 'combining' of two very different-, if not 'conflicting' roles, we all are aware of.
Also you will recall me telling you, that I prefer you getting mad at me for expressing such concern to you, than to see you having to bear far more serious consequences.
I appreciate that you indeed-, true to your fine personality, did not get mad at me, but tried to explain me (justify) in fact that you saw nothing wrong in combining those two functions.
My response to you was; dear cousin, as much as I truly love you both as cousin and friend, you did not have to answer to me, but to your own conscience.
Although, I personally found that type of argument going down a 'very dangerous-, and slippery slope', I said nothing to that effect to you, because all I wanted was for you to independently decide in fact 'which master to serve'.
In addition, I shared with you that the situation on the island is not like before, and that people were no longer prepared to accept corruption and abuse of power from politicians and that such could very well have 'consequences'.
I remember telling you; 'Jules, watch your back'.
I had good reasons to warn you, because when one takes bread out of the mouth of poor people, while eating themselves towards 'obesity', such can have a very serious back-lash.
Thank God the court-ruling prevented that - at least for now at Pelican Resort.
In ending dear cousin.
Let this be a very serious and 'life-altering experience' to you-, and may you indeed the conclusions right in the eyes of God-, and that you might stop hiding behind legal technicalities. ('It is not illegal to serve two masters')
One thing, I would hope, my honorable cousin.
That you as a Man of God, as you profess, will now use your position as representative of the people to start fighting corruption in Government, and in-equality, starting by making sure that 'Charity starts at home' for us, your own 'flesh-& blood'-native St. Martiners.
Do not let yourself be used by political criminals to destroy your own people.
Should you take that route cousin Jules, you will find our grassroots St. Martin nation building movement at your disposal.
If not, the opposite will be the case.
Hope you make the right choice - this time.
At any rate, the choice is yours- again.

One love,

Cousin Leopold JAMES

Dear editor it is said obedience is better than sacrifice. And the 10 commandments are laws that will create wealth if we apply them in our everyday life. Please let me explain, and I will quote them and explain not in the ordinary sequence. # 5 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. If we practice this law our jails will be empty. We will save hundreds of thousands of dollars. #6 you shall not murder. If practice this law our streets will be safe and tourism will increase in abundance, leading to prosperity. #7 you shall not commit adultery. If practice this law we will not have children out of wedlock. Fathers and mothers will be more responsible and children will know what real love is. # 8 you shall not steal. If practice this law our leaders in government will then be real honorable legislators and Ministers. # 9 you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Neighbors and communities would not need neighborhood watch or crime prevention. # 10 you shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." If we practice this law there will be no domestic problems or incest and people will live in a very loving manner with respect towards each other. There will be no need for court of guardianship. There will be very little need for police and courts system which takes lots of money to function. These 6 commandments I quote to you are to protect man from himself. For when they are not use it will create poverty, crime, suicide, people not living a true life of love, in short it create chaos and confusion and will lead to death. # You shall have no other gods before me.
#2 You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. #3 you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. #4 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, or your son, or your daughter, or your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. The last 4 commandments I just quote you are for man to acknowledge and worship God. You see Mr. Editor if we all apply these laws to our live we all will be rich financially and spiritually. But God is a loving God he believes in free will, that's why we are safe by his loving grace, so if you choose not to follow them we as man will not only be unhappy and live a bad life we will be judge even harsher for breaking Gods law intentionally and will be doom to hell. I will encourage all people to practice these 10 laws that create wealth and happiness, for our Lord Jesus Christ say they are everlasting and perfect. This is real and true hope, to my brother Ash Campbell I love you, even thou we may disagree.

 

Yours truly,

Brother Richard Gumbs.

Valentine's Day is a day to express love to all family members and to show appreciation to one and all of them. But my main focus is Love between couples, and I mean between women and men. Hold your wife around the waist and shoulders, look in her eyes and tell her let's keep the magic alive and that if there were certain days you did anything to offend her ask for forgiveness. Same the woman must say to her husband or man. Let her know you can see the blue sky in her eyes. Tell her the full moon atmosphere is living in both of you heart and soul. Let her know your heart is like the heat of the sun burning with energy to fulfill and please her yearning desires. Let her know her beauty creates never ending tsunamis of passion always leaving you wanting more. Remember on valentine night to give each other a nice bath, makes sure red roses and a bottle red wine is close by. Pour some red wine on that special part of her body taste it, tell her to God be the glory for he has took one of your ribs to make her and now we has become one people in the flesh. Enjoy each other, appreciate each other. Let your wife or your girl know if you think this is good, the best is yet to come. Most men and woman are afraid to express their true feelings, but I say it takes real men and woman to express their true feeling after all it is better to love and get hurt, than never to love at all. For never to love is living in a fail and sad state of life. When you love, love like you was never hurt, when you give love, mean it and do it from the heart. Love like a champion please each other as much as possible; remember it is never about you or her it is about the both of you living together in harmony. Love your wife like how Christ loves his bride which is the church. But most important love loving love and do it from the heart. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day people.

 

Yours truly,

Miguel Arrindell

Chief Police Commissioner St. Maarten Police Force,

Dear Mr. de WITTE,

Without any doubt, Oral GIBBES-Live television talk-show of Tuesday, February 15, 2011 for many viewers was one of the most appealing-, if not the most appealing one ever seen on St. Maarten.
The guest of that particular installment was Mr. Cimmaron MARLIN, a brother of well-known Mr. Julian ROLLOCKS.
In a very calm and extremely composed manner, Mr. MARLIN shared a recent experience he was allegedly subjected to by a number of officers of the St. Maarten police-force.
His story, if even exaggerated, sent 'chills up the spines' of many viewers/listeners.
It was an account of an experience, no-one would ever want to be subjected to-, nor have one of their loved one subjected to.
What Mr. MARLIN shared with the audience of thousands of people, to me can only be described as shocking, repulsive, harrowing, unacceptable if not also criminal.
For the record, Mr.  deWITTE.
Let it hereby be recorded that I do not draw any conclusion, one way or the other, - yet.
Simply, because we have only heard one side of the story-, that of Mr. Cimmaron MARLIN.
However, this is what I know of Mr. MARLIN for sure.
Cimmaron was one of the most respectful students in my Mavo classes, when I returned from Holland in 1981 to teach at the Milton Peters College.
Like no other student, he was extremely shy, humble and had a very deep interest in fundamental science, especially in philosophy and culture.
Consequently, while most of his peers would be chasing behind girls, and dressing up as 'dandies', Cimmaron was focused on reading every possible book he could put his hands on.
Ever since Cimmaron returned for the US, years ago, I have maintained contact with him.
As such, I was always struck by his simplicity, his humility, his spirituality, un-assuming character and total lack of greed, materialism and aggressive behavior.
I can vouch for this and 'put my hand in the fire' anytime, that he is not the type to even 'hurt a fly'.
To now therefore hear how 'uitgerekend' (exactly) such a person, was reportedly abused to the max by those sworn to assist and protect innocent, law-abiding citizens, certainly angered me in 'no little measure'.
Especially, considering the fact that it seems that on the 'Friendly island',  asocial and criminal elements seem to have 'carte blanche' in terrorizing communities, this particular case of alleged 'police brutality' simply baffles many people, including myself.
However,  Mr.  de WITTE, in order to be fair to all involved, I suggest the following.
Approach Mr. Oral GIBBES with the request to have this particular interview repeated so that those in law-enforcement, as well as the public in general can for themselves take a good look and listen at what is alleged by Mr. MARLIN.
This is critical to restore confidence in the professionalism of our police force.
In addition, if those responsible fail to do that, then once this video hits YOU-TUBE, the consequences could be very far-reaching.
If proven that Mr. MARLIN simply lied 'through his nose', he should be held accountable for such, and perhaps if necessary undergo some form of psychiatric treatment.
However, if the core of his story is true that the police really applied disproportional violence and acted upon instructions in a 'hit-like operation' then 'sans pardon' etc, those culprits should be held accountable.
Whatever the case may be, if the people of 'Country St. Maarten' cannot have confidence in those charged with their protection, and have to fear for their lives whenever they see 'men-in-blue', then Lord have mercy, we have a 'real' problem.
In other words, not be willing to give an account to this alleged story of police brutality is no logical option and can only lead to this case be taken up to the highest possible local, national or international level.
Simply, because justice must be done if this island is not to descend into an uncontrollable spiral of violent conflicts, like we see taking place around the world.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Anxiously awaiting your kind response and side of the story.

Copies relevant authorities.

drs. Leopold JAMES

It was nice seeing the pelican workers achieving victory. Good for them, they deserve it after a hard determine fight for their rights.
You have taught the St. Maarten people persistence and perseverance will pay off. What I admire about you is that most of you were not born here but you had the courage to stand for what you believe in. As foreign workers that came here for work you have defeated foreign investors in a single blow. You have done what St. Maarten people
(Indigenous and born here) could not do for about the last 35 years. More impressively you not only put pressure on the union, but you got the Prime Minister and Parliament attention. Again you did something what the St. Maarten people can not do. Question this now raise what about GEBE workers and the teachers, it remind me when I was young to research what did the heavy equipment owners did wrong, but the pelican workers did right? Or what did Hotelier Ansary (Mullet bay) did right or Pelican Hotel owners did wrong. I notice they even got Eldric Van Putten attention.
The lawyer Le Poole as seen is happy from his heart for your victory. I am not amaze with the victory; I am amaze with the attention you got from government and media.
You demonstrate and do all with in your power and succeed. My conclusion is that the people of St. Maarten should learn from foreigners how to fight and get attention from government to pursue what is important for us. It is crystal clear that St. Maarten people concern is not important for our politicians. Ask Senator George Pantophlet champion of rights for foreigners. Ask Minister of Justice Rolland Duncan who will go to the gates of hell to please the BTA people. The lesson St. Maarten people must learn when you fight, fight likes foreigners it gives you attention and is guaranteed satisfaction and victory.

Miguel Arrindell

Dear Mr. GIBBES,

That you do not like certain people- , including myself and people like Mr. Eldrige van PUTTEN is a 'public-secret'.
However, not only can I easily deal with such-, I will defend your right to dislike me, to criticize, and even to 'bad-mouth' me.
For me that is all very 'fair game'.
However, Mr. GIBBBES, without defending Mr. Eldrige van PUTTEN, I think last night you 'crossed a critical line' in many ways.
One being that you insulted many viewers/listeners beyond your obvious comprehension.
When you decided to cut off a guest like you did last night to Eldrige van Putten you angered many young people-, already frustrated, in a very 'unwise' manner.
I can make this letter very long to express total disagreement with what you did to the rights of free speech, but I will keep it short.
I sincerely advise you, Mr. GIBBES, if you can only humble yourself to accept such from me, to apologize to the people of St. Maarten for your unacceptable 'tantrum' last night, which was extremely unbecoming of a host.
In addition, the question can be raised whether or not, the responsible authorities should not look into this kind of functioning.
Certainly-, in this time we currently live, with many people walking around with deep pent-up frustrations, like 'mental time-bombs', adding 'fuel' to the 'mix' by killing the 'messenger' , simply because you , do not like to hear the message is simply unacceptable period.
People are mature enough to make their own judgments, without prejudiced talk-show hosts, serve as information 'filter' for them
In ending Mr. GIBBES, feel free to now 'take it out' on me, because I am very accustomed to that from many so-called talk show-hosts anyhow.
But, please for God-sake, do realize that not everybody can-, and is prepared any longer to deal with such blatant disrespect the way persons like myself and Mr. Eldrige van Putten continue to put up with.
Food for thought.

Leopold JAMES

Dear editor,

I am the managing editor of the Today Newspaper. On December 8 of last year, I published an article under the headline Minister Buncamper sold leased land on Pond Island for $3 million.

More than fifty articles about this self-enrichment scheme followed, including opinion pieces and editorials. As a result, Public Health Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus was forced to resign on December 23.

On December 22, I wrote a piece for Today’s opinion page under the headline True confessions, as a pre-emptive strike against rumors that the minister and her husband were contemplating a campaign to discredit me.

In it, I confessed to wrecking a car at a very young age, smoking weed at an equally young age, living illegally in the United States, winning $10,000 in a poker game, and to my arrest in St. Maarten in May 2009 for hitting a former employee who refused to leave my office. There is not much more to discover about me: I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I don’t frequent brothels, and I don’t have a gambling addiction. I am not for sale either.

In January of this year, one Judith Roumou paid a surprise visit to my office. Afterwards, I often wondered whether the now former minister and her husband had sent her. As there was no proof about this, I decided to let it go. Roumou posted some crazy stuff about me on her blog including a ridiculous video on You Tube that says more about her state of mind than it does about me.

I can live with all that.

However, on Monday January 31 I received information from a highly reliable source that the Buncampers are out for revenge. That does not surprise me, given the fact that my articles put the minister out of a $132,500 job, and it would not have disturbed me that much either, had my source not added: “Well, you know how people on this island solve their problems.”

Stuff like that does not scare me, but my wife is getting concerned, and that pisses me off.

For the record, I want to clarify a couple of things:

- I am not accusing the Buncampers of anything; I am simply relating what I have been told.

- I will not flee the island, nor will I ask Justice Minister Duncan for a gun license.

- I will, I’ll admit that much, be careful when I cross the street, and I will be very aware of my environment. Other than that, I will do my job to the best of my abilities. Nevertheless, I have taken some preventive measures.

In case anything happens to me, my estate will publish information that documents who I consider responsible and why in painstaking details.

Hilbert Haar,

Managing Editor Today Newspaper.

Hi Mr. GIBBES,

I heard you installment of Tuesday, February 15, 2011, in which you interviewed Mr. Cimmaron MARLIN on his experience of alleged police brutality.
During that installment you said something to the extent of ; Leopold JAMES 'got me to kill'.
My dear Mr. GIBBES.
I am actually not sure which Leopold JAMES 'got you to kill'.
But just for the record my dear friend; 'Not THIS Leopold JAMES for sure'.
As a matter of fact, I was extremely impressed-, and moved with the interview you had with Mr. MARLIN.
To me it was about the best-, and most appealing I have ever seen on the island.
In my humble opinion-, you should be highly recommended for how you hosted that particularly very sensitive installment.
It was done not only extremely professional by you Oral, but you really added a very special element to it with your entire 'body-language'.
You created a real atmosphere of trust, openness sincere interest and you were totally 'non-judgemental'.
As result, you allowed for your guest to be at ease so that he although still traumatized by the experience, to be very composed and articiulate, which is the way he naturally really is.
I publicly commend you for that Oral and rank that interview at the level of a 'Larry King'!

Now as it relates to you believing that 'Leopold JAMES has me to kill'.
The reason that I wrote you that critical letter open letter on February 8, 2011, was simply because I did not-, and still do not agree with you actually cutting off your program before the end, because you did not agree with your guest, Eldrige van PUTTEN.
I felt-, and still feel that that is not only disrespectful towards any guest, but also to your viewers, who were denied the opportunity to hear the 'whole story' for themselves and to consequently be able to draw their own conclusions at the end.
That was all my friend.
Nothing personal against you.
Why should I have to have anything personal against you ?
As a matter of fact, I agree with you 'pressuring' Eldrige to explain his 'close (unconditional ?) friendship' with some-one, allegedly also contributing towards the failing of the island's leadership.
I even personally told Eldrige that after the program and he did not exactly agree with me on that.
So, we must not always jump to conclusions and judge others.
And I, Leopold JAMES am not to 'big' to publicly state that such certainly applies to me as well.
Oral, I will never forget that you indeed on many occasions 'took risks' by affording and 'evil-,radical crazy man as me' the opportunity to be on your program.
I am certainly grateful to you for that.
However, as every coin also has at least two sides, I too went against the advice of many to go on your program and to afford you the privilege of interviewing me as well.
You see Oral, while on the 'Friendly island', certain people might not appreciate me, there are many abroad as well who would not 'blink' affording one with my intelligence-, professional background and character the opportunity to reach the top in their own country.
Of course, you should not believe me for second.
With dues respect, just wait until your own daughter, who is a brilliant, ambitious, intelligent young lady finishes her law-degree in the Netherlands decides to come back home, with a mind of her own.
In ending my good friend Oral, Keep up the good work and God bless bless you my friend.
I know that its is impossible to please the 'whole world', so who the 'heck' Leopold thinks he is ?
Love you still brother,

Leopold JAMES

Dear Editor,

St. Maarten is going down a dangerous path. As I drive through Philipsburg and Simpson bay at night it is a norm to see young boys and girls drinking and being intoxicating with strong alcohol. It then usually ends up in some sort of sexual orgy. What happen to our values and our responsibilities as mothers and fathers? I notice marriage in St. Maarten has become a mockery. I also notice children out of wedlock are a new style, when I was growing up it was consider shameful. I know many people marry today, and two days after you see them out kissing with another woman or another man. Usually this type of behavior is expedited when alcohol and drugs are use. Money cannot by happiness; the problem in St. Maarten is that God and values is thrown out the door. I did a small survey on my own; let me admit that I am not a professional surveyor. I ask 10 girls and 10 boys between the age of 15 to 18 years about alcohol and sex. The question was do you have more than one sexual partner and do you drink strong alcohol? Eight out of ten boy and girls say they have much more than one sexual partner and that they do drink strong alcohol. This was heart breaking. I ask myself are we upbringing pimps and prostitutes? Then I ask if they do go church sometimes. Only 2 out of 10 boys and girls go to church sometimes. It is crystal clear that St. Maarten is going down a dangerous path. St. Maarten have become a country of lawlessness. It is a norm in St. Maarten for young men and even women to visit these whore houses to be entertained. Our government should enforce the legal limit to make sure these laws are adhering to. This is what Christ said about those who drink alcohol. 1 Corinthians 6:10 lists drunkards among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God. "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, NOR DRUNKARDS, nor revilers, nor extortionist, shall inherit the kingdom of God. "Galatians 5:21 "Envying, murders, DRUNKENNESS, reveling and such like: of THE I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that THEY WHICH DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. "Proverbs 23:19-21, "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. "Proverbs 20:1 "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. "Isaiah 5:11, 22 "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. "Hosea 4:11 "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. "HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO LIVE? Titus 2:11-12 tells us, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO LIVE? Titus 2:11-12 tells us, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. God does not want us to even spend time with people who are drunkards. 1 Corinthians 5:11, 13 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a drunkard, or an extortion; with such a one, no, not to eat... therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. "Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Holy Spirit." Let's start bringing up our children the right way to live pleasing to Christ and set St. Maarten back on the right path. We do not need pimps and prostitutes, what we need are young men and woman with self esteem to make St. Maarten a better country.

Yours truly,

Kevin James

Many people in StMaarten claim the name of Christianity without being Christian at all. The word Christian means to follow in the ways of Jesus Christ. As I look around and see the spiritual shape our churches are in I can't help but feel that this isn't what Christ had in mind. Why are pastors getting lured into letting modernistic gimmicks enter into the church without being concerned about compromise? The answer is simple. It's the numbers game. If their brethren are running 100 in Sunday school, what can they do to increase their attendance? So, how do you get people into church these days? Do you compromise the word of God or do you stay true to the word of God? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Not out of convenience, but out of conviction. It has never been popular to be on the Lord's side. For example, The Israelites have always been viewed upon in a negative sense yet they are God's chosen people. The disciples were blessed to have been with Jesus, yet most of them died a martyr's death. All through church history, it was the small groups that have carried the torch of Christianity, not the large denominations of the Pharisees. God is not impressed with numbers, but God loves for us to obey His word. Thou shall not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shall thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment. The word wrest means to distort or twist. When you fill your church with these mediums, you get Christians without convictions, Christianity without Christ, preachers that won't preach convictions and gain without Godliness. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strives of words, whereof cometh envy, strife railings, evil surmising, Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1 Tim 6: 3-5. If you have given into these mediums in your church supposing that gain is Godliness you need to examine yourselves. You have been led astray with compromise. We are living in the latter days when the existence of apostasy isn't a revelation but a reality. Don't you think it strange when the Bible says concerning the age of apostasy in which we live, that you will become, "Rich and increased with goods," and yet you don't preach sound doctrine or about such sins as tobacco use, theater attendance, worldly music and improper dress? Does that not seem strange to you? Maybe it doesn't because you're scared to preach the truth in fear that you will lose your flock! After all, the Bible says they will heap to themselves teachers having itchy ears and you don't want to be replaced for preaching about the sins of the flock do you? That makes you a compromiser and compromising builds church attendance not Christians! When you fail to preach convictions for perfecting holiness you've become a coward because you don't want to run off your tithing church members and you probably don't preach on tithing either. There are many new religions in StMaarten that is building large churches where people can hide and not have to deal with the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. How do I know? I see the way many people live. They don't bear the marks or display the testimony of holiness. They have no power to overcome sin nor do they have desire to try. One of the reasons that people don't flock to the church of certain pastors it is they don't like to deal with their sin. They enjoy their sin. They can attend certain churches and be comfortable in their sin. The reason the devil doesn't mess with certain churches is because some pastors mess with it better than he can. He is vacationing from those churches. This is why StMaarten is in a deep moral decline. How many preachers in StMaarten speak out against adultery, homosexuality, abortion, drugs, and alcohol? How many of them endorse monogamy and tell young people to keep their virginity until they find that person to married. That is why so many marriages fail today. A true Christian will prefer to be hated by man and the world and to be mocked by man, his or her greatest concern is to please God with all his or her heart and all his or her might. When men and woman have that conviction and courage to live that life style, only then they are real Christian. Anything short of that is counterfeit Christianity. I hope every person reading this article take my words serious and past this message on. God love and he want you to make that good decision. Please be wise and turn away from sin and live your life to please our gracious Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you Mr. Editor,

Michael Peterson

Christ has built his church, given his people gifts and leadership, and he has given us work to do. What are the purposes of the church? A major purpose of the church is worship. God has called us that we "may declare the praises of him" who called us "out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). God seeks people who will worship him (John 4:23), who will love him above everything else (Matthew 4:10). Everything we do, whether as individuals or as a congregation, should be for his glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are called to "continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise" (Hebrews 13:15).We are commanded, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Ephesians 5:19). When we gather, we sing praises to God, we pray to him and we listen to his word. These are forms of worship. So is the Lord’s Supper, so is baptism and so is obedience. Teaching is another purpose of the church. It is at the heart of the Great Commission: "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:20). Church leaders should teach, and members should teach one another (Colossians 3:16). We should encourage one another (1 Corinthians 14:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:25). Small groups provide an excellent setting for this mutual ministry. If we want to be spiritual, Paul says, we should want to "build up the church" (1 Corinthians 14:12). The goal is to edify, strengthen, encourage and comfort (v. 3). The entire meeting should "be done for the strengthening of the church" (v. 26). We are to be disciples, people who learn and apply the word of God. The early church was praised because they "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). Ministry is a third major purpose of the church. Paul writes, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Galatians 6:10). Our first duty is to our family, and then to the church and then to the world around us. The second-greatest commandment is to love our neighbors (Matthew 22:39). The church must have the courage to speak out against sin, which is the breaking of Gods law. Teach and tell the people to live good and decent life. The church must be the first to speak out against abortion, witchcraft, homosexuality, lying, adultery and fornication and idolatry, murder, steeling. Real or true church preaches conviction. Conviction is an unshakable belief in something without need for proof or evidence. This world has many physical needs, and we should not ignore them. But the greatest need is the gospel, and we should not ignore that, either. As part of our ministry to the world, the church is to preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. No other organization will do this work—it is the mission of the church. Every worker is needed—some on the front lines, and some in support. Some will plant, some will nurture and some will harvest, and as we work together, Christ will cause the church to grow (Ephesians 4:16). Real men and women of God should never compromise the laws and values of God to please man. They should go down defending it at all times even if it means dying to please God.

Brother Richard Gumbs

Why would a quarter master of the Governor's cabinet leave her position in Government to take the job of President of the University of St. Maarten. The answer is TOP DOLLARS!!!. Listen... don't say nothing... listen... Wah all you don't know is that Minister Rhoda Arrindell has cut back on funding for the elementary and secondary schools, but has increased USM funding big time. Hmmm. Never mind wha St. Maarten Tertiary Education Law says about accreditation and government funding. Minister Rhoda...our local Sheriff is the Sheriff and the Sherriff can do anything she want. Take dah!
Listen...the sheriff promised USM Board a big increase. Over a million. Boy, it so much that the USM Board gone crazy and out of they head ... they never see so much money in all the Black history months they have past in St. Maarten. OK, they say, ok, we going fix everything now... Watch, all you going see something now. You no wha USM Board do... this is good planning; They put aside a $100,000.00 per year salary ssshhhhshh...close to the one the Sheriff making...Sshhhhhhhh and they went scouting all over the world for a good USM President. NOW, now... they would be able to find a person deserving of the chance to lead the country's only tertiary institution and they had the funds to find one. Good! But the biggest secret is this... they had to make a promise to the Sheriff. This is the promise: USM Board would reveal the identity of the new President of USM before the end of Black history month. OH yeah. ..and one more thing... the Board had to promise to sent back the civil servant who had been functioning as Dean and Acting President Of USM for 8 months...back to her old job. Why? Cause...now that USM had money... the civil servant could not qualify ... because the salary scales ... you know.. .the job of President? ... local salary scales need to be applied to local people... so says the law, pronounced the Sheriff.
Boy... watch out now. Look wah happen. As the Dutch people on the Board got wind of this big salary that minister Rhoda Arrindell was providing for the President's position, boy they decide to keep dah a big secret among themselves. Nobody was going to take away their chance to benefit from the country that their Dutch Government created for them to govern! Especially not as Minister Rhoda Arrindell was watching they every move.
So .....knowing that a big figure salary for a small job like that is very hard to come by in Holland, the USM Board ain't stupid....the Board start looking to keep all the spoils for themselves. They spread the news among they Dutch friends far and wide that .... Minister Rhoda Arrindell black history month present that one of them could possible qualify for!
For a while they were at a loss. The y could not find any Dutch operatives who where also experts in tertiary education. Big problem. OK then, one person said, here's what we can do though. We can't find someone from Holland with the education background, ... scrap dah... who the hell cares... since we can't find someone with an education background, we have so many Dutch Lawyers here sent by the Dutch government to keep the peace here on St. Maarten... Let's get one of our Dutch friends to fill the position! I'm sure the Minister Arrindell will be happy cause ...anytime any of them staff member at USM step out of line that no work no pay policy will be applied. ...Ahh just the kind of plan the Minister was looking for to keep order.
So they took their time and searched and searched. In the meantime USM was in good hands, the Dean a civil servant seconded to the USM was doing a pretty good job as both Dean and Acting President. So they could take time. There was no rush... But who would want to leave their good paying job as a lawyer to work with these troubles some USM staff who were always complaining and in the news.
Bingo! Found some one who could benefit. The Dutch lawyer could not believe her good fortune. This is more money than she ever thought she could make in ST. Maarten. .. and so fast. She has barely arrived on the island and she gets to run the islands premier Tertiary Education institution. I can just imagine hearing her exclaim, I can't believe this... I leave Holland to come to St. Maarten to get some sand , see and sun and in addition I can get a chance to make this kind of Money. God Bless Country St. Maarten. God Zij dank! Ahh.... I don't think she every going home again. You talking bout a country... this is it. But... thank God my Dutch friends keep this a big secret... cause if any of those local St. Maarten lawyers had hear what kind of money USM Board was offering , they would have flooded the board with applications too!

From The Daily Herald of Saturday, February 19, 2011, ( De Witte: Police will probe police brutality allegations..) we understand that Mr. Cimmaron MARLIN has been invited by you to the police-station, 'where he will be able to bring the facts of the incident..'
We are more than willing to grant you, Mr. Police Chief Commissioner DE WITTE, our sincere benefit of the doubt as far as your promises are concerned.
After all, we have said it before- and care to repeat it ever so often.
Most of the problems on among others alleged police brutality, are not of your making, since their root-causes go way before you ever landed on the 'Friendly-island'.
However occupying the office of Police Chief Commissioner we have no other choice than to contact you as first step in our absolute determination to get justice.
In addition, Mr. DE WITTE, in all humility-, and sincerity as well, we wish to advise you to take seriously the current level of social anxiety on the island.
As a matter of fact, the situation as it relates to the alleged experiences by Mr. Cimmaron MARLIN, have flared up the tempers of many within our community to extremely volatile proportions and interestingly enough are transforming Cimmaron into a local St. Martin symbol-, martyr and the very embodiment of  abused innocence.
Many of us remeber what happened back then to Steve BIKO_-, who died as the result of torture at the hand of South-African police in 1977, while he was in custody.
With this in mind, we caution that any wrong decision-, or perceived cover-up of what actually took place to him, might render this case a 'watershed moment' in our history, and a 'rallying cry' for people to to follow the 'Egyptian resolution model' and say,- 'enough is enough'.
Therefore Mr. DE WITTE, we hope you would be willing to break the traditional code of 'circling the wagons' /the 'Macho- intimidation-reflex'.
Rather, we hope that you will be able to set a new tone in the relationship between the police-force and the public in general, and avoid further escalations.
You can count on our support to that end.
However-, before we reach there, the facts must be exposed and possible wrongdoings on the part of the police and/or of 'suspects' must be sanctioned adeqautely.
Rule for one, rule for all - no place for 'class-justice'.

drs. Leopold JAMES

Dear editor there was on article posted 14 Feb 2011 in the today newspaper stating "specialist says adopt treaties as first step". It goes on to say" These three international agreements are seen as key to protecting the country's heritage and can serve as guiding principles for the initiative to create a national policy on archaeology and anthropology." They were talking about archaeological and anthropological infrastructure. It is nice to preserve these things. What I do not understand again is where is the specialist to preserve and enact laws and a national policy for the endangered species of the original StMaarten people? I come to realize that we as a people (legislators and ministers and the entire population of StMaarten including the original people of StMaarten) are fooling ourselves knowing that a country without a national identity can and will never work. As promise I will find solutions to help all people in StMaarten. But we must be realistic, without recognition of who was here first is a crime to the original StMaarten people. And that's why StMaarten will be difficult to unite. I am sure and have no doubt that if a national policy to enact the original StMaarten Culture and people is instituted, that we will have a coming together of all people and cultures. Please anyone out there if I am wrong correct me, the communist government in Russia had a strategy to create confusion among people and divide them so they can remain in control. Every day when I see events unfolding in StMaarten it feels like that is taking place here in our lovely StMaarten. I do not believe in words alone I believe in action. Let's take our Prime Minister Sarah Westcott and Leroy DeWeever, Patrick Illidge, Dr Lloyd Richardson, Louie Laveist are people born here and is from StMaarten origin. Which one of them has the courage to enact legislation to protect the StMaarten people? The answer is none. Love of people is love of country and if you cannot protect your own identity as a people then you have no love for the StMaarten people. How can you love someone else if you do not love yourself first and your original people of StMaarten? The people of StMaarten origin is not including in the development of StMaarten because no minister or legislator is interested in what we have to say. It is nice to protect Emilio Wilson park, it is nice to protect the great salt pond and the Simpson bay lagoon, but the most important and precious species of all is the original StMaarten people why not they? There are foundation and other institutions which are doing a wonderful job in fighting for what they believe in, how about taking pride and love for fighting for the original StMaarten people. Prove your love for StMaarten by accepting and giving love and recognition to the original StMaarten people. In return you will see the coming together of all people with one destiny. History continues to repeat itself when lesson from the past is not learned. I repeat again there is no love for the StMaarten people. Stay tune as I go in-depth and how to stimulate our economy back to prosperity.

Yours truly,

Miguel Arrindell

During the past two weeks there have been some significant developments with the launch of a number of initiatives that will deal with the quality of life issues of our people in the coming months and years. It won't happen overnight, but it is a step in the right direction.
One of the first initiatives to be launched is Census 2011 under the banner "Count Us In!" An awareness campaign was started recently and the actual Population and Housing Census will run from April 9 to 17.
The Census will serve as a baseline for Sint Maarten and provide recent data on the population structure and socio-economic characteristics of the country. The Census information will be used to develop policies that will have a positive influence on the quality of life of the country.
The next major initiative is the Integrated Neighborhood Development Programme that first started with a need assessment survey carried out in the district of St. Peters. This survey is one of nine to be carried out in other neighborhoods. With the information collected, Government is able to identify the needs of and define programmes to be developed for the district.
The needs assessment would gather info on housing, neighborhood environment, safety, types of services and programmes of which people make use of, and the type of services people would like to see in their neighborhood, if running water is a problem, if children can play outside, health and the general wellbeing of the person.
The Integrated Neighborhood Development Programme, an initiative of the Ministry of Public Health, Labour & Social Development, entails the establishment of Community Helpdesks (CHD) to be setup in St. Peters, Dutch Quarter, and Cole Bay in April. The CHDs will coordinate services of various departments and provide a holistic approach to assisting persons living in the neighborhoods.
Launched last week Friday is, "Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy GB3," is an initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs. The pilot project has as its objectives of primarily reducing violence, along with poverty alleviation, second chance education and rehabilitation of young offenders. The target groups are women ages 30-40 and boys and men ages 13-25.
The gathering of information is necessary in order to plan interventions. Research carried out by the Planning Institute of Jamaica has shown that school gangs are attached to community gangs. The opinion was that this is contributing to tension among communities and the students become more violent. The Jamaica Ministry of Education initiative to combat the problem has been the implementation of the "Dean of Discipline," a programme where persons have been appointed to a number of high schools with the responsibility of ensuring that students adhere to the rules of the ministry and their respective schools. This initiative was implemented in 2007. The Jamaica "Deans of Discipline" initiative is basically an intervention after young people have fallen through the cracks and ended up on the wrong track.
In Singapore, the Secondary Education Review and Implementation Committee, has published a recommendation concerning secondary school students. The recommendation calls for them to be given greater social-emotional support and career guidance, as they discover their strengths, build character and develop citizenship during the crucial period of adolescence.
The report recognizes that adolescents need strong social-emotional support as they negotiate the challenges and manage their own growth. While schools cannot and should not replace the role of parents in the social-emotional development of their children, secondary schools play a key role and the teacher-student relationship is crucial to students' development, given the time they spend in school.
In these two examples, based on research that was carried out, programmes have been established or will be implemented to deal with the challenges that have been clearly indentified and what interventions are required. As a society we can expect the same from information gathered via Census 2011, Integrated Neighborhood Development Programme and the "Get off the Block, Get on the Bus, Get Busy GB3." As a nation we can look forward to a number of interventions that would deal with quality of life issues in a long-term and sustainable manner.

Roddy Heyliger

One reason that I find the Prime Minister's actions so wrong is the message being sent to the youth of St.Maarten. On one hand you have radio ads funded by USONA telling the youths to stay in school, get an education so you can help your parents, it's the law, we need you to help build our country etc.. While on the other hand you have the Prime Minister who is proof positive that you can succeed in St.Maarten at the highest level with questionable academic credentials.

Why would any St.Maarten young person want to leave their home, family and friends, travel to a foreign country, spend years of their lives and thousands of dollars in order to get a degree? So that they can return to Country St.Maarten where a quality education is seemingly meaningless?

So why is this dangerous? Would anyone want to have surgery performed by a Doctor with a mail order degree? Would you like to drive over a high level bridge designed by an engineer with a mail order degree? Of course you wouldn't. While both of these examples could be life threatening, in some ways the current Prime Minister has proven to be just as dangerous.

Due to professional oversight, in the example of the Doctor or engineer, their inadequacies would likely be discovered fairly quickly. Not so in the case of the Prime Minister, she formerly was responsible for the entire department of education , even while the degree she claims to have would not sufficiently qualify her to teach. Does anyone wonder why the St.Maarten school system is in the shape it is? How many people have been negatively affected by this? Hard to say for sure.

Currently due in part to the Prime Minister's poor decision in choosing a Minister of Labor, the WIFOL members who worked at Pelican are being affected. While we know this number is 182 it remains to be seen how many other persons on the island will find their incomes at risk.

Who's next? Again hard to say for sure but if I worked for Winair I'd certainly be nervous. While the Prime Minister is the Shareholder Representative for the airline nothing in either her education or experience would lead me to have any confidence in her ability to solve the problems being faced by Winair.

While with a little soap and water, I can wash away the green stain left on my wrist by my Back Street Rolex. I'm afraid for the people of Country St.Maarten it will not be so easy.

Andy Croxall

Dear Mr. Editor,

The bible is a dangerous book, it is a book that preaches truth and hope, and it also preaches truth love and respect to mankind. It is a book that many intellectuals hate, because it exposes their humanism which is an anti Christ theology. It is a book that counterfeit Christianity hates, because it preaches love of God without the practicing the law of God is deception. For you cannot love God if you do not keep his commandments. That is why StMaarten is so corrupt today. We have leaders who love to deceive and steel. We have people who only live for pleasure and have no want or need of God love and laws. We have preachers preaching feel well but do not be good. The bible is a dangerous book because it let you know who is false from who is truth. It preaches against homosexual which is an abomination it preaches against adultery which is nasty because the need for sex is more important than the need of God. We have even gone so far we believe we are so smart that we believe it is better to legalize drugs so we can make money from sin. Many of us believe we our self are God, but yet we do not accept responsibility for our actions. We always blame someone else for our actions. There are false preachers that preach Marxism or communism which is liberation theology and it is an antichrist doctrine. They believe it is ok to take from some people and give it to other people even if they do not want to work. The bible is a dangerous book because it teaches that abortion is murder which it is. The courts can make murder or sin legal but the fires of hell will condemn your action. Some people preach heaven but do not believe in hell, if you believe one then you must believe the other that's what the bible preaches. Many of us in StMaarten walk around with the beautiful big bible, but yet dismiss the 10 commandants which God said is everlasting. The answer to why is the bible a dangerous book because it gives you real wisdom, for it makes clarity about the ungodly doctrine which is the knowledge of good and evil verses the spiritual knowledge of the one and only true God which is only good. In conclusion the bible is a dangerous book because for what it teaches your life and action becomes liable and will be judge by God. It is dangerous but it is a good book.

Brother Richard Gumbs

Dear editor effective media is when the media do investigative reporting and report the facts as they are. Regardless of whom the story or news effect, once the story is a fact it should be reported. We have come to notice that whenever a story is pertaining to or protecting or saying something about the indigenous StMaarten people it will not be allow in the paper or put in the opinion section. This is what we call bias media. Effective media should educate the people of StMaarten about their country and give them knowledge about their political system. There is certain media from the time they see any grievances about the indigenous StMaarten people and them standing for their rights it is like they never see or heard of that news. There are two particular media organization that do outstanding reporting and fair to all people is the today news paper and SMN news net work. News should be reported and let the people decide about its validity. They may not be the biggest in the business but they are good and accurate and very effective reporting. Let me make myself clear, I welcome all media institutions but it is clear that some are bias against the indigenous StMaarten people. Why is that I do not know? I would not be surprise if they do not print this article in the news. They will only prove us right again. Media is a good and powerful tool when it is use for fair and balance purposes, but when it is use against a particular group or people it should not be trusted. If this article offends any one then you are guilty and what I say is true, if not and it is printed then you have vindicate yourself. God bless the indigenous StMaarten people and all people living in StMaarten. My people remember effective media is good for democracy.

Yours truly,

Miguel Arrindell

The recent statement made by the prosecutor's office about the Duncan's gun law is misleading, and miss guiding, and does not hold water. Here is why. An illegal black market fire arm is one of the easiest to get on St. Maarten just ask any sixteen year old thug to get you one. The argument, the prosecutor and his office is trying to make has always been the opinion of the bleeding heart socialist left wingers for eons. "More guns will inevitably lead to more crime and violence". Fact is: The situation that has developed in the United States disproves this myth. In 1987, the state of Florida introduced legislation that allows people to carry concealed handguns in public for protection, provided they meet conditions such as no convictions for violent crimes and no history of illegal drug dependency. This legislation is known as 'concealed carry' and is now available in 40 US states. Concealed carry works by acting as a deterrent because the bad guys know that some people are armed, but they have no idea who those people are. As the number of US states that allow concealed carry has increased and the number of permit holders has continued to grow, the US violent crime rate has steadily declined. There are now more than 85 million permits holders throughout the United States, and more guns has actually meant LESS crime in the United States. The rate at which crime has dropped over the past twenty years is staggering. For example, rapes in the United States declined by 32 percent between 1992 and 2009, robberies declined by 51 percent between 1991 and 2009 and the burglary rate dropped by 42 percent during the same period. Overall, violent crime dropped by more than 40 percent between 1991 and 2009 and this has occurred despite (or maybe because of) rising gun sales and the relaxation of gun laws throughout the country. The most interesting fact is that the US murder rate has declined by a rate of 48 percent since 1991 and is now the lowest it's been for more than 25 years. This is clear proof that allowing people to be armed does not increase crime rates, it actually contribute to a reduction in violent crime. If concealed carry works in the United States, I see no reason why it wouldn't work here or anywhere and the only thing the police would have to worry about is guns in the hands of the criminals of which is the case NOW. If the gun control laws on the books now are so good. Why in the assault, arm robbery and the murder rate in St. Maarten one of the highest per capita in the world? Please Mr. Prosecutor, do not insult the intelligence of the law-abiding citizens and residence of St. Maarten and call us lunatics. The truth is there is actually no need for laws governing the possession and carrying of knives, guns and other weapons. We already have laws that make it illegal to commit murder, armed robbery, wounding and threatening behaviour to other persons. All that is needed is proper enforcement of these laws that will put criminals where they belong - in prison and keep them there, and not let them out to terrorise the community again. The Chinese grosser that was killed during the arm robbery in Dutch Quarter. The Dutch technical assistant who was killed some time ago in Kay Hill. The French man who was tied up in pelican and his wife raped while he was forced to watch and several other victims too numerous to mention don't appreciate you calling them lunatics' because they did not have a weapon to defend themselves. Please Mr. Prosecutor, do your job, solve all the unsolved murders, lock up the criminals, and let the parliament do their job. We the law-abiding citizens of St. Maarten support Duncan's gun law. Why does it seem to me that the prosecutor is on the criminals' side?

Peter Gunn

Dear Mr. Editor Can you please permit me to give some advice to the social activist Mr. Eldric Van Putten. With all respect I understand your purposes for a signature drive. But let's be realistic, a signature drive does not make a government resign much less hold new elections. I will like to know what your real objective is. Why do you waist time on a project which is destine to fail. People of StMaarten voted for a government that they are very happy with and if they do not appreciate their leadership the next 4 years they will be voted out. You should stop wasting time on mission which is a bridge to nowhere. I admire you for your courage to stand for what you believe in. But if long the people you are fighting for do not see or share your vision, you will end up with the short end of the stick. To be an effective social activist you must gain people trust first and your police record should be clean of criminality. You can go to jail many times for a good cause as long it is not for criminal act. Please do not get me wrong I am not trying to insult you, I am merely stating, only defend or fight for a people that will appreciate you genuinely, but do not fight a war that if you attain success that you will be neglected and not be recognize. People living in StMaarten be it foreigners or Dutch citizens of StMaarten are very hypocritical; they will use you and then spit you out when your services is no longer needed. Your vision should be for people who are going through the same pains as you and that are suffering the same problems from the present government that you are going through. When you have a common bond then your goal and vision becomes the same. Then you can let your activism kick in. Because your pain, vision and suffering will be back be people who are true to the struggle. Do not let any body set you up to do their dirty work. The StMaarten people are victimized by their government they continue to vote for, so why waste your time. Your activism should be to educate the people to stop selling their vote. If you want to change StMaarten you should get in touch with all young people between the ages of 17 to 25, because they are feeling the most pain and will march with you through Front Street for their rights. Many of them have no job, no hope and children to feed and no government help. Only the suffering who is feeling real pain will march for they will be the real soldiers for change, any other people especially the older is a waste of time. A demonstration is a form of nonviolent action by groups of people in favor of a political or other cause. As I told you from before a signature drive is a cause you initiated it does not mean people is on the same frequency as you. When you go to war go to win or do not go at all. To be a successful activist let your followers share the burden by giving task to do, from the moment you hear excuses or I can do that you're all alone. True activism has to come from the heart. Mr. Eldric Van Putten go home to your family rest yourself and stop wasting your time. Let every person in stMaarten carry their own cross when they cross is too heavy and they feel your pain then you know the time for demonstration draws near. Let the people suffer more until they beg for your help, then it is your time to be activated. I hope you take these words seriously or else you will be only making a fool of yourself.

Thanks for your time.

Vernon Lake

Suppose I bought a fake Rolex watch on Back Street for $50.00, while in the truest sense of the word selling a Chinese made watch branded as a Rolex is not legal, it is however done everyday all over the world. It's basically a no harm, no foul, type of deal. For $50.00 I knew I wasn't buying a real Rolex, for that I'd have to shop on Front Street and pay a lot more. If however I was foolish enough to attempt to sell this same watch as a real Rolex and my prospective buyer was a police detective, I'd find myself handcuffed and placed under arrest for fraud in a New York minute. As I should be.

If I applied for a job and on my C.V. I were to list among my qualifications that I had an advanced degree from a respected university which I did not have, I might get hired, but odds are good when my boss caught wind of it I would be fired. As I should be.

Where am I going with this?

Recently I was looking at the official Government website of St.Maarten and I happened to look at the page where Prime Minister Sarah Wescott-Williams has her biography. On this page she lists her work history as well as her educational background which I've copied and pasted directly from the website that reads as follows.

"She complements her experience in Public Service, with an Honor's Associate Degree in Business and Finance, a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, and a Master's in Public Administration, suma cum laude from La Salle University, USA."

I must say very impressive sounding at first glance. I did a bit of research on the internet and found out that La Salle University truly offers a Rolex quality education at a price to match. The basic tuition listed by them is $16,750.00 per quarter. Note that this is from the real La Salle University, the one located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

On Friday February 18th I picked up the phone and called La Salle University in Philadelphia . To my surprise, my call was immediately answered by a professor who is also head of his department. I told him the purpose of my call was to confirm academic credentials being claimed by a Government official which I suspected to be bogus. He told me that due to privacy laws he doubted anyone could provide me with the specific information I was requesting. He did however tell me after I read to him Sarah's claims listed on the website, that "La Salle University does not offer a graduate degree in Public Administration."

How can this be? If you look up diploma mills on Wikipedia under the section titled "Common attributes of diploma mills" you will find La Salle University cited as an example. No this is not the same La Salle University run by the Christian Brothers teaching order I referred to earlier. This La Salle University was run by a convicted criminal named James Kirk (no relation to the fictional Captain on Star Trek). If you search under James Kirk diploma mills on Wikipedia you will find this La Salle University was shut down in 1996 by the FBI, U.S. postal inspectors, and the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Kirk was sentenced to five years in federal prison and was ordered not to operate any more schools.

Here in the United States we have had instances where politicians have obtained diploma mill degrees. One of the most notable being Florida Congressman Claude Pepper who in 1985 obtained a fake Doctorate at a cost of $1780.00 so that he could call himself Dr. Pepper (also the name of a popular US made soft drink) and to illustrate how easy and cheap it was to do. The difference being he already had a legitimate Law Degree from Harvard and he did not obtain this degree in an effort to deceive the voters but rather to inform them of a serious problem.

In my mind claiming to have graduated summa cum laude from an unaccredited school is like saying you are the world's tallest midget, at the end of the day you still come up short.

It's time for the Prime Minister to come clean about her education. Is it a Front Street Rolex quality degree or Back Street trash?

A helpful hint to the Prime Minister, it might be more convincing the next time you claim honors to actually spell those honors correctly. Summa is spelled with two m's not one as you spelled it on the webpage and in your campaign literature.

I'm sure the Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Piet Hein Donner will want to know of this. He recently took full responsibility for the screening process of St.Maarten's Ministers during a debate with the Dutch Second Chamber. Why should he be made to look like a fool amongst his colleagues?

The people of Country St.Maarten certainly deserve to know the truth about who is governing their Country.

Part two will provide more information on why this situation is so wrong and dangerous.

Andy Croxall

Dear Sir,

First of all, I thank you for your very courageous words of appreciation addressed to my person for having brought the ‘Cimmaron case’ to your attention in the form of an Open letter last week Friday, February 18, 2011.
It is my privilege to inform you as follows on the responses I received.
If I for one minute alone, had thought that I stood alone for writing you my open letter expressing my deep concern at the allegations leveled on the Police-force of St. Maarten, by Cimmaron MARLIN, I have been proven to be wrong – ‘dead wrong’.
The number of reactions of outrage out there in the public, as a consequence of this particular case of alleged police brutality and alleged police involvement in carrying out a ‘hit’ on an innocent-, defenseless citizen has touched an extremely ‘raw nerve’.
Coupled with the perceived examples of ‘class-justice’ on the island and coupled with the other, the often used excuse that the police is too ‘understaffed’ to adequately fight crime-, the ‘real’ motive for the case at hand has now created lots of room for intense speculation.
Just check the various blog on the internet.
Therefore, as a nice person as you, the Chief Commissioner are generally perceived by many to be, there is a real pressure on you as well to ‘come clean’ about what happened in this- and other cases of alleged police brutality- , or face the wrath of the people.
Especially against the backdrop of a police-force, which for years, has been claiming not to be ‘up to par’ in terms of human and other resources, to protect its law-abiding citizens, the question to be answered is the following.
What then, was the apparent ‘pressing justification’ to make available such a substantial use of an already stretched resource, to allegedly ‘back-jump’ a frail character like Cimmaron ?
What justified, given the circumstances of limited resources, the need to drag him in the station, to waste precious time, to allegedly brutalize, interrogate and hold him for hours, only to be released without charges- and certainly without a report and/or apologies ?
In other words.
What were the ‘compelling’ circumstances for the allegedly excessive amount of time and force used, while who knows, what real hard-core crimes were taking place at the same time endangering the general public ?
They must have been really compelling arguments I assume.
Did the police-officers perhaps genuinely mistake this frail-looking ‘nigga’ for OBL  (the ‘cave-man’ of 9/11)?
Did they have any ‘credible’ intelligence that this ‘OBL-look-alike’ was about to blow up some, yet to be constructed ‘twin-towers’ on the ‘Friendly-island’ and they had no other choice than to ‘protect’ us from this ‘monster’ ?
Really ?
In that case, I would certainly ‘rest my case’.
Not only that-, I would recommend the officers for the highest ‘medal of bravery- and service’ of ‘Country St. Maarten’.
I hope you get the ‘giste’.
The point I am making here is the following.
You, Police Commissioner DE WITTE now have the very distinct responsibility to offer the community at large, a real solid and credible reason for having wasted so much of our scarce resources to apprehend this gentleman, torture him only to let him go without charges.
In addition, particularly serious are the allegation made by Mr. MARLIN, that in fact certain members of the Police-force are involved in carrying out paid ‘hits’ on citizens upon instructions of certain ‘principals’.
Needless to emphasize that this allegations is far worse than the ‘bad enough’ cases of ‘simple’ brutality.
If indeed proven to be true, or to even have a ‘semblance’ of truth, then this would have major security and legal consequences not only on island level, but on Kingdom and hemispheric level as well.
Therefore, we look anxiously forward to your response, because there is a growing and very ‘un-settling’ disconnect- and distrust between the police-force and many law-abiding citizens.
Again, we stress, that we have absolutely nothing personal against you, Mr.DE WITTE, because we all know that the ‘root-cause’ of this poor relationship is integral part of a much larger picture, certainly not of your making.
However, occupying the highest office of the St. Maarten Police, makes the ‘buck stop at your desk’.
While certainly, this particular case is very sensitive and complex, not dealing with it in an honest-, and transparent manner will only make matters much worse.
We all are humans and we all, one way or the other make mistakes, sometimes blunders or commit crime, no one is exempted as such.
Therefore, in the long run, if one has been on the ‘wrong side’ of the law (written or unwritten), it is better to come clean, humble one-self, acknowledge one’s part-, and accept the consequences, however severe.
That is the only way, for us as a people to move forward and to contribute to ‘healing’.
‘Country St. Maarten’ must mean something significant and fundamental.
More than people now having to be addressed as - 'honorable this'-, and 'honorable that', but meanwhile doing very 'dis-honorable this' and 'honorable that'...
We got to 'get for real' !
It can not-, and should not be ‘business as usual’.
In ending, Mr. DE WITTE.
Our St. Martin nation building-, and unification movement, of which I am privileged to be the president, is also willing to make its contribution towards the ‘healing process’.

Wishing you much wisdom and strength to do what is right.

With respect,

Leopold JAMES

Dear Mr. Van PUTTEN,

This is a response to the article in the website www.smn-news.com entitled; 'Activist Group calling for new elections---Petition and Signature drive underway'
That the so-called new 'Country St. Maarten' is in a 'crisis', is foregone conclusion and perhaps even an under-statement for people of 'all walks of life' on the island.
The island is suffering under a leadership, 'specialized' in giving long winded-, empty, rhetorical speeches aimed at creating confusion-, and focused on attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
Since '10-10-10', the honorable Prime-minister has not been able to resolve one of the many problems effecting native St. Martin people and other residents on the island.
However, this leadership is trying very hard to 'measure up' with other foreign leaders-, by among others constantly posing with foreign diplomats-, while her home is in total dis-array.
It is over-evident, that the honorable Prime-minister has no clue as to what it really means to lead.
In other words that a real leader realizes-, and accepts that the 'buck stops' with her in this case.
The rest of the 'honorables', although real nice persons-, and friends of mine, sorry, but they are not even worth any debate.
So my friend Eldrige, your idea of doing something to express an 'indictment' and a motion of no confidence in this government is very understandable-, logical and I would even daresay that there is a large popular support for some form of action/expression to channel the pent-up frustration.
What type action is quite another story.
You apparently have taken the initiative for a petition to have new elections.
With due respect, I will at this time not debate the merits of such an initiative.
But, I would like to give my input in the hope that it can be of some value to any action, expression by the public.
The main motive for my being prepared to give an input is the following.
It is a fact that under the leadership for former Leader of Government, William MARLIN the un-democratic decision was taken to DENY the people of St. Maarten the final decision to ratify the results of the negotiations pertaining to 'Country St. Maarten status'
That right was respected pertaining to the people of Curacao-, and so they were given the opportunity by their leaders to ratify those negotiations.
A LEGAL consequence of that was-, that indeed the people of Curacao-, and their politicians were placed in the 'same boat'.
Meaning-, that they now had a shared LEGAL AND MORAL responsibility for any-, and all consequences of their 'Country status'.
Therefore, any time, there are problems or complaints from the public, the politicians have a right to tell the people...we told you so-, and you signed off on it as well !
Not so for the 'Friendly-island'.
William is recorded having said;  'Country Status, at all cost', implying whether you like it or not.
Now that the 'dung' hit the fan and there is a tremendous budget deficit- Oops-, all of a sudden we 'paardners' in some 'same boat'- wattating.
Here are the facts.
LEGALLY and certainly MORALLY, William and his 'gang' by simply excluding the people from the process-, have assumed full-, and sole responsibility for any-, and all consequences of their coveted status.
Therefore, legally and certainly morally, we are no 'same boat' at all.
This means that they can be indicted and persecuted if found guilty in any court of law.
Taking this into account, the leaders of this island have absolutely no basis, to now 'push down our throats' all kinds of financial pressure on the people, just like that- no way !
To make matters even worse.
While they have lied to the people, deceived and betrayed the people etc. they have the 'bloody gall' to give themselves salaries and perks 'out of this world', while protecting their behinds against all kinds of litigation.
All of this is more than enough legal-, and certainly moral justification for having them arrested, or for a popular uprising of the people, because everyone is financially-, and socially very harshly affected.
And despite all of this, I am still prepared to give them yet another chance to escape the wrath of the people.
In addition-, to be willing to make my financial sacrifices to plug the deficit, which they lied about.
My willingness to spare them having to face angry mobs, is based on a very strong principle.
That those (politicians) who consciously, and deliberately led the people in this total chaos-, and now want the people's solidarity-, must themselves at least set a very strong example.
Meaning, if making sacrifices is good for the working class people, it must be even better for those politicians whose brilliant idea it was from the 'get go'.
In other words.
I would like for you, Mr. VAN PUTTEN to insert one way or the other if possible, the following conditions in the text of your petition.
All parliamentarians-, ministers-, members of the last Island-council, must make available to the coffers of country St. Maarten, all their assets-, including shares in companies etc. etc.
In addition, the salaries of the ministers and parliamentarians should be reduced to the average of all civil-servants.
If our leaders refuse to really make sure that we are all in the 'same boat', then the 'hatchet' should come down 'full force'.
In the interim, the Dutch Government should stop 'dilly-dallying' and assume its responsibility for proper governance of this 'Country-Gone-Banana-Republic-St. Maarten'.
Under no circumstances should those who deliberately created this mess-, be allowed to go 'scot-free'. That would be a 'miscarriage of justice'-, and a total 'non-starter' for any stable-, peaceful and sustainable future for this beautiful island.
In addition-, it would be a 'curse'- and 'malediction' on the future of our young people, if justice is not served.
So my dear friend Eldrige, this is my 'food for thought' for your petition.
In ending however, the choice is up to the people, - always.
If they 'like it so', I like it 'betterer'.
Respect,

Drs. Leopold JAMES
President SNBF/ Association L' Esprit de Concordia

Dear Editor,

I was wondering when Minister Heyliger would resurface again. After being "all over" during last year's elections (with a catchy song on the radio, ads in the newspapers, on TV and in the Movie Theater, a Facebook page, a flashy web site and Billboards "can't done") which landed his UP party at the head of the political bargaining table, he managed to secure the biggest slice of the St. Maarten pie together with his old frienemies of the DP.

But since he announced what he would get done in his first 100 days in office (not much of what was promised has been accomplished by the way), Minister Heyliger has gone deep underground. Where was Minister Heyliger when the residents of St. Maarten where hit with a Turnover Tax increase severely decreasing purchasing power? Or when party member Jules James in his capacity as Managing Director of Pelican (commonly known as his first job next to earning USD 11000 a month for asking questions as a MP at his second "job") put almost 200 workers on the street and put SXM's timeshare sector at the risk of being abandoned as St. Maarten does not have any timeshare legislation in place to protect their timeshare guests? Or when "the Sheriff" of his party, caused severe and unnecessary unrest amongst teachers? No word from the UP Party Leader and Vice Prime Minister Heyliger, as usual.

Minister Heyliger only submerged this past week at a private gathering of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten doing what he does best: pitching one of his multimillion dollar projects: The Simpson Bay Bridge or "Causeway" (if you want to believe the hype). Mind you: not to you and me the ordinary resident. No, to a select group of business people, lawyers and accountants. Obviously, Minister Heyliger cares not to give accountant to the majority of the electorate: just the mighty few who in turn will influence public opinion in his favor.

And all this at a time when the country is facing a budget deficit of 45 million guilders, it is OK for the Harbour, a government owned company (ultimately owned by the people of St. Maarten: the same ones that are getting taxed to death to balance said budget) to make "capital expenditures" of the magnitude of $ 45 million dollars. The timing could not be worse.

So there you have it folks. More proof that Minister Heyliger cares for the big bucks projects only and does not give 2 cents about or can demonstrate any leadership when dealing with issues affecting the common man (cost of living, crime, education, environment).

Perhaps something to keep in mind next time those of you think to go and cash your vote.

J. Lambert

Great Bay:--- Thirteen young men have received their certificates after successfully completing their PC Repair and Networking course. They are now certified to function as Helpdesk Technicians in the IT field. The graduation ceremony was held on Friday February 4th at the Rupert Maynard Community Center in the presence of honorable guests, DEI staff, family and friends of the graduates. The course is part of the Youth Development Project of the Education and Youth program, which is managed by the Division for Educational Innovations (DEI) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.

The graduates also received a motivational address written by Honorable Minister Rhoda Arrindell that was delivered by her Executive Assistant Ms. Morenika Arrindell. The address stressed on the importance of having qualified IT professionals in this day and age where technology plays a vital role.

Energies were high and smiles were bountiful as the graduates celebrated their last moments of being students of the program and marked their transition into graduates. The key words for the night were "second chances and new beginnings". The young men were applauded for grasping their second chance at education and were encouraged to see this achievement as a new beginning to more great things to come.

In her welcome speech, the Project Leader of the YDP project, Mrs. Janelle Presentacion encouraged the community, especially the businesses, to lend a helping hand to the graduates in their personal development to becoming socially responsible citizens of our country. She also noted the importance of setting positive examples for the younger generations to follow.

The Youth Development Program is a second chance educational program, funded by USONA, for youngsters between 16 and 24 years who were unable to complete secondary education. The Youth Development Program is executed by the Division for Educational Innovations (DEI) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports. The PC Repair and Networking course was facilitated by the Computer Institute of the Caribbean.

For more information on the program, contact Janelle Presentacion at 543-0497 or visit the office upstairs Carl and Sons on the Walter Nisbeth Road in Philipsburg. You can also find more information on YDP's Facebook page; SXM YDP. You can also email the YDP team at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, says that she hopes to receive a proposal from the Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) on Thursday regarding Pelican Resort's reopening.

"I have not received any response from the WIFOL union on the proposal regarding Pelican's reopening. The expectation was that by 4.00 pm on Wednesday afternoon that response would have been received.

"However, the President has informed us that he will strive to have the Union's position communicated to me by tomorrow (Thursday).

"The proposal which has been presented to both parties, has documented as good as possible the positions from these parties as received from them during several discussions," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams disclosed to DCOMM on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister pointed out that no option available to government in terms of forcing a solution is one that has a short term effect.

Because of questions that have been raised with respect to the various options, the Hon. Prime Minister in this context submits the following clarifications:

Is expropriation a possibility? Yes, there is legislation that governs expropriation of property. However, the conditions that apply are rigid, and require capital backing and protect the rights of private ownership as much as possible.

Is revoking a license because of non compliance an option? This is also a possibility, but only after a period of inactivity or no business activity.

Was government the party that ruled in the "buy-out auction" of the resort? No, government had no part to play.

Was it in accordance with corporate law? If contested, the courts will have to decide if the 'buy-out auction" was a proper one.

"The government understands that emotions run high, but government too has to follow the law and none better than government to understand the impact this matter is having on our island. It is for this reason and none other, that government is treading carefully and seeking solutions. No one is helped by drawn out court cases, yet it is important that questions regarding legality of actions by parties be answered in a court of law," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot explained on Wednesday.

The prime minister has received hundreds of emails from timeshare owners and acknowledges receipt of them. Government is quite cognizant of the hardship caused to many time-share owners and wants to assure, that every effort is being made to bring this matter to a successful conclusion.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Inspectorate of Health, Social Development & Labour (VSA), is seeking the public's support to be its eyes and ears within the community when they see any irregularities

A specific email address has been set up for complaints: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Inspectorate VSA as part of its regulatory responsibilities is responsible for supervision and enforcement activities related to environmental hygiene, food safety, occupational health and safety, pharmaceuticals, day care centres and health care.

The Inspectorate VSA has a number of inspectors who cannot be everywhere at the same time, hence the appeal to the public to help address the relevant issues in society.

Public assistance will go a long way with the Inspectorate VSA being able to investigate and help solve many infringements.

Once complaints are received as has already been customary, the Inspectorate VSA will investigate, enforce existing laws and make sure the entity in question is complying with the laws of the land in the aforementioned areas.

Persons have the opportunity to file a complaint by calling the following numbers: 542-2078, 542-2058, 542-3580, fax 542-2936 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell on Tuesday was introduced to the new Dutch representative M. Jonkers who will be replacing L. Walrave.

Arrindell gave a brief outline of her experience since she became the President of Parliament in October 2010.

"I also discussed with Jonkers and Walrave the challenges we have faced since October 2010 until the present and my vision for the future regarding issues we must tackle as Parliament in pursuit of a better quality of life for the people of our country," Hon. President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell said on Wednesday.

The Hon. President Arrindell added that a follow-up meeting will take place with the new representative in the near future.

The courtesy call took place on Tuesday.

...

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, says that a public-private sectors' plan of approach has been formulated during a Monday meeting at the Government Administration Building, called by the former to deal with the anticipated closure of Simpson Bay Resort and Marina, and the Villas at Simpson Bay Resort and Marina as of Sunday February 20.

Both private sector organizations present, the Sint Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) and the Sint Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA), commended the Prime Minister for calling together a "crisis team" to assess and mitigate the impending closure of the resort, as the impact of the announced closure gravely affects those depending on the resort for a livelihood, the time-share owners of the resort and the time-share industry in general.

Every effort will be made for government-appointed mediators to bring both parties (union and resort owners) back to the negotiating table, as it is felt that an agreement regarding employment at the resort will go a long way in resolving the other issues that lead to the announced closure of the Pelican Resort.

The SHTA and SMTA will continue their efforts to offer alternative accommodations to those Pelican members directly and immediately affected by the closure of their time-share resort. This gesture by the two organizations is deeply appreciated, especially at this peak time in our tourism season, the prime minister pointed out.

The SMTA is also communicating to Pelican time-share owners to provide information as far as this is available. Both tourism organizations will also solicit via their membership, 'add-ons' for timeshare guests who will be impacted by the closure of the resort, such as restaurant services and other tourist activities, and car rentals.

Government, while acknowledging the more long term nature of such, committed to again pick up draft timeshare legislation that could mitigate in the future, the fall-out being experienced currently due to the Pelican situation.

Government will issue a direct statement, possibly through the SMTA to affected timeshare owners, expressing government's resolve to seek solutions to avert the Pelican Resort's closure or in any case to have the resort re-opened in the shortest possible time.

Both private sector organizations reiterated the need for structural public-private sector cooperation.

The SHTA reservations center is available to assist with enquiries and bookings at 1-800-309-2005 from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

Attending the meeting on behalf of Government was Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Economic, Tourism, Traffic and Telecommunications Miguel De Weever, Head of the Labour Department, Section Policy Raphael Boasman, Head of the Department of Legislation Henkjan Habermehl, Cabinet of the Prime Minister Policy Support Emilia Thomas and Ramona Thomas.

Representing the SHTA was Valya Pantophlet and for the SMTA were Ricardo Perez, Mayra Provance and Jim Rosen.

Veteran promoter Francois "Cuchi" Hunt presented an impressive line-up of artists for the Latin/Zouk/Antillean Concert on Friday April 29 in Carnival Village which he is confident will be one of the biggest international shows for Carnival 2011. Headlined by Grammy winning Bachata superstar Prince Royce, the night will also feature Salsa band Adolescentes and Curacao & Aruban sensations Cache Deluxe/Royale. For the Zouk music lovers, the lineup will feature female Zouk singer Orlane, Alex Catherine and Richard Birman who are fresh off of a joint tour in Paris where they played to sold out crowds.
"Knowing that Carnival 2011 will be a little shorter than usual, I went out to ensure that the folks get a show to remember. With these artists I believe this will be an incredible concert." Hunt said. "Prince Royce is not just one of the biggest Bachata/pop artists today, he is one of the biggest artists in the world period and he is getting bigger. Adolescentes is a veteran Salsa band that has been around and knows how to give a great show. "I received so many requests for Cache Deluxe from people, especially the Arubans and folks from Curacao, we decided to add them to the line-up and the response has been incredible. In fact, they were booked to play in Curacao on April 29 but rescheduled because they wanted to come and play in St. Maarten so bad," he added.
Although it was only his intention to feature his customary Latin artists, Hunt said Carnival lovers realized there was no Zouk on the Carnival calendar and approached him to look into the possibility of adding Zouk music. He responded with stage veterans Orlane, Alex Catherine and Richard Birman, all well known to fans of the Zouk music genre. "We believe the cross-over combination of this concert will be very exciting. From Latin, to Zouk to (former) Antillean music, it will be a great mix, we won't disappoint," Hunt said.
President of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation Stuart Johnson said once again "Cuchi" has put together a line-up of artists that will be highly anticipated. "Cuchi has been working with the SCDF for more than a decade. He has a reliable reputation when it comes to his shows and we are sure that the public will be satisfied again for Carnival 2011," Johnson said.

Union Farm:--- On Tuesday evening February 1st at approximately 05:30pm, several police patrols and fire department were directed to one of the Emergency homes on Brazilia road in the Dutch Quarter/ Union Farm area where the home in question was on fire. On the scene, the police blocked traffic coming the Union farm area to allow the fire department to combat the fire. It took the fire department a very short time to get the fire under control, allowing them better investigate the cause of the fire. The interior of the home was damaged completely by the fire. According to officer in charge of the fire department, that there are indications that the fire possibly started at the rear of the building and that the fire probably was caused by lit candles or by the children living in that home. An investigation by detectives and forensic department is still ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.

This year's World Wetlands day clean-up activities have once again highlighted the serious waste management challenges St. Maarten is faced with. Volunteers who participated in the Clean-up of Fresh Pond were stunned by what seemed to be a never ending see of garbage of which some 70 percent was composed of plastic.

There is no quick fix to the island's major solid waste management issues, there are however relatively simple measures government can take to almost immediately reduce the amount of waste produced. One such measure would be to ban plastic bags and promote the use of environmentally friendly alternatives preferably reusable (cloth) bags or bags made from entirely biodegradable material.

As is the case with all forms of plastics, plastic bags do not biodegrade or rot, but rather photo-degrade. Depending on their make-up it is estimated that this process can take decades and in most cases centuries. Photo-degradation is the process whereby plastics breakup into smaller and smaller often toxic pieces which contaminate soil, ground water or oceans.

Everyday thousands of single use plastic shopping bags end up in St. Maarten's landfill, along our roads, in natural and manmade waterways or enter our coastal and marine environment.

On land plastic bags contribute to visual pollution and are often seen along streets, wrapped up in trees or drifting through the air. Besides being unsightly, these bags and other plastics clog our drainage systems and thereby contribute to flooding in times of heavy rain. Plastic bags are particularly harmful in the marine environment, where animals including birds, marine-mammals and turtles mistake them for food and swallow them, almost certainly leading to a slow and painful death.

St. Maarten's environment has suffered the consequences of plastic bags usage, simply because of their perceived cost convenience, for too long. The Foundations commend the many individuals and the handful of businesses who have taken it upon themselves to stop using or providing single use plastic bags, the reality of the matter is however that many stores will continue to provide these bags and consumers will continue to use them unless legally restricted from doing so.

It is therefore high time for our parliamentarians and ministers to take initiative as the people's representatives and show that they are the caretakers of the environment by passing legislation to ban disposable plastic carryout bags. Drafting and passing this legislation should not take too long as there are dozens of examples of similar laws online, there is no need to reinvent the wheel and there is no time to waste.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, in order to boost territory-wide efforts to fight crime, a new crime prevention program called "Taxi Watch," has been established which includes local taxi drivers; the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA).

The new crime fighting initiative gives the taxi drivers a direct link to VITEMA's emergency 911 centre to report crimes or suspicious behaviour.

U.S.V.I. Assistant Police Commissioner Raymond Hyndman said the program is similar to other nationwide crime prevention and neighbourhood watch programs, but has the added benefit of using taxi's that drive the streets daily to help be the Police Department's eyes and ears.

Because taxi's drive everywhere, with the program, the entire island becomes a neighbourhood watch area.

Perhaps this is an initiative also worth pursuing here. Consideration could also be given to public busses and private security companies. These types of initiatives can go a long way where it concerns an understaffed Police Force which would surely welcome more eyes and ears on the street.

All Sint Maarteners must play a part in safeguarding our nation's national security. Individual citizens, the private sector and members of civil society groups have a role to play in promoting a culture of zero tolerance and helping to make Sint Maarten a safer and more secure place to live, visit and enjoy. National security, your security, my security, our families security is everybody's business.

Cay Hill:--- Recently nine Fire fighters were promoted at the Fire Department. The rank or stripes that a fire fighter carries are based upon the function he carries within the Fire Department. To acquire a rank a fire fighter needs to have certain assets and complete a particular recognized education program. The promoted Fire fighters received the promotion based upon their performance and the courses that they completed successfully. The ceremony was chaired by Fire Chief Winston Salomon, whereas those closest by in rank welcomed the promoted fire fighters in their new rank.

Philipsburg:--- UTS has made a Chippie data SIM card available to the Hydrological Institute UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands to allow for mapping of the sea floor (bathymetric survey) in the coastal waters of St. Maarten. A jet ski with survey equipment which utilizes GSM technology will start surveying from the Philipsburg area and will continue mapping the sea basin surrounding the island over the next 10 to 14 days. The survey is part of a proactive disaster management approach called "Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment Project" being taken by disaster management organizations within the region with assistance from a number of development organizations. The aim is to examine hazards posed by inland and coastal flooding across the region. The hazards under consideration involve flash floods, coastal storm surges and tsunamis. The information derived from this survey and other research that has been done will lead to the development of a Disaster Plan and an early warning system. Two Dutch University Delft students will carry out the survey under the supervision of Professor Zoran Vojnovic of the hydrological institute UNESCO-IHE in Delft, the Netherlands. In addition to the bathymetric survey, NASA will also be taking satellite imagery of the island in the same time period using its E-1 satellite to capture high resolution imagery of coastal waters. 'An early warning system can enable authorities to save many lives in the face of a disaster. We are pleased that our technologies can a useful tool in a project that is so very important to public safety' says UTS Marketing and Communications Officer, Ivy Lambert. University of Delft student, Erik van Ettinger adds 'Using the Chippie SIM card we will be able to connect back to our equipment that is on shore, which will map in real-time where exactly we are on the water. This is called Realitime Kinematic (RTK). We are very happy with the cooperation that we have received from UTS. This will really help us to complete our project successfully.'

Great Bay (GIS):--- Section Collective Preventive Services (CPS) from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour reports that a 59-year-old male from the Guana Bay District died on January 20, 2011, and based on a preliminary autopsy report, its dengue related.

The person was admitted on January 16, 2011 to the Sint Maarten Medical Center Emergency Room for complaints other than fever, headache or body aches, which are traditional symptoms for dengue fever.

CPS's controllers have carried out inspections of the residential and surrounding areas and have identified a number of mosquito breeding places, which have been eliminated. Physicians are requested to remain attentive in the diagnosis of dengue fever.

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a severe, potentially deadly infection spread by certain species of mosquitoes, namely the Aedes Aegypti, the same vector responsible for dengue fever. There are four different dengue viruses that are known to cause DHF. DHF occurs when a person catches a different type of dengue virus after being infected by another one sometime before. Prior immunity to a different dengue virus type plays an important role in this severe disease.

The CPS reported for the month of January, that 21 lab tests were carried out and four cases were confirmed of which one was fatal.

The only way to prevent dengue virus transmission is to combat the disease-carrying mosquitoes. Based on the fact that reports of dengue fever in the Caribbean are prevalent, CPS is requesting residents to remain vigilant in executing measures in eradicating mosquito breeding places. The CPS request collective assistance from the community in protecting yourself, your family and your neighbor from the Aedes Agypti mosquito by means of minimizing mosquito breeding places in their surroundings and close environment.

Preventive actions that every household and each resident should take are: removal of debris, old tires and standing clear/clean water in yards (usually are the main source and breeding ground for mosquitoes bringing about an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases). These areas should be immediately eliminated.

Immediately check for clear/clean standing water in roof spouts, empty drums, buckets, jars, birdbaths, boats, plant containers, saucers, paint cans and other items that can collect water around your homes and businesses. Where clear/clean standing water exists, one can use small amounts of kerosene, just to cover the surface as a measure to prevent mosquito breeding or just get rid of the container.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, but seldom causes death.

Anyone requiring information concerning measures to prevent mosquito breeding or to report areas of standing water, overgrown vegetation etc should immediately call CPS at 542-2078.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, will be making an official visit to the new building of the Mental Health Foundation, "Building Sylvia."

The Prime Minister will get an official viewing by management of the aforementioned foundation on Wednesday at 4.00pm.

After the official tour, Hon. Prime Minister Wescot Williams will meet with the Director to discuss current affairs of the foundation especially matters related to the functioning of the new building.

The Prime Minister will also be visiting the UJIMA Foundation premises in Sucker Garden on Wednesday to discuss the future plans of the foundation related to the construction of a new school on the island.

Airport:--- St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) has won a prestigious aviation award. At the annual Routes conference that was wrapped up on Tuesday February 15th in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, PJIAE came out as overall winner in the category South Central Americas & Caribbean. Other nominees in that category included The Princess Beatrix of Aruba, the Sangster International in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the Mc Carran in Las Vegas and the Tocumen in Panama. "This is truly a great honor," PJIAE Interim Managing Director Mr. Larry Donker reacted from Santo Domingo. "To be named the best airport in our region by our airline partners is validation for all the hard work all of us at PJIAE –from Management to workers and partners- put into making our airport a Regional Leader."

Mr. Donker explained that cupping the Regional Award is an accomplishment to be proud of. "We were notified a few weeks ago that we had been nominated by the airlines for this award and that we had even been shortlisted," he said. Airlines considered the airport's marketing activities, the marketing research, its joint communication campaigns with third parties, and its innovative use of technologies or techniques to support airlines.

"We were required to highlight our efforts in a 1,000 word presentation and our Marketing and Communications Department really did a superb job at that, considering all the activities we have rolled out over the past couple of years," Mr. Donker said. The presentation made mention of the construction of the airport's terminal building, its attendance and hosting of international aviation conferences, its inventive local marketing strategies and its airlift development and international marketing efforts that are being undertaken in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. "We have been extremely active and that made us stand out amongst the other airports that had also been nominated," Mr. Donker said.

The PJIAE executive commended PJIAE's personnel. "This is a collaborative achievement, in more ways than one," he said, explaining: "It shows again that the workers at our airport are truly second to none; and the airlines have recognized that. But also, from the moment we were notified of our nomination, the Marketing & Communications Department spared no efforts to make sure our presentation was of the caliber that wins."
Mr. Donker expressed congratulations to the community of St. Maarten. "This is not just PJIAE's victory, but St. Maarten's," he said.

It was the first time Routes Americas, now in its fourth year, is held in the Caribbean. Organized by Routes and hosted by Aerodom the conference closed off on 15 February 2011 in the Dominican Republic. It is a route development forum for airline, airport and tourist authorities.

It was attended by Minister Franklin Meyers, Tourist Bureau Director Regina Labega, PJIAE Interim Manager Mr. Donker and PJIAE Marketing and Communications Department personnel Ms. Norma Brill and Mrs. Daphne Roberts.

Philipsburg:--- "Latin America is a tremendous market and we are fortunate to have Copa airlines servicing the destination," Honourable Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs, Franklin Meyers stated while being introduced to Jose Montero, Route Planning Director, and Lizmarie Docabo, Senior Planning Analyst of Copa.

Meyers met with the top executives at the Routes Airlines Conference which was held in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic from February 13th - 15th.

Hon. Minister Meyers, who led the Sint Maarten delegation to the Conference that included Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega, Acting Managing Director of PJIA, Larry Donker and Norma Brill, expressed his appreciation for the partnership, noting that Copa is already a strong partner with Sint Maarten with great cargo and passenger growth opportunities..

The Minister promised to look into all the airline entry commitments made to Copa and maintain constant dialogue with the airline which entered Sint Maarten ahead of many of the destination's competitors.

Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega, noted that according to Routes News, "Latin America's aviation industry continues to grow faster than the world's average."

In its bid to maintain and grow its share of the lucrative Latin American market, Sint Maarten needs to continue to nurture its relationship with airlines like Copa, which she noted, plans to expand its service to Nassau, The Bahamas, this year.

Philipsburg::--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell, as part of parliament's public awareness campaign into the role and functioning of the country's highest legislative body, hosted another group of students.

Approximately 60 students from Sint Maarten Academy PSVE visited the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament.

The students were informed about the role and functioning of Parliament by Hon. President of Parliament about the legislative institution. They also asked many questions and enthusiastically listed the names of members of parliament.

Conscious Lyrics Foundation cordially invites you to the "Tribute to the Great Salt Pond" by Lasana M. Sekou (poetry reading) and Broadway star Nicole de Weever (dance), discussion, and Pelican Heart book signing. Venue: Philipsburg Jubilee Library. Date: Thursday, February 24, 2011. Time: 7pm. For more info: Shujah Reiph, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; or facebook.com/nehesipublishers. A Black History Celebration program in collaboration with the Philipsburg Jubilee Library and House of Nehesi Publishers.

The new owner of the "Simpson Bay Resort and Marina" and its affiliated group of companies are responsible for a series of actions that many affected parties consider criminal. Their recent attempt to assign blame to the very parties that are the victims of their alleged crimes is unconscionable. The press release issued by the new owner of the "Simpson Bay Resort and Marina" (SBRM) is not only an unmitigated example of "spin", but is breathtaking in its complete disregard of full and honest disclosure concerning the history leading up to the recent events at the Pelican Resort.

The labor problems and financial difficulties at the resort are real, but to assign blame to the Tenants' Association of the Pelican Resort Club (TAPRC) Board for failing to control the labor and budget situation misrepresents the facts. Since 1997, Royal Resorts (the "professional" management company hired by the TAPRC Board and an affiliate of the new owner) has had primary responsibility for formulating realistic annual budgets, up to and including, complete control and responsibility for the labor management and collective labor agreement (CLA). If the new owner believes the resort can now run with almost 100 fewer employees than when the TAPRC owned the resort, then shouldn't Royal Resorts be held responsible for the overstaffing at the Resort for the last 13 years and the deficits thereby created? Of course they should, but it was much more advantageous for them to raise the annual maintenance fees on which Royal Resorts was being paid a 10% commission than to manage the Resort efficiently and in a manner that financially benefited the TAPRC.

The new owner's statement that the maintenance fees at the Pelican are unreasonably low, allegedly 30% lower that the neighboring resorts, again misrepresents the facts. For the last 13 years the fees at the Pelican are, and have always been, comparable with the other resorts on the island. Even in the case of its two neighboring resorts (The Flamingo and The Royal Palm) the 30% increase in maintenance fees occurred during the last two years as a result of particular circumstances unique to those two resorts. It is obvious where the new owner intends to go with this argument.

The inference that the loans provided by the Quantum Investment Trust ( a company also owned by the new owner) to fund operational losses were somehow altruistic flies in the face of reality. Unlike the TAPRC owners that were lured into investing in a capital improvement program initiated by Royal Resorts , the new owner received complete repayment of all his operational loans together with 12% interest. The same loans also served to secure the continuation of the management fees being paid to his affiliated management company, Royal Resorts.

The situation concerning the building of the Pelican Marina Residence (PMR) and the resulting foreclosure on the Resort is particularly disturbing and the new owner has no intention of providing full public disclosure. It is true that early TAPRC Boards wanted to build the PMR to establish reserves for the resort, because they had been assured it would be a joint venture with Royal Resorts, who consistently represented themselves as a financially strong and trustworthy partner. The TAPRC Board even received a signed letter of intent stating that the building of the PMR would be a joint venture. What the new owner fails to tell you is critical: When it appeared that the TAPRC Board would not approve the project the new owner acquired enough votes to personally vote himself and a number of his friends on to the TAPRC Board. With this new power contracts were signed that among other things:

1. Gave exclusive sales rights on the new building to Alpha Marketing (another company affiliated with the new owner). Alpha was to receive 46% of any sales proceeds;
2. Made Royal Resorts the construction manager whereby they awarded a sole source contract to a contractor without so much as a single competing bid and failed to phase the project as planned despite an obviously slowing economy;
3. Eliminated the joint venture and made the Pelican Resort solely responsible for the debt.
4. Agreed to construction financing that did not even provide enough funds to pay for the building construction while pledging the entire resort as collateral for the loan. (A minimum of $68 million in collateral for a $25 million loan) The loans went so far as to contain clauses requiring Royal Resorts to remain the Resort manager during the complete term of the financing;
5. Gave Royal Resorts 50% of any profits, calculated on an annual basis, with no responsibility for any losses, for completely unspecified services;
6. Backdated a number of contracts, including one to give the new owner more favorable loan terms, on the accounts receivable portion of the financing;
7. Extended the management contract for Royal Resorts by 10 years with absolutely no performance measurements and added the PMR to their management contract.

In short, the new owner and its affiliated companies controlled the construction, the sales, the financing, the management, the receivable collections, and even the loan re-payments on the project.

It is perfectly clear why no commercial bank would provide financing for this project. A timeshare association, with absolutely no financial wherewithal or reserves, was being thrust into a position in which it was responsible for massive debt. All the significant benefits of the project had been transferred to companies affiliated with the new owner. Under the best case scenario, as indicated in projections provided by Royal Resorts, the Pelican only stood to make $8 million. After deducting the $4 million land value contributed by the TAPRC, the net profit on which the TAPRC would risk the entire Resort and bankruptcy, was only $4 million while the new owner and his affiliated companies stood to make millions of dollars risk free. If the project encountered any difficulties or delays, such as the current economic downturn, foreclosure was a foregone conclusion. The conflicts of interest enumerated above are even more egregious given the fiduciary responsibilities of the Board members involved and Royal Resorts, which served as co-managing director for the Pelican Resort.

The new owner's characterization that the efforts of the TAPRC Board to gain control of its assets as "aggressive, unreasonable, and an indignant borrower" fails to disclose the facts as indicated above. Also notably absent from the facts presented by the new owner is that Royal Resorts had gone so far as to open numerous bank accounts (in direct violation of its Management Agreement) in other countries such as Belize. Opening these bank accounts was analogous to identity theft; numerous accounts opened in the name of the Resort, with no one on the TAPRC Board with signature authority over any of the accounts. Engaging attorneys and consultants was the only responsible action the TAPRC Board could take when the intent of the new owner to assume ownership of the Pelican Resort became obvious. Becoming "indignant" when access to funds was blocked and contract terms were grossly skewed in favor of Royal Resorts was a situation manufactured by the new owner, not the TAPRC..

The current claim by the new owner that he cannot afford to keep the resort open and will close the Resort effective February 20th,after collecting an undisclosed amount of 2011 maintenance fees from the timeshare owners, must be viewed in the full context of the circumstances surrounding his carefully premeditated acquisition of the Resort. The St. Maarten government must respond and respond forcefully. As an island dependent on tourism, St. Maarten's ongoing economic well-being is heavily dependent on the steps the government takes to protect the timeshare owners who have made substantial investments on the island. Timeshare owners, the citizens of St. Maarten who rely upon income from timeshare owners and tourists, the businesses in St. Maarten and the displaced employees of the Pelican Resort are all relying upon the government of St. Maarten to right these wrongs.

Gene Albrecht, Former TAPRC Chairman 2009

Christine Schlunz, Former TAPRC Chairman 2010

What do Italy's Trevi Fountain, India's Charminar monument, and the New York Stock , the Jamaica Stock Exchange and the Ogier Building at Camana Bay, Grand Cayman have in common?
Each of these Iconic landmarks will provide a dramatic backdrop for an equally dramatic message: End Polio Now. Those three words – representing Rotary's pledge to rid the world of this crippling childhood disease ---will be projected onto each structure during the week surrounding Feb 23, the humanitarian service organization's 106th Anniversary.
These monuments join the other iconic landmarks that have carried the pledge in recent years: The Sydney Opera House, London's Tower Bridge, the Roman Coliseum, Egypt's Pyramid of Khafre, Chicago's Wrigley Building, the Obelisk in Argentina, and the San Francisco Ferry Building.
"These global illuminations carry Rotary's pledge to end polio—saying to the world that we will fight this crippling disease to the end" says Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, chair of The Rotary Foundation, which oversees Rotary's polio eradication program. "It is our hope that people worldwide will see this visible pledge and join Rotary and its partners in this historic effort to rid the world of polio forever.".
Other examples of events happening on 23rd February Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith will ring the New York Stock Exchange closing bell during a ceremony with representatives from Rotary and Sanofi Pasteur, a leading provider of polio vaccine, in honour of Rotary's 106th anniversary and in support of a polio free world.
Representatives of Rotary and Sanofi Pasteur will also take part in opening bell ceremonies in four financial markets in Europe that day: Lisbon, Portugal; Amsterdam; Brussels, Belgium; and Paris.
Certain schools around the world are holding "Wear it Purple" days during which children will exchange their uniforms for purple clothing. The color symbolizes the purple dye that Rotary volunteers and health workers in developing countries use to mark the pinky finger of a child who has received the oral vaccine.
In addition to the landmark light displays, the ringing of the Bell and other initiatives, the general public can join global celebrities on line including Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu, Queen Noor of Jordan, actor Jackie Chan, Grammy Awarding winning singers Angelique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley, Golfer Jack Nicklaus, and environmentalist Dr. Jane Doodall as part of Rotary's "This Close" advertising campaign at www.thisclose.net
Polio eradication has been Rotary's top priority for more than two decades. Join the campaign – view and post on your Facebook pages the "This Close" polio campaign. http://www.youtube.com/user/RotaryInternational#p/u/6/ZVfaNJB8x1g.

All calypsonians registered to take part in the Senior Calypso Eliminations and Senior Roadmarch competition are urged by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) to submit their music sheets to the SCDF by next Friday March 4.
The SCDF said the two bands that will be backing up the calypsonians require enough time to dedicate to rehearsals with the singers and as such the SCDF will not be accepting any sheets after March 4.
Moreover, the Senior Calypso Eliminations and Road March competition are two of the early shows on the Carnival schedule, April 1 and April 2 respectively.
"The calypsonians have been telling us that they are getting ready, but we really need them to submit their sheets by March 4. Any later and we run into complications with the bands who have been contracted to play for them. So we urge them to adhere to the deadline," president of the SCDF Stuart Johnson said.
The music sheets can be submitted to the secretary of the SCDF Mike Granger at The Daily Herald offices on the Bush Road.

Colebay:--- Twenty-six school principals, managers and future managers of FBE and PSVE schools started an 18-month post-graduate course in Educational Management on Tuesday February 22 at Carl's Unique Inn.

The initiative is part of the Youth and Education Program 2008-2012, a program for educational innovations that is funded by the Netherlands through USONA to support the implementation of the educational innovations on St Maarten.

The school managers will have a hectic and busy training schedule of two to three days per month, during which the 4 modules, Organization, Human Resources, Leadership and Financial Administration will be dealt with. For each module they will be required to make several practical assignments in groups as well as take a final examination. In September 2012 they will complete their post-graduate training course in Educational Management.

One of the objectives is "to strengthen and professionalize the school managers of FBE and PSVE schools in such a way that they can carry out the implementation of educational innovations and assume their responsibilities in doing so."

Several short training programs have been organized in the past years to reach this goal, but one of the main recommendations of Management capacity audits carried out by SOAB in 2010 was that more indepth training was needed specifically for the school managers.

The Division for Educational Innovation has therefore searched for an institute that could execute a recognized course in this field and found a solid provider in NACSI, which has executed the course Educational Management four times already on Curacao. They received recognition for their program from the Minister of Education of the now defunct Netherlands Antilles in 2006.

Great Bay:--- Historian Howard Dodson arrived in St. Martin on Friday, to deliver the 20th annual Black History Celebration Lecture on Saturday, February 26 at the University of St. Martin at 8 PM. The theme for the month long celebration is "Documenting the history we make." Dodson is the director of the prestigious Schomburg Center for Research in Black culture in New York City. Since his arrival the scholar, consultant, and educator met with librarians, researchers and museum curator. In photo L-R: A. Richards, E. Wilson, E. Hughes D. Jeffry, M. Powell, H. Dodson and N. Richardson. The 20th annual Black History Celebration Lecture is organized by Conscious Lyrics Foundation in collaboration with University of St. Martin Student Government Association.

Willemstad:--- Twenty people involved in development projects in Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba and Aruba, participated in the master class Project implementation: a piece of cake. The class ended Thursday, January 27. In four days the participants went through eight modules in which mainly the feedback to their own projects, the daily practice, was emphasized. Hence, the theory had an immediate practical effect.
This master class, offered by USONA, aims to further professionalize project implementation on the islands.

The main subjects, eight topics were: Targets, Strategy and target tree, Actors/factors and stakeholders, Commission and principalship, Risk factors, Leadership and Change management, Process management, Planning and Control, and Cashing in. Each module started with a theoretical approach to the topic, followed by the practice. In each case the participants were given the assignment to provide feedback from the topic discussed to their own project(s). Because there is diversity in projects, this created lively and useful discussions.
The participants all work with USONA projects, except the three participants who are employed at Fundashon Desaroyo Arubano (FDA). FDA is, like USONA, responsible for the management of the Dutch development funds, but on Aruba.

The teachers were experts from the Netherlands and Curaçao who brought along a broad experience and could perfectly give feed back from the daily practice. The master class was led by Hans van Leeuwen (Certified Project Director) and Frans Versteeg (Advisor USONA).

The master class was supported by a web environment (SharePoint) to which the participants were able to log in already before the start and could read relevant discussion papers and documents. Within this platform they could also pose questions, a feature that continues to be available even after completion of the master class. This creates a study group and hence promotes the sustainability of this project.

Philipsburg:--- President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell, says with the Permanent Committees of Parliament in place, these committees can now get to work on a number of issues and challenges impacting the quality of life and social fabric of the country.

"I am now looking forward to receiving soonest the agenda of the recently established permanent committees. A working schedule was established in the first week of January, which allows among others the committee members to prepare and hold their respective meetings," President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell stated on Tuesday.

The eight permanent committees of parliament are: Committee of Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure; Committee of Justice; Committee of Finance; Committee of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications.

There are also the Committee of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs; Committee of Health Care, Social Development and Labour; Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations; and the Committee for Petitions.

The eight permanent committees of parliament met mid-January where the chair and vice chair persons were appointed and plans of actions were to be compiled.

Besides internal issues impacting the well-being of our people, President of Parliament pointed out, "We also have external issues just as important if not more important. This is the issue of global warming.

"Rising sea levels due to global warming are threatening coastal countries and regions, according to experts. Countries will need to take mitigation and adaptation measures in order to remain habitable. Sint Maarten is no different. We are surrounded by water and our strategic economic infrastructures are at sea level eg. Sea port and airport facilities, hotel infrastructure, road network, coastal residential communities etc," President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell said on Tuesday.

In December, the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Cancun, Mexico. A number of decisions were concluded that would help countries advance towards a low-emissions future. Global warming is considered as today's biggest challenge.

Some of the decisions taken include formalizing mitigation pledges and ensuring increased accountability for them, as well as taking concrete action to protect the world's forests, which account for nearly one-fifth of global carbon emissions.

An agreement was also reached on establishing a fund for long-term climate financing to support developing countries, and bolstering technology cooperation and enhancing vulnerable populations' ability to adapt to the changing climate.

"The agreement reached in Cancun is a very significant step forward to deal with climate change. Climate change is impacting us when we have more frequent and stronger hurricanes. We need to start discussing these types of issues among others and gather as much information we can so we can take the necessary legislative measures needed to protect our people and our country.

"We need to bring the level of discussion up to a Kingdom level and see what role the Kingdom will play and how we can tap into international funding that could be used to mitigate and adapt to the threats that exist. We need to protect our country for future generations. Climate change is just one issue out of many that are impacting the quality of life and socio-economic development of our country.

"The permanent committees of parliament play an integral role in bringing about legislative change, transparency of the issues, and holding members of parliament accountable to the people. Issues dealt with in these committees will lead to fundamental changes in the quality of life of the nation for the betterment of all," President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell said on Tuesday.

 PUBLIC FORUM
Cultural-Historical Map of St. Maarten

An 'in-progress' cooperative project of St. Maarten, NAAM
and the Bureau of Monuments and Archaeology, Amsterdam
Opening by Honorable Minister of Culture Rhoda Arrindell

A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall, Government Administration Bldg.
Saturday 12 February 2011 6:00-8:00pm

The SHTA understands that the Inspectorate of taxes has sent out brochures in which it attempts to give clarification on the recent changes in the TOT ordinance. We have also learnt that the Inspectorate has tried to clarify the SHTA’s interpretation of the law with the following:

“Q. According to the SHTA, the new article 5 implies that imported goods are now subject to ToT, establishing a 5 per cent import duty for resident companies, resulting in an additional layer of taxation. Is this true?

No. The new article 5, section 3, only states that non-resident entrepreneurs that deliver goods and provide services to resident buyers are deemed to be domiciled at the Inspectorate of the Tax Department. This is to ensure that non-resident entrepreneurs, when they are subjected to the ToT, are known to and registered at the Tax Department. This doesn’t mean that the scope of the ToT, which is governed in article 2, has changed. Article 2, section b, clearly states that only when non-resident entrepreneurs deliver goods and/or provide services to resident buyers within the jurisdiction of Sint Maarten, they are subjected to ToT. When a good is imported, the delivery (transport) takes place outside of the jurisdiction of Sint Maarten and therefore not taxed. In conclusion, ToT is not imposed on import of goods.”

According to SHTA, the explanation provided by the Inspectorate is incorrect and therefore has created even more confusion and with no correction published as Minister Shigemoto promised in the below press statement on Jan 10, 2011, the uncertainty remains.

“There is indeed an omission in the ordinance, but that would be solved via what is known as a ‘reparatiewet’ or corrective law. Even if this reparatiewet was not done, which it will be done, even in such a situation the current law would not have led to the undesired situation as presented by the SHTA in its explanation in a letter to the ombudsman.”

Furthermore, the SHTA feels that the additional expense for the entire chain, not just businesses but the inspectorate and receiver as well, could have been avoided by NOT implementing a tax change in the middle of a month. The additional work for the tax inspectorate and businesses is not just poor planning but wasteful of the limited resources.

The SHTA is hereby requesting that the corrections be made and published on Government’s official website www.sintmaartengov.org and is calling on the Ministry of Finance/ Inspectorate of Taxes to organize or facilitate the organization of an informative session for the business community to clear up the confusion regarding the TOT adjustment.

Belvedere:--- Police officers on Sunday night managed to recover a baby and a jeep that were stolen somewhere in Belvedere. Police confirmed that a mother left her sleeping baby in her jeep as she visited someone in Belvedere when bandits stole the jeep with the baby inside.
Police said the baby was recovered in one area while the jeep was found somewhere else. It is believed that when the thieves realized a sleeping baby was inside the vehicle they stole, they stopped at the side of the road and left the baby as they continued with their journey.

Great Bay (GIS):--- The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) announced that the ground breaking ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, February 15 at 3.00pm has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

The Middle Region Infrastructure and GEBE Water Tank Project ground breaking ceremony has now been scheduled for Thursday, February 17 at 4.00pm.

The Honourable Minister responsible for VROMI Theo Heyliger, is extending an open invitation to the residents of Middle Region and Defiance to come out for the ceremony on February 17.

The ground breaking will take place across from Calabash Bar in Middle Region.

Great Bay:--- A "Tribute to the Great Salt Pond" will take place here at the Jubilee Library of Thursday, February 24, at 7 PM, said Shujah Reiph, president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF).

The cultural performance tribute is part of CLF's 20th annual month-long Black History Celebration. "We've gotten Lasana to do one of his rare performance readings. The poems will deal specifically with pain, love, survival, heritage, pollution, and death in the historic Great Salt Pond," said Reiph.

"The idea is to link poetry, dance, and music in the tribute to the painful labor of our people, socialization and production, historical and cultural meanings, modern St. Martin identity, and conservation of the Great Pond," said Reiph.

"Lasana has called the Great Salt Pond the symbolic 'cradle of the St. Martin nation,' that is for the unity of our island-nation, North and South. One of the poems will even look at a St. Martin mythology of the pond," said Reiph.

A brief discussion between the poet and USM students from Dr. Jay Haviser's archeology class will follow the cultural performance. "This class assignment may be unique for us but this is normal among the better universities around the world."

"It's a live exchange between students and cultural workers or activists in the field," said Reiph. Any audience member can participate in the discussion.

And talking about activism, Reiph said that a petition to save the Great Salt Pond will be opened at the tribute reading for guests who may want to sign the document.

"The petition hopefully adds to the work of environmentalists and to the concerns and grief of the island's people, visitors, and media against pollution and more land-filling of the Great Salt Pond," said Reiph.

The petition, developed by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), and the signatures, will be presented here to Parliament at a later date – after its circulation on the island and on the Internet, said Jacqueline Sample, president of HNP.

The Thursday evening program concludes with Sekou signing copies of his new book Pelican Heart / Corazón de pelícano. The independent Cuban scholar Emilio Jorge Rodríguez edited the 428-page anthology of Sekou's poetry collections between 1978 and 2010.

The "Tribute to the Great Salt Pond" is coordinated by CLF in collaboration with Philipsburg Jubilee Library and HNP www.houseofnehesipublish.com. The theme of the Black History Celebration 2011 is, "Documenting the history we make."

"All of the St. Martin people are invited to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Thursday at 7 PM to celebrate our history, with a tribute to the Great Salt Pond," said Reiph.

Great Bay (GIS):--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor is informing the St. Peters area of the "NEEDS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW" that will be conducted.

Representatives of the Integrated Neighborhood Development Program will be visiting various homes and requesting Interviews.

These interviews are to identify the needs and define programs to be set up by the Community Helpdesk. Interviews will begin on the 17th of February 2011 until the 24th of February 2011.

The type of questions that will be asked relates to the issues and problems people may have about housing, their surroundings and/or the neighborhood, problems or issues regarding safety, the types of services and or programs people make use of, and the type of services people would like to see in their neighborhood. There are also some on health and general well-being of persons.

There are also some general questions in order to get some statistical data regarding the demographic composition of the neighborhood.

There will be such questions as follows:

• To what extent is your environment a problem to you?
• Do you feel safe in your neighborhood?
• How is your general well-being?
• Is running water a problem in your neighborhood?
• Are your children able to play outside?

The information will contribute to establishing the types of services needed within the neighborhood. In April, Community Helpdesks (CHD) will be established in three different neighborhoods: St Peters, Dutch Quarter and Cole Bay.

These CHDs will coordinate the services of various departments and provide a holistic approach to assisting the various persons living in the neighborhoods.

The interviews will be conducted by staff members of the Departments of Community Development, Social Welfare and Social development.

This is a pilot program, and after evaluating this current process (of conducting the assessments), the Social Department will carry out needs assessments in nine other neighborhoods.

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- Under the new structure of Government, the Department of Government Information Service (G.I.S.) has changed its name to the Department of Communication.

This department still falls under the Ministry of General Affairs, and is the responsibility of the Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams.

The abbreviated name is DCOMM. The department provides information to the public via its television programs, which airs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7pm, and on Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00pm, and to the print, online and broadcast media through various communication mediums such as public notices, press releases, and other communication tools.

The Head of the Department of Communication (DCOMM) is Erno Labega who said that for now things might be a bit mixed-up in terms of name recognition, but once we get more accustomed to its use, we shall be off and running.

Labega encouraged the public to look at DCOMM programs, as they are specifically designed to provide concrete and accurate information to the public.

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- Executive Director of the Tallahassee-Sint Maarten Foundation (TLH-SXMF) Arthur (Arturo) Lugisse, is waiting to hear from Government officials with respect to the further expansion of relations between the Government of Sint Maarten and the Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU).

Lugisse met with Honourable Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell and her advisors with respect to FAMU.

FAMU is ready and prepared to send a curriculum and evaluation team to meet with the University of St. Martin (USM) and Government officials.

The initiatives identified to be explored are economic development, capacity building, and empowerment between FAMU and Sint Maarten.

Further discussions need to take place on cultural preservation and heritage trail sites, recruitment and training of students to meet Sint Maarten's Government and private sector needs.

Discussions are also needed regarding the formal establishment of a "Two-PLus-Two Degree" offering, Distance Education Program, Hospitality and Management Training Program with USM administrators and other stakeholders.

Explore the possibility of the FAMU Marching Band "Marching 100" visiting the island to participate in Sint Maarten's Emancipation Day Celebration from June 30 to July 3.

Explore the possibility of FAMU hosting a marching band, band members, and/or band directors to participate in FAMU "Marching 100" summer Band Camp on the campus of Florida A&M University from July 11 to the 19.

Explore the possibility of a steel drum band or musical bands/groups performing in the "World Music Festival," that will be held during International Education Week from November 14-18.

Lugisse met with FAMU Interim Assistant Vice President Joseph Jones in January. Hon. Minister of Education, Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Rhoda Arrindell, also met with FAMU representatives during her working visit to Tallahassee, Florida in January.

"There is great opportunity here for the country and they are endless. With the island having all the constitutional responsibilities in Philipsburg, the Government is able to make more use of the partnership that exists with the City of Tallahassee," TLH-SXMF Executive Director Arthur Lugisse told DCOMM over the weekend.

Great Bay(DCOMM):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, on Friday morning was introduced to the new board of the Indian Merchants Association (IMA) by Spokesperson and Vice President Damu Rawtani.

The deliberations centered on the new government structure of which the prime minister gave an explanation with respect to ministerial responsibilities, the position of the Governor and the separation of powers.

The IMA remains committed to the socio-economic development of the country and will continue to do their part. They reiterated their call to be part of the solution in various matters with respect to national development.

The prime minister expressed her willingness to involve them as a stakeholder in the nation's development and thanked the IMA for requesting the meeting with her to discuss issues of general concern and those of the IMA in particular.

Another matter addressed in the meeting was the Social Economic Council (SER) where the prime minister gave an explanation about the SER and the organic law that would govern that body.

Another issue raised was the policy of granting foreign work permits. The prime minister pointed out that some immediate changes were necessary with respect to the present policy as well as an improvement of the process.

The IMA expressed their willingness to be a part of any tri-partite committee regarding labor matters, an offer the prime minister welcomed as she again reiterated her position that dialogue amongst stakeholders and social partners is a necessary component of national development.

The increase in the Turn over Tax is a matter of concern to the IMA and they questioned whether prior consultation had taken place. The prime minister explained to the IMA board that this was the only revenue-generating measure that could be implemented within a relatively short period of time, looking at the timeline of mid-December for the country to present a balanced budget.

Crime was another area that was discussed and the prime minister explained that a number of initiatives that are being taken to add manpower to the Police Force, the plan to improve the overall justice organization and that crime fighting remain high on the agenda of Government.

Philipsburg:--- Several immigrant workers on the island who were not part of the Brooks Tower project but was granted a three year residency permit based on a decision taken by the former Minister Justice are now facing problems with the registration of their residency permits. Many of the permits that were signed off by former Lt. Governor Reynold Groeneveldt but were delivered to the foreign residents after St. Maarten achieved its country status are missing the date stamp making it impossible for the census office to register these persons at the civil registry as legal residents.
Head of the civil registry Leona Marlin confirmed to SMN News that there are several persons that are in possession of the three year permits that do not have a "date stamp". Marlin said the date the permit was signed off by the governor or Minister has to be on the document since it must be put into the system for it to continue the registration process. Marlin said persons who have a residency permit without the date stamp is referred to IND so they can make the necessary corrections. She admitted that while these persons are legal residents on the island they would not be able to obtain an identification card unless the rectification is made. Marlin said the Minister of General Affairs has been informed of the discrepancies. Marlin further explained that the Minister of General Affairs now has to coordinate with the Minister of Justice for a solution to be found.
In the meantime, two persons who are in possession of their residency permit that does not have the 'date stamp' said they contacted IND to see if they are able to rectify the mistake but IND informed them that the Minister of Justice has to take a decision on how they should proceed with correcting the mistakes.
It is still not clear how many people are walking around with residency permits that are not totally legal. Also not clear is if the mistake was only made with the three year permits that were granted after the letter that was sent on August 2 2010.
The letter from the former Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles was sent to the Lt. Governors (Local Heads of Police,) the heads (temporary) of the Immigration departments, the New Admissions Organization (NTO) –instructing them to grant all persons residing in the Netherlands Antilles before December 31 2001 a three year permit.
Efforts made to get clarity from the head of IND Robert Barbey proved futile on Wednesday as the department head said he was too busy to talk with reporters.

Philipsburg:--- Vice Prime Minister Theo Heyliger met the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Emsgard and Sweden's Honorary Consul in Willlemstad, Curacao Jan Karlsson, who made a courtesy call on Wednesday to the Office of the Vice Prime Minister.

Karlsson was appointed as Sweden's representative to Curacao and Sint Maarten effective October 10, 2010.

The deliberations between the Ambassador and the Vice Prime Minister focused on the island's economy, waste management, sustainability, alternative energy and possible business opportunities for Swedish companies.

Hon. Vice Prime Minister Heyliger said that he welcomed the visit and having the opportunity to meet with Ambassador Emsgard and Honorary Consul Jan Karlsson, adding that it is good to meet representatives of other European Union (EU) member countries – Sweden - and to build a relationship and explore the possibilities that could benefit the peoples of both countries.

Philipsburg:--- The University of St. Martin (USM) inducted four new members during the Ambassador Induction Ceremony on Saturday, January 29, 2011. The new USM Ambassadors are Zola Maison, Cameron Hyman, Corinne Isaac and Micaela Hart. The USM Ambassadors is an organization of university students deemed capable of representing the University of St. Martin at various events. Several past members of the USM Ambassadors also attended the ceremony.

The employees of Fatum Insurances were awarded with the internationally renowned St. Maarten SuperHost Professional Training certificate for successfully completing program. The employees participated in an active training program which was divided in two phases. Phase 1 covered 10 hours of Team & Leadership Building and Employee Motivation, phase 2 covered 10 hours of developing Professional Customer Service Skills.
St. Maarten SuperHost project manager and facilitator, Mrs. Valda Woodley-Hazel applauded Fatum's Branch manager, Mr. Olivier van den Gevel, for taking the initiative by investing in the enhancement of his employees and services. Participants testified that the training encouraged them to work on creating a healthy work environment and improving their Customer Service performance.
Companies and individuals interested in participating in St. Maarten SuperHost Professional Training Program are free to contact us at Tel: 587-0477 or e-mail 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.

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Philipsburg:--- All teachers are asked to report to the WIFOL office at 3:45 on Monday afternoon to meet with board of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) and legal advisor said president of the WITU Claire Elshot. Elshot said the union and its legal advisor is expected to discuss the course of action they intend to take regarding the no work, no pay policy that government and the school boards implemented on teachers who participated in the four days membership meetings.

Elshot said she is expecting all teachers to show up at the meeting which is scheduled after working hours. Furthermore, the WITU president lamented the fact that the president of the WICSU/PSU union went to the media to complain about alleged insults from some teachers when he did not confront her about any of these allegations.
Elshot said she regretts the fact that William Reed would take such route while he is able to reach her at any and all time.

Philipsburg:--- On Monday February 07th at approximately 12:30 pm, several police patrols and detectives were directed to Welfare Drive # 16 apartment 210 to investigate a possible suicide said police spokesman Ricardo Henson.
Henson said on the scene the patrols encountered a man with initials I.A.H. who stated that he had been off island since Thursday February 3rd. He had arrived back on the island a short while before and when he entered the apartment, he encountered the lifeless body of his girlfriend with identified as Belinda Dangol hanging from a garment tied around her neck in the walk in closet. He immediately informed the police department of what he had discovered.
There was no sign of a struggle in the apartment or any other signs to indicate any criminal activities had taken place Henson said in his police report. A medical doctor arrived on the scene and pronounced the death of the victim. The detective department along with the Forensic department is investigating the case to determine exactly what lead up to this unfortunate incident.

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Former world 100m champion Kim Collins continues to astonish the world as he broke his 60M personal best which dated back to 2000, at the PSD Bank Meet in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Collins, 34, is a two-time 60m silver medalist at the World Indoor Championships, but he set his previous PB aged 23 at the NCAA Championships. After recent appearances in Moscow and Liévin, the Kittitian hero appeared to be in good form, but no one could have predicted that Collins would break his PB from 11 years ago with a national record and world-leading 6.52 secs.

But that is what happened in Düsseldorf. After winning his heat in 6.60, Collins defeated Michael Rodgers in the final, with the American clocking 6.53. Marc Burns (6.57) and Joshua Norman (6.59) also dipped under 6.60.

Collins next stop is the Karlsruhe meet also in Germany where he will be matched against Jamaica's Commonwealth Games 100m champion Lerone Clarke.

Collins will be rounding up his indoor season in April where he will be returning home to conduct his first Athletics Camp.

Collins is one of the most successful Caribbean sprinters in history.

Great Bay:--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, after the recent announcement by Simpson Bay Resort and Marina and the Villas at Simpson Bay Resort and Marina, that they will close as of Sunday February 20, has called for the establishment of a public/private sector "Pelican Crisis Committee," to discuss the developing situation and to deliberate how to mitigate its potential negative impact on the national economy during the high tourist season.

A meeting of public/private sector representatives has been called by the Prime Minister for Monday morning at the Government Administration Building.

The Government is very concerned about the latest turn of events. On Friday, after meeting with a representative of the resort, the Prime Minister announced that parties needed to get back to the table and dialogue regarding the court's verdict.

With respect to the labor situation, the Prime Minister also expressed the view that mediation efforts could again be started, and that she was prepared to use the possibility of extra-ordinary arbitration.

"However, the impending closure has the potential to irreparably damage the economy of our island and all efforts must be made by all parties to prevent this," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams explained.

The Prime Minister also expressed her appreciation for the efforts thus far by the Sint Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA) and the Sint Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) to accommodate Pelican time-share owners as much as possible.

In responding to several time-share owners, the Prime Minister informed those who emailed over the weekend, of Government's efforts to mediate in this unfortunate turn of events.

"Dialogue is the only way to resolve the Pelican issue. All the interests at stake here need to be taken into account with the ultimate goal of maintaining the resort operational, to safeguard employment and ensure investors' - property and time share owners - confidence in our country," Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Sunday.

Marigot:--- A book party for The Frock & Other Poems by Laurelle "Yaya" Richards will be held at the Marigot Waterfront on Sunday, February 20, at 7 PM, said Minerva Dormoy, head of the Collectivity's Department of Culture.
The new book launch is one of two activities, on February 20 and 21, organized by the Collectivity for the annual UNESCO International Mother Language Day.
The new book party will feature guest speaker and USM lecturer Alex Richards, along with readings by artists honoring the late folklorist Yaya Richards, and celebrating the St. Martin way of speaking as cultural heritage, said Dormoy.
"The young generation poet Melissa Fleming will perform Yaya's poetry from the book. And we're inviting the general public to the book party," said Dormoy.
Other guest artists will include Fabien Richards and Leon Noel. There will be a skit of oldtime sayings and proverbs by Alphonso Conner and Lucita Richards, both natives of Free Town, Yaya's village, said Dormoy.
The use of the nation's mother language, "the way we speak naturally on both parts of our island, is the sweetness to the ear and the heart of Miss Yaya's spoken word, storytelling, and talks about St. Martin's folkways," said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
Richards had completed working on The Frock with HNP at the time of her death at age 55, on May 26, 2010 – about four months before the book was published.
The plan to launch the book on the UNESCO-declared day in 2011 came out of meetings between the culture department, the publisher, and Yaya's family representatives Priscille Figaro, Adrienne Richards, and Laurellye Benjamin.
"We need to recognize our artists like Yaya who are working so hard for our people and our identity," said Dormoy. "It's an honor to be involved with this book as part of Yaya's legacy that can live on, and to launch The Frock in connection with the International Mother Language Day," said Dormoy.
"When Yaya came to the Department of Culture she explained that her book was a way to pass on her style of storytelling and cultural information to the young people. The book party on Sunday evening is a way to show our commitment and to take home a copy of Yaya's first and only book," said Dormoy. Refreshments will be served at the affair.
The Collectivity's President Frantz Gumbs, the human development sector directors, and the Executive Council supported the government's partial sponsorship of the book's publication, said Sample.
The Frock & Other Poems is available at Roland Richardson Gallery in Marigot, Van Dorp in Simpson Bay and A.T. Illidge Road, Arnia's bookstore at Bush Road/Zagersgut Road, Philipsburg Jubilee Library, and www.houseofnehesipublish.com.

Great Bay (GIS):--- The Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) have since 2003 called for better recognition of the OCTs specific situation.

After Sint Maarten acquired country status last October, Sint Maarten is now officially an OCT, but before that the Netherlands Antilles was an OCT.

The OCTs are non-European countries and territories that have special relations with Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

They are associated with the European Community with a view to promoting their economic and social development and establishing close economic relations between them and the Community as a whole.

The European Community Treaty states that the association of the OCTs with the Community 'shall serve primarily to further the interests and prosperity of the inhabitants of these countries and territories in order to lead them to the economic, social and cultural development to which they aspire.'

There are in total approximately 25 OCTs. The OCTs are constitutionally linked to a Member State, but without being part of the Community.

Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, will be attending the Overseas Countries and Territories Association's (OCTA) Ministerial Conference and the OCT-European Union (EU) Forum in the last week of February to be held on the South Pacific island of New Caledonia.

The European Commission has since 2005 suggested building a new relationship based on the OCTs and European Union (EU) membership of the same family.

The European Commission (EC) wishes to carry out a holistic review of the relations between the EU and the OCTs and to consider a substantial revision of the OCT-EC association.

It is the intention to examine how to step away from the classic development cooperation approach, while enhancing the competiveness of the OCTs and their gradual integration within the regional and world economies, taking into account not only the challenges they are facing but also their potential.

In order to pave the way towards such a modernization, the Commission has adopted a Green paper, which should facilitate a global and transparent discussion on the future relations between the EU and OCTs, in particular as regards the overall philosophy that should underpin these relations in the longer term.

The aim of the present Green Paper is to examine a series of challenges and opportunities and to obtain input from interested parties before defining a new partnership between the EU and the OCTs, in particular in view of the expiry of the current Overseas Decision at the end of 2013.

The discussions at the meetings will be primarily centered on a new EU-OCT cooperation structure. The Prime Minister is looking forward to the deliberations.

The trip is being funded by the EU and is being coordinated by the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) that falls under the Ministry of General Affairs.

New Caledonia is a French OCT which is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean approximately 751 miles East of Australia and 930 miles Northwest of New Zealand.

"Mi Pa Ben recognize my duty as a proud, and the eldest St. Maartener to promote the importance of all residents residing on St. Maarten, whether bon here or migrated here, young or old to use their voice and be counted in the St. Maarten Census 2011".

Mr. Roland Bryson, better known as "Pa Ben" met with IMC, Marketing Assistant and Census 2011 Creative Project Manager, Emmalexis Velasquez to seal his involvement in Census 2011.

"It is very important to be counted as part of Census 2011. Knowing how and how much people reside in new Country St. Maarten is important information for us as a people, moving into the future, said Pa Ben.

Pa Ben who is 122 years, is the official spokesperson for St. Maarten Census 2011. Pa Ben will faithfully represent and advocate St. Maarten Census 2011 and maximize the impact of the message "Count us in".

"Who better to represent and speak to the public of St. Maarten than the eldest resident of St. Maarten?" stated Ms. Velasquez. "Pa Ben is a cultural icon and passive entertainer that people residing on St. Maarten look forward to seeing, thus as an individual, he has the ability to capture the attention of the public and encourage the participation we need" she said.

IMC together with the Department of Statistics is encouraging everyone residing in St. Maarten to look out for Pa Ben and take the initiative in using their voice during Census 2011 to secure their count as part of the population.

For more information on St. Maarten Census 2011, contact Innovative Marketing Creations Marketing Assistant, Emmalexis Velasquez at 543-2150/51 or e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For questions pertaining to Census 2011 please contact Senior Statistical Analyst, Maurette Antersijn at the Department of Statistics at 542-2151/542-2355.

Philipsburg:--- The prosecutor's office has advised the Minister of Justice to review all the files for those persons who applied for BTA permit as of November 22nd 2010 to make sure all documentations that were submitted are authentic.
Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed on Sunday that his office is of the opinion that many persons who submitted their request for a BTA permit as of November 22 2010 submitted false or forged documents in order to obtain a residency and work permit. Mos said he advised the Minister to review the files to make sure that permits are given out to people who are really working in the community.
"If what was submitted from November 22 to December 30th is correct then unemployment on St. Maarten has decreased." Mos said.
The prosecutor's office is expected to write a report after the BTA criminal investigation is completed which will serve as a guideline to government when it comes to dealing with the issuance of working and residency permits in the future.
In the meantime, SMN News has learnt that several companies filed for people who are not on their payroll. Many of these companies provided bogus job contracts, letters and even payslips to people who are not working for them. It is also understood that undocumented persons paid an exorbitant amount of monies to obtain job contracts, letters and payslips to file for a BTA permit during the extension period. Already a Spanish church is implicated in selling false job contracts and payslips to people for large sums of money.
One source said a particular job placement agency filed for a number of persons who they claimed will be working to build the causeway that is proposed by the Minister of infrastructure. The source said while parliament is yet to approve the causeway project people are already recruiting foreign workers.
SMN News further learnt that the permits were filed under competent construction companies. The source said the owners of these companies were questioned during the criminal investigations when the investigators saw phony documents in the BTA extension files.
Already the team of investigators has determined that at least 80% of the files submitted during the BTA extension 2 were from persons who never had a BTA permit. While this might come as a surprise to many it should be noted that while the BTA 1 had three categories (ways) for people to legalise themselves the BTA extension 2 had only two categories as category three was eliminated from the process. Even though the Minister of Justice has said on a number of occasions that he did not change the BTA policy for applicants during the BTA extension 2 project it was clear that category 3 was eliminated as persons who arrived on St. Maarten after 2005 was allowed to apply for a BTA permit and to remain on the island while their request is being processed.
It is still not clear when the persons who applied during the extension period will be granted documents or if they will be asked to leave the island.
It should be noted that the Executive Council Labour decree of September 2009 in article 7 states that work permits can only be renewed for a maximum of three years. Meaning that those persons whose permit expires between October and December 2012 will not be able to obtain another work permit, these persons are mandated by law to leave the island for at least one year before they can reapply for a work permit.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell would like to announce that Parliament has a number of meetings planned for the week.

Faction leaders will meet on Monday, February 21 in its Seniorenconvent session at 2.00pm in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament in the former Caribbean Palm building.

The three agenda points to be discussed at this meeting are recommendations from the four faction leaders as well as the staffing of the four factions; the United Telecommunications Service (UTS) cellular phone service package; and an update regarding the status of affairs of the Parliament Building.

The Seniorenconvent comprises of Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Illidge, United Peoples party (UP) Faction Leader MP Romain Laville, Democratic Party (DP) MP Roy Marlin, and National Alliance (NA) MP William Marlin.

A Central Committee Meeting of Parliament is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22 at 9.00am in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament. Julio Romney will make a presentation to parliamentarians on "Understanding your Constitutional Parliamentary Government."

The Central Committee Meeting is open to the public and will be carried live via Sint Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 from 9.00am.

Also on Tuesday, February 22 at 2.00pm, the Ad Hoc Committee Revision of the Rules of Order will be meeting in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament to discuss the Rules of Order of the House of Parliament.

Parliamentary Committee members are MP Lloyd Richardson, MP Roy Marlin and MP Sylvia Olivacce-Meyers.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell would like to announce that the Permanent Committee on Justice will be meeting on Wednesday, February 23.

The meeting will take place in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament in the former Caribbean Palm building at 9.00am.

The agenda point for the committee is the drafting of a plan of action.

Parliamentary Committee members are Members of Parliament (MP) Patrick Illidge, MP Johan Leonard, MP Leroy de Weever, and MP George Pantophlet.

There are nine permanent committees of parliament.

Philipsburg:-- Acting Minister of Labour Sarah Wescot Williams announced on Wednesday that parties are currently working on the proposal that was drafted by head of the labour department Rafi Boasman and Hensley Plantein to re-open the Pelican Resort now known as Simpson Bay Management Resort BV.
Wescot Williams said the draft agreement was sent to both parties which are the WIFOL union and the owners of the Resort. She said she is expecting an answer from parties so that the resort will reopen for business. The Prime Minister is hopeful that the matter regarding Pelican will be resolved before she leaves the island on Thursday.
SMN News has been reliably informed that the lawyers representing Simpson Bay Management Resort already made their comments on the draft proposal while the lawyers representing WIFOL is busy commenting on the proposal.
It is further understood that the 182 workers represented by WIFOL will return to work temporarily if a deal is brokered. Sources say the owners of Pelican are safeguarding themselves as they have appealed the verdict handed down against them.
So far parties have agreed to keep the contents of government's proposal out of the media until all efforts are exhausted.

Philipsburg:--- Musician Fred York has turned his VIP birthday bash which will be held at the Puerto Cupe Coy on Saturday night into a fundraising activity to aid the I Can Foundation.
York said he planned his birthday bash months ahead which is free event for everyone on St. Maarten but he had to make some changes when he read newspaper articles regarding the foster home. He said the article about the swindling touched him deeply and he decided to turn his birthday bash into a fundraising. Anyone can make monetary donations or even canned food donations which will be given to the Foundation. The monetary donation he said will be placed in an account and will only be payable to any company that is willing to furnish the home.
York said the children at I Can are in need and what touched him is that the children at the home do not have their real parents to hug or kiss them.

Below is the text of the VIP party which is posted on Facebook.

It's a VIP party and you ALL are invited. You don't need an invitation once you are a FB friend. Any friend of yours is friend of mine so bring someone along and let's chill and party like rock stars !!! Music, Fashion, Poetry, Good looking people, Fun people. It's a red carpet event with lots of major highlights.

Come looking good because TV and photographers gonna be there. This is gonna be big :) What's cool that it's not about me but about the cool people I know which each and everyone one of you are!!!

Although its my birthday , this party is my thank you to all my friends who have supported me throughout my life and for this reason, the party is FREEEEEE !!!!!!!

So come and bring your friends along lets ROCK out !!!!

Don't forget that we'll use this opportunity to show our financial support for the I CAN Foundation. This foundation takes care of kids who's parents either can't/won't/don't take care of their kids.

We'll PARTY WITH A PURPOSE!

The Rotary Club of St. Maarten treated the clients and staff of the Sr. Basilia Center to a wonderful breakfast on Thursday morning. The second of it's kind; this year's event comes 10 days after valentine's day but lacked no love from all who made it possible. After arriving in the center's buss from the residence in Hope Estate as well as by coaster, provided by Russell Bell, from the St. John's Residence more than 70 persons, which included 33 clients, 22 staff members, 3 students and several Rotarians enjoyed a hearty breakfast made possible through the generosity of Geoff Heilmann of Chesterfields.

Tokens of appreciations were presented by the St. Maarten Rotary Club to management and staff of Chesterfield's restaurant and subsequently to the Rotary Club by the clients and staff of the Sr. Basilia Center.

On such a beautiful sunny day this activity would not have been complete without the boat trip through the Greatbay Harbour giving all on board a first hand view of the mega cruise ships in port as well as the many visitors enjoying Greatbay beach and boardwalk. Bobby's Marina without hesitation once again made this day memorable for all from the Sr. Basilia center and the Rotary Club of St. Maarten through their continuous support of these community service activities.

Having celebrated the 106th anniversary of Rotary on Wednesday February 23rd this breakfast and boat trip was an excellent way of demonstrating the essence of Rotary, which is to serve the community.

President of the Rotary Club Mr. Kishore Idnani, Community Service Director Maria Buncamper, board and other members would like to thank the Sr. Basilia Center for the work that is done by them to improve the quality of life of all whom in one way or the other are associated with the center. The Rotary Club would also like to thank Chesterfield's Restaurant, Russell Bell and Bobby's Marina for their continuous support.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto disclosed that late Monday evening Government presented another proposal as unions rejected the proposal of January 30 with respect to the issue of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2006, 2007 and 2009.

The cost of living adjustment will cost Government Naf.15 million retroactive to January 1, 2011.  Retroactive payment cannot realistically be made until the 2011 budget gets a positive advice from the CFT.  Since this is not the case, the Government just cannot commit to this payment until it has had the time to amend the budget which first has to be accepted, Minister of Finance Shigemoto explained.

“Government is of the opinion that with this offer we have gone as far as we legally can go with the retroactive payment of the COLA especially when considering the constraints of the financial situation as it pertains to the budget.

“Also the Ministry of Justice has made an analysis of the employees who for whatever reason has not gotten paid thus far. Those persons will be paid within short and the ministry has  also provided the indexed scales which now reflect the 2% COLA most civil servants and teachers received this January.

“The ministry will inform the Finance Department when they would like to have this difference paid out. Seemingly there is a split in preference for either within short or end of the month.

“Government is also setting up a help desk to assist with the logging of errors made in January 2011 payroll, which were across the board including the Council of Ministers' salaries. An operational audit will help to determine why so many errors were made but more importantly what can be done to avoid a recurrence,” the Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto explained late Monday evening.

The unions also submitted a proposal on Monday to Government while the latter has made a counter proposal; here are both proposals:

The Resolutions coming out of the joint meeting of the WICSU-PSU,WITU and ABVO St. Maarten, which was held at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium on January 31, 2011.

 

Be it resolved that:

 

The membership of the WICSU-PSU, WITU and ABVO St. Maarten rejects the Proposal by the Honorable Minister of Finance Mr. H. Shigemoto dated January 30, 2011 to accept the payment of the balance of 3.3 % Cost of Living Adjustment per July 1, 2011. However, the members have agreed to accept the balance of 3.3% Cost of Living Adjustment payment (which would bring it to 5.3% over the years 2006, 2007 & 2009) in March 1, 2011, under the following conditions:

 

The payment will be retroactive per January1 ", 2011, to all civil servants teachers including teachers of the subsidized schoolboards (Police and Coastguard staff).

 

By omission of payment of the retroactive pay with the March 1, 2011 salaries to the civil servants teachers including teachers of the subsidized schoolboards (Police and

Coastguard staff) will then receive legal interest on the money owed for Cost of Living Adjustment of the years 2006 ,2007 & 2009 and a penalty fee of ANG 250, 00 to each

civil servant, teacher including teachers of the subsidized school boards( Police and Coastguard staff).

 

Be it also resolved that the membership has decided to continue with its deliberations until a commitment has been reached by government to pay the total balance of the

3.3% of the Cost of Living Adjustment of 2006, 2007 and 2009 to all civil servants, teachers including teachers of the subsidized school boards (Police and Coastguard staff) by March 1, 2011, retroactively.

The Unions will not accept any reprisal to their members for coming to the meetings held during working hours. As it was Government that disregarded the decision of August 25th,

2010, BC 240810 agenda point 23 to pay all civil servants teachers including teachers of the Subsidized school boards (Police and Coastguard staff) on January 1,  2011 .

The Government resolves:

 

The government has taken due note of the resolution mentioned above and resolves the following:

 

1.  That the cost of living adjustment for the remaining 3,3% over the years 2006, 2007, and 2009 retroactive to January 1, 2011 will be paid out in July 2011 with the salaries of July 2011 to all civil servants including teachers and teachers of the subsidized school boards, Police and Coastguards.

2.  That the retroactive payment for the period January 2011 up to and including June 2011 will also be paid out with the salaries of July 2011 without interest and without any fees for late payment to all civil servants including teachers and teachers of the subsidized school boards, Police and Coastguards.

3.  That all three Unions will advise that all of their members return to work immediately and that if they do not return to work immediately that government’s “No work, No Pay policy will take effect immediately.

Philipsburg:--- GEBE's eBilling service of receiving utility bills online, has grown significantly since its soft launch in October 2007. More than 10,000 electricity and water bills are sent by email to customers in St. Maarten, Saba and Statia and foreign-based customers.
Customers already using E-Billing have called it a "great service" since it is free, easy and convenient. E-Billing can easily be combined with any of the remote payment options offered by GEBE such as payment online or automatic transfer so customers can settle their utility bills without having to leave home, sit in traffic or stand in line.
Managing Director of GEBE William Brooks says he is very pleased that E-Billing is developing so well. "Our main focus where our customers are concerned is to make our services easier and more convenient. We do our very best to cater to our customers' needs and deal with the challenges that are brought forward."
GEBE has since introduced new services for its eBilling clients such as eReceipts. eBilling customers paying online, via standing order or via check drop box get an eReceipt confirming that their payment has been processed. "Our clients like the speed, ease, accessibility and the ability to store the bills electronically. They can also use the online system of their bank to pay GEBE utility bills without even having to leave their home or office."
eBilling has also made general communication with its clients more effective. GEBE is now able to send customers email notices of scheduled outages in their area. "Customers can get an email notice two days in advance of a scheduled electricity or water outage at their home or business so they can prepare for it and plan around it." Registering for the E-Billing program is as easy as sending the contract account number via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. As soon as the bills are made the client will receive it by email. Customers can also get instant updates on the GEBE website at www.nvgebe.com or follow the company on Facebook or Twitter.

Philipsburg:--- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has sent a letter to the Minister of Finance with a number of questions on his recent trip to Curacao and the new owners of Pelican Resort.

Below is the questions posed to the finance minister:--

In accordance with article 62 of the Constitution of St. Maarten, the undersigned George Pantophlet Member of Parliament hereby submits the following questions:

1.      Can Parliament be provided with a report of your recent trip to Curacao among others to discuss the issue of dollarization?

2.      Were you able to contact the person on Curacao who is responsible for the disbursing of some Ang. 60 million to creditors of the former Netherlands Antilles?

3.      How much is owed to creditors who carried out work on St. Maarten for the former Netherlands Antilles?

4.      Can Parliament be provided with a copy of the minutes of the meeting held on St. Maarten on January 17, 2011 in which a presentation was given by Director of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten Mr. Empslely Tromp to the Banker’s Association, the Foundation Tax Committee and the Council of Ministers on the matter of dollarization?

5.      Has the Director of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten sent a report on dollarization to the council of Ministers and can we be provided with a copy of said report?

6.      Does the former Pelican Resort Owners owe Government any outstanding taxes? And how are these taxes going to be collected?

7.      Has the Budget for the Corporate Governance council been approved by the council of Ministers?

8.       Was the exemption of the Transfer Tax in the amount of $1.2 million been granted to the new owners of Simpson Bay Resort?

9.      Has a Tax Holiday been granted to the new owners of Simpson Bay Resort?

10.  What share of the gold reserves belongs to St. Maarten?

11.  Can we be provided with a report of the special committee installed to work out the process of the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) and the General Pension Fund?

 

Philipsburg:--- A local resident known in the community as S.D. is reportedly fighting for her life as she was involved in an incident early Wednesday morning where three Jamaican women allegedly stabbed her. Reports reaching SMN News on Wednesday are that Daniel was in a night club in Simpson Bay when she was attacked and stabbed.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that the detectives had responded to a stabbing on Wednesday morning close to 4am in the Simpson Bay area. However, said he did not receive the detective report on the case and as such he has no details.
In an unrelated incident police and members of the forensic department were seen on A.T Illidge road in the vicinity of Windward Island Bank on Thursday gathering evidence. SMN News learnt that a shooting had taken place in the area during the night on Wednesday. It is not known up to this time if anyone was injured. Henson said he did not receive the detective report on this case either.

On Monday February 7, 2011 at 20.20 pm just after AVS news on WTN TV Channel 10, episode number 4 of the First Seminar of the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association will be aired.

On the first day of the seminar the topic of "how to improve the income of the pensioners and the seniors" had been discussed.

Working groups discussed the different presentations of that day and came with their opinions and suggestions on how to improve the income situation of the pensioners and seniors of Sint Maarten. These opinions and suggestions of the participants, as presented in the conclusions of the working group sessions, will be presented to the public at WTN Channel 10.

For those who do not have a WTN wireless cable network there is the posiibility to see the program on a computer with internet connection.

Click on the following link to see the fourth episode live at 20.20 pm.

http://www.wtntv.com/live..html

Episodes 5 and 6 of the seminar will air on Wednesday and Friday evening at the same time at the same channel.

The following sponsors made the televising of the seminar possible: NAGICO, FATUM, The Daily Herald, WTN-TV Channel 10, Gulf Insurances, Belair Health & Fitness Center, OBERSI-Group/XEROX, Anker Business Services, Henderson Insurances, Office World, and Office 1 Superstores.

Great Bay, Sint Maarten (GIS) - Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, has invited Members of Parliament (MPs), Secretary-Generals, department heads and other officials to the official launch of the first Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) Report for Sint Maarten.

The launch will be on Tuesday, February 8 from 2.00pm to 3.30pm at the University of St. Martin (USM).

The MDG's are eight internationally-agreed targets aimed to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, diseases, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and environmental degradation by 2015.

The country MDG Report aims to capture Sint Maarten's progress towards these Goals, while at the same time, highlighting the challenges and strategic policy interventions needed to meet them on or before 2015.

"It is important that as a government organization, we collectively build awareness, set policies, and plan around MDGs. This report is the first step to commence this working process and I look forward to working together with Parliament for a better Sint Maarten," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Monday.

The Prime Minister extended the invitation on behalf of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations, Directorate of Foreign Relations, the MDG Work Group and the United Nations Development Program.

Philipsburg:--- Member of Parliament Frans Richards has condemned the school boards and Ministry of Education for implementing the no work, no pay policy on teachers who attended meetings called by their union last week.
Senator Richardson said the no work, no pay policy was put in place for ghost civil servants and it was not intended for teachers or other civil servants who go to work on a daily basis.
He said teachers exercised their rights by demonstrating and they are being penalized for it even though the former government agreed to pay the teachers what is due to them. Richardson said there is a gross lack of communication in government because at no time did government inform the teachers that they were not going to get the full 5.3% in cost of living allowances this year. He said there is a lack of respect on behalf of government regarding the teachers when they decided not to pay them the cost of living allowances and now penalizing them for denouncing the actions taken by government.
Several teachers working for the different school boards are yet to receive their 2% cost of living allowance simply because the Minister of Education and her staff did not duly inform the school boards that the 2% cost of living allowance was added to the subsidy they received for salaries which would last until July 2011. However, Arrindell met with the school boards to discuss the implementation of the no work, no pay policy when the teachers did not attend school for four days.
Several pundits in education said the measures taken by the Minister is untimely and unjust because teachers are the main assets to government and since government did not show any respect by informing the teachers, unions and school boards about the decisions taken to balance the 2011 budget. The Minister they said, could have been more flexible in her decision making.
In the meantime, the National Alliance faction has submitted a request to parliament asking for an urgent meeting where the Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell should be present to discuss the no work, no pay policy and her reason for implementing the policy on teachers while civil servants were exempted.

Removal of USM Dean.

In the meantime, the Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell would also have to explain Parliament why she is seeking to remove the current Dean of the University of St. Martin. According to information reaching SMN News, the Minister has sent a letter to the USM informing them that while the Ministry of Education will be providing a subsidy of 1.2 million guilders to USM, the current Dean Joyce Watson would have to return to government civil service. Sources say the only reason the Minister of Education is trying to get back at Watson is because she practically made life a living hell for Arrindell while the two of them were working at USM which pushed Arrindell to leave her job at USM prior to entering politics. SMN News also learnt that Arrindell had also applied for the Dean's position but the board of USM hired Watson whom the source said is not qualified for the job.
Reliable information reaching SMN News states that USM has already sent a letter to the Minister requesting that she allow Watson to stay at USM for the next three to five years. So far the Minister has not responded to the letter.
Already USM began advertising for at least three positions, which are a Dean, President and Financial Controller. An advertisement was also placed with the various universities in the Caribbean for a Dean should the Minister decide to take back Watson, a government civil servant who was loaned out to the USM. Should this happen, the University of St. Martin would have to hire its own Dean and use the funds given to the institution to pay for the services rendered by the new candidate.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, will be attending the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA) Ministerial Conference and the OCT-European Union (EU) Forum in the last week of February to be held on the South Pacific island of New Caledonia.

The Ministerial Conference is the highest political body of OCTA which meets on an annual basis to discuss and agree on policy matters concerning the Association.

The discussions at the meetings will be primarily centered on a new EU-OCT cooperation structure. The existing Overseas Association Decision (OAD) or the OCT Decision will expire in 2013.

The OAD is primarily a trade regime which gives the OCTs free market access to the EU. The intention of the decision is also to help create economic and social prosperity in the territories.

The last OCT Decision from 2001 was supplemented with an amending decision on March 19, 2007. The amending decision was developed in order for the OCT decision to follow the fiscal frames of the EU running until 2013, including the European Development Fund (EDF-10) from which the OCTs including Sint Maarten benefit (except Greenland). With the 2007 amendment the OCTs furthermore got full access to the EU's horizontal programs.

The trip is being funded by the EU and is being coordinated by the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) that falls under the Ministry of General Affairs.

The BAK is the government entity responsible for European Affairs and has been appointed as the technical focal point for the European Development Programs. The Prime Minister is appointed as the Territorial Authorizing Officer (TAO).

New Caledonia is a French OCT which is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean approximately 751 miles East of Australia and 930 miles Northwest of New Zealand.

Marigot:--- Shujah Reiph spoke here on Wednesday about St. Martin's history and historical achievers with ACED trainees, as part of the 20th annual Black History Celebration (BHC). Reiph is the president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation, which organizes the BHC with island-wide radio programs, school visits, public quizzes, cultural performances and lectures by speakers from the Caribbean and the USA. ACED is a second-chance "association for young men who for various reasons dropped out of school and now find themselves without a job and with minimum or no job skills," said Collectivity councilor Louis Mussington. Founded in 2002, the association provides gardening and landscape training and assists with placement for youngsters ages 18 to 25. Reiph distributed copies of the 2011 Black History quiz at the meeting with ACED, giving the young men an opportunity to win $500 in prizes. In photo: Reiph introduces the book National Symbols of St. Martin to ACED trainees during the discussion about the island's historical personalities, culture, and natural environment. (C. Treber Photo)

Philipsburg:--- Attorney at law Wim van Sambeek has sent a summon to his colleague Attorney at Law Jairo Bloem informing him that his clients which are the members of the WIFOL union and workers of Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV (SBRMC) are not being allowed on to the property to execute their duties.
According to the letter Sambeek said, the government mediator has informed him that the owners of SBRMC will not voluntarily allow the members of his client back to work. According to WIFOL, the workers want to resume working and as such they are requesting the cooperation of their employers.
Sambeek informed Bloem that should his client refuse to cooperate then individual summary proceedings will immediately begin. Sambeek has given SBRMC no later than February 11, 2011 at 2.00 pm to respond to the summons.

The summons that HBN Law sent to Jairo Bloem

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) on Wednesday said it was "ecstatic" with the amount of registrants for Carnival 2011, lauding the fact that an increase has been recorded and the Senior Carnival Queen Pageant is back "in full force".
With over 70 registrants combined for its local shows and parades, the foundation said it was thankful to these Carnival lovers for registering and "coming on board with us as we continue to develop St. Maarten's Carnival."
The foundation in particularly pleased with the nine young women who registered to compete in the Miss St. Maarten Senior Carnival Queen Pageant. "From the outset we committed to this show and hosting it once again in Carnival Village. We embarked on a specific promotional campaign for the show and are very happy to see those efforts result in such high registration," President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson said.
The Carnival foundation also has 22 Senior Calypsonians registered, 13 Senior Roadmarch competitors, 4 Junior Carnival Queen Contestants, 8 Junior Carnival Calypso & Roadmarch singers, 12 Junior and Senior Carnival troupes (not including troupes from abroad) and 4 bands to compete in the Band-O-Rama. The SCDF also announced that all booths in Carnival Village have been spoken for.
"As soon as this new board started its tenure in September 2010, we immediately went to work on meeting stakeholders about all things Carnival. We informed the public every step of the way and we assured that every effort will be made to stage quality local events," Johnson said.
"Now however, all of the registrants need the support of the local business community and population. From the businesses they need your financial assistance and from the public they need you to come out in great numbers to support them. If attendance at local shows continues to be poor and if businesses don't step up, it discourages others from participating in future events. We are looking forward to that support especially on the day of the respective events," Johnson added.
The foundation will now move to the next planned phase of its preparation which includes rehearsals for all events and public dissemination of specific information regarding those events. More information regarding the foundation's season passes is also forthcoming in the next few days.

The resort formerly known as Pelican Resort Club and Pelican Marina Residences was sold as of January 26, 2011. The new name of Pelican Resort Club is Simpson Bay Resort & Marina. The new name of Pelican Marina Residences is The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort & Marina.
Unforeseen circumstances have caused the new owner to incur significant unbudgeted expenses and judicial liabilities that require a massive financial injection in order to be able to responsibly operate the resort. Diligence, responsibility, long term viability of the resort, consideration of the interest of stakeholders and in particular the protection of the timeshare rights of all members for the long term, compels management to close the resort as of Sunday, February 20, 2011, until solutions are found. The general public is hereby informed that as of Saturday, February 19, 2011, no check-ins will be allowed.
The closure of the resort does not entail the closure of the independent businesses operating on the Property. They remain open to the public, at their discretion.
The Villas at Simpson Bay Resort & Marina and Simpson Bay Resort & Marina apologize for all inconvenience caused by the closure of the resort and commit to continue exercise their utmost efforts to be able to operate the resort in a financially responsible manner.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture Rhoda Arrindell quoted several articles of the law and the Bible on Friday as she responded to Parliament regarding the implementation of the No Work, No Pay Policy.
Minister Arrindell said on October 10th 2010 she swore to uphold the Constitution of St. Maarten and that she would champion the interests of St. Maarten to the best of her ability as such article 18 of the same constitution states that "It shall be the constant concern of the government to focus on the protection of children and young people and to promote their right to education, welfare, cultural development, and leisure activities." Furthermore, the Minister said the ILO recommendation concerning the status of teachers, in the section under Rights of Teachers, Art. 84 states that "Appropriate joint machinery should be set up to deal with the settlement of disputes between the teachers and their employers arising out of terms and conditions of employment. If the means and procedures established for these purposes should be exhausted or if there should be a breakdown in negotiations between the parties, teachers organizations should have the right to take such other steps as are normally open to other organizations in the defence of their legitimate interests."
Minister Arrindell also gave Parliament a summary of events leading up to the unions pulling out the teachers from their classrooms. The Minister in response to questions posed by Member of Parliament William Marlin about what she told parents during one of her compulsory education information sessions said the statements were news to her and she would leave them as hear-say.
Addressing the two days off that will be granted to teachers to attend the ASCD Conference she said that it has been a practice for the last 16 years and that the ordinance of the FBE education requires teachers upgrade their skills. The Minister said that during these two day conference, an attendance list will be compiled and sent to the various school boards to determine how they wish to apply the no work, no pay policy for those teachers who did not attend based on article 23 of LMA.
Member of Parliament Louie Laveist asked the Minister if she believed in the fundamental rights on the freedom of expression to which she responded affirmatively but added that she firmly believes in the rights of the children and that the teachers rights do not supersede the rights of children.
Parliament has adjourned this meeting which will continue on Monday.

The audio of the parliamentary procedures on the no work, no pay policy held on Friday is posted below.

Philipsburg:--- NAGICO recently welcomed Calvic David, a St. Maarten born student currently studying (at the Roc Mondiraan School) in the Netherlands, who is conducting a marketing research survey as part of his internship exercise. The survey will measure product and service awareness, customer satisfaction levels and general awareness of all things NAGICO.

Marketing Officer Jimmy Challenger: "From time to time it is essential to gauge our standing amongst valued (potential) customers. Questionnaires are one of the tools for collection of raw data and analyze the results, which are used to make decisions in the future. Giving Calvic the opportunity to fulfill this vital part of his studies allows NAGICO to continue to maintain its commitment to educational development, while at the same time get useful information for better decision making – and continue to provide full-fledged insurance products and services."

The questionnaire consists of eleven multiple choice questions and one open question, allowing participants to give general feedback. The exercise commenced on the 9th of February and will be conducted at the NAGICO Head Office on the Cannegieter Street for the next two weeks, including analysis of the findings by Calvin David.

With the dates for Carnival already released in early January, the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) released its colorful Carnival calendar of events over the weekend.
The design and printing of the calendar was financed by Scotiabank as a continuation of its annual contribution to Carnival on St. Maarten for over a decade. Scotiabank also financed the new uniform shirts for the member of the SCDF. The calendar was designed by Cleon Frederick of So Contagious Studios.
The Carnival 2011 calendar features all pre-Carnival events in March as well as the events to take place inside of Carnival Village once it officially opens on April 25 to signal the start of Carnival. "But the season and the hype is already underway," President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson said.
The calendar depicts the energy and fun of Carnival on St. Maarten, "even in a short Carnival season due to how the Easter holidays fall this year," he said. The calendar also points carnival lovers to the SCDF's website (www.stmaartencarnival.net) as well to its popular Facebook page.
"This is the last step in getting our dates out there. In June 2010 we started with our "Save the Dates" campaign when we announced the starting and ending dates of Carnival 2011. This went out to our marketing representatives all over the world," John said.
"In January 2011 we announced the Carnival events that will take place in March 2011 and April 2011. Now we give the public their calendar. So it was a phased approach and in our opinion even this was a little late. We intend to aim for a much earlier date for next
Carnival but we are very pleased to be able to offer this to the general population now," Johnson said.
Carnival 2011 will feature three international shows which are all mentioned on the calendar; a R&B/Reggae night, a Latin Concert and the "One Love Soca Xplosion" concert. Although no artists are mentioned on the calendar, Johnson explained that the promoters of these nights are responsible for announcing their artists to the public first, unless they give the SCDF the green light to do so on their behalf. "But from all indications, we will have some exciting international acts," Johnson said.
The SCDF has already introduced the contestants for the Miss St. Maarten Senior Carnival Queen Pageant as well as the junior shows and Senior Calypso and Road march show to the public. "Our local shows are our primary focus, plain and simple. We want the residents of St. Maarten to support the talent of St. Maarten," Johnson said.
Johnson went on to thank Managing Director of Scotiabank Elie Bendaly for continuing the tradition of partnering with the SCDF for this very important aspect of Carnival. "Scotia stand by the SCDF every year when it comes to our calendar. We remain very grateful to the bank for being a dependant partner of carnival for so many years," Johnson said.
The calendars will be distributed island wide and is available on the SCDF's website as well as on its Facebook page (search: St. Maarten Carnival). The calendar can also be emailed if person request this via the SCDF's official email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, on Friday morning met with the Board of AMFO (Stichting Antilliaanse Medefinancierings Organisatie).

AMFO finances projects of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that need financing in order to realize their projects. The general goal is to promote social development, society's self development and innovation.

AMFO aims at achieving a structural solution for poverty and social exclusion.

Since January 1, 2011, AMFO will only fund new projects for Sint Maarten and Curacao which are eligible for financing.

Where it pertains to the BES islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, AMFO is primarily only monitoring programs on those islands which now are public entities of The Netherlands.

At the end of 2012, funding for Curacao and Sint Maarten from AMFO will be discontinued. Consideration must be given on how future social development projects and programs will be financed.

There are several other institutions on the island that provide funding for social projects, such as Reda Sosial and Stichting Samenwerkende Fondsen.

The Prime Minister described the meeting as informative and is looking forward to meeting with the AMFO Board in the future to continue discussions related to social development projects.

AMFO was founded in 2002 and became operational in 2004. AMFO was re-organized between October 2005 and December 2006 and has been operational in its new format since May 2007.

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) will host its third and final meeting for booth holders and upcoming Thursday, February 17 at the Government Administration Building. The meeting for the booth holders will be at 7:00pm.
President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson said it was absolutely important that booth holders attend the meeting for a number of reasons. Fire Department personnel will be included in the meeting as well as other officials with pertinent information for booth holders.
"We are asking all boot holders to make an effort to attend this meeting. Information is vital and we would like to be on the same page with everyone," Johnson said. Regarding new booth holders, Johnson said all booths have been accounted for with five new persons being awarded booths this year.
"We thank all persons who showed interest in obtaining booths, but unfortunately we could not accommodate everyone," he said.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto says the Council of Ministers has approved a change to the Turn over Tax (ToT) law – corrective law - on February 8, 2011.

The ToT corrective law will now have to go to the Council of Advice and then to Parliament. After the parliamentary stage and before it can be published, the Governor has to sign it, Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto pointed out.

"As was mentioned in my press release which was published on January 10, 2011, the interpretation of the Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) was incorrect.

"This was also communicated to Mr. van Vliet through the Department of Fiscal Affairs via email. Furthermore it was stated that the Minister of Finance could make use of the hardheidsclausule anytime the law in question has effects which were not the intention of the law.

"Taxpayers can appeal their case when the law leads to consequences which were clearly not intended by the legislature.

"The brochure which was published by the Inspectorate of Taxes explains to the public at large what the ToT entails and what it deals with in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) and does a good job at explaining those to the public.

"The SHTA is also aware of the possibility to put in writing exactly what they find confusing. Furthermore the Department of Fiscal Affairs is available to assist with any questions as it pertains to the drafting of the law. A question pertaining to the execution of the law has to be handled by the Inspectorate of Taxes and the Department of Control and Detection," Hon. Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto explained on Tuesday.

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) will be taking the opening and closing jump-ups for Carnival 2011 "to the districts".
In an effort to "shake things up a little", the SCDF has announced that the opening jump-up on April 25, which is also the official opening of Carnival and Carnival Village, will start in South Reward at the Milton Peters College and the closing jump-up on May 3 will start at Madame Estate.
"We just wanted to do things a little different, shake things up a bit," President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson said. He explained that all bands will gather in the area of MPC to kick off the jump-up at 8:00pm. The bands and revelers will then move straight down L.B. Scott Road, the to Grand
Marche round-about, down Bush Road, over the Prins Bernard bridge, up Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill) and finally come to end outside of Carnival Village. "So we'll be bringing South Reward, St. Peters, Saunders, St. John's, all of those districts to the Village with us. When you hear the trucks passing, come out and embrace the Carnival spirit," Johnson said.
The closing jump-up will depart Madame Estate in the area of ITC. It is not the first time a jump-up has started from Estate. The route was actually the official starting points for many jump-ups in the past. The jump-up will make its way down Illidge Road, past the round-about at Eddy's Auto Supply, go up Illidge Road (Sunny Food), take a left at the Prins Bernard Bridge intersection onto the Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill) and make its way to Carnival Village.
"We have some additional surprised relating to these two jump-ups as well. We want to start Carnival with excitement and anticipation and we want to end it on a good note. We are very pleased that the Police Department has given the green light for the two routes and look forward to a fun time," Johnson said. The 2011 Carnival season will feature five jump-ups. The first, the Unity Jump-Up from the French to the Dutch side, will be held on March 19, the second will be the around town Fete to Fitness Jump-Up on March 26, the third is the opening jump-up, the fourth is Jouvert Morning Jump-Up on April 29 and the last will be the closing.

Philipsburg:--- Activist Elridge Van Putten began his signature drive on Tuesday morning at the Boardwalk. The well known activist who has been speaking out against the ills of the island and the current United Peoples Party and Democratic Party coalition told SMN News that he is overwhelmed with the support shown by a wide cross section of the community.
Van Putten said the numbers will be in the thousands when the signature drive is completed. Already there are a group of young people who are interested in holding a Boardwalk Bonfire to gather signatures Van Putten said. The activist said he is busy gathering the necessary permits so that this event can be held where people would come out and sign the petition he has put together requesting that the current government steps down and that a new election be called on St. Maarten.
Elridge Van Putten said one of the messages he got on Tuesday is that several persons within the community are angry at the Prime Minister whom they feel is running away from her responsibilities as Prime Minister and Minister of Labour. Van Putten said the people believe the Prime Minister should act more sternly with the owners of Pelican and if it means revoking the work and residency permit of Royal Resorts CEO Richard Curso then that must be done.
"The people believe that Pelican would end up like Mullet Bay and something has to be done with the people who have shown no respect for the laws of this island and the judicial system."
Van Putten said he is amazed at the courage that is shown by the average people who are willing to speak out openly and show their disdain for the present government.

Philipsburg:--- The Director of Route Planning of Air Tran Airways, John Kirby told the Sint Maarten delegation which met with him at the just-concluded Routes Airlines Conference in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic that Sint Maarten has been on the low cost carrier's radar for the last one and a half to three years.

Minister of Economic & Tourism Affairs, Franklin Meyers, who led the Sint Maarten delegation, stressed his interest in partnering with Air Tran to shorten the airline's projected entry into the destination. He recalled that the Sint Maarten Tourist Bureau has been holding talks with Air Tran for the past two years in a bid to attract the airline to service the destination.

The prospects for this happening are "very high", according to the Minister, especially in view of the fact that Southwest Airlines will soon be acquiring Air Tran in a transaction that is expected to be finalized by May 2, 2011.

"This acquisition will open up opportunities for Sint Maarten as the island diversifies its customer base," Minister Meyers stated. He said both airline companies are low cost carriers known for their excellent service.

According to Director of Tourism, Regina LaBega, who formed part of the Sint Maarten delegation, this potential new service "will provide opportunities to and from Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore, Washington as well as Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and other destinations" where Southwest and Air Tran both service. She noted that Air Tran has a fleet of B717s and is likely to start with a twice weekly service to the island.

One of the possible routes being considered includes Atlanta – Sint Maarten – Orlando, which, according to LaBega, seems to be a good match for the destination.

Minister Meyers stressed the potential for a higher yield, given the hub function of Sint Maarten's airport while Air Tran's John Kirby emphasized the need for airport incentive packages. Both parties agreed to meet again shortly after Southwest acquires Air Tran.

In a separate meeting with Southwest airlines, one of the leading and most financially sound carriers in the US for the last decades, Evan Berg, the airline's Manager of Network Planning, indicated that the opportunities are great for Sint Maarten with the planned acquisition of Air Tran.

He said Air Tran, given its experience in the Caribbean, will continue to provide that service while Southwest will remain focused on the US domestic routes.

Great Bay(DCOMM):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, says the break-through she was hoping for in the case of Pelican Resort by parties reaching an agreement after the verdict in the injunction filed on behalf of the Pelican workers, did not materialize over the week-end, although the door on reaching an agreement has not been closed.

The prime minister initiated several consultations since last Friday and believes a possible break-through remains under review by parties.

"At this time I will not go into details, as parties involved have agreed to refrain from such. I remain hopeful that this break-through can still come within the next 24/48 hours.

"If such is the case, my focus will turn on the steps which will have to be taken by all parties to effectuate the reopening of the Pelican Resort as soon as possible. If the prospects of reaching an agreement fade in the next 24-48 hours, government -while respecting parties' views with respect to the initial court verdict-, will at the same time explore any and all avenues open to government to expedite a solution. These solutions will respect the rule of law, but will put the general interest of our island's image and its work force at the fore," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams disclosed to DCOMM on Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, several time share owners visited the Government Administration Building to deliver a letter addressed to the Hon. Prime Minister. The letter highlighted the plight of the time share owners of Pelican Resort.

The letter was received by a staff member of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister who happened to be at the Government Administration Building.

The contact made by the Cabinet staff member with a couple, who was part of the group of time-share owners, made it possible for the prime minister to receive contact information and the prime minister subsequently was able to contact the couple, time share owners on Sint Maarten for more than 30 years.

"That this couple and several others, even in the face of the unfortunate developments at Pelican, would choose to remain on Sint Maarten is testimony of the relationship these visitors have developed with our island.

"Equally so, for the many timeshare owners who have emailed me personally, concerned not only about their investment, but also about the island in general.

"However, the number of repeat time-share visitors, who have been inconvenienced by these developments, is too large to ignore or take a wait-and-see attitude.

"This only strengthens government's belief that everything will be done to safeguard our time-share industry and the investment of thousands of persons through timeshare ownership.

"Not to speak of the on-island impact the closure of Pelican Resort for even a day has on the livelihood of many families and business owners in and around the Pelican Resort," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told DCOMM on Sunday.

Philipsburg:--- GEBE became a gold sponsor of the Ujima Foundation in support of the organization's important goal of youth education and development on St. Maarten. GEBE Managing Director, ir. William Brooks, handed the sponsorship check to Ujima Foundation Director, Judith Bell.

GEBE is a company that continues to give back to the community and Brooks stressed the importance of supporting educational and youth projects that focus on the future of St. Maarten. "We don't know what circumstances are keeping them from succeeding in life, but GEBE would like to contribute toward opening some doors for them and helping them on the journey."
"Management believes that Ujima is working hard to make a difference in the lives of these youngsters and we want to partner with Ujima to help make life better for them. We are happy to once again contribute to the positive projects of the Ujima Foundation that aim to bring life changing experiences and opportunities to the island's youth through events such as Family/Educational Festival, Youth Explosion and other fundraising events," Brooks concluded.
Bell, expressed thanks on behalf of the board, staff and residents of the Ujima Residential Therapeutic Facility. "We have been praying hard to receive something because the foundation is most desperately in need. GEBE has been very supportive of the Ujima Foundation in the past and we are thankful for the donation made to help with this educational event. Ujima will soon be celebrating its 4th anniversary and is looking forward to many more activities to come." Ujima is looking to open a performance arts school in August 2012. GEBE wishes them much success in their future endeavors and stated that when they get this far they can count on the support of GEBE.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto says he has responded to the questions he received from National Alliance (NA) Honourable Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet via Parliament about two weeks ago.

The Minister has also responded to questions that came from MP Roy Marlin of the Democratic Party (DP) in a letter dated January 28. Hon. Minister Shigemoto responded in a letter on February 8.

MP Marlin questions related to the 2010 and 2011 budgets.

The Minister's response to Hon. MP George Pantophlet was sent via the President of Parliament since MP Pantophlet's (letter dated February 3) request came to the Minister via this avenue.

The Department of General Information Services delivered the letter to the clerk at the reception desk of Parliament on February 11, 2011, the same day the Minister dated the letter.

Hon. MP's letter to the Minister of Finance sought information related to dollarization, creditors of the former Netherlands Antilles, Pelican Resort, Corporate Governance Council, the Gold Reserves, the Social Insurance Bank and the General Pension Fund.

"It is not a matter of the Parliamentarian not being in his right to question the Minister. It is quite evident that the Minister thus far has always answered the questions sent to him by any Parliamentarian.

"And MP George Pantophlet cannot say otherwise. Maybe the problem lies elsewhere and this should be explored by both parties," the Hon. Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto said on Wednesday.

Philipsburg:--- The ChuChubi Foundation, fostering contact among Aruban nationals and friends, will be holding a fundraising Domino Knockout ala Shindig style. This fun event will take place on Sunday February 27th, 2011th, at MONCHI'S, located on Sucker Garden Road from 1:00pm – 7:00pm. Chuchubi Foundaton is inviting all to come and support your favorite participating teams: TELEM, GEBE, WIB, Post NV and many more. Music entertainment will be by DJ Ruby, so dance lovers come out "SHINDIG". Food and drinks will be on sale. Bin Baila...Bin Gosa, Come one, come all and have wonderful time with the Chuchubi at MONCHI'S.

Thanking you in advance for your kind support and cooperation.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Economic & Tourism Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications Franklin Meyers, says Government is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East and North Africa with respect to the impact and influence that it will have on the world's economy in general and Sint Maarten in particular.

The Minister pointed out that global oil prices have already spiked due to the situation in Libya. "The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is also following with interest the unrest because Libya had promised the organization members million of dollars in investments.

The Minister further asserted that any spike in oil prices will cause ripple effects on our economic wellbeing and aggravate the already high cost of living on the island.

"The Hon. Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda Baldwin Spencer pointed out that the unrest has serious implications for all of us because whether we like it or not. We are still very much dependent on oil from the Middle East. I can agree with him wholeheartedly.

"Our residents should already start looking at ways and means on how to conserve energy by limiting unnecessary driving and/or by making use of car pooling. We should also be looking at the amount of energy we use in our homes and cut back wherever possible. With respect to the latter, there are many ways to cut back on the amount of energy that we use at home by visiting the website of the electrical power production company GEBE which has tips on how to reduce energy usage," Hon. Minister of Economic & Tourism Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications Franklin Meyers stated on Thursday.

Jamaica state owned oil refinery Petrojam announced this week that Jamaican motorists will have to pay almost two Jamaican dollars more for a litre of gasoline. This is the fourth straight week of increases in the prices of gasoline in Jamaica.

Oil this week rallied over a US$100 a barrel in New York for the first time since October 2008, as Libya's uprising threatened to stop exports – Libya is Africa's third-biggest crude supplier. There is global concern that surging fuel prices will impact the global economic recovery.

Food prices around the world surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), adding that the prices are not likely to decline in the months ahead.

According to the FAO, its latest Food Price Index, a commodity basket that tracks monthly changes in global food prices, averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 per cent from December last year, the highest level since the agency started measuring food prices in 1990.

"The FAO says that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating and is a major concern especially for low-income food deficit countries that may face problems in financing food imports and for poor households which spend a large share of their income on food.

"Government will carry out the necessary price controls and do whatever is in its power to minimize any adverse effects the ongoing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa will indirectly have on our economy.

"With the implementation of the Integrated Neighbourhood Development Programme needs assessment survey which was scheduled to conclude on Thursday in St. Peters, vital information will be gathered with respect to the general wellbeing of the community. Armed with this type of information, Government will be able to develop policies that will positively impact the community," Hon. Minister Franklin Meyers pointed out on Thursday.

Philipsburg:--- GEBE Managing Director, William Brooks, presented the new GEBE reusable bags to representatives of the St. Maarten Environmental organizations, including St. Maarten Pride, EPIC, St. Maarten Heritage Foundation and the Nature Foundation. The logos of the various organizations are depicted on the bottom of the bags to show GEBE's support of the local environment and the organizations' joint aim to reduce single use plastic bags on St. Maarten.

Brooks stressed that "GEBE is a part of this community and GEBE is committed to our community and our environment. We are trying to bring about awareness about the dangers of plastics bags for the environment and for our community. But it is bigger than just us. It is a global problem. With the theme "A Local Solution to a Global Problem", GEBE aims to bring awareness to the growing problem of plastic and garbage in our environment especially as we are not able to recycle."

The image on the bag depicts everyone in the community joining together to solve this global problem. With images of the plastic soup of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean, it is important for our small communities that especially rely on beaches, diving and marine life to reduce our contribution to this global problem and protect our surroundings and beaches.

By simply bringing along a reusable bag when shopping, it is possible to eliminate up to 1664 single use plastic bags during the lifetime of the bag. Customers often complain that they forget to bring along their reusable bag when shopping. A tip for remembering to use your reusable shopping bag is to ensure it is in your car or bag when going grocery shopping. If you forget to bring it in the store, you can always ask your bag packer to put your groceries back in the cart and transfer them to your reusable bags when you get to your car.

Jadira Veen of the St. Maarten Pride expressed her appreciation of GEBE for the initiative to bring awareness to consumers and supermarkets. Two major supermarkets have now banned single use plastic bags, namely Cake House and Market Garden. The simple act of bringing a reusable shopping bag can really cut down the amount of plastic in our community. During a recent clean up at the fresh pond for World Wetlands Day, layer and layers of plastic was found between the mangrove trees filling more than 40 trash bags. "For the first time in our clean ups, there was still a mess of plastic when we left. We would need an additional 100 volunteers to remove all the plastic we found. Plastic is more than just an environmental issue. The congestion of plastic in these areas causes flooding especially when drains and gutters become clogged with trash."

Elsje Bos of the St. Maarten Heritage Foundation saluted GEBE. "This is the second time that I am here to receive your reusable bag and I use them all the time. We also show it in the museum to visiting schools. There is so little respect shown to our environment."

Rueben Thompson of EPIC has been pushing for a ban of plastic bags. In a recent press release, he highlighted the many dangers of the single use plastic bags citing that the Pacific Garbage Soup can be found in our own fresh pond, where years of plastic disposables have been collecting from the run off of rainwater through the gutters and drains.

"The reality of the matter is, however, that many stores will continue to provide these bags and consumers will continue to use them unless legally restricted from doing so. It is therefore high time for our parliamentarians and ministers to take initiative as the people's representatives, and show that they are the caretakers of the environment by passing legislation to ban disposable plastic carryout bags." Thompson commended GEBE and hopes that other corporate entities will follow suit. "And for those who do not, we need government to ban single use plastic bags."

Tadzio Bervoets of the St. Maarten Nature Foundation recounted his experience in finding plastic bags when conducting underwater research. The plastic is found smothering coral reefs and breaking coral when it gets caught in the tide. "To put the issue of plastic in the marine environment into perspective, we are expecting the turtle nesting season to start in approximately one month. St. Maarten is one of the few nesting places for the leatherback turtle, an endangered species that only have several dozen thousand left in the world. These turtles main diet is jellyfish, but they have difficulty in telling plastic bags from jellyfish and many turtles have died from suffocation or starvation by ingesting a plastic bag. I also commend GEBE on providing so many reusable bags to the public.

This is the third time GEBE is distributing reusable bags on the islands of St. Maarten, Saba and Statia in support of the environmental organizations goals to reduce plastic in the environment. A total of 20,000 bags were distributed to GEBE customers during the month of December 2010.
A box of bags was also given to each environmental organization to use during educational presentations.

Much like their older counterparts, the contestants of the Junior Carnival Queen Pageant had themselves quite a busy weekend. On Saturday morning they attended a story time session at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library with story teller Nkosanza Illis (above right) along with Coordinator of the Junior Pageant Nzinga Lake (above left). After that fun session, they moved on to Burger King for their first friendship lunch courtesy of businessman Richard Gibson. The Junior Carnival Calypso & Road march singers also joined the Junior Pageant contestants at Burger King. The girls are pictured here with Burger King branch manager Jalyn Senior (below left). The Junior Carnival Queen pageant and the Junior Carnival Calypso & Road march competition will be held on the same day on Sunday, March 27. (N. Lake photo)

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- On Friday, February 25th, 2011 the highly anticipated launching of the new $100.000 TELECOM Boutique was held.
The official launching was held a the AC Wathey Cruise Facility in the presence of Telem Group of Company staff, Project Leader Suraj Ramdas, Sales and Marketing Manager Carmen Lake-Reyes, Chief Commercial Officer(CCO) Brian Mingo, CFO Helma Etnel, Chairman of the board Raphael Boasman, representatives of the Minister of Telecommunications Hon. Franklin Meyers office, well-wishers and invited guests.

In his speech, Chief Commercial Officer Brian Mingo asked "Why Telem Boutique". The boutique which officially opened in November 2010, caters to the cruise facility and thus expanding the services and offering WI-FI service to passengers disembarking the cruise ships. The boutique offers highspeed internet, phone sales, international calling cards, SIM cards, walkie-talkies, printing, scanning and phone accessories.

Sales and Marketing Manager Mrs. Carmen Lake-Reyes announced that the company will be giving out prizes to their loyal vendors and customers over the years. Mr. Sheffield Busby was announced the winner of the "How many lights made Telem bright" competition. Busby won Naf.3000,- after texting 29760 lights. The actual amount of lights that illuminated Telem Group of Companies building on Pond Island for the Christmas and New Years was 29786.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, has been diligently working on the Pelican resort issue with respect to keeping abreast of what has been transpiring, but also having government departments and entities carry out their responsibilities.

The mediator(s) Derrick Holiday and Kenneth Lopes have handed in their assignment, which the Prime Minister considers that parties reached a deadlock.

"It was at this stage that I announced my intention to appoint an extra-ordinary mediator to again attempt to bring parties to an agreement. The day this announcement was made, it was also announced the evening before, parties had reached an agreement. Where that agreement stands at this time, is known to all," Honorable Prime Minister Wescot-Williams pointed out.

Royal Resort Management on behalf of Pelican Resort Management Company has submitted a request for mass dismissal.

"Let it be stated emphatically that until a ruling is given on the dismissal request, the employees are employed and entitled to pay – (a "lock-out" notwithstanding). The dismissal request also needs to go according to procedures established by law and involves the scrutinizing of the company's financial position to determine the justification of the request.

"And while on the topic of procedures, I need to also state that it is every politician's right to appear where ever they please and of course, where emotions run high as is the case with the Pelican workers, there is always fertile ground for political posturing.

"In my case, more was achieved by making sure I was constantly briefed as to developments and that Labor Affairs from the Secretary General down was on the ball and they know that this entire matter is one grave concern for this Government.

"We involved mediation when it was necessary; we allowed collective bargaining when that was taking place, which is the preferred way to go. And we were prepared to again mediate (via a mediator especially chosen for this case).

"An important aspect that has bearing on this case is the so-called "pass-over of business" or take-over of business," to make the term clearer.

"Our laws do not sufficiently go into this aspect, especially as far as employees are concerned. It is because of this fact that there are so many unclear issues surrounding who is responsible for the workers of Pelican Resort and as per when.

"A clear verdict on this is also important in connection with the dismissal request now before the relevant government department in connection with entitlements of the workers of Pelican Resort," Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams explained with respect to the delicate situation regarding Pelican.

Prime Minister Wescot announced several weeks ago that with the labor legislation now completely in the hands of the Government of country Sint Maarten what needs to be amended, adapted and modernized to comply with international labor legislation trends can now be done.

"This process that started back in 2006 with the social partners needs to continue. I have instructed the Labor Affairs Department however with urgency to review the legislation and propose new legislation to deal with the matter of "take-over of business", thereby making it clear where the responsibilities lie for especially the workers, when businesses are taken over, be it through sale or any other means.

"This is the discussion the Parliament of Sint Maarten should be having, rather than individual members of Parliament giving workers false comfort and berating government in the process," Hon. Prime Minister Wescot-Williams told the Government Information Service (GIS) on Monday.

Philipsburg:--- The final night of the poetry and dinner series Winter's Words will take place on Wednesday, February 2, at Shieka's Bistro in Philipsburg starting 7:30pm, this according to event organizer Lysanne Charles.
Charles explained that while the previous nights of the series had been hosted at The Crazy Thyme Restaurant it had been decided that the finale would take place in Philipsburg.
"Thus far we have held all our poetry and dinner evenings over the hill in Simpson Bay, and this once I wanted to bring it to the heart of Dutch St. Maarten and Shieka's was the first choice. The atmosphere there is beautiful with the lights and set-up and we look forward to performing at this new venue," Charles said.
She went on to say that those who had been fortunate to perform at Crazy Thyme, including herself, were extremely thankful to Bevil Byam and Andreas for their continued support of the event.
"Whether the audience was small or big, these two gentlemen remained committed to allowing us to use their space and in doing so gave us opportunities to share our creations with fellow poets and also with the wider public. For this I, in particular, owe them a debt of gratitude," Charles said.
Charles also said that the proprietor of Shieka's Bistro, Betty Richardson, was happy to take over the last night of performances.
"Betty and I have been discussing having an activity at the bistro for some time, but the timing always didn't add up, especially on my end. Finally when I approached her about having one session of Winter's Words there, she was more than willing; though she did remind me that I still owe her a night of Jazz poetry. So once we're through with this one, we will do that evening later on in the year," Charles said.
The line up for the final night includes poets Roberto Celestino Arrindell, Lenworth Wilson, Rene Violenus, Giovanni "Gino" Olivacce, Natasha Carty and Charles herself. Clara Reyes is scheduled to be the mistress of ceremonies.
Charles said that all those who were interested in listening to excellent spoken word should come out and support the artists as they closed this session of Winter's Words.
"We always have great fun performing for each other and for the audiences that come to both Summer Speaks and Winter's Words. Every time there's something new, even if we sometimes use the same poems, it's done with a different twist," Charles said.
Charles said that the poets would be performing some new pieces, but would also be delivering some standards.
"I know Roberto is going to come with 'Come lewwe go back', even if it is just a small piece of it, Rene has to perform 'Bush Tea', it has already been requested that Lenworth present 'Writing's on the Wall' and 'My Black is Magic' and I've been told that I won't get away without performing 'I Never Knew'. So I'm expecting it to be a great evening of words and delicious food and I encourage the community to come out and have fun with us," Charles said.
Charles said that cost of dinner and poetry was $25 and reservations should be made by calling her at 586-1266 or 522-2513.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto met with representatives of the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT two weeks ago in Curacao regarding the 2011 budget.

According to the CFT, they have come up with a budget of Naf.414 million compared to the Naf.444 million that was approved by the Parliament of Sint Maarten back in December.

The perceived difference between the CFT and the Government is a sum of Naf.30 million. The CFT has given the Government of Sint Maarten until February 17 to present an adapted budget that has also been approved by Parliament.

Negotiation with the unions regarding the Cost of Living Adjustment for the years 2006, 2007 and 2009 retroactive to January 1, 2011, will cost an additional Naf.15 million which has to come from somewhere and could drive up the perceived deficit to Naf.45 million, Minister Shigemoto pointed out.

"The Government was only able to budget the two per cent out of the 5.3 per cent in the 2011 budget and none was taken up in the 2010 budget. Therefore the retroactive payment cannot realistically be made until the 2011 budget gets a positive advice from the CFT. Since this is not the case, the Government just cannot commit to this payment until it has had the time to amend the budget which first has to be accepted.

"If cost cutting proves to be a challenge and would start to affect the services rendered to the community, additional measures may need to be taken in order to close the gap," Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto explained on Monday.

The CFT came to the conclusion of a budget of Naf.414 million based on the recent Central Bank of Curacao & Sint Maarten forecasted economic growth for 2011 compared to 2010. The Government is of a different opinion and says the first and second quarter figures of 2010 are not complete and cannot be used as an accurate basis to determine the growth for 2011.

The overall consensus according to the minister is that dialogue will continue with respect to making sure the budget complies with the financial supervision rules and regulations that have been established.

This course of action according to the Minister will continue between the CFT and government in order to come to a final advice from the CFT.

"Our deliberations in particular focused on the status of the advice from the CFT regarding the 2011 budget. The advice regarding the budget is not complete as yet and aspects pertaining to the realized income for 2010 were discussed.

"The CFT's analysis of government's income over 2010 differs considerably from that of government and they have sent their analysis on to the Secretary General of Finance for further comments. Also noted in the analysis of the CFT's observations thus far is particularly the reported economic growth for Sint Maarten by the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten, which they reported was 0,3%.

"The government indexed its realized income 2010 by an average 2,0% for the budget 2011. The government strongly believes that this indexing is closer to the reality than to say that there is practically (0,3%) no or very little economic growth projected for Sint Maarten in 2011," the Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto pointed out on Monday.

The Minister added that there are two options available to the Government of Sint Maarten. Firstly, allow the CFT to come with a negative advice and let the process take its course which leads to the Kingdom Council of Ministers and possibly with the Kingdom Council of Ministers sending directives as how to balance the budget.

The second option is, to delay the advice of the CFT temporarily in order to have a more realistic budget rather than based on perceived analysis of the income generated over 2010.

"The government is busy with an answer to the analysis of the CFT of the 2010 income collected. It will show that the difference in estimated income is not as great a gap as the CFT indicated in its analysis.

"The discussions and exchange of viewpoints is expected to continue until consensus can be arrived at or one party proves their analysis to be more correct.

"What must not be lost in this discussion is that a budget is a forecast and is not based on solid data especially since nobody can see in the future that clearly and concisely. Sint Maarten's government opted for the second option to continue the analysis of the draft budget through dialogue with the CFT and providing the necessary substantiation for our analysis," the Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto concludes.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto says that the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT has not rejected the 2011 budget of country Sint Maarten as reported in one of the daily newspapers on Tuesday.

"The headline of the news report in one of the daily papers is erroneous. The CFT has not rejected the budget. This is far from the truth. The CFT and the Government have a difference of opinion and interpretation, and we are in the process of working to resolve this to the benefit of both parties," Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto said on Tuesday.

Based on an analysis of the budget, the CFT is of the opinion that the budget is Naf.414 million compared to the Naf.444 million that was approved by the Parliament of Sint Maarten back in December.

The perceived difference between the CFT and the Government is a sum of Naf.30 million. The CFT has given the Government of Sint Maarten until February 17 to present an adapted budget that has to also be approved by Parliament.

The overall consensus according to the minister is that dialogue will continue with respect to making sure the budget complies with the financial supervision rules and regulations that have been established.

This course of action according to the Minister will continue between the CFT and government in order to come to a final advice from the CFT.

Great Bay:--- Two young students have been chosen to represent St. Maarten at the 2011 FCCA Children's Environmental Poster Competition. Janean Peterson, (12 years old) of the St. Maarten Academy who won in the senior category and Lateefah Thomas, (14 years old), from St. Dominic High, winner of the junior category, are the two students whose posters have been forwarded to the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Selection Committee for judging to determine who the overall regional winner will be.
For the St. Maarten leg of the competition, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association along with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau invited all students from the Primary and Secondary schools on the island to participate in the two categories of the annual contest. A total of 26 entries were received from various schools and were judged on island.
The posters depicted three ways in which the student's destination can make a difference in preserving the environment. Students were also asked to provide a title of their art work, Janean Peterson of the St. Maarten Academy, poster was entitled " My lovely island" and Lateefaf Thomas of St. Dominic High, "Let's protect, clean and go green".
The FCCA will now choose a first, second and third prize winner from the two age categories and award cash scholarships to the overall winners and their schools as follows:
1st place $3000,- for the student and school
2nd place $1500,- for the student and school
3rd place $1000,- for the student and school
"This is a competition in which St. Maarten has been participating for a long time and we wish the two winners this year the best of luck in the regional contest," said LaBega.
Last year, Shemar Abdul Hamid, 11 years of age of the Rev. A. Campus, Methodist Agogic Center was placed second place in the Junior Division by the FCCA Foundation Children's Environmental Poster Competition. The FCCA will notify all winners by Friday, February 14th , 2011.

Philipsburg:--- The Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise presented to the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Ms. Rhoda Arrindell its plans to assist and facilitate renovations of the Simpson Bay Community Center at their end of the year dinner event that was held at the Charolais Restaurant in Maho, on Thursday January 27, 2011, President of the Club, Ms. Bernadette Davis introduced this ambitious project to the Minister, who along with her assistant Mr. Fabien Badejo were invited as special guests of the event, also present where Board members of the Simpson Bay Community Center Ms. Yvette Halley and Ms. Brigitte Halley.

The plans are in keeping with projects Minister Arrindell outlined for St. Maarten regarding reaching out to the youths in our community, she also proceeded to give the group a synopsis of some of the plans she will be unveiling to tackle the challenges in education, culture, youths and sports.

Inspector and Rotarian Lucy Gachette, Director of the Community Service Committee, is heading this project and is planning to reach out to the entire Simpson Bay Community and the surrounding areas to join with The Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise in making this a success."You cannot develop or invest in a community without involving its residents and business partners" according to Rotarian Gachette.

President Davis of the Sunrise Club also emphasized that "We know if we provide a healthy, decent environment our youths can use and benefit from in terms of their personal and professional development, they will not be "hanging out on the block",

Rotarian Claret Connor, a member of the Community Service committee gave a detailed explanation of the architectural plan that will be presented to the Minister and the Director of the Simpson Bay Community Center and Businesses from the surrounding areas in the very near future.

Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Tuesday at the Restaurant Air Lekkerbek (near the Prince Bernhard Bridge) at 7:00AM to 8:00AM.

Philipsburg:--- The court of First Instance was packed to its capacity on Thursday morning with the workers of Pelican Resort Club during their injunction hearing. Many of the workers were forced to stay outside of the court house for the lack of space inside the building to accommodate them. Sitting in the court room were mostly shop stewards and the few workers that understood the Dutch language.
The 182 workers of Pelican Resort Club will know their fate on Tuesday as the judge of the court of First Instance will decide whether or not the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV (SBRMC) is their legal employer.
The workers through their union Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) filed an injunction against SBRMC who has so far refused to take the responsibility as their legal employer. Royal Resorts, the company that managed both the old company and the new company filed for dismissal of all the employees after they could not reach a workable agreement with the union and its members.
Representing the workers was Attorney at Law Martin Le Poole and Wim van Sambeek while Attorney at law Jairo Bloem represented Royal Resorts and SBRMC.
WIFOL demands Naf 50,000 in damages and continuation of the labour agreement. Several companies were mentioned, along with of Member of Parliament Jules James. Lawyer alleges a shell game was played as the old company is same as new company with a different name, but same old faces, Jules James, Corso, Sutton and Gamboa
During the injunction hearing, the judge asked specific questions to attorney Jairo Bloem about SBRMC and why the employees were left behind. It was clear that the judge was trying hard to keep track of the many companies and entities operating at the Pelican Resort, WIFOL asked the judge to grant them two demands. The first was to rule that the new entity taking over Pelican should respect the current contract between WIFOL and Pelican Resort Club Management Company N.V. while the second was to award the union Naf. 50,000 in damages for union busting tactics by the defendants, RR Management Company of Belize, and the new management company, Simpson Bay Resort Management Company B.V..
WIFOL also requested that the court to find that the new owner RR Management Company N.V. a company operating in St. Maarten but for some strange reason domiciled in Belize and Simpson Bay Resort Management Company B.V., a new company incorporated on St, Maarten in December 2010 as the direct successors of Royal Resorts and Pelican Resort Club Management Company N.V.
WIFOL alleges in its suit that Corso promised that the bankruptcy would not affect the employees. After the bankruptcy WIFOL alleges that Corso informed the employees that the new owner, had no legal obligation towards them. Thereafter, the well known saga commenced with the employees between being offered first 6 months then one year contracts by the new company, and finally, with the new company pushing them unto the street and attempting to hire new employees.
The defendants in this case, RR Management Company of Belize and Simpson Bay Resort Management Company B.V. claim that since they are both new legal entities they cannot be obliged to take over any obligations of the bankrupt Royal Resorts which was sold to QIT in an auction on December 16th. They further claim that they are neither the successors nor the assigns of the bankrupt Royal Resorts.
WIFOL advanced five legal arguments to convince the judge that the new companies are indeed legally bound to honour the collective labour agreement. In addition, WIFOL asked the court to award them Naf 50,000 in damages caused the actions of the defendants, which weakened the prestige and influence of the union. WIFOL also claims damages because up to the present the defendants are still trying to weaken it by attempting to draw away its members with individual contracts. The judge will issue his written verdict on Tuesday. It can be concluded that the saga surrounding the employees and Pelican is nothing more than complicated and has left many people confused.

Great Bay:--- The St. Maarten Basketball Association (S.B.B.A) will be having a fundraising inter-business basketball knock-out and barbeque on Sunday, February 6, 2011 from 9:00am to 6:00pm at the L.B Scot Sports Auditorium.
The day long tournament will feature teams from different businesses in the community. The public is invited to come out and cheer on their favorite company, and to participate in what's been billed a family event.
"Come out and cheer for your colleagues and friends in the hope that they will capture the title of the first ever S.B.B.A inter-business basketball knock-out. We will have music, and lots to eat and drink at this fundraiser, but most importantly are the matches between different businesses. We admonish the public to come out with the entire family and support these games." said Herbert Martina.
The funds raised will be used to clear outstanding debts, purchase proper referee uniforms and for the paying for the new board's administration costs.
For more information, contact Herbert Martina on 553-4057 or William York on 522-0873.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, will be working on a cooperation protocol with the Dominican Republic in the coming months in the areas of education, health and micro business trade development.

The first official visit of the Head of State President of the Dominican Republic Lionel Fernandez to the country of Sint Maarten could also materialize in the coming months with the official signing of the protocol between both countries..

The aforementioned is a result of an official working visit by a delegation from the Dominican Republic comprising of Vice President of Foreign Affairs, Economics and Trade Honorable Juan Guiliani and Hon. Minister of State Miguel Mejia who visited the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

Parties discussed several issues of mutual interest between both countries. Among them are educational opportunities such as a scholarship exchange program for students in the hospitality field.. The Dominican Republic has several international hospitality training schools and with the future SBO School on Sint Maarten, this exchange could be a viable option in the region.

Another important area discussed was public health. According to the Prime Minister, an inventory will need to be done with respect to what medical services and specializations the Dominican Republic could offer and at what cost.

"We must look at how medical opportunities in the Dominican Republic could complement what we have on the island and involve relevant stakeholders in this process.

"When it comes to medical referrals, as a country we are now able to decide where persons should be referred to for further medical care. Several Sint Maarteners have made us of the medical care in the aforementioned country. The Dominican Republic is close by and offers excellent specialized medical care at a lower cost when compared to the United States as an example," Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot told the Government Information Service (GIS).

Where it concerns the development of trade involving micro, small, medium and large businesses, this is an area to be pursued to the benefit of the citizens of both countries where it concerns products and services.

Sint Maarten's strategic position as a transshipment port and further growth of this business also formed part of the discussion.

The Prime Minister said that she is looking forward to a follow-up meeting that will lead to the signing of a protocol agreement between both countries.

The initial steps will be taken by the respective departments of foreign affairs of both countries in developing the outlines for the protocol.

The Prime Minister envisages this step as one of many yet to come, carrying out the vision of the UP/DP Government for stronger regional ties and collaboration.

Philipsburg:--- The ABVO union, one of the signatories to the agreement between government and the unions has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams asking that she intervene to reverse the decision taken by the Minister of Education and the various school boards. The letter reads:- "With great sadness ABVO St Maarten learnt out of an article in the local media (February 4th, 2011) that the "no work, no pay" policy will be applied on the St Maarten Academy and St Maarten Academy PSVE teachers who attended union meetings pertaining the COLA.

ABVO St Maarten supported the agreement between government and unions (February 1, 2011 and signed by the unions ABVO St Maarten and WICSU-PSU on February 2, 2011), but has clearly stated that an agreement could not be reached if the teachers would be singled out in any way. In the "spirit of trying to reach an agreement" ABVO St Maarten supported the agreement and had faith that the minister of education and the school boards would reverse the decision that the "no work, no pay" policy would be applied. Obviously this has not happened.

ABVO St Maarten is of the opinion that not enough effort has been made to reverse the decision made by the foundation St Maarten Academic and Vocational Education (SAVE), pertaining to the "no work, no pay". The core of unionism is solidarity and ABVO St Maarten is therefore urging the Prime Minister to try her utmost best to have this decision reversed.

ABVO St Maarten counts on the Prime Minister that she will address the matter in the same "spirit of trying to reach an agreement" to the minister of education and the board of SAVE.

The Lions Club of St.Maarten recently had as their guestspeaker Mr. Larry Donker, Interim Managing Director of the Princess Juliana International
Airport who gave the club members and their guests an update on the airport operations and future plans. In the picture, Larry Donker (on left)receiving
a token of appreciation from Club President Lisandra Havertong.

The Blue Flag program is an exclusive, voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and/or marinas that meet a specific set of criteria concerning environmental information and education, water quality, safety and environmental management. Blue Flag is designed to raise environmental awareness and increase sound environmental practices amongst tourists, residents, beach and marina management and staff.

The eco-label has become an international symbol of quality recognized by tourists and tour operators around the world and is used for the promotion of the awarded beach, marina, or destination. The program is currently operating in 41 countries and counts approximately 3500 Blue Flag Beaches and Marinas.

Associated criteria is designed to work with the national, regional and local legislation of each country, thereby assuring that the legislation is being followed, it can also be used to set a benchmark higher than that which already exists.

The Blue Flag eco-label is owned and coordinated internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Denmark. Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC) was accepted by FEE as the program's National Operator in 2008 and has been working towards establishing Blue Flag locations on St. Maarten with the support of the Sint Maarten Tourist Bureau for the past 2 years. EPIC successfully proposed the beach at Divi Little Bay and the facilities at Lagoon Marina in Cole Bay as St. Maarten's Blue Flag Pilot locations in 2009.

Jan Eriksen the Foundation for Environmental Education's (FEE) President and Finn Bolden Thomsen, FEE's Director, visited St. Maarten to meet with EPIC, Blue Flag Pilot location managers and other Stakeholders late last month. The FEE representatives inspected Pilot Location Little Bay Beach at Divi Resorts and determined that the Beach was well on its way to meeting Blue Flag criteria and could obtain full Blue Flag Beach status as early as October of this year.

The Facilities at Lagoon Marina were inspected and although the Marina itself is well on its way to meeting Blue Flag criteria, the area is plagued by the tremendous amount of untreated sewage which runs into the Simpson Bay Lagoon from surrounding neighborhoods.

Meetings were also held with the Management of Island Global Yachting who have expressed an initial interest in participating in the Blue Flag program. FEE was impressed with Isle de Sol's facilities and determined that the marina would be able to skip the pilot phase and reach full Blue Flag status later this year if management opts to join the program and the marina makes minor but necessary adjustments in order to meet Blue Flag Criteria.

Foundation representatives have held regular meetings with stakeholders and attended several international Blue Flag meetings over the past few years and are confident that with the continued support of the Minister of Tourism, the Tourist Bureau and the dedication of Blue Flag Pilot locations St. Maarten will be the first Country in the Dutch Caribbean to obtain Blue Flag status. The program will be publicly launched later this month.

Philipsburg:--- Former Finance Commissioner Xavier Blackman who faced three motions of no confidence can finally feel some sense of redemption said senator Frans Richardson as he reacted to the news from the committee for financial supervision(CFT) who said the 2011 budget still has a 30 million guilders deficit.
Richardson said Blackman tried to show the people of St. Maarten and the CFT that it was practically impossible for St. Maarten to show a balance and realistic budget for 2011 however all his efforts were rejected and he was condemned. Richardson said for the past ten or more years St. Maarten did not see a balance budget.
Government he said, should begin looking in the mirror and admit that they have the wrong team and consultants working on the budget.
In the meantime, leader of the National Alliance William Marlin in a comment to reporters about the 2011 budget said over the years government has been presenting budgets that were balanced on paper while in the end the budgets were not realistic when the accounts are done at the end of each year.
Marlin said when he was in government some months ago and his team was working on the 2011 budget they were lacking vital information since that information was never compiled and provided over the last years, thus making it extremely difficult to present all the required information on time.
As for the deficit he said there was 11 million guilders lacking and they had a proposal to increase the turn over tax by 1% for six months which members supporting the government did not support. Marlin said at that point he went to the Finance Minister of the Central Government who decided to grant St. Maarten 15 million guilders so that hole in the budget could have been filled.

"Right now this government is trying to pass the buck and blame the National Alliance who was in government with now Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger who is co-responsible for all decisions taken by the coalition government."
Marlin said the current Finance Minister was also passing the buck when he laid the blame on the former government claiming he inherited the mess when in fact he was head of resources for all government departments over the years.
Marlin said St. Maarten has a serious problem to deal with regarding its budget yet government went ahead and made an agreement with the teachers for July this year which would cost them another 13 to 15 million guilders. Marlin said while there is 30 million deficit in the budget and government would also have to find that 15 million to pay out the cost of living allowance this year. Government he said would have to find away to generate these monies or they would have to cut back on expenditures both of which are humongous tasks that government must fulfill.
Marlin said prior to him leaving government there were several measures that were being worked on to generate alternative income. One of those measures he said was the levying of a 5% cash out fee on casinos. Marlin said this fee was never levied before on St. Maarten but levying such a fee will not affect the profitability of the casinos while this will be a new source of income for government. "Each time someone goes to the cashier to cash out they are subjected to the 5% cash out fee, whether or not the person won or lost. That fee he said will generate additional monies for government which is estimated to be several millions annually." Marlin said levying the 5% cash out cannot be considered additional taxes on the people since it is only applicable to persons who go to the casinos and cashed out.
Marlin said he already got indication that government will be levying additional fees on the people even though they are denying it. These fees he said will be used to cover the expense of the projects the Minister of Infrastructure has planned.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell signed off on the agreement with Taliesin Construction to begin the construction of a new elementary school in Cay Hill. Angela Dekker of DERPI told reporters that the construction of the new school is to the tune of 7,291,364.00 guilders which will be financed by USONA. Construction Dekker said, will begin in next 10 days and it is expected to last for period of 18 months.
The new Foundation Based Education (FBE) School will consist of 16 classrooms, a gym, a section for early childhood education, a staff room and a space for the school board.
The new school which has been in the making for quite some years will be managed by the board of the Hillside Christian School Board headed by Asha Stevens.
Dekker said the gym space at the new school will also be placed at the disposal of other schools that currently do not have access to gym space and more focus will be placed on physical education.
Head of New Projects Kurt Ruan said the signing of the agreement for the new school can be considered a milestone, a project he said that took of a lot of work especially to acquire the building permit. The project he said is a huge educational project which cost some 7.2 million guilders. Ruan said the signing shows that education is government's priority and when all hands are on deck then great things can be achieved.
Hillside Christian School's Principal Asha Stevens said the signing is of great importance because it has been years now her school had been working on the project. Stevens said she has documents dating back to 2006 on the expansion of the Christian Hillside School but the project was not moving because there were other plans that had more priority. Ruan said one the things that will happen is that with the relocation of the Hillside school from St. Peters will divert some of the traffic congestion from the that area.
Stevens said that the intention is to move eight classrooms that are currently housed in the emergency classrooms at the St. Peters location. When the new school is completed it is expected that some 200 new students can be added to the Hillside family.

Philipsburg:--- President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell would like to announce that the Parliament will meet in General Assembly in public session on Friday, February 11 starting at 9.00am in the Dr. Claude Wathey Legislative Hall.

The meeting has been requested by the National Alliance faction with respect to the "No Work, No Pay," policy.

The Honourable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Rhoda Arrindell have been invited to parliament to provide information with respect to the aforementioned.

The meeting will be carried live via Sint Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 from 9.00am.

There are four parliamentary factions that have representation in the Parliament of Sint Maarten, namely United Peoples party (UP), Democratic Party (DP), Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge and the National Alliance (NA).

Philipsburg:--- “Understanding your Constitutional Parliamentary Government” is the title of the informative and interactive lecture by Political Analyst Julio R. Romney, PhD (ABD) that will be held at the University of St. Martin on February 15, 2011.

Members of the general public are invited to attend this free event which will be from 7:00-8:30 pm at the USM lecture hall. This is part of the USM lecture series to keep the community informed and up to date.

The lecture will be “on the principals, powers and procedures of St. Maarten governmental structure, post 10.10.10.,” Romney said. He added that the objective here is to provide citizens with a basic understanding of the governmental structure and the workings of government, at both the Kingdom and local levels including how draft ordinances become law and to encourage participation in the political process. As an informed citizen is our best citizen. He will also speak to the political correctness of the “pet terms” often used i.e., “Country St. Maarten”, “dualism” and “separation of powers.”

Romney, who regards himself as “a companionate patriotic St. Maartener,” is a scholar of Comparative Government & Politics.  He has conducted numerous public opinion surveys/polls, assessing the political sentiments of the electorate of St. Maarten and has written several scholarly papers to include: “Electoral Systems: A comparative introduction with an analytical overview of Dutch / French St. Maarten electoral systems (2005),” “Cultural Unity within Political Diversity: the social, economic, and legal implications of the constitutional changes of Saint Martin and Sint Maarten (2005)”, and “Unfolding St. Maarten Political Culture: . . . (2007).”

Romney has also served as a member of the Landelijke Commissie Herstructurering van de Nederlandse Antillen (The National Commission for the Political Restructuring of the Netherlands Antilles), representing St. Maarten (1995).

The lecture will be held in the USM Lecture Hall which has a seating capacity of 200. The general public is invited to attend this event on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 and seating is on a first come, first serve basis.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto has forwarded Budget 2011 Solution for initial vetting to the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT.

Preliminary discussions have been held between the Minister of Finance with the CFT Secretariat about the proposed solutions to balance the 2011 budget.

"I am looking forward to the CFT reviewing the solutions in a technical meeting with the Finance Department, and once an indication is given that the solutions are considered plausible by the CFT, the next step would be to send them to the Council of Ministers, Council of Advice and then on to Parliament.

"It is imperative that the solutions brought forward by the Ministry of Finance are properly discussed with the CFT prior to going through the process of having them approved by the three aforementioned institutions," Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto explained on Thursday.

The Minister added that the process has been a very challenging one since the Ministry of Finance also had to find budgetary space to cover an additional Naf.15 million as a result of having to pay teachers and civil servants the balance of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of 3.3 per cent as agreed upon with two of the unions retroactive to January 1, 2011 and to be paid out in July 2011.

"There was a delay in the process by having to resolve the COLA issue and then to find a solution to the perceived Naf.30 million deficit based on the economic growth figures that the CFT is using.

"We explained this to the CFT that we would have difficulty in meeting the February 17 deadline to have a balanced budget approved by Parliament," Minister of Finance Shigemoto further pointed out.

A letter was sent to Dutch Minister of Interior and Kingdom Relations Jan Pieter Hendrik Donner informing him of the current state of affairs and what path has been taken to balance the country budget.

The team that the Minister of Finance is heading who have been working on finding solutions for the deficit comprises of the Cabinet of the Minster of Finance, the Secretary General and her staff of the Finance Department, in particular FBB, Martin Hassink, and the Secretary Generals of six other ministries.

"Everybody have been working hard to resolve this budget issue for our country. It is not about who needs to be vindicated or who was a civil servant responsible for what in the past. It should be explained that in the previous system as in the present, the budget was and is the end responsibility of the then Commissioner of Finance and the Executive Council and now the Minister of Finance and the Council of Ministers respectively.

"It is about bringing solutions to the table and working in the best interest of Sint Maarten despite having been put in a difficult position with having to build a country from scratch without attaining additional resources with which to do so or providing for a transitional period within which Sint Maarten could build itself adequately and become a country.

"It is about playing the hand we have been dealt and trying to make the best of it. It's about taking one's responsibility seriously and particularly acting in the best interest of the country," Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto pointed out on Thursday.

Philipsburg:--- Member of Parliament Jules James showed his true nature and dedication to his employers of Simpson Bay Resort & Marina and the Simpson Bay Marina on Friday when he abandoned an in session parliamentary meeting to take care of the affairs of Pelican. Residents and several persons in the community have openly called on the Member of Parliament asking him where his allegiance lies when it comes to him being a parliamentarian and General Managers of the two operating companies at Pelican. Jules James has a full time salary as a parliamentarian but like many others, does not show up to work on a daily basis. While the people of St. Maarten are calling on parliamentarians to begin working on legislations that would better serve St. Maarten, most of them are busy with their side jobs.
James was in a parliamentary session when Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Franklin Meyers called him out of the meeting to confront him with a letter presented to government by Joseph Oniel, sales manager of Pelican Resort Club informing government that the resort formerly known as Pelican Resort Club and Pelican Marina Residences which was sold as of January 26, 2011 will close its doors on February 20th due to unforeseen circumstances.
Just last Tuesday a judge ruled in its summary proceedings that the new owners of Pelican Resort Club and Pelican Marina Residence are responsible for the 182 employees the company is seeking to terminate. The judge ordered the new owners of Pelican Resort Club to make sure the salaries of the workers are being paid since they are legally their employer based on article 32 and 34 of the Collective Labour Agreement with WIFOL.
On Thursday, the lawyers representing WIFOL sent a letter to the law firm representing Pelican informing them that if the workers are not allowed to begin working peacefully with the assistance of the government mediator then WIFOL and its members will begin individual litigations.
In the letter to members of the Simpson Bay Resort & Marina the owners claimed that unforeseen circumstances have caused the new owner to incur significant and unbudgeted expenses as well as judicial liabilities that requires massive financial injections in order for them to responsibly operate the Resort.
The letter further states that diligence, responsibility, long term viability of the resort, consideration of the interest of stakeholders and in particular the protection of the timeshare rights of all members for the long term, compels management to close the resort as of Sunday, February 20, 2011, until solutions are found. The general public is hereby informed that as of Saturday, February 19, 2011, no check ins will be allowed.
The closure of the resort does not entail the closure of the independent businesses operating on the Property. They remain open to the public, at their discretion.
SMN News learnt that a meeting was scheduled to be held with the Prime Minister and current acting Minister of Labour Sarah Wescot Williams for Friday afternoon. SMN News further learnt that WIFOL has informed government that they will not enter into discussions unless their lawyers are present.
HBN Law in a statement said that they learnt that the members of Pelican Resort Club (now called Simpson Bay Resort & Marina) will close its doors on February 19, 2011.
This announcement follows the ruling by the Court of First Instance in which it was considered (in short) that Royal Resorts (through an affiliate company) continued to manage and operate the resort (like it did since 1997) and thus remains responsible for obligations towards WIFOL and its members.
Since it became apparent that one of the objectives of Royal Resorts was to continue the operation without responsibilities towards the employees, this announcement does not come unexpected. It also makes clear why Royal Resorts did not want to discuss an orderly return to work with WIFOL and or the government mediator.
This announcement seems solely to be intended to pressure WIFOL to give up secured employment rights, as Royal Resorts will claim (without presenting any proof) that this is the only way to keep the resort open.
HBN Law regrets that as a result of the announcement by Royal Resorts, the uncertainty for the families of the members of WIFOL will continue.
WIFOL asked us to monitor the developments and instructed us to prepare to take the necessary legal action, including claims to return to the place of work.
While the new developments at Pelican might be understood by the legal representatives from both law firms and the government mediator, several of the workers said they are in shock to see how devious developers can be when their intentions are not pure towards their workers. The workers said Pelican made three proposals to them, the first being that they would grant everyone a 6 month contract, then a one year contract but the latest they said was Pelican was ready to hire 145 of the workers permanently while they were going to lay off 40 of the workers. These workers whose future is nothing less than dark said they want their government to begin questioning these developers and Member of Parliament Jules James about their flip flopping and to make sure an audit is conducted to see the company's true financial status.

The Mental Health Foundation has selected the title "Bringing Mental Health to the community" as their theme and focus for 2011.

"We wanted a theme that goes with what we have planned for this year," said Eileen Healy, "We are truly working towards bringing mental health to the community. With the new building underway, it does not mean that our job is done. The majority of our clients lives and works in the community and is in need of the support of loved ones, family, co-workers and employers."

Unlike last year's theme, which was taken from the World Mental Health Organization (WMHO), this year's theme was suggested and voted on by MHF's staff members who agreed that an emphasis on community education would suit the plans for 2011.

The MHF recognizes that there are still many who are not aware of their presence and services. In addition to that, individuals with mental Health conditions and their families still speak of discrimination and bias shown towards them from the community.

MHF's IP Coordinator explains that in 2010, most of MHF's public awareness programs did come to fruition and that this year the foundation is pushing harder to bring awareness to the community on issues of mental health through education and promotional material and activities.

MHF's list of projects for the year includes: Mental Health Fair, Mini Symposiums and Family Fun Day, radio interviews, radio quizzes, newspaper articles, workshops and others to be announced. The foundation also looks forward to various public awareness projects, lectures, presentations and a 5th anniversary celebration.

The MHF is asking for community involvement and support this year. The foundation is still in need of interested and committed persons to lobby for the needs of the mentally ill on St. Maarten.

Persons interested in helping can contact the MHF from Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:30 pm at Tel: 542-1677 or fax 542-1687 and E mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Philipsburg:--- The driver of the Minister of Justice Marina Serrant was arrested in connection with the Brooks Tower 2 investigation. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed the latest arrest which took place on Tuesday morning. Shortly after the arrest of Serrant, the officers of the RST conducted at least three house searches. So far it is not known if any items were confiscated during the searches.
SMN News has been reliably informed that Serrant has been implicated in the BTA scandal from the onset but for some reason she was not immediately arrested.
Marina Serrant is a former Voluntary Korps officer (VKS) who was fired sometime in 2009 after it was determined that she extorted $1000.00 from a prisoner while he was in police custody.
It should be noted that the Minister of Justice, Roland Duncan was questioned as a witness last week in the ongoing BTA investigation.
On January 21st, the members of the RST, Marachaussee and local detectives arrested five persons, three of which were working at the BTA office on AT Illidge Road. The other two suspects are; the owner and an employee of an employment agency. So far three of the five suspects have been released while the two remaining suspects remain behind bars. The judge of instruction has extended their pre-trail detention to another 60 days. Serrant is the fourth suspect that has a direct link to the justice Ministry.

Philipsburg:--- The St. Maarten ASCD is having its 21st annual conference for Educators, which is scheduled for February 17th-18th, 2011. The theme for this conference is Beyond Innovations: The way forward. The two- day conference will be held at the University of St. Martin between the hours of 8:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. These sessions are aimed at supporting the new Innovation in education and also improving the personal and professional growth of our colleagues in education, which is in keeping with ASCD's mission to provide for Professional Advancement and Leadership for Quality Education on St. Maarten.
As is customary we will have local and international presenters. The international presenters are from the U.S.A., St. Thomas and Anguilla. Our keynote speaker is Dr. Emily Carter from the University of the Virgin Islands. They are all professionals in their respective fields and will share several techniques with those in attendance. We are catering for 400 educators of the Cycle One and Cycle Two teachers of the various elementary schools. Persons from the general public are also invited to the conference as well.

Philipsburg:--- The booth holder meeting scheduled for Thursday February 17th, has been postponed by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF). The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date.
The foundation is still busy putting together the packages of information for the booth holders and, as such, require a little more time to have everything in order. In the meantime, the SCDF would like to remind booth holders that they can start making payments for their booths.
The SCDF members have been at the Festival Village every Saturday regulating matters with booth holders and encourage others to come in as well. The members are in the Village from 10:00am until 2:00pm on Saturdays.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto announced on Thursday that the 2011 national budget has been approved in a special session of the Council of Ministers on Thursday. The budget has been sent to the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT and an advice from the latter is expected within the next two weeks.

Due to the serious nature of the current Government financial situation, the Minister of Finance has decided to continue to monitor that the expenses are made according to the financial rules and regulations as stipulated by law.

This entails that all budget expenses will continue to undergo the established financial controls by the Ministry of Finance, with the exception of the budgets for Parliament, the High Councils, the Prosecutor's Office, the Court system, and the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague.

Two technocrats from the CFT Secretariat worked along with technocrats from the Finance Department to review the changes that needed to be made to the national budget.

The changes took into consideration the points mentioned in the letter received from the CFT in January, which estimated the deficit on the budget to be Naf.30 million. An additional Naf.15 million was added to this deficit due to the agreement signed with the two unions WICSU and ABVO to grant civil servants, teachers and staff of the subsidized school boards the 3,3 per cent cost of living adjustment in July 2011 retroactive to January 1, 2011.

Besides this, an additional Naf.16 million in costs were also added as adjustments which would have been corrected by means of a budget amendment later this year. However, according to the Hon. Minister of Finance, it was decided to include them now. These additional costs include areas such as an increase in subsidy for the drug rehabilitation center Turning Point, an increase in the budget for the Constitutional Court, the Plan of Approach for the Justice Ministry, and the Joint Court of Justice.

The proposed solutions to cover the total deficit which includes the additional cost totals Naf.61 million. Cost cutting measures will be taken across the seven ministries which were discussed and jointly decided upon with the respective Secretary Generals totalling Naf.14,4 million.

In this budget there is a total of Naf.32 million in incidental costs. The proposal is to cover these incidental costs from government's cash reserves considering that they are onetime expenses which will not come back in 2012 and subsequent years. The government also plans on reducing income as was suggested by the CFT.

"Government will furthermore decrease its growth factor from 2 per cent to 1,3 per cent since we do not agree with the projected economic growth of 0,3 per cent. We feel that this percentage does not take into consideration government's contribution as a result of taking over the tasks formerly executed by the former Antillean Federal Government as well as government's decision to pay the additional 3.3 per cent in cost of living adjustment to all civil servants, teachers and subsidized school boards teaching staff.

"Also, additional income in the amount of Naf.5 million in dividends was incorporated and a total of Naf.3.8 million in revenue was included for the second half of 2011 under new policies. This will come from an increase in fees for work permits and the introduction of a non-refundable fee for residence permits," Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto explained on Thursday.

The intention is to have the CFT give its advice on the 2011 national budget adjustments before going to the Council of Advice and then Parliament. This approach is taken in order to save time and ensure that Government does not have to go through another round of debate in Parliament to later discover that the CFT does not agree with the presented national budget.

The Consensus Kingdom Law on Financial Supervision Curacao and St. Maarten stipulates that the budget has to be established, but it does not stipulate by which entity, hence, it can also be done by the Council of Ministers.

The Minister of Finance will also be writing a letter to the CFT on Friday as it pertains to the status of appointment of Sint Maarten's representative to the CFT Board. "The longer this takes places us at a disadvantageous position without a representative on the board," Hon. Minister Shigemoto pointed out on Thursday.

Marigot:--- On Thursday, February 17th, the Territorial Council of St-Martin was convened in session to deliberate on various issues amongst witch the suppression and replacement of the Professional Tax(also called Business Tax). The new system proposed by the ruling UP/UMP government is based on a dual mechanism (a license tax and a levy of fixed assets). This mechanism in fact favors greatly large companies that have for their operations large buildings and lands. On the other hand it penalizes greatly small and very small businesses (which however represents close to 90% of the total amount of businesses in the Collectivité). The Opposition group RRR RASSEMBLEMENT-RESPONSABILITE-REUSSITE, headed by Councilman Alain RICHARDSON, vehemently denounced again, the fact that over the 4 years of existence of the new Collectivité, and here again, the council is called to create, modify and adjust taxes yet no substantial data; no simulations and no evaluation of the various scenarios are presented or offered. The group have declared that, "this blind way of governing after 4 years of UP/UMP government is irresponsible and unacceptable", and have asked "how can the population have confidence in such a government, how can the tax payers understand and adhere when government cannot even evaluate the impact and justify its choices". The group also accused President GUMBS and his group's members of again bowing to the dictate of the French Tax Services , who after imposing the suppression of the "inhabitance Tax" in 2009, now under fallacious excuses (of none operational software to prepare assessments from 2011) has imposed the suppression of the Professional Tax. The group made it clear that with the critical financial situation of the Collectivité, this suppression of 10 million euros of assessed tax (for an average yearly collected amount of 5 million euros) would be a fatal blow for the finances and even the autonomy of the Collectivité. The RRR group denounced another violation of the constitutional autonomy of the Collectivité, that President GUMBS has not even protested against.
The group RRR made it abundantly clear that any new tax structure or mechanism destined to replace the professional Tax had to :

1. Guarantee in 2011 and each year after at least an equivalent level of resources ( tax collected) as the Professional Tax (average 5 million euros)
2. Guarantee fiscal justice within the business community,
3. Be an incentive for business creation, development and growth and not another hurdle that discourages anyone (especially our youths) from getting involved in business, and or destroys our people's dreams of becoming entrepreneurs because the greatly needed jobs will come from the private businesses.

Having the interests of the people and of the Collectivité at heart and knowing that if nothing is done it will be no less than 5 million euros that will be added to the estimated 30 million euros, missing to carry out the duties, obligations and services to the population, and to restore the financial credibility of the COM, the group RRR have presented several amendments during the session, all retained, validated and adopted by the council. These amendments will now permits:

1. The market vendors to benefit from a general rebate of 50%, thus preventing the penalization of this profession (the vendors would have seen their tax more than doubled if the government's initial text was adopted whereas their yearly tax for 2011 is now limited to 200 euros).
2. Taxis and bus drivers to benefit from a total exemption (as with the Professional tax) while under the government's proposed text they would have been seriously taxed.
3. All new businesses to benefit of a total exemption on year 1, an exemption of the levy on fixed assets for year 2 and a 50% rebate for year 3. Under the government's proposed text they would have been fully taxed from the beginning.
4. The Collectivité to collect a minimum amount of tax resources from the larger companies who under the government's proposed text would have seen their contribution substantially slashed. The mechanism proposed by the group RRR now sets a minimum yearly contribution scale based on business sizes (depending of level of yearly sales), this reintroduces more fiscal justice.

Beyond this reform Councilman Alain RICHARDSON in the name of the group RRR, has also presented a tax incentive modification in favor of the fishing sector. In order to assist the fishermen and reduce the cost of fuel, Mr. RICHARDSON has presented and defended an amendment to the Gas Tax law that will grant a total exemption from the government's fuel tax of 6 euros cents per liter for all registered fishermen.
The achievement of such a measure for the fishermen as well as those amendments presented and defended in favor of the small business owners in the government Tax reform, while defending the financial interests of the Collectivité, by the opposition group that hold only 5 seats in the council are clear indications and proofs of their effectiveness and commitment serve the people of St-Martin to the best of their abilities and this is in line with their slogan for 2011, "Together, let's make it happen in 2011".

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- Inspectorate of Health, Social Development & Labour (VSA), while carrying out public health safety inspections on February 10, confiscated a wide range of unregistered pharmaceuticals originating from the Dominican Republic, from two businesses on the island.

One of the goals of the Inspectorate VSA is to clamp down on the illegal importation and distribution of pharmaceuticals on the island in order to protect the health, safety and well being of the country.

Both businesses are not in the possession of a pharmaceutical wholesaler's license which makes it illegal for them to import pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticals in question were also unregistered which means that they have not been evaluated on efficacy, safety and quality.

The safety can therefore not be guaranteed which puts consumers at risk. Some of the pharmaceuticals were poorly packaged and lacking package inserts.

One of the businesses has been operating on the Dutch side of the island for over 20 years and is not registered at the Chamber of Commerce nor are they in possession of a business license.

Both businesses will be fined. They continue to operate selling cosmetics and beauty products.

The generic version of the well known drug used for erectile dysfunction; Viagra, which is marketed as the active ingredient Sildenafil, was among some of the pharmaceuticals confiscated.

Other unregistered pharmaceuticals that were confiscated were anabolic steroids, different types of antibiotics in different formulations such as Ampicilline tablets, Metronidazole suspensions as well as vaginal ovules and Uromycine suppositories, unregistered painkillers in prescription strengths such as Ibuprofen 800mg tablets, Diclofemed 100mg (dicolfenac), Cataflam 50mg (diclofenac) as well as cough syrups and anti flu medication.

The pharmaceuticals confiscated from one of the businesses were shipped disguised with beauty products and other cosmetics and came in pre-labelled boxes to be distributed to businesses on the Dutch and French sides of the island.

Both businesses have been previously warned by the Inspectorate of Public Health about the importation of pharmaceuticals without a license. The purpose of having a license is to reduce the risk of market contamination with counterfeit products that may contain inappropriate quantities of the active ingredients or may contain ingredients that are not on the label (which may or may not be harmful). This is why it is imperative that licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers get their pharmaceuticals directly from the manufacturer, Inspector of Pharmaceuticals Ashanti van Heyningen told DCOMM.

"Another purpose of having a license to import is because the quality of pharmaceutical products can be affected by a lack of adequate control over numerous activities which occur during the distribution process.

"Licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers are therefore required to adhere to specific requirements pertaining to the transport and storage conditions (temperature, humidity etc.) of pharmaceuticals in order to maintain the original quality," Inspector of Pharmaceuticals Ashanti van Heyningen added.

Inspectorate VSA as part of its regulatory responsibilities is responsible for compliance monitoring and enforcement activities related to environmental hygiene, food safety, occupational health and safety, pharmaceuticals, day care centres and health care.

Public assistance will go a long way in Inspectorate VSA being able to investigate and help solve many infringements.

Persons have the opportunity to pass at the Inspectorates Office located at Kanaal Steeg #1 (above Diamond Casino which is located across from the RBTT Bank) between 8.00am – 12.00pm and 1.00pm to 5.00pm to file a complaint. You can also call 542-2078, 542-2058, 542-3580, fax 542-2936 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zagersgut:--- GEBE is experiencing a major power outage at its substation in Zagersgut. Preliminary reports indicate that a main feeder cable was damaged due to digging in the area.
The following areas are currently being affected: AT Illidge Road, Middle Region, Dutch Quarter, Union Farm, Belvedere, Bishop Hill area, Dawn Beach, Tamarind Hill, Red Pond, St. Peters, Reward, Ebenezer, Betty's Estate, Saunders, Mary's Fancy, Belvedere, Oyster Pond, Westin Hotel area, and parts of Madame Estate, Longwall Rd, Bush rd, Illidge Rd, Zagersgut.
Technicians are working to determine the exact location of the faulty line in order to make the necessary repairs.
GEBE commercial manager Steve Duzanson said in an invited comment that he does not know when power will be restored to the affected areas.

Great Bay:--- Historian Howard Dodson will be the guest speaker here at the 20th annual Black History Celebration Lecture on Saturday, February 26, said Shujah Reiph, president of the Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF).
The lecture takes place at the University of St. Martin conference hall, at 8 PM.
Dodson, who is also a noted US library curator will speak on the theme, "Documenting the history we make." As director of the prestigious Schomburg Center for Research in New York City since 1984, Dodson is in a great position to focus on "the role of a national library and government archive department in a developing nation," said Reiph.
"Mr. Dodson will also touch on the use of digital archiving and data recording, storage and retrieval technologies," said Reiph.
As a scholar, consultant, and educator, Dodson has committed his professional life to the retrieval, preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of the history and culture of African and African American peoples, including Latin America and the Caribbean.

The center is named after Puerto Rican scholar and bibliophile, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, it is considered to be the world's largest center for Black research. "For over 80 years the Center has collected, preserved, and provided access to materials documenting Black life," amounting to date to some 10 million items on Black history and culture www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg.

The 20th annual Black History Celebration Lecture is organized by CLF in collaboration with University of St. Martin Student Government Association.

The Civil Registry Department would hereby like to inform the public that the issuance of driver's licenses is on hold for the next two to three weeks. This is due to a delay with the shipment of stock material. The department apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause. Should the stock arrive earlier, this will be made known to the public. For additional information you can call 542-2457.

Management of the Civil Registry Department

Philipsburg:--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell would like to announce that Parliament has three meetings planned for Thursday, February 24 and Friday, February 25.

The leaders of the parliamentary groups, namely United Peoples party (UP) Member of Parliament (MP) Romain Laville, Democratic Party (DP) MP Roy Marlin, National Alliance (NA) MP William Marlin and independent MP Patrick Illidge, will meet on Thursday in its Seniorenconvent session at 8.30am in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament in the former Caribbean Palm building.

The three agenda points to be discussed at this meeting are the staffing of the three parliamentary groups and independent MP Patrick Illidge; the United Telecommunications Service (UTS) cellular phone service package; and an update regarding the status of affairs of the Parliament Building.

The previously scheduled meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee Revision of the Rules of Order which was to have met on Tuesday, February 22 is now scheduled to meet Thursday at 10.30am in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament to discuss the Rules of Order of the House of Parliament.

Parliamentary Committee members are MP Dr. Lloyd Richardson, MP Roy Marlin and MP Sylvia Olivacce-Meyers.

On Friday, February 25 the Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations will meet at 9.30am in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament.

Members of the committee are MP Roy Marlin, MP Dr. Ruth Douglass, MP William Marlin and MP Patrick Illidge. The MPs will discuss the draft advice with respect to the report "Kiezen voor het Koninkrijk."

The aforementioned report was made by the Commission Democratic Deficit and presented in November 2009. The Commissioner reviewed the role of the Kingdom Council of Ministers and the decision making process and how this can be monitored and controlled.

The establishment of the Commission came out of a meeting held in June 2008 comprising of Kingdom parliamentarians discussing future Kingdom Relations.

The chairlady of the Commission was M. Brooks-Salmon (member on behalf of the then Parliament of the Netherlands Antilles), H.C. Maduro (member on behalf of the Parliament of Aruba), and J.Th.J. van den Berg (member on behalf of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament.)

Philipsburg:--- The thought that Marina Serrant the driver of the Minister of Justice who was arrested as a suspect in the Brooks Tower 2 investigation and released a week later was able to return to work the next day raised a number of questions on government's integrity. While not passing judgement on anyone it behoves the general public to see Serrant back on the job the day after she was released from pre-trial detention even though she is considered a suspect. Serrant was seen dressed in a short black dress with a black jacket entering the government administration building shortly after 9am on Wednesday morning, moments later she exited the building and left with the Minister of Justice's MR 3 vehicle.
Several government workers who saw Serrant as she entered the government building inappropriately dressed and the fact she left with the Minister's car had a lot to say about the lack of integrity within government. Most of the civil servants that worked in government for years thought the Minister were extending preferential treatment to his driver; some said she is being protected by the Minister of Justice. Questions are being raised as to who granted the Minister's chauffeur authority to immediately return to work since she is still considered a suspect in an ongoing criminal investigation.
Concerns are being raised at the fact that Evelyn Hodge, a civil servant for the past 27 years, one that worked for six Lt. Governors was given a federal decree to remain home and out of government offices until further notice or until the investigations into the Brooks Tower is completed. Hodge will also lose one third of her salary pending the outcome of the investigations. Many thought that the veteran civil servant is being disgraced and her integrity has been snatched away from her due to the BTA project she was asked to coordinate.
Some said Hodge is treated unfairly because other civil servants who were detained and later convicted received their full salary years after their arrest and conviction. SMN News learnt that the federal government paid the former chief of police and former chief of immigration for at least two years after they were arrested. Both men were receiving their full salaries even after they were convicted.
In an invited comment Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams said the rules that govern civil servants are the same for contracted workers. She however, referred SMN News to the Minister of Justice for an explanation under whose authority both workers fall.

Phillipsburg:--- The transfer of control of St. Maarten-based cable TV operator St. Maarten Cable TV to Caribbean Asset Holdings (CAH), a subsidiary of National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), is scheduled to occur on March 1, 2011.
"St. Maarten Cable TV is set to join its sister companies in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which were transferred on October 6, 2010,"said Seth Davis, CEO of the Innovative companies. "We are looking forward to expanding the services offered to citizens of St. Maarten and improving the quality of their delivery as well. Customers have been requesting upgrades for years, and we are excited to begin rolling them out. "
Major initiatives planned after the transfer of control include providing digital cable service and revamping the existing programming line-up. Digital service will provide improved picture quality, a digital interactive guide, better sound and an overall enhanced viewing experience.
Changes to the channel lineup are essential in order for St. Maarten Cable TV to be in compliance with regional programming requirements. As a result, new channels will be introduced to St. Maarten Cable's audience including MSNBC, The History Channel, BBC America, Speed and Azteca International. These popular channels have been requested by subscribers and will further diversify the dynamic lineup. Customers of a la carte premium services will be able to enjoy an expanded HBO/ Max Pak featuring HBO Caribbean, HBO Family, HBO Plus, Max HD and Max Prime.

"Immediately after the transfer of control, we will begin working on those two key initiatives for St. Maarten Cable TV that will improve system reliability and the customers' viewing experience. Our long-term goals include accelerating the deployment of nodes throughout the system to expand coverage of Cablenet, our high-speed Internet service" Davis said.
On October 6, 2010, CAH acquired the Innovative telecommunications operating divisions and subsidiaries in the U.S. Virgin Islands that include the local telephone company, Innovative Telephone, Innovative Cable TV St. Thomas-St. John, Innovative Cable TV St. Croix, Innovative Wireless, Innovative Long Distance and Innovative PowerNet. Although regulatory and court approvals have been received, the transfer of control of St. Maarten Cable TV was delayed for five months to ensure an orderly transition of the entity.

Philipsburg:--- It has been several weeks now that the community of St. Maarten is crying out that several police officers are using excessive force and brutalizing people for no reason. Some days ago the community of St. Maarten heard from the President of Talking Drums Foundation Cimmeron Marlin who said he was brutalized inside the police station. Marlin said the police denied him his basic right which was to make at least one phone call.
On several occasions other persons have approached the media saying they were victims of police brutality and each time the accusations are levied the police management team promises to investigate. However, police brutality is still plaguing this society.
A Checkmate security guard that was stationed at the Caribbean Cinemas Megaplex 7 in Simpson Bay on January 31 2011, reported to police Commissioner Carl John concerning an incident. The security guard said while he was working three police officers, namely Aswin Martina, Maria and Orlando Meyers brutalized him for no apparent reason.
According to information reaching SMN News, Commissioner Carl John denounced the actions of the three officers saying that such actions are not tolerated by the police management team. The top cop also called in internal affairs and ordered that an investigation be conducted. To date the security guard Sherwin Loncke and Checkmate Security is yet to receive an official police report of the incident.
The officer at internal affairs and Commissioner John promised Checkmate and the security guard that they will call them back in one week. Three weeks have passed and no report has been delivered and to date no actions have been taken by the police management team.
According to the information provided to SMN News, officer Aswin Martina went to Megaplex 7 on Wednesday January 26th around 4pm to pick up his four year old daughter at the Ballerina School that is located upstairs of the building. SMN News learnt that when Officer Martina reached the location he was going upstairs and the security guard asked him where he was going since no one is allowed to go upstairs if there are no movies showing. According to our sources, Officer Martina did not tell the security guard where he was going and at some point there was an exchange of words between the security guard and Officer Martina. It is alleged that Officer Martina told the security guard he will teach him a lesson but he never told the guard he was a police officer. Eyewitnesses to the scene said Officer Martina was using all sorts of obscene language when he threatened the security guard who told him that he could have easily said that he was going to pick up his child.
SMN News further learnt that on Monday January 31 2011 Martina and three other officers' returned to Megaplex 7 dressed in police uniforms and one of them called the security guard who went to them and they began beating him.
Another security guard working in the area said he witnessed the entire ordeal. The officer said Loncke was punched in the stomach and chest area. The officers asked him for his identification card but they never stopped throwing blows at him. "What I see happen to that security officer can happen to anyone else. Those cops are a disgrace to the police force."
At one point, the officers even arrested the security guard because he was not in possession of his identification card but had a copy of his residency papers. Minutes later, the security guard was released and beaten again when he tried to call his supervisor, the eyewitness said.
The incident that occurred that day was reported to police internal affairs, but to date the victim did not get a copy of the police report. Checkmate Security was asked to keep the incident out of the media and to allow the police to handle the matter but so far nothing has happened.
It must be noted, that Officer Martina was brought back from Saba because he used excessive force there. Since this officer came to work on St. Maarten there are at least three cases of police brutality against him, two of which occurred in Simpson Bay while police internal affairs also investigated his role in the alleged vote buying case with the United Peoples Party.
In an invited comment, Chief of Police Peter De Witte said he is also awaiting the report from Police Internal Affairs, which should be ready by next week. De Witte confirmed that Martina was implicated in the vote buying case and the files are at the Prosecutor's office for a decision to be taken. The police chief said he is fully aware of the case filed against the three officers where it involved the security guard and that as soon as the report is completed it will be sent to the Prosecutors Office. On the case of Cimmeron Marlin, De Witte said he has an appointment with Marlin for Monday. The top cop said he will first listen to Marlin's story and he will investigate the case and when the findings are known he will make it available to the public.

Philipsburg:--- The prosecutor's office has decided that they would have to place the murder investigation of Leta Cordes into their cold files for the lack of evidence.
Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos told reporters on Friday that his office has done all they could to bring the perpetrator that is responsible for the disappearance of the 47 year old woman to justice but they were unable to do so for the lack of evidence.
Mos said they had someone in custody for the Cordes case but that person had to be released due to the lack of evidence. "In our system we have to prove that the person that is charged with such a crime is in fact the person that committed the crime, and in this case we did not have that hard evidence that is needed."
The chief prosecutor said while they have decided to place the case into their cold files at this stage, should they get new information they can always reopen the case.
The Chief Prosecutor said one of the set backs the police and his office are having is that people are just afraid to come forward and tell the police what they know about heinous crimes. He gave an example on the Afoo murder investigation which he said is on camera. Mos said that murder was committed by youngsters but people are not coming forward with information that would lead them to the killers.
Another example, Mud and Mos gave was the Julot murder case which they are still trying to solve. They said the first ever TKO team was set up in this case with 25 officers who tried to do every single thing to find the killer or killers but that too did not happen. Mos said only some months ago St. Maarten was able to get some more people to work in its forensic department. "It has been years we had only one person who was processing all the murder scenes and sending the evidence to the Netherlands. Today, that department has been beefed up with more people but we still cannot process finger prints. We have taken thousands of finger prints but we cannot process them because the license for the program was never paid." Mos said.
Mos said last year the prosecutor's office and the police were able to solve at least 40% of the murder cases, while in 2008 that was not possible. He said their aim is to solve all crimes committed on St. Maarten but they have not reached that point yet.

The nine contestants of the Miss St. Maarten Senior Carnival Queen Pageant for Carnival 2011 have begun their busy public schedule last Friday night with a Karaoke session at Toucans Restaurant at Divi Little Bay. The young women had themselves quite a ball and took time out to also introduce themselves to patrons of the restaurant.
The fun get-together was hosted by popular radio personality Darin "Versatile" Hodge and was organized by Micheline Warner and Tyrone Yates. Accompanying the contestants were Coordinators of the pageant Lisette Carty and Lee Williams, along with Dwight Williams of the pageant committee and President of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) Stuart Johnson.
Following the outing at Toucan's, the contestants went over to the French side to catch the Soca Concert as part of the French Carnival Celebrations and got the opportunity to introduce themselves on center stage to concert goers.
The outing was the first of a very busy schedule for the girls who will also be making courtesy visits to the Council of Ministers, various media appearances and visiting institutions such as UJIMA, the children's ward at the St. Maarten Medical Center and more. They will also participate in a motorcade through most of the districts. The contestants are also currently in the midst of rehearsals for their big night on April 26 in Carnival Village. They rehearse three times a week and are trained for the structure of the pageant, walking routines etc.
The SCDF has focused heavily on bringing back the Senior Pageant after an absence of a few years, and is elated with the nine contestants and the progress and positive attitude displayed thus far.
The SCDF is still calling on the private sector however, to come through financially for the contestants as they prepare for the pageant. So far, the SCDF said, many of the contestants are having difficulties securing the necessary financial support to prepare properly for the show. "We thank those who have committed to sponsoring a contestants and we are looking forward to others doing the same. The girls are not looking for much, just some help," the SCDF concluded.

Philipsburg:--- The judge of instruction has extended the detention for three of the five suspects held in the Brooks Tower Accord forgery investigation. Those that remain in custody are the project coordinator Evelyn Hodge, Josianne Cannegieter and Josianne Emanuel. Weisha Alfred was released by the prosecutor's office and the judge of instruction released Patricia Rombley last week Monday when she appeared before the judge for her 8-day extension.
The detectives and RST detained five persons, three of which were working at the BTA section at the IND building after they began investigating the disappearance of a stamp at the office. Prior to the arrest which took place two weeks ago it was rumoured that persons working at the BTA office has been selling backdated documents and numbers to persons who were not eligible for the BTA permits. The prosecutor's office in a statement the day of the arrests said that they searched seven houses and the office of the BTA on A. T Illidge Road, in those searches documents and monies were also confiscated.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, would like to applaud fire fighters in their handling of a huge bush fire that started Thursday night in the hillsides of lower Suckergarden, Middle Region and Defiance.

Homes in certain areas had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure in order to protect human life. One young person was apparently treated for smoke inhalation by emergency services on the scene.

Fire personnel used their professional training to fight the fire by other means after concluding that accessibility to the area was limited. Heavy equipment was brought in and a firebreak was cut through part of the hillside.

The fire later burnt itself out and an investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the fire since it happened during the evening hours.

A total of 28 fire personnel were involved in the operation along with four fire fighting vehicles.

"I take my hats off to all emergency service personnel who were involved in the coordination and management of what could have been a disastrous event if the fire would have destroyed homes in the surrounding neighborhoods.

"Police, fire personnel as well as personnel from the ambulance department, I have been informed, worked in a well coordinated manner in dealing with the fire emergency and I commend them all for their professionalism.

"I thank the Almighty that there was no loss of life and no damage to property," Hon. Prime Minister Wescot-Williams told the Government Information Service (GIS).

The Fire Department falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of General Affairs which falls under the Office of the Prime Minister.

Philipsburg:--- The National Alliance Faction posed several questions to Minister of Justice Roland Duncan on Tuesday during a parliamentary meeting regarding the Brooks Tower Accord extension process.
The meeting which was called mainly to determine if the Minister had deviated from the policy set by former Minister of Justice Magali Jacoba on the BTA process which started in 2009 and if the Minister has a new policy in place turned into circus when other issues took center stage.

Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin said the extension of the BTA resulted in mass confusion where people were camping out over night at the IND building so they too could register for a BTA permit. Marlin said information reaching him indicates that people who came to the island two to three years ago were given a permit when in fact the policy of the former Minister of Justice clearly indicates that persons who came to the island in 2006 and after had to leave the island as their permits were being processed. Marlin said it is clear to him that the Minister has deviated from the current policy and as such he wanted to know what motivated the Minister to reopen the process and what he wanted to accomplish.
While parliament called the meeting to discuss the BTA procedures which sparked an investigation that landed three people behind bars, the members of parliament deviated from the issue. Dr Ruth Douglas described the foreigners as rats running around on St. Maarten while Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge added his own twist by saying that elected officials or government would have to buckle to the FCCA. Member Parliament Illidge said should the FCCA ask St. Maarten to jump they in turn would have to ask how high since the island is totally dependent on the tourism economy. Member of Parliament Leroy De Weever attacked the Dutch for wanting an Ombudsman and St. Maarten has to pay for it.
Another point heavily debated during the meeting is the speaker's time which the National Alliance contested. The leader of the National Alliance placed a proposal on the floor of parliament requesting that the speakers time be amended from 20 minutes to 30 minutes in the first round and from 10 minutes to 20 minutes in the second round.
Member of Parliament Jules James then made a counter proposal to keep the time limit as is saying the members of parliament wanted more time to grand stand parliament. The majority in parliament voted in favour of keeping the time limit to 20/10 by voting.
Minister Duncan in his response said every command he give on a daily basis is a policy and it does not have to be written. The Minister further explained that he extended the time frame for the BTA applicants to give everyone a fair chance to submit their request. He argued that while questions are being posed on the 2008 to 2010 applications then someone has to show him a BTA permit that was granted to those applicants. Duncan said based on the law every person has a right to petition government with their request. He said that does not mean the request is automatically granted. Minister Duncan in his response quoted several articles of the law from his law books to prove that he has the right as a Minister to use his discretion to make decisions.
The following is the full recording of the parliamentary meetings on the BTA procedure. We urge our readers to listen to the audio.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation is starting its Marine Mammal Monitoring project which will last from February until May. The Nature Foundation, in cooperation with the Reserve Naturelle de St. Martin, will be conducting a wide scale census of all Marine Mammals found in St. Maarten/ St. Martin territorial waters, including within the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. Many on St. Maarten might not be aware that there is a relatively significant Marine Mammal population in the waters surrounding St. Maarten, including numerous species of whales and dolphins. Previous pilot surveys have revealed that there could be a resident population of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) living in local waters. St. Maarten also lies within the area of the Western Atlantic where the Humpback Whale comes and gives birth to their young. From February to May several hundreds of Humpback Whales migrate from the northern Atlantic to areas of the Caribbean to give birth and nurse their young before heading back up north. Numerous other species, including sperm whales and several types of dolphins make their home in local waters. Several questions will be hoped to be answered as a result of the study, including most numerous species, migration routes and dates, and the feasibility of regulated wild whale and dolphin watching trips.

In March a wide scale monitoring expedition will be carried out which will monitor marine mammals in local waters over the period of a week. French St. Martin is part of the AGOA Marine Mammal Sanctuary which includes all of the French Territories in the Caribbean. The Nature Foundation asks to report any sightings of Marine Mammals to the Nature Foundation on 5444267 or 5270490.

Philipsburg:--- The actions taken by the teachers and civil servants unions during the last four days were considered to be of a political nature, says Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams. The Prime Minister made her assessment known during the weekly Council of Ministers press briefing.

Wescot Williams said several Members of Parliament took the opportunity to break down the government rather than caucusing to find a solution to the predicament government finds itself in. She said the members of parliament who did that are suffering from “SMS-- Short Memory Syndrome.”  She said the same members of parliament governed for 18 months without a governing accord, yet they condemn the UP/DP coalition for not having such a program in place after just three months in office.

The Prime Minister admitted that in the first draft budget the 5.3% cost of living allowance was included, but that was the budget that had a 130 million guilders deficit. Wescot Williams said while the cost of living allowance was in the budget there was no coverage in the budget for the payments to be made.

Wescot Williams said the leader of the National Alliance spoke of the causeway in the lagoon which he said is preventing the teachers and civil servants from getting their cost of living allowances. She said the causeway/bridge is not in the 2011 budget and even if it was it would not have been in the same bracket as salaries.

The Prime Minister also attacked the statements made by Member of Parliament Louis Laveist whom she said used the situation of the Pelican workers and made it a gender thing. The Prime Minister said she took serious offence to the statements made by Laveist and had it not been out of respect for the position she holds as Prime Minister she would have told Laveist where to go and look and who to blame for the treatment of women in country St. Maarten. However, her message to Senator Laveist is that if he is looking for a horse to ride then he should not jump on her back as Prime Minister and most of all he should not make the Pelican affair a gender issue because she does not think he really wants to go there.
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The Prime Minister outlined the agreement that was brokered with the unions during a meeting with the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Wescot Williams said the government supports the no work no pay policy in this particular case because the non-payment of the 3.3% cost of living allowance was not reason enough for the unions to call their workers to meetings during working hours. The Prime Minister said government is not disputing the rights of associating and the rights of assembly. However, even with those rights in place there are levels that trigger the urgent convening of meetings during working hours.

The Prime Minister said government will be informing its workers of the no work no pay policy and the rights of the workers. Wescott Williams said the only reason this policy is not applied this time was because of the good will gesture of government. The Prime Minister said that they have decided to do this because many of the civil servants remained on their jobs when the unions called them out to the meetings.

In the meantime, Education Minister Rhoda Arrindell said the truth behind the actions taken by the teachers were buried in the confusion created during the past four days. Minister Arrindell said she is happy that tempers seem to be cooling down.

She outlined the facts of the matter as teachers responded to the call of their unions which disrupted schools for four consecutive days. The actions she said took the school boards and her Ministry by surprise.

The Minister said the teachers specifically said they did not have any beef with her or her Ministry instead they said their problems are with the Ministry of Finance yet she came under vicious attacks when she reminded teachers that children have a right to an education.

Minister Arrindell said prior to her announcing the no work no pay policy she met with all school boards and they have agreed to the following:-

1.      All parties reaffirmed the principles of no work, no pay, and in this particular case, this takes effect, today, January 31, 2011.

2.      Students are supposed to be in school during school hours, in accordance with the law on Compulsory Education.

3.      The Ministry respects the rights of the teachers to assemble; however, this should not be to the detriment of the education of children or at the inconvenience of parents.

4.      The school boards informed the Ministry that they had not been notified by the union of the action to be taken by the teachers.

5.      The school boards expressed the opinion shared by the Ministry that industrial action should be used as a last resort, when all other forms of negotiations have been exhausted, rather than taking action on the spur of the moment, without any consultation with the Ministry, school boards, and other stakeholders.

6.      It was also decided that the days lost will be made up to the children before the end of the current school year.

7.      The Minister maintains her open-door policy and looks forward to continuing the dialogue between teachers and their representatives in the interest of the education of our children.

 

Furthermore, the Minister stated that there was never an issue or dispute with the teacher’s salaries, the teachers she said will receive and will continue to receive their salaries.

Besides the cost of living allowances that teachers are fighting for, the Minister said there are other issues facing teachers which to her are far more serious. She admitted that materials are lacking in most schools and teachers would use their salaries (personal monies) to buy school materials for their classes.

Cay Hill:--- On Monday January 31st the Rotary Club of St. Maarten made the much anticipated donation to the St. Maarten Medical Center of USD 40.000 towards the purchase of two incubators. Director of the SMMC Dr. George Scot was on hand to receive the contribution to which he responded: "This is the perfect gift". Perfect, not only because the incubators are much needed, but because one of the incubators is specifically designed for transporting babies and the only cost the hospital will have is to maintain it. This is particularly important for the patients as they will not have to pay any additional charges for using the "travel" incubator considering there is no tariff structure in place for the use of this specific equipment.
While many members of the St. Maarten Rotary Club were involved in this project, special appreciation must be given to Sir Bobby Velasquez for organizing the special fundraising luncheon on board of the Oasis of the Seas last year March.
The Rotary Club would like to express its appreciation to Royal Caribbean International (RCI) for the generosity demonstrated as without RCI this would not have been possible. The captain and crew sacrificed their day off and helped to serve lunch to all 150 guests. In addition, guests to the fundraiser were treated to a tour of the ship. Members of the club who were instrumental in coordinating the event on the cruise line were Pierre Decelles, Rebecca Low and Danny Ramchandani.
Present at the SMMC representing the St. Maarten Rotary Club: President Kishore Idnani, Secretary Rebecca Low, Past president Pierre Decelles, Directors: Fundraising Bobby Velasquez, Community Service Maria Buncamper-Molanus, Rotarians Danny Ramchandani and Dr. Arthur Douglas.
The next fundraiser is scheduled to take place on April 21st 2011 aboard the Allure of the Seas, an event which should not be missed. Once again the Rotary Club of St. Maarten and Royal Caribbean are teaming up to for the benefit of St. Maarten. Details of the event and the projects for which the funds will be raised, will be published leading up to this spectacular fundraiser.

Great Bay:--- Further to the agreement signed between the Council of Ministers and the unions representing the civil servants (WICSU-PSU and ABVO St. Maarten) on Tuesday, February 2, 20111, the Minister of Education and the support staff, in accordance with point 4 of said agreement, met with representatives of all the school boards and the WITU.
The meeting was convened to discuss a possible alternative to the implementation of the "No Work, No Pay" policy for teachers who were absent from school without a valid reason during the teachers' action that started on Thursday, January 27th, 2011 and was called off Tuesday, February 1, 2011.
The meeting was held at the Dr. A. C. Wathey Legislative Hall at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 3, 2011.
After discussions, it was decided that:

1. The application of the policy of the "No Work, No Pay" or an alternative measure of making up for the missed days would be left to the discretion of the respective school boards.
2. Everyone present stressed that the interest of the child should always remain paramount and that better communication between all partners in education is necessary to avoid any recurrence of similar incidents in future.

The meeting ended with the minister stating that she was looking forward to an improved working relationship with all the partners in education as there was a lot of work to be done.

Philipsburg:--- Several activists including Elridge Van Putten have started a signature drive to demand that the parliament of St. Maarten be dissolved and that a new election be called for country St. Maarten.
The petition will be sent to the Governor of St. Maarten Honourable drs. Eugene Holiday, the Dutch Second Chamber of the Netherlands, The Queen of the Netherlands and the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams.
In an invited comment Van Putten said that the current coalition was not elected by the people of St. Maarten and most importantly there are too many criminal investigations hanging over the heads of government. Van Putten said the Prosecutor's office has a case of 'vote buying" that involves the deputy Prime Minister and leader of the United Peoples Party Theo Heyliger while they are also investigating the former Minister of Health and Labour Maria Buncamper Molanus for the sale of the economic rights of government lease land.
Furthermore, Van Putten said the people of the Curacao have given their government a vote of no confidence in the past and it is also possible for the people of St. Maarten to do the same based on the country's constitution. Asked if the petition that he is circulating at this point is the same as the teacher's petition, Van Putten said he does not know anything about the teacher's petition.
It now appears as though there are two groups of people who are busy signing petitions to get rid of the current government.

The petition driven by Elridge Van Putten.

Great Bay (GIS):--- On February 3, the Council of Ministers will receive the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Report for St. Maarten (and Curaçao, a joint project) by the MDG Workgroup.

On February 7^th and 8^th, members from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will be on St. Maarten for a final work visit.

The Millennium Declaration, endorsed by 189 world leaders at the United Nations in September 2000, is a commitment to work together to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world.

The Declaration was translated into a roadmap setting out eight time-bound and measurable goals to be reached by 2015, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The MDGs provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions.  St. Maarten became involved in the MDGs when Prime Minister Emilie de Jongh-Elhage reaffirmed the (former) Netherlands Antilles’ commitment in achieving these goals.

After the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, St. Maarten recognized the importance of remaining involved in the MDGs. The MDGs are broken down into 21 measurable targets with 60 indicators that are aimed at combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and gender inequality.

The MDGs also provide a framework for the entire international community to work together towards a common end – making sure that human development reaches everyone, everywhere.

In 2010, representatives from the various Government departments and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) on St. Maarten collaborated to collect data that relate to the indicators of the MDGs.

This was done in full cooperation with DEVCO and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).  Once the data was compiled, an MDG report was written for St. Maarten and Curaçao.  The report provides an insight on which Millennium Goals St. Maarten is on track with and which areas will need extra effort in the coming years.

The indicators will enable St. Maarten to share data and compare the progress of the country regionally and internationally.  The report highlights that St. Maarten is performing relatively well on goals 1, 3, 4 and 5.  On the contrary, goals pertaining to education, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, environmental sustainability and global partnership need strengthening.

The members of the MDG workgroup have put forth enormous efforts and are pleased that this report has come to completion.

In addition, the department of Public Health within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor is ensuring that the necessary surveillance is conducted to combat diseases such as Dengue Fever, HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and vaccine-preventable diseases, to name a few.

More specifically, when assessing St. Maarten’s progress on goal 6, the Department is aware that in order to get on track, cooperation is needed among vital stakeholders such as physicians, hospitals, Collective Prevention Services (CPS), Public Health and the HIV/AIDS Program Management Team.  HIV/AIDS continues to be a problem in the entire Caribbean region.

Through government funded programs and with assistance from physicians and NGOs, efforts are being made to halt the spread of HIV.  In addition to awareness campaigns, St. Maarten offers free HIV testing and access to medical treatment.

The eight MDG goals are:

Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

• Reduce by half the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day.

• Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

 

Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education

• Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling.

 

Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women

• Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015.

 

Goal 4 Reduce child mortality

• Reduce by two thirds the mortality of children under-five.

 

Goal 5 Improve maternal health

• Reduce maternal mortality by three quarters.

 

Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

• Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.

• Halt and reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.

 

Goal 7 Ensure environmental sustainability

• Integrate principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse the loss of environmental resources.

• Halve the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

• Improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020

 

Goal 8 Develop a global partnership for development

• Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system.

• Address special needs of the least developed countries, landlocked countries and small island developing States.

• Deal with developing countries’ debt.

• In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent work for youth.

• In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications.

 

Philipsburg:--- Beginning this month, the University of St. Martin (USM) students as well as members of the general public will be more informed about Information Communication Technology (ICT) once they attend any of the six public lectures on the topic that will be held at USM.
The lecture series entitled "Information Communication Technology (ICT) and me," will begin this month and end in May. These lectures are free of charge and designed to create a more stimulating campus environment at USM in particular and a better informed society in general.
"USM students chose this topic because they believe that ICTs have a profound impact on their individual lives and it is changing the way people, especially young people, are interacting and communicating with each other. On a macro level, ICTs are redefining the social cultural and economic scene and empowering people from a social and economic perspective," says lecture series coordinator and USM lecturer Drs. Khalilah Peters.
Peters adds that accompanied with the abovementioned positive influences also come negative influences, such as social problems (e.g. anti-social behavior, lack of privacy, increased gambling, pornography, and cyber bullying etc).
"These Spring Lecture series are set out to explore the issues, opportunities and complexities, surrounding the use of ICTs in St. Maarten. The lecture presentations will cover the influence of ICTs on education, social networking, commerce, and tourism and hospitality trade. They will be given by local professionals versed in the abovementioned fields," Peters further notes.
The first lecture of the series is entitled "ICT and the curriculum" and will be given by Instructional Technology and Distance Education Specialist Tamara Hughes. This lecture is scheduled for February 9, 2011 and will focus on the influence of ICT on education, in general, and in St. Maarten. Emphasis will be put on instructional technology, the state of affairs of IT in our schools, policies regarding IT, Integration of technology in the curriculum, and various challenges as well as solutions.
The second lecture of the series is entitled "ICT in Our Schools" (from the perspectives of educators and school management). This event is slated to be held on February 23, 2011 and will be in a panel discussion format. Educators will discuss different ways they incorporate the use of ICT in the classroom, share best practices, describe the influence of ICT on student learning and debate the issue of mobile phone use in schools.
The lecturers for this event include Mrs. Jose Sommers – Principal at the St. Dominic high school ; Mr. Renate Brison- Spanish teacher at the St. Maarten Academy; Ms. Rita Gumbs- Bourne - teacher at the Oranje School; and Mr. Daniel Berry- IT Teacher at the St. Maarten Vocational School.
The third lecture is entitled "Thou shall not Facebook," and will focus on the influence of social networking sites on our social institutions. This event will be on held on March 16, 2011 and will be in a drama, discussion and presentation format. The lecturer for this event is Mr. Roy Cotton.
"How do I effectively use my Blackberry for school" is the title of the forth lecture which will be presented by Mrs. Carmen Lake-Reyes, Manager Sales & Marketing at the TELEM Group and Eion Gumbs, IT Technician at the TELEM Group. This lecture slated for March 30, 2011 will focus on how can students make optimal use of their Blackberries for school (i.e. Planning , group work , projects etc.).
The fifth lecture of the series entitled "E-commerce, dead or alive in St. Maarten?" will look at e-commerce, its possibilities for SXM, steps involved in establishing an e-business, legal environment, Issues and challenges and proposed solutions. The lecturer for this event that will be held on April 6, 2011 is Mr. Emilio Kalmera, Finance Specialist.
The USM "ICT & Me" lecture series come to a close on May 4, 2011 with the lecture entitled ICT's and Tourism Best Practices. This lecture will be given by Executive Director of the SHTA, Valya Pantophlet and it will focus on the role of ICTs in SXM's tourism and hospitality industry, how have ICTs influenced the way the Government markets the island and the best practices of SXM's hospitality businesses.
"We look forward to seeing USM students and members of the general population attend these informative lectures," Peters stated.
The six lectures of the series are open to the general public and will be held at the USM lecture hall which has a seating capacity for 200 persons. Seats will be available on a first come first serve basis.

The Misfortunates.
A hilarious and provocative Belgian movie about a 13 year old boy growing up in a dysfunctional family. The film, directed by Felix van Groeningen, is based on the autobiographical novel De helaasheid der dingen by Dimitri Verhulst

Date : Monday, February 14, 2011
Location : Philipsburg Jubilee Library
Time : 7.30 pm sharp. Bar and ticket counter open from 7 pm
Entrance fee : US$ 5,- or buy a 10-movies-card for $ 45

Philipsburg:--- Members of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) voted unanimously in favour of allowing the president of the WITU Claire Elshot to go back around the table with government to renegotiate the agreement with the three unions before she is authorized to sign the agreement.
Furthermore, the teachers want government to remove points three and four from the agreement before Elshot can sign on behalf of the WITU and its members.
The two points that the teacher's wants removed, addresses the no work no pay policy. Attorney at law Shaira Bommel advised the teachers on Monday afternoon that it is useless for the WITU to file an injunction against government now, when government already commits itself to paying the remainder of the 3.3% cost of living allowances in July of this year. Bommel said while an injunction case can take place within 48 hours, execution of the outcome of that injunction can take months.
However, the lawyer said that should government fail to live up to the agreement then the teacher's (WITU) can file the injunction and ask for interest for late payments.
Bommel also informed the teachers that government can execute the no work no pay policy since its law but they as teachers have rights that they can claim, such as requesting interest when they are paid late. Interest for late payment of salaries ranges from 5% to 50% which is laid down in the payment policy.
A meeting is scheduled with the Prime Minister and the President of the WICSU/PSU and ABVO for Tuesday where the two unions will express their concerns on the discrimination levied against the teachers when the Minister of Education and the school boards decided to implement the no work no pay policy on all teachers.

...

Philipsburg:--- First time applicants of Brooks Tower Category 1 and 2 permits who applied during the BTA extension project which began last November are now facing the possibility of deportation if caught with the BTA receipts.
According to reliable information reaching SMN News, the immigration department is refusing to accept any of the BTA receipts since the Minister of Justice is yet to put a policy in place which would allow applicants of the category 1 and 2 to remain on the island until their documents are processed.
The source said immigration personnel are not able to identify which of the receipts are authentic from those that were forged since the Minister does not have a policy in place and all of the forms used during the extension process were for extensions only. The lack of policy also diminishes the rights of the immigration department to allow those persons to remain on the island thus forcing the immigration department to implement the laws based on the current LTU policy.
SMN News further learnt that those persons who applied for the category 1 and 2 during the extension period are not in the computer system. The source further explained that the BTA team accepted the applications with the intention of putting in the information on the applicants at a later date in the system, but since the arrest of three members of the BTA team and the process placed on hold indefinitely, many persons who submitted their documents and paid their processing fees at the labour department are not in the system, thus hindering the admittance and expulsion process. "Determining which of the receipts are authentic is practically impossible for immigration authorities."
In an invited comment, Chief of Police Peter De Witte said he held a conversation with the Minister of Justice, and was informed by him that due to the ongoing investigation into the process of the BTA requests, that everything was put on hold until further notice.
De Witte said according to the verdict of the Judge dated January 15th 2011, case No.004/2011 there was no new policy in place, reasons for the immigration department maintaining the previous mandate of the Minister of Justice on all Immigration matters and applying the current LTU regulations.
The immigration department appears to be holding fast to the position that the BTA process was open only to persons seeking to renew their BTA permit, and will not recognize any first time applicants neither for category I or II. Those who arrived after 2005 and filed BTA applications are even worse off, as the Minister has repeatedly stated, as recently as last week during questioning by Parliament, that he did not change the BTA protocol in which all who arrived after 2005 have to leave the island. The court ruling in which the judge seemed to agree that the BTA was only for renewals appears to have stiffened the resolve of the immigration to demand a written policy from the Minister of Justice in order to deviate from their position.
First time applicants of Brooks Tower for Category 1 and 2 permits who applied during the BTA extension project which began last November are now facing the possibility of deportation if caught with the BTA receipts. Raids by the immigration department can begin as early as next week SMN News learnt.
Another controversy surrounding the BTA permits is that the Ministry of Justice is yet to have in place a protocol between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour which outlines the rights of the BTA category 1 holders who were granted a 3 year permit. Based on the current laws, the Ministry of Justice is solely responsible for residency permits and not labour permits and persons who were granted a three-year residency permit and do not have a working permit are working illegally on the island.

Philipsburg:--- The Council Ministers have signed an agreement with SXM Optical to perform a pilot project by testing the eyes of students that are attending school (Youth Health Care Eye Examination). Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams announced on Wednesday that a decision was taken to start off a pilot project with at least two schools which are Prins Willem Alexander School and the Ruby Labega School.
Wescot Williams said that a survey was conducted which showed that the poor performance in school is not necessarily related to poor learning but it is mostly related to poor eye sight, because of this the Prime Minister said all students will be subjected to these tests.
The Prime Minister further explained that the testing will cost a small fee which has to be paid by parents. While the agreement was already signed the Prime Minister could not say exactly when the project will kick off.

Great Bay (GIS):--- Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, has informed the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Honorable Prime Minister of Grenada Tillman Thomas that she accepts the invitation extended to attend the next meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM.

Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, recommended to the CARICOM Chairman that an invitation should be extended to Sint Maarten since it has achieved an autonomous country position within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Hon. Prime Minister Wescot Williams says that she is looking forward to this meeting and having the opportunity to look at the prospects it offers in forging future relations across national and regional borders.

In 1972, Commonwealth Caribbean leaders at the Seventh Heads of Government Conference decided to transform the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) into a Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which the Common Market would be an integral part. The signing of the Treaty establishing CARICOM, Chaguaramas, 4th July, 1973, was a defining moment in the history of the Commonwealth Caribbean.

The objectives of CARICOM are to improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labour and other factors of production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; enhanced levels of international competiveness; organization for increased production and productivity; achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage and effectiveness of Member States in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description and the enhanced co-ordination of Member States' foreign and foreign economic policies and enhanced functional co-operation.

There are 15 countries that are members (Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago) of CARICOM and five are associate members (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos Islands).

Hon. Prime Minister Skerrit is expected to arrive on the island for official business Friday evening at 9.00pm at which time the Prime Minister will welcome him.

The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor is informing the Sint Peters area of the "NEEDS ASSESSMENT INTERVIEW" that will be conducted in Sint Peters. Representatives of the Integrated Neighborhood Development Program will be visiting various homes and requesting Interviews. These Interviews are to Indentify the needs and define programs to be set up by the Community Helpdesk. Interviews will begin on the 17th of February 2011– 24th of February 2011.

Great Bay (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, is advising households and business establishments to take preventative measures against rodents.

Rodent control is managed by the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour in conjunction with the community.

Rodents are a fact of life but we can reduce their numbers by working together in protecting our homes making them rodent proof. The success of this and any program is dependent upon collaboration between government, citizens, and the community at large. Base on the fact rodents can spread infectious diseases it is recommended to keep the rodent population at a minimum and away from your homes. You can help keep rodents away from your home by depriving them of shelter and food by following a few simple guidelines.

Keep your entire premises clean. Seal garbage in tightly covered metal or heavy rubberized containers; don't use containers like bags or boxes. All garbage should be bagged before it is placed in your garbage bins, a sealed container. Drain and wrap food waste before putting it into can. Keep cans at least 18 inches off the ground and keep can surroundings clean.

Store food items in rat-proof areas and/or into containers. Don't store food in the garage or outside. Clean up any spilled food immediately. Don't leave out uneaten pet food. Clean dog droppings up daily. Don't put bird seed on the ground; rodents will get it first. If you use a bird feeder, the area under and around it must be kept free of seeds and hulls.

Seal cracks or breaks in your foundation and repair holes in the floor, around pipes, screen doors, windows, vents and other openings into your home to prevent rodents from entering. Outside steps should be made out of concrete/masonry. Keep the space beneath wooden steps clean.

Keep all stored material at least 18" off the floor. Set furniture and appliances flush with the wall or far enough away so that the space between them and the wall can be easily cleaned. Keep all areas clean; keep the rodent outside, rodent proof your home.

For more information on eliminating rodents, call 542-2078/23003.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Economic & Tourism Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunications Franklin Meyers, who is currently attending the 2011 Routes Americas Airline Conference in the Dominican Republic, says that Jet Blue has shown interests in the San Juan-Sint Maarten route.

The airline has added another flight out of Boston (U.S.A.) bringing it to two weekly flights on Saturdays and Sundays. Jet Blue's Director of Planning Dave Clark met with Honourable Minister Meyers at the airline conference and he informed the minister that he is very happy with the service which is doing very well.

Jet Blue also has a daily flight out of New York and according to the airline that one is also performing well.

"During my meeting with Jet Blue's Mr. Clark, he pointed out that the opportunity existed for more space to grow and in particular the potential of the San Juan-Sint Maarten route. This is in line with the fact that the airline will become the fastest growing and largest carrier in Puerto Rico during the course of 2011," Hon. Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Franklin Meyers explained on Thursday.

The Minister pointed out the local economic business opportunities between Sint Maarten and San Juan, coupled with the importance of leisure tourism, which will assist with route and service development.

According to Minister Meyers, Jet Blue is expected within two weeks to give an answer when such a service would take place. The possibility exists that the service could start in winter 2011.

"With a possible reduction by American Eagle, a valued partner for many years along with other regional carriers, Jet Blue will inform my office about matching the current potential demand as a possible result of American Eagle's potential departure as well as potential increase in demand as a result of the potential network possibilities.

"The partnership with Jet Blue, we foresee will be further strengthened as the airline expands within the region and the airlift landscape changes for the benefit of the tourism destinations in the Caribbean," Minister Meyers concluded.

Hon. Minister Franklin Meyers who headed the delegation to the airline conference in the Dominican Republic was also accompanied by Head of the Tourist Office Regina Labega, Acting Managing Director of the Princess Juliana International Airport Larry Donker, and Norma Brill.

Philipsburg:--- Social activist Elridge van Putten is getting closer to achieving his mission to force the sitting government out of office. Van Putten already sent a letter to the Dutch Government informing them of the current state of affairs on St. Maarten.
In an invited comment Van Putten said he is planning a bonfire party for next weekend to gather as much signatures for his petition to dissolve the parliament of St. Maarten and to have early elections based on the constitution of St. Maarten. Below is a copy of the letter that was delivered to the office of the Dutch representatives on St. Maarten.

February the 14th, 2011

To the Second Chamber Of the Dutch Parliament
The Hague, Netherlands
Via the Good Offices of the Dutch Representative
In Philipsburg St. Maarten

Concerning: Do not rush to intervene in St. Maarten-We will do it ourselves!

Esteemed Members of Parliament:

We have taken note, via the local press, of the debate in your Chamber about the suitability of placing St. Maarten under higher supervision. We share your concerns, and we are even more alarmed by the true state of affairs on our island than you can imagine! We have launched a petition drive to demand new elections as we have come to the conclusion that this government was born a corrupt white elephant. Surely, we would feel encouraged by your standing behind our efforts and lending your moral support to our demand that the politicians heed of our legitimate and peaceful request for elections within three months, as stipulated in our constitution. Below, we shall outline the main points of the prevalent chaos and drift on St. Maarten. Never before in the history of our island has the gulf between the Government and the People been wider. Our Parliament and Ministers seem to exist in some parallel universe. On Saturday, February 6th, 2011, the largest circulating daily on the island, "The Daily Herald", published an editorial entitled "Time for decisive leadership" in which it decried the sense of drift and absence of leadership by the government. Another civic leader, Mr. Francis Carty in his daily radio program, "Good Morning Mr. Governor" has been consistently pointing out the alarming state of affairs on our island, and the lack of any concrete action by government. On radio talk shows, citizens continuously call in, voicing their support for new elections as many have come to the conclusion that this government cannot govern! Even the Home Alone TV program by Oral Gibbs expressed this very same sentiment on February 17 th, and was duly quoted in the Daily Herald of February 19 th.
Our government is dysfunctional and will not / cannot respond to the demands of the people. It is out of touch, and compromised by campaign contributors! Here follows a summary of some the major reasons why we reject this present government and demand their demission and the holding of new elections.

1. Our government mislead us on the cost of Separate Status
We accuse our government of seriously misleading and tricking us to enter into the disastrous "Country Status". We were lied to and "sold" this Country Status under false pretexts, namely that once we got rid of "evil" Curacao our financial picture would improve dramatically without public ratification. We were promised a land of milk and honey. Now we are told they made a "mistake", and forgot that they had to fund so many new institutions and take on so many more civil servants. We are presented now with a budget deficit of anywhere between 30 to 100 million florins depending on whose figures one believes. Fact is: if we had known that this would result, we would have never been browbeaten into this mal-adventure. We maintain that separate status was fraudulently foisted on us and that the present Parliament and Council of Ministers is populated by those who perpetrated this fraud on us. Allowing them to remain in office amounts to rewarding their malfeasance. If we were to allow the present regime to remain in office without recalling them, we will be inviting Higher Supervision on ourselves. And be most deserving of it! But we know and understand our civic duties, and just like the people of Egypt and Tunisia we will chase this corrupt bunch from office.

2. A de facto leader who will not lead and a de jure leader who cannot!
After the elections, the people found themselves saddled with a Prime Minister, whose party was resoundingly rejected at the polls. The biggest vote getter on the island, who was therefore called to be Prime Minister, abdicates his civic obligation to lead. By proclamation of the electorate the present Prime Minister has been convincingly rejected from leadership. With only two seats in government, there are only two ministers, appointed by her party, over which she cannot exercise any influence. Result: A totally hamstrung leader absorbed in a vacuum of leadership. While it is impossible for her to proclaim good governance, being corrupt by expectations of gratitude for the position that was gifted to her, the "De facto Leader", blatantly labels himself incapable and un-wanting to lead, but instead prefers to call the shots from behind the curtains. No self respecting people should accept this ridiculous state of affairs. We therefore totally reject it.

3. Criminal investigation against leader of the largest fraction in Parliament
We the people of St. Maarten reject a government in which the largest vote getter is under criminal investigation for vote buying. Three police officers gave detailed statements about how this politician gave them each US$300 (a paltry sum which makes it heartbreaking to see how little they are thought of by this politician) in an attempt to buy their vote. This investigation is hanging like a sword over the government and the moment he is arrested we shall have a crisis of globally embarrassing proportions on our hands. That is why it is better that we act now and recall this Parliament instead of waiting for a full blown international disgrace. No self respecting people should accept a government in which the de facto leader is under such a cloud of suspicion.

4. Government which aligns itself against the people who elected it
Member of Parliament Jules James is sitting in Parliament earning the ridiculous sum of US$125.000 per year to represent the people of St. Maarten. At the same time, he is the Managing Director of a company, which practices corporate terrorism against its employees. Coincidently Jules James is appointed the Managing Director of the very same resort who was the biggest political campaign contributor of the UP Party. This same company is now trying its best to destroy the economy. Instead of condemning Mr. Jules James actions, and taking the side of the people, Government has defended him and given all kinds of justifications for this corrupt behavior.

5. One corrupt Minister forced to resign in the first 100 days of office!
Thanks to a vigilant press, a corrupt land swindle by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs was uncovered in which she sought to illegally traffic in government land to the tune of US$3 million. She was forced to resign in disgrace. After being dismissed she still expects to receive taxpayer's salary while obviously having other means of income.

6. A second Minister soon to be forced to resign for gross incompetence
The Minister of Justice has revealed himself to be an incompetent fool who has totally compromised the island's Admissions and Expulsion Law by casually opening the flood gates to all and sundry to live in St. Maarten. Perhaps he does not realize that he is also compromising the Dutch Kingdom because after five years these individuals can apply for a Dutch passport, and move on to live in Holland. The Minister purports to rule by oral decree, creating total chaos and confusion each time he speaks his "oral decrees". Thousands of poor immigrants have been misled by this incompetent Minister and his "oral decrees" to apply for residence permits which he cannot give them as there is no legal basis for him to do so, regardless of what he says. No self respecting people should accept a Minister of Justice who makes a mockery of justice.

7. A third Minister who should tender his own resignation and not wait to be asked to resign
Our present Minister of Finance is a total disaster, and part of the team which mislead us into "Separate Status" based on false figures. For the past ten years or more, this "Minister", a top Civil Servant, in the former Island Territory of St. Maarten, who worked as head of the Finance Department, sat on countless financial task forces, made countless financial projections and studies, consulted with endless financial experts, and travelled far and wide seeking even more advise, but still did not know that St. Maarten could not carry the financial burden that comes along with country status. His present pathetic attempts to balance the budget would be laughable if the situation was not so serious. This gentleman is way in over his head, and utterly clueless. We know that personally he would like nothing more than to sink back into the anonymity of his old civil servant job, as he is becoming desperate. His incompetence is the primary reason why some members of your esteemed Chamber are calling for St. Maarten to be placed under higher supervision. Our recall petition will save you that trouble,

8. We wish to enact a life time ban on Mr. Theodore Heyliger from participating in elected politics on St. Maarten.
This one individual, following in the footsteps of his late grand father, Dr. Claude Wathey, whom you remember well we presume, from causing St. Maarten to earn the title of "Most Corrupt Island in the Kingdom" and a "Den of Thieves" and subsequently earning the dubious honor of being the first and only island in the Kingdom to be ever placed under higher supervision, has totally corrupted the political process on the island. With him running loose, there can be no truly democratic elections. His practice of buying votes for raw cash, has totally undermined our democracy. We fear at what cost people sell their votes to him, because they do not know what he has to deliver to his financial backers. This practice has forced under parties into a desperate race to compete with him in buying votes and has resulting in the total perversion of the democratic process. The people of the island need to be liberated from him and his obscene "money politics".

9. The gang of Politicians who "sold" us "Country Status" under false pretexts, are the same ones who sold us the "Slot Akkoord"
Many of us were shocked when we finally got a chance to read the slot akkoord. The draconian measures agreed to, amounted to a near total give back of the national autonomy. The result of this we now see in the constraints placed on the island by the Financial Supervisory Board (CfT). This disastrous document has to be amended of course in light of our current budgetary woes, and the world wide financial crisis which has even your government facing a multi –billion Euro short fall. That is why we need a recall to elect a new Parliament whose members have the credibility to undertake this task.

We need to allow the country to have a new breed of leadership with uncompromised vision.

Eldridgen van Putten
Social activist, on behalf of the organizers of the petition drive.

Philipsburg:--- Member of Parliament and leader of the National Alliance William Marlin sent a letter to the chairlady of parliament expressing concerns as to how much support staff will be allotted to each faction and the independent member of the parliament of St. Maarten.
Marlin expressed his concerns in a letter to the chairlady prior to the meeting which was held on Monday afternoon. In the letter, Marlin said based on the proposal submitted by the chairlady to allot an equal amount of staff to all factions represented in the Parliament. Including independent member Patrick Illidge, it will be too costly for Parliament.
Marlin said the faction of the National Alliance is of the opinion that the support staff allotted to the various factions should be based on a proportional division; based on the amount of seats won at the polls.
Secondly, the faction of the National Alliance is of the opinion that a clear distinction has to be made between a faction and an independent Member of Parliament. The National Alliance believes that a Faction in Parliament is made up of the persons elected from the respective political parties contesting the elections. In other words, the Factions in the Parliament of St. Maarten are the National Alliance, The UP, and the Democratic Party.

Marlin further explained in his letter and during the meeting on Monday that an independent Member is any member of any of the respective factions, who for whatever reason has decided to resign from that faction. However, the Independent Member cannot claim the same rights and privileges as a Faction, as Factions are only established as a result and consequence of the elections. Any Independent Member should either join an existing Faction, or remain Independent until the next elections. That Member can then either join an existing political party or start his/her own political party Marlin further explained.

An Independent Member did not take part in the elections as a party and did not win any seat(s) as such. If parliament would allow Independent Members the same rights and privileges as elected Factions, this could have serious financial and organizational consequences for the functioning and operations of Parliament. In essence, the possibility would then exist for Parliament to be made up of 15 different factions, 15 faction leaders and no less than 30 support staff. Marlin said
Marlin also made two proposals to the chairlady on how to allot support staff.

1. Base the allotting of faction support staff on a system of proportional representation. The more Members in the faction, the more support staff is allotted to the faction.
2. Do not grant the same rights and privileges of Factions to Independent Members.

The meeting has been adjourned until Wednesday where a decision will be taken on the amount of staff members that will be allotted to each faction.

In the meantime, SMN News learnt that members of the United Peoples Party are enraged at the chairlady's idea to grant Illidge two support staff, the same amount that will be granted to the UP and NA factions. Sources say that parliament does not have its budget in place which will guarantee the amount of staff for parliament. Another concern for some of the members of parliament is the benefits that will be granted to parliamentarians and the phone bills that are soon to be paid. The source said some of the members of parliament representing the majority are thinking to vote against the proposals put forward by the chairlady if the budget is not in place.

The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), for the first time ever, is offering season passes for Carnival. Launched on Monday, the passes will allow entrance to every show in Carnival Village, local as well as international, for one flat, discounted price of US $105.
The introduction of season passes for Carnival 2011 also comes with its own slogan: "Jump 'n Jive, It's Only 105", a brand that will be used to drive the awareness of the availability of the passes in the weeks leading up to the official opening of Carnival on Monday, April 25. The SCDF will open the registration and sale of the passes this Saturday, February 26.
The sale of the passes will cease on April 16. Interested persons can visit the SCDF office at the St. Maarten Festival Village to register and make payment for their season pass between 10:00am and 2:00pm as of Saturday. Persons are asked to bring along identification and two passport sized pictures when registering. The pictured pass will be made and presented to the purchaser soon thereafter.
President of the SCDF Stuart Johnson explained that the benefits of season passes are not only financial for the purchaser but for convenience as well. "Purchasing a Carnival season pass will save you about US $40 per individual. It will also spare you having to stand in line to purchase a ticket at the Village or having to seek out ticket outlets to purchase your ticket for any show," he said. "Once you purchase that pass from early, you save and you will have more finances available when Carnival rolls around to support the booth holders and other activities. So there are lots of benefits to purchasing a season pass," he added. Johnson said the board of the SCDF decided to introduce season passes after "Carnival lovers have been urging us for years to introduce the pass." He said negotiations with the international concert promoters went well and is very pleased that they have decided to work with the SCDF in offering the passes.
There are three local shows and three international shows in Carnival Village this year. The Miss St. Maarten Senior Carnival Queen Pageant, Youth Extravaganza and Senior Calypso Finals are the local shows. The international concert line-up consists of a Reggae/R&B concert, a Latin/Zouk concert and the One Love Soca Xplosion concert. The SCDF will be hosting a press conference on Thursday, February 24, with the promoters of these concerts to announce who the featured international artists will be.

Great Bay:--- Students and parents of students who will be going to further their studies in The Netherlands this summer have been invited to an information session organized by the St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4). The information session will be held on Monday, February 28th, 2011 at the PMIA Hall on Backstreet.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports & Youth Affairs, the purpose of these sessions is to inform the prospective students and their parents on what they can expect when they go to study in The Netherlands and how S4 can assist in making the transition as smooth as possible.
Topics to be discussed at the session, which will be addressed by the Minister of Education, Rhoda Arrindell, include "Student insurance, housing and Study Financing," "Schools and the possible implication for Study Financing," "The Dutch language and how to adapt to the Dutch society," and "How S4 can help you and your child."
A separate information session will be held for the students on March 1, 2011 from 5:00PM to 7:00PM at the same venue.
The VOBAS consists of a series of preparatory sessions provided on St. Martin twice a year by St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4).

As news broke that Delta's Service stations throughout the region would be competing for the prestigious "We Comply" Delta's Petroleum 25th Anniversary Awards, the enthusiasm, determination and motivation has hit an all time high, with almost every service station expressing confidence of being the winner.
The inaugural award is being launched under the auspices of the Regional General Manger and will be presented later this year to a Delta Service Station that will be judged as the winner. Sylvester said that the service stations are being judged in the areas of Customer Service, Cleanliness and Branding.
"We believe that in an effort to effectively reward the service stations that these three areas are key factors in evaluating and determining the winner," he said. He disclosed that he visited the Virgin Gorda service station with a delegation of senior management as well as conducted various outreach visits to customers and clients.
He also shared that the outreach visits are designed to enhance customer relations, while seeking to forge longer and better relationships with both customers and staff. Sylvester stressed that maintaining a good working relationship with customers continues to be one of his company's priorities.
"It is my intention to continue visiting our customers regardless of their size or the amount of business. We see each customer as a significant value to the continued success of Delta Petroleum," he noted.
In explaining one of his latest outreach visits, Sylvester stated that last Friday, one such visit was undertaken. He was accompanied by the company's Regional Organisation Manager, Ms. Chaunci Cline and Senior Accountant Andrew Vasconcellos. The delegation met with a number of its customers in an effort to ascertain and explore strengthening and deepening the partnership.
"It was very successful as we met with a number of our clients and also sought to ensure that we can better understand their needs as to help us in better serving them," he said. The RGM pointed out that while in Virgin Gorda they visited Customers at the various locations such as Limerick Bay, Bitter End and Saba Rock.
"The visits were fruitful as we were able to accomplish a number of things to continue in our efforts of providing quality service and very affordable prices," he said.

Philipsburg:--- The St. Maarten Christian Council has launched for the first time ever in St. Maarten, a phenomenon known in other parts of the world, a National Prayer Breakfast. The event will host government officials, labour, business, the press, youth and clergy. Members of the Seven Day Adventist and the St. Maarten United Ministerial Foundation will also be in attendance as well as government officials and labour and business from the French part of the island.
The main purpose of this National Prayer Breakfast, which is scheduled for March 3rd 2011 at the Maho Convention Center, is to bring together religious, political, business and social leaders for prayer in the Spirit of love and compassion that characterized Jesus Christ.
Rev. Dr. Burchell Taylor, pre-eminent preacher, teacher, scholar, and advocate for social justice, will speak at the St. Maarten / St. Martin Christian Council National Prayer Breakfast scheduled at 8:00 A.M. on Thursday, March 3, at the MAHO Convention Center.
Dr. Taylor has been the pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Kingston, Jamaica, since 1970. He is in high demand as a participant in seminars and conferences, and presents papers and leads studies all over the world.
Taylor has twice served as president of the Jamaica Baptist Union, was the Baptist chaplain to the University of the West Indies, and has been a member of the Baptist World Alliance Commission on Ethics and Communication, and a member of the Jamaica Council of Churches. He lectures part-time at the United Theological College.
In 2000, Taylor was awarded Jamaica's Order of Distinction, Commander Class, for eminence in the field of Theology.
Dr. Taylor's two latest publications, namely "Saying No to Babylon" that contains reflections on the book of Daniel and "In God's Presence" that contains reflections on the 23rd Psalm, are loved by many and give much knowledge for the times we are in now.

Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams said on Wednesday said that the Brooks Tower Project which was established by the former Minister of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles created a number of complications which need to be rectified. Wescot Williams said application and the implications of the BTA has government concerned. The Prime Minister said government has decided that they will look at all the implications the BTA application has caused when it comes to providing services such as education, health care, and housing.
The Prime Minister further explained that the current coalition government is very much concerned about the introduction of the BTA and they are looking forward to an overview on the implications now that the BTA is completed. Wescot Williams said the entire process of the working and residency permits has to be worked out since there are many implications when dealing with this particular issue.
Asked about government's intention to increase the processing fees for foreign labour permits and what would be the new amount, the Prime Minister said that the new fees have not yet been established. Asked if she thought it was fair to place the burden of the budget constraints on the working class, Wescot Williams said no determination has been made as to who has to bear the cost of the services government has to provide to those persons who are working and residing on St. Maarten.
The Prime Minister said that no one would express gladness when they are asked to pay extra fees but one must not underestimate the cost of the services government is required to provide. She said government has looked at its budget and there is a high cost towards education, public health and housing due to expatriate labour on St. Maarten.

Philipsburg/Marigot:--- Motorbike riders, cyclers, friends and family of Jean Claude Benjamin turned out in large numbers on Thursday to pay their last respects to their fallen friend and colleague who died in a motorbike accident last week. The riders dressed in their full gear and gathered at the Royal Funeral Home just before 11am when the motorcade was scheduled to take off.
The motorcade passed through Philipsburg, Bush Road and Cole Bay before heading to the Salle Omni Sports Auditorium where the home going ceremony was held. Pastor Hodge performed the last rights for the bereaved family. The late Jean Claude Benjamin leaves a legacy for his friends and colleagues in the cycle and motorbike racing sports. The rider known as "66" leaves to mourn his three children and other close relatives.

Click here to view more photos of the Home Going Ceremony.

Philipsburg:--- Press prosecutor Rienk Mud is soon to leave St. Maarten and to return to Alkmaar in the Netherlands where he will continue his practice. Mud will step down as the press prosecutor on March 9th but will leave the island on March 22. His departure comes as his term on the St. Maarten has come to an end says Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos.
The Chief Prosecutor told representatives of the media on Friday that the workload on St. Maarten is far too much for his office as well as for the police force which he said is greatly understaffed. The police force he said has 80 persons less than the minimum amount of manpower needed. "Right now the prosecutors here do everything, from filing to preparing their cases. We do not even have paralegals that can assist us." Mos said.
Even though the police force is greatly undermanned, recruitment has come to a halt due to the lack of finances. The intention is to have 375 police officers. Mos said while there have been budget cuts across the board, however, the budget for his office was not touched. That, he said is a good thing since there is much work that has to be done from his office. One of the setbacks for the police and the prosecutor's office is to acquire the much needed staff. Mos said getting people to work in the public sector is far more difficult since benefits in the private sector are more attractive.
The chief prosecutor said getting people with a legal background to work for the prosecutor's office is even more tedious and they are forced to bring in the necessary manpower from the Netherlands. He said the intention is to train local people to take up these positions but the University on St. Martin is not yet at the level where law degrees can be obtained forcing persons who want to study law to go away and when they do, they often times don't return.
The Chief Prosecutor said he believes that some sort of attachment has to be placed on persons who receive a scholarship from their country. "My private opinion is that the students after completing their studies must come back for at least two years to serve the country that provided them with an education."
The prosecutor's office he said will get some additional persons by the end of this year. The intention he said is to have at least 14 persons by the end of 2011 and eventually 19 in the future as stipulated in the strategic plan for country St. Maarten. One of the hindrances facing the prosecutor's office is the lack of victim's aid. St. Maarten does not have any victim's aid and it is a very important service which they have to offer to victims.
Mos said victims have the right to demand representation by law if they feel that prosecution should take place. Mos said in the Netherlands victims can go before a judge and file a complaint which would force the prosecutor's office to prosecute.
Mos and Mud said St. Maarten desperately needs to have certain laws in place which would give victims a better chance at getting justice. They said currently there is no clear cut law on the books for them to prosecute people for "modern day slavery" that he said is not in the penal code of the Netherlands Antilles but it is in the draft penal code of Country St. Maarten which still has to be approved by the parliament of St. Maarten.

John Ruskin said "A book worth reading is worth buying",
Thus being said come out on Saturday March 5th from 10 am to 1pm the Philipsburg Jubilee library will be having the largest book sale on the island.
The best used books in both Dutch and English will be on sale.
Children, Teenagers, and Adults can come in and buy hardcovers for Naf 1.00, Paper backs Naf 0.50, Magazines for Naf 0.25 and Videos for Naf 1.80. One can also buy 15 books for Naf 17.75
Now to avoid the rush please come on time. The early bird gets the best books, walk with your boxes and your biodegradable bags for all the books you can read.

Philipsburg:--- Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) president Claire Elshot has rebuked the Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell on the statements she made to the media on Monday afternoon. Elshot said the Minister told the media that she had invited the WITU to the retreat held on Friday but that she said is far from the truth. Elshot said the Minister verbally informed the union about the retreat which she learnt about via the media and had promised to officially invite the union but that invitation was never received.
Elshot said in reaction to the Minister's statement on the "no work, no pay policy," the unions invited Attorney at law Shaira Bommel to inform the teachers and civil servants about their rights based on the ILO and the labour laws of St. Maarten during their meetings on Tuesday at the Great Bay Sports Auditorium. Elshot explained that the "no work, no pay policy" was created for ghost civil servants and the Minister cannot implement that on teachers who are fighting for their rights. The WITU president said the ILO is clear and the workers have a right to assemble peacefully during their working hours.
Furthermore, she said implementing such a policy would send the wrong message to the teachers and civil servants during black history month.
Elshot said the unions are the ones who placed the Minister where she is today and they are ready to remove her if it is deemed necessary. Asked if the unions had informed the Minister about their grievances Elshot said Minister Arrindell is not the Minister of Finance and they did inform her about the scaling policy. She said the Minister even invited the head of DERPI Patricia Laurens to explain the unions about the teaching scales. Elshot said the Minister told them that she has intensions of singing a song about the amount of cuts that were made in her Ministry but at no time she indicated to the union that government had taken a decision to put aside the decision taken in July last year on the cost of living allowances and to cut the teachers benefits to balance the budget.
A meeting is scheduled with the various unions and the Council of Ministers at 2pm on Tuesday where they will be discussing a proposal that was prepared by a sub-committee of the unions.
SMN News learnt that the teachers will not be accepting the proposal sent by Finance Minister Hiro Shigemoto where he said goverment will accept the proposal of the unions to pay retroactively to January 2011. The Minister in his proposal said government cannot make the payments until July 1 2011 due to budget constraints.
We urge our readers to listen to the audio interview given by President of the WITU Claire Elshot.

WHAT: The second “Arts in the Plaza” festival at the picturesque Porto Cupecoy, a Mediterranean-inspired waterfront village and marina, brought 700 locals and visitors together to rejoice the great works of visual, musical and performing arts by extraordinary artists from St Martin, the Caribbean and the world.

WHO: Notable attendees included: St. Maartener Nicole de Weever, currently performing on the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, “FELA,” and Kenneth Serrant, youth leader in St Maarten.

WHERE: Porto Cupecoy

               Dutch Lowlands, St Maarten

WHEN: January 26, 2011

Philipsburg:--- The three unions that have been meeting with their members over the past week to discuss and contest the cost of living allowances have reached an agreement with the Council of Ministers on Tuesday confirmed President of the Windward Islands Civil Servants Unions William Reed. Reed said government agreed to pay the civil servants and teachers their 3.3% cost of living allowances by July 2011 retroactively to January 2011. The WICSC president said the other proposals they brought to government could not be accepted because of the budgetary constraints government is facing with the 2011 budget which is yet to be approved by the CFT.

Reed said civil servants will not be penalized with the no work no pay policy as the Minister of Personnel Affairs agreed to waive the penalty against those civil servants who met with their unions during working hours.

However, the teachers on St. Maarten are yet to know their fate as to if they will be punished for demanding they be paid what is due to them based on a promise by government last year. Reed said the President of the WITU Claire Elshot entered into a heated debate with the Minister of Education who was part of the meeting on Tuesday. The WICSU president said the Minister of Education said she already met with the school boards and agreed with them that the no work no pay policy will be implemented for those teachers who did not show up for work. At the end of the discussions Reed said the Minister has agreed to go back to the school board and to dialogue with them to see if they too would exempt the teachers from the no work no pay policy. Reed said a follow up meeting would have to take place sometime this week or next week so that an amicable solution is found. Reed, however, warned that the other two unions will not abandon their brothers and sisters in the teaching industry as they fight for their rights.

SMN News learnt that the teachers on the other hand are angry with the unions for signing the agreement prior to consulting with them for ratification.

Teachers are expected to return to the classroom on Wednesday.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Rhoda Arrindell brings clarity to why she excused herself from a class she was teaching at the University of Saint Martin prior to becoming Minister.
A number of teachers accused the Minister of abandoning them when she allegedly could not get what she wanted from the board of the University of St. Martin. Arrindell they said fought for her rights over the years and she is one who encouraged young St. Maarteners to be the Rosa Parks of their community.
The teachers were reacting to the Ministers statements when she said that she along with the school boards will apply the no work, no pay policy on the teachers who did not show up for work.
Asked by SMN News if she ever abandoned a group of teachers while she was teaching at USM, Minister Arrindell said the board of the USM chose to replace her and she had no choice but to excuse herself.
Below is the audio of Minister Arrindell giving a full explanation on the situation back then.

Philipsburg:--- The prosecutor's office released Brooks Tower Accord Extension 2 project coordinator Evelyn Hodge at 5pm on Friday. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said Hodge still remains a suspect as the investigation continues. The Chief Prosecutor further explained that it is not possible to say if Hodge will be prosecuted at this time, a decision he said will be taken when the investigation is completed.
Attorney at law Cor Merx rushed to the Pointe Blanche Prison and picked up his client when he was notified that she was released from pre-trial detention on Friday afternoon. However, Hodge must remain at the disposal of the prosecutor's office and the detectives in case she is needed for further questioning.
A smiling and reduced Evelyn Hodge walked side by side with her attorney Cor Merx as they entered the Chesterfields restaurant where they met a few friends and her former boss former Lt. Governor of St. Maarten Denis Richardson.
Hodge told reporters that just a few days ago her arrest and detention began getting to her causing her to become somewhat depressed. She said on Friday morning she was crying in prison as she asked herself why she was still behind bars. Hodge said she is happy that she was released from prison and among family and friends. She said despite the circumstances she will try hard to move on with her life. Hodge said it is always good to have special people and friends who would jump to your rescue in your time of need. "If it was not for Denis Richardson and Cor Merx and a handful of other people I would not have made it. My arrest was a shock to me and when I spoke to my daughter and she told me about the negative blogs, it got to me. My daughter is studying abroad and this can affect her studies. I even started to cry when I spoke to my daughter and she told me to stop and be strong because she was not crying." Hodge said during the time she was incarcerated she was treated well by all the investigating officers namely the Marachausee, RST and local detectives while she was treated excellently at the Pointe Blanche Prison. She said from the day she was arrested she was taken to the Pointe Blanche prison to sleep on a decent bunk bed.
She said the two cell mates that were with her began beating pans and rejoicing when the prosecutor's office decided to release her.
Merx said it is not always easy or necessary to get people out of police custody immediately. He said he had to count on his 25 years of experience as a former prosecutor and now defence lawyer. "Immediate release is not always the best thing to do. I spoke to the public prosecutor on Friday because I was kind of angry when I learnt my client was the one organizing the files for the detectives. Three of the five times my client was interrogated they asked her how does the Brooks Tower works, which lead me to ask who is leading the investigation." Merx said at that point he requested the prosecutor's office release his client while she will be available to assist them with the investigation. He said prosecutor Rienk Mud was willing to listen to his arguments, Mud he said told him that they still have some issues and that by 5pm on Friday he will return his call. Merx said Mud lived up to his promise and when he called him at 5pm it was to inform him that his client was released and that he could go to the prison to pick her up. Merx said while the investigation is ongoing there is comes a point when the prosecutors and detectives do not need to keep the suspect behind bars. He said there are several cases where people were arrested and shortly after they were released. Furthermore, "I am happy to know that we have prosecutors who are willing to listen and most importantly when they are not afraid to arrest people and release them when they have to. My client will assist them to the best of her ability to put the person responsible for this scandal behind bars for a long time."
Merx further explained that his client has her 91 year old mother who is worried about her daughter while she also has a 24 year old daughter who is studying in Tallahassee. Hodge he said will sleep well this weekend in her own bed and most importantly she will begin eating again.
Merx said his client was a suspect in human smuggling and forgery and he can say now that the human smuggling charge is out of the equation. He said he discussed the charge with the public prosecutor and he informed them that human smuggling is when you purposely bring people into the island and the suspects receive a benefit. In the case of the BTA no one was brought in by any of the suspects. Merx said he advised his client to fully cooperate with the investigators especially knowing that she did nothing with wrong intentions.
Merx said while there is press freedom on St. Maarten, he is not pleased with the Today Newspaper who chose to blast his client's photograph on the front page of their newspaper the day she was arrested. He also considered the night editor or reporter to be irresponsible for the editorial they wrote about Hodge. He said the paper wrote in their editorial that his client was grabbing monies from poor people all of which is for nought. He said someone stole some documents from Hodge's desk to make money and the Today Newspaper he said blamed his client for something that cannot be proven.
Former Lt. Governor Denis Richardson who was with Hodge and Merx shortly after she was released said Evelyn Hodge worked for him for six years as his secretary when he was the Lt. Governor of St. Maarten. He said when he heard that Evelyn Hodge was arrested for committing crimes while executing her duties at the BTA office he could not believe that Evelyn would be involved in any such thing of that nature because for the six years she worked for him she never did anything inappropriate. Hodge he said has always been attentive and helpful to the citizens of St. Maarten who needed help from the Governor's office. Hodge assisted people when they needed assistance in processing their residency permits but never in anyway inappropriate or illegal. "To be honest with you I could not believe she had done anything wrong and to this day I still don't believe she has done anything wrong." Richardson said.

Great Bay (GIS):--- The Civil Registry Department is inviting the Sint Maarten Haitian community to its information session planned for Wednesday, February 9 in Cole Bay.

The information session will be held at the Salvation Army building in Cole Bay from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.

It is a continuation of information sessions that the department started last year. Two sessions were held last week for the communities of Belvedere and St. Peters.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions about the services that the department offers along with the procedures that must be followed related to the various mandatory services that the department executes.

Persons who need additional information can contact the Civil Registry Department at 542-2457.

Philipsburg:--- Police arrested three females, two of which are from St. Maarten as they attempted to smuggle drugs (marijuana) into the Pointe Blanche Prison facility on Sunday. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson identified the suspects as E.D.C. from the Dominican Republic, S.U.N.G and K.J.P from St. Maarten. Henson said when the detectives reached the scene the commander on duty told them that the three women went to the prison to visit prisoners and they were found to have marijuana in their possession when they were searched. Henson said three separate packs of marijuana were found and confiscated. The three were arrested pending further investigation.

Two Detained for Stabbing at the Alley Night Club.
In the meantime, the police also arrested two persons who were involved in the stabbing incident that took place in the vicinity of the Alley Night Club in Simpson Bay.
Henson said the stabbing has left a local resident identified as S. D severely injured when she was attacked during the early morning hours on Wednesday February2 2011. Both suspects are from Jamaica and they have been identified as S.T.B and L.T.H. The two will remain in custody as the investigation continues.

Man robbed of belongings.
In an unrelated case, a man identified as R.P from Guyana filed an official report with the detectives department stating that while on his way home on Bunny Cactus Drive in Sucker Garden he was attacked and robbed of his monies and jewellery. The victim told police that one of the suspects stuck an object that felt like a gun in his side and told him to stand still. At the same time, another suspect pulled his gold chain from his neck and took his wallet out of his pocket. After committing their act the suspects ran away.

Philipsburg:--- The board of the Christian Kingdom Cooperative (CKC) headed by Franklin Brison is no longer authorized to represent CKC advised the court appointed trustee Jeroen Veen from Lexwell Law firm.
SMN News learnt that Veen also informed the board of CKC via email on Monday that he will not be attending the parliamentary hearing called by the members of the United Peoples Party and the Democratic Party as the trustee has not received any summons by parliament to attend the meeting. Veen also advised Brison that the parliament of St. Maarten should have known the company was declared bankrupt and when such proceedings is underway the boards or executive body of entity can no longer represent the company.
It should be noted that this is the first meeting members of parliament supporting government have called. The request for the meeting was signed by parliamentarians Romain Laville, Patrick Illidge and Roy Marlin.
SMN News learnt that Brison took the letter he received from parliament to the trustee, while he also sent an email to the trustee informing him of a phone call he received from the secretary general of parliament about the meeting.
Parliament requested a meeting to hear from the board of the Christian Kingdom Cooperative (CKC) when the Central Bank filed for bankruptcy on behalf of CKC. CKC also filed a counter suit against Central Bank for the lack of an insurance policy to protect the investors.
It also appears that parliament has overstepped its authority when they decided to call CKC a private entity to parliament without establishing a committee to investigate the entity or establishment they intend to question.

Philipsburg:--- The workers of Pelican Resort celebrated their victory verdict by thanking, singing and praising God at the WIFOL building shortly after the verdict was delivered to them at the Court of First Instance on Tuesday morning. The workers also thanked their legal representatives Martin Le Poole, Wim van Sambeek and their union.
Shortly after receiving the decision, the workers then began celebrating as they sang and danced their weeks of stress away. A huge music set, food and drinks were also available for those that rejoiced with the workers over their victory against Royal Resorts and its scheme of companies.

In the meantime, the defence is in the process of filing an appeal, since they are not in agreement with the verdict as there are statements that are incorrect and cannot be substantiated by the Judge. Attorney at law Jairo Bloem said the consequences of this verdict will cause serious consequences for SBRMC and the owners of the companies are busy looking at the consequences this can cause before moving forward.
Attorney at law Martin Le Poole and Wim van Sambeek along with the President of the WIFOL Theophlius Thompson met with the workers at the WIFOL head office shortly after receiving the verdict where they updated and translated the verdict handed down by the court of first instance on Tuesday. The judge ruled that the new company Simpson Bay Resort Management Company BV is legally responsible for the workers and they have to pay the workers even though the court did not force the company to allow the workers on their property. The judge ruled that the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company and Royal Resorts Management Company Limited are indeed one company and the owners of Pelican tried to misuse the system by creating two companies to show there is an identity difference. Therefore article 32 and 34 of the Collective Labour Agreement between Royal Resorts and the WIFOL is applicable to SBRMC.
Furthermore, the only reason these companies were created were to get rid of the Tenants Association who are considered to be a nuisance and the employees who worked for years at the Pelican Resort, based on these grounds the court ruled that Royal Resorts or SBRMC is misusing their identity as such they must be regarded as one. Attorney at Law Martin Le Poole said he finds it remarkable that the judge saw exactly what he saw and presented to the court during the hearing last week. "The only reason these two new companies were created was to rob these workers and the Tenants Association" Le Poole told SMN News.
The court however, rejected the request of the $10,000 damages by WIFOL claiming that the proceedings held last week was a summary proceeding.
Judge Thierry saw through the cleverness of the companies and persons behind the scheme at Royal Resorts when the same persons who were managing the resort for years now created a host of other companies to get rid of the workers as they did with the Tenants Association. Those behind the alleged scheme are Senator Jules James, Sutton and Gamboa.
The judge, looked through the maze of the fronting companies and ruled that since the same individuals controlled the companies prior to the auction were the same in control after considered it to be the same entity and as such they are legally bound to honour the CLA with WIFOL.
The judge characterized the machinations at Pelican as abuse of corporate identity that should not be honoured by the court. The objective of the restructuring was to deprive the workers of a livelihood and income the judge stated. The sanction for this abuse was to rule that the new companies were one and the same as the old companies. The judge also threw the timeshare owners a life line should they seek legal remedies for the auction on December 16, by ruling that the restructuring had only one result; the end of the Tenants Association's influence.
Le Poole said he is confident with the judgement which will be used when the mediator and Pelican decides to begin negotiations again.
Several of the workers were happy when they saw parliamentarian Romaine Laville whom they said openly supported them during their struggle. The workers said that Laville faced severe prosecution from his other colleagues supporting the Unite Peoples Party, yet he maintained his feelings and supported them throughout their ordeal.
One worker said Laville was called in by the leader of the United Peoples Party Theo Heyliger who called him to order claiming he was going outside of party lines when he expressed support for the Pelican workers, knowing that Senator Jules James from the UP slate is highly involved in the Pelican saga.
Laville told reporters on the scene that everyone can take example from the verdict rendered for Pelican workers. Laville said the verdict sets precedence because it can be considered as a landmark and or historical for workers rights. Laville said he could not give an indebt definition as to what he intends to do with the legislation to protect workers but said that they are busy working on new legislations. Laville stressed that the legislations will have to be revamped to make sure that workers are not mistreated.
Also among the workers as they celebrate were Members of Parliament Frans Richardson, William Marlin and former labour commissioner and senator Hyacinth Richardson. Senator Frans Richardson said the Pelican victory is not only a victory for the Pelican workers but one for the people of St. Maarten and it also shows that the judicial system is still working. Senator Richardson said St. Maarten has a major issue of abuse in the work force especially when it comes to the short term contracts. He said there are some companies who would give their workers as much as 12 labour contracts while the law states that a maximum of three short term contracts can be issued. Richardson said government has to play their role especially the labour department where controls must be conducted to prevent further abuse.
Richardson said the National Alliance faction will be calling a number of stakeholders to discuss to the labour situation and the abuse of the short term contracts.
Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin in his reaction to the verdict congratulated the WIFOL and the Pelican workers. Marlin said when he met with the Pelican workers he told them to stick together while sticking to the legal advice of their legal advisor. Marlin said during the parliament meeting he also pointed out article 34 in the Collective Labour Agreement of Pelican and WIFOL which clearly stated that the new owners or company is legally responsible for them. Marlin said another point he raised was that the workers were continually being paid which means someone was paying them on behalf of the new owners.
He said it is important that the court has ruled favour of them which to him is a victory for the working class on St. Maarten. Marlin said for years now there are too many injustices in the workforce and workers are no longer considered as partners in business but they are treated as tools. The senator said even tools are given more appreciation than workers. He said his faction will be doing what is necessary to get rid of the short term contracts that are abused by businesses on St. Maarten.

Verdict Delivered by the Court of First Instance

Philipsburg:--- Several dignitaries representing the Parliament of St. Maarten, the Council of Ministers and the Governor of Curacao Fritz Goederag were among the large crowd of people who paid their last respects to the Governor of St. Maarten drs. Eugene Holiday whose mother was laid to rest on Friday.
The funeral (thanksgiving service) for the late Leonie Cassandra Holiday Marsham was held at the Methodist Church on Front Street.
Her daughter Glenderlin Davis-Holiday described her mother as a disciplinarian and one that did everything to make sure her seven children took their education seriously. Davis-Holiday said besides that her mother was a staunch Christian and one who contributed heavily in community services.

Sandy Ground:--- A 16 year old student of a school on the Dutch side of the island identified only as Rick is now in police custody for stabbing his step father to death on Saturday evening. Unconfirmed reports state that the young lad went to the defence of his mother who was being abused by her reputed husband at the time of the incident.
Neighbours in Sandy Ground told SMN News that the family is a troubled family and that the victim who is from Dominica was always in the habit of beating the boy's mother. One neighbour said the woman has four small children who witnessed the disaster on Saturday evening when the stabbing took place. The neighbours said a commotion was going on inside the house when the lad stabbed the victim they called "Laman" inside the house. "When he stabbed the man, he came outside and called the neighbours to see how his stepfather was lying in a pool of blood but no one entered the house. The gendarmes and the ambulance were called but the victim died on the porch as he was being given first aid treatment."
It is also reported that the family always had problems and the gendarmes were called on a number of times to the home where the slaying took place.
The 16 year old suspect who is currently in police custody it is understood is a native of Jamaica.
When SMN News visited the residence on Lady Fish Road on Sunday morning the apartment where the killing took place was locked and the entire family was taken into custody by the gendarmes who are currently investigating.
A press release from the gendarmes describes the gruesome killing as a family drama. The release states that the stabbing took place around 7:30pm which left the man dead while the suspect is assisting in the ongoing investigation.

Philipsburg:--- The Detective department has reported that since January of 2011, 15 armed robbery cases which took place on different locations on the island and which were given priority to be investigated by the Special Robbery Unit, has lead to the arrest of 6 suspects. As a result of these arrests 40 % of the total amount of armed robberies committed during the beginning of January to this date has been solved.

Also the newly established Home Invasion Team has been very successful investigating numerous break-ins in areas such as Sucker Garden, Simpson Bay, Low Lands and Sint Peters. From December 2010 to this date a total of 10 suspects have been arrested in these break-ins. A total of 16 break-ins were solved. However, the amount of break-ins committed by this group is probably much higher. A 30% increase in cases solved is the result of the investigations done in comparison with December of 2010.
Jewelry and electrical appliances that were confiscated were given back to their rightful owners.

The investigations done by the Special Robbery Unit and Home Invasion Team will continue and many more arrests are expected within short.

Philipsburg:--- Police arrested the owners of Personalized Creations Joanne and Neville Forde who are accused of swindling the I Can Foundation and USONA the sum of Naf.400,000.00.
Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed that two suspects were arrested on Friday as police intensifies its investigation into the fraud committed by the couple who operates Personalized Creations.
On January 29th, SMN News broke a story when Cassandra Gibbs of I Can Foundation told us that she was forced to file an official complaint with the detective department against her former officer manager. Joanne Forde a former convict was placed at the I Can Foundation to execute her community services but somehow she managed to convince Gibbs that she had turned her life around. Cassandra Gibbs said she gave the woman a second chance when she hired her as the office manager of the foster home but two years later Forde struck her when she used I Can Foundation's stamps and other documents to convince BAK that Personalized Creations had obtained the documents from I Can Foundation. Documents such as the list of items that would be needed to furnish the foster home which is funded by the harbour buy back shares through USONA.
According to Cassandra Gibbs, the BAK who is responsible for executing the project did not conduct proper controls when they awarded the bid to Personalized Creations neither did they do any controls at the home to see if the furniture was delivered when the monies were paid out.

Philipsburg:--- On Wednesday February 16th between 09:00am and 12.00 pm students from the Martin Luther King School and the M.A.C.-School (Browlia F. Maillard Campus) totalling approximately 150 visited the Philipsburg Police Station for a excursion. At the Police station the students met with the Police Public Relation and Communications Officer Inspector Ricardo Henson. A tour of the facilities was given by Major Felix Richards and an explanation on what takes place in the police station on a daily basis was given. Major Richards who is one of the certified dog handlers for the police department gave a short presentation with his K-9. The students, teachers and parents who took part in the excursion, were quite impressed and thankful for the presentation.

Philipsburg:--- Two of the remaining suspects in the Brooks Tower 2 investigation have been ordered released by the judge of instruction confirmed Prosecutor Rienk Mud. Mud said the release was granted for Josianne Cannegieter and Josianne Emanuel on personal grounds. Mud did not elaborate on what the personal grounds were but confirmed that health is one of them.
Mud said both women remain suspects in the ongoing investigation and a decision and date as to when the suspects will have to appear in court has not yet been determined.
In the meantime, Marina Serrant the driver of the Minister of Justice remains in police custody as the investigations continue. Serrant was arrested on Tuesday February 15th 2011, exactly one year after she was fired from the Voluntary Korps. Serrant was fired on February 15 2010 after it was determined that she extorted $1000.00 from a prisoner while he was in a Philipsburg Police holding cell.

The St. Maarten Lions Club will be hosting on Saturday, February 19th the second vice president of the Lions International organization, Mr. Wayne Madden and his wife Linda Madden who will visit St. Maarten for one day. They will arrive on the cruise ship Carnival Victory.

Mr. Madden is on a Caribbean working tour and St. Maarten is his last stop after visiting St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts.

According to Past District Governor Maxime Larmonie, "for the St. Maarten Lions Club and for St. Maarten as a country, it is quite an honor to have such a high ranking Lion visiting us. It is in fact the first time that this will happen. His visit will certainly contribute to placing St. Maarten higher on the International map in terms of Lionism and more importantly as a tourist destination".

Lion Wayne Madden, of Auburn, Indiana, USA, was elected to serve as second vice president of The International Association of Lions Clubs at the association's 93rd International Convention, held in Sydney, Australia, June 28 to July 2, 2010.

A member of the Auburn Lions Club since 1984, Vice President Madden has held many offices within the association, including club president, zone chairperson, region chairperson, state council chairperson and district governor. In addition, he is a past president of the Indiana Lions Foundation. He served as a District Governor-elect Seminar faculty member five times and as Campaign SightFirst II sector coordinator for Multiple District 25.

In recognition of his service to the association, Vice President Madden has received many awards, including the 100% Club President Award, Life Membership in the Association, the Senior Master Key Award, four Extension Awards, an International President's Leadership Medal, eight International President's Medals and the Ambassador of Good Will Award, the highest honor the association bestows upon its members. He is a Charter W.P. Woods Fellow, a Kentucky Colonel, a Duke of Paducah, a Helen Keller Fellow and a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow.

In 2008, he was recognized for his humanitarian service by the governor of Indiana as a Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor the governor can bestow.

The St. Maarten Lions Club will be hosting Lion Wayne Madden at a meeting and luncheon at the Divi Little Bay Resort along with a tour of the Lions Den and Dutch & French St. Maarten.

Philipsburg:--- The detective department is busy investigating yet another case of modern day slavery of a woman who hails from India. According to information reaching SMN News, the woman escaped from the residency where she was held and went to the police for assistance.
Press prosecutor Rienk Mud confirmed that a case of modern day slavery is being investigated but Mud said he did not have much information on the case which he could have shared with the media.
The woman it is understood was brought in from India sometime last year by a family in St. Johns who took away her passport and promised to pay her $200 per month but up to the time she escaped she was not paid any money. SMN News learnt that neighbours in the area of St. Johns assisted the woman in escaping and contacting the police.

Marigot:--- Last Sunday, an audience of about 200 people “from all walks of life” came to the amphitheater at the Waterfront for the launch of The Frock & Other Poems by the late Laurelle “Yaya” Richards, said Minerva Dormoy, head of the Arts & Culture Department of the Collectivity.

The book party was the high point of the opening program for the UNESCO International Mother Language Day. The two-day program ended on February 21 with an “exciting discussion” on SOS 95.9 FM about St. Martin’s language and culture, said Dormoy. The discussants were political scientist Joe Lake, Jr. and USM lecturer Alex Richards.

The Collectivity president Frantz Gumbs opened the book party program. One of the two short videos shown about Yaya and her work featured Daily Herald “Artist of the year” Ruby Bute rendering and discussing a painting of the late folklorist.

The “St. Martin English” was celebrated in the blessing by Pastor Eugene Hodge, poems by Leon Noel and Fabien Richards, the skit by Lucita Richards and Thierry Gombs, and the literary and language analysis by Alex Richards, said Dormoy,

Melissa Fleming read the book’s title poem while Priscille, the author’s sister, modeled the popular frock that Yaya wore during her public appearances before she passed away on May 26, 2010.

Councilor Louis Jeffry, Jr. gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the territory’s government. The Arts & Culture Department coordinated the book party and the annual International Mother Language Day activities.

Traditional snacks and drinks such as tamon juice (tamarind) were prepared and served by the Richards family. Even before the program got under way people were “picking up copies of the book like hot bread,” said Dormoy. Yaya’s sisters Priscille and Adrienne autographed The Frock on behalf of their beloved sister.

Published by House of Nehesi late last year with a partial cultural arts grant to Yaya Richards from the Collectivity, The Frock & Other Poems is available at Van Dorp and Arnia’s bookstores, Roland Richardson Gallery, and from family members of Yaya Richards.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto announced on Tuesday that the operational audit of the Salaries & Wages Department will start soon.

The SOAB will be carrying out the audit and this has been added to their audit plan for 2011.

To determine what the problem may be in the Salaries & Wages Department, in January after a number of challenges experienced, the Minister decided that an operational audit would be necessary to avoid future recurrence of past challenges and late payments and with the end result being that Government provides the best possible service to civil servants.

The audit will look at areas such as whether or not there are up to date work processes in place or if the existing processes require updating, staffing, procedures, and other factors which could influence the functioning of the section.

January is the first month that the payrolls from the former Federal Government departments were combined in the payroll system of the Government of Sint Maarten.

Up until December 31, 2010 the payrolls were implemented by a company which the former Federal Government had contracted to provide payroll services.

The setup of the new payroll per ministry included removing all persons from the payroll and then with the new structure which was made (shifting from the payroll which was set up per department and sector to a payroll per Ministry) specifically to cater to the Ministry model. Each individual employee had to be added to the ministry under which he/she falls.

The Minister added that civil servants could expect their salaries on February 25, as for the most part, all the necessary preparations for payout had almost been completed with the exception of the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for Police personnel issues including the set-up of scales. Members of the Police Force have separate scales from the rest of the civil service organization. The Minister assured that all efforts are being made for this payroll to also make the February 25 deadline.

Philipsburg:--- Social activist Elridge Van Putten is calling on all persons residing on St. Maarten to come out this Sunday February 27th 2011 between the hours of 2pm to 8pm on the Board Walk to sign his petition to dissolve the parliament of St. Maarten.
The social activist who is well known in the community has been working tirelessly to get his message across. Van Putten's latest strategic plan for the petition drive states that his point of departure will commence with the fairness in government.
The main topic the activist is using to convince mainly voters on St. Maarten is the recent and ongoing episode of Pelican Resort which involves Member of Parliament Jules James. He said the actions of the Member of Parliament has jeopardized the economy of St. Maarten since he has put 182 workers out of work while throwing out 12,000 timeshare owners who have loyally supported the economy of St. Maarten.

Bonfire Petition for Sunday February 27th.

Cupe Coy:--- Member of Parliament Romaine Laville was among several persons who made donations on Saturday night to aid the I Can Foundation at the Fred York's birthday bash that was held at the Puerto Cupe Coy on Saturday night. MP Laville also made a pledge to donate a cheque of $1000 to the foundation that is greatly in need of financial assistance.
York and several other musicians entertained the gathering who showed up to the event to assist the foster home who was recently swindled out of its furniture money.

Click here to view photos of the Birthday Bash.

Philipsburg:--- Teachers teaching at the St. Maarten Academy and St Maarten Academy (PSVE) up to late Monday afternoon did not receive their pay checks confirmed President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot.
Elshot said while the teachers of the Government Schools were paid on Friday, the teachers working at the Government subsidized schools did not get the 2% cost of living allowance on their salaries. The President of the Teachers Union said the Minister of Finance promised her that he will rectify the mistake when she met with him on Friday.
The only school that is yet to pay its teachers is the St. Maarten Academy. President of the Academy School board Josianne Fleming Artsen confirmed that she did not pay her teachers simply because the school did not get the cheque from Government until Monday.
While the council of Ministers admitted that mistakes were made and corrected in the payroll system, several police officers told SMN News that they only received half of their salaries while some of their colleagues were not paid. "One of our colleagues received Naf. 127 on his account this month as salary for the month of January, while we understand that this is new to the government of St. Maarten we also believe that St Maarten Government should have kept the same three people who were handling the Federal Government payroll for the police and prison guards. Those old workers could have taught those in the Finance Department how to handle the payroll of the federal government workers that is transferred to St. Maarten."
In the meantime, SMN News has been reliably informed that two persons working in the Finance Department hacked the system so the payroll could have been finalized by Friday. The source said the workers in the Finance department are being blamed for making mistakes but the errors they said came because two persons hacked system. In an invited comment, Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto said he is not aware of any hacking. The Minister said this is a transisition period and mistakes were made.

Great Bay (GIS):--- The Civil Registry Department is continuing with its information sessions that it started last year with three scheduled for the coming two weeks.

Residents of St. Peters and surrounding environs are invited to an information session that will be held on Thursday, February 3 from 6.00pm to 7.30pm at the Rupert I. Maynard Youth Community Center.

Residents of Belvedere are next in line with an information session scheduled for Friday, February 4 at the Belvedere Community Foundation. The time will be the same as above.

On February 9, the Sint Maarten Haitian community from the Cole Bay area are invited to an information session to be held at the Salvation Army building in Cole Bay from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions about the services that the department offers along with the procedures that must be followed related to the various mandatory services that the department executes.

Persons who need additional information can contact the Civil Registry Department at 542-2457.

Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party Sarah Wescot Williams confirmed on Wednesday that she has appointed Cornelius De Weever as Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs.
The Prime Minister said the official proposal will be sent to the Council of Ministers for ratification after which a resolution will be prepared for the completion of the process. The Democratic Party leader said when the administrative procedures are completed she will be releasing a complete profile of the chosen Minister.

Philipsburg:--- Several teachers marched to the Government Administration Building on Wednesday afternoon protesting against the decision taken by Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell and the school boards to implement the No Work No Pay Policy. The teachers who returned to work on Wednesday morning gathered at the WIFOL building before marching to the government building.
The group of angry teachers supported by the workers of Pelican started a signature drive demanding that the current government step down.
Yadira Boston told reporters that the current Minister of Education has no respect and she is a "Johnny come lately" because she has never met with the teachers to find out their grievances. Boston said one of their greatest concerns about the Minister is the disrespect she has shown to teachers. She further explained that even though the Minister has apologised for what she might have said about them, the teachers she said felt no remorse for the Minister because it appears as if someone forced her to apologize.
Boston said their intention is to inform the media in the Netherlands about the current situation on St. Maarten because to them if the people are suffering then the Ministers and Parliamentarians should also suffer the same way. Boston said it appears as though government is running from higher supervision but the teachers she said are not concerned if the new country is placed under higher supervision.
Asked if the actions taken by the teachers are political, Boston said that during the four days meeting there were three politicians (members of parliament) that addressed them, they are Romain Laville, William Marlin and George Pantophlet. Boston clarified that the teachers and civil servants that attended the meetings made it clear that they did not want to hear from the politicians because they were growing weary of hearing from politicians.
President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union told her members that she did not sign the agreement with government on Wednesday instead she has made contact with a lawyer to file an injunction against government for applying the No Work No Pay policy which is intended for ghost civil servants. Elshot who was obviously emotional told her members that she was shocked when she listened to the audio of press conference given by the Minister of Education who told members of the media that she had to feed the union members when she met with them.
At one point, the Minister came downstairs to address the teachers whom she offended. The Ministers also invited a delegation to meet with her and the Prime Minister to the A. C Wathey Legislative Hall to further discuss the No Work No Pay Policy that has been implemented.
The teachers even though they were not in any official meeting with government stood outside of the building until nightfall as they continued their silent protest. Deputy Prime Minister Theo Heyliger also joined the angry teachers where he listened to their grievances. Heyliger also spoke to Elshot about the meetings they held on Tuesday and asked if he intervened and remove the No Work No Pay policy if the teachers would stop their protest action.
Below is the audio of the commotion in front of the government administration building.

Philipsburg:--- President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell would like to announce that the Central Committee of Parliament will be meeting in public session on Monday, February 07 starting at 3.00pm in the Dr. Claude Wathey Legislative Hall.

The meeting has been requested by the coalition, the United Peoples party (UP), Democratic Party (DP) and Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge with respect to current developments related to the Christian Kingdom Cooperative (CKC).

Representatives of CKC will provide background information about the cooperative and also give an overview of the financial situation and the current status of the organization.

Representatives of the Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) will also be present to provide information about its supervision function and developments related to the CKC.

The CBCS will also inform parliamentarians about the bank's supervisory function regarding insurance companies and insurance agencies.

Parliamentarians will also hear the CBCS position regarding dollarization for Curacao and Sint Maarten.

The meeting is open to the public and will be carried live via Sint Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 from 3.00pm.

There are four parliamentary factions that have representation in the Parliament of Sint Maarten, namely United Peoples party (UP), Democratic Party (DP), Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge and the National Alliance (NA).

Marigot/Great Bay:--- With its theme of "Documenting the history we make," the 20th annual Black History Celebration (BHC), has already started, according to the Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF).
The history celebration organized each year in February by CLF includes radio programs, island-wide school lectures, a quiz to win $500 in prizes, a poetry reading tribute to the Great Salt Pond, and the annual BHC lecture, said Shujah Reiph, president of CLF.
The 5-minute information pieces are aired from Monday to Friday at 9 AM on SOS Radio (95.9 FM), and after the midday news on Radio Soualiga (99.9 FM).
"We hope once again to bring alive, in an inspiring and motivating way, a range of historical personalities, ideas, events, dates, and places in St. Martin, from throughout the Caribbean, and from around the world," said Reiph.
"As to the BHC quiz, there are eight photos of history-making people to identify," said Reiph. Anyone can participate in the quiz, which is organized with the Philipsburg Jubilee Library. After naming the eight people, the participant will have to write a short biography of 30 words about each person.
The completed quiz should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mailed or hand-delivered in a sealed envelope to the Jubilee Library, C. Voges Street 12, Philipsburg, by February 19, 2011.
The quiz form can be picked up at the Jubilee Library, Marigot Library, obtained from Shujah Reiph, or downloaded from facebook.com/nehesipublishers.
The winners will be announced and receive exciting prizes at the annual BHC lecture on February 26, said Reiph.

Philipsburg:--- The judge of instruction has extended the pre-trail detention for the two suspects police has behind bars for the Brooks Tower Accord scam. The two suspects are Josianne Cannegieter and Josianne Emanuel. The prosecutor's office requested their second eight day detention on Monday which was granted confirmed press prosecutor Rienk Mud. The RST, Royal Marechausse and the local detectives are busy investigating a case of forgery and human smuggling which took place during the BTA extension project.
On December 21st, the detectives arrested five persons, three of which were working at the BTA office on AT Illidge Road. So far three of the five suspects have been released.

Philipsburg:--- On Monday February 07th at approximately 09:15am, police patrols were sent to Ultimate Nails salon on Back street for a fire. The fire department was already busy putting out the fire upon the arrival of the patrol.
According to the investigation done by the fire department, this fire may have been intentionally set by unknown persons. An official report was filed by a lady with initials Z.E.A.M with the detectives department. The possible suspect may have used some type of flammable liquid to start the fire. The Fire Department and Forensic Department is still busy investigating this incident.

Great Bay (GIS):--- At the University of St. Martin, the Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams was handed the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Report for Sint Maarten.

The significance of this report is not to be underestimated. We shall use this document as a basis for the National Development Program for our newly established country—Sint Maarten.

As such, the MDG report serves as a guiding document whereby all sectors of government will be able to use this research-based information to further develop Government policies.

The first Report on MDG was put together by the (MDG) workgroup, consisting of civil servants of several ministries, members of NGO's, and the private sector—guided by Loekie Morales of the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations.

This report will afford many in the development of Sint Maarten in various capacities as a working and guiding document and a basis for the National Development Plan.

The making of the MDG report consists of collecting and analyzing data about the eight MDGs and has recommendations on how to proceed with the goals.

Sint Maarten as partner in the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000 along with countries around the globe is working diligently to accomplish the goals by 2015.

Edo Stork and Okama Brook, representatives of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and co-writers of the MDG report, were present at the presentation of the report to the Hon. Prime Minister.

They have given their appreciation and compliments to the work done by the MDG Workgroup.

The report is a joint production of Curacao, Sint Maarten and the UNDP.

Present were Secretary Generals, Department Heads, members from non-profit organizations, and other members of the community.

The MDG's are eight internationally-agreed targets aimed to reduce poverty, hunger, maternal and child deaths, diseases, inadequate shelter, gender inequality and environmental degradation by 2015.

Sandy Ground:--- It was a sad atmosphere in Sandy Ground on Sunday morning as two families are mourning the loss of their loved ones which left neighbours shocked and some in despair. At one home a young man stabbed his stepfather to death leaving the community in shock. A block away from that home, another family is mourning the loss of Ginette Souklaye (19) who died in a motor cycle accident hours later. Also known to the community is Joel Antonio Richardson, the boyfriend of Ginette who also lost his life in the accident which took place just before midnight on Mount Valois Hill.
Some of the neighbours gathered at the corners of the road discussing what their community is faced with while several persons attended a church that is in close proximity of both homes.
At the home of Souklaye there was a large gathering of people who were trying hard to console her grieving mother. The mother who was not able to speak to SMN News, was being taken care of by several neighbours as she mourned the loss of her daughter.
Some neighbours said they don't know what to say happened Saturday night because Souklaye was at home when the gendarmes were in the area investigating the murder and shortly after she left and the next thing they knew was that she was involved in an accident and was critical but before daybreak she and her boyfriend was dead.
Relatives said Souklaye was picked up from home at 11pm by her boyfriend Joel Richardson. They said the couple were going out for the night when the accident occurred. Joel they said is an employee of Rolling System. The young woman and her 23 year old boyfriend were described as vibrant and full of life.
At another home on Sorrel Drive, Bush Road, another family was mourning their loss due to Saturday night's tragedy. Mirangelo Denicio Blijden (32) also lost his life in the collision which took place on Mount Valois Hill. His mother Isidra Blijden-Clement said an extended family member to the deceased went to her home at 1:22 am on Sunday morning and informed her that her son was involved in an accident. Blijden-Clement said when she arrived at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital her son was already dead and he was inside a body bag. The grieving mother who was surrounded by her four remaining children said Mirangelo was her eldest son and the loss of her son was almost unbearable. She further explained that based on information she received her son was riding his cousin's bike when the accident occurred.
A press release from the Gendarmerie states that due to a collision between two motor cycles three people are now dead. The gendarmes said none of the victims were wearing helmets when the accident occurred.
SMN News wishes the families of these incidents much strength as they cope with their loss.

Philipsburg:--- On Friday February 11th , a woman identified as C.L.P. filed an official report with the Detective department stating the she was robbed at her home on Pumpkin Road by an unknown man dressed in dark clothing, his face was covered with a black ski mask and he was armed with a handgun.
The victim told police that it was around 09:50 am while upstairs with her daughter she heard noises coming from down stairs. She walked to the stairway and looked downstairs at which time she saw the robber standing in the house. The robber noticing her in the house ran upstairs and threatened to use his weapon. The woman said the robber then proceeded to steal several pieces of jewelry, a laptop computer, credit and debit cards and other personal items from the home. After committing his act, the robber fled the scene.
In an unrelated incident, an elderly lady and her caretaker were also robbed at gunpoint while at home. Police spokesman Ricardo Henson said the same day Friday February 11th, the residents of Marigot Hill Drive identified as P.E.R. and S.N.N. filed an official complaint with the Special Robbery Unit. The caretaker S.N.N. stated that it was approximately 01:30 pm, while she was in the kitchen cooking when a robber who was dressed in dark clothing, with his face covered with a black ski mask and carrying a handgun gained access into the home via the kitchen door.
The caretaker was forced by the robber into the bedroom where the other victim P.E.R. was asleep at the time. The caretaker let out a scream awakening the P.E.R. The victims resisted against the robber by striking him several times with a cane, however the robber succeeded in stealing a gold chain with a gold pendant.
The Special Robbery Unit and Forensic department are investigating both cases.

Philipsburg:--- The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has submitted a letter to General Affairs requesting that Government consider Friday April 29th as an official holiday since Jouvert Jump will take place on that day which is one day before the Queen's birthday.
The letter was submitted and booked in at General Affairs on January 10th but the Prime Minister and Minister of Education who was present at Wednesday's Press Briefing said they are yet to receive the letter. Minister Rhoda Arrindell responded as though she was shocked when a member of the media informed her that a request was submitted to government. Minister Arrindell said she did not see that request. However, Minister Arrindell made clear that while she could not remember what day is April 29th, she acknowledged that it is customary that the day before the grand parade be a holiday. The Minister further stated that the holidays are already determined and the calendar of holidays was released prior to her taking office.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams said that when government looks at the calendar they would normally take into consideration the carnival holidays, the Queen's Birthday and the cluster of all other holidays when making the calendar of holidays. The Prime Minister also acknowledged that these holidays have to be made known in the interest of the general public.

Galisbay:--- It was indeed a sombre moment for the families, friends and other well wishers of the two accident victims Ginette Souklaye and Joel Richardson who lost their lives in an accident last Saturday. Friends of Ginette Souklaye who was student of the Lycee Polyvalent and other mourners dressed in pink, her favourite colour on Thursday as they gathered to pay their last respects to the young lovers that died tragically in a motor cycle collision.
When the caskets were taken into the Salle Omni Sports where the funeral ceremony took place, the relatives and close friends began wailing at the loss of their loved ones. The bodies of the young lovers were in identical caskets which remained closed to the public. The home going ceremony was conducted by Pastor Hodge. Interment was at the Sandy Ground Cemetery.

Philipsburg:--- At least two meetings of Parliament had to be postponed this week because the two members of the Democratic Party are off island and did not attend the meetings. The first meeting that was held and had to be rescheduled was on Monday when the faction leaders met to discuss the allotting of support staff. Sources say the Chairlady of Parliament informed the other faction leaders that she could not take or make decisions when the members of the DP faction are absent especially knowing that is the faction that is supporting her government.
On Tuesday, Parliament had to re-schedule its adhoc committee meeting which was to discuss justice related matters when Member of Parliament from the Democratic Party faction Roy Marlin did not show up. SMN News learnt that members of the justice committee called MP Marlin and was told he is off island on private business. SMN News also learnt that the deputy Chairman of Parliament also from the DP faction is also off island on private matters.
Critics have said that on numerous occasions that the Chairlady of Parliament has reminded the members of parliament that they are being paid a full time salary and they ought to be on the job but somehow she was silent when members supporting her government do not show up for work.

Great Bay:--- Broadway star Nicole de Weever will dance in “Tribute to the Great Salt Pond” at the Jubilee Library on Thursday, February 24, at 7 PM, said Shujah Reiph, president of Conscious Lyrics Foundation (CLF).

The poetry-headlined tribute, will feature dance and music as part of CLF’s 20^th annual month-long Black History Celebration.

“This is a huge opportunity, like an open door for me,” to perform for the St. Martin public for the first time in 16 years, said de Weever.

De Weever started her dance training here as a child then moved to New York City as a teenager to further her studies. She has since worked as a dancer in the USA, Europe, and Asia. Recently Nicole de Weever completed a stunning run with the hugely successful musical Fela! on New York’s mega-famed Broadway.

“We are happy to have Nicole home for a short break and to share her very creative work with us,” said Reiph.

“With Lasana Sekou reading his poetry on the same program, means that we have two of our most dedicated and creative artists performing in tribute to this embattled St. Martin landmark,” said Reiph.

“The poems will deal specifically with pain, love, survival, heritage, pollution, death, and birth in the Great Salt Pond. Nicole will transform a poetry selection with her original choreography and dance,” said Reiph. The music is by Angelo Rombley, St. Martin’s leading digital artist and himself an award-winning graphics designer.

“The idea is also to increase and continue spreading awareness about protecting the Great Salt Pond from pollution and landfilling and to preserve it as a St. Martin cultural heritage site,” said Reiph.

One of Sekou’s poems that will be read is “A Walkabout Poem for Patsy Brooks,” about the violent and bloody death of a handicap woman on the dumpsite in the Great Pond. Sekou will read this poem in public for the first time on Thursday.

“Lasana has called the Great Salt Pond the symbolic ‘cradle of the St. Martin nation,’ that is for the unity of our island-nation, North and South. One of the poems will even look at a St. Martin mythology of the pond,” said Reiph.

“What really inspired me when I heard of this event is that it’s people that understand the necessity of being true to self and the importance of … culture,” said de Weever.

“In most cases if you want to make proactive change you have to be a part of making it happen by educating people … to embrace and appreciate who we are as a people,” said de Weever on Conscious Lyrics over the weekend. Last Monday the brilliant artist was seen on the BET awards TV show as one of the featured dancers to the program’s opening song by Angelique Kidjo.

The Thursday program at Jubilee Library includes a brief discussion between the poet and USM students from Dr. Jay Haviser’s archeology class; and the opening of a petition drive to save the Great Salt Pond.

The program concludes with Sekou signing copies of his new book Pelican Heart / Corazón de pelícano, edited by the independent Cuban scholar Emilio Jorge Rodríguez.

The “Tribute to the Great Salt Pond” is coordinated by CLF in collaboration with Philipsburg Jubilee Library and HNP www.houseofnehesipublish.com. The theme of the Black History Celebration 2011 is, “Documenting the history we make.”

“All of the St. Martin people and guests to our island are invited to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Thursday at 7 PM to celebrate our history, with a tribute to the Great Salt Pond,” said Reiph.

Philipsburg:--- The bonfire organized by activist Elridge van Putten had to be rescheduled to next Sunday said the organizer. Van Putten said he requested a permit to hold the bonfire on the beach at the head of town, but up to late Saturday afternoon he did not get the permit for the event because it lacks the signature of the Minister of Justice.
Van Putten said he expects to get the permit this coming week for the event which will be held on Sunday.
Despite having to cancel the event several persons turned up at the location to sign the petition to dissolve the parliament of St. Maarten. Van Putten said he has over 5000 signatures already and by the time the signature drive is over he will meet his target. At the location on Sunday there were several prominent St. Maarteners who expressed total disgust at how country St. Maarten is being governed.

Philipsburg:--- The police department is calling on persons who may have information on a man who was seriously injured and dumped in the Maho area on February 25th or February 26th. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said on February 26th the police was informed by a caller who told them that there was man on Mullet Bay beach who was seriously injured.
Henson said when police and paramedics reached the scene they found a white male identified as L.G 37 years old of French Nationality who was indeed seriously injured. The police spokesman said when the victim was found he was unable to give police a statement; he was transported to the St. Maarten Medical Center then shipped out to Martinique for further medical treatment where he died of his injuries. Henson said the case is being investigated by the forensic department.

According to reliable information reaching SMN News, the French authorities are now assisting with the investigation. SMN News has been reliably informed that the victim was chef on a mega yacht anchored on St. Maarten. The source said the man's attackers poked out his eyes, cut off his nipples and extracted his teeth and he suffered several stab wounds. The perpetrators also set the victim on fire.

Philipsburg:--- BAK is surprised by the call from the I Can Foundation to suddenly stop furnishing the home. The project recently encountered problems when it was discovered that a false declaration of receipt was produced by the I Can Foundation.
In the best interest of the I Can Home, BAK and the I Can Foundation agreed to continue the project and made arrangements to finish the furnishing.
The project, which is managed by BAK, entails the purchase, delivery and installation of ten categories of furniture, appliances and household goods. For this project standard procedures were followed to contract a company to supply these goods. As part of these procedures a Terms of Reference (TOR) was drawn up, describing the requirements for executing the project as well as the goods to be delivered. After consulting the I Can Foundation on the TOR, it was published in the Daily Herald and Today. Since no bids were received, the I Can Foundation was consulted again. BAK suggested to send the TOR directly to a number of companies to see if they would be interested in offering a bid. This list of companies used was provided by the I Can Foundation and it included Personalized Creations.

Several companies replied to this request and made an offer, of which 3 met the requirements of the Terms of Reference. One of these three bidders was Personalized Creations, who offered the lowest bid. This bid was discussed with the I Can Foundation to see if some of the items could be taken off the list to remain within the approved budget. The I Can Foundation adjusted their list of items accordingly, and agreed with Personalized Creations' offer. BAK at that time was not aware of any possible conflict of interest and therefore awarded the assignment to Personalized Creations. Additional to the standard check at the Chamber of Commerce and according to standard procedure a bank statement was requested from Personalized Creations before any payments were made.

During the course of the project, BAK received lists of items signed and stamped by the I Can Foundation on three occasions, stating that the goods were delivered and installed at the I Can Foundation. BAK had no reason to doubt the validity of the signed and stamped documents at that time; therefore payments were made directly to Personalized Creations.

When it became clear that there might have been internal irregularities at the I Can Foundation, BAK immediately intensified personal contact with the I Can Foundation and Personalized Creations. BAK and the I Can Foundation discussed how to continue the project in the best interest of the Foundation considering the important function it has in Sint Maarten's society. In full agreement with the I Can Foundation it was decided to continue to work towards getting all the goods delivered.

BAK and the I Can Foundation mutually agreed to give Personalized Creations a final deadline of February 28th to comply with their contract and deliver all goods as specified. BAK is unaware of the reason for the sudden change of heart by the I Can Foundation with respect to this agreement.

St. Martin, Caribbean (2011):--- Book of Sins by Nidaa Khoury, a leading Palestinian poet in Israel, has been released here by House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP), said publisher Lasana M. Sekou.

The new poetry collection is the eighth book by Khoury but her first full English translation with the full Arabic and Hebrew texts in the same book, said Sekou.

Nidaa Khoury is "One of the major exponents of modernist Arab women writing," said Israeli professor Yair Huri.

In Book of Sins, Khoury's poetry "is fired by belief in the human and the spiritual at a time when many of us feel unreal and often spiritually hollow," said Huri.

Khoury's poems "are burning off the pages—with a rhythm embedded in fury and a beauty embedded in the ancient," said the South African novelist Antjie Krog.

Betsy Rosenberg translated what Huri calls "The exquisite purity of Khoury's style" in Book of Sins from the original Arabic into English and Hebrew.

With Book of Sins HNP is further introducing the Middle Eastern poet to the Caribbean and the Americas www.Amazon.com, said Sekou.

This is HNP's third multilingual poetry book in less than one year. The press, based on the island of St. Martin in the Caribbean, has published literary giants such as George Lamming, Kamau Brathwaite, Amiri Baraka, Chiqui Vicioso, and Shake Keane.

Nidaa Khoury was born in the Galilee village of Fassuta in 1959. Her books include The Barefoot River, The Prettiest of Gods Cry, and The Bitter Crown. The latter was censored in Jordan. Her previous titles were published in Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt.

According to the Turkish author Karin Karakaşlı, Book of Sins is "Written in water and ink, in between the shed blood. Nidaa Khoury's poems take us to the bosom of an ancient woman... an archetype revived."

Khoury is studied in Israeli universities and widely reviewed by the Arab press. She is the founder of the Association of Survival, an NGO for minorities in Israel.

The poet has participated in over 30 international conferences such as the Conference of Arab Poets (Amsterdam), the Conference of Human Rights and Solidarity with the Third World (Paris), Poetry Africa, the Poetry Festival of Jordan, the International Poetry Festival of Medellin, the St. Martin Book Fair, and the Napoli Conference on Human Rights.

Khoury, a senior lecturer at Ben-Gurion University, is the subject of the recent award-winning film, Nidaa Through Silence. Sarab for Dance is also producing Khoury's poem "Portal to the Orient," which is in Book of Sins, for performance in Palestine.

Book of Sins is available at www.Amazon.com, www.spdbooks.org, and www.houseofnehesipublish.com. Ask for this new title at your favorite bookstore.

Philipsburg:--- A school bus driver with initials L.Y. filed an official complaint with the Detective Department on Tuesday February 15th stating, that on that same day at approximately 03:15 pm while letting off several students on the Union Road he was attacked and beaten by a student with the initial K. and two other students. L.Y. also stated that he has had difficulties with K. in the past concerning his conduct on the bus, but it has never gone this far. Today according to the bus driver, he told K. to sit while he was driving the bus. K. did not approve of that and when the bus stopped he was attacked. L.Y. complained about severe pain to his jaw and he had a swollen face. L.Y. was treated by paramedics on the scene and then transported to the St. Maarten Medical Centre for further treatment. L.Y. at the time was not in any condition to give a complete statement. This case is under investigation by the Detective Department.
In an unrelated incident, the police arrested a teenager who was in possession of a weapon. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said on Tuesday February 15th a patrol of the Zero Tolerance team was sent to Milton Peters College where four suspicious men were seen coming out of black vehicle and going to sit under a tree in front of that school.
Information given to the police stated that one of the suspects were in possession of a fire arm. On the scene the patrol encountered the men in question and conducted a search. During the search of a 16 year old teenager with the initials J.L. a black air pistol fell to the ground. This weapon was immediately confiscated by the investigating officers. The other suspects with the initials D.R, K.H., M.D. and D.R all from the French Side of the island could not properly identify themselves in accordance with law and were taken to the police station to have their identity verified. According to J.L., he has had some problem with some other youngsters in the past and was walking with this pistol for protection. This case is currently under investigation.

The Law in Focus will as of Thursday February 17th 2011 be starting with a four part series on trade unionism in St. Maarten. The host dr. Nilda Arduin will go one on one with veteran trade union leader and chairperson of the WITU Miss. Claire Elshot.

This series will go in depth on the ILO, the rights and duties of teachers, the recent industrial actions of the WITU and other unions and the Windward Island Chamber of Labour Unions.

The Law in Focus considers this series very much needed in a time when trade unionism is facing many challenging times. On March 3rd 2011 the curtain will be brought down on the series on trade unionism through the eyes of Claire Elshot. The Law in Focus is happy to be able to enlighten the community on this very important topic to the society.

Philipsburg:--- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams with suggestions as to how Government can get rid of the current deficit in the 2011 budget.
MP Pantophlet made the following suggestions which he said will eradicate the Naf. 45 million deficit.

1. That the government owned companies The Harbor Group of Companies, The Juliana International Airport and Gebe N.V. contribute a collective amount of Ang. 55 million to government coffers.
2. That the ordinance increasing the turnover tax from 3 to 5% be reversed and set again to 3%;
3. That some shares of the Harbor Group of Companies, the Juliana International Airport and Gebe N.V. are to be sold to interested companies or persons and have the funds generated used to eradicate the Budget deficit.
4. That some of the funds from the 7 or 8 CD's (time deposits or fixed deposits) of government containing millions of guilders be used to eradicate the budget deficit.
5. That the collection for back taxes be eliminated providing they are prior to the year 2006.

The MP said he hopes that these proposals will be given serious consideration as it will also ease the burden on the people of St. Maarten who are being seriously affected by the increase of the turnover tax which has contributed to the shrinking of their income and an increase in cost of living.
Pantophlet also sent a letter to the chairlady of parliament informing her of the letter he sent to the Prime Minister with the suggestions on how to get rid of the budget deficit.
Pantophlet said he is of the firm opinion that government owned companies, such as GEBE, the Harbour Group of Companies and the Princess Juliana International Airport should collectively contribute at least Ang. 55 million to government coffers. If such is not possible then the companies must present audited financial statements as proof of their income.
He said some people might wonder why the additional Ang. 10 million but this could serve as a buffer in the event of unforeseen situations. He also proposed that since these companies are 100% owned by government, some of the shares can be sold to interested companies or persons and these monies be applied to the eradication of the deficit. The turnover tax ordinance that was increased from 3 to 5% can be reversed and set again at 3%. In addition to this government should look into the possibility of reducing the turn over tax further if it is proven that the proposals produces the required results of not only a Balanced Budget but one with a surplus. Remember a member of the Second Chamber said that St. Maarten did not have an economical problem but one of managing. Another option is the funds from the 7 or 8 CD's (time deposits or fixed deposits) these can also be used to address the Budget deficit problem. I don't know if any penalties can be incurred when doing this exercise but I am sure government knows the answer to this question. And finally if I am not mistaken the Committee for Financial Supervision (CFT) had said that the projected income from back taxes was unrealistic and it had to be reduced, hence my suggestion that the collection of back taxes be eliminated providing they are prior to the year 2006. One can only imagine the possibilities if people are afforded the opportunity to have more buying and investment power.

Philipsburg:--- Marina Serrant, the driver of the Minister of Justice has been released from pre-trial detention on Tuesday confirmed press prosecutor Rienk Mud. Serrant was arrested last Tuesday morning as a suspect in the ongoing Brooks Tower Accord Extension 2 investigation. Shortly after the arrest was made the detectives from the RST and Royal Marchaussee searched at least three homes in search of evidence but it appears as though they did not find enough evidence to keep the former VKS officer in pre-trial detention. Mud said while all seven persons have been released they all remain suspects in the ongoing investigations.
Mud also confirmed that the detectives are in the final stages of the investigation. The press prosecutor said the detectives now have to put together their reports on which a decision will be taken on which of the suspects that were arrested will be prosecuted.
On January 21st 2011, the detectives from the RST, KPS and the Royal Marachaussee arrested five suspects they were; the project leader of BTA 2 Evelyn Hodge, Josianne Caniegieter, Josianne Emanuel, Patricia Romney and Weisha Alfred. Serrant and another person identified as Jackie Lake were the last persons that were arrested just a week ago.
The investigation into the BTA 2 began when someone from IND filed an official report with the detectives department stating that one of the new stamps from IND went missing. Sources say the stamp was reported missing more than one week after it was actually stolen.
SMN News learnt that the stamp was used to make numbers which was distributed to the crowd of people lining up at the BTA office to submit their documents to obtain a BTA permit.
SMN News further learnt that persons working at the BTA office and the culprit who probably stole the IND stamp was making numbers and was selling it to those persons that were lining up to submit their documents.
Reliable sources say the stamp went missing after the security guard working for IND left it in an empty and unsecured room. Sources say the security was asked to make numbers when the crowd at the BTA office became unmanageable and he claimed to have left the stamp on a table in the unsecured room.
Sources say that someone was also selling letters and application forms for as much as $2,000 to the foreigners who were eager to get their legal documents via the BTA extension period. Some of the documents that were sold were even backdated to December 29 and 30th. Many of the foreigners who fell victim to the latest scam paid for the application forms, job contracts as well as the government processing fees to be able to submit their files for a BTA residency permit.
It must be noted that while it is believed that at least 80% of the application forms submitted during the extension period which began on November 24th to December 30th are from persons who never had a BTA permit, well placed sources say that many of the new applicants are from persons (foreign workers) whose working permits were denied by the labour department.
Several persons who requested a BTA permit during the extension period confirmed to SMN News that when the labour department turned down their request for the renewal of their working permit they were advised to go through the BTA. Some said they had as much as six working and residency permits and suddenly their documents were denied by the labour department. Many of them said the BTA project was an escape route to become legal residents on St. Maarten since the 2008/2009 labour policy was too stringent. One legal mind said the former executive and island council created ways of corruption and self enrichment when they drafted and enacted the revised labour policy in 2008.
SMN News also learnt that many persons who were rejected during the BTA 1 process were allowed to reapply during the BTA 2, especially persons who arrived on St. Maarten after 2005.
SMN News further learnt that an official of the labour department filed a complaint with the detectives when they were confronted with what appeared to be bogus documents. One source said senior workers at labour department were also against the BTA project since it prevented them from making monies from the foreign workers and employers.
"Foreign workers were being exploited by the system and people who worked at the labour department. Many of them have placement agencies who were charging these workers huge sums of monies to process their documents. Employers were paying these civil servants big bucks through their companies and the BTA process initiated by the former Minister of Justice plugged the loophole in the system thereby cutting off the extra monies that the civil servants were making."
While the prosecutor's office and the police on St. Maarten are continuing the investigation in the BTA 2 project it must be noted that this is not the first time top ranking officials were locked up and convicted for tampering with residency permits. Those convicted for residency scams (Re-entry permits) are former chief of immigration Marcel Loor and former chief of police Derrick Holiday.

Philipsburg:--- 2011 has exploded with uprisings, changes, and challenges, yet for visionaries, the year is ripe with new opportunities. Consequently, Victorious Living Foundation (VLF) and its youth wing Youth to Xtreme (Y2X) have teamed up with Souls Champions Promotions to breathe "NEW LIFE" into the atmosphere.
Quincy Richardson AKA "Que" is launching his latest album "New Life" on St. Maarten while Y2X is being revitalized through this collaboration to motivate and mobilize young people throughout St. Martin to make a positive difference in the land.
"New Life" is Que's follow up album, to his classic 2004 release and it delivers the goods with an all star cast consisting of artists such as Mr. Lynx, DJ Nicolas, and Koen Duncan to name a few. As heard on Y2X's weekly radio program, Fresh, aired each Saturday on YR 92.5 FM from 6-7 p.m., attendees to the concert will have the opportunity to hear scorching hits such as "More Anointing," and "Stomp down de devil." These tracks are receiving massive air play around the globe and this is one album persons can't afford to miss.
Who is the Man behind the music? QUE, a Trinidadian Gospel minister, hailed for his clever word plays, heart piercing lyrics and anointed live performances, shows no signs of slowing down. Several islands have witnessed his powerful ministry and soon, the people of St Maarten, as he launches his album on the 12th of February at 7 p.m. at the Philipsburg Methodist Church. But before this dynamic concert, Que and the Y2X crew will host a youth motivational talk on Friday February 11 at 7:00 p.m. also at the Philipsburg Methodist Church.
In addition, The Harmonics Band, Divine Power and Statia's own Mega D. will minister at the concert with MC, DJ Bookie. What's more, both events are FREE of cost and cds and snacks will be on sale.
Young people ready to make a positive difference in the island will have an opportunity to sign up to be part of Y2X or enroll in Victorious Living's Youth Entrepreneurship Program and Mentorship program. Victorious Living Foundation and Y2X are thankful to and appreciative of the Philipsburg Methodist Church for allowing the event to be held at that venue; Carl's Unique Inn for hosting Que; Flamboyant Broadcasting who'll provide video coverage which will be streamed on the Internet after the events.
For more details, persons may contact Victorious Living at 542-2663/520-3680/522-2084 or visit them at 158 B. Back Street, Philipsburg or on the web: www.victoriouslivingsxm.org. For more of Que's music and bio, persons may visit: http://www.myspace.com/que216 http://www.reverbnation.com/quemusic or http://www.gospelreggae.com.

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Philipsburg:--- The case of illtreatment filed against two RST on May 18th 2010 has been dismissed by the Prosecutors Office. Press Prosecutor Rienk Mud said a complaint was filed by a suspect against two detectives, who are working for the 'Recherche Samenwerkingsteam' (RST, Kingdom detectives), concerning alleged ill treatment and assault.
The complaint was investigated by a Special Investigation Unit of the (former) Netherlands Antilles Mud said. Based on the results of this investigation the Prosecutor's Office has reached the conclusion that there are no grounds for criminal proceedings against the two detectives. Moreover, there is reason to doubt the sincerity of the complaint. Therefore the case is dismissed based on the fact that the two detectives were considered suspects on insufficient grounds.

Philipsburg:--- The board of the University of St. Martin has appointed a new president who will take up her new post as of May 1. SMN News has been reliably informed that the former Quarter Master of the former Lt. Governor's cabinet Annanlies Van Assen was selected and appointed to the position. Van Assen is a lawyer by profession. SMN News also learnt that the new and incoming president has the opportunity to recruit her own support staff.
Among the five persons who applied for the coveted position was Joyce Watson, the Dean and acting president of the University of St. Martin for the past eight months. SMN News also learnt that Watson will be returning to the civil service of the government of St. Maarten as requested by the Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell. Sources say the Minister requested Watson's return in exchange for higher subsidy to the University.
Already critics at USM are questioning the appointment of Van Assen and are wondering what the new employee can do for higher education on St. Maarten. They said the new president already indicated to them during a meeting that she does not know anything about St. Maarten's culture and thus she would be recruiting her staff outside of St. Maarten.
Some has already began speculating and questioning the high salary the new manager will be receiving while others said that appointment was done in conflict of interest with one of the board members.
The source alleged that one of the board members has an affair with the incoming president of USM. They said because of this, the other candidates were not treated fairly. Efforts made to secure the names of the other persons who applied for the job proved futile as the information is considered to be top secret. SMN News understands that Van Assen managed to obtain an indefinite contract.
The source further said that the appointed president will be working for $100,000.00 per year while the other 40 faculty staffs are working for mere pittance.

Philipsburg:--- The police department for the past two weeks have detained at least 8 persons who have tried to pass or smuggle illegal items such as, drugs, alcohol, cell phones, weapons, etc. into the detention cells at the Philipsburg Police Station.
The police department is sending a strong warning to those who attempt to get involved in this illegal activity that they will be detained, held for questioning and if necessary put into custody. This type of illegal activity is extremely dangerous, for those committing this act, the other detainees and the officers who take care of the detainees. Today at approximately 12:00 pm, two young men with the initials A.C.C. (24) and R.M.(21), both from St. Maarten attempted to make contact with detainees in the cells and possibly pass illegal items into the complex. Both young men were detained and while searching them a piece of machete filed into a very sharp knife was found and confiscated.

Simpson Bay:--- The new owner of Simpson Bay Resort & Marina & The Villas at Simpson Bay remains hopeful that a quick solution can be reached which will allow it to operate the resort in a viable and financially feasible manner.  The resort was acquired January 26, 2011 via the public auction of December 16, 2010.  The subsequent decision to cease operations of the property on February 20, 2011 was an unavoidable result of additional liability claims and unforeseen operational deficits incurred and was only implemented after all other options have been exhausted.

This is the second time in history that the resort, formerly known as Pelican Resort Club, had to cease its operations because of financial troubles.  These troubles stem from a major flaw that has plagued the resort for well over a decade – high operational expenses, low employee productivity and inadequate revenue to sustain it.  It should be further noted that employment salaries and benefits constitute a disproportionate expense of approximately 50% of the resort's operational fees.

The records are clear and well documented.  Under the second owner, The Tenant’s Association of Pelican Resort Club (TAPRC), the resort always ran at a deficit and the Board ignored the recommendations of its professional management company.  The official TAPRC records as far back as the 1998 Annual General Meeting of timeshare owners clearly documents the issue:

"[Board Member] Patterson indicated that the Board had not made a decision; however, the 1998 budget showed a deficit of US$462,848. - and the Resort cannot continue operating at a deficit.  The Annual Maintenance Fees have not been increased in two years and the Board does not feel it can continue another year without an increase.  Richard Sutton, Director General of Royal Resorts, stated that it was their earlier recommendation, after studying the 1997 financial position, that the 1998 AMF be raised by 10% but this was rejected by the Board."

For the last 13 years, Pelican Resort Club has been borrowing money to cover budget short falls as a consequence of its high operational expenses and unrealistically low maintenance fees.  The new owner of the Simpson Bay property is the same lender that Pelican Resort has been borrowing money from for many years so that the resort could keep its doors open.

In 2004, the same lender rescued Pelican Resort Club with a US$ 3.185 million dollar loan when Trustees of Billy Folly Development threatened involuntary bankruptcy if the 1996 bankruptcy debt was not settled in seven business days. The general public should know that when the timeshare owners bought the resort in 1996 they did not pay the full price, but only part of the purchase price. In 2004, eight years after the initial down payment, the timeshare owners still had not provisioned funds to pay the balance of their debts or were simply unwilling to reach into their pockets to pay for their purchase. The timeshare owners in any case approached the same lender for an emergency rescue loan to prevent another bankruptcy.

 

In 2005, that same lender provided a loan to Pelican Resort Club in excess of US$25 million to finance the construction of the Pelican Marina Residences, a project which the owners at the time (TAPRC) intended to use to create additional revenue in order to pay for Pelican Resort Club's yearly budget shortfalls, multi-million dollar debts, and deferred maintenance.

 

Official records dating back more than 10 years show TAPRC’s desire to earn their way out of debt via a new construction project.  The Official Minutes of the 2002 Annual General Meeting of timeshare owners on Dec. 3-4, 2002, quote TAPRC Treasurer Bob Ryan:

 

"The resort should set up the proper reserves.  We therefore need to start the Marina project so that we can generate additional cash."

It is utterly incredible that the same lender who supported and saved Pelican Resort for so long can be seen in any way other than heroic.

Although Pelican Resort Club had previously defaulted on its loan payments for more than nine months in a row during the 2008 worldwide recession, the lender and new owner was lenient, did not cancel the loan, sat down and actually agreed to reduce the annual interest rate from 10% to 8% and reduce the default annual interest rate from 18% to 10% at the end of 2009.  Furthermore, the lender waived all accumulated default interest debts.

This was a multi-million dollar savings for Pelican Resort and a renewed opportunity for prosperity.  The loans were fully restored to good standing and the monthly mortgage payments were made on time from the end of 2009 through July 2010.

This was deemed an extraordinarily lenient action on the part of the lender, which would have been within its legal right to foreclose on the property more than two years ago.  But foreclosure was never the lender's intended goal.  The lender simply wanted its loan repaid.  Nothing more and nothing less.

Despite the new debt repayment arrangement and the leniency shown by the lender, Pelican Resort Club, upon mandate of its newly elected Board of its shareholder, The Tenants Association Pelican Resort Club, basically decided not to pay its loan anymore.

In a bold and aggressive strategy, the TAPRC’s USA attorney directed management on June 17, 2010 NOT TO PAY the contractual loan payments.  On July 2, 2010 the same USA attorney for TAPRC advised that Pelican would pay their bills if the lender and management would agree to restructure their contractual relationships.  In hindsight it is very clear that this was not a well-advised legal plan.

Furthermore, the previous owner spent a significant portion of its 2010 operational revenue, unbudgeted – comprised of fees collected from timeshare owners – to hire U.S. attorneys and consultants who appear to have promised to find legal loopholes to cancel its debt with the lender.  Despite there being no reasonable or legal grounds on which to take these aggressive actions, the previous owner pursued this strategy and intentionally continued to default on its loan payments.

It was only then that the lender, faced with an unreasonable and indignant borrower (TAPRC Board), decided to cancel the loan and exercise its legal rights to foreclose on its security, namely the Pelican Resort Club property.  The Court of First Instance deemed this justified by the public verdict dated Dec. 14, 2010.

Two days later the investor bid on the resort at the auction on December 16 as an attempt to safeguard its investment.  The auction was open to the public, however, despite more than a month of extensive advertisement in the media to prospective bidders, the lender and now new owner was the only bidder as no one else was interested in purchasing a property riddled with financial and operational difficulties.

The new owner was aware that running the resort would constitute a great challenge, largely due to the negative propaganda campaigns implemented by the Board of The Tenants Association Pelican Resort Club and some misguided timeshare owners surrounding the resort and its operations.  In order to operate the resort a significant amount of capital would have to be invested to keep the resort open.

In contemplating whether or not to operate the resort, instead of closing it until another buyer is found, the new owner realized that the budget deficit for 2011 was greater than ever, namely in excess of US$4 million.  The endeavor continues to be challenging due to all the negative publicity from a small group of dissatisfied timeshare owners who are unhappy they lost their indirect “ownership” of the property, but at the same time, were unwilling over the years to keep supporting and investing in Pelican Resort Club so that it could remain operational.

Despite these challenges, which are, in principle, enough for any lender to simply close the resort until a buyer is found, the new owner opted to commence operation of the resort on January 26, 2011.  This decision was largely based on social and economic reasons with consideration to the impact the closure would have, not only for the 200 people that worked at the resort directly, but for the additional approximately 200 people employed by independent tenant businesses which had operated out of the resort, as well as those working at the restaurants, shops, and casinos throughout Simpson Bay, which are all dependent on the tourist traffic attracted by the largest timeshare resort in St. Maarten.

In order to operate the resort in a financially sound and responsible manner, however, the new owner could not take the same operational approach that led to the cash shortages, and ultimately, the second downfall and second foreclosure of the property (land and buildings) of Pelican Resort Club.

As the cost of employment constituted approximately 50% of the operational fees of the previous resort owner, the new owner had no choice but to responsibly address this disproportionately high percentage in order to reduce the resort's operational deficit and increase its efficiency.  Although every option was thoroughly evaluated, it was simply not possible to take on the debts of the previous owner that built  up over 30 years in order to sustain the long-term viability of the new property.

The general public should know that the resort is presently running with 55 workers employed by the new operating company and approximately 120 service providers working four days per week. Previously, the resort was running under the old owner with 200 full time employees of Pelican Resort Club, The Management Company N.V. and approximately 90 additional service providers working four days per week.

One should ask oneself how it is possible that the resort can function in peak season perfectly with the amount of people that are currently working there. The answer is simple. More employees are not needed. This means that the resort can operate effectively and efficiently with closer to 100 employees, versus the 182 employees the Windward Islands Federation Of Labor (WIFOL) is demanding the new company hire.

The WIFOL Collective Labor Agreement had productivity standards far below what a person can reasonably perform in a normal workday.  In 1996 the TAPRC chose to accept the union terms and the resort, and all the timeshare owners, have been paying the price ever since.

The new owner decided nevertheless, being fully aware hereof, to initially offer employment for six months to all employees that worked for Pelican Resort Club, The Management Company N.V. That proposal – and all others were rejected – including the last offer to employ at least 145 employees of the previous owner, directly and for an indefinite period of time (fixed employment).

The new owner negotiated for more than 32 days with the representative of the employees of the old owner in order to reach a consensus so that the majority of workers could be offered employment with the new owner when it commenced operating the resort.

Unfortunately, WIFOL adopted a rigid position in demanding that all employees of the old owner be employed with the new owner and with same terms and the same Collective Labor Agreement.  The investor and new owner offered compromise after compromise, but no consensus was reached.

Finally, an agreement was reached and signed by WIFOL’s President Mr. Theo Thompson, but WIFOL would not agree to abide by the very compromise reached by its stated representative.  WIFOL appeared unwilling to negotiate and refused to accept the current economic reality that faces every person and every business today.

Hotel and timeshare properties throughout the Caribbean and the entire world have been forced to reduce employment in order to cope with the global recession.  It is a decision that no management company enjoys making, but it is an unfortunate necessity, as businesses need to remain viable in order to sustain their operation in the long-term and continue to provide any employment opportunities.

The ruling of the St. Maarten court dated Feb. 8, 2011, created another new and unforeseen challenge for the new owner.  In addition to facing an operational deficit in excess of US$4 million, it now immediately incurred an additional liability and debt of over US$4.1 million – a liability that must be paid when terminating a labour agreement, further contributing to the lender's overall debt – bringing the total 2011 budget deficit to more than US$8 million.  This is on top of the US$30.5 million it bid to purchase the resort as well as millions of dollars of loans to the previous owner that it has yet to recover.

The court’s recent decision directing employment of all 182 union workers under identical terms as the previous employer – if upheld – would add an additional burden of approximately US$1.5 million to the resort's annual budget deficit.  It is obvious to any casual observer that these debts are unsustainable.

The new owner has valid concerns regarding the wisdom in employing workers who – as a result of the breakdown in WIFOL negotiations and negative feelings which have been fanned by the continued negative publicity efforts of the Board of the TAPRC – it must anticipate may not be willing to make a positive contribution to the resort.  The 50+ employees of the previous owner who did come to work for the new owner are performing at high quality levels and with excellent attitudes.

A small number of timeshare owners led by the new Board of the TAPRC have continued to sit on the sidelines, criticize and allege all types of conspiracy theories – without taking constructive action to work towards a positive future for the resort, its previous employees, timeshare holders and St. Maarten.

The simple reality is that no one, except for the new owner, has been willing to invest the large sums of money in the Pelican Resort Club required to keep it in operation – including the timeshare owners themselves, who've enjoyed annual maintenance fees that are on average 30% less than neighbouring timeshare resorts.

It is easy to sit on the sideline and throw stones when one does not have a major investment at risk and is unwilling to aid the resort by reaching into their own pockets, but the new owner, having already invested millions into the resort prior to the Dec. 16 auction, does not have that luxury.  In order to operate a financially sound and secure business one must be able to pay its debts and expenses.

The new owner has simply not budgeted for and does not have the financial recourse to pay the unforeseen liabilities and deficits.  In addition to these mounting debts are years of deferred maintenance that the previous owner, TAPRC, was unwilling to pay for and which must now be addressed.

Without the ability to make ends meet, at least not without obtaining additional financing, the new owner is left with no choice but to cease operations effective Feb. 20.  This is the only reasonable and, frankly, responsible course of action.

Despite being forced into this difficult action, the new owner is hopeful that a quick remedy will be found and a solution brokered between all respective parties that will allow it to commence operation of the resort in a financially responsible manner.

The new owner deeply regrets the stress the situation has caused for the workers of the previous owner as well as the timeshare holders whose vacations will be affected, but it simply cannot operate the resort at a loss without any strategy or ability to reduce its budget deficit and increase productivity in the foreseeable future.  The new owner is also distressed by the impact these events have had on the people, business owners and government of St. Maarten.

The new owner will continue to strive toward a solution to bring down expenses to a reasonable and manageable level, to increase efficiencies in labor and utilities, and to attract additional financing to pay for the expenses in a responsible manner.  The new owner and will keep the General Public apprised of its efforts as having a viable operating resort is ultimately in the best interests of all.

Philipsburg:--- Tadzio Bervoets, Manager of Nature Foundation in his report about an oil spill in the Great Salt Pond on Thursday said the NatureFoundation was contacted regarding an Oil Spill in the Great Salt Pond. Upon arrival at the scene at approximately 10:15 A.M an oil slick originating from the vicinity of the Landfill could be seen stretching across of the Great Salt Pond. Subsequent inspections at the sight of the landfill noticed an area on the landfill where a significant amount of oil was being dumped (dumping hole). The oil subsequently found its way into a trench which led directly into the Great Salt Pond.
The Landfill supervisor was requested by the Nature Foundation to close the trench and he readily agreed to do so. An excavator was brought in and the trench was closed, stopping the flow of oil into the Great Salt Pond.

When the supervisor was asked as to the possible origin of the spill he commented that he did not know but that many trucks regularly dump oil at that location. It was stated that many trucks fail to mention that they are dumping waste oil in the Great Salt Pond but still do so.

The oil which previously entered into the Great Salt Pond spread into the direction of the A. Th Illidge rd. and a significant amount of oil was found behind Sunny Foods Supermarket. The Public Works Department was informed of the situation and will take steps to remediate the problem.
A sample of the sand was taken and was found to contain significant levels of waste oil. Various bird species, including egrets Egretta), herons (Ardeidae) and pelicans (Pelicanus occidentialis) where in close proximity to the slick.
The Nature Foundation recommends that all steps be taken to prevent dumping of waste oil in an area of the Landfill that would possibly enable introduction into the Great Salt Pond. The dumping of waste oil and other combustible materials can contribute greatly to the danger of fires on the Landfill. The dumping of waste oil continuously further degenerates the wetland ecosystem of the Great Salt Pond and can have serious negative health effects on the populace.

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister and acting Minister of Labour Affairs Sarah Wescot Williams said that both parties which are the WIFOL and the owners of Simpson Bay Resort and Marina and the Villas at Simpson Bay Resort and Marina are looking towards the Appeal Courts for a speedy decision regarding the resort and the impending closure of the resort. Wescot Williams said attempts are being made by the two parties to have the appellate court give speedy response, because of those attempts government she said is looking at the developments carefully. Wescot Williams said as far as the labour situation is concerned if mediation is necessary then it will be facilitated by government.
The Prime Minister said members of the private sector came together and met a number of times to see if they are able to mitigate the effects of the possible closure which is expected to take place on February 20th. Discussions she said is also taking place with associations on the French side since the possible closure will take place during the high season.
The acting Minister of labour said government has implored parties to keep the dialogue open and to work with the private sector to mitigate the fallout with the expected closure.

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Philipsburg:--- A team of persons who received the necessary training to interview persons within the various districts will begin interviewing people as of Thursday as they compile the needs assessment of each district announced acting Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affairs Sarah Wescot Williams.
The acting Minister said the collected data will be used to devise the various programs which will be used in the integrated neighborhood development program. The interviews she said will begin on February 17 and conclude on February 24th.
Wescot Williams urged members of the public to cooperate with the interviewers as she believes that there is no blanket solution to tackle the issues of the various districts. The Minister said when the programs are developed from the survey; they will empower the various community councils.

Great Bay:--- Recently the Directorate of Foreign Relations (DBB) of Sint Maarten organized an informative session on treaties and their importance for the country.

Limburg and 't Hoen, Head and Deputy Head, Treaties Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, were welcomed to Sint Maarten by the Director of DBB, Guy van der Meulen.

DBB, a directorate falling under the Ministry of General Affairs, and a responsibility of the Prime Minister, coordinates treaty matters with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague, as well as with its counterparts in Aruba and Curacao.

Among the attentive audience were the Honourable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, Hon. Minister of Education Rhoda Arrindell, members of Parliament and several Secretary Generals from the different ministries..

Limburg discussed treaties as an instrument of foreign relations. Under international law, the Kingdom of the Netherlands can make agreements with other countries.

These agreements are legally binding. Under the Kingdom Charter treaties can also be concluded on behalf of Sint Maarten, Aruba and/or Curacao. Unlike treaties, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU's) are non-binding agreements, contrary to common perception.

As a small State, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has a lot of foreign partners with whom to conclude agreements. This is demonstrated by the large amount of treaties. After October 10, 2010 over 1500 treaties from the former

Netherlands Antilles were passed on to Country Sint Maarten.

Amongst the treaties binding the Kingdom, are agreements relating to terrorism, the avoidance of double taxation, migration, extradition, air transport, prisoner transfer, the environment and the protection of nature and wildlife.

The presentation was received with great interest. Further information on the lecture can be obtained from DBB and www.minbuza.nl/verdragen.

Philipsburg:--- Police arrested two brothers who are from Jamaica for seriously chopping a man on Well Road Cole Bay. The incident occurred on Tuesday around 05:00 pm reported Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson.
The victim identified as G.M. was taken in critical condition to the St. Maarten Medical Centre where he was operated upon. The police spokesman identified the main suspect as D.F. who attacked the victim with a machete after the victim and his brother J.F were involved in a discussion. Henson said the victim suffered serious large open wounds to his head, neck, back and left arm which was almost amputated.

On the 16th of February, the first Group Buying Website for Sint-Maarten and Saint-Martin, SXM-deal.com will go live. SXM-deal is based on the successful concept of Groupon in the United States.

Groupon has launched the concept of Group Buying power, that works like this:

• A business owner is offering a very aggressive deal
• Interested consumers need to reach a minimum numbers to enjoy the offering
• They request coupons online and spread the word using all social networking tools.
• If the minimum number of people is reached, the consumers will get a Coupon in their account
• The service is of course entirely free for consumers. The payment will take place at the business’ owner

SXM-deal is open to any kind of product. Every deal will be advertised during one week. The first deal will be a dinner at a highly discounted price at Valentino, in Simpson Bay.

“I am very excited about going live. The feedback we have received from consumers and business owners is very positive.” Anne Roos, co- founder.

“I wanted to give a chance to this new concept as I was impressed by the drive and dedication of Anne and Sultan. Therefore, I decided to offer a very interesting deal in my restaurant.” Riccardo Rossi, owner of Valentino.

SXM-deal is undergoing the final tests. It will go live on the 16^th February 2011 at 9 AM.

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Bridgetown, Barbados:--- FirstCaribbean International Bank marked the extension of its presence at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to mark the official opening of a new section of the FirstCaribbean Suites.

Speaking on behalf of the bank, Mr. Daniel Farmer, Managing Director and Barbados Country Head thanked the UWI for its enthusiasm in the continued development of the partnership with the Bank and hoped that the Campus Community and the local banking and finance sector would continue to benefit from the collaboration. Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus thanked the Bank for its assistance in the UWI's development over the years, and stressed the importance of such business partnerships in the University's capacity building programme.

The FirstCaribbean Suites are located on the 1st Floor of the Solutions Centre and were first refurbished through a grant of USD$ 60,000, which allowed for the conversion of the space from a small bed and breakfast operation to a meeting room facility for the use of the University community and rented to the public. The new section includes a pair of technology outfitted computer labs complementing the already functional conference facilities.

Philipsburg:--- Well known biker Jean Benjamin lost his life early Thursday morning after he was involved in a fatal accident on the W.G Buncamper Road in the vicinity of Caribbean Liquors and Tobacco. Unconfirmed reports state that Benjamin had just left one of the casinos on Front Street and was on his way to Pointe Blanche when the accident occurred.
The driver of a white car that was involved in the accident that claimed the life of Jean Benjamin was detained by police but was later released. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed on Thursday that Benjamin lost his life in an accident but said that details of the accident are not readily available. The police spokesman also confirmed that the driver who was detained shortly after the accident occurred has been released.

Philipsburg:--- Honourable President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell, on Wednesday morning met 50 pupils from the Martin Luther King Jr. School at the Parliament Building.

The students gathered in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament where they received information from Hon. President of Parliament about the legislative institution. They also asked many questions and enthusiastically listed the names of members of parliament.

The class visit was organized by the school as part of its leadership month program.

The pupils were from Cycle 1 (age group 4-8).

On Thursday 60 students from Sint Maarten Academy PSVE will visit Parliament.

Philipsburg:--- President of Parliament Drs. Gracita Arrindell, was the guest of the Rotary Club on Wednesday at Divi Little Bay Resort.

The Honourable President of Parliament provided information as well as an overview of the functioning of parliament since October 10, 2010.

Areas covered in her presentation were challenges, the functioning in practice of the country's highest law-making body, links to other institutions of the country, such as the Council of Ministers, Office of the Ombudsman, and Council of State.

The Hon. President also explored the opportunities that exist for country Sint Maarten to build a strong parliament.

"I was pleased to have had the opportunity to provide information to this civic minded organization, and it is part of the process of informing our community about the role of the country's highest legislative body," Hon. President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell said on Wednesday.

All communications for the 31st edition of the annual Heineken Regatta will be powered by UTS. In addition to a monetary sponsorship, all telecommunications for Regatta staffers and volunteers will also be provided by Chippie; UTS's mobile service. New this year, is an upgrade in the yearly internet connectivity provided by Caribserve; UTS's internet service provider. This year Wimax 4G technology will be used to connect the new results screens and other technical support equipment for the regatta. This new technology is in the final phase of testing and will soon be available to the public.

"The St.Maarten Heineken Regatta is one of the islands' major sports AND entertainment events, bringing 2500 sailors to the island and entertaining thousands of locals." says UTS Marketing and Communications Officer, Ivy Lambert. "The event gets bigger every year and we realize that this also gives our local economy a welcome boost. All the more reason for us to own up to our responsibility as a good corporate citizen and continue to support the Sint Maarten Yacht Club Regatta Foundation in putting on this major event" This year the Regatta kicks off on March 3rd with various races and performances, culminating with the prize giving ceremony and final concert on Sunday, March 6th. Performances this year will include international acts such as Brainpower, Orange Grove and Wyclef Jean.

Philipsburg:--- The Special Armed Robbery Unit is busy investigating two cases where a man was beaten and robbed in each of the incidents.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said a visitor to the island filed a complaint with the detective department after he was attacked, beaten and robbed on the board walk in the vicinity of Sea Palace.
The victim who has been identified as H.S.C told police that two men of dark complexion attacked him prior to robbing him of his personal belongings. After committing the robbery the suspects fled the scene. However, during the robbery one of the suspects unknowingly dropped his passport which was confiscated by detectives for further investigation. The holder of this passport with the initials R.R.F.B. who shortly after returned to the scene was arrested by detectives and taken to the police station where he remains in custody for further investigation.
In an unrelated incident, another man identified as E.O.W. filed an official report with the Detective department stating that he was robbed of his money, cellular phone and other personal belongings by two unknown men driving in a black SUV. The victim told police that he had left work in Cole Bay on his way home in Dutch Quarter and had walked to the Kruythoff round-a-bout where shortly after he caught a ride from the driver of a black SUV. Instead of the driver of the SUV driving towards Dutch Quarter, he drove towards Link One. At that same moment, he was grabbed from behind by another person who was hidden in the car and a hard object that felt like a fire arm was pushed against the back of his head. He was taken to the dirt road behind the Learning Unlimited school where he was taken out of the vehicle, his personal belongings were taken from him and he was severely beaten. After committing this act the suspects drove away leaving the victim behind. The victim then walked to the St. Maarten Medical Centre to seek medical attention. The Special Robbery unit is busy investigating this case.