Articles

The Netherlands is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically for forced prostitution and forced labour. A significant number of underage Dutch residents continued to be subjected to sex trafficking in Holland.

The top seven countries in 2012 where persons have been identified as victims of forced prostitution who come to The Netherlands are, Hungary Nigeria, Romania, Bulgaria, Sierra Leone, Poland including Holland. Victims also come from other African countries besides those mentioned already, China, and other parts of Asia.

Men and boys are subjected to forced prostitution and various forms of forced labour, in many areas of the Dutch economy, including in the maritime sector, agriculture, horticulture, catering, food processing, cleaning, construction, and illegal narcotics trafficking. Domestic workers employed in the Netherlands remain vulnerable to forced labour including by foreign diplomats posted in the Netherlands.

The aforementioned is noted in the United States 2012 Trafficking in Persons Report issued by the U.S. Department of State.

The U.S. does recognize that the Government of the Netherlands fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The report continues to say that the Dutch Government continued to employ a multidisciplinary, whole of government approach to its anti-trafficking efforts and maintained an effective and independent national anti-trafficking rapporteur.

The new Sint Maarten Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson mid-July stated that the authorities will be taking measures to strengthen control at the country's borders. Minister Richardson met on July 10 with reps from the Police Force, Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration and Border Protection Service and the Attorney General.

Sint Maarten's Immigration and Border Control Service and the Coast Guard have been asked to draw up plans of action for the airport, seaport and beaches. This includes a risk analysis of the ports and beaches, as well as an inventory study on the implementation of a radar system or other similar modern technologies for monitoring of ship movements.

The purpose of the meeting is to prevent human smuggling, human trafficking and the infiltration of the community by persons with less than good intentions. The aforementioned Sint Maarten institutions of law enforcement were given a one-month period to draft the plan of action and submit it to the Minister.

Sint Maarten law enforcement is making an effort to combat human trafficking and protect its borders. The country of course faces challenges just like any other country including the Netherlands. Therefore, Holland should have more understanding for the challenges that the country faces and be realistic when it comes to certain areas.

Nearly 21 million people are victims of forced labour and human trafficking, including almost a million in the European Union member States, according to the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO).

Country Sint Maarten with its lack of resources at this point in time will have some choices to make once the plan of action has been drafted and the risk analysis completed.

Holland's unproductive attitude and comments of late does not bode well for developing good relations and working more efficiently and effectively together. As can be seen from this U.S. State Department report, Holland has its share of challenges just like Sint Maarten, a small island developing state.

More emphasis and efforts should be brought to bear on working together rather than making unsubstantiated statements and being judge and jury at the same time. Holland has been recognized by the U.S. with respect to continuing to pursue innovative approaches to prevent trafficking and address demand for commercial sex acts and forced labour.

Holland's multi-agency human trafficking taskforce coordinates the country's anti-trafficking response and this organ could work with local authorities in this area in this global fight which is not a fight of one country alone but of the international community of nations which includes the Kingdom comprising of the country's Sint Maarten, Aruba, Curacao and the Netherlands.

Roddy Heyliger

There has been much discussion about integrity during the past months and two efforts underway to have the matter assessed in order to see where we are at as a country where this matter is concerned. Hon. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams has been in contact with Transparency International (TI). Dutch Prime Minister Hon. Mark Rutte has requested His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday to conduct an independent inquiry on the issue of integrity.

The most likely body to carry out an assessment would be TI. TI is a global movement sharing one vision: a world in which government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. In 1993, a few individuals decided to take a stance against corruption and created TI. It is an organization with presence in more than 100 countries.

Curacao is the last Caribbean country where TI carried out its National Integrity System (NIS) assessment, a concept that was developed in 2001. A NIS assessment evaluates the anti-corruption effectiveness of all principal institutions and actors that form a nation-state.

These principle institutions include all branches of government, the media, the public and private sector, and civil society. A TI NIS of Sint Maarten would cover the aforementioned.

NIS studies have been completed in more than 100 countries around the world according to TI. TI conducted its first NIS study in the Caribbean region in Jamaica in 2003, followed by a Caribbean composite report in 2004. From 2009-2011, TI carried out an NIS assessment in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The NIS provides a local framework which local organizations and citizens can use to analyze both the vulnerabilities of a given country to corruption, as well as the effectiveness of national anti-corruption efforts.

The purpose of a Sint Maarten NIS study would be to assess systematic corruption risks faced by the country and to produce a set of recommendations that can be used by actors in civil society, government and the private sector for promoting integrity in the country.

A NIS study of Sint Maarten could take about a year for the research and when the presentation is made to authorities; anywhere around the latter part of 2014 such a study could be presented.

The funding of the NIS study of Curacao came in the form of a grant agreement signed back in April 2012. The grant agreement ensured TI's complete independence in all phases of the process, from initial research to final outcome and recommendations. Research for the Curacao NIS study was started back in summer 2012 and the report was presented in June 2013.

The Curacao NIS study found that there is a general lack of trust in Curacao's key institutions and that this according to TI is a major obstacle for strengthening the foundations of the new country and will limit the success of any programme addressing corruption and promoting good governance.

Curacao's NIS study found that the public sector, political parties and the media were the weakest links in the country's ability to combat corruption.

The Curacao NIS also reveals that political parties in Curacao do not function well in all aspects, and that there is a potential risk of dominance of party discipline over governance both among members of Parliament as well with the Executive. This according to TI can hinder the independence of both institutions and, worryingly, blurs the separation of power as laid out in the Constitution.

The Judiciary, Ombudsman, supreme audit, and supervisory institutions scored relatively well in the Curacao NIS assessment.

Some recommendations from TI based on the findings of the Curacao NIS are that the country must ratify the United Nations Conventions against Corruption as a matter of urgency and develop a plan of action to ensure its implementation and enforcement also transparency of political party financing requires particular attention.

TI perhaps will recommend to the Sint Maarten Government at the end of a NIS assessment study to draft "whistle blower protection" legislation. This form of legislation would offer legal protections for workers who report concerns of wrongdoing in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Another most likely recommendation would be Sint Maarten's Parliament ratifying United Nations Conventions against Corruption. Our parliament could take the lead in doing that now and also looking into the whistle blower protection legislation, and have these in place by summer 2014 well ahead of the completion of any TI assessment.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Editor,

Too often we read in the local newspapers about robberies, rape, kidnapping, car theft, burglaries and so forth. It is often said that a worrisome financial situation of an individual is the main reason to commit a crime for monetary gain. Unfortunately, we do have poverty on our beautiful island, but not everybody who lives in poverty goes out to steal, rob or even murder. There are many families who are having trouble making ends meet, but are holding on fast to being responsible citizens.

We often see pictures displayed in the media of these robbers, many of them wearing jewelry and expensive brand clothing and shoes. Didn't they have money to pay their rent or food? If not, why spend their money on material things instead of necessities? Another excuse is that the reason for not having money is not having a job. This makes one wonder: how desperate can someone really be that someone rather steals and robs somebody who worked for their money than that someone is willing to work for minimum wage in a job that someone doesn't like? Newsflash! Thousands of people have come to Sint Maarten over the last couple of years to look for employment and found employment and people are still coming to Sint Maarten for the same reason. Granted, among the thousands who came to Sint Maarten there are many misfits who should not be allowed on our shores. Point is, our youth who are without a job could have taken these positions.

We believe that the reason for the current crime situations goes further than the links with poverty. Let there be no mistake: we need to fight poverty. We also need to get our educational system compatible with our labor market. Trade schools and co-operation with the private sector are of the utmost importance. We do need to get our youth to work. But what is even more important is how we go about being an example for our children and that we actually care for them. They see enough violence on TV, computer games and listening to violent music and now they are witnessing it "life" as well. When growing up on Sint Maarten in the year 2013 it is normal to see young adults hanging around doing nothing, hearing about criminal activities from government officials, high ranked civil servants and break-ins in the neighbourhood. Not to mention those young adults who are involved in criminal activities and have children themselves. Besides the chance of getting locked up or being killed, they are setting the worse example for their children thinkable.

What about the victims of crime? Their life can change drastically from living care-free into living in a dark and dangerous world, continuously on the look-out for lurking dangers. Every action has a reaction, some visible and mostly invisible when it comes to criminal acts. The trend set for our next generation and the destruction of lives of victims are immeasurable. The impact of crime in our small community is tremendous. Crime is more than statistics. #sxmmovement.

Soualiga Social Movement

Dear Editor,

It is with great disappointment that the Democratic Party of St. Maarten, read that Member of Parliament Frans Richardson has moved himself to the lowest level of political polemic insinuating that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams should resign as a result of the ongoing investigations at the National Security Service.

Firstly: it is the Prime Minister who, upon being brought up to date by staff of the Service regarding certain financial discrepancies in the accounts of the National Security who decided that there should be a full-fledged investigation conducted. It is the Prime Minister who asked the SOAB to look into the discrepancies she was made aware of and it is the Prime Minister who is ensuring that due process is followed and who is reviewing the findings in order to make the necessary decisions.

Secondly MP Richardson is alleging that there was a so-called 'security breach'. Why is this? The Prime Minister on numerous occasions has assured the population that the security of the organization is intact and that at no point in time was there any reference of a security breach. The malversations at the VDSM are strictly centered on the finances of the organizations and not on the security of the VDSM. Moreover, it was during the budget debate that Parliamentarians, including MP Frans Richardson, approved the Budget of the VDSM so he is fully aware of how the organization is structured. What the MP is involved in here, is simply political fear mongering and again lying to the public for political gain.

Let us try to explain the current situation by using the analogy of a bank. Suppose an employee of a bank commits fraud. The management of the bank discovers the fraud and decides to initiate a wide scale investigation which verifies that, indeed, there was fraud committed at the bank. The employee is placed under investigation and suspended and eventually has to appear before the court of law. Is it then up to the Manager of the Bank to resign? Is he responsible for the actions of an irresponsible employee? Does he have to set aside the important task of managing the bank to pay for a crooked employee? The same goes in this case; the Prime Minister initiates the investigation at the VDSM and based on what has been found by the SOAB, the PM will make certain decisions on how to improve whatever went wrong.. Calling for the PM to resign is just as ludicrous as it would be in our analogy to have the bank director resign.

Indeed malversations were discovered at the VDSM and if it were not for the Prime Minister the investigations into the matter would not have occurred as expeditiously and thoroughly as they have. Our PM has also, in the name of integrity and through various media outlets, ensured that the population was and continues to be brought up to speed regarding the on-going investigations. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the "Sand-Gate" affair of the Independent Member of Parliament Frans Richardson.

The Democratic Party of St. Maarten.

Michael J. Ferrier
President

Dear Editor,

As we all know, our island has gone through some major changes over the past years. We have had multiple changes in political power, a major change in our governing structure with the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, the upgrading of our harbour, the building of an important international airport, new road links, a Causeway Bridge that is about to be finished and many other changes. Without a doubt we can state that our country has been moving forward.
With these many changes we feel that certain districts were left behind economically and socially. Our immigration issues are bigger than ever, youth unemployment is higher than ever and the crime wave that our island is suffering from is far from over. Many families are having difficulties to make ends meet, resulting in a decrease of the quality of life for many. Broken homes, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence are affecting a large group of our youths growing up. So, even though we have moved forward as an island and now country, all the progress has not benefited all of us.
Besides the fact that Soualiga Social Movement emphasized on the individual responsibility each of us has to our community we have also emphasized on the need to diversify our economy by increasing focus on the marine industry and re-installing agriculture, not limiting this diversification by these two sectors. We are of the opinion that the economic diversification also should take place geographically. One's economic independence leads to one's empowerment.
Control of Human Affairs is achieved primarily through the control of economic factors. Economics drives politics, and economic and political realities shape the structure of our society. Along with our increasing dependence on remote and impersonal political and economic entities has come the disintegration of traditional social structures: the family, the neighbourhood, the island community. All of these have paled into economic insignificance, and lacking economic power. They have become politically and socially powerless as well. If we are to reverse the trend of ever increasing alienation, we must begin to organize ourselves into small functional social groupings that empower their members and provide a meaningful level of mutual support. Democracy needs to be economic as well as political.
Instead of centralizing all economic activity in mainly Philipsburg, Simpson Bay and the Maho/Mullet Bay area we should now focus on bringing economic activities to other parts of the island. Agri-tourism, theaters, shops and the likes should now be brought to "the hoods" accompanied with the same beautification as was done in the aforementioned areas. This will enhance the chance for starting entrepreneurs to be successful, it will create employment and it will elevate the quality of life of those living in the newly targeted areas. Then we truly can say that we are moving forward. #sxmmovement.

Soualiga Social Movement

Dear Editor,

With great concern we took notice of the exam results from the PKL/PBL students of the Sundial School and the PBL/PKL/TKL students of Milton Peters College. Less than 50% of the students from Sundial School passed their exams and less than 50% of the students who sat their exams in Milton Peters College's PBL department passed. This is more than worrisome!

We need to take a look at the reasons why these results are so poor. Is it our educational system? Is it a mentality issue that our children have? Is it the poor social structure in which our children are growing up? We need to ask ourselves what we can expect from the teachers at these schools and what we can expect from our government, but not less important: we need to ask ourselves what can we expect from us as a community raising these children?

It is of the utmost importance that we recognize our role as individuals in our community. We cannot let it up to the schools, teachers and government to raise our children. We all have a role to play. The children who are failing in school today are the laborers and professionals of tomorrow. We can talk about nation building and making plans for the future of Sint Maarten, but there is no future without our children of today.

Soualiga Social Movement is not claiming to know the answers to this tremendous problem, but we are sure recognizing the many problems and social ills surrounding our children. All the alarm bells are ringing. All hands on deck are needed: private sector, public sector, civil sector and each and every individual. The UNICEF report that pictures a grim situation in certain area's pertaining our children needs to be discussed in every level of our society, starting in parliament. Private sector and civil sector need to join hands and come up with programs that are of a nature that lead to structural improvement. As individuals we need to make time for our children again and guide them from the cradle to their adulthood. Our children are the future. #sxmmovement.

Soualiga Social Movement

La feuille de route du Gouvernement sur le numérique adoptée le 28 février 2013 prévoit l'identification de quartiers numériques pour accroître la visibilité de l'économie numérique française et faire émerger des entreprises de rang mondial dans ce secteur.

Jean-Pierre JOUYET, Directeur général de la Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC), a remis au Premier ministre le rapport de la mission de préfiguration des quartiers numériques qui lui avait été confiée sur la proposition de Mme Fleur PELLERIN, Ministre déléguée en charge des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, de l'Innovation et de l'Economie numérique.

Aux termes des recommandations du rapport, le Gouvernement a décidé de :

• mettre en place un dispositif de « quartiers numériques » qui s'appuie sur les territoires pour engager une démarche collective, coordonnée au niveau national, qui favorise l'animation, la mise en réseau et le développement des différents écosystèmes numériques locaux ;
• proposer aux territoires de promouvoir, ensemble, à l'international, les entreprises du secteur, dans la perspective de renforcer l'attractivité économique de la France ;
• mobiliser le Programme des investissements d'avenir, comme annoncé le 9 juillet dernier, avec un financement dédié à ce dispositif.

Le Premier ministre a confié à Fleur PELLERIN le soin d'organiser, en lien avec Louis GALLOIS, Commissaire général à l'investissement, et Jean-Pierre JOUYET, Directeur général de la CDC, une concertation sur les conclusions du rapport. Il lui a demandé d'œuvrer pour initier d'ici fin octobre les appels à projet ou à manifestation d'intérêt requis pour le lancement opérationnel du dispositif de « quartiers numériques ».

Le 20 juillet 2013 vers 07h30, une dispute éclate entre deux hommes rue Sand Divers à Sandy-Ground, à hauteur de l'établissement le « Bambou vert ». Les deux hommes se portent ensuite à hauteur du magasin « Yamaha », puis dans le canal de Sandy-Ground, où l'un des deux succombe en raison de coups de couteau qui lui sont portés.
Toute personne susceptible d'apporter un témoignage utile aux investigations, soit qu'elle se soit trouvée sur la voie publique, soit qu'elle se soit trouvée au « Bambou vert » est priée de prendre contact avec la brigade de recherches de la gendarmerie de St Martin, chargée de l'enquête:

• en téléphonant au « 17 » ou au «05 90 52 30 10».
• ou en se présentant à la caserne de gendarmerie de la Savane.

L'identité des témoins souhaitant conserver l'anonymat sera préservée.

Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, exprime sa profonde émotion à la suite de la terrible catastrophe ferroviaire qui a frappé l'Espagne. Il a adressé ce matin un message à Mariano Rajoy, président du gouvernement espagnol, pour lui faire part de la solidarité et du soutien du gouvernement français dans cette épreuve. Il s'associe à la peine des familles et des proches des victimes.

Sur recommandation du Commissaire général à l'investissement, Jean-Marc Ayrault, Premier ministre, a décidé d'apporter le soutien du Programme d'investissements d'avenir (PIA) à trois projets destinés à réduire les impacts sur l'environnement de productions industrielles. Le PIA investira à hauteur du tiers, en moyenne, du montant de ces projets de recherche et développement, qui représentent un total de près de 100M€

Le premier projet, porté par l'IFP Energies nouvelles en lien avec la filière industrielle automobile vise à optimiser le fonctionnement du moteur thermique, notamment en réduisant la consommation des moteurs diesel et des moteurs à allumage commandé.

Le second projet, porté par STX France, vise en particulier à réduire la consommation de carburant et les émissions d'oxyde de soufre dans la propulsion navale.

Le troisième projet, porté par la société française Aubert&Duval, filiale du Groupe Eramet, et UKTMP, permettra de construire en Auvergne une installation de recyclage de chutes générées lors des opérations de transformation et d'usinage du titane, en réduisant de près de 70% les émissions de gaz à effet de serre par rapport à la filière de production traditionnelle. Ce sera la seule installation de ce type en Europe et près de 80 personnes seront embauchés à cette occasion.

Le Premier ministre a également apporté le soutien du PIA au projet de modernisation du centre de formation en alternance Georges Lanfry à Rouen, qui permettra de créer de nouvelles formations d'apprentissage spécialisées dans les matériaux et la construction et de créer 120 places d'hébergement supplémentaires pour les futurs apprentis.

Le ministre des Outre-mer, M. Victorin LUREL, s'engage encore d'avantage en faveur de l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes. A cet effet, il organise un concours photo dans l'hexagone et dans les Outre-mer qui s'inscrit dans la série de manifestations « le 8 mars, c'est toute l'année » mis en place par la Ministre des Droits des femmes, Madame Najat VALLAUD-BELKACEM.
Le thème retenu est « femmes des Outre-mer » et un concours, ouvert aux photographes amateurs et professionnels, démarrera le 22 juillet 2013, permettant de sélectionner une photo par région/collectivité d'Outre-mer et une photo pour l'hexagone.
Les photos sélectionnées seront affichées sur les murs extérieurs du ministère des Outre-mer à Paris à partir du mois de novembre 2013.

• Un premier jury local sélectionnera trois photos par collectivité d'Outre-mer. Les 3 lauréats gagneront des lots tels que des appareils photos numériques, des sacs pour appareil photo, ou des trépieds.
• Un jury national sélectionnera une photo lauréate par territoire et établira un classement général. Les trois premiers lauréats du classement général seront invités à participer au vernissage de l'exposition de leurs oeuvres à Paris.

Nous invitons toutes les personnes souhaitant participer à ce concours, à bien vouloir envoyer leurs photos en version numérique (CD ou clé USB), accompagnées du dossier de candidature complété et signé, au Ministère des Outre-mer - 27 rue Oudinot - 75007 Paris, jusqu'au 17 septembre 2013, date limite de participation, le cachet de la poste faisant foi.
Le règlement, l'affiche du concours et les dossiers de participation sont téléchargeables sur le site du ministère des Outre-mer http://www.outre-mer.gouv.fr/?participez-au-concours-photo-femmesdes-outre-mer-du-22-juillet-au-17.html

En octobre 2012, deux cambriolages sont commis dans des habitations individuelles à Friar's Bay et Concordia. L'enquête confiée à la communauté de brigades de Saint-Martin permet après de minutieuses investigations d'identifier l'auteur des faits. Convoqué à la brigade de Concordia le mercredi 17 juillet dans le cadre d'une procédure distincte, celui-ci est alors immédiatement interpellé et placé en garde à vue. Au cours de son audition, les enquêteurs parviennent à lui imputer 10 autres faits de cambriolages et tentatives de cambriolages commis en divers endroits de l'île à savoir les Terres Basses, Mont Choisy, Concordia, Friar's bay, et la Savana. L'ensemble du matériel dérobé n'a pu être retrouvé car a été aussitôt revendu à des personnes peu scrupuleuses en partie hollandaise. A l'issue de sa garde à vue, l'individu est convoqué devant le tribunal correctionnel de Saint-Martin le 08 août 2013 pour répondre des faits de cambriolages et tentative de cambriolage.

Le vendredi 19 juillet 2013, M. Philippe CHOPIN, Préfet délégué auprès de la représentante de l'Etat dans les collectivités de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin, a rendu un hommage appuyé à M. Jacky RAZAFINDRABLE-NICOLI et à Mme Morgane SIMON, à l'occasion de leur départ de la Préfecture de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin.
Ces deux piliers du bureau des étrangers et de la nationalité, qui tour à tour ont piloté le service, partent pour d'autres destinations. M. RAZAFINDRABLE-NICOLI pour la retraite, Mme Simon, lauréate d'un concours. Ils auront par leur compétence et leur  personnalité, laissé une empreinte remarquée au sein des services de l'Etat. Le Préfet Philippe Chopin a tenu à leur porter un témoignage de reconnaissance pour le travail accompli avant leur départ.

Lors de son déplacement en Isère, à Grenoble et à Crolles, le Premier ministre a annoncé la participation de l'Etat à hauteur de 600M€ au projet Nano2017. Il s'agit d'un vaste programme de recherche et de développement industriel de 3,5Md€ porté par la société franco-italienne STMicroelectronics, par le laboratoire LETI du CEA à Grenoble et par leurs partenaires locaux, visant à réaliser d'ici 2017 un nouveau saut technologique dans la maîtrise et la diffusion des nanotechnologies et demeurer ainsi une référence mondiale de ce secteur très compétitif.

La nanoélectronique fait partie des technologies génériques clés qui sont intégrées aujourd'hui dans un très large panel d'applications industrielles et grand public, au cœur de grands défis sociétaux, notamment dans l'automobile (sécurité avancée et maitrise de la consommation), dans les technologies de l'information (objets connectés et accroissement des possibilités de stockage), dans la santé (diagnostic médical, traitement ciblé de cellules malades), dans les écotechnologies (détection et neutralisation de micro-organismes par exemple), ou dans les économies d'énergie.

Ce projet se traduira par la réalisation d'importants investissements industriels de haute technologie par STMicroelectronics en France, notamment dans son usine avancée de Crolles (en 300 mm) pour y doubler à terme la capacité de production.

Le projet Nano2017 permettra au pôle Grenoble – Crolles d'être l'un des trois piliers du programme européen de recherche Horizon 2020 annoncé par la Commission européenne, qui vise à organiser une véritable filière européenne de la micro-nano-électronique. Le soutien public à Nano2017 fera l'objet d'une notification à la Commission européenne et ne sera effectif qu'après l'autorisation de celle-ci.

A l'issue de la visite, Jean-Marc Ayrault a déclaré : « Ce projet de haute technologie traduit un partenariat local absolument exemplaire entre l'Etat, les collectivités locales, le groupe STMicroelectronics, les laboratoires de recherche du CEA et de l'Université de Grenoble, et les nombreuses PME associées. Ce sont plus de 24 000 emplois qui dépendent ainsi localement de cet écosystème grenoblois d'excellence mondiale en matière de nanoélectronique. »

Le Premier ministre a appris avec une grande peine le décès, à l'âge de 92 ans, de Denys de la Patellière.

Né en mars 1921 à Nantes, Denys de la Patellière avait réalisé son premier film en 1955, et s'était rapidement imposé comme le réalisateur populaire de l'après-guerre. Devant sa caméra, ont tourné Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay, Jeanne Moreau, Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Morgan. Il avait lancé la carrière de Lino Ventura avec « Un Taxi pour Tobrouk ».

Toujours attentif à rassembler le public le plus large, Denys de la Patellière a traversé la seconde moitié du XXème siècle avec élégance et classicisme, mobilisant de grands dialoguistes, comme Michel Audiard et Alphonse Boudard. On se souvient également de son œuvre pour la télévision, notamment l'adaptation de référence du « Comte de Monte Cristo », avec Jacques Weber.

A sa famille, à ses enfants, à tous ses admirateurs, Jean-Marc Ayrault adresse ses condoléances attristées.

Cher(e)s ami(e)s,

Une émotion particulière plane toujours sur Grand-Case le 21 juillet.
Cette émotion, partagée par tous les Saint-Martinois, je suis heureux de la vivre avec vous cette année encore.
Emotion, parce que ce 21 juillet est l'occasion, chaque année, de redonner du sens aux notions de solidarité, d'union, de vivre-ensemble, notions d'autant plus primordiales quand la crise économique voudrait faire, parfois, vaciller notre cohésion sociale.
Moment de liesse populaire, jour de mise à l'honneur de l'un de nos villages le plus pittoresque, le 21 juillet est également, pour tous les Saint-Martinois, l'occasion de célébrer l'œuvre et de raviver la mémoire du rédacteur du Décret d'abolition de l'esclavage du 27 avril 1848.
Il n'y a selon moi pas de définition plus juste de l'œuvre de Victor Schœlcher, que celle avancée par Aimé Césaire dans son hommage du 21 juillet 1945 : « L'œuvre de Schœlcher » disait alors le chantre de la négritude, « ce sont des milliers d'hommes noirs se précipitant aux écoles, se précipitant aux urnes, se précipitant aux champs de bataille, ce sont des milliers d'hommes noirs accourant partout où la bataille est de l'homme ou de la pensée et montrant, afin que nul n'en ignore, que ni l'intelligence ni le courage ni l'honneur ne sont le monopole d'une race élue »...
En ravivant l'esprit de Schœlcher, c'est l'impératif de liberté pleine, d'égalité entière, qui doit raisonner.
C'est la conscience que nous devons, chaque jour, lutter, chacun à notre niveau, pour rompre des chaines, fussent-elles symboliques...
Car ce n'est pas que le passé que nous célébrons ce jour : la pensée et l'œuvre d'un Victor Schœlcher, d'un François-Auguste Perrinon, d'un Toussaint Louverture, d'un Cyrille Bissette... sont d'une modernité qui doit infuser notre présent pour nourrir nos lendemains, lorsqu'il s'en trouve encore pour justifier que certains sont à leur place au ban de la société.
Pour paraphraser Césaire, il ne doit y avoir de « place vide aux assises de l'humanité » et le combat de Schœlcher est un combat vivant, puissamment intemporel car « Aucune des qualités que requiert la gravité du moment ne manque à Victor Schœlcher. Contre la timidité dans les projets, il y a un antidote : l'esprit de Victor Schœlcher. Contre la propension à la tyrannie, il y a un antidote : l'esprit de Victor Schœlcher. Contre le préjugé et l'injustice, il y a un antidote : l'esprit de Victor Schœlcher ».

Je vous remercie

Le décès de Madame Simone Seitre m'a particulièrement touchée, et je tiens à saluer son implication passionnée pour l'art haïtien et son engagement citoyen volontaire.
C'est avec beaucoup de tristesse que j'ai appris la disparition de cette amoureuse de Saint-Martin, qui avait à cœur de transmettre son amour de l'art, et dont la collection extraordinaire des plus grandes signatures haïtiennes, était unique dans les Caraïbes.
Son expertise et sa maîtrise de la peinture naïve, qu'elle a affectionné pendant plus de 40 ans, n'a eu d'égal que l'excellente réputation internationale de sa galerie « Gingerbread », appréciée par de nombreux connaisseurs et collectionneurs.
Je présente à la famille et aux proches de Madame Simone Seitre, au nom du Conseil territorial, nos sincères condoléances.

Aline Hanson
Présidente du Conseil territorial de Saint-Martin

Après un travail de concertation d'une année, la convention entre l'Etat et l'Université de Toulouse pour la mise en œuvre de l'Initiative d'excellence (IDEX) a été signée par le Premier ministre, la ministre de l'enseignement supérieur et de la recherche, Mme Geneviève Fioraso, la présidente du Pôle de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur (PRES Université de Toulouse), Mme Marie-France Barthet, et la directrice générale de l'Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR), Mme Pascale Briand.

Dotée de 750 M€ de dotation non consommable produisant un financement annuel de 25,6M€, cette Initiative d'excellence vise à construire à Toulouse une Université à visibilité mondiale à la hauteur de la puissance scientifique et technologique du site et des établissements qui se sont rassemblés pour porter l'IDEX : l'université de Toulouse 1 Capitole, l'université de Toulouse 2 Le Mirail, l'université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, l'Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse, l'Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace, l'Institut national des sciences appliquées de Toulouse, avec l'appui des organismes de recherche, le CNRS, l'INSERM, l'INRA et l'IRD notamment.

L'IDEX « Université de Toulouse » financera plusieurs projets de recherche et de formation, dont ceux qui ont été sélectionnés par le programme Investissements d'avenir : 7 laboratoires d'excellence (IAST, NEXT, TULIP, CIMI, IAM TSE, SMS/SSW et TOUCAN), 3 initiatives d'excellence en formation innovante (FREDD, DEFI-UNIVERSITES, FORMADIME). Elle développera son action en relation avec l'IRT « AESE » et la SATT « Toulouse Tech Transfer ».

La convention fixe des objectifs en matière d'actions novatrices de recherche et de formation destinées à renforcer les points forts du site comme à favoriser l'émergence de nouvelles excellences. À cette fin, un comité composé de personnalités scientifiques externes au site (comité d'arbitrage) sera chargé de sélectionner les actions à financer.

S'agissant de la structuration et de la gouvernance du dispositif, les acteurs ont proposé un modèle « fédéral » dont les résultats seront appréciés dans deux ans. Au-delà, l'Initiative d'excellence sera évaluée par le jury international en même temps que les autres IDEX, à l'issue de la période probatoire fixée pour l'IDEX TOULOUSE à 3 ans

Le Premier ministre se félicite de cet aboutissement après une démarche de concertation approfondie marquée par la double volonté de voir le projet approprié par tous les acteurs du site et l'ambition d'excellence préservée au plus haut niveau.

Le Préfet Philippe CHOPIN informe de la mise en ligne sur le site internet de la préfecture d'une consultation des citoyens sur les enjeux de Saint Martin pour la prochaine programmation européenne des fonds FEDER/FSE 2014/2020, et dont l'enveloppe financière est encore inconnue à ce jour.
Cette consultation publique se déroulera du 18 juillet au 15 août 2013. Elle est destinée à recueillir les recommandations de l'ensemble de la population sur le projet consultable en ligne. Les avis et observations seront étudiés lors de l'élaboration de la seconde version de ce programme, construit selon un processus itératif.
Cette consultation intervient dans le prolongement de la concertation initiée par le Préfet, le 5 juillet dernier, avec les élus et forces vives de Saint Martin. Elle se poursuit aujourd'hui avec l'ensemble des personnes intéressées par le développement de l'île sur les sept prochaines années.

A partir du lundi 22 juillet 2013, des modifications seront apportées à la circulation entre le rond-point de Bellevue, jusqu'à la rue Felix Eboué, via la rue de Hollande:

• La rue de Hollande sera rouverte aux véhicules légers à partir du rond–point de Bellevue, jusqu'au carrefour avec la rue Doigt de gant ;

• La portion – rue St-James (à partir de l'intersection avec la rue Doigt de gant) – rue de Hollande, devient à double sens ;

• La circulation est inversée, entre la portion rue de Hollande (à partir de l'intersection avec la rue St-James), jusqu'au croisement avec la rue Felix Eboué.

Le 17 juin 2013 vers 00h30, à Grand Case, dans un bar, une altercation entre deux hommes, sur fond de règlement de compte, avait abouti à un homicide volontaire par arme à feu. Le meurtrier présumé, identifié, après avoir tiré à plusieurs reprises sur sa victime, était parvenu à prendre la fuite et était depuis activement recherché par les gendarmes de la compagnie de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.
Le 13 juillet 2013, à 13h30, alors que le meurtrier présumé s'apprêtait à quitter Saint-Martin à partir du port de Galisbay, il a été aperçu par un vigile qui a immédiatement prévenu le centre opérationnel de la gendarmerie. À 13h40, une patrouille de l'escadron de gendarmerie mobile de Pithiviers, dépêchée sur les lieux en urgence, interpellait le fugitif, sans heurt.
Immédiatement, l'intéressé était placé en garde à vue et entendu par le militaires de la brigade de recherches de Saint-Martin saisis de l'enquête dans le cadre d'une information judiciaire du chef d'homicide volontaire avec préméditation (assassinat).
Présenté devant le juge d'instruction du tribunal de grande instance de Pointe-à-Pitre en charge du dossier, le meurtrier présumé, à l'issue de la notification de sa mise en examen par le magistrat, a été placé en détention provisoire à la maison d'arrêt de Baie Mahault.

Une opération de lutte contre la délinquance routière était menée le lundi 15 juillet 2013 de 16h00 à 20h00 par la compagnie de gendarmerie départementale de Saint-Martin et Saint-Barthélémy.
Réalisée conjointement par la brigade motorisée de Saint-Martin et la brigade territoriale autonome de Saint-Barthélémy, l'opération mobilisait au total 11 militaires de la gendarmerie, engagés en différents points de contrôle répartis sur le territoire de la Collectivité d'Outre-Mer de Saint-Barthélémy.
120 conducteurs ainsi que leurs véhicules ont été contrôlés, permettant de relever les 32 infractions suivantes:
- 01 conduite sous l'empire d'un état alcoolique, présentant un taux délictuel, > 0,4 mg/litre d'air expiré (0,55) ;
- 01 délit pour conduite sous l'empire de produits stupéfiants ;
- 03 infractions pour vitesse excessive ;
- 09 infractions pour défaut de port de la ceinture de sécurité (conducteur et/ou passager) ;
- 02 infractions pour utilisation du téléphone en conduisant ;
- 07 infractions pour pneumatiques lisses ;
- 06 infractions pour défaut de rétroviseur ;
- 02 infractions pour casque non attaché ;
- 01 infraction pour plaque d'immatriculation illisible.

Monsieur le représentant du préfet délégué,
Mesdames Messieurs les conseillers territoriaux,
Mesdames et Messieurs,

Nous voici réunis une nouvelle fois devant notre monument aux morts et au pied du drapeau français, afin de réaffirmer notre fidélité à la République française et à ses principes fondateurs que sont la Liberté, l'égalité et la Fraternité, mais aussi pour rendre hommage aux martyrs tombés au champ d'honneur pour défendre nos libertés. Derrière le rituel de chaque manifestation républicaine, il existe toujours un sens profond dont il convient d'en extraire le contenu et de le partager.
I want to thank you all for coming here today on the 14th of July 2013 some 224 years after the 14th of July 1789. This is a symbolic date for the French Republic and its people who through a Revolution proved that it aspired to something better than the norm. Since 1789, France speaks to the world and has based itself on universal norms.
It is interesting to note, that in most countries the national Holiday commemorates their independence, the day when they were liberated from the yoke of the foreign domination.
Or, nous commémorons en France le 14 juillet, c'est bien le renversement d'une puissance intérieure et non étrangère, via le passage de la monarchie à la République. C'est ainsi que la Fête nationale revêt un universel, et pas seulement national, d'ailleurs de nombreux autres pays célèbrent le 14 juillet.
The passage to a concept – that, men are created equal and have certain inalienable rights such as Liberty as was proclaimed by the United States in 1776 during its passage into independence. A message coming from the New World that was repeated with enthusiasm by France 13 years later, on the occasion of the French Revolution.
La France, qui par la voix de son peuple, ajouta à la Liberté deux ingrédients complémentaires, l'Egalité et la Fraternité. Ces trois termes désormais inséparables, symbolisent la Fête nationale, et résonnent toujours dans nos sociétés modernes, avec comme écho de nombreuses réflexions philosophiques et sociétales.
La Liberté est une ambition humaine dans laquelle la culture ne joue qu'un rôle de forme : tout humain, par essence, aspire à la Liberté. Et si la fraternité nous rappelle que la Liberté n'est pas l'absence de toutes contraintes, l'Egalité nous enseigne que le respect de cette dernière conditionne l'existence de la Fraternité. L'Egalité et la fraternité ne sont pas des actes, mais les expressions de la Liberté, lui faisant porter une lourde responsabilité. Une Liberté atrophiée conduit à un manque de fraternité au mépris de la l'Egalité. L'équilibre entre cette fragile trilogie républicaine résulte d'une équation dont l'Homme ne cesse d'en rechercher le secret.
When we commemorate the 14th of July we demonstrate our belief in these three notions of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity that are forever written in marble and in the Declaration of Human Rights and Citizenship. To commemorate the 14th of July also means to impose on ourselves a responsibility of remembrance for those who have fought, and those who have died to defend these ideals that continue to personify hope.
« La Patrie se compose de morts qui l'ont fondée aussi bien que des vivants qui la continuent », écrivait Victor Hugo. Les révolutionnaires morts pour trois mots, dont nous avons le devoir de transmettre aux générations futures, le sens et l'importance, dans le cadre de la construction d'une société harmonieuse. Attention aujourd'hui de ne pas confondre Egalité et égalitarisme, Fraternité et solidarité, Liberté et individualisme. Cette paupérisation entraîne non seulement une incompréhension des valeurs véhiculées par notre trilogie républicaine, mais elle bémolise son sens intrinsèque. Alors chers amis, méditons l'enseignement de notre Histoire et que la puissance de notre devise Liberté Egalité Fraternité, soit pour nous tous, un formidable message d'espérance.
This responsibility of remembrance can be placed within a different context that is nonetheless still coherent with the ideals that I have spoken about. This context, is the passing on of knowledge and experience that makes up a peoples memory and leads us to the theme of this July 14, 2013.
We have decided to honor the local artisans, especially those Saint-Martin women who are confectioners of local sweets and candies. Our local artisans are not highlighted enough. The diversity of our artisanship constitutes, along with the hope of seeing it develop on a broader basis, a response to the crisis of unemployment.
The bridge that needs to be established between the generations is exemplified in this context very clearly. On one hand we have our youth that is unemployed and full of hope and enthusiasm and on the other hand is an experienced senior population with a unique know-how. They both have a common objective: the transmission of know-how and a passion, to better perpetuate a tradition.
J'encourage notre jeunesse à s'intéresser de près à cette diversité artisanale saint-martinoise, qui est un garant de la perpétuation de nos traditions, et offre une large gamme d'emplois dont la nature doit être mieux connue. J'incite également les jeunes à spéculer sur les valeurs du 14 juillet, en termes d'émancipation, d'espérance, mais aussi de devoir de mémoire. Ce devoir de mémoire, c'est également ne pas laisser s'effacer les empreintes laisser par celles et ceux qui ont contribué à bâtir notre culture et notre société.
Je vous souhaite à tous une excellente fête du 14 juillet, et que la devise républicaine soit porteuse d'un véritable message d'espérance.

Vive la République,
Vive la France,
Vive Saint-Martin.

Réuni au siège social de la société à Saint-Martin le vendredi 12 juillet 2013, le Conseil d'administration de la SEMSAMAR a procédé à l'élection de son nouveau président.

M. Wendel COCKS a été élu à l'unanimité Président du Conseil d'Administration de la SEMSAMAR. Il succède à Mme Aline HANSON.

Agé de 45 ans, M. Wendel COCKS possède une formation en gestion qui l'a conduit à travailler dans un cabinet d'expert-comptable et plusieurs concessions automobiles.

Il a participé activement au sein d'un groupe de jeunes aux débats politiques qui ont précédé la création de la Collectivité Territoriale de Saint-Martin avant de conduire la liste "Alliance Démocratique pour Saint-Martin" aux élections territoriales de 2007.

En 2012, il rejoint la liste Rassemblement Responsabilité Réussite (RRR) conduite par Alain RICHARDSON, qui remporte les élections territoriale. M. Wendel COCKS est actuellement 3ème vice-président de la Collectivité Territoriale de Saint-Martin, en charge du pôle développement économique et finances.

Dans le discours qu'il a prononcé à l'issue de son élection à la présidence de la SEMSAMAR, M. Wendel COCKS a déclaré notamment : « En tant qu'administrateurs à la SEMSAMAR, nous avons le devoir de veiller à ce que les intérêts des collectivités que nous représentons soient garantis, et que les travaux qui sont ou seront menés, résultent de choix stratégiques mis en œuvre pour un développement économique durable des territoires ».

A la suite de plusieurs procédures juridictionnelles pour construction illicite, occupation illégale du domaine public et d'un arrêté de fermeture administrative pour manquement à l'hygiène et à la salubrité, le Restaurant the Key, de Pinel a été démonté par une entreprise sous la conduite du conservatoire du littoral et avec le concours des gendarmes.
L'établissement du Restaurant The Key été condamné une première fois à la démolition pour infraction au code de l'urbanisme décision confirmée en appel. Parallèlement à ces procédures, une contravention de grande voirie à l'encontre de la société gérante a donc été engagée par le Conservatoire du littoral en juillet 2010, pour occupation illégale du domaine public.
Suite à cela, le Tribunal administratif de Saint-Martin a condamné, le 22 mars 2012, la SARL LCM The Key à démolir le bâtiment qu'elle occupe illégalement sur l'îlet Pinel. Cette condamnation a été confirmée en appel le 29 novembre 2012. La société LCM The Key n'ayant pas procédé à la démolition des installations dans le délai qui lui était imparti, le Conservatoire du littoral est autorisé par les quatre décisions de justice à démolir le restaurant.
La démolition du restaurant sera suivie de plantations de résiniers et d'arbres caractéristiques du littoral, afin de reconstituer un milieu paysager favorable. Le Conservatoire du littoral et la Réserve Naturelle ont prévu l'aménagement d'une aire destinée au pique-nique, pour permettre un accès libre et ouvert à tous.

Le Centre de Formation des Apprentis de Saint-Martin en partenariat avec la Collectivité de Saint-Martin poursuivent le lancement des enquêtes d'opportunité concernant les ouvertures des formations en Apprentissage pour la rentrée 2013.

Les formations concernées sont ;
- C.A.P BOULANGER
- C.A.P PREPARATION ET REALISATION D'OUVRAGES ELECTRIQUES
- MENTION COMPLEMENTAIRE ENERGIE RENOUVELABLE
- C.A.P PEINTRE APPLICATEUR DE REVETEMENT
- C.A.P CUISINE
- C.A.P RESTAURATION
- C.A.P FROID ET CLIMATISATION

Ouvert depuis Septembre 2008 au Lycée Polyvalent des Iles du Nord, le CFA DE SAINT-MARTIN s'efforce de développer des formations répondant aux besoins des entreprises et pouvant offrir une réelle voie d'insertion aux jeunes.
L'Apprentissage est une formation en alternance qui propose un temps de formation professionnel en entreprise et un temps de formation théorique au CFA. Il est le moyen le plus sur pour vous, chefs d'entreprises, de former vos futurs employés à l'image de votre entreprise.
Le rythme d'alternance est généralement de 1 semaine en CFA et 3 semaines en entreprise, mais peut varier selon le CFA.

Afin d'encourager les entreprises, LA COLLECTIVITÉ DE SAINT-MARTIN verse une indemnité compensatrice forfaitaire décomposée en 3 aides :

 1000 euros d'aide à l'embauchẹ.
 La Prime de soutien à l'effort de formation pour chaque année du cycle de formation :
-1500 euros pour un apprenti de – de 18 ans
- 2000 euros pour un apprenti de 18 ans et plus
 L'Aide à l'insertion en fin de contrat d'apprentissage de 500 euros par année pour une embauche en CDI.
 Des avantages fiscaux

Avec son statut d'apprenti, votre collaborateur n'est pas pris en compte dans le calcul de seuils sociaux et fiscaux qui s'applique à votre entreprise.
Des charges sociales réduites : votre entreprise bénéficiera de nombreuses exonérations de charges patronales et salariales, modulées en fonction du nombre de salariés et du statut de votre entreprise

Pour avoir plus de renseignements sur ces primes veuillez contacter le service Apprentissage de la Collectivité au 0590 29 59 41.

Toutes les entreprises souhaitant recruter un apprenti pour ces nouvelles sessions sont priées de contacter le CFA au 0590 29 12 36 ou au 0690 31 79 98 afin de retirer les dossiers.

L'Avenir Sportif Club de Saint Martin organise « Les Foulées du 14 Juillet » le dimanche 14 Juillet 2013. Cette course hors stade de 6 km, débutera sur le Front de mer de Marigot à 17 heures. Une participation de 5€ ou 7$ sera demandée et les inscriptions auront lieu la veille, le samedi 13 juillet 2013 au stade Albéric Richards de Sandy Ground de 9h à midi. La course sera ouverte aux licenciés et aux non licenciés, dans plusieurs catégories : benjamins, minimes, cadets, juniors, espoirs, séniors, vétérans 1, vétérans 2.
Le parcours sera le suivant :
Départ front de mer boulevard de France - Giratoire de l'office de tourisme demi- tour - Boulevard de France - Front de mer - Marina fort Louis – Galisbay - Giratoire d'Agrément - direction le port de Galisbay demi- tour - Giratoire d'Agrément - Rue de Hollande - Rue de La République - Front de mer.

Contacts :
Claudine Désert 06 90 20 61 65
Magali Jasaron 06 90 31 59 03

Vendredi 5 juillet 2013, le Préfet Philippe CHOPIN recueillera en préfecture, en présence de Madame Aline HANSON, Présidente du conseil territorial de Saint-Martin, les recommandations et les projets des forces vives dans le cadre des travaux relevant des Programmes Opérationnels européens pour la période 2014/2020 (FEDER/FSE, FEADER, FEAMP et CTE.)
Le préfet souhaite associer ainsi les acteurs économiques et sociaux concernés par le développement de l'île, à l'élaboration de cette stratégie.

Depuis 2009, la Collectivité a initié l'opération « Lend a hand » à Saint-Martin, qui permet à des jeunes de 18 à 25 ans, de bénéficier d'une première expérience professionnelle au sein d'entreprises locales et partenaires du dispositif. Ainsi, plus de 110 jeunes, répondant aux critères déterminant leur admission à l'opération, sont placés dans ces entreprises de la partie française, pour le mois de juillet, afin d'appréhender le monde du travail. « Lend a hand » se déroule durant les mois de juillet et d'août, chaque jeune effectuant un mi-temps rétribué pendant un de ces deux mois, parmi la cinquantaine d'entreprises partenaires.

Parallèlement à l'opération « Lend a hand », la Collectivité, via son service Jeunesse, a reconduit le dispositif intitulé « Emploi-vacances », qui consiste à offrir à des jeunes scolarisés âgés de 17 à 25 ans, une expérience professionnelle. Cette dernière est effectuée au sein de la Collectivité pour le plus grand nombre, et à l'Hôpital pour certains d'entre eux. L'opération « Emploi-vacances » comprend deux sessions : l'une a débuté cette semaine, pour se terminer à la fin du mois de juillet, et la seconde aura lieu au mois d'août.

Ce jour, une embarcation avec une vingtaine de passagers s'est abimée en mer, au large des îles de Saint-Martin et d'Anguilla. Les secours, composés de la SNSM, des garde-côtes hollandais, des Sea Rescue et de la brigade nautique de la gendarmerie nationale, coordonnés par le Centre Régional Opérationnel de Surveillance et de Sauvetage (CROSS) Antilles Guyane, et en liaison avec les Préfectures de Guadeloupe et de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin, procèdent actuellement aux recherches des victimes. L'hélicoptère de la sécurité civile concourt également à la recherche des disparus. Des plongeurs sont sur place pour identifier le navire et examiner les lieux du drame.
Pour l'heure, 3 victimes sont à déplorer et 12 survivants ont pu être retrouvés. Ils se trouvent dans un état stable à l'hôpital.

Chavirement embarcation canal d'Anguilla
Le CROSS Antilles-Guyane a été alerté le dimanche 30 juin 2013 vers 23h30 locales, par un navire type remorqueur transitant dans le canal d'Anguilla, du chavirement d'une embarcation de 7 à 8 mètres de long avec des personnes à la mer. Le remorqueur a procédé à la récupération immédiate de 9 rescapés.
Sous la coordination du CROSS, d'importants moyens nautiques ont été engagés dès la réception de l'alerte et toute la journée du lundi pour opérer les recherches sur zone: vedette SNSM 129 de St Martin, patrouilleur hollandais POEMA accompagné de 2 vedettes rapides des gardes côtes de St Maarten, ainsi qu'une vedette de la Sea Rescue Foundation. l'hélicoptère de la Sécurité civile et un patrouilleur d'Anguilla. La vedette de la brigade nautique de la gendarmerie de St-Martin a également pris part aux recherches.
3 personnes ont été sauvées par ce biais et prises en charge avec l'ensemble des rescapés à l'hôpital l'hôpital Louis-Constant Fleming (Saint-Martin).
Au total, le bilan s'établit à 3 décédés, 3 disparus et 12 rescapés.
L'enquête se poursuit, sous l'autorité du Parquet, pour déterminer les circonstances de ce drame et l'identité des victimes.
Toutes les mesures sont prises pour que les rescapés soient accueillis avec toute l'humanité que requiert leur situation.

COLE BAY:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the SHTA Hurricane Preparedness Seminar at the Carl's Unique Inn Conference Center on Thursday where she emphasized the need for the wider community to not become complacent and to remain vigilant for the 2013 Hurricane Season.

"It has been quite some years already since the last Hurricane struck St. Maarten and in fact the ones that we remember most are Hurricanes Luis in 1995 and Hurricane Lenny in 1999. The danger is always present that we become complacent, that we let our guards down with regards to what has to be in place for the passing of a storm. Every year as June 1st comes around we look and we listen to the predictions that are made and are changed as the Hurricane Season Progresses. However it is equally important that we also take time out to stand still and reflect on where we are, what it is that we are doing, and as the cliché goes to make sure that our plans are in order because indeed it only takes one. It is for this reason that I commend this initiative," commented the PM.

The Prime Minister also highlighted that Government has plans that ensure that the various public and non-public stakeholders have a solid Hurricane Strategy in place going into the Hurricane Season. "It is equally important that as we do what we must to ensure proper planning as Government, that the wider community and in this respect every business person on St. Maarten plays a role starting with their own businesses, encouraging both employees and residents to be prepared and cooperating with all partners.

"We need to remind ourselves that we are in the Hurricane Belt and that a storm can happen at anytime during the season. Of course we pray that nothing does, that St. Maarten is spared from any national disaster, however preparedness is key. The Office of Disaster Management has come a long way in being as prepared as possible for the passing of a storm, however we still have a long way to go and we can never, ever let our guards down," concluded the PM.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

SIMPSON BAY:--- Island Hoops has become the latest recipient of a donation made by Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten). The donation was made over the weekend by Seven Seas Water operations manager, Lester Bryan. Accepting the donation was Paul Bell, founder and head coach of Island Hoops, who just recently established the foundation, thus realizing a dream of seven years.

Seven Seas Water decided on granting Island Hoops a donation to facilitate a summer basketball camp after its operations manager praised the level of professionalism and knowledge of the sport being shared by the coach with young participants.
Bell, who is a youth basketball coach recently returned home to St. Maarten after nearly a decade abroad. In that time span, he trained elite youth players at UBALL (Utrecht Basketball) in the Netherlands from 2007 to 2009 and served as a team manager with the Dutch National Basketball program, among others.
Both operations manager Bryan and Seven Seas Water managing director Franklyn Richards say that the company supports initiatives benefiting youth development and that competitive and organized sport is among endeavors it would encourage and support within that framework.
"We are happy to make a donation to Island Hoops, particularly in recognition of its work with basketball enthusiasts between the ages of 12 and 18, future basketball projects for youth between the ages of 9 and 18 and programs targeting teenagers between the ages of 14 to 18", say Seven Seas Water officials.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Last week, Valarie Wilson, a consultant who was sent on behalf of PAHO from the Caribbean Medical Labs Foundation located in Trinidad visited St. Maarten in order to conduct an assessment of the laboratory services available on the island, with a special emphasis on HIV. This included: HIV testing procedures, genotyping, CD4 counts, STI testing procedures, opportunistic infection procedures for examples syphilis, dengue and tuberculosis, algorithms, quality of services, and accessibility of services at the St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS), Dr. van Osch's clinic, the SXM AIDS Foundation, and the Lepres Laboratory on the French side.
During her visit, Mrs. Wilson met with representatives from HIV/AIDS Programme Management Team (PMT), Public Health Department, Collective Prevention Services (CPS), SLS, SXM AIDS Foundation, lead HIV/AIDS physician Dr. van Osch, and the Lepres Laboratory. She also had the opportunity to attend the joint collaboration HIV test outreach at La Bamba on Tuesday July 23rd. Minister Cornelius de Weever was also at La Bamba and said that he was very impressed with the initiative of the young people/ volunteers to reach other young people while they were out partying.
From the information gathered on her visit she will be writing recommendation to PAHO on how the various island can be assisted. Mrs. Wilson also provided one-on-one advice on how St. Maarten can enhance their laboratory services on the island. As St. Maarten is aware of the changes that need to be made and the direction in which they would like to head, they will be looking to PAHO to provide the technical support needed in order to ensure that the Laboratory services offered on St. Maarten are of top notch quality. "The technical assistance granted by PAHO illustrates that our associate membership and our willingness to work with PAHO has its privileges, responsibilities and benefits. This is a win –win situation for St. Maarten and PAHO, and we are looking forward to the final report to guide us in making the right decisions as we strive to provide a better service to the people of St. Maarten," said the Minister.
The Ministry is busy exploring how they can strengthening the relationship between Government and the laboratories to safeguard the quality of services being offered. Ensuring access the healthcare services for the people residing on St. Maarten is highly important and will be given top priority for the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- Volunteers from the U.S. Forward Operating Location (USFOL) donated 90 hours in support of the annual Vacation Bible School that was held in Fuik at Fundashon Amigunan di Cristo in July. FOL members helped set up the classrooms, prepared materials, and built castle walls out of cardboard. During the event, they provided water and served as helpers for the 250 children who took part in the classes. The men and women of the FOL often donates their time to community projects like this in order to give back and to show appreciation for the hospitality they have received from the citizens of Curacao.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, August 2, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) in collaboration with La Rich Arts & Entertainment Management will host the finale of their 3 part Spoken Lyrics summer event, to be hosted at the library's new PJL Lounge, at 8 pm.
The objective of this collaboration is to promote the library as more than just a location to borrow books but to also showcase another layer of literacy which translates into performance poetry and music. Events like these also stimulate St. Maarten's up and coming entertainers to participate in sharing their work with the general public, which provides opportunities for personal creative development.
The library, in its quest to continue to be a relevant part of St.Maarten's continuously changing society hopes to make the PJL Lounge available to the public for future events which encourage literacy, creative expression, and appreciation of the arts or simply for lounging during library opening hours to browse the internet with a laptop using the library's free WIFI.
This Fridays show will be dedicated to women under the theme "It's a Woman's World", in celebration of the multitalented young women of St. Maarten. The finales featured artists are two powerful and passionate singers, Natisha Hanson and Malaika Maxwell. Although the pair has similar roots in gospel music, their style and delivery are all their own. Natisha is no stranger to the mic and is known for effortlessly belting out high notes to popular songs, ranging from Aretha Franklin to Beyonce Knowles. Malaika, the evening's second featured artists, is a soulful artist who sings with an eclectic fusion of jazz, neo soul, and the rhythm of reggae in every note. The creative pair will be backed by the Jazzeko Band performing alongside: Morena Ignacio, Melissa Fleming, Maye Boo, Ms. Yorkie, Shanica Richardson, Keoma Hammer and special guest Theo De Weever.
All local poets and lyricists are welcome, during the open mic, to contribute any material that is line with the theme of the night.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with board members from the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) regarding a variety of issues.

Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday that he was very pleased with the discussions that took place with the SHTA and is ready and willing to work with them as they presented several good initiative ideas.

The SHTA was briefed about the minister's plans for the Market in the Park whereby a location has been designated for the SHTA. Government is providing the land and the SHTA would be responsible for constructing the building in conformity with certain esthetic standards.

The SHTA was very interested in the plan and will now convene a meeting with members to discuss the feasibility of constructing an SHTA office building.

The other points that the SHTA brought forward was the lack of sidewalks in Simpson Bay which makes it unsafe for pedestrians walking in this busy area home to many restaurants and eateries.

Bidding procedures were also discussed and the SHTA proposed to have the procedures adjusted to make it more accessible to all contractors including small and new companies which would also allow them to participate.

SHTA would like to see the Ministry of VROMI publish which building permits have been issued; and the issue of the length of time it takes to get a building permit.

The SHTA also suggested that a policy be put into place that all building permit holders are required to put up a sign on their property once they are building. According to the business representative association, this would make it easier for Building Inspectors to locate the property and for the neighbors to see if the building is being constructed legally.

The aforementioned currently takes place on the North side of the island. Minister Lake liked the idea and has instructed his staff to look into the matter.

The SHTA is very interested in the zoning and development plans for the country especially those related to the environment. The SHTA members informed the minister that they do not support the further destruction of the country's natural resources such as the filling of the lagoon or remaining ponds. The SHTA would also like to see more green spaces designated as play areas for children.

The SHTA would also like to see the Government develop an energy policy and for GEBE to move forward with the production of energy using green energy sources. They would also like to see incentives for people who invest in green energy.

Other issues related to GEBE were about knowing who is the persons managing the company; what is GEBE's strategic plan; and improvements in customer service.

"Private and public sectors need to come together for our common economic goals"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams offered additional comments regarding the recent presentation by the Director of the Central Back Emsley Tromp. The Prime Minister commented that the information which was distributed regarding the balance of payment of the Monetary Union is concerned, consideration needs to be made regarding the financial developments on St. Maarten vis a vis Curacao; "On St. Maarten there would be no need for measures to be taken with regards to the financial outlooks. However those same financial outlooks are based on the current monetary union. Certain restrictions that are in place on St. Maarten have been placed because of the situation on Curacao.

"St. Maarten has experienced a growth of 1.5%. Of course that is not the growth that St. Maarten has been accustomed to. Growth on St. Maarten has been normally four or five percent but because of the financial crises we are not to that level yet. But given the global crises we should indeed count ourselves lucky that we have been experiencing growth, growth that will continue in 2014. What we should do at this time, as St. Maarten is to ensure that our economy performs better than what is projected in 2014. Private and public sectors need to come together and create a shared vision to increase our common economic goals. That should be the aim; in order to see that we have a higher growth than projected.

"We talk about economic growth and increase in GDP, however it is about economic activity that yields money and keeps money in circulation. It means what we should keep that growth going, we should create employment opportunities that keep the production going. This vision calls for a coming together of all sectors to aim for a strengthening of our further economic growth. We need investments, projects, and employment.

The Prime Minister explained that the main economic sectors on St. Maarten remain tourism related activities, but that Government's push is to broaden the traditional types of tourism to include alternative tourism oriented activities. "When we talk about the Marine Industry on its own for example, which is an important industry on the island, it is still part of the Tourism product. One of the things we have been talking about exploring alternative tourism experiences. We have natural attributes to cater to various alternative tourism experiences. We could look at sports tourism, education tourism, eco tourism, and medical tourism and of course conference and convention tourism. We need to look at activities during the off-season; to have those months contribute to the economic development. We need to make the hub function that St. Maarten fulfills work. Government and other institutions such as the Chamber of Commerce is exploring various ways on how to develop our cosmopolitan nature, how to use the adaptiveness and positiveness of our people in order to offer all that St. Maarten has to offer and to reinforce and strengthen the economy," commented the Prime Minister

The PM also re-emphasized her call for the establishment of an Economic Think Tank that would include representatives from various sectors to research ways in strengthening the economy further. "Again I reiterate the call for an Economic Think Tank which would involve all sectors to make the necessary things happen," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell commends the Unified St. Maarten Connection (USC) foundation on their launch of the organizations website on Monday. The website address is www.uscfoundation.com

USC is engaged in assisting young St. Maarteners studying in Holland as well as young professionals.

The Holland-based organization is seen as an essential body that can provide clarification on scholastic and other issues and social and informative events that bring students and young professionals together.

On the home page of the website, the site features a flash slideshow of pictures that depicts exactly what the foundation stands for: to foster a greater sense of unity among St. Maarten students and young professionals in the Netherlands and on St. Maarten, and to parlay this dynamic into affecting change that is beneficial and related to the unique position we hold within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The website also features a discussion forum and information section for media, events, what the foundation is about etc.

"I would like to take this opportunity to commend USC and its members for this great initiative. The organization already utilizes social media in the form of a Facebook page, and the website is another avenue to promote the great work that this St. Maarten student/professional interest Holland-based foundation is doing.

"I encourage USC to take their organization to the next level and network with the 'Wereldstage' organization which can provide apprenticeship opportunities for students and young professionals.

"The 'Wereldstage' to my understanding has placed hundreds of Dutch students in different businesses including in the hotel and tourism sector in for example Curacao. It is time for our students from Sint Maarten be afforded similar opportunities," President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Gracita Arrindell said on Tuesday.

GREAT BAY:--- TelEm Group mobile provider, TelCell, created a big impression during the recently ended Saba Carnival 2013, having successfully sponsored a night of entertainment featuring the 3-Cylinder Band from Antigua and the Grandmasters from St. Kitts.
According to TelCell representatives, Angel Richardson and Melvin Richardson, the special night of entertainment was much appreciated by music lovers and carnival revelers alike.

"We promoted various TelCell products and services, handed out a number of give-away items and provided some top-ups and sims to new and loyal customers," said Angel.
She was especially pleased with public reaction to 10 mobile phones that were raffled to visitors at this year's carnival event.
Once again this year, TelCell promotions were carried out in collaboration with local telecommunication provider Satel, to whom the TelCell representatives are most grateful for their assistance and support.
"We want to thank Satel and the government and people of Saba, along with the hosts of this year's carnival for making us feel so welcome and allowing us to have such a fun time," said the TelCell representatives on behalf of TelEm Group.

Telem Press Release

COLE BAY:--- The third reported shooting incident over the last weekend leaves a second person injured. On Sunday July 28th at approximately 11:00pm, police patrols and detectives were directed to the parking lot of Peking Supermarket opposite Tropicana Casino for a shooting incident. On the scene the investigating officers spoke to the victim with initials J.R. (19) from Sint Maarten, who was a bleeding from a wound on his lower left-arm. He stated that he was sitting in car playing music when all of a sudden he heard several gunshots being fired off and he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left arm. He knew immediately that he had been shot. The investigating officers noticed a bullet impact and a bullet hole to the left side of the vehicle. The victim further stated that he did not know who shot at him and why. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. The vehicle in question has confiscated as the investigation by the Forensic and Detective Department is ongoing.

KPSM Police Report

DEFIANCE: On Friday July 27th at approximately 5:10am, a police patrol was sent to Defiance road to investigate a shooting incident. On the scene the investigating officers spoke to the victim with initials A.A.F who stated that he and his son were driving in his car with license plate 47 ZBG 971 on the A. Th. Illidge road in the direction of Middle Region. In the vicinity of the ITC building on the A. Th. Illidge they heard several shots successively being fired off. The victim stated that he did not stop and continued driving. Arriving at home he discovered that at least two bullets hit the rear of his vehicle leaving two holes. The victim stated that he does not know who had shot at his car and why. The vehicle in question has been confiscated for further investigation by the Forensic and Detective Department.

KPSM Police Report

GREAT BAY:--- The Board for Advanced Vocational and Adult Education is proud to unveil the name of the new AVE "SBO" Institute that is scheduled to begin serving the community as early as September 2013. The official name of the new SBO Institute which is in its final construction stage, is the National Institute for Professional Advancement or NIPA for short. NIPA will be providing the local community as well as persons from the neighboring islands with the opportunity to follow courses/programs in advanced vocational education and adult education.

The Board is currently in the process of creating a logo for the new institute and can already divulge that the centerpiece of this logo will be the NIPA palm. The NIPA palm, which coincides with the name of the institute, is the only palm which trunk grows beneath the ground and only the leaves and flower stalk grow upwards above the surface. Similar to the characteristics of the NIPA palm, the trunk below the surface symbolizes NIPA's vision.

The Board would also like to inform the public that NIPA will be holding a registration drive in the month of August. Exact dates and times will be provided in a subsequent press release. However, the Board can already inform all persons interested in registering next month, to please bring along a copy of your registration form provided by the Census, valid identification, a copy of your diploma and (if applicable) a copy of the list of marks when coming to register. Registration will be held at the NIPA Institute located in Cay Hill next to the Asha Stevens Primary School (behind Raoul Illidge Sports Complex) during the month of August.

This project is being funded by USONA via the Innovations in Educations project.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams, joined by the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports the Honorable Patricia Lourens wished Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary the Honorable Josiane Fleming-Artsen a Bon Voyage at the Princess Juliana International Airport on Sunday. The Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary is accompanying the students to the Netherlands where she will be taking up her post as Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

"We know what we need to do as individuals, as households and as a community"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams again called on the Community of St. Maarten to remain vigilant for the Hurricane Season and not to become complacent. During her weekly radio program One on One with the Prime Minister, the PM said that although the island has thus far been spared, there is still a long way to go for what has been called a very active 2013 Hurricane Season.

"Never let your guards down and St. Maarten needs to be prepared. It is a message that cannot be said too often and one that I will repeat during the course of the 2013 Hurricane Season. We know what we need to do as individuals, as households and as a community. As unfortunate as Hurricane Louis and those following Louis were they have been a learning lesson for us. Nevertheless it has made us stronger in terms of preparations in the public and private sector. We have seen some near misses and tremendous disasters in countries surrounding us. We have been spared and we should not be complacent. We have changed so many ways in how we build and in terms of cleanups. Government does clean districts but we have the responsibility as individuals to keep our surroundings clean. We need to make use of the possibilities that we have and the infrastructure that we have for cleaning up our districts. As our motto goes it really only takes one, and when that one comes it is important to be and to remain prepared," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- After their maiden Pajamathon fundraiser on July 5, the members of the United Volleyball Club will be hosting the women of the Colorado College volleyball team in another fundraiser on Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3.
The Colorado women, along with their coaches and other family members, will arrive on Wednesday, July 31 and will be staying for five days before going on to St. Kitts. In St. Martin, the group will participate in a number of activities with the United members, including practice sessions, games, workshops, and a community service activity.
Games will take place at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium, starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Entrance to all games is US$ 1.00, and there will be a raffle for a Blackberry phone, donated by Telem, on Saturday. The cost of a ticket for a chance in the raffle is US$ 5.00 and can still be bought from UVC members.
The United Volleyball Club is urging everyone to come out and support their fundraising efforts while enjoying great volleyball. UVC also thanks all those who have so far contributed to their trip, where the youngsters will attend a training camp at the Orlando Volleyball Academy.

"Today it is about telling you how proud we are of you, how expectant we are of to return to your country"

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined the Minister of Education the Hon. Patricia Laurens, the Governor of St. Maarten His Excellency Drs. Eugene Holiday, Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Josiane Fleming-Artsen and Director of the Airport Regina Labega in wishing the departing students Bon Voyage at the Princess Juliana Airport on Sunday. The students were given much encouragement and many offered emotional and kind words to the excited crowd.

The Prime Minister stated that she was very proud to see the some seventy students departing and that she wished them all the best in their studies abroad. "Today it is about telling you how proud we are of you that you have made it thus far and how expectant we are of you and trust that you will do an excellent job in your studies in the Netherlands. Every year our students leave us to further their studies in the Netherlands and elsewhere and there are great expectations from your parents, peers, your Government and indeed the whole community for you to return to the island and contribute to the development of your country.

"I would like to thank the Princess Juliana International Airport for hosting this farewell and for wishing all of you a proper Bon Voyage on your journey. You are traveling abroad to develop yourselves but I would like to encourage you to use technology to stay in touch, to ask questions or just to talk if you need some words of encouragement. I wish you a wonderful and exciting time of study and I look forward to the day when you will be returning to St. Maarten with a diploma in your hand.

To the parents I say that I know that is hard to be separating with you. But our parents are with them; stay in touch with you children and let them know that St. Maarten cares for them. I have been witnessing the departure for many many years. I always do it with mixed emotions. I am happy to see our students leaving but I am also aware of the many pitfalls that they are faced. I am a mother and I understand the nervousness that parents have with the students being out there in the Netherlands. It is a good experience but there are many pitfalls. We urge our students to be strong and to use the values that have been given to them and I wish them many luck," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

DUTCH QUARTER:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended the opening of the brand new McDonalds at Dutch Quarter on Friday. The ceremony featured members of the Council of Ministers, invited guests and various dignitaries from both sides of the island.

The Prime Minister stated at the opening that she was happy to be at the opening of a new franchise for the fast food chain on St. Maarten, adding value to the districts of Dutch Quarter, Belvedere and surrounding areas: "I want to congratulate the principles of McDonalds on this significant opening and the meaning this has for this district. Not only is the opening of McDonalds important related t the service that will be provided to residents but in terms of employment this also has significant impact, employing young residents of these districts.

The McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. A McDonald's restaurant is operated by a franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself. The corporation's revenues come from the rent, royalties and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. McDonald's revenues grew 27 percent over the three years ending in 2007 to $22.8 billion, and 9 percent growth in operating income to $3.9 billion.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

MAHO:--- On Friday July 26th at approximately 4:00am, several police patrols were directed to Maho reef in the vicinity of Tantra for a shooting incident. On the scene, the investigating officers learnt that shortly before shots were fired in the area and that a blue SUV with license plate M-10115 that was involved in the incident had already left the scene. While on the scene the patrols were informed by the Central Police Dispatch, that the SUV in question was driving at very high speed in the direction of Philipsburg. A Philipsburg patrol located the SUV at the Sint Maarten Medical Center. Two young men with initials L.J.G and R.T. were also at the medical center and stated that they were in the vehicle when the incident took place. They also stated that the driver of the vehicle with the initials A.T. was injured as a result of the shooting. The victim stated to the investigating officers the while leaving the area several shots were fired at his vehicle by an unknown person. One of the shots struck his left hand injuring him quite seriously. After being shot, he drove to the hospital for medical attention. The victim remains in hospital for observation. The blue SUV has been confiscated for further investigation by the Forensic and Detective Department. It is still very unclear as to what exactly happened and why.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell met with Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Hon. Maurice Lake on Thursday at the House of Parliament.

This was the first meeting between the president and the minister. President Arrindell briefed Minister Lake on pending matters related to his portfolio.

President Arrindell provided Minister Lake with the list of meetings that have been adjourned and not rescheduled over the past year, including the adjournment of the Central Committee meeting of September 4, 2012 pertaining to the presentation regarding zoning and development plans for the country.

Also pending, is the discussion with the Minister of VROMI, the Supervisory Board and members of the Shareholders Foundation to provide information on the current situation and plans of the utility company GEBE, which was held on February 13, 2013.

These pending matters and other issues to be presented by Minister of VROMI will be reconvened as soon as possible.

"These consultations with the new business cabinet are necessary in order to get pending matters out of the way after being idle for 12-months. I hope to meet the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports later this week followed by the other ministers in the coming weeks," President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Gracita Arrindell said on Sunday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with GEBE employee and management union representatives, namely ASEWI (Association of Staff Employees) and WIFOL (Windward Islands Federation of Labour) on Thursday morning in the Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.

Minister Lake during his introduction mentioned about his meetings with GEBE management and the shareholder foundation, and he also presented his position with respect to the transfer process which is scheduled to be completed on December 5.

Minister Lake pointed out that he was very disappointed that nothing was done on the side of Sint Maarten for a 12-month period with respect to GEBE transfer.

"The country lost 12-months without anything being done by the previous administration. I am pleased to inform the people of this country that everything is being facilitated to complete the transfer process of GEBE where the Dutch public entities will establish their own utility companies by December 5, and GEBE Sint Maarten will be solely a company belonging 100 per cent to the people of this country," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out on Sunday.

The Minister has also taken the initiative to contact GEBE management to have them organize General Assembly of GEBE workers within the shortest time possible.

"I would like all workers to be present with the exception of those that have to remain on the job to keep the lights on, from the cleaners to middle management, to have the opportunity to be informed about the transfer process, and to be able to ask questions pertaining to this. Communication is essential, and it resolves concerns that workers may have.

"When corporate changes are made to a company, the employees must be part and parcel of this process. I will also be present to give Governments position and what we are doing to facilitate this process. This would also be an opportune time for GEBE management to inform the employees and myself about the company's strategic plan and long-term outlook," Minister Maurice Lake said.

WIFOL/ASEWI gave an overview of their experiences with the process and the information that they had received during the period of former Minister of VROMI Theo Heyliger, and wanted to know from the new Government if the process would continue on the same track as was presented to them back then.

The unions are of the opinion that the workers should be part of the decision-making process and that they believe in the principle of social dialogue.

The workers wanted to hear if their rights are guaranteed and secured. Minister Lake assured the representatives of both unions that the workers' rights remain the same with no changes as GEBE will continue to exist after December 5. The only change coming is two new companies will be established for Saba and St. Eustatius and the employees on the two aforementioned islands will join those two companies.

WIFOL/ASEWI also sought information with respect to the supervisory board with respect to the two positions out of three left vacant. The unions wanted to know if these positions would be filled by December 5.

Minister Lake informed the union reps that the matter has his priority and the vacant board positions are to be filled, but it has to go through the proper channels such as the Corporate Governance Council.

"I would like to see a supervisory board that is firstly looking out for the overall interest of the employees and management. Opportunity must be given to existing employees to grow within the corporate structure of the company, especially young vibrant professionals who have a lot to offer.

"We need an innovative thinking board that looks at the long-term development of the company and new technologies available as well as alternative energy sources.

"The latter is the route that has to be taken to ensure the long-term viability of electricity production and also the lowering of electricity tariffs for consumers," Minister Maurice Lake explained on Sunday.

WIFOL/ASEWI at the conclusion of the meeting stated that they looked forward to the continued social dialogue.

Minister Lake in conclusion said: "I subscribe to the principle of social dialogue. My door is always open. Let me know when there is an issue so I can address it. Thank you for bringing me up to date. I believe in the bottoms-up approach and going back to basics.

"I look forward to the General Assembly, as I think this is a very important step where all employees attending have the opportunity via their representatives to ask questions, but also at the same time to be informed. Success is measured by how many people you bring along, not by just one person," Minister Maurice Lake concluded.

Minister Lake was supported by members of his Cabinet Joseph Richardson, Senior Advisor, and Veronica Webster-, Chef of the Cabinet.

Has Concerns on the Autonomy of Countries in the Kingdom Being Infringed Upon

PHILIPSBURG:--- During her weekly radio program One on One with the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams commented that the comments of the Prime Minister regarding independence were, according to her, taken out of context. The Prime Minister stated that despite the various things that were said various media sources unfairly focused on those comments. The Prime Minister also commented on the request by the Dutch Prime Minister to the Governor regarding integrity.

"I can understand why the call for independence throws some people off guard and in my opinion too many people have been paying attention to those statements. The issue came up in the context of talking about the constitutional changes and now that the islands from the former Netherlands Antilles have a different constitutional status there is a lot of work that has to be done to get this status the way we want to see it. The statement that was made was made in the context of moving away from the constitutional talk and towards economic talk. The only comment that the PM Rutte made was that if there was a need for countries to be independent those discussions could be had.

"There has been much criticism in Holland for the Dutch Caribbean, in particular for St. Maarten, from the Dutch media. They either don't know or don't want to know what the reality of what is occurring in the Caribbean. Instead of them wanting to know the truth they focus on hearsay and this is an example of that," commented the PM.

The Prime Minister also stated that she had some concerns regarding the request by Prime Minister Rutte regarding integrity issues. "I am concerned about the statement by Rutte asking the Governor to conduct an integrity assessment, although I have not seen required paperwork on that. The concerns that I have are related to the fact that Prime Minister Rutte has indicated that he will make that request on behalf of himself and Minister Plasterk which is not possible according to the laws that Govern the Kingdom Council of Ministers. A decision of the Kingdom Council of Ministers needs to happen exactly there, where our Minister Plenipotentiary forms a part of. It is clear, and Prime Minister Rutte is aware, that there is an integrity program on St. Maarten that has been ongoing from since before 10-10-10. I would hope that the Kingdom Council of Ministers would research the things that happen here before they make a decision either way. Integrity is a process and that process needs to be respected. To have the Governor asked to do such an investigation I think is simply a way to go back to the media and say I have done this or that, however what are the real benefits for us on St. Maarten?

"It is my belief that the Dutch Ministers sometimes loose out of view the fact that there is a Dutch Cabinet of Ministers and when there are meetings of the Kingdom then the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the three islands participate in those meetings. With the Dutch Ministers and the Ministers Plenipotentiary you have the Kingdom Council of Ministers so it can't be so that the Dutch Prime Minister and the Dutch Minister Plasterk agree to do something and say it is on behalf of the Kingdom Government. Kingdom decisions are made in the Kingdom Council of Ministers. We need to guard against the autonomy of the Countries being infringed in anyway. That is why I am concerned about the decision and I want to see it clarified," concluded the PM.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- A representative from the Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) of the Ministry of General Affairs and two from Civil Society Organizations (CSO), will be the guests on Tuesday, July 30 on PJD-2 Radio host Lloyd Richardson at 12:00pm.

The Government of Sint Maarten started a National Development Plan (NDP) project, "Building a Nation: Sint Maarten National Development Plan & Institutional Strengthening," in the latter part of 2012.

The process entails community engagement and a bottoms-up approach.

The NDP and CSO reps will inform radio listeners and the community about issues and the upcoming virtual/online course.

The course can accommodate up to 40 persons and will start August 13 and run until September 6. It will be in English, there are no costs/fees involved, and the deadline to register is August 6.

The NDP is a people's project that is putting institutions in place that not only enable everyone in St. Maarten to come together to build a national development strategy but to have an on-going dialogue and participation in its conception and implementation.

For further information please refer to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and/ or call 542-0897.

GREAT BAY:--- NAGICO Insurances recently launched a new Facebook fan page and is currently raffling concert tickets to its fans. According to their Marketing Department, the Facebook page was created to increase the privileges of clients and prospective clients and to keep them updated on local and regional developments, activities and events.

"Through this medium, people have the opportunity to win prizes, giveaways and to be the first to know what's happening with NAGICO by simply liking our page" Executive Marketing Manager; Paul Dijkhoffz said. "This is one of the many ways that we are able to engage with our clients and also a way to show our appreciation for their continued patronage."

The NAGICO Facebook page was opened only recently but has already generated over 200 'Likes'. The ongoing promotion now features the chance to win a free ticket to the John Legend & Percy Sledge Concert on August 3rd with a drawing each day until the day of the show.

To be eligible for the raffle, simply like the NAGICO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nagico-Insurances/199149536911258

POINT BLANCHE:--- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies Mark Mingo and Hector Peters, General and Governmental Affairs, on Wednesday, July 24 placed a wreath in the presence of some of the harbour staff at the statue of Dr. A.C. "Claude" Wathey in observance of his 87th birthday. Dr. Wathey is considered the Father of modern day St. Maarten. The Port of St. Maarten was named the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility in his honour to recognize his contribution to national development.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Tropical Storm (TS) Dorian on Saturday degenerated into a tropical wave approximately over 500 miles east from the Leeward Islands.

On Saturday satellite-derived wind data according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) out of Miami indicated that Dorian no longer had a closed surface circulation, and the remnants of the system were moving rapidly at 24 miles per hour westward.

The remnants of Dorian should pass north of the Leeward Islands on Sunday and Monday. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter plane is scheduled to investigate the wave on Sunday if necessary.

The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) has discontinued monitoring this system.

The Sint Maarten community is reminded by ODM to remain vigilant this hurricane season and to have everything in place in the event of a storm strike. Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make the season a bad one.

For those requiring information about storm/hurricane preparations, you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The remaining storm names for the 2013 season are: Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

POND ISLAND:--- TelEm Group were the proud recipients of the Under-13 Soualiga Mini-Youth Basketball Association sub-champions trophy during a handing over ceremony at the company main office, Pond Island Wednesday.

The trophy was presented by the coach and some of the players of Robby's Stars to TelEm Group's Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Brian Mingo as a "Thank You" for sponsoring the team for the past two years.
Coach Robby Pantophlet said he could not have been more proud of his lads, who went all the way to the fifth game in the best-of five tournament finals during the end of June. Robby's Stars came up just short, losing to Champions Junior Cats for the second year running, but this time by only a three-point margin.
"The team was outstanding and the parents were very supportive all along," said Robby.
"We came to present the trophy to TelEm Group and to thank them for being our sponsor and having confidence in us," continued the coach. He also presented the company with a team photo for their archives.
Mr. Mingo congratulated the youths on their achievement and said their trophy and team photo will find a proud place amongst the many trophies the company has collected over the years.
He wished the team and coach much success for the future and pledged continued support for Robby's Stars as they seek to win the coveted Junior Championship trophy next year.

Telem Press Release

Says Her Government Will Always Support Young, Local Endeavors

MAHO:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams welcomed the participants of the Video X-Games at the official opening of the event at the Maho Convention center at noon on Friday. The Prime Minister welcomed the participants and urged them to not only be engaged in the gaming activities they traveled to St. Maarten to do but to also enjoy the island to its full potential.

"I want to join the organizers in welcoming you to the island. You would have to agree with me that when it comes to St. Maarten this is a very special place to be to engage in the activity you are so passionate about. This event was organized by a group of young persons of St. Maarten with the help of several sponsors, and in order to pull this off we need to say kudos to all involved. We need to thank the organizers and the sponsors for making this possible; to make it possible for you to gather to engage in something that you are passionate about and that is something special. Knowing that we are able to attract you to our shores we the Government of St. Maarten are a sponsor to this event and we would always support local endeavors such as this. Please enjoy what the island has to offer in addition to your competition. It is about being on St. Maarten and being involved in technology. Enjoy your stay, the competition and enjoy St. Maarten," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Nation Books Growth in Various Economic Sectors

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams and the Minister of Finance Martin Hassink received a presentation on the 2012 Annual Report of the Central Bank of St. Maarten and Curacao from Director Dr. Emsley Tromp at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall on Wednesday. Mr. Tromp, accompanied by numerous support staff and Central Bank of St. Maarten and Curacao Officials, presented information to both Ministers regarding the Monetary Union, the state of the Gross Domestic Product of both Curacao and St. Maarten, the Inflation Rate, the Performance of the various sectors of both islands and the general Economic Growth and Development.

With regards to St. Maarten, Dr. Tromp presented that the Country experienced a 1.5% growth rate and a general decrease in the inflation rate. The presentation also outlined that there was an increase in stay over tourism and an improvement in the performance of the Service Industry. St. Maarten also saw growth in both the wholesale and retail as well as in the utilities sectors, which altogether combined resulted in an improvement in total net income. Dr. Tromp also highlighted that, with the increased economic growth, the actual growth rate of the Economy was higher than that of Curacao.

Dr. Tromp also explained that there are positive steps with regards to Governments ongoing broadening of Administrative Institutions and that the steps being undertaken to diversify the St. Maarten economy from only relying on the Tourism industry has also been moving forward, with various sectors seeing an improvement.

The Prime Minister commented that the presentation was well received and that Government will continue the steps it has been taken to ensure economic growth for Country St. Maarten.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Small Properties Association (SSPA) held its first official meeting on Friday July 19th, 2013 at the Carl and Sons Lounge Pondfill. Properties represented were L' Esperance, Lucy Guest House, Midtown Hotel, Seaview Hotel, Sunset Inn Hotel, Bute Hotel, and LAMA Guest house.
"Our association has with over 30 years experience in the Hotel Industry, therefore as a Board we knew that our first keynote speaker had to be someone very passionate about St. Maarten's development. To have Mr. Connor as our first Keynote speaker is an historic honor. Mr. Connor was very instrumental in the formation of the St. Maarten Small Properties Association in which his organization the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce is an Honoree member" stated Ms. Nzinga Lake, President of S.S.P.A.
In Mr. Connor's presentation, he stressed the importance of how as an Association the members must move the Association forward, keeping in mind that any successful association must project a positive image from the onset, be professional, be accessible, be efficient, build a rock solid reputation and most of all we must get involved within the Private and Public Sectors in our community.
Topics discussed were Branding, Marketing, Funding, Trainings, New Membership Drive and meeting key stakeholders in our community and within the region.
"We must create partnerships with key organizations in our community such as our Community Police Officers, the St. Maarten Timeshare Association, SHTA, St. Maarten Bankers Association but most importantly the association must introduce itself to the New Minister of Tourism and his Ministry team since the idea was also a government initiative to have the small properties represented on the Tourism Authority Board of which the S.S.P.A. president is now a member. We are prepared to work hard aggressively, it's essential to the success of the association stated Ms. Nzinga Lake, President of S.S.P.A.
The St. Maarten Small Properties Association's objective is to provide the best possible networking and industry forum for its members, to assist them with improving the standards and quality of their properties and the services provided, and to establish closer and more effective collaboration with other private and public sector organizations.
S.S.P.A. other major goal is to create a better forum to promote and market its member properties and the destination St. Maarten in general.

The United Volleyball Club will be hosting the Colorado College women volleyball team in a fundraiser at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium, starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 2 and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 3. Entrance is US$ 1.00; US$ 5.00 for a chance to win a Blackberry phone. Raffle tickets can be bought from UVC members. For more information, call Keishan: 550-3434 or Rhoda: 520-1136.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Foster Families Central contributes child protection on St. Maarten by providing protection, assistance, and equal development to all children by matching them with a foster family that suits their needs.
For many years, the Foundation Judiciary Institute Windward Island has been working with and for the youth, to provide them with the opportunity to grow up in a better environment. The Foster Families Central was established in august 2008 to support these efforts and assist with achieving this goal.
The Foster Care Central is a unit within the Foundation Judiciary Institute Windward Island (FJIWI) that works in the benefit of foster children and foster parents. This department is involved with recruiting, screening, and training foster parents, as well as matching of foster children with a suitable foster family. We focus our efforts on families and individuals that can be of some assistance to children that are being neglected, abused, exploited, abandoned and children who are in a serious family crisis.
For all the foster children that are on the island of St. Maarten, an attempt will be made to match the foster child with the appropriate foster parent. These families will provide a (temporary) supportive and safe environment for foster children, who unfortunately are not able to live with their biological parents. The foster family provides a home where the child can be given stability, receive affection and consistency, in a nurturing environment for their optimal development. Foster parents are monitored by the Foster Families Central and guided by the Family Guardian from the inception up to when the child is free to go back to their respective home.
Families that are interested in serving as a foster family are not only required to have a strong and stable family make-up but also must be willing to work along with the different departments in the best interest of the foster child. Additionally, the foster parent will have the opportunity to follow training (which the first training will start before the end of 2013) and participate in the Foster Family Support Group, where their personal experiences, important information, and day to day challenges can be shared.
Currently, there are several foster children that are waiting for foster parents, who are willing to open their house and hearts to welcome them. The kind of foster parents we are seeking are as follows: long term, short term, weekend, crisis, respite (to assist the actual foster parents in a weekend or during the week) or vacation foster parents.
For more information on how you can become a foster parent, please contact the F.J.I.W.I. or Foster Families Central, Drs. R. Hanze, at telephone number (721) 542-3468 or by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also visit our websites at www.sjib.net, www.sjib.net/fosterparenting and www.caribbeanfostercare.com.

SIMPSON BAY:--- When 25 young St. Maarteners moved in to establish the Rescue and Fire-Fighting Department of the Princess Juliana International Airport 18 years ago, there was no way they could have known that theirs would be a baptism of fire – literally – as weeks later, the biggest natural disaster the island has ever known hit with unrepentant fury.
Manilo Penijn, one of those youngsters, who today heads the department, remembers the date like it was yesterday.
"We were just established on July 25, 1995 and you know... on September 5 of the same year, we had to face Hurricane Luis," he said. "That was the most important and most difficult moment we have faced in our 18 years of existence."
"Luis was scary; a learning process, but scary. We couldn't go home to our families. We all had minimum experience at the time; that made it doubly tough."
Those memories, even though they still linger, have been sifted through 18 years of dedicated service and constant training to remain up to date with the most modern fire-fighting techniques and equipment.
Now 28 strong, the R&FF Department of SXM continues to lay emphasis on training, readiness and well-maintained modern equipment.
"We are well-equipped," Penijn asserts. "And as for training, the whole department is undergoing rigorous NSTA training. We're in transition to the American system and we're half-way through with it now. There are six fire-fighters from the Department currently training in Canada. They will be back in the second week of August."
Penijn said the Department has five fire trucks, while three are required to be available at all times. The equipment is compatible with the ones the government Fire Department has.
"Cooperation with them is at a professional level and we can use their equipment and they can use ours whenever the need arises because as a matter of fact, we have the same manufacturer," Penijn said.
He continued: "We have three shifts of nine firefighters each. The goal is to have three more so that the shifts would become of 10 members each."
For Penijn, education is key to making a good career out of fire-fighting. "It has to be a calling, too. You have to be physically and mentally fit, motivated, energetic and willing to work in a team setting because fire-fighting is not an individual thing."
Although 18 is the age of maturity and hence a milestone, Penijn said they're keeping the activities to mark the anniversary rather intimate and internal. This is not to say that the Rescue and Fire-Fighting Department is party shy. To the contrary, Penijn pointed to the active involvement of his staff in the celebrations of Valentine's Day this year.
"And you'll see us in action again this Sunday with the Bon Voyage event for the students leaving the island to study in Holland," he added.
The fire-fighters will be executing a water canon to send off the youngsters with "blessings".

GRAND CASE:--- The fascinating fauna of one tiny Caribbean island can now be explored by people around the globe, thanks to naturalist, author and wildlife photographer Mark Yokoyama. Yokoyama officially released the second edition of his book The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin, showcasing an astounding array of animals from the tropic isle of St. Martin/St. Maarten. The guide features over 500 stunning color photographs and profiles hundreds of species, from mammals and birds to insects and spiders, some of which can't be found anywhere else in the world. This unique work also features special sections on local ecology and the history of biology on the island–a captivating who's who of Caribbean researchers, explorers, and naturalists reaching back to the mid-1600s.

"Non-scientists contributed much of what we know about Caribbean biology," says Yokoyama. "It's a tradition that goes back hundreds of years and never stopped. Although they are seldom recognized, dozens of doctors, clergy, teachers and military officers contributed a great deal to our understanding of local wildlife and many other subjects." Their work, as well as Yokoyama's guide, would be described today as citizen science, a rapidly growing phenomenon of scientific research done by nonprofessional scientists.

Though Yokoyama views his guide as part of this long Caribbean tradition, in many ways the book is also a quintessentially contemporary project. Yokoyama used the website Kickstarter.com to crowdsource funding to print the volume, and has made a full electronic version available for free on the book's website. And unlike the work of history's many unsung Caribbean naturalists, Yokoyama's book is already receiving high praise from many in the scientific community. Biologist and ecologist Dr. James "Skip" Lazell has called it "the best, and most complete, natural history book I have read about any single Caribbean island."

The book launch event was held July 23rd at the Jubilee Library in Philipsburg. Copies of the book were presented to representatives from many organizations doing conservation, education and public service on the island, including Nature Foundation St. Maarten, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, St. Maarten Heritage Foundation, Pride Foundation, SIMARC, St. Martin Trails and the Rotary Club of St. Maarten. Minister of Education Patricia Lourens-Philip was also present. A presentation describing five reasons why the study of wildlife on St. Martin is fascinating was delivered by the author.

The publication of the book is just the beginning for Yokoyama, whose mission is make knowledge about wildlife and natural heritage freely accessible to everyone. He recently launched a wildlife education program to teach students on the island about local fauna and promote wildlife awareness among locals and tourists. He is also working on a French-language edition of the book. To learn more about Yokoyama's work and download a free electronic version of the guide, visit http://www.sxmwildlife.com. The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of Saint Martin is available on Amazon.com.

MARIGOT:--- The Gendarmerie is calling on persons who witnessed the murder that took place on July 20th, 2013 in the vicinity of Bamboo Vert (Green Bamboo) bar to come forward as witnesses. A press release from the Gendarmerie states that around 7:30am on July 20th a fight broke out between two men which escalated. One of the victims jumped into the Sandy Ground canal to save his life but the other one followed him and he was dealt several stab wounds causing his death. The Gendarmes in their plea said that anyone who was at the Bamboo Vert that morning or on the street where the incident occurred should make contact with the Brigade du Research of St. Martin. Persons that have information can call the landline of the Gendarmerie "17" or 0590 52 30 10. Persons that have information and want to give that information on the condition of anonymity will also be accommodated.

SMN News learnt that the 35 year old man that is in custody for the brutal murder dealt his victim five stab wounds to his back and he is now claiming self defense. The victim was killed in the water where he sought to run from the man he was having an argument with but that did not help him. The suspect waited on the Gendarmes after murdering the other man with whom he was arguing.

CANTO held its 29th Annual Conference & Trade Exhibition (CANTO 2013) in the Happy Island of Aruba from the 14th -17th of July 2013. The highly acclaimed event was co-hosted by the local telecom operator, SETAR at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Oranjestad.

Over 450 delegates from CANTO's membership of 34 countries attended the four day event along with 14 Caribbean ICT government ministers.

The popular annual Conference and Trade Exhibition also known as CANTO 2013 is the Caribbean's premier telecommunications event for industry professionals, academics and regional governments. This year, the theme was "Towards a SMART Broadband Caribbean Community".

The opening ceremony of CANTO 2013 was chaired by Roxana Semeleer Ras of SETAR and addressed by Mr. Roland Croes, Director of SETAR; Dirk Currie - Chairman, Regenie Fräser - Secretary General, Karen Bevans - Vice Chair all of CANTO. The featured address was delivered by Richard A. Arends, Chief of Staff, on behalf of Hon. Mike de Meza the Minister of Finance, Communications, Utilities and Energy of Aruba.

Mr. Arends told delegates that the Government of Aruba is a firm believer that there is strength in the power of unity. He saluted all the island-nations and countries that were represented in the Conference & Trade Exhibition. He reminded the delegates that the changing structure of the Telecommunications industry has such an important role in all sectors of our lives and is constantly evolving which is very crucial in the development of this area.

The Monday morning LIME sponsored Ministerial Breakfast Briefing was a closed forum where government ministers and invited guests got a high level overview of the current ICT affairs within the Caribbean. The keynote speaker was Chris Dehring- Chief Marketing Officer of LIME and Chairman of LIME Jamaica, who gave a private sector perspective on broadband development including LIME initiatives; Ayanna Samuels, Regional Coordinator, gave an overview on the Broadband Infrastructure, Inventory & Public Awareness in the Caribbean (BIIPAC) Project.

CANTO prides itself on developing strategic relationships with all stakeholders in the ICT sector and its renowned, highly anticipated, Ministerial Roundtable provides a neutral forum each year, for government ministers to share their successes and concerns and seek solutions from participants which include operators, regulators, industry experts and suppliers. The Ministers in attendance were from Anguilla, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname, Tortola (BVI), and Turks & Caicos. The two government representatives were from Bermuda and Aruba. During the ministerial forum the participants took the opportunity to share their views on how the region can develop broadband plans that combine strategies and programs to foster GDP growth, create jobs and stimulate innovation. The keynote was delivered by Lourenco Coelho, Head of Strategy & Marketing, Latin America and Caribbean, Ericsson, who spoke on mobile broadband and its benefits for operators, society and government.

On Tuesday morning, CANTO 2013 hosted the "Women and Girls in ICT" breakfast meeting. This session sought to create a sustainable project which will fall under the Women and Girls in ICT umbrella; discuss potential program components and decide which activities to include; and solicit partners and sponsors to implement and deliver the project.

The event witnessed powerhouse female panelists such as: Regenie Fräser - Secretary General of CANTO; Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, CEO, Aruba Tourism Authority; Olivia Leigh Campbell, Special Advisor to Minister of Science, Technology, Energy, & Mining, Jamaica; and Deirdre Zoe Subran-Ganesh, 2013 Winner- WTISD Essay Competition, Trinidad & Tobago.

The Trade Exhibition displayed the spectrum of communications technologies, offering in-depth information on the latest developments in voice, data, image, and multimedia captured in 62 booths. The winner of the Best Exhibit award went to Ericsson with Icemobile securing second place and Columbus Networks third.

The Conference, which was co-located with the Exhibition, facilitated discourse on key issues from a panelist of experts on areas such as:

• Mobile Networks, Broadband Capacity and the Regulatory Paradigm Shift
• Connect the Caribbean initiatives -Projects and partnership: key to regional development
• Global Initiatives and its Caribbean Impact
• Smart Partnerships
• Network Automation and Big Data equals Big Opportunities

The members of the five CANTO working committees namely Marketing and Communications, Financial Advisory, Human Resource, Disaster Recovery Planning and Regulation & Emerging Technologies also met to discuss CANTO affairs in their respective areas and also charted the way forward for even more projects to make the CANTO brand more robust.

The CTC Project of the Year was awarded to Telesur of Suriname with their project titled: Providing Broadband to Customers in the Interior of Suriname: Coping with Challenges.

Second place went to the Government of Jamaica with e-Learning II: Tablets in Schools (TIS) and third place was iGovTT from Trinidad & Tobago with their project - TTconnect Mobile Companion Application.

A spinoff of CTC is the Broadband Infrastructure and Public Awareness in the Caribbean (BIIPAC) Project, which held a 2 day staging of the 1st BIIPAC Steering Committee meeting on Jul 14 & 16, 2013. The Steering Committee's (comprising public and private players in addition to the 8 IDB member countries) major challenge is how to best facilitate the future implementation of the national broadband strategies. Will the incorporation of Public Private People Partnerships in the governance structure from the beginning play a major role? The Broadband Infrastructure and Public Awareness in the Caribbean (BIIPAC) project's objective is to support the design of national broadband strategies in the Caribbean and to identify the regional aspects that need to be incorporated into these strategies to support the Caribbean as it evolves towards universality in broadband access and service, regardless of the location or social strata of its citizenry.

The social networking events have become an integral part of CANTO's Conference and Trade exhibitions and allow patrons to unwind and network in a relaxed setting. Each night the delegates were treated to plethora of great food and were entertained by the versatile local bands and entertainment.

The third annual CANTO/Ericsson iCreate eContent Mobile Apps Award ceremony sponsored by Ericsson took place on Monday evening. The ceremony officially acknowledged and rewarded the winners of the mobile apps competition. The first and third positions went to entrants from Suriname and second position was captured by a Trinidad & Tobago national.

On Tuesday evening, CANTO thanked all its members and sponsors at a special appreciation dinner, jointly sponsored by Facey Telecom and Oberthur Technologies.

The final two events were the 7th Annual CANTO Human Resource Forum (July18th -19th) and the LACNIC workshop (July 17th – 19th).

The Human Resource forum focused on leadership development in an organization. This dynamic two-day interactive forum enabled delegates to motivate and learn how to retain the best employees during tough economic times, awaken the spirit of leadership and recognize how to use different strengths and talents to exceed objectives/expectations.

CANTO 2013 was a success and the event would not have been possible without the support of SETAR, Ericsson,Comverse, Icemobile, Oberthur Technologies, Facey Telecom, Columbus Communications, ATNI, Internet Society, LIME, iGovTT, Coyote, Ciena, LACNIC, ARIN, Parktel USA, Telem, ICTUAL, BTI Systems, SES, TMCell, Blink Broadband, Peoplesurv, CMC, TEMPO. The CANTO train heads to Jamaica in January 2014 where the 30th AGM will be hosted by LIME.

For more information on CANTO 2013 visit www.canto.org/canto2013

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Tropical Storm (TS) Dorian on Friday afternoon was approximately 1000 miles East from the Leeward Islands. The system has shown signs of weakening and is disorganized.

The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) will monitor the progress of TS Dorian as the storm moves towards the West at 22 miles per hour (mph). Maximum wind speeds at 5:00pm on Friday were 45 mph.

Residents are requested to monitor weather reports over the weekend related to this system.

Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make the season a bad one.

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this fast moving storm and will keep the country informed if there is a dramatic change in its intensity and course as this storm moves over the Atlantic Ocean.

The remaining storm names for the 2013 season are: Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

Water canon salute to "bless" KLM plane carrying them

SIMPSON BAY:--- It will not be the usual teary farewell for students leaving to pursue further studies in The Netherlands this year; at least, not with the plans Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, has for Sunday, July 28th when the 76 students board the KLM flight for Amsterdam. For the second year running, the airport, in collaboration with Domino's Pizza is preparing a lavish send-off for the departing students meant not only to lift their spirits, but also to give them a lasting memory of such an important day for them and their families and friends.
Beginning Sunday morning with free parking all day at the airport to encourage family members, friends and loved ones of the departing students to come and see them off, there will be complimentary entertainment at the terminal building provided by DJ Out¬cast and Gee Money who have donated their time and talent to this initiative.
Then it will be pizza galore for the students, courtesy of Domino's Pizza, who will be distributing its famous Dominators to all students to grab a slice prior to taking flight. In addition, the students will receive gift items from Dominos as well as branded specialty gift packs from SXM.
There will be more to please the palate, as SXM has contracted Aurora Berkel to bake a special cake for the students as well as cup cakes.
Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, Education Minister Patricia Lourens and SXM Managing Director, Regina LaBega are billed to offer some words of encouragement to the students.
While the flight is set to depart, the SXM Rescue & Fire Fighters & Operations Department will execute a water canon salute that has been arranged by SXM, in collaboration with KLM.
This is meant to symbolize an official blessing so to speak for the college-bound students.
"This is our second year of organizing this kind of event under the theme of "Bon Voyage"," noted LaBega, "and we want it to be special, first because SXM Airport is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year and secondly because our students deserve it. We wish we could do this for ALL of them who are going abroad to study."

"Conference Tourism Moving in Right Direction"

OYSTER POND:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the Association of Haitian Physicians Living Abroad (AMHE) conference at the Westin Resort and Spa on Monday evening. The Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government and people of St. Maarten, extended her sincerest welcome on St. Maarten for its 40th Annual Convention at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa held from the 21st to the 22nd of July.

The PM stated that it is good to have the some 250 delegates here on island, representing a 40 year old membership not-for-profit organization of over 5,000 Physicians of Haitian ancestry, physicians that are represented in clinical practice and academia through the United States, Canada and Haiti.

The Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE), an organization that was founded some four decades ago by a group of Haitian physicians determined to mark their presence as a growing ethnic entity in their adopted home and to promote the health and interest of the Haitian immigrant community at large.

"It is a worthwhile and admirable aim to ensure that physicians of Haitian Ancestry and indeed those practicing in Haiti have, through the AMHE, the support necessary to provide the necessary care. Haiti is the second free republic in the western Hemisphere, and the legacy of the Haitian People is clearly seen through the dedication and professionalism of some of the finest physicians in the world.

It is also good to see there is support for the development of healthcare in Haiti and to ensure that the types of healthcare necessary in order to realize the health of the Haitian population. Similarly on St. Maarten, with its large Haitian community, I am sure that the delegates will find no where more open and more conducive to having your General Conference on our home on St. Maarten. So having said that welcome to St. Maarten and enjoy your time here. We hope to see you here soon and have an excellent and fruitful conference.

On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten, an island that we are all so very proud of, we welcome you warmly. We thank the association of the Haitian Physicians Abroad for choosing St. Maarten for this conference. You will not be sorry that St. Maarten has been chosen this year to host you and your delegates for this conference. You have already made your presence felt on St. Maarten for engaging in a social program as you provided testing and consultations to many of the Haitian Nationals living on St. Maarten. The Haitian Community is one of the largest on St. Maarten and it is important to recognize that your message of healthy living is not only reaching them but all of the people of St. Maarten," commented the PM.

The Conference is part of the PM's push to attract more conference tourism to St. Maarten, which the Prime Minister has recently called for an increase of. "We need to further explore Conference Tourism and both this conference and previous ones such as the ICAO Conference are definitely steps in the right direction," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- McDonald's, the largest restaurant chain on the planet, will open a new location at Belvedere, which will be the third SXM location after Front Street and Simpson Bay. This is great news for Fun Miles cardholders, who will now be able to redeem their Miles there for the burgers, salads, value meals, and many other items that McDonald's is famous for. On Saturday July 27, 2013, the day of the Grand Opening, Fun Miles will be present at McDonald's Belvedere with its Fun Team to play exciting games and give away fun items. McDonald's is one of the most popular redemption partners in the Fun Miles program.

About McDonald's Belvedere
Every day, about 68 million people across the globe choose McDonald's. The hamburger restaurant has 34.000 locations is 199 countries. On our island, McDonald's has been around since 1995, and its burgers, nuggets and other favorites are still growing in popularity. This is why, after Front Street (1995) and Simpson Bay (2005), there is now also a location at Belvedere, which boasts a drive-thru and PlayPlace for kids.

McDonald's and Fun Miles: a fun combination
McDonald's and Fun Miles have more in common than just the colors red and yellow. Both organizations believe in the power of fun. At McDonald's, this is evident from the Happy Meals and playground facilities for kids, but also from the new items that are frequently added to the menu and which include many low-calorie options. Fun Miles is happy that it can point its cardholders to the possibility to redeem Fun Miles at Belvedere. This is yet another valuable asset to the program.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Youth Parliament is looking for new members to continue the programme of young residents learning about civic leadership.

President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell is calling on the nation's youth to consider joining the Youth Parliament of the country.

"A youth parliament allows for young people to have a voice. Young people must have a forum that would allow them to discuss issues that are of importance to them. The youth parliament allows them to do this and at the same time the young people learn how parliament operates," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Wednesday.

The new participants in the youth parliament will also represent the country in next year's Kingdom Parliament sessions.

The youth parliament will also have a live debate in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament on August 12 regarding the merits of investing in technology.

The youth parliament is open to young people between 12 and 24. Members debate public policy and host forums for discussions about social and youth issues.

Bi-weekly meetings are held on Fridays at 5:00pm in the conference room at the House of Parliament.

Interested candidates can contact St. Maarten Youth Council by calling 550-8971 or emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visiting 'St. Maarten Youth Parliament' Facebook page.

PHILIPSBURG:--- APS is extending words of understanding and apologies to pensioners who may not have received their regular pension payments over the course of past days. The pension fund administrator received calls from active participants over the past few days, indicating they had not yet received their pension payment for the month of July.
APS immediately looked into the reports but could not determine if the delay was in any way related to technical or administrative challenges reportedly faced by some banking institutions, where it concerns the processing of the usual pensioners payroll.
APS says it pleased to note that in the case of one beneficiary bank, the matter has been resolved and that the pensioners affiliated with that bank have received their pension payment, as scheduled. APS will continue to monitor the situation with remaining banks and expresses regret at the inconvenience caused to pensioners still awaiting their monthly pension payments.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With a donation of $5000 UTS has pledged its support of the St. Eustatius Musical Foundation in its endeavor to stage the 2013 carnival festivities on the island of St. Eustatius. "UTS is a steady yearly contributor towards Carnival in St. Eustatius, and we are happy to be able to support them in the festivities once again this year," said UTS Marketing & Communication Officer Ivy Lambert. Foundation Treasurer, Ms. Lavinia 'Makeba' Mitchell thanked UTS for once again supporting the foundation in its efforts. The St. Eustatius Carnival festivities kicked off on July 19th and will continue throughout the week with various events and local, regional, and international performances. The celebrations end with the Last Lap parade on July 29th.

"We are trying within our financial limits to give something as difficult as that sometimes is so that the larger community can see the positive spinoff"

PHILIPSBURG:--- On the heels of the successful AMHE Conference recently held at the Westin Resort, where some two hundred Haitian Physicians working abroad gathered to share thoughts and ideas, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams has again reiterated the call for St. Maarten to broaden its infrastructure to provide more opportunities for conference tourism.

"As Prime Minister I can say that we have indeed been making St. Maarten very attractive for hosting conferences. The Country needs to further grasp these opportunities and together with the private sector, we need to push harder for conference and event tourism.

"This Friday, for example, we will see the start of the Video X-Games, which is another event that has a huge attraction to St. Maarten. It is also an activity that has grown tremendously, especially in the area of what especially attracts our youth. So far for this competition we will see more than three hundred participants from 48 countries taking part in the event taking place over this weekend.

"The fact remains that the uniqueness of St. Maarten is a very large selling point and when we host large conferences where sometimes two hundred people are attending it will have a very significant economic spinoff.

"We are trying within our financial limits to give something as Government as difficult as that sometimes is so that the larger community and the larger economy of St. Maarten can see the spinoff from this," commented the Prime Minister," concluded Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Regional Centre of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for Latin America and the Caribbean (RCLAC) is supporting the National Development Plan (NDP) process through a capacity building program for "dialogue champions" and "facilitators" integrating virtual and face-to-face learning on democratic dialogue.

The NDP project, "Building a Nation: Sint Maarten National Development Plan & Institutional Strengthening," is being led by the country's Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) of the Ministry of General Affairs.

The course can accommodate up to 40 persons and will start August 13 and run until September 6. It will be in English, there are no costs/fees involved, and the deadline to register is August 6. The participant after successfully completing the course will receive a certificate of approval issued by UNDP Virtual School and UNDP RCLAC.

Requirements for the course are that you have access to a computer and internet, and have 10 hours minimum per week to participate in course activities. BAK is arranging computer facilities and locations that would allow individuals without the aforementioned still the opportunity to participate in the virtual course.

The course is for persons who are interested in getting involved with the NDP process and playing a crucial role in the bottoms-up approach that has been embarked upon.

A two-page spread will appear in the daily newspapers and will also be available on the Government website with respect to more information pertaining to this virtual course and how to sign-up. The first advertisement will appear on July 31 followed again on August 2.

The NDP is being developed through community engagement/people participation. The NDP is a people's project that is putting institutions in place that not only enable everyone in St. Maarten to come together to build a national development strategy but to have an on-going participation in its implementation.

The NDP is a strategic policy on a constitutional level. Governments will have their own four-year term proposals in how to implement their programs in accordance with the NDP, but the actual overarching strategy of the NDP will not be able to be changed by governments themselves at the end of this process.

For further information please refer to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and/ or call 542-0897.

SUCKER GARDEN:--- GIFTED Foundation's GLOW party series continues this month on Saturday, July 27, 2013 in Sucker Garden with GIFTED On Ya Block G.L.O.W. Party- Sucker Garden Edition. Cohosting the event is the Church of God (7th Day) Denver Conference on Pincushion Cactus Drive #13B.
With the community still buzzing about the SXM Weekend of P.O.W.E.R. that passed in early June which featured Curtis Jordan, Kevin Smith, Positive, Prodigal Son, among others, persons have been looking forward to the next GIFTED event. Leader of the Church of God 7th Day in Sucker Garden, Pastor Joel Saban said, "If the music at the GLOW party is anything like the music from the Weekend of POWER, it is going to be great!"
GIFTED has taken their monthly praise parties to different communities around the island, including Dutch Quarter, French Quarter, and Philipsburg. The Sucker Garden edition has the theme "Double, Double". Patrons are encouraged to double up on any piece of apparel or accessory. The music entertainment will be provided by DJ Joshua DRJ Ferrol of DRJ Sounds and Radio Maranatha. There will also be live performances, prizes and surprises.
G.I.F.T.E.D. GLOW parties provide wholesome entertainment for youthful Christ-minded people with enjoyable company, great music, and good fun times. GLOW parties are held on the last Saturday of every month. At the end of a GIFTED party, each person is energized to Go Light Our World!

POINT BLANCHE:--- Port of St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Harbour Group of Companies Mark Mingo says he is very pleased with the visit to the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility by Dutch Prime Minister Hon. Mark Rutte and his delegation of business executives over the weekend.

"The Port of St. Maarten over the years has been nurturing a close working relationship with members of the Dutch Government. Various Ministers and other representatives of Ministries have visited the port and they have all been very impressed with the port operations and facilities that our country has developed. It is my priority to continue to nurture this positive relationship to the benefit of the port and the people of St. Maarten," CEO Mark Mingo said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Hon. Mark Rutte and his entourage were given a tour of the port facilities before they sat down for a presentation and luncheon that covered past, present and future investments; cruise and cargo developments; Dutch heritage and historic ties and the Dutch Village; port security; real estate; the importance of the marine sector to the economy; and economic challenges.

During the tour emphasis was placed on the joint ventures that have been strategically negotiated with the cruise line partners, and CEO Mingo pointed out how important this was for the port and country.

Mingo also pointed out the strategic visionary investment decisions that were taken to accommodate Future Larger Vessels and now the further expansion plans for Pier II.

With respect to the cargo services and facilities, Mingo addressed how important training is of human resources to operate the cranes at the port, and was top of the agenda in order to continue to provide safe and efficient services where it concerns the off and on-loading of cargo vessels at international performance levels. Developments related to the opening of the Panama Canal were also touched upon.

Prime Minister Rutte was informed that current cargo business activities have stabilized, but the performance needs to be improved. The harbour group is looking at various options, such as additional shipping links, and from an infrastructure perspective, a breakwater and dredging of the cargo basin. The cargo software GLS that was a partnership with a Dutch company, was also explained to the Prime Minister.

The CEO explained to Prime Minister Rutte about the security mechanisms that the port has in place and how that facilitates the processing of passengers from the larger vessels. The Prime Minister was very impressed with how the port handles the large cruise ships and queried about the selling points of the country and why cruise passengers enjoy visiting the destination.

With respect to the harbour group of companies and its internal operations, CEO Mingo explained about the internal checks and balances such as the "umbrella" system that the port utilizes to audit its operations in order to ensure it is in line with good corporate governance.

CEO Mingo also brought into perspective the three Kingdom countries of Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten where it concerns cruise and cargo movements. Cruise tourism figures for 2012, Aruba 576,578; Curacao 436,068; St. Maarten 1,753,215. For cargo container movements (full imports) in 2012 Aruba 28,864; Curacao 49,877; and St. Maarten 39,300.

The Prime Minister was also informed about the long-term strategic planning in relation to real estate and property needed for future expansions in connection with the economic development of country St. Maarten. Mingo said there must always be room for expansion just as the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Miami have done, adding that the acquisition of strategic properties is part of a strategic vision of the Harbour Group of Companies.

During the discussion about economic challenges, the Dutch Prime Minister was very critical and exchanged ideas on how to deal with challenges. CEO Mingo said they discussed the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten loan where the CEO explained that the Harbour Group saw this as a strategic opportunity to get a loan from the Bank at a lower interest rate which facilitated the Harbour Group of Companies in aligning its position to the benefit of the country.

Mingo added that part of the loan went to cover the construction of the Simpson Bay Lagoon Causeway currently being constructed by a Dutch firm. The investment in the causeway was a strategic decision to safeguard accessibility to the Simpson Bay-Airport-Cupecoy area in the event of a malfunction of the Simpson Bay Bridge; but also to alleviate traffic congestion; and to also serve as a route when the time comes for the Bridge to be replaced.

Political stability was also discussed and the Prime Minister wanted to know if the political situation back in May and June impacted the Harbour Group of Companies in any manner. CEO Mingo stated that the harbour's strategic partners queried about the situation as well as other investment partners, so political stability is key in any modern democratic country.

Mingo and Rutte were both in agreement that a clear economic policy was necessary; they also discussed monopolies, unfair competition and the non-efficiency of the transportation of goods as potential threats to the Port of St. Maarten.

SIMPSON BAY:--- Students of the graduating class of the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWAS) were still flying high as they were treated just after their graduation to an aerial tour sponsored by the Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, and WINAIR.
Accompanying them on the flight were Jerome Gumbs of the Marketing & Customer Service Department, along with SXM interns Chiaria Bowers and Valeska Celestine. Those students who did not go on the flight were given a tour of the terminal building by Daphne Roberts (MCD).
Once the flight was over, the students were bused to SXM's Rescue & Fire Fighting Department where the firefighters already had hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill waiting for them. There the students also met Acting Manager of Marketing & Customer Service, Suzy Kartokromo, who gave them branded backpacks with supplies.
PWAS was adopted by SXM Airport in 2011 as part of the latter's educational outreach program.

CAY HILL:--- The Minister of Health and several members of the board of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) have raised concerns over the hiring of the hospital's new director Gersi Perreria. According to reliable information provided to SMN News, Perreria was employed at the Ljselmeerziekenhuizen. Several news articles found online stated that Perreria resigned after the scandal broke which involves corruption and mismanagement. According to the articles on the internet, the hospital that Perreria worked at had to close its doors because of mismanagement. The Ljselmeerziekenhuizen had a deficit that amounted to 7 million Euros in 2008 mainly because there were not sufficient patients. According to the articles, the hospital stated that they did not have confidence in Perreria.

The articles state that the hospitals were located in two small towns and they were not having enough patients. The Inspectorate of Health in the Netherlands also intervened and determined that the operating rooms were not sterile enough which could have caused infections. While all of this information is available online, the four members of the Supervisory Board of St. Maarten Medical Center did not conduct any background check prior to hiring the new director.

According to a reliable source, some members of the Supervisory Board did not want to hire Perreria because of the allegations and unsolved problems he has at Ljselmeerziekenhuizen in the Netherlands. SMN News also learned that the specialists of the St. Maarten Medical Center protested against the hiring of Perreria because of what took place at the institution in the past. However, other members of the supervisory board voted in favor of hiring Perreria as the new director of SMMC.

SMN News contacted Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever who is currently off island and he said that he is aware of the situation regarding the new director of the St. Maarten Medical Center. Minister De Weever did not divulge any information regarding the concerns except to say that he sent a letter to the chairman of the supervisory board expressing his concerns over the hiring of someone that has a questionable background.

It should be noted that the 2012 financials of SMMC showed that the medical institution suffered a huge loss of monies which cannot be accounted for. Efforts made to reach the Inspectorate of Health for a comment proved futile as Dr. Earl Best is currently on vacation.

France/St. Maarten:--- Former convicted head of immigration Marcel Loor is expected to appear in the Criminal Courts in Paris early next week. According to information provided to SMN News, Loor was caught last week Thursday morning at the Paris Charles du Gaulle Airport (ROISSY) with one kilo of cocaine. "To be exact Loor had 1.1 kilograms of cocaine in his possession when he was arrested." The disgraced cop left St. Maarten last Wednesday on an Air France flight to Paris; he arrived in at Paris Charles du Gaulle early Thursday morning where he was arrested when the illegal drug was found in his possession.

Law enforcement agents in Paris told SMN News that Loor will be taken before the judge to face charges of drug trafficking. "The investigation already determined that Loor will be tried as a comparution immédiate, where the case against him will be presented and sentencing will be pronounced immediately after the trial."

SMN News asked if the investigation determined whether or not Loor was part of a drug organization but that information was not released. "The only way to know that is to see what is presented to the Paris Criminal Court when the drug mule appears in court."

The disgraced cop can face a maximum of ten years in prison while he would have to pay a fine which could be as high as 75,000.00 Euros. However, his sentence and the amount of fine he has to pay will only be made known when he appears in court.

The prosecutors and customs (douane) in Paris will also take into consideration Loor's professional background as a former commissioner of police in the former Netherlands Antilles and they will also present his criminal records to the court to show that Marcel Loor is not only a drug mule but one that had abused his judicial powers while he was the head of the Immigration Department of the Police Force on St. Maarten. Marcel Loor was convicted for fraud, forgery, and money laundering. Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of lower court and he now has to pay fine of approximately Naf. 900,000.00 for the crimes he and his partner committed while they were employed as law enforcement officers in the former Netherlands Antilles.

SMN News will bring you more information on the court proceedings next week when Marcel Loor appears in the Paris Criminal Court.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The 2013 Summer Basketball League Tournament came to a close on Friday, 19th July, 2013 at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium where the B-Class/Juniors the Grand Case Scorpions went up against the Down Street Clippers.
The Grand Case Scorpions entered as the 2012 defending champions of the B-Class, and the Grand Case Scorpions won the Championship in a repeat by a Score of 56 -48. The Most Valuable Player for the B-Class/Juniors Tournament is Jonathon Philips from the Scorpions team. In the A-Class/Seniors Division, the Sucker Garden Kings went up against the Marigot Warriors. The Sucker Garden Kings also repeat and became Champions again by a score of 65 - 72. The Most Valuable Player for the A-Class/Seniors Tournament is Steve Nacasia from the Sucker Garden Kings team.

Before the 2 championship games, a Female Basketball game and a Veterans game was held. The Females: The Grand Case Girl Thunders Basketball Club went up against the Lightning Girls Basketball Club. The Thunders Girls won the game by a score of 17 - 27. Veterans: The Bad Boyz went up against the Yellow Tales. The Bad Boyz won the game by a score of 24 - 23.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The fourth storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed on Wednesday morning – Tropical Storm (TS) Dorian - in the Atlantic Ocean more than 2000 miles from the Eastern Caribbean island chain.

The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) will monitor the progress of TS Dorian which up to Wednesday morning was tracking West North West at a fast 21 miles per hour (mph). Maximum wind speeds at that time were 50 mph.

Based on historical records the 4th storm of the season normally forms by the third week of August. Residents are requested to monitor weather reports related to this system.

The Office of Disaster Management reiterates to the nation that they should have already completed storm/hurricane preparations for the 2013 season; for those who have yet to make preparations such as putting together a family plan on where you would ride out a storm in case your home is vulnerable to a storm/hurricane (wind, flooding, storm surge); to have a disaster supply kit containing items that you will need regardless of where you will ride out a storm/hurricane.

Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make the season a bad one.

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this fast moving storm and will keep the country informed if there is a dramatic change in its course as this storm moves over the Atlantic Ocean.

The remaining storm names for the 2013 season are: Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van, and Wendy.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotarians Sidharth "Cookie" Bijlani & Prakash "Peter" Dialani is the most recent recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship from The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise, Rtn. Cookie served as President for the year 2006-2007 and Rtn. Peter served for the year 2009-2010, among their accomplishments were donation of the Warm Bed for the Pediatric Ward of the Medical Center, Creation of a playground at the Emilio Wilson, launching of the successful Reading Program "Readers are Leaders", support to Haiti in the form of Shelter Boxes and the Big Kid Project, funding for St. Maarten Cultural Poster Project donated to all schools on the island, Donation to the University of St. Maarten towards it expansion plans, Youth mentoring with Victorious Living Foundation and Creation of a community Park in Belvedere, to name a few. Along with leading the Sunrise Rotary with its annual event and projects, their contribution as Presidents to the Rotary ideal has been a very positive part in motivating and continuing the work of Rotary.

The Paul Harris Fellow is an award given to those who have given $1000 dollars possibly over several years to the Rotary foundation or by a sponsor that has given the money in the recipient's name for extraordinary services rendered, It is one of the most prestigious awards in Rotary and thereby named after the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris who founded Rotary with three business associates in Chicago in 1905. The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to expressed appreciation for a contribution to the humanitarian and educational programs of the Rotary Foundation, giving any sum of money to the Rotary Foundation makes you a part of the eradication of Polio, a partner in creating PEACE, a person who supports Clean Water and Sanitation where water is worth more than gold, it is measured in LIVES.

The Rotary Club of St. Martin sunrise meets at Air Lekkerbek Restaurant every Tuesday mornings at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise and Twitter: @RotarySunSXM

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, gave a PowerPoint presentation to visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of his delegation shortly before their departure Saturday, which, according to managing director, Regina LaBega, was well-received.
"The Dutch Prime Minister showed keen interest in the facts and figures presented to him and his delegation and was quite impressed with developments at the airport," LaBega said.
Rutte was informed about the Moody's rating of Baa2 achieved last year by SXM, making it the first company on St. Maarten to be so rated by a world-renowned financial institution. He was also briefed about the Capital Improvement Program of the airport, which is being financed with part of the US$132 million bond issue SXM successfully floated last year.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Directors of PJIAE, Clarence Derby, was in attendance during the presentation.
In earlier separate meetings, LaBega had discussed SXM's vision of establishing a training center for the region at the airport. The idea was met with much enthusiasm by Mr. Van Brakel, director of De Braak, a Dutch firm which counts Schiphol Management as one of its clients and which also has experience working in Curacao. Van Brakel is expected to draft a proposal to this end for consideration by SXM.
"We also met with Mr. Lubberhuizen, Director of the company, Structon, who was among the delegates that attended the SXM presentation," LaBega said.
The SXM team included Director of Operations, Larry Donker, Special Projects Coordinator, Robert Brown, Corporate Communications Specialist Kalifa Hickinson,acting Manager, Marketing and Customer Service Department, Suzy Kartokromo, Legal Counsel, Sandy Offringa, and Max Schakel of Special Projects.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Caribbean Cable & Telecommunication Association in St. Thomas has accepted the nomination from their member, WTN Cable to provide funds for Safe Haven in St. Maarten from their CCTA 2013 Community Charities Program.
WTN Cable feels that it is time to lead our community business associates to come forward and stick out their helping hand to Safe Haven. We need continuous support for Safe Haven and the good work which they are doing.

A BIG THANK YOU TO CCTA.

COLE BAY:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation Snorkel Club kicked recently with an introductory session of approximately fifteen kids at the Nature Foundation offices in Cole Bay. The Foundation holds its yearly after school activity/ vacation summer camp program for children ages eight to twelve were children are exposed to the ocean and marine environments. Children are taught how to Snorkel, given an introduction to Scuba Diving, given Information about marine life and are though basic seamanship skills. The program runs for ten lessons and was made possible through the assistance of Isle de Sol/ IGY Marinas, the Scuba Shop, Island Water World and TJ Maxx. This year the Nature Foundation also hosted various adults as part of their Snorkel Club Program.

"The Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten Continues to be an Institution in Evolution"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams oversaw the signing of the deed of the newly established VKS Foundation at the SPS Notarial Office at the Speetjens Arcade on Friday. The PM, under whose authority the VKS falls, congratulated the organization for now officially establishing a Foundation and stated that she looked forward to a broadening of the organization now that the VKS Foundation had been officially established.

Previously the PM also congratulated the VKS on their sixteenth anniversary year, during which the VKS Foundation was established. "Clearly the Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten continues to be an institution in evolution: continuously moving forward and adopting new tasks and also introducing new members into your ranks. Every year it is good to stand still for just a moment and recognize your service to this community as well as to contemplate as you move forward. So as we recognize promotions and service it is also a fact that as VKS officers you are acting as role models in the community of St. Maarten. Contributing to the VKS is contributing to the community of St. Maarten and as we look towards a settlement of a Marine Base later this year I myself look forward to seeing a broadening out of your tasks and supporting the community of St. Maarten and building this country block by block and step by step," commented the Prime Minister.

The Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten (VKS) is a paramilitary organization that conducts emergency services, protects the population and conducts law enforcement services. The Board Members of the VKS Foundation are Antonio Rogers, Taco Stein, Emilia Thomas, Patrick Wokke and Franklyn Richards.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

SIMPSON BAY:--- Following a review of the activities held to mark Foreign Objects and Debris (FOD) Month at the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) last month, organizers have concluded that the event was a "huge success".

About 350 people attended the FOD information sessions and did a written examination about the presentations, while almost 100 people participated in the FOD Walk. "Although this figure was a bit less than last year, we were still very pleased with the turnout, said Michel Hyman, Operations Manager at SXM.

"The various stakeholders ensured that "all hands" participated in the FOD "walk down." Participants ranged from flight crews, mechanics, bus operators, fuel agents, cargo handlers, counter/gate agents, security officers, airlines and handlers managers/representatives, and the PJIAE Operations Team consisting of Emile Levons, Franklin Wilson, Edmund Missoudan, and Z'haria Richardson."

About 103 lbs of FOD was collected which was 25 lbs less than the preceding year. "The less FOD we collect each successive year, the better," said Hyman. "It is an indication that progress is being made in terms of fewer FODs at the airport."

The participants stood shoulder to shoulder at the east general aviation ramp (foxtrot) and walked down toward the west covering the taxiways, runway safety area, main apron and commuter apron.

The group walked at a slow pace with eyes focused on the pavement and grass areas – bending over whenever necessary to pick up a piece of FOD. The items were collected into FOD bags and then analyzed to identify problems and process breakdowns.

"For example, if tools or objects were found, the item is traced to the specific responsible party with whom the matter would be discussed for better accountability. This helps to prevent incidents that could eventually lead to accidents," Hyman explained.

Continuous safety training, regular safety meetings and distribution of safety information/bulletins, etc, are among the ongoing program at SXM to reduce FOD. The international airport is also making a substantial investment in a new TYMCO (model 600) Regenerative Air Sweeper to assist the Operations Department in keeping the aprons clear of debris.

The FOD walk down is common at most, if not all airports. It gives everyone the opportunity to focus on the objective of the activity and also strengthens the commitment to the motto: "Safety is everyone's responsibility regardless of rank or position."

"At SXM, we continue to instill in our staff that the very first order of business everyday is to conduct a FOD walk down of aircraft stands prior to and after aircraft handling at the gates," said Hyman.

"We will start the awareness activities as early as February next year, thus enabling all staff from the various stakeholders to attend and participate in the scheduled activities. We will also use environmentally friendly bags during the FOD walk down," Hyman said, with respect to next year's FOD Month.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several dignitaries including the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams, President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell, MP Johan Janchi Leornard, Minister of Education Patricia Laurens, Secretary General from the Ministry of Justice Richard Panneflek, outgoing Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos, and Head of Customs Anthony Doran joined the management team of KPSM and Acting Minister of Justice Martin Hassink at the first graduation ceremony for BPO cadets on Wednesday morning. The management team of KPSM decorated the front of the Philipsburg Police Station and placed large tents outside where the graduation ceremony was held. Eleven out of the twelve cadets that graduated on Wednesday immediately took the oath in the presence of Acting Minister of Justice Martin Hassink while Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte congratulated them as he welcomed them into the organization as police officers.

Head of the School of Police Science Conchita Alvarez presented the diplomas to the cadets who took part in a parade to open the ceremony. Alvarez in her address to the cadets and their relatives said that the idea for the project was conceived three years ago and it is her opinion that they achieved a great result. "All parties have put resources, energy, effort and sometimes a lot of hard work in the training of the young police officers. Every community deserves a well trained police force and I am convinced that the graduates have the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for good police work. I really hope that KPSM will succeed in merging the new skills and capacity of the young cadets."

Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte thanked the three teachers who taught the cadets and expressed profound gratitude to Commissioner of Police Carl John and Inspector of Police Keturah Brown who acted as the coaches for the cadets while in training. De Witte said its been three years now since St. Maarten became a country within Kingdom of The Netherlands and one of his goals is to develop a professional police force by providing the necessary training. He said St. Maarten was successful in providing the training due to excellent cooperation between the Police Force of Bonaire and the Dutch Police Academy. The top cop said 80% of the training took place on the island while the other 20% took place in Bonaire.

De Witte extended congratulations to the cadets who managed to finish the first part of the Basic Police Training (BPO) especially because the training the new cadets received was much more challenging compared to the old program, therefore it is fitting to highly compliment them for their achievements. In addressing the cadets, De Witte told them that they have learned the theoretical part of the program now they have to express what they learned through practice in order to protect the community, its visitors, and the fight against crime. The top cop said just last week he was engaged in some discussions to have the police academy continue the program they started with the BPO. The other part of the program will last between one year to 18 months but first KPSM has to get the quotation on what it would cost them for the continuation of the program.

Commissioner of Police Carl John in his closing remarks said that St. Maarten now has more experience in cooperating with other islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. He made no mistake by stating that he is extremely proud to be a member of KPSM. "The only reason this is possible is because St. Maarten cooperated with other entities on the island. He said for the BPO training program USONA stood 100% beside them, while the Justice Ministry was prepared to face the challenges that stood before them when the island obtained its new status on October 10th, 2010." John said when the project was presented to them they scrutinized it heavily in order to produce quality police officers for the island. John explained that for a period of two years there were people in the upper ranks who made them understand that there are better ways of doing things despite the culture on St. Maarten and they were able to do different things in different ways. John also gave the teachers credit for their work, especially one of them who stood as a father figure for the cadets. "In many speeches I have heard that St. Maarten will be thrown in the waters and they will have to learn how to swim. I want to recognize the fact that after the planning I realized that St. Maarten has talent so I took one of the most experienced inspectors of the force to coach the new cadets. The coach, Keturah Brown, did an incredible job." While addressing the students he told them that he was involved in their school now he has the opportunity to guide them. "You were not compelled to choose the profession to become a police officer, but now that you have chosen it you are obligated to perform the duties of a police officer, while living in the high standards of life that comes with the job. Some of the requirements are for you to serve your community, be an example in your community, and if you do not form a partnership with the community you will be misunderstood, you will be criticized, and most of all you will be put on the dishonest way." John told the new officers that policing demands a noble character, courage, and loyalty. "Loyalty to the organization and loyalty to the community of St. Maarten," with that he presented a token to the cadets that they are to take along with them and use it as they carry the message of hope for KPSM.

Click here to view more photos of the graduation ceremony on Wednesday morning.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Council of Ministers approved the downsized budget for the year 2013 on Tuesday during their weekly Council of Ministers' meeting, announced Minister of Finance Martin Hassink during the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing on Wednesday. Minister Hassink said St. Maarten had to reduce its 2013 budget by 30 million guilders. He said his Ministry replaced that with other income that amounts to 17 million guilders. He further stated that the 2013 budget now stands at 440 million guilders.

Minister Hassink said that all Ministers in the Council of Ministers play a role in the preparation of the budget and it is not the Minister of Finance that has sole responsibility. He said the Ministry of Finance basically plays a facilitating role. He explained that they already met with the CFT but the new draft budget now has to go to the Council of Advice. The Minister of Finance said that he is hopeful that the process for the 2013 budget could be finalized by the end of August since it also has to go back to Parliament after the Council of Advice reviews it and sends their comments to him. He said he wants to be able to spend his time preparing the 2014 budget which has to be submitted by October 2013 to the CFT.

Minister Hassink said that he also submitted the financial statements for 2010 and 2011 to the General Audit Chamber and when they approve it then that too could be handled by the end of August or early September. Minister Hassink also announced that he met with the Minister of Finance of Curacao to discuss the division of assets and liabilities. The Finance Minister said the Ministry of Finance is responsible for 80% of Government's income and they are busy working on a plan to ensure that the incoming revenues of Government stays intact while they are also working on a plan to increase compliance on St. Maarten. One of the things that is necessary is the reorganization of the tax system.

MARIGOT:--- The Gendarmes are busy looking for the suspects that robbed a woman in the Concordia area Tuesday evening. According to reports reaching SMN News, a woman was robbed of her personal belongings. The attackers who managed to escape from law enforcement officers used excessive violence during the robbery.
Captain of the Gendarmerie, Sylvain Jouault confirmed the incident. The Captain of the Gendarmerie also said that an investigation has been launched and it is ongoing.

THE VALLEY, Anguilla:--- Seven persons are now in the hospital in Anguilla injured by gunshots. According to information reaching SMN News, a drive-by shooting took place after 10pm Monday night in the Blowing Point area leaving seven injured. "The shooters used machine guns to fire shots at people who were standing in the area." One of the seven persons had to be flown out of Anguilla for further medical treatment. SMN News learnt that the victim who was flown out received a bullet to his head.

Up to press time on Tuesday Anguilla's Commissioner of Police, Rudolph Proctor did not release any information on the shooting. The shooting came one day after police and other law enforcement officers seized 31 bales of cocaine which has an estimated street value of USD 25 million. The cocaine was seized during a joint operation conducted between the Royal Anguilla Police Force and the Criminal Investigation Department. During the drug bust some three persons from the Dominican Republic were arrested while guns and ammunition were also seized.

SIMPSON BAY:--- Following a meeting between the managing director of Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, Ms. Regina LaBega and Air France/KLM representative, Mr. Max Smits Friday, July 19, 2013, KLM will look into the possibility of filling the gap that would be left when Air France reduces its number of flights to SXM during the low season.
The issue was tabled by Ms. LaBega who requested that KLM fill this vacuum to ensure a daily transatlantic flight to Europe from the island. Smits said the reduction bore a similarity with flights operating to CUBA and agreed to look into the request to ensure a daily flight during the low season to SXM.
Smits further elaborated on the booking classes, yield management and expressed his concern with regards to the imbalance in promotions for Air France/KLM on St. Maarten/Saint Martin. He said he will try to ensure a dual promotion from both halves of the island.
According to Smits, KLM is encouraging e-ticketing which is now operational in Curacao and Bonaire. He further elaborated on Aruba's ongoing efforts to implement European pre-clearance at their station.
The Air France/KLM representative also disclosed that KLM is to introduce a new business class seating on its B747 equipment. He also said the airline will soon receive new EMBRAER aircrafts, 3 years earlier than expected.
"The meeting was very productive and we're looking forward to some concrete follow up that would yield mutually beneficial results," said LaBega.

ST. PETERS:--- On Monday July 22nd at approximately 8:05pm, police patrols were sent to Sint Peter's road where shortly before the Sint Peters Supermarket and Ho Supermarket were both robbed at gunpoint by at least two unknown men. Both men were dressed in dark clothing and wearing masks over their faces. One of these men was carrying a firearm and threatened the employees while robbing the establishments. After committing this act, both suspects fled the scene on foot. The Special Robbery Unit is investigating.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell stated on Monday that the meeting between the faction leaders of parliament and the Dutch Prime Minister Hon. Mark Rutte centered on business promotion and trade, public safety, security and the visa policy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting took place in the Conference room at the House of Parliament last week Thursday. The President of Parliament first welcomed the Prime Minister and then gave a synopsis of the state of affairs with respect to Parliament.

The faction leaders present for the working visit of the Dutch Prime Minister were Democratic Party (DP) Faction Leader Hon. Roy Marlin and United People's (UP) party Interim Faction Leader Hon. Sylvia Meyers.

Issues' pertaining to public safety and security especially during the high tourist season was discussed, as well as the visa policy of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and how this is impacting Sint Maarten.

Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Roy Marlin requested special attention and once again underscored the need for a more flexible approach for Sint Maarten where visas are concerned.

Business travelers and tourist from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, who already possess a United States of America Visa, is still subject to get a visa from the Dutch Embassy to visit Sint Maarten.

The MPs asked Prime Minister Rutte to consider exempting these categories of travelers from obtaining a visa from the Dutch Embassy to visit Sint Maarten.

The MPs feel that a more practical policy needs to be put in place that enhances tourism and business travelers from these two countries, and according to the President of Parliament Arrindell, the Prime Minister was not unreceptive to the proposals made and suggested the necessary follow-up be made with the relevant Ministries.

"At the end of the visit to Parliament, Prime Minister Rutte signed the guest book and he and his entourage were given a tour of the House. He was especially impressed with the view from the office of the President overlooking Great Bay and the General Assembly Chamber of the House," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Monday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With a donation of $4000 UTS has pledged its support of the Saba Cultural Foundation in its endeavor to stage the 2013 carnival festivities on the island of Saba. "UTS is a steady yearly contributor towards Carnival in Saba, and we are happy to support the foundation again" says UTS Marketing & Communication Officer Ivy Lambert. President of the Saba Cultural Foundation, Mr. Dave Levenstone expressed his thanks by saying: "On behalf of my fellow board members we would hereby like to thank Chippie/UTS for their continued support and cooperation towards Saba Carnival 2013. Chippie from its inception has always played a very important part in our carnival." The Saba Carnival festivities kicked off on July 22nd and continue throughout the week with various events. The celebrations end with the Last Lap parade on Sunday, July 28th.

UTS Press Release

SPECTACULAR BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN AT SELECTED PARTNERS

PHILIPSBURG:--- Fun Miles, the Caribbean's biggest free saving and redemption program, presents a back to school campaign that is as straightforward as it is spectacular: until August 30, cardholders will receive double Fun Miles at Divico Cash & Carry, Keijzer Computers, Penny's Department Store, and OMNI, as well as with all WIB Bankomatiko Smart card purchases. For existing and new cardholders, the doubled rewards are a tremendous incentive to shop at these partners.

ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF FUN MILES TWICE AS FAST
Suppose that a cardholder would shop for 175 Guilders at Penny's Department Store, he or she would normally receive 70 Fun Miles. During this summer campaign, this becomes 140 Fun Miles. If the Fun Miles member would make this purchase using a registered WIB Bankomatiko Smart card, he or she would also receive an extra 35 Fun Miles. This becomes 70 Fun Miles, leading to a total reward of 210 Fun Miles, which can be redeemed for not one, but two ice-cream cones at McDonald's, just to provide an example.

WHICH PARTNERS OFFER WHICH REWARDS?
Cardholders will receive double Fun Miles with all their purchases at Divico Cash & Carry, Keijzer Computers, and Penny's Department Store. They will also receive double Fun Miles with purchase of a Panasonic inverter airco at OMNI, and, as mentioned above, with all WIB Bankomatiko Smart card purchases. As this school year kicks off, Fun Miles and these partners make it twice as easy to bring fun within your reach.

SXM A Step Closer to Having its Own AIS Office

SIMPSON BAY:--- All five Flight Information Officers who participated in the six-week Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) and Aerodrome Flight Information Services (AFIS) training successfully completed the course at the end of June and have now made SXM Airport equipped to establish its own AIS Office.

Deshawn York had the highest score and passed with 100 percent on the AIS exam. He wasn't the only one to record a perfect score: Veronica John also scored 100 percent on the (AFIS) Exam.

The five members of the SXM Air Traffic Services team are no longer just Flight Information Officers, but now qualified AIS personnel. They are: Tamisha David, Deshawn York, Veronica John, Bruce Barry, and Cami Artsen.

Within the six-week period, they completed seven modules: Aviation Legislation, Navigation, Meteorology, AIS, AFIS, ATM, and Aerodromes.

This is the first internationally recognized training to be conducted in St. Maarten that is also endorsed by the Department of Civil Aviation in St. Maarten, ATS officials said.

Procedural Control Department manager Gregory Hassell noted that the goal is not only to establish an AIS Office at SXM but also a Training Academy. He said the academy would be a great cost-cutting measure that would have a positive economic impact on both the airport and the island. According to Hassell, these five staffers and their three instructors represent "continued progress in establishing an ATS Academy in St. Maarten."

Hassell also stated that all staff at ATS will be upgraded and trained in the latest developments in Air Traffic Services. He revealed that 99.9% of employees are certified.

The training was conducted by three recently qualified SXM Air Traffic Service instructors, Duncan van Heyningen, Philmore Watson, and Reynaldo Richardson, who administered the course under the guidance of ICAO Qualified Sr. Consultant Gabriel Virlan. "The instructors prepared the curriculum and training on their own," Hassell said.

During the ceremony, Watson, Van Heyningen and Richardson were recognized for their continued service to ATS Division at SXM. "All instructors did well," Hassell said.

Hassell disclosed that ATS intends to work extensively with Virlan in the near future.

Virlan congratulated the five staffers for successfully completing the rigorous training and commended the SXM instructors, saying "they did their job perfectly."

Radar Control manager Lloyd Hinds congratulated the staffers as well, noting that they did a "very good job." He encouraged the team to maintain the highest level of quality regarding their work and noted that the completion of the training "is just the beginning."

Duncan van Heyningen addressed the group and congratulated the team for its hard work and for helping to grow air traffic services. "We work as a team," he said, and thanked Virlan for sharing his vast knowledge.

"This is, indeed, another important step forward for SXM, and I wish to congratulate the course participants, their instructors and everyone involved in the training," said SXM managing director Regina LaBega.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Toastmasters Club executive officers on both sides of the island were given a four hours long training.
On Wednesday July 17, 2013 twenty Toastmasters Club officers attended the first round of club officers training for the new term at the UTS Training and Development Center.
The main objective of the training was to assist each officer to clearly understand their roles and responsibilities. At the end of the training the officers should have the necessary tools and knowledge to plan and set personal and club goals in their quest to reach success at the end of their term.
"Providing effective training for club officers is one of the most critical parts of the district's mission. Area Governors are given the mandate to plan and execute this Training. Without being properly trained, officers and clubs cannot meet members' needs or introduce the benefits of Toastmasters to others. This is why two specific training events are provided yearly by each district, one in July as an orientation, and the other in February as a "follow up" explained Area Governor Malcolm Jacques.
Club officers were given detailed information on their roles and responsibilities. Offices were also trained in leadership skills such as motivating others, coaching team members, and delegating tasks among others.
District 81 Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training, Valarie Brazier DTM, presented a session on Distinguish Club Program (DCP) and The Area Governor for Area 24, Malcolm Jacques, presented the session on the roles and responsibilities of the club officers. The Training was very interactive and met all if its objectives. Also in attendance was Distinguish Toastmaster Rolande Tobias who offered his expertise during the training.

PHILIPSBURG/MARIGOT:--- HIV & AIDS Project Officer Margje Troost and lead physician on HIV & AIDS/ St. Maarten AIDS Foundation President Dr. Gerard van Osch met with delegations from French St. Martin, Guadeloupe, and Anguilla at the French side Hospital L.C. Fleming last week Monday, July 15th. Participants included Doctors, healthcare specialists, civil servants, and INTERREG Representatives. The meeting was held to evaluate the project entitled the "Development of an inter-Caribbean HIV observatory" and come up with ideas for new projects. These new projects will be based on the needs of the various Caribbean islands in order to strengthen the collaborated response to the HIV epidemic in the Caribbean region.
The project is an initiative extended by the European Regional Development Fund via the INTERREG IV Programme with the overall objective to enhance cooperation and build regional evidence on the viriological strains of HIV in order to equip and prepare countries with the knowledge, skills and systems to respond to patient's needs. Discussions on future cooperation were very fruitful and a proposal is being developed.
It is important to recognize the collaboration with the French Government, our French colleagues and physicians such as Dr. Clavel and Dr. Stegmann as well as Lepers Laboratory in the Interreg program. Through this program the Dutch side has been able to do free genotyping tests as well as CD4 and Viral load tests for both the insured and uninsured persons. The project also gives valuable (anonymous) information about resistance to certain medications which is beginning to circulate on the island.
As St. Maarten and St. Martin continue to strengthen ties with each other and neighbouring islands, the work that has been achieved thus far should be acknowledged. Currently, St. Maarten and St. Martin are able to accommodate and provide treatment for HIV patients, have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of people getting tested, have teamed up with AIDES to do joint testing days, we have managed to increase the number of patients that are receiving state of the art information on their virological strains in order to tailor treatment, and we are working with NADIS which is a highly protected, confidential, joint surveillance system used to monitor the HIV epidemic on both sides of the island.
NADIS has allowed St. Maarten and St. Martin to produce more accurate HIV data which is extracted anonymously without the names of the patients and then used for surveillance and planning purposes. Storing information on one unique database has allowed closer relations to form by sharing HIV data which can only be accessed by very few physicians. The sharing of knowledge allows doctors from both sides to provide an excellent continuum of care as it is known that patients often seek healthcare on both sides. The recent visit by Dr. Ward Schrooten, the PAHO expert on ICT and surveillance systems, helped strengthen the collaborative efforts between St. Maarten and St. Martin by aiding Dr. Van Osch with the extraction of data from the extensive anonymous HIV database which has been compiled by Dr. van Osch over the years. This extracted data will be used by the Dutch and French side to develop collaborative reports which will highlight the HIV epidemic on St. Maarten and St. Martin as a whole rather than two separate countries.

SIMPSON BAY:--- Three bronze sculptures of the "National Bird," the Brown Pelican, will adorn the roundabout at the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), when the infrastructural works are completed by October 1, 2013.

The works, which will be carried out in four phases, began on June 19, 2013. Phase 1 is the construction of the roundabout itself that will be finished by the end of August. This includes the erection of the concrete walls and installation of the pavement.

The installation of the lighted SXM signs will constitute the second phase while in the third phase, the bronze sculptures of the pelicans, being made by famed sculptor, Mike Maghiro, will be erected. The final phase is the greenery to beautify the whole roundabout.

When finished, the roundabout, which is being fully financed by SXM, will be turned over to the government of St. Maarten as a contribution from the airport as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations.

PHILIPSBURG/MARIGOT:--- Innovative Strategic Concepts (INSCO) is proud to announce that they have partnered with Marketing Solutions in launching SXM Girl's Night Out(SXMGNO).
On Saturday, August 3rd from 5PM to Midnight, SXM Girls Night Out will be a one-of-a-kind event on the island and in this region solely focused on women. It is a fun-filled seven-hour shopping event where women will relax and unwind over SXM GNO signature cocktails, mini-massages and mini-makeovers while hunting for EXCLUSIVE ONE-NIGHT-ONLY DEALS as local businesses showcase their latest or best-selling products or services. It will be the ideal fun night out for women that will feature a SILENT AUCTION, so women will be Shopping For A Cause!
According to Bernadette Davis, one of the organizers, "Women today are a rising economic powerhouse. This is significant information for companies positioning products and services to a female audience. According to recent research conducted, women have been identified as "the Third Billion," meaning that internationally women are the next emerging economy, the Sheconomy."
The SXM woman and the rest of the Caribbean is an important market that is overlooked.
What woman would not enjoy a fun night out with her BFFs Shopping for exclusive deals, discovering new products and trends and being pampered all while sipping delicious cocktails?

EVENT OBJECTIVES & GOALS

• To connect businesses that cater to women to their target market
• To promote and create additional avenues for sales for local businesses that cater to women
• To create a bi-annual revenue/membership producing event for local businesses and organizations that women enjoy
• To create a bi-annual event for women where they relax, unwind, shop, network, and get pampered
• To create a membership opportunity that will generate ongoing revenue through ongoing promotional opportunities to keep local businesses in touch with this influential target market
• To provide customers with a positive brand experience.

Tickets are available at various outlets: Van Dorp, La Voix radio station, SOS Radio & Youth radio.
In addition, for those women who thinks one night is not enough, we offer a Week-End Get Away for $495.00 per person, double occupancy.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Disaster Coordinator Winston Salomon is advising the country's economic mainstay, the tourism sector and business community, to review hurricane preparation plans since we are approaching the most active period of the 2013 hurricane season which runs from August 15 and through October 15.

The tourism sector, business community and also residents are advised to pay keen attention to weather reports with special focus on the Eastern Atlantic Ocean where tropical weather systems that form off the African Coast (Cape Verde Islands) can become a serious threat to the Eastern Caribbean island chain.

At this stage of the hurricane season, tourism-oriented businesses should be prepared. The prevention of the loss of life of our visitors and staff along with protecting property from damage is the responsibility of every business owner.

The engine of the economy is every single business operation on the island. Each one plays a very important role in the island's tourism-oriented service economy.

As the Office of Disaster Management annual theme says, "It only takes one!" Now is the time for business community in its entirety as well as residents to review what preparations are in place, and not when a storm is about to hit.

The remaining storm names for the 2013 season are: Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell would like to congratulate local teens David Colas and Chantal Richardson who have been recognized by Soca Awards 2013 for their musical talent.

The two are among finalists for Caribbean Pop/Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year.

Colas and Richardson are graduates of Milton Peters College. They were able to write a song together titled "Let You Know."

Anyone who wants to support "Let You Know" in the contest can visit the official website: www.socaawards.com/vote.html Their nomination is in Category 31. The two young artist hopes to get enough votes to win the contest.

"I was very pleased to read that another group of young people are doing well and reaching for the stars. The music branch is not easy as they contested in a newspaper article on Monday while they were working on writing and producing their song with third parties.

"Connecting talented and disciplined young artist with the right attitude, with international producers and talent hunters, goes a long way in helping young artists to breakthrough internationally.

"I would like to wish Colas and Richardson much success and I call on the country to support these two young people by visiting the Soca Awards website and voting for them.

"When we see our young people progress we must support them when they ask for our support. This support from the community goes a long way and gives them a boost with respect to their further endeavours," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Monday.

The video can be seen on Colas YouTube channel: "Official Kullus."

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says he has already had a preliminary study drafted by Lievense with respect to a 'Market in the Park' and an area for 'Multi-purpose Development."

The 'Market in the Park' entails the creation of a central marketplace comprising of local arts and crafts, a culinary restaurant where the training of hospitality students can continue to take place, a fresh produce market of agriculture, fish and fruits, and a food court for vendors opposite the John Larmonie Center.

"As I stated before, the establishment of a Sint Maarten Organic Market in a centrally located area where produce can be sold is now becoming more of a reality as a location has been found along the Ring Road.

"At the same time we are bringing the food trucks that are located in an ad-hoc manner all over to one central area and the same can be said about the food stalls that sell provisions. More organization is being brought into play," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.

The remaining area adjacent to the marketplace would be a multi-purpose area that would house the following local institutions after the Air Lekkerbek Restaurant: Chamber of Commerce & Industry, General Pension Fund St. Maarten, St. Maarten Small Business Development Foundation, St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, Multi-purpose Building, Arts & Crafts and the Market in the Park.

"The approach is about taking care of our own by putting things in place where our children can also do business in the future. The allocation of land to the different organizations that serve our community is essential where it concerns accessibility and easy to do business.

"We need to start thinking country and putting a structure in place for the future instead of just focusing on self. This entire project places prime emphasis on institutions that serve the community and some of them have done so for many years.

"I respect the previous decisions made by others in government, but I will make decisions that are in the best interest of the people and the country and for the next generation," Minister Maurice Lake pointed out on Monday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Social Economic Council (SER), hosted a delegation of three persons who were part of the Dutch trade mission on Saturday, July 20, 2013. SER chairman, René A. Richardson welcomed the Director-General for Foreign Economic Relationships at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Simon Smits, chairman of MKB, the Dutch organization for medium and small enterprises, Mr. Hans Biesheuvel and Mrs. Marije Feersma-Hoekstra, senior policy advisor of the Representative of the Netherlands on Curacao.
The visit of the Dutch delegation to the SER, served mainly as a familiarization visit to the council. The SER chairman, gave an outline of the workings of the advisory body and highlighted the achievements over the past two years. Secretary-general Gerard Richardson outlined some of the future projects of the SER and summarized the recently submitted draft law AOV advice. The delegation members were interested to know in what areas SER contributed to Sint Maarten society. The SER council members expressed their views on this matter and focused mainly on the cooperation between businesses, government and labor unions. Topics such as the economy, education, crime, (youth) unemployment, pension schemes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) were also discussed.
Senior policy advisor of the SER, drs. Arjen Alberts provided the guests with a presentation on its symposium theme Corporate Social Responsibility. The delegation members shared their views on the topic and comparisons were drawn with the other nations where CSR is becoming a more integral part of the operations of the companies.

In conclusion all parties agreed that the best way forward for businesses, is to accept some sort responsibility for the social challenges faced in the community. This rule can be applied worldwide in these challenging economic times.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Managing Director of Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), Regina LaBega, earlier this week received the newly elected president of the St. Maarten Aviation Handlers Association (SAHA), Walter Borel.

Borel was accompanied by new SAHA board members Francois Boasman, operations manager at Halley Aviation Services (vice president); Anne Beck, station manager of US Airways (treasurer), and Shelliann Ramchandani, supervisor at JetBlue (secretary).

"The meeting was very cordial. We dealt with several matters of mutual interest and agreed to structure our regular meetings to make them much more productive," said LaBega.

"Congratulations to the new SAHA board and we at SXM are looking forward to a continued positive, constructive and mutually beneficial working relationship with SAHA," LaBega said.

SIMPSON BAY:--- There were lots of smiling faces as the proud students of the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWAS) recently posed with their certificates, and SXM, having adopted the school one year ago, was present in full force to support the students.

The SXM Airport also surprised two deserving students, Willem Labardy and Juan Carlo Galva, at the graduation ceremony with the news that they will be receiving complementary uniforms for the coming school year – courtesy of SXM.

Twenty-two students received certificates at the Prins Willem Alexander School graduation, thus signaling the end of one chapter in their lives and the beginning of a new one.

Master of Ceremonies was Jerome Gumbs, the newest member of the Marketing & Customer Service Department at SXM, who kept the crowd engaged. The decoration for the ceremony and refreshments were also courtesy of SXM.

The keynote address was delivered by Dionsse Carti, a former pupil of the school who went on to St. Maarten Academy after graduating, and will be attending the University of the Virgin Islands to study mechanical engineering. He is a living testament that the students at PWAS can truly be anything they want to be.

Carti encouraged the students to follow their dreams and "Don't give up. ... I won't," he said.

The ceremony was moving and really highlighted how special each and every student is at PWAS.

Robert Brown, special projects coordinator at SXM addressed the students on behalf of SXM Managing Director, Regina LaBega, who was unable to attend. In his brief address, Brown said he was moved by emotions of joy and pride throughout the ceremony and encouraged the students to keep their eyes on the prize.

"If you focus on your education, you can achieve anything," he said.

The program included the song "Lean on Me" by students of class AO 5/6, a moving dance rendition by a member of the Voices of Our Children, a poem by graduating student, Trisha Isaac, and a song by the graduating class.

In addition to their certificates, students of the graduating class were recognized for their attendance and for most improved. This was the first year students at PWAS participated in the traffic exam, which is administered yearly at elementary schools throughout St. Maarten. Four proud members of the graduating class who took and passed the traffic exam were honored during the ceremony. The atmosphere was jovial and the theme "hold on to your dreams" echoed throughout.

GREAT BAY:--- On July 12th 2013 a first audit of its kind was carried out at the Ambulance Department by the Inspectorate of Public Health who is responsible for the supervision of health care institutions including the Ambulance Department to safeguard the quality of care of the general population.
Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever wants to make it clear that the Inspectorate has to do their job and the Ambulance has to comply and work together to ensure the highest possible standard of care to the population of St. Maarten.
Based on some inconsistencies observed and the fact that the Ambulance Department did not have a medical advisor forming part of its team to supervise the medical actions of the ambulance nurses, the inspectorate of public health in anticipation of the inspection report considers it necessary to immediately take the following measure to prohibit execution of four reserved procedures being carried out by the ambulance nurses in absence of having a medical advisor on the team. The medical doctor plays a key role in the supervision and supervision possibilities of the nurse.
Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever upon being notified of the audit immediately called an emergency meeting with Secretary General Jorien Wuite and Ambulance Department Head Cylred Richardson, to discuss matters further. "We have been able to secure a medical advisor for the department, as a means to bring operations up to par at the Ambulance Department," said Minister De Weever.
The Ambulance Department to date has complied with the measure and the pre-condition set by the Inspectorate by presenting a plan of approach to strengthen the ambulance care and has also acquired the services of a medical doctor on the team as medical advisor.
On the basis of the plan of approach that was presented (plan van aanpak versterking ambulancezorg) including that of a medical advisor who will be able to check the ability of the ambulance personnel to perform restricted actions by testing and to ensure, the inspectorate has withdrawn three of its previous imposed measure.
Furthermore, a training plan to perform restricted actions by the ambulance nurses has been put in place for execution during this week in which the ambulance nurses will be tested on their ability to execute restricted actions in collaboration with a training coordinator and the medical advisor.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Section Youth Health Care, part of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, in collaboration with the Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs and Women's Desk, are busy organizing the 3rd Annual Pregnancy Market on August 7.

Organizations and businesses who would like to take part are being asked to register before Friday, July 26.

Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever's 'Get Checked' campaign, encourages organizations and businesses to sign-up so pregnancy market attendees can check out their products and services on August 7.

The pregnancy market is an information market that will provide the public with a variety of information on a wide array of topics related to healthy pregnancy and new born child care.

Different stakeholders such as the Sint Maarten Medical Center, Civil Registry, pharmacies, physical therapists, White and Yellow Cross and distributors of products related to baby and/or mother care will provide information on their services and products.

In addition, several informative presentations will be given on topics ranging from healthy nutrition, staying physically fit, child birth and breast feeding.

The market will target in particular women and their partners who are planning a pregnancy, women who are pregnant, new parents and other persons who or are in need of information.

As in previous years the market will be held on the parking lot of the Vineyard Office Park from 5:00pm – 8:00pm and entrance is free.

Any organization or business that would like to participate by means of having an information booth can contact Suzianne Duzong-Davis at the section Youth Health Care on 542 3003 or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Denise Vijber at Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs on 542 1122 or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., before July 26th.

Participants are reminded that it is an informational market and not a seller's market: participants are not allowed to sell services or products, but can refer those interested to their place of business.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Trinidadian prostitute that was arrested last Thursday by immigration officials as a favor for a well known businessman filed an official complaint against the businessman and his lawyer with the detectives department on Monday. The complaint that the woman filed against the businessman is for stealing her passport while she filed a complaint against the businessman's lawyer for issuing threats to her when he was negotiating for his client.

Last week Thursday, the woman was arrested by immigration officials at the Philipsburg Police Station where she went to file a complaint against the businessman who refused to pay her for the kinky sex she provided to him for a period of time and to also get back her passport from the businessman since he took it from her sometime ago. The woman claimed the businessman ran up his kinky sex bill to $11,000.00 and so far he has only paid $4,000.00.

The woman whose identity SMN News chose not to release went to the Philipsburg police station with a lawyer who was trying to settle the dispute between the woman and the businessman through his lawyer.

The woman told SMN News on Monday evening that her landlord (Michael Wescot) approached her Monday morning and verbally informed her that she must vacate his property within two days.

The woman further explained that she did not pay her landlord because he knew the problems she was having with the businessman and also because she was out of work. "My landlord said he did not have a problem with me not paying my rent now because he wants me to market two businesses for him, those businesses she said are Brasserie New York and the Taste Factory. He even told me that he would put me in a smaller apartment in Cupe Coy because he needs my services but suddenly he came to me on Monday morning and informed me verbally that he wants me out of his property within two days. It is clear that the businessman who did not get his way last week to get me deported is now using my landlord who is the stepson of the Prime Minister to get rid of me without following the legal procedures."

It should be noted that the woman told SMN News last Friday that the shrewd businessman told her that he had brothers that were Ministers and he was also advising two Ministers. However, it must be made clear that the businessman does not have any brother or brothers that held Ministerial positions on St. Maarten. However, he does have a brother that holds a top position in the civil service.

SMN News will bring you more updates on this case as it develops especially now that an official complaint has been filed against the businessman and his lawyer.

MARIGOT:--- A 34 year old woman identified as Veronica Albert was killed on Rue de Low Town, Marigot around 2am Monday morning. Captain Sylvain Jouault said the woman was picking up large items such as furniture and other items as garbage when she was struck by a speeding vehicle. Based on all indications, the woman seems to be garbage collector. At the time she was struck down she was putting the items she picked up on the side of the road in her truck.
Jouault said that the driver is a 35 year old man who was driving at high speed while he was under the influence of alcohol. Captain Jouault said the driver was slightly injured but he was arrested and placed in garde à vue as the investigation continues. Jouault said due to the ongoing investigation he could not release more information on how much alcohol the driver had in his blood at the time of the accident.

PM: "There needs to be a better response from the side of the Netherlands"

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held a private meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at her Cabinet prior to the Council of Minister's Meeting. During the meeting various items were discussed including matters related to the various integrity projects initiated by the Government of St. Maarten during the Prime Minister's presentation to the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

"Matters of Justice and Integrity were also discussed during my presentation to Rutte and I spent significant time explaining how the Government of St. Maarten views integrity. It is interesting to note that somehow when these things were previously said they are not registered and some were actually pleasantly surprised to learn that Government is indeed working very hard in establishing an integrity project for St. Maarten. St. Maarten is preparing the legislation to set up an Integrity Bureau and training for civil servants and politicians. Sometimes information is sent out of St. Maarten for purely political reasons that are quite harmful to the country and people need to realize this fact. When I mention that we have this integrity project on-going and that we are in talks with Transparency International some even seem surprised and it is because some of the false rumors and allegations which are being concocted for political reasons which are being thrown out in the media," commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also specifically mentioned the request by the Dutch Prime Minister to Governor Holiday with regards to Integrity. "The request to the Governor, via Prime Minister Mark Rutte, to explore integrity is fine by me. What does bother me, and this is information that we receive from our Minister Plenipotentiary, is that in the Kingdom Council of Ministers they continue to raise questions and present inaccurate information regarding St. Maarten despite us giving the correct information through our Minister Plenipotentiary. We have given a whole explanation on the matter of integrity to the Kingdom Council of Ministers. Clearly the Dutch Government took and is taking a position while not having all of the information available despite us putting all of those things clearly into perspective.

"We received information that the Dutch government is concerned with regards to integrity. When the Kingdom Council of Ministers receives information regarding to St. Maarten I told the Prime Minister Rutte that they should verify the information and see what is being done on St. Maarten instead of jumping the gun. We took the lead into ensuring integrity with our programs and I personally contacted Transparency International. We even have an agreement with the city of Amsterdam in ensuring integrity and have even developed laws to ensure integrity.

"If the Kingdom or Dutch Government feels that the Governor needs to do a report to them with regards to integrity well I do not necessarily have a problem with that. If that is what they want I do not have issue with that. I do have a problem with the information being provided and no response being received based on that. Sometimes I wonder what is done with all of the information we provide the Netherlands as items which have been worked on, are being worked on and will be worked on are constantly being brought up and questioned. There needs to be a better response from the side of the Netherlands," commented Prime Minister Wescot Williams.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PM Proposes Establishment of Economic Think Thank to Bolster St. Maarten Economy

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Friday gave a recap of the visit by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and some of the points that were discussed during his visit.

"This is the first visit by Prime Minister Rutte in the capacity as Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Leading up to the visit the Prime Minister made it clear that he would place the focus on the economic part of the visit and therefore brought several persons along with him in order to explore the establishing of business contacts between our Country and the Netherlands. For St. Maarten this is quite new; Aruba, for example, has a strong link to the Business sector of the Netherlands and we believe that also for St. Maarten this relationship could yield win-win situations. In this area we are very diverse geographically and St. Maarten's location makes it a very special candidate for being the bridge between the region and the Netherlands and between the region and Europe.

"Hopefully we can see a large delegation from the Netherlands return and it is also important to note that some agreements are also already on the table."

The Prime Minister was also able to explain that, on the political front, the Council of Ministers also gave presentations to Minister Rutte on their various Ministries. "All Ministers were also able to briefly elucidate the activities and status of their Ministry and their vision going forward. Those overviews were given by Ministers who are just a month in office and considering that they made excellent presentations.

"Important to also note was that some concerns were expressed regarding the challenges that St. Maarten faces going forward with regards to the 2013 Budget. Minister Hassink has that as priority number one and is working on the preparation for the Budget of 2014 and these intentions were also made clear to Prime Minister Rutte."

The Prime Minister explained that this meeting was more of an exploratory one and that concrete steps will be taking to manifest some of the items that were already discussed with regards to renewed political development. "This was a feeling out meeting with regards to the private sector prepared by the office of the Dutch Representatives. Going forward we of St. Maarten need to now decide on how best to move forward in this direction and we need to have a follow-up in that regards. Even at this stage we are seeing some promising results moving forward. The National Development Plan is part of that way forward for the people of St. Maarten, including cooperation and dialogue with sectors and entities across the board. During my presentation I also launched the idea of an economic think tank for St. Maarten where ideas are shared on topics on getting together to talk about the economic future of St. Maarten. Thinking about St. Maarten's future and its economic development are necessary to provide the opportunities for our children and we need to have those broad discussions in the community," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) is very pleased with the work carried out to address certain road conditions.

The Department of Infrastructure Management repaired a pothole and an additional section of Lemon Road on July 18. The road will be re-opened on Monday, July 22. The concrete needs a certain period of time to cure before vehicular traffic is allowed to drive on it.

Minister Lake said he signed an advice for the repair of road sections and potholes in all districts throughout the country, especially in the Simpson Bay area. These works should start within short.

Minister Lake said this was part of his 'back to basics' approach.

"There is no need to leave things fester into bigger problems for the people of our neighborhoods.

"Potholes and other small infrastructure issues should be addressed as soon as possible. It's all about improving the quality of life and it's the small things that make a difference to people and I am determined to have these addressed during my one-year term," Minister of VROMI Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

Click here to view before and after photos of Lemon Road.

CUL DE SAC:--- On Saturday July 20th, representatives from the Elwaldo Richardson Agriculture Foundation, Spaceless Gardens and Soualiga Social Movement mutually agreed to plan and execute an agricultural-industrial fair in observance of World Food Day October 16th 2013.

The theme of World Food Day 2013 is "Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition". The group is poised to host this open fair where the public can experience what a sustainable food system would look, work and taste like.

Today almost 870 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished. Unsustainable models of development are degrading the natural environment, threatening ecosystems and biodiversity that will be needed for our future food supply. Calls for profound changes in our agriculture and food systems are becoming more frequent and more insistent. (Source F.O.A)

Hence, a food market with locally grown food, presentation booths from various food-, health-, gardening- and agricultural producers, businesses and organizations can be expected at this fair. Also being planned, are live presentations of sustainable food systems that can be setup and maintained in anyone's garden. There will also be presentations of how important agriculture and self-sustainability is for the population of the island of St. Maarten then, now and in the future.

The organizations involved have recognized and are hereby adhering to the frequent calls from society for a profound change in our agriculture and food systems in this nation. Any businesses, persons or organizations that would like to participate in this fair, by selling locally grown produce or exhibiting products, systems or agricultural equipment please contact Joslyn Richardson at telephone number 1721-580515 or email the group at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

AIRPORT:--- Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte told SMN News on Saturday just prior to his departure from St. Maarten that the major concerns for the Hague right now are the financial situation on St. Maarten, integrity, good governance, and matters related to justice. The Prime Minister said because of these concerns he asked the Governor of St. Maarten to conduct an investigation into the issue of integrity on St. Maarten.

Prime Minister Rutte said that on this matter the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams has agreed to allow Transparency International to conduct the inquiry he requested that the Governor conduct. Another good thing PM Rutte said is that St. Maarten has decided to accept the report and recommendations from the US on human trafficking.

PM Rutte did not want to comment on specific cases but said that the Hague will monitor the state of finances, integrity on St. Maarten, and the rule of law. He gave an example of what the Kingdom did last year by giving instructions to Curacao in order for them to get their finances in order. He said in Curacao the result was spectacular because the instructions they gave worked. PM Rutte said he wants to stick to the agreement signed prior to 10/10/10 and that is why the CFT is monitoring the budget while an evaluation on the status change and the progress the islands have made is scheduled for 2015. PM Rutte said during that evaluation process it would be the ideal time for St. Maarten to bring up or look at new ideas but for now he does not want to speculate. He made clear that he is quite happy with his position as Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Kingdom Council of the State which gives him the power to intervene when it is deemed necessary.

When SMN News asked PM Rutte if he was happy with the justice situation on St. Maarten he made clear that he was not at all happy but is more than happy that the Minister of Justice has been replaced and that Minister Dennis Richardson is now heading that Ministry because for the Hague Minister Richardson brings hope for the country. When SMN News asked PM Rutte for his views on the integrity of St. Maarten's Prime Minister whose relatives were part of the negotiations of the Justice Park and the Government Administration Building, PM Rutte said he did not want to issue a judgment on that because those things have not yet been proven. "This is one of the reasons we asked the Governor who is a representative of the Kingdom to conduct an investigation on integrity, not particularly about Wescot Williams but in general." On the cases that are to be investigated by the Landsrecherche, Rutte said that he could not speak about individual cases but one of the main concerns of the Hague is integrity and good governance and that is the main reason they asked the Governor of St. Maarten to conduct an indepth study and to submit its findings to the Kingdom Council of Ministers. "These cases that you speak of are the responsibility of St. Maarten but I just cannot discuss case by case but we have the right to ask the Governor to conduct the inquiry since he is a representative of the Kingdom."

RST and Coast Guard Performances.

The tripartite committee involving the Ministers of Justice of Curacao, Aruba, and St. Maarten have been meeting and have been discussing the RST and Coast Guards. During these meetings all three countries have said that they are not satisfied with the performances of those two entities and so far they have not approved the budget of the RST for the year 2013. SMN News asked PM Rutte for his views on the role of the RST and Coast Guard in the Dutch Caribbean and he said during his working visit this past eight days he did not hear anything negative about the RST and Coast Guard, on contrary he said each of the countries are satisfied with the two entities. "I have not heard any complaints, I had endless discussions on both issues and none of the three countries expressed discontent, to contrary I have heard very positive remarks. I believe if these countries had issues they would have discussed it now and what I am hearing is all new to me. If there are concerns then I think these countries would place the RST and Coast Guard on the agenda for the evaluation that is to take place in 2015."

As for debt relief PM Rutte stressed that the books on debt relief are closed, in their view they all lived up to the deal that was signed for 10/10/10 so that issue will not come up again not even in the evaluation process that has to take place in 2015.

US Monitoring St. Maarten and its Integrity Issues.

It should be noted that PM Rutte gave the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams credit for wanting to involve Transparency International in the integrity inquiry. SMN News got hold of emails that were sent to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams and the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan in March 2013 by the Consul General of the United States Valerie Belon advising her that the United States have been monitoring the "Bada Bing" allegations on St. Maarten and her advice to the country is to have Transparency International conduct a comprehensive, systemic review of anti-corruption laws and procedures, as was done at the time in Curacao.

The US Consul General also provided a link where contact could be made with Transparency International and numbers at which they could be reached. More interesting is the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan sent an email to Prime Minister Wescot Williams informing her that he is in full agreement with the recommendations made by the US Consul Valerie Belon and requested that she (Wescot- Williams) place it on the next meeting of the Council of Ministers. A decision was subsequently taken by the Council of Ministers to have the inquiry conducted as suggested by the US Consul. As proof, SMN News has the email that was sent by Valerie Belon to the Prime Minister which is below. SMN News also got the email that was sent to the Prime Minister by the former Minister of Justice which is also below this article.

Click here to view photos of PM Mark Rutte as he arrived at the PJIAE on Saturday for his departure.

Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 11:10 AM
Subject: corruption allegations in Sint Maarten

Madame Prime Minister –

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to let you know that my government is following with interest news reports about the unfolding Bada Bing bribery allegations in Sint Maarten.

I would like to take this opportunity to suggest, if I may be so bold, that the Government of Sint Maarten consider inviting a well-respected, neutral nongovernmental organization – like Transparency International -- to conduct a comprehensive, systemic review of anti-corruption laws and procedures, as they are currently doing for Curacao. I really think such a review could be extremely beneficial for Sint Maarten, helping to improve Sint Maarten's reputation and the perceived investment climate and thereby stimulate economic growth.

http://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/transparency_international_to_conduct_national_integrity_system_assessment

Transparency International's Regional Program Manager for the Americas is Zoe Reiter, who can be reached at tel: +49-30-34-38-20-24 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I hope you will give serious consideration to my suggestion.

Best wishes and warm regards,

Valerie Belon

Consul General and Chief of Mission

for Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba,

St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten

J.B. Gorsiraweg #1

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Roland E. Duncan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
To: William V. Marlin <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Roland S. Tuitt <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Sylveria Jacobs <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Romeo Pantophlet <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Sarah Wescot - Williams <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Cassandra Janssen <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>; Cornelius De Weever <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 12:14 PM
Subject: Fw: corruption allegations in Sint Maarten

Dear PM,

In principle i agree with the suggestion made by Ms. Belon. However, what is going to play a very essential role is the 'term of reference' or the parameters of the investigation.

I propose that we put this subject on the agenda of the next meeting of the council of ministers.

Regards,

Roland E. Duncan

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Hon. Maurice Lake during a recent meeting with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry asked them to look into an entrepreneurial program and an apprenticeship training program.

"I would like to see the Chamber explore the possibility of an entrepreneurial program that would help local people start a business.

"In my back to basics approach, we all start from small and grow over time. You have to crawl first as a baby before you begin to walk, and those that need that assistance should be able to get it via programs that are in place.

"I would like to see more local people getting into business. It is not easy, and you must have a passion for the type of business that you would like to open.

"Another area that I discussed with the Chamber reps is an apprenticeship training program for hospitality students where they train and develop further into the area of restaurant management and customer service.

"We have a viable tourism sector and the key assets to this sector are the people who work in it. We have no natural resources, but we are rich in human resources. Every business needs to establish a program to help the young people of our nation.

"We all grow together as a strong and viable nation and at the center of this growth should be our people, the leaders of today and tomorrow," Minister Maurice Lake pointed out on Sunday.

Minister Lake also discussed what form of assistance the Chamber could render for the further development and enhancement of agriculture and businesses in this specific area.

The Minister added that a location for the Chamber of Commerce & Industry to be housed was also discussed as this request was handled during the term of former Ministry of VROMI Theo Heyliger.

"Politically Motivated Lies And Allegations Serve No Purpose but to Tarnish the Name of St. Maarten"

PHILIPSBURG:--- During her weekly radio program One on One with the Prime Minister the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams called for an end to tarnishing the name of Country St. Maarten for political reasons. During the radio program the Prime Minister referred to various erroneous reports and false information that has been circulating in the community lately and appealed for responsible behavior with regards to ethical reporting.

"There are some people on St. Maarten who would prefer to see the name of St. Maarten blemished rather than just deal with the truth and the facts. We should not tarnish the name of St. Maarten for political reasons and it is unfortunate to see that blatantly untrue reports circulating in especially online websites. Of course it is the truth that will prevail and clearly it will show that these types of reports are not based on fact, specifically regarding the statement of the VDSM.

"Again I don't know if these persons have nothing better to do on St. Maarten than thrive on this type of information. We have to counteract these issues and question the so-called sources or highly placed sources as irresponsible, hiding behind anonymity to further political gain and tarnishing the image of our Country.

"There are some people on St. Maarten who would prefer to see the name of St. Maarten blemished rather than deal with the truth and the facts. First of all a matter like the National Security Service should not be politicized. Clearly, if you look at some of the damaging reports there are political orchestrated it is a pity that persons would let themselves be used for political reasons and I have a serious issue with that. As Prime Minister I have come to accept the fact that in the office that I occupy they will say the craziest things about me as a person and about my function and I accept that as part of the territory. However I have issue with the way my Country is being tarnished.

The online report regarding the National Security Service is quite unfortunate and blatantly untrue. When these type of issues come around you can do one of two things: you can let it be because the truth will always prevail and will show that these types of reports were totally malicious. However these reports do remain in cyberspace involving innocent persons and there should be a way to counteract them.

"It does not serve any purpose to throw anyone under the bus. These false allegations do affect and do hurt. Why? Because as a St. Maartener I believe we should take issue with the malicious manipulating of the truth for political gain and persons letting themselves be used for political reasons not realizing the damage they are causing to our Country.

Additionally the National Security Service is not the Prosecutors Office; that is not their purpose. It cannot prosecute or investigate a particular person. Yet false information is being put out there regarding an investigation and the Government Building and this is indeed quite unfortunate. Where are we going as a country if we allow this to happen unchallenged?

People should see how for merely political reasons they are using lies to bring this country into discredit, hiding behind anonymity. It cannot be that false things are being said about people in our community, especially a small community like ours, and these things are unsubstantiated and untrue. We need to realize as St. Maarten that we are a part of the wider world. And in today's modern world whatever we do and say here locally go all over the world. These things live a life of its own and things are very negatively effected. It is the people of St. Maarten that need to realize the damage they are doing to this country," concluded the Prime Minister

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- School Busing and Taxi Dispatching Inspection Department of Economic Affairs would like to inform school bus owners and drivers school bus inspections are scheduled to start July 22 through July 25.

School bus owners and drivers are hereby advised to take note of the dates.

School bus owners/drivers are requested to call the department to make an appointment.

The key objective is to continue to provide safe, reliable and comfortable transportation services for school children.

For further information about services rendered by the Inspection Section, call telephone number 542-4511 or 542-4509.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President Sanjay Surtani was extremely honoured to have the former principle of his highschool, the honourable Minister Patricia Lourens speak at Rotary St. Maarten- Mid Isle's Change of Board ceremony where he and his board were officially installed. Minister Patricia Lourens praised the Rotary club for its efforts in the community and likened the experience of the new president to her experiences as a new minister and wished him much success in his endeavours during this Rotary year.

During the ceremony, President Sanjay presented the minister and the outgoing first lady of Rotary, Mrs. Yvette Hart with a bouquet of flowers. The first lady was thanked for her tireless support of Immediate Past President John Hart during this past year of service.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Outgoing President Jon Hart of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle recently presented Past Assistant Governor of District 7020 Jim Ferris with a token of appreciation for his support and guidance of the six Rotary Clubs on St. Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Barths under his helm from 2010-2013.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Lions Club and the ROB Department of the Ministry VROMI recently assisted the St. Maarten Nature Foundation in placing five one-ton concrete and steel blocks as mooring placements within the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area. Previously the Nature Foundation used specially placed underwater pins to attach mooring lines to, but these pins suffered extensive damage due to the often rough conditions within the Marine Park. The St. Maarten Lions Club was able to donate the five one-ton blocks for use as moorings to the Nature Foundation with VROMI/ ROB offering logistical support. The Nature Foundation and commercial dive and salvage company Aquatic Solutions proceeded to place the blocks to use as moorings at various locations within the Marine Park, including the Coralita Dive Site, which has not been operational for quite some time.
Because the Marine Park is an important aspect of St. Maarten's tourism product due to the significant amount of dive tourists that visit there, moorings are installed so that dive boats can tie unto them instead of illegally dropping their anchors, which damages the fragile coral ecosystem.
The Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area includes the island's most ecologically and economical important marine habitat, including extensive coral reef areas and seagrass beds and has a high intrinsic ecological, economic and cultural value. The Man of War Shoal Marine Park is a home and migratory stop over or breeding site for 3 IUCN Red List Species, 10 CITES Appendix I species and 89 Appendix II species. It is an area with a relatively healthy population of marine mammals including migratory whales and dolphins, numerous species of shark, sea turtles and numerous fish species. Studies conducted by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation have shown that biodiversity in this area, particularly coral reef density, is high and the economic goods and services which the ecosystem provides are in excess of fifty million dollars annually.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson, outgoing Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos, Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte, head of the Detective Department Denise Jacobs, head of the Court of Guardianship Richelda Emanuel and other high ranking officers met with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte on Saturday morning. During the meeting the police along with the Court of Guardianship gave the Prime Minister a PowerPoint presentation about the penal code and the issues facing youths on St. Maarten.

After the presentation, the Prime Minister and his delegation were given a tour of Middle Region, Dutch Quarter, Union Farm, and Belvedere. At Belvedere, Community Police Officer (CPO) Rensley Henson guided the delegation throughout the tour. CPO Henson is designated to work in Cay Hill but he was appointed by the Police Management Team to conduct the tour with the visiting Prime Minister and his delegation. CPO Henson took Prime Minister Mark Rutte through Belvedere starting from Happy Estate. The Prime Minister of the Netherlands got a firsthand look at the local community especially the state of the play ground in Belvedere that has been left unattended. He was taken to the basketball court, Border Point, and the monument where Prime Minister Rutte got a chance to stand on French soil without having to deal with border control or immigration. After that guided tour which was very informative for the Prime Minister, the delegation went to the Pointe Blanche Prison where they got a tour of the facility.

Click here to view photos of Prime Minister Rutte meeting with Police and the tour of various districts on St. Maarten.

SANDY GROUND:--- A 35 year old man from St. Martin is now dead due to several stab wounds he received from another 35 year old man who is now in garde à vue. According to information reaching SMN News, the two men got into an argument while they were in Bamboo Vert located in Sandy Ground. SMN News learnt that the argument escalated into a fight and one of the men jumped into the water by Sandy Ground Bridge to escape his attacker but the other man jumped into the water and stabbed him multiple times where he died. The suspect was also slightly injured when he was arrested by the Gendarmes at the location where the killing occurred 8am Saturday morning.
Commandant of the Gendarmerie Paul Betaille confirmed to SMN News that a 35 year old man was killed while the killer is now in garde à vue. Betaille said both the suspect and victim are 35 years of age. The head of the Gendarmerie said the investigation is ongoing.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Murder convict Devon Otto who is currently serving a 30 year prison sentence at Point Blanche prison was attacked on Saturday morning. According to information reaching SMN News, Otto received multiple stab wounds. He is in critical condition at the Sint Maarten Medical Center. Police arrested two suspects who they believe were involved in a fight with Otto. An investigation is currently ongoing.

This incident took place shortly before Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and his delegation visited the prison. SMN News will bring you more information later today when the prison management or police makes an official statement on the incident involving Otto.

This is the fourth prison fight that has prisoners injured and there has never been an official statement from Prison Director Edward Rohan. Just three weeks ago three prisoners escaped from the prison cells located behind the Philipsburg Police Station and an investigation into the escape is currently underway.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A female Trinidadian spent one night at the Pointe Blanche prison Thursday after immigration officers from IND arrested her at the Philipsburg Police Station where she went to file a complaint against a businessman who took away her passport. The woman spoke to SMN News exclusively on Friday after the Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson ordered her immediate release pending an investigation.

The woman told SMN News that she worked on at least two cruise ships and at Seaman's Club for a period of time. She said she also worked for two restaurants in Philipsburg and other business establishments in Simpson Bay but most of her employers deceived her when they took her documents to file for working documents. She said while working at La Bamba she met a businessman whom she went out with to drink and then took him to her apartment in Pelican where she provided all sorts of kinky sex for the businessman. "He told me he wanted certain sexual pleasures and was willing to pay for it. This man never told me he was married however, he told me he had a brother that was a Minister and he was the personal advisor to two Ministers on St. Maarten therefore he could not go to strip clubs to meet his sexual needs. He wanted a woman who could provide it all to him at home or at some private villas."

The woman said she decided to end the relationship when she got pregnant and the man wanted the baby which she did not want. She further explained that at some point she made an agreement with the man who brought his lawyer in and he paid her $3,000.00. Later the lawyer paid her $1,400, some of which she used to do an abortion. "The lawyer made me sign an agreement that if I told anyone about the arrangement I had with the businessman he would sue me and have me deported. I signed it because I wanted my money. When I made the agreement with "the client" to do the abortion, he told me that he will hold my passport until the deal is over, but I did what he wanted and now he has to pay me the balance that he owes me which is $6,800.00 for the services I provided to him. I tried getting my monies and passport from the businessman but each time he keeps playing a game with me because he does not want to end the relationship and he thinks that I need time to think about my decision to change my life and end the relationship with him since I found out he is married."

The woman who was obviously distraught on Friday afternoon provided SMN News with invoices for the sexual services she provided to the businessman. She said that she was advised to contact the Prosecutor's Office for help so that she could get her passport back. "On Thursday, I went to the Prosecutor's Office and I spoke to a Prosecutor who told me to go over to the Philipsburg Police Station to file a complaint. The Prosecutor that spoke to me told me that I should speak with Detective Baptiste but when I went to the Police Station I was told that Detective Baptiste is on vacation. Another detective spoke to me and he passed the case to another detective and that detective asked if I was from Trinidad and I told him yes and he told them put me to sit on a chair to wait. The next think I know some immigration officers came and searched me and shackled me and took me to the IND building. These officers treated me very badly, they also tried to force me to sign some documents that were in Dutch and I refused. They forbid me from using my phone but I managed to get in touch with my lawyer and informed him of the incident. Later, the IND immigration officers took me to my house and they ransacked my apartment, broke glasses and threw things all over the place. They claimed that someone told them I had my passport in my apartment. They looked everywhere and they did not find it, then they took me to Pointe Blanche prison where I spent the night. I don't know what happened but I know on Friday two immigration officers who treated me like a pig came for me from at the prison and brought me back to IND building and they had me sign some documents and they released me. They said I have six weeks to stay on the island until I get my passport back and collect the monies that the businessman owes me, then I have to leave St. Maarten. I also have to check in at IND every Friday and on Monday with the detectives." The woman said she intended to press charges against the businessman and the businessman's lawyer on Monday.

SMN News has copies of the invoices as well as an audio interview with the woman but felt it quite in appropriate to publish it because of the contents.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The new president and board members of the Rotary Club St. Maarten- Mid Isle were installed at the clubs "Change of Guard" ceremony last Friday at Divi Little Bay. The new board consists of President Sanjay Surtani, Vice President Charles Davis, Immediate Past President Jon Hart, Secretary Wayne Wilkie, Treasurer Tony Da Cunha, Sargeant At Arms Thomas Roggendorf, Club Service Director Louis Wever, Community Service Director Ramesh Manek, Vocational Service Director Wayne Johnson, International Service Director Russel Bell, Webmaster Peter Mazareeuw, and Public Relations Director Veronica Jansen-Webster.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotarian Louis Wever has been named "Rotarian of the Year" by the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle. Outgoing President Jon Hart thanked Mr. Wever and presented him with the recognition for his outstanding dedication and service to the Rotary Club's various projects and activities in the year 2012-2013. In his over ten years with the Rotary Club, Louis Wever has served on several boards, carried the leadership twice as President, and was District 7020 Assistant Governor from 2007-2010. He attended various Rotary International Conventions including the recent one in Lisbon, Portugal. The past Rotary Year he served as Club Service Director and Sergeant-at Arms in the Mid Isle Club.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Hon Maurice Lake last week met with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting focused on matters of mutual interests and ways of building cooperation.

POND ISLAND:--- Beyonce fan, Jenise Diaz, is back on St. Maarten after experiencing a "once in a lifetime" trip to the USA to see the mega-star "Live" in concert at the American Airlines Arena, July 10. Jenise won the trip in an exciting Beyonce SMS contest organized by mobile provider TelCell in collaboration with Extreme Party radio station, X104.3. She took along, boyfriend, Jessie James, to share in the experience which included a stay in a swank Miami Hotel, a tour of Florida, a $1,043 cash prize and a brand new Z10 Blackberry Smartphone.

"We had a great time. I didn't get the chance to meet Beyonce backstage, but the whole experience of being there and seeing her live was unbelievable," said Jenise on her return to St. Maarten. The lucky couple took time out to do some serious shopping while in Miami and upon their return thanked everyone for making their trip a success. X104.3 station owner Etienne Brown was also pleased that all arrangements went as planned. "This is just the start for our group. We have a lot of exciting things planned that are fun and will continue to make our listeners happy," said Etienne.

Telem Press Release

GREAT BAY:--- St. Maarten is in the process of developing a National vision on Mental Health including but not limited to psychiatric and addiction care. With the current country status since 2010, it is important for the Ministry of Health of Sint Maarten, as leader of the Health Sector, to develop a (long term) vision on Mental Health in the broadest sense, including areas such as care and treatment policies, capacity and infrastructure, legislation and management and control. It is therefore imperative to engage all stakeholders in a dialogue on this subject and to have an understanding of the current status of the situation on Sint Maarten.
As a first step, the first Dutch Caribbean mental health workshop, for the implementation of the World Health Organization-Assessment Instrument for Mental health Systems(WHO-AIMS) and the introduction of mental health GAP (mhGAP) action program was recently held here on St. Maarten. This was organized by Collective Prevention Services in collaboration with PAHO Venezuela and facilitated by Devora Kestel, Mental Health Regional Advisor for PAHO/WHO.
The WHO-AIMS tool was developed by the WHO as an assessment instrument, and touches on all areas of mental health services and provides recommendations on how to improve on those services.
During the opening ceremony, Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever mentioned that regardless of one's mental condition we should always strive to put people first. "although we have limited human and financial resources we should continue to put people first and tailor make things for our reality."
The workshop was attended by representatives from Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba and St. Eustatius, as well as representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations on St. Maarten. The main topic discussed was the WHO AIMS. The Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems, developed by WHO, was introduced in a context of a larger presentation of mental health as a public health issue, emphasizing current trends and tendencies, at a global, regional and Caribbean level. The recommendations of PAHO and WHO were also presented at this time.
Additionally in the evening a session was organized for the general practitioners from primary health care where they were introduced basically to a general perspective on mental health and its impact in the population as well as a brief introduction of the program mhGAP Intervention Guide, developed by WHO to capacitate non-specialized health professionals to identify and mange persons with most common mental disorders, behavioral disorders, dementia, alcohol, drug abuse, suicide and other significant emotional or medically unexplained complaints.
"I would like to thank all the participants and the organizers for participating in and contributing to all events leading to the development of the vision and policy plan of mental health care on St. Maarten," said Minister De Weever.
The conclusions of the meeting came to the following decisions. The importance of sensitizing the community; a new sub regional meeting to present results from WHO AIMS should take place during the first trimester next year; leadership of the process should stay at MOH, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, and the identified team who will revise the material should be multi-sectorial.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Hon. Maurice Lake informed Dutch Prime Minister Hon. Mark Rutte about his plans for a Solid Waste Management facility during a visit to the Landfill on Thursday afternoon.

Minister Lake informed Prime Minister Rutte that he would like to see the new facility up and running by mid-2015 and believes that such a date is feasible if all parties work towards it.

Edelmiro Jansen, from the Ministry VROMI Department of Infrastructure Management explained the history behind the landfill while Louis Brown, Acting Secretary General of Ministry VROMI provided information about plans for a Solid Waste Management Facility.

BELAIR:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the 6th edition of the Caribbean Plant Health Directors Forum which is being held over the next two and a half days at the Belair Community Center. Approximately 55 Chief Plant Health Officers from the Ministries of Agriculture in the Dutch, French, Spanish and English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories will attend the forum that concludes on Friday. The CPHD Forum is largely the result of efforts by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with support from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization. The Prime Minister urged the participants fruitful and in-depth discussion regarding plant health within the region and urged all to explore various ways to ensure the health of plants and their ecosystems.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Former Head of Immigration Marcel Loor who was condemned on St. Maarten for money laundering, fraud and forgery was arrested on Thursday in Paris while carrying one kilo of cocaine into France. Based on all indications the disgraced cop was traveling from St. Maarten to Paris with the drug but was caught when he arrived in Paris.
Sources from the Gendarmerie of St. Martin confirmed that Marcel Loor was arrested on Thursday in Paris and is now facing drug trafficking charges in France. Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein said the French authorities already informed the Dutch authorities about Loor's arrest in Paris. Stein said they did not have any more details on the arrest; all they know is that Marcel Loor was arrested with cocaine in Paris.
According to well placed sources, Loor visited an insurance company on Tuesday in Philipsburg seeking to purchase travel insurance but did not buy the package because in his opinion the insurance was too expensive. An agent from the insurance company told SMN News that Loor did not want to pay $3.50 per day per person for the travel insurance which has a value of $5,000.00. The agent said Loor did not even want to tell them how many people were traveling with him neither did he want to tell them when he intended to return to St. Maarten. "He said it was not worth purchasing travel insurance for that price because he had no intention to stay off island for a long period of time."
It should be noted that customs at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) does not focus on out-bound flights instead they focus on in-bound flights. During the months of May and June customs at the Princess Juliana International Airport did not have their dogs to sniff bags because their dogs were in heat and could not work during that period of time. A technician at the PJIAE told SMN News that PJIAE has the best scanners but the employees that are working those scanners are not sufficiently qualified to use the scanners to detect drugs when it's placed in suitcases. "St. Maarten is a hub and while the island is considered to be a main location used to take drugs to Europe, it is sad that Government and Airport management does not seek to train its employees to use the equipments they have optimally."
The Commandant of the Gendarmerie on St. Martin could not be reached for an official comment, while Prosecutor Flavien Noailles is currently in Guadeloupe and also could not be reached. SMN News is still busy gathering more information on the arrest of Marcel Loor..

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte who is also the chairperson of the Kingdom Council of The Netherlands arrived on St. Maarten for a working visit on Thursday. During the first day of the visit, Prime Minister Rutte met with Governor Holiday where he informed him that they (The Netherlands) are very concerned about the integrity of St. Maarten and asked the Governor Holiday to conduct an investigation on this matter. Prime Minister Rutte when addressing members of the media Thursday afternoon said that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams has agreed to their request and also decided to ask Transparency International to be part of the investigation regarding integrity on St. Maarten.

Prime Minister Rutte said The Netherlands is very concerned about the financial status of St. Maarten and has also asked that the country get its 2013 budget in order as soon as possible. Another concern for The Netherlands is matters related to justice and this was conveyed to the Governor and Council of Ministers when they met on Thursday. "The Kingdom has a clear overview on the financial status, therefore I made it clear to the Council of Ministers that they need to get the 2013 budget in order. Every effort is now being made to get the budget of 2013 and 2014 regulated. I also conveyed to the Council of Ministers that both I and Ronald Plasterk have asked the Governor to conduct an investigation (inquiry) on issues of integrity on the island of St. Maarten." Another issue the Council of Ministers has promised to look into is the trafficking of persons in which actions have to be taken based on a US State Department Report where they made comments and recommendations on the issue of human trafficking. Prime Minister Rutte said St. Maarten has promised to take all necessary actions based on the US State Department Report. Prime Minister Rutte also confirmed to reporters that the books are closed on the matter of debt relief.

The six members of the Council of Ministers also apprised Prime Minister Rutte of various issues and priorities in their Ministries. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters, "Each of the Ministers took the opportunity to apprise the Prime Minister on their priorities and way forward."

Prime Minister Wescot Williams said that the second part of the visit has to do with trade relations between the State and St. Maarten.

Members of the local media waited for quite a long time for the press conference which was scheduled to take place at 3:30pm but was delayed because Prime Minister Rutte was late due to Airline delays. While the local media workers were asked to wait downstairs, the Dutch press was given special preference when they were allowed to take photographs while Prime Minister Rutte was meeting with the Council of Ministers.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The parents of an eight year old girl are at their wits' end and currently seeking legal representation in Guyana against LIAT airlines and Juliana Handlers in St. Maarten. According to the child's mother Coel Jones, her eight year old daughter left St. Maarten on Wednesday July 10th, 2013 on LIAT flight 561 which was bound to Antigua, she was scheduled to board a connecting LIAT flight 563 from Antigua bound for Barbados. The eight year old passenger was then supposed to connect on LIAT flight 773 leaving Barbados bound for Georgetown, Guyana her homeland. The first LIAT flight was scheduled to depart St. Maarten at 11:25am and the passenger would have reached her final destination at 10pm on Wednesday July 10th. Mrs. Jones said she paid $499.93 for a one way ticket for her daughter to travel home, this includes the fees for flight attendant assistance.

According to the mother, when she went to Cheddi Jagan International Airport at 10pm that night to retrieve her daughter she learnt that the flight from Barbados to Guyana was canceled and they had no information on her daughter's whereabouts. The mother said she immediately contacted her mother in St. Maarten because her daughter was staying with her maternal grandmother in St. Maarten and it was her grandmother that took her to the Princess Juliana International Airport and checked her in that day. The mother said the child's grandmother had no idea that the flight was canceled and she too was not informed about her granddaughter's whereabouts.

The mother said that the grandmother (her mother) called someone she knew at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) who informed her that he was aware that a minor returned to St. Maarten and that someone was supposed to call her to get the child. "After my mother made that call shortly after she hung up the phone, someone from PJIAE Immigration on St. Maarten called her and told her that she could go to PJIAE Immigration Department and get her granddaughter. When my mother reached there the airport was completely shut down but she met a security officer who managed to get her to immigration where she saw her granddaughter cuddled up on a chair covered with her blanket and her eyes were red because she was crying all the time."

Jones said when her mother picked up her eight year old she was traumatized, tired, and scared because she apparently returned to St. Maarten at 6pm on Wednesday July 10th, 2013 and someone placed her in a room and just left her there. "We don't know if she was fed and why no one took the time to search her bag and call her relatives, she had phone numbers and everything on her but someone just did not care and did not do their job. Besides that, the family paid extra monies for a flight attendant to accompany the minor throughout her journey. When she was picked up she did not have her baggage because no one knew anything about her baggage. The mother said the baggage finally reached Guyana some days after. She further explained that her mother has been in contact with LIAT agencies in St. Maarten while she personally wrote a letter to LIAT's director in Antigua asking that they refund her daughter's ticket money so that her daughter can travel back home but to date no one has responded to her letters and her calls to LIAT agencies.

SMN News contacted one of LIAT's agents on St. Maarten on Thursday to gather information on the incident and the agent was more concerned about how a news outlet got her number than the purpose of the call. The female agent said that she had no information on the case on Wednesday July 10th because she was off that day but said she heard something about a child. The agent said that LIAT is not responsible for what transpired because all of that is taken care of by Juliana Handlers. SMN News contacted Juliana Handlers and managed to speak to a supervisor who identified herself as Siona Hurtault. Hurtault said she did not know about the case but she would have gotten in touch with the Manager of Juliana Handlers Delsia Lake who would contact SMN News to give an explanation as to what transpired on Wednesday July 10th, 2013 with the eight year old passenger. Up to press time Delsia Lake did not contact SMN News and the supervisor or anyone else at Juliana Handlers could not be reached by phone because they immediately placed their telephones on switchboard operators.

Jones told SMN News on Thursday evening that she contacted a lawyer who will be sending a letter to LIAT to inform them that legal actions are being taken. Jones said on Thursday afternoon when she checked her email she saw that LIAT responded to her letter stating they will refund her but they did not say when the refund would be made. "If the media did not make calls to LIAT and Juliana Handlers I would be here waiting for a response from them. However, I had to pay a lawyer and I will go through with a lawsuit against LIAT and the other parties that are responsible for my daughter's dilemma when she left and returned to St. Maarten. Efforts made by SMN News to reach the head of Immigration IND Udo Aron proved futile. Aron could not be reached all afternoon for information on the incident regarding the 8 year old passenger.

Juliana Handlers responds through Law Firm.

Click here to view the letter sent to SMN News by Law Firm Representing Juliana Handlers.

Footnote:

With reference to paragraph five of this article, SMN News contacted both LIAT and Juliana Handlers to get both sides of the story. LIAT responded while Juliana Handlers did not. The explanations given by the law firm that JAH sought could have been given yesterday if JAH was responsible enough to provide an explanation when they were called on Thursday.

GREAT BAY:--- TelEm Group wished a safe and successful trip to Cub-Scouts and Cub-Scout leaders who called in on the company Wednesday - before leaving for the 13th Annual Caribbean Cuboree in Suriname, July 21-28.
Cub-Scout leader Mrs. Angela Richards-Huggins thanked the company for assisting with the fare for one of the cub-scout members to attend the Cuboree, which takes place every three years.
"As a gathering for cub scouts from around the Caribbean region the Cuboree provides an opportunity for our boys and girls between the ages of seven (7) and 11 to interact and experience the different cultures around them," said Mrs. Richards-Huggins.
She says the seven Cub-Scouts and three Cub-Scout leaders, who leave for Suriname today, will also benefit from lasting relationships in an environment where they can experience the full meaning of scouting.
TelEm Group Carrier Relations Officer, Angel Richardson, met with the cub and cub-leaders on behalf of management and wished them much success and a safe return home with the only condition being that they make "lots of lasting friendships."

Telem Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Cooperating Foundations commends Community Outreach Mentorship & Empowerment Center with their beautifully renovated center, in which they organize activities for youngsters, have literacy classes and entertain the elderly on Wednesdays with crafts, dance and discussions.
The funding agency handed a cheque of Naf. 2880 to support the activity program for currently 20 senior citizens.
Foundations that would like to apply for funding from Cooperating Foundations are advised to call 5860808 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an appointment.

by H.E. Governor Eugene B. Holiday
Delivered at the Welcome Luncheon on the Occasion of the
Visit of Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands to Sint Maarten

Distinguished Guests,

Good Afternoon and welcome to this Luncheon. I am, on behalf of the people and government of St. Maarten, pleased to extend a very warm welcome to my Guest of Honor, Prime Minister Mark Rutte on your first official visit to Sint Maarten in your capacity of Prime Minister of The Netherlands. Prime Minister Rutte welcome to our sweet Sint Maarten land. I also bid a special welcome to the members of Prime Minster Rutte's delegation from the Dutch business community who have joined him on this trip.
In welcoming you I shall with a view of the importance of quality over quantity share a few of my thoughts about the potential impulse of this visit with you. Having reviewed the program of this visit I wish to emphasize that it is important that we welcome and make use of the business and government opportunities which it presents. I use the word opportunities because this visit, or rather this Sint Maarten-Dutch meeting, is taking place at an opportune moment. I say that because I believe that we must make use of the potential of this visit to give greater content to a constructive Sint Maarten – Dutch partnership. The cornerstones of which, like any partnership, should be and are (a) mutual understanding, (b) trust, (c) respect and (d) cooperation.
Looking out into the room I see enthusiastic individuals ready to join in friendly discussions regarding investments, education, trade, and politics, that is discussions about issues that affect the lives of the people of Sint Maarten and the Netherlands. It is my hope that these discussions will explore the available opportunities, build on mentioned cornerstones and serve as a defining impulse for furthering strategic and constructive Sint Maarten – Dutch relations.
Prime Minister Rutte it is against that backdrop of opportunities that I welcome and support your initiative towards a new impulse to the Dutch – Sint Maarten relationship through this trade mission. And it is my hope that your mission starting with this lunch will develop and blossom into better, stronger and mutually beneficial business and government ties. I say this because I am convinced that the spirit of constructive cooperation, which I see in the program of this mission, is the best way forward.
In closing, having taken note of the hectic program prepared for you, I once again welcome you - Prime Minister Rutte and your delegation - to our lovely Island and considering the importance of quality over quantity for this new impulse hope that you find some time to experience and enjoy the quality of Sint Maarten Hospitality. Thank you.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation has replaced the marker buoys for the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area over the course of last week. The buoys are placed in order to designate the boundaries of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park so that the various vessels sailing in St. Maarten waters are aware that they are entering into the Marine Park.
The boundaries of the Marine Park are between 18̊ ̊N and 17 ̊-57.0 N and 63 ̊-01.03 W and 63 ̊-04.05 W, in an area better known as "the Proselyte Reef Complex ". This area includes the island's most ecologically and economical important marine habitat, including extensive coral reef areas and seagrass beds. The Man of War Shoal Marine Park is a home and migratory stop over or breeding site for 3 IUCN Red List Species, 10 CITES Appendix I species and 89 Appendix II species. It is an area with a relatively healthy population of marine mammals including migratory whales and dolphins, numerous species of shark, sea turtles and numerous fish species. Studies conducted by the St. Maarten Nature Foundation have shown that biodiversity in this area, particularly coral reef density, is high and the economic goods and services which the ecosystem provides are in excess of fifty million dollars annually. Fishing, the removal of organisms alive or dead, the removal of shells or corals and anchoring is strictly prohibited within the Boundaries of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park.

Turkish carrier's schedules, inventory and fares available to Sabre-connected agencies worldwide

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico:--- Sabre, a global technology company, has signed a multi-year agreement with Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines. The deal means more than 370,000 travel agencies connected to the Sabre travel marketplace in more than 130 countries will be guaranteed access to the airline's seats and fare classes.

Güliz Öztürk, senior vice president, commercial, for Pegasus, said: "Sabre's innovative leadership and ability to help airlines market and sell products to millions of travelers worldwide is an extremely important for airlines.

"Being a low-cost airline, costs have to be kept to a minimum so the lowest possible fares can be offered to customers. Our aim, therefore, is to provide customers with alternative sales channels, with Sabre one of the most important of those. As such, this partnership supports our business model and multi-channel approach.

"Sabre's global reach and access to hundreds of thousands of travel agents will allow us to boost sales and drive the business to the next level. In turn, out ever-expanding network in the Middle East, Caucasus, Russia and Europe will mean Sabre-connected agents have access to our network of 71 destinations at low cost."

David Gross, Sabre's Senior Vice President, Global Supplier Commerce, said: "Pegasus is one of Europe's fastest growing airlines based in a country that is quickly establishing itself as a leading hub for aviation. This is, therefore, an extremely important partnership as it provides Sabre agencies with valuable content to offer their customers and gives Pegasus an unrivaled reach into hundreds of global markets."

"Sabre invests hundreds of billions of Euros every year in technology to help airlines grow their businesses and provide agencies with an efficient and transparent platform to sell air travel to their customers."

Sabre operates the world's largest travel marketplace, facilitating the sale of travel between buyers and sellers.

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten:--- The Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE) will hold its 40th Annual Convention on the Island of St. Maarten, July 21-28, 2013. This convention is the largest gathering of Physicians of Haitian ancestry. The Physicians are represented in clinical practice and academia throughout the United States, Canada and Haiti.
The Westin Dawn Beach Resort and Spa will host this momentous event. Visiting Physicians will participate in academic and scientific programs in the morning and explore the island of St. Maarten/St.Martin in the afternoon. Group visits to Philipsburg, Marigot, Loterie Farms and the Heritage Museum are planned throughout the week. The Sint Maarten Tourism Office has provided a tremendous amount of information and support to the AMHE Convention attendees. Convention guests are excited to shop, dine and thoroughly enjoy their island visit.
In keeping with the organization's mission to advocate for the community's health wellness, AMHE member Physicians will participate with a series of FREE Community Health programs on the French and Dutch sides of the island. Louis Constant Fleming Hospital will host a Free Family Health Fair on Saturday, July 20th and various churches on the Dutch side will host visiting Physicians on Sunday, July 21st during the morning services.
The Saturday Family Health Fair at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital will feature a full day of health screenings and health wellness presentations from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. All are welcome to this FREE community event to see a Haitian Physician! On Sunday, July 21st, the AMHE member Physicians will visit church congregations in Philipsburg, Cole Bay and Sandy Grounds speaking on the importance of health wellness. A thriving community is a healthy community and the AMHE is committed to promoting community health wellness.
For additional information on the AMHE and its 40th Annual Convention, please contact Cheryl Mack via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Join us for a Press Conference at the Westin Dawn Beach Hotel Friday, July 19th 2:30 pm.

AMHE Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on residents of the Cay Hill district to heed the call of the Cay Hill Community Council to help clean their district on Saturday.

All debris should be placed in dumpsters on Saturday and trucks will empty the dumpsters on Sunday.

"We are in the hurricane season, and it's an individual responsibility to keep their premises around their homes and businesses clean.

"Besides, premises should be kept clean all the time. Debris being a hurricane threat, also harbors mosquito's which cause disease and vermin such as rats, mice and flies.

"The clean-up appeal by the Council serves keeping the Cay Hill community debris free and lessening the threat from any flying items due to the passing of a storm. At the same time, potential public health issues are also eliminated because contains that can hold water and become a breeding ground for the dengue mosquito is eliminated.

"The removal of old car parts and wrecks also limits the harboring of vermin therefore once again eliminating any public health issues. A clean environment, a clean neighborhood contributes to the improvement in the quality of life of the people living in that community.

"I commend the Cay Hill Community Council and the Community Police Officer for the initiatives and work that they have been doing to date," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Wednesday.

Ministry of VROMI is an integral part of the country's disaster management system known as Emergency Support Function (ESF-3).

Jeffrey de la Combe and Raymond Green were inducted into membership of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle during the Club's "Change of Guard" ceremony last Saturday. Mr. de la Combe's classification is "Shipping", and he was sponsored by Rotarian Louis Wever. The classification of Mr. Green is "Banking" and was sponsored by Rotarian Wayne Wilkie. The Mid Isle Rotary Club has experienced a steady growth in membership in the past 12 months, and there are at the moment over 1.22 million Rotarians in over 200 countries in the world. Rotary is the first service club organization which was founded by Paul Harris in Chicago in 1905. Rotarians are business and professional leaders dedicated to making a difference in communities around the world through the credo "Service Above Self." Members are volunteers who work on both local and international projects to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace and eradicate polio. Both Jeffrey and Raymond have rendered service to their community in the past, and now stand ready to extend their service through Rotary.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Three DHL pilots that travel to St. Maarten every week became victims of robbery last week while they were at Mullet Bay Beach. Three youngsters raided the belongings of the pilots that were left on the beach and stole their cellular phones. A witness on the beach saw when the three culprits committed the act. That eyewitness called an off duty police officer who managed to run down the suspects and arrest them in the parking area of the Princess Juliana International Airport. SMN News understands that the vendor's booth holders and persons selling on the beach are encouraging the bandits that are constantly robbing tourists on the beach.

The three pilots filed charges against the suspects as the eyewitness managed to identify two of the three suspects that were caught last week when the incident occurred.

On Tuesday night, the pilots became victims again, this time two unknown persons entered their apartments and stole their personal belongings, such as their wallets that contained monies and other personal items, keys to their vehicle and the vehicle that was parked outside their apartment building. One of the pilots was unable to fly back to Puerto Rico on Wednesday as he was busy filing a report with the detective department on St. Maarten. Up to press time the police department did not issue a report on the house break in that took place Tuesday night.

Opening Hours as of Next Saturday for BTA Applicants, Census Computers Installed at Justice Department

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister, as the Minister of General Affairs, has announced that she has taken further steps to alleviate the long lines currently experienced at the Census Office.

"We have again taken additional measures to ease the stress of waiting in long lines at the Census. I have recently had tents put up at the Census office as a temporary solution to the long lines currently experienced there. It was the least we could do given the fact considering the long lines, partly due to the BTA applicants needing to collect their documents. Now I just got informed from my Ministry that the additional Computers from the Civil Registry have been put in place at the Justice Department so that those requiring their documents can also go there. Additionally as of Saturday the 20th of July the Census Office will also be open to BTA Applicants" commented the Prime Minister.

The Census office has been quite busy as of late due to the large number of requests in order to get registration papers, including some 3000 clients as part of the Brooks Towers Accord. The extra-ordinary opening times will be every Wednesday from two to four in afternoon and also Saturday mornings for BTA Applicants specifically. Usually on Wednesday the Census Office is closed in the afternoon. The Ministry of General Affairs will examine if opening hours will need to be further extended and are also exploring additional ways to ensure that the necessary services are rendered.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- Coaches and trainers of Island Hoops Basketball Academy, opened registration for their 1st Annual Summer Basketball Camp.

Over 50 players attended the Open House Showcase held at the St. Maarten Academy at the end of June. The 3 day event showcased the Basketball Academy's skills development training methods to the players and their parents in attendance.

Due to the high level of interest at the Open House showcase, Island Hoops Founder and Head Coach Paul Bell, decided that the Summer Camp would go on and made the necessary arrangements to accommodate two age groups for 2 weeks.

The camp is not restricted to those who participated in the Open House Showcase, all players aged 9 to 18 can enroll in the program for a small fee of $50 for the 2 weeks. The program will focus on Fundamental Basketball development; Ball-Handling, Passing, Shooting, Footwork, Defense, Teamwork & On-Court Leadership.

Starting from July 30th, the camp will be held Tuesdays thru to Fridays at the St. Maarten Academy Gym. Beginning at 9am and ending at 11:30 for players aged 9 to 13 years old. Players aged 14 to 18 years old will begin at 1:30pm and end at 4:00pm.

All players must be properly attired,wearing loose basketball clothing and gym sneakers. Space is limited, players that want to sign up for the Summer Basketball Camp can do so by simply contacting Island Hoops representatives by calling +1 721 526-1121 or emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., also information will be posted on the Island Hoops Basketball Academy Facebook page www.facebook.com/IslandHoopsBasketball.

COLE BAY:--- On Tuesday July 16th at approximately 9:30pm, the Central Police Dispatch received a phone call informing them that shortly before an armed robbery had taken place at the Texaco Gas Station on the Welfare road. On the scene, the investigating officers learnt that the gasoline pump-attendant was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects. After committing their act the suspects fled the scene on foot and later jumped into a white Kia Rio and drove away. Based on the description of the suspects and the vehicle, the police patrols searched the area. Shortly after, the car in question with the two suspects inside was located on the parking lot of Ace Mega Center. The suspects with the initials S.E.W. (19) from Sint Maarten and C.G.S. (24) from Jamaica were arrested on the spot. During a search of the vehicle a fire-arm was found under the back seat of the vehicle and an amount of cash was located next to the center console. The vehicle, firearm, and cash were confiscated for further investigation by the Special Robbery Unit.

KSPM Police Report

POINTE BLANCHE:--- On Wednesday July 17th, 2013 at approximately 10:00am, the Central Police Dispatch sent a police patrol, Detectives, and personnel from the Forensic Department to investigate a case of suicide which occurred in one of the cabins on board of the Carnival Dream Cruise Ship, docked at the A.C. Wathey Cruise Facilities. On board, Detectives spoke to the ship's authorities and the ship's doctor. The captain of the ship stated that shortly after leaving the port of Saint Thomas on Tuesday July 16th with destination Sint Maarten he received a report of the incident. The incident had taken place in one of the cabins on deck #2 of the ship and the victim was a female U.S. citizen by the name of Christina Michelle Mullin (40). The victim was accompanied on the cruise by other family members. However, during the absence of her family members from the cabin, she took her own life by hanging herself. Dr. Mercuur confirmed the death of the victim as "death by hanging". The reason why the victim took her own life is still unclear. However, that investigation will be done by U.S. authorities once the ships docks at the nearest U.S. port.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, July 19, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library in collaboration with Movement for Music Dance Art and Entertainment powered by La Rich Arts & Entertainment Management will once again present the 4th edition of Spoken Lyrics, to be hosted at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library's new Lounge, at 8 pm.
This Fridays Spoken Lyric Session follows in the footsteps of the successful and excitement-filled "Drums of Fire" which was held on Friday, July 6, 2013. This Fridays show promises to be even more exciting than the last and will be themed "Urban Flava", in celebration of the talented youth of St. Maarten. Under the guidance of talented MC Tammy G, the nights main featured artists will be our islands rising star, D.Kullus along with DJ Earz. Kullus, a popular lyrical rapper is best known for his latest song "Let You Know" featuring Chantal "Chanti" Richardson. The creative pair will be performing Tempo's chart topping hit song live. Other featured musical and poetry performances will include: The Greenlight Band comprised of an eclectic set of musicians, Devondre Jones, Sigma & Simpletune, Entry Payperview and Yellow Boy and much more.
This session will showcase the beauty of spoken lyrics fused with music. The objective of this collaboration is to encourage the growth of up and coming, as well as dormant but talented young St. Maarteners, who display a passion for the arts, while providing a place for them to share their work with the wider community.
The final hour is the open mic session for the general public to share their work based on the theme of the evening. Our last show will follow on Friday, August 2, 2013.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A group consisting if seven scouts from the Mohican Scout Group that is scheduled to leave the island on Thursday to attend the 13th Caribbean Cuboree in Suriname made a courtesy call to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten prior to their departure on Wednesday. During that courtesy call, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams presented the group with a Ruby Bute painting on a tile to take along with them on their trip. The Prime Minister wished the cubs well and told them to have fun and to be extremely proud of themselves, their island, and its flag during their trip.

The scouts will be engaged in a number of activities during their ten days in Suriname. Some 1,500 scouts from across the region will attend the Cuboree, which Richards-Huggins said will be a life lasting experience.

Accompanying the young scout members are leaders, Angela Richards-Huggins, Marva Veraayne, and Soraida Ersilia.

Prime Minister Receives Courtesy Call From Mohican Scouting Group Prior to Trip to Suriname --- Presents Scouts with Token to Present to Suriname Leader Desi Bouterse.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams received a courtesy visit by the Mohican Scouting Group of St. Maarten and its leaders prior to them traveling to Suriname on a group visit. The Scouting group will also be meeting with the President of Suriname Desi Bouterse and thus the Prime Minister presented a tile painted by renowned local artist Ruby Bute to be presented to the President by the Scouts.

"I would like to welcome the scout leaders of the Mohican Scout Group as well as the Mohican Scouts themselves here today at the A.C Wathey Legislative Hall because they are indeed embarking on a significant trip. Not only will the scouts be travelling to Suriname as part of their usual annual visit abroad, but they will also be paying a courtesy visit to the president of Suriname Mr. Bouterse and so I am truly honored by the fact that before they leave on Thursday they decided to pay a Courtesy visit to the Prime Minister of St. Maarten," commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also expressed how beautiful the scouts looked in their uniform and in particular their showcasing of he national colors and flag of St. Maarten. "I want to tell you that you look beautiful in your uniforms, especially in the colors of St. Maarten, and I want you to during this trip to be extremely proud of yourselves as scouts, your island's colors and your island's flag. I look forward to heating about your visit to Suriname. As a small token of our appreciation of the Scouts to Suriname I present Scout Leaders Mrs. Richards with this small presentation of a tile painted by local Artist Ruby Bute as you pass it to the Government representatives of Suriname," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams announced on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing that SOAB has submitted their report and the findings of the investigation they conducted at VDSM (St. Maarten's National Security).
Prime Minister Wescot Williams did not divulge the contents of the report except to say that SOAB found that a considerable amount of funds could not be substantiated as funds used for the operations of VDSM. Wescot Williams said that SOAB also made several recommendations, one of which is to give the VDSM head the possibility to substantiate or give elucidations and or explanations in terms of the findings of SOAB. Wescot Williams said that government will be looking at the recommendations that were given in the report and decisions will be taken thereafter. Wescot Williams said she also asked SOAB to conduct a quick scan of the organizational procedures at the VDSM and submit some recommendations to government.

The Prime Minister further explained that she is expected to get those recommendations within a two week period. Wescot Williams said the SOAB report will be sent to the supervisory committee (oversight committee as described in the law), the general audit chamber will also get a copy of the report SOAB submitted on VDSM.

She said that the head of the Department now has to respond to the findings of the report and give accountability for the missing funds. SMN News asked the Prime Minister how and when it was made known to her about the missing funds. Prime Wescot Williams said that the discovery was made during the month of April 2013 and the discovery was made within the department itself. When she was asked to give a ball park figure of how much monies are unaccounted for, Wescot Williams said she did not want to do so because the VDSM head still has the right to respond. SMN News asked the Prime Minister if the oversight committee that is established by law was functioning if St. Maarten would have had this problem. The Prime Minister said there is no rules of order on the oversight committee. However, she re-enforced the fact that only in April 2013 the chairperson and vice chairperson were appointed. SMN News reporter further asked if this discovery was made during the same period of time when the VDSM asked for their funds to be replenished, Wescot Williams said the replenishing of funds had to do with something else but she said that when anything of this nature takes place in government it does come to light. Secondly, she said that when a department approaches government for monies and checks and balances are down they will make discoveries.
Wescot Williams said that when the department found out that something was amiss and they informed her, that is when she asked SOAB to investigate.

President of Parliament will deal with Amendment of VDSM Oversight Committee in August.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams also announced that she discussed the amendment put forward by government to change the law that governs the VDSM and its oversight committee with President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell. According to Wescot Williams, the President of Parliament assured her that she will be making a schedule on the laws that has to be dealt with, but the one regarding VDSM will be dealt with as soon as the recess is over, meaning the first week of August 2013. Other laws that will be dealt with the Prime Minister said are those relating to the Ministry of Justice, such as the amendment to the traffic ordinance.

Prime Minister Furious about Statements made by MP Richardson.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams did not take lightly the statements made by Member of Parliament Frans Richardson who openly called on the Prime Minister to resign now that it is known that there are problems at the VDSM (National Security Department). Member of Parliament Frans Richardson said that the Prime Minister has the responsibility of the VDSM and therefore he believes that she should resign. He also felt that the Prime Minister should have taken the initiative to inform the Members of Parliament of what has happened at VDSM even if that was done in a closed door meeting. He said that the Prime Minister did not have to wait on Parliament to call her. When one of the reporters at the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing asked the Prime Minister about those statements she said that it is unfortunate for words or terms such as "a breach of security" be used to describe what happened at VDSM. She said that is absolutely incorrect because no breach of security occurred and those statements are misleading. "It is also unfortunate for the MP to use examples such as the Snowden case. One and I for sure know that certain matters must be kept out of the political realm. There is a process that has to follow regarding informing and reporting to Parliament as far as the National Security Services are concerned. The supervisory commission has an important role to play in that process. I consider the statements really unfortunate and for it to be taken out of context. This MP could call for my resignation as often as he wants to." Wescot Williams also made clear that she has no intention to resign at this moment.

Prime Minister Says it Unfortunate Words Such as Breach of Contract, Resignation are Being Used Politically.

"There are certain matters that should be kept outside of the political realm"

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams reacted yesterday at the Council of Ministers Press Briefings regarding calls o a member of Parliament for her to resign to what he falsely refers to as a breach of security at the VDSM. The Prime Minister stated that it is quite unfortunate that in this context terms and words like a breach of security were used. "These terms are absolutely incorrect and misleading. To then make a relationship to cases abroad like the Snowden case to what has been occurring here for example I think is quite unfortunate. One should expect that members of Parliament would understand that there are certain matters that one should keep out of the political realm. And there is a process to be followed as part of informing Parliament as far as the National Security Service is concerned. The Supervisory Commission has an important role to play in that process and of course Parliament can at anytime ask a Minister to come and give account for any matter but one can imagine that the same kind of carefulness will also be used towards Parliament regarding the National Security Service and Parliament is asked to respect that.

"I consider it unfortunate that such a situation is taken totally out of context. This member of Parliament can call for my resignation as much as he cares to but outside of that it is quite unfortunate that this particular item is being used in this fashion. No one ever mentioned a breach of security. One uses these terms in order to sound popular and to cause an emotional reaction in the population. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in one of its reports erroneously mentioned that there were discrepancies with money regards to the DEA as it pertains to the National Security Service which is completely erroneous, so we as those elected to represent St. Maarten and its people should have a better understanding and not drop words and make accusations; we should realize that there is a world outside of St. Maarten that is looking at St. Maarten and we need to be cognizant of that fact. And as a matter of course I will not be resigning.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Statistics, hereby informs the general public about the start of its National Accounts & Import/Export surveys in 2013. These surveys are carried out amongst business establishments on Dutch St. Maarten with an aim to collect financial data from all industries operating on the island. In the case of the Import/Export (IMPEX) survey, the main objective is to gather data on the value of the commodity flow on St. Maarten.
All companies with 10 or more employees, and are involved with the import and/or export of goods can expect to receive both questionnaires. A sample-selection has also been made of those companies who employ less than 10 persons. Given the fact, no data-collection was carried out for these surveys in 2012, data is now being gathered for the years 2011 & 2012.
In preparation for these surveys, STAT has trained a total of 7 freelance- interviewers who are tasked with delivery and return of the completed questionnaires to the department. STAT is urging the business community to fully cooperate with interviewers during the survey period, which runs officially from Monday July 15th 2013 until year-end. Interviewers are able to assist with filling of questionnaires but can also be provided with a copy of the company's financial statements for the applicable years and can complete the questionnaires on your behalf.
These surveys are critically important, to enable STAT to provide regular statistics on economic developments on St. Maarten. In the event, enterprises or institutions require any additional information or support during this data-collection, kindly contact our office directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- At last Saturday's Change of Guard Ceremony, organized by the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle, Mr. Ramesh Manek, Mr. Carl Housen, and Dr. Jay Haviser received Paul Harris Fellow recognitions. Rotarian Manek served as President of the Mid Isle Club in 2011-2012, and continued to support, advice and provide hands on Rotary work with the club's projects. Mr. Carl Housen has for many years supported the Mid Isle Club with their projects, especially the youth-oriented Sports and Spelling Bee projects by providing baked items and snacks for the participants and organizers. Dr. Jay Haviser was recognized for his tireless efforts in educating the youth who are members of his SIMARC Foundation about archaeology and history of Sint Maarten, and extending their knowledge further with various educational trips abroad. His contributions to our island in preserving its heritage is second to none. The Rotary Club is pleased to present these recognitions on behalf of the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation "in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations between peoples of the world."
The Paul Harris Fellowship is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary with three business associates in Chicago in 1905. The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to express appreciation for a substantial contribution to the humanitarian and educational programs of The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle designated the Paul Harris Fellows to Manek, Housen and Haviser whose lives demonstrate a shared purpose with the objectives and mission of the Rotary Foundation to build world understanding and peace.

1st round of Bikini contest at Bliss

SIMPSON BAY:--- A new Soggy Sounds DJ Champion will be named Saturday at the end of the final heat of an exciting DJ competition at the Soggy Dollar Bar in Simpson Bay and following last Saturday's elimination of defending Champ, DJ Chubs.

Of the eight contestants who put on their best performances Saturday, four have now advanced to the finals: DJ Chicken, DJ Maestro, DJ Skillz and DJ Big Boss.
Organizers say it was another packed night with some unbelievable sets from some of St. Maarten's hottest DJs.
They expect the largest turnout of fans and supporters this coming Saturday when the finals take place and the judges announce who will be taking home a $2,500 cash prize and bragging rights as the new House DJ for the Soggy Dollar Bar.
TelEm Group Lead Customer Service Officer, Suraj Ramdas, says TelEm Group is one of the sponsors of the competition and has been present at each of the elimination rounds to meet with fans and music lovers, "and also to give the contestants some encouragement," said Suraj.
He said the DJ contest is just one of a number of Summer events that TelEm Group is sponsoring and is involved with in the coming weeks.
"We had a real blast at the Bliss Nightclub on July 13 for a "Dutch Invasion/Pre-Bastille Day Celebration" that set the tone for all that has happened up to now," said Suraj.
He said the Bliss event was especially "Hot" because of the performance of music mix-master "Allure" who rocked the nightclub for four straight hours until the party came to an end at 5:00 in the morning.
"Our TelEm Group and TelCell teams are really looking forward to the DJ finals on Saturday and to meeting more and more of the friends we are making throughout this Summer," continued Suraj.
Also starting this Saturday is another event on the TelCell Summer program – the First Round of the Sunset Bar & Grill 5th Annual Bikini Contest.
The contest gets under way at 9:00 pm, while the DJ Finals are scheduled to begin at 10:00 pm.

Suraj says his team has been giving out many giveaways and spot prizes during these events. One popular giveaway very much in demand is "Designer" TelCell Condoms in the mobile carrier's bold red color.
"Whether people turn out for the giveaways or just to have a great night out, we welcome them to have fun with us to make it a Summer to truly remember," said Suraj.

Telem Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Residents and visitors alike are invited to join in celebrating the release of the highly-anticipated second edition of The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin. This gala book launch event will be held at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library from 6-8pm on Tuesday, July 23. The festivities will feature a fascinating multimedia presentation about the extraordinary wildlife of the island by the author, naturalist and photographer Mark Yokoyama, refreshments, and book signings. The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to come out and enjoy this very special evening.

The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin has brought the unique wildlife of St. Martin/St. Maarten to the world stage, capturing the attention of the scientific community and wildlife fans of all ages. The second edition of the guide has been warmly welcomed by many of the most influential scientists working in Caribbean biology and ecology, as well as leaders in the Caribbean conservation community. "This guidebook is a groundbreaking contribution to natural history for St. Martin and surrounding islands...and will certainly prove to inspire young and old to get outside and see what wonders await them." says Natalia Collier, Executive Director of Environmental Protection in the Caribbean. Dr. James "Skip" Lazell, President of The Conservation Agency, calls it "the best, and most complete, natural history book I have read about any single Caribbean island. The text is enlightening and entertaining and the photographs are superb."

The book is a unique full-color guide to all the terrestrial wildlife of St. Martin/St. Maarten, from bats, birds and lizards to insects, spiders and snails. It includes over 500 stunning color photographs, and profiles hundreds of species, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. So what else makes this book especially important for St. Martin/St. Maarten? Unlike most wildlife guides, it places wildlife in a historical and cultural context unique to the island, with detailed information about both the biology and the local history of the animals–so it preserves and promotes this important part of the island's heritage. By showcasing nature, a currently under-appreciated aspect of our island, the book points to an important way to drive future tourism. Finally, it's written to be accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds, so this knowledge can be shared by everyone.

The second edition boasts all-new descriptions and text with hundreds of new photos, over 100 new species, and more local names and stories. It also features new sections on the habitats and ecosystems of St. Martin/St. Maarten, and the history of biology on the island–a captivating who's who of researchers, explorers, and citizen scientists reaching back to the mid-1600s. To make it possible to include the new sections, print the book in a big, glossy, high-quality format, and drop the retail price to $20, Yokoyama successfully leveraged an international crowdsourced fundraising campaign. "With the help of supporters from this island and all over the world, the second edition is here, it's beautiful, and it's more affordable, which means it's more accessible for more people," says Yokoyama, "and that's something to celebrate!"

The July 23rd festivities mark not only the official debut of the all-new second edition of the book itself, but also the release of the free PDF version–so anyone will be able to download an electronic copy of the book at no cost, at any time. Yokoyama will launch the live download link on www.sxmwildlife.com during the event, as part of his mission of making knowledge about local wildlife and natural heritage freely accessible to everyone, especially the young people of the island.

Yokoyama will also be speaking about his wildlife education program, which includes public presentations, school visits, field trips, and a book donation project. A "Buy One, Give One" book donation package of $30 will be available at the event, so buyers can take one book home and donate another copy to a school or library.

The second edition of The Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Martin will be available for $20 at the July 23rd event. Following the launch, the book will be sold on amazon.com and at bookstores, museums, and gift shops on the island. The free PDF version will be downloadable at www.sxmwildlife.com starting the evening of the event.

The book launch event will take place Tuesday, July 23 from 6-8pm at the Jubilee Library in Philipsburg.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Marine Affairs Inspector Claudius Carty from the Department of Civil Aviation & Shipping and Maritime attended a US Coast Guard Marine Inspector course in York Town, Virginia (USA) at the US Coast Guard Training Center, from May 28 to June 28.

Carty passed with a 98% grade and, apart from that accomplishment, his overall performance was recognized, earning him the Lt. Commander William B. Turek Award for his overall outstanding performance.

The award is the Lieutenant Commander William B. Turek Award, given to the person "who, as voted by classmates, most exemplifies the personal qualities necessary in a Coast Guard Marine Inspector: professionalism, integrity, flexibility, and an overriding concern for the safety of vessel personnel," according to the letter from P.M. Tubalado, LCDR, Chief, Inspection and Investigation School.

Secretary General, a.i., of the Ministry Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication Miguel de Weever and Department Head of Civil Aviation & Shipping and Maritime Louis Halley congratulated Carty on his outstanding performance. "We are proud of Mr. Carty and his performance. He is an outstanding civil servant and an example to all."

In addition, we wanted to thank the US Coast Guard for their assistance and support, not only for the reduction of the cost of the course from $11,000 to just $1,600 but also for the general and ongoing working relationship in the Marine Inspection area.

So far, Carty has completed 2 out of the 3 courses necessary, Halley said. In October, he will go for the third. There were 27 other persons from the US coast guard who took part in the course; Carty was the only Non-Coast Guard inspector. The marine officer is vital to the further development of St. Maarten. Their main task as a government marine inspector is: to inspect ships, boats, tugs, tankers, barges, dredges and their components and machinery to ensure they meet crew and passenger safety regulations and construction standards.

~Art Saves Lives Program's students benefits from donations ~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Local Award winning dancer Nicole C. De Weever of Art Saves Lives received donations from UTS, Antek , Maduro Travel, Sunny Foods, Affordable Car Rental, Office 1, Harbor Group of Companies and DW Accounting before the program was conducted in June. The recently held Art Saves Lives summer intensive program featured 16 artists from the United States who in addition to teaching classes performed community service as part of their contribution to St. Maarten.

Ms. De Weever, founder and President of Art Saves Lives Foundation was very grateful to these companies for their support and will give more detail in an upcoming press conference on how these and other sponsors helped Art Saves Lives be the resounding success that it was.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The investigation into the disappearance of Ann-Marie LYNCH, from Jamaica, who most recently worked at Pineapple Pete's in Simpson bay, has so far been unsuccessful. Ann-Marie Lynch has been missing since December 28th, 2012.
From the moment the missing person report was filed for Ann-Marie Lynch, a team was immediately formed by the Police Force of Sint Maarten, who has painstakingly investigated every tip and clue they had. Given the circumstances under which Ann-Marie went missing, the police suspected that Ann-Marie Lynch had become the victim of a criminal act.
Led by the prosecution many witnesses were heard by the investigation team, camera images viewed, phones tapped, and forensic investigations done. Raids were carried out and a suspect was arrested, but was later released due to insufficient evidence.
Despite investigations done by police and volunteers on different locations, the Coast Guard along several bays and beaches on the island, so far Ann-Marie Lynch has not been found. Also with the help of the FBI who carried out searches and investigations in the U.S. Virgin islands.
The Police Department is making an appeal to the entire population, requesting anyone who may have any kind of information regarding this investigation to report it to the Detective Dept. or call the hotline: Telephone Number 9300.

KPSM Press Release

SUCKER GARDEN:--- On Monday July 15th at approximately 8:20pm, the Central Police Dispatch received a call informing them of stabbing incident which had taken place on the Sucker Garden road in the vicinity of Coastal Car Rental. Several police patrols were sent to the scene to investigate what had taken place. On the scene the victim with the initials D.W. from Jamaica was found lying on the ground bleeding from serious stab wounds to his stomach and neck. The victim stated that he had an argument with a man with initials J.D. and during this heated dispute he was stabbed several times by the suspect with a machete. After committing this act the suspect fled the scene. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken to the Sint Maarten Medical center for further treatment. The entire area was searched to locate the suspect, however without any success. The Forensic Department and Detective Department are conducting their investigation to determine exactly what happened and why.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- Attorney General Taco Stein confirmed on Tuesday that the three prisoners that escaped from the prison cells located at the back of the Philipsburg Police Station on Sunday June 23rd, 2013 have not been recaptured. Stein said that the police did not get any leads from the public to assist them with recapturing the escapees. He said the Justice Department offered a reward of $15,000.00 for any information that would lead them to the escaped prisoners but that also did not lead to any fruitful tip. Stein said that they are of the opinion that the three suspects left the island already.

In reaction to a question posed by SMN News regarding the investigation that is being conducted by the Landsrecherche on how the prisoners managed to escape from the prison cells that is located behind the Police Station, Stein said he still did not get the report from the investigators. When asked if he had any indication that would lead him to believe that the escapees got inside help in order to escape, Stein said he has absolutely no indication on that and he is not even sure when he will get the report on the ongoing investigation.

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams announced last week Monday that an investigation into the operations of the VDSM is currently taking place where the SOAB is investigating them to see if there was inappropriate or misuse of funds.

SMN News has learnt from well placed sources that the VDSM was given monies as their budget for their operations even though the oversight committee was not functioning. According to one well placed source, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten submitted an advice during the Wescot Williams II cabinet on behalf of the VDSM asking that monies be replenished. "The request was a strange one that the Prime Minister could not explain or back up, except to say that the VDSM used their monies for certain things and they had to be reimbursed."

The source said that the Ministry of Finance under the leadership of former Minister Roland Tuitt rejected the advice because he wanted to know if the VDSM provided any accounting on the monies they were given in the first instance. SMN News learnt that the Prime Minister who is responsible for the VDSM felt that the department needed monies and they should get it even though they did not provide government with their financials on the monies they were granted prior.

What Sparked the Current Investigation --- PM's Son in Law Representing Financiers of Government Building.

SMN News further learnt that the VDSM was busy conducting an investigation on the Government Building on Pond Island and when the Prime Minister got word of this she called for an investigation on how VDSM is spending the monies that were given to them by government. "Certain people are saying that the VDSM embezzled between Naf. 100,000.00 to Naf. 500,000.00 but that is yet to be proven. What the Prime Minister did is turn the focus on the VDSM in order to take the focus away from her and the Government Administration Building that falls directly under her and her son in law being the representative of the financiers."

SMN News understands that the VDSM was particularly concerned about the Prime Minister who is in charge of the completion of the Government Administration Building and her son in law as the one representing the financiers of the project. While the sources could not provide the real name of the company that was providing the financing of the Government Administration building, they said it is one of the subsidiary companies of WP Carey. It should be noted that the Prime Minister's son in law was the one negotiating the Justice Park with former Justice Minister Roland Duncan. At the time, the Prime Minister's son in law was representing Global 17. The two negotiators for the 100 million dollar project was the son of the Prime Minister Andy Wescot who was negotiating on behalf of Orista N.V. and Gary Master negotiating for the financiers Global 17. The idea was for Orista N.V. to sell two of their properties located in Cay Hill to Global 17 for 25 million dollars. Global 17 would have then developed the project of the Justice Park and rent it to Government for a period of 30 years before the Government of St. Maarten becomes the owner of the properties. The information on the Justice Park and who was negotiating for the financiers and the Orista N.V. was confirmed by the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan just prior to the fall of Wescot Williams II cabinet.

The source further explained that the Prime Minister's son in law once met with the Ministry of Finance to discuss their proposal on financing the completion of the Government Administration Building but the outcome of that meeting is not known.

SMN News further learnt that the former Minister of VROMI William Marlin wanted to take over the Government Building from the Prime Minister since her son in law was involved in the project and that in itself placed the Prime Minister in an uncomfortable position but the Prime Minister refused to release that project to the former Minister of VROMI whose department is also involved in the project. Another project that came under the microscope of the Wescot Williams I and II cabinets and was stopped by the National Alliance led government in the Wecot Williams II cabinet is the Justice Park where the Prime Minister's son and son in law were directly involved. Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson recently told SMN News in an interview that the Justice Park project was halted by the Wescot Williams II cabinet and he is currently reviewing the project.

SMN News learnt that the NA/DP/I-3 coalition put a halt on the Justice Park because the Dutch and CFT both denounced the project. According to one source, the NA led Government felt that the Prime Minister's son and son in law were also involved in a project that has the concerns of the people and the Dutch and therefore they halted the project even though St. Maarten needed several justice facilities that were incorporated in the Justice Park.

The source said that because of the decisions taken by the National Alliance, Ministers the Democratic Party decided that they needed to use Member of Parliament Romaine Laville as a scapegoat to throw the Government down because projects that would benefit the Prime Minister and her immediate families were halted. It is left to be seen how the Prime Minister will react to this information and if she will now tell the people of St. Maarten about the Government Administration Building that has been sitting on Pond Island for several years. That building was built by a Trinidadian company (RGM) who never completed the building.

Who is the head of VDSM --- James Richardson.

In order to know who exactly is the head of VDSM, SMN News did some digging. According to information received, James Richardson, a local St. Maartener, was described as a very upstanding citizen that studied in the Netherlands. Richardson has full police training but instead of working as law enforcement officer he moved to Aruba after leaving the Netherlands and there he opened a security company.

During the dismantling process in which the current Minister of Justice was highly instrumental, James Richardson was selected as the person to head the VDSM. SMN News understands that while Minister Dennis Richardson was involved in constitutional process for St. Maarten to become a country, the Dutch Security Agency was heavily involved in assisting St. Maarten to set up the departments that are needed for the island to become a country within the Netherlands. SMN News made several efforts to reach James Richardson for a comment on this ongoing saga but he could not be reached by phone or at his home in Guana Bay. SMN News learned that Richardson was placed on suspension the moment the Prime Minister initiated the investigation.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- A number of dignitaries were on hand including Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson for the kick-off of the multi-million guilder renovation of the Point Blanche Prison.

Minister of Justice Richardson told the invited guests that a lot of time and effort has been spent in reaching the current phase for the execution of the renovations, and thanked all concerned who were involved and made it a reality.

The Minister also thanked the Dutch Government for making the funds available via USONA to the tune of Naf.7.5 million adding that the prison will now be able to comply with the stipulations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture once the renovations have been completed.

Minister Richardson also pointed out that Country Sint Maarten has accomplished a lot since 10-10-10 with the establishment of several bodies which are required under international regulations in order to comply with obligations in the overall fight against crime.

Among the guests was Acting Secretary General (SG) at the Ministry of Justice Richard Panneflek, Prison Director Rohan and his staff, Solicitor General Taco Stein, representative of USONA Angela Dekker, representatives of the contractor Liccom, and the project supervisor Lievense.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Sint Maarten's Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges received a courtesy call at the Sint Maarten House in The Hague last week Thursday from the new Argentine Ambassador Hon. Hector Horacio Salvador.

After the introduction, the Ambassador and Minister Voges discussed cooperation and future relations between both countries.

Argentina is known for its export of meat and related foods and other agricultural products. The economy of the Republic of Argentina is picking up and the Caribbean is becoming a popular tourist destination for the Argentines.

A follow-up meeting will take place at the Embassy of the Republic of Argentina.

Minister Voges presented the Ambassador with a USB stick containing a wealth of information about Sint Maarten and the economic opportunities on the island.

GREAT BAY:--- Art Saves Lives Program Director, Nicole de Weever, made a courtesy call on TelEm Group last Wednesday, to talk about recent activities and the program's plans for the future.

During a brief meeting with TelEm Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mrs. Helma Etnel, Nicole outlined the achievements of a week-long Summer Intensive at Port de Plaisance Country Club, June 24-28th - TelEm Group was one of the sponsors of the program and its series of workshops.
"We were fortunate to attract the involvement of sixteen professional artists from overseas in our goal to use art as a bridge to education about the arts and how it can save lives," said the Foundation Director.
She passionately believes the Art Saves Lives Foundation can facilitate personal improvement of St. Maarten's talented and underprivileged youth through creative pursuits and much-needed guidance and encouragement.
According to Nicole, the Foundation and its workshop participants are in the process of selecting eight (8) of the island's most talented youths to take part in open auditions in the USA later in the year and the chance to make noted careers in the performing arts and other artistic pursuits.
"I would like to thank TelEm for their support and also encourage other companies to consider their own responsibility when it comes to supporting this type of initiative that is totally geared towards support or our youth, providing creative means for them to express themselves in a profound way. This support must be from the heart and must be given without expecting more in return than the improvement and benefit of deserving youth in a community that we must all care for," said Nicole.
She said she was especially impressed and was brought to tears at an open air performance of various acts on the Boardwalk at the end of the Summer Intensive.
"We have truly talented youngsters on St. Maarten. I was lucky enough to have parents who could allow me to follow my dream and now it is my mission and the mission of other dedicated board members to assist others, less able, as much as we can, to follow their own dreams," continued Nicole, a talented and highly acclaimed dancer and performer in her own right.

TelEm Group's Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Helma Etnel said she was delighted to learn that so much had been achieved by the Foundation board members and praised the enthusiasm and dynamism of Director, Nicole de Weever.
"We wish you continued success and congratulate you for the efforts you are making on behalf of young people St. Maarten," added Mrs. Etnel.
Arts Saves Lives Program (ASLP) is a cross-cultural exchange between youth in need and experienced practicing artists who seek to use their talents for positive change.
The collaborative project selects renowned artists from around the world who use the arts to introduce participants to global and local traditions and empower them with life skills necessary to effectively deal with the demands and challenges of every-day life.

Telem Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake on Monday morning visited Fort Willem along with GEBE management to observe the street light repair program underway. GEBE has already put on the lights for the first phase of Fort Willem Street lights.

One of the key areas for the Minister is the repair of street lights in the various districts. The site visit by the Minister is a follow-up to a meeting Minister Lake had with GEBE management.

"Street lights serve the key purpose of safety and security in the districts. I am looking forward to receiving an action plan from GEBE with respect to the repair of street lights in the different districts. People walking or jogging can see where they are walking and running, and avoid injury during this activity.

"From a security perspective, street lights also serve as a deterrent to would-be burglars. Ft. Willem residents have been suffering with a string of robberies. A lighted area can help prevent car theft and home invasion. Every residential district must be properly lighted," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.

Minister Lake met with GEBE management a few weeks ago regarding the situation of streetlights and GEBE management informed the Minister about the progress so far with their light maintenance plan which is being executed in close consultation with the Department of Infrastructure Management.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Wednesday the 6th edition of the Caribbean Plant Health Directors (CPHD) Forum will open at the Belair Community Center.

Approximately 55 Chief Plant Health Officers from the Ministries of Agriculture in the Dutch, French, Spanish and English-speaking Caribbean countries and territories will attend the two and a half day forum that concludes on Friday.

The CPHD Forum is largely the result of efforts by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with support from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Mervyn Butcher from the Inspection Department TEZVT Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, told the Department of Communication on Monday that the forum is geared towards developing and implementing strategies for the protection of the Caribbean Region from harmful pests to the agriculture sector and by extension the economy.

He added that attendees will review the activities of the past year and plan for what they would like to achieve for the upcoming period.

A critical goal of the CPHD Forum is to increase communication and the transparent exchange of phyto-sanitary information among Caribbean countries. One of the means of promoting this exchange is through individual and group interchange of information via the annual CPHD Forum Meeting.

CPHD's drive is to form a plant health organization comprising all Caribbean countries as well as a series of technical working groups under the annual meeting of the CPHD Forum.

The first meeting of CPHD, was convened at the CARICOM Secretariat Headquarters in Georgetown, Guyana in April 2008.

GREAT BAY:--- The Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever, who has the authority on drinking water supply on the Dutch side and Mr. Louis Fleming, the Président of the Etablissement des Eaux et de L'Assainisse-ment, [EEASM] the French side Water Authority on Friday July 5, and Thursday July 10, 2013 met on the respective sides of the Island to discuss an urgent need for drinking water on the Eastern part of the French side of Saint Martin. The delegation of both Water Authorities included the operations and technical staff of EEASM, GEBE, Seven Seas Water (AirFin) and the water advisors.
"As Minister responsible for drinking water we will do our best to assist our neighbors on the northern half of the island, as a means of jointly cooperating to come to a solution," said Minister De Weever.
The request for the first meeting was an initiative of EEASM. There is an urgent need to repair the reservoir on Morne Valois which supplies water to French Quarter and beyond, which includes Grand Case, French Cul de Sac, Orient, French Quarter and Oyster Pond. The repair of the reservoir and possible other works will take a few months. During these repairs the French side would like to be supplied by the Dutch side. A total of 1000 m3 per day is required. Presently the technical staffs of the distribution companies are assessing the possibilities of new connections or reinstating existing facilities at the border point and in French Quarter and Oyster Pond to supply the quantity required.
Currently the resources to produce the water are limited and the production capacity is very close to the demand of water. A new plant in Pointe Blanche is under construction but will not be operational until the last quarter of this year. However Minister De Weever considers supply of drinking water, in particular when there is urgency, an essential service to the community whether it is on the Dutch side or on the French side. Therefore all efforts will be made to comply with the French request, without continuously compromising the service on the Dutch side.
To establish the feasibility of the supply, we have to ensure that the quality of water and water pressure flowing to the French side is up to par for example will the volume of water flowing to the French side be sufficient, will the water pressure be good, EEASM and GEBE will jointly carry out hydraulic calculations. The outcome and conclusions will be available by August 16, 2013 at the next meeting.

Commends St. Maarten Team for Playing Excellently and for Inspiring National Pride

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams congratulated all participating teams and attendants who participated in the weeklong 2013 Latin America Little League Championship Competition over the last few weeks. The Prime Minister stated that, although there were some challenges with regards to the weather, that the general consensus was that the championship was an excellent one. The Prime Minister congratulated Panama, who players were able to bring home the Championship Trophy after they beat Venezuela 1-0.

The Prime Minister especially congratulated the St. Maarten Little League Players, whom showed much strength and dedication during the tournament. "I Especially would like to congratulate our St. Maarten players for playing excellently and for fighting for the title. I understood that sometimes it was a little overwhelming but you played very very well and we are all proud of you. Also to the supporters I would like to say job well done. You have come out in strong numbers to support our local players and that shows not only pride in the team but also pride in your country. And finally to the organizers for putting this competition together I would like to commend you for an excellent job well done," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

"It is good to be able to build our reputation and image through our ability to host these types of events and the economic spinoffs they provide."

SIMPSON BAY:--- On the heels of the successful ICAO Conference recently held on the island, where some 42 countries were represented at one of the most significant Civil Aviation Conferences in the world, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams has reiterated the call for St. Maarten to broaden its infrastructure to provide more opportunities for conference tourism.

"As Prime Minister and Vice Minister for Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunication and Transportation I can say that we have indeed been making St. Maarten very attractive for hosting conferences. The Country needs to further grasp these opportunities and together with the private sector, we need to push harder for conference tourism. If we are going to attract conferences to St. Maarten we need to make sure that our technology, accommodations etc. are up to date and up to speed. I am always amazed as to how first time visitors that come to St Maarten are blown away by what the island has to offer. We need to make sure that technically we are operating on the level that we should be operating at. We need to ensure that we have the necessary technology in place. The fact remains that the uniqueness of St. Maarten is a very large selling point and when we host large conferences where sometimes two hundred people are attending it will have a very significant economic spinoff," stated the PM.

The Prime Minister stressed her point by announcing that some 140 delegates of the Haitian Physicians Working Abroad Organization will be visiting the island for a large conference later this month. "For example we have the Haitian Physicians working Abroad coming here for their annual conference and this will have numerous positive spinoffs. It is good to be able to build our reputation and image through our ability to host these types of events. We are open for discussions, we are willing to have these conferences here which places St. Maarten on the international map and the information that we ourselves are able to get from these conferences is also very important," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Minister Plasterk Satisfied With Progress Reports, Renovation of Point Blanche Prison

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held her once quarterly meeting with the Dutch Minister of Interior Plasterk at a Video Conference held at the Conference Room of the Parliament Building on Thursday. The meeting was held in conformity with the agreement regarding reporting on the Plans of Approach. This agreement states that the PM and Dutch Minister of BZK meet once the quarterly reports have been submitted by the relevant ministries and vetted by the Progress Committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Bandell. Mr. Richard Gibson Sr. is St. Maarten's representative in that committee.

"Today we handled two progress reports, namely from the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013. The ministries that fall under the Plans of Approach are General Affairs (Census and Legal Affairs), VROMI, and Justice (Point Blanche Prison, Police and National Detective). Given the emphasis on Justice, the Minister of Justice usually sits in on these so-called MO (Ministrieel Overleg) meetings. This was Minister Richardson's first MO and generally speaking the progress in all areas is moving ahead well. Minister Plasterk was happy to learn that renovations at the Point Blanche prison are slated to begin next week," commented the Prime Minister. Representatives of the relevant ministries were also present during the meeting.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- On July 10th, 2013, the Minister of Justice of Sint Maarten, Mr. Dennis L. Richardson held a meeting with border control institutions. Present at this meeting were representatives of the Police, Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration and Border Protection Service, and the Attorney General.

The purpose of this meeting was to develop proposals on how to more effectively control the borders on St. Maarten and/or prevent human smuggling and human trafficking and the infiltration of the community by persons with "less than good intentions" and proposals therefore to curb crime. The Minister of Justice is in favor of a firm approach to combating criminal activities in the aforementioned way, whilst taking into consideration the economic/tourist interests of St. Maarten.

At the airport there is already collaboration between officers of the Royal Marechausee, the staff of the Police Force of St. Maarten, and the Immigration and Border Protection Service. Together these services combat not only migration criminality, but also the problem regarding false and/or forged documents and general offenses at the airport. To strengthen the first line control (control at the counter) and in the BackOffice (further verification of suspected irregularities) a recently launched program will be expanded and strengthened for certain risk flights. It will require a more intensive cooperation between the airport and the airlines taking their interests into account. Along with risk profiles working instructions will be established at the airport, to filter out the first line control passengers with bad intentions. These passengers will be further investigated at the BackOffice.

To jointly tackle this problem, the Immigration and Border Control Service and the Coast Guard were given instructions to draw up action plans for the airport, the seaports, and beaches. This includes a risk analysis of the ports and beaches, as well as an inventory study on the implementation of a radar system or other similar modern technologies for the monitoring of movements of ships. In this context, the minister wants to continue to look for other possibilities with international partners (including the United States of America and France).

In the coming period these border control institutes will submit a report to the Minister with recommendations for the improvement of the situation. As of July 11th, 2013, these institutions will finalize their plan of approach and within a month this plan, including the first results will be presented to the Minister.

KPSM Press Release

Matriarchs Honored for Providing Traditional Sweets and Tarts to Community

MARIGOT:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended the Bastille Day July 14th Celebrations at the Waterfront in Marigot on Sunday. The highlight of the official ceremony was the presentation to various matriarchs of the various districts who have been keeping the tradition of baking, making and providing traditional sweets and cakes within the community. The Prime Minister wished residents of the Northern Side of the island and the People of the French Republic and its territories on a happy Bastille Day and National Holiday.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Patricia Lourens attended the 2013 Latin America Little League Championship Competition.

CUL DE SAC:--- The Disciples Toastmasters Club on Sunday (July 14, 2013) opened the new Toastmasters year with the induction of five new members, bringing to 25, its total membership.
Among those making the pledge to help the club maintain a positive and friendly environment with honest and highly ethical standards were Tamara Carty, Amanda Vital-Bedminister, Agnes Mardenborough- Brooks, Yolanda Pond, and Rebecca Aldophin.
For Carty, joining Toastmasters is another step in her life, as her aim is to enhance her speaking skills. "My goals are to become a competent communicator and enhance my leadership skills," the new Toastmaster said. Adolphin, on the other hand, wanted to be a part of something valuable in the community and be able to help others.
Pond, a native of Dominica who grew up on Saba from age three, was a former Toastmaster and has decided to complete her educational goals this time.
"I have decided to step out once again from my solitary comfort zone and rid myself of the fear of public speaking. Anytime you conquer a fear or achieve a goal, you are going to feel good about yourself. I don't think I'm that bad at public speaking, but I feel that Toastmasters will help boost and sustain my confidence in public speaking so that I don't miss future opportunities to 'stand out' from the crowd. Toastmasters will also give me the ability to sharpen my leadership skills," Pond stated.
She echoed Einstein that communication puts your education at your disposal. For, if you can't express yourself, what use is your knowledge? Communication skills are essential for confidence and leadership. Pond is encouraging anyone who is terrified to speak in front of a group to join Toastmasters.
Meanwhile, Mardenborough- Brooks joined Toastmasters to become more organized and concise when expressing herself. "Since I'm always training and motivating others, I find it would be a big benefit to me and my future plans and goals," said Mrs. Mardenborough- Brooks.
Mrs. Vital-Bedminister, on the other hand, a busy mother of six, is looking for inevitable growth in her communicative and leadership skills. She also wants to use her strength and qualities to enhance the club.
"One clear goal I have had for numerous years was to be in active organizations that ultimately lead to my personal development and career growth. Toastmasters International (TI) is one personal goal that I have finally taken, to challenge the greatness God has placed inside me. It is indeed a pleasure to be a member of TI. It is rare that you find people that are truly interested in your personal growth; that are willing to share and enhance you. The atmosphere of The Disciples Club has shown those characteristics and I consider that attribute highly meritorious," said Mrs. Vital-Bedminister. Her motto echoes that of Paul J. Meyer that "communication – the human connection – is the key to personal success".
All five new members of the club were led in their pledge by newly-installed president, Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) and Competent Leader (CL) Ingrid Holaman before they were pinned by Vice President Membership, Competent Communicator (CC) Sharanne Gibbs.
The Disciples Club meets every second and fourth Sunday at St. Maarten Academy's academic campus. All are welcome.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell met with Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson on Wednesday to update the Minister with respect to upcoming parliamentary sessions related to penal and criminal codes.

The meeting at the same time served as an introductory and the President plans on meeting with the other ministers as well during the coming weeks.

"I am continuing with the preparatory process for upcoming parliamentary sessions regarding various pieces of legislation that are incomplete. When Members of Parliament (MPs) return from their recess on August 2 we will hit the ground running to move pending matters forward before the end of the 3rd Sitting of the House comes on September 10.

"The Minister of Justice Hon. Dennis Richardson was provided with a list of pending laws, as well as all the verbatim reports that are available pertaining to these draft laws.

"Tentative dates to finalize the deliberations in Parliament were set and all MPs have officially received the same list as well as the verbatim reports pertaining to the hearings held in 2011.

"Also discussed were issues that the Minister considers his concern and priority to handle including the draft law regarding changing of the composition oversight/supervisory commission for the Security Services of Sint Maarten," President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Gracita Arrindell said on Sunday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday July 13th, 2013, two armed robberies took place, just 25 minutes apart. The first one occurred at approximately 9:35pm when the Police Central Dispatch received a call of an armed robbery that happened shortly before, in the vicinity of Island Water World on the Water Front road. On the scene the investigating officers encountered the victim with the initials N.A.B. who was bleeding profusely from a deep wound to his head. The victim stated that he was attacked by two unknown men while walking up the stairs to his home. At least one of these men was armed with a machete and during the attack injured the victim on his head with that weapon. Both suspects were dressed in dark clothing and had their faces covered. They robbed the victim of all his money and fled the scene. The paramedics came to the scene and attended the victim. He was then transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. Witnesses are being questioned and the investigation is in the hands of the Special Robbery Unit.

On Saturday July 13th at approximately 10:00pm, the Central Police Dispatch received a call informing them of an armed robbery which had taken place shortly before on Front Street in the vicinity of Levi's. On the scene the investigating officers encountered the victim with initials A.N.K. who stated that while walking on Front street, he was approached by two unknown men, one of them unexpectedly struck him with an unknown object in his face, knocking him to the ground. While on the ground the other suspect searched his pockets taking his money and other important documents. After committing this act the suspects took-off running. The victim was bleeding from a cut under his chin and was treated on the scene by paramedics. He was then transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. The Special Robbery Unit is investigating.

KPSM Police Report

During the month of April 2013, 1963 – A Landmark Year in St. Martin was advertised on the AIRTRAN Magazine with 7 other books published by XLIBRIS under the title "Every Book Is An Adventure Waiting For You..." It was also advertised on the New York Times Book Review Magazine in the June 09, 2013 issue.
Recently in the New York Amsterdam News, on its page Resorts & Travel of the June 20-June 26, 2013 issue, Lysa Allman-Baldwin, the cultural travel writer for www.Examiner.com, a senior travel writer for SoulofAmerica.com, and a writer for numerous online and print publications covered with 3 other books, 1963 and the island of St. Martin, in the third part entitled "1963 was a hell of a year" of a very uplifting article, where she highlighted the island in her introductory paragraph and 4th paragraph as follows:
"Considered by many as one of the most exciting destinations in the Caribbean, the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin is brimming with culture – three distinct one in fact: French, Dutch and what has been described as the blending of both with exotic native heritage – all on one 37-square-mile island.
"....In the end, readers will come away with a unique perspective of the island's history, which they can meld with today's reputation of this Caribbean gem nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Seas one of the most beautiful, natural paradises.
The book and its French version, 1963 - Année Charnière à St. Martin is available at your favorite bookstores, and on line at Xlibris.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Last week a consultant from PAHO, Dr. Ward Schrooten visited St. Maarten in order to assist the HIV/AIDS Programme Management Team (PMT), Public Health Department, and Collective Prevention Services (CPS) from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor with the surveillance system that is used to monitor HIV & AIDS patients. This initiative is part of the EU project titled "Strengthening the Integration of the British and Dutch Overseas Territories in the Regional Response to HIV/AIDS through PANCAP."

During his visit, Dr. Schrooten met with several stakeholders on the island including representatives of the Government, St. Maarten Medical Center, the St. Maarten Laboratory, and various physicians. Based on the information he gathered he will provide recommendations that will assist St. Maarten in deciding on which surveillance system will be the most feasible option. With the advancements in modern technology there are a variety of improved systems that the Ministry is currently exploring.

Once St. Maarten takes a decision on the way forward, the surveillance system will be used to analyze data on the number of new HIV & AIDS infections, the number of people on ARV treatment, and viral load counts among others. This data can then be used for international reporting and developing new ways to tailor our HIV response.

Members of Public Health and Collective Prevention Services also received training by Dr. Schrooten on how to manage databases. The participants received some useful tips that they will begin using in their daily work.

The intense week with workshops for 93 young St. Maarten artists organized by the Art Saves Lives Foundation is considered a prime example of initiatives that the funding agency wants to support: namely enhancing youngsters to follow their dream. Nicole de Weever, board members and volunteers of Art Saves Lives have been successful in mobilizing quite a few businesses, private persons, and organizations to donate towards their endeavour of bringing 16 renowned international artist to St Maarten for a week of training in pilates, dance, voice projection and entrepreneurship. The NGO has already embarked upon a new plan, namely to send a few talented youngsters to the US for more indepth training. Funding Agency Cooperating Foundations of the Dutch Caribbean commends Art Saves Lives for inspiring and training St Maarten Youngsters and wants to encourage other NGO's with community projects or social projects for youngsters, senior citizens or vulnerable persons to approach the funding agency for financial assistance. Foundations can contact the project advisors Leon Lake and Saskia Kliphuis at 5860808 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss if their projects can be eligible for funding from Cooperating Foundations.

Has Ordered SOAB to Continue to Look Into Matter
VDSM Itself not Compromised

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot–Williams has further explained the serious indications of malversations at the National Security Department of St. Maarten (VDSM) on Friday while she spoke on her weekly Radio Program One on One with the Prime Minister on 98.1 Pearl FM.

The Prime Minister gave clarity on the status of the VDSM and the progress of the ongoing investigation. "I need to start out by informing the people that our National Security Service is governed by a National Security Law which is an organic law and thus a public law. We need to realize that this service is specific in the fact that it operates independently. Indeed, Government finances the service and if you look at the Budget, which is approved by Parliament, there is a post for the National Security Service. The only difference is that there is a total mention for the National Security Budget overall. They manage their operations and finances independently and are not part of the normal procedures and constraints of Government. If a department needs finances there is a whole process it has to go through, however by law the VDSM does not fall under these procedures as the National Security Service manages their finances Independently.

However, the Prime Minister also explained since the law grants the VDSM that kind of independence there are control mechanisms in place. "For the operation of the National Security Service there is an Oversight Committee and that Committee is also laid out in the law, the composition of which includes a representative of the Joint Court of Justice, the Vice Chair of the Council of Advice and the President of Parliament."

However Government, on the recommendation of the service, requested to change the membership of the National Security Service Oversight Committee, specifically that of the President of Parliament. But until that proposal is accepted or rejected the Committee is still in place. The proposal for the change has to do with the fact that the Committee reports to the Minister of General Affairs, so to have the Chairperson of Parliament in a committee, whom the minister has a political responsibility to, makes for a difficult situation. The new proposal calls for a member of a Constitutional Court," stressed the Prime Minister.

Upon hearing of the Investigation, the Prime Minister had ordered an investigation by the Government Account Bureau SOAB. This investigation is currently being finalized. "Given the nature of the service and the implications of an investigation for the reputation of our security department and the country in general, extreme judiciousness needs to be exercised in analyzing the result of the investigation and potential actions as a result thereof. In addition to the Committee that looks at the rightful operation of the services there is control of the accounts through the General Audit Chamber. Some of the expenses of the service are labeled as secret expenses because those not involved should not know what they are about. As Prime Minister I do not and should not want to know what those finances are but I do need to know that there is some control in place. In rechecking the accounts we noticed that there was something wrong or some discrepancies with regards to the finances of the service and so I ordered the SOAB to look into the matter and have received their report and we are currently analyzing and studying the results of that report and then Government would decide what actions will be taken.

"What is coming out of the investigation is unfortunate given this particular service, however the integrity of the VDSM itself has never been compromised and the personnel of that service has done everything to make sure that does not and did not happen and indeed the service itself has not been compromised," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

All Efforts Being Taken to Ensure a Timely 2014 Budget

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams gave an update on the Budget on her weekly call-in radio program One on One with the Prime Minister on Pearl 98.1 FM on Friday. The PM stated that for the last few weeks as the new government one of the critical points was the handling of the 2013 Budget.

"There is so much that is critical to the Government Budget and Government finances. As we all know Parliament did approve the budget but given the time that passed and given the fact that there was and is legislation necessary passed in time we were not able to get the estimates necessary to get the 2013 Budget approved. One of the items which was subsequently brought off the table in the budget was the tax on alcohol and tobacco but also on other matters there needs to be changes made to current laws and that did not happen and so the estimates needs to be corrected," commented the Prime Minister.

"As Minister Hassink got into office his first goal was to get a Budget that the Government of St Maarten could operate on. In order for him to do this he needed to make some changes, including the estimates that need to be changed due to them being no longer feasible. He has been working very hard in presenting a new proposal and corrections that would ensure that there still will a balanced budget. The Minister has made proposals to the Council of Ministers and he is now in discussion to reach an agreement with the CFT that is necessary for the Budget to be ratified," continued the PM.

The Prime Minister also stated that because of the lateness of the 2013 Budget Government is being very careful in the spending of the various Ministries and Departments. "We need to finalize the budget process and we need to finalize the budget and the plan of the Minister within soon. All Ministries and departments are very prudent in spending for 2013 and have taken measures to reduce the spending. Having said this we are also now focusing on the 2014 Budget and to have this through in time in order to avoid a similar situation.

"People oftentimes overlook that the law on financial supervision also establishes that even after the accepting of the Budget by Parliament the CFT still needs to give the Budget one more review. With the political stalemate there was a delay regarding the budget and that was what our Minister was confronted with when he took office," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever is calling on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the general public to sign the cervical cancer E-Petition online.

On Friday morning Minister De Weever was one of more than 1800 signatories who have signed the E-Petition to date. This was done in the presence of Keoma Hamer, a leading NGO activist and President of KeLaHa Projects.

"The agreed objective of the regional E-Petition is to 'increase Caribbean women's access to affordable Cervical Cancer screening.' I am calling on the nation to support this effort by visiting the following web address and signing the petition in order to reach the target signature amount of 500,000.

"The web address is: www.endcervicalcancernow.org and follow the instructions that are provided. This is a regional effort also supported by Sint Maarten. Let's join the region in making a difference for our Caribbean women and girls," Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever said on Friday.

The E-Petition was one of the recommendations of a workshop held on Sint Maarten in February 2013.

Every year, approximately 31,700 women in Latin America and the Caribbean die from cervical cancer. The Caribbean is among the top four highest sub-regions in the world with respect to incidence of cervical cancer and has the highest burden of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in the Americas.

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among Caribbean women with death rates several magnitudes higher than countries such as the USA.

More than 95 per cent of cases of cervical cancer can be prevented.

The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), formed in 2008, is a live network of NGOs and civil society organizations from across the Caribbean Region with a remit to address non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

In March 2013; 20 Cancer NGOs representing 16 Caribbean countries came together in an act of solidarity to make a bold statement against cervical cancer. It was at this meeting that the seeds were planted for the first ever Caribbean wide Cervical Cancer E-Petition.

The objectives of the petition were driven by the Cancer NGOs themselves based on the identified collective priority needs around cervical cancer policy and programming across the Caribbean.

Collective Prevention Services (CPS) that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is appealing to NGOs, civil society organizations and the public at large to sign-on to the E-Petition.

The E-Petition was developed and approved by 20 Caribbean Cancer NGOs with the ultimate aim of having the support of a much wider cross-section of civil society and corporate partners with a vested interest in the health of women and girls.

The petition targets Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government as well associate members. Participating countries in this cause are: all CARICOM member countries and associate members including the 16 represented at the workshop: Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, St. Kitts & Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Philipsburg Jubilee Library has already started with their special summer opening hours since the start of July.
The Library's summer openings hours will be as follows:
Monday Closed
Tuesday 9:00am – 12:30pm & 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Wednesday 9:00am – 12:30pm & 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Thursday 2:00PM – 8:00pm
Friday 9:00am – 12:30pm & 2:00PM – 5:00pm
Regular opening hours will resume on August 13, 2013.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday June 5th, 2013 seven candidates, one of the Federal Detectives and 6 of the Sint Maarten Police Force received their certificates in Advanced Financial Investigation from the head of the Detective Department, Commissioner Denise Jacobs. They received 3 weeks of intensive training from Forensic Services.

Financial Investigation is of great importance to the Police Force of Sint Maarten. It is of great importance because it is a very effective way to control crime in general and in particular the laundering of money.

CFATF requires that Sint Maarten have good financial investigation officers. Sint Maarten is working hard to be compliant; because the fight against money laundering contributes to the integrity of country St. Maarten and is of great importance to our economy and tourism.

KPSM Press Release

MULLET BAY:--- On Friday July 12th at approximately 11:40am, the Central Police Dispatch received a call from an off-duty police officer who saw three teenage boys walking very suspiciously in the Mullet Bay area towards Maho Reef. The officer explained that he had also received a call from someone informing him that three teenage boys had stolen some items including a cellphone from a tourist at Mullet Bay beach shortly before.
When these boys saw the police officer approaching them, they took off running in different directions. The Police Dispatch was informed and other patrols were sent to assist in apprehending these suspects. A foot chase followed by several officers through the Mullet Bay and Maho Reef started and shortly after one of the suspects with the initials N.O.M. (15) was caught stepping into a bus in the vicinity of the airport. Shortly after another suspect with initials C.H. (18) was arrested in the Maho area. Both suspects are from Sint Maarten and they were taken to the Philipsburg Police Station and turned over to the Detective Department for further investigation. The third suspect has not yet been arrested.

KPSM Police Report

PHILIPSBURG:--- Police found the body of a man identified as William Nunes dead late Friday night in an apartment in Philipsburg. Police spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that Nunes was found dead. However, Henson refused to divulge any information surrounding the death of Nunes.
William Nunes was a resident of Back Street. SMN News learnt that Nunes committed suicide by hanging, however this could not be confirmed. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

SIMPSON BAY:--- On Friday July 12th at approximately 2:15pm, the Central Police Dispatch received a call informing them of a serious car accident involving a female driver that took place on the Opal Road in the Pelican Key area. The driver of the car was stuck under the vehicle and was not showing any signs of life. Immediately several police patrols which included officers from the Police Traffic Department and Forensic Department along with personnel from the Ambulance Department and Fire Department were sent to the scene to investigate what had taken place. The preliminary investigation by the Police Traffic Department indicated that the female driver for unknown reasons had lost control of her vehicle with license plate 3690 AAA while driving down the hill, hitting into a rock wall. As a result, the vehicle turned over throwing the victim from the driver's seat. The vehicle landed on its right side on top of the victim. Paramedics attempted to revive the victim without any success. Dr. Bekele pronounced the death of the victim at the scene. The Police Traffic Department is still investigating to determine the exact cause of the accident.

KPSM Police Report

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges received a courtesy visit from Lt. Colonel Stephan Blaas on Thursday. The visit was to update the Minister in connection with preparations for the realization of a permanent naval base in Sint Maarten.

Minister Voges said Lt. Colonel Blaas is no stranger to the country. "After Hurricane Luis struck the island in 1995, his platoon of marines was very much involved in clean-up and assisting with the repairing of schools. Under his leadership many schools were repaired and he was very instrumental during the Food Center fire and got the nick-name, 'Captain fix-it,' Minister Voges pointed out.

Minister Voges thanked Lt. Colonel once again for the special assistance he provided to the people and Government of Sint Maarten back in 1995, and presented him with a photo book of Sint Maarten and a country pin.

Lowlands Community Garden Project Launches Appeal

Fact: 99% of all food consumed on St. Maarten is imported and there are around 100,000 people living on our island.

If that fact doesn't concern you, then you may be one of the few people on the island that grows their own food. For the rest of us however, this news should be very troubling, because if and when the container ships stop coming to St. Maarten, we would have a real disaster on our hands.

It wasn't always this way.

Until tourism made an impact on St. Maarten, people here were pretty well self-sufficient, growing crops, fishing and keeping livestock. But in recent years fertile fields and orchards have been left to grow wild or have been built on – just look at the land in Cole Bay, opposite Le Grand Marche, for the latest example of our island being destroyed in the name of development.

Houses don't feed people but community gardens do.

The non-profit organization 'LightWorkersSXM' is addressing this situation. They want to help make St. Maarten self-sufficient by setting up an island wide network of community gardens, run by St. Maarteners for St. Maarteners.

The first project is the 'Lowlands Community Garden', which will provide delicious, local, sustainably-grown, non-GMO produce for the various communities on the island. All of the fresh produce is grown using the latest 'aquaponic' technology, which means that in addition to fruit, vegetables, and herbs they will be growing organic freshwater fish too.

The community garden network will provide food security for all St. Maarteners and will help low-income families, the elderly and children to receive organically grown produce to which they might not other wise have access.

There is an online 'crowdfunding' campaign to raise funds for the project. To watch the video and make a contribution, just go to: www.indiegogo.com/projects/lowlands-community-garden
Alternatively, if you'd want to know more, would like to become a partner, sponsor or would like to volunteer some spare time to help with the project, just go to: www.lowlandscommunitygarden.com or call +1721 5544 4156 or +590 590 87 12 99

The Lowlands Community Garden – Growing With You For St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) is very pleased with the work carried out to address deplorable road conditions on the Orange Grove and Well Road especially certain areas between Cork Tree Drive and Belle Tree Drive.

The Minister pointed out that the road is used by many motorists on a daily basis besides residents. Parents and school buses also use the Well road to drop off and pick-up school children at the SDA Primary School.

Click here to view before and after photos of Orange Grove and Well Road.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Windward Islands Bank Ltd. (WIB) continues its ongoing green campaign "Click and Go Green!" which started on April 23, 2013, International Earth Day. Clients of the bank who selected to receive online statements only via WIB@Home during the campaign had an opportunity to win one of three Kompa Leon Money cards, valued at Naf. 500.00.

WIB would like to congratulate their May and June winners, Rene Gartner and Mrs. Hilary Grant.

There is still one more month remaining for you to participate, by activating the online-only statement option on WIB@Home to help save Mother Nature's natural resources. For more information to receive statements online, log on to WIB@Home or visit your preferred WIB branch. WIB supports going GREEN! Will you join us too?

Your Partner in Progress supports going Green!

WIB Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Philipsburg Jubilee Library's book sale continues for this week and ends on Saturday, July 13 during our open hours.
If you missed out on the Library's book sale last Saturday, you still have a chance to purchase your favorite books for a minimal fee during the course of this week. Choose from our selection of children and adult books, covering numerous topics in fiction and non-fiction. Buy 15 books and pay only $5 or NAF 9.00. Interested in buying single copies? The prices are as follows:
Single hard cover books $ 1.00 / NAF 1.75
Soft covers $ 0.60 / NAF 1.00
Magazines $ 0.25 / NAF 0.50
Video & DVDS $ 1.00 / NAF 1.75
Support your local library by purchasing your favorite books, magazines, novels (fiction and non-fiction), and videos in several languages

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell on Tuesday met with the President of the Sint Maarten Youth Parliament (SMYP) Connie Francis.

The discussions centered on a live plenary broadcast of the SMYP and the establishment of a Kingdom Youth Parliament.

"The youth parliament will receive all necessary assistance from Parliament to make their meeting a successful one. I highly commend Connie Francis for the work she has been doing in this field.

"It's not an easy task she has before her, and I'm convinced the event and the participants will be well prepared to take part in this important democratic learning and formation process," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Wednesday.

The first plenary meeting of the Youth Parliament to be held in the General Assembly Chamber of Parliament will be on August 12. This day is also celebrated globally as International Youth Day.

The agenda for that meeting based on a selection by the youth parliament is: a curriculum that prepares us for life incorporating technological advancement in education.

The meeting which will be held on the first day of school will be televised nationally.

Other issues discussed was the evaluation of the mentorship program, preparation of the 200 year celebration of the Kingdom and in connection thereof the establishment of a Kingdom Youth Parliament.

Follow-up meetings between the two will be held in the coming weeks.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Collective Prevention Services (CPS) that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is appealing to day-care centers, summer camps and play schools to increase measures to prevent an outbreak of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD).

HFMD is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children who are 10-years of age or younger. It can sometimes occur in adults. There is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Persons with symptoms should contact their family physician and continue to take preventive measures in order to avoid getting HFMD.

Symptoms of HFMD include cold-like conditions, fever, mouth sores, loss of appetite, cough, and a skin rash; a non-itchy red rash that develops on the hand and the feet, and sometimes the rash can develop into painful blisters; painful mouth ulcers.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is spread from person to person through nose and throat secretions (such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus), blister fluid, or stool of infected persons.

If your child or you have any of these symptoms, according to the Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever's 'Get Checked' campaign, visit your family physician.

To lower your risk of being infected with hand, foot, and mouth disease, wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers and using the toilet; disinfecting dirty surfaces and soiled items, including toys; avoid thumb-sucking and nail-chewing.

Wash surfaces and items with soap and water, and then disinfect them with a solution of chlorine bleach; and avoiding close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing eating utensils or cups with infected persons.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is not the same as foot and mouth disease, which affects cattle, sheep and pigs. The two infections are unrelated, and you cannot catch hand, foot and mouth disease from animals.

For further information you can call 542-2078 or 542-3003.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao Hon. Marvelyne Wiels paid a courtesy visit to the Sint Maarten House on Wednesday morning and was welcomed by Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges. During their meeting both ministers discussed strengthening the working relationship between the two cabinets in The Hague.

The meeting also included the Directors of both Cabinets, Melvin Statia (Curacao) and Perry Geerlings (Sint Maarten) and staff members Monica Hazel, Margje van Gijn and Carol Voges. At the end of the meeting, Minister Voges presented Minister Wiels with a photo book of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on contractors and builders to have a plan in place to prepare and secure their job sites in the event of a passing hurricane.

The most active months of the hurricane season are approaching and every effort should be made to be prepared in the event of a threat to the country.

"Again it's going back to basics. If building sites are not secure, the tax payer has to pay for the clean-up of debris from construction sites after the passing of a hurricane if the contractor does not secure the site.

"To avoid un-necessarily burdening the tax payer, such sites should have plans that are easily implemented, a basic simple plan to secure the site and protect lives and other homes and buildings from being damaged by unsecure construction materials. It's simple as that; we all have a responsibility as a community to protect ourselves and each other. It starts with you and me.

"Let's all work together in making our country safe and secure and for the hurricane season we need the contractors and small builders to think in that manner as well and have a basic plan to secure your building site," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake appealed on Thursday.

Contractors and home builders during severe weather are responsible for securing job sites for the protection of the public, property and surrounding areas.

Materials such as plywood, shingles, zinc, and other construction material could become flying missiles capable of impaling brick walls or anything in its way.

Construction debris can cause severe damage to property and loss of life. With building and construction activity still taking place on the island, every construction site supervisor and/or foreman is advised to have a plan in place with respect to what action they will be taking.

A tropical storm system could form during any part of the hurricane season and not necessarily during the peak months from mid-August to mid-October.

As a general rule, all job sites should be kept clean. Arrange timely pick up of trash dumpsters, and only keep materials on the job site you actually will utilize at any given week especially during the hurricane season, and keep construction equipment secure. Any planned supply deliveries should be postponed if there is a hurricane threat to the island.

When a tropical storm or hurricane watch is issued 36-48-hours before a system is forecasted to hit, remove all scaffolding, and remove, or safely secure, all building materials and equipment.

Sub-contractors should also be alerted to their responsibilities as well with respect to securing or removing their materials and equipment.

Stop job processes that will likely become damaged by the hurricane, such as window installations, house wrap, or landscaping. Complete those tasks that will likely prevent damage, such as concrete work, closing in a house, or filling in foundation excavations.

Follow through with a quick inspection of your job sites. Do not wait until the last minute to inspect your job sites, as you may need that time to go home and secure your own family home. Employees will need to also do the same.

Once the hurricane is over, return to the job site for damage inspection only when the all clear sign has been given by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) headed by the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten.

Keep in mind that damages from the hurricane on other parts of the island may impede efforts for immediate attention of job sites.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams was presented a copy of the second edition of Mark Yokoyama's the Incomplete Guide to the Wildlife of St. Maarten at her Cabinet on Wednesday. The Guide, which is based on over three years of fieldwork, combines scientific, cultural and historical research to tell the story of the fauna of St. Martin and their relationship with the island and its people.

Mark Yokoyama is a naturalist, author and wildlife photographer living on Saint Martin. He holds a degree from Harvard University and is an avid entomologist – a lifelong passion that was sparked early in his childhood and led him to serve as president of the Oregon Entomological Society at the age of fifteen. After moving to Saint Martin in 2009, he took to the hills to study
and document the wildlife of the island. He published the first
edition of this guide in 2010.

The Prime Minister commented that she very much looked forward to reading the book. "It is very interesting to have such a publication available and I am very interested in going through it. This is an excellent educational publication that will enlighten both residents and visitors on the wildlife that can be found in our country," commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Great Bay:--- A team from the International Labour Organization (ILO) is on Sint Maarten this week to install the Labour Market Information System (LMIS). This system will provide greater efficiency within the Department of Labour as far as statistics are concerned.
Mr. Reynold Simons, the Senior Specialist for Employment and Labour Market Policies and Mr. Kerwyn Roach, the Software Developer will be administering training to users and installing of the software. This will enhance the labour administration services, the compilation of labour statistics and facilitate the dissemination and use of labour market information which would result in the collection of valuable labour market statistics.
"This is a major step forward in acquiring data to substantiate policies, propose changes in legislation and to analyze trends," said Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labour. "This system will improve better service to the workers, employers and labour services."
The staff to be trained will be those from the executing agencies such as Labour Affairs Department and Labour Inspection. The system provides modules which include complaints handling, dispute resolution, labour inspections, and various other employment and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) related operations.
When fully operational, the Labour Market Information System will enhance the Department's capacity to generate more reliable and timely statistics. The system will also foster closer collaboration among employers' organizations, workers' organizations and the Department of Labour along with other key stakeholders in the production, use and dissemination of labour market information.
Back in 2010, the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean formally established the CLMIS Project (Caribbean Labour Market Information System) with the objective of implementing a computerized system to generate reliable and timely statistics for use by government, Employers' and Workers' Organizations.
This project was piloted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as in St. Lucia and is now ready to be implemented in the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean. With the use of this product, the Departments of Labour in the Caribbean can heighten their service quality, monitor trends and develop policies and programs.
Key stakeholders that have committed their support to the LMIS on Sint Maarten are SZV, Department of Statistics, Department of Inspection, Department of Public Health, Inspectorate of Education and Labour Affairs. The installation of the system at the Department of Labour will be achieved through collaboration with the Department of Information Technology and the International Labour Organization who will provide initial training for personnel who will utilize the system.
The follow up to the installation of the LMIS will be the establishment of a website whereby the producers of labour market information can disseminate statistics to the general public through the internet.
Once the system is up and running and in use, the ILO team will once again return to Sint Maarten and officially launch the website by year's end.
The Ministry of Public Health Social Development and Labour is truly grateful to the ILO for their commitment in providing technical assistance to Sint Maarten and making the LMIS a reality.

Opening Hours Extended to Wednesday Afternoons

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten has announced that she has taken steps to place shelter, shade and rest areas in the form of tents and chairs in front of the census office in order to accommodate the long lines currently being experienced by Citizens.

"You might have noticed for the those of the population who have ventured to the Census Office that we have taken additional measures to ease the stress of waiting in long lines at the Census. I have had tents put up at the Census office as a temporary solution to the long lines currently experienced there. It was the least we could do given the fact considering the long lines, partly due to the BTA applicants needing to collect their documents," commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has also previously ordered that the Census Office have extraordinary opening times in order to accommodate the large volume of clients it has been experiencing over the last few weeks. The Census office has been quite busy as of late due to the large number of requests in order to get registration papers, including some 3000 clients as part of the Brooks Towers Accord. The extra-ordinary opening times will be every Wednesday from two to four in afternoon. Usually on Wednesday the Census Office is closed in the afternoon. The Ministry of General Affairs will examine if opening hours will need to be further extended and are also exploring alternative ways to ensure that the necessary services are rendered.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

THE CARIBBEAN:--- The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has elected Emil Lee president-elect to take over the helm of the Association June 2014-2016. Lee is the president of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), general manager of Princess Heights Hotel, and co-operator of Atlas Construction Company in St.Maarten.

Lee was elected by acclimation at CHTA's Annual General Meeting which was held in conjunction with the "Taste of the Caribbean" culinary competition in Miami, FL.

"The current president, Richard Doumeng, and his executive board have done a tremendous job of laying a solid foundation for CHTA moving forward," said Lee. "Great strides are being made in fiscal discipline, strategic planning and restructuring the CHTA," he said, adding: "I will continue to support the current strategy of using CHTA to strengthen the National Hotel Associations (NHAs). If CHTA can function more effectively as a centralizing and coordinating entity for the Caribbean, I believe we can access the vast untapped potential of the Caribbean hospitality industry."

"I am very pleased that our membership chose Emil Lee as President-Elect," said Richard J. Doumeng, president of CHTA. "He has the depth of knowledge and strategic thinking to carry on the tasks of restructuring our Association to meet the challenges of the 21st Century," Doumeng added.

Lee currently serves as first vice president of CHTA and has served as president of the SHTA since 2001, making him one of the longest standing presidents of a NHA in the Caribbean. At SHTA he is responsible for guiding the activities of the National Hotel Association which includes advocacy, marketing, product improvement and private sector partnering with government projects.

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group is proud to be the provider of internet, mobile and data services to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Conference now under way in Maho.
At the request of TelEm Group Shareholder Representative, Prime Minister, Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams, the company is providing a package of services which includes internet bandwidth at 10mbs and pre-paid phone lines for internal and external communication.
TelEm Group Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Helma Etnel says, as the incumbent telecommunication provider for St. Maarten, the company is pleased to assist government in its request to provide telecommunication services to the ICAO Conference in Maho, as an economic partner in the St. Maarten community.
"It is not always possible to grant every request, but whenever it is possible promote our local telecommunication services to our visitors," said Mr. Etnel.
The CFO noted that since participants come from different parts of the world with their own advanced telecommunication networks, it is important for TelEm Group to to provide nothing short of excellent service to the conference guests.
Mrs. Etnel is in the meantime thankful to TelEm Group Technical, Marketing and Sales personnel for making the necessary arrangements and connections for the conference.

Telem Press Release

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Labour which falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, will be stepping up its communications with stakeholders in the coming weeks and months as part of an effort to further improve its contact with the community.

Minister of Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever fully supports transparency and open government and is an advocate for the community to be provided with as much information about labour matters in order for employers and employees to be able to know their rights and make informed decisions.

"Everybody has a right to information, to know what their obligations are, and to be aware of Labour Department policies and the types of services that the aforementioned can render to employers and employees.

"The Department of Labour plays a very important role in a society, and it is the objective of the staff to bring the department closer to the community," Minister of Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the week the Minister was informed about the new communications policy and about the communication methods that will be used to reach various stakeholders.

One of the communication products is a digital newsletter in collaboration with the Department of Communication. The e-newsletter will be distributed to key stakeholders such as employer and employee organizations, advisory councils, and judiciary just to mention a few.

Another communication product is a quarterly newsletter for civil society that would benefit employers and employees containing a wealth of information regarding obligations, and responsibilities to services available by the Department of Labour, and information about the laws that govern labour matters.

In addition, a series of brochures will be developed which will feature information about contracts, procedures for firing an employee, vacation days, overtime, collective labour agreements and much more. These brochures will also be available online on the government website for download and on display at the Department of Labour Affairs on the Pondfill.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Finance Martin Hassink told reporters during the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing on Wednesday that at least 20% of road users did not pay their road taxes which is a mere NAF. 275 per vehicle. Minister Hassink said that his Ministry is hopeful that vehicle owners would step up to the plate and pay their dues because controls are being conducted to ensure that everyone pays up.

The Finance Minister also indicated that the 20% represents some 1.6 million guilders. He said next year number plates and stickers will be re-introduced in order to make it easy for controllers to identify the delinquent vehicle owners.

Minister Hassink said one of the reasons it is difficult for the controllers to identify the vehicle owners that did not pay their road taxes is the fact that the former Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt removed the number plates and stickers for the year 2013, therefore making it almost impossible to identify those that did not pay their road taxes.

Budget woes continue.

Minister Hassink also told reporters that he is still working on the 2013 budget which has to be approved by the CFT. He said that the budget had some 30 million guilders deficit at the time he took office and he had to make several cuts that would affect all the Ministers in Government. Minister Hassink explained that one of the reasons changes had to be made to the 2013 budget was because there were incoming revenues mentioned in the budget that could not be collected because the legislations are not in place. The former Government (Finance Minister) wanted to levy alcohol and tobacco taxes but there is no legislation in place to implement those taxes. The Minister said he expects to get the 2013 budget approved by August 2013. However, next year government will face the same kind of issues with a late budget because his Ministry is still busy working on the 2013 budget. Minister Hassink further explained that he made some new proposals for the 2013 budget which was submitted to the Council of Ministers for their consideration and approval before it is sent to the CFT for their approval.

Minister Hassink said he is planning to implement some of the measures Curacao implemented when they realized that a number of businesses were not contributing to the tax base. He said that one of the things he intends to do is to collect the data from GEBE and match them with the data at the tax department to find out who are the unknown taxpayers. When asked by reporters if GEBE will cooperate with his wishes, the Minister said a letter was sent to GEBE and according to the law they have to provide the information government requested from them. "When we collect that information and identify the delinquent businesses then we will contact those people by sending them a friendly letter informing them that they have to pay their taxes."

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Section General Health Care (SGHC) of the Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, reports there have been 76 confirmed cases of dengue fever during the past six months (January to June) indicating an increase in reported cases. There was a total of 301 laboratory request.

The month of June reported the highest number of dengue fever cases, 23. For the remaining five months of the year, January 15 confirmed cases, February 14, March eight, April six, and May 10.

SGHC is calling on the populace to take daily actions to eliminate mosquito breeding opportunities around their home and workplace. On a daily basis check containers such as buckets and water tanks for larvae and eliminate the breeding source. Water tanks should be properly secure and screened to prevent mosquito's from entering. If there are no containers with water for mosquitoes to lay the larvae there will be no adult mosquitoes.

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

Even after you have cleaned-up your yard and surroundings, it is recommended for persons to walk around their surroundings on a weekly basis and after every rain event to eliminate all possible breeding sites.

Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever, "Get Checked" campaign, is in line with the appeal for residents, and business owners, to check-in and around their homes, and businesses in order to reduce breeding sites of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, and making them mosquito-free zones.

SHGC is calling on the community especially homeowners to be proactive in implementing mosquito preventive measures on their own property in order to prevent vector borne diseases.

Mobilize family, friends, neighbors and colleagues to collectively take actions to eliminate mosquito breeding sources.

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

Homeowners can reduce the number of areas where adult mosquitoes can find shelter by cutting down weeds adjacent to the house foundation and in their yards, and mowing the lawn regularly.

On a daily basis check plants in your yard for mosquito breeding sites, keep vegetation properly trim, and avoid overgrown vegetation.

When out during dusk and dawn hours, use mosquito repellent or wear proper clothing to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Check around construction sites or do-it-yourself improvements to ensure that proper backfilling and grading is realized to prevent drainage problems which can be a source for standing water.

An increase in the mosquito population puts all residents and businesses at risk. Call for information on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito breeding sites and respective preventive measures at 542-2078 or 542-3003.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake this week was appraised with respect to the current status regarding the construction of a Solid Waste Facility for Country Sint Maarten.

The final and third phase of a process to establish a Solid Waste Facility will commence in August. During this stage, four companies will take three months to prepare and submit bids end of November or early December.

The selection of the most favorable bid will take place in January 2014, and thereafter another three months would be needed to finalize and sign the concession and contracts with government and GEBE.

"As Minister I would like to grant the contract in January 2014 and have it constructed within the shortest period of time, the latest mid-2015. A location has to be identified. In the meantime the country is covered by a landfill budget for any emergencies such as fires.

"The recycling of waste is a priority and this has to be fully worked out and ready to be implemented when the Solid Waste Facility is ready to handle the processing of waste.

"The separation plan will take about one year max. This plant can separate the different waste into categories into recyclable and burnable waste, whereby the latter will be bundled and temporarily stock piled until it can be processed," Minister of VROMI Hon. Maurice Lake said on Wednesday.

After the signing, another 2.5 to three years will be needed for the design, build and testing of the country's Solid Waste Facility.

In 2012, it was decided to start a new tender procedure with a competitive dialogue for the realization of the facility seeing the urgent situation with the current landfill.

The new tender procedure consisted of three phases, firstly, qualification, followed by dialogue and the bidding phase. In December 2012, a total of nine companies were selected for the qualification phase of the tender procedure. These companies were then invited to send in a request for participation in the tender process.

Of the nine companies, five companies qualified and were invited to take part in the dialogue phase. One of the five companies refrained from further participation in this phase and the remaining four companies completed this phase in the fourth week of May.

The four companies are all qualified to design, finance, build and operate the new Solid Waste Facility, and have proven technologies that can be operated in accordance with European Union regulations.

The four companies currently involved in the process are Matrix/Befesa/Abeima/Vinci (US-Spanish-French combination); Synergy (US company); Covanta (US company); and Babcock Wilcox Volund/Electrawinds (US-Danish-Belgian combination).

PHILIPSBURG:--- Reporters on St. Maarten tried effortlessly to get further information from the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams who announced that she initiated an investigation at the Department of National Security of St Maarten (VDSM). On Monday, the Prime Minister said through a press release that she asked the SOAB to conduct an investigation because there are serious indications of malversations at the department.

On Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' weekly press briefing, the Prime Minister said she is still awaiting the report from the SOAB and as such would prefer not to divulge further information on the case. Reporters asked the Prime Minister several times if the head of the VDSM is reachable but she refused to give an answer to the question or further elaborate on what sparked the investigation and how long ago the investigation started.

Prime Minister Wescot Williams also indicated that the oversight committee has been established according to the law but somehow they are expected to hold their first meeting sometime soon. After three years of being appointed it is strange that the committee did not hold meetings prior to now and one would also wonder what role they played prior to the suspected malversations that sparked an SOAB investigation.

SMN News asked the Prime Minister to say exactly when the committee was established and she said it is in the law who should be on the committee but did not say when the actual committee was put in place. The law does state that an oversight committee has to be in place and which representatives from which institutions should be on the committee but that committee based on information reaching SMN News was never established. Therefore, the VDSM had a free hand to whatever they wanted. Wescot Williams said that there is a proposal at the Parliament of St. Maarten to amend that law because she wanted to remove the President of Parliament from the oversight committee, she said the proposal to amend the law has not yet been dealt with even though it was submitted since the Wescot Williams I Cabinet was in place. The Prime Minister further explained that it is awkward for the VDSM to report to her while the President of Parliament is on the oversight committee.

The head of the VDSM is James Richardson, a resident of the St. Maarten. Reporters at the Council of Ministers' press briefing asked the Prime Minister if the investigation currently taking place is affecting the services of the VDSM such as the screening of the Minister who still has to take office. Wescot Williams assured that the investigation is not hampering the work of the VDSM.

It should be noted that the VDSM is not a judicial entity and whatever information they find that looks criminal has to be turned over to the Police. Questions were raised by SMN News and the former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan earlier this year when the Bada Bing video tape surfaced about the role of the VDSM and how long they knew of the tape and kept it.

Another point of concern is that several departments such as the VDSM and Landsrecherche want to handle their own budget but they do not have accountants or anyone that could record the management of their funds.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The third storm of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season Tropical Storm (TS) Chantal passed well south of the country on Tuesday and posed no threat to Sint Maarten.

However, the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is appealing to residents not to let their guard down, preparedness pays off, do not be complacent.

The Eastern Caribbean island chain will see an increase in the formation of tropical wave systems coming off the coast of Africa from now until after mid-October, and these waves have the potential to develop into a tropical storm.

Weather experts have reported that the formation of TS Chantal East of the Eastern Caribbean island chain in early July from a tropical wave that rolled off the coast of Africa has been described as an uncommon occurrence.

The formation of the third storm of the season based on historical records by the National Hurricane Center out of Miami usually occurs around mid-August.

ODM is calling on the Sint Maarten community to view the formation and passing of TS Chantal through the Caribbean as a reminder that they should not become complacent and to make sure everybody has everything in place and are storm ready.

Home owners and business operators must take the required actions to minimize the risk of injury and damage to property in case there is a hurricane strike, and the time to act is now if you haven't already.

Being prepared is essential prior to a hurricane strike. Businesses and government must survive and recover from a disaster as quick as possible which would ensure that the economy can be up and running and our way of life returns to normal.

Remember, it only takes one to make this a bad hurricane season for the country.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

Encourages Participants to Come Up With Best Practices on the Management of Border and Migration Issues

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honourable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conference yesterday at the Sonesta Maho resort when she delivered her remarks to more than one hundred and twenty delegates from more than two-dozen countries on St. Maarten to discuss matters related to Civil Aviation and Border Control Management and Civil Registries.

The Prime Minister in her opening remarks extended her welcome to the delegates on behalf of the Government and People of St. Maarten. "I extend on behalf of the Government and People of St. Maarten a very special welcome to those of you who have traveled from afar to be here for this seminar. I want to say a special word of appreciation to the ICAO Organization and in particular the MRTD Program and Program Officers for having selected St. Maarten as the venue for this seminar. I think it is appropriate and timely, and so St. Maarten is very pleased to host this seminar and to join ICAO in establishing this program. I also thank the local organizers for having collaborated in making this possible and I wish to mention our Civil Registry Head Misses Leona Marlin and Emilia Thomas from my Cabinet for their contribution in making this all possible.

"You might ask yourself why I emphasized that St. Maarten is the right place for this seminar at this time. I hope that you have been able to take note of St. Maarten's unique situation as far as borders, border control, and travel documents are concerned. I am sure that many delegates bring with them the unique experiences of their own country and of their own island as well and so having said that it is extremely important and something I very much look forward is to receive a synopsis of the best practices arrived at to manage border issues as a result of this seminar. With the technology available to us, despite our limited resources globally, there is so much that can be done and that we can do together while simultaneously maintaining our own sovereignty as far as border management and travel documents are concerned," stated the Prime Minister.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States. 

The ICAO Machine Readable Travel Documents and biometrics Program develops and adopts international standards for international travel document (e.g. a passport, electronic passport, visa and ID cards used for travel) containing eye-and machine-readable data.

The MRTD Regional Seminar will assist Member States in implementing ICAO machine-readable travel document specifications and related ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. The Seminar will specifically address the needs of States to further enhance the integrity of the passport issuance process and ensure robust identification management in order to maximize border security and facilitation benefits.

In particular, the Sint Maarten MRTD Regional Seminar will focus on the very foundation of travel document and border security: a robust national identification management system. Seminar presentations and discussions will explore in depth key components of identification management, including the role of civil registries, evidence of identification (EoI), social footprint and investigative methods of confirming it, manufacturing and personalization of national ID cards, data sharing between national agencies involved in identification management, and much more.

An industry exhibition will complement the Seminar with a broad range of products and services related to MRTDs, biometric identification, travel document security applications and border inspection systems. Seminar participants will have an opportunity to interact with ICAO industry partners and experts to discuss the latest available MRTD technologies.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Windward Islands Bank Ltd. (WIB) welcomed 15 students who will be working in various departments at the bank for the summer. The students will gain working exposure while at WIB for a period of one month. Some of the various departments they will work in include Bankcard Services, Insurance, Foreign Exchange, Reconciliation, and the Branch Network.

The students were introduced to Mr. Derek Downes, WIB's Managing Director (ag) who welcomed them and encouraged them to do their best, not only during this short stint at the bank, but also in their chosen fields of study.

GREAT BAY:--- The Diabetes Foundation St. Maarten on Monday morning presented Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever with the results of testing during their 15th annual fair held here on June 29, 2013.
According to the report a total of 391 persons were tested, of which 76 were male with 19 known diabetics and 315 females with 137 known diabetics. The report includes results for three main groups, namely: group with already known diabetics; group non-diabetics and "risk" group non-diabetics.
Minister De Weever stated that the work the foundation is doing continues to improve over the years, as more persons are being reached, especially with emphasis being placed on the Spanish speaking community, with plans to later on reach the Haitian community.
"Prevention is still the key as it keeps medical costs down, and it is important for people to "Get Checked", and know their glucose results," said Minister De Weever.
The report further showed that the glucose testing results of non-diabetics showed that 17% of this group was not aware they were possible diabetics, which means that probably 8510 persons of the estimated population of St. Maarten suffer from this disease and don't even know it.

Discusses Hurricane Forecasting and Disaster Coordination

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held a meeting with the Interim Director of the St. Maarten Meteorological Department Mr. Joseph Isaac at her Cabinet on Tuesday. The Prime Minister received an update on the functioning of the Meteorological Department and the forecasts related to the Hurricane Season, including the possible weather associated with the passing of Tropical Storm Chantal well south of St. Maarten.

Prior to January 2013 decisions with regards to inclement weather were previously by her office upon consultation with the Met Office in Curacao and the Office of Disaster Management on St. Maarten. However since January the St. Maarten Meteorological Service will be issuing weather information and updates.

The Prime Minister, as Minister of General Affairs, is the Minister responsible for Disaster Management and coordination on issues of inclement weather including hurricanes is done through her Cabinet, the St. Maarten Meteorological Service and the Office of Disaster Management ODM.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) continues to closely monitor the progress of the third Tropical Storm for the Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm (TS) Chantal.

Based on the 8:00pm advisory of Monday evening, the National Hurricane Center in Miami has indicated that additional watches and warnings could be required for a portion of the Northern Leeward Islands later tonight (Monday).

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this fast moving storm and will provide an additional update early Tuesday morning. The population is advised to monitor government and weather reports for any further updates.

TS Chantal was located on Monday evening at 8:00pm over 300 miles East South East of Barbados.

TS Chantal is forecasted to pass through the Eastern Caribbean island chain early Tuesday morning and throughout the day in the vicinity of the islands of Dominica, Martinique, and St. Lucia.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The third tropical storm system of the Atlantic hurricane season – Tropical Storm (TS) Chantal - is currently east of the Eastern Caribbean island chain.

TS Chantal is forecasted to pass through the island chain in the vicinity of the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique, and Dominica during the course of Tuesday.

Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with the management team of Ministry of VROMI on Monday morning to be briefed with respect to the nation's preparedness in the event of inclement weather.

TS Chantal does not pose a threat to Country Sint Maarten. The storm is forecasted to pass well south of the country, but the Office of Disaster Management continues to closely monitor the storm system for any possible changes in its forecasted track.

Minister Lake took a proactive approach on Monday after learning about the TS Chantal. "I was pleased to learn when we went through the checklist with respect to storm pumps and trench cleaning, we are on track and would be able to act very quickly should the need arise.

"I would like to also use this opportunity to call on the Sint Maarten community to make sure they have completed their hurricane season checklist and don't wait until the last minute because then it will be too late. Make sure you are prepared for this hurricane season," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.

Ministry of VROMI is an integral part of the country's disaster management system as Emergency Support Function (ESF-3).

PHILIPSBURG:--- Motorists are being advised to follow the rules of the road with respect to the Prins Bernard bridge traffic lights intersection. This is to avoid traffic accidents.

Parts for the traffic lights are expected to arrive on Wednesday and installation will begin immediately on Thursday.

Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is hoping that the lights will once again be operational within short.

"I appeal to motorists to observe the rules of the road especially at the intersection since the traffic lights at not functioning at the moment.

"Because the lights are out, it doesn't mean that you don't have to be conscious while driving through the intersection. Be courteous and observe the rules of the road in order for all motorists to have a safe transit to wherever they are driving too," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday in an update pertaining to the traffic lights.

MARIGOT:--- As the investigation of the boat mishap continues, a fourth person was arrested on July 4th, 2013 around 6am. Vice Prosecutor Flavien Noailles said in a press release that the fourth suspect is the captain of the ill-fated boat who managed to escape while the boat was sinking. The suspect (captain) was previously convicted on human smuggling charges and he confessed his participation on Sunday June 30th, 2013 when the incident occurred.

The third person who was arrested last week was released as he assisted logistically. Based on the investigation, the suspects will be charged with involuntary homicide, conspiracy by providing assistance to foreigners to enter St. Martin illegally for a number of days, while the third charge involves not providing assistance to the victims that were in danger. The three main suspects managed to escape from the Anguilla canal when the boat began sinking, leaving the victims who paid as much as $16,000 each to go to St. Thomas or St. Johns as they wanted to reach the shores of Puerto Rico. The three suspects were transferred to Basse Terre where they were indicted for the charges and have been placed in preliminary detention. Each of the suspects are facing a 10 year prison term, Noailles said.

Regional Seminar for the Caribbean and Americas Region being held on St. Maarten July 9 to 11 --- Conference Will Address Issues of Transborder Crime and Migration

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honourable Sarah Wescot-Williams received a courtesy call from Mauricio Siciliano, ICAO MRTD and Biometrics Program Manager of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) yesterday at her Cabinet in preparation for the ICAO conference which starts today, Tuesday July 9th and lasts until the 11th.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States. 

The ICAO Machine Readable Travel Documents and biometrics Program develops and adopts international standards for international travel document (e.g. a passport, electronic passport, visa and ID cards used for travel) containing eye-and machine-readable data.

The MRTD Regional Seminar will assist Member States in implementing ICAO machine-readable travel document specifications and related ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. The Seminar will specifically address the needs of States to further enhance the integrity of the passport issuance process and ensure robust identification management in order to maximize border security and facilitation benefits.

In particular, the Sint Maarten MRTD Regional Seminar will focus on the very foundation of travel document and border security: a robust national identification management system. Seminar presentations and discussions will explore in depth key components of identification management, including the role of civil registries, evidence of identification (EoI), social footprint and investigative methods of confirming it, manufacturing and personalization of national ID cards, data sharing between national agencies involved in identification management, and much more.

An industry exhibition will complement the Seminar with a broad range of products and services related to MRTDs, biometric identification, travel document security applications and border inspection systems. Seminar participants will have an opportunity to interact with ICAO industry partners and experts to discuss the latest available MRTD technologies.

Representatives from various Governmental and non-governmental departments have registered for the conference and delegates from some 42 countries will be in attendance. The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honourable Sarah Wescot-Williams will open the three-day conference at the Sonesta Maho Resort early Tuesday morning.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot–Williams has confirmed that there are serious indications of malversations at the National Security Department of St. Maarten (VDSM).

Upon hearing of such, the Prime Minister had ordered an investigation by the Government Account Bureau SOAB. This investigation is currently being finalized. "Given the nature of the service and the implications of an investigation for the reputation of our security department and the country in general, extreme judiciousness needs to be exercised in analyzing the result of the investigation and potential actions as a result thereof," commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister already has had several meetings with SOAB and the management of the VDSM on the investigation and she has been assured that in any case, the regular works of the National Security Department will continue as usual.

Finally, the Prime Minister wants to stress that the National Security Department, because of its specific tasks, is managed independently and that the control mechanisms are according to the ordinance on the national security service (AB 2010, GT no.4).

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with representatives of the GEBE Shareholders Foundation on Wednesday to get an update on the current status of share transfers to the three islands of Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.

"My main concern was job security for the employees of GEBE Sint Maarten. I have been assured that there wouldn't be any consequences for the GEBE workers as a result of this share transfer. I also discussed personnel issues as well during our deliberations, and all benefits and rights accumulated over the years remain as they are.

"I would call on GEBE management to give a presentation to their employees to bring them up to speed on current developments. Communication is essential in such a process in order to ensure that everybody has the right information, the factual information rather than hearing things through the grapevine which then creates unnecessary stress for the employees.

"I will be following this process very closely to make sure things go smoothly and I am confident that this process can be done within the shortest period possible and in a professional manner to the benefit of all parties," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

Sint Maarten initiated the process to separate GEBE into three companies back in 2011 under former Minister of VROMI Theo Heyliger.

The representative of the Government of St. Eustatius has already received instructions to execute the share transfer. Saba still has to give instructions up to Wednesday last when the Minister was appraised about the current state of affairs.

Saba has already ratified the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the transfer while Sint Maarten is picking back up the process by sending the request to transfer shares through the proper channels.

"After the United People's party led Government left office in May 2012, the process on the end of the Sint Maarten Government seemingly but unfortunate came to a standstill, and I am happy now that we can see this process through where Sint Maarten becomes the 100 per cent owner of its public utility company," Minister Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

The Parliament of Sint Maarten still has to be informed about the transfer of shares.

"Bringing relief is still on the agenda and I will take up the ball on this effort and look into lowering electricity tariffs for the people and business community of Sint Maarten. Bringing relief is one of the major priorities of this Government," Minister Lake concluded.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On July 1, 2013 a new Rotary year commenced. Last Tuesday was the first meeting of the club for the new rotary year and in this meeting, the gavel was passed from immediate past president Jon Hart to the new president Sanjay Surtani in the presence of the members of the club. The official change of board ceremony or as president Sanjay terms it "change of guard" ceremony is slated to take place at Divi Littlebay on Friday July 12 at 7:30 pm.

President Sanjay's focus for this year is to continue with Rotary Mid Isle's successful signature projects such as the Spelling Bee and the Youth Table Tennis Tournament. He also would like to do more fundraising projects in order to be able to contribute even more to the community.

The club thanked Immediate Past President Jon for the good work that he has done in the past year and wished president Sanjay much success with his projects in this new rotary year.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotary Club St. Maarten Mid Ilse has inducted a new member, Dr. Lance Nash. Dr. Nash who is a professor at the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) was sponsored by Rotarian Kishor Mirchandani. The Rotary club of St. Maarten Mid Isle is elated to have a medical professor join its club as we strive continuously to better serve our community. We know that Dr. Lance Nash, through his knowledge and experience, will be able to contribute positively towards the clubs endeavors and to the community in general.

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten's Hennessy Artistry Concert (www.hennesyartistrysxm.com) is proud to announce its partnership with American Urban Radio Network (AURN) for the second annual concert event on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013 in Festival Village, Philipsburg. The show, featuring nine-time Grammy® award winner John Legend and soul singer Percy Sledge, will be broadcasted live across the U.S. through AURN.

Urban Radio, the largest network reaching urban America with over 200 weekly shows and an estimated 20 million listeners, will be live streaming from St. Maarten Aug. 1 - 3, 2013. On Aug. 3, the day of the concert, Urban Radio will be at the Festival Village to stream the performances live through its 28 network affiliated stations across various cities in the U.S.

"It's an honor to partner with Urban Radio for this year's event," said Georges Gréaux Jr., owner of Caribbean Liquors and Tobacco, the official distributer of Hennessy. "This is a great opportunity for urban American listeners to get a taste of what Hennessey Artistry St. Maarten and the island have to offer."

Basil Murrain, vice president of promotions at AURN, announced: "This will be our first broadcast from St. Maarten, and hopefully not the last. We pride ourselves on giving our audience access to the best vacation hot spots in the world and the Hennessy Artistry event is the perfect occasion to present the beautiful island to our listeners."

Hennessy Artistry St. Maarten, organized by CD Entertainment, is a flexible music communication program blending talents from different genres. It gives the brand a voice to consumer, press and music industry leaders about Hennessy's long-standing legitimate link to music.

This year the event has united with Ticket River, a leader in online ticketing services and printing, to provide online ticketing and tour operators. The service will give local and international visitors more flexibility in purchasing their tickets by reservations, local businesses, and online via the official Hennessy Artistry St. Maarten website (www.hennessyartistrysxm.com).

There are two ticket options available this year: VIP tickets will be US$150 with advance purchase; US$175 at the door. These tickets include VIP service, premium Hennessy drinks and food. Tickets are also available for those who would like to experience only the concert aspect of the show for US$55 with advance purchase; US$75 at the door. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa is the host hotel for the event and is working closely with the marketing and sales team of Hennessy Artistry St. Maarten to finalize vacation packages with tour operators from the Caribbean, North America, Europe, and South America. The Westin has arranged for packages for the local market as well.

For more information on the Hennessy Artistry St. Maarten visit www.hennessyartistrysxm.com or contact by Phone: +1 721 520-7120 / 520-1872 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Press Release from Hennessy Artistry St. Maarten

Available at high schools

PHILIPSBURG:--- The colourful and informative HYPE school agendas are ready for the new 2013/2014 academic year. Produced by Voice Of Our Children (VOOC) Foundation and HYPE Design with the input of 20 dynamic students from the various high schools. The agendas are specifically tailored for the academic year and cover the months that coincide with the school year. The 192-page agendas feature a number of educational, informative, inspirational and fun articles that appeal to students as well as information on the various school vacation dates. Articles range from safe sex tips and information on study financing to bullying, the ills of social networking and features inspirational young persons, such as songstress Mischulaikah Richardson, who speaks in depth about how being abused as a young child and managing a debilitating medical condition helped shape the person she is today. Mischulaikah is hoping that her story can be an inspiration to others. A number of role models from each high school in St. Maarten, Saba and Statia are also featured in the full-colour, glossy publication. The cultural diversity of St. Maarten is depicted throughout the agenda with students from the various secondary schools dressed in cultural wear of some of the nationalities represented in St. Maarten. The pictures were taken at some of the country's national monuments and historical sites – an interesting mix of culture and history. The intention is for every high school student in St. Maarten, Saba and Statia to have their own copy of the agenda. The agendas can be obtained, for a contribution of NAf. 5 at Milton Peters College (MPC), Sundial School, St. Dominic High, both sections of St. Maarten Academy (Academic and PSVE), St. Maarten Vocational Training School, Charlotte Brookston Academy and Learning Unlimited (LU) Preparatory School. They are also available at the Gwendoline van Putten School in Statia and at the Saba Comprehensive School in Saba. Copies can also be obtained at Penny's Department Store on Back Street, Pete's Photo at the Le Grand Marche complex and Executive Business Services on Bush Road. Additional information can be obtained from HYPE Designs at tel: 520-1941 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is prioritizing the solutions of important issues that are affecting the quality of life and safety of the citizens of St. Maarten which also includes road links.

In order to alleviate the traffic on Sint Maarten, besides Minister Lake's diligent efforts on road repair, Lake is also paying attention to get the much needed road links executed. These links such as the, Ring Road, the so-called "Cake House" road and the much-needed Link 6 that will connect Union road to Belvedere, with a feeder road from South Reward, is high on his priority list.

"The Link 6 connection will not only ease the very hectic morning traffic in the South Reward, Ebenezer, L.B. Scott Road areas due to not having other access roads in that area, but will also enhance safety in case of life threatening situations.

"The time that is lost being stuck in traffic in the aforementioned area, especially in the morning, and the valuable resources that is used in the form of Control Officers, can be minimized just by improving accessibility through an East-West connection," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out on Monday.

A UNESCO report that was made after the excessive flooding in the aforementioned areas in 2005 that cost the lives of two persons, highly advised the Government to work on an alternative road infrastructure network to that area that could be used as an escape route, and for emergency vehicles to be able to reach the various district neighborhoods in case of calamity and or accidents.

A lot of preliminary preparation and planning has gone into the different options for Link 6. Minister Lake has decided to take a more hands on approach in the realization of Link 6. The Minister will call a meeting as soon as possible with the owners and representatives of all the landowners connected to the proposed Link 6 route.

"Everybody should be involved to give speed and coherence in the execution of this project," Minister Lake pointed out.

A presentation will be given at Ministry of VROMI in presence of the Minister to all stakeholders to align all interest and seek input of all the stakeholders in order to come up with a comprehensive plan of approach and execution timetable for Link 6.

"The time has come to act now. The construction of Link 6 has to start as soon as possible in the interest and safety of the citizens of Sint Maarten and in particular the residents of St. Peters, Saunders, South Reward, Ebenezer, St. John's Estate, Mary's Fancy and Cul de Sac.

"When things drag on for too long, people lose faith. I will make sure during my one-year tenure in serving the people of this great country, that important projects such as those mentioned are executed and realized instead of just laying around in some bookcase. Projects like these also create jobs, and our people and construction sector need work in order to revitalize our economy," Minster Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) has been closely monitoring the progress of the third Tropical Storm for the Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm (TS) Chantal.

Based on the 8:00am advisory, TS Chantal does not pose a threat to country Sint Maarten.

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this fast moving storm and will provide an additional update later today-Monday. The population is advised to monitor weather reports for any further updates.

TS Chantal was located on Monday morning at 8:00am over 500 miles East South East of Barbados.

TS Chantal is forecasted to pass through the Eastern Caribbean island chain on Monday evening and Tuesday morning in the vicinity of the islands of Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- As of Monday July 8th, the Raoul Illidge Sport Complex will be temporarily closed for the general public.

Contractor MNO Vervat St. Maarten will start with phase one of the renovation works on the Complex that includes the running track and the football field.

The first week of the construction period will be mainly used for the demolition of the existing field. The top layer of the athletic track will be removed, and the football field will be excavated.

The coming weeks will be used for the installation of a completely new drainage system around and in the area of the playing field.

In this same period the contractor will be busy with the rehabilitation of the field lighting system. The poles will be painted and the existing flood lights will be replaced with new ones.

The new light fixtures will have a greater capacity than the existing ones.

The installation of the synthetic grass is scheduled to start mid-August. The installation of the running track will start end of August.

Phase 1 of the renovation is scheduled to be completed by November 2013.

In a later stage, Phase 2 of the renovation will be carried out, and this comprises of the renovation of the buildings and the upgrade of the swimming pool on the complex.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Affairs is the Principal of the project.

The project is being supervised by the Ministry of VROMI, Department of New Projects Development & Planning.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Youth Drumband COCAAE happily accepts a cheque of Naf. 21,432.00 from funding agency Cooperating Foundations of the Dutch Caribbean for new drums.
Wednesday after their practice the young drummers of the Council of Cultural and Artistic Expressions Youth Drumband (Cocaae) were surprised with a big cheque from funding agency Cooperating Foundations. The Naf. 21,432.00 is a contribution towards the purchase of 36 new drums to professionalize the performances of the energetic young drummers. Within COCAAE kids and youngsters do not only learn how to play an instrument, but there is also a lot of attention for discipline, team work, and overall development.

Encourages Communities of Both Sides of the Island to Support the Ram Beauty Contest

COLOMBIER:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the annual Ram Goat Competition Beauty contest in Colombier on Sunday. The Prime Minister, who has been a staunch supporter of the event since it first started in 2000, commented that she was once again "very happy and grateful to be once again able to attend this beautiful occasion in a beautiful part of St. Maarten. It is good to be here and to be able to spend some quality and cultural time at Colombier to once again mark this very special event which is very dear to my heart."

The Prime Minister gave a special welcome to all those who spend much of their time caring for and being excellent managers for the numerous ram goats, without which the competition would not be possible.

"I would like to see more entries into the competition and I think that it behooves the I Love My Ram Association and Governments of both sides of the island to look at ways to make sure that this show is able to continue for the enjoyment and the education of the people of St. Maarten. We should think on how we can promote the animals and the show so that we can be here every year. I encourage all the goat keepers to continue doing their excellent jobs", continued the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister and Territorial Councilman Daniel Gibbs also presented a token of appreciation to representatives from Presidente beer, which has been the sponsor for the very special and popular beauty contest.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell met with Minister of Finance Hon. Martin Hassink on Thursday to discuss handling of amendments to the 2012 and 2013 national budgets.

Budget matters are to be taken up in a plenary session to be scheduled for the first week of August when parliament returns from summer recess.

President Arrindell plans to meet with the Chairman of the parliamentary permanent Expenditures Committee Member of Parliament Hon, Roy Marlin to discuss matters pertaining to the budget of Country Sint Maarten.

This was the first visit to the House of Parliament by the Minister of Finance as well as his first official meeting with the President of Parliament.

A number of issues were discussed pertaining to the Ministry of Finance including the handling of the approved 2013 national budget.

"It's of vital importance to have certainty and credibility with regards to the budgets of Country Sint Maarten. We have to build a sustainable resilient economy in challenging times. We do have our inherent limitations as a small island nation, but we have succeeded despite the challenges.

"A tentative date has already been set for the first week of August to have a first public plenary meeting related to the outstanding budget issues.

"I was very pleased with the discussions that we had and on how we should move forward. The new Minister of Finance has hit the ground running. He is well aware of our small, resource challenged, structurally dependent open one pillar economy.

"As a country we possess immense possibilities, opportunities and strengths. One of our key strengths is a resilient and largely hardworking people. I am very confident that we will overcome our budgetary challenges," President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Gracita Arrindell said on Sunday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake recently met with the President of the Dutch Quarter Community Council (DQCC) Sidney de Weever Community Police Officer (CPO) Statie to discuss a number of community related issues.

Minister Lake will be doing a walk-through in the district of Dutch Quarter as a follow-up to the meeting with community representatives.

The Minister was briefed about certain situations throughout the Dutch Quarter neighborhood and those that should be addressed soonest. CPO Statie also highlighted some issues from a public safety standpoint.

The main concerns brought forward were street lighting in the neighborhood especially along the main road; and the exposed trench in front of the football field.

The DQCC President De Weever also asked that the Council have the opportunity to review draft plans where it concerns infrastructure and other related developments for the DQ district.

"I fully support inclusion in community district development. This is where getting 'back to basics' comes into play. We need to dialogue and communicate more and work together in resolving pressing community issues.

"Our community councils know their districts well and may have ideas and solutions on how to better improve their neighborhoods. We need to work together and we will create better and improved living environments for our people," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake pointed out.

Another area of concern for the DQCC is garbage collection where secondary and tertiary roads are not being serviced regularly by the garbage contractor who is responsible for this area, and they would like to see a solution found in order to improve the services being rendered.

DQCC also suggested when employing young people from the district, they should also receive basic life skills especially in the trade that they work in.

"I fully agree, any government program must have as its foundation skills development. We must provide marketable skills to those who are lacking these for whatever reason. Everybody deserves a chance and a second chance.

"We are a small community and nobody should be left behind. We are reliant and dependent on each other, and must support each other.

"The further training and formal certification of these individuals would enable them to improve their competence and put the consumer and employer in a better position to get value for money.

"It would create an environment for these young individuals to claim higher wages, benefits and greater job security," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

Minister Lake within short will also be meeting with Union Farm homeowners to listen to their concerns.

I don't usually respond to news reports and other nonsense coming out of the Netherlands, particularly the Second Chamber, regarding my person, but your abovementioned front page article in your edition of today, July 5, 2013, has nevertheless forced me to make the following statement, which I ask you kindly to publish:

It is correct that the Royal Marechausees were asked by me (as minister of Justice) to concentrate their 'assistance' on training the personnel of the Immigration Department, in the back office, where documents (passports and other travel documents) are checked for forgeries, etc. In the back-office there is a database containing international information on passports, persons and related documentation which is used for detecting forgeries, lost or missing items or persons, etc. Before 10-10-10 the Marechaussees (KMAR) were deployed - on request of the Netherlands Antilles - in the front line, that is at the booths, because of lack of personnel. During my term of office we trained and employed over 100 young people in law enforcement (the so-called BAVPollers) throughout the Justice Ministry, including more than 20 in the Immigration Dept. By employing and training our own young Sint Maarteners, the services of the Kmar were no longer needed in the front line.

There is a protocol signed with the Dutch for assistance of the KMAR, valid until mid 2015. This assistance is provided by (a) deploying detectives in the Police Force, and (b) assistance in the Immigration Dept. There is NO agreement that the Kmar should be in the frontline at Immigration or anywhere!! We, additionally, requested the Kmar to also train the personnel of the Customs Dept, which department also carriesout border control(!). Initially this request was rudely turned down by a former minister of Kingdom Relations, but later - when I pointed out that such assistance was also part of the protocol signed - assistance was promised. After more than 1 (one) year now, no actual assistance has been provided to the Customs Dept.! It has been said that the Kmar does not have sufficient personnel!

I refer to a report of Kmar published very recently in your newspaper, in which the EXCELLENT relationship with me and the ministry of justice was confirmed! This contradicts the allegations of Plasterk, Bosman c.s. in your aforementioned news article!

The problem, as Plasterk has openly confirmed, is that the Dutch government bases most of its attitude, strategies and decision-making on secret and unsubstantiated reports by Dutch civil servants who come here to work and so-called "help" Sint Maarten on assignments or short-term employment. These sources are protected and kept secret, so we can never know who they are and if and how accurate the "melee" they carried really was. This mis-information is used, however, to put Sint Maarten in a bad light and in position for criticism and pressure. And, we shall never be able to defend ourselves properly! Meanwhile, official reports are ignored, because they don't contain enough unfavorable information that can be used against us for their purposes! I submit that this modus operandi of the Dutch government and parliament is blatantly, immediately and directly in breach of the rules of integrity; the same rules they impose on us!

Speaking of integrity: A primary rule of integrity is also that one speaks truthfully, honestly and solely based on (verified) facts. Messrs. Plasterk and Bosman have repeatedly broken the rules of integrity by making loose statements of my "alleged illegal" links, connections, relations and activities, without any shred of evidence or truth, referring only to "reports", which nobody has ever seen or can show. You know the saying: "kill the messenger" and by whatever means. The ad hominem approach: attack the person, duck the issues and facts! And, they make their slanderous statements under the protection of immunity in parliament. While they 'allege' whatever falsehoods about Duncan, or any other Sint Maartener, it is a fact - proven by their own statements - that they themselves breach the rules of integrity with such slander.

Another thing, what do the Dutch mean or want to accomplish with their ranting about the removal of the Kmar from the frontline at Immigration? That we cannot do the job ourselves. That we cannot be trusted. So, only Dutch officials can be trusted or are competent to carry out the responsibilities of our country, government and people? There are no salient complaints, as far as I know, about the quality of work and integrity of our young law enforcement officers at the Immigration front line! Just think of what their statements imply -- they insult us and blatantly expose their arrogance and false attitude of superiority!

It is my belief that the Dutch continue to refer to me - months after I have left office - in an attempt to intimidate my successor(s) and the government and to force and coerce them to do what the Dutch want, which - which is simple to see - is definitely not in the best interest of Sint Maarten. I was appointed to the office of minister to serve the best interest of (the people of) Sint Maarten, not the Dutch government or parliament! Self reliance has been part and parcel of every single decision that I have made as a minister! Only the people of Sint Maarten can judge me and my actions!

The Kmar protocol - among others - was entered into for assistance - to teach us to fish - not for the Dutch to fish in our name and stead! Immigration and border control is our responsibility. And, who says the Dutch can do a better job? Remember the "Cerberus (human smuggling) case", in which some 9 persons died!

I am proud of having had the privilege to train and employ many young Sint Maarteners to work in law enforcement - including the frontline of Immigration - for them to take their rightful positions in our society and help carry out the duties of their government, building careers and improving themselves! I hope we do let the Dutch take all this away in their envy and arrogance.

Thank you for your attention.

Roland E. Duncan,
Former Minister of Justice of St. Maarten

Dawn Beach:--- On Friday June 28th, 2013, ninety four (94) new Dutch Citizens 29 of whom are born on Sint Maarten, 55 of whom are female and 39 are male, took the pledge of allegiance before His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday during the naturalization Ceremony which took place at The Westin Dawn Beach Resort and Spa. The pledge of allegiance, as is expressed when either taking an oath or making a promise, is the final mandatory step in the process of obtaining the Dutch nationality.
Governor Holiday addressing the gathering emphasized: "In the context of the St. Maarten community naturalization is the start of a new chapter in your life. For those of you who were born here or came here at a young age St. Maarten may be all you know and this day will be a formalization of your relation with the St. Maarten Community. For the older ones among you, today is a validation of your decision to make Sint Maarten your home. For all of you it is truly a new beginning and it is my hope that it will be a journey of growth towards a stronger St. Maarten."
After the ceremony, Governor Holiday congratulated the new citizens who had obtained their Dutch nationality in a more personal way during a reception.

From the Governor's Cabinet

Philipsburg:--- On July 4th, 2012, the Chuchubi Foundation presented a monetary donation to the Sint Maarten Little League Foundation to assist in the organization of the Senior Latin American Tournament.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary the Foundation is giving back to the community by assisting established foundations/associations in achieving its goals.
The Sint Maarten Little League Foundation has been established for many years and via sports in instilling good values in the youth of Sint Maarten

The Chuchubi Foundation applauds the Sint Maarten Little League Foundation for its youth program and wishes them much success with the international tournament.

Present were representatives of the board of the Chuchubi Foundation headed by the president Mrs. Glenda Groeneveldt who presented the president Mr. Ronny Jacobs of the Little League Foundation with the donation.

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group has drafted in a Polish and British Network Performance Consultants to fine tune the company's 2G and 3G networks now operating under a newly assigned frequency.

The frequency change became necessary last month following interference problems originating in nearby Anguilla.

As a result of this change TelEm Group's mobile equipment also had to be adjusted to work optimally with the new frequency.

TelEm Group announced this week that for the next three weeks it will be carrying out "fine-tuning" work on the 2G and 3G mobile networks to further improve service to customers throughout St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius

"There has been a tremendous improvement in the overall network performance since we reconfigured our equipment to the new frequency. Now we are taking things a step further by fine-tuning our mobile network for optimum performance," said Manager Networks, Mr. Julien Lake.

Mr. Lake said the visiting consultants began the optimization of the networks last week. Based on early drive tests and measurements, there has been a "significant improvement" in network performance and mobile customer experience.

The consultants have been tweaking mobile network parameters and their primary focus has been the manner in which these cell sites hand over calls from one cell site to another. The next step will involve the increasing of network resources to afford our customers greater availability of the network for their calls and data sessions.

"We are encouraged by the early tests and we expect further improvement as other adjustments are made. Customers should already be having a much better experience with their voice and data service than they were having last month," said Mr. Lake.

TelEm Group's Chief Technical Officer, Mr. Eldert Louisa, said the visiting experts are knowledgeable in their respective fields. Mr. Fuksa is a Network performance and Optimization consultant with extensive experience working on various networks in Europe and South America, which Mr. Lake is a 3G RAN Engineer with network experience with telecommunications systems in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Louisa says TelEm Group has been fortunate to call on their combined experience to assist with network improvements on St. Maarten.

"Last month's frequency interference created some problems for us, but it also highlighted the matter of congestion of our networks caused by a growing demand for voice and data traffic from our customers - especially data on the 3G network," continued Mr. Louisa.

He said TelEm Group, like telecommunication companies the world over, have to continually assess and adjust hardware and software to meet these growing demands - in some cases having to project future demand to maintain good customer experiences.

He said while here, the visiting experts will also be looking at improvement to TelEm Group's mobile coverage on neighboring French St. Martin in collaboration with business partner, Dauphin.

Customers have complained about dropped calls to family and friends when visiting the French side. Technicians believe the situation can be greatly improved with better synchronization between Dauphin and TelEm Group switches.

"We have clearly seen some improvements and we expect to see more in the coming weeks. We want to thank our mobile and data customers for their patience while we continue to optimize our networks for better performance," added the Chief Technical Officer.

Telem Press Release

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Boat owners are being advised by the Office of Disaster Management to review their hurricane preparatory plans so they can be ready to take action in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the island during the 2013 hurricane season.

The 2013 hurricane season has already seen two systems form. With the start of the peak months from mid-August and September up to mid-October approximately five weeks away, preparation is essential in order not to be caught off guard.

The Office of Disaster Management hereby advises mariners to ask themselves, "How have you prepared yourself for the hurricane season?"

Hurricanes have been the cause of many maritime disasters. Constant monitoring of hurricane potential and continual risk analysis when used with some fundamental guidelines become the basic tools to minimize a hurricanes' impact to vessels at sea or in port.

Systems that are forecast to make landfall within 50-100 nautical miles of a particular port tend to be more destructive than those that approach the port from over land or parallel the coast in the vicinity of the port. Also, ports located in the right front quadrant, based on direction of movement of hurricanes during landfall tend to have higher winds, seas, and storm surge.

The decision to leave port for hurricane avoidance must be made very clearly. Consideration to the latest safe departure time and likely avoidance routes must be balanced with a number of other factors. Most important of these is time versus distance.

The risk of damage to a vessel at sea increases as the motion of the hurricane increases towards the maximum safe speed of the vessel attempting to leave port in advance of that system.

Considerations to remain in port during hurricane passage must include an evaluation of the amount of protection afforded by the port. The direction from which the strongest winds are forecast to blow along with the potential for storm surge must be factored in when deciding whether to seek haven pier side or at anchorage.

Philipsburg:--- Over the past 4 weeks a series of informative sessions held by APS, the general pension fund administrator, have been warmly received by participants. Two groups were targeted: representatives of employers affiliated to the pension fund and active members from the Public Education department.
The employer sessions had as objective the providing of general information on the role of employers in regulating pension issues for APS participants, specifically information on the procedures to be followed when registering participants with the fund.
Led by APS account managers Giorla Doran and Lucien van Zanten the sessions were well received by participants.
One participant on the employers' session said the following with regards to the session: "I myself had found it very informative and it was a good and necessary initiative of APS. The topics and interaction between participants and APS was good. Handouts and information leaflets were a plus as well as the location and space. There was attention paid to the various questions of the participants, which I personally found very good. It was a professional information session."
"These types of sessions will certainly aid to facilitate a two-way flow of information and strengthen the bond between the respective employer organizations and APS", says APS director Kendra Arnell.
In sessions more recently held for employees of Public Education, APS employees provided insight into a variety of subject matters, such as 3 types of possible retire income when one retires, how pension benefits are calculated and that the amount of pension one is entitled to depends on the number of years the employee has worked. "Transfer of information on the pension plans and creating awareness remains the goal of the session for participants" says APS Director Kendra Arnell.
It is the intention that one-on-one meetings will be held with employers every quarter of the year to ensure that information and data needed by APS is forthcoming.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake met with GEBE management to get an overview of the company's activities and to discuss some issues that the Minister would like to see addressed.

One of the key areas for the Minister is street lights in the various districts. "Street lights serve the key purpose of safety and security in the districts. People walking or jogging can see where they are walking and running, so they avoid injury during this activity.

"From a security perspective, street lights also serve as a deterrent to would-be burglars. A lighted area can help prevent car theft and home invasion. Every residential district must be properly lighted," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Friday.

GEBE management informed Minister Maurice about the progress so far with their light maintenance plan which is being executed in close consultation with the Department of Infrastructure Management.

Lights are being repaired systematically within a couple days where possible. Once a report is submitted by the Department of Infrastructure Management, and if the fixtures are in stock, the repairs are then carried out.

Minister Lake also wanted to know about GEBE's strategic plan and the GEBE management mentioned that the strategic plan should go hand in hand with the Energy Policy.

With respect to the Energy Policy, the Minister and GEBE agreed that a final Energy Policy document would be drafted after some amendments have been made to the initial 2011 document which can be used to guide the sector for the foreseeable future.

GEBE management during the meeting with Minister Lake indicated that they would work together with other utility companies to have the wooden poles removed in the various districts and along the main public roads.

"Every public and private sector utility service company should have an aesthetics policy in place that looks at the clean-up and beautification of the area where they carried out infrastructure or civil works.

"Every company has a corporate social responsibility to the community that they serve. Let's get back to basics and improve upon the little things that will bring about big results and having the place looking brighter and better," Minister Lake appealed to public and private utility companies and businesses in general.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise celebrated the successes of the nearly ended Rotary Year 2012-2013 and the installation of the board members for the year 2013-2014. The event took place at the Sonesta Great Bay Resort on Saturday, June 29, 2013 in the presence of Rotarian, Rotaracters, their families and other guests also present for this occasion were among others, Judge Jacob Wit who was the keynote speaker, Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin, former Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt, and Minister with the responsibility for Infrastructure Maurice Lake.
Outgoing President Marcellia Henry thanked her fellow board members and entire membership for their enthusiasm and support during the year. She highlighted how the club was able to obtain five awards from our District 7020 and our Zone 34, by fulfilling 90% of the goals set for the year 2012-2013; summarizing the executed projects including increasing our visibility within our community, initiating new community and vocational projects that benefited the youths, establishing partnership with businesses in the community: the school bag project and the breakfast program at the Martin Luther King Jr. school with UTS, and the Ruby Labega school with Sheriff Security NV; promoting "Peace through Service". Which was evident with our ability to mobilize over 120 volunteers to paint the entire school of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School, strengthening our existing projects that are successful such as the "Readers are Leaders Program". President Marcellia Henry concluded in wishing the incoming president Angela Gordon and her team of board members a successful Rotary Year 2013-2014.

The new Rotary Board consists of: President Angela Gordon, Vice-President Joseanne Peterson, Past President Marcellia Henry, Secretary/President Elect Virginia Asin, Service Projects Director
Marieke Quist, Treasurer Ahmed Bell, Sergeant at Arms Solaika Serbony, Membership Director Monique Alberts, Club Administration Director Angelique Gumbs, Public Relations Director Martha Pouchie, Rotary Foundation Director Meredith Boekhoudt, Fundraising Director Peter Dialani, New Generation Chair Paula Gordon and Club Disaster Chair Claret Connor.

In her speech incoming President Angela Gordon, pledge to continue with our longstanding tradition of reaching out to members in an effort to encourage participation at all levels. She outlined her goals for the new rotary year consisting of creating a Peace Monument on our island, continue with Men's Health awareness campaign, facilitate school breakfast programs in collaboration with the business community, provide educational materials and supplies to schools, promote reading through Readers are Leaders project, improve literacy through adult education program, support the Rotary Foundation and the Future Vision Plan in eradicating Polio, increase interaction through fellowship and partnership with the Rotary Clubs of St. Maarten, Anguilla, French St. Martin, St. Barth and the Sunrise Rotaract Club. Finally and most important; as we wear our Rotary pin this is what it says about us, you can rely on us, we are dependable, we give more than we take, we are available to serve our community "Service above self" as we "Engage Rotary and Change Lives".

Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise would like to thank all Rotarians involved in the organization of the Change of Board Ceremony.

The club meets at Air Lekkerbek Restaurant every Tuesday mornings at 7:00am for fellowship and breakfast. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise.

COLE BAY:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation and the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation recently hosted world renowned Wildlife Documentary film maker and National Geographic Freelance Photographer Mauricio Handler on St. Maarten as part of his travels documenting Natural History and the Environment in the Dutch Caribbean.

Mauricio Handler is a professional marine photojournalist, natural history filmmaker and expedition leader who for many years formed a part of the premier underwater photography team at National Geographic Magazine. He has documented life, landscapes and people living close to all bodies of water all over the world. Mauricio Handler is now producing natural history documentaries. He works with Ultra High Definition 4K footage, which has a quality four times that of regular HD.

Mr. Handler spent time with representatives of both the Nature Foundation and the Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation documenting natural landscapes both above and below the sea. "St. Maarten is a beautiful island but has considerable issues especially on the terrestrial side of things. The island urgently needs a Land Park and needs to have Mullet Pond as an important Fish Nursery fully protected. I also had the opportunity to dive in the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area and was pleasantly surprised at the health of the reefs and the amount of fish life; which is unique for the Caribbean," commented Mr. Handler.

Mr. Handler's accommodation was provided through the kind support of the SHTA and Sonesta Great Bay Hotel. Mr. Handler will travel to the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao next.

French Quarter:--- Relatives, friends, and residents of French Quarter are mourning the loss of Miss Aliette Menta Hyman better known as Miss Olette who was born on September 28th, 1909 in Abymes, Guadeloupe. Miss Olette is the founder of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in French Quarter.

Miss Olette died during the morning hours of July 4th, 2013. She leaves to mourn, her two children, several grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and the congregation of the St. Joseph Catholic Church.
SMN News extends condolences to the Hyman families during their time of bereavement.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Representatives of Soualiga Social Movement met with the Social Economic Council to discuss the role of NGO's in the socio-economic development of Sint Maarten. The Social Economic Council has to give solicited and unsolicited advice to government pertaining matters of socio-economic nature.
Both parties sat at the table to discuss the role of NGO's in today's society. SSM pointed out that there has been a symposium on corporate social responsibility organized by the SER and wanted to know how the SER envisions the role of NGO's in the socio-economic development of Sint Maarten. The SER emphasized on the importance of public-private partnership and that one cannot do without the other. Furthermore, the concept of a "social summit" was discussed. This is a program that SSM is working on and that should give a clear helicopter view of the general needs and issues in Sint Maarten and where and how NGO's can work together to increase effectiveness in the usage of funds and human resources.
It was recognized that there are many social ills in Sint Maarten and the SER supports social initiatives to tackle these issues. The SER encouraged SSM to continue addressing these issues and offered their assistance in channeling proposals to government. SSM was asked to put some of their ideas on paper pertaining structuring NGO's and the involvement of NGO's in decision making. It was agreed upon that both parties would meet again in August to continue talks.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- The Windward Islands Bank Ltd. (WIB) brought awareness to Carnival on St. Maarten via a cross-island initiative with its parent bank Maduro & Curiel's Bank N.V. (MCB) in Curacao. This initiative involved inserting a specially designed carnival card stuffer in 16,500 Kompa Leon credit card statements of MCB credit card customers. The campaign offered one lucky Kompa Leon card member the opportunity to win NAF. 1,000 for having made the winning purchase on St. Maarten during its Carnival Season. WIB is proud to announce the Kompa Leon winner of our campaign, Mr. Arvin Adamus (residing in Curacao). WIB/MCB congratulates Mr. Adamus on wining NAF. 1,000.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- In the presence of His Royal Highness King Willem-Alexander and Her Royal Highness Queen Maxima, Government officials and thousands of persons who came out to the Oosterpark in the Dutch City of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Sint Maarten's

Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges placed a wreath at the Slavery Emancipation Monument on behalf of the Government and people of Sint Maarten. On July 1, 1863, some 1500 enslaved persons officially obtained their freedom in the Southern part of Sint Maarten.

MARIGOT:--- The French Prosecutor Flavien Noailles who is leading the investigation on the boat tragedy that occurred in the Anguilla canal late Sunday night (June 30th, 2013) said in a press release late Wednesday night that some 26 persons were on the ill-fated boat that capsized in the Anguilla canal Sunday night. Noailles said that the first report showed that some 12 persons were rescued, three persons perished while another three were lost at sea.

Noailles said one more person was rescued at the end of the morning on July 2nd, he said that means 13 persons were rescued from the waters in the Anguilla canal, three are dead, and three are still missing. While Noailles said that there were 26 persons on board the ill-fated boat, he only gave accountability for 25 persons. SMN News reporter asked the prosecutor to clarify whether there were 25 people on board or 26. Noailles said that one of the persons that was on board the boat managed to reach the shores of St. Martin without anyone’s assistance. Therefore, he could not be registered as one of the rescued persons or missing persons. It should be noted that 14 of the 26 people that were on board “God is Good” survived in the boat mishap.

An investigation has been opened and is led by the Chief of the Homicide Department. One of the things this investigation has to determine is how the illegal immigrants entered St. Martin. So far, it has been determined through witness testimonies that most of the occupants on the boat arrived on St. Martin via the Princess Juliana International Airport at the beginning of June 2013. They came from Brazil and the Dominican Republic and their main goal was to go to Puerto Rico via St. Thomas or Saint John. However, the mission turned into a drama due to a broken water pump. Because of this, the back of the boat took on water. In total there were 26 people on the boat, six of them were rescued by a passing boat and not the search and rescue teams. It has been determined that of the other 20 people, 13 were rescued by the search and rescue teams, 1 swam to the shores of St. Martin on his own, three people perished, and three are still missing. Due to the heavy drifting from west northwest, the researchers could not locate exactly where the boat went down.

Noailles said the investigation will go to the very end until they have found all the persons that were involved in the bringing in of illegal persons to the island and transporting them to other destinations.

Some of the victims paid as much as $16,000 (USD) for the trip.

So far, two persons that were residing on St. Martin have been arrested and placed in garde à vue. Those two persons already appeared before a judge and their detention has been prolonged for another 48 hours. A third person who assisted with the transportation of the illegal persons was also arrested and placed in garde à vue. The third person was arrested sometime after midday on Wednesday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell during her official visit to Curacao for Flag Day on Tuesday, was introduced to the new U.S. Consul General to Curacao and Chief of Mission to Aruba, BES Islands and Sint Maarten James R. Moore.

The introduction took place via Curacao's President of Parliament Hon. Mike Franco.

"It was a great opportunity to meet the new U.S. Consul and to also congratulate him on his appointment and assumption of his duties in late June.

"I informed U.S. Consul Moore that the House of Parliament Conference Room is available for his mission to carry out its services to Americans residing on Sint Maarten as a courtesy as was the case with his predecessor," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Wednesday.

Moore is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service of the U.S. State Department with nearly 30-years of experience as a U.S. Diplomat.

Prior to his posting in Curacao, Moore was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia from 2010-2013, with responsibility for U.S. public diplomacy and public affairs initiatives in that region.

"I would like to congratulate all U.S. visitors and residents on behalf of the Parliament and people of Sint Maarten with this important day – July 4th - in their history. Sint Maarten has enjoyed a very close relationship with the United States of America especially in the economic area where tourism is concerned. Have a safe and happy fourth of July," President Arrindell said on Wednesday.

President Arrindell was accompanied by Member of Parliament Hon. Janchie Leonard to attend Curacao Flag Day celebrations on Tuesday, July 2nd.

The Sint Maarten Youth Parliament is a program of the St. Maarten Youth Council Association, geared towards youth 12 -24. The program provides training in Government & Politics, Parliamentary Procedures, Debating, Critical Thinking & Reasoning Skills as well as Leadership Training.

The Sint Maarten Youth Parliament is a youth think tank. In addition to holding public policy debates, the Youth Parliament organizes public forums and discussions that allow young people to voice their opinions on key issues, and to gather information on issues that affect their lives. This vibrant group of young leaders is also service-oriented and actively involved in giving service to the community.

During the period July to August, the group is embarking on a recruitment drive for new members. The intent is to replace members who are leaving to further their studies, and to extend the program to more young persons. The new recruits will also include candidates for the Kingdom Youth Parliament, which will be held on St. Maarten in May 2014. Persons interested in being a part of the program can contact the St. Maarten Youth Parliament by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call 550-8971 or visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sint-Maarten-Youth-Parliament for more information.

In August of this year, the Youth Parliament will host a public debate on the topic: "A curriculum that prepares us for life: incorporating technological advancements in education." The debate will take place in the Hall of Parliament at a date and time to be confirmed.
The St. Maarten Youth Parliament meets every other Friday at 5 pm at the conference room at the Parliament Building. A special thanks is extended to the Parliament of St. Maarten and the support staff for making this possible.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Collective Prevention Services (CPS) that falls under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, says according to its disease surveillance system with family physicians, one case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) have been reported.

HFMD is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children who are 10-years of age or younger. It can sometimes occur in adults. There is no vaccine to protect against the viruses that cause hand, foot, and mouth disease.

Persons with symptoms should contact their family physician and continue to take preventive measures in order to avoid getting HFMD.

Symptoms of HFMD include cold-like conditions, fever, mouth sores, loss of appetite, cough, and a skin rash; a non-itchy red rash that develops on the hand and the feet, and sometimes the rash can develop into painful blisters; painful mouth ulcers.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is spread from person to person through nose and throat secretions (such as saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus), blister fluid, or stool of infected persons.

If your child or you have any of these symptoms, according to the Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever's 'Get Checked' campaign, visit your family physician.

To lower your risk of being infected with hand, foot and mouth disease, wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers and using the toilet; disinfecting dirty surfaces and soiled items, including toys. First wash the items with soap and water, and then disinfect them with a solution of chlorine bleach; and avoiding close contact such as kissing, hugging, or sharing eating utensils or cups with infected persons.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is not the same as foot and mouth disease, which affects cattle, sheep and pigs. The two infections are unrelated, and you cannot catch hand, foot and mouth disease from animals.

For further information you can call 542-2078 or 542-3003.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake earlier this week met with department heads and some staff at Ministry VROMI to discuss his 'back to basics' vision approach.

"I have taken note of the ideas of social writers such as the Soualiga Social Movement and Russell Simmons. Their approach fits into my 'back to basics' vision

"The country has reached the cross-roads where development is concerned, and the people are more interested in the repairs and addressing the little issues that impact their lives on a daily basis. This has been a United People's party philosophy of addressing the quality of life issues of the people.

"We have issues of sewage that need to be dealt with by the utilization of small sewage plants; parking regulations need to be enforced. More parking is needed in Philipsburg and the Simpson Bay strip along with bus stops and proper signage.

"Social writers have suggested a cultural park, eco activities for tourists and residents, which I totally agree. I envision a park in the center of Philipsburg at the Clem Labega Square for example where families can come together, and a multi-story parking facility for the Philipsburg area.

"We need to see where the public and private sectors can collaborate in these areas. These various points have been discussed in my meeting with the staff of Ministry VROMI. There also has to be cross-Ministry collaboration as well," Minister Lake said on Wednesday.

When it comes to zoning, Minister Lake said that he will work in close consultation with landowners to have areas zoned for agriculture and livestock.

"Sint Maarteners are resilient and have always felt close to the land. We need to preserve green areas for the replanting of fruit trees," Minister Lake pointed out.

The United Volleyball Club will be hosting its first fundraising Pajamathon (volleyball in pajamas) in aid of sending youth volleyballers to a training camp in Orlando from August 4 - 11. Interested persons and groups may still register for the tournament, which will take place Friday, July 5 from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at the Melford Hazel Complex in Sucker Garden. Do come out and support the kids while playing fun volleyball. For more information, contact Keishan: 550-3434, Sophie: 587-9459, or Rhoda: 520-1136.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson who took office some three weeks ago told SMN News in an exclusive interview that since he took office he initiated an investigation into the Justice Park project in order for him to form his own opinion on the project. Minister Richardson said that investigation would include the structural and financial aspects of the project. "I already started talking to the people involved and I will form my own opinion when the time comes. I just took office and I need to deal with a lot of issues such as having a youth detention facility."

Richardson further explained that the Wescot-Williams II Cabinet had taken a decision on the project, they decided that the project was not feasible at this time, combined with that decision is the advice of the CFT who also submitted a negative report on the Justice Park. SMN News reporter asked the Minister if he would even consider the building that SZV was planning to rent or purchase for their offices but later found out that it did not meet earthquake standards for this region. "Definitely that will be one of the points of discussion because I know better and when I was heading the SZV I did not take a risk. I am the same person with the same attitude and my position on that remains the same. My position back then was that the developer (owner) of the building would have had to upgrade the building at their cost or lower the price of the building in order for SZV to do the upgrades. It is at that point Orista N.V. backed out because they did not agree with my conditions. Today as Minister of Justice I have more responsibilities so definitely I will take the safety and security of people into consideration."

Minister Richardson said that the former and present Government believes that some of the facilities in the Justice Project are of utmost need on St. Maarten. However, he refused to entertain questions on who the negotiators are and if there is any semblance of conflict of interest.

When he was asked how he plans to resolve the issues within the Ministry of Justice, the Minister said that he certainly does not have a magic wand to solve all the problems but he definitely would have to take a decision on the limited prison cells because the prison has to be repaired while he also would have to find a solution for youth detention. He said if there are people with suggestions he will welcome those suggestions in order to solve the problems.

Cases are stacked up at the Landsrecherche --- Ministers cannot intervene in individual cases.

SMN News reporter asked the new Minister of Justice how he intends to deal with the Attorney General on the amount of cases that are stacked up at the Landsrecherche for over three years now. Those cases are the Election Fraud case, the Piranha investigation, the case that involves Regina Labega, the case on former Minister Maria Buncamper-Molanus, and the ORCA investigation. The Minister said that it's not fair to say that these officers are not doing anything but instead the people are not hearing anything. He said the law is very specific where Ministers cannot interfere in cases that are being investigated. Minister Richardson further stated that the Public Prosecutor has to get a certain amount of proof in order to prosecute and if that is not the case the person or persons name should be cleared. He said the law has limitations and that is something that has to be respected. Minister Richardson said he believes that one of the problems in the Landsrecherche is the lack of capacity or lack of evidence for the Prosecutor's Office to prosecute. He said that it is a point of attention which he will confront the Attorney General on.

Labour and Immigration Controls have to take place.

The Minister of Justice said in his view all persons are equal in the eyes of the law and as long as he is at the helm of the Justice Ministry controls will have to take place. He said no one despite their position in society should or will be spared if they break the law. He said there are various people within the Ministry that has to do their work. He said he cannot envision that the Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs has to send him an instruction on how or how not to perform his duties.

Richardson said he does not even know if the controls are taking place but now that the matter is brought to his attention someone will have to explain to him why it's not happening.

Another issue the Minister of Justice said he intends to work on is the issuance of certificates of good conduct that are taking months to process. The Minister said he is aware that these certificates take a long time and he would have to find a way to make this period shorter.

Country Constitution Evaluation to take place in 2015 --- RST and Coast Guard have to Deliver.

Just days after the Minister of Justice was sworn in, the Minister traveled to Aruba to participate in the tripartite meeting which involved the Ministers of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten. One of the points of discussion was the performance of the Coast Guard and the RST that are working as a separate entity from the Police.

The Ministers from the other countries have said that they will not renew the agreement for the Coast Guards and the RST but Minister Richardson that the problem they have is that the Coast Guard has to deliver what is expected of them. "We just cannot get rid of the Coast Guard because they are regulated in the Kingdom Law, there are criticisms on how things are done and that has to be regulated. If we are to get rid of them then we need to change the law, but all of that can happen in 2015 when St. Maarten's status will be evaluated. All these entities will be evaluated in 2015 and at that time changes can be made to the Kingdom Regulations. It is not an issue of getting rid of any entity but its more about performance. Aruba's stance is that everyone should get what they are paying for." As for the RST, the Minister said that the RST cannot function as a separate entity from the police because the law is also very clear about that. "When you look at the Kingdom Law on police it is clear and really I don't understand the debate on this issue. The RST is part of the police operation." The Minister said that there has to be full cooperation between the police and the RST and he does not believe putting the RST and the police in same building would make them work better with each other. In his opinion, doing that would only be cosmetic. The RST has a different task but they cannot execute unless they cooperate with the KPSM. "In 2015, if St. Maarten is capable of combating crime locally and internationally then there would be no need for the RST and that will be discussed in 2015 when the evaluation takes place. Anytime these entities start to hamper the combating of crime then it would be time for the Minister of Justice to intervene. The focus should be on getting the job done by all the entities and if that is not the case then something has to be done. The focus should be about getting the job done and not about power struggle."

Area is of High Ecological and Economic Value

The Nature Foundation once again expresses concerns regarding the threats to the Mullet Pond Area. Over the past few weeks the Foundation has been observing numerous activities, including the removal of Mangroves, at what is the island's most important fish nursery and mangrove area. "We have seen some mangroves that were removed which we have already replanted. We are concerned that, unless the Mullet Pond will be listed as a reserve, we will lose the most important mangrove area on the Dutch Side of the island," read a Nature Foundation statement.

70% of all mangroves located in the Simpson Bay Lagoon currently survive in Mullet Pond, which forms the largest, continuous area of unbroken mangrove forest on St. Maarten. Mullet Pond is located in the south-eastern most area of the lagoon in the area of Mullet Bay. Baseline surveys have shown that the area forms one of the most pristine habitats within wetland and aquatic ecosystems supporting numerous species including juvenile snapper, seahorses, crabs, conch, reptiles and a number of bird species.

Based on the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Center 2006 document In the front lines: shoreline protection and other ecosystem services from mangroves, the Value of the 880 square meters of Mangrove Habitat which represents the Mullet Pond ecosystem is equal to USD $792,000 per year towards the economy of St. Maarten in its intact form, not counting or taking into consideration the high biological value that the area represents.

The Marketing of the Mullet Pond area as a high Value Eco-Tourism experience is significantly untapped. With increased trends moving towards the marketing of Caribbean islands as eco-tourism destinations Mullet Pond can contribute significantly to eco-tours in the form of snorkelling, diving, limited fishing excursions, kayaking and ample bird and reptile watching opportunities, thus further reinforcing the economic contribution of the ecosystem.

Mullet Pond is increasingly under threat due to development. As it is, the cause for protecting that ecosystem and the value with which it brings far outweighs the perceived benefit development of the area may have. Any type of development would require the destruction of large areas of mangrove trees and the dredging and siltation of extensive sea grass beds, effectively killing both the economic and ecological benefit of the area.
It is therefore essential that the Mullet Pond, located between Point Pirouette and Mullet Beach, be zoned as a protected area in which it is prohibited to remove and/or cut existing vegetation, including mangroves and sea grass, within 15 meters of the lagoon shoreline including the waters contained therein. It is only through official protection that the protection of the Mullet Pond and the ecosystem it supports will remain an essential part of the St. Maarten landscape.

The Nature Foundation and its sister organization EPIC have been lobbying for a long time both nationally and internationally to get the area protected. Once legislation is enacted proper management of that ecosystem would need to occur in order to reduce the risk of the area being a so-called 'paper park'. This management of should involve natural space bio-mapping, integrated use of GIS mapping, mangrove strand management, the possibility of housing injured and sick sea turtles in housing pens close to the island, doing bird monitoring, invasive species checks, and baseline environmental monitoring.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams received an update on the progress of the St. Maarten Development Fund Foundation (SMDF) at her Cabinet on Wednesday afternoon. Attendants to the meeting included Richelda Emmanuel, SMDF Board President, Mr. Keith Franca, interim director of the SMDF, Ms. Emilia Thomas, Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister and Mr. Hensley Plantijn, Legal advisor to the PM.

The meeting update the PM on the progress of the SMDF as the fund will fill the gap left open when the Former Antillean Co-Financing Organization AMFO and Reda Sosial ceased operations. 
The SMDF has its offices at the Yogesh Commercial Complex Unit 1-H.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group's mobile provider, TelCell, has started a massive island-wide talent search to shine the spotlight on St. Maarten's talented youth.

Kicking off this week, St. Maarten's favorite mobile provider, in collaboration with the group Xtratight Entertainment, will be organizing a "Breakthrough" Campaign, featuring the hottest and most creative youth talent.

They are being assembled for a round of auditions that will be taking place at the Cultural Center, Backstreet, August 17, with finals scheduled to take place at the Casino Royal Theater, Maho, September 28.

Through a series of auditions, elimination rounds and performances, youth aged 10 through 18 will be selected for a chance to perform on stage where they can win some fabulous prizes along with real encouragement to take their talents further in the entertainment industry .

The talent categories being showcased includes, but is not limited to:
Vocals, rapping, stand up- comedy, drama, freestyle/creative.

Amongst the prizes available for winners is a recording contract and video clip production for one single along with a host of prizes from various partners and collaborators on the project.

The promotion will also allow the winners of each segment to be adopted by TelCell's Commercial and Marketing team for future promotions and demonstrations.

TelEm Group is not a stranger to exposing youth talent on St. Maarten, having successfully sponsored the St. Maarten Idol contest in collaboration with Hard Rock Café, earlier this year.

The company sponsored the first Flash Mob contest amongst St. Maarten schools to rave reviews last year.

This year's Breakthrough event carries with it the possibility of TV and/or Cinema promotions once the required sponsors and contributors can be encouraged to take part.

TelEm Group is currently promoting the Breakthrough talent search campaign in the local electronic and print media using the slogan "Your Fame, Our Aim!"

For more information: email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 5460200 ext. 126/389.

PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, July 5, the Philipsburg Jubilee Library in collaboration with Movement for Music Dance Art and Entertainment powered by La Rich Arts & Entertainment Management presents the 4th edition of Spoken Lyrics, to be hosted at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library's new Lounge, at 8 pm.
The objective of this collaboration is to promote and stimulate local up and coming entertainers to participate in sharing their work with the general public, with hopes of inspiring patrons to create works of their own to share.
"Many supporters have requested the return of Spoken Lyrics after the great response from last year's 3rd edition at Axum Café, "Green Light". These sessions gave undiscovered talent the opportunity to showcase their work during each night's open mic session", stated Lucinda Audain of La Rich Arts & Entertainment.
Specific Fridays in the month of July & August will be dedicated specifically to the Spoken Lyrics sessions in the Library's brand new Lounge area. Each event will begin at 8:00 pm with lounge music and cocktails and light snacks to allow persons to get comfortable. At 8:30pm, the program will begin with the featured artists with brief interludes. The final hour is the open mic session for the general public to share their work based on the theme of the evening.
This Fridays Spoken Lyric Session will be themed "Drums of Fire", in commemoration of Emancipation Day. Featured Artists for the evening will be Papa Umpo, Maguada Jackson, Melissa Fleming, and Juliana Alexander. Special guest drummers will be Shabba & the Jimbe Drummers. This session will fuse spoken word and the drum to create a rhythmic call and response interaction between artists and the public.
"At the core of our library's mission is to facilitate and provide access to cultural expressions of all performing arts. Events like these give us the opportunity to create a space where the public and artists get an opportunity to interact not only for the advancement of literacy, but also to promote creative expression", remarked Morenika Arrindell, Library Public Relations Officer.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Let's Travel wishes to announce to the general public that its LET'S SAVE "BUDGETING COURSE" has started Tuesday, July 2nd, and will be held every Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm at the Sundial School for the whole month of July. Seats are still available and anyone wishing to sign up can contact Emilio Kalmera or Terrance Rey or visit the Let's Travel offices or call 543-1023 to register. The first 10 participants are sponsored by Let's Travel.

GREAT BAY:--- Boys and girls attending the "Summer Storytime with Queen Genesis Meyers" are in for a treat at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Saturday, July 6, from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, said Nzinga Lake, organizer of the program. The reigning "Little Miss St. Martin" Genesis Meyers, 12, will read from Lizzy Lizard, Robin Boasman's new storybook for ages 4 to 9. A coloring contest of Lizzy and visit from a Lizzy Lizard mascot are on the program. Furthermore, "a guest choreographer will teach the kids the Lizzy Lizard dance," said Lake, director of the Little Miss St. Martin pageant, host of the free storytelling program on Saturday. Sandwiches, cupcakes and drinks will be served for the participants. A form will be available for the children whose parents' wish or allow them to join the planned children's book club slated to start in the near future by the pageant organization. Author Robin Boasman is invited as a special guest to the storytime program, said Lake.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Vice President of the High Council of State, the Council of Advice Hon. Mavis Brooks-Solomon presented the annual report of the Council to the President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell last week.

Cherry-Ann Thomas named Valedictorian

PHILIPSBURG:--- Thirty two pupils graduated from All Children's Education (ACE) Foundation during an inspirational ceremony themed: "Sowing the good seeds to empower change" on Sunday.

The graduates included a number of pupils who had sat and passed the first ever Foundation Based Education (FBE) exist examinations and a number of pupils who sat the placement exams at St. Maarten Academy. Cherry-Ann Thomas was named valedictorian for topping the graduating batch. She will continue her studies at St. Maarten Academy's Academic section.

Additionally, some 14 youngsters also said goodbye to their preschool and kindergarten years.

Alluding to the theme of the graduation ceremony Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Hon. Patricia Lourens likened pupils to a seed that is planted that needs to be continually watered to grow and blossom in their education journey. She told students that this is just the beginning of their journey in education and reminded parents that they need to continue to nurture their children - the seeds - so that they can blossom and grow.

The Education Minister also encouraged the graduates and gave them some positive advice to use along their educational journey.

ACE Director Claire Elshot spoke about ACE's history, its journey educating pupils throughout the years and about the Basic Philosophy of Tzu Chi Education and its vision which she said are to promote four noble characters: Compassion, Mercy, Joy and Unconditional Giving; to provide academic education, humanitarian principles and character building simultaneously in the learning process; to cultivate in scholarly education and morality based on humanism culture so that the students become professionals who possess compassion and noble character among other things.

Keynote address speaker Glenny Santos, a former ACE pupil, spoke about how she benefited from attending ACE school when she first came to St. Maarten and spoke no English. She said the groundings she received at ACE sustained her during her years as an hour roll student at St. Maarten Academy's Academic section. She said however, that she did so well in her initial years at Academy that she laid back and faltered in her third year. She however, got back on track and is now back on the honour roll among the top ten students in her class. She urged graduates not to follow negative friends as they will not be beneficial to them. Only follow positive friends, she advised the batch of ACE graduates. She urged them to take their studies and education seriously as they continue their learning process.

Another inspirational story was shared by Penka Petkova, a Bulgarian native, whose daughter, was accepted at ACE school when no other school would accept her when compulsory education was not yet introduced in St. Maarten. Petkova said her daughter received a solid education at ACE and is now doing well thanks to ACE opening the doors of education to her. Petkova said she and her daughter are grateful to ACE and its Director Claire Elshot. Compulsory education was eventually introduced in August 2009.

Valedictorian Cherry-Ann Thomas also delivered an address on behalf of the graduating class.

The graduation ceremony, which was held at Tzu Chi Foundation's office, started with parents accompanying their children on stage and putting on their graduation caps and the pupils in turn presenting their parents with flowers. This involvement of parents in the graduation ceremony is intended to strengthen the bond between parent and child and to reward both parties for supporting each other during the child's education.

The curtains closed on the ceremony with teachers and volunteers accompanying pupils on stage and turning the tassel on their graduation caps to signal that they had graduated.
Special graduation photographs were also taken of pupils and presented to them at the end of the ceremony along with gift packages compliments of Tzu Chi.

The graduation ceremony was made possible thanks to the assistance of 35 Tzu Chi volunteers who turned out to assist in various aspects of the graduation. The volunteers were happy to help sow seeds of love during the ceremony. Tzu Chi Foundation, which is assisting ACE in its education mission as well as ACE thanked Education Minister Patricia Lourens for taking time out of her busy schedule to attend the graduation and for offering encouraging words to graduates.

ACE and Tzu Chi also thanked all the parents and volunteers who attended the event and congratulated all pupils as they continue their education journey.

Congratulates the Elderly for Their Contribution in Building the Nation.

L.B SCOTT ROAD:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams closed off the Emancipation Day activities by attending the Voices Ancestors Emancipation Day Celebration held at the Emilio Wilson Park. The Prime Minister made very brief comments in which she encouraged those in attendance to realize the importance the ancestors of the St. Maarten people played in building St. Maarten and to use that strength in moving St. Maarten forward.

"I think it is so fitting to have this event here on the Emilio Wilson Estate. It was 150 years ago that slavery was abolished yet it is on this Estate, under the blooming Flamboyant or July tree as we like to call them, that it seems shorter than 150 years because History seems much closer by as we walk these grounds.

"This Ancestral Day Celebration only shows how strong we are and shows that we have persevered through the spirit of our ancestors. And it is also therefore good to recognize the presence of our Senior Citizens that are here with us today; this must be a wonderful occasion for you as you reminisce and recall your contribution to St. Maarten. It is truly a celebration as we recognize how we have grown as a nation and as a people from strength to strength. Days like today when we look back for just a brief moment and recognize from where we have come and as Voices like to put it that we have indeed come from greatness and indeed great we are. If we as a people exercise this realization it is a wonderful way to close off this celebration as we continue to grow from strength to strength and as our national motto says Semper Pro Gradiens: always moving forward.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Division of Study Financing within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, & Youth Affairs in collaboration with the Sint Maarten Student Support Services (S4) will be conducting a series of information session and workshops for parents, guardians and students.
The main goals of the VOBAS information sessions and workshops are to ensure that parents, guardians and students are well prepared for living and studying abroad, to promote financial responsibility and good study habits.
Attendance of all workshops and information sessions is mandatory for all prospective students. VOBAS information sessions and workshop schedule:

To Accommodate Recent Long Lines Because of BTA

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister and the Ministry of General Affairs announce that the Census Office will have extraordinary opening times in order to accommodate the large volume of clients it has been experiencing over the last few days. The Census Office has been quite busy as of late due to the large number of requests in order to get registration papers, including some 3000 clients as part of the Brooks Towers Accord. The extra-ordinary opening times will be every Wednesday from two to four in afternoon for the next two weeks. Usually on Wednesday the Census Office is closed in the afternoon. The Ministry of General Affairs will examine if opening hours will need to be further extended and are also exploring alternative ways to ensure that the necessary services are rendered.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Several permanent workers of Great Bay Resort contacted SMN News on Tuesday claiming that a Jamaican undocumented supervisor whose name they gave as Cleopatra Blair who began working for the resort last year is making their working lives miserable. The workers who preferred to remain anonymous for the fear of victimization said that the new supervisor has been giving them three to four days off a week claiming that the season is slow. They said part-time workers some of whom are from Jamaica and are undocumented including the supervisor have been working seven days a week while the permanent workers are being given two and three days work per week. "We are not able to pay our bills and feed our families and we are permanent workers that are residing legally on the island and contributing to the fiscal system. Because of the mental and physical harassment, two persons who worked for years with the resort had to resign. One of the workers is 60+ years and she suffers from high blood pressure and other ailments but Ms. Blair chose to harass the elderly worker and even went as far as putting her to work in the bar outside on the beach in the hot sun. When the woman could not take it she resigned." The workers said the dining rooms at Great Bay Resort are very large and the supervisor would schedule three waiter staff workers for each dining room, then she would go around taking photographs with her phone of tables that were not cleaned immediately and take it to Bourne as he builds files to fire permanent and long time workers. The workers said they called in their union representative only to find out that the WIFOL representative was bought out. They said some of the workers went to one of the dailies and since then the situation has become unbearable.

The workers said that Ms. Blair has an extra-ordinary relationship with one of the General Managers who hails from Barbados. "We tried to speak with other supervisors who saw the unfair treatment but they are telling us that Blair has back-up because she has a personal relationship with a General Manager they identified as Carl Bourne." The workers are now calling on the Government of St. Maarten especially the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Labour because the law states that companies that have illegal immigrants working for them can face a fine. Besides that, they said they want to know if the labor laws on St. Maarten have changed because when working permits are being processed for first time applicants the worker has to remain off island until their documents are approved. "Jamaicans have to get visas to come to St. Maarten and the former Minister of Justice granted visa waivers to Maho for all kinds of people as the company tries to weed out the locals from the job market."
SMN News could not reach the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Justice on Tuesday for a comment on this issue.

Promotes Several Officers to Higher Ranks.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended the 16th Anniversary celebration of the Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten VKS at a ceremony in front of the Government Administration Building on Saturday. The PM, under whose authority the VKS falls, congratulated the VKS on their more than 16 years service in protecting and serving the community of St. Maarten and those who have been with the organization since the very beginning.

The Prime Minister also congratulated and thanked the family members of those in the VKS who have stood by them as they put their put their life on the line to protect and serve the people of St. Maarten.

"On this your 16th Anniversary allow me to congratulate those of you who have been promoted to a higher rank and those of you who have been recognized for exemplary service to the VKS over the years. Clearly the Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten continues to be an institution in evolution: continuously moving forward and adopting new tasks and also introducing new members into your ranks. Every year it is good to stand still for just a moment and recognize your service to this community as well as to contemplate as you move forward. So as we recognize promotions and service it is also a fact that as VKS officers you are acting as role models in the community of St. Maarten. Contributing to the VKS is contributing to the community of St. Maarten and as we look towards a settlement of a Marine Base later this year I myself look forward to seeing a broadening out of your tasks and supporting the community of St. Maarten and building this country block by block and step by step.

The Voluntary Corps of St. Maarten (VKS) is a paramilitary organization that conducts emergency services, protects the population and conducts law enforcement services.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

ST. MAARTEN/ST. MARTIN:--- On Friday June 28th at midnight until Saturday June 29th at 3:00am, the Gendarmes and the Dutch police kept a joint general control. The controls were carried out at the four main border crossings between the French and Dutch side of the island namely, Coralita/Oyster Bay, Belvedere/French Quarter, Union Road/Belle Vue, and Cupe Coy/Low Lands. During this control more than two hundred cars were checked. A total of 40 fines were given on the Dutch side and five cars were towed because they were not in proper working condition. The Chief Commissioner of Police from the Dutch side Peter de Witte visited the control location on border at Union Road/ Belle Vue where he met members from the gendarmes in charge of the control on the French Side. The control was very successful and more joint controls are to be held throughout the rest of the year to further strengthen the working relationship between both sides of the island.

KPSM Police Report

Pond Island:--- Administration Assistant, Jenise Diaz, is the lucky winner of an all-expenses paid trip to Miami Florida, USA, to see one of her favorite performers, Beyonce – "LIVE" in Concert.

Jenise was named winner of the Beyonce SMS contest, jointly promoted for the past seven weeks by party station X104.3 and mobile provider TelCell.
Her name was drawn at random by computer during a gathering of contest finalists at TelEm Group's main building on Pond Island Tuesday.
An ecstatic Jenise said she will be taking her sister along with her on the dream trip, and thanked all her colleagues for praying for her good fortune on her way to Tuesday's draw.
"My work colleagues all said I deserve to win so that I can have a well-earned break because I am going through a lot of things right now. I am so happy and I really, really wanted to see Beyonce in concert," said Jenise.
She admits to calling into X104.3 every day to participate in the contest, noting that she sent more SMS messages each day than she cares to remember.
"I did not know how many people were entering so I just sent as many as I could hoping my name would be picked up as a winner," Jenise commented when interviewed live on the radio station immediately after her win.
As well as receiving two airline tickets to Miami, Florida to see the live concert, she will also receive tickets to the "Mrs. Carter World Tour" and she will also be staying at the famous Fontainebleu Hotel with her guest.
Jenise was dwarfed by a massive check to the amount of $1,043 which she will be able to cash in for spending money for the trip with a prize-winning Blackberry Z10 with a host of new features to create memorable photo albums of the concert to show family and friends back home.
Contest collaborators, TelCell and radio station X104.3. have congratulated all prize winners, along with the main prizewinner for taking part in the exciting contest over the past seven weeks.
"Our team has enjoyed interacting with the public and with TelCell customers who have really been looking forward to the big draw," said party station owner, Etienne Brown.
He said it is now the station's responsibility to ensure that Jenise and her guest get all that is promised to them "the time of their lives with thousands of Beyonce fans in Miami on July 10th".

TelEm Group Marketing and Sales Officer, Ms. Cheryl Rismay is also pleased with the public response to the contest and the huge number of mobile customers who texted in "Beyonce" each day to the short code 1043 so that they could register for a chance to win one of three Blackberry Smartphones and become a finalist for the grand prize.
"We sincerely hope that after seeing the excitement that has been generated that others will be encouraged to enter future SMS contests we will be running with some more fantastic prizes," said Ms. Rismay in congratulating all winners, at the same time thanking all those who took part.
Ms. Rismay has also thanked the party station X104.3 team for generating excitement amongst their listeners and TelCell mobile customers, TelEm Group management for supporting the contest.
"It has been a runaway success and we wish Jenise and her guest a safe and enjoyable trip to see Beyonce," the Marketing and Sales Officer added.

Telem Press Release

What a wonderful way to celebrate your work and your contribution to our Country St. Maarten for so many decades.

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams congratulated renown artist and portraiteer Cynric Griffith for receiving the Prins Bernhard Culture Awards at a reception on Saturday. The Prime Minister joined various dignitaries including Governor Holiday and Minister of Education Patricia Lourens in expressing her congratulations and admiration to the artist.

"What a wonderful way to celebrate your work and your contribution to our Country St. Maarten for so many decades. I think it is so befitting that your work, your contribution and your instruction are being rewarded in this fashion. I also think it is well deserved and so I join in offering you congratulations from the Government and people of St. Maarten in building our island in the area of arts. I wish you many more years of painting and contribution and instruction on your art to the people of this Country.

You have offered me countless advice on various matters and it is through your dedication that the arts are where they are now on this island. Mr. Griffin if we look at person like yourselves we are encouraged to always keep busy in doing what we want to do in order to keep strong. You have contributed so greatly to this country and you very much deserve this recognition," stated Prime Minister to the always-humble Cynric Griffith.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

NASSAU, The Bahamas:--- Celebratory cheers and glasses raised in a champagne salute is how NAGICO Insurances (Bahamas) Limited ended their official company launch event last Thursday night, June 27, at the Balmoral Club.
The Bahamas is the newest and the 19th Caribbean territory in which NAGICO Insurances operate. Started over 31 years ago in St. Maarten, NAGICO is AM-Best rated and the largest privately-held general insurance company in the Caribbean. The group has total assets exceeding USD 170,000,000 and premium income in excess of USD 108,000,000. With equity topping USD 77,000,000. NAGICO undoubtedly presents one of the highest solvency and premium-to-equity ratios of any Caribbean insurer.
With a packed audience of dignitaries, agents, brokers and friends of NAGICO, the night began when co-host, Mr. Wendal Jones, welcomed young and talented JoPaul Scavella to led out in the National Anthem. This was followed by a prayer of blessing and dedication offered by Pastor Wilfred Adderley of the SDA Church. Managing Director of NAGICO Bahamas, Vibert Williams, energetically welcomed the attendees before handing over to local art collector, author and resident Director, Dawn Davies, who gave a brief, insightful synopsis of the NAGICO story. This was followed by remarks from the Chairman of the NAGICO Group of Companies, Mr. Michael Bishop, an internationally-acclaimed reinsurance expert, who expanded on previous comments stating that "NAGICO's reinsurance program is second-to-none in the region". Stating that NAGICO's license was the first she signed since taking the post of Superintendent of The Insurance Commission of The Bahamas, Mrs. Michele Fields formally welcomed NAGICO into the local industry and challenged the company to be competitive, fair and responsive to its clients, compliant and cooperative with regulation and regulators and a good corporate citizen.
Mr. Stuart Tavares, Director of Tavares & Higgs Insurance Brokers, told the audience that Tavares & Higgs were proud to be NAGICO's first representative in The Bahamas. He said that, after researching the company and meeting the Executive Team, the decision was 'an easy one' and that NAGICO is and will be a solid and viable option for his clients.
A mini documentary of the NAGICO growth and development was shown, highlighting the many challenges the company faced and overcame. These included major catastrophes – six hurricanes in five years, the volcanic devastation of Montserrat, earthquakes and devastating fires. The last presentation was from the CEO of NAGICO, Mr. Imran Amjad. His message focused on the core of the company, re-emphasizing that, although the company was growing and expanding faster than most of its competitors in the region, the vision was not to be the largest insurance company but to be 'The most trusted insurance company in The Caribbean'. He went on to elaborate the ways the company went about gaining trust: by having the largest group of qualified insurance professionals and accountants than any other regional company; by meeting and exceeding the requirements of the myriad of regulators to whom NAGICO is accountable including the Dutch and French regulators; by being good corporate citizens in supporting education, youth, sports and culture throughout the region; by aligning itself with honest, professional intermediaries and by a firm and proven commitment to deal with claims, whether they occur from a single incident or from a catastrophe, will unmatched speed, fairness and efficiency. Citing examples of situations involving tens of thousands of claims from mega-storms like Hurricane Luis, Mr. Amjad proudly stated that "99% of all claims were settled within 4 months and that not one claim had to be settled by court order".
Donations were made to the Center for the Deaf and to Hands for Hunger and door prizes were distributed. The ceremonial cutting of the cake and the champagne toast immediately preceded the vote of thanks done by Charlene Marshall, the local accountant, and the program ended with Rake and Scrape music, drinks and snacks and people mingling and enjoying and making history together – The NAGICO Way.

HARBOR VIEW:--- On Friday, June 28th, 2013 the 2012 annual report of the Social Economic Council (SER) was presented to his Excellency, the Governor of Sint Maarten, drs. E. Holiday.
The Governor met with the chairman of the SER, Mr. René A. Richardson and the Secretary-General Mr. Gerard Richardson at his offices at Harbor View.
The 2012 annual report covers an overview of the activities of the social economic council in its first full operational year. During the presentation of the report, the chairman gave the Governor a summary of the advices carried out in the preceding year and some of the challenges the council encountered. In addition the annual report highlights the achievements and future plans of the SER.
As an advisory and consultative body of employers' representatives, union representatives and independent experts, the Social and Economic Council aims to help create social consensus on socio-economic issues. The SER's advice is guided by the objective of social prosperity in its widest sense. This includes not only material progress i.e., increased affluence and production, but also social progress i.e., improved welfare and social cohesion.
This report represents the second annual report of the SER since its establishment on May 1, 2011.
The annual report is published in both English and Dutch and will be made available to the general public on the website of the SER (www.sersxm.org).

Simpson Bay:--- On Saturday June 22nd, 2013, the Sint Maarten Lions Club held its change of the Board Ceremony at Sonesta Maho Beach Hotel.

Amongst a prestigious gathering of Lion members, their partners in service, Leos and invited guests, the installation of the new Lions Board of Directors for the Lions year 2013-2014 was conducted by District Governor 60B Lion Claudius Buncamper, MJF.

Before the installation of the new Board, outgoing President Lion Richard Boyd delivered his outgoing speech in which he thanked all Lions for an excellent year.
With his concentration being on development of the youths during his tenure Boyd was quite satisfied with the projects executed in this respect.
He made specific mention of the "Lions Quest" project whereby several teachers and after school leaders were trained to improve the moral and social values of our youths.

Outgoing District Governor Lion Claudius Buncamper also thanked all Lions and their families for the great support he received during the past year which gave him a most successful year whereby much was achieved on a local level and also around the region.

After being installed as the Lions Club's 43rd President incoming President Lion Claudio Buncamper in his inauguration speech promised to invest much time and energy in the youth and elderly in the community. Membership development by enhancing the experience within the club, partnerships with other NGO's are all high on the new President's list.
His theme reads: "FOLLOW YOUR DREAM AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE".

As customary the Lions chose a "Lion of the Year" and for the second time in four years the honors went to Lion Davey Woods.

Highlight of the evening was also when District Governor Claudius Buncamper pinned Past District Governor 60B Lion Wally Havertong with "Four Diamond Progressive Melvin Jones" for his unswerving and dedicated service to the club and community for the past 38 years. Lion Wally is the third Lion in the entire District 60B to receive this award.
This award adds to his Melvin Jones award which he received in 1987, Paul Harris Award which he received from the St. Maarten Rotary Club in 1998.

Other members who will serve along with Lion Claudio Buncamper are:

Immediate Past President Lion Richard Boyd
1st Vice President Lion Jessica Challenger-Vrolijk
2nd Vice President Lion Michael van Grieken
3rd Vice President Lion Sunil Khatnani
Secretary Lion Davey Woods
Treasurer Lion Alphons Gumbs
Tamer Lion Henry Ellis
Tail Twister Lion Rafael Boasman
1 Year Director Lion Chantal Schaminee-Ringeling, MJF
1 Year Director Lion Edelmiro Jansen
2 Year Director Lion Oralie Boirard
2 Year Director Lion Merlyn Schaminee
Director of Membership Lion Melinda Hoeve, MJF

Says that project is an essential one in involving the disabled in the community.

Simpson Bay:--- During a Fundraising Dinner at Izi Restaurant the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams was presented a copy of the Be Able Committee of the Top Promotion Foundation Wheelchair Tennis Tournament held last year. Mr. Henri Brookson also thanked the Prime Minister for her continued support of the organization's aim to involve the disabled in various activities.

The Prime Minister in turn thanked the organizers for making the community aware of the plight of the disabled and for enriching their lives. "I want to thank the committee for what you have been able to do during the last year and I know that this year we can look forward to even greater plans. I look forward to attending the new project for 2013 and I also look forward to continuing to pledge my support for this very important initiative," stated the Prime Minister.

Mr. Brookson explained that the Be Able Program has also been starting to offer disabled tennis lessons as part of its program of encouraging sports for the disabled on St. Maarten.

"I would like to commend the Top Promotions Foundation on the excellent job which you have been doing with regards to the disabled here on the island. Plight of the disabled is very dear to me due to the memory of two of my siblings who passed away in 2010 and 2011 because of a very rare disease which caused them to be disabled during the last part of their lives. Before they passed they were able to have a good quality of life because of the care of the Sister Basilia Center and the caregivers that work there," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined with numerous dignitaries and invited guests and the people of Curacao on celebrating Curacao Flag Day at Oasis Restaurant on the A. Th. Illidge Road on Sunday. Curacao Flag Day is celebrated every 2nd of July in order to commemorate the first coming together of the Island Council of Curaçao in 1951. The Prime Minister commented that despite no longer being part of the same country, St. Maarten and Curacao share a common history and numerous family ties. The Prime Minister also congratulated the people of Curacao on the celebration of their 62nd Dia di Himno y Bandera.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago:--- Jesse Peterson, Treasurer of St. Maarten Marine Trade Association, recently attended a expert group meeting on yachting and marina services in the Caribbean.
The meeting was held at the sub-regional headquarters for the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Marine Industry experts and representatives from all over the Caribbean attended the meeting to discuss the complexities of promoting yachting and marinas in the Caribbean.
As of 2011, the Caribbean region currently had 140 marinas, spread across 25 countries and territories, which together offer roughly 7,340 berths (Authors estimate, 2013). St. Maarten's Marine Industry provides 16% of the total economy on St. Maarten according to a survey completed by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2009. It is vital that the industry is recognized and developed as a source of future employment for the island.

Jesse Peterson is the manager of Yacht Club Port De Plaisance where he has worked for 7 years after attending MPC and furthering his studies in the Netherlands.

SMMTA Press Release

CONCORDIA:--- For the first time on St. Maarten, two Area Governors (AGs) have been installed to lead the total of six Toastmasters Clubs in Division E of District 81. Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) and Competent Leader (CL) Sinatra Rouse is now at the helm of Area 23, with responsibility for The Disciples, Philipsburg, and Soualiga Corporate Toastmasters Clubs; while Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) and CL Malclom Jacques will guide Achievers, Saint-Martin Evolution, and the newly-formed Anguilla Toastmasters Clubs as part of Area 24.
Prior to this division, the five clubs on St. Martin fell under Area 26 with ACG, Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) Leona Romeo-Marlin as Area Governor, but due to the addition of the Anguilla Club, the need arose for two Area Governors.
The installation of the two AGs, as well as the club officers of Areas 23 and 24 took place last Saturday night at Opale, Maison des Enterprises (Chamber of Commerce) in Concordia. Amid the pomp and ceremony, MC Joy Arnell, ACB, CL guided the elaborate programme of awards and speeches, before bringing the curtains down with dancing.
Three clubs – The Disciples, Philipsburg, and Soualiga Corporate – received the highest recognition of President's Distinguished Awards; while Saint-Martin Evolution copped the honour of Distinguished Club.
According to Toastmasters International, the Distinguished Club Programme, which is an annual programme, running from July 1 through June 30, consists of 10 goals each club should strive to achieve. At year-end, the number of goals the club achieved is calculated. Based on this and the number of members it has, the club may be recognized as a Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President's Distinguished Club.
Outgoing AG Romeo-Marlin echoed the sentiments of immediate past District Governor, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Rolande Tobias that the clubs in Areas 23 and 24 must see themselves as completing each other, instead of competing against each other.
AG Jacques, in his very succinct address, said it is his goal to make sure that every member reaches his/her highest potential. He stressed the need for membership retention. AG Rouse, who outlined her goals for the 2013-14 Toastmaster year, told the audience that service to others is what makes a person learn to communicate, and through Toastmasters, one's character is shaped even more.
"The goals for Area 23 are to follow primarily the leadership and communication track of Toastmasters International, to embrace Area Speech competitions, reestablish the Youth Leadership program for the youth, and host educational sessions, such as debates, and a social to recruit more members...and to extend our network system, while giving each other honest opinions through evaluations," said AG Rouse, while pledging to achieve at least Distinguish Area come June next year.
"Every toastmaster session enhances skills...Just as the rain nurtures the soil that produces specific fruits in a timely fashion, Toastmasters can nurture you in a SMART way - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and with Timely goals...I dare to add to the list of advantages that your Toastmaster experience is Mastering, Incredible, New, and Timely heights – MINT goals."
The new presidents of the various clubs include ACB, CL Ingrid Holoman (The Disciples); Competent Communicator (CC) Arliene Chittick (Achievers); ACB, CL Georges Richardson (Philipsburg); Toastmaster Danae Daal (Soualiga Corporate); and Vernicia Brooks, CC (Saint Martin Evolution).
Toastmasters meetings continue during the month of July and interested persons are encouraged to visit and join. Philipsburg Toastmasters Club meets every first, third and fifth Thursday at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library from 7:15pm. The Disciples Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Sunday at St. Maarten Academy's academic campus from 4:45pm. Souliga Corporate Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Wednesday at the Government Administration Building from 5:00pm. Saint Martin Evolution Club meets every first and third Tuesday in Marigot from 7:15 pm. Achievers Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Thursday at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library from 7:00pm. While Anguilla Toastmasters Club meets every first and third Saturday at La Vue Hotel from 7:00pm.

Simpson Bay:--- Windward Islands Airways Intl N.V. (Winair) in its continuous efforts has upgraded it sales channels by joining the Sabre GDS (Global Distribution System) on June 7th, 2013. Joining the Sabre GDS will allow Winair to be sold by an additional 250,000 Travel Agents around the world but primarily in the USA. One of the advantages of joining Sabre is that Winair can now also be sold on Expedia and Travelocity which are presently being implemented. Travelocity and Expedia are the 2 largest On-Line Travel Agents that can sell Air, Hotels, cars and pretty much anything related to travel. Joining Sabre will also allow Winair to have potential Interline agreements with various carriers serving St. Maarten and the various Winair airports.
In further enhancing is customer experience, passengers booked on Winair flights can now check in online for their flights up to 24 hours in advance and up to 2 hours before departure. Clients with only carry-on baggage can now precede directly to the Winair Departure gates at least 30 minutes prior to departure. Clients that have checked baggage can proceed to the special Baggage Drop counters to have their baggage checked in. This new enhancement allows customers to spend less times in lines and have more time to enjoy their travel experience
Winair management and staff thanks its customers for its continued support as we move to make Winair the airline of choice

WINAIR Press Release

Philipsburg:--- Mischu Laikah, a gifted artist and entrepreneur, received a mini grant of Naf. 3000 for the organization of three entrepreneurial workshops, in which she inspired current and future entrepreneurs to shape and plan their dream in such a way that it can become a viable business idea. She organized the workshops as the last activities of her "Back to the Roots Tour" with the help of the Foundation Art Saves Lives. Mischu Laikah resides in Holland, but plans to be back to her native island SXM to execute more entrepreneurial training.

Foundations that would like to apply for funding from Cooperating Foundations are advised to call 5860808 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an appointment.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports (Ministry ECYS) and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) will be meeting on Tuesday to work out the details for the "quick school repair project."

Both Ministries have pledged to work together to facilitate the quick repair of all public primary schools before the start of the new school year 2013/2014 on August 12.

Both Ministers namely Hon. Patricia Lourens of Ministry ECYS and Hon. Maurice Lake of Ministry VROMI would like to see the red tape cut which delays the early execution of repairs to public schools.

The departments that will come together are Department of Education Services, the Inspectorate of Education, Culture and Youth, and Sports, and the Department of Infrastructure Management.

Philipsburg:--- Let's Travel wishes to announce to the general public that starting Tuesday, July 2nd, its LET'S SAVE BUDGETING COURSE will be held every Tuesday evening from 7pm to 9pm at the Sundial School for the whole month of July. Seats are still available and anyone wishing to sign up can contact Terrance Rey or Emilio Kalmera via the Let's Travel offices.

Let's Travel announced last month that it would be partnering with financial expert, Emilio Kalmera, to organize the budgeting courses as part of its empowerment initiatives launched under its SAVE NOW, TRAVEL LATER and LET'S SAVE programmes in observance of the travel agency's plans to celebrate its 25 years in business. Let's Travel has been specializing in airline tickets, cruises, packages, tours, charters and more since 1988.

The "Let's Save" budgeting courses will be held during the month of July. In this introduction to managing money, participants in the course will learn how to budget their income and expenditures. This budgeting course will allow participants to learn the different ways of effectively saving money and growing their money to pay for such things as a college education, buying a home, vacation travel, luxury items and last, but not least, saving for their old age pension.

The regular price of the budget course is $290 US Dollars, but as Let's Travel is the main sponsor, a special price of $250 will be on offer and an introductory 'early bird' price of $215 per person will be promoted for fast decision-makers. Participants will get all course materials in digital format, such as the budgeting tool, budgeting booklet, syllabus, theoretical booklet, PowerPoint presentation files and other digital articles for general knowledge purposes on money management.

From the price participants pay for the budgeting course, a percentage will be deposited in a fund as part of the "Let's Save" programme. The fund will be used to offer qualified graduating participants micro-loans. The management of Let's Travel and the course trainer, Emilio Kalmera, have already agreed to match the initial funds deposited in the "Let's Save" fund.

The budgeting course will last four weeks with weekly classes every Tuesday of 2 hours each from 7pm to 9pm at the Sundial School. Participants have to complete the course with a working and balanced budget and with a theoretical written exam. Participants, who pass the course with a minimum score of 70%, can qualify to get a loan from the "Let's Save" fund.

Financial expert, Emilio Kalmera, was asked to lead this budgeting course not only for his theoretical knowledge and expertise but also because of his impressive resume and track record in the area of financial management. Emilio Kalmera has a Bachelor's degree in Finance & Accounting and has had a number of jobs in the financial and banking sector with such companies as KPMG and RBTT Bank. Emilio Kalmera, who is presently working for the St. Maarten Government as a Senior Financial Policy Advisor in the Finance Department, has been for the past year assisting the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation and the St. Maarten Housing Finance Foundation as a financial manager. Emilio Kalmera has completed various training courses in management, wage tax, budgeting, policy development, and cooperation funding. Emilio has also given various courses and lectures on investment management, improving profitability, marketing, money management and wealth.

For more information and registration, clients can visit the Let's Travel office, call telephone 542-2381, cellphone 523-3564 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell on Friday received a visit from sixth grade students from Sister Borgia Primary School. The pupils were accompanied by their Teacher Laura.

The visit to the House of Parliament was in connection to presenting the President of Parliament with a token of appreciation for being one of their reading teachers during the past school year 2012-2013.

President Arrindell received an umbrella with the inscription from the parents teachers association of the Sister Borgia School; a commemorative plate with all of the sixth grade pupils and their teacher.

"I was very proud to note that the sixth grade of Sister Borgia did very well, while all the students who came to present the gift passed, and are continuing with their respective higher school of learning.

"My message to these young leaders of the future was, stay in school, study hard, respect your teachers and parents, and make Sint Maarten proud.

"I would like to congratulate all the students, teaching staff, management and parents of the Sister Borgia School for a job well done and a happy holidays," President of Parliament Hon. Gracita Arrindell said on Friday.

President Arrindell promised to continue reading for the new school year and asked for volunteers who command the Dutch language to spare 45 minutes of their time per week and become a reading volunteer at one of the nation's primary schools.

"You can never regret this worthy investment in the future generations of young Sint Maarteners," Arrindell concluded.

Teacher Laura and the sixth grade pupils received a parliamentary pin from President Arrindell.

Madame Estate:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined a pre-Emancipation Day Mass at the Moravian Church in Madame Estate on Sunday. The congregation at the service reflected on 150 years since the abolition of slavery and offered praise to Government Officials and in particular the Prime Minister in the task of moving St. Maarten forward as a country.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Belair:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams congratulated the new group of Registered Nurses at a Graduation Ceremony at the Belair Community Center on Friday. The Prime Minister congratulated the graduates and commended them for offering the very necessary care needed by those in the community who might be ill or infirm.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Pond Island:--- TelEm Group today announced that with immediate effect, the Main Office on Pond Island will be closing its doors for customer service, half an hour earlier from Monday to Friday, at 4:30 pm. Regular closing hours for customer service has been 5:00 pm.
The earlier closing time will allow customer service staff to better deal with customers who very often call at the main office minutes before closing with limited time to attend to their problems.
Advertisements have been posting in the local media informing the public about the change. Customers are also being advised throughout this week.
Customer Service staff are confident the change in hours will assist them in providing more efficient service to customers and the public generally, and especially when dealing with problems after office hours.
The change officially went into effect Monday, July 1st and will remain in effect until further notice.
TelEm Group personnel will continue to work until 5:00 pm as normal. The change in closing hours only affects customer service personnel.
TelEm Group has apologized to customers and the general public for any inconvenience caused by the change in closing hours for customer service.

Telem Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- As of July 1st until August 2, the House of Parliament will be closed for the summer recess.

The House will resume its scheduled meetings for the remainder of the 3rd Sitting of the House in the week of August 5.

Marigot:--- Rescue operators from the French and Dutch side of the island are busy searching for the bodies of persons that were on a boat traveling between Anguilla and St. Maarten. An agent of the Prefecture of St. Martin said that the boat got into an accident around 1:00am Monday morning. The agent said that some bodies were found but sea rescue is still busy looking for more bodies and or survivors.
A press release from the Prefecture of St. Martin states that a boat carrying about 20 passengers got into an accident early Monday morning between the islands of Anguilla and St. Martin. Currently, the Dutch Coast Guard, Sea Rescue, the Brigade Nautique, and the Gendarmerie are coordinating the search and rescue mission.
A helicopter and divers are in the area as they continue with the search and rescue mission and recovery of the ill-fated vessel. The press release further states that three persons perished in the accident, 12 survivors are in stable condition at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital, while three persons are missing. Chief of the Cabinet of the Prefecture DOLIGEZ Matthieu told SMN News that he could not divulge much information on the accident and the victims because the investigation is still ongoing. Doligez refused to say if the captain of the boat was found and if the boat was involved in human trafficking. The chief of cabinet even refused to release the nationalities of the victims and survivors that were on the boat.
SMN News also asked Doligez if the Dutch police were in contact with them since they are in search of three prisoners that escaped from the prison cells next to the Philipsburg Police Station last Sunday. Doligez said the Dutch police are in contact with the Gendarmerie but so far there is no solid information that they can share with their counterparts. He said as soon as they have more information a second press release will be sent out with additional information.

SMN News further learnt that the ill-fated boat is registered as "GOD IS GOOD" and it is registered to someone of Haitian decent by the name of Coulange residing on the Dutch side of the island. A source from the Sea Rescue said the persons on board the boat were not wearing life jackets and most of them were dressed in bathing suits. The ill-fated vessel they said sank close to Dog Island which is on the Northern side of Anguilla.

Authorities in Anguilla deny having any knowledge of a boat sinking in their waters. The commissioner of Police Rudolph Proctor told reporters on that island that he sent out the MV Dolphin to patrol the area in the Anguilla territories when he heard of the news via the internet and Blackberry messages. A reporter from the island of Anguilla told SMN News that authorities in Anguilla claimed they had no information on the boat mishap. However, late Monday afternoon they confirmed receiving information and said they sent their rescue boat to the scene to see if they could provide assistance to those that were continuing the search and rescue mission.

A second press release was issued by the Gendarmerie Monday night stating that they received a call on Sunday night around 11:30pm where a boat that was going through the Anguilla canal capsized. The boat they said measured between seven to eight meters. On board the ill-fated boat were a number of people. Shortly after the rescue team reached the scene they managed to rescue nine persons. The Gendarmes along with several other sea rescue persons continued the search all day on Monday, another three persons were rescued as the search operation continued, totaling the survivors to 12 all of whom were taken to the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital for treatment. Up to late Monday there are 12 survivors, 3 persons that perished while another three persons are still missing. An investigation was opened shortly after the operation started and is continuing under the authority of the prosecutor in order for the investigators to determine the circumstances of the tragedy while they are trying to identify the victims. Special attention will be given to the survivors based on humanitarian needs, the press release states.

Philipsburg:--- NAGICO Insurances employees and agents all came out together last week to take part in the 2nd annual NAGICO Sports Day. The event took place on Wednesday, June 26th, 2013 in the evening at Melford Hazel Sports Complex and on Saturday, June 29th, 2013 at Raoul Illidge Sports Complex. The purpose of this event was to allow employees and agents to socialize in a friendly and fun environment outside of work in a healthy and active way. Sports Day also helped on building certain skills such as leadership, communication, and team work. Participants were separated into 4 different teams prior to the event. Teams were prepared in advance with custom designed shirts and banners to represent their team and show team spirit. Various activities took place on both days consisting of obstacle courses, basketball shootout, 3 legged race, 100m dash, tug of war and also volleyball, domino, and soccer tournaments. A trophy and prizes were awarded to the overall winning team.

NAGICO Press Release

PHILIPSBURG:--- There is a book for everyone at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library's book sale on Saturday, July 6, from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
Parents, teachers, and caregivers will be able to take advantage of our huge selection of children books in hard and soft cover, to replenish their at-home collections or classrooms. Buy 15 books and pay only $5 or NAF 9.00. Interested in buying single copies? The prices are as follows:
Single hard cover books $ 1.00 / NAF 1.75
Soft covers $ 0.60 / NAF 1.00
Magazines $ 0.25 / NAF 0.50
Video & DVDS $ 1.00 / NAF 1.75
Support your local library by purchasing your favorite books, magazines, novels (fiction and non-fiction), and videos in several languages.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten offered special words of encouragement to graduating students and students who are in the final years of their education yesterday. "I would like to encourage all graduating students, students who are moving on to another class or graduating from Grade School, High School or tertiary education to continue striving for excellence and to continue to apply yourselves to reaching your full potential," stated the Prime Minister.

Over the recent few weeks the Prime Minister has attended the graduation of the Milton Peters School, Academy PSVE, Learning Unlimited School, and the University of St. Maarten to name just a few. The Prime Minister encouraged students to continuously raise the bar for what students wanted to attain in their personal and academic development.

"You must control the bar according to the goals you have set for yourselves; according to the standards that you aspire to. Control the achievements you hope to attain. And do not be apologetic for raising that bar; for putting aside short-term enjoyment for your long-term goals. I see many leaders here amongst our students: leaders in the area of athletics, science, academics and yes, also politics. Be that leader; set your bar using the tools that you have been provided and which allowed you to develop academically, socially and culturally. Now it is up to you to use those tools that you have been given and build on your tomorrow. Congratulations to the Graduating Class, Teachers, Staff and Students. You made it and you deserved it. Go out and make your mark," concluded the PM.

The Prime Minister continued by telling the students that in today's world it is easy to feel like the odd-one. "It is students like yourself which make all of the difference. I know that in today's world you might be sometimes called a nerd or similar names by some of your peers because of your dedication, but I would like to encourage you that you are on the right track and that you should stand up and be what you are and don't be afraid to strive towards excellence. So stay focused and continue to strive towards excellence. And to those who did not make it: do not give up; do not give up hope and continue to fight for what you think is important for you," stated the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Marigot:--- To prevent burglaries, St. Martin Gendarmerie Headquarters along with the Collectivité Police Department, have renewed for the summer holidays, Home Safety Campaign against burglars.
During your holidays, gendarmes and Collectivité policemen can watch your home or you store during daily patrols, upon your request. If you are interested, enroll at Gendarmerie station in Concordia or French Quarter.
You can also get some advice to secure your home or your store.
Do not forget to call us when you come back.
For any further information, call :

• Concordia Station 05 90 52 21 90,
• French Quarter Station 05 90 52 35 95.

BUSH ROAD:--- The book signing spree for the kiddies at Le Grande Marche last Saturday, was "a great success," said author Robin Boasman. "Words cannot express my gratitude," said Boasman, to the adults and children who selected copies of her Lizzy Lizard storybook. The first-time children's author also expressed "'a big thank you' to my Lizzy Lizard team for making the day a great success," and to the supermarket's management and employees for their hospitality. Interestingly, at another location, Van Dorp bookstore ran out of Lizzy Lizard copies by Saturday afternoon and will be re-stocked this week, said Boasman.

Says Social Environment of Students Also Plays a Role

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams commented on Friday on the issue of low passing rates in both the Sundial and Milton Peters Schools. The Prime Minister received the information on the low passing rates and ensured that Education Officials will be taking up the issue within the next few weeks

"I am sure in the coming weeks Education Officials will be evaluating and analyzing the results. Clearly from the first indications the results are not encouraging and if you take into consideration that these results come from an educational system that has been changed previously we need to take stock of where we are.

All of the factors will be evaluated and taken into consideration to come to a way forward. Some education officials have made the matter of the language a part of the reason and I am sure that that plays a role, but I am also sure that various other factors also play a role," stated the PM

The Prime Minister also stated that external factors outside of the school system should also be taken into consideration, external factors which have an effect on the success of students. "When you hear the stories about the students you realize that it is much more that just about the schools. Circumstances in home life are sometimes very taxing and how the students overcome those circumstances. It is not only about schools and the educational system but we also need to realize that it is also about our students in the community and in their homes and what they face there," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister