Articles

Dear Mr. Peterson,

Can't the following be proposed to the other heirs?

1. Both parties agree to evaluate the estate at an amount acceptable to both parties pending an independent appraisal report of the properties as well as an independent audit of the Final Report from PWC.

2. Both parties agree to execute a preliminary division of the estate among all 7 heirs based on the values agreed upon pending the independent appraisal and audit reports, N. C. Wathey II to receive his legitimate portion in cash as well as shares.

3. N. C. Wathey II shall refrain from delivering any requests for publications to the local media in his attempt to reach this agreement since this may be causing the hindrance for the other heirs to deliver the requested information the notary requires to complete the division of the estate within a period to be agreed upon by all parties.

4. Both parties agree that it is in the best interest to all concerned to settle this matter, once and for all to avoid publicity in the future which can have a damaging effect for the estate seeing that N. C. Wathey II himself has already suffered the most damage in this case due to the inability of the other heirs to produce the necessary information for the completion of the division.

5. Any other stipulations or amendments Mr. Peterson may deem necessary.

Please let me know what you think.

Norman C. Wathey

Member of Parliament Faction Leader of the National Alliance George Pantophlet says that the extraordinary meeting held in Ecuador of the commission on the safety or the security of citizens, prevention and combating drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime held on August 1st and 2nd in Cuenca, Ecuador proves the importance of working together as a region but not only regional but also on an international level. In preparing for the mega event which will take place sometime in the month of May 2013 in Panama at the inauguration of the new building (Parlatino Headquarters) an agenda appoint was established consisting of 5 points (freely translated):

1. Analysis of the causes, diagnostics and perspectives of the insecurity of the citizens in Latin America and the Caribbean.
2. Influences of Organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, transnational threats, drug trafficking, money laundering, human rights, trafficking in arms and explosives, youth delinquency and gangs.
3. Incidence of corruption in police establishments, judicial, legislative and of executive of government, mechanism of cooperation in inter-institutional, regional and international and combating of common delinquency and organized crime.
4. The role of Parliaments in the construction of the Marco regulatory law and control of the political institutions responsible for the security of citizens.
5. Evaluation of the prison systems and other alternatives such as the rehabilitation of persons who have been deprived of their freedom.

The members of the Justice committee were given assignment to research the causes and possible solutions of the aforementioned points. Mention was made by one of the members of the committee that we should analyze the environment and all security threats.
The entire meeting focused on the security of the citizens. The matter of drug trafficking, arms trafficking, terrorism and organized crime affects all citizens. It is a worldwide problem and has increased criminal activities and which make citizens afraid to leave their homes at night. The outcome of this is that it has an adverse effect on the economy.
In one of the cities in Ecuador they have recently recruited 65 new persons to strengthen their police force.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the discussion surrounding the prison system. In a particular country it was disclosed there is a new system that is being used to rehabilitate prisoners. Statistics have proven that only 2% of those prisoners that followed the new program returned to prison.
While those of the old system some 85% were repeat offenders. Every country has its own system but if needs be it has to be revised to deal with the present situation. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. There are many organizations that are already dealing with these matters. The idea is one of synchronization and inclusion. We must know what problems each country faces and find a united approach towards solving them.
This is where a member of the committee explained is the real importance of Human Rights especially as it regards to prisoners, that they are paid for their labor, educated properly and prepared to return to civil society.
Another matter of grave importance which was not surprising to me and brought up by some members of Parliament during the meetings was the lack of information being given to parliament by the Executive branch of Government. Solving this problem is proving to be difficult indeed. Parliament can only give proper directives based on all and accurate information.
A report has to be ready by October 31 of this year and submitted to the commission with the causes and possible solutions. Argentina, St. Maarten and Suriname will be responsible for Agenda point
#4. We have to find out if the present laws are able to deal with the combating of corruption in the region, How to punish corruption between the authorities and organized youth crimes in the prisons. What advances have been made in penalizing the actions of judges who have fallen prey to organized crime?
In closing, the effect of globalization has made every crime known to man a threat to our society. And it is only by having proper legislation, and making a united effort can we combat this.

Member of Parliament George Pantophlet

The International Coordinating Council of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) recently added 20 new sites to its global list of biosphere reserves, bringing the total to 599 in 117 countries.
Biosphere reserves are places recognized by MAB where local communities are actively involved in governance and management, research, education, training and monitoring at the service of both socio-economic development and biodiversity conservation. These are sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development.
At a MAB meeting in Paris, France, sites added to the listing were in Haiti, Kazakhstan, Sao Tome, and Principe, for the first time to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. The sites are internationally recognized, but nominated by national governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the country where they are located.
The origin of Biosphere Reserves goes back to 1968 and 1970 when UNESCO organized the Biosphere Conference in the late sixties and launched the MAB in the early 70s.
A joint effort should be made by the Governments of Sint Maarten and St. Martin to collectively establish the "Sint Maarten/St. Martin Biosphere Reserve."
A biosphere reserve is intended to fulfil three basic functions, which are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The conservation function entails contributing to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation. The development function entails fostering economic and human development which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable. The third function of logistics entails to provide support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of conservation and development.
The biosphere reserve has a number of benefits: to guide and reinforce projects to enhance people's livelihoods and ensure environmental sustainability; UNESCO's recognition; it raises awareness and can help attract funding from different sources; can serve as a pilot site or learning place(s) to explore and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development, providing lessons which can be applied elsewhere.
This would be great for the school community who have shown time and time again via science projects that they have potential solutions to today's environmental challenges.
Besides the aforementioned, the reserve is a concrete means for countries to implement Agenda 21, the Convention on Biological Diversity (example eco system approach), and many Millennium Development Goals (environmental sustainability).
Serious consideration should be given by the Governments of both sides of the island with respect to the creation of the "Sint Maarten/St. Martin Biosphere Reserve." We have more to gain than lose.

Roddy Heyliger

Dear Brenda,

You, Wendy and your entourage, including politicians Michael Ferrier and Frankie Meyers, showed up for the first time ever to a court session on Friday last as if they were brought along to try to intimidate me by their hostile demeanor demonstrated towards me.
For the record, I hereby warn you not to bring anyone near me who have nothing to do with the case between us, who in their ignorance might try to harm me because I will not hesitate to defend myself against any possible attacks.
You, Brenda, have once already threatened me using the words of sending other people to "clean up my ass" if I continued to try and get what is mine from my late father, Norman Chester Wathey.
Frankie Meyers already threatened me with a gun when I had nothing to do with him and reports were received that Michael Ferrier has also made threatening remarks to others about me, reasons for my concern about my well being and safety. It is well know in this community that Michael Ferrier and Joyce Wathey Beauperthuy have had a extra marital relationship and that Frankie Meyers may be having the same with Brenda Wathey, therefore the connection.
I am definitely not out there looking for trouble, I leave that to the trouble seekers themselves. Of course all persons are free to attend the hearings because this case is open to the public.

Norman C. Wathey

The Hard Rock International brand will be a plus for Sint Maarten if all goes well with the acquisition of the Simpson Bay Resort property in Pelican. This will be the fourth hotel brand to establish itself on the island (Westin, Sonesta and Radisson).
All parties and stakeholders concerned, need to look at the bigger picture and the long-term opportunities for the overall economy and the creation of employment for the people of this country.
According to media reports, Hard Rock International intends to also construct an additional 150 to 200 rooms, an investment estimated at around US$85 million.
Hard Rock International has 173 venues in 53 countries, including 138 Cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos. Hard Rock's two flagship Hotels and Casinos are in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida.
The company has additional hotel and casino projects including Panama Megapolis, scheduled to open in 2012; Cancun and Vallarta scheduled to open in 2012; Riviera Maya, Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013.
Hard Rock International plans to build a 310-room beachfront hotel and casino on Aruba. The group just opened its first hotel in Latin America, Hard Rock Hotel Panama Megapolis, a 66-floor hotel where the first phase opened on April 16, featuring 500 rooms of its more than 1,400 total rooms.
The Hard Rock International brand is owned by the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida, a federally recognized Indian tribe, and the only tribe in America who never signed a peace treaty. By 1957 Tribal leaders moved forward and drafted a Tribal constitution. They attained self-government through the formation of a governing body, the Tribal Council. At the same time, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. was created to oversee the business matters of the Tribe.
The Tribe employs more than 7,000 and purchase more than US$130 million in goods and services annually.
The Seminole business enterprise today supports the socio-economic development of the Seminole Indians providing health, welfare, public safety, education and other services to the community. Besides hospitality (hotel and casinos), the Seminole's other business ventures are spread over in cattle, citrus, and due to the progress made in all areas, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is considered one of the most successful native business peoples in the United States.

Roddy Heyliger

PHILIPSBURG:--- Sports Tourism Consultant Project Leader Reggie Plaisir conducted a Sports Tourism Niche Market presentation to Rotary Sunrise Club on Tuesday morning.

Reggie Plaisir was invited by Cookie Bijlani - Fundraising Director and owner of "Om Jewellery Store" on Front Street. Plaisir presented the group with brief details of a Sports Tourism Master Plan and announced to the group that an Executive Board Membership Committee will be formed shortly with major stakeholders in the community as a Non-Profit entity seeking a Public Private Partnership Agreement-Service Level Agreement with the Government of St Maarten Tourism Ministry and Sports Ministry.

Sports Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry and Country St Maarten should invest in this sector immediately. Several other Caribbean nations has already invested in Sports Tourism Development and their athletes are now at the Olympics and their destinations are being marketed globally via sports marketing and television broadcasting, Plaisir pointed out.

Country St. Maarten can also benefit from Sports Tourism Development with the creation of a new Sports Commission to operate during the months of May to November, the off-season months. This concept would stimulate the economy for all residents on the friendly island.

The theme of the presentation was the new Sports Commission which needs all hands on deck. The Chamber of Commerce President A. Bute will send out a notice to all business stakeholders to attend a general meeting to discuss the details of the Sports Tourism Master Plan and spinoff business opportunities for entrepreneurs on St Maarten, Reggie Plaisir said on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held a dinner meeting with the Director of the Princess Juliana International Airport Ms. Regina Labega, Airport Executives and Shareholder Representatives, and representatives of Moody's Investor Services at Big Fish restaurant on Thursday evening. Moody's Investors Services, often referred to as Moody's, are on St. Maarten as part of a Due Diligence program between the company, PJIA and Government. Moody's provides international financial research on bonds issued by commercial and government entities and, with Standard & Poor's and Fitch Group, is considered one of the Big Three credit rating agencies.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams concluded the first of a series of bi-lateral consultations between her Government and that of Curacao on questions related to the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten on Saturday. "The old saying which states that all is well that ends well is definitely applicable in this case and we have now arrived at serious and big decisions regarding the Central Bank of St. Maarten and Curacao", stated the Prime Minister.

Through negotiations that were held during the consultations various agreements were arrived at regarding the functioning of the Central Bank and the cooperation between St. Maarten and Curacao with regards to its functioning.

Based on the Video Conference, which was held on the thirteenth of August between Prime Minister Wescot-Williams and the Prime Minister of Curacao Gerrit Schotte, a follow-up meeting was decided to be held regarding the position of both countries on various topics with regards to the Central Bank. The discussed topics were the approval of the Central Bank's Budget, the appointment of a seventh member to the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank, and the Suspension of the Central Bank President.

During the bi-lateral consultation parties once again officially recognized the importance and necessity for the proper functioning of the Central Bank. The discussions regarding the meeting departed from this importance and set the tone for the meeting. "St. Maarten has stated clearly that we will commit ourselves to the agreements which were set forth on the establishment of the Central Bank. We have also stated clearly that it takes more than one to make a partnership and although the Central Bank is perhaps currently not where it should be, both governments have committed to solve the issues the institution is experiencing," commented the Prime Minister.

Appointment of a Seventh Member to the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank

It was decided during the consultations that the Joint Court of Appeals would appoint a temporary seventh Member to the Supervisory Board until a permanent member can be appointed. It was furthermore decided that all parties would convene on the 27th of August to discuss the appointment of the seventh member to the Supervisory Board.

During the meeting on the 27th of August St. Maarten will also make its position clear regarding the Suspension of Central Bank President Emsley Tromp. "Regarding the appointment of a Seventh Member to the Advisory Council we have made it clear that we will follow the law when it comes to the appointment as such. Also regarding the suspension of the President of the Central Bank we have agreed to take the Breach of Confidence between the President and the Government of Curacao in our further discussions and deliberations," stated the Prime Minister.

Audit of the Central Bank

During the meeting both parties agreed to have an Operational Audit carried out on the Central Bank. The Audit will focus on the functioning of the Bank and aims to increase the transparency of the organization. The Prime Minister stated that both parties have agreed to have an operational audit carried out by an independent and neutral party on the functioning of the Central bank; "This operational audit will neutral and independent as will the appointment of the entity which will carry out this audit.

Approval of the Budget

It was decided to expedite the approval of the Budget for the Central Bank. Both parties agreed that this is an essential component for the resolution of the issues pertaining to the Bank and the proper functioning of the institution. "It is extremely important for St. Maarten that the Budget for 2012 be established and we hope to see this executed soon."

The Prime Minister continued by stating that it is extremely important for not only the Governments, but also for the people and the commercial sectors of both countries to know that both governments will work on the agreements which have been established to enhance cooperation. "Any decisions regarding the Central Bank should be made jointly with the involvement of all parties. We will seek to eliminate the impasse which has been restricting the proper functioning of the Central bank and myself and the Government of St. Maarten are committed to see the proper functioning of the Central bank."

The next bi-lateral meeting will be held on the 27th of August. It was agreed that the consultations would continue indefinitely to ensure the proper functioning of the Central bank.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Thursday Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports (MinECYS) Hon. Silveria Jacobs, visited the Haagse Hogeschool in The Hague.

At the Haagse Hogeschool, the Minister and her delegation met with Drs. Anna Maria Andriol, a Senior Advisor within the Education and Student Affairs Department.

Drs. Andriol, who is no stranger to St.Maarten, is also the Project Manager for Talent Development. Talent Development is a project whereby current students of the Haagse Hogeschool act as mentors for secondary school students by guiding them in their study- and career choice.

The prevailing thought behind the project is that students are the experienced experts on studying and study choices.

The discussions held centered mainly on:

• The guidance of the St. Maarten students at Haagse Hogeschool
• Preparation of students to study in the Netherlands
• Collaboration with USM on the Bachelors in International Law, Life Sciences, and 'HBO Recht' programs

It was agreed that a delegation from the Haagse Hogeschool will visit St. Maarten later this month to finalize these discussions.

The Minister was also on hand when the group of St. Maarten students visited the Haagse Hogeschool to finalize their registration.

Students at the Haagsche Hogeschool and in other cities were happy to be registered at their schools and are settling into their rooms and apartments.

A few students will stay with family while awaiting their apartment or rooms at the end of August. The general consensus with students is that they are in good spirits with the weather and its unpredictability being their concern at the moment.

Yolanda Martina of the Study Financing department updated the minister on the status of the students early Thursday evening. Along with Head Mentor Nadjeska, Yolanda Martina has been visiting the students at their homes and addressing their inquiries and any concerns that they may have.

The Chairman of Alzheimer Disease International (ADI) will be visiting Sint Maarten from August 12-15. Dr. Jacob Roy Kuriakose, founder and past-president of the Alzheimer and Related Disorders Society from India, assumed his new responsibility as elected chairman of ADI, in March of this year. At the same ADI-Congress in March the Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation was admitted as the 77th national Alzheimer 's organization of ADI, the world federation of 78 national Alzheimer organizations.

The ADI-chairman is on a mission to advocate for Dementia to become a public health priority. In April of this year, together with the World Health Organization (WHO), ADI has launched the WHO-ADI report "Dementia: a public health priority." The Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation presented a copy of this report to the honorable Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, dr Cornelius de Weever on the same day of the launch.

MEETINGS SCHEDULED

Considering the inspiring role Sint Maarten government officials have played in the regional HIV-AIDS program in the last decade, Dr Jacob Roy wants to discuss with local government authorities, what role and commitment the Sint Maarten government can make in support of the advocacy for dementia to become a public health priority in all countries of the PAHO-region and in the Caribbean in particular.

To achieve the goal, the improvement of the care for persons with dementia and their family members, ADI wants to develop worldwide strategic alliances with community service organizations of professional and business persons, such as Rotary, Lions, business associations such as the Indian Merchant Association. The ADI-chairman is scheduled to meet during his visit in Sint Maarten with the District Governor from Rotary and the District Governor from the Lions, the highest ranking regional officers from Rotary and Lions. Dr Jacob Roy has noticed the cooperation from the local Rotary and Lions clubs with the Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation in the Alzheimer awareness campaign in Sint Maarten. With the district governors of these service organizations the ADI-chairman wants to discuss how these organizations in their district can assist ADI in making Dementia a public health priority in all the countries of the region, and especially in the 15 English speaking Caribbean where there is not yet a national Alzheimer organization.

With the PAHO-Sanitary Conference in Washington in September this year forthcoming and the WHO Assembly in Geneva in May next year the ADI-chairman wants to discuss the support of private sector social alliances of the Sint Maarten Alzheimer organization in the advocacy strategy of ADI to get Dementia recognized as a public health priority, just as he is scheduled to do with government officials from the public sector of Sint Maarten. The partnerships with the regional service organizations will be beneficial also to the ADI-globalization and ADI-regionalization policy for this region.

DEMENTIA CONFERENCE

To give hope to the persons with dementia and their family and professional caregivers the ADI-chairman will be the key-note speaker at a one-day Dementia conference on Monday August 13, 2012 in the Sonesta Great Bay Resort and Casino.

Topics that will be covered during the conference are:

• "WHY" Dementia must be recognized as a public health priority in all countries .
• "HOW" ADI wants to achieve this? What are the ADI policies and strategies?
• "WHAT" was done in Sint Maarten to make Dementia a public health priority?
• "HOW" Dementia can become public health priority in the whole region?
• "WHAT" is being done in Sint Maarten for people with Dementia and their family?
• "WHAT" Sint Maarten can offer ADI and the region to help people with dementia?

Stakeholders of public health, wellness and wellbeing as also community service organizations have been invited to attend the conference with their representatives.

Government and corporate sponsors have given their contribution to help realize this so important conference for the region.

The Dementia conference will take place in the Sonesta Great Bay Resort and Casino on Monday coming August 13 from 8:30 am till 5:30 pm. Organizations interested to attend the conference for more information about the conference can contact the Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation by visiting their Facebook page Alzheimer Sint Maarten or call their hotline number 9220, or call their cellular 5220925, or by sending an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The St. Maarten Youth Beat Foundation in Collaboration with the St. Maarten Junior District Basketball Association would hereby like to bring the following to your most valued attention.
From Monday 1st to Friday 5th October, 2012 we will host the 2012 St. Maarten Basketball Camp. The Camp will take place at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium from Monday 1st October – Friday 5th October, 2012 from 9:00am – 6:00pm. The day will involve a combination of training and games. The St. Maarten Basketball camp will be Directed, Coordinated, & Instructed by American High School Coaches, American College Coaches, & local St. Maarten Basketball Coaches.
The deadline to register is Monday 24th September, 2012. Registration starts as of Saturday 18th August, 2012 at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium from 10am - 1pm, and will continue every Saturday from 10am - 1pm. The first day of registration that took place on Saturday 18th August, 2012 was very successful as we were able to register 56 youth ballers at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium. Registration will continue every Saturday at the L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium until Saturday 29th September, 2012 from 10am – 1pm.
At the SXM Basketball Camp in October The American coaches will also be evaluating and advising the players/campers on what will have to be done to take their skills to the next level. We also will have an American High School Guidance Counselor and also an American College Guidance Counselor that will travel with the coaches in order to advise our athletes on what are the requirements to enter High School and/or College in the USA and also what are the Immigration requirements that a student from St. Maarten will have to work on in order to attend High school or College in the USA.
There will be a particular period of time during the camp when these counselors will have an opportunity to conduct a general session with the athletes/campers to discuss and answer all questions that the athletes/campers may have on the above mentioned matters, there will also be the possibility for each athlete/camper to have a one on one session with the counselors.
The youth basketball players of St.Maarten/St.Martin are encouraged to register as soon as possible as space will be limited to 200 campers at the camp based on the request of the coaches. The age bracket is 10-13, 14-17, 17- 21 years old, Players are asked to have on a black or dark blue basketball pants/shorts.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams was briefed on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, by the Commanding Officer of the Marine Barracks Savaneta located in Aruba Brigadier Edwin Hofma about future plans to establish a permanent marine facility on St. Maarten.

Brigadier Hofma, who is also the Chairman of the Workgroup for the future establishment of a Marine Base on the island, explained the progress being undertaken thus far. Once established, the marine base will provide military assistance, logistical assistance to the VKS and to the community in general. Also discussed was a social formation program similar to that on Aruba especially for the at-risk youth on St. Maarten. The Marines stationed in Aruba conduct an active program for at-risk youth where Marines stationed there give them discipline training and other aspects of military techniques.

The Prime Minister was very pleased to hear about the prospects for a base on St. Maarten as well as the plans Brigadier Hofma outlined for the community in general. The marine base, which is expected to be finalized in 2013, will be further discussed during the visit by Kingdom Minister of Defense Mr. Hans Hillen next week.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot Williams opened the Regional Dementia Conference held at the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort under the theme "Dementia: Public Health Priority". The conference, which is organized by the St. Maarten Alzheimer's Foundation, will handle various topics centered on the raising of awareness, health and social services and government support of Alzheimer's Patients and those living with other forms of dementia.

The Prime Minister, during her opening address, stated that the conference is very important for putting Alzheimer's as a priority in the national public health agenda and as a priority of St Maarten. "Allow me to thank the Alzheimer Foundation, the Pensioners Association and of course the Service Clubs for becoming involved in the process of creating awareness for Alzheimer's. While clearly there is no cure for the disease awareness, information and acceptance for all will help take us a long way in offering those who suffer from the disease a dignified life with their families," commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister continued by stating the initiatives that have been conducted on St. Maarten and the initiatives, which have been happening in countrywide, can be seen as an example in the region. "I believe we can be that example and secondly this disease is not limited to person, class, community, country or region. In fact it is a disease that affects us all globally. It is also a fact that St. Maarten is a cosmopolitan island, which gives us a lot of resources but also challenges. We as a community face must face the challenges of aging and providing the care necessary for offering our elderly a good quality of life."

The question is often asked what has the Constitutional Changes done for the island. It meant many things, but one important aspect is that it is now up to St. Maarten alone, both government and community, to establish what are our priorities as a nation going forward. In order to do so we must collectively realize what is affecting our community and the generations to come. We need to know what we need to help establish foundations for generations to come. So it is up to me as Government and up to you as the community to establish our priorities. So let us together decide how we address health issues, dementia including".

...

Philipsburg:--- Police arrested the owner of Harley Davidson store Fadi Hassbani on Monday for gun possession. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed that someone was arrested on Monday but refused to release the identity or initials of the person that was arrested. When asked if the suspect is Fadi Hassbani, Mos said he will not confirm neither deny if the identity SMN News provided to him is correct.

Mos said that the police searched a home on Billy Folly Road, Pelican and in that house they found a rifle and the person that was inside the house was arrested. The Chief Prosecutor further explained that the suspect who was arrested gave a statement to the police claiming that the weapon was inside the house when he went to occupy the house. Therefore, the police decided to arrest the owner of the house.

Mos said police searched a house in Pelican and an apartment in Cupe Coy after they received international information indicating that there might be money laundering taking place on the island. The Chief Prosecutor also confirmed that monies and other items were confiscated and that two persons are now in custody. Mos did not give any indication as to how much money was confiscated during the house searches neither did he say what the other items were.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- On 9 August 2012, 14 volunteers from the 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron located at the U.S. Forward Operating Location (U.S. FOL) assisted the Felisidat Espasio Libertat I Speransa (F.E.L.I.S.) Foundation by cleaning the grounds. Equipped with weed-eaters and rakes, the volunteers spent the morning clearing sections of overgrown grass and weeds on the foundation's property. The clean-up came just in time, since after-school programs began for the new school year that afternoon. The men and women working at the American FOL are frequent volunteers in the local community. This was yet another outstanding effort in assisting a local organization.

GREAT BAY:--- Lasana M. Sekou returned here on Monday from Dominica where he participated in the Nature Island Literary Festival and Book Fair in Roseau (8/10-12/12). The festival invited Sekou to read his fictions and poetry; and to conduct the workshop on "How to Get Published" with co-facilitator Dr. Irving Andre, said Alwin Bully, director of the book fair. In photo (L-R, front), authors Elizabeth Nunez (Trinidad/USA), Mervyn Morris (Jamaica), and Sekou listen intently with audience members to a riveting passage about corporal punishment in school from In the Castle of My Skin. The selection was read by the very author of the classic book, George Lamming—who was also the keynote speaker at the opening of Dominica's successful 5th annual literary festival. (Photo courtesy NILitFest)

Meeting with His Excellency the Governor and Rotarian (of many years) Eugene Holiday and Rotary District 7020 Governor Vance Lewis and his wife Monica. Delegation was led by Assistant Governor Jim Ferris also present at the meeting was the Presidents of the various Rotary Clubs on St. Maarten Elie Bandaley, Jon Hart, Marcellia Henry, Josianne Fleming, and Past Assistant Governors Louis Wever and Stephen Thompson (not in photo).

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Passing weather systems will bring rain and this creates the potential for mosquito breeding.

Section General Public Health (SGPH) is appealing to residents to be vigilant and eradicate mosquito breeding places. Residents are also asked to maintain a high level of prevention during the coming weeks where an increase in rainfall activity is expected.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Cornelius De Weever said on Sunday: "I am asking everyone to do their share to help in this prevention action. Please do your part."

Measures need to be taken in and around homes and businesses to reduce breeding of the Ades Aegypti mosquito which has the potential to transmit dengue and chikungunya fever.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. Chikungunya (CHIK) fever is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease caused by an alphavirus, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).

Clear stagnant water in old tires and other types of debris in yards can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes bringing about an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

SGPH is therefore advising residents to take immediate measures after rain events to make sure there is no clear/clean stagnant water in their yards; disposing of responsibly old tires, empty drums, plant containers, paint cans and other items that can collect water around their homes and businesses.

An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. In the case of where containers are used for storing water, residents should keep these covered. Inlets and outlets of cisterns must be covered with a mosquito net or cloth to prevent mosquito breeding.

To protect yourself from mosquito bites, stay indoors at dawn and dusks; cover up by wearing long pants and sleeves; use insect repellant; screen in outdoor deck and porch areas; and screen in exterior doors and windows.

...

Philipsburg:--- The G.I.F.T.E.D. Foundation returns with their series of praise parties with GLOW Party- "WORD NERD" on August 25th at the John Larmonie Centre starting at 7pm. International recording gospel R&B artiste, Curtis Jordan from Trinidad & Tobago, known for hits such as "Trust Me" and "Alive", will be performing live at the party. Local gospel DJ, Joshua "DRJ" Ferrol, will be back by popular demand as the DJ for the night after his dynamic performance last month. There will also be other performances for the night including one from local gospel rapper, Eugene "Torch" Hanson.
Patrons are expected to follow the dress code for the event – "Geek Chic" as the theme is "Word Nerd". There will be prizes for the best dressed, as well as other prizes and surprises. Free drinks will be served to the Early Birds from 7pm to 8pm.
GIFTED's GLOW parties and other activities have been getting much attention on social network sites such as Facebook. The event has even gotten the attention of neighboring islands such as Anguilla where some young people have already booked their trip for the weekend to SXM to attend the GLOW party. Local youth groups and individuals are also in on the buzz and quite excited about the party series by GIFTED.
G.I.F.T.E.D. GLOW parties provide wholesome entertainment for young Christ-minded people and create an experience with good friends, great music, and great memories. 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!
Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GIFTEDLIGHT and click "Like" to keep up-to-date with GIFTED activities. For tickets and/or more details you may call 581-0448.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation responded over the weekend to an urgent call from staff and management at Divi Little Bay Resort concerning a Sea Turtle on the beach exhibiting "strange" behaviour. Upon arrival at the resort a large Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) was noticed moving along the beach. It was soon determined that the turtle was a nesting female and was looking for a suitable place deposit her eggs. After several attempts the turtle was unable to lay her eggs due to the large amount of debris and rocks on the beach deposited by the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac. The Nature Foundation staff had to assist the Sea Turtle by removing rocks and other debris from the sand so that it was able to nest. After approximately four hours the Sea Turtle was able to lay her eggs successfully.

Sea turtle population numbers have plummeted to dangerously low numbers throughout the past century due to human impacts, bringing many species close to extinction and causing them to be listed as critically endangered. In order to reverse this trend, all sea turtle species are now protected by international laws and treaties as well as local laws. Based on ARTICLE 16 and 17 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance St. Maarten it is illegal to kill, wound, and capture or pick-up sea turtles. It is also illegal to directly or indirectly disturb their environment resulting in a physical threat or damage or to commit other acts which result in disturbance of the animal. It is also forbidden to disturb damage or destroy sea turtle nests, lairs, or breeding places. Also, it is forbidden to pick-up or to destroy the eggs of any species of sea turtles.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation actively manages the sea turtle population on St. Maarten, particularly during the nesting season which includes beach surveys, nest excavations, tagging activities, and nest success research.

Earlier this week Nature Foundation staff returned to Divi Little Bay to monitor the nest. Staff and Management of Divi Little Bay assist the Nature Foundation through providing material for protecting the nest and assisting with clearing the beach of debris.

Sea Turtle Season lasts until November. To report nesting activity or illegal activity, please call the Sea Turtle Hotline 9229 or call the Nature Foundation office at 5444267 or email the Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management has been informed by the Meteorological Department of Curacao that the heavy rainfall watch has been discontinued. A precautionary statement has been issued by the aforementioned Meteo Dept. and is now in force.

The public and motorists are advised to be vigilant and to drive with caution if any heavy rainfall does occur.

Philipsburg:--- On Wednesday August 1st, 2012, Judge Tamara Anna Maria Tijhuis took the oath in front of Governor Holiday. She will be the new residing judge in St. Maarten as she is replacing Judge Monique Keppels who returned to Holland last month.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Thursday afternoon the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs met with Leo Deurloo, Director of the NiME -Nederlands Instituut voor Master in Educatie.

Deurloo gave a presentation on:

• Creation of teacher leaders; making a career in front of the class.
• Keeping good teachers in the class by giving them possibilities to professionalize
• Role model function; if good teachers professionalize themselves through retraining, this would then automatically motivate weaker teachers to actively partake in retraining activities.

The NiME offers a series of 2 years Masters Programs and have conducted retraining programs in Aruba.

On Friday morning, round off meetings will be held with the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary. In the afternoon the Minister will be meeting with S4 management and the Head Mentor to get further updates on the progress of the student's orientation and registration. The meeting will be followed by a meet and greet session.

On Saturday evening Minister Jacobs will be attending a Barbeque for the students in The Hague which will be hosted at the home of their mentor. The minister will return to St. Maarten on Sunday August 5th, 2012.

...

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams met with the British High Commissioner for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean including the Dutch Caribbean Mr. Paul Brummel on Friday to discuss matters related to the relationship between Britain and the Dutch Caribbean, particularly St. Maarten and issues concerning British Citizens living on the island.

Mr. Brummel is the former British Ambassador to Kazakhstan and non-resident ambassador to Kyrgyzstan. He now is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic missions to the Eastern Caribbean. Also in the picture is Mr. Guy van der Meulen, Director of the Foreign Relations Department.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on August 23 about an investigation that was carried out by the General Audit Chamber.

The meeting will take place on Thursday morning at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament at Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

This is the first study that the High Council of State General Audit Chamber has carried out since its formal establishment in 2010.

The Chamber studied the process that led to the appointment of parliament's staff.

The central committee session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and via Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be carried via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com and parliament's website www.sxmparliament.org.

The Curacao Youth Flight Brigade received a tour of the U.S. Forward Operating Location (US FOL) on 25 August 2012. Upon arrival, the 43 cadets received a mission briefing by the 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. Timothy Beers. He explained the mission of the US FOL is to continuously enable joint, interagency, and multi-national air operations that conduct detection, monitoring, and tracking missions in support of regional counter-drug efforts.
After the briefing, the cadets observed demonstrations by the Fire Department and Security Forces, and then viewed a KC-135 tanker up close. US FOL members were on hand to answer the multitude of questions asked by the cadets throughout the tour. The cadets were very appreciative of the tour. One of the cadets stated, "This is an incredible opportunity! I've never been able to see these kinds of things before. It makes me want to fly airplanes!" Mr. Sherwin Gerard, the Youth Flight Brigade director, was very grateful for the opportunity provided to the cadets. He commented, "This tour means so much to us. We are glad to have this kind of relationship with the US FOL. Thank you for inviting us here and making such a contribution to the lives of these cadets."

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams met with the Progress Reporting Committee President Blandell and Secretary of the Committee Radermacher. During the meeting with the committee the Prime Minister is given the reports which have been made and gathered with the departments and Ministries that fall under the regulation of cooperation. The reports are done on a quarterly basis.
The Prime Minister commented that the commissioner, who is in charge of these reports, in this case Mr. Richard Gibson Sr., will have talks based on the results of the reporting with all of the agencies involved. The results of these talks will then form a basis of the discussions between the Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations and the Prime Ministers of the various countries within the Kingdom. "In St. Maarten that would be my person and this would happen on a similar basis in Curacao, for example" commented the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Justice Roland Duncan introduced two persons that he recently hired to reporters on Thursday. Minister Duncan introduced Mr. Edward Tony Rohan as the new Interim Director of the Pointe Blanche Prison. The Minister said Rohan was born on St. Maarten but he worked for a number of years at various prisons in the Netherlands over a 15 year period. Rohan has extensive training in Security Management and in the field of Prison Law and Management.

Rohan told reporters that some years ago he left St. Maarten and went to the United States to play professional baseball but that did not work out for him. He then returned to the island and left for Holland where he worked and studied. Rohan said he has 15 years of experience and he returned to St. Maarten to do what he could for his island with the knowledge and experience he gained overseas. Rohan further stated that he has a lot of work ahead of him, especially since the inmates are not cooperating with the ongoing renovation projects. When asked what are his priorities, Rohan said that he intends to intensify security at the detention centers on St. Maarten. One of the challenges Rohan faces is curtailing the importing of illegal items into the prison. Right now, persons from the community are seen sending illegal items by rope to the cells in Simpson Bay. Rohan said he heard of that situation but he has not yet come up with a plan on how to tackle the matter. "I am here just a few days now, and I am familiarizing myself with the institutions but as soon as I settle in, security will tighten."

The Minister of Justice also introduced to the media the new head of Judicial Affairs Mr.Vidjai Justia. Minister Duncan said that the new head of judicial affairs has a huge task ahead of him since he has to draft policies and laws. Justia will also have to assist the prison and police in drafting new policies, while he will be in charge of Youth Affairs.

Justia worked as a lawyer for the State Council, hereafter he was part of the technical assistance stationed in the Netherlands Antilles. Justia played a crucial role in establishing the departments of General and Legal Affairs of the island of St. Eustatius. Justia also worked on the execution of Netherlands Antilles tax law. As of January 2003, he worked as the coordinating special advisor employed by the human environment and transportation inspectorate. In the past years, Justia worked with several international and national bodies to assist in drafting policies and laws. He told reporters he has a vast amount of knowledge and experience which he gained internationally.

He said that while he only started the job on August 1, he already noticed that he has a lot of work ahead of him for the five year period he will be on the island. Justia said that right now the department of judicial affairs would need lawyers and they are busy looking for lawyers that are well rounded in all aspects of the justice system. Minister Duncan said that he already found some candidates but the Ministry cannot afford to hire them because their services are too expensive.

The Minister of Justice told reporters that the Justice Ministry is faced with several crucial problems. "Right now we have a shortage of space, renovations have to take place, and people have to be trained while we need to put people in their rightful positions. I already appointed four persons as acting unit heads in the prison. This was not in place at the Pointe Blanche Prison. When I took office in 2010, I met a dilapidated prison so I am busy trying to put things in place."

Justice Ministry looking at various buildings to house Sub-Stations and Community Police.

The Minister of Justice told reporters that he is busy finding locations to house several substations and offices for the community police in various districts. Minister Duncan said he already has an agreement with Royal Islander to install a control center on their properties while he is busy discussing with Port de Plaisance to obtain a building on that property to establish a police substation there. Minister Duncan said he is also discussing with a property owner on L.B. Scot Road and the Belvedere Housing Foundation to have sub-stations in those areas.

The Ministry of Justice already purchased the BBW building on Sucker Garden Road to house a training center and shooting range. The Martin Luther King School is under renovation. The intention is to house a substation and the offices for the community police for the Dutch Quarter and Middle Region area. The Martin Luther King School and BBW building will also have some classrooms for police trainings.

Minister still has to present the BOX Project to Council of Ministers.

When asked by SMN News if he will continue with his plans for the BOX in Cay Hill for a house of detention, the Minister said that government is about continuity and the former Council of Ministers already approved the project but he is now making some changes to the plans and he intends to take it to the Council of Ministers for approval by the end of this month. When asked if the BOX is one of the projects that will receive financing through the one hundred million guilders loan the island is seeking to obtain. Minister Duncan said that the Box is not included in that funding. In fact, he said the financing for the renovation and completion for the BOX has not yet been acquired. The Minister said he plans to hold town hall meetings after presenting the project to the Council of Ministers for approval. When asked by SMN News if he intends to use the third floor of the building which was constructed illegally, the Minister said he will not demolish that floor and then have to rebuild it. "The way the BOX is constructed it is ideal for a prison and the other plans he has for the building. "Part of the building will have cells, another part will have offices while in the front area there will be a youth detention facility. I can guarantee you that when the project is unveiled and the people see what will be there they will be impressed. But if they don't agree, then St. Maarten will have another huge problem to deal with.

It should be noted that the Minister of Justice was highly criticized by several members of Parliament when the news broke that he was discussing with Sameer Andrwos to purchase the BOX for the use of a prison. It is left to be seen if current coalition government will approve the BOX which was constructed without a building permit.

Stella to Head MOT, department must be in place before November --- Chitaroe's Contract Up.

The Minister of Justice also confirmed that the Secretary General for the Ministry of Justice Ligia Stella will be moving over to the MOT's office in Simpson Bay shortly. The Justice Minister said that he asked Stella to head the department because St. Maarten has until November to have the department up and running if not the island will be placed on the blacklist. Minister Duncan did not say how soon Stella will be moving over to her new office but when she does her position as Secretary General will become vacant.

The Minister also confirmed on Thursday that the Acting Head of Judicial Affairs Iris Chitaroe's contract has expired and she is currently on vacation. Minister Duncan said Chitaroe was one of those persons that were lent to St. Maarten when the island obtained its new status. "I am busy negotiating with her to see if I can get her to come back to the island in another position and the negotiation is not yet over."

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten attended the presentation of a check for USD $25,000 from the Bank of Nova Scotia to the University of St. Maarten. The contribution will go directly towards the funding of a computer system for the registrars office for the University of St. Maarten.

"Good afternoon and welcome as you join us on this special occasion as I myself join those before me in thanking the Bank of Nova Scotia with this wonderful gesture. You, the Bank of Nova Scotia, has been constant a trailblazer in terms of being a good corporate citizen and this deserves even more special mention.

Without a doubt some of the most important areas that we have to focus on St. Maarten are education and the health of the people. Education and the health of our nation are two aspects that we must focus on as a major aspect of the development of St. Maarten as a nation. As we look forward to this development we are raising the intellectual bar for our society through providing a solid education system.

While often times we see businesses contributing to St. Maarten, I am a proponent that that type of sponsorship is channeled into education and health for the simple reasons mentioned above. And in this respect the Bank of Nova Scotia is indeed a trailblazer and my comments are thus the more pertinent and I encourage others to join the Bank of Nova Scotia in sponsoring tertiary education in order for us to ensure that the intellectual development of both young and old are looked after in our country.

Thank you once again and congratulations to all concerned and I wish you much strength as you continue to chart the course for the University of St. Maarten, and by charting the course for the University you chart the course for Country St. Maarten. So once again much success; it has not been an easy journey but with gestures like this one here this afternoon this is a solid step towards the refocusing of the University of St. Maarten."

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- In preparation for the start of the new school year, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports (MinECYS) Hon. Silveria Jacobs paid a working visit to most public schools to assess their level of readiness.

The Hon. Minister is happy to report that all schools will open as schedule on Monday morning. The minister would hereby like to extend words of appreciation and thanks to the management and staff of the various schools, Ministry VROMI, staff bureau Ministry ECYS, contractors and all others who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to ensure that the schools would be ready to reopen on Monday.

The construction of the driveway and parking area at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School is nearing completion, and is not yet in use. As such parents and bus drivers are advised to exercise caution and patience when picking up and dropping off students.

Members of the control unit will be present regulate the traffic, while Management and staff of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School will be on hand to guide the students into the school. The minister is hereby requesting the full cooperation of the general public to ensure a smooth start of the new school year and minimize traffic congestion.

Parents and guardians who have not been able register their children in a school are requested to report to the Division Public Education Services at the Vlaun Building opposite the Post Office in Philipsburg as compulsory education is in effect.

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GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Tropical Storm Isaac continues moving Westward through the Eastern Caribbean Sea away from Sint Maarten as a minor tropical storm.

Local weather conditions for today Thursday according to the Meteorological Department of Curacao (MDC): fresh to strong winds will continue into early Friday morning.

Rainfall: occasional rain showers becoming heavier at times; total rainfall amounts will vary between one to two inches.

Seas: Small Craft Advisory will remain in effect until further notice; rough today and Friday.

Tropical Depression #10 at 11:00AM according to the National Hurricane Center was upgraded to the 10th named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Joyce.

Joyce at 11:00AM was located over 1300 miles east of the Leeward Islands out in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm does not pose a threat to Sint Maarten and is forecast to pass several hundred miles north of the island on Sunday.

This is the final advisory from the Office of Disaster Management on Tropical Storm Issac.

The theme for the 2012 conference at Stockholm International Water Institute is "Water and Food Security."
Michael Evans explains on www.earthtimes.org that delegates were told that over 900 million people in the world suffer from hunger and two billion more face serious health risks from under nourishment. At the same time, 1.5 billion people overeat and over a third of all food that is produced is either lost or wasted
World Water Week focuses on new thinking and positive action and from its original conception the organizers have been very much aware of the importance of involving the younger generation. An innovation for 2012 is the development of a Young Professionals' Vision. The aim is that during the conference a group of young professionals will develop a vision of how to achieve water and food security by 2050.
Joining thousands of Rotary Clubs around the world, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten continues its distribution of Water Fountains to primary schools on the island. Rotary International maintains "clean water" on its agenda as a main area of focus and so clubs all around the world are challenged to make a difference in their communities with respect to this topic. St. Maarten is fortunate to have clean running water to almost every corner of the island and thus cannot be compared to countries that still have great challenges in supplying this very basic need. With this in mind and a little creativity we are still able to give content to this area of focus and develop projects that fit within the Rotary International agenda of "Clean Water".
The MAC school, which has 450 pupils, is the first of many primary schools that will receive water-fountains during this Rotary Year. On sight at the MAC school in St. John's to receive the donation were school manager Rose Huges-Coram, Mrs. Juliana Hodge-Shipley and several pupils. Representing Rotary were Assistant District Governor James Ferris, past presidents Rebecca Low, Pierre Decelles, Kishore Idnani as well as club service director Henna Budhrani, vice president Robert Judd, and president elect Maria Buncamper-Molanus.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Minister of Education, Culture Youth and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs visited the Landstede ROC in Zwolle on Wednesday.

The Minister, accompanied by Study Financing representative Yolanda Martina and Senior Policy Advisor Antonio Aventurin met with Rob van Kessel from the Board of the Landstede organization.

Student Housing Coordinator Conchita Hugooschift and Project Manager Caribisch Nederland Margriet Leest were also part of the Landstede delegation.

The Minister and her delegation explored the various avenues for innovative and practical education at Landstede.

In addition a keen interest was expressed for the manner in which student housing is organized by Landstede. ROC Landstede Zwolle is offering St. Maarten students a complete package which includes housing, guidance and extra support with the Dutch language.
The school's strength stems from a labor market approach to learning. Their practical classrooms have been integrated into mini businesses. Students will learn and work at the schools as well as in the business community. Several new businesses were born under the student entrepreneurship program.

Minister Jacobs and the delegation were rather impressed with the facilities, programs and approach used by ROC Landstede Zwolle.

Further discussions will be held to come to a cooperation agreement which would facilitate St. Maarten's students both in the Netherlands and St. Maarten.

After the visit to Landstede the Minister and her delegation travelled to Den Haag for a meeting at the Ministry of Education Culture and Science.

Philipsburg:--- President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot told reporters on Thursday during WICLU's weekly press briefing that she is concerned about the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) payments that were paid to the civil servants while the teachers of government subsidized schools have not been paid yet. Elshot said she mentioned this to the Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt when she first met with him on July 10th, she asked the Minister to do his best to ensure this does not happen.

The WITU President said she was shocked to learn from several school boards that the Ministry of Finance did not even provide them with information regarding the COLA payments. She said that basic information such as the percentage which is 3.2% was not given to the school boards so that they can have their accountants process the payments in a timely manner.

Elshot further explained that the teachers and civil servants received their June salaries and COLA payments in separate payrolls. Elshot said that she received a number of emails and messages via Facebook regarding the payments that were made. Those messages and phone calls came from teachers working at the Government subsidized schools.

Elshot said at least six school boards did not receive the information leaving close to 600 teachers without their monies. Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt announced on Wednesday that the COLA payments were made and that his Ministry was busy working on the payments for the various subsidized school boards. She said that these teachers' COLA payments are now in limbo because the union cannot even tell the teachers when these payments will be made. Elshot said that she has been advocating that education workers be given equal treatment. "Right now, one third of my members received their monies and two thirds did not and this has left me with mixed feelings."

Elshot told reporters that she also got information that the pensioners also did not get their cost of living adjustments. "I really don't know why the pensioners were forgotten. I want the general public as well as government to know that the pensioners of today were the workers of yesterday therefore the workers of today will be the pensioners of tomorrow, so tomorrow when I am a pensioner I don't want to be left out of anything. These people have given 35 to 40 years of public service and they should not be left out of anything that is entitled to them."

Elshot said the union intends to send a letter to Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt, Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, and various School Boards regarding her concerns.

WITU Board Met with Education Minister --- Several Issues discussed.

President of the Windward Island Teachers Union Claire Elshot announced on Thursday during WICLU's weekly press briefing that the board of the WITU met with the Minister of Education last week Thursday afternoon. Elshot said the union managed to raise several points of concerns to the Minister one of which was the appointment of school managers.

Elshot said at the time the Minister told the WITU that while she was given an advice to decide on and she did not take a decision on the candidates that were recommended for the positions. Elshot congratulated the two persons that were appointed namely Stuart Johnson who was appointed school manager of Martin Luther King Jr. School and Sonia Parrot Warner at the Oranje School. However, the union is calling upon any person who felt that they were not treated fairly with the nomination process to file an appeal. "There is a procedure to follow and if you applied and felt you were bypassed you should file an appeal and the WITU will assist with the process."

Construction work at schools affecting teachers.

Elshot said she also informed the Minister that several teachers have been complaining about the construction work that has been ongoing for the past two years at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School and the Minister promised that the construction work at that school will be completed by August 13th when school reopens. The WITU President said that she also informed the Minister about the teachers' concerns regarding the maintenance of some of the schools on the island. One such school is the Oranje School that is located on Front Street. Elshot said the teachers believe that since the Oranje School is a tourist attraction on Front Street then it should be maintained during the summer vacation. "At least painting the outer side of the school will make it look more presentable." Elshot said the Minister informed the union that three schools on the island will be undergoing some major repairs. Those schools are Charles Leopold Bell School, Prins Willem Alexander School, and the Marie Genevieve de Weever School. She explained that while construction of another wing is in process at the Marie Genevieve School, repairs have to be done on the old structure.

Elshot said the union also expressed concerns on how the foreign degrees are being evaluated. She said the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour have an agreement whereby all teachers who are in this predicament will get a renewal of their work and residency permit for one year. The agreement she said is temporary until the teachers upgrade themselves by partaking in various courses that are offered on the island. She said that the teachers on St. Maarten attended the FBE trainings but to date they have not been re-certified. This re-certification did not take place even though they participated in all of the courses that were offered to them. Elshot said as soon as the Minister returns from the Netherlands she would have to deal with the re-certification because there are a number of teachers that completed the cycle 1 and 2 FBE program. The WITU President said that while the processing and payment for the evaluation of the degrees are done locally, the actually evaluation is done by someone in Curacao who does not work in the interest of St. Maarten. "Some of our teachers went to USM to see if they could further upgrade themselves and they were told that the degree they are holding from several Caribbean nations are higher that what St. Maarten offers, but the problem is that the Dutch has refused to recognized these institutions."

Elshot said teachers that possess degrees from the University of West Indies (UWI) are having problems with the evaluation process. She said that it is time for St. Maarten to begin offering more courses so that teachers could continue to upgrade themselves. She also said the Minister informed the union that the teachers training program at USM will be fully subsidized.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot Williams welcomed R&B and Soul legend Roberta Flack at the Soualiga Lounge of the Princess Juliana Airport on Friday. Ms. Flack, who was on island for the Hennessey Artistry event met briefly with the Prime Minister and they jointly conducted an interview. In her statements during the reception the Prime Minister stated that the presence of Ms. Flack on St. Maarten is another feather in the cap of St. Maarten; "It is very special for the island that we are able to bring this caliber of entertainer here to perform for the people of our country. I look forward to an excellent show to hear the legend which Ms. Flack is performing," commented the Prime Minister.

On Saturday Evening the Prime Minister joined hundreds of people in the Festival Village to hear both Reggae Artist Maxi Priest and Ms. Flack Perform. The Prime Minister congratulated the organizers of the show on a job well done.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Disaster Coordinator Winston Salomon would like to commend Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise on its second Hurricane Awareness Mission held recently at the Le Grande Marche Bush Road.

The community-service-based organization collected non-perishable items from customers shopping at the supermarket.
The items collected are then given to the local Red Cross to distribute in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster.
The next mission planned by the community organization is for September 1 at Sunny Foods Supermarket.
The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already seen six storm systems form so far for the season.

Office of Disaster Management (ODM) Paul Martens says that non-perishable foods and beverages as well as other goods are one of the essential requirements to sustain an individual or family for at least a week after a hurricane strike.
ODM is calling on the community to make sure everybody has everything in place and are storm ready.

The remaining names of potential storms for the 2012 season are: Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.
The hurricane season runs through November 30.

Philipsburg:--- On behalf of the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise we would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to KPMG for sponsoring 60 school bags containing color pencils, crayons, exercise books and pencils to Rotaract's Give A Child a Chance Project. Your contribution towards GACAC project was much appreciated.

Philipsburg:--- On Monday August 13, 2012, a brief ceremony was held at the Ministry of Justice's Cabinet, welcoming 6 more additions to the Ministry of Justice's Division of Armed Forces more specifically, the Divisions of the Royal Military Police (KMAR) and the Criminal Investigation Team (RST).

The Honorable Minister of Justice Roland Duncan and the local Chief of Police congratulated all the officers and welcomed them to the team. The Minister proceeded to encourage them to serve Sint Maarten well. The Police Chief Commissioner Mr. Peter De Witte stated that he was pleased to have them join the Force as at this present time there is much work to be done. Also in attendance were other colleagues of the Royal Military Police and the Criminal Investigation Team.

Sworn in were 3 Royal Military Police Officers (KMAR) namely: Mr. Peter Heemstra, Mr. Eric Wagenmakers, and Ms. Jacdine Ditewig and 3 Detectives for the Criminal Investigation Team (RST) namely: Mr. Jack van Loon, Mr. Henk van Wijk, and Ms. Patricia Molendijk.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held an evaluation meeting/ debriefing with the members of the St. Maarten Delegation which the PM headed to AIDS 2012 in Washington DC in August. The Prime Minister met with Suzette Mozes-Burton, Margje Troost, Eunicio Martina, Rajesh Chintaman, Ida Holaman, Joy Arnell and Emilia Thomas on Tuesday to have a formal debrief and next step strategy meeting coming out of the conference.

Some of the points that were discussed during the meeting were St. Maarten's increased visibility with regards to the preparations for the next International AIDS conference to be held in Australia in 2014. Various strategies were also learned for increasing community awareness on the epidemic and increased St. Marten's networking and partnership building capabilities with regards to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The delegation also was able to compare the steps that St. Maarten is taking with regards to controlling HIV/AIDS with other countries throughout the world and in the region. "I was pleased to see that the steps we are taking are the necessary ones when I compare our program to that of other countries in the region," commented the Prime Minister.

Also coming out of the meeting were increasing the effectiveness of testing programs and the empowerment of people living with HIV/AIDS. The Prime Minister also discussed ways in which Government can assist with the high costs of treatment for those living with the disease. "The reality is that a treatment course for persons living with HIV can be as expensive as twenty thousand dollars yearly. This matter of cost is extremely important and Government can look at ways to alleviate this high cost," stated the Prime Minister during the meeting.

The International AIDS Conference is the largest international meeting on a single health issue. Every two years 20,000 participants representing all stakeholders in the global response to HIV meet to assess progress and identify future priorities. The AIDS 2012 conference is the single most widely covered HIV event in the world and is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership with a number of international and local partners. The conference theme, "Turning the Tide Together", emphasizes that the HIV epidemic has reached a defining moment and that by acting decisively on recent scientific advances in HIV treatment and biomedical prevention, the hope for a cure and the continuing evidence of the ability to scale-up key interventions in the most-needed settings there is now the potential to end the HIV epidemic.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Wednesday expressed her condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the friends and family of the late Camile Bailey. The Prime Minister stated that St. Maarten has lost a pioneer in the field of culture and arts; "On Tuesday I was saddened to hear that the island lost a true pioneer in the Culture and Arts and the development of such on the island. Mr. Bailey will be remembered as a teacher, Civil Servant and pioneer of Emancipation Day," commented the Prime Minister.

Camile Bailey, who passed away at the St. Maarten Medical Center, was 76 years old. He was the former Director of the Youth and Sports department, a member of the Council of the Arts and a former teacher. He was also one of the pioneers of the Emancipation Day Celebrations. "I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Camile. We should remember him for his contributions to the society of our island and for the man he was," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

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Pond Island:--- TelEm Group will be making adjustments to company switching equipment from Midnight tonight to accommodate necessary changes for adoption of the ongoing North America Numbering Plan (NANP) system.

As a result of these adjustments all landline services operated by TelEm Group will be interrupted from midnight Wednesday until 5:00 am Thursday morning.

TelEm Group says the work on company equipment represents one of the final physical changes that will take place within TelEm Group before NANP is fully implemented for Country St. Maarten.

TelEm Group NANP coordinator and Network Engineer, Mr. Donville Hodge, says once the latest adjustments are made, the company's CS2K softswitch will be properly configured to convert calls received using the +59954X-XXXX and +172154X-XXXX and terminate these calls into the company landline network.

He said a similar exercise will later take place after making similar adjustments to the company's mobile network.

According to Mr. Hodge this is another major milestone in the complete implementation of the North American Number Plan system for St. Maarten, which will bring the island in line with telephone users in the Caribbean region, the USA, and Canada.

The other milestones include; Permissive dialling of two separate country codes into St. Maarten; adjustments to company equipment to accommodate new Carrier-select numbers and most recently, new international dialling codes for calls to Europe; Curacao and the BES islands and other NANP countries.

Mr. Hodge said tonight's milestone will signal the end of major changes to company equipment that will have a significant impact on customers.

"We cannot avoid the interruptions that will be caused to landline users and we are putting mobile communication systems in place with the emergency services so that the public can continue to have access to these emergency services," said Mr. Hodge.

The TelEm Group engineer has meantime apologized to TelEm Group customers on the company's behalf for any inconvenience caused.

Philipsburg:--- The two winners of Chippie's Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival promotion travel to Curacao today (Thursday) with their invited guest to enjoy the two nights of concerts on August 31st and September 1st at the World Trade Center in Curacao. The winners and their guests will be staying at the All Inclusive Breezes Resort and receive ANG 500 spending money to use during their trip.

"This promotion was certainly one that generated a response from our customers. Customers had to SMS to 2337 for their chance to win, and they certainly did!," says UTS Marketing and Communications Officer, Ivy Lambert. "The response was great. It was very clear that our customers really wanted to win the trip." The winners were selected randomly from the thousands and thousands of entries when SMS polls closed on August 20th.

The Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival is among the most successful music festivals in the Caribbean. The star studded line-up at this year's Jazz festival includes Alicia Keys, Santana, Ruben Blades, Jill Scott, and many others.

Philipsburg:--- On Friday morning some Chippie customers in St. Maarten experienced difficulties in using their mobile service. On Thursday morning from 12am through to 4am a scheduled and publicized NANP maintenance took place and unfortunately the service of customers was disrupted.

"Unfortunately some unexpected disruptions occurred which affected some Chippie customers in St. Maarten during the morning hours today," says UTS Marketing and Communication Officer, Ivy Lambert. "Our technical team has worked diligently to restore service to those customers that were affected and they have reported full restoration of services."

"Of course we sincerely regret any inconvenience our customers may have experienced and we would like to again apologize" Lambert stated. "If any customers are still experiencing difficulties a reset of the service, by removing and re-inserting the battery of their device should resolve any remaining issues. If that doesn't resolve the problem, our Customer Service agents or Contact Center agents (+1721 5420101) are available to assist with further troubleshooting."

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- During their visit to Curacao, the men and women of the USS UNDERWOOD (FFG 36) provided volunteer support to the Siloam Village Orphanage in Soto. Armed with paintbrushes and gardening tools the sailors upgraded the garden and playground facilities. Also, they donated medical supplies such as diapers, baby powder and bandages to further benefit the children's hospice.
Chief Electronics Technician (Select) (SW) Michael Rushton, assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS UNDERWOOD, presented a plaque to Broeder Herman, the director of Siloam, during the community relations project.
The USS UNDERWOOD is deployed to Central and South America and the Caribbean in support of Operation Martillo and the mission of the U.S. 4th Fleet, Southern Seas 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Frank J. Pikul/Released)

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Tuesday July 31, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs celebrated her birthday in the Netherlands.

Minister Jacobs was presented with gifts from the S4 foundation and a Cashew cake from the Minister Plenipotentiary.

Though her schedule was busy she did find the time to cut the cake and celebrate.

Philipsburg:--- Four employees of the Simpson Bay Resort who are entitled to their salaries based on a verdict of the Court of First Instance rendered on April 2nd, 2012 filed for bankruptcy against the Simpson Bay Resort sometime in July announced President of the Workers Institute of Organized Labour (WIFOL) Theophillus Thompson. Thompson made the announcement on Thursday at the WICLU's weekly press conference. The WIFOL President explained that after the employees filed for the bankruptcy, the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company filed for protection under the same grounds of bankruptcy. Thompson said a moratorium was granted by the judge and a trustee was also appointed by the judge to determine whether or not the petitions before him are valid.

Thompson said WIFOL has instructed their lawyers to make some legal inquires about the trustee that was appointed by the court. The WIFOL President said that the reason they asked their lawyers to investigate and make inquires about the trustee is because the WIFOL had contacted that same law firm and the lawyer in question during the initial stage of the Pelican saga to represent the workers of SBRMC but the lawyer that is representing the resort (SBRMC) Mr. Jairo Bloem protested against the choice of the union's lawyer claiming that the law firm in question also worked for the Resort. "If that is the case then this would be a conflict of interest and we have to make sure this does not happen. We are now looking into the matter to determine how it was possible for the judge to appoint a curator from the same law firm that works for SBRMC."

Thompson said the workers filed for bankruptcy because they are still employed by the company and they have not been paid since last year November even though the court ruled that SBRMC is responsible for the workers and they must be paid. Thompson said since the verdict was rendered SBRMC has refused to comply with the court's decision, leaving the workers with no other choice but to use the legal measures that are available to them. "The SBRMC refused to obey the orders even though there are penalties for non-compliance."

Thompson said based on the most recent developments at the SBRMC, operations are now in the hands of the legal system.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports (MinECYS) Hon. Silveria Jacobs wrapped up her first working visit to the Netherlands with evaluation meetings with the Cabinet of the Plenipotentiary Minister Hon. M. Voges as well as the Board and staff of St. Maarten Student Support Services (S4) on Friday.

This culminated in a Meet and Greet with students in various stages of their educational development.

Students were able to sit with their Minister in an informal discussion about their studies, the path they had followed, and the importance of student support at their schools and S4.

They identified areas that needed improvement, and there was a passionate discussion as to the key components for successful completion of a chosen study. Many students identified that a determined attitude, good communication, being open to and assertive in asking for help, working to overcome any and all hurdles, helping others, accepting feedback, self-reflection and the help of study mentors and S4 mentors as being the reasons they are successful in their studies.

The Minister was inspired by some of the survival stories, commended them for their great achievements thus far and encouraged them to seek out the newly arrived students in order to assist them in making their journey as productive as possible.

Jacobs also stressed that St. Maarten, as a growing country, needs its educated and professional young people to return home to make a contribution to the much needed growth and change which is ongoing.

The Soualiga Foundation, S4 and St. Maarten House will serve as a central point for all St. Maarteners in the Netherlands to register in order to maintain a data base of the available work force as well as recent and/or soon to be graduates so that recruitment can take place in a systematic manner.

Noteworthy to mention is the ongoing success of Drs. Ivy N. Defoe, who started at the VWO MPC, achieving a Bachelor and Master's degree in Developmental Psychology and is currently working on her Ph.D.

To this end she is coordinating a large scale research on Adolescent Risk Taking (ART) at the University of Utrecht which will include St. Maarten. The Minister commended her as well as the other graduate students on their great achievements and pledged to promote and highlight them in St. Maarten. They were also encouraged to do their thesis studies on topics of interest to the development of St. Maarten.

The Ministry of ECYS will focus on the positives and will work on programs which will give students more guidance in study choice and language development before students leave St. Maarten. With continued support and guidance during and after the pursuit of their degrees, students will then book higher levels of successful completion of the chosen study, facilitating their return to St. Maarten - thereby affording them the opportunity to contribute to the growth of our country.

Philipsburg:--- The Prosecutor's office along with the judge of instruction and a number of police officers conducted two house searches on Thursday and Friday. According to well placed sources, the searches were conducted at a home on Billy Folly Road in Pelican on Thursday and the other in Cupe Coy on Friday afternoon. SMN News has been informed that the search took several hours on Friday and it was completed around 11pm that night. According to information provided to SMN News, the acting judge was not available at the Court of First Instance on Friday to perform his regular duties due to the amount of hours the search took.

SMN News learnt that the police and prosecutor are busy investigating a very sensitive case which might be drug related and they found some of what they were looking for at the home in Cupe Coy while nothing of interest was found at the home on Billy Folly Road Pelican.

SMN News made several phone calls to the Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos on Sunday to obtain a statement on the information provided to SMN News, but Mos did not answer his phone, it was later understood that Mos is currently off island. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos is the prosecutor responsible for releasing information to the media regarding high profile cases.

The prosecutor that is leading the investigation Dounia Benammar released information to SMN News on Sunday which states that the investigation is being conducted by the KPSM and the RST. According Benammar's information, several houses were searched on Thursday and Friday after police received some valuable information. The SWAT team of the KPSM is part of the investigation and they arrested one male who is not from St. Maarten. Police also confiscated a large sum of money, an amount of firearms, and other items that are of interest to them. The investigation is in full swing at this moment and is ongoing. The Prosecutor's office has promised to release further information at a later date.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- As part of joint efforts to celebrate the annual Breastfeeding Awareness Week that kicked off 1 August to 7 August, the nurses of the Obstetricians and Gynecologists (OB/Gyn) Ward at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) are giving free instructions to mothers about breastfeeding on Monday and Tuesday August 6 and 7.

Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. It is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. Breastfeeding should start within the first hour of life.

Exclusive breastfeeding for six (6) months is the optimal way of feeding infants. This means the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink. The infant should be breastfed as often as the child wans, day and night. No use of bottles, teats or pacifiers.

Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to two (2) years of age or beyond.
Breast milk is the natural first food for babies. It provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child's nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one-third during the second year of life.

Mothers of newborns should visit the OB/Gyn Ward on August 6 and 7 to learn more about breastfeeding and how breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protects the infant against infections and chronic diseases.

Exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea or pneumonia, and helps for a quicker recovery during illness.

Stakeholders that are collaborating in creating awareness and promoting breastfeeding are Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever and his ministry, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) nurses, SIFMA and the Lisaflor Maternity Center.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Skillz Baseball Alumni Professional Baseball Player Marc Ramirez is on his way to Venezuela to play a championship series with his Dominican Republic team. Marc Ramirez a French St Maarten born resident who went to school on Dutch St Maarten is playing with a Japanese team in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Marc Ramirez has been selected to play next month at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida with the French National Team World Baseball Classic Qualifier (WBCQ) Round. The event is organized by World Baseball Classic Inc in New York an affiliate of Major League Baseball (MLB) Inc.

"A St Maarten/St Martin delegation is invited to travel next month to attend the event to support our local Professional Ball Players from the island who will play on the French World Baseball Classic team.

"At the moment four players from St Maarten has been selected to play on WBCQ. Marc Ramirez, Felix Brown, Rene Leveret and College player Omar Williams are the four players. A few days ago MLB got clearance for College players to play in the WBCQ event.
"There will be no compensation for Collegiate Players, only limited expenses will be covered. To my understanding the event will be televised and the friendly island Tourism Boards should capitalize on this event if they desire," Skillz Baseball Board Chairman Reggie Plaisir said on Tuesday.

Philipsburg:--- A female employee of Antillean Liquors suffered a head injury by one of two bandits that robbed the store on Wednesday afternoon.

SMN News learnt that two men entered the establishment and one of them was armed with a gun. The armed robber gun-butted the female employee at the back of her head. The police, ambulance, and the Armed Robbery Unit are currently on the scene investigating the latest robbery.
Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte confirmed that Antillean Liquors was robbed Wednesday afternoon and the police are busy investigating. On Tuesday, a jewelry store on Front Street was also robbed by multiple gunmen. SMN News will bring you more information on this robbery as it becomes available.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) is monitoring the progress of Tropical Depression #7 (TD#7).

Late Friday afternoon TD#7 was approximately 500 miles east of the Windward Islands and moving quickly at 24 miles per hour to the West; wind speeds are 35 miles per hour.

TD#7 could become Tropical Storm Gordon before reaching the Lesser Antilles. The Depression will approach the Windward and Leeward Islands on Saturday.

A number of Caribbean islands have issued tropical storm watches for their populations, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

A Tropical Storm Watch for the aforementioned islands means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within 24 to 48 hours.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Sunday issued her remarks wishing the community of St. Maarten and particularly students, teachers and parents a successful, safe and fruitful school year 2012-2013.

The Prime Minister commented that she hopes students will try their hardest and utmost during the new school year and take advantage of the fact that they are working towards their future as individuals and as persons within the community of St. Maarten. "I would like to encourage students to work and strive towards excellence and realize that the work there are doing during their studies benefits both them as individuals and the community of St. Maarten as a whole."

The Prime Minister also continued by stating that she encourages parents to take an active role in their children's education. Children need the support from their parents in particular to ensure that they reach their fullest potential as students. I urge all parents to take interest in their child's studies and to offer them the fullest support necessary. I realize that it is sometimes difficult with work and the situation some households are in, but it is of utmost importance that parents show interest in their children's schoolwork and offers them the support they need to be excellent and well rounded students."

The Prime Minister also especially mentioned motorists on this first day of the school year. "For almost two months we have had relative peace on our roads but, as with every start of the new school year, we once again will have to find ourselves in traffic as we ensure our children arrive to school safely and that we arrive at our respective jobs safely. I know it can be stressful sometimes to find ourselves in rush-hour traffic, but I urge all motorists on the island to drive safely and responsibly and to exercise patience while in traffic. We all have to ensure that we need to arrive where we need to in the mornings and be being cordial and patient in traffic we will surely do so."

The Prime Minister ended by wishing teachers and students a successful and fruitful new school year. "I wish teachers the strength, courage and patience they need in shaping the minds of our future. I wish students the strength and courage they need in becoming our future. I wish everyone a happy and fruitful new school year."

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Marigot/Philipsburg:--- The main culprit that is suspected of killing Michael Grainville (31) on October 9th, 2011 was arrested by the Gendarmes since December 1, 2011. SMN News has been reliably informed that the suspect is someone that is very young and was caught with the late Michael Grainville's vehicle that was stolen during the armed robbery that took place in Maho. Even though Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos was informed of the suspect's arrest, Mos did not release any information to the press. The arrest of the suspect and solving of 15th murder that took place on the Dutch side of the island in 2011 was kept under the rug probably because the arrest was not done on the Dutch side of the island. SMN News learnt that even though the suspect was caught with Grainville's vehicle he is not cooperating with investigators. Therefore, the Dutch side had to provide the French side with major forensic information that tied the suspect to the killing of Michael Grainville. One source said that the arrest of the suspect was kept under the rug until the French and Dutch side could have provided sufficient proof to show that the person behind bars is the one who robbed and killed the Crystal Bug employee.

Michael Granville's body was found during the early morning hours of October 9th 2011 in the Maho area. Grainville was a resident of Grand Case and an employee (exterminator) of Crystal Bug.

At the time of his death, the police doctor declared Grainville's death as that of natural causes but shortly after the doctor realized that the victim was killed by a gunshot wound to his chest.

It is believed that Grainville was attacked around 8am that morning by the suspect or suspects who shot him and stole his vehicle. When his body was found, blood was flowing through his mouth and there were no clear signs of injuries to his body.

A reliable source close to the investigation said that the Dutch and French side Police worked together closely on this case to solve it. The source further explained that just some weeks ago the Dutch side provided some forensic information to the French authorities that helped them to further pinpoint the suspect whom it is said is from French Quarter and someone that is very young. It is not yet clear to authorities if the suspect acted alone or if he had accomplices.

SMN News learnt that the officers that worked on the crime scene on October 9th, 2011 managed to properly secure the scene which assisted them greatly in identifying the culprit through forensics.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams changed into a chef uniform on Saturday and become Honorary Chef and Server at the Top Promotions Foundation Dine at Holland House Event Fundraiser for the disabled. The Prime Minister showed off her culinary skills in preparing various first course dishes for the guests at the event and personally served those who pledged extra to the fundraiser.

The Fundraising event was held in order to raise funds for disabled persons on St. Maarten who might not be able to access some of the possibilities available to them. Some of the projects funds were raised for included sports events for the disabled, making buildings wheelchair accessible and disabled friendly and general information and awareness building campaigns centered on the disabled.

By all accounts the dishes prepared by the Prime Minister were delicious.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held a videoconference with the Caretaker Prime Minister of Curacao Gerrit Schotte on issues related to the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) on Monday. The Prime Minister was joined by Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt, Legal Advisor to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister Mr. Hensley Plantain and Policy Advisor to Minister Tuitt Mr. Xavier Blackman.

During the meeting the Prime Minister outlined St. Maarten's Position on the Investigation and Suspension of Central Bank President Emsley Tromp and the appointment of the seventh member of the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank. St. Maarten recently received a proposal regarding the suspension of Tromp as Central Bank President from the Supervisory Board of the CBCS.

"We started off the videoconference with the Curacao Government wanting to know our position on the investigation and suspension of Tromp and the appointment of the seventh member to the Supervisory Board. The Curacao Government, which was represented at the videoconference by their Prime Minister and their Minister of Finance, said the investigation into Tromp has not yet started. Our subsequent response was that since we were not consulted on the Terms of Reference for the investigation, we could not approve those Terms of Reference", commented the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also stated that the Curacao Government also claims that they had left the choice of the investigating company up to the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank.

The Prime Minister also commented that St. Maarten continues to stress for the budget of the Central Bank to be approved and the matters pertaining to the St. Maarten branch to be executed. "After about an hour's meeting it was decided St. Maarten will get the Terms of Reference and that we in turn will prepare St. Maarten's position on those terms of reference, which Curacao will also do. Subsequently the two Governments will meet again with each other and with the Supervisory Board and management of the CBCS. This meeting has been tentatively set for Saturday and will most likely take place on Curacao," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg (DCOMM):--- On Thursday, August 16, 2012, the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication Romeo F. Pantophlet was paid a courtesy visit by the Consul General of The Republic of Suriname Mr. Delano Braam. In the photo Consul General Delano Braam (left) presents book about Suriname to Minister Romeo Pantophlet (right).

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever says his ministry has embarked upon a capacity building process through the public health executing department Collective Prevention Services (CPS) to enhance staff performance, improve competencies and skills to carry out tasks thereby further improving the services provided to the Sint Maarten community.

"The Essential Public Health Functions are the fundamental set of actions that should be performed in order to achieve public health's central objective of improving the health of our country's population.

"Our Ministry is further developing its core tasks tailored to international health regulations which will further enhance overall our health care system.

"It is important that the staff understands how their work ties into the bigger picture of public health in general. We all need each other to ensure success in achieving and fulfilling our goals," Minister Hon. Cornelius de Weever told the Department of Communications on Thursday.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO), through the Public Health in the Americas Initiative, adopted the eleven Essential Public Health Functions necessary to strengthen public health practice, and developed a methodology that allows countries to evaluate their public health capacity, improve the essential public health services and develop and implement evidence based policy.

Learning about the essential functions of public health is an opportunity for the development in leadership and also for its role as a regulatory entity for the effectiveness and quality of the services of the health system.

The Essential Public Health Functions will be applied as a powerful methodological tool to promote and enrich institutional development, and as a strategy for the improvement of the levels of health and of public health practices.

The purpose of a public health agency is to optimize heath care for all. In striving to realize this purpose, the agency must be committed to partner with all relevant organizations in political-administrative, educational, cultural and financial-economic sectors.

In addition, the agency also must develop programs for the implementation of health policies; through national programs focused on improvement of health of the population and the environment, each with a number of consistent components.

The essential public health functions are: monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of health status; surveillance, research, and control of the risks and threats to public health; health promotion; social participation in health; development of policies and institutional capacity for public health planning and management.

Strengthening of public health regulation and enforcement capacity; evaluation and promotion of equitable access to necessary health services; human resources development and training in public health; quality assurance in personal and population-based health services; research in public health; and reduction of the impact of emergencies and disasters on health.

Approximately 19 public health ministry staff members, including CPS, Public Health and Social Development took part in the workshop that was held on July 23 in the conference room facilities at the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour.

The Minister of Finance Hon. Mr. Roland Tuitt, has been informed by the media of the draft legislation presented by UP Member of Parliament Jules James regarding the amendment of the tariff of the timeshare tax from a weekly rate of Nafl. 90 (equivalent to USD 50) to a daily rate of USD 10, resulting in a 40% tax increase. It was probably unknown to the MP that the Government has already been working on a draft legislation to abolish the former Island-ordinances on timeshare-, room-, and car rental tax by the end of this year. Starting January 2013, turnover derived from timeshare, hotel room, and car rental will be subjected to Turnover tax. This amendment is a prerequisite to simplify the tax system, lowering the administrative burden and further improving the tax compliance.

Special rates in the TOT Ordinance

A specific provision regarding the daily rates for timeshare will be introduced in the TOT Ordinance, which will be differentiated by the size of the time share units. It is unreasonable that an owner of a small timeshare studio pays the same amount of tax as an owner of a 3 bedroom timeshare unit. The introduction of a differentiated daily rate has already been discussed with Mr. Jim Rosen, vice-chairman of the SMTA, earlier this year.
In comparison to other Caribbean jurisdictions, the current 5% roomtax of Sint Maarten is relatively low (Aruba 9.5%, Anguilla 10%, Antigua and Barbuda 8.5%, Bahamas 12%, Barbados 8.75%, Curaçao 7%, Dominican Republic 23%, Grenada 8%, Haiti 10%, Jamaica 15%, Trinidad and Tobago 10%). In the opinion of the Minister of Finance, there is still some room for increasing the rate without harming the tax competitiveness of Sint Maarten's hotel industry.
Car rental companies are currently subjected to 5% car rental tax and Turnover Tax. As opposed to the hotels and timeshare, an exemption is not provided in the TOT Ordinance to prevent double taxation for car rental activities. As a result, car rental companies have to file a tax return for both the car rental tax and Turnover tax and are taxed twice on the same turnover. Abolishing the car rental tax will significantly lower the administrative burden and make the tax system fairer.

Financial impact study

Currently, a financial analysis is being made to determine the budgetary impact of this and other draft legislation on the government's coffers.

Cay Hill:--- An argument among union members of Windward Islands Health Care Union Association (WIHCUA) escalated on Tuesday during a meeting that was called by the union to discuss the statement the union sent to the media Monday attacking the Minister of Health for the statements he made regarding the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). While the WIHCUA invited their members to a meeting on Tuesday, they issued a statement to the media Monday night stating that the nurses said certain things and the meeting with the nurses and other medical staff had not yet been held.

The argument between the two union members was heard by patients and bystanders outside of the St. Maarten Medical Centre, while the verbal attack went out live on the airwaves. Jules Carty, a shop steward and member of WIHCUA told SMN News that he was one of the nurses who questioned the union about the statements they made to the press without consulting with them. Carty said that Brenelda Arrindell openly insulted him in the presence of everyone and at no time did she apologize for her vulgar behavior. Carty said that he was even more shocked when the President of WIHCUA Julien Lynch arrived at the St. Maarten Medical Centre and called him a "nigger" as he stood up to greet him. "Mr. Lynch stretched his hands out to greet me and when I stood up and shook his hands he called me a nigger. I immediately told Mr. Lynch that he should never call me a nigger instead he should address me by my name." Carty said he knew that some of the nurses were talking about him from early in the day because he was highly annoyed when he read the newspapers on Tuesday and saw the statements the WIHCUA made on behalf of the nurses without speaking with them.

Several of the nurses expressed concerned about the statements the WIHCUA made to the media before speaking to them. "We were fighting against the abuse and injustice for years now and finally government is seeing what is happening and who is milking the hospital." The nurses said that they did not mandate the WIHCUA to make any statements their behalf since the union did not consult with them as is customary.

SMN News learnt that some of the nurses felt that the WIHCUA has changed course and something does not seem right with the union anymore. "This is same union that was against the decisions and behavior of the Medical Director Dr. George Scott and the amount of caps he is wearing. The public relations officer Greg Arrindell on several occasions spoke out against the management of the SMMC but today the table has turned because the WIHCUA seems to be endorsing the behavior and malfunctions of the only medical institution on the Dutch side of the island."

The St. Maarten Medical Centre operated on a skeletal staff after most of its workers responded to the union's call for a meeting to discuss the statements made by Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever. The meeting lasted more than two hours and it ended when the Minister of Health agreed to meet with the union on Wednesday morning. Public Relations officer Greg Arrindell of WIHCUA and President Julian Lynch confirmed to reporters that members from all sections of the hospital attended the meeting.

The union and its members criticized the Minister of Public Health for stating that there is much to be desired at the SMMC. The Minister of Public Health made the statements last week after SMN News published an article about the deplorable conditions of the SMMC and the amount of monies the Supervisory Board and the Medical Director are making. SMN News also reported that a draft report has been presented to the Minister of Health describing the deplorable conditions of SMMC and its equipments.

Members of the media asked the President of WIHCUA if he felt that certain things needed to be changed at the SMMC, Lynch told reporters that is not for him to say. However, he said that the union got its message across to its members and they remained together even though there was an outburst. Lynch described the nurse that voiced his opinion as the sheep that was trying to lead the flock away but he eventually had to leave alone.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (MinTEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet, on Monday August 20th, 2012, was presented with by Head of Department of Statistics (STAT), Makini Hickinson, the first and second edition of the department's statistical magazine – FACTORS. This new magazine features different articles based on the results of STAT research activities; it has a special focus on consumer prices, general business developments and labour market information. FACTORS will be published twice per year and is available at the STAT office,( J. Yrausquin Boulevard #6, opposite Sang's supermarket), at a cost of U$20 per copy.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association SHTA has lauded the recent release of the first editions of "FACTors" Statistical Magazine produced by the Department of Statistics, St. Maarten (STAT) as being an excellent initiative and a great tool for all businesses.
The intention of the magazine is to provide a more detailed analysis which is centered per issue, on topics within price statistics, social data, and business/economic developments.
President of the SHTA Emil Lee stated in a press release "For years, the SHTA has been advocating for the need for improved transparency and access to timely information. The STAT's FACTors Magazine is a tremendous accomplishment."
He added, "The SHTA would like to congratulate the Department of Statistics, St. Maarten for an excellent job."
Executive Director for the SHTA Alfred Harley said every member of the community should ensure that they get a copy of the Magazine because it contained facts that would help us to formulate opinions on issues affecting us locally. Harley said, "While you may already have an opinion on your topic and an idea about which side of the argument you want to take, you need to ensure that your position is well supported by the kind of facts that are now readily available in this new FACTors Magazine."
The magazine contains information such as the 2011 St. Maarten Business Cycle Survey Results, 2009 Import-Export Survey Results, Consumer Price Index Trimester Report for 2011and other important facts that can be used by businesses and individuals as a guide when planning their next financial year.
The magazine will be issued twice annually in July and December, and SHTA members are encouraged to take advantage of the information it contains.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao paid respects to the men and women who protected Curacao during World War II by donating a new American flag to the Battle-Station
Blaauw, Force Curacao 1942 Foundation. Part of the complex at Blue Bay is maintained by the foundation, and there are plans to convert it into a museum.
The delivery of the flag occurred during a small ceremony when U.S. Vice Consul Morgan Miles handed the new flag to Battle-Station Blaauw, Force Curacao 1942 Foundation president, Allan Van Ree. In his remarks, the Vice Consul highlighted the historical ties of friendship and partnership that join the armed forces of the United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the areas of continuing cooperation between the countries in the sectors of security and defense.

The Chairman of the Social Economic Council (SER) Mr. Rene Richardson, recently presented a copy of the SER Year End Report to the Prime Minister. The SER was established in May of 2011and has as its main goal the advising of government on policies and draft laws in the social and economic field. The Government of St. Maarten requests advice from the SER on matters of a social and economic nature and the SER in turn offers advice to Government on draft laws and policies that fall within its mandate.

The Council's First Annual report included information on the activities conducted by the SER since its inception and the outlining of the advice given to Government regarding the establishment of July 1st, Emancipation Day, as an official holiday.

The Prime Minister initiated the Social Economic Council in May 2011 and conducted the first official meeting of the council at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall that same month.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

St. Peters:--- In keeping with its continued mantra of peace in schools, the Peace Is Foundation presented the Methodist Agogic Centre Campuses (St. John's & Betty's Estate) with materials that will be used in tackling issues such as non-violence, conflict resolution and self-esteem.

The presentation - made possible by the funds raised at the last "PEACE IS Paradise" breakfast fundraiser (November 11th, 2011), was done at the General Assemblies at both campuses respectively on Monday August 20th, 2012 by President – Glenville Blake and Vice President – Olga Mussington.

The materials covering the various topics mentioned above are in forms of books, games, DVDs etc for kids from Kindergarten up to Grade 6. These materials will be used for many years and are expected to impact the many children's lives. "It is very important to teach our children about these issues from early on in their educational development so that they are better able to handle the intense pressure of these issues at the secondary level" Mr. Blake commented.

School Managers, Mrs. Rose Hughes-Coram and Mr. Cedric Hodge of the respective campuses, expressed their gratitude for the materials and lauded the effort of PEACE IS Foundation.

In September 2012 Alzheimer Disease International (ADI) will mark the first World Alzheimer's Month with awareness-raising activities across the world taking place over 30 days. World Alzheimer's Day on the 21st of September will play a key role in the month as the coordinated international effort reaches its peak.
The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2012 is 'Dementia: Living together'.
Alzheimer associations across the world will focus their activities on reducing the stigma associated with dementia and making communities more dementia-friendly by offering a range of programmes and events.
The SInt Maarten Alzheimer Foundation one of the newest members of Alzheimer Disease International also will have activities during the whole month of September.

TV EPISODES DEMENTIA CONFERENCE

On the local cable tv stations episodes from the recently held one day Dementia Conference will be aired. The episodes can be seen during the month of September on every Monday evening on WTN Cable TV 10 at 20.20 pm immediately after the news with a repeat on Friday evening at the same time. St Maarten Cable TV will also air the episodes for their subscribers which will be announced on their local bulletin board and in subsequent press releases from the SMAF.
Next week the first episode of the conference will air containing the Welcome address from SMAF board member Patricia Pantophlet, the Official Opening Remarks from Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams and the Key note address from the Chairman of Alzheimer Disease International Dr. Jacob Roy Kuriakose.

RADIO AND TV-INTERVIEWS

The local radio and tv-hosts will dedicate some of their programs this month of September to the Alzheimer awareness, with interviews with families in SInt Maarten, to tell us about their experience with the theme of this year "Living with Dementia or Alzheimer's". As every 4 seconds someone in the world is being diagnosed with a form of dementia our society also has to prepare for this epidemic which has already passed the total amount of people in the world affected by HIV-/AIDS.

RADIO AND TV-PUBLIC SERVICE ANOUNCEMENTS
The Rotary Club of SInt Maarten will contribute during this September month in cooperation with all local radio and tv-stations to air public service announcements in support of the awareness campaign from the local Alzheimer's Foundation.

OFFICIAL MEETING WITH PARLIAMENT STANDING COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEALTH

The Sint Maarten Alzheimer Foundation has requested a meeting with the Parliamentary committee on Public Health to address the world wide epidemic of Dementia and its impact on society. Legislation from other countries in the world to protect people with dementia will be presented to parliament so that they don't have to reinvent the wheel.

PRESENTATION ON WORLD ALZHEIMER'S DAY
The Minister of Public Health will receive a presentation and an official copy of the World Alzheimer's Report of 2012 which ADI will release on September 21, World Alzheimer's Day. It will address the topic of stigma.
Every year since 1994, Alzheimer associations across the globe have united on the 21st of September to recognise World Alzheimer's Day. World Alzheimer's Month 2012 will mark the first global month-long campaign and a website dedicated to the Month will be available soon.

DEMENTIA AWARENESS SECONDARY SCHOOL YOUTH PROJECT
This year the students from the secondary schools also will be involved in the Alzheimer Awareness Campaign. They will have to come up with their thoughts and ideas on the theme of this year: "Dementia Living together." More details of the contest for the youth will be detailed in a following press release.

FUNDRAISING
A fundraising dinner will be held at the end of the month of September to close the month of activities and to generate funds for the ongoing activities of the SMAF in support of the people with Dementia and their family caregivers.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida:--- The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association is turning the Big 4-O, and PPI Group can think of no gift more appropriate than a special anniversary-edition publication to celebrate the organization and all it does for the cruising industry.

Through beautiful photography and fascinating articles, this collectors' item will examine the cruise industry's development and chart the journey that so many have embarked upon to make this industry what it is today. Appropriately, this publication will premiere at this year's FCCA Cruise Conference and Trade Show, taking place in Curaçao, October 1-5, 2012 and offering business sessions and social functions to bring together nearly 1,000 cruise industry partners and 100 cruise executives to cultivate valuable business relationships and knowledge of the industry's inner-workings. It will also feature a silent auction and the FCCA Golf Classic, both benefiting the FCCA Foundation.

"We are proud of the FCCA and its continuing efforts to better not only the cruising industry, but also the places and people that we in this industry visit," said Bill Panoff, president and CEO of PPI Group. "The FCCA has long been a positive pillar in the cruising community, and we wish to honor them in the best way we know how - by creating a custom publication that can be treasured forever."

"Since joining the FCCA in 2010, I have been incredibly proud of the work we have done to continue to bring cruise lines together with governments, ports, and associations across the Caribbean and Latin America," said Kevin Sheehan, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line and chairman of the FCCA. "I am honored to be part of this incredible organization as we celebrate our 40th anniversary and look forward to achieving more important milestones in the future."

"The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's mandate is to foster a better understanding of the cruise industry and to develop cooperative relationships with our destination partners at both the public and private sector levels in order to create a win-win situation for all," said FCCA president, Michele M. Paige. "We are proud of the progress we have made to achieve our mandates over this time, but we know there is more ground to cover."

Philipsburg:--- The Council of Ministers, specifically the Minister of VROMI William Marlin, received a letter from the owners of Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE) on Monday giving Government the green light to purchase the Emilio Wilson Park which will be preserved as one of the island's monuments.

The letter dated July 30th, 2012 was sent to the Council of Ministers informing them that the co-owners of Emilio Wilson Estate have decided to accept the offer from the Government of St. Maarten to purchase 370,000 m² of the estate for a total price of USD 17,000,000.00.

The Council of Ministers took a decision on July 17th, 2012 to purchase the 370,000 m² of the Emilio Wilson Estate but that decision could not be executed immediately because the co-owners asked the Council of Ministers to grant them some time to consult with Rainforest Tours (RFT) who already received building permits from the former Minister of VROMI, Theodore Heyliger. According to the information provided to SMN News, Henri Brookson wanted to offer sale of the property to the owners of Rainforest Tours before proceeding with the sale to the Government of St. Maarten.

The Minister of VROMI William Marlin sent a letter to Brookson on July 20th informing him that the Council of Ministers had taken a decision to purchase the property. Brookson said in his letter dated July 30th, 2012 that the owners of the EWE in principle accepted the contents of the letter sent to them by Marlin on July 20th, 2012.

Brookson further explained in his letter to government that he had to make reservations with regard to the right of preference that was granted to RFT under the cooperation agreement in which it is stipulated that they have the right to purchase the property under the exact and equal conditions that government wanted to purchase the property.

Brookson further stated in his letter to the Council of Ministers that on July 23rd he asked RFT to inform EWE whether that right of preference will be used by them (RFT). The co-owners of Emilio Wilson Estate also gave RFT a deadline in which they must inform them of their decision which was to be before 12 noon on Monday July 30th, 2012.

Brookson therefore informed the Council of Ministers that RFT (Rainforest Tours) did not respond to their request and they are now willing to move forward with the discussions and sale of the property to the Government of St. Maarten. Brookson made clear that based on the letter sent to the co-owners of EWE including the discussions held previously prior to Government taking the decision, they understood the decision of July 17th, 2012 to be irrevocable and that the closing (sale) of said property should take place in the near future.

Click here to view the letter sent to the Council of Ministers regarding the sale of EWE.

Cul-de-Sac:--- The four-day softball knockout for corporate and government sporting teams hosted by the PJIAE Sporting Club concluded at the John Cooper-Jose Lake, Jr., Ballpark on Sunday, July 29.

In the final matches on Sunday, PJIAE defeated the Fire Department with a score of 19-8 and a combined government departments team with 19-9, which brought the airport's team steps closer to a championship victory in the finals.

The final game of the knockout was between the airport team and the undefeated GEBE team. The utility company's team delivered an outstanding performance to win the match, 18-9.

GEBE captured the championship of the Business Softball Knockout and PJIAE won the sub-champ trophy.

At the award ceremony on Sunday night, immediately following the final game, PJIAE's organizing committee member Evans Marsham thanked the six teams for participating. He said that he hopes that the sporting club could host another softball tournament in 2013. PJIAE's Special Projects manager Clifton Brown said that he was "very proud" of his team.

"This is the first time PJIAE hosted a softball knockout; it took no more than two weeks to organize the teams," said Anastacio Baker, PJIAE's Quality Assurance Manager and softball player.

According to Marsham, the "PJIAE sporting team will be organizing a public walkathon on September 1, 2012 and a Corporate Basketball Tournament at the end of September."

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- In preparation for the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement between St. Maarten and the Netherlands, a meeting was held between technocrats of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports (MinECYS) of St. Maarten and their counterparts at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon in The Hague.

Representing the Ministry of ECYS were Antonio Aventurin, Cornelius James and Perry Geerlings.

Discussions were held on the following topics: cooperation protocol; promotion of studying in the region; allocation of the WSF funds; ministerial places for 'numerus fixus' studies; pending changes in Dutch Tertiary education; NVAO Accreditation for higher and tertiary education institutes on St. Maarten; and facilitation of cooperation on curriculum and program development with Dutch accredited institutions on the SBO/MBO level on St. Maarten
The discussions were very fruitful and follow-up meetings will be held in the coming months to finalize the cooperation agreement before the end of 2012.

Minister ECYS Hon. Silveria Jacobs is currently in the Netherlands on a working visit.

Philipsburg:--- Around 30 plus RBC Volunteers gathered in the early morning at Guana Bay to start the second of a series of RBC volunteer beach clean-ups, aimed at helping make the turtle nesting area on that beach more accessible for the endangered Hawksbill, Leatherback and Green sea turtles which nest at Guana Bay. These sea turtles have made it their nesting beach in the period from March to November each year.

The beach clean was organized in conjunction with the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, . The Beach clean up is initiated in connection with the "RBC Blue Water Day 2012 Project" which is the environmental priority program for RBC Royal Bank focusing on the preservation of water. RBC in St. Maarten has committed to clean Guana Bay periodically for the duration of the turtle nesting season from March till November each year and commits to support with building awareness on sea turtle nesting.

In comments during the beach clean-up, Hanna Lieuw Hie-Gonesh, Area Vice President for Personal Banking for St. Maarten representing RBC Volunteers, stated that the second clean up Guana Bay marks another mile stone in RBC's commitment to support the Nature Foundation St. Maarten in its tireless efforts to help preserve nature in general and in particular the turtle nesting beaches in St. Maarten; "RBC Royal Bank has made a firm commitment to support in keeping the beach of Guana Bay clean, particularly during the turtle nesting season. We started in May, have completed the July clean up and look forward to September, October and November," commented Mrs. Hie-Gonesh.

In close collaboration with the Nature Foundation St. Maarten and RBC Royal Bank has also been able to create the first sign for all beach visitors which will allow for permanent awareness for keeping Guana Bay a suitable beach for turtles to lay their eggs. Although there are previous signs on the beach this sign will be placed at the entrance of the beach explaining visitors exactly what and what not to do in order to safeguard turtles and what to do when a nesting is observed.

RBC's corporate responsibility creates opportunities for embracing environmental projects like these under the Blue Water Project banner. The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year, global commitment to help protect the world's most precious natural resource – fresh water; this is in its third year. RBC has a longstanding commitment to environmental sustainability, and has chosen to focus on water because access to water will be one of the most significant environmental and economic issues facing the world in the coming decades.

The Nature Foundation once again commended and thanked RBC and especially the volunteers for the hard work they did on Saturday morning. St. Maarten is one of the few territories in the Caribbean where turtles come up the beach to lay their eggs. Due to the large amount of seaweed which has been washing up on Guana Bay and the plastic the seaweed brings with it nesting was very difficult for some of the turtles. Through the excellent work done by RBC volunteers the beach is now clean for nesting turtles to lay their eggs.

The clean up delivered approximately 80 kg of garbage with rope, plastic debris and litter being the most common objects. RBC Royal Bank supports with the awareness on the topic of turtle nesting and the preservation of a clean beach for humans and turtles specifically. This project of cleaning up the beach for the turtle nesting season fits perfectly into RBC's philosophy on the sustainable development of the environment. RBC Royal Bank firmly believes that it is the responsibility of the bank to positively influence the social development of the community in which it operates by maximizing its contributions to the state of environment of the island.

By means of this environmental initiative RBC Royal Bank moreover wants to add value to its environmental footprint in the St.Maarten community and most importantly demonstrate the bank's commitment to the development and preservation of the environment of the island through the active engagement of its employees.

The first Leatherback Sea Turtle Nest has already successfully hatched in the Guana Bay/ Gibbs Bay area with an additional seven nests currently incubating on the beaches. Sea Turtle Nesting Season lasts until November.

Philipsburg:--- The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, a community service based organization held its second H.A.M at Le Grande Marche Bush Road on Saturday August 4th 2012. It was a Hurricane Awareness Mission whereby the club members collected non-perishable items from customers shopping at the supermarket. The items collected are then given to the local Red Cross in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster. If there are no natural disasters, The Red Cross distributes the items to persons in the community that are in need.

The event was very successful; the club collected a large amount of can goods, baby products, rice and cases of bottled water just to name a few. All items collected were carried to the Red Cross on the same day and handed over to employee of the Red Cross, Marcaado Winklaar who was very thankful for the contributions.

The members of the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise would like to extend its appreciation and gratitude towards members of the community that made contributions to this effort. The club will continue with this project throughout the hurricane season, scheduling their donation drives on the 1st Saturday of the month from 11:00am to 2:00 pm until November 2012. The next H.A.M will be at Sunny Foods Supermarket on September 1st, 2012. Other than can foods, persons can also donate clothing at the club's H.A.M events. The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise encourages the community to continue supporting them with their efforts to maintaining service above self which is the club's motto.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications ransportation (TEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet on Tuesday announced moves to enhance tourism promotion following two days of meetings late last week with North American Marketing and Public Relations representatives, Rafael Cardozo, president of Tambourine and Richard Kahn, president of KTCpr.

During the meetings, which took place in Sint Maarten, Minister Pantophlet discussed a wide range of issues, all of which are designed to help continue the increase in tourist arrivals that have been climbing since Tambourine and KTCpr began working with Sint Maarten more than three years ago.

Among the key issues discussed were the re-establishment of a New York office as well as the marketing and advertising strategies moving forward.
Minister Pantophlet plans to continue with the concept of the New York office/store, developed by Rafael Cardozo of Tambourine, which all agreed would be a retail outlet on the ground floor in a high traffic area in New York City. The outlet will have booking capabilities for consumers.

The intention of the Marketing and Advertising strategy is to continue mass marketing, focusing heavily on internet presence.

Both advertising and public relations will be used to drive consumers to the Sint Maarten website and Rafael Cardozo of Tambourine is working on an online booking engine to facilitate easier bookings for vacationers. The booking engine for the website is expected to be launched within a month.

Public relations will also be focused on driving consumers to the website via promotions similar to the recent Dr. Oz television giveaway which featured Sint Maarten worldwide on TV as well as on the Dr. Oz website and drove more than 20,000 visitors to VacationStMaarten.com in just one day.

Furthermore, Richard Kahn, of KTCpr, informed of their intention to tap into the reality TV world by inviting popular reality stars such as the Kardashians to film their shows in Sint Maarten.

The meeting in itself was very productive and Minister Pantophlet is confident in the North American representatives' abilities to grow Sint Maarten's presence in the island's key markets.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Cabinet of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (MinTEATT), has moved back to the Government Administration Building, and can be reached by calling telephone number 542-4672.

Minister Hon. Romeo Pantophlet and members of his Cabinet was temporarily housed in the Xerox Building in offices provided by the Bureau of Telecommunications & Post.

The relocation was due to a mold issue at MinTEATT's office in the Government Administration Building.

Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs presented some details about her recent trip to the Netherlands as she accompanied some 58 students who left the island to further their education.

Minister Jacobs said that the students arrived in the Netherlands safely and they were well received by the S4 Foundation and the Cabinet of the Minister of Plenipotentiary. Minister Jacobs said that all students have been placed and they were each assigned mentors with whom they are now bonding. The Minister of Education further explained that S4 will continue to serve its purpose by taking care of St. Maarten students in the Netherlands, their Service Level Agreement has been extended until December 2012.

The Minister said during her visit to the Netherlands she met with ROC where they discussed the exchanging of information on the building up of the SBO programs on St. Maarten and improving the language development of students on St. Maarten prior to them leaving to the Netherlands and other regions. The Education Minister said she also held talks with the Hanze Hogeschool regarding the international and HBO Law programs which will be given at the University of St. Martin. She said representatives of Hanze Hogeschool will be visiting the island in September to continue talks with USM as well as with the Minister of Education.

The Minister also confirmed that she held talks with the St. Maarten House in the Hague with regards to the monitoring of St. Maarten students in the Netherlands. She said that the S4 workers are doing a good job for St. Maarten and the intention is to move the workers of S4 closer to the St. Maarten House. Minister Jacobs said that a space was found in the same building as the St. Maarten House for those workers. Minister Jacobs said currently S4 has no director but the office manager and the staff that are currently handling student affairs at S4 are working hard and to her satisfaction. She further explained that while there is no director at S4, the board of S4 has taken a hands on approach in managing the finances for the students. Minister Jacobs said that she held talks with the board of S4 and the Minister of Plenipotentiary regarding the monitoring of St. Maarten students and one of the concerns is the transfer of information from S4 to the St. Maarten. She said St. Maarten needs to know how many students are in the Netherlands studying and how long they are there. Minister Jacobs said that type of communication from S4 to St. Maarten was not done properly therefore the government is looking into the future by extending the Service Level Agreement to December 2012. Minister Jacobs said after that, the people that are working for S4 would move to the St. Maarten House in the Netherlands to continue their work as a branch office of study financing.

The Minister of Education further explained that her Ministry still has to decide whether or not they want a foundation to deal with the students' affairs or have a branch office of study financing. The latter she said is more feasible and convenient for government.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA), has named Alfred Harley as its new Executive Director.
President of the SHTA Mr. Emil Lee said in a press release issued Wednesday August 8th, "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Harley to the team. His broad experience brings a unique prospective and set of skills that are well suited for the SHTA."
Mr. Harley now fills the vacancy left by former SHTA Executive Director Valya Pantophlet, who left her post as of June one to take up her new position as Advisor to the Minister of Tourism.
Mr. Lee said, "While SHTA wholeheartedly supported the transition of Pantophlet to the position of Advisor to the Minister of Tourism, it had left an unexpected gap in the SHTA" He said after a long time of looking at several candidates the board was finally able to reach a unanimous decision to select Mr. Harley.
According to the release, With the new Executive Director on board it strengthens the SHTA's ability to meet the needs of our members.
Before joining SHTA, Mr. Harley was a Resort Assistant Manager at the Five Star Hotel and Resort Chain "Four Seasons Resort" in Nevis. He will be in charge of the daily operation of the SHTA and will be charged with, amongst other responsibilities, bringing about greater awareness of the SHTA within the community. The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners on St. Maarten, as well as the creation of a fair competitive marketplace.
Prior to leaving St. Maarten, Harley was a Journalist with The Daily Herald for several years, as well as President of the St. Maarten Journalism Association. He took up a position with regional telecommunications giant United Telecommunication Services, UTS "Chippie" in St. Kitts as its Operations Manager for a two-year period, after which he accepted an offer to Manage at the Four Seasons Resort, Nevis, one of the three top High-End Luxury Hotels in the world.
Mr. Harley said the opportunity to do important work for the Island of St. Maarten cannot be taken lightly and as such he was honored to be tapped for the position. He said one of the things he hopes to do is increase the membership of the SHTA through campaigns aimed at creating more awareness of the benefits that can be derived for businesses through their membership.
Mr. Harley said he also looks forward to working closely with the various stakeholders as he is confident that they, like the SHTA, have one common objective of continuously improving the Tourism product for the betterment of everyone working, doing business and living on St. Maarten.

The Ministry of VROMI in collaboration with the Board of the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School, would like to inform the general public of the traffic change which will go into effect as of Monday, August 13th, 2012 for the area of Cay Hill due to the incompletion of the access roads leading up to the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School located on the Jackal Road.
Due to the ongoing civil works, we are kindly asking the public to please take note of the following:

• School hours at this campus will be from 8:00am – 1:30pm.
• Parents are prohibited to access the road leading up to the school on the side of St. Medical Center as construction is still ongoing in that area.
• The access road before the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex will only be accessible to school busses and shuttle busses for the duration of the completion of the access roads leading to the school premises.
• A temporary parking space will be created on the lot adjacent to the current food produce stall on the opposite side of the Photo Gumbs N.V. building. Parents that are willing to accompany their kids to the school premises are welcome to make use of the shuttle system to and from the school premises. Teachers will be awaiting to escort parents as well as their kids onto the school grounds as the shuttle will not be able to bring the passengers to the main gating area as there will still be ongoing construction in that area.
• For the parents in the St. Peters area and other districts with the preference to drop their kids off at the St. Peters campus, they are asked that they do so no later than 7.15 a.m. as then all school busses will lead to the Cay Hill campus.
• At 1:30pm when school is out, parents are asked to pick up their kids at the school premises by way of walking on the sidewalks of the access roads. To avoid any incidents along Welgelegen road, the students that are not going with the school bus and are being picked up will not be allowed to walk down to the parking area to meet their parents.
• Please be reminded that this situation is only temporary.

The Ministry of VROMI and the Board of the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

Marigot:--- The Gendarmes have arrested four persons that are suspects in several street robberies. The culprits were looking mostly for gold items, the Gendarmes stated in a press release. The release further states that on August 8th, 2012 the suspects were arrested at their homes after the gendarmes had enough information on them operating as a team targeting people on the streets of St. Martin. The suspects were involved in at least 10 cases of street robberies, burglaries, and other drug offenses. At the end of the investigation, two of the three adult suspects were transferred to Guadeloupe where they were placed in detention pending their appearance before the criminal courts on September 4th, 2012. The minor suspect was placed in foster care in Guadeloupe while the fourth suspected will be summoned to appear in court on October 11th in St. Martin.

The arrest of these four suspects have brought the number to 22 arrests of persons who were involved in street robberies since the beginning of 2012. 21 of the arrests were made by the Gendarmerie while one of the suspects was arrested by a civil servant working for the police. "Even though the Gendarmerie has managed to arrest 22 persons who were menacing people by snatching their gold jewelry while they were on public domain, residents should avoid wearing conspicuous gold jewelry while walking on the streets since gold has a high market value at this time," the press release concluded.

US Imports Robbed at Gun Point --- Suspect on the Run.

On Saturday August 11th, 2012, an armed robbery took place at the US Imports supermarket. Details on the latest robbery on the French side of the island are not yet known. SMN News learnt that the gunman managed to rob the supermarket and escaped. The Gendarmerie is yet to release information on the robbery of US Imports.

Philipsburg:--- On August 8th at around 7 pm, the police bike patrol arrested a shoplifter who moments before had stolen several items at Penny's in Backstreet. The suspect was held for questioning.

There were several robberies committed, during the same period namely:

1. Welcome Supermarket on Welfare Road on August 8, at approximately 07:45pm.
   A masked man with a handgun walked into the establishment and forced the cashier to hand over the money in the register. After committing this act he fled scene in the direction of Union Road.
2. No Rest Agencies in Cole Bay August 8th at approximately 4:00pm.
   2 men dressed in black with hoods rushed into the establishment with a shotgun and hand gun.
   Everyone was forced to lie on the floor, but the perpetrators did not take anything and when leaving the building struck the owner with the butt of the shotgun to the back of his head, leaving him bleeding from an open wound. The suspects fled the direction of Orange Grove.
3. Yun Way Supermarket on Narrow Rd Cole Bay, August 10 at approximately 7:30pm.
   Two men dressed in black with hoods over the head walked into the establishment armed with a handgun and a machete. They forced the cashier to hand-over the money from the cash register and ill-treated the victim by hitting him to the back of his head with the gun. The suspects then fled the business in the direction of the French border.
4. August 8th at approximately 8:30pm on the Union Road, Cole Bay a bus driver was robbed by 3 young men who when stepping out of the bus pressed a gun to the back of his head and forced him to hand over all the money.
   This suspect was later recognized by the victim, because a little later he was shot at approximately 8:50pm by police during a robbery of a supermarket namely the Blue Fox, supermarket Cay Bay during closing. The police patrol confronted the two suspects who were dressed completely in black and armed with a handgun and a machete.
   The suspect with initials K.D. 16 years old born on Sint Maarten is well known by police.

Sandy Ground:--- The Marigot Scout and the Pathfinders of Marigot that were scheduled to parade through the streets of Sandy Ground for the invited guests and dignitaries on Wednesday did not show up. Organizers of the event said that the two groups did not inform them that they would not be attending the Sandy Ground festivity but when they were contacted on Wednesday morning, the Collectivity Organizers were told that the scout's house in Marigot was broken into Tuesday night. It is not clear if the French Quarter scouts were invited.

The ceremony started off with a church service at the Catholic and Apostolic Church in Sandy Ground and then speeches at the Alberic Stadium on Rue de Sandy Ground.

Third Vice President Guillaume Arnell who is now assuming the role of President in the absence of President Alain Richardson focused on the champions within the region during the recent Olympic Games. Arnell said that even though the Olympics 2012 has ended, the joy of the fabulous ceremony remains in his mind, especially the opening and closing ceremonies. He said he is certain that St. Martin felt joy for Jamaica, France, Trinidad, and Guadeloupe.

The third Vice President said that Sandy Ground can take example from the recently concluded Olympics and inspire themselves especially by the success of the athletes. These athletes he said worked hard while dedicating themselves through their conviction for success.

Other speakers at the Sandy Ground Fete were Prefet Delegue Philippe Chopin and President of Sandy Ground of Move Julien "Bagan" Richardson. After the official speeches, lunch was served to those that attended.


Click here to view more photos of the Sandy Ground Fete.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever was on-hand with staff from the Ministry of Public Health's Baby Wellness Clinic and Nurses from the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) at the Grand Marche Bush Road to provide information to the public about breastfeeding.

The information campaign is for a four week period. The Ministry of Public Health along with other stakeholders including nurses from SMMC are part of the journey to successful breastfeeding which begins with the support of families, healthcare providers, employers, and the community.

Philipsburg:--- The High Council of State General Audit Chamber provided part of its findings to the parliament of St. Maarten on Thursday, the last working day of the current board. Acting Secretary General Joan Dovale-Meit who was also the former island secretary for St. Maarten presented the first half of the report. The second half of the report will be presented in September when the new board is installed.

Dovale-Meit in her powerpoint presentation said that the investigation on government spending began last November and the General Audit Chamber was not given much cooperation when it came to the gathering of information. She said that despite the hardship from the various Ministries, the council managed to produce a report which shows that there is much to be done within the government apparatus regarding its workers. The General Audit Chamber formulated its report which consists of 110 pages after studying 324 files on government personnel.

The General Audit Chamber said in its report that the personnel costs for government is 30% of the annual budget and one of the things the council sought to find out was if government was following proper procedures when hiring its staff. Furthermore, the council wanted to make sure that each civil servant had a complete file and based on the investigation that was not the case. The council realized that 56% of all the personnel files they examined lacked the most fundamental documents. Many civil servants are not even registered at the APNA (pension fund). One of the reasons for this the council said is because the APNA made it mandatory for civil servants to go through certain medical examinations and their advice to government is to see if they can eliminate the medical examination. Registration at the pension fund was only found in 42% of the personnel files. This is a matter of concern for the General Audit Chamber. Despite the fact that deductions related to payment of pension premiums are listed on the wage slips (pay slips), the lack of registration may have major financial implication for Sint Maarten, the audit chamber reported.

The audit chamber also found 14 files of persons who are registered as civil servants and are being paid by government but they are not the job. Seven of these persons are registered under the Ministry of General Affairs as cleaners. The government of St. Maarten used 92.2% of its budget for 2011 but that percentage could change when the annual accounts are finalized. Another discrepancy the council found is that the high councils of state, including the General Audit Chamber had difficulty accessing its funds because in most cases the monies were placed under the wrong Ministry therefore, these councils only managed to use 50% of their budget for 2011.

The audit council wanted to determine if the payments government was making was done lawfully but they were not able to come up with a conclusive answer due to the lack of data. Besides that, the audit council finds that after two years of being a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands St. Maarten only appointed 66% of the much needed personnel. One of the Ministries that are way below average is the Ministry of Justice who only filled 30% of its mandatory positions. One of the departments that fall under the Justice Ministry and still needs personnel is the MOT. While the parliament of St. Maarten allocated budgets to the various Ministries for personnel and other expenditures such as staffing manuals. The only Ministry that does not have a manual for its staff in place is the Ministry of Justice. The audit chamber said that the manual for the Ministry of Justice is incomplete, two years after St. Maarten's installation as a country within the Kingdom. These manuals are supposed to contain the job descriptions and the formation plans while there must be a section with the legal basis on how civil servants are appointed under both the civil service law and the civil law.

The audit chamber did not find an archive for personnel affairs and in their opinion based on their investigation such an archive does not exist.

The eight parliamentarians present for the meeting posed questions and expressed concerns about the functionality of government. Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge said that he has been speaking about the level of service government has been rendering to the people of St. Maarten and he is particularly concerned about the fact that many of the civil servants were not registered in the pension fund APNA (APS).

Member of Parliament Gracita Arrindell wanted to know how the investigation was conducted and who was responsible for providing the information to the General Audit Chamber. It should be noted that the investigation was also conducted at the Parliament of St. Maarten and the griffier was the one who was interviewed and provided the information on the personnel of the parliament of St. Maarten.

General Audit Chamber should be placed on hold until proper procedures are followed.

Member of Parliament Petrus Leroy de Weever in his comments said that he is of the opinion that the installation of incoming board of the General Audit Chamber should be placed on hold until the proper procedures are followed. De Weever said that based on the rules of order, all members of high councils of state should be appointed by ballot. MP de Weever said article 64 of the rules of order clearly outlined how the high councils of state must be installed and that is supported in chapter five- article 75 of the Constitution of St. Maarten.

It should be noted that the high councils of state were established for a two year period which ended on August 23rd so that St. Maarten could have met the criteria for becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. When the new board is established they will sit for a period of five years making it seven years for each high council of state.


Click here to read the report presented to Parliament by the General Audit Chamber.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams took some time out of her busy schedule during her most recent travel to Washington DC where she headed the St. Maarten delegation to AIDS 2012 to visit National Security representatives of the United States in Langley Virginia.

Accompanying the Prime Minister on her visit to Langley were employees of the National Security Service of Sint Maarten, including head of the service James Richardson. During the official visit several topics were discussed including, but not limited to, mutual areas of interest between the National Security Services of St. Maarten and the United States. During the meeting it was decided by all parties that security services of both countries would continue to forge a working relationship in the interest of promoting.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg (DCOMM)—Backstreet road to be closed on Sunday, August 26, 2012.

The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, and Infrastructure (VROMI) is informing the general public that the Backstreet in the sections of Gevangenis Steeg to Long Wall Road will be closed to vehicular traffic on Sunday August 26, 2012 FROM 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Pedestrians are urged to take precaution.

The reason for the road closure is to allow NV GEBE to carry out maintenance works.
The works consist of the removal of their existing wooden electricity poles and accompanied overhead electrical cables.

All side streets/roads from Cannegieter road leading to Front street will remain open. It will be possible to move to and from Cannegieter road and Front Street.

The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, and Infrastructure (VROMI) apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Prime Minister over the weekend again encouraged all civil servants to sign up for the physical fitness campaign specially for civil servants entitled U 2 Can Move! The program will kick-off on Friday with the Soualiga K6 and K3 challenge, a walk or run of six or three kilometers around the Great Salt Pond. On September 5th the Prime Minister will also be launching a Zumba Campaign for Civil Servants. Zumba is a Colombian dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s and involves dance and aerobic elements incorporating hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance moves.

The Prime Minister said the events are a part of a larger fitness campaign where she encourages Civil Servants to take their health and fitness seriously. "There is much we can do for ourselves as individuals and as a country as far as good health is concerned. Information, diet and exercise are the basic ABC's and are valuable in any situation. I want to encourage our health institutions, practitioners and NGO's in this field to focus on educating our community on aspects of health and I call on all, especially our women, to take responsibility for their health, regular check-ups, and to heed warning signs such as aches and pains," the prime minister said. These two events are no different and I encourage Civil Servants to get up and move and be active," commented the Prime Minister. The Soualiga K6 and K3 challenge will start at 4:30 in the afternoon at the Government Administration Building.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Sint Maarten's International Coastal Cleanup got a kick start just before the designated month of September with a group of 23 visiting MBA students from Kellogg University. The students from this prestigious Business and Management University are vacationing on St. Maarten before their school starts next week. Students took part in this eco-activity to help clean the oceans and waterways of trash, plastic pollution and construction/building debris littering Little Key island in the Simpson Bay Lagoon.
The group of students and PRIDE Foundation representatives set off by dinghy with Isle de Sol representative Paul Ellinger to Little Key located in the Simpson Bay Lagoon across from the Princess Juliana International Airport.
Volunteers were confronted with numerous boat wrecks, broken dinghies, old broken jet ski's that were too heavy for human hands to remove from the island. In addition, the island has boat wrecks tied up to the island, all in hazardous conditions, squatters live on boat wrecks, one squatter even has a dog living on the wreck.
Volunteers hauled away 14 bags of trash, consisting of much plastic pollution, plastic bags and bottles, building materials, and the odd trash items like a ladies tank top, a mens trouser, a string of christmas lights, and a propane tank.
A Total of 347 pounds of trash was collected and inventoried on the special itemized ICC card.
Sint Maarten PRIDE Foundation thanks Isle de Sol Marina Management for donating transportation to Little Key and Paul Ellinger for assisting with this event. Isle De Sol played a part in this cleanup event as part of the Blue Flag clean marinas requirement.

For more pictures, please visit the St. Maarten PRIDE Foundation Facebook page.

Pembroke Pines, FL:--- The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has announced the winners of the 2012 FCCA Children's Essay Competition. Students for this year's competition were invited to write an essay on the prompt: "What are the memories you would like a cruise passenger to walk away with after visiting your destination?"

Understandably, it was difficult to choose the overall winner in each age category, as each essay showed the students' excellence in education and displayed their overall knowledge and awareness in the tourism industry, along with their creativity in problem solving.

First-, second- and third-place winners were chosen from the junior division, consisting of students between nine- and twelve-years-old, and the senior division featured students between thirteen and sixteen. The 2012 winners are:

Rank	Student	Country
1st Place	Fleur Hendrickx	St. Maarten
2nd Place	Dhakiya Liburd	Nevis
3rd Place	Quiannah Potter	St. Thomas
1st Place	Terrikia Benjamin	Antigua & Barbuda
2nd Place	Volton John	St. Vincent & The Grenadines
3rd Place	Kinza Andew	Grenada

First place in the junior division was Fleur Hendrickx from St. Maarten, and Terrikia Benjamin from Antigua &

Barbuda took the gold in the senior division. The first-place winners receive academic scholarships of $3,000 (U.S.) each in addition to a separate monetary award given to their schools. The winners also are invited with chaperones to the FCCA Cruise Cruise Conference & Trade Show in Curaçao on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 to read their essays and accept their prizes.

Second place in the junior division was Dhakiya Liburd from Nevis, and in the senior division, Volton John from

St. Vincent & The Grenadines earned the honors. Second-place winners and their schools each receive monetary awards of $1,500.

Third place in the junior division was Quiannah Potter from St. Thomas, and Kinza Andew from Grenada won it in the senior division. Third-place winners and their schools each receive monetary awards of $1,000.

This year's essay contest attracted entries from 19 countries. The aim of the contest is to assist students in furthering their education while letting them think about their own destinations and its involvement in the tourism industry, along with providing an opportunity to problem solve for the real world. To reward all the students for their exceptional efforts, all other finalists will receive monetary awards of $200.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) is calling on the population to monitor government and weather reports related to the 12th tropical weather system for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm (TS) Leslie, which was located on Thursday afternoon over 1000 miles East of the Lesser Antilles.

TS Leslie does not pose any threat to land at this point in time. Leslie is strengthening and is expected to become a hurricane. The system is forecasted to pass North East of Sint Maarten over the weekend.

TS Leslie will go down in the record books as the second earliest formation of a 12th named storm in the Atlantic Basin, eclipsed only by Hurricane Luis of 1995, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

TS Leslie on Thursday afternoon was moving Westward at approximately 21 miles per hour; however the storm is forecast to make a West North West turn in the next few days according to the NHC.

ODM will be closely monitoring the progress of this system and will provide updates to the general public via various forms of media.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten recently met with the HIV/ AIDS steering committee at her offices in the Government Administration Building. The HIV/ AIDS Steering Committee, which the Prime Minister chairs, is comprised of the Honorable Minister of Health, Labor and Social Welfare Cornelius de Weever, Dr. Gerard Van Osch, Suzette Mozes-Burton, Margje Troost and Jorien Wuite.

During the meeting various topics were discussed including new nominations to the Steering Committee and discussions regarding which Ministry the Steering Committee should be placed under. A main topic during the meeting was the mainstreaming and sustainability of the Countries Program against the HIV/ AIDS Epidemic and the development of a Work plan for 2013. Another major topic was the expansion of education programs within the community regarding HIV/ AIDS.

The HIV/ AIDS Steering Group meets bi-monthly in order to strategize governments approach to combating the HIV/ AIDS Epidemic.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Melanie Wescot, sister in law of Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, was arrested by police on Friday for firearm possession and was later released.
According to reliable information reaching SMN News, the elderly woman threatened her daughter with a firearm and the daughter later spoke to a police patrol that was in the area. SMN News learnt that the threatening took place on Friday morning when the mother and daughter had an argument. The source said that the woman's daughter who is a grown woman felt threatened and she decided to alert a police officer who subsequently searched the woman's house and found the weapon. Police arrested Wescot and took her to the Philipsburg Police station for further interrogation where they later learnt that the gun is not a real firearm and the elderly woman cooperated.
A source within law enforcement said that the firearm was not a real pistol, instead it's a "signal pistol" and it is not listed under the weapons and firearms ordinance. Reliable sources say that the elderly woman is on medication and was later released by police while the signal pistol was confiscated.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) 5pm advisory on Friday, Tropical Storm (TS) Leslie, is forecasted to pass well north of the Leeward Islands over the weekend.

TS Leslie is expected to pass over 300 miles from Sint Maarten.

TS Leslie does not pose any threat to land at this point in time. Leslie is strengthening and is expected to become a hurricane over the weekend.

TS Leslie on Friday afternoon was moving West North West ward at approximately 18 miles per hour.

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this system until it completely clears the Leeward Islands.

PHILIPSBURG:--- As of August 2012, the University of St. Martin (USM) will be offering an International Business and Management Studies (IBMS). Based on the IBMS-program of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen (Netherlands). This is a four year, full-time undergraduate, international program where graduates, upon completion of the program, receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
USM and the Hanze University signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2011. "Both universities worked diligently towards the result which is being now presented: The start of the IBMS program on St. Maarten," says USM Business Division Head Erwin Wolthuis.
He further explained that the IBMS is a four-year program and each year consists of two study semesters.
"The first two years of the curriculum are offered at USM, year 3 and 4 are offered at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HG), Groningen, the Netherlands. After having completed the first two years successfully at USM, students are eligible to enroll at the Hanze University in the third year. This will be a seamless transition since the curriculum offered at both universities is exactly the same," Wolthuis notes.
Irma Koornstra, Project Leader of the USM- Hanze University Collaboration, adds, "Throughout their studies, students will work together in small groups to find answers to challenging yet practical, business-related problems. These small, preferably multi-cultural groups of four to six students prepare them for successful communication and co-operation in international business. Modern facilities such as up-to-date computer access and the availability of a well-equipped project room supports the students in their project work."
That training is also provided in specific skills essential to successful future careers, such as giving and receiving feedback, working in groups, intercultural sensitivity, customer orientation and presentation skills, says Koornstra. These are a unique part of the IBMS program.
There is still space available for students who are interested in joining this program. In order to be eligible for admission students need to be in the possession of a HAVO/CXC or VWO/IB diploma. The deadline date for applying to this program is August 10, 2012. To enroll in the program students will also need to bring their diplomas, transcripts (cijferlijst), passport and two passport pictures to USM.
Persons who are interested in more information on the International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) can contact the University of St. Martin Student Service Center at tel. 542-5171 Ext. 1000.

Philipsburg:--- On Wednesday August 1st, 2012 at approximately 10:55pm during a routine control by a Zero Tolerance patrol, a gray Hyundai Elantra with license plate P-8913 with dark tinted windows was stopped in the vicinity of the Kruythof round-a-bout. During the control on the inside of the vehicle, a loaded black handgun was found in the center console. This weapon was confiscated and the driver/suspect with initials N.A.W. born in Curacao was arrested on the spot and taken to the Philipsburg Police Station where he was handed over to the Fire-arm Division for further investigation.

KPSM Police Report

Philipsburg:--- Francesco Corallo, known to be the owner of the Atlantis Casino in Cupecoy and the financier of several politicians on St. Maarten is now on the run. According to sources close to Corallo, he is nowhere to be found even though his business is fully operational. SMN News has been reliably informed that St. Maarten's Interpol division is busy looking for Corallo as they were alerted of an international arrest warrant that is out for his arrest. One of the difficulties law enforcement agencies are faced with is the current passport Corallo is using. It is known that Francesco Corallo is the holder of Dominica passport and one from Honduras while he is also a national of Italy.

According to information provided to SMN News, Corallo is wanted in Italy for tax fraud. The sources said that Corallo is suspected of corruption in connection with a loan of 148 million Euros from the Italian Banca Popolare di Milano (BPM) to the casino chain Atlantis-BP. Sometime in June 2012, Reuter's news agency published that Corallo was wanted in Italy but he later denied the allegation saying he is not involved in any type of corruption. At the time the news broke, St. Maarten had recently become a full-fledged member of Interpol and was not notified of the arrest warrant.

SMN News learnt that St. Maarten received notification of the arrest warrant issued by Italy some weeks ago but St. Maarten police and Interpol division are not able to locate the businessman on St. Maarten.

Several of his employees said that Corallo disappeared from St. Maarten about a month ago and they are not able to make contact with him by phone. Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos could not be reached on Sunday to confirm the information provided to SMN News.

The Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin, attended the rafter wetting ceremony at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation for the Foundation's new Affordable Housing Project. The Prime Minister commented that it was good for her to see the SMHDF launch yet another project during the rafter wetting ceremony for the new affordable homes. "As presented by the St. Maarten Housing Foundation this project is centered around building different categories of homes for especially young people, people who may want their own homes and who will now have an affordable option to realistically do so. Naturally it was very encouraging for government to be present and to be part of the rafter wetting, "commented the Prime Minister. The PM continued by stating that this is yet again another project in the overall vision of a government commitment to serve all aspects of the community.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- On 28 July 2012, members from the U.S. Forward Operations Location (U.S. FOL) donated their time to help protect Curaçao's unique natural resources. They scaled the heights of Mt. Christoffel and cleared both the peak and trail of trash. This effort benefited both tourists and the local community by enhancing the natural beauty of one of Curaçao's most visible and visited landmarks. U.S. FOL personnel have long been advocates for the local community and this was yet another outstanding example of their desire to promote the well-being of both the environment and citizens of Curaçao.

Philipsburg:--- The police are busy hunting for three or four men who robbed the Gold Finger Jewelry store on Tuesday morning. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that the robbery had taken place and the bandits managed to escape with the loot.

Henson said police searched the area but was not successful in finding the culprits. More details on this latest robbery will be published when the information becomes available.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs confirmed to reporters on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that there is still work to be done at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School. The Minister said that she had expected the construction work to be completed by August 13th when schools re-open for the 2012- 2013 school year but as of now there is still work to be done on the bathrooms. Minister Jacob said that she is currently monitoring the situation and the progress of the construction work to determine whether or not it is safe for students and teachers to return to school by Monday August 13th. "I will be making my rounds this weekend to make sure all is in order and the parents and students will be notified this weekend if that school will be ready for Monday. As it is now premature for me to say whether or not the construction work will be completed by Monday."

The Minister of Education further explained that the top floor of the new wing is complete but she has to ensure that the bottom floor is secure before allowing students and teachers on the premises. Minister Jacobs said that the contractors encountered some delays and that is the main cause of the setbacks.

Philipsburg:--- The President of the Workers Institute for Organized Labour (WIFOL) Theophillus Thompson expressed frustration on Thursday during WICLU's weekly press conference about a meeting that was held between Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin and the principles of the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company (SBRMC). Thompson told reporters that he was reliably informed that Marlin met with the principles of the company that laid off close to two hundred workers and to date Marlin has not brought the union up to speed about the meeting he held at Captain Oliver's Restaurant. He said he is not saying that government cannot meet with the investors but he is peeved at the fact that this particular company laid off a number of workers and the union was not contacted prior to the meeting. "Had the Deputy Prime Minister contacted the WIFOL he would have gotten new information regarding the ongoing court battles with this company who is not paying its workers."

Thompson said he is concerned about the developments because it is sending the wrong message or signal to developers and investors on St. Maarten where they can exploit, abuse, and misuse workers and it is condoned by government.

Thompson further stated that as a representative of workers they have been exercising maximum patience hoping to resolve the labour dispute with SBRMC peacefully. However, he warned that if it comes to a point where the union has to take radical action then the people of St. Maarten are fully aware that they were left with no other choice but to disrupt society.

Thompson said the WIFOL requested a meeting with the deputy Prime Minister late last month to discuss the impasse at GEBE but to date that meeting has not been held. He said the union was supposed to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister on Thursday (August 09, 2012) but that meeting was not held. It should be noted that the Deputy Prime Minister left the island early Thursday morning due to a family emergency.

When contacted by telephone overseas, Marlin admitted meeting with the principles of SBRMC and he made clear to them that while he was in opposition he was speaking out loud and clear against them and was in full support of the workers they laid off that are represented by WIFOL. Marlin said during the impromptu meeting he held with the investors, he made clear to them that now that he is in government he remains committed to supporting the workers whose rights must be respected. Marlin also confirmed that he received a letter from the union requesting a meeting and he already made note of it and a meeting will be scheduled within short between him and the WIFOL.

Thompson said SBRMC filed for protection from the bankruptcy that was filed by four of the employees. He said the WIFOL and their attorneys met with the trustees earlier this week and so far they have decided to give the trustees the benefit of the doubt as they execute their duties. He said as one of the creditors they were given an insight as to what the trustees are looking into. However, Thompson said he is not allowed to divulge the information he received from the trustees to members of the media.

Thompson said the lawyer representing SBRMC Jairo Bloem has already issued threats to the workers and country's economy by indicating that if the workers should win the lawsuit against the company then SBRMC would have no other choice but to close the doors of the resort. Thompson said the threats made by the lawyer for SBRMC is a direct threat to the country's tourism economy. He further explained that so far SBRMC has refused to adhere to the court's decision of April 2, 2012 to pay the workers they laid off and to adhere to the Collective Labour Agreements they had with WIFOL.

Employment Agencies Infringing on Workers Rights --- Thompson.

Thompson further explained that while all of this is happening, SBRMC has six employment agencies that are supplying workers for the company. He said these agencies are operating on the premises and the resort was never over staffed. He said SBRMC had a number of part-time workers that were on contracts, they filled in when there was need for extra workers. "These agencies are providing undocumented workers for SBRMC and the workers have no benefits such as medical insurances. These workers are working under severe risks because their rights are being infringed upon." Thompson said he was informed that the attorney for SBRMC instructed the employment agencies not to hire illegal migrant workers but the employment agencies cannot abide by the instructions because they simply cannot find enough persons with legal documents to work for them under the unscrupulous conditions. In addition, the union leader said that these agencies are refusing to hire locals. Thompson said the current situation at SBRMC can be considered union busting and even worse, some form of modern day slavery. He said that the undocumented workers are accepting the abuse and none of them have decided to come forward for union representation. Both Theophillus Thompson and Claire Elshot said these employment agencies are operating against the law because to date St. Maarten has no law in place that would allow them to operate the way they are. The unionists said they received a copy of the draft law that government wants to take to Parliament to allow these agencies to function, but the tripartite committee and the union needs more time to further study the draft law and seek legal advice on the document.

Thompson said he hopes that the resort will not close its doors because the workers want to work. He said while the company is claiming they do not have monies to pay its workers they have been conducting renovations and replacing the furniture in some of the units.

Thompson also explained to media workers that the dismissal request that was submitted to the island labour department some months ago was never handled. Therefore, these workers are not being paid and they cannot receive any type of social assistance from government. He said the workers are at home not working and are not being paid and the government of St. Maarten is turning a blind eye towards the predicament of SBRMC workers.

Thompson said his intention is to send another letter, this time to the Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Labour to bring them up to speed on the recent developments.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Board of Directors and members of the Supervisory Council of the St. Maarten Medical Center as well as two representatives of the Union with whom the Medical Center signed a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) in June, met with the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

The Council was provided with an update on their expansion plans and the financial aspects thereof. Both legal and financial expertise was on hand to provide the Council with detailed information on the matter.

Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe:--- The judge of instruction of Pointe-à-Pitre, Brice Hansmaan has determined that suspects Karelle Marcelin and her mother Imelda Relus will have to stand trial for premeditated murder and assassination for the brutal slaying of Cecilia Henry. Their case was sent to the Criminal Assizes where they will stand trial. The court determined after reviewing all the evidence provided to them that the case is classified as assassination under articles 132-72, 132-75,221-1, 221-3, 221-8, 221-9, and 221-11 of the penal code.

The order was pronounced by the judge of instruction after the relatives of the late Cecilia Henry retained well known victim's lawyer Jan Marc Ferly to defend and seek damages for Henry's death. The judgment was pronounced on July 19, 2012. Judge Hansmaan also ordered that the file be transferred without delay to the Prosecutor General of the French Republic and the Court Recorder of the Criminal Assizes (Criminal Courts) of Basse Terre, Guadeloupe.

Cecilia Henry was brutally murdered by the mother and daughter of Haitian decent in the vicinity of French Quarter Pharmacy and the Gess Gas Station on October 3rd, 2011.

According to the "Avis Ordonnance Rendue", several witnesses to the brutal murder were heard by the court during a "mise en examen." Karelle Marcelin told the court that she was attacked several times by Cecilia Henry and on at least two occasions she was hospitalized and had to stay away from work for 12 days. Besides the constant attacks that left her traumatized, Marcelin had problems at home because her mother could not accept her homosexuality. Marcelin admitted to the judge that her mother bought a knife for her to take to work so that she could defend herself against any further attack by Henry.

Imelda Relus was described as a violent mother by two of her daughters who told the court that they were forced to leave their mother's home because of her violent behavior. However, Relus had no previous convictions. She is the mother of six children and her only source of income was from the CAF. Karelle Marcelin had a previous conviction in March 2009 for aggression and use of a weapon, she spent 15 days behind bars for that crime.

Henry received over 40 to 50 stab wounds to her upper body and part of a metal blade was also found in her right eye. Henry received 39 stabs wounds in less than one minute based on video footage provided to the court.

The mother and daughter also admitted to the investigators (gendarmes) that they were the ones that attacked and killed Henry. Marcelin also told the court that the latest attacks started between her and Henry when Henry stole a handbag belonging to one of her best friends. Marcelin claims that this bag contained several important documents. Marcelin also admitted to the court that she took a knife in her handbag that morning when she left her home to go to work. She said her intention was to defend herself against Henry who was constantly attacking her. Imelda Relus used a machete she bought in Marigot a few days earlier which she said she would use to kill Cecilia Henry. Several witnesses told the court that Imelda Relus was seen numerous times walking up and down Rue de St. Georges with a machete saying that she will kill Cecilia Henry with the machete she bought solely for that purpose.

Witnesses and persons who knew the mother of Karelle Marcelin told the court that while the Imelda Relus was known to be a strict mother she was highly offended that her daughter was attacked so many times. One witness told the court that Relus' main intention that fatal day was to defend her daughter. They said the mother even hired a private bus to take her daughter to and from work but that did not help. Marcelin attacked Cecilia Henry on October 3rd, 2011 when she got off a bus and saw Henry on a bicycle. Henry was attacked from behind and both mother and daughter dealt her several blows causing her death almost instantaneously. It should be noted that Karelle Marcelin filed several complaints with the Gendarmerie against Cecilia Henry.

The sisters of Cecilia Henry and her grandmother also provided the court with the colorful life of Cecilia Henry whom they said lost her mother when she was just two years old. The court was also told that Henry was brought up by her grandmother but she became aggressive when she began using illicit drugs. Her grandmother said Cecilia left her house when she began frequenting a young man and he too was under the influence of drugs.

The relatives of the deceased admitted to the court that their sister was not an easy person and that she did what she could to survive alone. One of the relatives told the court that Cecilia felt that she was abandoned by her relatives and as such she did what she thought she needed to do to survive. The relatives and the court in its ruling stated that despite Henry's past and her behavior, the killing was not warranted.

It should be noted that even though that the judge finds that there are sufficient evidence to charge the mother and daughter with the capital offence, the mother and daughter are innocent until proven guilty in Criminal Courts.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- As the school year 2012-2013 commences on Monday August 13, 2012, I wish to extend words of encouragement and empowerment to all students, Management and staff of all schools, parents and the community at large.

As we strive to partner with our youth, to better our world, I urge you to embrace our cultural tradition of: "It takes a village to raise a child". We each have a role to play in our students' success: government, schools, parents, the community and especially the students themselves.

Students are urged to strive to do their best from the beginning, as your success is for 90% determined by your attitude and 10% hard work. You success will be determined by your strength of character, the level of respect you show for yourself and others, the ability to control your impulses, your compassion towards your fellow man, and the ability to treat others fairly.

You must know who you are, and what you stand for. You must believe in yourself and take the necessary steps to reach your goals.
Parents and schools are encouraged to do their part to facilitate our students in achieving their highest potential. Parents are encouraged to set standards for their children and to provide structure in the home as children must get the required night's rest, nutrition and attention in order to be able to perform optimally in school.

Government and schools are doing more each year to provide for the academic, physical and artistic development, and social-emotional health of our students, including healthy breakfast programs for students who need it.

Teachers have the unique opportunity to positively influence our students with patience, love, compassion, respect, and dedication.

Together we will strive in this year to provide better opportunities to meet the needs of our special needs students, be they gifted or challenged.

The business community and the community at large must also play a role as a part of the village, as we create a culture of progressive, positive learners in building our country St. Maarten.
I make use of this opportunity to wish all students, teachers, management, staff, parents and guardians a successful and productive school year 2012-2013, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs concludes her back to school message.

Philipsburg:--- Mr. Franklyn Richards, Chairman of the Council for Law Enforcement, on Monday presented its report, 'The complaint filing procedure in St. Maarten' to representatives of leading entities in the judicial chain of St. Maarten. The report was presented to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Roland Duncan, Chief Prosecutor Mr. Hans Mos and the Chief of Police, Commissioner of Police, Mr. Peter de Witte.
The Minister of Justice as well as the Chief Prosecutor and the Chief of Police welcomed the report and indicated their commitment towards implementing recommendations contained in the report.
The report is based on research conducted by the council and draws attention to a substantial number of challenges when a complaint has to be filed. The Council generally concluded that the police force faces shortcomings in resources and personnel while it also suffers from a lack of sufficient expertise. This, in turn, affects the quality of reports drafted about complaints, resulting in negative consequences for investigations.
The Council for Law Enforcement report also concluded that the services surrounding the filing of complaints faces pressure and that information provided by both police and the prosecutor's office can use some improvement.
The council, however, also agreed that identified deficiencies within the police force have been recognized and that several improvements are already underway, albeit that more has to be done in several areas. However, the Council considers that there are more parts to be done.
The report has thus listed a number of concrete recommendations to the police organization and to the prosecutor's office with the objective of improving the procedure of filing complaints.

About the Council

The Council for Law Enforcement was established in 2011 by Kingdom decree. The Council for Law Enforcement is an inter-insular body, responsible for the inspection of the various organizations within the justice system. The ultimate objective is to provide recommendations to the Ministers of Justice of the three countries of the Dutch Kingdom in order to correct shortcomings. The Council consists of three members who are appointed by Royal Decree and represent respectively Curacao, the Netherlands for the BES islands and Sint Maarten.
The representative for Curacao is Mr. Glenn Camelia. Representing the Netherlands is Mr. Jacques van Eck while former governor of Sint Maarten, Mr. Franklyn Richards, represents St. Maarten. The latter has been chairman of the council since July 1, 2012.
The Council has inspection authority in Curaçao, St. Maarten and the BES islands. This entails checks of all organizations within the justice system, with the exception of the Common Court of Justice.
Important organizations in the judicial chain are the police organization and the prosecutor's office. The Council is additionally tasked with safeguarding the quality and effectiveness of judicial cooperation between Sint Maarten, Curaçao and the BES islands. The Council reports to the Ministers of Justice. Six weeks after sending a report to the Minister, the Council can make that report public.
The investigation into the procedure of filing complaints is the first study of the council. This investigation was conducted simultaneously in Sint Maarten, Curaçao and the BES islands. The results of that survey were presented to the respective Ministers of Justice of the three countries. Under the law, the ministers formulate a response to the report and forward such to the relevant body of the country concerned.
The Council operates with an annual plan. For 2012, three investigations are still on the agenda and are related to the process regarding assistance to victims, detective investigations and the court of guardianship.
The Council has a secretariat with offices in St. Maarten, Curacao and Bonaire.
For further information on the Council for Law Enforcement, visit the website:
www.raadrechtshandhaving.com
The contents of the inspection report, ''The complaint filing procedure in St. Maarten "is accessible via this site. The establishment of the Secretariat of the Council for Law Enforcement in St. Maarten is located in the Joeliva Building, Charles Voges Street 7 in Philipsburg. Telephone numbers for the secretariat in St. Maarten is 542-9021 and 542-9022.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company (PJIAE) made a donation here on Tuesday toward the restoration of the Cook House at the Emilio Wilson Park.

PJIAE Managing Director Regina LaBega presented the check for an undisclosed amount, to Julius Lambert, president of the Emilio Wilson Historical and Cultural Foundation (EWHCF). The foundation had requested a contribution as part of its fundraising for the historical restoration project.

"PJIAE supports efforts such as this one to restore and preserve our historical and cultural heritage," said LaBega during the check presentation at the airport on Tuesday morning. "We are looking forward to the timely completion of this project, which will benefit the whole of St. Maarten," said LaBega

Lambert thanked PJIAE for its generous donation and encouraged others to "emulate the concrete support and interest that the airport shows in the preservation of our patrimony."

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever confirmed on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing on Wednesday that he met with the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC), the Director of SZV, and APS (Pension fund) to further discuss the loans that the St. Maarten Medical Center is requesting from the two entities. De Weever said the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center pleaded with the Council of Ministers last week saying that SZV was setting some criteria for the loan they requested from them.

The Minister said that the SMMC said because of this, they are being held up for the bond, the deadline for the bond is August 15th and they needed to respond by August 14th. The Minister of Health said at that time, he assured the St. Maarten Medical Center Board that he would call a meeting with SZV and SMMC so that they could address the issue with him present.

Minister De Weever said on Tuesday SZV and the Inspector of Health gave a presentation to the Council of Ministers to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Minister De Weever said shortly after that meeting he also met with SZV to further discuss the bond issue. Minister De Weever said that meeting went very well and he already sent an email to the St. Maarten Medical Center on the matter and he is now awaiting a response from them. He said the email sent to them is to ensure that parties are on the same page when it comes to getting the monies they are in need of for the expansion of the medical institution and its services.

The Minister further confirmed that SMMC is not cooperating when it comes to releasing information on their other creditors. Right now, he said he knows of APS (Pension Fund) and SZV. He stated that SZV indeed has that as one of their requirements and when the time comes then all the creditors would have to sit at the same table before pumping their monies into the institution.

Minister De Weever said that SZV has to do due diligence when it comes to spending or investing the people's monies. "SZV is the one financing the hospital because they pay for services which amounts to 80% of the hospital's revenues and their concerns are valid for patient care as well as for the monies they will invest in the expansion of the institution. We are talking about AOV money, and everyone has to know that the money that SZV is going to commit to the SMMC is a sound investment and proper financial procedures must be followed. SZV has an investment committee that has to do due diligence and I think it is a responsible way of doing business."

Philipsburg:--- On Wednesday at approximately 9:30am, a police bike patrol was directed to the crossing of Backstreet and Tamarind Steeg for a traffic accident involving a jeep with license plates L-120 and a yellow and orange colored scooter without any license plates. On the scene, the rider of the scooter with the initials K.L. from Dominica (23) was complaining of severe pain. He was treated on the scene by paramedics and transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center with a possible fractured leg. During the investigation, several witnesses to the accident informed the officers that during the collision a firearm dropped out of the scooter and fell to the ground. This firearm, a fully loaded 9 millimeter pistol, was shown to the investigating officers who confiscated the weapon and handed it over the Firearm Division for further investigation.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications (MinTEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet, confirmed on Thursday that the marketing funds for the Basketball Wives Wedding in the amount of US$95,000 has not been paid as yet and considering the on-going developments, the Minister has instructed to put said payments on hold until further notice.

The advice that was sent to the Governor's Cabinet is still pending the Governor's signature.

The Minister's Cabinet received the following statement from the marketing firm Horizons Marketing Group who brought the wedding to Sint Maarten:

"I received your note about the concerns of the upcoming television production where St. Maarten will be featured in the wedding of Chad & Evelyn. While the media is printing a lot of different stories, we are in touch with the television Production Company and producers of the show who continue to work on a solution to this unfortunate incident.

"We have been assured that St. Maarten and the commitment that was made will remain intact while they work out the logistics with the couple. Please note that the show where Evelyn is featured Basketball Wives remains one of the highest rated reality shows and was not cancelled; therefore, we are confident that the issue will be resolved soon enough. The producers remain committed to broadcasting the terrific shots and imagery that they were able to capture in St. Maarten. I will keep you updated on this issue."

Minister Pantophlet would like an official statement from VH1 confirming that the show will still be aired and the commitment kept before any funds are disbursed to the marketing firm for its services.

The Marketing firm has been requested to get the aforementioned.

Minister Pantophlet still supports this initiative as it would provide great exposure to the destination, and considers it a good investment from hosting the wedding of Evelyn and Chad.

The airing of the wedding which includes highlights of the island, would generate US$5 million in media exposure which would normally costs US$600,000, as well as US$1 million in expenditures for the five days spent on the island by the 250 guests and TV crew for the wedding.

Minister Pantophlet assures the community that as additional information becomes available, the public will be updated.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Disaster Coordinator Winston Salomon is advising the country's mainstay, the tourism sector and business community overall, to review hurricane preparation plans since we are now in the most active period of the 2012 hurricane season which runs from August 15 and through October 15.

The tourism sector, business community and residents are also 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.

This year's Atlantic hurricane season got off to a busy start, with eight named storms to date, and the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Centre which released an updated outlook, still indicates a 50 per cent chance of a near-normal season, but increases the chance of an above-normal season to 35 per cent.

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 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 names of potential storms for the 2012 season are: Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.
The hurricane season runs through November 30.

Fort Willem:--- On Friday August 17th, a man with initials M.S. was arrested at his home in Fort Willem after being identified as a suspect in an ongoing robbery investigation. At the address in question during the arrest, the arresting officers found two large marijuana plants growing in the yard, two stolen suitcases, several stolen cellular telephones, iPods, iPads, ammunition for a fire-arm, and several other possibly stolen items. These items were confiscated for further investigation. One victim has already identified several of these items as his property. The detectives are continuing with the investigation.

KPSM Police Report

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Prime Minister based on the advice of the Office of Disaster Management in consultation with the Meteorological Department of Curacao (MDC), has taken the decision late Tuesday that there will be no school on Wednesday, 22 August.

Tropical Storm Isaac, the ninth storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, is forecasted to pass Wednesday afternoon near Guadeloupe.

Weather conditions around Guadeloupe up to as far as St. Eustatius and Saba are expected to deteriorate, with some impact on Sint Maarten.

MDC has advised that a feeder rain band from Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to impact weather conditions on the island.

The school closure is a precautionary measure.

Businesses can open and operate as normal on Wednesday.

A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the country. A Tropical Storm Warning means that storm conditions are expected within 36 hours somewhere within the warning area.

ODM will continue to monitor the progress of this system.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Ujima Foundation and Philipsburg Jubilee Library are the latest recipients of donations made by Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten).

The donations of undisclosed amounts were made to both organizations by Franklyn Richards, Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten) Managing Director and Mario Mondo, Chief Operating Officer at Seven Seas Water Corporation, headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

The cheques were presented at the Government Administration Building last Friday, following a 3 way-agreement signed by the government of St. Maarten, public utilities company GEBE and Air Fin Holding St. Maarten, doing business as Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten).

The donation made to Ujima Foundation/Center for Knowledge and Learning is to assist the foundation with the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts, a school for secondary education. The purpose of the school is to offer young people an overall experience of learning -- providing students with a program of intellectual, cognitive, creative, physical and emotional development required to succeed in their professional and personal lives, says Ujima director Mrs. Judith Martin-Bell.

"Seven Seas Water is most pleased to support the new academy for the performance arts as a vehicle to inspire, motivate, and enrich the lives of young St. Martiners, while preparing them to reach their highest potential as scholars, artists, St. Maarten leaders and accomplished world citizens", said Mario Mondo, the Seven Seas Water Chief Operating Officer.

This donation is, still, another example of the Seven Seas Water commitment to St. Maarten's social development in general and youth education in particular, he added.
The donation made to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library is in aid of a presentation on 'Jews of St. Maarten', as part of a program on tolerance presented in schools and media in October.
The program is being staged by the Anne Frank Foundation of Amsterdam, the St. Maarten National Heritage Foundation and the Philipsburg Jubilee Library.

Library director Monique Alberts said that the library will have a special program for school children with an exhibition entitled, 'Reading and writing with Anne Frank' throughout the month.

Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten) director Franklyn Richards and chief operating officer Mario Mondo both noted that "the company is grateful for the opportunity to contribute towards such an educational endeavor and making the library's campaign possible ". The same sentiment was also underscored by Seven Seas Water official Mario Mondo.

Philipsburg:--- Air Ambulances that were operating between St. Maarten and the BES islands without the necessary licenses were halted by the Inspector General of St. Maarten Dr. Earl Best on July 12th, 2012.
SMN News managed to obtain a copy of a memo that was sent to the operators of at least three air ambulances that were registered as "PJ" and providing air ambulance services between St. Maarten and the BES Islands. The three companies are WINAIR, Windward Island Express, and Jet Budget.

Dr. Best informed the providers and owners of the aircrafts that based on the Health Care Ordinance article 1 (PB 2007-19) an air ambulance is considered as a health care institution, therefore the ordinance is applicable to those companies that provide air ambulance service.

Dr. Best further stated in his memo that in addition to the Health Care ordinance, health care institutions, the ordinance on ambulance transportation (AB 2000 no.81) includes transportation by air and provides regulations for air ambulance transportations. Furthermore, the ordinance prescribes that a permit is required to transport patients via the air. The request to obtain such permits must be submitted at the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Best said of the three companies operating on St. Maarten, only Jet Budget applied for an air ambulance license and it was granted. The inspector general further explained that chapter 3 from article 8 to 14 of said ordinance describes the quality and requirements of the institution (aircraft). The memo further stated that based on international regulations more detailed requirements were formulated by the Inspectorate and the Department of Public Health.

The Inspector General made clear in his memo that all air ambulances that are registered on St. Maarten as "PJ" must comply with all the requirements for AOC as prescribed by the aviation and health care regulations. Companies wishing to conduct air ambulance services must obtain the necessary licenses as it is mandatory. Air Ambulances that are not registered on St. Maarten but renders services to Saba and Statia patients that are transported to St. Maarten must comply with the Dutch legislation, whereby they must apply for their permit through the Dutch health care services.

Click here to view the legislation on Air Ambulances.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs, extends sincerest condolences to the family and close friends of Camille Baly on his passing.

With Baly's passing, St. Maarten mourns another great Cultural and Education Icon. Baly was known as an educator par excellence, collector of St. Maarten's History and a guardian of the cultural aspects of St. Maarten.

The former head of the Education department as well as Youth and Cultural affairs remained an avid Cultural and Education activist until his passing. He also served as an advisor to many government officials up until his passing.

The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports honored Baly during the historic Emancipation Day celebrations held on July 2nd, 2012.

Baly was honored during this Cultural Manifestation for his pioneering work which leads to St. Maarten being able to commemorate this day as a National Holiday.

"The Ministry is eternally grateful that we were able to honor Baly for his immeasurable contribution to developing Country St. Maarten". On a personal note the Minister made the following statement about the passing of her mentor: "Mr. Baly's insight and advice will be greatly missed."

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Section Inspection Head at the Department of Economic Affairs M. Thewet says economic controllers are currently out –Wednesday- to prevent price gouging with respect to the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac.

The island is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning. Tropical Storm Isaac is forecast to pass Wednesday night approximately 110 miles South of the country.

It has become common practice in different parts of the world when a natural disaster such as a hurricane strikes, a number of retailers will try to take advantage of the victims.

Price gouging is when a retailer unnecessarily and callously increases their prices during a time of great panic or in an emergency situation.

In order to avoid the above situation, the Office of Disaster Management has advised residents prior to the start of the hurricane season to prepare a disaster kit which should include non-perishable canned foods, water, batteries etc.

Food items and sanitary products with a maximum price are: corned beef, sardines, soup, tuna in the can, vienna sausages, bottled water, toothpaste, mouth wash, dishwashing liquid, bath soaps, toilet paper, soap powder, disinfectant, batteries, glass candles, and hurricane lamps.

Government has also set maximum prices for building materials that are used for securing one's home or business during the last hours pending a hurricane strike.

The maximum prices are for lumber, ply form, nails (galvanize, steel, concrete, zinc nails), paint, hammers, felt paper, flush doors, roof zinc, blocks, cement, P.V.C. fittings, and C.P.V.C.

As a consumer, if you believe that a merchant has cheated or scammed you by engaging in price gouging, then you can call the Inspection Department at Tel. 543-7820, 542-4519 to file a complaint or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Philipsburg:--- APS recently received a number of annual pension specifications from the former APNA and has begun with the distribution of these amongst its participants. It was customary for participants of the former general pension fund of the Netherlands Antilles, APNA, to receive a pension benefit specification annually.
This final specification from APNA will provide, amongst others, an overview of the accrued pension through October 9, 2010. The specifications will be distributed via the personnel departments of the various employers of APS participants.
For the time being, APS will only be distributing the specifications of active participants of the fund. These are those employees who have not yet reached the pensionable age of 60 years and who were registered in the administration as being in service of an employer on Sint Maarten.
"The specifications are for informative purposes, as many persons have been asking about them. We feel it is important to get information to them on how they were registered at APNA as per the abovementioned date" says APS director Kendra Arnell.
If participants notice discrepancies with their pension specifications, they should inform APS of such, within the shortest possible time. "We will then work with them to look into the issue," says the APS director.

Last Wednesday Jim Rosen of the Junior Golf Foundation received a donation from the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten to be able to purchase an I-Pad3. The device and special software will assist the Junior Golf Foundation teachers with reviewing and improving the swing of their pupils. Jim Rosen explained that that training takes place in Emilio Wilson Park and that the youth is being taught at no charge. Apart from learning how to play golf, the importance of concentration, self control and honesty are being emphasized in the training. With the donation, the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten lives up to Rotary's commitment to the youth, acknowledges the importance of the golf training for children and the efforts Jim Rosen has been making in this respect for many years.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever, Inspector General Dr. Earl Best, Secretary General of Health and Labor Jorien Wuite, Directors of SZV Denis Richardson and Reginald Willemsberg along with some of their staff members were among the delegation that provided information on the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) to the Members of Parliament during a permanent committee meeting on Friday.

The meeting was called by the chairman of the permanent committee of health Member of Parliament Petrus Leroy de Weever along with the two other members on the committee, MPs Dr. Lloyd Richardson and Romaine La Ville. MP Romaine La Ville arrived late to the meeting claiming that he thought all the meetings that were called by the permanent committee were cancelled.

Other Members of Parliament that also attended the meeting were MPs Gracita Arrindell, Johan Janchi Leonard, Patrick Illidge, Jules James, Hyacinth Richardson, Dr. Ruth Douglas and the Chairman of Parliament Rudolph Samuel. The meeting was held in a closed door session but based on information provided to SMN News, the situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center as described by Inspector General Dr. Earl Best can be considered chaotic or disastrous. Dr. Best investigated at least seven deaths that were reported to the Inspectorate. Based on the findings of these investigations, Dr. Best informed parliament of the state of affairs at the St. Maarten Medical Center and the quality of care that is provided to the people of St. Maarten. Dr. Best made a power-point presentation as he outlined his findings to parliament.

The permanent committee is scheduled to meet with the specialists and doctors of the St. Maarten Medical Center on September 3rd, 2012. The Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center is yet to provide a date to parliament for when they will be able to meet with them. The chairman of the health committee already indicated to the Supervisory Board of SMMC that if they did not provide a date to Parliament by Thursday (23rd August) then he will use his right as Member of Parliament to request a Parliamentary inquiry at the St. Maarten Medical Center.

SMN News has learnt that the doctors and specialists of the St. Maarten Medical Center are scheduled to meet with the Supervisory Board sometime this weekend to further discuss the situation and patient care at the St. Maarten Medical Center.

Click here to view more photos of those that attended the permanent committee of health meeting on Friday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Town hall presentations about Simpson Bay, Airport and Beacon Hill as well as Hillside Conservation areas, are available for download on the Government website www.sintmaartengov.org

Interested residents and stakeholders can go to the website and select the drop down tab "Government," followed by "Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure (MinVROMI)."

On the aforementioned page you then go to "Zoning/Development Plans" and below you will find both presentations.

All presentations will be uploaded to the website which would allow residents and stakeholders an opportunity to review the aforementioned at their own leisure.

Persons can also write MinVROMI via the following email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with respect to their views and ideas regarding the development of the island.

The Zoning Ordinance (EROP) prescribes that development plans are established regulating the development possibilities and land usage on the Dutch side of the island.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth Affairs Silveria Jacobs announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that a number of teachers (52+) were not paid during the month of August and her Ministry is busy working on regulating the matter. Minister Jacobs said that the non-payment of the teachers is a repeat and it is very much undesirable for her Ministry but they are looking for ways to avoid it in the future.

Minister Jacobs said that procedures were not finalized and the procedure she said is somewhat long within the government machinery. Minister Jacobs said she is of the opinion that government has to work harder to get these procedures completed on time. The Minister said that there are cases where they have teachers whose contracts were up and had to be renewed while others were scheduled to go into permanent service and since their paperwork was not submitted for the payment of their salaries then they were thrown out of the system. The Education Minister further explained that her ministry is working closely with the Finance Department to ensure that these teachers are paid by next week.

Evaluation of Teachers' Diplomas to take place on St. Maarten.

Minister Jacobs also told reporters on Wednesday that based on complaints her Ministry received from the Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) about the procedures and evaluation of teachers, a meeting was held with the division of examinations to discuss the process of diploma evaluations. Minister Jacobs said a presentation was given by drs. Yvette Halley outlining the policy and procedure with regards to the evaluation process. Minister Jacobs said that two staff members from the department have been trained and certified by NUFFIC to evaluate degrees. Minister Jacobs further explained that the service level agreement with the ATE government will not be renewed at the end of the year and a database will be created to register all diplomas in the future. Minister Jacobs said that the division of examinations will be making a presentation to the various school boards and the WITU regarding the evaluation of degrees and diplomas.

The Minister also issued a call to all school boards who have not yet sent in the diplomas for their new teachers to do so at their earliest opportunity.

Accreditation of TEP Program.

Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs announced on Wednesday that efforts are being made to have the Teachers Education Program (TEP) accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Organization (NVAO). Minister Jacobs said five other education related programs including Mathematics, Science, and teacher's certification are among the programs to be accredited. The Minister of Education said that scholarships for the TEP program are also available to students who would like to pursue their career in education. Persons that are interested must register at her cabinet at the Government Administration Building.

Students that are receiving scholarships abroad are requested to submit their grades and transcripts in order for the government of St. Maarten to extend their scholarship. Minister Jacobs said that thus far some 80% of students already submitted their information but there are a number of students that are studying in the Netherlands who did not comply. The Minister is therefore calling on all students who did not submit their grades and transcripts to do so forthwith. Students in the Netherlands are asked to provide their information to S4 in the Netherlands. Minister Jacobs said that this information was to be submitted by July 15th and since government does not want to cut students scholarships they have extended the date to September 7th, 2012.

Secretary General Claudette Labega Foresight leaving on Pension --- Harrigan in the Interim.

The Secretary General for ECYS Claudette Labega Foresight will be leaving on retirement after serving the island government for 35 years. Mrs. Labega Foresight will be leaving on vacation prior to her retirement date which is scheduled for November 2012. Quincy Harrigan will replace the SG in the interim.

As a follow-up to the claim by the Windward Islands Civil Servant's and Public Sector Union regarding the issuing of appointment decrees to former Civil Servants of the Netherlands Antilles, The Prime Minister and her Cabinet contacted the Personnel Affairs Department for an update on the issue.

According to feedback received from the Department of Personnel Affairs the claim made by the WICSU/PSU is incorrect as there was no distinction made between civil servants of the former Island Territory and those of the former Netherlands Antilles.

From the correspondence received from the Personnel Affairs Department all decrees of any specific ministry where out simultaneously, regardless of where the Civil Servant was active prior to 10.10.10. According to the information sent to the Prime Minister the only civil servants that did not receive a placement decree are those who appealed their placement or the placement offer.

The Appeals Committee has started to handle the appeals and have as a target finalization date the 31st of December 2012.

The Prime Minister has commented the she will continue to follow-up regarding the claims made, but that Government is executing the appointments and the appeals expediently and comprehensively.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams met with Pastor Wycliffe Smith and Stevenson Similece regarding the possibilities of having closer relationships with the Christian Community in Israel. Mr. Similece, who is from St. Maarten but currently resides in Israel, presented the Prime Minister with a proposal on how closer ties can be made between Israel and St. Maarten as a new Country. The proposal, centered on the theme "Building Bridges", was also presented to St. Maarten through the United Ministerial Council.

PHILIPSBURG:--- In connection with the ongoing community projects that are being carried out by the recently graduated and certified Community Police Officers, a meeting was held on Monday July 30th, 2012 at the Sint Peters Community Center between Major Felix Richards (CPO for the district of Sint Peters), assisted by two other CPOs, and representatives of the various foundations, groups and organizations representing the Sint Peters area. The meeting was held mainly to have Major Felix Richards officially introduce himself as the CPO of that district. During this meeting, several agenda points were discussed and as a result parties involved showed interest and willingness to work together to discuss and tackle numerous problems in the Sint Peters area. Meetings between parties involved have been scheduled for the near future and a date will be set on which a town hall meeting will be held involving all the residents of Sint Peters.

KPSM Police Report

Philipsburg:--- The new director of the Pointe Blanche Prison started work on Wednesday. Edward Tony Rohan replaced the former director of the Pointe Blanche Prison Rudsell Ricardo who left on pension at the end of August. Rohan was born on St. Maarten but worked for years in the Netherlands.

SMN News was also reliably informed that a new Head of the Judicial Affairs Department has been appointed and  he will take up his duties at the Justice Ministry this week. The new head of Judicial Affairs has been identified as Mr. Hoestia. According to well placed sources, Iris Chitaroe left on vacation and she will not be returning to her job as Acting Head of Judicial Affairs.
It is expected that the Minister of Justice Roland Duncan will present the new heads of these departments on Thursday afternoon to the media. No other details on the two candidates are readily available.

General Secretary of Justice Department Moved --- Ligia Stella has to Establish MOT.

Reliable sources have informed SMN News that the Secretary General of the Justice Ministry Ligia Stella was removed from her position and given the position to head the MOT Department. The source said that Stella will soon leave her current position to go over to her new office.

Minister Duncan did not give the position to the former Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto as was reported earlier. According to sources within the Justice Ministry, the Minister of Justice and the Secretary General were not seeing eye to eye and the move was necessary since the two parties were not communicating.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Skillz Baseball Academies (Skillz BA) will have student athlete registration beginning this Saturday August 4th at Jose Lake /John Cooper and Little League Field the entire month of August.

The deadline to register is Saturday August 26th for Skillz Baseball Academies. Parents may register their child by calling 522-2828 or visiting our practice field from 9:00AM on Saturdays and during the week at 6:00PM at Little League Park.

Parents can register with any board member of Skillz BA. All board members will have registration forms and wear a Polo Skillz Shirt. Skillz BA has contracted to hire three professional coaches to work on St Maarten pending an annual sports subsidy.

The Pro Baseball Instructors would be shared with the Little League organization to train student athlete's ages five to 12 years old. The training program would include strength & conditioning and College Prep program at St Maarten Academy from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM for after school tutoring for an additional fee of $25 per month.

Skillz BA training camp will begin September 1st to December 20th. Skillz BA will travel to Arizona during the October School vacation and February School vacation. On December 26th Christmas week Skillz BA may have a general sports camp for kids ages five to 12 registration fee $50 per student athlete.

Skillz BA one week camp would be held at JCJL Field in Cul-de-Sac. Skillz BA training would resume Saturday January 5th until February 28th. Corporate sponsors of Skillz BA are: Quiznos, Lenard Enterprises, All Waste in Place, Insports Media Group, Xerox, WTN Cable TV, Nagico, Lee's Bar & Grill and Heavenly Water.

Registration Board Members and Staff Members

1) Alex Sutton - 553-4867

2) Reggie Plaisir -522-2828

3) General Registration Coordinator 522-2675

Training Camp Divisions

Ages 5 to 12 Little League Park - Free

Ages 13 to 17 $50 per month tuition fee

All players may register for Skillz BA try-outs TBA. Registration Fee $30

Any questions in regards to registration contact any board member of Skillz BA.

French Quarter:--- The President of the Willing Workers Association Leopold Illidge who resides in the United States and is currently on the island took the opportunity on Monday to speak with Prefet Delegue Philippe Chopin about the French Quarter Cultural Center which was closed some two years ago by the former Prefet Jacques Simonette for security purposes.

Illidge told the Prefet that he was glad that he took the time to visit French Quarter and to particularly meet with the landowners at the Culture Center because it is closed for security reasons. Illidge said that the building was constructed by St. Martiners living in the United States and has an Association called the Willing Workers.

Prefet Chopin said the building was closed for security purposes but the group needs to meet with him to further discuss the reason for the closure. Chopin said that repairs have to be done on the building before it could be re-opened. Chopin further explained that they already know what is wrong with the building but the owners of the property have to show interest and make an effort to meet with him and let him know what they can pay for and what they need assistance for when it comes to repairing the building. Chopin said that the French Quarter Culture Center has been closed two years now and to date no one has made an effort to conduct the repairs or even to meet with the State representatives to make their case known.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever is encouraging all mothers, including fathers, to attend the Wednesday breastfeeding information session.

"An informed and involved mother and/or father are a better parent," Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever said on Tuesday.

Pregnant women, those planning a family, and breastfeeding mothers are invited to an information session on August 8 at the Baby Wellness Clinic which is located behind FATUM Insurances.

The information session will start at 6:30pm until 8:00pm. The Clinic is located in the area of Grand Marche Supermarket Bush Road location behind FATUM Insurances Building, A.J.C. Brouwer Road.

Attendees will learn about the importance of breastfeeding. Infant and young child feeding is a cornerstone of care for childhood development.

KRALENDIJK, Bonaire:--- Education officers from national parks and organizations across the Dutch Caribbean and the Netherlands and youth who have become park Junior Rangers shared ideas last week in a three-day workshop to cooperatively plan future education efforts. The workshop took place July 29-30 on Bonaire at the headquarters of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA).

The group came together to find shared ways to give children a better knowledge and understanding of nature, and the passion and skills to actively participate in conservation.

The Nature Foundation, which is the Park Management organization for St. Maarten, stated that one of our biggest challenges has been the lack of education in the past. "Although children live on the island, there is no real idea of how unique their environment really is. Children need to realize that St. Maarten is part of a bigger whole and that we don't protect nature only for itself, but for future generations."

Information, experiences and ideas flowed as the group reviewed materials and best practices, as well as their progress on their education goals since 2010, when the first workshop of this kind took place.

The group is collaborating to produce teaching materials that can be used in after-school programming as well as in classrooms, and is working to create a uniform education program spanning ages 8 to 18 called Wild4Life.

As part of that program, five Junior Rangers, including one from Nationaal Park Weerribben-Wieden in the Netherlands, presented their culminating projects and demonstrated to the workshop participants how to geo-tag trees—mapping their location using smart phones.

The workshop participants will continue to develop a common vision of nature education and further cooperation among the islands and the Netherlands about ways to build understanding and support for nature conservation efforts. In future, national parks may share a Junior Ranger program that culminates in older teens earning the Junior Ranger designation. Younger children might receive "passports" to be stamped as they participate in various parks' activities, both terrestrial and marine.

The planning, participants agreed, also pointed out the islands' common need for full-time education officers to work in the parks to develop youth programming.

"It's very good for the islands to work together," said Desiree Croes, education coordinator for STINAPA Bonaire. "All the islands are a little bit different, and every meeting is a way to communicate and learn from each other.

"It makes us stronger."

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that the Council of Ministers has decided to send a letter to the Curacao caretaker government regarding the joint Central Bank. Wescot-Williams said the time is approaching for St. Maarten and Curacao to submit its agreement on the joint Central Bank to the Kingdom Council of Ministers. Wescot Williams said prior to the current political developments on Curacao the government of St. Maarten was planning to invite the government of Curacao to a meeting so that they could have come to an agreement on the Central Bank.

As it stands now, Wescot Williams said that government will send the Curacao caretaker government a proposal and still invite them to a meeting. St. Maarten she said will focus on having the branch of the Central Bank on St. Maarten properly built up so that it can function optimally. Wescot Williams said this is in keeping with the agreement St. Maarten and Curacao made when they promised the Kingdom Council of Ministers to send their agreement to them by their next meeting.

La Savanne:--- Commandant Paul Betaille, 38 years old and father of five children will be heading the Gendarmerie on St. Martin for the next three years. Betaille introduced himself to members of the media on Thursday. He said he took office on August 1, 2012 shortly after the departure of Commandant Stephen Brunet, whose term ended on July 31st.

Betaille said his first obligation is to get to know his team (personnel) of the Gendarmerie both here on St. Martin and on St. Barths. "I want to know who is working for me and I want to know them well." He said at the same time he is trying to get to know St. Martin because the island is special in many ways.

The new commandant said he already began working with some of the patrols in various areas such as Oyster Pond so he can get a first hand view as to what the gendarmes on St. Martin encounter on daily basis.

Commandant Betaille said he already met with the President of the Collectivity of St. Martin Alain Richardson and the Chief of the Territorial Police Fabien Bazile while he is expected to meet the President of the Collectivity of St. Barths on Friday August 10th. He said that a meeting will be scheduled in September where he will meet with his Dutch counterparts.

When asked if he intends to make drastic changes at the Gendarmerie regarding crime and delinquency, Betaille said for the moment he will work with the strategies that were implemented by his predecessor Stephen Brunet because so far they seem to be working very well.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Sunday August 12, 2012 has been designated International Youth Day by the United Nations under the theme "Building a better world, partnering with Youth".

The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon Silveria Jacobs hereby extends congratulations to all youth and youth organizations on St. Maarten who together with government are working together for our youth on St. Maarten.

"It is with renewed dedication and commitment to improving the services that Government must provide in order to promote our youth that we move forward at the start of this new school year with several plans which include the continued subsidizing of after school programs, community schools, sports programs, health programs, labour programs etc.

"Government is also making progress in its plans to upgrade our Sports facilities and we are engaged in talks with stakeholders to be able to incorporate more after school programs within the schools which would enable each child the possibility to explore his/her talents and keep our youth positively active in our society.
"It is our firm belief that having our youth actively involved in their own development will improve their chances for a bright and successful future.

"Therefore we encourage our youth to volunteer in schools, churches and community groups in order to provide service to the community in which you live. Let your voices be heard; contribute in the exchange of ideas. In this way you will be an active ambassador for the growth of your country.

"Time and again we hear the cliche "the youth are our future". I urge all youth to turn it into "Our youth is our present - What we do today, will determine our future!"

"I challenge the youth, youth organizations, community groups, educational institutions, sports organizations, artistic and cultural organizations, businesses and government to partner together in order to build a better St. Maarten and a better world," Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs said on the eve of International Youth Day.

Philipsburg:--- The President of Parliament Rudolph Samuel has decided to discontinue the use of the Coat of Arms that was created by graphic designer Loic Bryan with the assistance of several schools. SMN News learnt that the new President of Parliament discovered that proper procedures were not followed prior to using the coat of arms while Member of Parliament Gracita Arrindell was the Chairlady of Parliament.

According to information provided to SMN News, the Parliament of St. Maarten did not even adopt the coat of arms in their general assembly, neither did the former President of Parliament Gracita Arrindell verify if the art work in the coat of arms created for St. Maarten is being used by any other country.

Samuel has already removed the coat of arms from the Parliament website and all other official documents until the proper procedures are followed to properly use the coat of arms.

SMN News further learnt that the process to verify the authenticity of the coat of arms is currently underway. President of Parliament Rudolph Samuel confirmed to SMN News that he removed the coat of arms because proper procedures were not followed.

Students of the Martin Luther King Jr. School started off the new school year with a surprise from the Sunrise Rotary Club of St. Martin. The club announced its intention to adopt the school for the coming school year. The first initiative was a joint collaboration with UTS. The company funded a back to school package for each student of the school, which included a backpack, copy books, pens, pencils and other needed school supplies. "The new school year is always an fun and exciting time for both parents and students and we are happy to be able assist parents in some of the expenses that go along with the back to school period," says UTS Marketing and Communication Officer, Ivy Lambert. "Seeing the excitement of the students in the morning on that first day of school was already fantastic, but their reaction when we announced that the school would receive special attention this year from UTS and Rotary Sunrise was especially touching. This is a special day for students and teachers alike, and we are happy to be able to contribute to the excitement of the day with some good news," Lambert continues. 

Rotary Sunrise President, Marcellia Henry added the following: "The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise is committed to the education of the students of St. Maarten, so it gives us great pleasure to collaborate with UTS to give the students of Dr. Martin Luther King a token (school bags and items) to start the new school year. We wish all students, teachers and staff a successful school year and we look forward to working with the school towards fostering excellence in education, literacy."

Philipsburg:--- The Supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center is busy seeking financing to the tune of NAF. 30,000,000.00 (Thirty Million Guilders) to proceed with the expansion of the medical facility. Last week Wednesday, the board of the SMMC presented its expansion plans to the government of St. Maarten even though government has refused to give them a letter of guarantee to obtain a loan from one of the banks on St. Maarten.

A meeting was held on Tuesday with management of SZV, the board of the St. Maarten Medical Center, and the Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever to see if parties can come to an agreement.

SMN News has been reliably informed that the SMMC board contacted SZV requesting a loan from the medical insurance provider to the tune of eight million guilders but SZV has some concerns which SMMC is not willing to address in a clear and transparent fashion.

According to a reliable source, SZV wants to ensure the continuity of the management of the St. Maarten Medical Center. Questions were posed by SZV about the hospital's medical director that is wearing many caps depending on what he is defending on behalf of the St. Maarten Medical Center. SZV also requested information on the other creditors that are willing to assist SMMC with its project through a loan, but SMMC is not willing to provide that information to SZV.

The source said that one of SZV's main concern is that the St. Maarten Medical Center is not only looking at expanding its current structure, but they also want to add additional services to those that they are already providing. "If that is the case then there needs to be proper management in place to ensure that the institution delivers quality service as well as makes suffient monies to repay its lenders in the stipulated time frame that is agreed upon.

The supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center also met with representatives of the St. Maarten Health Care Union where they have been informing the union on the expansion project and its progress.

Please be informed that due to concrete works (paving of road crossing at Sucker Garden Road with respect to cables) to be carried out at the Sucker Garden Road on Thursday August 16 (tomorrow), the following intersections will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 7pm – 10:00pm:

• Intersection of Sucker Garden Road
• Intersection Middle Region
• Intersection Hulda B. Richardson Road (Oyster Pond Road).

The Ministry of VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams informed members of the media on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers' press briefing that the discussions initiated by St. Maarten with the caretaker government of Curacao on the issues relating to the Central Bank will continue on Saturday in Curacao. Wescot Williams further explained that it is intended that after Saturday's meeting the two governments will come to an agreement on how to move forward with the joint Central Bank as they prepare for a status report or a so called plan of action by the government of the two countries that has to be presented to the Kingdom Council of Ministers by August 24th.

Wescot Williams said that a video conference was held with the Prime Minister of Curacao and Minister of Finance of Curacao. She said on behalf of St. Maarten, she as Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance of St. Maarten participated in that meeting. Wescot Williams said since that meeting she was informed of some new developments regarding the central bank, one being that the supervisory board will meet on Friday. Wescot Williams said St. Maarten made clear during the video conference meeting that St. Maarten wants to see its branch fully equipped and upgraded while the government of St. Maarten wants the supervisory board of the Central Bank to approve the budget of the Central Bank for 2012. St. Maarten's Prime Minister said that there is an extensive agenda for the meeting that is to be held this weekend. However, St. Maarten has proposed to the government of Curacao to allow the supervisory board to continue with its planned meeting and that the meeting with the two governments should also take place. She said several of the items on the agenda for this weekend meeting are things that St. Maarten has been asking for. One of those things she said is the approval of the budget and the annual accounts of 2011. So far she did not get a response from Curacao but her intention is to make sure she brings these points forward when the meeting takes place.

Will St. Maarten Endorse the Suspension of Emsley Tromp?

When asked if St. Maarten will be endorsing Curacao's intention to suspend the Director of the Central Bank Emsley Tromp as was stated in one of the daily newspapers, the Prime Minister said the newspaper article was a mis-quote and in fact St. Maarten requested the terms of reference regarding the government's intention to suspend Tromp. She said since the video conference, St. Maarten did receive the terms of reference and based on what they have seen thus far the document is very much suggestive.

...

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams received a courtesy visit from Rotary district 7020 Governor Vance Lewis on Wednesday. Mr. Lewis was accompanied by James Ferris, District Governor of Anguilla, and various members of the St. Maarten's Rotary Clubs.

Mr. Lewis discussed this year's Rotary International theme "Peace Through Service" with the Prime Minister as well as discussing the various conflict resolution programs the Rotary Clubs will be hosting within the region and on the island this year. Mr. Lewis, as District Governor, is tasked with ensuring that the various clubs on the island execute their mandates. At the beginning of 2012 the President of Rotary International issued a request to all clubs worldwide to uplift the respective communities by building peace through service.

Mr. Lewis also presented the Prime Minister with an honorary Rotarian Pin and expressed his thanks on behalf of the different Rotary Clubs in the region on the support the Prime Minister has shown the service club throughout the years.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Fire Department of Sint Maarten and the Fire Academy of the Netherlands (Brandweeracademie) will be conducting a training session to train persons already on the level of Fire Officer (OvD) to specialize their skills as instructors during the week of August 20th to 24th.

Fire Officers are trained at the Fire Academy at a post baccalaureate level after a tedious selection. The Fire Officer carries out the task of Operational Leader and he or she coordinates any major incident or disaster on an operational and tactical level.

There are two fire officers at the Sint Maarten Fire Department namely Clive Richardson and Silvanico Pauletta.

It is essential that persons carrying out a function with such responsibilities keep updating his/her skills and knowledge on a regular basis.

Usually such trainings are conducted in weekly courses in England or Sweden and are very expensive. What makes the training on Sint Maarten unique is that the participants will also be trained to organize and conduct similar trainings in the future.

This is the first time that such training will be conducted in the Kingdom. Fire Officers out of the BES islands, Curacao and Aruba have shown interest and have been invited to participate.

The training is organized by the Fire Department section Prevention, Preparation, Education and Training headed by Fire Officer Silvanico Pauletta.
The training will be conducted by several instructors of the Fire Academy. There will be theoretical classes and also practical trainings. The practical trainings will be at different locations on the island such as the Harbour, SOL, TEXACO, STM N.V., Atrium Hotel, AT Illidge road, Cay Bay and Cupecoy. Several qualified Police Officers from the Police Department will also be taking part in the training.

The Fire Department looks forward to this training and the end results. This means that as a result of this training week the course to become Fire Officers in the future can be conducted on Sint Maarten by Sint Maartens very own Fire Officers.

The Nature Foundation created St. Maarten's newest artificial reef over the weekend when it sank a 47 ft. former sailing vessel in approximately 170 feet of water. The new site, which was named Charlie's Wreck after Charles Bernard Peterson, a fisherman from the village of Simpson Bay who was instrumental in assisting the Nature Foundation in sinking the vessel, was specifically created for fishing. The vessel lies four miles outside of Simpson Bay on the edge of the so-called "drop-off".

The Nature Foundation initiated the project after hearing concerns from the fishing community that some fishing grounds were lost after the creation of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park, the Islands first National Park and only protected nature area. It is prohibited to fish or harm any animal within the Man of War Shoal Marine Park and fishing within the area can result in legal penalties. It was therefore decided to give back to the fishing community by looking at ways to create a site which will cause fish to gather and thus enable fishermen to sustainably practice fishing. After consultations with representatives of the fishing community it was decided that a vessel should be cleaned and sunk in order to create a habitat for fish to congregate on. Polypat Boatyard manager Fred Wojcik donated a 47ft. former sailing vessel and assisted with the thorough cleaning and transportation of the vessel. Commercial Dive and Salvage Company Aquatic Solutions assisted in towing the vessel and Mr. Paul Ellinger and Charles Bernard Peterson assisted with sinking the vessel on the proper location. Also on Board the Nature Foundation Patrol Vessel Yellowtail were children from the Nature Foundation Snorkel Club, who were given first hand information on why artificial reefs are created and the tradition of fishing on St. Maarten.

"It is a common misconception in the community that the Nature Foundation is anti-fishing or anti-fishermen. Fishermen are one of the primary stakeholders to our marine resources and need to be taken into consideration when it comes to marine resource management. The creation of the Marine Park made it necessary to restrict areas from being allowed to fish on. This was necessary not only to allow for fish to be able to reproduce within the park without the risk of being caught, but also to allow the animals to repopulate some of the traditional fishing grounds surrounding St. Maarten. We sank the vessel downstream from the Marine Park specifically so that it can attract fish which are commercially important and we should start to see a healthy population of commercial species within three to four weeks," read a statement from the Nature Foundation.

The Nature Foundation is also cooperating with the Department of Maritime Affairs and the St. Maarten Harbor Holding Company on a wreck removal project which will seek to remove wrecks from the Simpson Bay Lagoon. These wrecks will also be sunk as artificial reefs and will serve as both fishing areas and as new dive locations. Owners of wrecked vessels are urged to contact the Nature Foundation at 5444267 as soon as possible to avoid their vessel being turned into an artificial reef. Fishermen interested in the coordinates of the recently sunk vessel can contact the Nature Foundation during office hours on 5444267 or on 5263509 outside of office hours.

On Tuesday morning the Harbour was informed that the Allure of the Seas cancelled for Thursday August 23rd.

Shipping agents have also advised the port that cargo ships previously scheduled to arrive Wednesday have committed to come as early as Tuesday night and Wednesday fore day to allow cargo to be offloaded to service their clients.

The harbour is busy taking precautionary measures to ensure all equipment is safe.

Harbour Village tenants have been asked to take care of any loose objects and to be alert for area's vulnerable for heavy rainfall.

Stevedoring companies are busy securing containers and other equipment away from the seawall as a precautionary measure. The dredge operations have been stopped and equipment is being secured.

The harbor will remain open on Wednesday as long as possible to accommodate seagoing cargo vessels.

Small pleasure craft are urged to seek shelter .

The Simpson bay bridge will maintain opening times of 09:00 / 09:30 -11:00 / 11:30 – 4:30 p.m and 5 :30 p.m. weather permitting. Wind velocity predictions vary so vessels seeking shelter should enter the lagoon as soon as possible. The port authority and bridge operator can be reached on marine VHF Channel 12.

Philipsburg:--- The owners of the Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE) filed an injunction at the Court of First Instance on Tuesday after learning that the developers of Rainforest Adventures Tours (RFT) placed a lien on the EWE and are claiming that the owners should turn over the Estate to them since they already had a deal with them. RFT is also claiming that they have in their possession a building permit for the park they intended to build at the Emilio Wilson Estate. Brookson told SMN News on Tuesday that the case will be heard sometime in September.

According to the information provided to SMN News by Brookson, the cooperation agreement the owners have with RFT clearly states that: "If at any time prior to the transfer of title of the premises owners consider to sell the property to a third party, RFT will be offered the possibility to acquire the premises under exactly equal conditions as owners consider to accept from such third party."

Brookson said it has been years now that the owners have been trying to sell EWE to the Government of St. Maarten but no one who was in Government at the time showed interest in purchasing the property. "The RFT park is an initiative of the Carnival Cruise Lines and the former Minister of VROMI is the one that brought them to see the property, but he also took the investors to see his family's land in Madame Estate and other properties as well.

Brookson named two politicians who would rant and rave about the protection of EWE but when these persons were in government they made no effort to acquire the property. Brookson said he has a number of letters that he wrote to government offering them to purchase the property. Therefore the Government of St. Maarten always had the first option.

Brookson said he was informed that the new government had problems with the building permit of RFT and this surfaced when the present Minister of Tourism visited the office of Carnival in Miami after taking up office. It was reported to him that the incoming government had problems with the issued building permit because no provisions were made for the projected link 7.

Another element that the new government was missing from RFT's development plan is "a retaining lake" that is supposed to be inside the park to accommodate excess water in case of flooding. "While flooding is not an everyday occurrence, provisions have to be made for it to avoid what took place in 2006. Inside that basin a football field was projected."

Brookson said that if RFT had acquired the property he would have retained 10 hectares of the property which is located behind the Emilio Wilson Park. It was agreed upon with RFT and government that government would purchase these 10 ha upon issuance of the building permit to RFT.

With the sale to the present government, the owners will retain only 6 hectares of the property behind the Emilio Wilson Park with an offset of 50 meters. "It is clear that I have to hold on to a part of the property for my children and grandchildren because at some point they would need to build a home for themselves and government would issue the necessary permits. Also I have made a promise to the Ujima foundation to give them land to build an educational facility for the youth of St. Maarten." Brookson said the owners gave RFT through their lawyer the opportunity to match what the government of St. Maarten was offering and they did not respond. Instead they placed a lien on the property.

In support of the set-up of the St. Maarten AIDS Foundation's new secretariat UTS/Caribserve has donated internet services to facilitate the Foundation's ongoing programs of HIV prevention, as well as advocacy, early treatment and care for those affected by HIV. The internet connection and the web, while playing a key role in disseminating updated HIV messages to the public, is also crucial in the Foundation's ongoing collaboration with the French side and with regional/international HIV/AIDS organizations. "When we heard of the foundation's need for connectivity there was no hesitation on our part to assist," stated UTS Marketing and Communication Officer Ivy Lambert. The foundation plays a vital role in creating awareness and providing information to the public and we are proud to be able to assist them in reaching their goals," Lambert continued.

The Foundation will shortly open its doors to the public with its new office located in Cole Bay. The new locale was recently connected to the 4G wireless internet service, generously provided by UTS/Caribserve. This is the second time UTS/Caribserve has come to sponsor the Foundation, as it already supports the island-wide confidential patient monitoring database that allows greater collaboration between Dutch and French HIV specialists in caring for people living with HIV/AIDS and in collating anonymous surveillance data for the island as a whole, which in turn helps plan for improvements in care and treatment options.

The Foundation will seek to leverage the internet and social media as much as possible to engage the public and to make information about HIV/AIDS and STIs more readily accessible. With the help of Eloquent Web Designs, the Foundation is in the process of re-launching its website (www.sxmaidsfoundation.org), which has long been the first port-of-call for information on HIV/AIDS on St. Maarten and increasingly in the Caribbean region. "Ask Annie", which is the anonymous Q&A forum on the website, will feature more prominently in the re-launch scheduled for later this year, to encourage the public to ask questions about HIV/AIDS, STIs and sex in a safe, anonymous and non-judgemental environment.

More information about the launch of the St. Maarten AIDS Foundation Secretariat and the opening of the office will be made available in the coming weeks. For the latest development, follow and "Like" the St. Maarten AIDS Foundations page on Facebook (facebook.com/sxmaidsfoundation).

Philipsburg:--- The supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center sent an email late Wednesday night informing the Parliament of St. Maarten that they want Parliament to postpone the permanent committee meeting scheduled for Thursday afternoon because in their opinion they were given short notice. The supervisory board of SMMC was given the first opportunity to meet with the permanent committee of parliament to explain the members of that committee about the management and shortfalls of the institution.
According to information provided to SMN News, the chairman of the permanent committee on health care has instructed the griffier of parliament to respond to the email sent by the supervisory board of SMMC and inform them that the chairman of the permanent committee for health Petrus Leroy De Weever wants all the closed door hearings to be completed within ten days time and if the permanent committee cannot get its work done within the timeframe they set, then Member of Parliament Petrus de Weever will request that a Parliamentary inquiry be conducted at SMMC based on articles 64 and 75 of the Constitution of St. Maarten.
In an invited comment, Member of Parliament Petrus Leroy de Weever confirmed that the supervisory board of the SMMC asked for a postponement of the meeting they had scheduled for today (Thursday). De Weever said that he already instructed the griffier to make sure the supervisory board provides parliament with a date on which they can meet before the end of Thursday. MP De Weever said if the supervisory board of SMMC does not provide a date on which they can meet with the permanent committee of parliament then a letter will be sent to them informing them of the steps parliament has taken against the St. Maarten Medical Center.
Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever and the Inspector General Dr. Earl Best are expected to meet with the permanent committee of health on Friday morning then a meeting will be held with the doctors and specialists, and finally SZV and its advisers.
These meetings were called shortly after SMN News broke the news that the inspector general Dr. Earl Best had conducted an investigation into the functioning of the St. Maarten Medical Center and based on his preliminary findings he told the Council of Ministers last week Tuesday that he would have advised government to close SMMC if there was another medical institution on the Dutch side of the island. Dr. Best also gave the Council of Ministers  insight regarding the investigations he conducted after some families filed complaints at his office regarding the death of their loved ones.

"Hurricane Joseph is approaching the Windward Islands and is expected to pass as a category four hurricane over the islands Sint Maarten, Saba and Statia". Halfway through the hurricane season, this could have been a real life warning. Today, this message marks the start of the annual hurricane relief exercise.

The "battle staff" of the Commander of the Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean, consisting of the main operational players, staff and support services, have met in the operations center at Naval Base Parera in Curaçao. It is in the scenario 72 hours before the simulated hurricane Joseph passes the Windward Islands. There is no request for military assistance, but the assets, including the emergency detachment from Aruba and HNLMS Pelican, are already on standby. In a very realistic setting, the step-by-step planning process is discussed. "Definitely an added value," says the major of marines Roland Melis, staff officer amphibious land operations, "because despite the fact that Defense is in a state of continuous readiness, it is good to go thoroughly through this process again, especially now that we are in the middle of the hurricane season". An understatement, because in real life the ninth tropical storm Isaac is now in the Caribbean north of Curacao and headed as a hurricane category one in the direction of Cuba and Haiti. This hurricane is closely followed by a depression, that in the books will most likely go as tropical storm Joyce.

 

Different than usual

Assistance before, during and after a hurricane passage is one of the main tasks of Defense in the region. The hurricane relief exercise, known as the Hurricane Exercise, has been taking place every year around early September on the Windward Islands. During the exercise, very realistic scenarios are practiced by the emergency detachment, which consists of marine company from Aruba, the support vessel HNLMS Pelican and disaster staffs of the three islands. Cooperation and exchange of experiences are the keywords. Even though this year this will be the focal point again, but the Hurricane Exercise of 2012 will have another character. The emphasis will lie more on supporting and facilitating the island disaster and emergency staffs in the implementation of their plans. On Saba and Statia the exercise includes a simulated plane crash and evacuation of civilians.

The Hurricane Exercise starts Monday, August 27 and lasts to Tuesday, September 4.

There are still 5 spaces available with full scholarship for students who are interested in joining the IBMS program. In order to be eligible for admission students need to be Dutch citizens and be in the possession of a HAVO/CXC or VWO/IB diploma. The deadline for applying to this program is September 4th, 2012. To enrol in the program students will also need to bring their diplomas, transcripts (cijferlijst), passport and two passport pictures to USM.

The IBMS-program of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen (Netherlands) is a four year, full-time undergraduate, international program where graduates, upon completion of the program, receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, accredited by the" Nederlands Vlaamse Accreditatie Organizatie" (NVAO).
USM and the Hanze University signed a memorandum of understanding in December 2011. The first two years of the curriculum are offered at USM and year 3 and 4 are offered at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (HG), Groningen, the Netherlands. After having completed the first two years successfully at USM, students are eligible to enrol seamlessly at the Hanze University in the third year. The IBMS program of The Hanze University scored very high in the "Keuzegids Hoger Onderwijs 2011".
Persons who are interested in more information on the International Business and Management Studies (IBMS) are requested to contact the University of St. Martin at tel. 542-5171 Ext. 1004.

Philipsburg:--- Ramesis Jamaloodin, the half brother of Robertico Dos Santos who is the owner of Robbie's Lottery has taken another step against Dos Santos on Friday. Besides the numerous court cases, Jamaloodin has sent a letter to the Governor of St. Maarten drs. Eugene Holiday and the Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Romeo Pantophlet requesting that they revoke the license the government of St. Maarten granted to Robertico Dos Santos on May 15th 2012,

Jamaloodin in his letters to Governor Holiday and Minister Pantophlet stated that Jamaroma Lotteries (dba as R.L. Lottery) obtained Nummerloterij license pursuant to the Lotterijverordening of 1909 and May 18 1999. According to Jamaloodin, the license Dos Santos obtained was valid for ten years.

Jamaloodin further explained that every night since May 18th 2009 Jamorama draws Nummerloterij under the name "Smart Play" and the "The Daily Numbers Game" without a license. Jamaloodin said Dos Santos has a license to sell lotto and Kraslotto and he is not licensed to draw numbers. He said to draw numbers the government of St. Maarten is required to issue Dos Santos with a Nummerloterij permit.

Jamaloodin based his request to revoke Don Santos' license on the fact that Dos Santos is under investigation for fraud and money laundering, the so called "BIENTU INVESTIGATION." Jamaloodin reminded the Minister and Governor that because of these suspicions the police raided the homes and businesses of Robertico Dos Santos both on St. Maarten and Curacao. Jamaloodin said that it is extremely strange that the former Minister of Economic Affairs would grant a license to someone who is under a serious investigation, thus he feels that the fact that Dos Santos is under investigation the former Minister had sufficient reason to put the license on hold. He questions the rush in which the former Minster granted the license because based on the preamble of the license it was requested since April 28th 2004.

He said granting the license when there is such a scandal is in conflict with one of the provisions of the Loterijverdening of 1909 especially where it concerns the character and good morals of the permit holder.

Click here to view the letter sent to the Governor to revoke Dos Santos' License.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- Members of the U.S. Forward Operating Location (U.S. FOL) took up a collection in order to help school children in Curaçao. They donated $250 worth of school supplies to the Felisidat Espasio Libertat I Speransa (FELIS) Foundation. The gift consisted of paper, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, writing tablets, tape, glue and snacks for the children. Gerda van Petersen, FELIS Foundation's Co-Director, was very moved by the donation. "Thank you so much! We never expected to receive anything like this. This is wonderful!" U.S. FOL personnel have long been advocates for the local community. This was one of many outstanding efforts to promote the welfare of Curacao's youngest members.

Community Police Officers have teamed up with the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and have pledged to take part in the U 2 Can Move health and fitness campaign. During a meeting held at the Prime Minister's office on Tuesday the community police officers pledged their support and participation in the fitness program which will feature the Soualiga six and three kilometer walk on Friday afternoon.

The Prime Minister said the events are a part of a larger fitness campaign where she encourages Civil Servants to take their health and fitness seriously. "There is much we can do for ourselves as individuals and as a country as far as good health is concerned. Information, diet and exercise are the basic ABC's and are valuable in any situation. I want to encourage our health institutions, practitioners and NGO's in this field to focus on educating our community on aspects of health and I call on all, especially our women, to take responsibility for their health, regular check-ups, and to heed warning signs such as aches and pains," the prime minister said. These two events are no different and I encourage Civil Servants to get up and move and be active," commented the Prime Minister. The Soualiga K6 and K3 challenge will start at 4:30 in the afternoon at the Government Administration Building.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- As the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season is about to go into its fourth month, the season has already seen 11 storm systems develop with Tropical Storm Isaac over land in Louisiana and Tropical Storm Kirk in the far North Atlantic Ocean, the latter posing no threat to land at this time.
Disaster Coordinator/Fire Chief Winston Salomon of the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) says that ODM is facilitating the current Hurricane Exercise training that is underway.
Riot training is scheduled for Wednesday evening going into the night in Philipsburg which will also include Voluntary Korps of Sint Maarten and the Red Cross.
On Thursday Emergency Support Function (ESF-4) the Fire Department, will do a cross-training with the Marines.
The exercise started last week under the scenario that a storm was approaching the country. The system intensified over the weekend and on Monday the Prime Minister – who is responsible for Disaster Management – requested military assistance through the Governor.
The objective was to test all procedures. Formal exercise permission was received resulting in a contingent of Marines traveling to Sint Maarten.
The country's disaster management system comprises of 10 ESFs.
The ODM reminds the community to make sure everybody has everything in place and are storm ready.
Everybody 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.
The remaining names of potential storms for the 2012 season are: Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.
The hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Health and Labour Dr. Cornelius de Weever made clear on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press conference that the expansion of the St. Maarten Medical Center, both the building and its services have his full support and attention. The Minister of Health said he needed to clear the air about "medical tourism" which he said still has a few more years before it can be realized on St. Maarten. Minister De Weever said that no one should try to confuse the two issues to create a distraction from the current situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). "As the Minister responsible for health care I must deal with the most pressing issues at hand. Medical Tourism is an opportunity to improve health care for everyone. Instead of sending our patients overseas for treatment we can have the same services here on St. Maarten at the local tariffs. Medical Tourism should complement the SMMC and not compete with the SMMC. I have no personal interest or stake in medical tourism other than the interest of all people residing on St. Maarten which is to provide good and quality health care. Dr. Scot has been involved with one of the medical tourism groups when I met with them in Florida last year. The intention is to always include the St. Maarten Medical Center, so it would be up to Dr. Scot to give the people of St. Maarten account because I was not privy to all their meetings."

Minister De Weever further stated that the current situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center cannot and should not decline and all opportunities will be explored to improve the current situation. He said he will support any decision that has to be taken to ensure that the safety and quality of health care on St. Maarten improves.

 

Doctors had no Ministerial Decree to practice on St. Maarten.

When asked by SMN News if the government of St. Maarten has a member on the supervisory board of SMMC, Minister De Weever said that the SMMC revised its bylaws in 2008 and there are no provisions for government to have a member on the supervisory board but he already indicated to the SMMC supervisory board that the government of St. Maarten would like to have a member on the supervisory board now. Minister De Weever also confirmed that he did not issue a Ministerial Decree for Dr. Lampmann and Dr. Covelies. These two doctors were brought into St. Maarten for a period of three days to perform some operations. They are the ones who operated on Ruth Olivacce who passed away after they punctured two of her main arteries. When asked if the two doctors were authorized to work at the St. Maarten Medical Center prior to obtaining a Ministerial Besluit. Minister de Weever said that all of that is part of the investigation that is now being conducted by the Inspector General. The Minister also confirmed that there have been some discrepancies when it came to the issuance of the MB because their paperwork was not submitted on time to the Department of Health. Minister de Weever said based on the information he received, the information for the two doctors was submitted to the Department of Health late and the advice was not completed. Minister De Weever said that if the SMMC had submitted the paperwork for the doctors in time the decree would have been granted because the doctors are registered in the Netherlands.


Click here to view SMMC Bylaws.

Cay Hill:--- This upcoming Saturday September 1st Kooyman's temporary K-Outlet is coming up with a spectaculair 'Bucket Sale'. At this 'Bucket Sale' every client receives a bucket when entering the K-Outlet. Every client, carrying a bucket, will receive an extra 10% discount at the cash register on everything that fits in the bucket one way or another. This 10% discount is of course on top of the K-razy discounts that are already being offered at the K-Outlet. Kooyman invites everyone to benefit from this K-razy event!
"The renovation of the Kooyman MegaStore is in full process. Kooyman is focusing on improvement, to serve her clients in St. Maarten even better and give them a great and inspiring shopping experience. Kooyman will be expanding various departments such as Tools and Builders Hardware. In addition to a wider range of products, Kooyman will offer more stock and more attention to the customer. The store improvement of the new Kooyman MegaStore is scheduled to be completed before the end of October 2012. Meanwhile, Kooyman MegaStore will continue to serve her clients 7 days a week during the store renovation. We will keep bringing K-razy events for our clients at the temporary K-Outlet during the renovation of our MegaStore,"  stated store manager Nico Boersma.

Special opening hours K-Outlet
The K-Outlet is open every Thursday till Saturday from 9 AM till 6 PM and is located next to the Kooyman MegaStore at Cay Hill.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams distributed pedometers to the first thirty civil servants who signed up for the Soualiga Challenge on Thursday. A pedometer is a device, usually portable and electronic or electromechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hips.

The Prime Minister commented that she was very pleased at the turnout for Friday's walk; "Originally we planned for about fifty people to sign up, but now we have more than two hundred and fifty people who signed up for the walk;" commented the Prime Minister. The PM continued by stating that workers within the Government Apparatus have the highest potential to realize optimal fitness; "I believe that Civil Servants have a real high potential for realizing optimal fitness goals. Although I am no nutritionist I do realize that it is important to watch what you eat and one of the main ways of ensuring optimal fitness levels is to be active, hence this Soualiga Challenge."

The Prime Minister and members of her cabinet distributed the pedometers to the various civil servants gathered in the AC Wathey Legislative Hall. The Prime Minister also reminded those gathered that as part of the fitness campaign there will be Zumba sessions on the 5th of September.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Detective Department is currently investigating a recent case of possible attempted robbery or attempted homicide. The incident happened on Monday July 30th, 2012 at approximately 1:30am on Bush Road in the vicinity Cost U Less. According to the victim and witnesses, they had gone to the ATM-machine to get some money and while at the ATM-machine, the victim who was still in the car was attacked by two unknown men dressed completely in black with their head covered with a "hoody". At least one of these men was armed with a knife and tried to stab the victim. The victim with the initials E.F.H. managed to get away by jumping out of his car with license plate P-9820 leaving it behind and running in the direction of Star Mart. Both suspects ran back to the victim's car. They jumped into the car and chased the victim with it. The suspects managed to catch up with the victim in the vicinity of Meadowlands N.V. and knocked him down with car while partially destroying the fence of that establishment. After committing this act both suspect took off running leaving the victim injured on the scene. The victim was treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment. At the hospital, the victim learned that he had suffered a fractured hip.

KPSM Police Report

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) is closely monitoring the progress of a low pressure system which was upgraded Wednesday afternoon to Tropical Depression #5 (TD#5).

TD#5 is expected to become Tropical Storm Ernesto on Thursday and a number of Caribbean islands have issued tropical storm watches for their populations, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe.

A Tropical Storm Watch for the aforementioned islands means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within 48 hours.

Early Wednesday evening TD#5 was approximately 700 miles east of the Windward Islands.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami, has requested interests in the Lesser Antilles to monitor the progress of this system.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation recorded its first successful hatching of Leatherback Sea Turtles for the 2012 nesting season. Staff of the Nature Foundation excavated the Sea Turtle nest on Gibbs Bay together with participants of the Nature Foundation Youth Program Snorkel Club. Eighty percent of all hatchlings were successful. There are five other nests on Guana Bay and Gibbs Bay which the Nature Foundation is currently monitoring.

GREAT BAY:--- October 4 to October 14 is recognized locally as Police Sports Week and NAGICO Insurances made a donation to the St. Maarten Police Sports Organization (PSO) on Friday to assist with their planned festivities.

President of the PSO; Officer Turhan Simmons said he was pleased with NAGICO's quick response to their request, as this year they will be hosting a delegations from Aruba, Bonaire (BES), Curacao, Holland and Suriname who will be participating in their week's celebration.

Executive Managing Director of NAGICO; Eric Ellis and Marketing Assistant; Lisa Brown presented the cheque to Simmons adding that it was "indeed their pleasure to assist the Police in any way they can".

Willemstad, Curacao:--- The Prime Minister of Curacao Gerrit Fransisco Schotte dissolved the Parliament of Curacao on Friday and submitted the resignations for the Council Ministers to the Governor of Curacao. Schotte also informed the Governor that as Prime Minister of Curacao he wants new elections to be held on October 19th, 2012. Up to press time, it was not known if the Governor signed off on the decree to dissolve the Parliament. Currently, Curacao has no government and the country has been in political chaos for months now.

Even though Schotte submitted the resignation of his cabinet, dissolved the Parliament of Curacao, and called for new elections it is up to the Governor to decide whether or not a new election is needed at this moment.

It is anticipated that the Governor of Curacao will consult with the faction leaders of the Parliament of Curacao and if there is willingness from at least 12 members of the Parliament then the Governor might give those parties that are willing to form a government the opportunity to do so. It is anticipated that the POL, PAR, and the two independent members of the Parliament of Curacao would form the next government if they are given an opportunity to do so.

The Social Economic Council (SER) made another step in the continued development of their organization by launching the website www.sersxm.org.
The SER website offers a comprehensive overview of the council's membership, the staff, and all publications and reports on recent activities. As time goes by, the site will continue to reflect all reports and advices the council brings forward.
As the Social Economic Council is a new element to our post-10/10/10 constitutional structure, the mission statement, tasks and objectives of the organization are clearly stated first; focusing on the main task, which is advising government on social economic issues.
Moreover, the general public is now able to gain information at all times on the current membership of the SER, consisting of three representatives each from the labor unions, employers' organisations and independent experts. For convenience, profiles of the staff members are included as well.
The SER expects students and educators to benefit from easy access to SER advices, relevant documents and publications, as well as from links to SER counterparts in the Kingdom and international socio-economic umbrella organizations such as AICESIS and ECOSOC.
The SER invites all interested parties to check out their website and provide the council with feedback on the content. Suggestions for additional information that might be added to the website are most welcome.

Philipsburg:--- The Government of St. Maarten (Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism, Romeo Pantophlet) was given ten weeks by the Court of First Instance starting June 25th, 2012 to take a decision against Robbie's Lottery (Smart-play). According to court documents provided to SMN News, the Court of First Instance ordered the Minister to take a decision against Robbie's Lottery because the company is operating without a number game license since 2009. The judgment which was rendered on June 25th, 2012 states that the government of St. Maarten, namely the Minister of Economic Affairs has ten weeks in which to take a decision and should they not comply with the court's order, the government of St. Maarten would be faced with a penalty of Naf. 200.00 per day with a maximum of Naf. 50,000.00.

The brother of Robbie Dos Santos, Ramesis Jamaloodin filed a case against the government of St. Maarten with the Court of First Instance after sending the former Executive Council a letter informing them that Robbie's Lottery (Smart-play) does not have a license to operate number games on St. Maarten. According to the letter of June 25th, 2010 to the Executive Council, Smart Play is in possession of a video gaming license and not a number game license. In the past, Smart Play was operating under JAMAROMA license which it is understood belongs to Ramesis Jamaloodin.

The letter further indicated that because of the type of license Smart Play has, the company has been cheating government on its monthly license fees. Ramesis said in his letter that holders of video gaming licenses have to pay government Naf.12,500 monthly and if they had the proper license which is number game license then they would have had to pay government Naf. 30,000.00 per month in licensing fees.

According to reliable sources, a top civil servant on St. Maarten that works with the lotteries commission was questioned by detectives recently on the operations of Robbie's Lottery. The source said the civil servant had to provide law enforcement with answers as to why Robbie's Lottery was allowed to operate without a business license on St. Maarten.

It should be noted that a joint investigation is being conducted on the operations of Robbie's Lottery. Earlier this year police on Curacao and St. Maarten raided Robbie Dos Santos' establishments on both countries while his homes were also searched.

According to reliable information provided to SMN News, Robbie Dos Santos has over 100 million United States Dollars in liquid cash and just recently the American government namely the FBI invited Dos Santos to the United States and questioned him on how acquired his wealth. SMN News further learnt that the FBI instructed Dos Santos not to make any withdrawals from his accounts in the US territory. The source said Dos Santos has 30 million dollars in banks on USA shores while he also has accounts in Cayman Islands, Switzerland, and other destinations.

They said Dos Santos was told that the US government will not place a lien on the accounts since they are only now investigating the source of the businessman's income and wealth. It is also understood that while Curacao is conducting a criminal investigation against Dos Santos, he is currently lying low in Colombia.

SMN News further learnt that Ramesis Jamaloodin has refused to cooperate with the police and its investigators citing that most of the police officers that are investigating the case are being paid by Dos Santos. The businessman also alleged that politicians on St. Maarten failed to take action because many of them are being financed by Dos Santos. The source further claimed that they know for sure that at least one political party that contested the 2010 elections on St. Maarten was financed by Dos Santos.

Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said in an invited comment that currently a criminal investigation is being conducted against Robbie's Lottery (Robbie Dos Santos) and when that investigation is completed St. Maarten will take a decision on how to proceed.

Philipsburg:--- The Ombudsman confirms receipt of a letter from the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of VROMI, Mr. William Marlin regarding his follow up on the report dated June 27, 2012 drafted by the Ombudsman pertaining to Kadastre and the Public Registries.

After initial objections of Kadastre regarding the authority of the Ombudsman to initiate a systemic investigation pertaining to the registration procedures followed at the government established entity, meetings were held with the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and the attorney of Kadastre at Bureau Ombudsman on February 7, 2011. This meeting was followed by a meeting held at the offices of the Kadastre in the Backstreet on February 24, 2011. The Board and Management of Kadaster opted not to cooperate and use the opportunity provided by the Ombudsman in a letter dated March 16, 2012 to have their final input on the findings of the Ombudsman before closing the investigation. Non-action and non-response by Management and Supervisory Board of the Foundation to the opportunity given to have the last word before closing the investigation, resulted in an official report to the responsible Minister for Kadastre, as the operations of this entity affect the general public, as well as the individual citizen.

Kadastre is a Foundation established by Government, charged with registering the state of property on the island in the Public Registries, and as such subject to proper conduct ('propriety') in the execution of the government tasks. The Ombudsman looks forward to progress updates on the recommendations brought forward in the report titled " Rechtszekerheid en Betrouwbaarheid Gegevens Kadaster en Openbare registers" (Legal Certainty and Trustworthiness of Information of Cadastre and the Public Registries).

The general public is reminded and encouraged to attend the information session to be organized in the various districts in order to be informed on how the Ombudsman can serve the citizens with grievances against conduct of government bodies.

A copy of the letter dated March 16, 2012 (Exhibit 12 of the report on Cadastre) is hereto attached for perusal. The Minutes of the meetings dated February 7 and 24, 2011 are included in the report as Exhibits 8 and 9. The full report is available against a small fee established by law.

Click here to view Ombudsman's letter on Kadaster Report.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Nutrition related health problems in children are increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The problem of overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions globally, and both developed and developing countries are seriously affected.

In some countries, the epidemic of obesity sits alongside continuing problems of under nutrition, creating a double-burden of nutrition-related ill health among the population, including children.

The St. Maarten Health Study, "How Healthy is St. Maarten,?" indicated that on a daily basis 31 per cent of the participants don't consume breakfast; 63 per cent don't consume vegetables and 66 per cent don't consume fruits. This is an indication that this lifestyle is also practice by their descendants.

Collective Prevention Services (CPS), executing agency of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, and the Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever, strongly recommends to parents and guardians to prepare healthy snacks for their children throughout the new school year 2012-2013 that opens on Monday, August 13. Healthy choices equal healthy children and healthy smiles!

"Having healthy school meals also influences the student's attention and learning ability. Please be proactive and provide them with healthy meals because the quick and easy products are convenient but not necessarily healthy. Make the right choices for your children," Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever said on Thursday.

Improving the nutritional status of school-age children is an effective investment for improving educational outcomes of school children.

Establishing healthy dietary and physical activity patterns among young people thereby promotes health and nutritional well-being and preventing obesity and various non-communicable diseases.

In making healthy foods and beverages available at home and for school, and in providing, supporting and encouraging opportunities for physical activity, parents can influence their children's behavior.

Simultaneously parents are advised to live and promote a healthy lifestyle because children's behavior is often shaped by observation and adaptation.

Here are some tips for children and adolescents: provide healthy breakfast before each school day; don't leave home without breakfast; serve healthy school snacks to children (whole-grain, vegetables, fruits); promote the intake of fruits and vegetables.

Restrict intake of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods (e.g. packaged snacks); restrict intake of sugars-sweetened soft drinks; ensure an opportunity for family meals; provide information and skills to make healthy food choices.

Promote regular intake of water and physical exercise and get your child involved in sport activities.

Philipsburg:--- The President of the Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot has issued a strong call to parents whose children would be returning to school on Monday. The WITU President said parents of many students go out of their way to purchase Blackberry telephones and other electronic gadgets for their children while some of them don't even have a pen to write with. The long time teacher and owner of the ACE Foundation said that students who have Blackberry telephones don't pay attention to their teachers when in the classroom. She said these students are caught messaging and chatting while in the classroom, thus affecting their academic success. "Parents stay on top of your children's school work and homework assignments and make sure they read a story a day because that can take them a long way. Students need to read more and instead of buying these expensive gadgets for your children make sure they have books so they can read more."

Elshot also made clear that she will remain vigilant throughout the year to make sure teachers' rights are respected and protected. The WITU president said one thing she would like to see happen in elementary schools is the introduction and development of sports. "I will advocate adding sports to the school's curriculum so that we too could have our students participating regionally, internationally, and even in the Olympics."

Cape Bay:--- Police shot one of two robbers that were in the process of robbing Blue Fox Supermarket on Cape Bay road Friday night around 9pm. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson who was at the scene said that two patrols from the Simpson Bay area were passing through Cape Bay when they noticed something unusual taking place inside the supermarket.

Henson said the two culprits were armed with a machete and a gun. The police spokesman further explained that the officers tried to get the suspects to heed their warning and drop their weapons but when they refused one of the officers shot one of the suspects in his right hip. Henson said the bullet exited through the suspect's butt. The police spokesman further explained that the injured suspect was taken to the St. Maarten Medical Center for treatment while the other suspect is still at large. The armed robbery unit is still busy investigating the case, Henson explained.

Cay Hill:--- Some five hundred students and their parents will be shuttled to the Asha Stevens Christian Hillside School in Cay Hill when schools re-open on Monday. Principal of the new school Asha Stevens and members of the Public Works department told reporters on Friday that there will be some traffic changes in the area to accommodate the students and parents that will be visiting the new school next week.

Tatiana Arrindell, public relations officer of VROMI told reporters that parents are asked to either drop off their children at the St. Peters location before 7:15am in the morning so that they can be taken by bus to the school or drop off their children at the newly created parking lot on Welgelegen Road Cay Hill. Arrindell made clear that parents are not allowed to drive up the access road to the school. She said all students and parents that are accompanying their students to school on Monday must park on Welgelegen Road at the parking lot then join the shuttles that will be available to transport the students to and from the location for the month of August. Arrindell said that there will be controllers on site to ensure that all students are safe during the hours they are being transported to and from the school. Tatiana Arrindell is also the President of PTA Board at the Asha Stevens Christian Hillside School.

Another setback for the state of the art school is that GEBE has not yet hooked up water and electricity at the new school. Stevens said that the school has electricity because a meter was installed for the contractors to work but that is not enough to run all the air conditioners. As for water, she said the school has a cistern and they will be using a pump so that there is sufficient water on the premises for the five hundred students that will be attending the English section of the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School.
Acting Head of New works Projects Guy Gumbs and Ricardo Heyliger could not provide adequate answers to reporters on Friday when asked why government chose to award the contract for the construction of the school to TELISIN construction and gave the contract for the road to MNO Vervat. Gumbs said that there was public tendering and the road contract was given to MNO Vervat who obviously could not meet the deadline they gave government and the management of the school.

Heyliger also confirmed that due to the set back of the road works, GEBE was not able to install the electricity and water meters to the school. "It's because we are dealing with two contractors and MNO Vervat had some delays due to weather conditions." Heyliger could not say when GEBE will install the electricity and water but he said that another projected date for the completion of the parking lot and road is October 27th, 2012.

Stevens said students will be out of school during the month of August at 1:30pm but all students will remain in school until 4:30pm beginning from September 1st. "We will be having our afternoon school program which is compulsory as of September because we want the best out of students."

Philipsburg:--- TelEm Group says that the construction taking place on company's property on the L.B. Scott Road is aimed at tidying up the area surrounding the property and securing access to a TelEm Group building.

"We have taken specific actions in recent months to gain free and unhindered access to our property on the L.B. Scott Road. In the process, and as good corporate citizens, we also undertook to enhance the appearance of the area around the same building.

The construction works were brought to public attention last Friday after residents in the area reportedly complained to an online news media provider promoting the following TelEm Group response.

"The actions we have taken at our L.B. Scot Road property include fencing off the location from the roadside. Further, and in order to maintain the area surrounding the building in a neat a aesthetically pleasing fashion and to enhance the general area around the building, TelEm Group has convinced a licensed vendor to allow them to assist her in the reconstruction of her vending booth.

"In return for the upgrade of the vendor's booth TelEm Group has negotiated with the vendor to display company logos and advertisements. "TelEm Group recognizes that in its enthusiasm as a good corporate citizen to upgrade the area around its building that it may have acted prematurely by not ensuring a permit was required to reconstruct a vending booth that was already in place. We are currently in talks with VROMI to determine if such a permit is required, and if so, one will be obtained without delay.

TelEm Group is in the meantime allowed to continue with its plans to fence off its property and upon the advice of the Government Inspector will hold off on the construction of the vendor's booth until it can be determined if a construction permit is first required.

TelEm Group is grateful to members of the public for bringing to its attention alleged illegal actions that have reportedly taken place in the proximity of our L.B. Scot Road location in the past, and will certainly take whatever steps it can to ensure illegal transactions are not permitted to take place on TelEm Group's property once the upgrade is completed.

According to information provided to SMN News, the booth is constructed over a cesspit, while the vendor in question does not have any public washroom for her and her two grand children to use while on the location. Some residents in the area said that the vendor would urinate where she is selling food produce and in front of pedestrians.

When SMN News asked the Chief Communication Officer Joe Dominique for a reaction to the information that has been provided by the residents, Dominique said he has requested a response internally from those more familiar with the location and the negotiations with the vendor. He assured that upon receiving this response he will respond to the questions as accurately as possible.

On Friday morning the Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the Law Making Workshop for Government Employees at the A.C Wathey Legislative Hall. The workshop was held in order to bring employees who might be involved in the law making process up to speed on the procedures which are necessary since the constitutional changes in 2012. During her remarks the Prime Minister stated the intention at the workshop was to have a representative from each Government Department attend and be brought up to speed on the law-making process. "Most of you who are here at this workshop are here because your function within the departments often exposes you to legislation and the legislative process. Naturally things have changed related to that legislative process and I daresay things have changed drastically since 10-10-10, nevertheless cooperation between a central department like Legal Affairs and institutions like the Ombudsman and the Council of Advice the coordination between these instances is very important especially when the directives come from the Ministries", commented the Minister.

The Prime Minister continued by stating that she looked forward to the feedback and discussions which were to be held as part of the process of bringing Government to a higher level. "As a government we must strive to to the best process of legislation which can be made. To make this possible the input and involvement of all are in the civil service is necessary. I wish you a very fruitful discussion and participation and please realize that the most important factor in this process is you the people.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

The general public is hereby invited to watch the movie entitled " The Covenant", which is a musical about the history of the Jewish people from Abraham until present day Israel. Featured in this musical is Saint Martin born, Stevenson Simplice, who left Sint Maarten on a 10-day tour of Israel and ended up staying there for 5 years.The showing will take place:

Day: Sunday night, August 19th
Time: 6:30pm
Place: The New Testament Baptist Church in Philipsburg

While living in Israel, Stevenson has also appeared on Israeli national TV with his own composed song "Aliyah" about the return of the Jews to their homelands. Stevenson will be present to introduce himself and his various roles in the musical. 

Please come out and support our own missionary to Israel.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten was presented a copy of the Report of Dementia by Dr. Jacob Roy, Chairman of Alzheimer's Disease International Tuesday morning. Present at the presentation was Minister of Health Dr. Cornelius De Weever. The Prime Minister opened the Regional Dementia Conference held at the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort under the theme "Dementia: Public Health Priority" on Monday. The conference, organized by the St. Maarten Alzheimer's Foundation covered various topics centered on the raising of awareness, health and social services and government support of Alzheimer's Patients and those living with other forms of dementia. The Prime Minister, during her opening address, stated that the conference was essential in putting Alzheimer's as a priority in the national public health agenda and as a priority for St. Maarten.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias S. Voges received a delegation from S4 on Wednesday at the Sint Maarten House.

S4 introduced themselves by explaining their many duties and responsibilities regarding St. Maarten students.

Minister Voges thanked S4 for the perfect way they received the newcomers and said he was very impressed by the professional way everything was done and arranged and glad to see that St. Martiners living in Holland volunteered to assist in the welcoming of the students.

Philipsburg:--- President of the Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) Claire Elshot told reporters on Thursday during the Windward Island Chamber of Labour Unions' weekly press conference that she visited some of the schools on Monday and she was impressed with the work done at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School. However, Elshot said she still believes that government has to place more emphasis on having gyms at the schools which would further enhance sports on St. Maarten. Elshot said that she was informed by the management of the Marie Genevieve de Weever School that a basketball court will be built in the courtyard and she welcomes the idea since it is one of the things she has been asking government to do over the years.

The WITU President said that she was also impressed with the work done to the Lionel Connor School and the participation of the Parent Teachers Association who painted a section of the school in a different color.

Teachers' Evaluation creating Crisis and Shortage of Teachers.

Elshot also told reporters on Thursday that the teachers' evaluation procedure that is currently implemented on St. Maarten is creating a crisis and shortage of teachers. Elshot said that she visited a lawyer on Thursday morning seeking legal advice because at least one teacher is highly affected by the evaluation procedure.

Furthermore, she said a number of teachers that are supposed to be on pension are currently in the classroom teaching because the schools on St. Maarten are short staffed and therefore they had to give teachers that should be on pension contracts so that they can continue teaching. "I am not saying these teachers are not fit to teach, what I am saying is that room should be made for younger teachers that are highly qualified but St. Maarten has failed to recognize them as qualified teachers which is against the ILO declaration. I sent a document outlining how teachers should be treated and evaluated to the Minister of Education and to the head of DERPI and to date I have not gotten a response from the Minister of Education." Elshot said that the older teachers should be used differently and in a different setting. "It is my opinion that these teachers that have so much knowledge and experience should be the ones writing our Social Studies books because the island has a lot of history that needs to be documented. I don't think our Social Studies books should be written by Macmillan without our teachers' input."

Philipsburg:--- The owner of Gold Chest N.V. Ramesis Jamaloodin has filed an official complaint with the Ombudsman of St. Maarten against the Department of Economic Affairs and in particular one civil servant whom he suspects is accepting bribes and leaking confidential information to an attorney.

The complaint was filed with the Ombudsman on Friday while a copy of the complaint was lodged at the Department of General Affairs. Jamaloodin provided SMN News with a court decision where the Court of First Instance ordered the Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism to take a decision regarding Robbie's Lottery (The Money Game) whom he claims is operating without a legal license to sell numbers on St. Maarten. The Court of First Instance gave the Minister ten weeks in which he must respond or government will face a penalty of Naf. 200 per day with a maximum of Naf. 50,000.00.

Jamaloodin said that his brother Robbertico Dos Santos has three companies on St. Maarten. Those companies are Smart Play (video lottery game), The Money Game, and Jamorama. Ramesis said the former head of Economic Affairs Patricia Philips confirmed in a letter that The Money Game is operating illegally on St. Maarten since the year 2000 while Jamorama's license expired in 2009. "Even though I have that letter, I need an update to see if Jamorama has since obtained a license to sell numbers. I have to represent myself in a case Dos Santos filed against me and if the people at the Department of Economic Affairs are not being bribed then they should have no problem in following the letter of the law and handing over the documents which are public information." Ramesis said he is prepared to file another injunction to force the Department of Economic Affairs to turn over the documents while he will be filing a complaint with the Prosecutor's office.

SMN News learnt from reliable sources that the UP/DP former Minister of Economic of Affairs Franklin Meyers delivered a license to Jamorama on May 9th, 2012 for the scratch lottery. The source said that this is why the Department of Economic Affairs is not turning over documents to Jamaloodin because the former government of St. Maarten granted a license to someone that is being investigated internationally and someone that was convicted within the past five years.

Jamaloodin further explained that Jamorama was granted a license in 1999 and it expired in 2009. The businessman said that several people in the Government Departments are confused about how the lottery business operates and to make matters worse some of the civil servants that have to deal with these matters have no knowledge of the Dutch language. Ramesis and his lawyers said that persons wishing to be part of the lottery business have to obtain two licenses, an operational license and a business license.

Ramesis said that since the Court of First Instance ruled against the Government of St. Maarten on June 17th, 2012 and the information became public when it was published by SMN News, the Department of Economic Affairs has blatantly refused to turn over documents he requested from them. "I went as far as quoting the articles of the law that stipulates that I have all rights to obtain the documents but the current head of Economic Affairs Justine Webster told me that I should go ahead and do what I think I needed to do to get the documents because she will not hand them over. Right now, I am using my first option which is to have the Ombudsman investigate the Department and at least one particular civil servant who faxed certain documents to a lawyer's office." Ramesis said someone from Economic Affairs is being paid to leak information to his brother's lawyer. "Can you imagine the concept license from Gold Chest N.V. was leaked to the lawyer that is representing Dos Santos and that lawyer presented those documents to the court hoping that the court would rule against my company? The concept license that was leaked to the lawyer has no date and my license was granted in March 2012, the lawyer tried to misinform the court by stating that government has grounds not to grant me a license. This lawyer needs to find another job because he tried to misinform the court with documents he obtained illegally and even though he filed several cases against me he has not yet won one of them."

Jamaloodin said he has become a victim of the system because he requested a license to operate Gold Chest N.V. some three years ago and he had to file an injunction against the government of St. Maarten to obtain his license. The Council of Ministers took a decision to grant Gold Chest N.V. its license in March 2011 but Ramesis only obtained the license on March 7th, 2012, after he filed a court case against the Government of St. Maarten. Ramesis said that he is of the opinion that his brother managed to buy civil servants in every department of government for them to do what he wants. The businessman provided SMN News with a "Dwangschrift" which shows that Gold Chest N.V. owes the government of St. Maarten Naf. 375,000.00. "These people charged me for January, February, March, June, and July and they stated that if I do not pay the allotted amount then they would put an attachment to my license." Ramesis has since responded by letter to the tax department requesting information from them about the figures they charged him. Furthermore, his company was given a six month grace period as they set up their business. Ramesis said he also sent a letter to the Minister of Economic Affairs on July 12, 2012 informing him that the company is still in its pre-operational phase. He said that he is obliged to pay the government Naf 12,500 per month while he paid Naf. 50,000.00 for his operational license. Ramesis said that even though he won all the cases Dos Santos filed against him, Dos Santos and his lawyer placed a lien on his company since 2007 and has refused to lift the lien.


Click here to view the host of documents Ramesis Jamaloodin provided to SMN News.

Reward:--- On Friday August 17th during school hours a fight between students of the Milton Peters College with the initials U.A.R. and S.A.W. took place on the premises of that school. During this fight, U.A.R. suffered a cut under his left eye and a cut to one of his ears. He was taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for medical treatment. S.A.W. was arrested that same day and after being questioned by detectives was released. This investigation will be finalized within short.

KPSM Police Report

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation last week upgraded the dive moorings at two of the island's most popular scuba diving sites inside of the Man of War Shoal marine Park Mike's Maze and Proselyte Reef. The installation of the moorings is an essential activity of the Nature Foundation with regards to the management of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park as it is prohibited to anchor in the park. Anchoring damages valuable coral reefs and destroys important habitat for fish and numerous other reef creatures.

Because the Marine Park is an important aspect of St. Maarten's tourism product due to the significant amount of dive tourists that visit the park, moorings are installed so that dive boats can tie unto them instead of illegally using their anchors. The mooring pins are installed by specially trained Nature Foundation divers using an underwater jackhammer and drill. The full mooring installation should be completed by the weekend taking into account the approaching weather.

The Man of War Shoal Marine Park includes the island's most ecologically and economical important marine habitat, including extensive coral reef areas and seagrass beds and has 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.

The St. Maarten Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin presented the Year Report of the Office of the Ombudsman to the Prime Minister the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Friday.

The main task of the Ombudsman pursuant to the Constitution is the investigating of the conduct and behavior of Government and other Administrative bodies as a result of complaints that are received at the office. Dr. Nilda Arduin gave an outline to the Prime Minister about the number of complaints and the Departments within the various Ministries of Government.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

PHILIPSBURG:--- During his first meeting with the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) on Monday August 21, Tourism Minister Romeo Pantophlet has pledged his support for the realization of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) and the full utilization of the Tourism Statistical Immigration System (TSIS), by January 2013.
Meanwhile SHTA has suggested to the Minister that an Interim STA be established to avoid loss of "valuable time," until the formalization of the STA could be finalized, a suggestion which has the Minister's attention.
Regarding the TSIS Pantophlet said, "We have visited the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and as we speak a memorandum of understanding is being worked out with the St. Maarten Tourist Office, the Justice Office and the PJIA." He said, "We have agreed that the PJIA will own the infrastructure since it will be stationed at the Airport. We agreed that they would also be managing the system."
He said though that the information will be fully accessible by the Tourism Bureau, the Future STA, SHTA and others who would need to use the much needed data.
During the meeting SHTA Board also posed questions to the Minister regarding his Tourism Policy, the status of the Multi-Annual Policy Plan (MAPP) and the plans for the new tax system as the uncertainty is also effecting the economy.
SHTA also mentioned improving the investment climate as being critical to the creation of a more robust economy and job creation. "While we understand implementing of policies to attract large foreign investment, SHTA believes the best way to attract new investment is to take care of your current investors. Currently, residents and businesses are insecure and uncertain, and the result is that anyone that is accumulating any capital is reluctant to reinvest their money back into the local economy."
While the SHTA applauds government's efforts to control cost of living, we believe it is important to understand that the cost of doing business has a direct impact of cost of living, fuel prices, freight, cost of goods, utilities, taxes, administrative costs have all increased dramatically, while revenues have either decreased or remained flat. According to SHTA, "Against this backdrop in combination with flat or declining revenues, how realistic is it to expect that cost of living won't increase?"
The minister lauded the effort of the SHTA and said that he was looking forward to continued dialogue with the Association as St. Maarten moves towards a more sustainable tourism industry.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams commented over the weekend regarding questions circulating in the community and the media regarding schools cancellations ordered last week prior to tropical storm Isaac. Many in the community questioned whether or not schools should have been cancelled on Wednesday and reopened on Thursday.

The Prime Minister commented that decisions which are made with regards to cancellations of schools or closing of businesses or done so by her office upon consultation with the Met Office in Curacao and the Office of Disaster Management on St. Maarten. "These decisions which are made are not done randomly; they are done after extensive consultations with both the Meteorological Office in Curacao and the Office of Disaster Management here on St. Maarten. Understandably some decisions may cause some inconveniences, but in the end it is more important to be prepared and to be safe than to be unprepared and to be sorry," commented the Prime Minister.

The PM concluded that her Cabinet would continue to take decisions as they pertain to hurricane preparedness to ensure that St. Maarten's People and institutions, including schools that also function as hurricane shelters, are safe. "When there is a storm threatening the Prime Minister is in continuous consultation with both the Meteorological Office in Curacao and the Office of Disaster management on St. Maarten and decisions are taken based on the input of all departments involved."

During the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac the St. Maarten Nature Foundation was called by visitors to Simpson Bay Beach regarding a possible Sea Turtle Nest. Foundation staff responded to the call and found a previously unrecorded Sea Turtle Nest close to the vicinity of Aqualine Apartments on the east end of Simpson Bay Beach. It was determined that the nest be urgently relocated to a safer location due to large waves caused by the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac threatening to drown the sea turtle nest. With the help of the Costa Family the Foundation was able to transport approximately seventy Green Sea Turtle eggs to an area in which the nest can safely hatch. On Sunday the Foundation again checked the nest and found the eggs to be healthy. The relocated nest should hatch at the end of September.

Sea Turtle nesting season lasts from March to November on St. Maarten. Sea turtle population numbers have plummeted to dangerously low numbers throughout the past century due to human impacts, bringing many species close to extinction, causing them to be listed as critically endangered. In order to reverse this trend, all sea turtle species are now protected by international laws and treaties as well as local laws. The St. Maarten Nature Foundation actively manages the sea turtle population on St. Maarten, particularly during the nesting season

Philipsburg:--- Customers and employees of the Windward Islands Bank on Cannegieter street were left in shock when a man of Indian decent identified as Haresh Punjabi, owner of Option N.V. clothing store on Front Street, collapsed in the bank and died.
Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that the man collapsed in the bank and died probably of natural causes. Henson said he was informed that when the man collapsed he was frothing through his mouth and he died shortly after. The body was removed by undertakers from the Royal Funeral Home while WIB closed their doors to the public when the incident occurred.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On August 24 the Head of the Civil Registry Department Leona Romeo Marlin was proud to accompany seven staff members to the Court of First Instance to be sworn in as civil registrars.

The oath was carried out by Judge D.M. Thierry who ensured that all seven understood their responsibility and how that responsibility should be executed as Civil Registrars.

The oath taking process allows the department to work more efficiently as the appointment will allow the designated staff to function in various capacities as the department strives to realize the quality and standards within the area of civil registrars.

St. Maarten, as of Tuesday, is the backdrop for the Hurricane Exercise 2012. Approximately 100 soldiers arrived Tuesday afternoon and for the coming two days will practice together with the emergency services in St. Maarten for the hurricane relief.

These exercises will take place at two locations. Wednesday night starting at midnight, the first scenario will begin in Front street of Philipsburg. Special riot control squads of the Marines are deployed to calm down an angry crowd. On Thursday, August 30 starting at 1:00 PM, several simulated scenarios take place in Mullet Bay in the context of emergency relief after a hurricane passage. This is done in close cooperation with the local emergency services such as the Fire Department and the Red Cross.

The Hurricane Exercise is a major annual exercise that takes place on the Windward Islands. This year the emphasis also lies on the islands of Statia and Saba, where along with local emergency services and the authorities a plane crash is simulated and the evacuation of civilians is performed.

PHILIPSBURG:--- There's a book for everyone at the Philipsburg Jubilee Library's book sale on Saturday September 1, 2012 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 collection or classroom. 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 1.80,
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 Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, a community service based organization will be conducting a special Hurricane Awareness Mission at Sunny Foods Supermarket on Saturday September 1st 2012 from 11:00 am-2:00 pm. Over the weekend, 11 persons became homeless after fire broke out in their homes causing them to lose everything. Due to this unfortunate incident, The Rotaract Club is taking the initiative by honoring our third H.A.M to the victims affected by this disaster. The members of the Rotaract Club is asking the general public to come on out to Sunny Foods on Saturday and donate non-perishable food items, clothes and shoes to assist our fellow citizens.

Rotaract's Hurricane Awareness Mission is a project whereby the club members collect non-perishable items from customers shopping at the supermarket. The items collected are then given to the local Red Cross in the event of a hurricane or natural disaster. If there are no natural disasters, The Red Cross distributes the items to persons in the community that are in need.

The members of the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise would like to extend its appreciation and gratitude towards members of the community that made and will continue to make contributions to Rotaract's H.A.M project. The club will continue with this project throughout the hurricane season, scheduling their donation drives on the 1st Saturday of the month from 11:00am to 2:00 pm until November 2012. Other than can foods, persons can also donate clothing at the club's H.A.M events. The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise encourages the community to assist the victims of the fire disaster so they can get back on their feet. The club also encourages the general public to continue supporting the Club with their efforts to maintaining service above self which is the club's motto.

The Rotary Club of St Martin Sunrise welcomed Marieke Quist and Angelique Gumbs to its membership with an induction ceremony held on Tuesday, August 14 and 28th, respectively, at its weekly breakfast meeting.
Marieke is a lawyer at the office of VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne in St. Maarten, she sworn in On Wednesday, 14 December 2011 on St. Maarten by the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius. Marieke is a graduate of the University of Amsterdam. She specializes in Labor Law and Public Service Law.
Born and raised on St. Maarten, Angelique Gumbs is a policy adviser in the ministry of Health, Social Welfare, and Labour, and a university graduate. Angelique was also a mentor of S4 in the Netherlands where she assisted St. Maarten students with housing and insurance to name a few and a member of the Safe Haven.
Marieke was invited to our club by Past president Hendrik Jan and Angelique by Solaika Serbony past president of Rotaract and our present Sergeant at Arms.
Both Marieke and Angelique visited the club on many occasions and were impressed with the warm atmosphere that is shared between the members.
Sunrise Rotary once again would like to welcome Marieke, Angelique and their family to our Rotary Family and thanking them for making our club their club of choice.

Rotary Sunrise Club meets every Tuesday at the Air Lekkerbek (near the Today's News Paper's Office) at 7:00 to 8:00AM.

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that his Ministry is working effortlessly to meet the deadline for the 2013 budget which is September 1st. Tuitt said that if the budget is not ready for the deadline date, it will be ready one week later. He said he is hoping that when the budget is ready it will be balanced.

However, the Finance Minister explained that he is encountering some difficulties with certain Ministries that have to reduce their budget so that the Ministry of Finance could submit a budget with (0) deficit. Minister Tuitt did not say which Ministries they are having problems with but he explained that the Ministries that were receiving funding from the Netherlands (plan van aanpak ) are the ones that have the highest budgets. Tuitt said the 2013 budget has a ceiling of Naf. 434 million. The Finance Minister further explained that if the Ministry of Finance is to take all the wishes of the different Ministries then the 2013 budget will have a deficit of Naf. 100 million. He said since the Ministry of Finance cannot comply with all the wishes of all the Ministries then his Ministry will only comply with the critical wishes of each Ministry. Minister Tuitt said that the Ministry of Justice was given a certain time frame to build up itself and since that did not happen his government is waiting on the new government to take its position in the Netherlands to resume talks with them regarding St. Maarten and the agreements they had with the Netherlands prior to the dismantling process. Minister Tuitt said that St. Maarten and Curacao have the same time frame and ceiling and that it is impossible for St. Maarten because if St. Maarten has to build up itself as a country then it would need more money and more time to do so. He further stated that  Curacao had all the institutions and manpower yet St. Maarten has the same requirements. The Minister said that it is expected that St. Maarten reach the same level of Curacao while the new country cannot have a deficit in its budget. He said to build up a country it costs money and he needs Holland to tell him where he will get the monies to build St. Maarten if he has to stick to the guidelines set forth by them. He said the Finance Ministry would need more space in its operational and investment budget before it can reach the standard as Curacao.

The Management and staff of NAGICO Insurances came together on their own initiative gathering and donating monies and items of clothing, shoes and food to the three families that lost all their belongings when fire gutted their homes on Sunday.
According to NAGICO's Communications Department, staff members sprung into action on Monday after reading news of the fire spread. "An internal email was sent out to the staff asking them to contribute in both cash and kind to the victims and immediately we received a generous response," the report stated. "This comes as no surprise because at NAGICO we consider ourselves very community oriented and we believe in treating people the same way we would want to be treated. It is very difficult to start over but the task becomes easier when everyone comes together and helps."

The donation from NAGICO consisted of boxes of clothing, non-perishable food, vouchers for supermarkets and an individual monetary contribution to each family.

Cole Bay:--- On Thursday last, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten launched its first fundraising activity for the 2012 – 2013 Rotary year, in grand style at the location of the corporate sponsor Motor World in Cole Bay. In the presence of Club Members and representatives of Motor World, president of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Elie Bendaly thanked Motor World on behalf of the service club. "Rena Amjad and team, thank you for your generosity in donating a 2012 Hyundai for this worthy cause". The car will be raffled with the objective of raising significant a amount of funds to be able to support Youth projects in general and projects that benefit Special Needs Children in particular. Tickets are available at Scotia Bank and from members of the club as of the launch for $10.00 per ticket and the draw will be held on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2013.
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten is very thankful to the St. Maarten Community. Since its establishment on March 17, 1972 our projects have been financed through the generosity of the people of St. Maarten, corporate sponsors, and Rotarians themselves. Examples of such projects are the Christmas "food" hampers which are distributed every year to those in need. Last Christmas the Rotary Club of St. Maarten distributed over 180 of these hampers. Living up to its commitment to increase literacy, the club will for the 4th year consecutively distribute dictionaries to third grade students of the public primary schools. During the past 3 years approximately 2000 students received their own dictionary. Taking the island seniors on an afternoon luncheon lagoon cruise is a much looked forward to annual event. Then there are the Christmas parties for children in need, water Fountains placed in schools, trees planted, donations such as the $5,000 presented to the St. Maarten Alzheimer Foundation, our donation in support of the HIV/Aids Stronger Together campaign, and much much more.
"Donations from companies like Motor World not only assist us in continuing to make contributions such as these but allow us to add new projects in support of the local community. Thank you again Motor World , Rena and your team," said Elie Bendaly.
Motor World was represented my Ami Bora and several members of the Motor World staff. President Elie Bendaly was joined by several members of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten: Robert Judd, Rebecca Low, Pierre Decelles, Kishore Idnani, Danny Ramchandani, and Maria Buncamper.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- With the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season to enter the peak period on Wednesday, the Office of Disaster Management is urging livestock owners to review their plans now of how they will secure their livestock in the event of a hurricane strike.

Livestock owners should make sure that their animal holding areas and other infrastructure are able to sustain a hurricane strike. Any loose material should be securely fastened in order to avoid damage to property and endangering human lives during the passing of a hurricane.

The following tips have been provided by the Office of Disaster Management and Animals R Friends: All cattle should have identification. Identification can be an ear tag, ear notches, neck chain or microchip. Paperwork should also be in order that shows ownership.

Don't keep your cattle in a barn or stable. This is to prevent injury from flying debris. If the barn collapses, cattle have no chance to save themselves. Relocate livestock to a predetermined safe area and ensure that they have access to hay, pasture, clean water, and a safe area or high ground above flood levels.

If you have chicken cages, these should be reinforced. Medical supplies and a first aid kit should be kept on hand.

Store drinking water for a number of days. Also have an adequate supply of feed.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Another school year begins Monday, and the School Bussing & Taxi Dispatching Inspection Department of Economic Affairs reminds motorists to drive safely. Hundreds of students will start the school day and end it with a trip on the school bus on Monday, August 13 and thereafter throughout the new school year.

School Bus Section Inspection Head M. Thewet told the Department of Communication (DCOMM) on Sunday that she is calling on all motorists to observe the traffic rules as the new school year opens on Monday, and of course it is always important to drive cautiously.

Heavy equipment is prohibited from operating during 6:30am to 8:30am and 12:00pm to 2:00pm, and this is according to the Traffic Ordinance Article 60A.

The School Bus Inspection section is also appealing to parents to speak with their children about proper behavior while being transported on a school bus to and from school.

"Safety is our main concern! Any bus driver who experiences any challenges while bussing school children, are asked to contact the school principal and the School Bus Inspection Section immediately. Everybody has to abide by the rules and regulations governing the safe transport of school children.

"We would like this new school year to be incident free. We don't want to find school children carrying potential weapons and other things in their bags which do not belong there. You go to school to learn and become productive citizens of your community.

"The Section Inspection is looking forward to the full cooperation of all stakeholders, schools, parents and motorists in order for us to have a safe school bussing year.

"Anybody who sees any unusual behavior on or with a school bus is encouraged to report this to the Inspection Section.

"Otherwise, have a productive new school year and safe bussing. We are here to ensure reliable, comfortable and safe bussing," School Bus Section Inspection Head M. Thewet said on Sunday.

Parents who would like bussing information can call the section at telephone number 542-4511 or 542-4509 for additional information.

Philipsburg:--- Party fans donned their most fashionably 80's style outfits and afro hairdos for G.I.F.T.E.D. GLOW Party- 80's Babies Style last Saturday at the John Larmonie Centre. Young people were jamming to the beats of Joshua 'DRJ' Ferrol of Radio Maranatha fame. Eugene "Torch" Hanson opened the live performances with his lyrical flow. Marc G. Menard turned up the vibes with a live band performance in zouk, kompa, and reggae. There was a dance-off between hip-hop fans and the crowd roared for the champion moves of Snatra Bauld of the Philipsburg New Testament Church of God.
The young and the young at heart enjoyed several games and activities. Pastors and youth leaders showed their support and found themselves in comfortably entertained in this gospel party setting for teens and young adults.
On Saturday, August 25, the next GIFTED GLOW party will be hosted at John Larmonie Centre with the theme "Word Nerd", a focus on dress, Bible prowess, and fun.

Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that the government of St. Maarten is seeking to obtain a loan from the Central Bank. Minister Tuitt said St. Maarten is seeking to borrow Naf. 100,000,000. Tuitt said the process started already and they are hoping to complete it soon but one of requirements for St. Maarten to borrow money is that they have to get an approval from the CFT. The Finance Minister said that the CFT has ensured that the amount St. Maarten is borrowing is under the limit they are allowed to borrow.

Government Intends to Privatize Study Financing.

The Minister of Finance also announced that the government of St. Maarten is looking into privatizing Study Financing. He said he already discussed the matter with the Minister of Education. He further explained that if study financing is privatized the government of St. Maarten will save money. "The intention is to make study financing a "revolving fund", meaning that the monies that are paid back by students who obtained study financing will be deposited in this fund and the government of St. Maarten would not have to find a lump sum of monies each year for students that are granted study financing. The Finance Minister said that government is working on this project and as soon as it is approved by the Council of Ministers then Study Financing will be privatized.

COLA Payments Made.

Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt said on Wednesday that the COLA payment for the year 2010 was paid on Tuesday July 31st, 2012. Tuitt said the monies were deposited in the banks on Tuesday. Tuitt said government is now looking at the schools because those that gets subsidy will receive extra for the COLA payments. He said the department of Finance is busy working on the school subsidies and it will soon be finalized.

Philipsburg:--- On Wednesday August 1st, 2012 at approximately 11:25pm, a Philipsburg patrol made a routine stop of a gray colored Toyota on the Sucker Garden road in the vicinity of Gas King. The stop was done in connection with an ongoing investigation regarding a considerable amount of false American currency that was used last week in an adult entertainment club in that area. According to the information that was given to the patrol, the suspect in the investigation was in that car along with three other unknown men. During the traffic stop, the occupants of the car were informed of the ongoing investigation and given reason why they were stopped. Two of the occupants refused to give any cooperation in the investigation and started a fierce discussion with the officers. The situation became physical at which time one of the officers was attacked by the same two uncooperative occupants. The officer was punched numerous times in his face and then pushed to the ground. While on the ground, the same two men continued beating the officer. The other officer helped the officer involved in the fight and at the same time kept his eyes on the other two occupants. The central police dispatch was informed of the ongoing situation and sent reinforcement to assist in the situation. The two suspects with initials L.M.L. and M.D. from Sint Maarten did not let up with their assault and continued beating the officer. The other officer pulled his fire-arm and ordered the two suspects to stop their assault or he would use his fire-arm. The suspects seized their assault allowing the officers to take control of the situation. Reinforcement arrived on the scene and the two suspects were arrested, taken to the Philipsburg Police Station and handed over to the Detective Department. The officer suffered numerous cuts and bruises to his face, arms and knees, a hematoma next to his right eye, a cut on his nose and complained of severe pain in his jaw and right hand. He was taken to the St. Maarten Medical Center for medical attention and is on doctors-leave unable to perform his duty. The suspects remain in custody for further investigation.

KPSM Police Report

Basse Terre:--- The presiding judges of the criminal court of Basse Terre have condemned Attorney at Law Aude Richards as they rejected his defense in totality. On April 23rd, 2012, Richards was taken before the criminal courts for committing fraud when he used the names of three of the former board members of the Office du Tourisme to file a case against the Office du Tourisme. The three women, Josianne Artsen-Fleming, Noreen Brooks, and Maud Gibbs were condemned in February 2006.
The women from the very inception said and maintained that they were victims of Maitre Richards because they never gave him any authorization to file a case against the tourist office because they were members of the board. They however, admitted that they tried to support the former director of the Tourist Office who was fired for plagiarism. The former director of the Office du Tourism was Alex Richards, the brother of Maitre Aude Richards.
According to the victims Maude Gibbs, Josianne Fleming, and Noreen Brooks they were informed of the court's decision on Friday when Mrs. Maude Gibbs called the court recorder for the decision. Gibbs said the court rejected Richards' defense and he was convicted as charged. The court further ruled that Maitre Richards is prohibited to practice law for a period of one year. In addition, the court awarded the Office de Tourisme with a symbolic €1 for moral prejudice, and €10,000 under article 475-1 of the criminal code. The main victims and civil parties to the case Josianne Fleming-Artsen, Maud Gibbs, and Noreen Brooks each received €5000 Euros for moral damages, €2000 for material damages, and €4500 under article 471-1 of the criminal code. In an interview with SMN News, Maud Gibbs said that the court recorder also informed her that Maitre Richards already filed an appeal against the decision that was rendered on July 31st, 2012.
Gibbs further stated that the decision of the court rendered on July 31st gave her a sense of relief since they got justice despite lies that were told to the court by Maitre Richards and his pool of lawyers. Maude Gibbs who is now a Territorial Councilor said winning the case is not about the monies the court awarded them but they are now able to clear their names here on St. Martin. "We are now able to clear our names because even after the last court date Maitre Richards wrote an article to one of the daily newspapers and called us liars. What bothers me most is that on April 23rd when the hearing was taking place Maitre Richards and his defense team tried to place all the blame on one of their colleagues who is now deceased. My emotions raised when I saw how these lawyers especially Maitre Richards considered their late colleague Jean Marc Foy. He used that man for his wrong doing and then painted him black now that he is not here to defend himself." Territorial Councilor Maud Gibbs said she hopes that the President of the Collectivity Alain Richardson has taken note of the decision that was rendered by the judge on July 31st 2012. Gibbs said she will also inform President of the COM of the decision because Maitre Aude Richards is one of the lawyers that represents the Collectivity of St. Martin in legal matters. Also reacting to the decision of the court was Josianne Fleming-Artsen who said she never doubted the justice system because she knew that the truth will always prevail. "From the beginning I was very surprised that we were caught in this type of confusion. I can tell you that I never had any discussion with Maitre Aude Richards. I am still wondering why he picked the three of us because Gibbs, Brooks, and I were specifically selected by him. I also felt that Maitre Richards tried to destroy us as women. I was amazed at how this gentleman can lie. In the court he lied over and over and then came the article he wrote after the case was tried. In the end, I left the entire matter to God because for me this was impossible and it could not have happened the way it did. When I saw his legal team that consisted of mostly of bâtonniers I realized that Maitre Richards would go to any length with his lies. Can you imagine this is a St. Martiner and we never had intentions of taking him to court or to harm him. All we wanted was for him to apologize and take the financial responsibilities. But Maitre Richards did not want to stop, he continued with his lies. He could have called us and apologized and even say he made a mistake and he misjudged us. In my opinion, it appears to me that this is in his family and I have lost respect for them. This man did this kind of thing to several persons on this island but we are the only ones that stood up to him despite the financial expenses. Fleming said the community of St. Martin did not give them the benefit of the doubt because they got no support from the community without knowing that this man is a big liar. "As the director of the University of St. Martin and former first lady, the episode of Aude Richards destroyed my image in society. People thought we were guilty and it was good for us without even knowing what had happened."
The third victim of the Aude Richards scandal who was highly affected and became very emotional in the court on April 23rd also told SMN News via a telephone interview how she felt when she got the decision of the court. Noreen Brooks said when she got the news she felt redeemed. "As I told you from the very inception, this was never about the money, all I wanted from Aude Richards is for him to admit what he had done and to take the responsibility by paying the fine and other legal fees and to apologize to us. I found out about this case when I read in the newspapers that I was convicted for something I knew nothing about, we had no reason to take the Tourist Office to court because I was a member of the administrative board." During the trial on April 23rd, Noreen Brooks cried throughout the proceedings because she could not believe that someone who is an officer of the court could have lied so much. "I got more emotionally upset when Maitre Richards said he was the lawyer that represented my father when he did not even know my father's name. I could not believe that a grown man could stoop that low. We were not fighting Aude Richards alone, we had to also deal with all the sitting bâtonniers who were like sharks against us."
The lawyer that represented Noreen Brooks, Josianne Fleming, and Maude Gibbs was Attorney at Law Dina Rioual while the Office du Tourisme was represented by Maitre Stephen Montravers.
It should be noted that when the internal investigation was conducted by the judge and they rendered their verdict in November 2010 which stated that there was sufficient evidence to hold Maitre Richards culpable for professional misconduct namely fraud. SMN News broke that story after receiving a copy of the decision from one of the civil parties. Maitre Aude Richards did not use his "right to respond", instead he took the main reporter of SMN News to criminal courts and a judgment was rendered in favor of the SMN News reporter. Coincidentally on August 3rd, 2012, SMN News received court documents stating that Maitre Richards had filed an appeal against the decision rendered by the court on June 24th, 2011 and the hearing is now scheduled for September 18th 2012.

Philipsburg:--- Local churches participate in GIFTED Inter-church basketball competition that got started on Saturday, August 4, 2012. All four games of the night were played with a high level intensity as each game had a pulsating and nail-biting finale. Each game finished with no more than a 3 point lead and one game going into over-time.
The first game of the evening Christian Assembly Ministry (CAM) defeated the New Testament Baptist Church (NTBC). Afterwards, Church of God (COG) came out victors over Praise Tabernacle, making a 3 point buzzer shot to win the game 40-37. The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) went into over-time against Christian Faith Ministries (CFM) with the scores locked 19-19. CFM came out winners with a buzzer 3 point shot to win 22-21 at the end to the shock of the crowd and players on each team. The final game for the night was won by COG over CAM after being 8 points behind with under a minute left on the clock. The game finished 39-38.
GIFTED Inter-church basketball tournament resumes on Saturday, August 18; where the finals will be played at Melford Hazel Sports Complex.

Philipsburg:--- The Minister of VROMI William Marlin has informed the Ombudsman of St. Maarten Dr. Nilda Arduin Lynch via a letter that the report she submitted to him on the functioning of the Kadaster office has been studied. The Ombudsman of St. Maarten conducted the first systemic report since taking office on the Kadaster office after receiving a number of complaints from members of the public. The investigation and its report were completed some weeks ago and presented to Marlin for actions to be taken.

Marlin said in his letter that the information the Ombudsman provided gave him ample cause to initiate a query into the functioning of that particular office. Marin further explained that the formal query will seek to obtain a substantiated response to the deficiencies set forth in the report, as well as a proper insight into the procedures of the Kadaster regarding cadastral registrations and service to the general public.

Marlin said he is seeking to obtain a response within 14 days and the Ombudsman will be informed on the progress of the query.

Recently, the director of the Kadaster office came under fire when he leaked information to a particular media house regarding a visit to his office by two Members of Parliament that were seeking to assist one of their relatives that was trying to obtain a deed from the Kadaster office. One of the Members of Parliament swore to take actions via the Parliament of St. Maarten, that Member of Parliament said that he will do all in his power to remove the current director Clement Roos from his position since he is not working in the best interest of the St. Maarten people.

Fourteen (14) ICT government ministers, three(3) government representatives and the Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie, Prime Minister of Bahamas joined close to 600 delegates at CANTO's 28th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition held at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, Florida from 22nd to 27th July 2012. The popular annual conference and trade exhibition also known as CANTO 2012 is the Caribbean's premier telecommunications event for industry professionals, academics and regional governments. This year, the theme was "Accelerating broadband in the Caribbean - Transforming the way we live." CANTO 2012 was held on the heels of the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Connect the Americas Summit in Panama, which took place from the 17th - 19th of July. Connect the Americas is part of ITU's Connect the World Series, an ambitious initiative aimed at connecting the unconnected by the year 2015. Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the ITU paid an impromptu visit to CANTO 2012, fresh from the summit on the 22nd of July to speak with all the ICT ministers and the CANTO Board regarding the outcome of the Summit. He congratulated the ministers on the level of preparation displayed by the Caribbean team and provided insightful feedback regarding how to chart the way forward for the implementations of their respective projects. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/49.aspx

The opening ceremony of CANTO, sponsored by Brightstar, was chaired by Leon Williams - honorary member of CANTO; and addressed by Dirk Currie - Chairman, Regenie Fräser - Secretary General , Karen Bevans - Vice Chair all of CANTO ; Mr. Ricardo Gaibor - VP & GM, Latin America North, Brightstar. The Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Bahamas gave the feature address.

Hon Christie in his address, appealed to the CEOs, executives and technocrats present to don their Caribbean nationalist hats for the conference. He addressed a number of ICT related facts and challenged all delegates to advise policy makers on laws which need to be enacted and the policies and rules that must be enforced to make broadband:

• ubiquitous
• affordable for the everyday citizen
• reliable for all citizens

He advised the delegates to impress on the owners, chairmen and directors of their respective companies to commit to reduce the "digital divide." He concluded with a quote from an IDB report which states: "The challenges of developing broadband are so formidable that the private sector will not be able to face them alone. Indeed, there is a need for governments to join with the private sector and to provide leadership in initiatives to reduce not only the digital divide but also to use digital means to narrow the social divide".

The LIME sponsored Ministerial Breakfast Briefing was a small 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; Regenie Fräser- Secretary General, updated all on the Connect the Caribbean project; and Cleveland Thomas - ITU Caribbean Representative, provided a synopsis on the recently concluded Connect the Americas in Panama.

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, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Curacao, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Suriname, Tortola (BVI). The three government representatives were from Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago. During the ministerial forum the participants took the opportunity to share their views on how public and private sector partnerships are necessary to fund the investment in broadband infrastructure to accelerate broadband experience in the region and in so doing bridge the digital divide. It was generally agreed that ICT can drive economic development and contribute to GDP but that there was an urgent need to raise the awareness of small and large businesses and citizens generally about how ICT can be used to generate income and employment.

On Tuesday morning, CANTO 2012 hosted its first ever "Women and Girls in ICT" breakfast meeting. The meeting was a spinoff of the ITU's World Telecommunication and Information Society Day theme for 2012 and forms part of CANTO's action plan of promoting the development of the marginalized female population in ICT sector www.womenandgirlsinict.com.

The event witnessed powerhouse female panellist such as: Regenie Fräser - Secretary General of CANTO; Hon. Joy Grant-,Minister of Energy Science and Technology and Public Utilities of Belize; keynote, Ann Mei Chang - Senior Advisor for Women & Technology, Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, US State Department; feature address, Dr. Felicia Mabuza Suttle - President of Leadership Success International, LLC; Wendy Rocke - President of Soroptimist International of Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago ; Jennifer Britton - Deputy Programme Manager, CARICOM;

and the young winner of the CANTO 2012 WTISD essay competition on Women and Girls in ICT - Amenzee Amu from Belize. The breakfast meeting was an inspiration to all delegates. The speakers encouraged the women in attendance to go fearlessly into the ICT sector.

The Regulatory Panel followed with a high level panel of experts who were guided by moderator Glenda Medford, Managing Director of GEMFORD Consultancy Services Inc. The forum was very informative and discussed international trends for creating incentives for investment in ICT and the regulatory framework required. CANTO was challenged to present the Ministers with a paper which indicates what incentives and regulatory framework operators require for investment in broadband to be accelerated.

On Wednesday morning, CANTO Board of Directors had a successful breakfast meeting with affiliate members and reiterated CANTO benefits and services to members.

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 a record breaking 83 booths. The winner of the best exhibit went to ECI Telecom.

The conference, which took place simultaneously with the exhibition, facilitated discourse on key issues from a panelist of experts on areas such as:

• Connect the Caribbean initiatives -Projects and partnership: key to regional development
     - IPV6 - adoption shaping the regulatory framework to keep pace with evolving technology
• Mobile Broadband Taxation
     - Marketing Broadband

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.

Connect the Caribbean (CTC) continues to be one of CANTO's most ambitious projects to date and is building momentum in the region and internationally. CANTO's Connect the Caribbean initiative has been created in support of the ITU's Connect the World. CANTO 2012 climaxed with the announcement of a technical cooperation project and partnership between CANTO, IDB and the Caribbean governments to move the broadband agenda forward in the Caribbean by assessing the current state of the broadband infrastructure requirements and strategies to facilitate the wider adoption and deployment of ICT in SMEs.

CANTO envisages ICTs being used in all sectors of the society to deliver government services more efficiently and to increase business competitiveness. The end goal is economic growth and improved quality of life for all our citizens.

The CTC Project of the Year was awarded to the government of Antigua & Barbuda with their project titled Government Assisted Technology Endeavour (GATE) , second place went to Bridgetown Wi-Fi presented by, C&W Barbados and third place , Rural Broadband in Haiti presented by Inveneo .

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 band out of Clearwater, Florida - Impulse.

The second 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 top winners came from Trinidad, Antigua & Barbuda and Suriname, respectively.

On Tuesday evening, CANTO thanked all its members and sponsors at a special appreciation dinner, sponsored by Oracle.

The final two events were the 6th Annual Caribbean Human Resource Forum and the WiMax Caribbean 2012 workshop, which took place concurrently from the 26th -27th of July.

The Human Resource forum focused on passion, purpose & engagement, change management, talent management and the leadership pipeline to name a few. WiMax workshop on the other hand highlighted the opportunities, challenges and strategies involved in operating a profitable WiMax network in the Caribbean. The forum was conducted in partnership with CANTO.

CANTO 2012 was indeed a success with a number of key great record breaking moments in terms of the record number of delegates, ICT ministers present and exhibitors. However, the event would not have been successful without the help of sponsors such as Ericsson, Huawei, Ecbiznet, Brightstar, RIM (Blackberry), Alactel-Lucent, iGovTT, Oracle, Arin, Coyote Business Solutions , Orga systems, LIME ,BTL, UTS, Columbus Communications, Internet Society, BTI, ICANN, SAS, Shields, Quality One Wireless, Ciena , Cizmic Inc. CMC/Carib Vision, Tempo and Peoplesurv. The CANTO train heads to Aruba in 2013 where it will be hosted by SETAR.

For more information on CANTO 2012 visit www.canto.org/canto2012

Philipsburg:--- Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos has finally broken his silence on the ongoing investigation that landed two persons behind bars. The Chief Prosecutor issued a press release concerning the investigation on Tuesday and insisted that he will not be releasing any more information on the ongoing investigation to the media.

In the press release, Mos said that last Thursday and Friday Sint Maarten Police (KPSM) and the RST conducted house searches in Cupecoy and in Pelican. In an apartment on Rhine Road, a pistol and an amount of approximately $13,500 were seized. During a subsequent search in a house on the Amber Road an amount of approx. $673,500 was found of which a quantity was found in the washing machine. In addition, a rifle was confiscated in the same house.

"Information from a foreign law enforcement agency together with actual local police information, lead the Public Prosecutor's Office to ask the judge for his permission to conduct the house searches," stated the press release. A third house was also searched but it appeared to be empty, Mos said. In the house on Amber Road, a 44 year old Venezuelan man, F.J.M.M., was arrested on Thursday. Mos further explained that after the suspect was interrogated during the weekend, subsequently 46 year old F.H. from Sint Maarten was arrested on Monday on the suspicion of gun possession.
Fadi Hassbani was lead before the judge on Tuesday after the prosecutor asked for his pre-trial detention. The judge granted this request but immediately suspended his detention based on personal grounds of the suspect. Attorney at law Cor Merx represented Hassbani and the suspect was able to provide information which led the judge to decide that he must be released immediately since the personal grounds weighed heavier than the charges of illegal gun possession.

Mos further explained that the Venezuelan suspect's custody was prolonged for another eight days. His pre-trial detention will be requested later this week. The investigation is still ongoing.

Besides the substantial amount of money and the fire arms, a lot of paperwork and files were seized which police are still busy investigating.

"It is the intention of the Public Prosecutor's Office and Police to step up law enforcement regarding international and national money laundering. This investigation is the result of that intention and was based on intensified international cooperation between foreign and national law enforcement agencies," the press release concluded.

Philipsburg:--- At least two fire trucks along with several fire fighters rushed to the Government Administration Building on Wednesday morning when they were informed that smoke was emanating from the department of general affairs.
According to the workers of that department, they put on the air-condition in their office and shortly after they got a strong burning smell. One of the workers said he did his own inspection because he knew that some work was being conducted on the air-conditioning on Tuesday but he could not determine the cause of the smoke and burning smell.

The civil servant said when he called the fire department to notify them they called back asking if he believes the issue was serious enough for them to dispatch the fire fighters.

When asked about this, the Prime Minister of St. Maarten and Minister of General Affairs Sarah Wescot Williams said she was not aware of the incident. "I am not saying it was not serious but no one reported it to me."

Moving to the Government Building on Pond Island.

The Prime Minister said that contractors have been selected to finalize the work at the Government Administration Building on Pond Island. She said these contractors know what they need to do in order to have it up and running. The Prime Minister also confirmed that RGM will still manage the building until government acquires the building. Wescot Williams did not give a timeline in which they expect to move over to the Government Building on Pond Island.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Council of Cultural and Artistic Expressions Foundation (COCAAE) on Wednesday became the latest recipient of a donation made by Seven Seas Water (St. Maarten).

The donation of 1500 U.S. dollars was recently made to the group by Seven Seas Water Managing Director, Franklyn Richards.

Accepting the donation were the foundation's founder and president Urmain 'Youmay' Dormoy and foundation coordinator Jennifer Thomas, who were joined by members of the Generation New Status STM drum band, for the occasion.

Richards has expressed his company's continued support of worthy causes in the community. He noted that Seven Seas Water considers its role as good corporate citizen and that as such it always welcomes opportunities to assist, particularly, youth development in St. Maarten.

The latest donation was made to enable members of the youth drum band a vacation experience at Disney World in Orlando, Florida during the upcoming September midterm break.

Band leader Youmay Dormoy said that the band had been working diligently from September 2008, on Saturdays and even during the work week, in preparation for scheduled performances.

Comprised of children ranging in the ages of 5 to 16 years, the band has distinguished itself with numerous presentations and performances at cultural events, social gatherings and funerals of some of St. Maarten's most noted community icons.

The trip is meant to expose the kids to various educational aspects of Disney World while granting them the opportunity to showcase their talents abroad.

"Assisting our children in such an endeavor is a contribution and is one which Seven Seas Water embraces wholeheartedly", noted Richards.

"Many of these kids have already demonstrated their skills on the drums – underlining their commitment to this type of entertaining art form. With this donation, Seven Seas recognizes their talent, dedication, and hard work" stated the Seven Seas Water director.

Philipsburg:--- An Inspector of Public Works (VROMI) issued a warning a letter to the contractor that is constructing a vending stand at the TELEM building on L.B. Scot Road early Friday morning, confirmed Acting Secretary General of the Department of VROMI Louis Brown.

In an invited comment, Brown said that his department was informed of the construction early Friday morning when several residents on L.B. Scot Road began calling his department for an explanation. Brown said no building permit was issued for the construction of the wooden stand that is being added to the TELEM building. "As far as I know, TELEM did not even request a building permit for the construction of such a structure. I was told by the inspector who visited the scene Friday morning that TELEM was constructing the stand for two vendors that are operating next to their premises. Brown further explained that the department issued the warning letter on Friday because the building stop has to be signed by the Minister of VROMI." When asked if TELEM would have to submit a building plan for such a structure, Brown said that building permits are issued when the building plan and other documents are reviewed.

SMN News learnt that TELEM, a government owned company that is currently laying off workers as they continue their restructuring plan, has paid a contractor some $4000.00 to build the stand for one of the vendors identified as Melinda Espacia. A source within the company said they don't know what the vendor has on TELEM but she even went as far as telling the company that they have to pay her for the two weeks she would remain home while the structure is constructed. "We need to know why tax payers' monies are being used to build a vending stand for someone that government gave a license to sell alongside public roads. I also want to know if an audit will be conducted at the company and where will this fit in as company expenditures."

SMN News contacted a senior official at TELEM for a comment on the issue and the official said that TELEM sent a letter to government asking them to relocate the two vendors because they need to be able to get full access to their building. However, SMN News learnt from a government official that another senior official at TELEM sent a letter to the Minister of VROMI informing him that the company has taken the initiative to build a decent wooden structure for the vendors because these vendors are forced to transport their produce back and forth on a daily basis.

Residents of L.B. Scott Road, Dollison Drive, Plough Drive, and Charity Drive are especially angered because some years ago a vendor that was operating at the location was caught selling drugs. "This person's house was searched by police and they confiscated monies and drugs and the culprit was deported. Why is our government and TELEM harboring people that uses the location to sell drugs to our younger generation? I also need to know if I can go at the Princess Juliana International Airport or at GEBE as a Dutch national and set up shop there too and if these government owned companies would build a stand for me to operate because I was laid off by the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company (SBRMC)," the angry resident told SMN News.

Thousands of our nation's young and brightest will once again be making their way to school on Monday, August 13 to mark the start of the 2012/2013 New School Year.

The youth today have to be prepared for a very different world. It is much more interconnected than ever before, and in every dimension. For country Sint Maarten to stay relevant in the new developing landscape, more attention has to be placed on intangible factors. We have to develop a special spirit and renewed relationship amongst our youth.

The world of 20-years ago is totally different than the one we have today. Our educational system today has to take the lead in nurturing our students in order for country Sint Maarten to thrive in an innovation-driven future.

For the new school year, students must keep working hard, and never give up on your dreams, remain focus.

To parents, congratulations, as your sons and daughters enter a new school year. Teachers and support staff will once again count on your active support to help your child (ren) throughout the year.

To the teachers and support staff, congratulations! Teaching is a great responsibility, but I know you're up for the challenge; otherwise you wouldn't be in this profession of educating future generations.
May the students, parents, teachers, support staff and management have a full-filled year of learning opportunities.

Hon. Theo Heyliger
Leader of the United Peoples party

Philipsburg:--- Students and teachers of several schools on St. Maarten were more than eager to get back to their classrooms on Monday when schools re-opened for the school year 2012- 2013.

At the St. Maarten Academy (Academic section), school manager Roberto Arrindell called on the students to get their acts together and be prepared to work harder this year. Arrindell specifically called on the new fifth formers to focus and study so that they can perform well at the Caribbean Examinations next year. "We are the number one on the island and you need to keep us there by working hard and playing less. With hard work we will maintain our standards and remain the number one high school on St. Maarten." The St. Maarten Academy added four new teachers to their staff this school year.

At the Asha Stevens Christian Hillside School in Cay Hill, controllers kept the flow moving as parents and students headed towards the makeshift parking lot to join the shuttles that took the students and their parents to the school. One of the inconveniences parents had to endure is that while they were taken up to the school by shuttle to meet their children's teachers and visit the new state of the art school, they were forced to walk back down the hill to retrieve their vehicles that were parked at the makeshift parking lot.

Controllers on the scene said the contractors that are building the roadway to the school do not seem to know what they are doing. One of the controllers pointed out the sharp and deep "S" curb at the entrance of the access road to the school that is not necessary. The government controllers told SMN News that the contractor does not seem to realize that Welgelegen Road is a busy road and it's a road that is often used by the fire department (fire trucks) and the ambulances. These vehicles have right of way and they would not need a school bus filled with children blocking their way as they rush through that street. "The school bus drivers must be able to turn quickly and get off Welgelegen Road leaving it free for emergency vehicles."

Teachers, students, and the staff of the Marie Genevieve de Weever School were extremely happy when they returned to school on Monday. Principal of the school Rita Bourne said that it felt like a huge weight was lifted off  the school now that one section of the school is fully completed. She said at the moment the upper floor of the new wing is not yet in use because the staff needs to take their time and move their classrooms from the lower floor to the upper floor to create space in the new wing for the students that are in the old section of the school. Bourne said that the students will be fully moved by the end of the week.

Principal Rita Bourne gave Cloyd Marlin lots of credit for his hard work this past week. She said a week ago it seemed impossible that the school would look the way it is today but the younger Marlin stayed on the site almost 24/7 to make sure the school was fully ready for Monday August 13th.

At the Prins Willem Alexander School (John Larmonie) in St. Peters, teachers and students were not so happy because several of the classrooms were without electricity. Students had to be relocated from one classroom to the next because of the hazardous electrical situation.

In an invited comment, Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs said that she visited most of the schools on the island Monday morning to make sure everything was in order. The Education Minister said that she also visited the Prins Willem Alexander School and saw that there was maintenance that still had to be done.

Minister Jacobs said that the maintenance at the Prins Willem Alexander School was delayed due to the lack of manpower and material. The Education Minister said that certain businesses on the island have been refusing government purchase orders because it takes a few weeks for them to be paid while government will make deductions from the payments for those businesses that are delinquent in their tax payments.

The Minister assured that despite the minor set-backs classes will not be disturbed and the repairs and or maintenance that has to take place will be done after school hours and it should be completed within a few days.

Overcrowding and Lack of Space.

On Monday there were several parents who showed up at certain schools to have their children registered but could not because of the lack of space. At the St. Maarten Academy (Academic) section, there were a few parents who sat there waiting to see if their children would be accepted.

Principal of the St. Maarten Academy Shareed Hussein said registration is still ongoing at his school. He said just recently some 30 students wrote the entrance examination to enter the St. Maarten Academy and a decision is yet to be taken on how much of those students qualified for the academic section. Hussein said the St. Maarten Academy is supposed to have 500 students and they are already close to their allotted amount. Hussein assured that if a child is qualified to enter the St. Maarten Academy he will do all in his power to accommodate that child because they do not want to deny any child an education.

In the meantime, the Minister of Education is calling on all parents whose children did not get into school to register their children at the Department of Education. Minister Jacobs said government cannot force any government subsidized school to take more students than they are receiving subsidy for. However, if the children are registered at the Department of Education they will be placed in one of the government schools that have space.

Click here to view more photos of Back to School for the School year 2012- 2013.

Airport:--- A small private jet that was leaving St. Maarten enroute to Brazil hit one of its wings on the Airport fence shortly after 11am Monday morning. According to Airport personnel that were on the scene, the pilot informed them that he encountered problems with the brakes of the aircraft thus causing the accident.

The aircraft it is understood was purchased recently in the United States and the crew stopped on St. Maarten to tank up in order to reach their final destination which is Brazil.

SMN News further learnt that it appears as though the pilot was not able to keep his story straight because he mentioned another reason for the accident to other security personnel that are busy investigating. Up to press time, PJIAE management did not release any information on the incident

Philipsburg:--- The President of the Workers Union for Organized Labour (WIFOL) Theophillus Thompson told reporters on Thursday during WICLU's weekly press conference that he and the shop stewards of SBRMC met with the appointed trustee of the Simpson Bay Resort Management Company (SBRMC) and he informed the trustee that the company has a number of permanent employees who are still at home not receiving a salary while SBRMC is using employment agencies to outsource its work.

Thompson described the meeting as fruitful while calling on all workers of the Simpson Bay Resort Company who are currently at home and are not working to report to the office of the WIFOL so that the union can make up a list to send to the trustee.

When asked by reporters if the trustee will send these workers who have been home since last year November back to their jobs, Thompson said the trustee did not tell him what they will do with the workers who are at home. It should be noted that when the SBRMC saga started two years ago some 182 workers were laid off, of that amount two are now deceased while the company took back almost 100 of the works on a contractual basis.

Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Fruitful --- Minister to Intervene in GEBE Impasses.

The President of the WIFOL Theophillus Thompson said that he met with Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin on Wednesday to discuss the impasse at GEBE. Thompson described the meeting with Minister Marlin fruitful. Thompson said he updated the Minister on the impasse the union is confronted with, the signing of the Collective Labour Agreement. Thompson said that the Minister has promised to look into the matter and to see if parties can come to an agreement.

When asked by the media workers if he (Thompson) raised his concerns with Marlin regarding the meeting he held with the principles of SBRMC. Thompson said the Minister raised the point and the explanation given to the union is acceptable.

SMN News also questioned Thompson about the rumors that are circulating regarding his relationship with the principles of SBRMC. SMN News learnt that Thompson went on a vacation to Mexico which was financed by the principles of SBRMC. When asked if the information that is circulating has any truth to it, Thompson said that whoever said that is clearly telling a lie on him. He said that the last time he went to Cancun was in 1996 when he was the vice president of the Latin American and Caribbean Tourism Federation. Thompson explained that he went on a fact finding mission to see if Royal Resorts was a bonafide organization that was seeking to take over Pelican Resorts. "When I went there I went with the late Francisco De Weever who was an insurance consultant on St. Maarten." Thompson further explained that the last time he went on a vacation it was in 1988. He made clear that each time he travels it is on business. He said he is not only the President of the Workers Institute for Organized Labor. "I am on the boards of several organizations, therefore when I travel it's on business." Thompson said that they stayed at one of the Royal Resorts in Cancun and when they returned to St. Maarten they reported to the trustee that was appointed during the bankruptcy of Pelican Resorts. "It was because of our visit and investigation that Royal Resorts came to St. Maarten. WIFOL had a very good relationship with principles Royal Resorts. Thompson said he regrets that the union got dragged into this dispute because the "war" started with Royal Resorts and the homeowners and both parties wanted the union to take sides. WIFOL refused to take sides and decided to fight for the workers (members) rights.

Philipsburg:--- Members of Parliament representing the Democratic Party Faction in Parliament Petrus Leroy De Weever and Roy Marlin met with the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams and the Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever in a emergency meeting on Friday morning to discuss the state of affairs at the St. Maarten Medical Center.

In an invited comment, Member of Parliament Petrus Leroy de Weever told SMN News that they met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Health to ensure that they get their support since they are representing their faction in the Council of Ministers.

The two Members of Parliament have requested a permanent committee meeting to discuss the draft report that was presented to the Council of Ministers on the state of affairs at the St. Maarten Medical Center. MP De Weever said the situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center cannot continue as is and government held several meetings in past, but now he is of the opinion that government has to re-address the matter in a different way. MP De Weever said they have invited the staff of the St. Maarten Medical Center, the committee that represents doctors (professionals and specialists), and the supervisory board, including the Managing Director Dr. George Scot to the meetings that is to be held.

MP De Weever said these meetings with the various parties will be held separately. MP De Weever further explained that the Minister of Public Health Cornelius de Weever and the Inspector General Dr. Earl Best will also be invited to Parliament to appraise Parliament of the draft report which was already presented to the Minister of Health. MP De Weever said he wants Dr. Best to give the permanent committee of health his findings that he drafted in his preliminary report. "As Members of Parliament we need this information before the official report is made available. A lot of the information that we are asking for is already public knowledge because the Council of Ministers was briefed on Dr. Best's findings." MP De Weever said the permanent committee meeting will be held in a closed door session but he could not say when the meeting will be called.

Member of Parliament Roy Marlin assured that actions will be taken against the St. Maarten Medical Center. Marlin said there are several documents where people have expressed concerns on the area of Management and the Supervisory Board as well as the services given to patients in general at the St. Maarten Medical Center. MP Marlin said it cannot be business as usual any longer with St. Maarten Medical Center. Marlin further explained that even though the St. Maarten Medical Center is a "semi-government" institution, public health and the safety of the people is the responsibility of government and Parliament. Marlin said right now all stakeholders which include government and SZV will have to bring solutions to the table to improve the situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center.



Statement by the Minister of Health, Cornelius De Weever on the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC).

I was informed yesterday of two more patients who passed away in the SMMC while or after receiving surgical treatment. Seven cases have been reported by patients, family members or medical professionals and investigated by the Inspectorate of Health Care. However, the SMMC has not reported accidents and incidents with mortal consequences and/or a higher rate of complications to the Inspectorate which is mandatory.
The Council of Ministers received a briefing by the Inspectorate of Health Care who indicated that a lot needs to be corrected in short time to drastically improve the quality of care in this institution. The Inspectorate of Health Care is in the final stage of its official report on the SMMC, but based on the past events and the preliminary findings, I am strongly of the opinion that there leaves much to be desired.
Supervision by the Supervisory Council of the SMMC and daily management by the Board of Directors seem to have fallen short of their full responsibilities.
It's unacceptable to allow the healthcare provided by our only hospital to decline.
The current situation at SMMC has my full attention and will be dealt with accordingly.

Great Bay:--- Citizens of St. Maarten can make use of the one-time financial assistance that is available at the Department of Social Services for those that qualify to purchase school uniforms and other necessary costs to be incurred in connection with education, if one would otherwise be deprived thereof.

The above is in accordance to the Island Ordinance of December 19th, 1996 regulating the allocation of financial aid. In order to come into consideration for the one-time financial assistance, one has to possess the Dutch nationality; be a resident at least three months prior to the petition; be in or on the verge of being in such a condition, that he/she cannot provide for the basic necessities of his own existence.

"As Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, I am asking those who are not able to take care of their child's basic educational needs to please take advantage of this service, as the education of your child is very important for future growth and contribution to our society," said Minister Cornelius De Weever.

A special team will be put in place at the department that will be solely working on these requests, so that they can be expedited in a timely fashion.

The Department of Social Services is located on Walter Nisbeth Road # 57, Pondfill, and they can be reached on telephone numbers 542-3561/543-7509 or 542-3703.

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams along with Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt and the Council of Ministers of Curacao have reached an agreement on how they intend to proceed with the joint Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten.

The Prime and Ministers of Finance of the two countries met over the weekend to find a solution regarding the impasse at the Central Bank. Curacao's Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte told reporters during a video conference on Saturday afternoon that he is not in a position to take any new decisions, however, he agreed with the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams to stick to the agreements made in 2006 prior to dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles. Wescot Williams said she informed her counterparts that St. Maarten is bound by the agreements of 2006 and therefore it is the only way forward. She said they also agreed that the operations of the Central Bank are not up to par and as such they have committed themselves to do their part as shareholder representatives.

Prime Minister Wescot Williams also informed members of the media of the two countries that they have decided that an operational audit of the Central Bank must be conducted and they will insist that the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank approve the Central Bank budget for the year 2012. The two shareholder representatives also agreed that a permanent seventh member of the supervisory board has to be appointed and St. Maarten will follow the letter of the law when it comes to the appointment of that person. Wescot Williams said article 25 of the Central Bank charter clearly states how the appointment of supervisory board members should take place.

St. Maarten's Prime Minister said they also took keen note on the loss of confidence between the Government of Curacao and the President of the Central Bank and St. Maarten has agreed to take that in to consideration during their follow up meetings.

St. Maarten's Finance Minister Roland Tuitt said that it is necessary to have an operational audit of the Central Bank and depending on the outcome of that audit they can move on to conduct an audit on someone's integrity. Tuitt said that things have to be done step by step for the shareholders to determine the exact problems of the Central Bank.

Minister Tuitt said they way things are right now it's all mixed up and the Supervisory Board will be instructed to do things step by step to be more successful. Tuitt also set the record straight regarding the one hundred million guilder loan St. Maarten is seeking to obtain to execute projects for the people of St. Maarten. He made clear that the Central Bank is mandated to do the preliminary procedures for St. Maarten.

The two shareholders also insisted that the Central Bank branch on St. Maarten must be upgraded.

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- On 16 August 2012, volunteers from the 429th Expeditionary Operations Squadron, located at the U.S. Forward Operating Location (U.S. FOL), assisted the Nos Welita Senior Citizen's Home Project. Equipped with paint, rollers, and brushes, the volunteers spent the morning breathing new and more colorful life to several walls in the center.
This event was paramount to the completion of the overall project - a building which will serve as the home of 40 senior citizens. The men and women working at the U.S. FOL are frequent volunteers in the local community. This was yet another outstanding effort in assisting a local organization.

Philipsburg:--- On Saturday August 18th at approximately 6:30pm, a man with initials B.G.H. became the victim of an armed robbery when he was attacked by two unknown men one of which was armed with a handgun. During the robbery, one suspect held the victim at gunpoint while he was searched by the other suspect. A fight started between the victim and suspects at which time the victim was struck several times with the butt of the gun in his head. The victim was robbed of a cellular phone, a pair of orange and gray sneakers which he was wearing at the time, and approximately U.S. $600,- in cash. After committing this act the suspects left the store. The Special Robbery Unit is handling this investigation.

KPSM Police Report

The first edition of the Collectivité's «Sport Open House» will be held on Saturday September 15th 2012 at the Omnisport Hall in Galisbay from 10 AM to 6 PM with the participation of several sporting organizations.
The objective of this event is to give the public the opportunity to discover the different sports existing on the island and allow the organizations to be known. 

The President of the Collectivité invites you to come out, with your family and friends, and discover all the activities and sport clubs existing on the territory.

Are you looking for a sporting activity for your child? Do you feel like discovering new sporting activities? Or rediscovering one?Come and meet the clubs and sign up for the new season 2012-2013
Open House on September 15th 2012 10 AM- 6 PM
For further information, please contact the Sports Department of the Collectivité at 0590 29 59 38 / 0590 29 59 13.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams urged the community on Monday to closely monitor the weather systems out in the Atlantic and to be vigilant and prepared as the country is currently entering the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Prime Minister stated that residents should have all preparations in place in the event of a hurricane and should ensure that livelihood, property and pets are adequately taken care of and preparations are made for both weathering the storm and the possible aftermath.

"As we have been noticing that storm activity has been on the increase in the Atlantic over the last few days, and with the possibility of stormy weather later this week I would like to urge all residents to have all preparations in place as we enter the so-called peak of the Hurricane Season. The various departments of Government have also been issuing information to the public, specifically the Office of Disaster Management, who under the theme "It only takes one" has been urging the public, and specifically the Tourism and Business sectors, to ensure that all preparations for the safe weathering of a storm are in place. Similarly the Section General Public Health of the Ministry of Public health, Social development and Labor, has also been urging residents to remove mosquito-breeding places surrounding their homes and businesses. We want to avoid secondary issues after a storm or a rain event related to mosquito breeding and the possible diseases they may carry," commented the Prime Minister.

As of press time on Monday all eyes are on the Eastern Atlantic where a low-pressure system currently has 80% chance of developing into a tropical system. Forecasted tracks bring the system close to the island on Wednesday/ Thursday. "The People of St. Maarten are no stranger to hurricanes with especially hurricane Louis in 1995 coming to mind. While we are a strong and resilient people preparation and vigilance is of utmost importance," concluded the PM.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- Tropical storm Isaac which passed close to St. Maarten during the early hours of Thursday morning left its footprints on at least two locations. An electrical post belonging to GEBE fell sometime Thursday morning on Bishop Hill Road. The post was seen lying across the road blocking traffic from both directions. There were a number of live wires on the post. An employee of GEBE told SMN News that the post had wires belonging to other companies and they are not the only ones responsible for the post. The GEBE employee also stated that the post fell down by itself after the passing of tropical storm Isaac.

Minister's Office Ceiling in Bad Shape.

The department of VROMI was called to conduct repairs at the government administration building on Thursday morning.

According to information provided to SMN News, the ceiling of the office of the Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs suffered minor damage and water leakage during the passing of tropical storm Isaac. SMN News reporter was on hand to snap a photo of the damage done to the Minister's office. It should be noted that the Minister Pantophlet could not occupy his office immediately after he was sworn-in because the office was contaminated with mold. It is not clear if the workers of VROMI did any repairs to the ceiling while repairing and repainting the Minister's office. Minister Pantophlet could not be reached on Thursday for a comment regarding his office.

Harbour View/Netherlands:--- His Excellency Governor Eugene B. Holiday made a working visit to the Netherlands from August 20 to 24, 2012. The aim of the visit was to discuss developments in areas of cooperation and issues of mutual interest against the backdrop of current socio-economic and financial developments.
On August 20, Governor Holiday started his official program with a visit to Mr. Klaas Knot, President of the Central Bank of the Netherlands ("De Nederlandse Bank"). During that meeting, Governor Holiday and Mr. Knot exchanged views on central banking developments in the respective monetary unions against the backdrop of current financial, economic and monetary environment.
On August 21, the Governor met with Marja van Bijsterveldt-Vliegenthart, caretaker Minister of Education, Culture and Science, with whom he discussed cooperation between the Netherlands and Sint Maarten in the field of Education and Cultural Heritage. More in particular, they shared information on current educational issues and on developments in national heritage preservation. In addition, the Governor received an outline of the approach to national heritage inspection in the Netherlands from Ms. Siregar, Director of the Heritage Inspectorate, in a separate meeting on August 23.
Governor Holiday also met with Mr. Matheus Voges, Minister plenipotentiary on August 21. Later that day, the Governor paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Fred de Graaf, Chairman of the Dutch Senate ("Eerste Kamer"). The following day, on August 22, Governor Holiday visited Vice-Admiral Borsboom of the Royal Dutch Navy, with whom the Governor discussed local and regional developments including the upcoming Hurricane Exercise 2012.
On August 23, the Governor met with Mr. Maarten Brouwer, Director of the Royal Dutch Mint ("Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt"). This institution is the official producer of Euro coins for the Netherlands and produces Netherlands Antillean Guilder coins for Sint Maarten. During that meeting, Governor Holiday was given an introduction about the activities of the Royal Dutch Mint and received a tour of the premises and was updated on the production process of coins. The Governor also organized a lunch for Sint Maarten students who recently arrived in the Netherlands. They informed the Governor about their experiences of the first weeks in the Netherlands as students. The Governor concluded his working visit, with a meeting with Mrs. Spies, caretaker Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, with whom the Governor discussed the current political situation in Sint Maarten and in the Netherlands and issues related to the Kingdom.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten attended the Seventh Day Adventist Church Women's Ministry Global Campaign for ending domestic violence entitled "End it Now" March and Rally on Saturday. The event was held as a campaign to end Domestic Violence against women both locally and internationally and is an initiative of various faith-based organizations throughout the world.

In her comments during the event the Prime Minister stated that all within the community of St. Maarten have the responsibility to end domestic violence on St. Maarten; "One in every four women on the island will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million are victim of physical assault by an intimate partner each year throughout the region and an estimated 85% of Domestic Violence Victims are women," commented the Prime Minister during her remarks.

"Historically women are most often victimized by someone they knew and females who are twenty to twenty-five of age are at the greatest risk of non-intimate partner violence and it is a sad reality, even in our society, that most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the authorities," continued the Prime Minister.

The PM emphasized that it is often boasted of St. Maarten that the island is a very cosmopolitan society, but that that also brings with it greater social issues "This cosmopolitanism also means that in our country our women and children are suffering. We need to end this now and be part of the solution."

The Prime Minister also stressed that the crux of solving the cycle of domestic violence is to realize that children who witness instances of domestic violence are at the strongest risk factor for transferring violent behavior from generation to the next and so it is up to this generation to say "End it Now". It is also important to realize that boys who witness Domestic Violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults and thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household. We need to take these upsetting statistics into deep consideration and as Government and as people take the necessary steps to End it Now," stated the PM.

The PM concluded by challenging St. Maarten to committing themselves to ending the scourge of Domestic Violence on St. Maarten. I personally pledge to end violence against women, to be bold, to not remain indifferent, to stand firm for peace, to speak out against abuse, mobilize peers to act and to propose solutions and to advocate for change and make our community more civil and a better place for all. If we cannot commit to that our focus is wrong," concluded the Prime Minister.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

...

Philipsburg:--- The Prime Ministers of St. Maarten and Curacao along with their Finance Ministers managed to sign three agreements late Monday afternoon regarding how the two countries will move forward with the impasse at the joint Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten. Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams, Prime Minister of Curacao Gerrit Schotte, Finance Minister of Curacao George Jamaloodin, and St. Maarten's Finance Minister Roland Tuitt along with their advisers spent most of the day hammering out their concerns on how the two countries will move forward when it comes to the joint Central Bank.

Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams told reporters that they managed to agree on a letter that will be sent to the Chairman of the Kingdom Council of Ministers Prime Minister Mark Rutte informing him that the two countries Curacao and St. Maarten have committed to an understanding about normalizing the functioning of the joint Central Bank. Also included in the letter to the Chairman of the Kingdom Council of Ministers are the dates of the meetings that were held between the shareholders of the two countries and intentions of the planned meetings with the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank based on article 32 and 24 of the charter of Curacao and St. Maarten which opens the possibilities for these meetings to be held.

Wescot Williams said two meetings will be held, one is in preparation for the other. These meetings she said will be held within a short period of time. St. Maarten's Prime Minister also informed reporters that the two countries have agreed to send a letter to the Supervisory Board of the joint Central Bank informing them of the decisions taken by the shareholder representatives of the two countries. The Supervisory Board was given ten days in which they must provide certain information to the shareholders representatives. The two countries are requesting the annual accounts for 2010 and 2011 while they want an operational audit to be conducted at the joint central bank. SOAB will assist in the operational audit that has to be conducted.

While the two countries managed to agree on almost every point on their way forward, they did not decide on the suspension of the Director of the Central Bank Emsley Tromp. Wescot Williams said since last week St. Maarten's delegation informed the caretaker government of Curacao that they took note of their concerns. She said Curacao indicated that there is a breach of confidence between the government of Curacao and Tromp. "Again we indicated to them that we took note of their concern but in St. Maarten's opinion an operational audit will be more effective."

Finance Minister Roland Tuitt said that eliminating Tromp will not solve the problems of the Central Bank and if the shareholders have to take different measures to solve all the problems then they will do just that. During these meetings St. Maarten will present the names of at least three persons so that one of them can be selected to fill the seventh position on the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank.

Curacao's Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte told reporters the two countries have decided to send a letter to the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank to inform them of their way forward. Schotte said that St. Maarten's main objectives are to get the Central Bank on St. Maarten fully operational and the budget of 2012 approved.

Click here to view the letter sent to Supervisory Board of Central Bank.

Click here to view the letter sent to the Chairman of the Kingdom Council of Ministers.

Click here to view the points discussed and agreed upon on Monday August 27th by the shareholder representatives of the Joint Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten.

Airport:--- On Monday August 20th 2012, Customs Officers at Princess Juliana International Airport confiscated approximately 610 grams of cocaine from a male passenger with the initials. F.P.B.
The passenger was arrested and brought to the Customs Head Office for interrogation. Further investigation indicated that the suspect had also swallowed an unknown amount of bolitas, this was proven by X-ray pictures taken at the Sint Maarten Medical Center.
Two days after his arrest, he was brought back to the Sint Maarten Medical Center because of medical complications where he remained for 5 days under full custody. After an assessment of his condition by the medical staff, it was decided that surgery was necessary and 46 bolitas were removed from his intestine.

Two weeks ago Customs Officers also confiscated approximately 1 kilo of cocaine from a female passenger with the initials L.D.R. traveling from Curacao. This was ingeniously hidden inside a purse she was carrying with her. However, the inspecting officer was alert and prevented her from entering Sint Maarten with the forbidden substance.

Due to the ongoing investigations, further information cannot be released at this moment.

The addition of new personnel has enabled the Department to increase visibility and controls at both the airport and the harbor. This addition has also resulted in increased screening and inspection of containers and other cargo entering the harbor of Sint Maarten.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined the various Environmental and Cultural Heritage Organizations in honoring the Birthday of Emilio Wilson at the Emilio Wilson Park on Tuesday. The Prime Minister laid a bouquet of flowers at the statue of Emilio Wilson at the Emilio Wilson Park.

Before laying the flowers at the bust of Emilio Wilson the Prime Minister stated that the people of St. Maarten can rest assured that Government will do all it can to ensure that the island's cultural and natural heritage will be protected. "Regarding the issue of the Emilio Wilson Estate I can say that Government will do everything to ensure that the island's cultural and environmental heritage is protected for the people and for future generations. Although there are things which are happening externally to Government, we will ensure that the protection of the heritage and environment of St. Maarten is ensured," commented the Prime Minister.

Parliamentarian Frans Richardson also made comments at the event and the various cultural and environmental organizations placed wreaths and flowers at Emilio Wilson's statue. The event commemorated Emilio Wilson's 101st Birthday.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism who is also over the Harbor Group of Companies Romeo Pantophlet confirmed on Wednesday that he requested that the members of the Supervisory Board of the Harbor Group of Companies make their positions available to the current government (shareholder). The members of the Supervisory Board of the Harbor Group of Companies are Renald Williams, Humphrey Mezas, Joseph Richardson, Kelvin Bloyden, and Miguel Alexander.

Minister Pantophlet said he had a meeting with the board on Monday and the board was requested to step down so that the present government can place some younger people in those positions. Minister Pantophlet said the new administration took office on May 21st and they want the new board to carry out the vision of this government. The Minister said that the supervisory board of the Harbor Group of Companies has until September 3rd to respond to government while the government of St. Maarten is looking into installing the new board by September 15th.

When asked by SMN News if the Ministry or government intends to conduct an audit at the Harbor Group of Companies, the Minister responded with a simple yes, but shortly after said that they are not thinking about that yet. He however stated that an internal audit is underway. The Minister clarified that an external audit is not being discussed at the moment.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Tuesday July 31, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs started the second day of her working visit to the St. Maarten House where she met with Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Mathias Voges, Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Henriette Doran-York, Cabinet Director Cornelius James, Advisor Perry Geerlings to the Cabinet as well as Sr. Policy Advisor Antonio Aventurin and Study Financing Officer Yolanda Martina.

The Minister was given a tour of the facilities and discussions were held on a wide range of topics including the role of the St. Maarten House in the guidance and support of St. Maarteners in the Netherlands.

The Minister also met with board members of the Soualiga Foundation, Chairman Perry Geerlings, Treasurer/Secretary Carol Voges, members Maria Charles, Aishira Cecilia and Garrick Richardson.

The Board gave a presentation regarding their goals, vision and mission. They also reported some preliminary findings of the Student Forum they held in April 2012. Though this first event catered to students, it is the foundation's goal to be a part of a wider support system for all St. Maarteners residing in the Netherlands.

The Foundation aims to actively promote cultural awareness amongst St. Maarteners, fostering pride in St. Maarten's identity as a new country, as well as promoting professionalism.

Meetings were also held with the Board and staff of the S4 foundation at the foundation's offices in Amsterdam. The minister received an update on current affairs, evaluation of the "opvang" of the new students, and engaged in discussions regarding the cooperation agreement between the Government of St. Maarten and S4.

S4 management expressed satisfaction with the improved level of communication and cooperation between Study Financing Division and S4. This resulted in a smooth, seamless transition for St. Maarten's students to the Netherlands without any major hiccups.

A presentation was also made to the delegation by Antonia Libert on language development in both English and Dutch. The presentation focused on solutions and strategies to improve St. Maarten's students' chances of success in the Netherlands.

The day was closed off with a dinner party hosted by S4 in honor of the Minister's visit.

Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation

PHILIPSBURG:--- At present there are five persons arrested and incarcerated in connection with credit card fraud. The suspects in question are from the Dominican Republic and were arrested on different dates while busy shopping, using false credit cards, and false identification. During their arrest, tens of credit cards were found in the possession of the suspects and were confiscated. These credit cards are mainly, American Express Cards (AMEX), Visa cards, Mastercards, and Debit cards, all from different banks.

Thus far the investigation indicates that:

• The information on the authentic credit card is skimmed and false credit cards are made.
• The false information, the falsely made credit cards, and identification cards are posted "for sale" on the Internet.
• The stolen information of all types of credit cards could be bought.
• The name on one of these credit cards is not that of the cardholder.
• The false credit cards and identification cards are bought and or made by persons in the Dominican Republic and other Latin countries in the region.
• Persons from the Dominican Republic and other Latin countries in the region are traveling to the island specifically to shop using these false credit cards, identification cards, and passports.
• The false credit cards are mainly used at the different car rentals, hotels, jewelry stores, electronic and computer stores and travel agents on the island.
• Very expensive items and jewelry are purchased and these persons then use their authentic identification or other persons to leave the island with the goods.
• The credit card companies and banks know of this ongoing phenomenon.

As a result hereof, the Fraud Department wants to emphasize that all businesses be very attentive when a purchase is being made with use of a credit card. The credit card and identification card should be thoroughly checked.

• If the transaction becomes suspicious, the credit card company or bank should be immediately called for verification.
• Ask the client for a passport or another identification card.
• If the first payment with a credit card does not succeed, do not accept another credit card from the client.

This press release by the police is mainly to inform all businesses and to make the entire community aware of this ongoing phenomenon. These types of criminal activities are major concerns of the police and have high priority.

Anyone having any information in connection with this investigation or was a victim of this type of crime and would like to file an official report can do so by contacting the Fraud Department by dialing 54-22222 ext. 212 or 213.

KPSM Press Release

Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Infrastructure and Housing William Marlin announced on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing that he is busy discussing with a company to replace all the current street lights with LED lights. Marlin said that even though GEBE is responsible for replacing the street lights based on the concessions GEBE has with Government, he as Minister of Infrastructure is taking the initiative to have the lights replaced because the street lights are not functioning in several areas. Marlin said the NA/DP/IND Government inherited a situation where the street lights are not functioning and it is government's responsibility to have the streets lighted. Marlin said the concessions that GEBE has with Government which was signed in 2010 stipulated that GEBE is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of the these lights.
The Minister further explained that ever since he took office he has been in contact with the management of GEBE for them to shed light on their responsibilities based on the concession. Marlin said that GEBE is now claiming that they do not mind taking responsibility for the maintenance of these lights but they want to know who will be paying the maintenance fees. He said because of this concern, GEBE has left the street lights unattended. Marlin said there is a proposal from GEBE on the table that they are busy discussing however, next to that he is busy discussing with another company who would replace the existing street lights with LED lights. LED lights he said will decrease the cost of electricity consumption while they also have a longer life span with better lighting capabilities. Marlin said there are other companies that are interested in participating in the project but the current coalition government is looking at a company that will provide its own financing for the replacement of the lights while government will pay for the replacement of these lights with the monies they saved on utility bills.
Marlin said another project that will soon be signed off is a project that will introduce solar panels to the island. Marlin said government is busy with adopting the legislation on what is described as net metering. He said persons who install these solar panels will have to pump the electricity that is generated into GEBE's grid and they will be compensated for it. Marlin further explained that he held discussions with the new director of GEBE and so far the company and government are on the same page when it comes to alternative energy. The Minister of Energy said that the time has come for government and GEBE to tackle the situation regarding alternative energy by implementing it. Marlin said this coming week he will be signing off on a educational project where schools and other persons can visit the company and see how the solar paneling works. He said government has to lead by example and their intention is to start installing solar panels at the schools on St. Maarten.

In an attempt to further introduce the youth of St. Maarten to the Island's unique underwater environment and also to the sport of SCUBA Diving, the Nature Foundation in conjunction with the Scuba Fun Dive shop has certified five former snorkel club students as Open Water SCUBA Divers. The Four youngsters are Zakiya Peterson, Iris Hakkens, Dominique Hakkens, Isaiah Haakmat and Zaire Lake. Nagico NV and Taliesin Construction sponsored the certification. Mr. David Botha of SCUBA FUN was the certifying Instructor for the course. The five students can now call themselves Open Water Divers and will continue with their dive education. They are also now able to assist the Nature Foundation with research diving within the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. The Nature Foundation would like to thank Scuba Fun Dive Shop staff and management, Taliesin Construction, Nagico NV, and the parents of the students for making the project possible and successfully spreading Marine Conservation and the sport of SCUBA diving to local youth.

Philipsburg:--- The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise held a membership drive and cake sale at the Boardwalk Fest on August 3rd 2012. The members of the club were in the crowd distributing brochures and flyers containing information about Rotaract. The members also allowed persons interested in joining Rotaract fill out contact forms to keep in contact with them. President of the Rotaract Club, Elisia Lake informed the crowd in brief that August month is set aside for membership and Rotaract awareness and what better place to start off the membership drive then at the Boardwalk. Lake also mentioned that the world needs more volunteers in making it better place and concluded that the Rotaract Club is an organization that caters their time to giving back to the community and putting service above self which every young person should do.

On behalf of the Rotaract Club, Lake presented the Boardwalk Fest organizers with a Distinguish Service Citation Certificate and thanked them for allowing the Club to conduct their membership drive and cake sale at the event. Before accepting the certificate, Clifton Brown President of the St. Maarten Cultural Music and Entertainment Development Foundation, mentioned that because his organization consists of young professionals he can connect with the Rotaract club in terms of giving back to the island in any way possible and only saw it fitting to allow the Rotaract Club to be a part of the event. Brown also mentioned that any time the Rotaract Club needs assistance they are willing to give a helping hand.

The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise would like to take this opportunity to publicly extend sincere gratitude to Clifton Brown and the members of the Boardwalk Fest organization, Carl N Sons Bakery for donating a cake, Walton Holiday for providing a tent and Anniek Arrindell for providing the tables and chairs. The club also extends thanks to all persons that came out to the Boardwalk Fest to learn more about the Rotaract Club and supported the club in purchasing cake and other goodies.

The Rotaract Club will be continuing their membership drive and awareness throughout the month of August and encourages young persons between the age of 18-30 to become a member of the organization and give back to your community The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month at 7pm at the Holland House Conference Room. The club's next general meeting is scheduled for Saturday August 11th 2012 and young persons are invited to attend. For more information about the club you can visit our facebook page:"RotaractSunrise St Maarten" or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Marigot:--- Prefet Philippe Chopin and some members of his cabinet took a tour of the island on Monday particularly to meet with landowners on St. Martin who are willing to make their lands available to re-develop sustainable agriculture on St. Martin.

Prefet Chopin met the first set of land owners at the French Quarter cultural center where he informed them that he met with the association members of Patrimoine Agricole Past and Present, headed by Rose Rumit who informed him that the former Sous Prefet of St. Martin Maurice Michaux had hired the association to spearhead a project for sustainable development mainly in agriculture on St. Martin in 2006.

Rumit said that some years ago the former Sous Prefet visited her plantation and he hired Patrimoine Agricole Past and Present to spearhead the re-development of Agriculture on St. Martin. Rumit explained that she received official documentation from the State on April 27th 2007 informing her that she was officially hired. At the time, the FEDAR made available some 120 million Euros for the re-development of Agriculture on St. Martin. However, elected officials at the Collectivity of St. Martin did everything in their power to prevent Rumit from accessing the monies. Rumit also participated in several courses in Martinique to make her fully qualified for agricultural projects, but despite her efforts she was blocked by elected politicians that were heading the Collectivity during the past five years.

Prefet Chopin told the land owners that he is tasked with re-developing certain projects for the island which would create employment for the younger generation. He said together with the President of the Collectivity of St. Martin he is working on re-developing agriculture on the French side of the island. Chopin said after meeting with Rumit he is of the opinion that agriculture would create a number of opportunities for the younger generation and others that are interested in working in the field of agriculture. Chopin further explained that his intention is to help the land owners to obtain funding from Europe to develop agriculture on St. Martin. Chopin said monies are available for these projects, but those interested would have to work hand in hand with him to develop these projects to obtain the funding. "I am of the opinion that the people of St. Martin (land owners) don't know all their rights on how to obtain subventions to develop their ideas and projects. One way is to work closely with the Collectivity to show that you can provide job opportunities to others if assistance through subventions is given. The idea is bring agriculture to a higher level."

Chopin also explained that the Collectivity and butchers are facing a huge problem with the abattoir that was built in Grand Case. "I am working diligently on solving this problem and if everything goes well then the problem regarding the abattoir will be solved by the end of the year. The first thing I began working on when I arrived on St. Martin is the abattoir and now I am ready to work with you the land owners to show you how to obtain European funding to develop agriculture on St. Martin." Chopin made clear that he cannot meet with everyone but he is willing to have a group of people meet one of the civil servants in Guadeloupe that is handling the dossiers that would advance their programs. Land owners were advised to submit their documents pertaining to the ownership of their lands so that the dossier can be put together. Chopin said that he already indicated to the Prefet of Guadeloupe that he wants him to meet this group of people on his next working visit to St. Martin.

When asked by SMN News if the monies that were allocated to Patrimoine Agricole Past and Present was still available. Prefet Chopin said he was not even aware of the project until he met with the association members. Chopin also told members of the media that he cannot even find the dossier that was submitted by Rose Rumit on behalf of her association. Therefore, the mission on Monday was to gather information from land owners and those that are interested in re-developing agriculture so that he could present a new dossier to Guadeloupe and these monies can be made available for agriculture. "The dossier of 2006 is an old one and the monies that were awarded for the project were used up elsewhere, so that is why we have to revamp the project by creating a new dossier. I can tell you monies are available and if the work is done correctly then these subventions will be made available to St. Martin." One of the landowners made clear to Chopin that they have no confidence in the elected politicians because they were already told that it is not possible for them to get subventions to do agriculture on St. Martin. Chopin said that St. Martin must go through Guadeloupe to obtain European funding for agricultural projects. He said there is hard work ahead for him because no one worked on the files that were already approved in 2006 and therefore those files are now closed. Chopin also made clear that even though the funding is coming from the State for these projects he is obliged to work with the Collectivity to make it a reality. He also said that the State and Europe will be the ones in charge of delegating the monies.

The landowners took Prefet Chopin to one area in French Quarter where a notary from the Dutch side has greenery. However, the land owners of St. Martin showed the Prefet that they have no access to their land because Semsamar dug out the ravine and placed huge boulders inside which is preventing them from accessing their properties on the hillside.

The delegation also visited a property in Grand Case opposite the Grand Case airport and the "Mango Eco Project" owned by the James family. Prefet Chopin was impressed with the work done by Rodman James who is working almost every day on the property to revive St. Martin's culture and agriculture. Rodman James and his brother Edwin James told Prefet Chopin that they have 60 acres of land that they are ready to develop. Close to 50 acres are on flat land while the other 10 acres is on the hillside. The James already built a wooden bungalow and a restaurant that they intend to rent out for weddings and special parties. Rodman James said their intention as a family is to also build some other bungalows on their property for renting. He said he submitted two dossiers for subvention and was given monies but it was not enough to complete his project. He further explained that the bungalow for weddings and reception still needs to get electricity and water while some other finishing touches has to be done to the inside of the building before they can begin leasing it out.

Rodman James also showed Prefet Chopin one of seven wells that he has on their property but he needs money to complete them so that they could have enough water on site for agricultural projects. The James will be holding a cultural event this Sunday at the location and has since invited the Prefet as a guest of honor so that he can see some of the plans for the "Mango Eco Project". James said if monies are made available to him he will invest in solar energy for the estate.


Click here to view more photos of Prefet Delegue Philippe Chopin during his working visit with Land Owners on Monday.

Philipsburg:--- At least two banks on St. Maarten have agreed to pay Norman Chester Wathey II (Leo Hughes) the sum of $200,000.00 from the accounts of the Wathey families.

Norman Chester Wathey II placed a lien on the accounts of the Wathey siblings after they failed to comply with a court ruling from the Court of First Instance. The lien was placed on accounts at the Windward Islands Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada.

Norman Chester Wathey II told SMN News that he placed the lien on the accounts on June 27th, 2012 and on July 27th, 2012 he received an answer from both banks. He said the RBC bank already made their payment which amounts to $11,000.00 and 4,800 Euros. He said the larger payments have to be made by the Windward Islands Bank. Wathey II said he believes the bank already made the payments to his bailiff but the bailiff is currently off island on vacation. Wathey II further explained that his siblings also placed a lien on his accounts for the sum of $30,000.00 for damages they claim he owed them for slandering. "I told the Wathey siblings that I do not have any bank accounts but they still went ahead and placed a lien at the banks on the island."

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Pregnant women, those planning a family, and breastfeeding mothers are invited to an information session on August 8 at the Baby Wellness Clinic.

The information session will start at 6:30pm until 8:00pm. The Clinic is located in the area of Grand Marche Supermarket Bush Road location behind FATUM Insurances Building.

Attendees will learn about the importance of breastfeeding. Infant and young child feeding is a cornerstone of care for childhood development.

Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.

Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to six (6) months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond.

The information session is in connection with celebrating the annual Breastfeeding Awareness Week that kicked off 1 August to 7 August.

Youth Health Care where the Baby Wellness Clinic falls under along with several stakeholders have come together to extend the week to the end of August with the sharing of information in country efforts to create awareness about how important it is to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Stakeholders are Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever and his ministry, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) nurses, SIFMA and the Lisaflor Maternity Center.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Disaster Coordinator Winston Salomon endorses the St. Peters community weekly hurricane season clean-up which is scheduled to kick-off this Saturday, August 11.
Other clean-ups are scheduled for the weekends of August 18, and 25. The primary objective of the clean-up is to prepare the neighbourhood against material damage and flooding caused by flying debris during the passing of a tropical storm or hurricane.
Residents have been asked to ensure that all unwanted items are placed on the sidewalk preferably by Friday evening, August 10 and every Friday prior to the scheduled clean-up dates.
Disaster Coordinator Salomon says that this is an opportunity for residents to get rid of old items and debris that lies around their yard and could become flying projectiles during a passing storm or hurricane.
Debris can also clog flood drains and waterways therefore causing severe flooding in the district or neighbourhoods.
Items that will be collected include old and or unused electronic appliances, furniture, household items, yard waste, car parts and accessories, and any hazardous waste.
The area that will be cleaned-up on August 11 is: Blue Berry Road, Passion Fruit Road, Honey Dew Road, Apricot Road, Cantaloupe Road, Grapefruit Road, and Kiwi Road.
The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already seen six storm systems form so far, and many more are forecasted to develop in the coming weeks and months.
ODM is calling on the community to make sure everybody has everything in place and are storm ready.
The remaining names of potential storms for the 2012 season are: Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.
The hurricane season runs through November 30.

The St. Maarten Cricket Association was the recipient of a donation from NAGICO Insurances on Thursday August 9th; in which they received funding to outfit them with all the necessary gear and equipment for an upcoming cricket tournament.

The association approached the company for financial assistance to replace their old gear for an upcoming tournament. Speaking at the cheque handing over on the cricket field on Thursday President of the Association; Nathaniel Walters thanked NAGICO for their continued support over the years.

Some of the items the association received included: cricket balls, bats, batting gloves, arm guards, batting pads and tournament stumps.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee of Parliament will meet in public session on August 17, the first meeting since the July recess to discuss a four point agenda.

The meeting will take place on Friday morning at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament at Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is the submission of the 2011 Annual Report of the High Council of State Ombudsman.

The second agenda point is the appointment of the Chair person, members, and replacement members of the High Council of State General Audit Chamber.

The third agenda point is approval of a working visit to the Netherland in connection with the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament meeting on September 18 in the Ridderzaal and reception of out-going Second Chamber of Parliament President Hon. G.A. Verbeet.

The fourth agenda point also seeks approval from Members of Parliament (MP) with respect to a working visit to Panama in with respect to the 9th Plenary Meeting of ParlAmericas from August 30 to September 1.
ParlAmericas is Parliamentarians for the Americas. It is an independent network composed of national legislatures of 35 states from North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.

Members of ParlAmericas are committed to promoting parliamentary participation in the Inter-American system. They are also engaged in developing inter-parliamentary dialogue on relevant hemispheric issues.

The central committee session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and via Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be carried via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held a brief presentation at her Cabinet on Tuesday presenting her pledge and the pledges of twenty four additional individuals which she personally collected at the Top Promotions Be Able Dine at Holland House event on Saturday. In her comments the Prime Minister stated that from her side the pledge she made on Saturday evening at Holland House to the tune of one thousand dollars was a given. "Firstly to the committee Be Able of the Top Promotions Foundation which is breaking new barriers by organizing the Disabled Week which will be held towards the end of November I would like to commend you on the excellent job which you have been doing with regards to the disabled here on the island. I need to also thank all of the companies that were part of the fundraising that was held last Saturday which made it possible for the Foundation to host the fundraising at Holland House. I also need to say a special thanks to Holland House for being such a sport and accommodating what was a very spontaneous part of that fundraising dinner", commented the Prime Minister who was referring to her being a special guest chef at the Fundraising event. During the event the Prime Minister went from table to table where she personally collected twenty five thousand dollars worth of pledges which will go towards the organization of activities centered on disabled week.

"At the dinner, which if I may add was exquisitely prepared by Holland House, some of the patrons whispered to me regarding the possibility of me collecting some of the pledges for which letters where at everyone's table. And so during a lull in dinner we undertook to collect twenty four pledges besides my own containing one thousand dollars as a contribution to the work which is done on behalf of disabled persons here on the island. So today in addition to presenting my personal pledge I would also like to present the other twenty four and personally thank those other twenty four persons who spontaneously signed off their pledge form," continued the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister closed the presentation on a personal note stating that she made her pledge in memory of two of her siblings which she lost due to a rare disease which caused them to be disabled later in life. "I do this presentation in 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. I would therefore like to encourage St. Maarten to continue to support the activities of the Be Able Committee of the Top Promotions Foundation in organizing the Disabled Week."

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- The rider of the motorcycle that collided with two concrete slabs in the vicinity of the One Tete Lokay round-a-bout passed away, confirmed Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos.
SMN News understands that the victim was riding down link one at high speed when he slipped and lost control of his motorcycle.
The motorcycle landed on two concrete slabs that are alongside the road not far away from the One Tete Lokay round-a-bout. The victim has been identified as Massimilliono Manceni (25), a native of France. Mos said that police had confiscated the body but quickly released it when they determined that the victim caused his own death.
However, SMN News learnt that the victim died due to internal bleeding while on the operating table around 7pm, while the accident took place around 3:30pm.

Cay Hill:--- The relatives of Ruth Olivacci (62) are peeved at the passing of their loved one who died due to carelessness at the St. Maarten Medical Center on Thursday midday. Sister of the deceased and Member of Parliament Silvia Olivacci Meyers told SMN News that a Dutch specialist operated on her sister on Wednesday to remove a catheter which was placed in the vicinity of her collar bone three weeks ago by Dr. Ferrier. Meyers said her sister was suffering from kidney failure and she needed to take dialysis treatments. Meyers further explained that Ruth was in the hospital for three weeks and she was improving. As a result, the specialist attempted to remove the catheter so that she could go home. "Ruth was a diabetic and her kidneys were failing so she was hospitalized for that purpose."

Meyers said the operation took place around 2pm on Wednesday and while the specialist was removing the medical device, he punctured her main artery. "The doctors called her family and informed us of what had transpired during the operation. They also told us about some of the consequences of a punctured artery. The doctors explained that even though they conducted a second operation to repair the punctured artery, there are possibilities that she could become paralyzed on one side or get a blood clot in her brain. Shortly after the operation, the doctors informed us that what they were trying to avoid is what had happened because Ruth was not able to move her left side."
The distraught sister of the deceased said that her sister was placed in the intensive care unit Wednesday night and up to 9am on Thursday morning she was doing alright because she showed one of her nieces that she could not move her left side. Meyers said that at 11am on Thursday, the doctors and nurses noticed that Ruth was bleeding in the same area where they removed the catheter. "When they saw she was bleeding, they took her to the operating room again and they found another artery that was also damaged during the removal of the catheter. They took my sister into the operating room just after 11am and by 12:30pm she was gone."

The Inspector General of Health, Dr. Earl Best has been informed of the death of Ruth Olivacci and the family has requested an investigation into her death.

French Quarter:--- Several friends and motorcycle riders that participate in the illegal motorcycle races every Sunday morning on RN7 (French Quarter) are in shock and disbelief regarding the death of Chris Smith who was involved in a fatal accident on Sunday morning.

Relatives and friends of Chris Smith (36) a national of St. Lucia confirmed to SMN News that Smith passed away around 1:30pm Sunday afternoon as doctors and other medical professionals were working diligently to stabilize him before they could evacuate him to one of the neighboring islands. Smith leaves to mourn his brother and girlfriend both residing on St. Maarten and his daughter who lives in St. Lucia. Several of his co-workers from Reysil Construction and his boss Toochie Meyers gathered at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital hoping that Smith would have survived. He is known to be someone that is very friendly and a dedicated worker.

According to information provided by eyewitnesses, Smith crashed into a grey Hyundai Tucson P-3997 as he was leaving the racing area on French Quarter's main road. The accident took place close to Belle Plein.

One of the eyewitnesses and friend of Chris Smith said that Chris was riding a red motorcycle that belongs to Craig Bush. The eyewitness further explained that at the time of the accident, Smith was not racing, he was leaving the area to go home. The eyewitness said that there were about five vehicles that had stopped on the road while the driver of the grey Hyundai Tucson P-3997 pulled her vehicle out of the line and tried to overtake. At that point, she slammed into the motorcycle that Smith was riding. The eyewitness further explained that Smith was riding at high speed and when he hit the jeep he went airborne and slammed into a red gate. Three women who also witnessed the accident said that the rider of the bike landed on a red gate and his bones on both feet and hands were all broken and protruding out. The women said that Smith had several long cuts about his legs and hands while some of his teeth were also broken out. On the scene, SMN News reporter noticed some bone splinters and blood on the gate where the victim landed.

Preliminary reports stated that Smith was in critical condition while a male child that was inside the Hyundai Tucson was also injured. A woman on the scene described the driver of the jeep as being impatient or someone who has road rage because she did not think of her son when she tried to overtake the vehicles that were stopped in front of her. SMN News learnt that the owner of the jeep is a supervisor at Checkmate Security.

Commandant of the Gendarmerie Paul Betaille told SMN News that the victim was transported to the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital where medical professionals were trying their best to stabilize him so that he could be evacuated overseas for further medical treatment. However, Smith passed away before that could have happened.

The Head of the Gendarmerie said he did not have any update on the male child that was injured during the early morning accident. He said that an investigation into the accident has been opened.

Commandant Betaille also confirmed that the persons that are involved in the motorcycle races on Sunday mornings are acting illegally because they have not obtained any permit to practice on the main highway. President of the Collectivity of St. Martin, Alain Richardson could not be reached as he is off island at the moment.

Residents of French Quarter and members of the Conseil de Quartier said that the death of Smith is something they expected to happen a long time ago. "These riders come from all over the island and they gather by Brooks Car Wash every Sunday morning to practice their illegal racing." One member of the Conseil de Quartier said that he hopes that the death of Smith will deter the riders from racing in their neighborhood. It should be noted that every Sunday morning road users are stopped so that the races can take place and neither the Gendarmes nor the Police Territorial never took measures to stop the illegal racing.

Philipsburg:--- The second round of GIFTED Inter-church basketball competition took place on Saturday, August 18, 2012. The first game between New Testament Baptist Church (NTBC) and Praise Tabernacle Church (PTC) was very intense from start to finish resulting in an overtime to decide winner. The game finished 27-24 as PTC came out as victors.
The second game of the night was between the Seventh Day Adventist church (SDA) and Christian Assembly Ministry (CAM). This game was also very close down to the last second of the game. SDA won 33-32 despite the hard efforts made by CAM in the end of regulation being 4 points down.
Game 3 featured the undefeated Church of God (COG) against Christian Faith Ministries (CFM). COG maintained their winning streak as they won 33-30.
In the last game, SDA high intensity defense and well organized offense paid off as they defeated PTC 39-26. SDA would have to maintain that form when they meet CFM, the team that beat them already in the first round. This sets up to be a much anticipated re-match for the semi-finals.
GIFTED Inter-church basketball tournament resumes on Saturday, September 1st; where the finals will be played at Melford Hazel Sports Complex. The next event for GIFTED is the "Word Nerd" GLOW Party, featuring Curtis Jordan live and DJ Joshua DRJ Ferrol, at the John Larmonie Center on August 25th, 2012 starting at 7pm, with a "geek chic" dress code.

Great Bay:--- A three-way agreement for the supply and construction of two drinking water storage tanks was signed on Thursday August 16, 2012 by the Government of St. Maarten, Air Fin Holding St. Maarten N.V. doing business as Seven Seas Water (SSW- St. Maarten) and the water and electricity company GEBE.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labor, Cornelius de Weever signed on behalf of the government of St. Maarten, while Franklyn Richards, Managing Director, signed on behalf of the Seven Seas Water and Ivan Solomon and Ir. Romelio Maduro signed on behalf of the water and electricity company GEBE.

The three-way agreement is a sub agreement of the Water Supply Agreement between Government and Seven Seas Water for the supply of water produced by the reverse osmosis plants of Seven Seas Water in Cay Bay and Cupecoy. The Water Supply Agreement specifies the water volumes to be supplied, the quality includes also the supply of two tanks intended to upgrade the total drinking water storage capacity on the island. Payment of the tanks have been spread over the term of ten years, 2008-2018.

Minister De Weever mentioned the importance of having the necessary infrastructure in place for the supply of drinking water to the general public, essential to guarantee public health. The Public Health department is working on all aspects of the water supply. The periodic inspection of the quality of drinking water has started, and the water storage capacity will increase. The expansion of the water production is being addressed. A new master plan for the production and distribution of water will be commissioned to establish the future needs and investments. And once the results and investments are known the water financials and consumer tariffs will be analyzed.

The three-way agreement provides detailed arrangements of the supply, installation, commissioning, operation and ownership of the two water tanks. Each tank has a capacity of 3000 m3. The tanks are constructed of double sided "glass-fused" steel. The fused glass enables a protecting layer with no oxidation of the inner surface and as result safe storage of drinking water with no discoloration, as well as a low maintenance outside tank surface, reducing therefore the cost of operations and maintenance. The tanks will be built to withstand high winds experienced in hurricanes as well as for seismic tremors in earthquake prone areas.

In complying with the agreement Government issued in long lease the parcel of land for the water tanks in Pointe Blanche, while SSW will supply and construct the tanks, with GEBE building the foundation and supervising the entire project. Once completed, the tanks will be owned by government and operated and maintained by GEBE.

Government, GEBE and SSW are pleased that the project is now moving forward because the tanks will improve the water storage and distribution system for the people of St. Maarten. The installation of additional water storage will also take some pressure off of the reverse osmosis plants, which until a new plant is built, will be operating practically nonstop.
The Point Blanche tank is expected to take 8-10 weeks to manufacture and deliver to the island and construction will commence soon after. Once in operation the tanks will add to the present storage capacity and will service the area of Pointe Blanche, the Harbor, Philipsburg and surrounding areas. The location of the two tanks is also in considering the Pointe Blanche Harbor area as the location for a new water production plant.

Marigot:--- The owners of two restaurants are taking legal action against the Collectivity of St. Martin and its executive council members who granted an Authorization of Temporary Occupation (AOT) to Norbert Luftman owner of Sarl Sindextour (Le Plantation).

The COM took the decision to renew the AOT for Luftman on April 17th, 2012 for a parcel of domain land situated on AW 33 Orient Bay.

SMN News learnt that the owners of Bikini Beach Elisa Cohen and the ADP Societie Kontiki Philippe Just who are operating on Orient Bay have decided to challenge the COM and the Prefecture for granting the AOT to one person while their requests were not handled. A well placed source said that the Prefet Delegue is already seeking to have the AOT annulled since the legal and normal procedures such as publicizing the requests were not published prior to it being handled. Currently the two businesses are highly affected because the COM granted Luftman the rights to adjust and build up the parking area.

Based on documents provided to SMN News, the proprietors of Bikini Beach and ADP requested an AOT from the COM in February 2012 while Luftman submitted his request on March 29th, 2012. SMN News, further learnt that the President of the COM was asked about the granting of the AOT to Luftman and he denied knowledge of such, instead President Richardson told those that questioned him that the requests of Cohen and Just were being handled by the relevant departments. Sources say that Norbert Luftman was one of the major financiers of the RRR party during the last election and granting him the AOT was just a pay-back scheme. However, SMN News was not able to verify that information.

Luftman began occupying domain land in the Orient Bay area in 1992 where he built five vacation homes but instead of using them for his own business he rented the properties out to various persons who are now operating well known restaurants on Orient Bay. Elisa Cohen rented one of the properties and she created the Bikini Beach while Just was given a contract for ADP (Kontiki Beach).

According to the information provided to SMN News, the COM granted the AOT to Luftman just 17 days after they took office and they did not take along the requests of Cohen and Just for a vote to be taken on them, neither did they respond to the many letters sent by the two business owners who have been paying an unknown amount of rent to Luftman even during the period of time when his AOT expired.

The two business persons even went to the Prefecture to see if the decision taken by the COM was sent to the Prefecture and there was no trace of it until Prefet Phillipe Chopin investigated and found that the COM granted Luftman an AOT for the five buildings he is now renting.

Currently an investigation is underway while the case will be handled sometime in September in the administrative courts.

Philipsburg (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor launched the project "Employability through Training," in the latter part of 2011. The project is progressing well and has placed 17 individuals on job training to date. The newly developed communications plan is soon scheduled to kick off in hopes of bringing about more awareness to the general public about the project and the positive outlook for unemployed nationals.

What does this mean?

The ETT Program is geared towards unemployed individuals, in transition, who are attempting to improve their lives by gaining more efficient working skills through practical and theoretical training. The projects' aim is therefore to offer them work related skills that are essential in obtaining and maintaining employment.

The curriculum consists of courses in the areas of: Hospitality, Marine, Construction, Auto mechanic, IT & Social Skills among others. The slogan, "Training me =A sustainable you" is also incorporated in a unique logo that is scheduled to be unveiled to the public in August.

The project also piqued the interest of corporate Sint Maarten, says Project Leader, Mrs. Nikima Groeneveldt-Hickinson. "Fifteen prominent businesses showed their enthusiasm and interest by signing the partnership agreement offering their establishments as practical training venues". The business community is therefore actively supporting the project as well as the participants.

To ensure continued efficiency, the Ministry has postponed the start of group 2 until September 2012. Supporting provisions for the expected SEI participants are being put in place to safeguard minimal bottlenecks. The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labor is urging unemployed nationals of the community of Sint Maarten, who wish to improve their working skills and get a step closer to gainful employment, to sign up at the Labor Affairs Services today.

How to Sign Up?

All individuals interested in being a candidate of the SEI Project "Employability through Training" should visit Labor Affairs and indicate their interest. Once they meet the criteria, the individual will be placed on the SEI Project candidate list, assessed by a job placement officer & a social worker prior to the start of their training.

 

SEI Project Criteria:
1. Dutch nationals between the ages of (18 - 55)
2. Unskilled/ under skilled, unemployed persons
3. Persons with limited or no education
4. Persons requiring social skill building and requiring a skill in order to gain sustainable employment.

Relevant Documents:
- Copy of Passports or ID
- A valid census registration form
- A police record/ proof that it has been applied for (can be provided by the department)
- CV (help can be given to individuals that do not have one)
- Copy of certificates and/ diplomas (if applicable)

Philipsburg:--- St. Maarten lost another great son of the soil on Tuesday morning when the former director of Youth and Cultural Affairs Camille Baly passed away at the St. Maarten Medical Center after a brief illness. Baly's health deteriorated during the past nine months since he lost his beloved wife Elvia Baly better known as nurse Baly who passed away last year October. Even though Baly was grieving the loss of his beloved wife, he remained active in his political life as an adviser to the National Alliance. Camille Baly was member of the Council of Art, he was also the Principal of the Lionel Connor School in Cole Bay while the leader of the National Alliance William Marlin was a teacher at the same school.
The late Camille Baly is also known on the island for gathering St. Maarten's history. He paid close interest to the cultural aspect of the island since the island's culture was something he treasured. Baly has left to mourn his daughter Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool, his son Camille "Ray" Baly, three grandchildren, and the National Alliance family especially Cloyd "Ohndae" Marlin whom he considered as one of his sons.
The family of the late Camille Baly is busy preparing for his home going ceremony. SMN News wishes the family of the late Camille Baly especially his only daughter Tallulah much strength.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Tropical Storm Isaac is now over the Caribbean Sea and continues to move away from the Leeward Islands.

On the advice of Office of Disaster Management, the Prime Minister, who is responsible for Disaster Management, has decided that schools will reopen on Thursday.

It is not expected, but if the weather situation changes and creates challenges at any particular school, arrangements will be made to address them.

Tropical Storm Isaac at 11:00PM according to the National Hurricane Center was located 270 miles South East of Puerto Rico, and is moving West near 20 miles per hour.

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 miles per hour with higher gusts. Tropical Storm force winds now extend outward up to 140 miles mainly to the North and East of the system center.

Great Bay:--- The Department of Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs (C.D.F.H.) and by extension the Community Help Desk in collaboration with Social Services is offering free weekly workshops on "Taking total control through budgeting" to the general public starting Tuesday, August 28th, 2012.
"I believe it is extremely important that we all become conscious of how we spend our money. I once heard a statement that said:" you can't buy what you want and beg for what you need. We have to set priorities in our lives and be able to afford them by applying ourselves," said Minister of Public Health Social Development & Labor, Cornelius De Weever.
The program will be conveniently held where the Community Help Desks are located and starts on Tuesday, August 28th at the St. Maarten Senior Citizen Recreational Foundation in Hope Estate; Thursday, August 30th at the Christian Faith Ministries Church in Dutch Quarter; Friday, August 31st at the Community Help Desk Cole Bay and Monday, September 10th at the St. Peters Community Center, from 7pm to 9 pm and runs for seven weeks. For more information feel free to contact the Community Help Desk at the following telephone numbers: 548-4633 St. Peters; 542-2802 Hope Estate; 544-4340 Cole Bay, and Dutch Quarter 547-4911. This is the first of a series of empowerment programs by the Department of Community Development, Family & Humanitarian Affairs.
Currently, the amount of persons facing financial difficulties is steadily increasing. Often times many people consider managing their personal finances to be overwhelming, difficult and stressful. Regrettably, poor financial decisions may create stress and tension in relationships and may have detrimental effects on personal health and the quality of one's life. And so in an effort to combat these problems the C.D.F.H.A. seeks to coordinate and continuously "execute informative and social education empowerment programs". The course will be given by S.I.F.M.A.
The participatory workshops aim to help persons develop practical skills and strategies to make wise decisions and get on the road towards financial freedom. Another benefit of the course is the pride and peace of mind participants will receive with good financial planning. Certificates will be awarded to participants at the end of the workshop. The weekly budgeting course consists of seven sessions and features: "An introduction to budgeting" (3 sessions) "Nutrition on a budget" (1 session) "Importance of insurance and savings plans" (1 session) and "Living on a budget" (including review and close/ 2 sessions) Course materials, workbooks and stationary will be provided. The staff of the Community Help Desk, C.D.F.H.A. and Social Services will be on hand to assist at each location.

Upon successful completion of the program participants will be able to: Identify and monitor bad spending habits and take an active interest in budget planning to achieve desired goals. Exercising effective money management is one of the most important accomplishments anyone can make in their lives. Interested persons can register at the Community Help Desk until August 24th 2012 (limited space available).

The three premier marinas in the IGY Yacht Haven Grande Collection have each been awarded 5 Gold Anchors by the Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA). With thorough inspection and detail, Gareth Turnbull, General Manager of TYHA assessed each marina according to the Association's globally adopted standards for marinas.

"We are thrilled to have received such high accolades from a highly-regarded organization such as The Yacht Harbour Association. Our marinas strive to be the top destinations for yachtsmen around the world, and clearly our efforts have been recognized by not only the TYHA, but by our customers as well," said Kenny Jones, MBE, CMM and Executive Vice President of Operations for IGY Marinas.

The Gold Anchor Award Scheme is a voluntary assessment program, which is focused on customer service and providing quality moorings for the boat owner. The ratings range from 1 to 5 Gold Anchors and provide assurance of the credibility and quality of the marina when assessed against the technical criteria based on TYHA's Code of Practice for the design, construction and operation of marinas. Marinas are assessed by fully qualified marina assessors, berth holders' feedback and independent mystery shoppers. The program operates in 23 countries and has been for 24 years. Recently, the program was given the Practical Boat Owners Green Initiative award in 2011.

"I have never experienced one company that is spread across 6 different countries, with several different cultures, that present consistent high levels of facilities and services. The staff are extremely well trained and motivated and demonstrate amazing passion for what they do, and do it well. All facets of the facilities operations are a credit to IGY and Andrew Farkas's vision," says Mr. Turnbull.

TYHA's assessment revealed the following for each IGY marina in the YHG Collection:

Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas

Yacht Haven Grande is a superb mega yacht marina located in the Caribbean on the island of St. Thomas. It is owned and operated by IGY Marinas and built to cater to mega yachts in 2005. Yacht Haven Grande is the jewel in the crown of the IGY portfolio; there are 46 berths providing exceptionally high standards of service and facilities required by yachts up to 600 feet. This is a business where the management rolls out the red carpet for every customer while also keeping its house in order with regards to facilities and good management practice.

IGY has developed an exclusive retail village in the upland with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci and visitors are invited to use the restaurants, spa and leisure facilities with the assurance that the property is subtly monitored and patrolled by a team of professional security personnel.

The marina team understands what their customers expect and provides a top service for the duration of each stay. Customers are extremely important to the marina team and enjoy the attention to detail one would expect in such an environment, and in our survey of the berth holders' comments such as "outstanding", "model marina" and "nothing is ever a problem for the courteous staff", were common.

Yacht Haven Grande is a busy port supplying 2.9 million gallons of water, 1.3 million gallons of diesel and 1.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity. There is a huge demand on services, combined with the high expectations from captains, which are well within the capabilities of the marina team.

 

Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia

Rodney Bay Marina is a world-famous yachting center, catering to all yacht configurations with in-slip fueling and 3-phase electrical supply for mega yachts as well as swinging moorings on an inner lagoon for those with a tighter budget. With thousands of visitors each year, it is a business ideally suited to welcoming transatlantic sailors who have just completed the long voyage.

This is a luxury facility on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia where IGY's experience in running marinas makes entry to the island a relatively easy process for the captain and crew. The Gold Anchor assessment for Rodney Bay Marina found that IGY takes its duty of care one step further than they need to. A great example is its sponsorship of a customs and immigrations service, which is on-site at the marina. On arrival, crew have access to good shower facilities, great restaurants with a variety of cuisine, a supermarket, high-speed fueling, a boat yard and a well-stocked chandlers.

Rodney Bay Marina also runs a very popular series of crew parties for visiting and resident yachts and the crew can be assured that they are in safe hands throughout their stay. We surveyed berth holders and carried out a mystery shop, which found that the marina scored impressive full marks on customer service and this was reflected in what we experienced during the assessment. A particularly impressive service is the dock staff who are each allocated a pontoon and tend to yachts in their area.

It is a safe and trustworthy port to base cruising or racing in the Caribbean and indeed an essential stop to clear immigrations, get provisioning and refuel. Some of Rodney Bay's legendary events include the ARC rally (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) in December each year and the International Billfish Tournament in October, which recently broke the island marlin record of 960 pounds.

Local St. Lucian businesses value the marina and its visitors who are always made welcome and currently a complimentary rum punch is provided by one of the on-site bars.

The Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, St. Maarten

Yacht Club Isle de Sol is a premium marina facility within easy reach of St. Barts, Saba, Anguilla and many other very desirable Caribbean locations. It caters to yachts up to 360 feet and is fine tuned in to the needs of mega yacht captains and crew. The VIP experience starts before customers reach their berth when they are greeted and escorted by tender, making the crew's job easier on the approach and when docking at their allocated berth.

Once on site, the efficient marina team make sure crew and captain get everything they need and all within the very secure, privacy of Snoopy Island in Simpson Bay lagoon. IGY provides an excellent range of services including ISPS (The International Ship and Port Facility Security) compliance, high-speed in-slip fueling, in-slip pump out, free satellite television and free wireless Internet to every berth. Crew can also park cars directly beside the berth making provisioning and VIP transport a 1st class experience.

Captains and crew enjoy relaxing on site with the gym, pool and flood-lit tennis courts as well as socializing in the poolside Castaways Bar & Restaurant. This facility compliments the atmosphere on site with crew enjoying the parties laid on by IGY as well as offering quiet areas for some time out.

Within easy reach is excellent shopping, local French cuisine as well as a range of beach bars. St. Maarten is also one of the few mega yacht bases in the Caribbean with private jets regularly delivering new charter customers to the island.

These are all reasons why St. Maarten is one of the best mega yacht hubs in the world.

Philipsburg:--- The General Audit Chamber presented the final report of the first regulatory audit on personnel expenditures 2011 to the Central Committee of Parliament.
On November 23rd, 2011 the General Audit Chamber of St. Maarten initiated an audit focusing upon the lawfulness of the spending on personnel expenditure for the year 2011. This final report contains the results, conclusions and recommendations of that investigation.
The board represented by Acting Chairman Mr. Ronald Halman, member Mr. Alphons Gumbs and deputy member Mr. Daniel Hassell accompanied by Mrs. Joane Dovale-Meit (Secretary General) and Ms. Melisah Gomes (senior policy worker) presented the report to the Parliament. The current board's tenure ends as of August 23rd and the presentation was meant as a completion of its first regulatory audit activity.
Mr. Halman recommended that Parliament, after careful study of the almost 100-page report, schedule a follow up meeting with the General Audit Chamber to discuss the details.
The main question for the audit relates to the extent payments of wages to personnel at all seven ministries including the secretariat of the High Councils of State and other advisory bodies were lawful in 2011. Four phases were followed in the conduct of the investigation. Firstly, the legal framework was reviewed, followed by an audit of the personnel files and an audit of the salary calculations. Lastly, the Audit Chamber evaluated the administrative processes at the various entities related to personnel.
During a short PowerPoint presentation, the General Audit Chamber provided the headlines of the results contained in the report including the recommendations to government. The report is available on the General Audit Chamber's website www.arsxm.org.
Mr. Halman indicated that based on the initial findings, further study is being carried out in terms of pensions. The report on this matter will be presented later in the year.

Cay Hill:--- The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Clarence Richardson resigned from the Supervisory Board on Saturday. According to reliable sources, Clarence Richardson was given a consultancy position on October 10th, 2011 when he turned 70 years old. Sources close to the St. Maarten Medical Center said Richardson was collecting $1,500 per month before his 70th birthday, which was October 10th 2011. Richardson was supposed to resign on that same day and turn over the helm of the supervisory board to someone else since it is stipulated in the bylaws of the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center that board members cannot be older than 70 years old, but Richardson and the other members of the board found a loop hole by making Richardson a consultant as of October 10th, 2011. Sources close to the St. Maarten Medical Center said that Richardson's consultancy fees skyrocketed when he was appointed by the supervisory board as a consultant. Questions are now being raised if Richardson also submitted a check amounting to the monies he paid himself since October 10th, 2011 when he delivered his resignation letter to the remaining members of the supervisory board. "We want to know if Clarence Richardson will give back the monies he received illegally for almost one year. We are also questioning if the contracts and other commitments made by management and the supervisory board will be revoked by the new board because the board that Clarence Richardson headed was illegal."

SMN News also learnt that each member of the supervisory board of the St. Maarten Medical Center has to be approved by the government of St. Maarten but that did not happen over the years. The sources said government basically allowed the supervisory board to do what they wanted and did not supervise the institution. Medical staff at the St. Maarten Medical Center said that Richardson ran after pressure came from Inspector General Dr. Earl Best and government and it was clear that medical care at SMMC was in jeopardy because several persons lost their lives at the St. Maarten Medical Center over recent years. SMN News learnt that questions are also being raised about the liability the SMMC will be facing for the negligence that resulted in deaths of several people. According to reliable information reaching SMN News, the late Ruth Olivacce's family will be filing a claim for her wrongful death and already SZV has indicated that they will not be shouldering that expense. It should be noted that the doctor who operated on the late Ruth Olivacce last week to remove the catheter left the island the following day and the Inspector General is busy trying to locate the doctor in the Netherlands to interview him on how he managed to puncture two of the victim's main arteries.

SMN News has also been reliably informed that the medical and specialists committee that is scheduled to meet with parliament on September 3rd, 2012 already took an unanimous decision over the weekend to inform the supervisory board that they want the management of the SMMC to change forthwith because there is too much chaos at the St. Maarten Medical Center and if the situation continues Inspector General Dr. Earl Best will have no choice but to apply the law and call for the closure of the institution.

Some persons such as legal advisers have said that the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center has chosen to sell the Cay Hill pharmacy to one of the interested parties that are operating at the medical institution. A concerned onlooker said that the Cay Hill pharmacy was sold in June 2012 and if the "illegal" supervisory board committed such an act then government should revoke the contract and sale of the pharmacy.

The Parliament of St. Maarten is currently holding several hearings to determine their next step and course of action when it comes to the St. Maarten Medical Center.

The St. Maarten Nature Foundation continued with its coral transplanting project to restore coral reefs both inside and outside of the Man of War Shoal Marine Park the last few weeks. A group of six volunteer divers from the community assisted the Nature Foundation with the project. The project started with coral being transplanted on the section of reef which was damaged by the sinking of the vessel "Urge" in late March of this year. The vessel caught fire and sank within the Man of War Shoal Marine Park close to a dive site known as "Fish Bowl". The larger pieces of the wreck were cleared by commercial salvage company Aquatic Solutions with the Nature Foundation cleaning up the smaller sized debris. Bobby's Marina Group of Companies also made a significant donation to the Nature Foundation to assist with the cleaning and restoration efforts of the reef due to the sinking of the "Urge".

Because the vessel sank on an area of healthy reef some corals were damaged as a result. Once coral reefs are damaged they are less able to support the many creatures that inhabit them. When a coral reef supports fewer fish, plants, and animals, it also loses value as a tourist destination. Further, the absence of reefs acting as natural barriers can increase the damage to the Philipsburg area from wave action caused by storms and hurricanes. It was therefore decided to conduct a coral transplanting initiative to help Nature restore the damaged reef and extend the project to areas outside of the Marine Park.

The corals were transplanted using a simple technique where pieces of coral are harvested from healthy sections on different areas on the reef. A small nail is drilled into the damaged area to which the coral is attached using tying wire and marine epoxy. Dozens of coral species were transplanted by Nature Foundation staff and volunteers over the past few weeks and the transplanting project will continue indefinitely.

The man of War Shoal Marine Park and the coral reef areas within it are of significant environmental and economic importance as diving in Marine Parks is globally on the rise and generally accepted by the diving tourist as a "must do" vacation activity. An economic valuation study conducted by the Nature Foundation of St. Maarten's coral reef ecosystem has placed the monetary value at close to US$58 million in contributions to the economy of the country.

With proper management and restoration the area will increase the St. Maarten Tourism Product and local fisheries will also be enhanced through the regeneration of the depleted fish stock surrounding St. Maarten. Research has shown that Marine Protected Areas increase fish populations and fish size of commercial species in nearby fishing grounds.

The latest area to have coral transplanted in order to have the reefs restored was the Long Bay Reef complex outside of Cupecoy.

Board and Executive Members of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association and the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce met on August 21st, at SHTA office. During the meeting both organizations expressed concerns over several troubling issues on St. Maarten which have their attention including, the underperforming economy and the severe decline in the investment climate and the consequences for the local (labor) markets thereof. In addition to the uncertainty regarding rumored changes in the tax system, the need of a simplified system and increased compliance – reportedly at a lowly 36% - rather than increasing taxes as a means of generating more revenue.

Philipsburg:--- Relatives of the late Ruth Olivacce will be filing a lawsuit against the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) for the wrongful death of their family member who was laid to rest last Saturday. Silvia Meyers-Olivacce confirmed to SMN News that the family learnt that the two doctors who operated on the late Ruth Olivacce were not licensed to practice medicine on St. Maarten. Meyers-Olivacce said now that the family got this information they already made contact with a lawyer who will file a wrongful death lawsuit against the St. Maarten Medical Center. However, there are several questions being asked by medical professionals about the liabilities that would be facing the SMMC because SMMC's insurance only covers employees and specialists that are licensed by the government of St. Maarten to practice medicine at the institution.

The two doctors who flew back to the Netherlands the day after Olivacce passed away are Dr. Lampmann and Dr. Covelies. SMN News learnt that the Inspectorate of Health managed to contact the two doctors in the Netherlands and they will be interviewed sometime this week. Dr. Lampmann and Dr. Covelies have to now tell the health inspectorate how they managed to puncture the two main arteries of the late Ruth Olivacce when they were removing a catheter that was placed next to her collar bone. The medical device was implanted three weeks earlier when the late Olivacce entered the institution to take dialysis treatment. SMN News was reliably informed that the two doctors were brought in by the Managing Director of the St. Maarten Medical Center Dr. George Scot. Dr. Scot owns ANG N.V. and he recruits doctors in the Netherlands to replace specialists at the SMMC.

SMN News contacted the Department of Health, in the person of Fenna Arnel to verify if the two doctors were registered to practice medicine on St. Maarten, Arnel said the person to contact for such information is the Inspector General Dr. Earl Best because the Inspectorate is in possession of the registry that contains the names of all registered doctors on the island. Dr. Earl Best could not be reached on Monday afternoon for verification. It should be noted that Dr. Best investigated at least seven cases of wrongful deaths of persons who died at the SMMC. SMN News received reliable information that states that Dr. Best already indicated to the Members of Parliament and the Council of Ministers that the situation at the St. Maarten Medical Center is unacceptable and urgent actions needed to be taken. Up to Monday afternoon the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center did not confirm to parliament on which day they intend to meet with them to discuss the state of affairs of SMMC. So far the chairman of the supervisory board Clarence Richardson has submitted his resignation since he was working in violation of SMMC bylaws.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure (MinVROMI) will resume its public consultation process with respect to the drafting of "development plans" for country Sint Maarten.

A follow-up town hall meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 3 at the Sister Regina Primary School Gym, Simpson Bay from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. Residents and stakeholders of Simpson Bay, Airport area and Beacon Hill are invited to come to the meeting.

The follow-up meeting would allow the residents and stakeholders of the Simpson Bay community, Airport and Beacon Hill to review the outline for a development plan for the aforementioned areas.

The input of the community is considered paramount in this process and in order for the right choices to be made, the community has to have a say by giving their views with respect to the spatial national development of the country.

The drafting of the development plans will take approximately 24 months and the aforementioned plans will guide the future spatial development of the country where it relates to government and private land.

The second town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, September 6 at Carl's Unique Inn Conference room, Cole Bay from 7:00pm to 9:30pm. This meeting is for residents and stakeholders of Cole Bay, Billy Folly and Cay Bay.

At the meeting, a presentation will be made about the process and the attendees will be able to provide their views and ideas with respect to the development of Cole Bay, Billy Folly and Cay Bay.

The Zoning Ordinance (EROP) prescribes that development plans are established regulating the development possibilities and land usage on the Dutch side of the island.

The planning process consists of the following steps for public participation and support for each of the plans:

The Government believes that the public and stakeholders must have a say in the preparation of the plans, and must also have the opportunity to (public) review and give comments on the draft plans before they are sent to Parliament for approval.

Philipsburg:--- The Inspector of Health Dr. Earl Best, Chief Inspector of Pharmaceuticals Ashanti Van Heyningen, and Inspector John Connor visited Global Beauty Home Trade located upstairs of the Bowling Alley on Tuesday afternoon and ordered the manager to remove all of her non-medicinal products from their display tables since they are not in possession of a pharmaceutical license. The Inspectorate also informed the manager and sales persons that they could have seized all the non-medicinal products immediately but they chose to give them a warning, while they were also informed that they are violating the laws on St. Maarten when it comes to the selling of non-medicinal products.

Van Heyningen informed the manager that if she wants to sell the products that were on display at the location then she must obtain a license from the Department of Health. She also explained the manager that the products would have to be evaluated and registered on St. Maarten prior to the granting of such a license. "Such a process can take a long period of time because the products would have to be tested to see if it really does what the labeling says. Right now, the residents on St. Maarten are misled by your posters that say these products can cure the ailments mentioned." Dr. Earl Best informed the manager that in the past St. Maarten did not have its own Inspector General but now there is one on the island. He said that consumers have to be protected and the department of Economic Affairs has to advise the license holders what types of products they are allowed to sell when granting a license. Dr. Best made clear that controls will be done and persons that are caught selling these products will be given a first warning and if they continue then the products will be seized and other legal measures will be taken.

The manager informed the health inspectors that they were on the island in the past at least twice and they sold their products and no one ever informed them that they were violating the laws on St. Maarten. She also admitted that they were faced with the same problems in Aruba and as such the products they have in Aruba were shipped to St. Maarten by DHL and in containers. She said the containers were shipped to Peter Gittens, a manager at the Afoo Group of Companies. Gittens obtained a license from the Department of Economic Affairs for which he paid Naf. 500.

Inspector General of Health Dr. Earl Best gave the vendors and manager 24 hours to remove all the non-medicinal products that are sold to the residents of St. Maarten under the guise that these products can cure several illnesses such as arthritis, cancer, and several types of joint pains.

SMN News contacted the Head of Customs Anthony Doran for an explanation on how the products entered the island without the necessary permits. Doran said that there are hundreds of containers that come into the island on a daily basis at the harbor and therefore customs missed some of them. Doran further stated that they are working closely with the Inspectorate.

Click here to view more photos of the raid at Global Beauty Home Trade by the Inspectorate.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season has already churned out 12 named storms so far, and as part of its annual hurricane awareness campaign, the Office of Disaster Management would like to shed some light on protecting your pets this hurricane season.

Without proper planning, pets can get injured, lost, or worse. Hurricane shelters cannot accept pets because of space and for health and safety concerns.

It is important to always plan ahead. If you need to evacuate your home, you should have a plan in place for your pet.

Prepare an area at home that is easily cleaned, such as a bathroom or utility room. Do not leave your pet near a window. Leave several days of dried food and water. The bowls that you place the aforementioned in should be set-up in such a way that they do not spill over.

For additional information, contact one of the Veterinary offices or an animal welfare organization. Remember, plan ahead.

SIMPSON BAY:--- The results and recommendations of a Non-Aeronautical Revenue Enhancement study commissioned by PJIAE and conducted earlier this year by the InterVISTAS Consulting Group was presented to the airport concessionaires during the 3rd Quarter Facilitation Meeting held here Tuesday.

Presenting the findings of the study as part of PJIAE's continuous efforts at transparency, and in its bid to build partnerships rather than "tenant-landlord relationships," InterVISTAS Commercial Vice President Johan Schölvinck said the study revealed, among other things, that revenues from non-aeronautical sources constitute about 19% of PJIAE's gross income, which is way below the industry standard for an airport of its size.

The study indicated, in this regard, that there is room for improvement in terms of the performance of concessionaires, while it also highlighted the fact that there is significant unused space in the airside Food and Beverage and Retail area.

The InterVISTAS study similarly found that there was passenger confusion made evident by the fact that each of the three current liquor and tobacco outlets at the airport offers identical products at three different prices.

In airport retail, Schölvinck explained, passengers would get confused as a result of the price differences and walk away from making a purchase, unlike in downtown retail (Philipsburg), where consumers would return, and possibly negotiate the price difference.

The study further noted a lack of "sense of place" at the airport. "There is a general impression that there is a lack of "SXM look and feel," the InterVISTAS study concluded. Schölvinck added: "A huge opportunity exists here to improve in this aspect. You want people to remember 'SXM' and that is currently not reflected in the airside retail area."

SXM is the international designator code for Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).

With regards to the unused space, the study stressed the need to utilize these areas more effectively. To further illustrate how this could be done, InterVISTAS used the analogy of a "Pinball machine effect," whereby you keep the client's focus and attention within the Food & Beverage and Retail area.

Of particular interest to the concessionaires was the conclusion by InterVISTAS that PJIAE's concession plan and retail strategy need to be reviewed. This is mainly because non-aeronautical revenues account for some 19% of total revenues in contrast to over 30%, which is the norm regionally and internationally for an airport the size of PJIA.

According to the study, "overall, PJIA non-airline revenues averaged 25.17 NAF ($13.98) per departing passenger in 2011, excluding transfer and fee-exempt, non-revenue travelers. Of this, 23 Retail shops and 11 Food & Beverage outlets accounted for 29% of the total non-airline revenue or $3.96 per passenger. The retail stores include liquor/tobacco, jewelry, beauty products, fashion, souvenirs & gifts, a hair dresser and magazine/newspaper outlets. In 2011 the PJIA rental revenue from these retail outlets amounted to 8.7% of their gross sales while the concession fee was 7.4% of sales."

"The Food & Beverage outlets have a higher rental fee per gross sales than the retail stores at 11.7% but a lower concession fee of 5.2%. The average spent by a departing PJIA passenger on food and beverage was $7.62 of which PJIA receives $1.19 or about 15%."

To improve the situation, the InterVISTAS study identified the following objectives:

• Increase sales volume. This is a win-win-win situation. When passengers find what they want and spend, the concessionaire's sales increase, which in turn will result in higher concession revenues for the airport. In this "triple win" scenario, everybody benefits.
• Create a tempting airside lounge reflective of a SXM sense of place (i.e. by effective use of culture, music, flavors, etc.).
• Improve the Food & Beverage and Retail space, particularly in its mix and lay-out.
• Ensure less passenger confusion regarding product offering and pricing.
• Upgrade airside Food & Beverage and Retail area with existing and/or new concessionaires

The concessionaires generally received the presentation well. Although some expressed concerns about the way forward, there was, however, much excitement about the future expansion plans and better retail possibilities.

"In these times when sales are down and the economy is in a slump, it is highly appreciated that PJIA recognizes the need and is willing to take on the necessary steps towards improvements that would result in a win-win-win situation for all," one of the concessionaires said.

PJIAE Managing Director Regina LaBega stressed the need for PJIA to maintain its competitive edge by upgrading. "If we do nothing then there is nothing stopping our competitors in the region from becoming the new hub airport," she said, adding: "it is the objective of PJIAE to increase traffic and these proposed changes go hand in hand with the expectation of an increase in arrivals."

The study actually forecasts that "passenger traffic, using the main terminal building, but not including FBO traffic" will range between approximately 1.8 million and 2 million by 2020.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- During the hurricane season, residents must be prepared for different things. The Office of Disaster Management in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health would like to bring forth the following tips regarding food and water safety before and after a hurricane strike.

Make sure you have appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer. An appliance thermometer will indicate the temperature in the refrigerator and freezer in case of a power outage and help determine if the food is safe. Make sure the freezer is at or below 0 degrees F and the refrigerator is at or below 40 degrees F.

Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers after the power is out. If your normal water supply is contaminated or unavailable, the melting ice will supply drinking water.

Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately. This helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. Group food together in the freezer. This helps the food stay cold longer. Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power will be out for more than four hours. Purchase or make ice cubes and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers.

Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased. Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding. Make sure to have a supply of bottled water stored where it will be as safe as possible from flooding.

When the power goes out keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

If you plan to eat refrigerated or frozen meat, poultry, fish or eggs while they are still at safe temperatures, it's important that the food is thoroughly cooked to the proper temperature to assure that any food borne bacteria that may be present is destroyed.

Wash fruits and vegetables with water from a safe source before eating. For infants, if possible, use prepared, canned baby formula that requires no added water. When using concentrated or powered formulas, prepare with bottled water if the local water source is potentially contaminated.

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The country has experienced two days of rain shower activity on Monday and Tuesday from a passing Tropical Wave. Due to excess rainfall, the potential for mosquito breeding grounds is high.

Section General Public Health (SGPH) is appealing to residents to be vigilant and eradicate mosquito breeding places. Residents are also asked to maintain a high level of pro-activity during the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season especially during the upcoming rainy period.

Measures need to be taken in and around homes and businesses to reduce breeding of the Ades Aegypti mosquito which has the potential to transmit dengue and chikungunya fever.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults. Chikungunya (CHIK) fever is an emerging, mosquito-borne disease caused by an alphavirus, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).

Although indigenous transmission of CHIKV does not occur in the Americas now, the risk for its introduction into local vector mosquito populations is likely higher than had previously been thought, especially in tropical and subtropical areas where Ae. Aegypti, of the main vectors of CHIKV, has a broad distribution.

Clear stagnant water in old tires and other types of debris in yards can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes bringing about an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases.

SGPH is therefore advising residents to take immediate measures after rain events to make sure there is no clear/clean stagnant water in their yards; disposing of responsibly old tires, empty drums, plant containers, paint cans and other items that can collect water around their homes and businesses.

An increase in the mosquito population puts residents at risk. In the case of where containers are used for storing water, residents should keep these covered. Inlets and outlets of cisterns must be covered with a mosquito net or cloth to prevent mosquito breeding.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Sint Maarten has joined with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in celebrating the annual Breastfeeding Awareness Week that kicked off 1 August to 7 August. World Breastfeeding Week celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, which was started back in 1992 by WABA.

A number of stakeholders have come together to extend the week to one month of information sharing and awareness about how important it is to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Stakeholders are Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever and his ministry, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) nurses, SIFMA and the Lisaflor Maternity Center.

The 2012 theme is "Understanding the Past – Planning for the Future." The theme focus on the progress that has been made on the implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, which was adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) Children's Fund (UNICEF) 10-years ago.

Implementing the Global Strategy effectively is essential to increase breastfeeding rates: in particular exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.

Exclusive breastfeeding should start within the first hour of life.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius De Weever appeals to mothers to breastfeed their newborns.

"Breastfeeding is the single most effective intervention for preventing deaths among children under five. Research shows that about 20 per cent of neonatal (under-one-month of age) deaths could be prevented if all newborns began breastfeeding during the first hour of life.

"In addition, children who are breastfed for seven to nine months have on average six-point higher IQ than children who are breastfed for less than a month. Breastfeeding also helps mothers lose weight and reduces their risk of breast and ovarian cancer as well as type-2 diabetes.

"I would like to thank all the retired nurses of the former Public Health Department and the St. Rose/SMMC as well as all current and future nursing staff at both institutions, to continue the great work of encouraging breastfeeding and promoting prevention," Minister De Weever said on Sunday.

According to a UNICEF report in 2012, in the developing world, progress in exclusive breastfeeding has been modest, improving from 32 per cent around 1995 to 39 per cent around 2012, a relative increase of about 17 per cent.

Prevalence has increased to all regions with available trend data except the Middle East and North Africa, and many countries have achieved substantial improvements. The Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States region has made particular noteworthy progress.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season has already seen five storm systems form so far for the season.
With four months still to go, Disaster Coordinator/Fire Chief Winston Salomon of the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) says residents should see an increase in the formation of tropical waves and tropical depression systems which can later develop into a tropical storm.
At the moment two tropical systems, namely, Tropical Storm Ernesto (in the Caribbean Sea) and Tropical Storm Florence (Eastern Atlantic Ocean) are churning in the aforementioned areas, and poses no threat to the country.
The U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted 15 named storms, of which four to eight could become hurricanes, and of that one to three could become major hurricanes of Category 3, 4 or 5.
Disaster Coordinator Salomon says this is one reason why the community should not become complacent as we move into the peak of the season.
The ODM is calling on the community to make sure everybody has everything in place and are storm ready.
Everybody 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 a semblance of normality.
Residents, business owners and contractors have been already advised from the beginning of the season to draft plans that would protect their families, business operations and construction sites.
When a hurricane threatens our island, what is left for residents, businesses and contractors to do to prepare should be minimal. Remember, it only takes one.
The remaining names of potential storms for the 2012 season are: Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William.
The hurricane season runs through November 30.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams held her first official meeting with the Chairman of Parliament the Honorable Rodolphe Samuel on Friday. During the meeting a host of matters were discussed including the formal decision to hold bi-monthly meetings between the Prime Minister and the Chairman of Parliament.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

Philipsburg:--- A representative of Francesco Corallo sent an email to SMN News on Monday reacting to a publication this website made on Sunday evening stating that Mr. Corallo is listed as a wanted person on the Interpol watch list. Francesco Corallo was placed on the Interpol's watch list some weeks ago and police on St. Maarten cannot locate him on the island.

Francesco Corallo said in a statement that was also emailed to SMN News that he sent a letter to the Attorney General of St. Maarten Taco Stein indicating his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement on St. Maarten since he is a Dutch citizen. Corallo said that he informed Stein of his willingness to cooperate with local authorities and in local courts pending any possible extradition. He said that the accusations and warrant in Italy is specifically for "conspiracy and intent of corruption of a private individual" which according to Corallo is not a recognized crime on St. Maarten and most other countries of the world. Corallo said the accusations made against him in Italy are false and unfounded and that he never paid or promised to pay any kind of bribe to obtain loans for his company. The loan he said was obtained legally and transparently and is in good standing since 70% of it has been paid off.

Corallo's lawyers sent a letter to St. Maarten's Attorney General Taco Stein on June 22, 2012 informing him that Corallo is not in Italy and he is also not on St. Maarten. However, the well known businessman indicated in his letter that he is willing to return to St. Maarten within 48 hours if law enforcement on St. Maarten would agree to the conditions they set forth. One such condition is that Mr. Corallo must not be arrested and he is willing to hand over his passport if necessary pending extradition proceedings should Italy file for him to be extradited. The attorney said right now the Italian authorities cannot file for extradition because Corallo's location is unknown to them and if such a request is filed while he is on St. Maarten he will legally oppose the extradition.

SMN News contacted OM Taco Stein for a comment on the letter he received and Stein said he cannot comment on the letter. Stein said he is not authorized by the Attorney General of Curacao to speak on any matters.

SMN News further learnt from reliable sources that Stein did not agree to the conditions Corallo and his lawyers wanted, therefore no deal has been made.

Click here to view the letter sent to OM Taco Stein by Corallo's Attorney.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Last week the Council of Ministers concluded their information sessions with all their Secretary Generals.

In the picture is Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure Louis Brown presenting his overview and plans to the Council of Ministers.

In the month of June, the Secretary General Julien Larmonie of the Ministry General Affairs, Claudette Forsythe Labega of Ministry Education, Culture, Youth & Sports, Jorien Wuite of Ministry Public Health, Social Development & Labour, and Sherry Hazel of Ministry Finance presented their organizational structure, core tasks, critical matters as well as their plans and projects for the upcoming period.

Last week the sessions were concluded with presentations by the Secretary General of Ministry Public Housing, Spatial Development, Environment and Infrastructure Louis Brown and Miguel de Weever of Ministry Tourism, Economy, Transport & Telecommunications.

PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of Parliament will meet in public session on August 21. 

The meeting will take place on Tuesday morning at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House of Parliament at Wilhelmina Straat #2.1 in Philipsburg.

The first agenda point is incoming documents followed by the approval of the decision list related to plenary session of parliament.

The third agenda point is to define a crest for the Parliament of Sint Maarten.

The plenary session will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 20 and via Pearl Radio FM 98.1. The audio will be carried via the Internet www.pearlfmradio.com. Live streaming will also be via Parliament's website www.sxmparliament.org.

Philipsburg:--- The Inspector General of Health Dr. Earl Best and his team at the Health and Labor Inspectorate have complied a report based on an extensive investigation conducted at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). According to the findings of the investigation, the Inspectorate indicated that had there been another Medical Institution on the Dutch side of the island then it would have been best for the Government of St. Maarten to close down the St. Maarten Medical Center until the institution could conduct repairs to the facility and equipments so that it can reach proper medical standards. "Right now, patient care is at high risk and while the SMMC is focusing on getting monies to expand, they need to focus on the quality of care they are providing to the citizens of St. Maarten," one source said.

Dr. Earl Best gave the Council of Ministers a presentation earlier this week on his findings and it is also understood that a copy of the draft report was given to the Minister of Health and to the St. Maarten Medical Center for their comments. The source said that the inspectorate has given SMMC two weeks in which to respond their findings. It is expected that the final report will be presented to the Minister of Health and Council of Ministers in the near future.

Reliable sources have informed SMN News that Dr. Earl Best made mention about the functioning of the supervisory board which is operating against its own bylaws. One such violation is the age of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Clarence Richardson. The SMMC bylaws state that anyone who reaches 70 years of age cannot be on the supervisory board. It should be noted that Richardson should have been off the Supervisory Board of the SMMC since last year. However, Richardson is the one leading the negotiations on behalf of SMMC with SZV and APS to obtain a loan for the expansion. Because of the inadequacies, SZV has decided to question the management of the SMMC and its functions which the institution did not take lightly. Instead, they went to plead with the Council of Ministers to convince SZV to give them the monies they need to expand the much needed medical facility on St. Maarten.

Concerns were raised on the quality of patient care, the upkeep of the building and the medical equipments, and the recruitment of nurses and specialists at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). Another concern mentioned by Dr. Best is the amount of functions the Medical Director of the St. Maarten Medical Center Dr. George Scot is holding and the services his company ANG Consulting N.V. is providing to SMMC. It should be noted that Dr. George Scott is also the director of ANG Consulting N.V.

The draft strategic plan 2008- 2010 with the heading "SMMC Working Towards Friendly Health Care" was done by Siegfried Victorina, George Scot, and Izzy Gersterbluth just prior to SMMC signing Scot's contract with ANG. It should also be noted that Victorina is the adviser to Dr. George Scot as well as the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center, a clear conflict of interest based on the analysis of the Inspector General Dr. Earl Best.

In 2008, the Supervisory board chaired by Robert Velasquez signed a contract with ANG Consulting N.V. Dr. Scot's basic salary amounts to Naf. 252,912 as a consultant which according to the contract is equivalent to 12 months salary. Dr. Scot also later received a bonus of three month's salaries which amounts to about Naf. 70,000.

Besides these consultancy fees, Dr. Scot's schooling in the Netherlands is paid for by the St. Maarten Medical Center including all of his traveling and other expenses. "Dr. Scot travels first class to and from the Netherlands twice a month. Even though he is the Medical Director of the SMMC, he spends two weeks each month in the Netherlands claiming that he is attending school there."

The annual reports that was compiled by Price Water Coopers shows that in the year 2009 under various sub-headings "other" SMMC declared Naf 429,072. For example, Medical training "other" Naf. 246,583, Faculty Expenses "other" Naf. 289,738. Further it is recorded in the annual accounts that the training of personnel decreased by Naf 132,450 in 2009 compared to 2008.

Based on annual accounts of 2008, the SMMC declared Naf. 941.731 as other expenses which are unexplained expenses. In 2009, they declared under the same heading Naf. 999.140 which is also unexplained and in 2010 Naf. 929.476, all of which are unacceptable for any foundation as well as the creditors such as government and SZV.

Based on the 2009 annual reports, the SMMC declared over one million guilders under the heading other expenses, while the managers' fees for 2009 was Naf.310, 633. The 2010 annual reports showed that managers' fees increased to Naf. 403,593. While the remuneration fees increased from Naf. 444,897 to Naf. 510,842.

Further breakdown of the annual accounts showed that in 2008 the management fee was Naf. 174,806, in 2009 it increased to Naf. 310.633 and by 2010 the same fee increased to Naf. 403.593. In 2008, training of personnel had a price tag of Naf. 207,107 while in 2009 it decreased to Naf 74,625.

The remuneration for the supervisory council and board of directors in 2008 was Naf 434,616, in 2009 Naf. 444,807 and in 2010 it increased to Naf. 510.842.

It is clear based on the figures provided to SMN News and the information SMN News obtained on the draft report that the Government of St. Maarten needs to take urgent action if health care is one of their main priorities on St. Maarten.

Fleur Hendrickx, a 12 year old student of the Caribbean International School has placed first in the Junior Division of the annual FCCA Essay contest organized and coordinated by the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau.

The competition is designed to create a greater awareness amongst our school going population on the importance of the tourism industry and more specifically, the Cruise Industry.

This year's essay competition attracted entries from 19 nations, with the theme being: "What are the memories you would like a cruise passenger to walk away with after visiting your destination."

As the winner in her age group, Fleur Hendrickx will be awarded a cash scholarship of $3000,- with the Caribbean international Academy (CIA) receiving a monetary award of $3000,-

"This is indeed a proud moment for St. Maarten, to have an overall winner in this important competition, says Gus Priest Acting Head of the Tourist Office. He further states, that the competition is deemed very important in that it helps our students to get a better understanding of our tourism based economy and by understanding it, they become more positive contributors to the further development of the industry."

The FCCA will pay all travel expense for Fleur and her chaperone to attend the FCCA conference in Curacao where she will receive her cash prize during the opening ceremony.

Congratulations to Fleur, her teacher and the Caribbean International School on this great accomplishment.

Cay Hill:--- Workers at the St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) met with their union representatives on Monday night and early Tuesday morning as they plan to take action strategically against the abuse of the medical staff of SLS.

President of the Windward Islands Civil Servant Union (WICSU) Derri Leonard who was at the St. Maarten Medical Center Tuesday morning said in an invited comment that the Management of SLS namely its director Jose Booi has been abusing the workers of SLS. Leonard said she already requested a meeting with the Minister of Health Dr. Cornelius de Weever to discuss the concerns of the workers and if the workers and the union are not satisfied with the outcome of that meeting then the SLS workers will begin industrial action. Leonard said that she still has to meet with the Management of SLS and the Minister of Health prior to allowing the workers to take action.

General Secretary of WISCU, William Reed said that one of the concerns of the union right now is how the director (Jose Booi) of SLS is treating local workers. Reed said that the "Team Leader" of SLS is a pensioner that works part-time for SLS and someone who does not show up to work for several days. Reed said when this happens one of the local staff members who has been working at the laboratory on St. Maarten for over 40 years has to take up the task of the team leader. Reed explained that the team leader Ludis Richardson's contract was renewed twice under the nose of the workers and the union even though she is not working full time and not showing up for work.

Reed said the situation has been ongoing for quite some time now but since the St. Maarten Medical Center and SLS are the two main entities that have to deal with the healthcare of the community the WICSU tried as hard as possible to minimize their actions since it would affect the entire community.

Reed said that SLS has been having problems for over seven or eight years and the union had to take drastic actions by striking twice to get the attention of the former Minister of Health. Reed said the abuse of medical workers has been going on so long and St. Maarten has been a "cash cow" for the former ADC Laboratory. Reed further explained that St. Maarten fought hard and got their own laboratory but it behooves them that the director of SLS is someone who worked for ADC Curacao Management and this person has penalized workers on St. Maarten in the past. "St. Maarten accepted Booi and they did not investigate him or even check his leadership and educational background. As far as the union is concerned, this is a huge conflict of interest to take a former director of ADC and make him the director of SLS." Reed said the position was available but no one on St. Maarten took the time to investigate the applicant's background. "This is the second time the union had to intervene, the first time the Supervisory Board of the St. Maarten Medical Center had to be called in to see how this person is treating local employees. One of his tactics is that he is instigating confusion among the employees to create the "divide and rule" policy. However, the workers realized what he has been doing and his scheme has been exposed."

Reed said one of the workers that has been working for 40 years in the hospital has been substituting for the team leader and she was given an allowance but since she voiced her opinion on how the team leader's contract was renewed the worker in question cannot get her allowance when she substitutes for the team leader. Reed said the director has taken the matter to a personal level such that he is penalizing her by not paying her what is due to her. Reed further explained that a pensioner cannot be a team leader and keeping her in the position is keeping back the qualified workers who have been doing the work. Reed said that the union's intention is to inform the Minister of Health of the conflict of interest with Booi and they will also inform the labour mediator Derrick Holiday.

In a invited comment, Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever said that the WICSU did request a meeting with him and he asked the union to provide him with the agenda points that they want to discuss when the meeting is called. Minister de Weever said as soon as he gets the agenda from WICSU he will schedule a meeting.

The Ministry Of VROMI is hereby informing the general public and in particularly the users of the Great Bay beach that due to weather conditions and high water levels of the Great Salt pond, the Ministry will be operating the storm water pumping facility during the following hours:
Wednesday August 22nd 2012 from 6:00 AM until further notice.
Due to the possible contamination of the pond water it is advised to not swim in the Great Bay area for a period of 12 hours after the finishing of the pumping cycle or until the water has been deemed clear of any and all possible contamination that could have been related to the discharging of said pond water.
The Ministry apologizes for any and all inconveniences this might have on the beach users and/or other affected entities and businesses.

Philipsburg:--- The audit of the financial statements 2011 of the Public Entities Bonaire and Saba is completed, and that of St. Eustatius is at an advanced stage. The financial statements of 2010 of all three Public Entities have already been audited. The fact that for the first time the required information is available to offer a good outlook on the financial position of the Public Entities, illustrates the progress the Public Entities made in the area of financial management. This is the conclusion of the Board of financial supervision Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (College financieel toezicht Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba - Cft) in its seventh half year report.

The Cft notes that all three islands have benefited significantly from the debt cancellation; the capital of both Bonaire and Saba at present is positive. Bonaire and Saba ended 2011 with a budget surplus of 10.6 and 0.3 million dollars respectively. It seems that St. Eustatius will close 2011 with a deficit of 1.7 million dollars, and in the meanwhile it has made arrangements with the Cft to compensate this deficit (and the deficit of 2010) in the long term.

Although the annual accounts 2010 and 2011 have not yet received a declaration of approval from the external auditors, Cft has already perceived substantial improvements in the financial management. Bonaire has trimmed down the back log in its financial accounts over the period of 1992-2010 by having them all adopted by the island council. Just as is the case with Saba, Bonaire succeeded in having the 2011 financial statements adopted in time. The Cft considers that all three Public Entities should be able to succeed in the short term (2013/2014) to receive declarations of approval from the auditors.

Despite these positive developments, the Cft considers that the recovery is fragile. The improvements up till now have been achieved because of the deployment of a few. Furthermore, there is a mismatch between the requirements imposed by law and the possibilities the Public Entities have, given their small scale. Temporary (and therefore expensive) technical assistance will quickly show improvements in the short run, however, efforts must be made to avoid that in the long term the organization will still relapse. Therefore Cft calls for greater cooperation. This cooperation could for example be achieved by joining the administration services in one shared service center for all three Public Entities. It is also conceivable to join existing alliances of small Dutch municipalities, which, after all, face the same issues related to small scale.

Philipsburg: --- A fire at Over the Bank early Sunday morning left three families including seven children homeless. Residents in the area said that the fire started in a wooden home belonging to the Haitian Pastor of the New Testament Baptist Church Ironce Kenol Castin. Castin was also the former President of the Haitian Community Foundation. The Over Bank fire has left seventeen people homeless who are now being assisted by the Red Cross and the Department of Social Affairs.

Inside the home at the time of the fire was Pastor Castin's disabled wife who is partly paralyzed because of a stroke and his younger son. In an invited comment, Pastor Castin said that he left his home around 9:30am to go to church while his oldest son was also getting ready to leave the house. He said his wife who is partly handicapped was inside her bedroom when he left the house and she did not even know that the house was on fire because it was his little son who informed his mother of the fire and assisted her to get out of the house.

When asked if his wife was cooking, Pastor Castin said that his wife is partly handicapped and she was in her bedroom sleeping when the fire started. Pastor Castin said there are three families living in the house consisting of two apartments. Pastor Castin said that when he and his son left home the house was in perfect condition and he cannot say what caused the fire. However, SMN News learnt that the fire started in the living room area of Castin's house.

Another victim of the Over the Bank fire Eugenia Roberts told SMN News she was inside her house cooking when the fire started. Eugenia said that she heard one of the neighbors screaming "fire! fire!" so she opened her door which was locked and looked to see what was happening. The distraught woman said when she saw that the fire was coming from Pastor Castin's house, she ran and grabbed her bag containing her passport and ran out of the house. Eugenia said she saw when Pastor Castin's wife was coming out of their house and she told the people that were around to start throwing water to put the fire out but another neighbor punched her in her face claiming that she is the one that started the fire. "I already filed a complaint with the police and I will press charges because I lost everything and yet Ice's son punched me in my face. I just bought a couch for $2000.00 and I lost it and all my other belongings. I am not worrying about my loss all I was trying to do is to save my life when this young man decided he will punch me in my face and insinuated that I am the one that started the fire."

Speaking for the third family, Henry Denis told SMN News that he was also at work when he was informed by his son Julian Denis that their home was on fire. Julian told SMN News that the fire started in Pastor Castin's home, he said he was at home doing his homework when he heard one of his neighbors screaming for help and he also smelled the smoke. Julian said when he went to see where the smoke was coming from he noticed that the Castin's house was already engulfed in flames and the smoke was also inside his bedroom. Julian said the only thing he managed to save was all their documents which include the passports for every member of their family and their residency papers. Julian said his brothers had already gotten out of the house but he went back into their apartment through the backdoor to save their documents. One of Julian's main concerns was how he was going to get back his text books that the St. Maarten Academy gave him last week and if he would get clothes to go back to school. "I am worried because I don't think we could pay for all the books the St. Maarten Academy (Academic) gave me and I am in fourth form."

 

Over the Bank Residents Complained about the lack of Fire Hydrants.

The residents living at Over the Bank were extremely angry on Sunday morning because they said for years they have been requesting that fire hydrants be placed in the area to avoid such catastrophes. One resident who preferred to remain anonymous said that there are no fire hydrants in the area and every time government is restructuring the roads they never involve the fire department, the ambulance department, and the police department. Government is working haphazardly and they never think about the danger people in this area are living in.

 

We had Enough Water for Today --- Our Men Did a Tremendous Job --- Pauletta.

Fire Officer Silvanico Pauletta told reporters on the scene that his team did an excellent job on Sunday morning to control the fire. Pauletta said at no time was there a shortage of water. He said fire officer Keith Fleming and Dollison were the first firemen to reach the scene and they did not even think about their own safety to ensure that GEBE turn off power in the area before they start pouring water. Pauletta said his men went to work immediately and then someone started a rumor claiming that an elderly woman was inside the house. "These firemen had to refocus and instead of containing the fire they began a search and rescue mission to find the person they heard was inside the blazing building. In the end it turned out that no one was inside the house so they continued to pour water on the fire to minimize the damage. Pauletta said at 10:15am the fire department received a call informing them of the fire. He said fire trucks were dispatched to the scene and while the people in the area are complaining that there is no fire hydrant in the area, at no time were they lacking water. He said the trucks were filled, and they also connected to the fire hydrant not far away from the bank while they also had access to the fire hydrant next to Bobby's Marina and enough water in the trucks to contain the fire.

Pauletta said when the firemen arrived at the scene the house was already engulfed in fire and flames were coming out of the house. "Immediately the first fire officer did an assessment to ensure that the fire was not spreading but then he noticed that the house directly at the back of the first house was also on fire." Pauletta said the fire department managed to contain the fire and two buildings were damaged.

Pauletta said that they know that the fire started in one of the rooms of the Castin's house but he could not say what caused the fire. Pauletta said the Police Forensic Department is busy conducting and investigation and they will release their findings when the investigation is complete.

 

Fire Men Kept Busy with Fire on Humming Bird Road, second fire started while they were attending to Over the Bank Fire.

The fire department had their hands full on Sunday morning when a second fire started before they were able to fully contain the fire at Over the Bank. The second fire was in an apartment building on Hummingbird Road Pointe Blanche belonging to Elio Romney. According to one the fire officers on the scene, the fire started in one of the bedrooms on the upper floor where the owner's daughter lives. The fire officer Clive Richardson said that they were notified by the police because someone called the police informing them that there was a fire taking place in an apartment on Hummingbird Road. He said when the police notified the fire department they went to the scene and noticed that the fire started on a mattress in the middle room of the apartment on the upper floor. Fire officer Richardson said the resident of the house tried putting the blaze out by using a garden hose but when things got out of hand the police was notified. Richardson further explained that they managed to put the fire out in the house very quickly. He said the apartment suffered some water and smoke damage in the bedroom.

SMN News learnt that the occupant of the apartment where the fire started did not even call her father to inform him of the fire and one of the neighbors had to call the owner of the apartments and the police department to inform them of the fire.

On the scene the daughter of Elio Romney. Dhaheda Romney who is occupying the apartment where the fire started tried to attack SMN News reporter because she did not want her photos taken. The woman was seen crying and hugging her little son while police and other persons including a photographer were trying to get information from her about the fire. Somehow Romney taught that she could have intimated SMN News reporter with her verbal threats when she said I will "beat your ass" for taking my photos. Several persons including a female police officer on the scene restrained the woman when she was making her threats.

On both locations Minister of Social Welfare and Health Cornelius de Weever was present with some of his staff who was busy gathering information and trying to provide assistance to the victims. Minister de Weever told SMN News that in disaster cases the Red Cross would provide assistance for the first two days then the department of Social Affairs would take over. However, he did not want to wait until the two days elapsed so he called on his staff to report to the scene to start gathering information so that they can assist those in need.

Click here to view more photos of the Over the Bank Fire.

Click here to view more photos of the Humming Bird Road Fire.

PHILIPSBURG:--- President of Parliament Hon. Drs. Rodolphe Samuel will be leading a delegation of faction leaders to the 9th Plenary Assembly of ParlAmericas that runs from August 30 to September 1, in Panama City.

The delegation who will be observers at the Assembly, departs the country on Tuesday, and comprises of Acting Faction Leader of the United Peoples (UP) party and Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Drs. Gracita Arrindell, National Alliance Faction Leader MP Hon. George Pantophlet and Independent MP Hon. Romain Laville.

ParlAmericas is Parliamentarians for the Americas. It is an independent network composed of national legislatures of 35 states from North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean.

This year's Plenary Assembly will discuss the following four key issues: the impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Americas; the Economic Crisis and its Effects on Women in the Region; Weak Rule of the Law, as a Threat to Citizen Security; and Climate Change and the Environment.

Members of ParlAmericas are committed to promoting parliamentary participation in the Inter-American system. They are also engaged in developing inter-parliamentary dialogue on relevant hemispheric issues.

ParlAmericas objectives are to contribute to the development of inter-parliamentary dialogue in dealing with issues on the hemispheric agenda; to increase the sharing of experiences, dialogue, and inter-parliamentary cooperation on issues of common interest to member states.

To help strengthen the role of the legislative branch in democracy, and in the promotion and defence of democracy and human rights; to promote the harmonization of legislation, and development of legislation among member states; and to contribute to the process of integration as one of the most appropriate instruments for sustainable and harmonious development in the hemisphere.

The process to establish ParlAmericas started in 2000 and was formalized later as the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas which up until September 2011 was called as the aforementioned, and thereafter it became known as ParlAmericas.

Do you know that the Ombudsman is called "the Public Defender"?
The Ombudsman is coming your way, to your neighborhoods.
Come and find out how the Ombudsman can help you, and how to file a complaint with the Ombudsman if you have issues with government or a government entity.
The first Session will be held for the residents of Upper Princess Quarter, mainly of Sucker Garden, Arch Road and Guanabay areas on the following date, time and place:

Date: August 15th 2012
Place: Merlford Hazel Sports Complex
Address: Arch Road
Time: 7:30 pm.-9:00 pm.

All sessions will be organized in close collaboration with the various community councils of the districts. All citizens are invited to come out and be informed.
The other Community Councils have already been contacted, and as soon as the dates are confirmed they will be announced. Listen out for the announcement when the Ombudsman will be in your neighborhood.
Bureau Ombudsman is situated at Camille Richardson street # 13 in Philipsburg. Call us on tel. number 5421250.

To the Public of Saba and St. Eustatius, please be advised that as the BES islands are now governed by the laws and regulations of the Netherlands, Winair has been informed that it does not comply with existing regulations to provide Air Ambulance Services from Saba and St. Eustatius, Winair after meeting with relevant authorities has been informed after 50 years of transporting injured customers for treatment from BES islands that current regulations prohibit Winair from continuing to provide these services. To replace this void a licensed company has been engaged to provide Ambulance services from Saba and St. Eustatius. Our agents in St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius have been advised of this policy change as well as medical care givers in respective Islands.

WINAIR Press Release

In an ambitious effort led by the Dutch Navy ship HNLMS Tromp, Dutch navy and coast guard units successfully prevented drug runners from transporting 2,000 kilograms of narcotics on the open sea. The Tromp's actions took place near the end of June and were in concert with the international operation Martillo aimed against the illicit drug trade. An ongoing investigation into this recent action prevented this information from being released earlier.

A 'Go Fast' speed boat sailing at high speed was detected near Colombia. The operation centre at Parera Naval Base in Curaçao subsequently launched an immediate and extensive search. HNLMS Tromp with its Belgian Alouette helicopter embarked was directed towards the scene, as was the Dash-8 maritime patrol aircraft of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. After an intensive search and while in direct pursuit of the 'Go Fast', the drug runners ditched the contraband. The American Law Enforcement team, that during this operation is embarked on board of the Tromp, can confirm the amount of drugs.

Brigadier General Swijgman, Commander Netherlands Forces and Director Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard expressed his satisfaction with the result. "International effort made this possible. The Dutch Navy and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard together with our international partners have shown to be one team with a shared intent to stop organized crime in the Caribbean area. That is the key to success."

The Dutch Navy and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard are an integral part of the international struggle against the illicit drug trade. Operation Martillo is a multi-national collaborative effort to counter the spread of transnational organized crime in Central America. The operation is lead by the Joint Inter-agency Task Force South in Key West, Florida and denies organized crime networks the ability to conduct illicit trafficking via air and at sea. The Commander Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean is part of the Joint Inter-agency Task Force South, as the subordinate commander of Task Group 4.4.

Philipsburg:--- The Windward Islands Bank Ltd. (WIB) understands the importance of a new school year and the preparations needed to make classrooms ready for our primary school students.

WIB came to the call of the M. Genevieve de Weever Primary school by making a generous donation to those efforts and extends wishes of a successful school year to all students and faculty members.

This donation was made to School Manager Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs by Assistant Managing Director Mr. Kelvin Bloyden on behalf of the bank.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Department of Disaster Management (ODM) is calling on the population to monitor a Tropical Wave (TW) associated with a Low Pressure system #94, which on Monday has the potential to become a tropical storm within the next 48 hours.

The National Hurricane Center out of Miami says that interests in the Lesser Antilles should monitor the progress of the disturbance which is forecasted to reach the Leeward Islands on Wednesday.

The system on Monday afternoon was located approximately over 1000 miles east of the Lesser Antilles out in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.

The disturbance is moving very fast at 20 to 25 miles per hour.

The ODM will be closely monitoring this system for possible further development.

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams on Monday applauded the successful opening of the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performing Arts. In her comments the Prime Minister stated that she commends and congratulates the Ujima Foundation on successfully opening the school; "I am extremely happy at the opening of the Charlotte Brookson Academy and would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Ujima Foundation, the University of St. Maarten and the Ministry of Education in what is our first school dedicated to the performing arts here on St. Maarten. This is an important step for our young country as we now have the opportunity to reinforce our society by having a school that focuses on Theatre, Arts, Health and Physical Education. This will strengthen our community and thus also our country and I would sincerely like to wish the students, teachers and parents the best of luck and success," commented the Prime Minister.

In June of this Year the Prime Minister held a meeting with the Board of the Charlotte Brookson Academy to discuss matters related to the performing arts school. The principal purpose of the Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts is to offer students a "global experience of learning." and will target each child's intellectual, cognitive, creative, physical and emotional development while preparing their students to reach their highest potential as scholars, artists, leaders, and global citizens. Classes for the new Academy will be held on the premises of the University of St. Maarten.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

CAY HILL:--- Recently a public campaign has started that holds unfounded and incorrect statements about the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). The timing of this damaging public campaign is not a coincidence.
We first and foremost wish to state that we are highly sensitive to the private and personal nature of the treatments that our patients undergo at SMMC. The handling of patient information is confidential, private and regulated by laws. We hold this confidentiality high and have utmost respect for the patients, their loved ones and for our staff as well when dealing with this information. This inherently brings along that we cannot and will not comment to public statements regarding treatment of individual patients. However the SMMC is in its full right to defend itself and needs to provide correct information by addressing at this moment the following issues.

Need for expansion of the hospital

When SMMC started 21 years ago there were about 23,000 people living on the island. It is estimated that there are now around 56,000 persons on the Dutch side of St. Maarten. So the population more than doubled. It should be clear that the expansion of our hospital is not a luxury but an urgent necessity.
The financial collapse of the SMMC in 2003 is a known fact. By 2006 we successfully balanced our financial status. Since then we have been improving the quality of care and patient safety and we have been providing more and better services each year. We have been renovating some parts of the present building but it has now become too small and inadequate. In 2007 we had a plan ready to build a new wing on the hospital grounds. This new wing will host a new and improved emergency room department, modern operating theatre, a larger intensive care unit and new medium care unit. The goal of this expansion is to improve the quality of hospital and specialist care on St. Maarten and to be able to attract more doctors, specialists and nurses. On June 28, 2007 the Government of St. Maarten agreed that the hospital and specialist care should be improved and approved a construction subsidy of over Naf. 1 million per year during 5 years from the start of the construction. It is a construction subsidy, not an operational subsidy and is only provided when the construction starts, not before. This is the first and only subsidy that the Government has ever pledged to give SMMC. Up to this present moment the SMMC is not receiving any subsidy from the Government.

The timing of the allegations in the media

Since September 2011 SMMC is working on attracting parties to participate in the bond issue to finance the expansion of the hospital. Six parties already committed. These parties are well established local and regional pension funds, banks and insurance companies. The deadline that we set for the bond issue was August 15, 2012 and we were waiting for the last party to commit. On august 14, 2012 the SMMC had a meeting with the Minister and the concerned party about the financing of the hospital building. The next day the Minister went public with statements about a draft report of the Inspectorate of Health Care. The allegations ventilated, damage the reputation of staff and surely put the SMMC in a bad spotlight with the investors. It is hard to believe that the timing of these allegations and the mentioned deadline is a coincidence.

Draft report of the Inspectorate of Health Care

The Inspector General dr. E. Best refuted publically and in correspondence to SMMC that there is a draft inspection report since he is still working on it. According to the Inspectorate of Health Care, the findings of their draft report need to be made known to the SMMC first. The SMMC did not receive any draft report till this day and the Inspector General has confirmed in the media that he did not send the draft report to the SMMC. On July 12, 2012 SMMC had a meeting with the Inspectorate and the Inspector General stated that there are no urgent matters that he needs to address immediately with the SMMC.
The Minister said that he in possession of the draft audit report. He has provided information to the press on the content of this report while the Inspector General says that the audit report is not completed as yet. The statements of the Minister are very disturbing. They cause great concerns and create unnecessary panic and unrest under our patients, the community and show disrespect to the hospital staff. We expect an ethical and humane approach from our Minister who in the end is responsible for the health of our population. We regret the unfair way in which the SMMC is being handled.
In view of the contradictions in the statements of the Minister and his General Inspector the SMMC is seriously considering to request independent and renowned experts in the field of hospital inspection to conduct an independent investigation at the SMMC.

Allegations about misuse of funds

Last year the President of the Health Committee of Parliament started a public campaign against the SMMC. The SMMC was accused of misusing funds and our General Director of having too many "caps". Since 2006 the SMMC has approved financial statements that are yearly audited by an external accountancy firm. This on request of the Supervisory Council to ensure and confirm that the finances are correctly used and administered. Not once were these statements questioned. Based on the negative publicity and wrongful allegations the General Director in
December 2011 requested the present Minister of Health for an independent audit by Stichting Overheidsaccountants Bureau (SOAB) to conduct an investigation in this area. The Minister however till this day did not reply to this request. We assumed that it was not an issue for the Minister anymore. Last week the Minister and the President of the Health Committee againpublically stated their questions regarding alleged misuse of funds. We question why at this crucial stage in completing the financing of the expansion these questions are posed again.
Wednesday August 22, 2012, at the request of the WIHCUA, the Minister of Health Care addressed the staff of SMMC. He apologized to the staff stating that he stands by his words but it was not his intention to attack the care given in SMMC. Different staff members remarked that his public statements created considerable unrest among patients and the general public and asked him what he is going to do to turn this around. Unfortunately this question was not answered by the Minister.
The Staff, Board of Directors, members of the Supervisory Council and the Management Team are standing together to fight whatever false accusations are made about SMMC. We underline that our focus remains to provide safe, quality hospital care for the residents and visitors of St. Maarten and the surrounding islands. We will keep on working on improving the hospital care including the realization of the much needed expansion.

Airport:--- A man with initials S.F.H. from Jamaica was arrested by police on Saturday August 25th at approximately 08:00am at the Princes Juliana International Airport suspected of rape. A warrant for the arrest of the suspect who had gone to the airport to catch a flight to Jamaica that same day was issued after a report was filed by the victim. The incident took place on Thursday August 23rd in the Hope Estate. The suspect remains in custody for further investigation by the Detective Department.
Head of the Border Control Geronimo Juliet commended the officers for their alertness and professionalism in how they handled the case. "We would like to remind the public that the passport is the traveling document and not the ID card or Driver's License. Dutch nationals who are visiting Curacao or Aruba and the other Dutch entities can travel with the ID card. Non-Dutch nationals must have their passport with them while traveling," Juliet concluded.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- School Bussing and Taxi Dispatching Inspection Department of Economic Affairs Head Martha Thewet says less than 50 per cent of school busses were inspected last week.

Thewet says the driver's had ample time to contact the department to make arrangements for inspections. "School busses that are not inspected will not be allowed to transport school children on August 13 the start of the 2012-2013 new school year on behalf of the Government.

"They will be in violation of the law, and they won't be paid as well. They will be in violation of the no-show fail policy. Anyone who doesn't show for inspection will automatically fail the inspection, and every school bus owner and driver are aware of the aforementioned," Thewet said on Sunday.

The department has extended the inspection period starting Monday, August 06 to Wednesday August 08. Bus owners and drivers are hereby requested to make use of this final inspection period or face sanctions.

School bus owners/drivers are requested to call the department to make an appointment. Inspections will take place between 8.30am – 12.00pm and 1.30pm – 3.00pm.

Thewet added that the department will not compromise the safety of the school children and that of other road users.

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

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Hon. Silveria Jacobs conveys her congratulations to the Ujima Foundation on the start of the Charlotte Brookson Academy.

The Charlotte Brookson Academy will be focusing on Curriculum-Based Professional Instruction in Theatre, Arts, Dance, Music, Visual Arts, Health and Physical Education.

The Charlotte Brookson Academy will offer an all-day program from 7:30 am – 4:55 pm with mandatory homework, tutoring and performance arts lessons for all students. The school will also provide breakfast, lunch and snacks for all students.

The ultimate goal of the Charlotte Brookson Academy for the Performance Arts will be to inspire, motivate and enrich the lives of students while preparing them to reach their highest potential as scholars, artists, leaders, and to become overall well-rounded global citizens.

This goal is firmly supported by the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports. If this experimental education approach is deemed successful, this concept will be duplicated in all schools on St. Maarten.

The opening of the Charlotte Brookson Academy is collaborative effort of the Ujima Foundation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports and the University of St. Martin.

Though there were many challenges and hurdles to overcome to reach this far, the start of this prestigious endeavor means that now all that preparatory work needs to put in practice, Minister Jacobs said.

Minister Jacobs extends words of encouragement and empowerment to all students, Management and staff of the Charlotte Brookson Academy and adds, "It is our hope that the Charlotte Brookson Academy for the Performance Arts will contribute to the betterment of the society in which we live."

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever stood his ground on Wednesday morning when he met with members of the Windward Islands Health Care Union Association (WIHCUA). The Minister of Health was greeted by the President of the WIHCUA Julien Lynch and its public relations officer Greg Arrindell. Minister de Weever assured the nurses and other staff that he worked with them before and he has nowhere else to go, but as the Minister of Health Care he has to ensure that there is proper health care on St. Maarten. The Minister said he never said anything negative about the nurses and he could not understand why anyone would feel that they were attacked personally. Minister De Weever assured the staff that he does not attack people personally neither politically, instead he conducts his duties in a professional manner. He said he has a responsibility and they too as health care professionals can make things work better at SMMC.

The Minister also informed the health care workers that he did not go to the St. Maarten Medical Center on Wednesday morning for any grand speeches, instead he went there to listen to their concerns. Public Relations Officer of WIHCUA Greg Arrindell said that the union made statements to the media which state that if the Minister has anything personal with the Medical Director of SMMC Dr. George Scot then the Minister should deal with Dr. Scot directly.

Nurse Brenelda Arrindell who is also a shop steward confronted the Minister about the statements he made regarding the state of health care at St. Maarten Medical Center. Ms. Arrindell told the Minister that she herself is a nurse and nursing is her passion. She said when someone says anything about care, the first thing that comes to mind in general is the nurses. Arrindell said that they read the statements made by the Minister and it has left them surprised especially when it is coming from "Coney".

Arrindell asked the Minister based on the reactions his statements caused if he had to do this again what would his remarks be in the media. Minister de Weever maintained that he did not say the care of the St. Maarten Medical Center is deplorable but whatever he said he will stand by it, he further stated he will not allow health care to decline on St. Maarten. Arrindell said that SMMC treats over 4000 people per year and if seven families call the Minister, does that mean the care of SMMC is deplorable?

Minister De Weever said at least seven families filed complaints at the inspectorate and they were all investigated, five of which have been finalized. Minister de Weever also informed the nurses that he receives phone calls every day and people would stop him on the road and complain about the quality of health care at the SMMC. Minister de Weever also informed the gathering that he has been calling on the people of St. Maarten to file complaints with the inspectorate if they feel that they were not treated properly or given proper care. He said many persons are very reluctant to file the complaints because there is only one health care institution on St. Maarten and at some point they would have to return to it. The Minister of Health said that people should not have to live with fear of being victimized. Minister de Weever also made clear that he did not make the statements because of the two persons that died last week. He said coincidentally the day he made the statement, the sister of a Member of Parliament passed away and that case is also being investigated.

Shortly after the meeting, the Minister of Health announced at the Council of Ministers' press briefing that he will not allow health care to decline on St. Maarten. Minister de Weever said he does not have any personal vendetta against Dr. Scot but he wants to make clear that he has a responsibility to ensure that health care on St. Maarten is upheld.

Minister de Weever confirmed to reporters that he was briefed by the inspectorate of health on Tuesday last week and he felt obliged to make the statement he made. Minister de Weever said expanding the hospital is not a guarantee that health care on St. Maarten will improve. "We have a new government building across the street but that does not mean that government will not need more space to house its workers."

It should be noted that the supervisory board of SMMC met with the Council of Ministers and pleaded with them to have SZV provide the bonds for them to expand the institution. At that meeting the supervisory board told the Council of Ministers that they were given up until August 15th to sign the last agreement but when SZV sent the SMMC an email with the conditions set forth by the insurer before they can provide the bond for the expansion, SMMC did not respond. According to information provided to SMN News, SMMC is yet to respond to the email sent to them regarding the conditions to obtain the bond for the expansion of the hospital.

Minister De Weever also mentioned that the VUMC Hospital in the Netherlands is currently under supervision because patient care is at risk. It should be noted that St. Maarten Medical Center was trying to sign a cooperation agreement with VUMC.

Click here to view more photos of the meeting between Minister Cornelius de Weever and the WIHCUA on Wednesday morning.

Click here to view the news article on VUMC.

Click here to view the letter sent to VUMC.

N.V. G.E.B.E. regrets to inform the general public that the Electricity supply to

PHILIPSBURG

(Computer World, Lets Travel, Carl & Sons, Labour Department, Caribbean Lottery, Yellow Building (Public Works) up to Office World. Cannegieter Street Dejavu Night Club, Rene Driving School, and surrounding area.)

Will be interrupted on Sunday August 26, 2012 from 8:00 am until 2:00pm.

This outage will allow us to carry out necessary maintenance to our Distribution system.

N.V. G.E.B.E apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Head of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) is seeking the help of the public especially residents of the Beacon Hill area with respect to her stolen handbag.

The handbag was in a vehicle parked in the vicinity of the Sunset Bar & Restaurant on Friday afternoon. An unknown person (s) broke into the vehicle and stole the bag.

The bag contains work related items essential to the daily operation of CPS.

Persons who saw anything should call the Police department to report what they saw.

Residents of the Beacon Hill area, especially those who walk their dog or stroll through the area, are asked to keep an eye out for a handbag, and if they find anything to call the Ministry of Public Health during office hours at 542-3003, 542-2078 or cell number 520-4523 (anytime).

Philipsburg:--- Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt finally released some travel expense figures that the government of St. Maarten endured for the year. SMN News requested the figures regarding travel expenses for politicians when this media house learnt that the government owed Let's Travel huge sums of monies and the company's new manager was pressuring government for what is owed to them.

Tuitt said from January to May Naf.72,548.73 (seventy two thousand, five hundred and forty eight guilders and seventy three cents) was used on travel expenses while from June to August the amount is Naf. 361,965.40 (three hundred and sixty one thousand, nine hundred and sixty five guilders and forty cents). Tuitt said the latter figure which is over three hundred thousand guilders includes the fares for the students that received study financing and travelled to various parts of the world to continue their education. He said the total expenditure for travelling from January to August 2012 amounts Naf. 434,514.13 (Four hundred and thirty four thousand, five hundred and fourteen guilders and thirteen cents. Even though the Minister provided the figures, he did not say how much of the amount has already been paid to the travel agency neither did he release the figures of the debts government had owed the company prior him to taking office.

The Rights and monies that will be paid to the former Ministers.

The Finance Minister also released the amount of monies the government of St. Maarten would have to pay four of the former Ministers who were in government just some months ago. Tuitt said former Minister of VROMI Theodore Heyliger, former Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Franklin Meyers and former Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports Rhoda Arrindell will receive compensation during the bridging period. This bridging period is in place for the individuals to find other employment or start a business of their own. Tuitt said if these individuals are receiving income they also have to report it to government every three months and their income will be subtracted from the amount that is stipulated for them to receive. For the first three months these former Ministers will receive 95% of their salary, the following seven months 85%, then for the other ten months 75%. Thereafter up to a maximum period of two years 70%. Tuitt said the former Ministers sat in office for a period of 20 months therefore they will be compensated for 20 months. Tuitt said if Heyliger, Arrindell, and Meyers claim the complete amount each of them will get Naf. 321,696.80 (three hundred and twenty one thousand, six hundred and ninety six guilders and eighty cents). As for the former Minister of Finance Hiro Shigemoto who is a civil servant, he will receive Naf. 81,279.80 (eighty one thousand, two hundred and seventy nine and eighty cents) should he claim the whole amount. Tuitt said Shigemoto was a civil servant prior to becoming a Minister therefore he will return to the civil service where he will be placed in one of the available positions.

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- A four member delegation from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour and the St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS), attended early August a workshop sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) about an Integrated Management Strategy for Dengue Prevention and Control.

"By working together and sharing information we can continue to move public health in the right direction and improve health care as well as create public health policies in the interests of Sint. Maarten," Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon. Cornelius De Weever said on Monday.

Dengue fever is currently the most important vector-borne viral disease affecting people, in terms of both morbidity and mortality. In the last 10-years, due to the growing permeability of the transitional borders, diseases that once were thought to be controlled have recurred.

The highest temperatures, modifications of the surface of the earth, changes in precipitations patterns, are behind the reemergence in Latin America and the Caribbean of epidemics that were under control.

Climate change causes extreme temperatures and precipitation, contributing to the proliferation of vector-borne diseases as malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and bubonic plague. Also, the introduction of the new viruses in the Americas region, as Chikungunya, is expected.

The Regional Dengue Programme of PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO) focuses public policies for dengue prevention and control towards multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary integration.

The follow-up to this PAHO workshop in Curacao will be a meeting of the country's Dengue Action Response Team (DART) to review the draft integrated plan.

DART was voluntarily inacted in 2008 to plan strategies to provide the community with information on dengue and its evolvement. DART presently consist Department of Communications, Collective Prevention Services, Tourist Bureau, St. Maarten Laboratory Services, and the Department of Infrastructure Management.

The DART team will also look at expanding its member which will be used to fulfill one of the criteria for integrated vector management to a multi-sector team that would review, plan and prepare to manage any vector development or occurrence.

The Caribbean sub-region reported 4.6 per cent or approximately 450,000 of the cases of dengue in the Americas between 2001-2012, including close to 7500 cases of severe dengue and 667 deaths. All four serotypes circulate in the Caribbean, but DENV-1, 2 and 4 predominate. In 2012, the Caribbean reported 5,532 dengue cases with 196 severe dengue cases and six deaths.
2.5 billion people worldwide are at risk to dengue fever. There are approximately 500,000 cases of DHF (Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever) annually and between 30,000 and 50,000 people die annually worldwide from dengue shock syndrome.

Dengue is transmitted by an infected female mosquito that feeds mainly during the day. The mosquito that carries the dengue virus – Aedes aegypti - lives near human habitations. The mosquito lays eggs and produces larvae in artificial containers that collect water.

The attendees to the meeting came from Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius, Costa Rica, Mexico, Trinidad, United States, and Venezuela.

Philipsburg:--- A group of young men who live on Back Street were highly commended by neighbors and police for their efforts during the early hours of Wednesday morning when a fire started on the upper floor of Kary's Guest House on Back Street (Former Scott's Bakery). Neighbors and eyewitnesses to the early morning blaze told SMN News that they began smelling smoke from around 1am but they did not take the scent seriously.

An elderly woman who lives across the street said the blaze on top of Kary's Guest House started at around 3am and several of the neighborhood boys began a bucket brigade to extinguish the fire before the fire department reached the scene.

Fire Fighter Silvanico Polletta told SMN News that one of his colleagues who lives in the area was awakened by the scent of smoke and he decided to follow the scent to see where the smoke was coming from. Polletta said that his colleague firefighter Dollison discovered the fire around 4:30am and it was his colleague who called the fire department at 4:30am. Polletta said that the fire department dispatched four fire trucks because when they reached the scene the fire was already spreading to a building next door. Polletta said that his colleagues did all they could to prevent the next door building from being damaged but the building still suffered smoke and water damages. Polletta commended the young men and neighbors who tried to bring the blaze under control but he said when situations like this arise the first thing people need to do is call the fire department.

The fire fighter said that up to press time they did not determine the cause of the fire. He said the fire started in a wooden structure on the upper floor of the building, this structure he said is located at the back of the building. Polletta said the guests that were in the guest house at the time of the fire were evacuated and provisions were made for them.

The fire department also called in the department of VROMI to assess the building and demolish the area that can pose any type of threat to people. Polletta said St. Maarten is under storm watch and it is essential for VROMI and the Fire Department to take all the necessary steps to ensure everyone's safety.

VROMI Inspector Henry Ellis also confirmed to SMN News that the department of VROMI was working on demolishing the wooden structure at the back of Kary's Guest House. Ellis said that they have to make sure the entire area is safe during the passing of tropical storm Isaac.

Philipsburg:--- The Council of Ministers, namely the Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports Silveria Jacobs and the Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt may soon have to take legal actions in the United States against Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson and his estranged wife Evelyn Lozada if they fail to abide by the contract they have with the government of St. Maarten. Johnson and Lozada signed a contract with the government of St. Maarten and obtained approximately $90,000 for their wedding which was held on St. Maarten on July 4th, 2012. The official and legal ceremony was conducted on the Dutch side of the island while the wedding and reception was held at the Le Chateau des Palmiers in Low Lands.

The government of St. Maarten entered into the contract with the foreign couple in which they agreed to have their wedding aired on VH1 in the USA. If the wedding was aired as agreed upon then St. Maarten would have received more publicity that would further boost the island's tourism economy. However, Johnson and Lozada are now going through divorce procedures after the couple had a domestic dispute over the weekend. Johnson was arrested and is currently out on bail for head butting his wife Evelyn. Based on online media sources, it is understood that due to current developments VH1 will no longer air the wedding ceremony since the couple is now battling in a divorce procedure just 41 days after they tied the knot.

SMN News learnt that two Members of Parliament, one of which is supporting the current coalition government practically forced the current coalition government to make the monies available to Johnson and Lozada since they were busy negotiating with the couple prior to the fall of the UP/DP government. SMN News also learnt via our sources that the Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot Williams objected to the investment but her concerns were not taken into consideration and the Council of Ministers went ahead with the investment which they placed under "strategic advertising" for the island.

Reliable sources within the government apparatus said that the two MPs were supposedly getting a kick back from the monies government invested in the wedding of NFL player Chad Johnson. The source said one particular MP has connections in the United States and that Member of Parliament made commitments with the couple and other political heads in the US.

When SMN News reporter asked members of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers' press briefing if government intends to retrieve the tax-payers monies they invested in the wedding if the contract is not upheld, Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs at first deferred the question to the Minister of Finance but then she later said that the media was asked not to publish previously mentioned information on the couple's wedding locally because the series is scheduled to air in September 2012.

Prime Minister Sarah Wescott Williams said that each member of the Council of Ministers have taken note of several news items regarding the newly wedded couple. Wescot Williams further explained that the Council of Ministers have not yet discussed the situation and what it could mean for the island's participation. Finance Minister Roland Tuitt confirmed that St. Maarten invested approximately $90,000.00 in the wedding. However, he explained that the contributions St. Maarten made to the wedding is like investing in any other business. "When someone is investing in business it's a risk they are taking and if something happens then they will have to deal with the consequences. Naturally, we have a contract with Johnson and Lozada and that contract has some clauses inside of it and St. Maarten will use those clauses if necessary." Tuitt also confirmed that if the series is not aired that St. Maarten will go ahead and retrieve the monies they invested in Johnson's wedding.