Dawn Beach: ---Government controllers as well as police officers were at Busby Beach Bar yesterday morning trying to restore law by trying to see if they can convince the operators of Busby Beach Bar to remove his beach chairs since he does not have a vending license to rent chairs. Police was called in when the operators of Busby Beach Bar said they were not going to cooperate with the controllers unless they get a written order from the Department of Economic Affairs or the Lt. Governor. The officers who reached the scene way after midday informed the operators that they would confiscate his chairs and umbrellas sometime today simply because he they do not have the required license to rent these materials.The controllers said that they did not have to provide an execution order to the operators since these people never had a license to rent chairs. They said if they had a license and violated that license then they would have had to have a letter with the articles of incorporation that was broken.
However, the operators Daniel Jurzenko and Tina Hickinson said unless they get a written order they will not comply with the request of Economic Affairs. Jurzenko said should he get a written order he would allow the controllers and or police officers to do their job because with the document he would then start a court case. The operators said they have no problem with the controllers who are being sent to do execute their duties but they believe that there is someone behind the scenes pushing the matter. They alleged that someone is being paid under the table to harass them as business people.
Hickinson a local St. Maartener said they have been operating without a license for the past 12 years and they should get the benefit of either been given a license without a one year hassle or benefit from the amount of time they operated the way they did. She said restaurant owners on the Board Walk does not have such a license and they do not have to go through what she and her husband is going through simply because politicians owned the restaurants on the Boardwalk. Hickinson and her husband showed this reporter a number of letters which they sent to Economic Affairs including photographs claiming they were being harassed by the two license vendors operating next door. In one of the letters Jurzenko wrote that Joan Verwoord was operating an illegal restaurant without a toilet and bathroom and her customers were using their facilities. The restaurateur also produced two letters he sent to the Lt. Governor questioning the fact that police officers showed up at his place using the governor's name as the one who sent them to remove his beach chairs without an order, but to date the governor never responded to the letters neither Economic Affairs.
Daniel Jurzenko said what is happening is somewhat biased and felt that one of the vendors is pushing the case. He said while everyone is operating the way he is operating even though government do have a pilot plan in effect which states that restaurant owners would now have to have their rights to beach chairs incorporated in their business license. He said to date there is no law that effectively show he needs to have a license or must not operate on the beach. Jurzenko is also challenging the island government to show him which law he is breaking by having beach chairs for his customers.
Jurzenko admitted he has been conducting business for the past 12 years without a license and only two years ago Economic Affairs discovered he was conducting operations illegally. "it was only when they began receiving complaints from the vendors, but since then I applied for the license and they told me it is on hold due to a court case, with his landlord and the next door resort. If government was on top of things they would have known that the case has been resolved over eight months now. But this whole problem begins and ends with government because they are not executing their duties."
Jurzenko said after being told over and over that he cannot rent his chairs since he does not have license but can give these chairs out for free like any resort. He said he decided to do just that which is giving out the chairs as well as snorkeling materials to his customers for free. He also admitted that his beach boys would accept tips from the customers for the use of the materials.
Upon investigation in this ongoing matter SMN News discovered that one of the vendors Jean Paul is actually married to the sister of Tina Hickinson and in fact this matter is now putting strain on their family relations. Tina said she understands that the two vendors are hurting and loosing business but felt they have other sources of income. "My sister is a teacher, she also owns an afternoon school with about 50 children and my brother in law is collecting social benefits from the French side since he is from Guadeloupe and not St. Maarten." Tina said. Jurzenko and his wife said they do not believe jealousy is involved but said that their brother in law is being misled by the other vendor. He said his brother in law does have some strange ways because the man once worked for him. He said he even called a family meeting but his brother in law said that this is about business.
One of the concerns of the operators is how the media is always notified when there are problems on Dawn Beach. Tina said she even called an editor in chief of one of the local newspapers to find that out but was insulted before the phone was hung up in her ears. Actually this reporter even had to fight off a Jamaican employee of Busby Beach Bar after we wrote an article about the ongoing problems. Both business owners said they were not pleased with article in question. However, they managed to put aside their emotions prior to the interview.
In the, meantime, Joan Verwoord visited the Prosecutor's office yesterday since she is not able to conduct business in a fair and competitive way. The businesswoman said she has bills to pay as well as her taxes since she has a license but due to the unfair competition she is not able to pay those bills on time.
She said since the season started she was not able to make any kind of monies while Busby Beach bar is always full, yet they are not content.