PHILIPSBURG:---  Orco Bank continues its commitment to community development through sports with the sponsorship of team uniforms for the 758 Sports Club. This initiative reflects the Bank’s ongoing support for local organizations that promote teamwork, discipline, and positive youth engagement.
By sponsoring the club’s uniforms, Orco Bank aims to empower athletes to represent their team with pride while reinforcing the importance of sports as a tool for personal growth and community connection.
Judy King Richardson, Country Manager of Orco Bank, shared her thoughts on the sponsorship:
“At Orco Bank, we believe that strong communities are built by investing in people and opportunities. Supporting 758 Sports Club is about more than uniforms. It’s about encouraging teamwork, confidence, and dedication among local athletes. We are proud to stand behind initiatives that inspire growth both on and off the field.”
758 Sports Club plays an active role in nurturing athletic talent and promoting healthy lifestyles within the community. Orco Bank’s sponsorship underscores its dedication to initiatives that create lasting social impact.
Orco Bank wishes 758 Sports Club a successful and rewarding season ahead and looks forward to continuing its support of community-driven programs that make a meaningful difference.
For more information about Orco Bank, please visit https://www.orcobank.com. Stay connected and follow us for daily updates on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OrcoBank and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/orco-bank.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunication, Hon. Grisha Heyliger-Marten, extends sincere thanks to everyone who came out in the evening on Friday, December 12th, to support and enjoy the second annual Twilight in Town event.

The evening proved to be a fun-filled and family-friendly experience, bringing together residents, visitors, families, and friends to celebrate the holiday season in the heart of Philipsburg. Attendees enjoyed free goodies, gifts from Santa for the children, live entertainment, and a vibrant vendor village. The strong turnout and enthusiasm were evident, with several vendors selling out during the event.

The Minister expressed appreciation to all participating vendors, including Bichoville, Domino’s Pizza, Randy’s Ice Cream, Margo’s Punches, and Fruity Lemon. Special thanks were also extended to Sweet Pan Entertainment for providing the musical vibes throughout the evening and New Generation Drum Band for passing through.

Gratitude was further expressed to the event sponsors whose support made Twilight in Town possible, including the Social Economic Council (SER), Kadaster, Computech, Native Nations, and FT Development. The Minister also acknowledged key partners, including Funtopia and GEBE, for their collaboration and contributions to the successful execution of the event.

The presence of tourists alongside the local community was especially welcomed, highlighting the importance of creating experiences that are inclusive, culturally rich, and appealing to both residents and visitors alike.

As the island continues to light up for the holiday season via the various Roundabouts which is also a Government Initiative, the Minister of TEATT stated, " We extended warm Season’s Greetings to one and all. Let us not forget that to put God first, after all, it is his birthday and without Him, this season would not be possible. Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and peaceful holiday period."

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of VROMI’s announcement of another round of night-time hot asphalt repairs may sound like progress, but anyone familiar with our road history knows what follows. Fresh patches today, fresh failures tomorrow, and another press release when the cycle repeats. If potholes could speak, they would likely greet the asphalt crew like old friends. At this point, patching has become the infrastructure equivalent of putting cologne on a broken leg. It may smell better, but the problem underneath remains the same.

The truth is that Sint Maarten’s crisis has never truly been potholes. The real issue lies beneath the surface. As an engineer, it is clear to me that we have a drainage problem and a compromised road foundation. Until those are addressed, every patch begins its countdown to failure the moment it cools. Water becomes trapped beneath the surface, the surrounding asphalt softens, the edges crumble, and one pothole quietly becomes three. What appears to be a repair is actually the first step toward the next expense.

This becomes even more concerning when we recall Minister Patrice Gumbs's commitment to evidence-based decision-making. It was a welcome promise. Yet after a year and a half in office, not a single meaningful data-gathering measure has been implemented. No height surveys before road works. No elevation assessments to guide drainage. No evaluation of materials or methods, no traffic counts. Evidence-based decision-making cannot exist without evidence, and the public is being asked to trust a process that produces none.

Opportunities to address these matters together have also slipped by. Parliament still has pending requests for meetings on infrastructure, flooding, drainage, building permits, and housing, including a housing meeting that has been avoided since April 2024. These sessions are not confrontations but opportunities for clarity, planning, and accountability. When they remain unaddressed, policy becomes less collaborative and more improvisational, guided by preference rather than informed debate. Meanwhile, beautification efforts are being presented as progress. The public was told drainage would be a priority, yet what followed was a series of roadside swales that are flat and unable to guide water, now serving as mud collectors. A swale that does not drain is not a drainage system. It is landscaping with unintended consequences. These installations increase long-term maintenance needs and worsen the very issues they were meant to solve. One only needs to look at Suckergarden Road to see this in real time.

The familiar explanation is that deeper solutions are too expensive. But research into improved asphalt mixes and drainage strategies does not require millions. Even a modest public commitment to studying better materials or mapping water flows would show that the country is moving toward sustainable improvement. The absence of such steps leaves the impression of a ministry working week to week rather than preparing for the decade ahead.
In the spirit of progress, I continue offering solutions. A modern approach begins by collecting the basic data we currently lack, including elevation surveys, drainage mapping, and documentation of soil conditions, before any work begins. The next step is to pilot asphalt mixes designed for our climate and traffic loads, something many countries routinely do without incurring massive costs. Finally, drainage must be engineered as an interconnected system rather than as scattered features placed without context. These are practical, affordable steps that deliver tangible improvements and position the Ministry to make informed decisions rather than repetitive guesswork.

Some will say I should help rather than critique. My recommendations are all on record in Parliament. They were provided in the hope of supporting better outcomes for the country. The Minister is free to accept them or ignore them, but when the opposite becomes the standard approach and predictable failures follow, accountability becomes necessary. Oversight and solutions are not competing roles. They are essential partners.
Because at some point, patching becomes less of a solution and more of a symbol. A symbol that we are managing decline instead of moving forward. The Minister promised evidence. The public is still waiting for the evidence that evidence matters. And until that changes, every pothole patch is less a sign of maintenance and more a reminder that we are stuck, sometimes literally depending on the road, in the same old cycle. If this is doing things differently, one shudders to imagine what more of the same would look like.

And let me be clear. My tone is measured because the country deserves maturity, not theatrics. But patience is not a substitute for progress, and silence is not a strategy. If shortcuts continue, and if the serious discussions remain avoided, the conversation ahead will not stay this gentle. I intend to press, to question, and to push for the level of accountability and competence our people deserve. And if the Minister is uncomfortable with the heat, he should know that the kitchen is about to get considerably warmer.

PHILIPSBURG:---  In a historical first during the formation of any Dutch Government, the Honorable Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Dr. Luc Mercelina, has formally engaged Mr. Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten, the presumptive incoming Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to ensure that the concerns and priorities of Sint Maarten are included at the earliest stage of the Dutch Cabinet formation process.

This unprecedented engagement marks a significant diplomatic milestone within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It reflects Prime Minister Mercelina’s proactive approach to safeguarding the interests of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom during a critical political transition in the Netherlands.

"This engagement represents a historic first. Never before, at this stage of Dutch government formation, have the concerns of Sint Maarten been directly brought into the initial discussions shaping a new Cabinet,” Prime Minister Mercelina stated.

Prime Minister Mercelina emphasized that while the meeting centered on Sint Maarten’s specific challenges and priorities, the initiative was deliberately pursued with a broader Kingdom-wide perspective, consciously creating space for Curaçao and Aruba, as well as Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius, to be reflected in future dialogue.

“In creating this opportunity for Sint Maarten, I was equally mindful of Curaçao and Aruba, and of Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius. The realities we face as small island communities—economic resilience, climate vulnerability, energy security, and equitable access to resources—require attention at the highest level from the very beginning,” the Prime Minister said.

During the discussions, Prime Minister Mercelina reaffirmed the importance of early engagement to move away from reactive policymaking and toward more inclusive and informed decision-making within the Kingdom.

“Engaging at the start of a cabinet formation allows us to help inform decisions rather than merely respond to them after the fact. This approach is essential to achieving more balanced, effective, and respectful Kingdom cooperation,” he added.

Prime Minister Mercelina further noted that Mr. Jetten indicated openness to continued engagement, with follow-up discussions anticipated in the Netherlands at the beginning of 2026, allowing for broader and more structured dialogue involving the Caribbean Countries and territories of the Kingdom.

“Sustained and structured dialogue is critical to strengthening Kingdom relations. Early indications of continued engagement provide an important foundation for ensuring that the voices of all Caribbean parts of the Kingdom are heard and considered,” Prime Minister Mercelina stated.

The Government of Sint Maarten views this historic engagement as a pivotal step toward more inclusive governance within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Prime Minister Mercelina remains committed to advocating for a forward-looking and equitable partnership that recognizes the shared responsibilities and distinct realities of Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius.