~ Two more sponsor letters signed for air-conditioning project Keep a Cool Head ~ PHILIPSBURG — The ‘Keep a cool head’ project, managed by Baker Tilly, providing solar-powered air-conditioning for MPC classrooms, is moving forward. Both NAGICO and the Ognim Happy Rescue foundation adopted an MPC classroom for US$ 5,000 last week, totalling the number of classrooms that obtained funding for solar-powered AC’s at five. Several MPC alumni work at both Nagico and Notary Mingo, which greatly influenced the companies’ decision to sponsor. ‘Kindly be informed that I am an alumnus from MPC but also Ms. Charlise Philips, Ms.…
Author: The Publisher
PHILIPSBURG – Cruise port St. Maarten takes center stage as the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) convention in Puerto Rico opens on Monday with a splendid picture of the port by photographer Christine Garner on the cover of the FCCA Magazine. The magazine recaps the 55-year history of cruise port St. Maarten in a three-page article, noting how the port was inaugurated on June 3, 1964; how it received 105,000 cruise passengers in 1980 and hit the one million mark for the first time in 2002. “Today it is one of the top locations in the North East Caribbean, due…
PHILIPSBURG — The claims that Minister of TEATT, the honourable Stuart Johnson, issued a license for the establishment of a casino on Back Street in the former Super Plaza Building as Caretaker Minister, has been flatly refuted by Johnson as the license in question was issued since January 2019. Reports hat the casino license somehow contravened the rule of law as it pertains to the issuance of casino licenses, are also inaccurate. These claims have not taken into account the fact that the license was issued under several conditions including a restriction from the license holder creating access to the…
PHILIPSBURG — On Wednesday, October 16, staff of the Department of Domain Affairs sent a letter to the Minister of VROMI, Christopher Wever, protesting his decision to relieve Raeyhon Peterson of his responsibilities as Acting Department Head of Domain Affairs as of Monday, October 14, 2019. The letter, signed by two staff members of the Department of Domain Affairs, outlined how they were made aware of the minister’s decision via his memo dated Friday, October 11, 2019, regarding the responsibilities of the Acting Head of Domain Affairs. In the memo the minister stated his decision to relieve Peterson of his…
PHILIPSBURG – A large majority of the Dutch Second Chamber (107 out of 150 possible votes) supported the motion Van Dam on Tuesday – a decision that is bound to create confusion if not outrage about what could be interpreted as the next attempt by the Netherlands to take control in St. Maarten. Van Dam’s motion asks the government to enter into talks with the government in St. Maarten “about a separation of management and authority in the maintenance of the legal order, to see whether the Netherlands could play a stronger part in the management function for a period…
PHILIPSBURG — In a recent media publication President of Parliament, MP William Marlin, queried whether the Council of Ministers voted on former Prime Minister Leona Marlin representing the island as a “Private Citizen” at a function being held by the World Bank. Prime Minister Wycliffe Smith stated, “While I have not officially received any questions or request for information officially from the MP, I would like to quickly set the record clear so that information is factual and not misconstrued in any manner or as the MP stated, assumed in any fashion as well. According to the Minister of General…
By Hilbert Haar The motion of CDA parliamentarian Chris van Dam that calls for Dutch involvement in law enforcement on St. Maarten comes across as a fine example of Dutch meddling in our island’s affairs. That is won’t happen anyway does not matter: Van Dam has put the thought out there and a large majority of the Second Chamber blindly followed his lead. Declaring that I am for or against such a motion is rather pointless: it is what it is. The Second Chamber has supported it and State Secretary Knops is now faced with the consequences. Van Dam has…
PHILIPSBURG — Minister of VOMI Christopher Wever on Tuesday said the private and confidential circumstance of a civil servant is being used to create a false narrative in the general public for political gain. The Minister stressed that no civil servant has been dismissed or fired or demoted. “This is completely false,” the Minister said. The Minister was referring to his decision to open a formal and legal hiring process for a vacant position under the Ministry of VROMI in which a civil servant was designated in an “acting”/temporary role. The Minister said it is unfortunate that the internal and…
PHILIPSBURG – When Hurricane Irma hit on September 6, 2017, Holland House lost its entire fourth floor to the monster storm. At the time, there were 57 guests staying at the iconic hotel that faces Great Bay Beach, and some of them were able to help get the place back on its feet. Managing director Paul Boetekees remembers the storm like it was yesterday. “We got fully destroyed by the hurricane,” he says. “The whole hotel got beat up badly. When the winds came we were hiding in the hotel and eventually we ended up in the basement. The roof…
PHILIPSBURG — The Sint Maarten Police Force celebrated the ninth anniversary Police Day, on Thursday October 10th, 2019, at the Police Headquarters in Philipsburg. The Ceremony was opened by acting spokesman Inspector Josepha, under the theme ‘We are a team’. The ceremony was geared towards recognizing all police officers and administrative staff for their tireless service, as well as introduce the launch of the Police website. During the Police Day ceremony Pastor Cuvalier and Pastor Smith provided an opening prayer and words of encouragement to the officers who continuously chose country above self, every day they step into the Police…
