Every year, sargassum seaweed makes its grand entrance onto the shores of St Tosia. Just when the island thought it had everything under control, a massive wave of sargassum approaches. The smell hits you like a bad decision. Except this one covers the whole shoreline. When that sargassum starts cooking in the sun, it’ll clear your sinuses, and your will to live. It’s one way to keep the tourists from overstaying their visas. While other islands struggle to “manage” sargassum, St. Tosa monetizes the chaos. It turns environmental pressure into economic play. The citizens of St. Tosia, being the resilient,…
Author: The Publisher
MARIGOT–The Executive Council of Saint-Martin reviewed key administrative and environmental matters affecting the Collectivity. The council, which oversees matters ranging from association grants and exceptional aid to building permits and urban land preemption, addressed flood prevention and environmental grants. The council authorized the acquisition of parcel AI111 in Galisbay, covering 982 square meters, for €350,000. The purchase is part of the territory’s flood prevention plan. Marigot’s watershed, a heavily urbanized area, faces significant flood risks exacerbated by limited hydraulic infrastructure. The 2024 Marigot Stormwater Master Plan, integrated into the 2024–2026 Flood Prevention Action Plan (PAPI), identified the need to construct a new crossing on Rue de Hollande to redirect…
MARIGOT–The Collectivity of Saint-Martin has announced that the public cemetery tomb identification campaign has entered its final phase, which is scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2026. The Collectivity urges everyone to participate in the campaign to help preserve and honor Saint-Martin’s shared heritage. The campaign, conducted by the local Funeral Service, is part of a broader effort to restructure and preserve the island’s cemeteries. Officials emphasize the importance of recording and identifying graves to safeguard Saint-Martin’s cultural and historical heritage. The campaign aims to achieve several key objectives. It seeks to catalogue anonymous and abandoned graves, ensuring that all burial sites are properly recorded. It also provides support…
MARIGOT—The Collectivity of Saint-Martin has begun a series of road improvement works, including asphalt resurfacing and the repainting of pedestrian crossings across the territory. Drivers and residents in the affected areas are advised to expect delays, temporary traffic diversions, and alternating lanes during the works. Asphalt resurfacing works The second phase of road resurfacing is being carried out by contractor SOGETRA. The schedule for the coming days is as follows: Motorists are urged to exercise caution, follow the instructions of traffic officers, and consider alternate routes where possible. The Collectivity thanks the public for their patience and cooperation during the works. Pedestrian crossing markings In…
Member of Parliament Egbert J. Doran has raised serious concerns about the current sanitary and operational conditions in several public schools, following reports from teachers and parents about shortages of basic supplies. According to the MP, schools are facing a lack of essential hygiene items such as toilet paper, soap, sanitizer, paper towels, and garbage bags. In addition, some schools are reportedly dealing with shortages of printer ink and non-functioning copy machines, limiting teachers’ ability to properly prepare and distribute worksheets, tests, and other instructional materials. Doran emphasized that teachers already carry a heavy burden, often purchasing classroom materials out…
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Patrice Gumbs announced Wednesday that St. Maarten’s Road Fund will officially launch on January 1, 2027, directing all motor vehicle tax revenues straight to repairing and maintaining the island’s roads. The decision follows a positive response in January 2026 from the General Audit Chamber to the Ministry’s proposal to operationalize the Road Fund. At the press briefing, Gumbs explained that current practice — in which road tax revenues flow into the general government budget — has not delivered the necessary funding or predictability needed for sustained infrastructure investment. The timing of the announcement comes against the backdrop of a…
The Collectivité de Saint-Martin has announced the opening of registrations for nursery school and first grade (CP) for the 2026–2027 academic year, beginning February 25, 2026. This year, the Collectivité is introducing a new digital system with the launch of its “Family Portal,” allowing parents to complete all registration procedures exclusively online. The platform facilitates enrolment for nursery and CP classes, as well as applications for school meals, school transportation and after-school programmes. Parents are no longer required to visit the school registration office or navigate through the administrative procedures section of the website, as access to the Family Portal is now available directly from the homepage of the…
ANSE MARCEL, SAINT MARTIN — Employee representatives of one of the French side’s largest hotel properties, St. Martin Beach Resort & Spa, formerly operated as Secrets Resort & Spa St. Martin, are raising serious concerns about the resort’s abrupt closure, mounting financial uncertainty, and the potential long-term consequences for more than 130 families and the wider tourism economy. Since the hotel’s closure in December 2025, the Comité Social et Économique (CSE), which represents 132 employees, has publicly voiced its concerns about the uncertain future of the resort and the livelihoods of staff members, many of whom have dedicated decades of…
At 31 years old, Marsha Bremer has already lived two very different careers. After spending a decade in law enforcement, she made the life-changing decision to leave the police force and pursue her passion for beauty full time. Today, she is the founder of ShaGlam Cosmetics, a growing St. Maarten-based beauty brand with international ambitions and its own dedicated website, ShaGlamCosmetics.sx. Bremer began her career in uniform at just 18 years old. “From the time I was four, I always told my mom I wanted to be a police officer,” she said. She joined the force as a teenager and…
CAY HILL: Twenty-two students have recently completed the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) Accelerated Registered Nursing Course (2023–2025) and are now officially recognized as Registered Nurses (RNs). The two-year program, which began in November 2023, was coordinated and facilitated by Nrs. Antonio Pantophlet, SMMC’s In-Patient Care and Education Manager, in collaboration with the Instituto pa Formashon Den Enfermeria (IFE) of Curaçao. The program falls under IFE’s accreditation, which is recognized in the Netherlands. This graduation marked the 6th group that has successfully advanced through SMMC’s accelerated RN program. The course was specifically designed for Certified Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with…
