Philipsburg, St. Maarten, August 30, 2018 – Long in the making, the proposal to ban single-use plastic bags, has been submitted to parliament for its consideration. “This is a significant step towards effective waste management on St. Maarten. I’ve proposed to amend the General Police Ordinance and prohibit the use of single-use plastic bags. Single-use plastic bags have significant effects on ecosystems and a variety of species and have contributed significantly to the solid waste problems we experience on St. Maarten.” stated Wescot-Williams. “Small, but Significant Step in Overall Waste Management” In my research, it became evident that there are…
Author: The Publisher
BONAIRE, AUGUST 26, 2018 — Early Sunday morning the process to move about 90 to 100 prisoners to the newly constructed prison at Plantage Aruba in Bonaire started. Prison Director Wibo de Vries (see screenshot above) took a moment to inform the press about the process and said that the mega-operation was going well. As a result of the level of preparation the operation had not been of any cause of concern for the organization. During the press briefing JICN Prison Director De Vries explained how the mega-operation was very well planned and prepared as it was a long time…
PHILIPSBURG — On June 21st through 23rd, Kidz at Sea Foundation welcomed a team of Essilor of America employees and volunteer eye care professionals to St. Maarten to perform free eye exams to those in need. These volunteers have been providing free eye exams and corrective eye wear, to those in need, on St. Maarten for the last three consecutive years and on Anguilla the last two consecutive years. Essilor’s mission is improving lives by improving sight, and working with organizations like Kidz at Sea is just one way the company lives this mission. Screening children is especially important as…
THE HAGUE — The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary was the location for the informative session between the three Cabinets of the Ministers Plenipotentiary and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations. The purpose of this meeting was to inform new staff of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) on the role of the Cabinets with their core tasks and responsibilities apart from the articles and bylaws by which they operate based on the Kingdom charter. The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaҫao spoke on the historical ties between the Netherlands and the island of…
CUL-DE-SAC — Cost-U-Less, the warehouse superstore, officially reopens on Saturday, September 1; nearly a year after being destroyed by Hurricane Irma and then plundered in the looting that following. Photo caption: Although Cost-U-Less is slated to officially reopen on Saturday, Sept. 1, shoppers can be seen here on Wednesday, August 29, already using the new entrance after the soft opening of the rebuilt warehouse, which was under construction since last year while shoppers used the back entrance to enter the building.
PHILIPSBURG — On an overcast Wednesday morning on August 29th, 2018, starting at the old Government Administration Building, protesters delivered signed petitions to various government institutions and offices condemning what they called persecution of local politicians by the Dutch government and the local judiciary. StMaartenNews.com brings you a photo reportage of the protest march that was not so ‘silent’ with a reported amount numbering around two hundred people who braved the weather to come out and let their voices be heard while chanting “SXM Strong”, “Let our leaders lead” and singing “We shall overcome”. Photo caption: Protesters, including educator Roberto…
PHILIPSBURG — A small group of persons of the silent protest was let upstairs to the offices of the Dutch Representation of The Netherlands in Philipsburg (VNP) on the morning of Wednesday, August 29th, 2018. Elton Jones handed over a petition letter to Dutch Representative Chris Johnson, Head of the VNP in St. Maarten, on behalf of the group, with Rhoda Arrindell looking on. On welcoming and receiving the group, Johnson made two statements: “We are part of a Kingdom where an independent judiciary and public prosecutor’s office are an essential part of our democratic system. And, we very much…
PHILIPSBURG — Tourism Minister for St. Maarten, the honourable Stuart Johnson, traveled to Saba on Monday for several meetings to discuss the solidifying of St. Maarten’s hub function relationship with its neighbouring partner and foster joint venture marketing initiatives with the two islands. The Minister will visit other neighbouring islands as part of the strategic development plan of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunication (TEATT) in collaboration with private partners who contributed largely to the overall bill for the day-trip, to discuss the PJIA hub function to the region and improve its presence as the airport looks…
PHILIPSBURG — The Sint Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), in conjunction with ORCO Bank, Global Resourcing, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (COCI), The University of St Martin (USM) and 360 Innovation have launched a new innovation and networking event called SMILE set for November 2nd and 3rd. Apart from a positive name alluding to a brighter future for country Sint Maarten, SMILE stands for Sint Maarten Innovation, Initiatives & Industries Linkup Event. The event serves as a platform for innovations, business updates and networking as well as to receive more clarity on how Sint Maarten companies can take…
COLE BAY — The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation has been responding to an ongoing diesel Fuel Spill in the Simpson Bay Lagoon. On Sunday the Foundation was alerted to a large amount of fuel entering the Simpson Bay Lagoon from a channel in Cole Bay close to Kool Baai Villas. It was established that the fuel was diesel and that the source was somewhere in the area, perhaps from unregulated garages that can be found throughout the Cole Bay district. After investigating with inspectors of the Maritime Affairs Department and inspectors from the Economic Affairs department the fuel originated at…
