Dear Mr. Editor, First, I would like to congratulate the incoming UP/DP/Brownbill Government which I have a lot of confidence in to move us forward and addressing the real issues affecting our island. One of the real issues I would like the Minister of Education to put high on her priority list is to accelerate the adjusted design of the draft Tertiary for Education Ordinance and to present an advanced/adjusted draft much sooner than the previous Government. As a former Member of Parliament, I believe the previous Government could have done a better job of speeding up the process of…
Author: The Publisher
We received another email yesterday morning. This one promised us immediate actions on the part of the new incoming government. One immediate action we saw is the new interim minister of Transportation/Aviation paying a visit and receiving a tour of the PJIA airport from the board of directors. The news release from the SXM Airport promises that the “PJIAE Managing Board is also slated to deliver a presentation to the Honorable Council of Ministers on Friday, January 19th, 2018” and that the board is “committed to keep the Council of Ministers updated on the progress of the rebuilding and ongoing…
PHILIPSBURG – The new Council of Ministers was sworn in by Governor Holiday on Monday and shortly afterwards presented itself at the traditional constituting meeting at the government building on pond island on Monday morning. Missing in the lineup are a minister for economic affairs and tourism and a minister plenipotentiary. Minister Cornelius de Weever (Justice) will take on the role of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication until a successor for Melissa Arrindell-Doncher has been found. Nothing has been said about the appointment of a successor for Minister Plenipotentiary Henrietta Doran-York. However, Hassani Ellis, has been appointed…
POND ISLAND — Prime Minister Leona Marlin-Romeo has released her first national address to the nation in connection with her swearing in as the country’s Head of Government on Monday, January 15th, 2018. Her national address is as follows: Let me commence by sharing a few of the lyrics of a song called Not alone for mighty empire. Written by William P. Merrill, in 1911. Not alone for mighty empire, Stretching far over land and sea, Not alone for bounteous harvests, Lift we up our hearts to Thee. Standing in the living present, Memory and hope between, Lord, we would…
PHILIPSBURG – It did not go without some hiccups, but Gracita Arrindell’s People’s Progressive Alliance (PPA) did manage to get enough endorsement signatures to qualify the party for participation in the February 26 parliamentary elections. From 86 on Endorsement Day the total jumped on Monday to 249. During last week’s Endorsement Day, the PPA failed to reach the threshold of 142 signatures – one percent of the number of valid votes in the 2016 elections. But on Monday morning, when the party got a second chance to complete this mission, things were looking up early on. By a quarter past…
Simpson Bay – The Managing Board of the Princess Juliana International Airport SXM hosted a guided tour for the Honorable Minister of Justice and Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT), Cornelius De Weever on Monday January 15th, 2018 at the terminal building. The PJIAE Managing Board members included the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Michel Hyman, and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ravi Daryanani. The walk-through tour included an up close and personal look, into the devastated terminal building. PJIAE suffered severe damages, as a result of the Hurricane Irma on September…
PORT ST. MAARTEN – Carnival Cruise Lines returned to the destination on Monday with Carnival Sunshine. Carnival Pride will be in on Tuesday, January 16. Carnival is one of the destination’s strategic cruise partners and has been a loyal and committed cruise stakeholder for several decades. Passengers were greeted early Monday morning, with a warm festive St. Maarten welcome from DOW’s Steel Pan Band, stilt walkers, and Carnival dancers fitted out in costumes. Carnival Sunshine has a guest capacity of 3002 and a crew complement of 1040. The vessel has a gross tonnage of 102,853 and is 892 feet long.…
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) in its recent epidemiological report about yellow fever in the Americas, encourages Member States to continue efforts to immunize the at risk populations and take the necessary actions to keep travelers informed and vaccinated, when heading to areas where yellow fever vaccination is recommended. Between January 2016 and December 2017, seven countries and territories of the Region of the Americas reported confirmed cases of yellow fever: the Pluri-national State of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and Suriname. The number of human cases and…
POND ISLAND — The PPA has garnered 170 signatures. With that endorsement, which was achieved around 12pm today, the party is now qualified to participate in the upcoming February 26th, 2018, elections. Photo caption: PPA leader, Gracita R. Arrindell, here seen at the entrance of the Census Office building on Pond Island, being congratulated by the chairman of the Main Voting Bureau, Jason Rogers.
Chairperson of Parliament, Members of Parliament Prime-Minister, Ministers, Préfète déléguée of Saint Martin and St. Barths President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin Distinguished Guests, Good Morning, On November 2, 2017, a shift in the majority in Parliament took place creating the basis for the transfer of governing responsibility to a new team of Ministers. Today, almost two and half months later we have before us a council of ministers supported by the new majority in Parliament. During the formation period for this interim cabinet, I consulted with various persons and named Mr. Franklin Meyers and subsequently Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams…
