Simpson Bay – The Royal Dutch airline, KLM, Sunday resumed scheduled service to the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM Airport), following the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria which severely damaged the facilities at the airport. “Although the Dutch national carrier had postponed this flight from an earlier date, it still came almost as a St. Martin Day gift,” noted Michel Hyman, COO and acting CEO of SXM Airport. “We are very happy to welcome KLM back direct from Amsterdam. Slowly but surely, as our recovery progresses, we look forward to continuing the very positive partnership we have enjoyed through…
Author: The Publisher
GREAT BAY – November 14 is World Diabetes Day (WDD). The 2017 focus of WDD is on women, and therefore, the country’s women are invited to attend the activities that have been organized on Tuesday, November 14. The 2017 theme for WDD is: “Women and Diabetes.” Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, said the activities planned on Tuesday are of an informative and practical nature. The activities entail blood glucose testing and measuring blood pressure and the provision of information about diabetes prevention and management at the following pharmacies; Simpson…
PORT ST. MAARTEN – Under the headline, “#SXMStrong – St. Maarten bounces back”, US editor of Seatrade Cruise Review and Seatrade Cruise News Anne Kalosh described how the country is bouncing back based on interviews with Port St. Maarten Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ton van Kooten and Business Development Officer Alexander Gumbs, published on November 6, 2017. Kalosh started out: “One of Caribbean cruising’s most important destinations and one of the places hardest hit by Hurricane Irma is proving its mettle. It’s summed up by the hastag #SXMStrong.” The story provides an update on public utilities such as electricity and…
GREAT BAY – The Inspectorate of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications (TEATT) conducted a joint control with Inspectors from the Ministry of VSA (Public Health, Social Development and Labour) on public street vendors and a restaurant on Thursday, November 9th. A total of nine controls were executed. Seven public street traders and one restaurant were controlled from W.G. Buncamper Road along the entire W.A. Nisbeth Road. One person was found vending on Octavius L. Richardson Road in Belair who was not in possession of a permit and was given a warning. During the control several violations were found of…
By Cdr. Bud Slabbaert Maracuja Republics, yes. But Banana Republics, definitely not! A few clarifying lines of political science may be appropriate here. Every government system is a ‘Cracy’ which originates from the Greek word for power: ‘Kratos’. Democracy is the most favored since it is supposed to be the power of the people (demos=people). Experts with an academic background claim that due to human nature being essentially faulty, every government system in the beginning of its development has been a ‘Kakistocracy’, meaning rule by the stupid; a form of governance where the worst or least-qualified citizens are in control.…
Rebuilding Sint Maarten on Grace and Love Sint Maarten Day Message by Eugene B. Holiday The Governor of Sint Maarten Fellow Sint Maarteners, Good morning. Sint Maarten will rise again. We are gathered here thanks to the grace and love of God. It is on that grace and love that I address you on this Sint Maarten Day. “Where over the world, say where, You find and island there, So lovely small with nations free, …. As thee Saint Martin in the sea? …… Oh I love thy paradise” What a powerful expression of our love for Sint Maarten. The…
Philipsburg — We found the following unpaid advice to political parties on Facebook. Good advice that we felt compelled to share with our readership as Postulation Day approaches on Monday, November 13th, 2017. The unpaid advice to political parties goes as follows: As all parties get ready for postulation day, let’s reflect on the political turmoil since 10-10-10. 7 governments in 7 years, but let’s analyze the situation a bit deeper. Every time government fell over the past years, the main actor or actors were always young, relatively new to politics, a relative newcomer to the party from which they…
Politicians are like nipples. Without them StMaartenNews.com would be pointless.
Fellow St. Martiners, This St. Martin Day is like no other that we have celebrated since this holiday was established jointly by two St. Martin patriots in 1959, the late Dr. Hubert Petit and Dr. Claude Wathey. Their intention, as I understand it, was to bring all the people of the island together, from Great Bay to Marigot, from Middle Region to Hameau du Pont, from French Quarter to Dutch Quarter, and from Simpson Bay to Galisbay, St. Martin people from all four corners of the island, to join hands and hearts together to celebrate our St. Martin-ness, that special…
PHILIPSBURG / HILVERSUM – “The troubled political situation mid the destructions done by hurricane Irma, make the presence of independent media on St. Maarten more important than ever.” This is the opinion of the organization behind the Dutch benefit event ‘Nieuwspoort for St. Maarten’. Thursday several prominent Dutch politicians and journalist gathered during the benefit event in The Hague to talk about aid or the media on the island. One editorial newspaper office was completely destroyed by hurricane Irma, while the remaining – and only – newspaper on St. Maarten is struggling with a huge drop in advertising revenues. Other media also…
