GREAT BAY – Transparency, fairness and accountability should be the guiding elements of the relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts,” Ombudsman Dr. Nilda Arduin says. She is asking the public to file substantial complaints about relief, recovery and rebuilding promptly to her office. The Ombudsman will apply a fast track investigation to these complaints. “It is clear that we are in a state of crisis,” the Ombudsman says. “It should be obvious that business as usual cannot apply at this stage.” The focus of the Ombudsman office will therefore be on monitoring relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. This will get priority…
Author: The Publisher
MP Sarah Wescot-Williams hits the nail on the head with her letter to the Kingdom Council of Ministers, though we can imagine that some readers might feel that the letter is a form of humiliating groveling. But nobody can fault her analysis. Like us, she does not see the connection between the transparent execution of reconstruction projects and the establishment of the Integrity Chamber. Like us, she figures that an effective control mechanism can address this issue more effective and much faster. We have suggested earlier teaming up a Dutch High Commissioner with a local expert like Ronald Halman, the…
GREAT BAY – “Cut the link between financial support and conditions that are not directly related to the transparent, effective and efficient spending of the reconstruction support from the Netherlands; establish those conditions now.” That is the plea Democratic Party MP and president of parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams made in a letter she addressed on Friday as a private person to the chairman of the kingdom Council of Ministers, Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Netherlands wants St. Maarten to establish legislation for the establishment of the Integrity Chamber by October 31 – a practical impossibility – and to deploy the Royal…
Simpson Bay — On the 6th of September powerful category 5+ hurricane ‘Irma’ did not spare the underwater world with her large waves and strong underwater motion and surge. Scientific in-water Marine Research conducted the Nature Foundation including the Coral Nursery, Conch and Seagrass Research and the Acoustic Receivers are totally damaged or completely lost. The Coral Nursery was part of a three year RESCQ project (Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Coral Reef Quality) funded by the European Union Best 2.0 Program in order to restore Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (A. cervicornis) coral reef zones by growing coral fragments…
GREAT BAY — Sarah Wescot-Williams today sent an urgent letter to the Dutch Kingdom Council of Ministers (Rijksministerraad) outlining her personal feelings and gratitude for the assistance the Netherlands as a Kingdom partner offered to St. Maarten in the aftermath of hurricane Irma and in the darkest hours the island went through and her view on the conditions the Dutch government is imposing on the St. Maarten government in order to receive financial aid for rebuilding the country. “The correlation is not clear to me. Especially between an integrity chamber and the transparent execution of projects. This should be clearly…
PHILIPSBURG – On Friday the official #SXMSTRONG campaign has been launched. This campaign is a broad initiative organized by different community- and social stakeholders on the Dutch and French side and is endorsed by both governments. The #SXMSTRONG campaign will bring together different social organizations and business community. It gives them a platform to organize their events and activities as part of the joint rebuilding efforts. Leading up to Sint Maarten day, several events will be held around the island. On November 5, the first cruise ship will arrive and the Harbor will celebrate this important arrival by organizing different…
PHILIPSBURG – The Little League Ball program on Sint Maarten was hit hard by hurricane Irma last month. Their clubhouse filled with materials and memories was blown away. Tom Burnett, better known as Coach Tom, spends most of his afternoons at the Little League Ball Field. Since 2012, he runs an after school baseball program called: ‘Player Development’, which targets vulnerable youth on Sint Maarten. Article continues after the video By Laura Bijnsdorp ‘Player Development’ teaches kids ages 4 and up to play baseball and take part in games as a team. A number of their players are now playing…
Philipsburg — CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank (CIBC FCIB) donated US$75,000 to the St. Maarten Red Cross, aiding in relief and rebuilding efforts on the island. The funds are part of the USD$450,000, which the bank committed last month to be distributed through the Red Cross and other relief agencies to areas impacted by Hurricane Irma. Continues support of hurricane Irma relief and rebuilding efforts “The bank continues to stand with the territories impacted by Hurricane Irma. We have seen great efforts made by the communities to help those in need and rebuild the countries. St. Maarten in particular has not…
Philipsburg – Kids parading through the Philipsburg area in cultural wear will officially kick off the activities leading up to St. Martin Day 2017. The parade is a collaboration between the Cocaae Foundation and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and is scheduled for Saturday October 14th 2017. The parade will start at 11 am at the Philipsburg Cultural and Community Center (back street) then on to Wilhelmina Street (Court House Alley), then turn onto Front Street and proceed up to Emma Plein where the parade will turn down the alley besides Diamond Casino, turn right onto the…
Major disasters and stressful situations tend to bring out the best and the worst in people and the organizations managed by them; public and private, and even volunteer. The indiscriminate nature of Hurricane Irma means that no one has been spared. Just a month after the passing of Hurricanes Irma and Maria we see some signs of normalcy on St. Maarten, the island is coming back little by little, everyday gets a little better; -a little greener. Many businesses mostly small and medium size ones are opening their doors to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, some that were already…
