GREAT BAY – The St. Maarten Harbor Holding company suffered another defeat in court in its battle against the building permit Dock Maarten obtained for the construction of a rock revetment to facilitate the expansion of its marina. The harbor took the ministry of public housing, urban planning, environment and infrastructure (Vromi) to court, demanding that the building permit be declared null and void. The court declared the harbor’s appeal without merit. The harbor maintains that it has a 30-year concession for Great Bay and Cole Bay – at a price of 5.2 million guilders per year – and that…
Author: The Publisher
A lot has been said and written about the dump and a lot will be said and written about this thorn in everyone’s hide for decades to come. Those who think that our politicians will take care of the problem are dreaming. Politicians who says that they will take care of the dump are hallucinating. Why? Because we have amassed an enormous amount of crap on Pond Island that for reasons unknown some people call the sanitary landfill. It is a huge mountain of debris and you can bet your bottom dollar that everything that should not be in there…
The harbor lost another court case in the ongoing feud about a building permit Dock Maarten obtained for the expansion of its marina in Great Bay. That was predictable, but it seems that the port still won a small concession from the Vromi-ministry. That is the promise to include the port in the decision making process in the future when other building permits become an issue. The court pointed out that the government is obliged to consider all aspects before issuing a permit – any permit, really – and that it behooves the ministry to gather information from all parties…
GREAT BAY- When completed, the Rainforest Adventures Park located on the premises of the Emilio Wilson Estate will have more than thrill seeking adventurers bargain for. In addition, to the two lift stations at elevations of 790 and 138 meters respectively, there will also be a humming bird garden. That is just one aspect of the project that will certainly attract nature lovers. According to Scott Swietanski, the managing director of the project, he has seen it done in Jamaica and he intends to have one here also. This new development was made public last Saturday when two journalists from…
The Rainforest Adventure Park’s zip line will take people to the top of Sentry Hill for spectacular view. The project is a fait accompli and the time to object to it is passé, which obviously does not mean that everyone is happy with this development. As the project nears completion by next summer it is however time to look at its impact and the first issue that comes to mind is traffic. Another issue that is still a reason for concern has to do with the developer’s pledge to restore Emilio Wilson’s house on the property and to give some…
Married couple spending vacation on St. Maarten celebrate wedding anniversary in style the way one only can in St. Maarten. Story and photo’s by Milton Pieters. Mr. and Mrs. Smith celebrate wedding anniversary in style By Milton G Pieters GREAT BAY- In most cases, after one’s wedding day, it’s the last time a bride would be seen in her elaborate or not so elaborate wedding gown. But Carter Smith had an ace up his sleeve when he arrived on the Friendly Island with his wife Michelle. Carter and Michelle were legally married after a well-organized but surprised elopement, but that…
It has long been believed that human beings are able to spontaneously burst into flames and burn to smoldering ashes. This is called Spontaneous Human Combustion or SHC. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has given new life to this urban legend or myth surrounding SHC and turned it into a reality show of epic proportions on an international scale and with a billion dollar price tag hardly ever seen before. Samsung estimates the total costs for this total recall to be in the billions. This reality show supposedly even had an episode featuring a burnt out ambulance on St. Maarten.…
PHILIPSBURG — Elections are over and we have a new coalition government in place to be sworn in on October 30th. Now there is a wind of change blowing through this country and it has changed direction. But not the kind of change we want. The smoke from the dump fire is now blowing all the way up into the Cul-de-Sac basin reaching Saunders, St. Peters and South Reward. With the present outcry for something to be done, the incoming minister of VROMI will have his work cut out for him. Not an easy task given the complexities of such a…
Close windows and doors if downwind from landfill fire for those with respiratory challenges GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Fire Department, is advising persons living downwind from the landfill fire, including the Cul-de-Sac basin and Cole Bay area, to close windows and doors, especially persons who have a respiratory challenge, and for persons who suffer from asthma, shortness of breath, or any other respiratory challenges. The Fire Department is monitoring the situation at the landfill on Pond Island. The company responsible for the management of the landfill is working diligently to get the fire under control. The smoke…
GREAT BAY – Financial supervisor Cft has received annual financial reports for 2015 from just three out of 41 government entities that are obliged to produce such reports- social and health insurer SZV, the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten and Saba Bank Resources. Of the SMH care company NV the latest annual report known to the Cft dates back to 2008. Cft-chairman prof. dr. Age Bakker writes in a letter to Finance Minister Richard Gibson that the annual accounts have to be compiled the latest five months after the closing of a financial year. Only 3 out of…
