On April 20th, 2023, MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten sent a letter with questions and recommendations to the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) regarding St. Martin’s food security and economic diversification in light of developments within the Dutch Kingdom and globally.In her letter, Heyliger-Marten refers to the findings of a research report commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was issued on November 22nd, 2017 by consultancy firm ECORYS. The report was entitled: “Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten – study on price developments and logistics in the region”. Upon Heyliger-Marten’s request, a meeting of Parliament’s TEATT…
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Reading the front page article in the Daily Herald of February 22, 2023, regarding a squabble over the PFP proposal to remove the rear curtain from the voting booths, I took note: NA’s George Pantophlet thinks the voters lack understanding and need more education. (Huh??). Faction Ludmila Duncan likes the PFP idea but wants the presence of other persons in the polling stations to be looked at. Good point. How about larger voting halls, with do-not-cross lines painted on the floor 20 feet from the entrance to each voting booth? While voters are in the booths, NO-ONE is to cross…
Pond Island — TelEm Group CEO, Mr. Kendall Dupersoy has been elected to the board of CANTO (Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organization). The appointment was made during the 39th annual general meeting of CANTO in Suriname earlier this month. According to Mr. Dupersoy, the nomination was prompted by board member Mrs. Helma Etnel, who will be standing down from the board in keeping with her retirement from the TelEm Group of Companies to make way for a new CFO next month. CANTO, a non-profit association that holds annual telecommunication conferences in island member countries, is made up of operators,…
SIMPSON BAY, St. Maarten (February 16, 2023) – The Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company (PJIAE) has recently announced to its staff the theme for 2023, “Reopening with Excellence,” in preparation for the reopening of the terminal building later this year. Aligned with the theme, PJIAE’s HR (Human Resources) department has launched its Employee Experience Program for 2023 with a focus on Employee Appreciation, Employee Engagement, and Workplace Happiness. The program began on February 3, 2023, and included a 3-day certification workshop to certify 12 “Workplace Happiness Ambassadors.” These ambassadors will collaborate with the HR department to improve the overall…
Today, the Dutch State is attempting to offer its colonies of the former Netherlands Antilles an apology for what they have labelled the “slavery past.” Rather than offering an apology that many consider to be insincere, Pro Soualiga contends that the Dutch State would be better suited by offering statutory action as a means to rectify the “slavery past.” Firstly, a Dutch apology is null and void as long as the colonial governor that was in place during the “slavery past”, still remains legally intact. Additionally, the Dutch State cannot offer an apology while Statia still has its “democracy” revoked.…
Philipsburg— Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs reports on her first week in office. The much-lamented woes of the reconstruction of PJIA was the first order of business, with meetings, presentations and the sharing of the many documents to understand the current state of affairs at the Airport. The status of the legal agreements for financing of the airport terminal reconstruction project was presented to the Council by the National Recovery Program Bureau. She further reports that based on the information received, the Council of Ministers was able to give assurances to all stakeholders that getting PJIA back up and running is…
COLE BAY — Caribbean Auto is proud to introduce the All-New 2020 Volkswagen T-Cross to St. Maarten. This model is a new addition to the Volkswagen family – a versatile, practical and flexible compact SUV that is sure to make waves within the small vehicle segment. This urban crossover model is the ideal companion in everyday life and beyond! I Am More! The vehicle’s slogan “I am more”, captures four focus areas of Volkswagen when it came down to the design: practical, cool, intuitive and safe. The T-Cross is beautifully designed with special attention paid to spaciousness and practicality, while…
November 29, 2019—French Quarter, St. Martin—Do you ever wish you knew more about your family history? Are you looking for something special to share this holiday season? Sign up for the free Family Photo Workshop and you can do both these things. The workshop will be held at Amuseum Naturalis from 9 am to noon on Saturday, December 7th. Every photo also tells a story. When we learn how to read the story in a photo, that story comes alive and can be a part of history. Cesar Escalona is an expert at finding the meaning in photos, and he…
SOUTH REWARD — St. Maarten Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF) proudly presents its third bi-annual competition on Saturday, December 7 at the Milton Peters College gymnasium in South Reward from 9:30 – 4 pm. This event will host a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Graduation and Demonstration from 9:30 am-1 pm and a Muay Thai Kickboxing Competition starting at 11 am -4 pm. For the first time, SXM BJJ’s special needs program will demonstrate self-defense skills in front of an audience. This will begin at 9:30 am. For the last three years, SXM BJJ has been training students with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder…
“I’ve never cooked for 100 people, so this is a great experience for me,” says Sharon Jones, a culinary student at the St. Maarten Training Foundation (SMTF). Sharon along with 70 classmates helped to provide a free 3-course Thanksgiving dinner yesterday evening at NIPA. The Freegan Food Foundation, who initiated the idea for the dinner, invited the guests from various neighborhoods on the island. For nearly two years, Freegan Food Foundations Founders Dirk-Jan & Joost, along with volunteers, visit various communities to distribute their free vegan meals: “On a daily basis we see firsthand that certain families have trouble putting…
