Lee’s Roadside Grill

Dear Editor,

Lee Halley, as a young man, had a vision, a dream to someday have his own fishing charter business on the same land and water where his father, brothers and many Simpson Bay fishermen kept their fishing boats. Lee’s hard work, determination, dedication and Simpson Bay Pride made that dream come true. A dream that, after 30 years, grew into what is now Lee’s Roadside Grill & Deep Sea Fishing.

Closing Lee’s Roadside Grill will impact our lives, the families of our 30 employees, our suppliers, contractors and the Simpson Bay community. At a time when the economy is hurting and crime is rising, the government of St. Maarten should be supporting and protecting the local businesses instead of tearing them down and selling them out. The government must start defending the rights of the local people and must stop putting the rights of foreigners ahead of our own.

Lee’s Roadside Grill is one of the few buildings left on St. Maarten with a true Caribbean look and feel. All over the world people are trying to re-create that same ambiance but our government continues to allow the destruction of what makes our island unique.

Let me say it again, the government has the authority and the power to stop the removal and the demolition of Lee’s Roadside Grill. They have a history of taking property back from people. Take for example the land next to BBW in Simpson Bay. That land was not long leased but instead owned by the many heirs of the Lejuez Family. Yet through a very strange and speedy process, the government managed to take that land away from the Lejuez family and long leased it to the Goia Brothers.

Speetjens has no legal rights to the land where Lee’s Roadside Grill is situated because they did not comply with the long lease conditions to build and operate a marina on that location within six months of obtaining the long lease. So you have to ask yourself why government does not want to take this land back from Speetjens? Why would they be willing to ruin the lives of so many people? Why would they want to tear down a landmark of this island? Why are they putting the rights of foreigners before their own people?

Ileana Halley