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Victorious Living Celebrates 15 Years & Hosting Leadercast For 5 Years

Leadercast Registration deadline May 1st

Belair, St Maarten —  Leadercast Live 2017, the largest one day global leadership conference, hosted locally by Victorious Living Foundation via live simulcast is only one week away. As the excitement mounts, over 100 persons have already registered for this transformational experience hosted consecutively on St. Martin by Victorious Living for the past five years.

The theme for Leadercast 2017 is “Powered by Purpose.” Headliners at this year’s event include the world renowned director, playwright, producer and philanthropist, Tyler Perry; Dr Read more

Prime Minister William Marlin Meets With Progress Committee  

 

PHILIPSBURG – On Friday morning April 28th , Prime Minister William Marlin met with the Progress Committee. Prime Minister Marlin said that in the past reports have been very critical, but the reporting this time has been quite positive.

The new Justice Minister, Mr. Rafael Boasman is very serious about tackling the Plans of Approach Read more

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Preparations Has Commenced For Memorial Day On May 4Th

PHILIPSBURG –  Prime Minister William Marlin hereby makes it known that preparations for Memorial Day have commenced. Memorial Day is the National Day of Remembrance, which is the day that we commemorate the victims who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II have commenced.

The preparations include the relocation of the commemoration plaques at the Captain Hodge Wharf to a more publicly accessible location on the same Wharf Read more

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Vwa Concludes Saturday As Preps Get Underway For Vaccination Open House In May And June

 

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) which kicked off onSaturday, April 22, concludes on Saturday, April 29.

VWA did not go un-noticed in Sint Maarten, as Minister of Public Health Emil Lee received promotional materials from the local VWA Committee to signify the support of the country wi Read more

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GREAT BA(DCOMM):--- Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) which kicked off on Saturday, April 22, concludes on Saturday, April 29.

VWA did not go un-noticed in Sint Maarten, as Minister of Public Health Emil Lee received promotional materials from the local VWA Committee to signify the support of the country with the annual VWA campaign.

Sint Maarten will start with its own vaccination campaign that will be organized in May and June Read more

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Preparations Has Commenced For Memorial Day On May 4Th

PHILIPSBURG - Prime Minister William Marlin hereby makes it known that preparations for Memorial Day have commenced. Memorial Day is the National Day of Remembrance, which is the day that we commemorate the victims who have died in wars or peacekeeping missions since the outbreak of World War II have commenced.

The preparations include the relocation of the commemoration plaques at the Captain Hodge Wharf to a more publicly accessible location on the same Wharf Read more

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Draft Law Soon On Upping Age For Alcohol Purchase

PHILIPSBURG--The Penal Code establishes the legal alcohol drinking age at eighteen, but the ordinance regulating the sale of alcohol prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone below age sixteen. This glaring discrepancy will soon be tackled by Parliament via an initiative draft law.

The draft law to amend the Permit Ordinance was initiated by former Member of Parliament now Minister of Education and Youth Read more

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Caricom’S Energy-Efficient Building Code Could Be Tough Sell

Fulgence St. Prix, technical officer for standards at Caricom Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) who is overseeing the Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (REEBC), told IPS, “When we at the regional level propose a standard or code it’s meant to be voluntary…We do not have the mechanism to dictate to member states to make any standard the subject of a technical regulation thus making implementation mandatory.”

In keeping with WTO guidelines, he said, “A standard is a voluntary document Read more

One Killed, Three Injured In Explosion At Rui Montego Bay Hotel

KINGSTON, Jamaica – One man was killed and four injured in an explosion at the RIU Montego Bay Hotel in the western parish of St. James on Thursday.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade reports the explosion happened in the main boiler room of the hotel.

The public relations officer of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Emeleo Ebanks, said the cause of the explosion is not yet known.

As investigations continue into the incident, the hotel has been closed and guests moved to other locations.

“There is no electricity and the guests were relocated to the other hotels in the island Read more

Upp Faction Forfeits Opportunity To Represent The People

The Central Committee of Parliament made history last week when it scheduled ample time to discuss the 2016-2020 Governing Program “Solidarity for Prosperity.” As far as I can recall, this is the first time that Parliament planned so many meetings to handle a governing program. The only other topic for which so many meetings are scheduled by Parliament is the country’s budget. I am a strong believer that these two go hand in hand and we should expect to see the priorities and projects listed in the governing program also reflected in all future budgets presented.

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA), comprised of the USP, DP and NA factions, also ought to be commended for their display of unity during the opening presentation Read more

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Minister Jacobs Pushes Initiative To Increase Drinking Age

 

PHILIPSBURG – It is Parliament’s policy that initiative draft laws presented to Parliament and whose authors are no longer Members of Parliament, can be further promoted by the faction to which the initiative taker belonged.

This is the case with the change to the permit ordinance and the “legal” drinking age. One would recall that the Lion’s Club has been an advocate for the legal drinking age to be established at 18. This is the case in the penal code, however, the permit ordinance that regulates the sale of alcohol, prohibits the sale of alcohol to persons below the age of 16.

This discrepancy was addressed in Parliament during a meeting with representatives of the Lion’s Club.

Former Member of Parliament (MP) and present Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs, presented an initiative draft law, amending the permit ordinance to bring this in line with the penal code Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- It is parliament's policy that initiative draft laws presented to parliament and whose authors are no longer members of parliament, can be further promoted by the faction to which the initiative taker belonged.
This is the case with the change to the permit ordinance and the "legal" drinking age.
One would recall that the Lion's Club has been an advocate for the legal drinking age to be established at 18. This is the case in our penal code, however, the permit ordinance that regulates the sale of alcohol, prohibits the sale of alcohol below the age of 16 Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the weekend a small group consisting of Minister Emil Lee and one representative each from INSO, Royal Haskoning, St. Maarten Medical Center, and KPMG, visited the Owen King E. U. Hospital in St. Lucia. During their tour of the hospital built by INSO this group met with the Honorable Minister of Health and Wellness, Minister Mary Isaac Read more

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Charlotte Brookson Academy Hosts Staff Retreat 

 

PHILIPSBURG – The Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts recently concluded its retreat on April 18.

The 14 members of the board, management and staff gathered at the conference room of the Simpson Bay Resort. The purpose of the retreat was to re-establish a common understanding of the CBA vision and the school development plan, strengthen a collective understanding of how the vision will be implemented, monitored and evaluated and to identify strategic personal and professional development plans for the staff.

The turbulent process of moving to the new location, and in preparation for the upcoming school year and getting approval for the future focus of the school, management and staff felt it opportune to get together in a conducive environment to reflect on the immediate past, the successes, challenges and opportunities for the future of CBA.

The sessions were facilitated by independent consultant Marjan de Visser and assisted by Human Resources and Finance Manager Hiro Shigemoto and Innovations Coordinator Okama Ekpe Brook Read more

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Draft Law Establishing Timeshare Authority For St. Maarten Under Review

 

PHILIPSBURG – It has not gone unnoticed that timeshare users of units on St. Maarten have been very vocal as of late regarding the draft law to establish a timeshare authority.

“There is quite a history behind the proposal to establish a Timeshare Authority, starting with a motion passed in Parliament on June 29, 2011 to establish a ‘timeshare regulatory body,’” explained Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

With the help and involvement of many, in and outside of government/parliament and the timeshare industry, two draft initiatives were tabled by former MP P Read more

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Draft Law Establishing A Timeshare Authority For St. Maarten Under Review.

PHILIPSBURG:--- It has not gone unnoticed that timeshare users of units on St. Maarten have been very vocal as of late regarding the draft law to establish a timeshare authority.
“There is quite a history behind the proposal to establish a Timeshare Authority, starting with a motion passed in Parliament on June 29, 2011, to establish a ‘timeshare regulatory body”, explained MP Wescot-Williams.
With the help and involvement of many, in and outside of government/parliament and in and outside of the timeshare industry, two draft initiatives were tabled by former MP, P Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The Charlotte Brookson Academy of the Performance Arts concluded its retreat on April 18th, 2017. The 14 members of the board, management, and staff gathered at the conference room of the Simpson Bay Resort. The purpose of the retreat was to reestablish a common understanding of the CBA vision and the school development plan, strengthen a collective understanding of how the vision will be implemented, monitored and evaluated and to identify strategic personal and professional development plans for the staff Read more

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WILLEMSTAD/ PHILIPSBURG:--- The medical director of SEHOS (St Elizabeth Hospital ) Dr. Franke Scheper worked closely with the Inspector of Health in Curacao Dr. Gersji Pererira to find a workable solution and one that he could manage in the interest of Healthcare.
Dr. Michel Berry was suspended by the institution in the month of January for not seeing and treating a patient that was admitted to SEHOS. The moment Dr. Berry was suspended both by SEHOS and the Inspector of Health the director of SEHOS called in two different auditors from the Netherlands to conduct an independent audit on the quality of surgery care and on patient safety.
Shortly after that SEHOS discovered that one of their surgeons, Dr Read more

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A New Political Party Launches In Antigua

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – With a promise to advocate for transnational leadership and changing how politics has been practiced here, a new political party was launched Tuesday.

Member of Parliament for All Saints East and St Luke Joanne Massiah said the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) would change the culture of disillusionment with the current crop of political leaders in Antigua and Barbuda.

Massiah, who is a founding member of the DNA, said she would name candidates “after carnival.”

She envisions a “new Antigua and Barbuda” where residents can live out the motto, each endeavoring all achieving.

Massiah told the launch of her party, at the Multi-purpose Centre in the capital, that others in the past have failed to provide a reliable “supply of water, electricity and modern road infrastructure”.

She promised a 20-year development plan for the country called vision 20/20.

“Growth is only possible if we are prepared to change,” the female legislator said, while quoting the national anthem.

“We intend to give people hope Read more

Disease Burden Growing As Vector Insects Adapt To Climate Change

KINGSTON, Jamaica – There were surprised gasps when University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor John Agard told journalists at an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in late November 2016 that mosquitoes were not only living longer, but were “breeding in septic tanks underground”.

For many, it explained why months of fogging at the height of Zika and Chikungunya outbreaks had done little to reduce mosquito populations in their various countries Read more

Minister Jacobs Emphasizes Parental Responsibility During Carnival

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports Silveria Jacobs addressed the media in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

She wished everyone a happy and safe Carnival and stressed “especially to the parents, there is still school, and I would like to remind parents that your first responsibility is to make sure that your children make the most of their education Read more

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Minister Emmanuel Not Distracted By False Information

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of VROMI Christophe Emmanuel gave a short status update to members of the press in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press briefing.

In regard to the proposed housing development in Dawn Beach, representatives “will be here in May. They will give a full rundown.”

“I received an email from them today stating that they will be signing the agreement, and going over all the paperwork with the landowner, contracts with the developer. I think that part of it is for them to explain how they’re going to move forward with it when I was in Curaçao,” Minister Emmanuel informed.

“Everything was set and is in motion concerning the 167 homes that are supposed to be built in the Dawn Beach area,” he said.

Concerning the explosive letter that was printed in the media, the Minister said, “That’s just what it is for me Read more

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Minister Lee Asks Media To Provide Quality, Unbiased Information To Public

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Emil Lee addressed the media in Wednesday’s, April 19, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

He first reported on his trip to Holland. “The purpose for the visit was to discuss the developments with the hospital. The fact that the hospital project is now back on track, we are again looking at exploring the possibility of financial support from Holland,” Minister Lee informed.

“The reason being, although we’re accessing funds locally to begin the project, fact is that if we can access funds directly via Holland because of the lower interest rate and because of a different payment terms, this would result in a savings operationally for the new hospital of between 3-5 million guilders a year, and I believe that anything we can do to save money operationally is money that can be better spent on health care rather than paying into financing charges,” the Minister informed.

According to the Minister, the “Kingdom Council of Ministers will make a recommendation that the funding for the hospital project be considered outside of the normal lending procedures.”

The other purpose for the Holland trip was to speak about legislative assistance Read more

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‘No Proof Of Nini Planning Murder’

WILLEMSTAD--The Prosecutor’s Office in Curaçao was unable to prove that Burney “Nini” Fonseca (45) had indeed been the intermediary between those who executed the murder of politician Helmin Magno Wiels in 2013 and the intellectual authors, said his lawyer Marije Vaders on Friday, asking for a full acquittal of her client.

She said convicted triggerman Elvis “Monster” Kuwas had lied several times in his testimony and asked the court to hold him in contempt for perjury.

Fonseca, who so far had refused to talk, made use of the last word in the “Maximus” trial by video conference from prison in the Netherlands, where he is serving a drugs-related sentence Read more