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Gibbs offers new school year wishes but says illiteracy must be addressed

MARIGOT--Member of Parliament (MP) Daniel Gibbs said illiteracy is still a phenomenon affecting a large part of St. Martin and attention must be paid to it, as part of his message to children, parents and teachers on the start of the new school year.

   “Unfortunately, a huge part of St. Martin suffers from illiteracy, and I am aware of this scourge,” he said Read more

Financial instruction for St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers on Friday did exactly as was anticipated: it gave St. Maarten an instruction to get its 2015 budget and multi-annual calculations in order. A number of measures have to materialise in a budget amendment before October 31.

“St. Maarten needs to have a realistic budget. The budget is too optimistic. Nothing gets solved by pushing the problems ahead. They will come back at you next year,”Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk said after Friday’s meeting in The Hague, which was attended by the Ministers Plenipotentiary of Aruba, Curaçao and St Read more

Green brigade poised to start Sargassum weed operation

MARIGOT--Eighteen unemployed persons, now referred to as the “green brigade” (brigade verte) officially signed one-year renewable contracts Thursday in Hotel de la Collectivité to launch the start of a major Sargassum weed collection, beginning at the end of September.

The project is based on a unique insertion and access to employment agreement signed between the Employment Office, Centre Symphorien d’Insertion—an association that won the bid to employ the young people—and the brigade members themselves.

In mid-July the Collectivité and the Préfecture announced the release of 200,000 euros, financed equally, for 2015 to fight the Sargassum phenomenon Read more

Editorial - Reasonably bright

Media often are accused of bringing mostly bad news, simply because when things go well there is nothing wrong to report on. While there may be some truth to that, the Central Bank’s announcement that the gross domestic product (GDP) of St. Maarten grew by 1.6 per cent in the first quarter (see related story) merits a positive mention.

That is all the more the case when one considers that monetary union partner Curaçao saw a decline of 0.2 per cent Read more

Notices September 4

Friday, September 4

CULTURAL EVENING

Organised by Home Away From Home Senior Citizens Foundation

Place: The Belair Community Centre, in Cay Hill

Time: 7:00pm

Tickets: US$10, Euro 10,or NAf20

NOTICES

Baseball Program

St. Maarten Little League Association informs the general public that their baseball program has resumed. Training takes place at the Little League Stadium on: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:00 to 5:00pm for children ages 9 to 12 Read more

Parliament grappling with old draft Antillean laws

PHILIPSBURG--Almost five years after becoming a country within the Dutch Kingdom, Parliament has yet to determine which of the pending laws taken over from the former Netherlands Antilles should still be handled.

On Thursday afternoon, four such laws were on the agenda of a Central Committee meeting of Parliament. These laws were the amendments to the national ordinances related to admissions and expulsions, notaries and administrative jurisdiction and the national ordinance related to September 27, 1968 in Brussels about civil affairs.

After an hour of back and forth discussion with Justice Minister Dennis Richardson and Members of Parliament (MPs), it was decided to suspend the meeting pending a review of all pending laws from the Antillean Parliament Read more

Leg two of 3 For Life Run set for September 13

SIMPSON BAY—The second leg of the 3-For-Life Running Series is set for Sunday, September 13.  The second leg will start from the Red Cross building in Simpson Bay at 7:00am. Cost to enter the 10k Red Cross Youth Chapter Charity Run is US $15.
  The first leg was a 7k run August 9.  The men’s division was won by Omarco Robinson with a time of 25:54.  Birgit Van Lieshout took top honours in the women’s category at 34:11 and the Junior run was won by Kai Piscione in 33:10.
  The Run will start at the Red Cross on Airport Road, and held through Simpson Bay, passing Tri-Sport Read more

Venice film puts spotlight on Boston's paedophile priests

VENICE--"Spotlight" starring Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo as reporters working on the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of paedophile Roman Catholic priests deals with just a fraction sexual predation in the Church, its director says.
  Reports of sexual misconduct by the late British entertainer Jimmy Savile and other high profile cases are an indication of the global scope of the problem, and of failures to deal with it, Tom McCarthy said before his film's screening on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival.
  "These moments where we know people have done things wrong and we don't, as a society, we don't stand up to them, it takes years and years and years and the question is why? Why does it take so long?" McCarthy said in an interview on Wednesday.
  The Globe's Spotlight team exposed the attacks over a period of decades by priests in the Boston archdiocese who molested young boys and girls but instead of being reported to the police were given counselling and moved to a different parish Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:----  CC1 St. Maarten has also offered with a significant support for the island of Dominica, the island that has been struck by Tropical Storm Erika.
“We were touched and saddened by the devastation in Dominica and saw the need to help, General Manager, Ada Delgado of CC1 St. Maarten said “. The island was battered on Thursday last week with heavy rains, causing streets to flood and rivers to overflow, leaving many people without homes, drinking water and food. We were very distressed when we received the news about Tropical Storm Erika and we felt we had to act immediately.
According to reliable resources the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee St Read more

Cc1 St.Maarten Donate 10 Pallets Of Water To Dominica

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – CC1 St.Maarten has also offered with a significant support for the island of Dominica, the island that has been struck by Tropical Storm Erika.

“We were touched and saddened by the devastation in Dominica and saw the need to help, General Manager, Ada Delgado of CC1 St.Maarten said “.

The island was battered on Thursday last week with heavy rains, causing streets to flood and rivers to overflow, leaving many people without homes, drinking water and food.

We were very distressed when we received the news about Tropical Storm Erika and we felt we had to act immediately.

According to reliable resources the Dominica Disaster Relief Committee St.maarten respresented by Maria Joseph, Romain Laville and many others were in contact with the Prime Minister office, Presidents office of Dominica and they managed to acquire a 2 x 40ft container to fill with goods to be sent to the island of Dominica this weekend.

CC1 St.Maarten saw the opportunity to assist immediately, and is given an initial contribution of 10 pallets of Dasani Water Read more

Transportation Minister To Meet With Bus Drivers Shortly

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Minister of Transportation the Honorable Claret Connor is now looking forward to meeting with the islands bus drivers.

The meeting will be a follow-up meeting to discuss overall changes within the islands transportation industry.

Minister Connor also confirmed that he has had meetings with the Taxi Read more

New Ministers Take Oath Of Office On Monday: Boasman And Sams Complete Cabinet

Rafael Boasman is the new minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor. File photo Pearl FM

St. Maarten – Rafael Boasman will be sworn in as the new minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor next week Monday. E.V. Sams will become Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication. Claret Connor, who held this position, will move to the Ministry of Public Housing, Urban Planning, Environment and Infrastructure.

The cabinet of Governor Drs Read more

Latoya Lake Gets Kudos For Her First Book  

Minister Claret Connor with author Latoya Lake. Photo DCOMM

St. Maarten – Local author Latoya Lake received a token of accomplishment from Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and  Telecommunication Claret Connor at the launch of her first book “It’s like Déjà vu with You” at the Holland House Beach Hotel.

Surrounded by family, friends and well-wishers, Lake who is lab technician and pharmacist assistant by profession, was lauded for the accomplishment of her book.

Minister Connor encouraged the St Read more

No Suspects For Burglary At Minister’S Home

St. Maarten – On May 19, an armed man dressed in black and wearing a hoody robbed the home of Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson just after midday. Police investigators have no new evidence in the case. Press Public Prosecutor Karola van Nie confirmed on Wednesday, that the investigation is still ongoing

At the time of the robbery, Minister Richardson stated to this newspaper that the robber threatened his wife Emilse and their two children with a weapon. Terrified she led the robber to the location of her jewelry Read more

AUC increases security after second threatening message

CUPECOY--American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine has increased security on campus after receiving a second “threatening communication.”

Classes at the institution were disrupted on Monday when AUC had to be evacuated after it received a bomb threat via e-mail. In a letter to students dated September 2, AUC Campus Administrator Michael Kanaby said the second communication received “did not warn of an imminent danger to the community.”

“Due to the ongoing and as yet unresolved police investigation into these communications, we are increasing security on campus,” the letter read.

“Beginning today, you will notice more security staff and a tightening of security regarding access to the campus Read more

Country has 1,612 registered physically, mentally challenged

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten has a total of 1,612 persons registered as physically or mentally challenged, based on figures ad interim Health Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs presented to Parliament in a Central Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Bourne-Gumbs was in Parliament for the continuation of the meeting on the national ordinance on public health that deals specifically with preventing and containing infectious diseases, health protocols and other related topics. The meeting originally started on August 5, but was suspended to give the ministry’s team time to research answers to questions posed by Members of Parliament (MPs).

The figures given by the minister date to 2011, and estimated the number of differently-abled persons living at home at 1,582 Read more

India's bulldozer promises to add two percentage points to growth

NAGPUR, India--The man Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tasked with launching a China-style infrastructure boom calls himself a "bulldozer" and promises to add two percentage points to India's economic growth in two years.
  "I am a man of my word," Nitin Gadkari told Reuters on a trip to his home district in Maharashtra, the state where he made a reputation for getting the job done Read more

Editorial - All hands on deck

Today's news that the screening of two new prospective ministers was completed with success (see related article) is most welcome. Rumours had surfaced that this might not be the case for at least one of the candidates, which of course would have led to even more delay in the proposed changes.

Once formalised, the appointment of Raphael Boasman as Public Health, Social Development and Labour Minister as well as Ernest Sams as Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister will bring the cabinet up to its normal seven members, one for each ministry Read more

Dp Wants Action With Timeshare Legislation

St. Maarten– The ministry of tourism and economic affairs is going back to the drawing board with timeshare legislation and that is not to the liking of the Democratic Party. DP-MP Sarah Wescot-Williams said yesterday that the party would take back its initiative legislation and go forward with it if there is no fast action forthcoming from the ministry.

Former DP-MP Leroy de Weever submitted draft timeshare legislation Read more

Government Administration Building Remains Empty: White Elephant Remains A Burden

Will there ever be light at the end of the tunnel? The lobby of the new government administration building is empty and waiting to be properly furnished. Photo Today / Hilbert Haar

St. Maarten – The new government administration building on Pond Island – aka the White Elephant with the Green Hat – is still waiting for its first civil servants. The interior of the building is not finished and yesterday nobody was working on it either.

Based on an overview of buildings in use by the government that is in the possession of this newspaper, 56 government departments are using real estate outside of the current governed administration building on Clem Labega Square.

Of fourteen buildings, the list today has in its possession mentions the value of the buildings Read more

Us Party Board Members Assist With Relief For Dominica

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Lloyd Paul and Cecil Nicholas, both board members of the United St. Maarten Party (USP), are among a group of individuals who have come together in an effort to raise support for the storm stricken Caribbean Island Dominica.

Together with former member of Parliament, Romaine Laville, Mr Read more

Mp's Questions Need For Ipko Consultations

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Members of the Parliament of St. Maarten are now questioning the need for the IPKO consultations based on its perceived effectiveness and the financial constraints of the Country St. Maarten.

On Monday the Permanent Committee of Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations met to discuss the preparations for the upcoming January meeting of the IPKO.

This meeting comes in the wake of a meeting by Curacao’s Parliament last week during which they voted in favor of using the Par Latino platform to bring the problem of the democratic deficit within the Dutch Kingdom to the attention of the United Nations, an issue which is the major sore thumb sticking out of the relationship between Holland and their so-called equal partners in the Caribbean Read more

Dp Saddened By Passing Of Linda Johnson

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten -The Democratic Party has with much sadness taken note of the passing of Linda Johnson.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, children and extended family and friends. Linda was a dear and beloved friend of the DP leader and many DP members. She was a dedicated worker and a loving mother. She loved life and had a great sense of humor.

 Linda fought a valiant battle against cancer Read more

Nassau grouper goes for the kill with invasive lionfish

NASSAU, Bahamas--A recent Lionfish University video documenting a Nassau grouper stalking and ultimately devouring a lionfish in the Caribbean is thought to be the first-ever footage showing this type of event without the assistance of humans, and may indicate that divers’ attempts to “teach” groupers to eat the invasive species is finally bearing fruit.

In the video, the grouper appears to herd the lionfish away from the safety of the reef into open water, where it can investigate and prod from various angles, being careful to avoid the armour of poisonous spines, before lunging for the kill.

The resulting meal for the grouper represents a big step forward for biologists and conservationists, given that lionfish, which are native to the Indo-Pacific, have the potential to disrupt ecosystems in the Caribbean and Atlantic.

The continuing infestation of these prickly pests throughout the region is cause for alarm, because the venomous lionfish have no known natural predators in this part of the world and their rapid proliferation is going largely unchecked.

While it remains unclear exactly how devastating their presence – believed to be the result of people dumping their unwanted aquarium pets into the sea – may turn out to be, the outlook is bleak.

The concern is so genuine that fishery agencies and scuba divers the likes of the Lionfish University group – who are dedicated to the preservation of coral reefs and native fish populations – have, for the past several years, conducted large-scale culling events in the hope of minimising the threat.

Researchers have discovered that a single lionfish residing on a coral reef can reduce recruitment of native reef fishes by 79 per cent, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Because lionfish feed on prey normally consumed by snapper, grouper and other commercially important native species, their presence could negatively affect the well-being of valuable commercial and recreational fisheries.

Moreover, as lionfish populations grow they put additional stress on coral reefs already struggling from the effects of climate change, pollution, disease, overfishing, sedimentation and other stressors.

For example, lionfish eat herbivores and herbivores eat algae from coral reefs Read more