SXMElections.com

Princess Heights Makes Going Green Profitable

St. Maarten – The Princess Heights boutique hotel in Dawn Beach is now among 2,300 hotels in 47 countries around the world to carry the Green Key eco-label. On Monday evening, the hotel celebrated the certification with a reception around the property’s pool.

General Manager Emil Lee said that initially he had no intention to get the hotel certified Read more

Carnival 2015 Queen Contestants Experience Cultural, History Tour

St. Maarten -The Carnival contestants of the Teen, Senior and Mature queen pageants were treated on Saturday to a day of culture and history for the first annual Royal Culture Tour organized by the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF). The brainchild of pageant coordinator Aishira Cicilia, the tour was organized to give all the contestants a more wholesome experience and for them to understand that through pageantry, they can learn and relay aspects of St. Maarten’s history and culture to others.

 

They started at the St Read more

Mp Sarah Wescot-Williams: “This Is A Slap In The Face Of St.Maarten”

St. Maarten – “Nothing Sint Maarten has done with respect to tackling integrity issues has made any difference for Minister Plasterk and his colleagues in the Dutch cabinet,” Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams states in a press release, adding that an article-51 measure amounts to imposing higher supervision.

Wescot-Williams notes that Kingdom Relations Minister Plasterk “has been fencing with the measure for a long time” thereby “making it appear as if St Read more

Shana: European Style With The Benefits Of Fun Miles

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Fun Miles can now also be saved and redeemed at fashion retailer Shana, which has opened its doors in Back Street.

Shana is a young, trendy and globally booming fashion brand from Europe, with hip and affordable fashion and accessories for both men and women.

SHOW OFF YOUR SHANA OUTFIT AND WIN 5,000 FUN MILES
To celebrate the new partnership between Fun Miles and Shana, there is an exciting introduction campaign.

Fun Miles cardholders who shop at Shana in February and post a picture with their outfit on facebook.com/shanastmaarten, will have a chance to win no less than 5,000 Fun Miles.

ABOUT SHANA
Shana is a relatively new brand, which only started out in 2010 but already has hundreds of stores across the globe.

Its success formula is simple and effective: attractive fashion at attractive prices.

Shana proves that style does not have to break the bank Read more

Obama calls black golf trailblazer a 'legend'

WASHINGTON--Trailblazer Charlie Sifford was hailed as a "legend" by President Barack Obama and the "grandpa that I never had" by Tiger Woods as the golf world paused on Wednesday to remember the first black man to join the PGA Tour.

Sifford, who was well beyond his prime when, at the age of 38, he was accepted into the PGA in 1961, died on Tuesday in Cleveland at the age of 92. Obama, who awarded Sifford the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year, termed Sifford a "golf legend" and exalted him for "altering the course of the sport and the country he loved."

"Charlie was the first African-American to earn a PGA tour card - often facing indignity and injustice even as he faced the competition," Obama said in a statement Read more

>COLE BAY:--- The Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, with the assistance of the St. Eustatius National Parks Office STENAPA Statia National Marine Park, has started to provide fishermen with so-called pop-up devices, specialized pieces of equipment that prevent fish traps from being lost or poached.

The pop-up devices work by attaching them to ropes affixed to fish pots which are submerged for a set period of time Read more

First New Year’s Event SMPSA Friday Feb. 6th.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The board of the SMSPA would hereby like to invite the members and the prospective members of the seniors and pensioners association to the first New Years Event.

Come and hear our New Years message. Come and hear what we have on the program for this year 2015?

As one of the first topics we start this year with the health care for seniors in Sint Maarten. Too much complaints are reaching our board Read more

Dr. Nilda Arduin presents thesis to Minister of TEATT.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Dr. Nilda Arduin, an expert on Timeshare, presented her thesis, which was published in the Netherlands in 1993, to the Minister of TEATT, Mr. Claret Connor.

Dr. Arduin, a legal specialist on timeshare, is internationally known for her work and expertise on the legal aspects of timesharing. As a lawyer she has been consulted and advised governments, developers and timeshare owners on legal issues pertaining to the timeshare industry.
In 1995 she advised the government of Sint Maarten during the very difficult period of the Pelican Resort debacle just before Hurricane Luis hit Sint Maarten Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) representative Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen poses at Divi Little Bay's Blue Flag information Board with Divi's Human Resources Manager Ms. Marije Lodewijks and Environmental Protection In the Caribbean's (EPIC) Project Manager/ Blue Flag National Operator Rueben J. Thompson during the Blue Flag inspection which took place at the resort this past week Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Tuesday met with Harald Linkels (left) of the firm Linkels & Partners who is offering corporate governance trainings for various entities. The Prime Minister was enthusiastic about relaying the information to the boards of the various government owened companies considering the fact that good corporate governance and integrity are closely related Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Mr. Emil Lee, who ran number 4 on the DP list in the August 2014 election, has been appointed by the Democratic Party as Parliamentary faction advisor for socio-economic matters in general and tourism in particular.

During the campaign, Emil was a strong advocate for open government and integrity Read more

Aruba Health Minister Pays Visit To Pm

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Minister of Public Health, Elderly Care & Sports, the Honorable C. A. Schwengle MD of Aruba pays a courtesy visit to Honorable Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs.

Minister Schwengle MD is on SXM to visit Interim Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor the Honorable Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

Former St Read more

Prime Minister Meets With Linkels & Partners Reps., Discuss Corporate Governance And Integrity

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Marcel Gumbs on Tuesday met with Harald Linkels (left) of the firm Linkels & Partners who is offering corporate governance trainings for various entities.

The Prime Minister was enthusiastic about relaying the information to the boards of the various government owned companies considering the fact that good corporate governance and integrity are closely related.

Also in the meeting was Dr Read more

International Blue Flag Inspection At Divi Little Bay

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) representative Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen poses at Divi Little Bay's Blue Flag information Board with Divi's Human Resources Manager Ms. Marije Lodewijks and Environmental Protection In the Caribbean's (EPIC) Project Manager/ Blue Flag National Operator Rueben J. Thompson during the Blue Flag inspection which took place at the resort this past week.

Blue Flag is an exclusive, voluntary eco-label annually awarded to beaches and/or marinas which meet a specific set of criteria concerning environmental information and education, water quality, safety, services and environmental management.

Divi Little Bay Resort was one of two local locations first awarded the prestigious Blue Flag eco-label in October of 2011, making St Read more

Put our people to work & allow them to become business owners as well

Dear Editor,

The entire nation was glued to their TV and to their radios listening to the 2014 budget debate. Others depended on the print media to be informed about it. As you know, the budget is the most important policy document of any civilized government, it outlines the government projected income and expenses. But an integral part of the budget is also the governing programme. This programme indicates what the people can expect their government to do for them for the current year Read more

Bahamas power company bid raises questions for Washington

NASSAU, Bahamas--A recent report by the Tribune newspaper in The Bahamas stating that US Secretary of State John Kerry certified the integrity of an American company bidding for a multimillion-dollar management contract from the state-owned Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) appears to be causing difficulties for Washington in addressing the rationale for such certification.

On January 27, while not identifying the US firm he was referring to, the Tribune reported Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie as saying: "I have received written support from the Embassy in Nassau, from the Deputy Secretary of State and the Secretary of State of the US government [John Kerry – Ed.] with respect to a particular applicant, certifying their integrity."

At the same time, the Tribune also reported that a US public company Carolinas-based PowerSecure "is effectively the only contender remaining at the table for the BEC management contract," leading to the conclusion that PowerSecure was the applicant for which integrity was certified.

Attempts to clarify the reported "integrity certification" by US officials up to and including Kerry, after several days of promising a response, were deflected on Friday by the State Department to the Commerce Department, notwithstanding that it is State Department, not Commerce officials who are reported to have made the statements in question.

Furthermore, no comment from any US government agency has yet been forthcoming on the reported "integrity certification" in the context of two pending lawsuits alleging violations of securities laws by PowerSecure and/or its senior management.

The first is a shareholder class action lawsuit filed on May 23, 2014, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Read more

Gov’t allocates EC $74.7M to complete Argyle Int’l Airport

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent--The St. Vincent and the Grenadines government has allocated EC $74.7 million (One EC dollar=US $0.37) towards the completion of Argyle International Airport.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the EC $729 million airport has missed several completion deadlines, the most recent being December 2014.

But Gonsalves told Parliament it "will be completed this year and ready for operation."

Gonsalves, who is also Minister of Finance, said a portion of the EC $74.7 million is the remainder of the US $9.5 million (EC $25.6 million) long outstanding on the US $20 million sale of lands to developers in the southern Grenadine island of Canouan.

He said he has been reliably advised that the money would be paid within six weeks.

Prime Minister Gonsalves said that delays in the timely receipt by the International Airport Development Company (IADC) – the state-owned firm responsible for building the airport – of negotiated resources and excessively inclement weather have hampered the pace of construction of the airport.

The government had said that the airport would have been "substantially complete" at the end of 2014.

"As always, our government makes contingency plans in the event of the delay in the draw-down of grants or soft-loans Read more

Sarah: Integrity efforts made no difference to Dutch plan

PHILIPSBURG--Describing the Dutch government's actions to impose Article 51 to tackle integrity issues in St. Maarten as a slap in the face of St. Maarten's government and a slap in the face of St. Maarten, Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP) Sarah Wescot Williams said sidelining elected representatives of the people of St Read more

Record number of parties contest election in Statia

ST. EUSTATIUS--A record number of six parties will be contesting the March 18 Island Council election in St. Eustatius. All parties presented their lists of candidates at the Civil Registry on Monday, among them newcomers Statia Liberal Action Movement (SLAM) and a nameless party headed by former Commissioner of Finance Glenville Schmidt.

All candidates' lists were presented to Merlene Hudson-Elliott, who also verified the credentials.

SLAM is a new name on the ballot. This party will contest the election with current independent Island Council member Millicent Lijfrock-Marsdin at its head Read more

Connor reiterates position on timeshare protection

PHILIPSBURG--Government's position to establish timeshare consumer protection and meet the goal of bringing credibility to St. Maarten's Timeshare product was reiterated by Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Claret Connor via press release on Tuesday.

The Minister said that Government understands full well the messages it is receiving from timeshare members.

"We know that they are immensely frustrated because they feel vulnerable as a result of many questionable actions by multiple timeshare resorts and management companies which are at times against timeshare owner's interest.

"Some members are so disgruntled to the point of feeling abandoned and in a number of cases betrayed," the Minister said.

"As stated in various media reports, the Caravanserai timeshare members have seen millions of dollars of their hard-earned investments in St Read more

Princess Heights celebrates pioneering eco-certification

Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Condo Hotel General Manager Emil Lee (centre) holds a Green Key programme plaque amongst key representatives of the hotel, Foundation for Environmental Education, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, and the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association as they all hold up a Green Key programme flag.

DAWN BEACH--Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Condo Hotel celebrated its milestone in becoming the first and only property on the island to be awarded the prestigious Green Key Eco-label certification on hotel premises on the evening of February 2, amongst a crowd of supporters and key stakeholders.

International Green Key Director Finn Thomsen of the non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which owns and runs the programme, was on hand to mark the occasion Read more

Philippe Millon introduced as new DGS for Collectivité

MARIGOT--The new Director General of Services (DGS) for the Collectivité Philippe Millon started work on Monday, succeeding Pascal Averne, who held the post from 2007 to 2014.

Averne returned to Guadeloupe on December 23, 2014, but was back in St. Martin on Monday to go over details with the new Director and help him settle in.

Millon was introduced to the Assistant Director General (DGA) and other heads of services and institutions Read more

Children’s Parade to kick off French-side carnival

MARIGOT--The streets of Marigot will be filled with colourful costumes and creative floats this coming Sunday, February 8, when the Children's Parade sets the 2015 French-side carnival in motion.

Carnival was officially launched Saturday evening with the handing over of the symbolic key by elected officials to Festivités Carnavalesque de St. Martin (FCDSM) President Jean-Philippe Richardson Read more

WINAIR’s Captain A. Brouwer retires.

>AIRPORT ROAD:--- On January 31st 2015 as the sunset at Princess Juliana International Airport so did the career of Captain Age Brouwer after 27 years. Captain Brouwer retired after touching down at PJIA for the last time at 6:24PM to a large gathering of WINAIR staff members on the Tarmac.

Captain Brouwer was given a water salute by the airport fire department after his final landing, witnessed by president of WINAIR's board Mr Read more