Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
SNSM sea rescue RIB christened at marina
MARIGOT--The volunteers of French-side sea rescue service SNSM savoured an uplifting moment Friday evening when their second-hand semi-rigid inflatable boat (RIB) was christened officially at a ceremony on the shore next to Marina Fort Louis in front of elected officials and many invited guests.
The yellow RIB came into view with its crew just before the ceremony began, followed by the lifeboats SNSM 269 from St. Barths and Rescue 2 from the St. Maarten Sea Rescue Foundation, both vessels sounding their horns for the celebratory occasion before tying up to the entrance dock.
The 12-metre-long 3.62-metre-wide RIB named Rescue Star is powered by two 275-horsepower outboard engines and in calm sea conditions can reach speeds of 35-40 knots Read more
Hundreds gather at vigil for Charlie Hebdo victims
MARIGOT--The brutal massacre of journalists and cartoonists at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris on Wednesday has generated an outpouring of sympathy and solidarity amongst the public in French St. Martin.
Such is the power of social media that organisers of a vigil held at Marina Fort Louis at 6:00pm Thursday managed to gather around 400 persons in record time to pay homage to the victims.
Echomag Editor Laurent Fuentes was one of three organisers behind the spontaneous event Read more
Préfecture confirms list of Senatorial candidates
MARIGOT--The Préfecture officially confirmed last night the list of candidates who will contest the September 28 election for senator of St. Martin. The deadline to declare candidacy was 6:00pm Friday.
The list has seven candidates, more than first expected. They are as follows: First Vice-President Guillaume Arnell (substitute Aline Hanson), Territorial Councillor René-Jean Duret (substitute Rosette Gumbs-Lake), President of Economic, Social and Cultural Council Georges Gumbs (substitute Carole Gumbs), Union for Democracy (UD) member Dominique Aubert (substitute Dominique Riboud), Territorial Councillor Alain Gros-Desormeaux (substitute Rollande Questel), Grand Case district representative Patricia Chance-Duzant (substitute Steven Patrick) and Boniface Hodge (substitute Marise Dixon).
The second election for the St Read more