SXMElections.com

Country cannot balance budget yet new staff hired.

style="text-align: center;">Did Government cancel their contract with Cable TV for Wednesday? Is the media being muzzled?

PHILIPSBURG:--- The newly installed Gumbs cabinet has taken some radical decisions as to how they intend to deal with members of the media in the future. A press release from Gumbs press secretariat states that the Government of St. Maarten is the last county to establish a press secretariat, a department they said all other Caribbean nations such as St. Kitts have.
Having read the press release sent out by the press secretariat makes us wonder if St Read more

SMHDF Meeting of Parliament to continue early next year.

style="text-align: center;">MPs want documentation and clarity the suspension of Henry Lynch and Emilio Kalmera

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten called an emergency meeting on Monday to seek clarity on what exactly transpired at the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) where two members of the management team were suspended pending the outcome of an investigation that was to be commissioned by the SOAB. However, former Minister of Housing Maurice Lake who was also a former board member of SMHDF stopped the SOAB from conducting the investigation claiming that legal procedures were not followed and that the board of SMHDF does not have a full board Read more

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- On Saturday, December 20th, 2014, former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Hon. Maurice Lake, as a special moment in the history of the country, wanted it documented at the Emilio Wilson Estate (EWE), that the purchasing of the property by the Government of Sint Maarten has been completed.
Lake who is now a Member of Parliament on Saturday handed over a copy of the Meetbrief to signify this historical development for the people of the country.
"I would like to thank Maurice Pass who played an instrumental role, the Notary, Kadaster, the Legal Affairs Department, and others who played a role in allowing us to reach the point of completing the purchasing of the EWE for the people of the country Read more

Urgent Plenary Session of Parliament scheduled for Monday about Housing Foundation.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A plenary session of the House of Parliament is scheduled for December 22nd regarding the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF).
The plenary session is set for Monday at 10:00am in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelmina Straat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda is concerning the request made to the Governments Accounting Bureau SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation in to the operations of the SMHDF; the decision of the board of the SMHDF to suspend several members of the management team and the request of the former Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) Hon Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Outgoing Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake in one of his final activities on Friday prior to the swearing in of the new Council of Ministers, enjoyed Christmas lunch with senior citizens organized by Home Away from Home Foundation at the John Larmonie Center.

"The seniors are very close to my heart Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister and Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams dispatched an email to the President of Parliament with several questions to caretaker Minister Maurice Lake. Wescot Williams said in her email that the island has been gripped again with another saga this time involving a government owned entity Read more

>POINT BLANCHE:--- Last week Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake, did a walk-through of the Down Street Cruise Heritage Development.
Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo as well as other port officials was on hand to provide information to Minister Lake with respect to how the project is progressing.
Minister Lake was very pleased with the traditional local architecture that is being used to build the cabanas that depicts the ginger bread houses which are part of the national heritage.
"The project had some delays due to the shipping of materials and then the inclement weather that the country experienced Read more

Minister Lake says emergency road patchwork to be carried out before Christmas holidays.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says Windward Roads has won the public tender to carry out emergency road patchwork as phase one before the onset of the Christmas holidays.

Phase two will be carried out in the beginning of the New Year once the contractor returns from the holiday season.

Emergency road patchwork will be carried out on the main roads which have already been identified by Ministry VROMI officials from the infrastructure division of the ministry.

Work will also be carried out on Front and Back Street where bricks and tree mats are in a state of disrepair.

"With the holiday season coming up, and to ensure the safety of all, these emergency repairs will be carried out Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says the actions by a lone board member of the St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) to request the Governments Accountants Foundation known as SOAB to carry out a forensic investigation, and also into the purchase-to-pay process and remuneration process is premature.

"I was not aware of this process Read more

Public Invited to Open House at Miss Lalie Youth Care and Rehabilitation Center on Saturday.

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The general public is invited to an Open House at the Miss Lalie Youth Care and Rehabilitation Center (MLC) in Cape Bay on Saturday, December 13.

The Miss Lalie Center was opened on December 10th. The youth care and rehabilitation center is located at Venus Drive #1, Cape Bay.

The Miss Lalie Center is located behind the industrial laundromat on the main road leading to the NV GEBE Power Plant. After making a right at the intersection of Afoo Daily Extra Supermarket in Cole Bay to head into Cape Bay; continue driving until you approach the industrial laundromat on your left; take a left and the center is right behind the laundromat.

Members of the public will be given a tour of the facility and will have the opportunity to meet the staff and also receive information about the center Read more

style="text-align: center;">Nature Foundation Hopes Cleanup Will be a Yearly Event

SIMPSON BAY:--- The St. Maarten Nature Foundation took part in the wide-scale cleanup of the Simpson Bay Lagoon which took place on Saturday. The Minister of VROMI the Honorable Maurice Lake spearheaded the cleanup and the Ministry, the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association and the Nature Foundation jointly organized the logistics.

  During the cleanup the Nature Foundation focused on the removal of wrecks and major garbage on the lagoon Read more

Minister Lake says Belair Pond Storm Drain Clearance Progressing Well. Nature Foundation monitoring and assisting.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says the current activities at the Belair Pond are related to the clearance of the storm drain channel and mouth area into the pond. The mouth of the drain channel became overgrown with brush as well as clogged with debris and garbage.

Nature Foundation is observing the activities and is assisting with the removal of bird nests in that particular area where the drainage channel to the Pond is located Read more

SMMTA Simpson Bay Clean up this Saturday.

>SIMPSON BAY:--- The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) would like to remind all interested parties that this Saturday December 6th is the general clean-up of the Simpson Bay lagoon. The President of the SMMTA Brian Deher stated "the clean-up was originally spearheaded by the Minister Maurice Lake and the SMMTA is happy to take part in this initiative which has been organized and funded by both the public and private sector." The SMMTA would like to echo The Ministers call for "everyone to get involved, and clean-up our environment." The clean-up and removal of hurricane related debris and other refuse within the lagoon will start at 8am on Saturday and all volunteers are asked to meet at The Yacht Club Isle de Sol in Simpson Bay Read more

style="text-align: center;">Was an Election Deal Made with SBL for Building Permit?

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Maurice Lake who is also the caretaker Minister of VROMI will have a lot of explaining to do as to why he signed a building permit that bears the number 176/14 that was signed off on October 20th, 2014.
The building permit granted to SBL Management Company N.V Read more

Minister Lake says he will regulate public access to all beaches in zoning plans.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake says that every so often the access to public beaches becomes an issue, and he plans to have his ministry start making preparations to have this regulated in the national zoning plans of the country.

"Direct and specific access to all beaches has to be taken up in our Zoning Plans Read more

style="text-align: center;">Can Caretaker Minister sign off on new requests?

PHILIPSBURG:--- A post on Facebook by one of the founding members of St. Maarten Pride Foundation directed especially to St. Maarten media personnel to seek clarity on a building permit that was submitted by Simpson Bay Yacht Club developer Miti Katz to develop a plot of land including the Belair Pond (Little Bay Pond). The writer of the post said that based on information she received, the owner of the land died but his son inherited the property and that person identified as Johnny Pavan made an agreement with one Miti Katz to develop the property Read more

Minister Lake calls on Marine community, volunteers and students to support clean-up of Simpson Bay Lagoon on December 6th.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is calling on the marine community, organizations, businesses, volunteers and students to come out on Saturday, December 6 and support the clean-up of the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Minister Lake's initiative appeal for a coastal clean-up of hurricane related debris in the lagoon due to the passing of Hurricane Gonzalo, was publicly stated early November and the St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As an educator and a Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says one of his priority areas is higher education for the people of Sint Maarten.
"I would like the incoming Government to work on promoting degrees and academics at the University of St. Martin (USM). USM should be the University of higher learning on the island Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams did not waste any time on Friday after she read the press statement issued by caretaker Minister Maurice Lake. In a letter sent to the various media house Wescot Williams outlined what she said on Tuesday to Minister Lake in the Council of Ministers meeting and what she stated on Wednesday during the weekly press conference, below is the letter from caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams.

Dear Minister Lake/Dear Maurice,

In my opinion, we have arrived at a sad state of affairs when persons can not express their own view(s) Read more

Minister Lake would like a Council of Ministers Vote on Vorst Property Purchase.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday that the current Council of Ministers (COM) should be the one to conclude the Emilio Wilson Estate purchase and the Vorst property in Cay Hill.

"I was not surprised by the comments of our Prime Minister about the Vorst and Emilio Wilson land purchases Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake welcomed on Tuesday Emmalexis Velasquez to Ministry VROMI as its Public Relations Officer (PRO).

Minister Lake met with Velasquez to discuss a number of things and is very pleased with her work to date.

"There is a lot of information that needs to be communicated from time to time, and I am very happy that Ministry VROMI continues to move upward and improving its services to the Sint Maarten community.

"The ministry has completed the Plans of Approach monitored by the Progress Committee, and this is a very positive development of the ministry Read more

style="text-align: left;">PHILIPSBURG:--- Caretaker Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams announced at the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing on Wednesday that the Vorst family has submitted a new proposal for the sale of their property located in Cay Hill. Wescot Williams said that the new proposal submitted to government is one million dollars less than the first proposal Read more

Minister Lake pleased with Ministry VROMI proactive preparations for possible rain event.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake is very pleased with his ministries pro-active preparations taken on Friday afternoon due to inclement weather that is east of the Caribbean island chain.

According to the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS), an upper level feature weather system combined with available moisture at the lower levels of the atmosphere is increasing instability across the Caribbean region.

In MDS 6:00pm Friday, November 21 forecast up until Saturday 6.00pm, November 22, cloudy skies with periods of showers and a risk of thunder can be expected during this forecast period.

Residents and motorists are advised to exercise caution as flooding is likely with additional showers.

On Monday at 2:00pm a meeting was held with contractor Windward Roads regarding the floodgate works at the A.Th Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake said on Thursday that Minister of Public Health Hon. Cornelius de Weever brought it to his attention about tilapia fish in the Rolandus Canal.

Ministry VROMI officials met with the Nature Foundation to find a possible solution with respect to the fish in the canal Read more