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Epic Awarded Grant For Plant Inventory

Franklin Axelrod (right) and wife Jean Axelrod using newspaper to preserve botanical specimens. Photo by Rueben Thompson.

MAHO--Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation announced in a press release on Monday that it has received a grant from Prince Bernhard Cultural Fund to conduct an inventory of all local vascu Read more

Rain Forest Adventures did not invite SXM Pride

Dear Editor,

I read with interest the article in Monday's paper stating that Rain Forest Adventures met with members of the heritage, culture and environmental groups to share its plans for the Plantations Industry and Golden Rock.

In the article it was stated that Jadira Veen and Rueben Thompson of SXM Pride were not present Read more

RFA meets reps of culture & heritage

PHILIPSBURG--Rain Forest Adventures (RFA) recently shared its plans for the Plantations Industry and Golden Rock (commonly called Emilio Wilson Estate) with members of the heritage, culture and environmental groups as well as other stakeholders.

"The meeting ended in a commitment to continue working together and incorporating best ideas and practices as the project develops," John Dalton of Rain Forest Adventures told The Daily Herald via e-mail on Sunday.

Dalton shared with attendees' his company's objective to showcase St Read more

USP to discuss possible removal of minister today

PHILIPSBURG--The possible removal of Justice Minister Dennis Richardson by the United St. Maarten Party (USP) will be discussed in a special meeting of the party’s board and advisors in the Parliament Building today, Thursday, at 6:30pm.

USP has been in control of the Justice portfolio since earlier this year, but is yet to place its own minister Read more

NA calls for a ‘unified approach’ from Govt.

PHILIPSBURG--The United People’s (UP)-led coalition has failed to show exactly what it is ready for, as its election campaign “We Ready” stated, said National Alliance (NA) Members of Parliament on Wednesday. They called on the governing coalition to present a “unified approach,” to table its long-overdue governing programme and appoint the two missing ministers.

NA leader MP William Marlin said at a press conference in Parliament House on Wednesday that UP members had proven only they were ready to take care of themselves and “to cut more deals and use the infrastructure” for their own personal enterprises.

In his estimation, UP is not ready “to bring much needed changes” to the country’s infrastructure and to tackle social ills 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

The Emilio Wilson Estate St. Maarten’s Heritage in peril

Dear Editor,

A number of people have called me over the past two days to express their frustration regarding the most recent turn of events in what some are now calling the Emilio Wilson Estate Saga.

The news as featured in the local media announcing that Rain Forest Adventures (RFA) has obtained or will soon obtain the long lease to Emilio Wilson Estate is of course extremely worrisome. The Honourable Prime Minister Gumbs' (a gentleman I hold in high regard) statement in the media yesterday that "no long-lease has been granted to Rain Forest Adventures" and that he has "not signed anything for or granted anything" does nothing to decrease my concerns Read more

EPIC Eco-Labels

~ Creating corporate responsibility ~

By Laura Bijnsdorp

Yesterday, three locations were awarded the FEE Blue Flag Eco Label for another year through Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC); Divi Little Bay, Oyster Bay and Isle de Sol Marina.

The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 4,000 beaches and marinas in 48 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean. The label works towards sustainable development of beaches and marinas through strict criteria dealing with Water Quality, Environmental Education and Information, Environmental Management, and Safety and Other Services.

The Blue Flag Programme is owned and run by the non-government, non-profit organization the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Read more

Beach entry technically reopens, need for legislation highlighted

BELAIR--Property development representatives technically have reopened the entryway to the Belair beach after it had been closed off on the morning of December 1, preventing public access to the beach.

However, the “No trespassing” and “Private property” signs remain, and another one even has been added since Tuesday, on a tree directly in line with the only entryway, a footpath (see Tuesday edition of The Daily Herald).

The newly-fixed fence has been drawn back to technically allow foot access, although this can be considered a “mental barrier,” according to the Beach Access Policy Read more

Minister ‘disturbed’ by water pump situation, to discuss disaster response

~ Thompson calls statement 'propaganda' ~

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake says he is "very disturbed with the situation regarding the storm water pumps" and has announced that he is set to meet soon with representatives of various governmental ministries and agencies in relation to disaster management.

In response, environmentalist Rueben Thompson called these comments "the same propaganda we hear with every natural disaster."

Lake's statements were relayed via a VROMI press release last night and came in the wake of recent torrential rainfall, Hurricane Gonzalo mid-October and subsequent criticism in regard to flooded areas and lack of maintenance of emergency systems such as floodgates and water pumps.

The planned meeting will take place on the morning of Monday, November 17, and will focus on disaster preparedness, management planning and response.

'Be on the ball'

"I am very disturbed with the situation regarding the storm water pumps," the press release quoted Minister Lake as saying Read more

Resident: Stop filling pond, protect Foga from flooding

FOGA/ PHILIPSBURG--Residents of Pendent Cactus Road in Foga were among those heavily affected by flooding following the recent storm, having experienced knee-height water. Not an uncommon occurrence, they are concerned that they have been, and will continue to be even more affected because of the filling of land nearby on the pond-side which is set to accommodate another 36 houses.

Many residents and businesses near the ponds in Philipsburg have been affected, and have also questioned the maintenance of the floodgates and pumps Read more

Rueben: Unless govt shapes up St. Maarten will not be prepared

PHILIPSBURG--Environmentalist Rueben Thompson has sounded the alarm about the devastating effects that can occur if government continues to ignore recommendations to protect the island against flooding during torrential downpours.

"Unless Government shapes up St. Maarten will not be prepared," Thompson said on Sunday. His statements were made on the heels of widespread flooding in the country over the weekend after torrential rains on Friday and early Saturday.

"The question is not if we will ever have another hurricane such as Luis or Lenny or if we will have another cloudburst; it is simply a matter of when Read more

Editorial - To the bottom

As the island celebrated St. Martin/St. Maarten Day, many were still discussing the rainstorm early Saturday morning and its considerable impact. Although the downpour was so heavy one hardly could expect runoff systems to handle easily the sheer volume of water coming down the hills, environmentalist/politician Rueben Thompson insists elected and appointed officials must be held accountable (see related article).

He referred to his repeated warnings about building in natural gutters and maintaining man-made ones Read more

Mullet Bay entrance blocked

MULLET BAY--A large pile of rubble was placed to block a Mullet Bay entrance on Friday, November 7, causing a stir among the public and business owners who operate on the beach. The move by Mullet Bay management seems to be technically legal, because it still allows the public access to the beach by foot. However, it directly results in nearby business owner Leopold York not having vehicle access to his establishment, where daily offloading is needed for almost everything the business needs to operate Read more

Editorial - Solid enough

The names mentioned in today's paper as the reported candidates for the various positions of the incoming NA/DP/US-party coalition inspire confidence. The screening process will have to determine whether they all qualify in the end, but for now the apparent nominees certainly sound adequate.

It was already clear that NA leader William Marlin would be the next Prime Minister in charge of General Affairs, while the party's number three candidate and top vote-getter Silveria Jacobs had been a "shoo-in" to again become Minister of Education, Culture and Sports.

Whom NA would make its Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Development and the Environment VROMI was not known, but Rodolphe Samuel with his experience as President of Parliament certainly had been among the frontrunners for the job on the party's election list Read more

US Party candidates call voters ‘to make a change’

CUL DE SAC--Voters were urged to head to the polls on Friday and make a change by voting for the United St. Maarten Party, headed by independent Member of Parliament Frans Richardson. The party leader and thirteen other candidates shared first final messages of campaign for Parliament at the party's final public meeting at the party's headquarters on Tuesday.

Richardson told supporters, "We are ready for change in this country." He called on voters "to send a message" to the "expired politicians" that the "time has come to get out of office."

He criticised the plans of the United People's (UP) party to build a new hospital as expensive and burdensome for the people as it will cost about US $300 million Read more