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All ladies advance, but Calypso ‘big boys’ remain a strong force

PHILIPSBURG--Although all four women who entered the NAGICO Calypso Eliminations on Saturday night made it through to the finals, the small group of singers known as the "big boys" of Calypso reminded everyone that they are still a force to be reckoned with this year.

King Beau Beau (425 points), Kaiso Brat (400) and Fish Da Mega Boss (389) finished in first, second and third place (respectively) and led the pack of 10 who will now move on to face the reigning Calypso Monarch Ruminni "The Protége" Rogers on April 26, in the Carnival Village Read more

Editorial - Not helpful

The postponement of yet another Parliament meeting on Monday (see related story) raises doubts about the seriousness of elected representatives. After all, it concerned the very important issue of an Integrity Chamber over which St. Maarten is currently in a dispute with the Kingdom Council of Ministers.

Granted, it's first and foremost the task of the governing parties to ensure a quorum when these kinds of sessions – rather than on the initiative of legislators – are called at the request of government by the chairperson, who is obviously also part of that coalition Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday, March 27, Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs and Fire Chief Clive Richardson reviewed the uniform troops of firefighters who stood outside Government Headquarters in Philipsburg.
The review of the uniformed officers was part of Firemen's Week that concluded on Saturday evening with the annual Firemen's Ball.
The fire services fall under the prerogative of the Ministry of General Affairs which is headed by Prime Minister Hon Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---  Honorable Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has stated that as part of the integrity process for the government structure of the country, one aspect would be that all civil servants should have taken the oath when they were employed.

Civil servants who were not sworn in after October 10, 2010, have now done so during the past two weeks Read more

Ten Seat Majority lacks Quorum for Central Committee Meeting.

style="text-align: center;">Three MPs Supporting Government Off island --- Opposition did not sign in.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Central Committee meeting called on Monday to discuss the draft ordinance to establish the Integrity Chamber could not be held on Monday since three of the ten Members of Parliament supporting the government of St. Maarten were not present for the meeting.
Member of Parliament Franlin Meyers, MP Leona Marlin-Romeo and MP Maurice Lake sent in their notification of absence because they are all off island.
At the meeting on Monday were seven of the ten members majority, they were leader of the UPP MP Theodore Heyliger, MP Silvio Matser, MP Johan Janchi Leonard, MP Tamara Leonard, MP Cornelius de Weever and MP Lloyd Richardson.
Inside the chamber were the Members of Parliament sitting on the opposition benches who did not sign in to form the quorum Read more

Regional Countries Attend Tos Workshop

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - As part of the initiative "Interconnectivity Improvement to Trade Facilitation and Short-Distance Maritime Transport in the Greater Caribbean," which seeks to promote trade development in relation to short-distance maritime transport among countries of the Greater Caribbean, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), with the funding support of the Mexican Government and Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), hosted two workshops on March 24th and 25th, geared towards capacity building and knowledge exchange within the Port and Maritime Sector: (Workshop on the Exchange of Information to Improve Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) of Ports) and (Workshop on the Facilitation of Maritime Traffic and Loading and Unloading Movements at Ports, based on FAL Convention 65).

The Workshops gathered participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Saint Lucia, St Read more

Opinion: Transparency

Opposition politics is one part criticism and one part coming up with better ideas than the government has to offer. We’re not into politics for dummies, but we do wonder at times about the way our politicians are going about their business.

We’re living in a time where integrity and transparency are on everybody’s mind. For as long as we remember, politicians have opted to speak in veiled terms about any subject they touch – in the former Island Council, in parliament and also during press conferences.

That’s what we’d call old-school politics Read more

Court Exonerates Tourist Bureau Marketing Director Edward Dest 

Judge: “You do not deserve punishment”

St. Maarten – The expression ‘mixed feelings’ probably describes best what Edward Dest must have experienced when the Court in First Instance declared him guilty of embezzlement yesterday and heard Judge Maria Paulides tell him that he does not deserve punishment for a trial that has been hanging over his head for almost five years.

The court sentenced Dest to a symbolic one-day conditional prison sentence with one day of probation Read more

Mp Silveria Jacobs Becomes New Na-Leader Next Year

St. Maarten – The leadership of the National alliance will transfer in 2016 from MP William Marlin to MP Silveria Jacobs, current party leader Marlin said yesterday in answer to a question from this newspaper Read more

First of the new St. Martin driving licences delivered

 MARIGOT--The first batch of the new credit card-type St. Martin driving licences have arrived and are ready to be distributed as of today, it was announced at a press conference on Friday.

The batch of 475 licences include 149 that are first time issues for new drivers, 93 that are duplicates, 114 that have been exchanged i.e. residents of St. Martin who were issued with a St. Maarten licence, and 119 that fall into a conversion category (changing from military licence to civil licence etc.) Read more

Dennis denounces marginalisation of local law enforcement agencies

PHILIPSBURG--Justice Minister Dennis Richardson has denounced what he has referred to as the unjust marginalisation of local law enforcement agencies.

He made the comments at the general police union NAPB annual national congress held at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort last Thursday. In his speech at that event, Richardson said he stood fully behind the position of NAPB on the involvement of "others" in St Read more

Connor meets with airlift partners in US

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Claret Connor, while attending the Miami's Seatrade Cruise Conference, took the opportunity to meet with key airlift partners American Airlines, Jet Blue and Delta Airlines.

On Sunday, Connor said it was very important to understand the areas of business development and how all stakeholders could further maximise on opportunities, a TEATT press release informed.

The Minister pointed out that the country is very busy during the high season (November to May) and the objective now is to stimulate more business during the off-season (June to October).

"The airlines are willing to adjust schedules to accommodate business Read more

The Messenger captures Road March on first try

PHILIPSBURG--He tried for four years, unsuccessfully, to capture the Road March crown as a junior Calypsonian; however, on Saturday evening, he won it on his first attempt as a senior Road March competitor. Rumari "The Messenger" Rogers is the new Senior Road March King after winning the title at the NAGICO Senior Calypso Eliminations and Road March Competition.

The new King was emotional in revelling with his family, friends and supporters after his victory was announced Read more

Island, Executive Councils take oath of office in Statia

ST. EUSTATIUS--A very large crowd witnessed the members of the new Executive and Island Councils taking the oath at the Government Guesthouse on Thursday afternoon.

The ceremony followed the Island Council election of last week Wednesday, and the agreement between Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and United People's Coalition (UPC) to form a new government.

The swearing in of the new members of the Executive Council and Island Council did not pass without a glitch, as there were many discussions about the proper procedures, which caused a delay in the swearing in of former Democratic Party (DP) and independent Island Council Member Reuben Merkman, who took a seat in the new Island Council on behalf of UPC Read more

Senior tourism official ‘embarrassed’ over long delay in airport opening

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent--Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Glen Beache says changing dates for the completion of the EC $700 million (One EC dollar=US $0.37) Argyle International Airport is proving to be a challenge for negotiating with airlines.

"Honestly speaking, it can be embarrassing. [I'm – Ed.] not going to lie about that, because obviously airlines make their itinerary at least a year in advance," Beache said.

The Argyle International Airport, which was initially scheduled to open in 2011, has missed several completion deadlines and Beache, a former tourism minister, told a news conference that the latest operational date given to him by the state-owned International Airport Development Company (IADC), which is building the airport, is October this year.

Beache said that over the past three years British Airways has sent at least two teams for first-hand visits regarding the completion of the airport.

"We've been on their radar for a while," he said, adding that Virgin, which also services the United Kingdom market, "has sought us out on a few issues that they would like to see taken care of and see how we can help them and so on."

He said Virgin has changed its marketing strategy, trying to fill the front, rather than the rear of their aircraft and that the airline is more interested in attracting high-end passengers, which suits the Vincentian destination.

"Since they have done that, they have shown a lot more interest in St Read more

Thousands march in Indiana to protest law seen targeting gays

INDIANAPOLIS--Thousands of people marched in Indiana's largest city on Saturday to protest a state law that supporters contend promotes religious freedom but detractors see as a covert move to support discrimination against gay people.
  Waving signs reading "No hate in our state" and carrying rainbow flags, a crowd of at least 2,000 people including Democratic elected officials rallied the same day that business-rating website Angie's List Inc put on hold its plans to expand its Indianapolis operation with new offices, citing the new law.
  The Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed overwhelmingly by the Republican led-state legislature and signed into law on Thursday by Indiana Governor Mike Pence Read more

Recycling collection point opened in Tamarind Hill

TAMARIND HILL--A community recycling collection point was opened in Tamarind Hill on Saturday, as an initiative started by Learning Unlimited (LU) Preparatory School eleventh grader Bodine Beentjes.

The student took the initiative to organise the setup of the collection point for Tamarind Hill Estates in the Red Pond area. Beentjes collaborated with Steve Hammond of St. Maarten Recycle and Roy Tempels of Clean St. Maarten. Parties worked out a plan on how the collection area would be built, which garbage materials would be collected separate from the regular household garbage and how and when to pick up these items.

With the support of the Tamarind Hill Homeowners Foundation and the owners of Tamaridge Apartments (who made the land available), a garbage separation area was built.

Clean St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten's Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on Friday said he stood fully behind the position of the police union NAPB with regards to the involvement of others in St. Maarten's justice chain who has tried to "justify their own ineffective presence" and "unjustly marginalized our local law enforcement agencies."

"A Minister of Justice of Sint Maarten cannot stand idly by whilst others whose performance does not justify their arrogance in unjustly denigrating local law enforcement agencies," Richardson said firmly in addressing reports of so called assistance for St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Honorable Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Claret Connor while attending the Seatrade Cruise Conference in Miami, Honorable Minister Claret Connor also took the opportunity while in the United States to meet with key airlift partners, namely American Airlines, Jet Blue and Delta Airlines.
Minister Connor on Sunday stated that it was very important to understand the areas of business development, and how all stakeholders could further maximize on opportunities Read more

style="text-align: center;">UPP Leader bit off more than he could chew --- political pundits.

PHILIPSBURG:--- With the political shambles within the United Peoples Party several persons such as Minister of TEATT Claret Connor and UPP candidate Julian Rollocks do not know what tomorrow will bring for them Read more

Civil Servants Take The Oath

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Honorable Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs has stated that as part of the integrity process for the government structure of the country, one aspect would be that all civil servants should have taken the oath when they were employed.

Civil servants who were not sworn in after October 10, 2010, have now done so during the past two weeks Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Inspects Fire Fighters

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – On Friday, March 27, Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs and Fire Chief Clive Richardson reviewed the uniform troops of firefighters who stood outside Government Headquarters in Philipsburg.

The review of the uniformed officers was part of Firemen's Week that concluded on Saturday evening with the annual Firemen's Ball.

The fire services fall under the prerogative of the Ministry of General Affairs which is headed by Prime Minister Hon Read more

Some Carnival Booth Holders Contracts Not Renewed Confirms Scdf

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Member of Parliament of the National Alliance, the Honorable George Pantophlet recently accused the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation of victimization.

According to him, the SCDF has opted not to renew the contract of certain booth holders, who has been established in the Village for several years.

Meanwhile, whilst speaking on the Lady Grace Morning show on Friday, President of the St Read more

NAPB union top brass believe National Congress too costly

PHILIPSBURG--The presidents of the general police union NAPB for Curaçao and the Caribbean Netherlands (Saba, Statia and Bonaire) believe that another format should be considered for the union's national congress held annually, as holding it on a different island each year is very costly.

President of the NAPB for the Caribbean Netherlands Charles Mercelina told reporters at this year's congress that his union forked out approximately US $15,000 to attend this year's congress in St Read more