SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The launch of the second edition of ‘Welkom op Sint Maarten! The Friendly Island’ edition 2016-2017, took place on the 17-th of November in the Sint Maartenhuis in the Hague, the Netherlands. Mr Perry F.M. Geerlings, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, received the first copy of this second edition.

In 2014 the international launch took place at Sint Maarten when former Minister President Mrs. S. Wescot-Williams received the first copy of the first edition (edition 2014-2015).

Meanwhile ‘Welkom!’ has become a standard book for newcomers and travellers from the Netherlands who want to come to Sint Maarten for a short or longer period, and who want to know all kinds of practical information about the island, like moving, finding a place to stay, electricity, finding a car, telecom providers, insurances, health care issues, leisure activities, etc . As the book also gives information about lots of different topics like history, economics, culture, language, religion, the educational system, tourism, flora and fauna, and national symbols and the anthem of Sint Maarten, it soon became not just a popular book for Sint Maarten travelers but it also turned out to be an interesting extra tool in educating elementary school pupils about their Sint Maarten.

The book has been updated and revised, also with the help of a lot of readers, who gave new Tips or wanted to read more information about certain practical topics. Also more information about national symbols including the flag of Sint Maarten is added in the paragraph with the national anthem of Sint Maarten. This was done on special request to provide a special paragraph interesting for everybody who comes to live on Sint Maarten, including children coming from other countries than Holland or Sint Maarten.

For this reason it was highly appreciated that Mrs. Kelly S.Y. Busby was at present too at the launch of this second edition of ‘Welkom!’. Mrs. Busby, is the Attaché responsible for Education, Youth Affairs and Cultural affairs, working for the Sint Maartenhuis in The Hague.

As co-writers Esther de Vries en Marlène van Asten had responsibilities at Sint Maarten to fullfill, Ina Kruize presented the first copy on behalf of the three authors in the Hague.

For more information about the book, see: https://www.facebook.com/Welkom-op-Sint-Maarten-1470703083177976/

Some months ago, the book had asked on its Facebook-page for new and well matching attractive pictures about Sint Maarten to be published in the new edition. Many beautiful pictures had been received, so it was difficult for the Picture Committee led by Esther de Vries, to select some of the beautiful pictures. The beautiful front cover picture made by Sonja van Grimbergen for the first edition has been replaced by a totally different colorful picture made by Dyana Symonds, also living on island Sint Maarten. Two names, one of them being the maker of the front cover, will be published on the books page this week. They will receive a copy of the new edition.

Besides extra topics, the book also contains extra (color-) pictures, so in total the book increased from 198 to 250 pages.

Thanks to the generous sponsoring of some Sint Maarten businesses, people living on Sint Maarten can benefit from a lower bookprice than the first edition, and an even lower price compared to Holland right now. The book also contains interesting sponsors coupons. The book will soon be available on island Sint Maarten.

For more information about the book: emails can be send to WelkomOpSintMaarten@yahoo.com.