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Women’s desk celebrates new identity, reveals logo

HOPE ESTATE--On Monday, March 9, the first working day after International Women's Day on March 8, the Women's Desk revealed its new logo and some significant developments for the future in a ceremony at the Gaston Boasman Help Desk in Hope Estate.

Master of Ceremonies for the celebration was Elencia Baptiste-Boasman who invited all those present, including Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Acting Secretary General Joy Arnell, Dr. Virginia Asin, Dr. Ellis and MP and former Minister of Health Cornelius de Weever.

The ceremony started with two talented students of Charlotte Brookson Academy who gave a touching rendition of the St Read more

My experience with AVA Airways (from Curaçao Chronicle)

Dear Editor,

When the new aviation company AVA Airways announced their intention and desire to enter into the commercial aviation environment on the Caribbean Dutch Kingdom Island Countries of St. Maarten and Curaçao, I was honestly hoping they could fill a void in the air transportation industry. I started out both excited and enthusiastic about the prospects of them reaching their goals in the long term and getting to see if the wheels of government were turning in the right direction in the short term towards handling the delicate process of bringing AVA goal to fruition.

Having personally made inquiry and seen that the AVA group including its co-founder Olivier Arrindell had done most of their homework, in lieu of aircraft purchases, such as meeting with Airbus regional representatives and aircraft certified mechanics, members of Parliaments and political parties, FAA advisors, the CCAA Director Mr Read more

22 NGOs got funding from SMDF in 2014

~ Much emphasis on children ~

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Development Fund (SMDF) provided grants to 22 non-governmental organisations in 2014 and twelve in the previous year. Beneficiaries of those grants total more than 2,168 as well as 180 full and part-time employees of the organisations that provide youth care, social and community activities.

As of December 31, 2014, SMDF, headed by Keith Franca, started to evaluate 20 funding requests, of which 14 were clients in 2013/2014 and six are new clients.

Belvedere Community Foundation was a recipient of a grant from SMDF for its after-school activities that cater to some 170 children of Belvedere, Dutch Quarter and Middle Region.

No Kidding with our Kids Foundation, operating in Sucker Garden and Retreat Estate and caters to 130 children, Alpha and Omega Projects Foundation on Long Wall Road with 40 children, and the SECEO after-school programme, catering to Regina Primary School with some 90 children, also received grants to continue their programmes.

More than 458 children, ages 4-15 are enrolled with these long established after-school programmes.

The four after-school activities foundations were funding recipients from July 2013 to present.

SMDF was established in May 2012 by government with the objective to mediate in the development and financing of projects that will contribute to the social and community development of St Read more

Roads closed and traffic diverted for bicycle race

PHILIPSBURG--In connection with the upcoming cycling competition organised by "Dutch Riders Cycling Club Mo Trouble" which will be held on Sunday, March 1, the police are making the following announcement.

The race will start at 9:00am and will continue until around 1:00pm. During this period, races will take place in different categories. Noting the growing trend of these races, which will be held once a month, permission has been granted by the Ministry of Justice.

The race on March 1 will consist of 13 laps around Great Salt Pond for senior riders (A, B, and C, classes) and 4 laps of Walter Nisbeth Road for the junior class (D).

The race will start at Central Bank of Curaçao and St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday February 25th at approximately 01.35 a.m. during a routine control by police of a SUV, which was parked on the beach close to La Bamba, one suspect was arrested for drugs possession. The police approached this vehicle in which two unknown men were sitting and as the police got closer these men they started behaving quite suspiciously. When one of the investigating officers looked in the car he saw a white substance resembling cocaine on the trousers of one of the occupants and noticed that he also had a rolled-up dollar in his hand Read more

Danish police kill 22-year-old suspected of Copenhagen shootings

COPENHAGEN--Police shot dead a 22-year-old Danish-born gunman on Sunday after he killed two people at a Copenhagen synagogue and an event promoting free speech in actions possibly inspired by an attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, authorities said.

Spy chief Jens Madsen said the gunman was known to intelligence services prior to the shooting and had probably acted alone. Police said he had a record of violence, gang-related activities and weapons possession.

Two civilians - a synagogue guard and a film-maker - were killed and five police were wounded in the two separate attacks in the Danish capital on Saturday and Sunday Read more

Obama calls black golf trailblazer a 'legend'

WASHINGTON--Trailblazer Charlie Sifford was hailed as a "legend" by President Barack Obama and the "grandpa that I never had" by Tiger Woods as the golf world paused on Wednesday to remember the first black man to join the PGA Tour.

Sifford, who was well beyond his prime when, at the age of 38, he was accepted into the PGA in 1961, died on Tuesday in Cleveland at the age of 92. Obama, who awarded Sifford the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year, termed Sifford a "golf legend" and exalted him for "altering the course of the sport and the country he loved."

"Charlie was the first African-American to earn a PGA tour card - often facing indignity and injustice even as he faced the competition," Obama said in a statement Read more

Chamber to become ‘integrity champion’

PHILIPSBURG--The government wants to deal with integrity issues urgently and with "full reliability," and wants to do so in establishing an Integrity Chamber which is to provide advice on integrity issues, policy and possible integrity violations within government.

The Integrity Chamber, called the "Champion of Public Integrity," is to be put at a distance from government and is to obtain far-reaching authority, Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Marcel Gumbs stated in the introduction to the draft National Ordinance on the Establishment of the Integrity Chamber, which was sent to the Advisory Council.

The Integrity Chamber is to consist of a chairman and two members to be appointed for a period of three years Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen on Monday, January 26 met with the Chairlady of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament Hon. Anouchka van Miltenburg regarding current affairs.

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen stated that the meeting was of an introductory nature and also part of her plan to rebuild relations between the two countries, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands.

"We had a very open discussion. Van Miltenburg visited Sint Maarten in 2014 and she now has a better understanding of the diversity of the various countries, and also the complexities of small scale societies.

"Van Miltenburg also known as the Speaker of the House of Representatives has a very open mind for Sint Maarten's viewpoint regarding the Integrity Chamber when we discuss integrity.

"The Dutch Speaker of the House would also like to meet with Sint Maarten ministers when they come to the Netherlands on a working visit Read more

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen Meets With Chairlady Of Dutch Second Chamber Of Parliament

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Minister Plenipotentiary Hon. Josianne Fleming-Artsen on Monday, January 26 met with the Chairlady of the Dutch Second Chamber of Parliament Hon. Anouchka van Miltenburg regarding current affairs.

Minister Plenipotentiary Fleming-Artsen stated that the meeting was of an introductory nature and also part of her plan to rebuild relations between the two countries, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands.

"We had a very open discussion. Van Miltenburg visited Sint Maarten in 2014 and she now has a better understanding of the diversity of the various countries, and also the complexities of small scale societies.

"Van Miltenburg also known as the Speaker of the House of Representatives has a very open mind for Sint Maarten's viewpoint regarding the Integrity Chamber when we discuss integrity.

"The Dutch Speaker of the House would also like to meet with Sint Maarten ministers when they come to the Netherlands on a working visit Read more

Senior US diplomat ruffles Cuba by meeting dissidents

HAVANA--A senior U.S. diplomat in Cuba for negotiations on restoring long-frozen diplomatic relations met a group of dissidents on Friday, seeking to underline Washington's concern over human rights but irritating the island's communist government.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson, the highest-ranking U.S. government official to visit the island in nearly 40 years, held a breakfast meeting with the dissidents a day after talks with Cuban government officials Read more

St. Maarten to seek inclusion in UNESCO’s World Memory

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten wants to submit at least two projects for possible nomination in the Memory of the World (MoW) project of United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Project consultant of UNESCO Elizabeth Watson is currently in St. Maarten meeting with organizations to discuss the MoW, and possible nominations and submissions from St. Maarten.

"Documentary heritage reflects the diversity of languages, peoples and cultures. It is the mirror of the world and its memory Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The outcome of the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) that took place in Aruba recently, will be a topic of discussion on Friday morning in the House of Parliament when the Permanent Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations Committee will meet for a debriefing.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber, and members of the public are invited to attend the open session.
The next IPKO is scheduled for May 27 to 29 in The Hague, the Netherlands which will be attended by parliamentary delegations from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.
Members of Parliament (MPs) will be sharing their opinions on Friday morning when the House sits for the debriefing.
On energy matters, delegation members fully support cooperation in the area of energy, and look forward to seeing the utility companies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten coming together to have discussions in exploring such cooperation.
After such discussions are held, it should lead to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed by the three parties.
The delegation members then hope to be able to discuss the MOU at the next IPKO meeting.
A workgroup has been established with representatives from the following countries: Rasmijn (Aruba), Sulvaran (Curacao) and Bosman (the Netherlands) Read more

Inter-Parliamentary Kingdom Consultation In Aruba Covers Many Topics Requiring Follow-Up By The Four Governments. Debriefing Set For Friday Morning

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – The outcome of the Inter-parliamentary Kingdom Consultation (IPKO) that took place in Aruba recently, will be a topic of discussion on Friday morning in the House of Parliament when the Permanent Kingdom Affairs and Inter-parliamentary Relations Committee will meet for a debriefing.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 10.00am in the General Assembly Chamber, and members of the public are invited to attend the open session.

The next IPKO is scheduled for May 27 to 29 in The Hague, the Netherlands which will be attended by parliamentary delegations from the Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten.

Members of Parliament (MPs) will be sharing their opinions on Friday morning when the House sits for the debriefing.

On energy matters, delegation members fully support cooperation in the area of energy, and look forward to seeing the utility companies of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten coming together to have discussions in exploring such cooperation.

After such discussions are held, it should lead to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed by the three parties.

The delegation members then hope to be able to discuss the MOU at the next IPKO meeting.

A workgroup has been established with representatives from the following countries: Rasmijn (Aruba), Sulvaran (Curacao) and Bosman (the Netherlands) Read more

Charlie Hebdo "survivors' edition" sells out in minutes

PARIS-- Charlie Hebdo's first edition since an attack by Islamist gunmen sold out within minutes on Wednesday, featuring a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad on a cover that defenders praised as art but critics saw as a new provocation.

French readers queued at dawn for copies to support the satirical newspaper, even as al Qaeda's branch in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack last week, saying it ordered the killings because it deemed the weekly had insulted the Prophet.

Across the Middle East, Muslim leaders who have denounced the attack in which 12 people died called for calm, while criticising Charlie Hebdo's decision to publish a fresh caricature of Mohammad.

President Francois Hollande visited France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean and said it was ready to support military operations against Islamic State in Iraq "in close cooperation with coalition forces".

The U.S Read more

Cuba has freed all 53 prisoners as agreed

WASHINGTON/HAVANA- - Cuba has completed the release of all 53 prisoners it had promised to free, the Obama administration said on Monday, a major step toward détente with Washington.

The release of the remaining detainees overcomes a big hurdle for historic talks next week aimed at normalizing ties after decades of hostility. The list of 53 is part of last month's breakthrough U.S.-Cuba agreement and includes many known to international human rights groups as "prisoners of conscience."

The United States welcomed Cuba's action as a milestone, but senior U.S Read more

SAFE New Year’s Message 2015.

style="text-align: center;">Stronger together

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Board of St. Maarten/St. Martin Alliance For Equality (SAFE SXM) would like to extend best wishes to everyone as the community continues into the start of 2015.
The organization said that it only looked forward to more events and better things in this upcoming year. While the organization is still a very young one (launched in December 2013), a lot has been achieved in the past 12+ months. Local, regional and international partnerships have been fostered and contact has been made with a number of relevant entities on the island Read more

President Of Parliament Condemns Charlie Hebdo Attack

St. Maarten – President of parliament Dr. Lloyd Richardson has expressed deepest sympathy to the Republic of France, its people and Government during these trying times on behalf of the people and the members of the Parliament of St. Maarten.

“The event in the French Republic hits very close to our hearts as part of our island, the Northern half is part of France.  We express our sympathies to the President of the Collectivite, the Territorial and Executive Councils and to the people of St Read more

Dp:  “A Dark Day For All Of Us” (Charlie Hebdo)

St. Maarten – The Democratic Party is the first political party to react to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris. In a brief statement, party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams offers its condolences as well as sympathy to our country’s French neighbors.

“The Democratic Party of St Read more

Safe New Year's Message 2015 Stronger Together

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — The Board of St. Maarten/St. Martin Alliance For Equality (SAFE SXM) would like to extend best wishes to everyone as the community continues into the start of 2015.

The organization said that it only looked forward to more events and better things in this upcoming year. While the organization is still a very young one (launched in December 2013), a lot has been achieved in the past 12+ months.

Local, regional and international partnerships have been fostered and contact has been made with a number of relevant entities on the island Read more

>How blessed we are! For the 10th consecutive year, we are enjoying the freedom and leadership committed to conjointly observing a National Day of Prayer. I am proud to have been part of the Executive Council that in 2005 instituted this day and I thank the different denominations for upholding the tradition unwaveringly.
This we do, respecting the constitutionally enshrined right of freedom of religion of all, but also respecting the premise and preamble of the same constitution, our unified belief in the Almighty.

I truly believe that a government should have its ears to the ground and respect the individual freedoms of all, but ultimately it should be the norms and values that the majority of us hold dear that should set the tone.
The National Day of Prayer in addition to its religious connotation, is also an opportunity for reflection and for resolution.
Consciously, this day is held at the beginning of the year, giving ourselves another opportunity for resolve and recovery, and the will to stay the course.
Neither as a member of Parliament nor as a citizen, it is to me to judge any-one else, but rather to provide guidance and to stand up for the values we hold dear as a community Read more

T. S. Eliot: The Rhyming Possum

By Montague Kobbé

http://mtmkobbe.blogspot.com

Some 50 years ago this past Sunday, January 4, one of the most influential literary figures of the XX century passed away. His name was Thomas Stearns, though he would be universally known and acclaimed by his initials followed by his surname: T. S. Eliot. By the time he dimmed out his physical existence at the age of 76 in his home in Kensington, London, Eliot had composed some of the most emblematic poems of the century, including The Love Song of J Read more

Lloyd condemns attacks on democracy, free expression

PHILIPSBURG/ARUBA--"The event in the French Republic hits very close to our hearts as part of our island, the northern half is part of France," said Parliament Chairman Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Lloyd Richardson in a condolence message to the government and people of France, after the tragic attack in Paris on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on January 7.

"The fundamental right of the freedom of expression is at stake Read more

Sarah: January 7 ‘dark day for all’

PHILIPSBURG--January seven was “a dark day for all of us,” said Democratic Party (DP) Leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams in a condolence message to the family of the victims of the tragic shooting at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the French Republic and all of Europe impacted by the events on Wednesday.

“In a very special way, we empathize with our French St Read more