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SABA:--- The Executive Council looks back at a good working visit to the Netherlands. From May 22 to June 1, Commissioners Bruce Zagers and Eviton Heyliger visited a number of ministries and entities and spoke with several members of the Second Chamber and members of the Dutch Government about Sabas challenges, needs, and its development.

Plans were presented and discussed to build a new high school campus which includes, academic classrooms, technical classrooms, a new gym, and an auditorium Read more

Pride Bonaire Is Coming!

BONAIRE:--- The EQ Bonaire Foundation proudly announces the first-ever Pride Bonaire event, taking place from June 22nd to June 25th, 2023. This 4-day event includes a healthcare conference, sponsor reception, art exhibition, pub quiz, and a spectacular closing party. Everyone is welcome!
What is Pride Bonaire?
Pride Bonaire is an inclusive event where everyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, comes together Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The people and the Government of Sint Maarten will be commemorating the 38th Anniversary of Flag Day on June 13th, 2023, at the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School parking lot in Cay Hill. The annual commemoration of Flag Day will begin at 8:30 am with the Patriotic School Parade, which commences at the entrance of Cay Hill on Welgelegen Road and goes via the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, turns right at the entrance of the St Read more

Rotary Sunset Donates Maternity Gift Baskets To Maternit Active Saint Martin Association

MARIGOT, ST. MARTIN – In recognition of the Maternal Child Health month, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset donated 50 maternity gift baskets to the Maternit Active Saint Martin Association for vulnerable new mothers and babies.

Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children throughout the world so they can live longer and grow stronger. Rotary clubs around the world help to expand access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future Read more

New Classification Of Hotels And Guest Houses Revealed

First Vice-President Alain Richardson presents the official plaque to the owner of Over the Hill guest house that was awarded two additional stars.

MARIGOT--A ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 30, to announce the new classification of St. Martins hotels and guest houses.

First Vice-President Alain Richardson opened the ceremony by welcoming the hoteliers Read more

Nagico Insurances Advises: Be Prepared, Stay Prepared This Hurricane Season

Eric Ellis

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — Being prepared for hurricane season is of utmost importance due to the potential risks storms and hurricanes poses. Powerful tropical storms can cause significant damage to infrastructure, disrupt essential services, and pose serious threats to life, that is why it is crucial to be prepared.

We live in the Hurricane belt and are familiar with storm preparedness measures, but lets not take them for granted, NAGICO said in a statement Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Being prepared for hurricane season is of utmost importance due to the potential risks storms and hurricanes pose. Powerful tropical storms can cause significant damage to infrastructure, disrupt essential services, and pose serious threats to life, that is why it is crucial to be prepared.
We live in the Hurricane belt and are familiar with storm preparedness measures, but lets not take them for granted, NAGICO said in a statement Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation & Telecommunication (TEATT), the Honourable Arthur Lambriex, is fulfilling a pledge from his predecessor to utilize the Dominican Republic as an Agricultural trading portal and is in the DR looking at shipment options for fresh, fruits and vegetables to St. Maarten, in his bid to reduce the cost of food to consumers.

Minister Lambriex and his executive assistant Jerome Gumbs visited the Caucedo Sea Port, operated by DP World, on Monday, 29 May Read more

Ccrif Launches 2023 Scholarship And Internship Programmes For Caribbean Nationals Supporting TomorrowS Leaders Today.

~Supporting young people to do their part on the journey to making the Caribbean the first climate-resilient region in the world!~

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands:---CCRIF invites Caribbean nationals to apply for its scholarship and internship programmes for 2023 (https://www.ccrif.org/scholarship and https://www.ccrif.org/ccrif-uwi-scholarships for scholarships and https://www.ccrif.org/regional-internship-programme for internships). Since 2010, CCRIF has been providing undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to Caribbean nationals in areas related to disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, meteorology, environmental management, and civil engineering among others Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- After intense training over the course of 8 months, Mental Health Foundation (MHF) Nurses, Alvin Arrundell and Dione Trustfull, successfully obtained their Mental Health Professional certification from Rino Zuid in the Netherlands.
The courses were a combination of online learning and intense in-class training, which took place in Aruba and Bonaire Read more

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---Toyin Jagha, Program Manager of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund Program of the Caribbean Country Management Unit, accompanied by the Director of the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB), Claret Connor, and delegation members Staciann Cunningham and Carla Bridglal, met with the Council of Ministers (COM) on Thursday, May 25, 2023, as part of the Trust Fund Program Management Mission to Sint Maarten Read more

Action Speaks Louder Than Words

On December 19, 2022 the Dutch government apologized for slavery or their part in the slave trade. This took place in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius, Saba St. Maarten, Suriname and the Netherlands. But what tangible actions have been taken so far? St. Maarten owes some 300 million guilders for liquidity support. This amount is to be paid in October of this year including the annual payment of 12.7 million owed from a prior debt of some 1.2 billion guilders. It has been concluded that St Read more

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- On Monday morning, Prime Minister Hon. Silveria Jacobs chaired her first preparedness meeting involving a number of Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) that make up the countrys national disaster coordination system (Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Several key ESFs were informed about the forecast for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The SXMNBA presented the Statia | Saba | St. Maarten Basketball Tournament, showcasing exceptional talent from U11, U13, U15, and U17 basketball teams, this tournament brought together young athletes from Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Saint Martin, creating an atmosphere at the LB Scott Sports Auditorium of intense competition and camaraderie.

Organized with precision and enthusiasm by the sporting authorities of Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Martin, and St. Maarten, this tournament aimed to foster a sense of unity, sportsmanship, and mutual respect among the participating islands Read more

Statia Saba St. Maarten Basketball Tournament Concludes With Thrilling Matches

Philipsburg The SXMNBA presented the Statia | Saba | St. Maarten Basketball Tournament, showcasing exceptional talent from U11, U13, U15, and U17 basketball teams, this tournament brought together young athletes from Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Saint Martin, creating an atmosphere at the LB Scott Sports Auditorium of intense competition and camaraderie.

Organized with precision and enthusiasm by the sporting authorities of Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Martin, and St. Maarten, this tournament aimed to foster a sense of unity, sportsmanship, and mutual respect among the participating islands Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- HASMA in collaboration with Le Sommet Foundation & Association Les A, & Talen Creole, Commemorate 220th Anniversary of the Haitian Flag with a Spectacular Celebration
The Haitian Association of St. Maarten (HASMA), Le Sommet Foundation, and Association Les A & Talen Creole joined forces on Thursday, May 18th to celebrate the 220th anniversary of the Haitian Flag in a vibrant and inclusive event held at Emilio Wilson Park. Hundreds of attendees from various backgrounds came together to honor the rich history and cultural significance of the Haitian flag.
The event featured a diverse range of activities that immersed attendees in the beauty of Haitian culture Read more

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (MECYS) is currently advertising three senior management level positions namely, Secretary General, Head Division Education Innovations, and Division Head Public Education. The deadline to submit an application letter and resume is May 31.

The Minister of MECYS Hon. Drs. Rodolphe Samuel, is calling on everyone especially Sint Maarteners to apply for senior-level positions in education Read more

On May 13th, 2023, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) hosted its Big Live Nature Quiz for residents of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten. A total of 164 individuals in teams consisting of 1-4 persons participated in the online, live, and interactive quiz. After many exciting and thrilling nature question rounds, a team on Saba won a sailing trip.

The Big Live Nature Quiz is a yearly event, created to educate citizens about nature (conservation) in a fun interactive way, to instill pride in Dutch Caribbean nature, encourage eco-friendly practices, support nature conservation projects, and to connect people throughout the Dutch Caribbean Read more

Say No To Brown Sack Is Only Offensive To Those Who Love Crooked Money.

I know my campaign will not stop this overnight, but somewhere and somehow we need to start Breaking the Cycle. The road to be elected is rough, as many politicians and some voters love this old way.

I will stand in Faith and Prayer with the hope that I can convince the ones who are fed up with this give me something for my vote” attitude, and the ones seeking donation money by the Brown Sack lovers. Their only intention is control of elected officials and running the Country in any direction they want.

Too many voters are tired of this and refuse to come out to vote because we (Sint Maarten) have – for sure – about 5000 people thinking this way Read more

Expedition Crew Spreads Awareness Of Protecting Oceans From Plastics

Scientist Marion Hingant (left) and Captain Patrick Deixonne in the lab of the Expedition schooner. (Robert Luckock photos)

Information stands were set up on the shoreline next to Marina Fort Louis.

  The 26-metre 7th Continent Expedition schooner visited Marina Fort Louis on May 6 and 7.

MARIGOT--Explorer Patrick Deixonne and his crew of schooner 7th Continent Expedition were at Fort Louis Marina, Marigot, May 6-7 to raise awareness among the public of the urgent need to preserve the oceans and to stress the importance of sorting waste, the first barrier against marine pollution.

The name 7th Continent comes from areas in the worlds oceans where there is a particularly high concentration of plastics driven together by currents, effectively forming their own continents.

This was the sixth educational tour and the very first edition in the Antilles-Guyana region Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  Le Sommet Foundation held its first Craft and Farmers Market this past Saturday, and the community was buzzing with excitement. Vendors came out ready with locally grown fresh produce, locally crafted artifacts, beverages, health and skin care products, herbs & spices, and more. Patrons were thrilled to be able to access these local products all in one place.
"This event is a step in the right direction," said Fabio Doralice, President of Le Sommet Foundation Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Le Sommet Foundation in collaboration with the Haitian Association of Sint Maarten (HASMA) successfully completed their third annual 1000 Rose Mother's Day Giveaway on Sunday, May 14th. The foundation's board and team members distributed roses and Mother's Day cards to various establishments around the island, including the White & Yellow Cross and St. Maarten Medical Center. Recipients were grateful for the gestures of appreciation and love, and the team was touched by the emotional reactions they received.
"Mothers are the pillars of our families and communities, and it is our duty to honor and appreciate them every day, especially on Mother's Day Read more

Craft & Farmers Market Launched In Philipsburg

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – Le Sommet Foundation held its first Craft and Farmers Market this past Saturday, and the community was buzzing with excitement. Vendors came out ready with locally grown fresh produce, locally crafted artifacts, beverages, health and skin care products, herbs & spices, and more. Patrons were thrilled to be able to access these local products all in one place.

“This event is a step in the right direction,” said Fabio Doralice, President of Le Sommet Foundation Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the weekend it was announced that Members of Parliament Heyliger-Marten, Wescot-Williams, and Duncan have submitted a request for a central committee meeting of Parliament to receive an update from government on the governments trajectory for electoral reform.

In explaining this request, MP Wescot stated that several members of parliament have not only been clamoring to get a sense from the government where electoral reform stands presently but also to hear whether the government is actually doing something regarding the much-touted reform.

In addition, there are several proposals from members of parliament at government, and while the government has alluded to these proposals and governments initial support for proposals such as removal of the black curtains, candidates declarations as part of a political party, a more tamper-proof ballot system, no tangible actions are evident.

We know that the government has conducted a survey and announced public sessions on electoral reform, but there is no evidence of urgency.

Parliament has also finally requested proposals for the drafting of legislation in areas identified by parliament as part of the reform of several laws that regulate components of electoral reform, such as the position of political parties in our system, ship jumping, ministerial responsibility, dissolution of parliament, suspension of MPs, remuneration and amount of parliamentary seats etc Read more