SXMElections.com

DATE ISSUED: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) June 28, 2023

WEATHER: 

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Partly cloudy to cloudy with light haze, isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 27C / 81F

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:40 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Easterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 08 to 16 mph and occasional higher gusts possible.

SYNOPSIS:

A combination of favorable upper level conditions and an approaching tropical wave, will account for isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms across the local area Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  The 160th Annual Emancipation Day celebration will take place on July 1st, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport drs Rodolphe Samuel invites all interested citizens and persons residing on Sint Maarten to join in the celebration that is scheduled to take place in Philipsburg. The celebration will begin with an Ecumenical Church Service at 5:30 am at the Anglican Church on Backstreet, followed by a Freedom March to the Boardwalk (Sports Park) for the Born Free cultural manifestation.

Emancipation Day was the first public holiday established by the Parliament of Sint Maarten since becoming a Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Dutch Quarter:--- Cloyd Ohndhae Marlin, son of political stalwart William Marlin officially launched his political career on Saturday evening at the Dutch Quarter Community Center. Marlin brings with him a lifetime of experience as he grew up in politics with his father William Marlin Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- The FBE Examination exam is a compulsory exit examination for candidates leaving primary school. For the academic year 2022-2023, 494 candidates sat the FBE Exit Exam from May 9th May 12th, 2023. The objective of the FBE exit exam is to evaluate and ascertain the quality of the FBE program. It assesses whether, and to what extent, the education provided meets the quality standards. It is a way of officially concluding the foundation-based education, hence the term exit exam. The results also help to determine which type of secondary education suits the need of every individual candidate.
After eight years of Foundation Based Education, candidates must show their level of understanding and proficiency in four subjects: English, Dutch, Mathematics, and General Knowledge Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

~As seen in recent visit by Government of Suriname delegation~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs has expressed satisfaction with the capacity being built in local institutions during her tenure at the head of the Council of Ministers.
This is especially evident in the fields of development and project management, as seen in a recent visit of a delegation from the Government of Suriname to understand the benefits of a centralized project implementation unit (PIU) based on the experiences of the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and its role in the successful ongoing implementation of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund.

Building local capacity in our institutions has been a top priority during my tenure and I am delighted by the progress we have made Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

~Top student in Public Education~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Marie Genevieve De Weever Primary School (MGDW) hosted its School Leaving Ceremony 2023 on Wednesday morning on the school campus.

Under the theme, "Lift me up," 32 students will leave primary education and embark on their journey in secondary education for the new school year 2023-2024.

Present at the ceremony was the Honorable Minister of VROMI Egbert Doran, Chief of Staff of the Minister of ECYS Glenderlin Holiday, a former student of MGDW Pilot Captain Aaron Leerdam, and another distinguished guest along with proud parents/guardians.

"We are extremely proud of our students as we continue to encourage them to reach their maximum God-given potential," remarked Stuart Johnson School Manager of MGDW.

Johnson said in his address, "We have a collective responsibility to ensure we lift up our students if there is a moment of weakness Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Counterfeit Naf. 50 And Naf. 100 Banknotes In Circulation.

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- The Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) has detected counterfeit NAf. 50 and NAf. 100 banknotes in circulation. The counterfeit NAf. 50 bills are of poor quality and can be easily identified as counterfeits Read more

Sandbar To Buccaneer Run

The St. Maarten Road Runners is proud to present a new event this year the Sandbar to Buccaneer Run which will take place on Sunday, July 2, 2023.

This event is sponsored and made possible by the Buccaneer Beach Bar, Sandbar, Sunset Beach Bar and Motorworld.

In line with the mission and vision of the St. Maarten Road Runners to continuously promote a healthy lifestyle for all, this event caters to kids and as well as adults.

The Sandbar to Buccaneer Run is a little different than the usual events and consists of 2 different races which can be chosen from.

Race number 1 consists of an individual run of a distance of 5km which starts at Sand Bar SXM and finishes at Buccaneer Beach Bar Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---The Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, Omar Ottley, led a high-level delegation to the 111th International Conference held in Geneva. The delegation included Secretary-General Joy Arnell, Department Head of Labor Linda Froston, Cabinet Members Alissa Rios and Johnnie Richardson, as well as representatives from the employers Ms Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:---Over 21 per cent of St. Maarten's residents who are presently unable to obtain a basic bank account are likely eager to have the Parliament of St. Maarten pass the draft "Right to a Bank Account" law brought by United People's UP Party leader and Member of Parliament the honourable Rolando Brison.
Brison said Thursday he also looks forward to Parliament handling the "Right to Bank Account" law now that the Council of Ministers of St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

BONAIRE:--- A Bonaire delegation participated in the Caribbean Studies Association 2023 Conference from 5th 9th June in St Croix, Virgin Islands United States. This was an historical event as for the first time the island of Bonaire was represented. Our team, Bonaire Human Rights Organization, Davika Bissessar Shaw and James Finies from Nos Kier Boneiru Bek, made a presentation and spoke on behalf of the People of Bonaire and the organizations BHRO, NKBB, and Movement pa Kambio Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport Hon. Rodolphe Samuel would hereby like to inform the general public about the introduction of a Secondary School for Special Education at the Sint Maarten Vocational Training School (SMVTS).
This groundbreaking initiative aims to meet the unique needs of students with diverse learning abilities and create an inclusive and supportive environment for their educational journey Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Countries Take Decisions To Improve Healthcare

From left: Minister Dangui Oduber of Aruba, Dutch State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen, Minister Javier Silvania of Curaao and Omar Ottley of St. Maarten. (Aruba government photo)

ORANJESTAD/WILLEMSTAD--The Public Health ministers of Aruba, Curaao and St. Maarten and state secretary of Public Health of the Netherlands came together in Curaao last week for the fifth edition of the Four-Country Public Health Consultation Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- During my stay in the Netherlands, information reached me regarding the tender or rather an invitation to tender, issued on behalf of the government of St. Maarten, it would appear, MP Wescot explained.
There is a so-called ad hoc committee of parliament that deals with the preparation and construction of a new building for parliament. This committee has been in existence for a while and discussions regarding a new parliament building have been taking place in this committee for years now Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- Steflogix is joining the campaign Food Standards Save Lives, led by the World Health Organization.

The NIPA students of Hospitality 1 recently completed their food handlers course which was facilitated by Steflogix. On June 7th, 2023 the students received their food handlers certificates. Michael Somersall, General Manager of Steflogix told the students that this day was an extra special occasion as they received their certificates on World Food Safety Day Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Home Foundation Proudly Sponsors Test Your Skills Invitational Boxing Event

A Tribute to Louis Gibs and Alfonso Blijden

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — HOME (Helping Others Mean Everything) Foundation, a dedicated sponsor and supporter of community and sport initiatives, proudly sponsored the exhilarating “Test Your Skills Event” held this past weekend (Saturday June 3rd) at the Sports Auditorium. This remarkable evening of boxing brilliance served as a tribute to the legacies of Alfonso Blijden and Louis Gibs, leaving spectators entertained, impressed and hungry for more.

The “Test Your Skills Event” brought together a powerhouse lineup of talented boxers from Antigua, Curacao, Anguilla, Aruba, and St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

~A Tribute to Luis Gibbs and Alfonso Blijden~

PHILIPSBURG:--- HOME (Helping Others Mean Everything) Foundation, a dedicated sponsor and supporter of community and sports initiatives, proudly sponsored the exhilarating "Test Your Skills Event" held this past weekend (Saturday, June 3rd) at the Sports Auditorium. This remarkable evening of boxing brilliance served as a tribute to the legacies of Alfonso Blijden and Luis Gibbs, leaving spectators entertained, impressed, and hungry for more.
The "Test Your Skills Event" brought together a powerhouse lineup of talented boxers from Antigua, Curacao, Anguilla, Aruba, and St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

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

---

Candidates in this article:

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

---

Candidates in this article:

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

---

Candidates in this article:

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

---

Candidates in this article:

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

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