PHILIPSBURG--A first hearing in a new court case on the merits of the disputed Pelican Resort auction was postponed Thursday due to one of the attorneys being unavailable for medical reasons. The latest case started in March, 2013, when Curaçao lawyer Gerrit van Giffen, representing the former owners of the Pelican Resort, now the Simpson Bay Resort challenged the legality of the auction of the Pelican...
PHILIPSBURG--Imagine working in a visual arts classroom with upwards of 15 children and having to use tiny hand wash basins to clean paint palettes and brushes, fill up containers for craft projects and to keep the classroom spic and span for the next batch of students. This is the circumstance that Visual Arts and CAV teacher Silvia Carty of Sundial School has been working under for more than a decade....
PHILIPSBURG--The Council for Law Enforcement is calling for better training of the Sint Maarten Police Force in a new report it presented to Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson on Monday, March 31. "In spite of tight budgeting at the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles, the St. Maarten Police Force vigorously took up the training of its personnel by offering staff a great number of short-term...
PHILIPSBURG--Two men who had been in pre-trial detention were released with immediate effect yesterday because their detention in Philipsburg Police Station meant that they could not partake in the daily activity programme at Pointe Blanche Prison, due to a lack of transport facilities, Prosecutor Tineke Kamps confirmed. The judge of instruction suspended their pre-trial detention with immediate effect....
ARUBA--The Kingdom Conference held in Aruba on Wednesday has yielded several results. An agreement was reached on establishing a taskforce to improve children's rights, to work on more cohesion in the Kingdom and to look into a free trade zone on the islands for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. However, parties could not agree on the dispute arrangement for the Kingdom and this item was moved to the...
~ Teacher apologised ~ SOUTH REWARD--The contract for the Milton Peters College (MPC) teacher who spat on a second-form TKL student has been terminated with mutual consent. The teacher A.A. has also apologised to the school, his colleagues, students and their parents for what has transpired. “This is highly appreciated,” the School Board for Secondary Education SVOBE told teachers in a correspondence...
~ Former UNICEF Director Kastberg to address Kingdom Conference ~ By Suzanne Koelega ARUBA--True sovereignty of a country is its people and it starts with the arrival of a new child. Raising children in a safe environment is an exercise of sovereignty, which needs to involve everyone, not only government, but the entire community. This will be the main message of children's rights advocate and former...
ARUBA--Delegations are ready for today's Kingdom Conference in Aruba. The agenda points – the four reports of the work groups, children's rights, cohesion and economic cooperation in the Kingdom – will generate a "spirited discussion," anticipates St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams. Wescot-Williams and conference host Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman expect a positive conference where...
WILLEMSTAD--The Netherlands Antilles guilder will remain the joint currency of Curaçao and St. Maarten for now, while the two countries map out their monetary system. Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Finance Minister Martin Hassink met with Curaçao Prime Minister Ivar Asjes and his finance minister in Willemstad on Monday to discuss the monetary union and other matters of mutual interest to...
PHILIPSBURG--An agreement still has not been reached by Foundation for Secondary Education in the Windward Islands SVOBE, which provides secondary education to approximately 1,200 students at Milton Peters College and Sundial School, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, it was revealed in a LAR administrative procedure yesterday. The case first came to court on Wednesday,...
~ St. Martin economy expected to explode ~ MARIGOT --Negotiations between the legal representatives of the owners of Tintamarre and a consortium of Middle Eastern investment businessmen were concluded late yesterday with the sale and purchase of Tintamarre Island, which has been privately owned since 1878, for a fabulous amount that exceeds 200 million euros. The new owners' intention is to conduct...
~ School board investigating ~ SOUTH REWARD--The actions of a Milton Peters College (MPC) teacher, who allegedly spat on a girl student, called her a “wh***” (prostitute), used profanity to describe her and threatened to harm her physically, has enraged a number of educators at the institution as well as youth magazine Teen Times. In an invited comment on Sunday, School Board for Secondary Education...
SIMPSON BAY--Friday night saw the first-ever Causeway Jump-up, the first Carnival parade of the season, which started off at Kim Sha Beach before making its way to the causeway, turning on to Union Road, before completing its circle back to the causeway. The event, which started and finished on time, was well attended by many revellers and spectators, and marked a historic moment when the parade entered...
POND ISLAND--Due to the dry and hot weather the country has been experiencing and on water quality sampling, Nature Foundation has issued an alert for medium to high potential for tilapia fish die-off in Great Salt Pond. Nature Foundation has tested the water quality in the pond and has measured a decrease in oxygen levels and an increase in salinity due to the ongoing weather conditions. These factors...
SIMPSON BAY-- Inner Harmony Wellness Centers honoured two of its team members who completed an advanced healthcare training, on Thursday. It also celebrated the appointment of Palmida Connor to the position of Office Manager, Communications Director and Inventory Control Specialist. Connor has many years experience in business in Canada, Holland and the US. Also honoured was team member Sandra Young,...
THE HAGUE--Participants in the Kingdom Youth Parliament came together with members of the National Committee 200 Years Kingdom and the Committee Kingdom Relations in The Hague on Friday in preparation for the Kingdom Youth Parliament event in St. Maarten in May. Members of the Dutch, Curaçao, Aruba and Caribbean Netherlands teams were welcomed by Chairperson of the National Committee 200 Years Kingdom...
~ All residents in need should get relief ~ PHILIPSBURG--A "political statement" being made during the election climate was how National Alliance (NA) leader Member of Parliament (MP) William Marlin described the recent announcement that seniors in the country would be given a "temporary" still-to-be-ironed-out relief in their utility bills, which will become effective at a still-to-be-announced date....
CUPECOY--Emil Lee, St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) President the past thirteen years, tendered his resignation as President and his position on the board at the monthly SHTA mixer hosted by Blue Mall in Cupecoy last night. The announcement was made during his closing remarks, with his resignation taking effect today, March 28. His role as President will be filled by Eveline Henriquez-Dijkoffz,...
POINTE BLANCHE--The marines have started planning early for this year’s Hurricane Season. The Hurex, an annual hurricane exercise held in St. Maarten for all the Windward Islands, involving the emergency services and all stakeholders, will be held in June this year. A main planning conference is scheduled for April 16, at Divi Little Bay Resort. Commander of the Netherlands Royal Marines in St. Maarten...
PHILIPSBURG--The Council of Ministers has agreed to a "conservative estimate" of NAf. 88 million in capital projects, which include the buyout of the still-incomplete government administration building and the purchase of Industry and Golden Rock Plantation (commonly called Emilio Wilson estate) under the 2014 budget. A budget amendment will be made to reflect those and other projects. Prime Minister...