~ To examine partnership possibilities ~ PHILIPSBURG--A Letter of Intent (LOI) has been signed between TelEm Group of Companies and United Telecommunications Services (UTS) to examine the possibilities of a partnership between the two companies. St. Maarten's Shareholder Representative for UTS Minister Dennis Richardson on Tuesday confirmed that an LOI had been signed, but directed this newspaper...
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Youth Members of Parliament (YMPs) got somewhat of an advantage for the upcoming Kingdom Youth Parliament (KYP) when they received a two-hour interactive training on Tuesday, from top Dutch debate expert and KYP debate leader Roderik van Grieken. The debate leader has only met with the Netherlands KYP team prior to meeting the St. Maarten team. He will not meet with the KYP...
PHILIPSBURG--Local calypso legend Barbara Althea Nesbitt, better known on the island as Calypso Barbara, passed away in the morning of April 7. Calypso Barbara was born on July 2, 1940, and had been ill for some time. She was a talented musician, singer and songwriter who had been involved in local Carnival celebrations for decades and was particularly involved in Youth Carnival programmes. She supported...
THE HAGUE--The Council of State has emphasised once again the need for a conciliation regulation for the countries of the Dutch Kingdom. The advisory body wrote this in its annual report for 2013, the publication of which coincidentally follows the Kingdom Conference in Aruba where no firm agreements on this matter were made. That a conciliation arrangement is necessary appeared last year with a request...
MARIGOT--Gynaecologist Dr. Louis Jeffry said Monday chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients could be available in St. Martin in a year or so, dispensing with the inconvenience of patients having to travel regularly to Guadeloupe or France. "We are looking forward to having a team and the equipment, a complete unit, to propose to patients in St. Martin," said Jeffry. "It is currently a priority...
PHILIPSBURG--The Democratic Party (DP) board has requested its leader Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams (DP) consider the possibility of inviting international monitors to prepare a mission to observe the 2014 parliamentary elections, and for the monitoring agency to include locals in its team for them to gain experience in best practices for future elections. DP Board President Michael Ferrier...
WILLENSTAD--A Curaçao police officer who was attacked by a group of foreigners during a general control at a snack bar in Choloma late Friday night used a service weapon in defence, with fatal consequences. A bullet hit the man, Sharlon Randy Mercelina of Trinidad, who died almost immediately as a result of his injuries. He was actually residing on the island legally, but during the operation seven...
PHILIPSBURG--Royal Kid and Lil Blossom retained their titles as Junior Road March Monarch and Junior Calypso Monarch on Saturday night, after they performed in front of a crowd of people at Celebration Palace to compete for the Monarch Titles in the Junior Road March and Junior Calypso Competitions. Judges Claudius Jones, Romez Fleming and Eric Taylor had the task of awarding points for the lyrics,...
THE HAGUE--Dutch State Secretary of Economic Affairs Sharon Dijksma has made funds available for six nature projects in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, it was announced on Friday. These are the first approved projects. The funds go towards projects that not only strengthen nature on the islands, but which also contribute to agriculture, tourism or local entrepreneurship. In total, the Dutch Government...
THE HAGUE--European public health authorities anticipate that the outbreak of the viral disease chikungunya will expand in the Caribbean and permanently establish itself on the islands. Because of the intensive traffic of persons between the Caribbean and Europe, authorities urge doctors to take the disease into account in case travellers display the symptoms of chikungunya. This was stated in an...
PHILIPSBURG--The Fire Department held its annual parade on Friday as part of Firemen's Week. A band led a group of firemen and one female fire-fighter as they marched through the centre of Philipsburg. The march started at the Government Administration Building where the fire officers dressed in their ceremonial uniforms stood at attention as they were inspected by Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams....
~ Stress importance of investing in health ~ PHILIPSBURG--A Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) delegation has been in St. Maarten over the past few days working on establishing a strategic agenda of cooperation with the country, amongst other things. St. Maarten is currently an Associate Member of PAHO. The delegation, which held discussions with the Council of Ministers on Thursday, stressed...
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...