The translation of the Organic Laws of St. Maarten into English is a great step forward in social justice for the island. Too many of its citizens and residents remain in the dark or are often baffled when served legal or official documents. At a cer
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 28, 2014
St. Maarten -A symbolic launching of the translation of the Organic Laws for St. Maarten from Dutch to English was witnessed by members of the community at the A C Wathey Legislative Hall yesterday afternoon. “It has been a long time that there w
Uncategorized - Posted by admin on February 28, 2014
Comments Off on Demand again 9 years against last of the Vesuvius-suspects
St. Maarten – Solicitor-General Taco Stein demanded on appeal 9 years of imprisonment against the most talkative of all the defendants in the Vesuvius-investigation, 32-year old Andrew Davis who has described himself as a good friend and an advisor
Citizens are entitled to their safety. That sounds good, but the truth is of course that we do not live in a world that is one hundred percent foolproof safe. People commit crimes against fellow-citizens, accidents happen – it is really quite dange
Getting agitated because of noise pollution is one thing, sustaining damages to your ears because of music that is way too loud quite another. This topic returns to the public each year by the time carnival rolls around. In St. Maarten, the festiviti
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 28, 2014
Comments Off on Opinion: Hipster beards (Beard Transplantations)
Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. The greatest concen
The government has no policy in place that regulates what happens when a brief case is stolen from a civil servant during a business trip. Therefore, every case will be judged separately. One may wonder whether this is a wise approach, after today
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on No policy to cover stolen property
St. Maarten – The government does not have a policy in place that regulates compensation for lost or stolen property from civil servants on business trips. This newspaper asked Prime Minister Wescot-Williams at yesterday’s press briefing whether
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Seven years for attempted murder on Devon Otto
St. Maarten – The Court in first Instance sentenced two men to 7 years of imprisonment yesterday for attempted murder on their fellow-inmate Devon Otto on July 20 of last year. Nashon Elwin Francis (29) and Carnicio David Warno (33) attacked Otto w
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Prosecution demands on appeal again 8 years for Middle Region stabbing
St. Maarten – Solicitor-General Taco Stein asked the Common Court of Justice yesterday to confirm the 8-year prison sentence for Shanieska Brooks who stabbed Kimberly Illidge to death on March 23 in Middle Region. The prosecution asked the court to
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on PM acknowledges criticism of chikungunya-crisis
St. Maarten – The government is aware of the criticism St. Maarten Weekly News editor Jeff Berger expressed about the way it has handled the chikungunya-crisis in American and Canadian media, Prime Minister Wescot-Williams said at yesterday’s pre
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on One week respite for number plates
St. Maarten – The Ministry of finance will give motorists one week respite after Friday to get their new number plates for the year 2014 on their vehicles. Prime Minister Wescot-Williams said yesterday that this decision is a result of consultation
“………. sale a marchar mañana sin miedo de nada y con la esperanza de encontrar un futuro mejor” (“……gone marching without fear of nothing and hoping to find a better future,”) . This was the last Facebook-post of Bassil Da Costa, a
“The population of Venezuela is revolting because the socialist State of Venezuela is out of money, rather out of dollars, and since most consumption goods are imported ( 80%) and not locally produced, out of food and everything else. The Bolivaria
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Positive advice Cft on 2014 budget: Questions about stalling tax revenue
St. Maarten – Financial supervisor Cft gave a positive advice about the 2014 budget, though the possibility remains that an amendment will be necessary in the course of the year. The budget projects 427 million guilders ($238.5 million) in revenue
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Orca-trial tentatively scheduled for May 7
St. Maarten – The Orca-trial against independent Member of Parliament Patrick Illidge and Bada Bing-owner Jaap van den Heuvel will most likely take place on Wednesday May 7. The date is not set in stone yet, but prosecutor Tineke Kamps confirmed th
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on SVOBE wants 4.5 million guilders from Education Ministry Financial woes could lead to closure of secondary schools
St. Maarten – The Foundation for Secondary Education (SVOBE) needs an immediate cash injection of 4.5 million guilders from the Ministry of Education, otherwise the foundation threatens to file for bankruptcy and Milton Peters College and the Sundi
Benjamin Franklin knew it already in the second half of the eighteenth century: right is might. These days, politicians like to turn that notion around and throw their might-is-right remarks at a majority that is taking decisions they do not like or
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Reader’s Opinion: Election fraud postponement
Dear Editor, The public prosecutor said the case (UP voting buying allegations – Ed.) was not a difficult one. If this was the case, then why the postponement for 2 months? Why isn’t justice doing time? Now we have seen it all in St. Maarte
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Opinion: Double last names in Belgium
To say that Belgians are a weird lot is a blanket statement that we would not want to be responsible for, but the country does have its moments. Take for instance an initiative that seems to have the support of the majority in the Belgian parliame
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 27, 2014
Comments Off on Reader’s Opinion: Cultures of the Caribbean
Dear Editor, The Caribbean is a group of islands stretched in a curve from the southern tip of Florida, United States of America, to the northern coast of South America, close to Venezuela, and embedded in the Caribbean Sea. These islands were col
The General Audit Chamber gave a clear and concise presentation to members of the Central Committee of parliament yesterday afternoon. What struck a chord is the remark by the chamber’s secretary-general about the philosophy behind the work of this
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 25, 2014
Comments Off on Theo Heyliger’s Opinion: Central Bank is vital
Considering the remarkable content of MP Laveist’s letter (Smelling a rat) we invited UP-leader Theo Heyliger to comment on it. This is his statement: “The only reason Louie is making his mouth big is not for the RBC workers but it is for the
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 25, 2014
Comments Off on Opinion: Simpson Bay Lagoon filling illegal
Dear Editor, The board of the Sint Maarten Pride Foundation is certain that you will recall the serious concerns Pride Foundation expressed in the printed media on December 21st, 2013 regarding the most recent filling-in of the Simpson Bay Lagoon
Opinion - Posted by admin on February 25, 2014
Comments Off on Louie Laveist’s Opinion: Smelling a rat
I smell a rat was my reaction when reading the front page lead story of Thursday February 20, 2014 newspapers. The leader of the UP party MP Theo Heyliger threatened to once again plunge St Maarten in political turmoil by pulling his support from
Uncategorized - Posted by admin on February 25, 2014
Comments Off on SG Audit Chamber Joane Dovale-Meit: “We can honestly say, mission accomplished”
St. Maarten– “We can honestly say: mission accomplished. We are operational,” said the Secretary-General of the General Audit Chamber, Joane Dovale-Meit during a presentation to the central committee of parliament yesterday afternoon. Dovale
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 25, 2014
St. Maarten / By Hilbert Haar – “If the government sticks to its plans we will close down. We prefer closure to losing money. And then we will see what will happen with criminality on the island.” That is the position of brothel owners and adu
The debate about the Emilio Wilson Estate court ruling has captured the imagination of many, but few seem to understand what this is really all about. At the heart of the matter are not the financial troubles of the country but the reliability of the
Opinion, St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Opinion: Chikungunya
Below is the unabridged text of Jeff Berger’s take on the way the government in St. Maarten is handling the chikungunya crisis.: There is no question that until Chikungunya arrived here in December, SXM was poised for an outstanding tourist seas
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Predicts sharp drop in tourism in March – Berger criticizes handling chikungunya-crisis
St. Maarten – Jeff Berger, the CEA of JMB Communications and the publisher of the influential electronic newsletter St. Maarten Weekly News, warns in today’s edition that the tourist season will take a serious hit in March due to the way the gove
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Emilio Wilson ruling triggers animated debate “The court can never be above the people”
St. Maarten –Friday's decision by the Court in First Instance to sentence the government to purchase the Emilio Wilson Estate for $17 million from Henri Brookson and the Paas family triggered an animated discussion on Facebook this weekend. “W
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Ex-wife calls on community for help: Union stalwart Haize returned to St. Maarten unexpectedly
St. Maarten – Former union-leader Willy Haize was flown back from the Dominican Republic to St. Maarten yesterday for reasons that have mystified and upset his ex-wife Shuhua Zhang. She learned about Haize’s return through parliamentarian Hyacint
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Tomorrow hearing about Simpson Bay zoning plan
St. Maarten – Vromi-Minister Maurice Lake said on Sunday that everyone is invited to raise their concerns and questions at the public hearing tomorrow about the preliminary draft development plan for Simpson Bay. Residents and stakeholders can d
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Gebe ready to settle claim for electricity meter fraud
St. Maarten – A resident who was taken to court by utilities company Gebe over fraud with her electricity meter to the tune of 37,000 guilders (about $20,670) found some relief when Gebe was unable to indicate where the fraud was committed and by w
St. Maarten News - Posted by admin on February 24, 2014
Comments Off on Law firm BZSE launches ultra-user-friendly website
From left: Attorneys Gert and Rik Bergman, Pieter Soons and Jelmer Snow toast on the launch of the company’s new website. Photo contributedSt. Maarten - BZSE attorneys at law and tax lawyers, St. Maarten’s largest law firm, has officially l
