SMNN - Philipsburg: --- Information reaching SMN News states that the leader of the People's Progressive Party Gracita Arrindell and Commissioner Theo Heyliger are to sign an agreement as early as Tuesday declaring that they have begun talks to form the new green party.

SMN News learnt that Heyliger and Arrindell had agreed prior to the parliamentary elections that they were going to team up for country election which is slated for June 2010.

Is King TO constipated? It's a possibility considering his latest comment about the roads and potholes. As Commissioner for public works and many 'friends' in the road construction business you would think he would know a little bit about them.
Heyliger questions why PJIA can’t give back to community.

Let me explain for you TO. When a pothole begins it lets loose a whole bunch of stones and gravel that create more potholes. In addition the edges weaken and the pothole gets bigger, collecting rainwater which causes more weakness and expansion. When you leave potholes for month and months as has been done at this particular section of road then the results are what we all see today.

Instead of blaming PJIA's extension, which by the way has nothing to do with the state of the road, a road that has ALWAYS had pothole problems, try doing your job and making sure Public Works does theirs. By TO's logic, maybe we should be asking the car importers and rental companies to fix the roads too.

Oh, and when oh when is the media of this island going to put this man on the spot and press him for answers on what he's doing about the SOAB report and VROM?? It is his portfolio afterall isn't it?

Oh lawdy, here I am getting controversial again, SXM PE is never going to get any advertisers at this rate, lol.

On the French side you see Gendarmes all the time, they patrol Grand Case and Marigot at night on foot. On the Dutch side you rarely see a police car, I think I see them more often when they are escorting some official through our traffic jams.

Compare these two reports.
Bandits Convicted to Jail. - Arrested and convicted within 5 days.

Young men jailed for supermarket robbery. - Time between arrest and conviction, almost 3 months. They got a discount because of police detention.

Food for thought, no?

Marty’s Giro in Simpson Bay is a great place to eat on the island. But this Thursday evening, the Rainbow Warriors (read local gay society) that congregate there for a discrete tête-à- tête got more than they could chew. Some local rich female (with a bad hairstyle and an inebriated proboscis) who unwisely bought land in Statia declared her distaste for the practice of zoning on the Historical Gem.

Unfortunate for her was the presence of a local historian who reaffirmed the importance of conserving the Island’s historical heritage and avoiding the catastrophic over development that has defaced the identity and thus image of St. Maarten.

“You are just a gay asshole,” she voiced with self proclaimed authority.

Needless to say, the camp followers were perturbed about the remark and became feint as robins. They referred to Marty, the owner for some kind of immediate resolution. None was forthcoming.

Nostradamus was also perturbed. Rich people have a habit of being oblivious to feelings and the eminent sear identifies with emotional damage especially when its source originates from the intellect of an ant. His mind recalls that wonderful retort of Winston Churchill when confronted by Lady Astor and her accusation that he was drunk. “Yes, madam, I am drunk. But in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.”

Law is a delicate institution and nowhere else than on St. Maarten can its interpretation be subject to scrutiny and sometimes frivolous scandal. Step forward Mister Richard Gibson who is widely rumored to have boxed off his second wife by building a complete dividing wall that runs through the middle of his luxurious Maho house.

The incidence of physical and thus media exposure of the celebrity variety is an increasing phenomenon on the island. Allegations that Julian Rollocks was parading in his underpants in October last year have been followed up with front page titillation via Mister Gibson’s own newspaper that the DP secretary is “broke” and has “serious issues with spelling and grammar”. For Mister G, as he is affectionately known, the boot is now clearly on the other foot!

The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--The National Alliance (NA)/Heyliger government is seeking to have the firm KEMA conduct an independent cost and quality control/feasibility study of the proposed waste-to-energy plant that is to be built by Windward Roads Infrastructure to tackle the island’s growing garbage problem.

Approval for the control was tabled in the Central Committee Monday, because it will cost more than 100,000 euros, which excesses the amount that the Executive Council is allowed to sign off on without Island Council approval.

SXM Pride - World Wetlands Day Tree Planting

This coming Friday February 5th at 4pm EPIC, St. Maarten Pride Foundation, Nature Foundation and the Seaside Nature Park will be planting 25 Buttonwood Trees (plants found along St. Maarten's coast) at the Seaside Nature Park’s grounds in Cay Bay in commemoration of World Wetlands Day which is on February 2nd, 2010 and in recognition of the importance of St. Maarten’s wetlands and coastal zones. The Foundations are asking all volunteers, organizations and interested individuals to come out and help.

SMNN -

Philipsburg: --- With the reports from SOAB now in the open SMN News has learnt that the head of the permits department at ROB Mr. Guy Gumbs has submitted his resignation from that department. Sources say that the department head has claimed that he has health conditions and as such, he can no longer hold the position (head of permits) thus he resigns with immediate effect. Gumbs submitted his letter to general affairs on January 25th 2010. He also requested that the executive council reinstate him to his former position as project manager at the department of New Projects and Beheerdienst with the same legal position prior to his departure in April 2009. The letter was sent to the executive council and copied to Commissioner Theo Heyliger. SMN News managed to retrieve a copy of a memo Gumbs sent to the director of ROB Mr. Joseph Dollison on August 31 2009 informing him that he would not be signing the permits for Olzina N.V. belonging to Samir Andreos.[More....]

SXM Pride - World Wetlands Day has been commemorated annually since 1997. Hundreds of Non-Governmental Organizations and other community based groups around the world make use of this second day of February to take special action aimed at raising government and public awareness of the importance of protecting wetlands.

Today Tuesday February 2nd, 2010 “World Wetlands day”, marks 39 years since the adoption of the Ramsar Convention/Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian City of Ramsar in 1971. “The Convention’s mission is the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”. (Ramsar COP8, 2002). Presently there are over 150 signatories to the convention with more than 1800 wetland sites designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Significance.

Click here to Read More

SXM Pride - While St. Maarten Pride Foundation understands and agrees with Commissioner William Marlin that there is a need for affordable housing, the foundation advocates that any and all development should respect St. Maarten’s Natural and Cultural Heritage and take place in a sustainable manner.

Recent reports indicating Commissioner William Marlin’s plans to fill-in areas of the Great Salt Pond for what he estimates to be 200 homes are therefore a source of serious concern.

Click here to Read More

Attorney General Wants Appeal Court to Uphold Verdict---- Laviest Broke Down in Court ---- Says his Mistakes was Not of Mal-Intent---To know Fate on February 11th.

And he burst into tears as he accepted the award.....

The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--ROB Sector Director Joseph Dollison and New Works and Maintenance head Claudius Buncamper eviscerated the SOAB concept report in October 2009 that outlined alleged wrongdoings at the department and concluded that both should be dismissed from their functions for mismanagement of the department and possibly should face criminal charges.

In their 20-page response to the concept report, which they sent to SOAB in October 2009, Dollison and Buncamper addressed the allegations in the report point for point and told SOAB its concept report was suggestive, filled with non-factual statements, lacked understanding of the functioning of ROB and VROM, misinterpreted a number of procedures, and was based on hearsay from the convicted former head of VROM.

SMNN -

Philipsburg: --- Constant rumors around the island are linking a former police officer to one of the recent murders. SMN News has learnt that the officer was fired from the force over a year ago after he allegedly was involved in a kidnapping case. This media house understands that the officer was subsequently fired. SMN News on more than one occasion contacted Prosecutor Rienk Mud for a comment. Mud said on Wednesday that he would not confirm neither denies if the rumors have any bearing on any of his five murder investigations. SMN News also contacted Chief of Police Franklyn Richards who said he was not aware of the case. On Friday when contacted again on the information we are receiving, Mud said that he had no comment to make about the rumors. On Friday, we provided the name of the former police officer to Mud but he maintained that he had no comment to make. [More....]

SOAB is the organization that functions as the internal auditor of the government of the Netherlands Antilles. Fifteen (I always thought 2010 – 1994 = 16…) years in business and claims to ‘know government’; SOAB has conducted research on how permits were and are granted within the sector ROB (ruimtelijke ordening & beheer/area planning and management). They were requested to do so on the third of February 09 by the ExCo. A year later their 32 page report, with an analysis of the administrative organization of ROB and its internal control measures, appeared.

SMNN -

Philipsburg - While we have shifted into first gear on the "paved" road to country status, the dust has not settled on the back roads, where day to day challenges remain a balancing act for local government officials. Officials who should give sufficient attention and public accountability on various tasks that affect our (business) community directly. This is no different for St. Maarten's Local Chief of Police, Lt. Governor Franklin Richards, who recently received a request for more clarification on the recent rise of criminal activities, from Island Council Member Maria Buncamper-Molanus. [More....]

The SOAB Report, in Dutch. Click open this post to find the PDF.

"Spring time for Hitler and Germany, Winter for Poland and France." The libretto from The Producers is well known. It embraces a culture to which the Vatican during the WWII remains devoted in silence. Given the awful human loss in Haiti, the Pope has very little to offer the many living catholic souls that are faced with desperation.

His immediate interest in surviving Haitian clerics and an historical diatribe belies a higher spiritual identification with the suffering and their families.

Where was the voice of comfort? Where was the action for hope and understanding?

Yesterday there was a terrible tragedy. An earthquake decimated thousands of lives in Haiti. And the Vatican remained silent.

Mea culpa?

From a couple years back, still relevant though :)

The following statement was issued by The Royal Society towards the end of 2009: "Since the millennium, we have produced nearly as much plastic as in the prior half-century. Next year, 300 million tonnes of plastic will be manufactured worldwide and one-third of all plastics will go into packaging.” If that statement doesn’t sound very worrying, then think again, because it should scare the hell out of you.

The Daily Herald -

~ The Daily Herald understands otherwise ~ PHILIPSBURG--The local Police Force and the Prosecutor’s Office are contesting reports by this newspaper that an arrest has been made in the ongoing investigation of the murder of Dutch Quarter Afoo Supermarket manager Eric Yuan Sam. However, this newspaper has it on good authority that an arrest indeed was made, and therefore is standing by its story published in the Saturday, January 2, edition. [More....]

A political system must be under-pinned by a valid legal system. Over the next two weeks, Nostradamus predicts that details will be revealed about two of the most prominent legal minds on the island who have used their position to massage the rule of law to falsify documents and acquire land and title.

SMNN -

Philipsburg: --- The son of Inspector Carlton Philips is calling on the Police Management team to publish the report on the investigation conducted by the Police Internal Affairs of Curacao. Norwin Philips in his letter said he has been following the case against his father Carlton Philips very closely since the management team of the police forces accused his father of destroying evidence while working at the CID department of the Police Force of St. Maarten. Earlier this year Inspector Carlton Philips in an open letter accused the police management of self-enrichment as well as falsely accusing him of a crime. He said since that time he has requested an investigation hoping to clear his name however, after seven months of pleading with management, the prosecutor's office and the local chief of police to no avail Philips took his case to the media hoping that the police management as well as the Minister of Justice would intervene. The letter from Norwin Philips reads as follows. [More....]

“Telnet is your local Internet Services Provider, recognized as St. Maarten’s most reliable Internet Company.” Really?
My internet service from this company works only 40% of the time. It even failed me on Xmas day. Disconnections are frequent and lengthy. Their technicians are few, absent or only available perhaps during weekday office hours.

So woe to any business that needs Telnet services after 5.00 pm or at weekends when their connections are often down. Most reliable?

Why do we become so frustrated with Telnet and all TeLem companies?

SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - On December 25, 2009, the Government Information Service will air a special documentary on the village of Simpson Bay, on TV15 at 7:00pm. The documentary is part of a series focusing on the historic attributes of the island’s districts, meant to highlight St. Maarten’s historical past.

In conducting the research and interviews, GIS spoke to many past and current residents of the Simpson Bay and historians, such as Bernard Vlaun, Van-Hugh Peterson, Ernest Williams, Freddy Lejuez, Wilhelm Patrick, and Jay Haviser, amongst others.

(GIS should be putting this sort of stuff online. - Flipper)

SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - The verdict is in and the Managing Director of GEBE William Brooks has won his court case against the Supervisory Board who dismissed him from his functions for six weeks.

According to reports aired on PJD2 Radio, Brooks was given a verdict to return to work immediately putting an end to his suspension which began on December 4th and was scheduled to end on the 16th of January 2010.

Court rules against EWE Developer

EWE - Today O & C

Emilio Wilson Estate & Park Thread and Archives

And so the story goes....Di da di di da di di da di

For regular readers or SXM PE it is no secret that I have a very poor opinion of Roy Marlin, between 'Respect' and 'Contempt' I most certainly lean towards the latter, with some scorn and disgust thrown in for good measure. To my mind, the only people that would vote for him are either paid off or just plain ignorant and stupid, yes that's right, if you are considering voting for this man then you are a (expletive) idiot.

So much of what is wrong with, and in, St. Maarten can be placed firmly and confidently at his doorstep, from our lack of a sewage infrastructure, the power outages, garbage treatment to the mess at VROM and ROB. It was Roy who as head of these departments who said during the Dawn Beach story that Permits are 'frivolous details', sending a message to all developers and setting the stage for the incompetence, mismanagement and possible fraud and corruption detailed in the SOAB report.

Let's have a look at the Comfort Letter to Westin from March 2005.

The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--The Island Government will sign an agreement on January 13, 2010, for the takeover of the contract for the new Government Administration Building by “new developers,” leader of Government Commissioner William Marlin announced Sunday.

Marlin, speaking on Radio Soualiga 99.9FM on Sunday morning, said the new developers would purchase the accumulated interest of current developer RGM and subsequently own the building completely. RGM’s contract with government will be dissolved.

After years of warnings about the consequences of dumping raw sewage and waste into the ditches and bush lands of Bonaire and the recent exposure by Sean Paton that these warnings have proved to have been on target, the government of Bonaire has decided to let Scientology's ship Freewinds continue the practice.

Yes, that is correct, Freewinds have the permission of the Bonaire Island Government to dump waste and contaminate the water table of Bonaire with bacteria and toxins, damage that will affect the environment and future generations of the island for decades to come. How did they get this permission?

Is it just that the Bonaire Island Government are ignorant incompetent morons, or is it because Scientology, known for circumventing and breaking the law, sometimes in extreme ways, have paid them off in some manner? I know what I think is most likely, because it's hard to believe anyone could be so stupid and blind to the consequences of what is being done.

SXM Island Times - PHILIPSBURG - Former Prosecutor Core Merx was granted admission to the bar on Thursday after a hearing by a panel of three Judges. The Attorney General pitched a number of reasons at the panel of Judges why he believed that Merx should not be allowed on the Bar.

Among the reasons were funds that were unaccounted for which it is claimed that Merx used on his house.