Local Hero's blog

I imagine some civil servants and politicians likely consider the SOAB report to be a 'son of a bitch' report, and I suspect that there are plenty of back room negotiations and scheming going on about how to limit it's impact and fallout. Thankfully SMNN is not letting the matter disappear and their latest report gives some signs of hope for those of us out here who want to see the government demonstrate some real signs of accountability, integrity and a 'New Beginning' as 'Will I Am' promised.

According to SMNN, Franklin Richards has reserved the right to send the report to the prosecutors office, and has informed the Exco that if they don't deal with it, then someone else will. The Daily Herald today also has a detailed Front Page story, and an Editorial, on the issue, reporting that the prosecutor has already been given a copy.

This is a test for SXM and those who proclaim to want to 'Lead' it into Country Status, a chance for them to show some real integrity and wisdom. You don't really need the score of the National Geographic to confirm that SXM is overdeveloped and a mess, just your eyes.

For over 4 years now I and others here have been writing about building 'irregularities', about Dawn Beach, Cupecoy, Indigo Bay, Barbaron and many more, how permits were bent or ignored. That VROM and ROB are understaffed, underfunded, poorly managed and riddled with questionable and possibly corrupt and illegal activities is nothing new for us. The garbage piles on the sides of the roads wasn't the only mess Theo took over from Roy back after the last IC elections.

My opinion? Well, I believe that Roy was a major 'player' while he was in charge of VROM, I believe he actually liked it as it was and his fingerprints are on more than a few 'irregularities'. Theo is now in charge of VROM, but Theo is playing the fence sitter, threatening to form a new party (when Theo when?) while being buddy buddy with both the NA and DP. He will shack up with whomever offers him what he wants, there's a name for such people but I can't think of it right now.

The DP is largely silent on the issue, Roy is after all their Treasurer I believe, and most of the last decade was under his watch. Can Roy claim ignorance about what has been going on? What would that say about his abilities to be a Commissioner, or MP for that matter? Any digging into any wrong doings at VROM and ROB are going to come back on him, no doubt his skills to slither out of responsibility will be tested.

SMMN also reports that Will I Am has told Theo to deal with it and that he doesn't mind being in opposition, he just may well have to take that road. The heads of those departments need to be suspended immediately and the whole structure of VROM, ROB and Public Works needs to be rebuilt, from scratch. Not only that, but government policies and programs need to be rethought, it's time the so called Road Map got chucked in the bin and a fresh new look taken at where the island is headed.

This issue will demonstrate just what is important to our 'leaders', the establishment of laws, rules and regulations for the benefit of the community, people and future of SXM, or the same ol' story into the future.

LH

Well, our foundations saw this coming, I wonder if the so called Environmental Impact Study conducted by Lievense, the same people planning the project, covered this matter.

These fish dying and struggling is really just one o f the consequences of Theo's road, there are others, some we cannot yet see and some we will one day experience. To some this is just a bunch of fish, no importance, but to those who understand eco systems it is a big deal.

Read the Press Release from Pride & Epic at SXMIT or SMMN.

I have heard that the EWE is in court again today, apparently to deal with an appeal by the BV against the Govt's decision to deny permits.

If anyone has more info or hears what happens, please make a comment and let us know.

All archives on EWE can be found here.

Now that SXM no longer has a Dick in charge of justice and police does that mean anything will change? Kudos to Inspector Philips for speaking up, you the man, man. Let's hope someone listens to you and investigates, but experience tells us that will not be the case because to do so would just expose and show what a mess it all is.

Police Management Accused of Victimization and Self Enrichment---Officer calling for Internal Investigation.

Inspector Philips says he was slandered, wants name back.

Police management team does not enjoy full support from majority of officers.

Ocean Conservancy Website

It's that time of year again, September, when SXM Pride carry out their main Coastal Cleanup event at Mullet Bay. In addition, SXM Pride also assists and helps schools and businesses to clean up other beaches and waterway areas during the whole month.

Sign up and register with Jadira and Pride by contacting them at sxmpride at yahoo.com or bernveen at yahoo.com or call them at 5231188. We at SXM PE invite all those who do get involved and take on a beach or area to send us photos so we can publicize your efforts and commitment here. :)

SXM Coastal Cleanups - 2006 - 2007 - 2008

September is the high month of the Hurricane Season and as you can see in the image above, the tropical waves are lining up across Africa.

Click here for a Satelitte Loop of the Coast of Africa and Cape Verde islands. One has just come off and it seems to have a nice little swirl to it already. Pay attention folks and stay prepared.

SXM PE has recently received a donation of 150 posters from a local distributor to help us raise funds for our bills. We still owe several hundred dollars to our tech guy for building our new site and he is on a small monthly retainer to maintain it and deal with problems that come up. We also have our annual hosting fees coming up soon.

The posters, which you can see below in more detail, are ideal for schools and also for businesses who want their clients to know that they care about the environment and the future of our planet. I don't know about you, but I feel better spending my money with those that do.

A set of all three, with hangers, can be yours for only $15.

Please email sxmcaribdude at yahoo dot com to order. They will be delivered to where ever you want them delivered on island.

This past week or so the issue of public use of beaches has been a hot issue in the letters pages of the Daily Herald, it provoked a few comments here too, including this one asking someone to write a blog. So here one is :)

I'm sure many of you have heard of the 'The Beach Policy', a document that guides and regulates use and management of the island's beaches. The policy was posted here on SXM PE back in 2005, probably in connection with the Westin Dawn Beach or Cupecoy Beach. It was ignored in both cases and like Jadira commented back then 4 years ago, it's one of those policies that the govt refers to when convenient or ignores, because it's not actual law.

After 3.5 years of promoting international and cultural movies to the island of St. Maarten, Philipsburg Theatres will be closing its doors this Saturday August 1st.

I have to say I find this news very sad and at the same time I also feel very guilty because I haven't been there for some months, I should have been more supportive. It may be too late, but if there is anyone out there with the ability to help Jasper and Giselle keep the place open I appeal to you to contact them and try to persuade them to do so.

All I can do is promise to be a better supporter and offer them a free advertising spot on the Front Page here every week.

Local Hero

The NA (Netherlands Antilles not the party), has racked up a huge financial debts over the past decades, if I recall correctly, the debt is somewhere around 5 billion Nafs? How was that debt built up? Well, I won't claim to know a great deal about the politics and history of Federal Govt, but what I do suspect is that much of it was spent on projects that were expensive with limited or poor returns.

Is SXM headed down the same track? I think so, and this Ring Road and the New Harbor are prime examples of how it will happen. I will explain more below, but best you start with the latest news on the economy.

St. Maarten economy loses 12.4 million dollars in the period January to June

St. Maarten Economy on the down trend -- already 12.4 million lost revenues.

Can you spot the difference? There is one and it's very important.

Registe is now back in the US after a long fight against extradition, a fight that was largely based on the question of the death penalty. The US justice system assured the authorities of the Kingdom that they would NOT seek it and this assurance was contested by Registe's lawyer Stomp.

This news report above mentions that the US Prosecutor is 'pretty sure' the death penalty is off the table, and this news report has the Police Chief Ricky Boran saying he is 'not sure if they would keep the death penalty off the table'.

Let's be clear here. If they do pursue the death penalty then they put at risk every future extradition request, it will be cited as evidence their assurances cannot be trusted.

Flipper covered the efforts of Sean Paton over 2 years ago here.

The tropical wave near 12N 52W, about 600 miles east of the Lesser Antilles Islands (97 L), has grown more organized this morning as it tracks west at about 20 mph. This wave is surrounded by an area of very dry air from the Sahara Desert, but 97L has been able to steadily moisten a large region of the atmosphere over the past day, insulating itself from the dry air. This moistening process has been aided by sea surface temperatures (SSTs) that have steadily increased from 26.5°C to 27.5°C, plus the presence of only 10 knots of wind shear. The system now has a small area of intense thunderstorms near its center, with some rotation of the cloud pattern evident at mid-levels of the atmosphere. An upper-level outflow channel has opened to the north, and there is evidence that surface spiral bands are beginning to form.

More at Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

(Invest 97 is forecast to pass to the South of SXM, but there is a chance we will experience some rains and rough seas in the next day or two. Take this as a wake up to look around your home and plan what you will need to do if something bigger and more on target comes our way - LH)

Got something to say? Is there something you want to bring up for discussion, voice your opinion or or rant about? Open threads are the place for it :)

It sucks to ask for donations again, I understand now why Flipper dislikes it, it feels too much like begging. But what can ya do? SXM PE still has a $500 debt to pay for the rebuild and it still has hosting and bandwidth fees.

So, anyone out there wishing, and able, to make a donation towards keeping SXM PE alive and online, it would be very much welcome. Alternatively, instead of a donation why not place an Ad, short term or long term, we can make a deal. Remember, advertising on here DOES NOT mean you support or agree with what gets written or published, it just means you support the principle of a public forum and free speech.

Any help is welcome :)

LH

Recently there have been a few disparaging comments made here about the site that I have deleted, not sure if they come from the same person or not, but it matters not. Basically, if your comment is all about putting SXM PE down then don't bother, and to those who do like the site, we could do with you making a comment or two now and then.

Whatever you think of SXM PE, time an again we have shown that we were on the ball. The latest news about Rainbow and possible building without permits was covered 3 and a 1/2 years ago by Flipper, and I wrote about the related story of Aquarius investors seeking refunds just over 2 years ago, Those are just 3 of many blogs about development and irregularities over the past 4 years, you can find them all in the Development and Destruction list on the right hand side bar. (Click the little plus sign for a list.)

Well, I can't force people to post blogs can I? lol.

So, a return of the SXM PE weekly Open Thread is in order I think, a place where events of the day, issues you want to bring up or general banter can take place.

I would like to remind users that you can also comment on news stories in the News Section and post Announcements of events, no charge :) The Classified Ads section is now working, there are a couple bugs and you end up having to post the ad twice (you'll see), but if you have something to sell, or looking for something feel free to give it a try and make an ad. Also free :)

LH

Another update on the Salt Pond Ring Road story this past week was that those who have registered objections discovered that business at VROM, ROB and Planning is going on as usual.

The dates for making and registering objections to the Ring Road was 5th June, they same day both Pride and Epic handed their in, yet on that day an ad appeared in the papers that invited bidders for a tender based on plans dated June 4th.

5 days later another ad appeared, this time for plans dated 8th June 2009 and just last week yet another ad indicating that things are moving full speed ahead.

Uh huh, business as usual.....

Not much time to blog really this last week or so, but a couple stories came up that I think might make an interesting discussion, one of them being the story about TelEm being in financial troubles. In this World of internet, skype, messengers and cell phones it must have been clear to anyone in planning that land lines would become 2nd or 3rd for people to communicate. So why the huge new offices?

TelEm has a huge fleet of vehicles, a brand new expensive office building and a big obsolete, and apparently now unused, dish out back. Doesn't sound like good planning to me in an industry that should, with technology, become less labor intensive. There is also at least one law suit still pending that came to light during the Sky is The Limit/Maria episode. Drenth has his work cut out for him, in this age of competition TelEm needs to adjust or get left behind.

(Note: That link above to the DH story about the lawsuit is from 30th June 2008, I will make a guess that the DH is finally upgrading and remaking their website?)

Urgent, drastic action needed to sustain TelEm, says Drenth

Restructuring, partnership, key to TelEm's survival

The two recent articles on SMNN about the SOAB investigation into the ROB/VROM departments are no surprise really to long time readers here, VROM and permits have often been a discussion as I and others have blogged about more than a few major developments. Developments like Dawn Beach, Indigo, Cupecoy, Aquarius, Rainbow and others, where permits have been questionable and environmental protection minimal or non existent. Flip blogged almost 2 years ago about how employees there were also hiring themselves out to the same developers they were approving permits for.

I have to hand it to SMMN, great job with the two stories, I'm glad someone is leaking something and I hope they leak more. Papers stacked in the toilet and damaged, papers mysteriously disappearing, people giving themselves and their family members domain land? The news stories mention that the report will be sent to the prosecutors office too, Mr. Piar, please start putting some money aside for the workload ahead.

EXCO SHOULD INVESTIGATE DOMAIN AFFAIRS—SOAB ADVISED.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ON VROM HEAD STRENGTHENING—DEPARTMENT HEADS MUST GO—SOAB ADVISED.

Anyone who knows their SXM political history will know that there exists a cloud of fear over the people when it comes to being involved in politics and government. Standing up against or criticizing government or powerful figures used to get you spat at or forced to leave the island, you suffered for it. Very little has changed, the same is true today.

We live in a society where people have been discouraged from participating in government and speaking their minds, where it is so much easier and healthier to keep your head down and focus on your own life and problems. There are so many good, intelligent and capable people out there I know who are even afraid to post an anonymous comment here. It's a very sad state of affairs.

The internet and blogs such as this one have opened up an avenue for ordinary people to speak freely, to express criticism, opinions, arguments and share ideas and knowledge without that fear. Unfortunately there are those who would seek to bring that fear here, discourage and even threaten those who's opinions they disagree with, or feel hurt by.

Leopold James - Advice to Bloggers.

For a government noted and notorious for it's lack of transparency, the news today about the commissioners resigning, but not really until June 8th, is as clear as day. As is Roy calling William's concerns 'frivolous', Roy's favorite word for anything that might get in the way of what he wants or believes.

Is there any hope these people will form a National Government? And do we really want a Government with no opposition except Louie Laveist? Sarah's claim last week that the NA are sitting on a letter from Laveist makes this latest news perfectly clear, the NA will either have to act on it of suffer through another 3 weeks of DP Government.

It's time for this Circus to close down, please, bring in Higher Supervision, Now!

My time for blogging has been a little constrained recently, but I have been paying attention, sooooo many things going on that should be blogged about. Regular readers of SXM PE will know what most of my blogs are about developments and the resulting destruction of the environment, so you can imagine my dilemma about what to write about first. It just so happens that today I have a little free time and hope to tackle a few things in blogs this morning, what with Flipper being so busy working on the new site and keeping the library on this one up to date and so few posts here, it's time things got stirred up a bit dontcha think?

The thing is, so many of these stories about ROB, Delano, Public Works, VROM, developments, building violations etc are all linked and intertwined that it's difficult to separate them. But I'm going to try to by starting with the peripherals and fringe stuff so by the time the new site gets launched we can get to the juicy stuff, and boy, do we have something juicy for the launch ;)

Let's start with something light, like Leopold vs Bijnsdorp. :)

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

Just another post about the EWE and I promise much shorter than the last one I posted. It's just a little Kadaster Document I managed to get a hold of in regards to the sale of EWE last year to Henri Brookson and his in-laws. According to the document, Henri, along with Anne Paas, Anna M.J. Pass and Hermannos M. Paas are the new owners.

The document states that they bought it for $1.6 million, despite being fully aware of the both the public's desire to preserve the estate and two island council resolutions. The low price is rather interesting don't you think? Whatever the small print and details behind the Brookson and Pass 'consortium', my opinion remains the same as before. I feel ill.

While browsing old files I came across an article which I think is from Mathias Voges Cul De Sac Families book about the The Wilson Family Story. I'm sure it was posted on SXM PE before but I couldn't find it so I reposted it.

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

Some may not have noticed, but last week an Auction Notice appeared in the papers which included one of the lots of the Barbaron Development. One can only wonder how this affects the project and the people who have laid out 10% down payments. No surprise to me though, I saw troubling signs about 20 months ago. No surprise at all.

I did find it quite funny though that in a recent article about how our real estate agents are optimistic, Peyton Cromwell complained about having to 'wait forever' for permits. The guy rarely waits for permits, nor does he adhere to them when he does get them.

Let's not even talk about the barren wasteland created by the 'Environmental Development' of Indigo Bay. The first units were scheduled to be handed over in the summer of 2009 as as far as I can see, no concrete has been poured yet. Yeah, I saw that bs for what it was too.

And has anyone noticed how the scandal of Building Permits has just dropped off the radar?

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

A friend recently told me that the Emilio Wilson Estate story would be a good subject for a book or maybe even a made for tv movie and I agreed. It's a story of ordinary people fighting to preserve a small piece of their island, it's history and environment up against lying greedy developers and an insincere and collusive government.

I'm not going to write a book, but what I can do is write a refresher blog for those who want to know the story so far. Here it is. Make sure you got time, it's a long story.

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

Daily Herald Ad - Enough is enough - 24th February 2008

For almost 4 years now, I and others here at SXM Private Eye have been questioning the operations and decisions of Commissioners and Govt. departments regulating development and building permits. The Dolphinarium, EWE, Dawn Beach, Red Pond, Rainbow, Cupecoy, Red Pond, just about every one mentioned by the NA today has been covered here. For 4 years now we have been covering the sketchy and highly questionable procedures and deals made by our government with developers

So, although late, it's a pleasure to see the Opposition Party finally speak up about it all. You can listen to the IC meeting on St Maarten Island TImes. It's long, but well worth listening to, Frans is especially worth waiting for. It's a shame they have to talk so much BS about developers and Delano though.

Theo's response is pitiful.

Commissioner Heyliger answers questions of NA - 25th February 2009

For more on just about every development mentioned by the NA, see the Development and Destruction Thread.

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

It would appear that the lights have finally been switched on at GEBE when it comes to diversifying it's energy sources, as this week we are hearing they have been to Nevis to look at geothermal. While it may be several years away before SXM could lay cables and purchase power from GT plants in either Nevis or Saba, it is really a good sign that GEBE is now looking with open eyes at the possibilities. The fact that it would take years actually demands being proactive and involved as much, and as soon, as possible.

Considering that GEBE currently has 76 megawatts of capacity, with two more generators ordered to take it up to 98.6 megawatts next year.

Considering current peak demand is 52 megawatts and that major constructions and developments are likely to be curtailed and postponed for the next year or three and that economic activity is likely to be slowed.

Then I think we have time and I would like to question if GEBE still has plans to order another new generator. I already consider the previous purchase of two costing almost $32 million dollars to be questionable, but with capacity rising to almost 190% of demand then this new order smells. I hope GEBE are reconsidering investing that money towards realizing GT power sourcing instead.

LH

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________

The press release from the EWE Foundation and SXM Pride says it all for me.

Press Release - Emilio Wilson Estate is a National Monument - 17th February 2009

For those who don't know or need refreshing I strongly recommend listening to these two audio recordings from Eldridge's radio show 2 years ago with Wilhelm Patrick from the Kadaster office.

EWE discussion pt 1 - Eldrige van Putten show - 1st February 2007

EWE discussion pt 1 - Eldrige van Putten show - 1st February 2007

Click here to Read More
____________________________________________________________