St. Maarten Private Eye

Dear Local Hero,

Very Interesting your comments regarding the EWE saga currently taking place.
I must admit I also heard some of the same things from The Hague, the Netherlands.

The foundation also heard about Commissioner Heyliger meeting with the Emilio Wilson Estate B.V. in the Antillen Huis. Our foundation is also questioning why our commissioner met with these people, was it in his capacity as a member of the Executive Council? or as a private individual? Remember that the Island Council motion of September 20th. (not 21 as you stated) is to INVESTIGATE the possibility to preserve the Estate.

Commissioner Heyliger is the one that brought forward a letter or document during that Island Council meeting saying that he had proof that the SPA government had plans to develop the Estate in 1997. As if that was a BIG bomb and we should be impressed that he revealed this. By the way, it is truely amazing how certain documents dissapear from our Public Works, VROM, and other departments conveniently showing up in these IC meetings.
In 1997 the land still belonged to Emilio Wilson, so if these plans did not go through it is because Mr. Emilio did not let the plans go through. Now that he is deceased the vultures are really out to enrich themselves.

Also, the Lt. Governor and Commissioner Heyliger made statements after their return from the Netherlands saying basically that the Harbour is making enough monies and the possibilty exsists to purchase the Estate as a Nature Reserve, Cultural Park and Historical site. So the EWE foundation wrote a letter requesting a meeting with EXCO to discuss these nice plans.

What is bothering me is that the Emilio Wilson B.V. is saying that they own the property, yet we cannot find proof of that. Their on island representative is saying he represents the B.V. group, and that Mr. Brookson is the seller.
This is very interesting news.

From the information that our foundation has gathered is that Mr. Brookson's name was not in the 1999 will of the Late Emilio wilson. Is Mr. Brookson playing the middle man and collecting a finders fee for this real estate transaction? If he is, then I can say that the majority of SXMners have lost a whole deal of respect for this person, and the people are truely dissapointed that one of their own is again selling out to enrich themselves.

Our foundation is also hearing from circles in our community that a certain commissioner is in the pocket of the EWE B.V. Everyone has to understand that this to a certain extent, is a society where words get around. you never know who is talking to who, and some young representatives want to give the appearance that they are important and let words fall around.

The Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation will continue to seek to preserve, restore the historical buildings, and make this 198 acre property located on Sentry Hill a Nature reserve, a Cultural and Historical site for the public and visitors to enjoy. We had about 47 plantations on SXM, this is one of the last left, as Mr. Patrick so eloquently stated; is it too much to ask that we seek to protect this one from destruction???

The Estate right now is in the hands of two women, a Ms. Edna Diggs who is Granville's (Emilio's late brother) sister-in law, she is an American and knows nothing about St.Maarten, she happens to be also about 90 years old. The other person is a Ms. Marni Weinstock, who supposedly works as a Notary in a retirement home, (the same home where Granvile was residing in his older years) this woman is not related to the Wilson family.

Granville also passed away, so of course also the American lawyers who are the executors are also involved. Executors of the Estate are a Mr. Robert Groman, a Mr. Tisman and local lawyer Mr. Richard Gibson. It remains to be seen where Mr. Gibson stands on this issue as he is also a boardmember of the Emilio Wilson Cultural and Historical Park. Our foundation has written to Ms. Edna Diggs and Marni Weinstock and we have advised Mr. Groman of our letters that were sent to them.

It is unbelievable that this Estate has ended up the way it has, in outsiders hands with everyone wanting a piece of the cake for their own personal gain.
The reality is that this Estate has historical and cultural significance for SXM people, it has ecological value as well. The island needs a Nature Reserve, we need to keep a keep a piece of Nature for Nature and we do not need more housing projects, more residential areas, more roads, more people, more deals,more cars, etc, etc.

The EWE foundation has also approached a World Wide respectable funding agency to help seek acquiring the Estate. Our foundation does not understand what happened with the 3 man committee that was supposed to be formed by the EXCO to look into the possiblity to secure the property. They had 2 names, the third name was never announced.

Indeed we are approaching the deadline of the 60 days after September 20th.
Let us see if the opposition party remembers or if our foundation has to remind them to do their homework.

Jadira Veen
Foundation for the Management and Conservation of the Emilio Wilson Estate
EWE foundation
President