St. Maarten Private Eye

Monday - 9th October 2006

Front Page - An International drug bust nets 2 SXM'ers.
Page 2 - Maria Genevieve de Weever School wins the Nation Building presentation.
Third Page - SMMC gets a new budget from SVB, the boat owners get fined for human smuggling, the governor gets a culinary honour and the small islands are likely to get municipality status.
Editorial and Page 4 - DEA helps locals in big drug bust. new USM classrooms ready next year.
Page 5 - USM Educational Conference starts tomorrow, a reminder about military service and a Youth Conference later this month.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) - Photo of Red Piano and article about bars with music.
Letters - Larry Geer condemns the Dog Massacre, Chamba Chanda thinks SXM should run a US Passport promotion and in case you didn't know, quality teachers give quality education.

Notes
The big story for the Today's front page and editorial was a drug bust that netted 2 SXM'ers in the first 56 arrested. Surprised? Nah, me neither. The editorial appears to approve of the 'Gung Ho' attitude of US law enforcement, something that most people in the world question, in particular since torture is now permitted (when Bush says it's ok) and Habeau Corpus has been deleted. There are still questions that will one day have to be answered about the CIA 'rendition' plane already paying us a visit, twice.
The only other interesting stories are that the SMMC now has a new budget with SVB and that the boat owners who were recently detained were fined for human smuggling. The rest of the paper really has nothing of any real importance, 1/4 page on the Governor being given an award by some children, 1/3 page about new classrooms for the USM, in the fall next year. There was also a full page (9) on a couple who have been married for 59 years, are from South Carolina and there is nothing in it to indicate that they have ever even been to St. Maarten, let alone heard of it. The other full page (10) on 'Dr Sunshine' is about a first semester student at AUM who apparently be found hanging out at Atlantis or other casinos playing poker.
____________________________________________________________

Tuesday 10th October 2006

Front Page - SMMC workers are to get their back pay at last and Atlantis Casino's generator catches fire.
Page 2 - Two lecturers for USM Education Conference and the new Youth Care President and ExCo argee cooperation is needed.
Page 3 - So far this year there have been 974 traffic accidents.
Editorial and Page 4 - Errant motorists must be stopped, TelEm cables are damaged by 'West Inn' and it's an uneventful Postal Day day for postal workers.
Page 5 - The Navy League celebrates 231 years, TelCell has some maintenance and security officers at the habour have a workshop.
Also - Roland Tuitt shares some thoughts about the financial pie.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) - Full page photo - 3 Atlantis Casino workers.
Letters - Gracita gives a reply to Moike Ferrier and the same quality teachers for quality teachers give quality education again.
Notes -

Well, it is good that finally nurses will get what has been due to them for so long and it is also interesting to know the traffic accident statisics too. Is it really news that the Youth Care president and Exco 'agree cooperation is needed'? I mean, wouldn't it be news if they hadn't, or if the story was about how only now they have come to see this need? The story titled "An Uneventful World Post Day for post workers on the island" is also a story about nothing and it's kind of funny in another when the reporter blames 'West Inn' for damaging cables.
Add the two photos from Atlantis Casino and the repeat half page letter about teachers and you are left with the choice of giggling or crying.
____________________________________________________________

Wednesday 11th October 2006

Front Page - The island's law abiding population is living scared.
Page 2 - Investigators looking for money connected to the recent drug bust and the suspects are to be tried in the US. Jay Haviser gets going with his new project at Fort Amsterdam. an aggressive dog is shot by the police and Roy is working on the Garbage tax proposal.
Page 3 - Contract teachers may be dismissed at year's end, there is no money for innovations in education, a man gets beaten and doused in gasoline in an attack at his home and an agreement is coming soon with the small islands.
Editorial and Page 4 - Lets take back our streets and a Police report.
Page 4 - There is a Jaycees conference in Curacao, not many are turning up for the Antillean Militia assessments, Maria is concerned about losing Dutch technical assistance and St Joseph school gets a donation.
Page 5 - Roland Duncan is in Holland, meets with Minister of Justice.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) -
A dog. and an article about the Taliban.
Letters - The Punisher give his POV about Our youth being disenfranchised and an article about "America's War on Caribbean Tourism' by Ricky Singh from (it doesn't say.)

Notes -
At last an investigative piece, sort of, telling us something most people know for themselves. The editorial champions the suggestion to arm security guards and that a curfew (for everyone??) is worthy of consideration by Govt. Of course, it does not consider that the reasons why we have this situation are because of failed govt policies in regards to social development, education, labor and immigration coupled with insufficient funding, training and resources for our police and justice depts. That would be too 'policially incorrect' I guess.
The story of the man getting beaten and covered in gasolene is very disturbing and we can only hope (and pray if you are religious) that the authorities are on the case big time. As for contract teachers, is it really beyond this government to have accurate figures and co-ordination when it comes to the few hundred students studying abroad and lining them up to return to jobs? Why would any teacher want to come work here when they can be let go with little notice? Oldine is doing as good a job with education as she has done with Safe Haven, just another favorite of the DP machine.

____________________________________________________________

Thursday - 12th October 2006

Front Page - The small islands make their escape from the Netherlands Antilles by signing on with Dutch.
Page 2 - The Red Cross gets a donation from a cruiseship and Recruiters urge youth presence at military evaluations.
Page 3 - A murder suspect confesses, the St. Maarten Housing Foundation starts evictions, a Health Secretary gets tour of the Dannaway facility and Govt plans to tackle youth crime.
Editorial - Youth Retreat a great idea- 12th October 2006, the ExCo approves a ExCo Foundation for the Infrastructure and also receives the fanal draft of the Marine Park Ordinance.
Page 4 - Almost 2/3 of a page about Scotia Bank helping the AIDS Foundation.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) - Didn't get one!
Letters - Gracita sends kisses back to Bijnsdorp, and Mike Ferrier has tries to counter Gracita over Caravanserai.

Notes -
The small islands must have a huge sense of relief to escape the mess called the Netherlands Antilles, who in their sane mind would want to be tied politically to either Curacao or St. Maarten? I think most people are envious.
Laveist announces plans to tackle youth crime, a problem which has most of it's roots in policies that his party champions or has failed miserably at. Having to clean up your own mess is one thing, but being left in place to continue making a mess is another, we all pay for it and are doing so now.. I wonder if voters will make this connection next elections.

____________________________________________________________

Friday 13th October 2006

Front Page - Labor Minister doubts Jan 1st date for decentralization of Labor Dept.
Page 2 - Ryan Smith plans to return to give his statement and an impressive showdown is predicted for the Junior Tourism Minister competition. Also a correction about housing evictions story.
Page 3 - Hooker from Statia knows that Statia will be better off, First Caribbean continues to give back to the community, the French Mayor is concerned about the declining economy, a judge plans to rule on the ACE hearing in few days and the Sous Prefet term ends this week.
Editorial - French Side economic slumps hurts all, the Rotarians present a violence symposium report to Sarah and Dave Levenstone congratulates the Saba delegation.
Page 4 - New Post Director addresses recent World Post Day and Stuart Johnson refutes USM statements.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) - Top Brit General calls Blairs policies 'naive', and article about the planned World Poker Tournament here (Geno's speciality) and a photo of a little girl who looks like Shirley Temple.
Letters - Gracita gives a reply to reply to Moike Ferrier over Caravanserai.

Notes -Nothing investigative, just reports that have been phoned/emailed/faxed in or rehashed. Note the First Caribbean article, almost identical to the one that appeared in the Daily Herald on Saturday.I'm going to discuss this more in the main blog post.
Also, Dolphin Casino should be applauded for taking a step in the right direction, see the message in their ads.

____________________________________________________________

Saturday - 14th October 2006

Front Page - Another boat sinks in Great Bay. causing an oil spill.
Page 2 - Paul Mooij shows he is planning to make the most of his extension, the Lions give baskets to the needy and Curacao accepts Monetary Union with St Maarten.
Page 3 - Trade Unions get together to protest the deportation of the children of the lady who stabbed her husband in a domestic abuse fight, the Bio Rock project gets launched and the Dean of USM tells us teaching must change with the times.
Editorial - Rights of the child, Theo invites the public to the
Junior Tourism Minister Competition and a businessman in Curacao appeals to politicans to accept the Dutch debt solution.
Page 4 - Childrens Book Week.
Inside Cover (Geno's Page) - Article about the NFL and a photo of the Capovera (?) group in town.
Letters - An article about Ferral Cat Day from Animals R Friends, a prayer for
prison workers and Chamba Chada poses Status Apart vs Commune of Holland.

Notes -
Another sunken boat in Great Bay, you can read about the one from last year here, it took a month to raise that one. There is good reason to believe that the new wreck is another boat that has been sitting rusting in Great Bay for most of, if not more than a year. Has the same thing happened here? Did they just ignore a boat sitting out in the bay until it required their attention by sinking? Reports are that several people tried calling St Maarten Port Authority to report the spill and wreck on Friday morning and got no answer.
The plans to deport the children of the abuse mother are disgraceful and appalling. The Today is quite right to say the immigration laws urgently need to be reformed, but they read the DH too and would know about the obstructions Minister Dick has been encountering. There's a story worth investigating!
At the same time, it should be remembered that laws are subject to evolution, we get rid of old ones and we make new ones all the time, there are provisions for cases like this that have a humanitarian and moral aspect, deporting these children would be contrary to both.

If you wish to comment to this page please go back to the blog post it was written for.
one