See the trees? Now there are nun.

Sunday morning the RC church hired a French side company to cut down the trees on the Back Street side of their property in town, directly opposite the Cultural Center. Desperate phone calls were made by observers and it is said that even Roy Marlin went there to see what was going on. It's a shame he and his DP govt have never enacted any legislation to protect old trees on the island, a draft of which was presented to them several years ago by SXM Pride.

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Photographer Gromyko Wilson

Rumor has it that the RC church plans to build accommodation for nuns, other rumors are that this may be true, but they will have shops below them. Back Street is being upgraded and will slowly become a mirror of Front Street, old properties will be knocked down or burnt down and replaced.

Photographer Gromyko Wilson

VOS - Lady Grace Morning Show - Tree Ordinance and Back Street trees - 21st February 2007

Sad isn't it.

Flipper

Updates

Today Editorial - Woodman, spare that building - 21st February 2007

Catholic Church chops down trees in Back Street - 20th February 2007

Flipper's blog | add new comment

Submitted by Flipper on Mon, 2007-02-19 10:10.

While being off Island due to family tragedies. I feel helpless. What a shame about the trees and all of the other enviornmental destruction. It is so sad. Our paradise seems to be turning into a hell hole by those that have no respect for the God given beauty that has been bestowed upon the Island for our people. Shame, shame.

Jadira and all, keep the fight for Paradise. I shall return soon to assist.

Regards,

Larry

P.S. It seems as though the several Ordinaces that have been sought after seem to go to the wayside ie Enviornmental, Animals R Friends, etc. Any Ordinance submitted to better the Island and the People seem to slip thru the cracks and ignored. If thwere is one for the mighty dollar, walah it seems to get approval! How ironic

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As former parishpriest I want to let you all know that I oppose this act of violation of the environment of St.Maarten natural heritage. These tree should be keep in a good condition. Philipsburg is going to become a naked city without trees that could tell us everything about the past. They were a sign of beautiy. What a shame. I'm really mad about this.

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Thanks to Gromyco for providing these pictures, I wonder if the man who is busy with the massacre is aware that he has done quite a lot of damage to Sint Maarten's environment.
According to Youmay Dormoy who is Manager of the Cultural Center, he noticed the cutting during last week, but he thought they were just trimming.
However it became clear on Sunday morning that the elimination of the very old Almond and Flamboyants was the goal here.
I passed by the Cultural Center today which is across from the RC back street side of the rectory, and the area is now so hot, it is hard to believe that someone in their right mind
would deliberatly do something like this.
These trees have been there for many decades, maybe even a century.
Someone has confirmed to me today that the area is being cleared because the RC church will be building 2 stores on Back street and housing the nuns above the stores.
Back street is being beautified and now the church will be adding stores to the back street side for rent.
Remember they have already 2 shops on the Front street side which is rented to Liz Claiborne and to Perfume Palace.
What irks me is that the trees do not have to be removed to build the 2 stores, unless they are planning a huge monstrosity in that area.
The trees could have stayed as they have for so many years giving shade to that part of Backstreet.
Back street and Front Street have lost so much of the original greenery that it is really sad.
While Theo Heyliger is planting palm trees and beautifying, others are destroying the original natural greenery.
It is of utmost importance that the government and politicians start to review and make legilsation dealing with a tree ordinance.
We have lost a very large kenepa tree on Front street some years ago, the owner of the building started cutting it down, when he was stopped, he eventually poisoned the tree and it is now gone.
This time it is the Roman Catholic church, why would a religous based group have very old trees that are beautiful destroyed for the sake of the mighty dollar?
Trees and the natural environment are a creation of god, they should respect our nature and not try to kill it off.
I truely believe that trees find their spot and when their spot is found they grow into full glory, listening and hearing every passerby, those trees have been there providing shade for so many visiting Back street and Front street through the alley Pastoor steeg.
I do hope that the Catholic Church will now allow the remaining trees that have gone through a mutilation process to grow back and hopefully regain their beauty and their stature on Backstreet providing shade to that area that together with the pine trees at the Cultural Center provide a wonderful cool and shady part of the back street.

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The trees on Back street are Crying, we need a day of mourning for these trees that have provided shelter for the thousands of people who over the years walked in the Blazing sun on Backstreet, hoping to reach to this cool spot where these trees provided shelter.For the lady who sat there selling peanuts and candy and the other vendors across the street where Lunch was always pleasant under the cool shade of these trees .
We need a day of mourning to pray that God will send the rain (Lots of it) real soon, to teach man kind a lesson that what God has made no man can Destroy.
We need a day of mourning for all the Trees that were Brutally Raped by the men who cut every branch ,stripped every leaf , then took away memories of every St.Maarten child that played in ,around and under these trees.
We need a day of prayer for the stories that every one of those trees never got a chance to tell.
We need a day of prayer for every one of the Greedy Bastards who continue to use the name of God to justify their evil deeds.Don't be confused "The Devil is a busy Man" .
We need a day of prayer for Mother Nature "She' Dying".
$t.Maarten How $weet it i$.

Lady Grace
(written with the inspiration from a friend up above)

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I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast.

A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair.

Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree.
Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918

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Thats right, is the Catholic church lying and deceiving as well?
They come with some story about the tree roots bothering the septic system?
Did they show the newspapers the drawing for the stores that they plan to build? This priest comes across as a very nice and compassionate man but people are saying he is very stubborn.
Seemingly it was told to him before the tree massacre that there would be public outcry if he removes the trees. He refused to listen. He also has plans to demolish the center for cathecis next door to the cultural center and build a 3 story building, offices. So will the Catholic Church cut down the large pine tree infront of the property as well?
The Catholic Church is renting the stores on Front Street part of the rectory for $7000 dollars a month. This week, there will be a discussion in Simpson Bay to discuss the sale of the old Church there. (please note this is not the sale of the current RC church in Simpson Bay) Is it not obvious that the Catholic Church is engaging in real estate ventures for their own benefit? They have sold most of their real estate so far, but none they have turned into a project for the youth, for drug addicts, for the homeless, or any other social problem.
This is a plain as day real estate venture for the Church and the Bishop as the Bishop and the diocese collects 50% of what the local church generates in rents, sales and collections.

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The center next door to the Cultural Center will be demolished, in it's place there will be a 3 story building with offices on the second floor and apartments for rent on the third.
The rent for the stores on Front street as is mentioned by previous blogger is $7000 a month, so for both it is $14.000 a month income revenue. So of course, the church is looking at increasing their income on Back Street as well.
Aren't priests and nuns supposed to shed all their wordly goods? So what happens to all this money? No doubt the Catholic church is exempted from taxes?
Remember there was talk last year that the Front street Catholic church would be sold? Now they are looking to sell the old Catholic church in Simpson Bay.
Supposedly this building is being used as a play school of some sort.
And what's up with this priest asking the parishners to remember the church in their last will? The Catholic Church sure seems like a bunch of money hungry vultures the way they are operating these days.

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Ever wonder which single organization owns the most real estate globally?

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See the trees? Now there are nun.

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