St. Maarten Private Eye

St Maarten News Network

3rd April, 2007
Oyster Pond Lagoon

Dawn Beach: - Carib Trust Company N.V doing business of as Duck International was granted a permit to construct some 21 luxury residents for use by tourist is soon to appear in court with their neighbors Hendrikus and Gale Hagar sometime this month.
Hendrikus and Gale Hager, in an interview with SMN News provided this media house with the planning permit granted to Duck International by the island government of St. Maarten. The planning permit clearly stipulates that the company must keep all construction at least 10 meters from the coast line of Oyster Pond lagoon while at the Beach line of Dawn Beach there must be no construction at least 40 meters from the beach.
The homes should not exceed two flats. Hager said that he has been a home owner of Dawn Beach since 1991 and since 2003 his family life has changed. The elderly man said that the company and island government has made false notifications which was advertised in the Daily Herald something he personally protested. Hagar said instead of letting the people know that Duck International the developer was about to build a hotel the people was made to believe that it was a residential plantation.

Hendrikus Hagar

Hagar said that not only were the people misled but he was threatened by the owner of the company if he continued to protest that his life would be taken. He also said that the company requested that the cadastre office on St. Maarten tore down his fence and was about to take over his land which he has certificates of admeasurements. Hagar said that when he contacted the Cadastre office on St. Maarten about their actions he was highly insulted by the civil servants of the department. He further states that a lawyer representing the company sent him a threatening letter, something that the prosecutor office had to intervene in.
The homeowner further explained that he is now taken to court by the developer for his own property something he is yet to understand.

The family pointed out that the building which is just next to his home the developer has no building permit for it and not only they do not have the permits but they are also building too close to the lagoon, something he said is not good for hurricane season and the intention of the company is to build a marina in Oyster Pond Lagoon.

Joan Verwoord Saga

Duck International

Lamenting on the saga with Joan Verwoord and the developer he said is something very sad as Duck International wants to sell Verwoord a restaurant location in a building that did not comply with the building permit.
Verwoord who was also at Dawn Beach and spoke this reporter said that the building in which Duck International is negotiating with her would have to be demolish its top floor and roof since the permit is only for two flats and that building is three flats high.
Verwoord also provided this media house with the most recent proposal from the Developer, which indicated that the agreement will be between Island Territory of St. Maarten, Duck International and Verwoord. The agreement states that Duck International will pay Verwoord the sum of $50,000 as long as she vacate and forever remove from Dawn Beach all structures, tents, huts and tables and chairs and never replace them, or any other structures.
Duck will also sell Verwoord a commercial space of approximately 2500 square meters for the sum of 200.000 with a 6 percent interest. Verwoord would be required to pay $1,000 monthly for a period of three years. Before tranfer of the property.

Theodore Heyliger

Commissioner of Economic Affairs Theodore Heyliger in an invited comment to SMN News as to why the vending permit took as long as six months before it could be renewed said that he was of the opinion that Verwoord would have signed the agreement with Duck International and if she had done so then the island government would have had to grant the businesswoman a restaurant license. Heyliger said that he considered the agreement very decent as Duck was giving Verwoord a piece of land and build her a bar.
Heyliger said that even though the island government is not a signatory to the agreement he considered it to be a nice one and if anyone else had that same opportunity they would have been very happy.

He said that he has been renewing Verwoord license each year since she started doing business at Dawn Beach and considered the protest march a political ploy
Meanwhile Joan Verwoord contradicted the commissioner statements saying over the past four years she is forced to pay lawyers to go behind the island government for the renewal of her vending permit. She said that even though Heyliger is saying that Government has nothing to do with the negotiations the island government she said has to be a signatory to the agreement if signed by her.

The businesswoman also said that if indeed the island government has nothing to do with this agreement she questioned why did the commissioner made it his business to visit her at her home in the presence of her mother pleading with her to sign the agreement.
Verwoord also spoke of the pressure she received from a particular high ranking police officer who called her in at the police station on Thursday questioning her why she is continuing with the peaceful protest march when her permit was renewed the day before, she said had she not indicate the other reasons for the march in her permit for the protest she would have had to call off the march. “ This is the kind of pressure I am going through and I do not intend to back off now" Verwoord said.
She said that Duck International is not giving her nothing and if one should sit and read the clause of the agreement they would see that Duck is telling the Island government they cannot issue vending permit to any other locals to use Dawn Beach.

NO Pathologist Report on Accident Victim

Philipsburg:- Close to one month after the death of the garbage collector who was killed while working on Union Road Cole-Bay is still in the air.
The garbage collector Martin Parades 55- of the Dominican Republic died at the St. Maarten Medical Center the same day of the accident.
Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein told SMN News that he is in dark as this reporter is because to date he did not receive the pathologist report of the autopsy that was conducted since March 8th.
In earlier reports Stein said that Parades death seems suspicious and for that reason the body was confiscated. The chief prosecutor also said that he had requested a full report from St. Maarten Medical Center the institution where the victim died, however, none of the reports have been submitted to this day. Parades who was working for Bunchie’s garage was living on St. Maarten alone as he has no immediate relatives living on St. Maarten.

SMN News will continue to follow the developments in the case of Parades.

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Detective Daughter Released

Philipsburg:- The daughter of a Chief detective who was arrested last friday for alleged Embezzlement, and theft has been released yesterday after the accused 20 year old M.V.S a Dutch citizen residing on the French side appeared before the island judge of Instruction Wilfred Manning. The young woman a former employee of Island Pet shop has been accused by her employer for stealing a sum of monies in 2006 and an arrest warrant was out for the suspect. On Sunday Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein said that the only reason the accused was not arrested is because she resides on the French side of the island.

SMN News also understands from reliable source that a fight took place on Front Street yesterday in relation to the young woman arrest. However, this media house confirmed that a fight indeed occurred with a young man living in St. Peters, however, the reason for the fight has not been acertained. Assistant Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson could not be reached for a comment on the incident.

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Monday 2nd April, 2007

Air Traffic Controllers threatens Action.
--Operations, Air Traffic Control, Fire Department not Happy---

Air Traffic Controllers At UFA Office

Philipsburg: - The United Federation Union and its members of Air Traffic Control of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) held a press conference at UFA’s headquarters on Saturday to make known to the general public some of the grievances the workers of the airport are facing.

Speaking to members of the media is the vice president of the union at the Tower at PJIA Aurillo Baly who explained that there have been quite a number of grievances between the employers and employees. The first concern is the radiation report the PJIA presented to the employees which according to Baly was a report from an inspection done for the old Tower and not the present one.

Ducan Van Heynigen who was also present at the press conference said that the report has been given to the employees is for an inspection conducted in 2003 where the tower and the radar antenna is supposed to be at 700 meters away from the tower, but the new tower has the radiation antenna right above the building of the tower. Something he said that everyone knows where the radar antenna is now located and this they said can pose severe health risk. Ducan said that a testing was done which has proven that if one is too close to the antenna they can be exposed to radiation. However, he said that the PJIAE management has completely ignored their concerns fear.

Baly said that when questions were raised about the report to management the answer they received was insulting and unsatisfactory. Baly said that they are now requesting a third party to visit the location to conduct another test of radiation
When asked if Civil Aviation has been notified Duncan said that the there has been a reports from Civil Aviation which indicated that the staircase is indeed an obstruction, and said he would not further detail what the reports are from Civil Aviation.
When asked why they took this long for them to make public their concerns, the controllers said that they were not unionized in the beginning and were addressing management of PJIAE. He said that since they have elected the UFA as their union representative they have been trying to follow all procedures according to the labor laws, but the matter is now getting from bad to worst.

Baly said that they are now requesting a third party to visit the location to conduct another test of radiation level as they fear they are exposed to radiation a detrimental health risk. “if necessary we would have to get the ILO involved to solve this matter, because it seems like Federal Labor mediator Kenneth Lopes is not able to find someone in Curacao to do it.
grievances as every letter sent to management of PJIA is also carbon copied to her, as she Wescot -Williams is also commissioner of Aviation Affairs.
However, the employees are yet to address their concerns to the supervisory board of the PJIA.

When asked if anyone of from the Airport contacted the Commissioner of the Aviation, the workers said that the commissioner is fully aware because each letter has been carbon copied to the commissioner.

Duncan said that the Air Traffic Controllers are doing a very strenuous job; their job he said is not like any other job that when mistake is made that it can be fixed after they said that stress can trigger a serious situation, which would cause severe damage to the general public of St. Maarten.
Duncan said that the Air Controllers are the foundation of the St. Maarten economy and said that the airport management does not bring in planes and land them safely, but it is the job of the controllers.
Duncan said that a smoke screen is placed in the public eyes, since the ribbon cutting but there has been serious concern in several departments of the airport, including the operations and fire department.
When asked if the workers are prepared to wait another four years to have their issues resolved the controllers said that very soon actions will be taken. Asked if there is a strike looming over the island economy, Both Duncan and Baly said they hope that management and government would not allow this matter to go this far, and that respect would be given to them.
Baly also spoke of the staircase which is blocking their view, something they said they have been addressing for the past four years. He said that the staircase is blocking the 360 degree view of all traffic of the control tower a hindrance based on International Law.
He said that they were mislead by PJIA management in 2006 that the staircase and housing would have been removed but instead management only removed two sets of the staircase and the housing which is main obstruction of view has not been touched.
Baly also mention the access road and asked that the workers has to use to access the tower and asked that answers be given forthwith as to whose responsibility it is to fix access road. He asked if it was the responsibility of PJIAE or the island government.
Also a major concern for the Controllers is that one of the controllers who were misdiagnosed by a doctor on Dutch St. Maarten has caused the PJIAE to stop their colleague pay without getting the final reports from reputable doctors in Curacao. Baly said that management has placed the employee in question on in-active duty pending the outcome of his medical examinations and suddenly they are claiming that the employee refuses to work.
Baly explained that a Dutch doctor misdiagnosed his colleagues when he could not read a neurologist report issued by Louis Constant Fleming Hospital and his colleague has since done the very tests in Curacao which clearly indicated to PJIAE the doctor on St. Maarten made a mistake.
Baly said that while his colleague was off island doing further medical examinations he received a threatening phone call from PJIAE management, saying if the employee in question does not report to work they would enforce their no work, no pay policy, something they did as of end of March 2007.
He said the employee reported to work on March 15th accepting to work in a different position for the same salary pending the out come of his medical reports and management he said sent the man home and subsequently stopped his pay, without notifying the UFA the legal union representing the employees.
He said that the Air Traffic Controllers is operating at a low level of staff and cannot comprehend why the airport management would try to terminate an employee is beyond their comprehension.
Duncan Van Hynigen said that the air traffic controller explained that the Air Traffic Control, is supposed to work with 24 air traffic controllers on every shift and there are only 30 controllers employed at PJIAE.

Willy Haze of the UFA said that the matter has been brought to the attention of Federal labor mediator Kenneth Lopes and an injunction is soon to follow.

Baly said that PJIAE management is trying to coerce the union into accepting a demotion of their colleague, despite the Tower has a severe shortage of staff at moment.

Also on the table is a dead lock between management and their Collective Labor Agreement which urgent request was also made for mediation between the parties Baly explained.

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Monday April 2nd 2007

The Daughter of Chief Detective in Police Custody ---
Alleged Embezzlement, theft ---Warrant out since 2006---

Island Pet Shop

Philipsburg:- Philipsburg: - Police have arrested the daughter of Chief of the Detective Department allegedly for embezzlement and theft.
The accused identified as M.V.S 20-years old a Dutch citizen residing on the French side of the island was an employee of Island Pet Shop located in Cole-Bay. Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein said that the case was reported since the year 2006 when the accused was working at the establishment and police could not find her as she resides on the French side of the island.
The island Chief Prosecutor said that there was a warrant out for the accused and she was finally arrested on Friday last week, the investigation he said is ongoing.

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One Year old Baby Girl Found Dead

Strawberry Road:- Police was called to a home on Strawberry Road St. Peters where they discoverd a one year old baby girl dead. The child was pronounced dead on the scene by a police doctor. In an invited comment Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein told SMN News that the police were called about 5 pm yesterday afternoon where the dead child was found. Stein said it appeared that the child died of suffocation. The body he said has been confiscated as the investigation continues. Police spokesman Ricardo Henson could not be reached for further details. SMN News will bring you a full report on this story as it develops.

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Fire Department Short of Staff ---- PJIAE

Carlos Illis

Philipsburg:- Carlos Illis Vice President of the Fire Department of the PJIAE who was also present at the UFA head office on Saturday explained that the collective labor agreement is also not signed with UFA and management of PJIAE, he said there are certain articles that have to be changed which management does not want to change. Illis said that the firefighters are now operating as ambulance personnel with the same salary. He said in that department there is also a gross shortage in firefighters. Illis said that there must be seven firefighters on shift to operate the airport and there are only nine, no provisions he said has been made in case there is someone is sick, He said that on many occasions firefighters are forced to work extra long hours and consideration is not given that these workers are rescue workers who need adequate resting. “On many occasion a firefighter that work the night shift has to work the next morning because there is a shortage of staff, something that the PJIAE management has not looked at.
Just recently a firefighter was had a court case which claimed he was peddling drugs, that firefighter was acquitted of the charges by the courts, but the firefighter was still dismissed via a court injunction filed by PJIAE which claimed that the airport management cannot trust the employee on the premises.
UFA advisor Willy Haize said that this is labor abuse and called on the Commissioner of Aviation Affairs and leader of government Sarah Wescot- Williams because the actions of the PJIAE management are forcing the youngsters on St. Maarten on the streets. Haize said he is quite upset with the leader of government, because in his opinion the youths are used as propaganda for this election when in fact there is no provision for them in the labor market.

Illis said that firefighters are working in very unhygienic conditions and that firefighters are not having a day off.

Efforts made to have a comment from Drs. Eugene Holiday Director of the Princess Juliana International Airport for a comment and could not be reached. SMN News also could not reach Commissioner Wescot-Williams for a comment.

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Dignitaries praise scientific exploration at annual fair

GREAT BAY --- Dignitaries at the 13th annual St Maarten Science Fair’s award ceremony Saturday night praised the importance of science and scientific experimentation, congratulating the approximately 100 students, parents and teachers in attendance for their perseverance and hard work.
Chief Organizer and St Maarten Science Fair Foundation President Benson Pompier commended the 52 participants in this year’s fair for their insight and effort, saying that the students certainly have an understanding about the problems affecting the island.
“The students are well-aware of the problems and challenges that they have to face in our community,” Pompier told the audience about the students, who created projects dealing with the island’s environment, natural beauty and infrastructure. He insisted to them that scientific knowledge was “the real prize that you derive from projects that create greater awareness”.
Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards, who apologized on behalf of Education Commissioner Sarah Westcot-Williams for her unexpected absence, extolled the virtues of a community with critical thinkers, saying that the island’s impending country status would mandate students such as themselves with “creativity, ingenuity (and) clarity”. The lt. governor said winning was not the most essential thing, explaining that
“With scarce natural resources, we need different people with various types of skills,” Gov. Richards said, underscoring the importance of a society with diverse professions and skills. He thanked teachers and parents for their “critical help” in raising the island’s future scientists.
St Maarten-born GEBE Managing Director William Brooks urged the students to continue working towards their ambitions, encouraging perseverance and effort from the group of students and support from parents and teachers. “We’re going to be needing it soon,” he said of the ideas and plans conceived for the fair projects. “We’re going to need all walks of life”.
Pompier said the students seemed to be grasping the concept of the fair more each year, and that their efforts forged some of the highest quality projects ever seen at the event

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UJIMA Extends Screening Process

Philipsburg:- Due to the overwhelming response from the screening of March 29th, the Ujima Foundation would like to extend the screening process once more, in order to give more young men the opportunity to be assessed.

Assessments will take place at the Turning Point Building on Thursday, April 5 between 2:00pm – 5:00pm. All boys must be accompanied by a parent. Parent(s) must bring along proof of Registration and of Medical Insurance. If the child has a police report, or has been dismissed from school, parents are expected to bring copies of police and school reports. Space for admittance is extremely limited and parents are requested to call to schedule an appointment. To schedule an appointment or to gain additional information, please call. Julienne Augusty Mental Health Therapist at 5557288/580-3900 or Judith Bell Coordinator 555-6124 .

Media Contact: Dr. Judith Arndell 55-44747 or 54-79947

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Eighteen students get top honors in 13th Science Fair

Winners Of Science Fair

GREAT BAY --- Projects focusing on recycling, renewable energy sources and cleaner environments were among the biggest winners Saturday during the Science Fair’s annual award ceremony for its top contestants.
Eighteen secondary school students walked away with trophies, a sense of pride for their schools and prizes for producing the best projects of the 13th annual St Maarten Science Fair. Learning Unlimited (LU) and the St Maarten Academy had the most wins of any of the six participating schools – four and three respectively with Caribbean International Academy (CIA) and St Dominic High School taking one win each.
About 52 students took part in this year’s fair, representing 27 groups from six schools – including the Preparatory Secondary Vocational Education (PSVE) section of the St Maarten Academy and Milton Peters College (MPC).
LU students secured the top spots in both the 12-13 and the 14-15 age divisions, placing two groups of students in the top three of the latter category. St Maarten Academy secured first and second place in the 16+ category, also placing second in 14-15 category, the St Maarten Science Fair Foundation announced at the ceremony.
Academy students Roland Fleming and Steven Madray won first in 16+ with a project on the Waste-to-Energy, dealing with the creation and use of a solid waste plant. And a project on Battery Recycling won schoolmates Christal Richards and Danica Deprovil second, and the “Most Creative” project award. LU students Mercedes Antrobus and Richa Nihalani placed third with a project titled “Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation (OTEC) on St Maarten”.
In the 14-15 category, LU students Roxanne Costanzo and Louise Lycklama placed first with a water conservation and cleanliness project titled “How Little is Too Much” and Niesha Paul and Hadassah Arrindell took second with a project called “Environmental Impact of Septic Tank Systems”. Robyn McDonough and Abby Gail Hermoso (LU) took third with a study of the workings of the modern fast food industry, with “What’s In your Hamburger?”
Carla Vlaun and Kilee Mercuur (LU) won 12-13 with their project on the importance of Vitamin C, Anmol Mirpuri and Vijay Dayalani from St Dominic High School were second with their project on Biogas: from Waste to Energy, and CIA’s Mareeka Dookie and Tess Hokin were third with “Solar Power”. Only three groups participated in, this, the smallest of the three categories.
Carla and Kilee also won the award for the “Most Enthusiastic” delivery of their material.
Prizes were awarded based on a scale that included creativity, presentation, research and effort, Foundation President Benson Pompier said prior to the awards. Students were graded for how well they conveyed the information they had learned and the amount of scientific research that went into the projects. “The goal is for them to learn something and we want to see what they learned,” Pompier said.

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ROAT Authentic Indian Cuisine Fundraiser A Huge Success

Roat Fundraising

Philipsburg – President of the Reach Out and Touch Foundation (ROAT), Joe Dominique, has thanked the host of contributors and sponsors who helped make the group’s annual fundraising event a runaway success.
More than 150 ticket-holders turned out at the Shiv Sagar Restaurant, Frontstreet on Saturday evening to take part in ROAT’s Authentic Indian Cuisine Gala Dinner.
“We had a lot of fun with our guests who we entertained with two cultural Indian dances, a “riotous” auction and a host of raffle prizes,” said President Joe.
He said everyone left with at least one token gift courtesy of the restaurant owners.
“The fundraiser is important for us to continue doing our work in the St. Maarten community and members took great pleasure in entertaining the very sponsors we continually approach within the community to assist us with our projects.
“For a change it was great to give them something back in the form of a sumptuous meal and also a personal thank you for their continued help,” said President Joe.
He especially thanked Mark Mingo of St. Maarten Harbour Holding Company N.V. for donating a travel voucher from American Airlines as the main auction prize and Diamonds International for the donation of a second auction prize.
“We had a lot of fun with a simple thing like a cigar that was donated by businessman Michel Hodge and another “taken” from businessman “Luli” de Castro of Print 2000 and also auctioned.
“The door prize this year was also a very generous travel voucher courtesy of Travel Planners on the Cannegieter Street and I am happy to say the winner has already claimed her prize,” president Joe added.
“The sponsors and contributors really assist in the community with their generous donations to so many different groups, organizations and individuals without them every asking for anything in return. By staging this event each year, we inform them about some of the work we have done in the past year and some of the work we plan to do in the coming year with the hope that they will also give some insight into different areas of need they themselves identify in our community,” continued President Joe.
He said the Board and Members of ROAT did an outstanding job making their guests welcome and ensuring the evening went like clockwork.
Finally he thanked the owners and staff of Shiv Sagar for outstanding service and for accommodating all the needs of ROAT and their guests for the event.

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Submitted by Flipper on Tue, 2007-04-03 01:33.