SXMElections.com

>PHILIPSBURG:-----  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, spoke at the opening of the International Congress for Caribbean Archaeology (IACA) at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort.
The IACA is being hosted by St. Maarten from July 19-25. The IACA Congress is the largest gathering of professional archaeologists specializing in Caribbean studies in the world, with representatives from over 23 countries and over 300 delegates; it is the place to be for cutting-edge research information about heritage in the Caribbean.
Minister Connor during his address stated: “It is remarkable to observe that 26 years ago to be exact was the last time since this Congress was held on Dutch soil, and today you are here on St Read more

Notices July 20

Educational Scholarship

Be the Change Foundation is accepting applications for the first Erika Cannegieter Dream Big Educational Scholarship. The scholarship this year is up to the amount of $1,500 for a student to help pay part of any educational expenses. Interested students must be legal residents and can apply by filling out the online form at: http://bethechangesxm.com/scholarship-application. The applications must be submitted by July 20 and the winner will be announced on July 27 Read more

Work to resume on bank building by mid-August

PHILIPSBURG--Renovations to the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten building on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road are slated to resume with a new contractor in mid-August.

Central Bank President Emsley Tromp said on Thursday that the Bank "hoped to finalise a contractor by the end of this month."

The renovations were started in December by then-contractor Taliesin Construction. Work halted in April after the Bank terminated the contractor prior to completion.

The contractor has since taken the bank to court for damages and full payment Read more

The unraveling GEBE saga is symptomatic of a larger problem.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot Williams said she considers the conflict between the Supervisory Board of Directors and the MD/CEO of NV GEBE more of a labor issue or a conflict between employer and employee, the relationship between the Shareholder (the government of St. Maarten) and its company's supervisory board deserves closer scrutiny and should be a concern ti everyone on St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:----  United People’s (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake congratulates Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake in her achievement of being the first Sint Maarten-born Cardiologist, adding that she is a role model for the nation’s youth.
MP Lake further added that he would like to see a better plan of action and incentives put in place by Government when it concerns local professionals returning home to work as well as those who are already here working on the island.
“We have a lot of local professionals who work in Government and the private sector who are still waiting to get some type of response or incentives from Government (especially from the Personnel Department) for returning back to the island after their studies to help build up this country.
“I am very concerned of this trend where we focus and give better incentives package for other professionals from abroad, rather than focus on what we can do for our own local professionals who come back home Read more

Up Mp Lake Congratulates Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake. Mp Calls For Better Incentives For Local Professionals

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake congratulates Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake in her achievement of being the first Sint Maarten-born Cardiologist, adding that she is a role model for the nation's youth.

MP Lake further added that he would like to see a better plan of action and incentives put in place by Government when it concerns local professionals returning home to work as well as those who are already here working on the island.

"We have a lot of local professionals who work in Government and the private sector who are still waiting to get some type of response or incentives from Government (especially from the Personnel Department) for returning back to the island after their studies to help build up this country.

"I am very concerned of this trend where we focus and give better incentives package for other professionals from abroad, rather than focus on what we can do for our own local professionals who come back home Read more

Up Mp Lake Congratulates Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake. Mp Calls For Better Incentives For Local Professionals

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Maurice Lake congratulates Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake in her achievement of being the first Sint Maarten-born Cardiologist, adding that she is a role model for the nation's youth.

MP Lake further added that he would like to see a better plan of action and incentives put in place by Government when it concerns local professionals returning home to work as well as those who are already here working on the island.

"We have a lot of local professionals who work in Government and the private sector who are still waiting to get some type of response or incentives from Government (especially from the Personnel Department) for returning back to the island after their studies to help build up this country.

"I am very concerned of this trend where we focus and give better incentives package for other professionals from abroad, rather than focus on what we can do for our own local professionals who come back home Read more

style="text-align: center;">Who did you hurt 26 years ago?  and what about this “true love thing” are you referring to the young Guyanese woman you got deported after impregnating her in St. Kitts?

PHILIPSBURG:--- SMN News posted some questions to Mr. Alfred Harley last week Saturday and gave him on or before July 13th 2015 to respond to our questions. But instead of getting the answers to the questions that was posed to Mr. Harley last week. Harley posted this lengthy comment on his Facebook page.

Alfred Harley
9 hrs ·
I think about life and about the bad things that I have done and have had done to me and I wonder so often whether I am able to live through the rest of whatever it is that should or would happen in my life Read more

Cooperation underscored by country’s justice officials

POND ISLAND--The strength that comes from cooperation and the need for it within the justice chains and with the wider community was the common thread in the messages given to mark International Justice Day on Friday. The Ministry of Justice hosted a ceremony in Festival Village to recognise those that have given long and outstanding service to the community.

Justice Minister Dennis Richardson told the gathering a lot is being said about what is wrong in St. Maarten, but those naysayers are not aware or do not fully understand the challenges the country faced when it started to build its justice ministry with very little almost five years ago.

St Read more

Editorial - What’s going on?

The visa requirement for Colombians to visit Curaçao and St. Maarten was dropped effective July 1. Although it took another week after that for the authorities in Bogota to actually make the official announcement, both islands are hoping the measure will lead to an increase in vacationers from the South American country, but not of immigrants overstaying their welcome.

Little has been heard since on the handling of the change in practice, especially by immigration officials at the respective airports, but apparently there have been no major complaints so far either Read more

Notices July 18

Saturday, July 18

PET'S FOOD DRIVE

Organised by PAWSITIVE SXM and CIA Students

Place: COST-U-LESS

Time: 9:00am to 2:00pm

For the Dogs in our Shelter

For Free Cats Colonies

NOTICES

First Responder

WIEMS is now registering for the annual First Responder (EMR) course starting Tuesday, September 1, 7:00pm at the Dutch Quarter Community Center. For more information: www.wiems.org . To register: email us at \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

>Pointe Blanche:---- The OSPP welcomes the news that an investigation is to take place at the St. Maarten Harbour Holding N.V. It is better late than never, says Lenny F. Priest. What kept them so long in initiating this investigation, in particular since there has been so much rumor circulating in St. Maarten for the last decade over wrong doings and corruption within the harbour group of companies? It has been said that the harbour has been used as the cash cow for in particular one of the leading politicians in St Read more

Minister Of Transport Connor Comments On Public Prosecutors Civil Investigation Into Harbour Group Of Companies

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor, has taken note of Sint Maarten's Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO) to commence with a civil investigation procedure that concerns the corporate governance of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies.

"The procedure embarked upon by the Public Prosecutor's Office is part of their competence, and as such, I do hope that the St Read more

Nagico Volunteers Assist With Clean-Up Of Mangroves, Illegally Dumped Material At Belair Pond

BELAIR, St. Maarten- Nine volunteers from NAGICO Insurances assisted the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation over the weekend with the clean-up of Mangrove areas surrounding the Little Bay Pond over the weekend.

The participants of the cleanup also noticed that someone, more than likely a construction contractor, dumped building material and household items in the vicinity of the Bird Watching Hut at the Pond; "During this exercise we were very saddened to see that someone dumped construction material and household items such as a water heater, microwave, bottles of oil and a vacuum cleaner at the Mangroves around Belair Pond.

With the help of this great group of volunteers we cleaned up the material and the mangrove areas but we urge the community to not engage in this illegal activity.

We have reported the incident to the authorities and hopefully we can figure out who purposefully damaged the environment so that they can receive the necessary fines," commented Tadzio Bervoets of the Nature Foundation.

The volunteers started at 9am and the clean-up was completed by 11am Read more

Notices July 13

Volunteers Needed

St. Maarten AIDS Foundation is now registering volunteers interested in becoming facilitators for their Girl Power and Real Talk youth programmes. These programmes require that volunteers interact directly with students in a school environment. For more information call 588-1401 or \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices July 11

Volunteers Needed

St. Maarten AIDS Foundation is now registering volunteers interested in becoming facilitators for their Girl Power and Real Talk youth programmes. These programmes require that volunteers interact directly with students in a school environment. For more information call 588-1401 or