SXMElections.com

Caribbean fights to protect high-value, declining species

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Threats from climate change, declining reefs, overfishing and possible loss of several commercial species are driving the rollout of new policy measures to keep Caribbean fisheries sustainable.

Regional groups and the US-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Wild Earth Guardians have petitioned for the listing of some of the Caribbean's most economically valuable marine species as vulnerable, endangered or threatened with extinction.

In addition, regional scientists believe that climate change could alter the ranges of some of the larger species and perhaps wipe out existing ones.

Fisheries ministers of the Caribbean say they are concerned that "extra-national activities and decisions" could impact the social and economic well-being of their countries and their access to international markets Read more

When will PJIAE get its FBO Building Permit --- Building Permit sent to Prime Minister’s Office two weeks ago.

style="text-align: center;">Creditors still have hope and waiting for Project to kick off.

PHILIPSBURG:--- SMN News received information that the head of VROMI Louis Brown signed off on the building permit for the Fixed Based Operations (FBO) Project which is to be constructed at the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) some two weeks ago and sent it to the Office of the Prime Minister but to date the Prime Minister of St Read more

Notices July 7

Educational Scholarship

Be the Change Foundation has set up the first Erika Cannegieter Dream Big Educational Scholarship. Interested students must be legal residents of the island. The applications must be submitted by July 20th and the winner will be announced on July 27. For more information call 580 1437 or email \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices July 6

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices July 4

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices July 3

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Editorial - Time running out

It appears a General Measure of Kingdom Governance to impose an Integrity Chamber on St. Maarten may have become unavoidable (see related story). The Dutch Government earlier had actually withdrawn this option and the related request for advice from the Council of State.

The latter was done based on a protocol signed between Ministers Ronald Plasterk of the Netherlands and Dennis Richardson of St. Maarten for the passing of a national ordinance to establish such a chamber by the end of June Read more

Notices July 2

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Sarah calls for urgent filling of open CFT post

PHILIPSBURG--“Government has really dropped the ball,” says Democratic Party (DP) leader Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams about the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet’s failure to find and appoint candidates to represent St Read more

Emancipation celebrated at historic Emilio Wilson Estate

CUL DE SAC--St. Maarten's families, dignitaries and artistes gathered for the main Emancipation Day Celebration and Cultural Manifestation, celebrating 152 years since the emancipation proclamation, under the theme “Emancipation from Within-The Voice of Our People” at Emilio Wilson Park on Wednesday, July 1.

The day’s commemorations and celebrations started with an Ecumenical Service at St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church and two Symbolic Wreath Laying Ceremonies by the country’s leaders at the One Tete Lohkay and Freedom Fighters monuments Read more

style="text-align: center;">AM SXM donates to Island Hoops

PHILIPSBURG:--- I AM SXM Foundation made a donation to Island Hoops “GLOBALL” for both the U20 and U16 excursions. The U20 Selection will travel to Pennsylvania on July 11 for the four-day intensive basketball exposure camp. The U16 selection is scheduled to depart July 31.

I AM SXM, aka “Bush-T” is proud to support this grassroots initiative that provides St. Maarten youngsters with education opportunities and new experiences through travel and the sport of basketball.

Tamara Leonard of I AM SXM says the foundation is extremely proud to be part of furthering the future and broadening the horizons of the country’s youngsters Read more

Notices June 30

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices June 29

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

SpaceX rocket supplying space station explodes after launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida--An unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded about two minutes after liftoff from Florida on Sunday, destroying a cargo ship bound for the International Space Station in the latest in a string of mishaps in supplying the orbiting outpost.

The 208-foot-tall (63-meter) Falcon 9 rocket had flown 18 times previously since its 2010 debut, all successfully. Those missions included six station cargo runs for NASA under a 15-flight contract worth more than $2 billion.

However SpaceX, a company founded and owned by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, has twice previously tried and failed in an experiment to land the rocket on a platform in the ocean Read more

Mit Professor & Known Haitian Creole Advocate Join Forces To Create First Ever Kreyol Alphabet Songs And Videos

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - The first ever Kreyòl (Haitian Creole) alphabet songs as educational videos have been created and made available online, it was announced today.

The groundbreaking project is the result of collaboration between Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Linguistics Professor Michel DeGraff and recognized Kreyòl advocate Mandaly Louis-Charles.

The videos' creation holds both historical and political significance to the country of Haiti Read more

Notices June 27

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

CFT may call for ‘targeted instruction’ if no settlement

PHILIPSBURG--The Committee for Financial Supervision CFT “in all likelihood will ask for a targeted instruction” to be handed down by the Dutch Kingdom Council of Ministers if government does not settle its arrears with Social and Health Insurance SZV and the General Pension Fund APS.

Government has missed the May 30 deadline set by CFT to settle its arrears with SZV and APS. The targeted instruction will focus on dealing with the payment arrears amounting to some NAf Read more

Notices June 26

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center. For more information call 547 0890 or 524 6067. Your resume can be sent to: \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots Read more

Notices June 25

Saturday, June 27

FREE HIV TESTS

Organised by St. Maarten AIDS Foundation and Scotiabank

Place: Scotiabank Philipsburg (Next to KFC)

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Free and confidential results in 15 minutes

Saturday, June 27

PET FOOD DRIVE

Organised by PAWSITIVE SXM

Place: Le Grand Marche

Time: 11:00am to 6:00pm

For dogs in shelter and for free cat colonies

NOTICES

Teachers, Volunteers Needed

I Too Can Learn (ITCL) Foundation is seeking teachers (Special Ed) and volunteers for their Center Read more

Parliament committees to look into French/Dutch joint issues

Representatives of the French side Territorial Council with Members of Parliament in Parliament House on Tuesday.

PHILIPSBURG--A meeting between the French side Territorial Council and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Parliament House on Tuesday resulted in various topics discussed being sent to Parliament’s permanent committees for further deliberation and solution seeking.

Among the topics discussed was pensioners living on the French side, but who have contributed to the Dutch side’s General Pension Fund by working on the southern side of the island accessing their benefits Read more

Bourne-Gumbs outlines plans for current governing period

PHILIPSBURG--Transforming an existing English public primary school into a Dutch one; creating incentives for teachers to obtain "favourable" mortgage rates and expanding public school hours were amongst the plans Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs outlined to Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday.

The plans cover the current four-year governing period. Bourne-Gumbs said when she took office as Minister the various department heads had already established a plan and parties had to see how to incorporate her ideas and "not take their entire plan and dismiss it."

The ministry's plans include putting in place a "strong" foundation for Dutch as a foreign language for all schools in the country Read more

Police, Ambulance launch joint NAf. 5.5 million Dispatch Centre

PHILIPSBURG--“A very important undertaking” and “an example of good cooperation,” were some of the terms used to describe the St. Maarten Police Force and Ambulance Department’s Joint Dispatch Centre, which was officially launched on Tuesday.

The state-of-the-art centre was constructed at a cost of NAf. 5.5 million, which was partly funded by Dutch Funding Agency USONA and partners in the project Read more

Russia to help Jamaica agriculture and possibly import meat and crops

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Russia has promised to help Jamaica restore its mined-out bauxite lands to full agricultural production. It also plans to share its technology to boost the island's agriculture and help address its environmental issues.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Phillip Paulwell made the disclosure as he attended the 19th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Moscow, where he met with representatives from the Russian government to strengthen cooperation in specialised areas.

"I held discussions with the Agriculture Minister [Alexander Tkachov – Ed.] Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- St. Maarten was not surprised at all when the UP party told their coalition partner the US party of MP Frans Richardson to take a hike but Dennis stays. The US party should have drawn their conclusion from the statement made by the honorable Prime Minister that Minister Richardson isn’t going anywhere Read more