SXMElections.com

PHILIPSBURG--Utilities company GEBE marked its 55th anniversary on Friday with a celebration that included the unveiling of a portrait of long-time GEBE Managing Director the late Julius Lambert painted by artist Ruby Bute and the rewarding of five youngsters for their outstanding performance at the high school entrance exams.

Receiving laptops and praises were Collin Shigemoto and Jaidev Nainani of St. Dominic High School, Eshita Wadhwa and Oluwatoyin Aladejana of Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Browlia Maillard Campus and Sean Mitchell of MAC Rev. John A. Gumbs Campus. All five are 12 years old and are in their first month of high school life.

GEBE Managing Board President and Chief Financial Officer Rene Gartner said the company had "helped boost the tourism, [as] electricity production is the lifeblood of the economy."

The company "from time to time" will face "challenges, but will continue to weather them as they come and to do better with each step," Gartner said.

He credited the employers who have "worked tirelessly to keep the lights on" for GEBE's continued success.

GEBE Supervisory Board of Directors Chairman Rene Richardson said the company's focus would remain on improving reliability, cost effectiveness and meeting the challenge of efficient waste management. He said the times called for GEBE to act in a very transparent way and the board would stay on that path with the determination not to quit and to strive for excellence "in the people's company."

Energy Affairs Minister Claret Conner said Government would look to GEBE for a reliable partner for investment to better and benefit the country.

The minister said GEBE's 55th year of existence was something to celebrate, especially when it highlighted GEBE's commitment to the community.

Recently-appointed Commercial Manager Iris Arrindell thanked in particular GEBE's vast number of employees for their hard work and commitment. She said it was a credit to the company and to the dedication of the employees to know that among the ranks were people who had as much as 40 consecutive years with GEBE.

On a lighter note, the event's master of ceremonies Lenworth Wilson Jr. did not raise many chuckles for his jokes about GEBE's electricity service reliability. Employees gathered under a tent set up at the company's headquarters on Cannegieter Street cautioned him to stop several times before he could reach the punch-line.

Wilson Jr. resorted to saying he was happy Justice Minister Dennis Richardson was present to help guard his freedom of speech, but his jokes eventually halted after a Christmas "funny." He told the story of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus' jealous son who exacted revenge throughout the year from people for the gifts they had received at Christmas. His punch-line was, "The son's name was ... Fuel ... Fuel Clause."

The reference to the fuel clause levy from which much of the community has been crying for relief set off one employee who quickly made it almost to the front of the tent with a warning to Wilson Jr. to halt the GEBE jokes or risk going home to his lights being off. That got the gathering laughing.