PHILIPSBURG:--- Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS) N.V. is encouraged by early interest in the launch of personalized stamps for visiting and residential customers.

The personalized stamps service was officially launched at the A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities on October 17, 2014 along with the official opening of a new post office location at the Harbour.

To mark the occasion, PSS staff produced a series of personalized stamps for their invited guests during the opening ceremonies to demonstrate how quickly and easily a sheet of official stamps can be produced and instantly make use of an historic moment.

According to PSS N.V. Supervisory Board interim Chairman, Mr. Stuart Johnson, the new personalized stamps not only bodes well for the future services of the Post Office, but also for Country St. Maarten itself, and the management and support staff of the PSS.

Addressing invited guests during the opening ceremony, Mr. Johnson said the occasion was in fact a milestone that should go on the record books as a great achievement because, " a company that now belongs to St. Maarten is making a giant leap forward and will show that, not only has postal services grown and is growing, but that its name and its product will continue to grow district by district, main port of entry by main port of entry.

Mr. Johnson said management and staff of PSS N.V. should feel encouraged and proud of the interest already being shown by an imaginative public to the personalized stamp issues, since they can be used personally and commercially to great effect.

"Adding this kind of service to our already existing services at a time when our good friend hurricane Gonzalo has passed, and a few days after such devastation has taken place in our country, again reinforces our commitment to our country and its future, said Mr. Johnson.

"The hard-working Post Office team have shown no better colors than the red, white and blue surrounding the opening and featured in the new location, signifying the nationalistic pride we have for Country, as this Post Office belongs to St. Maarten.

"The Pelican, soaring right about our heads, in the logo of Postal Services St. Maarten, is again testimony that this is your Country St. Maarten, and that we can be very proud of our accomplishments at PSS," continued Mr. Johnson.

CEO, Harbour Goup of Companies, Mr. Mark Mingo, sees the personalized stamps sales of the new post office location as an exciting feature for cruise ship passengers who want to send a cheap memento of their trip to friends and relatives back home.

"I have spoken with PSS about a specially built post office location in the design of an historic post office building that we can put in a more prominent location some time in the future. This will make the services the PSS offers to our cruise ship visitors even more special and exciting," said Mr. Mingo.

PSS N.V. Business Development ManagerMs. Zairo Paulo, said local promotion of personalized stamps for use by businesses, organizations and members of the public on St. Maarten.St/Martin will soon begin at other Post office locations in Philipsburg and Simpson Bay, with huge promotions planned for the run-up to Christmas.

"We are very excited about the potential of personalized stamp sales, not only to our visitors, but also to our residential customers, because these issues are fun to have and can set your organization or company apart from others," said Ms. Paulo.

For more information about purchasing personalize stamps from the Postal Services St. Maarten N.V., call + (1721) 542-2289.
You can also visit and like us on www.facebook.com/post.stmaarten.

PSS Press Release

GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS) of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is recommending to persons to get their annual flu vaccine. High risk groups are reminded and/or recommended to get their seasonal flu shot.

As part of the Minister of Public Health's "Get Checked," campaign, influenza is an acute viral infection that spreads very easily from person to person, and can affect anybody in any age group.

"Check with your physician to see whether or not you are part of the high risk group and be proactive. Get vaccinated and apply strict and consistent preventive measures to stop you from getting the flu," Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever said.

Influenza is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations. Vaccination (flu shot) is the most effective way to prevent infection.

Persons who form part of the risk groups are:

•  all pregnant women who are in the last six months of pregnancy or second trimester – from their fourth month onwards;
•  with pulmonary disease: asthma (when maintenance medication is given; this also holds true for children), COPD, carcinoma of the lung, anthracosilicosis, lungfibrosis , mucoviscidosis, severe kyfoscoliosis, status after resection of a lung, breathing difficulties;
•  with cardiac disease: having experienced a myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arrhythmias, valve dysfunction, cardiac failure;
•  with diabetes mellitus, even if not on medication;
•  with chronic kidney disease/failure: dialysis, kidney transplant;
•  after a recent bone marrow transplant;
• with HIV-infection;
•  with an intellectual disability in an intramural setting;
•  with a diminished resistance to infections: livercirrosis, (functional) asplenia, auto-immune illnesses, chemotherapy, immunosuppressive medication;
•  60 years and older.

Front-line workers as well as health care workers who may be in contact with patients pertaining to the medical risk groups (personnel in nursing homes, senior citizen home, hospital, outpatient clinics and general practitioner/specialist practices), should get their flu vaccination.

Home care givers of persons with a very high risk for severe illness and mortality attributed to the flu should also be vaccinated.

The symptoms of the flu virus in people are fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

Consult your family physician in due time and do not place others at risk. Take the necessary protection when in the vicinity of any sick persons. Apply strict cough etiquette and proper hand hygiene.

Eat healthy foods, get a lot of exercise and maintain a good sleep schedule which is usually eight hours.

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (TUCOM):--- The Labour Government is dishing out MILLIONS of taxpayers' money to lawyers from across the world to argue two ridiculous appeals which have no place being in the Court system.

In January 2013, after PM Douglas lost the confidence of his fellow colleagues in Parliament, the illegitimate PM rushed to remove Patrice Nisbett as Attorney General and replace him with Jason Hamilton to steal an 8-7 voting majority in Parliament. But as usual, PM Douglas violated the Constitution when he tried to appoint a 3rd Senator and the High Court promptly struck down Jason Hamilton's appointment as null and void. The High Court actually said that there were 3 correct ways to make the appointment but the Government bypassed all 3 and did it the illegal way.

After that judgment came down, the Governor General then swore in Jason Hamilton a second time. This time they were able to do it according to the Constitution.

Then why is the Government now appealing the High Court decision? Why are they paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to lawyers such as Anthony Astaphan to come from overseas and stay at the Marriott at taxpayers expense? Jason Hamilton has already been sworn in the correct way, more than a year and a half now. What then is the use of pursuing an appeal on this moot point? Don't we have anything better to do with our money? What will they do if they win (even though they can't) - will they make Jason come out and resign again and then go back and swear him in a 3rd time? Is such a big poppyshow Jason is? What really is the point of this? Meanwhile some lawyers who couldn't care less about us walk out of St. Kitts with a cool half a million dollars EACH to argue stupidness.

Next, in the face of a Motion of No Confidence which is now almost 2 years old, the Government and Speaker still insist on defying the will of the majority of St. Kitts and Nevis by pursuing an appeal against the landmark judgment of Justice Darshan Ramdhani delivered in February 2014.

Rather than doing the right thing by simply putting the Motion on the order paper and scheduling it for debate, the Speaker filed an appeal of the judgment. The appeal is tying up the Court and wasting precious time that the Court could be spending on its backlog of cases.

To argue this ridiculous appeal, the Government is spending millions on lawyers including Lord Goldsmith QC, who resigned as Attorney General of the UK in shame and disgrace over the Iraq War scandal. It is stated that Lord Goldsmith does not agree to do a case for less than US $1million, and he is paid even higher for appeal cases. That does not include his 1st-class flight from London and a stay at the Marriott. And he is just one lawyer in this matter. The Government prefers to waste money on men like Lord Goldsmith to argue against the fundamentals of our democracy and Constitution, instead of putting that money to good use to fix our schools and health system and allowing the Motion to be heard promptly.

They are wasting our good money on foolishness!

St. Maarten and its people will continue to fight for their rights

PHILIPSBURG:--- Organizers of the Peoples United for True Democracy (PUTD) began gathering on the Pondfill just after 1pm on Sunday as they prepared for the march they organized to protest against the instruction the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Governor Holiday on September 17th, 2014. The Kingdom Council instructed the Governor of St. Maarten not to sign any Landsbesluit to appoint Ministers that are appointed by the current coalition government.

The march which was scheduled to take off from the vicinity of the WIFOL building on the Pondfill on Sunday afternoon left the location close to 3pm as buses were circling in the various districts to pick up people who wanted to participate in the march deemed as protecting the country and its people's democratic rights.
Despite the delay and several publications in the newspapers, radios, and the social media just about 100 persons attended the march, included were several members from the UP party including its leader Theodore Heyliger, MP Lloyd Richardson and MP Franklyn Meyers, children and even some workers from the brothels on the island were among those that marched down the Pondfill road to the Government Administration Building.
As the marchers marched they chanted they wanted freedom, justice and respect. Then they sang the song "We shall overcome."
Elton Jones, an organizer of Peoples United for True Democracy (PUTD) said they called on the people to march on Sunday to safeguard the freedom they have enjoyed for a long time on St. Maarten. Jones said since St. Maarten became a country in 2010 it appears as though the new country has lost part of the autonomy they had while being part of the Netherlands Antilles. "Today there is more infringement and intervention by the Dutch than it had ever been before. What the Dutch is doing is on any law they are using a KB to issue these instructions to the Governor of St. Maarten." Jones further explained that the excuse used by the Dutch which is the PWC report is untrue because the current caretaker government already indicated to the Dutch that they will do everything possible to implement the recommendations in all of the integrity reports.

Leader of the United Peoples Party (UPP) Theodore Heyliger who also marched with the marchers told reporters in an interview that he did not organize the march but he definitely supports the march because the actions of the Dutch is not only about him but it's about everyone on St. Maarten. Heyliger said that what is happening today is what happened to his grandfather and for him these instructions is a repeat of history. Heyliger said prior to the 2014 elections the Dutch did not lay down any rules. He said what is happening now has nothing to do with a political party or political colors. This march he said is to ensure that democracy and the country's constitution is respected. When asked if the instructions given by the Dutch is about him Heyliger said if it's about him then it is also about the 1945 persons that voted for him. When he was asked by SMN News if it's about the people of St. Maarten and his supporters how come they did not show up to take part in the march. Heyliger said he did not organize the march and he also did not call on his supporters to come out and participate in the march. "I will continue to state that this is about true democracy. When the first formation was taking place no one in Holland said anything but now there is a government with two thirds majority, the Dutch issued instructions even though they have not made known who the Ministers will be." Heyliger said his government already indicated that they will apply the recommendation in the PWC report. "It is very unfortunate that before the government even sit there are instructions coming from Holland." When asked by SMN News if he Heyliger thinks that the motions passed in the Parliament of St. Maarten and Curacao will stop the Kingdom Council, Heyliger said he does not think the Kingdom Council will respect those motions. When asked if he thinks the current situation will affect his ambition to become Prime Minister, Heyliger said it will but when he went into politics some 20 years ago he never entered politics with the dream of becoming the Prime Minister of St. Maarten.
At the Government Administration Building several persons spoke out against the instruction given by the Kingdom. Elton Jones said no one should get discouraged by the low turn out on Sunday. He further stated that when they organized the march many persons asked them why they organized the march and if they are not against corruption. Jones said that the people of St. Maarten are law abiding citizens like everyone else in the world, he said the main reason they marched was to regain the rights they have lost since the country obtained its status in 2010. Etienne Toochi Meyers said that the adults are not going to suffer when the Dutch takes over but it is the youths of the country that will suffer. He said when the Dutch come in no one should call them or say they should have stood up for Heyliger because for him the time has already passed. Meyers said some years a survey was done by Yale University in the Caribbean. The results of that survey showed that all "black people" living in the Caribbean suffer from hypertension and diabetes he said the same survey was done in Africa and the results were completely different. Meyers said that the reason the Caribbean nations have those two illnesses is because of oppression. He said that only reason the Caribbean nation have those illnesses is because their forefathers were brought to the Caribbean as slaves and they lived in oppression. The other speaker Member of Parliament Franklin Meyers said in his speech despite the small turn out, the people should be proud of themselves because it is known that one man is always sent to save a million people but never a million people is sent to save one man. MP Meyers further stated that their presence at the protest march shows that St. Maarten people will no longer stand up by the roadsides while the people in Holland continues to do what they want. "Our constitution gives us the right to protest, we have that right to say when something is wrong and the instruction given to the Governor of St. Maarten is wrong, and we as people will continue to stand up and say it is wrong. For the critics I am saying to you that you also have the same rights to march, but one thing that must be clear is that the people of St. Maarten is not taking any of this anymore. We will not be taking anymore insults from Ronald van Raak or Andre Bosman. If Bosman and Van Raak cares so much about St. Maarten and its people they need to pass legislation to feed the people of St. Maarten. Tell them to pass legislation to eliminate poverty on St. Maarten. What Holland is doing right now is having the government on a stalemate and stopping the present coalition government to go in to work for the people of St. Maarten. We are no longer afraid of the Dutch. I will repeat what MP George Pantophlet said the Dutch are not coming they are already here, but guess what the people of St. Maarten are also here. We are going to stand firm. Bob Marley quoted in his song I and I build the cabin, it was I and I who planted the corn, didn't my people slave for this country so now you look me with a scorn yet you want to eat off all my corn. Our forefathers came to the Caribbean oppressed for over 400 hundred years. The same instructions that was given to the Governor of St. Maarten the Dutch should also place them on themselves, let the screening be the same throughout the Kingdom." MP Meyers said that the Dutch said that St. Maarten is corrupt but they need to let the judicial system work since it has worked before. He said the people who attended the march should understand that they have a responsibility to fight for those that are unable to fight and those that are not willing to fight. Other speakers that attended the protest march were MP Lloyd Richardson and Ed Gumbs also a member of the Peoples United for True Democracy.
The PUTD made clear on Sunday that there will be a lot of other marches on the island because they will also organize a march against crime on the island.

{saudioplayer}putdmarch26102014.mp3{/saudioplayer}

Click here to view photos of the PUTD protest march held on Sunday.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Hon. Maurice Lake of the United People's (UP) Party says the country already has screening laws for candidates proposed to become a member of the Council of Ministers.

"This whole thing is not about that anybody is afraid of being screened. We have nothing to hide. Those who have served within the past four years as Ministers, going back to 2010, 2012 and 2013 and still do so today have passed the screening process to become a minister.

"This shows the system works. We have our own institutions in place that have followed the laws of the land. The Dutch Government has an agenda and the instruction is part of the process to take over the country," MP Hon. Maurice Lake said on Sunday.

"The first mistake and show of hand by the Dutch Government was when there was no issue several weeks ago when the NA/DP/US coalition was established. When this fell apart, all of a sudden the rules of the game has to be changed. It is very clear what game the Dutch Government is playing, and we will bring forth this to the international community of nations in various forums.

"Holland is just one of over 190 countries around the world. This type of interference is very dangerous. The Dutch Government's ultimate aim is not just to keep our leader out as Prime minister but to affect the morale of the people. Are we going to see a complete takeover of country Sint Maarten? MP Theo Heyliger is just an excuse for the DUTCH to come in and take over Sint Maarten. If we allow this to happen, this will just be the beginning for the Dutch to take over our beloved Sint Maarten land. I condemn this illegitimate act by the Dutch Government.

"We the people voted by referendum for an autonomous status within the Kingdom. Today, those rights are being taken away by unilateral action, illegal and illegitimate by the Dutch Government. Our constitutional right to vote and elect our own leaders has been brushed aside by the Dutch Government.

"The right to be treated equally, the right to have elections has no meaning. The part of the measure demanding the candidate agree to the screening by the Dutch expert is in violation of our Constitution. No one is obligated by law to give permission to any expert of the Dutch Government to violate the fundamental right as a person protected by article 5 of our Constitution.

"The only way to move forward as a young Country for the next four years is as a united front, and all political parties should stand together and stand up for the best interest of our people and protect our Constitution. If we fail to do so, we are failing our people and generations to come," MP Hon. Maurice Lake concluded.

POINT BLANCHE:--- On Thursday, a delegation from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour (Ministry VSA) headed by Minister Hon. Cornelius de Weever, Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo and port representatives, met in Miami, Florida with Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) President Michele Paige and representatives from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), regarding Ebola screening protocols for cruise ship passengers and crew.

Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The incubation period from time of infection to symptoms is two to 21 days. In August, the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola a public health emergency of international concern.

Minister De Weever and CEO Mark Mingo see the importance of protecting the destination, its people and the cruise sector, which contributes one third of economic activity in the national economy; from the possible impact of Ebola to the country. The main objective is to prevent a suspect or probable case from reaching the shores of St. Maarten.

The meeting with FCCA and CLIA was to ascertain cruise industry protocols related to cruise passengers and crew of vessels since this would be the first point of embarkation out of home ports in Florida or within the Caribbean where cruise lines operate from. All agree that there is a low risk of an Ebola infection breaking out on a cruise ship.

The delegation from St. Maarten along with the FCCA and CLIA are on the same level with respect to having the protocols in place to protect destinations and the cruise industry. A follow-up meeting will be held to evaluate the situation with Ebola and the measures that are currently in place to see whether they need to be enhanced based on recommendations coming from the WHO and the US Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The Minister, Port St. Maarten management, FCCA and CLIA are in agreement that out of an abundance of caution and care for the well-being of the people of St. Maarten, of cruise ship guests and crew members, the measures in place typically go beyond what is technically required.

Ebola infections in West Africa (mainly in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia) have surpassed 10,000; laboratory confirmed cases 5692; total deaths, 4922 as of October 24.

On October 23, the West African country of Mali reported its first confirmed case of Ebola. Senegal and Nigeria have officially been declared by the WHO as Ebola free.

The FCCA/CLIA are working closely with the CDC regarding a Level 3 notice which is in place where US residents have been told to avoid nonessential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia because of the unprecedented outbreaks of Ebola in those countries.

The measures taken to date by the cruise industry are: denial of boarding to anyone arriving from countries designated with a Level 3 travel health warning by the CDC; denial boarding to anyone who traveled to, in or through those countries within 21 days before embarkation; and contact screening, in addition to travel history screening, and denial of boarding for anyone who had physical contact with, or helped care for, a person with Ebola within 21 days before embarkation.

Ministry VSA informed Port management on Tuesday, October 21 about national preparations that are taking place and the various meetings with stakeholders and others that are planned to deal with Ebola.

Country Sint Maarten has to comply with International Health Regulations (IHR) where public health is concerned. Since Ebola has been declared a global health threat, all countries have to take preventive measures to prevent its spread.

Port St. Maarten is the first institution that has received the informative presentation from the Ministry. After the meeting, one of the immediate measures implemented by Port management is a program of increased sanitization at the port facility, and port tenants will also be asked to work along these lines as well.

Port St. Maarten and Ministry VSA already have a working relationship with respect to a health pre-clearance protocol related to cruise ships. A cruise vessel has to report 48 and 24 hour timeframes ahead if there are any cases of the norovirus which is very contagious.

CLIA is the world's largest cruise industry trade association with representation in North and South America, Asia and Australasia. The FCCA is a trade organization composed of 15 member cruise lines operating more than 100 vessels in Floridian, Caribbean and Latin American waters.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Fire in Babylon, Love is better than wine and The Power of the Tongue were titles of presentations delivered by Clayton Felix, Ted Richards & Rolande Tobias during Men Empowerment Night. The event was organized by St Maarten Toastmasters to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Toastmasters International. Having started back in 1924 as a Men's only organization, the organizers decided to place emphasis on the men and the importance of men stepping up in the organization. Held at the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School in Cay Hill this past Saturday evening, the event saw an impressive attendance and participants thoroughly enjoy the evening's presentation.
The presentation by Clayton Holiday dealt with the challenges encountered by the West Indies cricket team and the determination of the players to make a statement on the international cricket stage. Ted Richards expounded on the important role men can play in the lives of their spouses when it comes to early detection of breast cancer. Rolande Tobias explored the use of the Power of the tongue to create peace, pleasure and pain. All three presenters impressed, thoroughly entertained and informed the audience. The second part of the evening consisted of an Impromptu session with the three presenters as panelists responding to questions about men issues. Questions were posed from the Moderator Elroy Hughes as well as from members in the audience and featured men's issues such as "Does size really matter?", "Men & Shoe size; fact or myth?", "Should men be afraid to show their feminine side? and "Has men given up their leadership role to women?". The audience truly enjoyed the discussions by the three panellists.
Following the evaluation session where all presenters received feedback on their performance, a toast was initiated by District Governor Valerie Brazier and words of thanks were expressed by Toastmaster of the evening Juan Richardson. The success of the event has called for an annual event as well as similar event being organized for the female Toastmasters on the island.
St Maarten has 5 Toastmasters clubs where members meet twice a month and practice their communication & leadership skills. The clubs are open to the public and persons desirous of improving self development through Communication & Leadership are welcome to join.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The OSPP has been paying keen attention to the recent developments regarding the instructions given to Governor Holiday by the Dutch Kingdom Council of Minister. This instruction in our opinion is baseless to say the least. After the 2014 election the NA/DP/US government was being formed and they had reached a point of signing an agreement to work together. This information was conveyed to the entire world including the Dutch. However, at no time did the Kingdom Council of Ministers issue an instruction to the governor regarding the screening process for the ministers in St. Maarten. Had the Kingdom Council of Ministers issued such an instruction at that time we would have objected basically the same. St. Maarten obtained its' separate status on October 10, 2010, a new country entering rough waters for the first time with lots of rules and regulations, more than any other country within the Kingdom. No one can disagree or deny that our government and members of parliament brought on shame to this country over the last four years and they seem to be continuing in the same trend after election 2014. We have had three integrity investigations carried out during our first four years in existence. All three of those investigations have yielded some astonishing developments within our governments and they have made some recommendations to improve the functioning of the government, thereby providing better service to the people. Several of the members supporting the incoming government refer to the findings of the investigations and recommendations as melee. Are we to conclude that they don't support the recommendations made to improve the integrity of our government? What findings do they have to support that the reports are just melee, nonfactual and baseless?
Neither the less to say we are still what surprised that after those reports were released the government of St. Maarten still saw it fit to issue not one but various new casino licenses. The existent casinos owe the government millions of guilders in fees and other taxes but the small man continues to have to pay their taxes through their noses. We have also witnessed the fact that the government of St. Maarten during the integrity investigations period purchased land, namely the Vorst Estate way above the market price per square meter. The Dutch have a saying (Het dweilen met de kraan open – Mopping up with the faucets running water) Do you still asked why some people support the move by the Dutch government?
The OSPP supports the call for St. Maarten to continue to utilize the screening process that have worked for us between 2010 and 2014 and should the Dutch government have recommendations to improve this process, have them forward those recommendations to the government department responsible for the screening. But the decisions are in the hands of that department to use them if they would improve our screening process. We therefore reject the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor E. Holiday.
However, if the Kingdom Council of Ministers has information about wrong doing by any members of the present or future incoming ministers they should launched those complaints at the Public Prosecutor office here in St. Maarten regardless to who that person maybe. After properly investigating this information a decision would be made if that person would pass the screening process. It has worked in the past and it will continue to work in the future.
On the other hand the OSPP strongly believes that many of the recommendations in the various integrity reports should be implemented. As a matter of fact a phase plan should be prepared with a time frame for the implementations of those recommendations and if the government refuses to carry them out, drastic measures should be enforced to provide the people with proper governance.

OSPP Press Release

PHILIPSBURG/AUSTRIA:--- The Ombudsman, Dr. Nilda Arduin left on Friday, October 24th 2014 to Vienna, Austria to attend the IOI board meeting. Dr. Arduin is one of the board of directors representing the Caribbean and Latin America Region.

The topics to be discussed are among others : general matters relating to the general operation of the IOI Institute, such as financial matters, membership, individual matters relating to the various regions that make up the membership, corporation with foreign relations such as the UN and the World Bank, IOI strategic plan for 2015, the world conference scheduled in 2016 and the various training projects. One of the training to be discussed is the Anti Corruption Training which was scheduled to take place in Argentina, but had to be postponed due to the untimely death of the Ombudsman of that Country.

The Ombudsman listens, investigates, and recommends
Government to act on the concerns of the people

The Ombudsman is the Voice and Protector of the People

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Landsrecherche convoked a well known businessman who is also the brother of a Member of Parliament who was elected in the 2014 Parliamentary Elections. SMN News learnt that the businessman met with investigators 8am on Wednesday morning where he also filed a counter complaint against MP Christopher Emmanuel for slander and defamation.
Sources alleged that MP Emmanuel called the businessman's name as the person who approached him and a relative and offered him a $2M bribe to declare himself independent. However, during a parliamentary session held last week Monday October 20th, 2014, MP Christopher Emmanuel said on the floor of parliament where he has full immunity that he was offered $80,000.00 to run on a particular political list in 2010, he further stated that in 2014 when he won a seat in parliament he was contacted and offered $400,000.00 which eventually climbed to $2M. MP Emmanuel went further and stated that politicians on St. Maarten have moved up because they are not only buying votes but are now buying seats. At no point during the public meeting MP Emmanuel mentioned names or political parties who approached him.
SMN News contacted the businessman for a statement but he declined to make any statements on the ongoing investigation, he also referred SMN News to his attorney who could not be reached by telephone on Thursday.
Press Prosecutor Tineke Kamps stated in a press release on Thursday that the Public Prosecutors Office has taken notice of the statement made in Parliament on October 20, 2014, by one of the MPs pertaining to the issue of "seat buying". This statement has led to an order to investigate what was exactly said. Thus the prosecutor will be able to assess, if a full investigation is warranted.
Contrary to what has been published in various media, this investigation is not done by the RST (Kingdom Detectives) but by the National Detective Agency, the Landsrecherche.
At this point in time no further information will be given.

GRAND CAYMAN:--- The fifth annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference will welcome a range of exceptional healthcare professionals from all over the world to speak at this year's event, taking place from 20th to 22nd November at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.
Presenting on subjects pertinent to this year's theme: 'Winning the war against chronic non-communicable diseases', overseas and local specialists will discuss some of the biggest challenges to our health today. As a result, the audience will hear important and timely updates and discussions on diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease and mental health.
The Hon. Osbourne Bodden, Minister of Health, Sports, Youth and Culture, will open the proceedings and then the audience will hear from healthcare professionals.
Dr James Hospedales is the Executive Director of Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and he will be opening the conference with an overview of whether the war is being won on CNCDs globally and in the Caribbean. Dr Hospedales, a citizen of Trinidad & Tobago, has been the Executive Director of CARPHA since February 2013 and has a wide breadth of knowledge of CNCDs in the region.
The Chief Interventional Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Health City Cayman Islands, Dr Ravi Kishore Amancharla, will discuss conquering the cardiovascular Leviathan. Since 1997, Dr Ravi has been working with Dr Devi Shetty and has been instrumental in establishing state of the art electrophysiology services across the group hospitals and has already been making a positive impact to Cayman and its visitors.
Organisers are also delighted to present Dr Edward Anim-Addo, Internal Medicine, Chief Medical Officer with Tenet Florida Physician Services. He will be addressing global trends in type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and correlates. Dr Anim- Addo is board-certified in internal medicine. His areas of interest include cardiovascular disease, critical care, diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism and rheumatology.
Dr Robert Cywes, is a specialist in neonatal, paediatric surgery and adolescent surgery with Tenet Florida Physician Services. His presentation will tackle the facts versus beliefs as they relate to obesity. Dr Cywes is a board-certified adult and pediatric surgeon and he is on-staff at Palm Beach Children's Hospital and St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Dr Lawrence Friedman, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the University of California, San Diego will discuss using new technology to improve diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the role of electronic medical records and mobile monitoring. He is responsible for the Medical Directorship of the large faculty practice and oversight of ambulatory quality and safety, managed care, ambulatory clinical practices including primary care and specialty services.
Presenting on food security, nutrition and NCD control in the Caribbean, is Dr. Fitzroy Henry, a Professor of Public Health Nutrition at University of Technology, Jamaica. Dr Henry joined the University of Technology, Jamaica in April 2013 as Professor of Public Health Nutrition in the College of Health Sciences and the School of Public Health and Health Technology.
As a Hematologist-Oncologist & Medical Oncologist with Cancer Treatment Centers of Americas, Dr Shayma Kazmi's focus will be on genetics and DNA sequencing applications in cancer treatment. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology and the Medical Society of New Jersey.
Medical Director at The Heart Health Centre, Grand Cayman, Dr Mikhail Kosiborod is also a Staff Cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri and a Professor of Medicine with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri. He will talk about the rising "tsunami" of diabetes and its complications.
Dr. George Peoples is the founder of the Cancer Vaccine Development Program (CVDP); founder and CEO of Cancer Insight, LLC and Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He will speak on the new frontier for cancer treatment: personalised cancer immunotherapy. The CVDP has 15 years of experience in discovering, developing, and clinical testing of cancer vaccines - four of which have been licensed for commercial development.
A Cayman-based speaker rounds off this incredible list of healthcare experts. Shannon Seymour, Director of the Wellness Centre will present on community first response to mental health. Ms Seymour is the founding director of The Wellness Centre Ltd and a registered clinical psychologist.
"The calibre of speakers at this year's conference is profound and we intend to highlight a range of topics that will be beneficial to the medical community and the general public alike", Hon. Osbourne Bodden said. "We continue to offer this conference and knowledge to the community free of charge, so I encourage people to register soon, as space is limited."
Committed sponsors this year include: Tenet Healthcare, Tower, Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Dart, Health City Cayman Islands, CONCACAF, UnitedHealthcare International, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Cleveland Clinic, Baptist Health International, Marsh, Cerner, BritCay, University of California-San Diego, Aitheras Aviation Group, Aon Risk Solutions, Broward Health, The Wellness Centre, Fidelity, Heart Health Centre, Saint Luke's Mid-America Institute, Generali, Cayman Airways and many other exhibitors and not-for-profit organisations.
Visit www.healthcareconference.ky to register or stay up to date on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/CaymanHealthcareConference

PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Lions Club is proud to announce that their raffle on Sunday, November 2nd will be drawn live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115 at 6:30pm sharp. All ticket holders are urged to tune in on that day to view the live broadcast as the winner will be called if that person is available.

This raffle is the first fundraising effort of the Lions Club for the year 2014-2015. The 1st prize is a brand new Ford EcoSport, 2nd prize is a Iphone 5C and 3rd prize is a LG 42" Flat Screen TV. The club's second fundraising effort is the Lion Christmas Bingo Spectacular which will be held on Saturday December 6th at the Festival Village.

According to Sint Maarten Lions Club President Sunil Khatnani, "This raffle was postponed from earlier in the year on Father's Day June 15th. All tickets with that previous date marked on them are valid for the November 2nd drawing".

Tickets can still be bought from any Lions member and also at the Lion's Den, Divico, Van Dorp in Simpson Bay and Madame Estate.
On Saturday various Lions members will be selling raffle tickets at ACE Cole Bay and Cost U Less and the public is urged to get their tickets early as there is a cut off period for ticket sales as all have to be verified.

The proceeds from this raffle and the upcoming Christmas Bingo in December will be put back into the community in the form of worthwhile projects. The St. Maarten Lions Club is a member of Lions Club International which has over 1.3 million members worldwide in over 46,000 local clubs, in over 200 countries.

KPSM will open Tipline --- Reward Offered for Information to Recover Illegal Firearms

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and Prefet Delegue Phillipe Chopin announced at a joint press conference on Thursday that the Stop, Drop, and Go Project has been a great success and that authorities from both sides of the island decided to do this project jointly and they have also decided to extend the project for another two weeks which will end on November 14th, 2014. Minister Richardson said that they have decided to extend the period for residents and persons to drop off their weapons considering that Hurricane Gonzalo may have prevented people from capitalizing on the opportunity to turn in their firearms since many residents sustained damages to their homes. Besides that, Minister Richardson said that the Stop, Drop and Go project has been a great success on the Dutch side of the island because as of Thursday some 50 weapons have been turned in at the office of the Solicitor General on Welfare Road. Solicitor General Taco Stein said they collected more weapons than they ever dreamed about when they launched the project for the first time. Stein said among the weapons surrendered are long rifles, revolvers, pistols, and air guns. He did confirm that most of the weapons were real weapons and not toy guns that looked real. When asked if the weapons were turned in by youngsters, Stein said that all the weapons that were turned in to his office were done by adults, the youngest being in their 30's. Stein further confirmed that only residents of the Dutch side turned in weapons at his office even though the operation is a joint one. He said only on Thursday former Lt. Governor Max Pandt turned in three weapons which of course are legal firearms but the former Lt. Governor felt that he no longer has use for the weapons he handed over to the police.
Authorities from the Dutch side have decided to go one step further in making sure they get more illegal firearms off the streets of St. Maarten. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson who represented Chief of Police Peter de Witte said that the police will open their tip-line as of Friday where persons can call in and give the police information as to where they could find illegal firearms. Henson said that tipline will be opened from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm while on weekends there will be a voicemail in place where information can be recorded. "All persons who use this tipline will give their information anonymously and persons in the community should not have any fear because all information received through the tipline will be treated confidentially."
Public Prosecutor Tineke Kamps said persons who call the tipline and give police valuable information will receive a monetary reward depending on how good their information is. "If the police find automatic weapons or machine guns then the persons who called in with the information will get Naf. 1000.00, if they find smaller weapons then the monetary reward will be less. The rewards start off at Naf.350.00 and go to Naf. 1000.00," Kamps said.
The Public Prosecutor made clear that when the police shows up at someone's house or business place and illegal firearms are found then those persons will be arrested and prosecuted because they obviously did not take advantage of the opportunity given to them to turn in their firearms voluntarily.
As for the French side of the island, Prefet Delegue Phillipe Chopin said this is the second year the French side has been conducting this type of operation. He said in 2013 the Gendarmes collected six firearms and the same amount was collected in 2014 in the Stop, Drop and Go program. Chopin said that persons on the French side can take in their illegal weapons year round they do not have to wait when this operation is on to surrender their illegal weapons. He also said that the firearms collected on the French side were given up by adults. When asked if the French side is considering to do the same kind of campaign like the Dutch side, he said that the French side did their awareness in three languages namely French, English and Creole, besides that he personally spoke to students when he visited the schools. When asked if the French are considering offering monetary rewards for information where they could find illegal weapons, Chopin said the French laws do not allow them to do that.
So far the Dutch side has set a new record because they surpassed the French as well as Curacao who is also carrying out the same campaign.

{saudioplayer}stopdropandgoextension30102014.mp3{/saudioplayer}

Pond Island – Highlights of TelCell's Breakthrough Youth Talent Search will be shown on St. Maarten Cable TV's Channel 120 Saturday, for members of the public who may have missed the chance to see the performers when they strutted their stuff at the Theatre Royale, Maho, Saturday, September 27.
The event was hosted by mobile provider TelCell in collaboration with promotion company Xtratight Entertainment.
Show coordinator, Angel Richardson of TelEm Group, said Saturday's viewing is much anticipated by music fans who could not attend the finals in September and also by the artistes themselves who are thrilled about the prospect of seeing their acts on the small screen.
Breakthrough talent show on Cable TV Saturday...................2

"We want thank AVS News for all the edition work they have done and we want to encourage everyone to tune in to give support to our very talented youth," said Angel.
Showtime is at 8:00 pm. On Cable TV channel 120. Don't miss it.

DAWN BEACH:---  For the second year in a row, Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Hotel has been named "The Leading Hotel in St. Maarten" by the World Travel Awards (WTA) in its 2014 Caribbean & North America 2014 edition. Heralded by The Wall Street Journal as the "Oscar's of the travel industry," the WTA has developed into the most prestigious and comprehensive awards program in travel and tourism, and is known worldwide as the hallmark of industry excellence that recognizes the commitment to excellence that hospitality businesses worldwide have demonstrated in the last 12 months.
General Manager Emil Lee stated: "This latest award, combined with our fourth straight year 'TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,' proves once again that only through hard work, consistency and real commitment to customer service, we can ensure that our guests enjoy lavish accommodations with world class personalized service. This really is a tribute to the hard working and dedicated staff at Princess Heights Hotel."
Lee added, "The management of the hotel, as well as the entire staff, would like to thank its loyal clientele and partners who have been working with us and supporting the property since the beginning. Without them, it would have been impossible to reach the high standards of quality for which we have been recognized and awarded."
This family-operated luxury property is located on a hillside overlooking Dawn Beach, right in the border of the Dutch and French sides of the island. Princess Heights Hotel offers magnificent ocean view studios, one bedroom and two bedroom suites.
"Our luxurious suites are perfect for couples and our large suites and full kitchens make us perfect for families and groups of friends wanting to relax and enjoy in a home away from home environment," said Jorge Diaz-Granados, director of marketing for Princess Heights. "Princess Height is arguably the best value for money around St. Maarten," he added.
In order to celebrate this prestigious award, the hotel is launching a limited time offer. Visit www.princessheights.com/wta, call 1-800-881-1744 or send an email to info@princessheights.com and check the limited time special rates for the rest of 2014 and all 2015.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The first game of the weekend was between Lightning and Thunderz and was an intense game. The defense from both teams were very well played, no team was giving up. The Lightning was down for most of the game and was down 13-17 at the half, they came out strong in the third and ended up leading after the third 24-23. The Thunderz came back in the 4th and took back the lead and never looked back and won 37-28. Lightning had two leading scorers with #7 Shalarry Donker with 7 points, 7 rebounds and #14 Kayla Robinson with 7 points, 7 rebounds. For the Thunderz they were lead by #10 Chantel Hodge with 14 points, 9 rebounds and #9 Tiana Lionel with 12 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Motorworld player of the game went to Chantel Hodge for leading her team to victory.

Game two of the weekend was between Bush Tea Remedy VS Cash For Gold Lava Girls. The Cash For Gold Lava girls came out strong out the gate and lead 19-5 after the first quarter and lead by 19 at the half 31-12. Bush Tea Remedy never recovered and Cash For Gold Lava Girls won the game 46-25. Claudia Fleming lead all scorers will 20 points for Cash For Gold Lava girls and Keri Hyman lead Bush Tea Remedy with 11 points in defeat. Motorworld Player Of The Game went to #10 Claudia Fleming of Cash For Gold Lava Girls with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals for dominating the game on both sides of the floor and leading her team to victory.

Standings after week 2 are Cash For Gold Lava Girls and Thunderz 2-0, Bush Tea Remedy 1-1, Learning Unlimited 0-1 and Lightning 0-2.

Games continue this Saturday at Melford Hazel Sports Complex in Sucker Garden from 6-7:30pm with Thunderz VS Bush Tea Remedy and on Sunday 3pm Learning Unlimited VS Cash For Gold Lava Girls and the last game for the weekend is at 5pm with Lightning taking on Bush Tea Remedy. Come out and bring the family to enjoy the games and support the females.

DSCN1935: Players from Bush Tea Remedy and Cash For Gold Lava Girls looking to rebound the ball during their game this past Sunday.

DSCN1985: Claudia Fleming, Motorworld Player Of The Game who had 20 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals for the game between Bush Tea Remedy and Cash For Gold Lava Girls

Two lives could have been saved if proper procedures were followed.

Airport:-- Several personnel of the Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) are enraged at the loss of the two lives that they said could have been saved if the St. Maarten Civil Aviation had taken proper actions on Monday. The workers who spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity said that they fear speaking out on the record because the management of the PJIAE is very spiteful and they may lose their jobs for telling the truth. The workers said PJIAE and its staff were spared last Monday when the Skyway Short SH360 lost its brakes and almost crashed into SOL fuel farm. "When that incident occurred St. Maarten Civil Aviation had to conduct an indebt investigation and stop the aircraft from flying in and out of St. Maarten until it is properly checked by the FAA and an organization before it is allowed to fly. St. Maarten civil aviation does not have certified personnel working at PJIAE. They do not even have a crash inspector who could have conducted a proper investigation into Monday's accident." The workers said it is indeed a sad time for St. Maarten and the families who lost their love ones. They said that the persons working at St. Maarten Civil Aviation are not qualified; one of them is former police officer. They said those workers were made by political influence and that none of them were properly trained, they do not have the qualifications to hold the positions they hold. "What should have happened is those persons should have been trained by the Dutch or sent to Holland for training in order for qualified persons to be working at an International Airport. Even the fire department at PJIAE have unqualified staff. Some qualified firemen left their jobs at the fire station at PJIAE simply because politicians appointed non qualified persons to positions while others that are fully qualified and have years of experience cannot get a promotion. One worker said that St. Maarten had one of the best fire Chiefs. Mr. Winston Solomon who could have set up a proper fire station at PJIAE will fully qualified staff, but instead of using one of St. Maarten's best to do what is right and safe for the country Solomon was sent home on pension while hundreds of lives are in danger. Management of PJIAE could not be reached on Thursday for a comment on the incident on Monday and the eventual crash of the same aircraft that claimed the lives of two pilots.

Praises Search and Recovery Efforts

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams expressed her condolences to the victims of the fatal Skyway Airways flight which crashed on Wednesday evening. The one confirmed deceased and one missing pilot were the only two souls on board: "I would like to express my sincerest condolences to the victims of the Skyway Airways crash. To the family of the one recovered pilot and to that of the pilot still missing I would like you to know that you are in my prayers and in those of the entire country," stated Prime Minister Wescot-Williams.

The PM also praised the search and recovery efforts of the various entities involved; "I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the brave men and women of all the organizations which were involved in the search and recovery of this tragedy. Please understand that you are counted as the heroes of his country," stated Wescot-Williams.

On Wednesday, October 29th at 6:39 pm a Short SH36 aircraft operated by Skyway Airways departed from Princess Juliana International Airport en route to San Juan. Shortly after take-off, during the initial climb and at 200 feet of altitude, Juliana Tower lost contact with the aircraft.

From the Cabinet of the Prime Minister

ORANJESTAD, Aruba:--- Last week, law firm VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne organized a successful Meet & Greet for conference participants during Green Aruba where Europe Meets the Americas. The conference was focused on sustainable energy, technology, infrastructure and tourism; four topics the firm has ample experience with.

The Meet & Greet was therefore used as a networking opportunity by many companies and organizations. Representatives of energy companies such as Curoil, Refineria di Korsou and Elmar, business service providers such as PwC and Deloitte, financial service providers such as AIB and the Central Bank, and associations such as ATIA attended the gathering. Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jan-Peter Balkenende, also attended.

Over drinks, Tom Peeters, senior associate of the firm, gave a brief presentation about forms of cooperation for sustainable projects: Cooperation in Sustainability, a topic that fit seamlessly with the agenda of the conference and that Tom has studied extensively. As a result, he regularly lectures on this topic. For this occasion, he placed this in an Aruban perspective. On November 4, he will give a more extensive explanation of the structuring of sustainable projects in Bonaire, where VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne organizes a breakfast session that will be fully dedicated to this topic.

VanEps Kunneman VanDoorne Press Release

PHIIPSBURG:--- Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise President Virginia Asin is pleased to welcome new member Damali Bryson to the club. Ms. Bryson's induction ceremony took place during a joint meeting of all Rotarian clubs at Le Mini Club in Marigot. Visiting Rotary 7020 District Governor Paul Brown conducted the ceremony. Ms. Bryson is a critical care nurse at the St. Maarten Medical Center and was introduced to the club by fellow Rotarian Angelique Gumbs.

Ms. Bryson's eagerness to give back to the community through Rotary is one of the reasons Membership Director Okama Ekpe Brook was delighted to advance Ms. Bryson's nomination to Rotary Sunrise's membership. Ms. Bryson plans to participate in Readers Are Leaders and the Peace Committee. Rotary Sunrise was pleased to know that our young professional nature and our current community service activities drew Ms. Bryson's interests.

We are delighted to have guests join us at our weekly breakfast meetings every Tuesday at Carl & Sons Pondfill from 7am. For more information on the club visit us at sxmsunrise.org or email sunriserotary.sxm@hotmail.com, we are also on Facebook: Rotary Club of Saint Martin Sunrise.