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Winair's CEO updates StMaartenNews.com on company

Philipsburg -- With the recent publications in the online media about Winair regarding problems with PAWA and CN Express and a new wetlease agreement with Haiti-based Sunrise Airways, StMaartenNews.com contacted CEO Michael Cleaver for an interview.

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Dear Reader

Vromi-Minister Christophe Emmanuel is at war with the media, and with the Daily Herald in particular. I think it is time to stand up for our colleagues at Bush Road and take a closer look at the situation. The minister is making a lot of noise but I am convinced that this is an attempt to create a smokescreen.

Blaming the messenger is a very old game. Every journalist comes sooner or later in a situation where a source will deny a controversial quote attributed to him. A professional journalist has one solid weapon: his integrity. You do not build a career on misquoting people.

Emmanuel grumbles that “this is what you get when there is only one newspaper” – thereby happily ignoring the existence of StmaartenNews.com. We may not print, but we are a serious news outlet bent on keeping politicians honest.

Let’s take a look first at the Emil Lee-saga, whereby the Herald reported that Minister Emmanuel had filed a criminal complaint against him. The quote, verbatim, comes from a Fernando Clark radio broadcast.

Did the Herald quote Emmanuel correctly? We don’t doubt it for a second, because you simply don’t make this stuff up. But Emmanuel has found an escape hatch. He suggested on Wednesday that there is no recording of the program. It’s like the minister wanted to say: you see? There is no proof – and I deny it.

The question is therefore who you want to believe: the journalist or the politician. I go for the first option, if only because politicians have more reasons to lie than journalists do. That does not mean I believe every word the Daily Herald writes. That has nothing to do with doubts about my colleagues’ professionalism; it has to do with my innate critical attitude.

Then there is the question of that barge from the Bahamas that was unceremoniously kicked out of the country over what the Herald correctly described in an editorial on December 22nd of last year as “technicalities and formalities”.

Minister Emmanuel made an attempt to discredit the editorial on Wednesday. He quoted from a letter from the Bahamian authorities that the barge in question had no certificates to operate outside of Bahamian waters.

You see? The minister seemed to imply. I was right. Nothing to do with me, I did the right thing. I followed the law.

In fact, Emmanuel’s statement and accompanying tirade against journalism did exactly the opposite. It proved that the Herald was right when it referred to technicalities and formalities.

After all, what was the situation? St. Maarten had been hit by a hurricane. Boats went down in droves in the Simpson Bay Lagoon. Any help to get them out of the water should have been welcome.

I figure that a barge that is capable to sail from the Bahamas to St. Maarten, a barge that has the right equipment to do a desperately needed job, is also capable of lifting boats out of the water; with or without a certificate.

Nood breekt wet, is a good Dutch expression that Minister Emmanuel should have thought about. Who cares about certificates in a situation whereby tons of fuel are leaking into the Simpson Bay Lagoon? Who cares that formally that Bahamian barge was not supposed to be here?

Well, apparently the minister and his friends, who saw that there is a lot of money to be made from salvaging activities, cared. And so they threw formalities at that barge and made it go away.

Well, bravo, that was really a big help for our marine environment.

When politicians start raging Trump-style against the media, it is time to pay attention; even better, it’s time to take a stand.

I am not fooled by political rhetoric. I also do not always agree with what my colleagues write, but in both cases described in this opinion the Herald was right on the money.

Hilbert Haar
StMaartenNews.com

PS: Please email your press releases, public announcements and bulletin board notices to info@stmaartennews.com. We urge to always include a photo as often as possible.
StMaartenNews.com Headline News
Census Office gets toll-free phone number

PHILIPBURG - Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs Rafael Boasman shed some light on the troubles citizens experience with the census Office at Wednesday's Council of Ministers press briefing. "There was no malice or lack of attention...

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stmaartennews.com
MP Wescot-Williams on Civil Registry issues

Philipsburg - The Office of the Civil Registry of St. Maarten is the subject of much criticism, due to its new policy of providing services via appointment only. The phone and email service that is supposed to facilitate the "by-appointment-only" ...

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stmaartennews.com
Communications Chaos at the Census Office

Dear Editor, "Please hold the line while we try to connect you, the person you are calling, knows you are waiting", except that in this case, the person probably doesn't care or is it that the calls are not being picked up because only one person ...

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stmaartennews.com
StMaartenNews.com Election News
The February 26th Election Decree; a Flagrant Disregard...

Philipsburg - The first national decree promulgating the dissolution of parliament was dated November 3, 2017, LB-17/0575) with the first convening of the new parliament on January 31, 2018. By decree of November 12th, one day before nomination...

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stmaartennews.com
Brison releases platform plans to be rolled out in weeks

Philipsburg - Rolando Brison, on Wednesday shared his plans and insight into his campaign slogan "Making Tourism Work For You" that primarily focused on St. Maarten's tourism product and how it can and should benefit every citizen directly,...

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stmaartennews.com
SMCP and PPA leaders on Endorsement Day

Pond Island - On Monday, January 8th, Endorsement Day, four parties were required to garner 142 signatures in order to have their political party registered for the upcoming February 26th elections. The final count indicated that the SDM obtained ...

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stmaartennews.com
UD & SDM leaders on Endorsement Day

Pond Island - On Monday, January 8th, Endorsement Day, four parties were required to garner 142 signatures in order to have their political party registered for the upcoming February 26th elections. The final count indicated that the SDM obtained ...

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stmaartennews.com
2017 Register of Donations of Parties should be submitted

PHILIPSBURG - The Electoral Council would like to remind all registered political parties that in accordance with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties, they are required to submit to the Electoral Council a...

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www.soualiganewsday.com
StMaartenNews.com Police News
Up to ten years for young armed robbers

PHILIPSBURG - The Court in First Instance sentenced four youngsters to prison sentences varying from 24 months to 10 years for their role in armed robberies and a home invasion whereby a resident was ill-treated and tied up. A fifth defendant got ...

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stmaartennews.com
Police searching for armed robber

Philipsburg - Police is still on the lookout for the suspect that robbed Union Caribe on December 8th 2017. Anyone with information that can lead to arrest of the culprit is asked to contact the detective department immediately. In the meantime...

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stmaartennews.com
Police Force bid farewell to Dutch colleagues

Police host farewell ceremony for Dutch colleagues The Sint Maarten police force held a farewell ceremony for the first team Dutch colleagues on Thursday morning at the Philipsburg police station....

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StMaartenNews.com Legal Review
CHALLENGES in our PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM

There are significant differences between countries in the way in which the Legislative and the Executive Branches are elected and structured. There are three main groups of democratic systems. A Presidential system A Semi-Presidential system A...

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stmaartennews.com
StMaartenNews.com Cruise News
Silversea Cruises returns to the destination on Thursday

PORT ST. MAARTEN - Silversea Cruises, another boutique cruise luxury cruise line, returns to the destination with Silver Wind on Thursday, January 11during the evening hours and staying until January 12. Port St. Maarten Management welcomes the...

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www.soualiganewsday.com
StMaartenNews.com Poll

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StMaartenNews.com Dutch Caribbean News
Update on IPKO in Aruba

Oranjestad - News coming out of Aruba about the Interparliamentary Kingdom Council (IPKO) being held from 9 to 11 January 2018 in Aruba between the parliaments of the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba indicates that the meetings that...

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stmaartennews.com
Saba and Statia representatives not present at Vakantiebeurs

THE BOTTOM - St. Eustatius and Saba have their own joint stand at the Vakantiebeurs in The Netherlands this year. But both islands' representatives are not present due to the local island governments' limited finances. This year, TVC Marketing...

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caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl
Rebuilding projects are important to Chambers presidents

THE BOTTOM - Presidents of the First and Second Chamber, Ankie Broekers-Knol and Khadija Arib visited St. Eustatius on Sunday and Saba on Monday and Tuesday to witness the devastation caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as the status of...

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caribbeannetwork.ntr.nl
Four lifeless bodies washed ashore in Curaçao

WILLEMSTAD - Four lifeless bodies were found today on the north coast of the island today. These were two men and two women. The police indicated that they could be Venezuelan refugees. If they are indeed Venezuelans, it would be the first time - ...

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curacaochronicle.com
Consequences of closed borders visible

WILLEMSTAD - The consequences of the closure of Venezuela's borders are starting to slowly become visible. Stores that depend on Venezuelan vegetables and fruit have empty shelves and more and more boats of the floating market in Punda are...

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curacaochronicle.com
StMaartenNews.com Organizations News
Consumer Coalition met with SMMC about tariffs increase

Cay Hill - The Sint Maarten Consumer Coalition was invited by management of the Sint Maarten Medical Center to give background and explanations for the tariff increase announced by SMMC as per January 1st. The Consumer Coalition in their press...

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stmaartennews.com
Tzu Chi entertains, treats seniors on Jan. 1

Cul-de-Sac - The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation continued its long-standing New Year's Day tradition on January 1, when a number of cheerful volunteers visited the St. Martin's Home in St. John's Estate to treat and entertain seniors on the first ...

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stmaartennews.com
StMaartenNews.com Public Service News
National Day of Prayer on Sunday

PHILIPSBURG - The National Day of Prayer will take place this Sunday at 4 p.m. in front of the new government building on Pond Island, Minister Silveria Jacobs (Educations, Culture, Youth and Sport) announced on Wednesday. The annual event is a...

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stmaartennews.com
CPS calls on community to be observant for chicken pox

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) - The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a public health agency of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, has observed based on its communicable diseases surveillance system during the...

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stmaartennews.com
StMaartenNews.com Online News Stories
2018 St. Maarten Regatta Beach Clean-Up to Take Place

SIMPSON BAY - With the kick off of the New Year, organizers of the St. Maarten Regatta are getting ready for the 6th Annual Beach Clean-Up. The Beach Clean-Up will take place on Saturday January 27th from 9 AM till 12 PM at Kim Sha Beach.

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www.soualiganewsday.com
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Let's Cruise - Eastern, Western, Southern Caribbean...

Lets-Cruise.co is offering cruise vacations on the best and biggest cruise ships in the world with brand name cruises and destinations in the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and the Mediterranean, ...

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TOPPER'S RHUM DISTILLERY NOMINATED BY USA TODAY...

PHILIPSBURG - Topper's Rhum Distillery has been nominated for Best Caribbean Rum Distillery in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice travel award contest. It is a great honor to be a contender in this prestigious competition amongst some of the most ...

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www.soualiganewsday.com
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What it's like to live in a well-governed country

What makes a country well-run? Whether minimising corruption or spearheading educational and medical initiatives, governments around the world use different policies to facilitate a high-functioning society. To quantify the effectiveness of these ...

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SXM Daily News - 10 Jan 2018
SXM Daily News January 10, 2018

SXM Daily News January 10, 2018

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With the high season upon us and more and more airlines are resuming flights to and from St. Maarten, we are also open to take your flight bookings to and from St. Maarten as well.
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