DATE ISSUED: Friday, June 23, 2017 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Saturday midday (12:00 LST) June 24, 2017

WEATHER: 

This Afternoon through Saturday midday: Partly cloudy and breezy, becoming cloudy at times with isolated passing showers.

Forecast High: 30°C / 86°F             Forecast Low: 27°C / 81°F

Sunset Today: 6:51 P.M.                 Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:38 A.M.

SURFACE WINDS: 

This Afternoon through Saturday midday: East to southeast with a gentle to moderate breeze of 09 to 18 mph and higher gusts.

SYNOPSIS: 
The dominant Atlantic high pressure ridge is bringing a relatively dry and stable air mass across the region. As a result, significant precipitation will be restricted. Nevertheless, patches of low level moisture embedded in the wind flow will cause generally brief local showers.
Slight to moderate seas will prevail for the next several days.

STATE OF THE SEA: Slight to Moderate         WAVES/SWELLS: 3 to 5 feet

SPECIAL FEATURE: None.

 
OUTLOOK through Sunday midday: Partly cloudy and breezy, becoming occasionally cloudy with isolated local showers.

FORECASTER: Pierre

ST. EUSTATIUS--This week, a two-day workshop to introduce the Kidpreneur programme on St. Eustatius took place at Golden Era hotel on Lower Town. The workshops were facilitated by Portia Harrigan and Shanique Thompkins from e-Camps BVI.

Today’s story about five youngsters ages 17 to 20 years standing trial on robbery charges is symptomatic of the current situation in St. Maarten. Youth delinquency with all its consequences has become one of the island’s most pressing problems.

Many reasons are often given, such as poor parenting, an inadequate education system, lack of recreational possibilities, few job opportunities and no real prospects for the future, but also gangster rap and violent video-games. Still, the highly aggressive manner in which these robberies were allegedly committed makes one wonder how things could have come to this in a relatively peaceful community.

And it’s not incidental either. Members of the group in question are said to be responsible for a string of armed robberies and other serious offences, while there have been several similar cases in the recent past.

More undoubtedly needs to be done about the circumstances mentioned that contribute to so many youths ending up on the wrong path. Prevention in this sense is very important, but those involved must also be punished severely regardless of their age, to teach them a hard lesson that such antisocial behaviour doesn’t pay and, in the process, send a loud and clear message to others who might want to follow in their footsteps.

It’s probably tough for families, relatives and friends of the suspects to read the latter. However, the general interest must ultimately prevail and certainly a tourist destination with a one-pillar economy can ill afford to allow the kind of lawlessness in the streets that undermines the feeling of public safety on which the hospitality industry largely depends.

In other words: Do the crime, do the time.

Questions posed by opposition Member of Parliament Tamara Leonard (UP) regarding alleged “hefty contracts” at GEBE (see related story) deserve answers. Judging an amount for cleaning around the local utilities provider’s meter boxes and houses is tricky, but the US $900,000 per year mentioned does seem like a lot of money.

The claim that former Minister Maurice Lake or his firm is being paid some US $12,000 per month as advisor to the board of the Government-owned company also begs for clarification. While quality isn’t cheap, one can’t help but wonder if in this case such a relatively high fee was really necessary.

More explanation on this matter can hopefully be given during Friday’s continuation of the Parliament meeting on the state of affairs at GEBE. Of course, the water and electricity company is to be operated without political interference, but the country and its people are ultimately the sole shareholders to whom both management and the Supervisory Board must be accountable.

Speaking of which, there were various power cuts and surges on Wednesday, with especially the latter sparking concern among consumers. Persons who called GEBE were first asked to hold, after which someone closed the line without saying a word.

It’s understandable that when these problems occur technicians get very busy. However, it regards a so-called alarm number for emergencies that could include dangerous situations such as, for example, downed live power cables.

Whatever happens, they should at least be able to answer the phone.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad--With the number of people living with dementia projected to reach 74.7 million in another thirteen years and 131.5 million in 2050, a group of Caribbean healthcare professionals has come together to form an association to tackle the problem here in the region.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua--A public quarrel has erupted between some of the region’s politicians over how the Venezuelan crisis should be handled.

HAVANA--Minnesota's government and businesses will continue to engage with Cuba in the areas they can, like agricultural trade, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's partial rollback of the detente, Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith said on Thursday.

SAN FRANCISCO--Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg revised the world's largest online social network's mission statement on Thursday to emphasize support for hobby clubs, civil society organizations and other community groups.

LONDON--Prince Harry said no one in Britain's royal family wants to be king or queen and criticised a decision to force him to parade behind his mother Princess Diana's coffin after her death in 1997, according to an interview with a U.S. magazine.

LONDON--Dressed in a long black gown and holding a wand, George Massingham is keen for everyone to know he is a Harry Potter super fan.
  If he isn't doing Professor Severus Snape, the mysterious potions master at Hogwarts School, the 27-year-old likes to dress in some other costume relating to J.K. Rowling’s fantastical world of witches and wizards.

WASHINGTON--The Supreme Court handed a setback to the Trump administration on Thursday by making it harder for the government to strip immigrants of U.S. citizenship in a case involving an ethnic Serb woman who lied about her husband's military service after Yugoslavia's collapse.

WASHINGTON--U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled legislation that would replace Obamacare with a plan that scales back aid to the poor and kills a tax on the wealthy, but the bill's fate was quickly thrown into question as several senators voiced skepticism.

JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN--South Africa's top court ruled on Thursday that secret ballots may be held for motions of no confidence in parliament, a potential blow to the tenure of beleaguered President Jacob Zuma who said such a vote would be unfair.

BRASILIA--Brazil's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday it has the right to reject plea bargains made in corruption probes, potentially undercutting investigations that have threatened President Michel Temer's government, prosecutors said.

WILLEMSTAD--Curaçao's national soccer team made it to the final of the Caribbean Cup, as the team managed to win 2-1 against host Martinique on Thursday night.

MARIGOT—Local boat Yellow Whip took the early lead in the 20th St. Martin Billfish Tournament on Thursday after weighing in a 451lb Blue Marlin and recording one release. Theirs was the only Marlin to make it to the weigh station.
  Former tournament winner Yellow Whip will have scored 751 points in the provisional results taking into account 300 points for a release. Other boats that had releases included one for Indigo, two for Ruckus, one for Rum & Coke, and two for Habalo although it wasn’t clear by press time if they had a Blue or a White release.
  “I would say the fishing was slow and the weather was rough,” Stephan Petit who was the angler on board Yellow Whip reported. “But we managed to find one. The bite turned on around 9:00am. A few boats released fish and then we got one after everyone else. Then around 3:15 pm we hooked onto this one. It was very lively and took about two hours to get into the boat.”
  24 boats are contesting the tournament this year.
  One boat, Pinche Slow Pay, from St. Kitts with a crew from Texas hooked up two Marlin at the same time which resulted in them breaking two lines when they had a minute of fishing time left.
  “That was disappointing but we still have another two days of fishing to go,” said Captain Leandro Quirosz. “We actually live in St. Kitts as our wives go to medical school there. We bought this 35ft Contender at the Miami Boat Show last year. It took 10 days to drive it all the way here, over 1,507 miles, via Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, and then crossing the Mona Passage.”
   Bottle Neck Blowing Stars and the Johnny Guy Band provided the musical entertainment in the Billfish Village. Tonight Friday will see the Jolly Boys performing, King Timo, Albert Connor, Mr. Ruffy and the Band Pure, featuring King James and Miss Sassy. The Pedrin Pacheco band takes to the stage at 9:00pm.
  Don’t miss the Caribbean Flavours food festival this evening and Saturday. Each day some eight stands will be featuring the delicious local cuisine of St. Martin’s finest cooks.
  Fishing continues today with boats returning to the Marina Fort Louis dock at around 5:30pm.

Dear Editor,

Built on pseudoscience, alarmism, and propaganda, “Climate Change” is a global scam, a monstrous flawed edifice that is bound to come crashing down sooner or later; the sooner the better. Meanwhile, it is also a stealthy, powerful new narrative, a global new faith with its alarmist high priests; its special interest groups (government and private), its fat cat lobbyists, a Jesuit Pope in Rome and on papal visits worldwide, Anglican, Episcopal, Protestant Archbishops and Bishops “for Climate Justice” all over the globe, and most of the member states of the United Nations.

Like most religions, “Climate Change” does not tolerate dissention: its leaders politicize normal scientific debate, and label skeptics as “Climate Deniers” no matter how well-qualified they are. These climate alarmists are crusaders who view themselves as morally superior to everyone else. They accuse the industrial world of “polluting” the climate, and they demand reparation (redress) for developing countries, which accounts for the “justice” in their “Climate Justice.”

Their gospel, roughly put, is that the earth is warming perilously due to human activity. We must, therefore, limit this deadly, global menace. Never mind that “human-caused global warming” is a hypothesis, not a fact, and a weak one at that, given the mind-boggling scope of the premise, and the astonishing complexity of the data involved in the verification/validation of this hypothesis. Their devil is Carbon dioxide (CO2). But CO2 is essential to life on earth, and, according to a number of eminent scientists, CO2 levels do not present any danger to our existence. Google “CO2 Coalition” and read about this colorless, odorless gas that looks and smells like Satan!

Years ago, when “Global Cooling” was debunked, there was a recess in climate scaremongering. If you research “Global Cooling,” do not trust Wikipedia, for alarmists have altered most articles of the period to fit their narrative. Start with Andy May’s “Global Cooling and Wikipedia Fake News,” Dec. 25, 2016. And, by all means, visit “Myths/Facts” at “Friends of Science”. You will begin to grasp the extent of the disinformation, along with the true nature of these climate zealots who have, nevertheless, managed to enlist so many powerful acolytes in their global scam.

Indeed, their alarmism is aided and abetted by the first Jesuit Pope in history, a man who, like all Jesuits, took a special vow (an oath) not to seek higher office in the Roman Catholic Church. But throughout their history, some Jesuits have been renegades, rebels and formidable advocates. Arturo Sosa who praised Fidel Castro, and welcomed him to Venezuela is now the “Superior General” of the Jesuits. At the Vatican, he may be trying to do for the world what Castro and Chavez did for Cuba and Venezuela. Regrettably, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now “Pope Francis” after St. Francis of Assisi) and other important religious leaders, worldwide, are rallying large numbers of devotees, adherents to the new faith.

“Environmentalism is the new Marxism,” so states Drieu Godefridi. He is dead on. As for “Climate Change,” it is all about securing massive global government funding for special interest groups while promoting global climate governance through the United Nations: another deadly utopian adventure, like communism. Hopefully, sunlight and science will prevail, and the crooked edifice will implode.

Gérard M. Hunt

Dear Queenie,

I’m married with a young son, but I feel more like a single mother with 2 children.

My husband got his Bachelor’s degree from a good university, but he has never had a decent job and hasn’t worked at all for the last few years. He doesn’t help around the house or look after our son when school is out and I am still at work, but he is always asking me for money to spend on drinks and lottery tickets which he never wins or to give to his parents who actually make more money than I do.

I would get a divorce, but I worry what would happen to him with no place to live.

Queenie, what is your advice?—Fed-up wife

Dear Wife,

Get the divorce! Your husband is setting a terrible example for your son and you do not want the boy to grow up thinking this is how men are supposed to act.

Hubby can always go to live with his parents if they will have him. If they will not he might just be forced to grow up and act like an adult, in which case you could consider getting back together with him if you are so inclined.