Dear Editor,
It has never been my custom to request of you to publish any of my letters to you in the paper, but I feel obliged to request it of this one. On Tuesday morning I left home to get bottled water and at the same time pick up an item for my neighbor at the pharmacy.
I had just collected the water and was on my way to Over the Pond. As I turned off Sucker Garden Road into Arch Road I was obliged to stop because the driver of a small four-seat car had stopped to let three people without masks into his car while asking them where they were going. I heard this because I was obliged to stop owing to the fact that one of those people had opened the door on the street side to get in.
I travel the Sucker Garden area frequently and am familiar with the gypsy movement. I could not recognize the driver because he wore a mask. I was not able to take down the number of the car because in the meantime traffic had gathered behind me and I was not ready to block the traffic.
This is total disregard of the conditions for lifting the lockdown. I do not think that the legal buses which are now limited to a certain amount of passengers should suffer the consequences of those who demonstrate total disregard for the law.
Beside this, if through this kind of behavior, there is an increase in COVID-19 cases the innocent will again be paying for the guilty. Being on the road is not necessarily a cause for contracting the virus, but sitting with four people, three without masks, in a small car surely is.
By now the police should know that these are the types of cars commonly used by the gypsies. Short distances and quick maneuver.
Even if these people are here legally they are not working legally because “gypsy transportation” is not legal. And it should not be legalized either because this would be encouraging more people to be gypsying. The rules of the Transportation ordinance are already being trampled on with the blessings of every Minister who was in charge for the last nine going on ten years and even before that, so who really cares.
Are we really surprised that a J’Ouvert morning was illegally organized during curfew? What are we actually doing to maintain law and order in this country?
Sorry I got carried away. I’m drifting from the subject matter.
Being on the road already I decided to get some seeds for planting. When I reached where I bought the seeds and taking social-distance into consideration, I made sure and parked my car straight and between the lines.
On leaving that place of business I saw and heard four grown men, one with a mask and the other three without masks, high-fiving each other, while greeting each other. “Since this Corona thing we ain’ see each other,” etc. As I passed by I gave them a not so nice look and proceeded to my car. I noticed that someone had parked a pickup so close that it was difficult to open the driver’s door of my car and was maneuvering myself into the car.
While I was busy a man, whom I recognized to be one of the men without mask high-fiving each other just before, came to the pickup and was going to open the door of the pickup and in so doing getting close to me. So, I asked him to keep his distance. He looked at me surprised and I continued to tell him because he did not have on a mask and that he should adhere to the social distance rule.
While moving back he said to me, “You know how it is.” As I got into my car I answered him, “Yes I know how it is,” took off my mask and drove away. I avoided further conversation and getting to close to that person because winning the argument could never compensate for contracting the virus. I would be running the risk of getting to close to him.
I believe in “Know better, do better”. I left home 9:00am and was back home at 11:15am. Within that short span I encountered two what I consider blatant cases of disregard for the safety of others.
Yes, I know how it is.
Russell A. Simmons
Introduction.
Wars were once fought by men with weapons – but only Jehovah can fight and win this war.
I never thought
I never thought
The whole world could be brought to this sudden halt.
I never thought …
I never thought …
I can’t fathom it…
I can’t fathom it!
Is there a Supreme Being that brought us to this sudden halt?
Oh,
It is an “hard-lee, an “hard-lee”
An “hard-lee” for us to assess and turn away from the impending disaster.
Ah, this screeching halt
This daily corontine, seizes my liberty
No one understands it.
But,
- At last the line is horizontal
- Everyone one now is equal
- No special privileges accorded
- All must condone to the rules
- No exemptions
- Patrician and plebiscite must walk the same road
- Rich and poor must walk the same road
- That’s the power of CORONA 19!
Let me remind you,
“I am Jehovah
“I, only, have this power!
“Challenge it
“Buy it
“Never, never, never
“Because,
“I am the Lord
“I am the Supreme God
“Honour Me …
“Praise Me …
“Worship Me …
“I am the Alpha and Omega.”
Lena A. Gumbs
Anguilla
~ An “hard-lee” is an Anguillian cultural expression used in our National Sport-“Boat-Racing”, to prevent collision. Immediately before the boats collide, “hard-lee” is cried out. ~
By Michael ‘Mike’ Willem
It’s frightening times, especially for small business owners. To pour one’s resources, time and passion into a business only to see it devastated within a few months is difficult. In an effort to address the economic fallout of covid-19, the government quickly provided funding. Unfortunately, there is no way of ensuring that the most vulnerable sector, small businesses, can count on all they need in terms of assistance (of all natures) to remain afloat. This must be recognized, and there one must look for other ways to mitigate the consequences, how painful these might also be. And the reason is very simple: we need all possible businesses to stay afloat, so that the unemployed have some jobs to return to over time.
Until that time, there are several things small business owners may do to weather the COVID-19 storm:
- Make certain you utilize available resources: Familiarize yourself with the government programs that have been announced, if you have not done so yet. Ask questions of your local lender, CPAs, economic developers and fellow business owners. Make certain your applications and supporting documents are precise and complete.
- Determine who needs to be paid: Have a conversation with suppliers, providers and landlords. Ask for a payment plan which is fair to you and the people to whom money is owed. Consider your personal expenses. Can you reduce them and use the savings for your business? Ask your accountant to review your balance sheets and to make recommendations for more efficiencies.
- Talk to your staff: Ask for ideas and input. We’re in this together. Brainstorming may lead to credible ideas which can be implemented into successful strategies. Encourage everyone to search for innovative and effective methods to curb losses.
- Diversify your market: Do you sell a product that may be utilized for another application? Research! Ask! Just some examples: If you have a restaurant and are known for great seasonings and sauces, why not package them and sell them on-line ? If you own a house-cleaning business, diversify to offer sanitizing and disinfecting services. Many gyms and fitness clubs are providing virtual instruction, in addition to the traditional business that may have been curtailed as a result of social distancing protocols.
- Use this time to train: Every business owner wishes he or she had more time to train employees, learn a new system or upgrade skills, especially in light of your new business model. Use this time as an opportunity to begin that training. Find links to webinars, virtual learning and online playbooks. Ask your employees if they have an interest in furthering their knowledge
- Find new ways to deliver your product or service: Most restaurants are offering curbside delivery but what about retailers? Whether you are a small gift shop, florist or larger store, develop an online app that asks: “Do you need a gift? For what occasion? What is your price range? Do you need it wrapped?” Provide a list of items which are readily available for sale, offer a method for making a purchase and provide curbside pickup. Several stores are offering a virtual tour or a FaceTime browsing option, allowing customers to view items easily. This approach may become a permanent part of a business’ operating model. Be inventive!
- Reach out to your customers: Let your customers know you value them and are anxious for them to return. Send a handwritten note. Include a coupon for a buy-one-get-one offer when you reopen, or a discount on an item or service. Send an email or post a message on your Facebook page. If you don’t have a social media page, get one! Ask your customers to give you some thoughts or ideas on how you can stay engaged and what services you might be able to provide.
This pandemic will end. Use this time to assess your business model, become more efficient, engage your employees, negotiate with your vendors, and enhance and customize some of your services. And try not to panic. We will persevere and may even find better ways in which to operate our businesses.
~ Michael “Mike” Willem is a former Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, acting Minister of Justice, former Member of Parliament and former Island Council Member. He currently works as a consultant. ~
Dear Editor,
Despite my personal position regarding the current monetary union with Curaçao (I favor dissolving it and officially “dollarizing” the St. Maarten economy; in other words ... after 10 years stop wasting more time and energy trying to feed a dead horse), I must commend the management of the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS). In a clearly worded, professional and instructive five-page letter, they responded to the April 21, 2020, letter from the President of Parliament (PoP) of St. Maarten.
In it, the CBCS addressed the six urgent action points listed in the PoP’s letter. The bank’s management clarified inaccuracies and provided proper context to suggestions/demands made by the parliamentarian.
I don’t have any way of knowing if the CBCS expected their letter to become publicly available, but their well-crafted document is written in a way that it can be understood by the man or woman on the street (including me). The content was carefully explained, the language direct and the tone professional.
Monetary economics and central bank policy are complex topics for which I often turn to friends and associates who are smarter and certainly better qualified than me, for explanations and/or clarifications. This particular response/letter, however, provides facts and figures that leave no doubt that the CBCS wants their message to be broadly understood.
Without using technical or complicated jargon, the CBCS management explain what they can and cannot do. They named the applicable rules and regulations and provided references for those so inclined to fact-check (it certainly shows that they did their fact-checking).
The bank’s message is loud and clear so there can be no question about the truth and the source of their statements; whether it is the PoP’s suggestion that the CBCS tells local banks how to conduct their business (by, for instance, telling the CBCS to insist that commercial banks fully and unconditionally postpone mortgages), or explaining the mechanism for protecting the value of our local currency (rather than a haphazard issuance of bonds as suggested by the member of Parliament).
The CBCS management also lists the expertise they have provided to government and parliament over the years.
So, to sum up what I take away from the now public response: The CBCS uses five pages to explain and educate the President of our Parliament about his 6 urgent action points; but according to me there is a deeper message sent here, which in local parlance could be summed up as follows: Mr. President, wheel and come again!
Michael J. Ferrier
Dear Editor,
Calling all designers.
As an outsider, resident who spends approximately 8 months a year here; looking at artist’s conception of new resort in The Daily Herald, I have a comment for people’s thoughts.
With all possible designing skills available, shouldn’t something more appropriate for a beautiful Caribbean Island be designed, instead of something that looks like it belongs on a Los Vegas Strip in US, or on a Hong Kong main artery.
How about Caribbean style, which could be done, without losing bed count.
It certainly would be more attractive to the tourist population.
L. Ruth M.
