Dear Editor,

On April 3, the judge ruled in the case which former interim island secretary Koert Kerkhoff had initiated against the St. Eustatius Island government. The judge ruled in favour of the government. Kerkhoff had requested the court to instruct government not to obstruct him from continuing his job as island secretary.

First of all, it is kind of remarkable that only last week through Facebook this verdict became known to the public. It gives the impression that the former coalition parties have attempted to keep this information, which also can be considered a loss for them, away from the public.

Although I agree with the verdict, in my opinion the judge did not even take all aspects of this case into consideration. What he overlooked is the fact that there was no extension of Kerkhoff’s original contract that ended August 1, 2017. At the time he was appointed, under the so-called plan of approach, as interim-island secretary for one year. He was never appointed as island secretary. Therefore, he could never even claim that his perceived appointment of August 1st was an extension of his previous position. He also claims that the competent authority continued paying him his salary after August 1st.

The question can be asked, who is this competent authority? This is normally the executive council. Since the signature of the island governor was not there, this, however, cannot have been the case. And this is where this, and other misconceptions about competent authority, stems from. The former commissioners handled as if they were ministers in an autonomous country and as such unilaterally could give instructions, sign contracts and spend government monies.

To take this a step further, it means that when someone does not have the authority of spending or instructing to spend government funds, this individual should be held liable for this.

The judge rightfully concluded that there was never an appointment for Kerkhoff as island secretary after his interim contract had expired, since the approval of the Kingdom Representative was lacking. According to the law, a decision to that extent can only take effect after the Kingdom Representative’s approval.

There is also something very interesting missing in Kerkhoff’s arguments. He is seen as one of the main advisors of the former coalition government and a mastermind behind the created perception that, based on UN resolutions regarding the right of self-determination, Statia’s government could set national laws aside, since they are overruled by international law. The authority of the Kingdom Representative was therefore no longer recognized by the former coalition.

One may wonder why he did not bring up this argument in his case to claim back his position. The answer is rather simple. He fully well knew that this was utter nonsense that was used to fool the people of Statia. But it appeared convincing enough for the former coalition partners who blindly followed his nonsensical ideas, and those of their other advisors.

And we all know what this has brought for us. On February 7, the Island Council, Executive Council and Governor have been set aside until Statia has proven to be able to run the island ourselves again and respect the laws of the land.

Mr. Kerkhoff, thanks but no thanks!

Koos Sneek

Democratic Party St. Eustatius

Dear Editor,

With the death of the late Joe Richardson, it is unfortunate, to say the least, that not many people in my generation knew how great a man he was. I had plans to meet him when I came home this summer vacation. Despite missing the opportunity to sit and learn from one of our local giants, his passing further invigorated the drive I had to record and document the life, experiences, and stories as told by the folks who shaped this island.

As a young man who is deeply interested in the history and politics of his nation, I think it is time we add a name to the new government administration building. It may not seem like an important or urgent matter, but as we ease into the rebuilding phase, it comes with the significance of being symbolic.

If there is one thing I regret when I was younger, it is the fact that I never thought to sit down and speak with the late Vance James Jr. He was a common face at St. Maarten Academy and I can remember casually passing him by due to the lack of knowledge of his contribution to our society. However, thanks to teachers like Kenneth Cook, who tried to document and educate us about our local heroes, I found out about him, though a little too late.

With, it is fair that the building is named after him. For one, Vance (as he was affectionately called) dedicated his life via politics, media, church and business to the community. The administration building as we know serves as the nervous system of the country where the executive branch deals with our day-to-day affairs. Vance had a deep passion for this island and wanted the best for his people. Though there are policies or ideas of his one may not agree on, all which he spoke of came from a sincere concern and appreciation for St. Maarten’s advancement.

In an era when few people were courageous enough or thought of standing up against the reigning Democratic Party, Vance James along with Leo Friday Sr., Richard Gibson and Vincent Doncher made it happen. During 2018 an old interview from Profiles of the Winward Islands surfaced on social media with Vance eloquently conveying his message and mission for the elections that were taking place at the time. It was very refreshing to listen to, given that throughout the 2018 election a gross smear campaign was the order of the day across several parties.

Vance had a fire like no other and he served us honourably. He deserves to be commemorated as such, for if he had not stood up, speak out and speak for those who were being vindicated or unrepresented, St. Maarten would have been very different today. By taking such a step of naming the building after him, my hope is that it leads to a wider search and movement to documenting our history and preserving our cultural heritage at all cost.

Let us consider a national museum and library to house our national treasures. Let us make use of the minds at our university for research and project management. There is a whole lot that can be done if we simply take the step. I hope my generation seeks to inspire lives across our island and leave a legacy for the future to follow like Vance did. I hope we gain the fortitude to do and say what is right despite opposition or criticism. Nonetheless, if we do not pay respect to those who came before us, we cannot expect the future to do the same for us.

PS: there are still many seniors who are among us today and deserve to be commemorated for their contribution to our island. Do not forget them; lest you forget yourself.  

Ralph Cantave

Dear Editor,

Well, I guess it’s not hard to guess what kind of neighbours Sunwing by way of Windward Roads are going to be. Its 7:00am on a Sunday morning, and my house is shaking because the demolition of the old Great Bay Hotel is going on unabated. As much as I hate to do it because of the waste and aggravation, I suppose it's time to get the lawyers involved and try to make some order out of the chaos. Find out just what the permits for the demolition allow; what the building plans look like; and how high they intend to build, so we can get the objections and injunctions in early before it's too late.

It's a difficult question. They have spent their money and have the right to build what they want within the local ordinances if any exist or are enforced. That's their right. But what of the rights of the neighbours to enjoy a reasonable and peaceful existence? Where is the fundamental; respect that a corporation that supposedly enjoys a good reputation is supposed to have for the local community? And foremost, what of the rights of the people that live here?

Long gone, it would seem.

Steven Johnson

We Are Disregarding Our Environment at Our Own Peril

It is four in the morning and we have just crossed the Anegada Passage on a forty foot sailing boat. I’ve just spent three days racing in the BVI Spring Regatta and we are delivering the boat back to Sint Maarten. It was an excellent few days, with sailors supporting the British Virgin Islands in their first regatta since the disastrous 2017 Hurricane Season, just as they did in Sint Maarten a few weeks earlier for the Heineken Regatta.

It is a beautiful evening; we left in the late afternoon for the thirteen hour haul across the Drake and then the Windward Passages. The sea is calm and the wind favorable as we sail past Necker Island, the once luxurious home of Billionaire Philanthropist Sir Richard Branson, now a shell of splintered wood completely gutted by Irma and Maria. The sun set in the fiery glow of optimism that this time of day brings and the rising of the stars guide our way home across the Northeastern Caribbean. Before the moonrise we can see the bioluminescent organisms organize their own stellar constellation in our wake. And then, finally, the unblinking eye of the moon watching over us as we make our way overnight to Simpson Bay.

After about eleven hours we can just make out the lights of Anguilla ahead of us as we start to see the colors in the East softening with the rising dawn, and a breeze is picking up out of the Northeast. Suddenly, on that same breeze that has blown for centuries over our humming islands, a scent so acrid and chemical is being carried. A scent that burns our eyes and scratches our throats. After eleven hours smelling fresh air at sea we are confronted by our terrible post-hurricane reality. We have just been welcomed back by that which has been the defining aspect of Sint Maarten; the toxic, poisonous smoke of the Philipsburg Landfill.

We have barely one month to go before the start of what is predicted to be one of the busiest Hurricane Seasons in seventy years. Not good news for an island still reeling from the last season, but especially not good news in terms of an island failing in terms of resiliency, sustainable development and responding to our environmental disaster.

Make no mistake; Hurricane Irma and her aftermath are environmental disasters. The storm was fueled by the environmental effects brought on by Climate Change. The storm has impacted and affected our environment, and in turn, it has impacted our economy. Despite the total disregard for the environment on Sint Maarten the past few months, whether in terms of recognition from the highest decision makers of the land or the ‘small man on the street,’ the protection of our natural resources is the only way to recover from this event. Yet, the environment is again taking a back-seat on Sint Maarten. And this time it will be at our own peril.

Right after the hurricane the environment was the hot topic; the Nature Foundation received calls, emails, messages and requests of information from our community and from the tourism industry to get a status update on our defining tourism product: the beautiful nature of Sint Maarten. Cruise Ship companies and tour operators depended on clean beaches good water quality for guests to return. It were the updates on the health of our environment immediately after the storm that helped form the decision for tourism to return to the island. Scuba divers and snorkelers wanted to know the status of our coral reefs, a resource that provides fifty-million dollars to our economy annually.

But now that the dust has settled we are again struggling on the environmental front: water quality is an issue at our swimming beaches; wetlands are being filled-in and mangroves removed; sewage is being recorded everywhere; the work of environmental and conservation organizations are being largely ignored, under-financed and under-appreciated; littering and solid waste issues are on the increase; and we are being poisoned daily by the landfill.

If there is anything the past few months should have taught us is that our environment and our economy are inexorably linked, and the conservation of our natural resources coupled with the social support of our populace and the diversification of our economy are the only ways to ensure our survival.

The only way we can overcome this challenge, this major test of our resolve and of our love for this island, is to make our environment and the conservation of our resources a priority. Splitting Environment from the rest of the VROMI Ministry is something which has been suggested by various international organizations that visited Sint Maarten in the aftermath of the Hurricane, making the observation considering the environmental challenges that we face and the lack of attention it receives.

We are small yet diverse enough, and have enough dynamic minds on this island, to focus our rebuilding energy on sustainable development. We need to focus on the looking after of the social needs of our population (so many still without roofs, without jobs), the diversification of our economy, the protection of our natural resources and the support for renewable energy. We are contained enough as a community to ban the use of single use plastics, to protect our terrestrial ecosystems and to start to have a concrete and swift resolution to our solid waste issues. We need a national campaign regarding the beautifying of our neighborhoods, taking pride in our place and in our identity. Only then can we truly be St. Maarten Strong for to be Strong is to be Resilient and Prepared.

We are tying up the boat now to the dock in Simpson Bay, looking forward to have a solid breakfast and get some hours of good sleep. Hopefully, by the time we awaken from the nightmare that Irma has left us in, Sint Maarten will be at the pinnacle of sustainability in the region. And no longer will sailors smell us before they see us.

Tadzio Bervoets

Cole Bay

+1 721 5864588