Dear Editor,
The abduction and murder of Wendy Montulet last Saturday, has compelled me to write you with the hope that some of this information may help someone on this island that I love and have called home for the past 25 years.
I have trained with members of the US military and US police including S.W.A.T and would like to share a few simple principles.
The human brain is the most powerful weapon on earth. Knowledge is the key. You can train for years in self-defence techniques and martial arts, but if you are surprised by a determined bad guy all the punching and kicking may not help you....the best way to win a fight is not to get into one. It’s all about knowledge....once you have it, it can't be taken away.
Here are some things to know:
1. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Many runners and walkers are oblivious to what is happening around them because of ear buds or headphones. The human sensory system has developed over millions of years for survival. If you can't hear and listen to what is going on around you then you can't be aware, and you increase the chances of someone or something surprising you. This goes for hearing non-human threats as well like cars and dogs. Not being able to hear what is going on around you drastically cuts down on your reaction time, which includes running away or effectively fighting off a threat. This is especially true from behind and night time where you don't see and need to rely on your hearing. If you must have your music then use only one ear bud allowing you to hear some surrounding sounds...but no ear phones is best. Beware of walking and texting as well. If your focus in on your phone then it’s not on your surroundings and you will not be able to react in time.
2. Safety circle – Your safety zone is the length of your body in a circle around you. Your job is to maintain that circle. This allows you time to react to a threat. Either fight or flight. If someone breaks that circle then you move back, front or side to maintain it. A common way for a bad guy to get into your circle is by distraction...such as asking for the time, directions or assistance... “Hi I lost my dog...can you help me?” while moving in close to you...if that happens then get loud! Call attention to yourself; make big gestures with your hands. "Hey back up! Help! You're scaring me!" Listen to your vibe...if someone or something is making the hair on the back of your neck stand up. (making you nervous) don't ignore that feeling...its millions of years of survival instinct kicking in. No one needs to be in your circle for you to give them the time or directions.
I teach people to carry a Fox 40 whistle, super loud and works wet or dry. Scream…yell… get loud...blow the whistle...keep your circle... The good people that will come to your aid will always outnumber the bad guys meaning to do you harm. Remember...bad guys don't always look like bad guys and most are cowards who will back down or flee when others come to help the person calling attention to them. Also, be the person who is not afraid to come to the aid of someone in distress...get involved...we all have children, wives, mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers and friends...do what you would want someone to do for them if they needed help.
3. Programme your phone. In your favourites list or speed dial should be the following headings: Police – If you are being threatened call that number and leave the line open while you deal with the threat...speak either directly or indirectly to the officer who answers and let them know: A. Your name; B. Your location; C. What is happening...leave the line open.. Make sure this is on your speed dial. If you are under stress you don't want to be fumbling with your phone to remember and dial a number....
I.C.E. – this stands for In Case of Emergency. This is the number of the person you want contacted by a first responder if you are incapacitated. First responders are trained to look for this number on a victim’s phone.
Turn on you “Find my phone” or phone locator app, or carry a GPS tracker or buy a GPS sports watch. Help the people looking for you find you.
If something positive can come from such a heart-breaking senseless tragedy, maybe it can be the knowledge of these three simple things to keep more of us safe in the future. Please say a prayer to whatever higher power you believe in for Wendy, her family and friends.
Mark Sollinger
Dear Editor,
One St. Maarten People Party (OSPP)condemns the murder of Belgium tourist Wendy Montulet, and offer condolences to the family of the 22-year-old. In this critical time when Caribbean tourism is already under the microscope, the island cannot afford to be tarred with the same brush as countries like the Bahamas, where according to a recent report in the Nassau Guardian “an executive with Carnival Cruise Line reportedly warned a Bahamas tourism official that Carnival is so worried about crime in Nassau, it’s considering issuing crime warnings to the passengers it brings there.”
The OSPP advocates for protection for all people and believes in equality and justice for all, but more must be done to safeguard the islands tourism product beginning with joint task forces from both sides of the island working to solve crimes against tourists, and imposing maximum penalties to offenders as a deterrent against such behaviour. We also support more social programmes and opportunities for those who feel they have been left behind. This is also important as regard to deterring criminal behaviour.
Some Caribbean islands are already under the microscope. In a recent article in the St. Lucia Times, the president of the St. Lucia Venders Association publicly accused the Minister of Tourism of ignoring the island nation’s crime problem. The association’s president noted that crime in St. Lucia has gotten so bad, that cruise lines might consider dropping that popular Caribbean port stop from their itineraries, as Norwegian Cruise Line did in the 2010-2012 season because of reported crimes against passengers.
St. Maarten has to assure it does not go the same route. One of the ways of doing this is by making the penalty for such crimes – which I view as directed against St. Maarten – so steep that possible offenders would not want to risk it.
As a St. Maartener, my first priority is the safety and wellbeing of my island and the people on it. It is a public secret that tourism is the bread and butter of St. Maarten and loss of tourism revenue would affect us all. That makes it the responsibility of all of us to do what we can to protect that much needed revenue. When these types of crimes occur, the offender is not only attacking that victim, but the entire island. I encourage anyone with information about this and other crimes to do your duty by putting St. Maarten first and contacting the authorities.
This crime was committed by one or two persons and somebody in their inner circle must know who they are. St. Maarten is asking you to come forward and tell what you know to the authorities, Dutch or French side.
I congratulate the Gendarmes for their diligent work on this case to date, and to the Dutch St. Maarten police for their timely cooperation with the Gendarme to solve this heinous crime.
Lenny Priest
Leader, One St. Maarten People Party (OSPP)
(from Curaçao Chronicle)
Drielstraat in Marie Pampoen, Curaçao, is one of the many streets that end at the south coastline of our island. You could walk to the end of the street and either go for a swim, fish, relax or see the beautiful sunset every day.
Some years back, Atlantis Dive decided to build a parking lot on this street taking more than half of the street. This left only an alley that gave access to the waterfront. Last year, Hotel Baoase decided to expand by building some more bungalows and promised us (we who’ve been living on Drielstraat and Winterswijk long before Baoase or Atlantis was there), that they were not going to close off the street. Baoase went against their word and placed a big wooden door restricting access for everyone to the coastline.
Now, they are at it again constructing what looks like a railing for a remote controlled door. This one starting from the wall that was placed by Atlantis dive closing off the street even more!
My questions are: Why do our local authorities allow these things to happen? Since when is it okay for people or companies to just take a public street and decide to make it their own? Who gives these people permission to do these things?
I don’t think anyone in their right mind would like someone to come and do this on their street, so why do it here? Feeling annoyed is an understatement!
Garrick Marchena
Annoyed, desperate, sad…and just pissed off!
Dear Editor,
Please allow me some space in your newspaper to let GEBE know that the electricity is being cut off daily.
Today we had no lights from 10:00am to 12 noon; then at 1:50pm – no lights again.
GEBE should let the public know so as they can plan their day.
With all the cruise ship passengers in town it is a disgrace for us not to provide them with lights.
They prefer to stay on the ship with air conditioning, which means loss of income for the island and also bad publicity.
There are no lights from Walter Plantz Square to the African store; and until now, at 3:19pm, power is not back yet.
Victor
Price Club
131 Front Street
Dear Editor,
Enough is enough! Three or more outages per day are ridiculous in this day and age and utterly unacceptable.
Our government better give some answers about the situation; how much longer we have to endure this and how this will be prevented in the future. No pre-election nice talk and finger pointing, but honest answers.
In case there are no answers forthcoming I call on all residents to come out in front of GEBE’s offices at 7:30, Wednesday morning to march from there to the Administration Building to demand answers.
React to my Facebook page today if you agree and are prepared to come out.
Binkie van Es
