Dear Editor,

After yesterday's press briefing and statements made by Leona Marlin about coming out victorious on leading the pack of wolves, I am wondering in this coalition partnership, who really is leading the pack?

Oh, and by the way, I must congratulate Mrs. Marlin for her brave statement and conviction. She sounds like a real leader. And talking about "Leader", I believe that Frans Richardson should give her the leadership of the US party for the next election. Jumping ship has nothing to do with integrity by the way.

What should have happened is that parliament should have gone over to another electoral system before we had our election, in order to avoid these types of ship jumpers, which by the way, given the present electoral law is legal and possible, once you have been deceived by your political party (leader) or party ideology.

Having said that, I still believe, and through this media, am making an appeal to the three amigos-party coalition to rethink their position and try to form a two-party coalition government instead of three.

By doing this, you will be making sure you have a more stable government for the next four years and avoid the possible burden on the taxpayers by the fall of government. So I am appealing to you, the leaders of the Democratic Party, United Sint Maarten Party and the National Alliance to come to the realization that a three-party coalition government can only create more confusion and ultimately cost us, the tax payers, more money after it falls. I want you, at least one of you, to become the "leader of this coalition pack and avoid country Sint Maarten another burden and international embarrassment; cancel this coalition formation now before it costs us money.

That is why I am appealing to one of you and or party members to lead Sint Maarten out of this yet-to-be-formed mess. If you fail to comply, the people of Sint Maarten will hold you accountable.

Bienvenido Richardson

Dear Editor,

While standing stranded on the Pondfill road, trying to hitch a ride from Philipsburg to Marigot with sweat running down my face under the hot Caribbean sun, I decided to take my mind off the heat by turning my attention to the beautiful St. Maarten landscape. It was at that moment that I realized Philipsburg is almost completely surrounded by mountains.

I also realized that among the many hills and mountains in the near and far distance, Pic Paradis stands majestically, gracing St. Maarten's skyline with its multiple antenna towers. I could clearly see the lone mansion tucked between the trees on the slope of St. Maarten's highest mountain, and I thought, how beautiful!

However, as my eyes travelled from the top of the mountains to the low-lying outskirts of Philipsburg, I realized that apart from having what is probably the world's fastest growing iguana population, St. Maarten is also home to the fastest growing mountain on Planet Earth. I am referring to Pond Hill, which is located on Pond Island in the middle of what was once St. Maarten's greatest heritage and best known landmark, the Great Salt Pond.

I call the Great Salt Pond St. Maarten's greatest heritage because after sustaining the island's small community for many generations, it was worthy of preserving as physical evidence to future generations of its history and economic contribution to the development of St. Maarten, long before the tourist arrived.

On behalf of the Great Salt Pond, please allow me to quote from the book St. Maarten in sight: "As early as the 17th century, the Great Salt Pond played a significant part in the life line of St. Maarten's economic activities. After the abolition of slavery, until the early 1920s, salt was again the main source of income." So yes, the Great Salt Pond laid the foundations of what St. Maarten is today.

When I first visited St. Maarten in 1981 as a crew member on an Anguillan vessel named Ida Maria and feeling a bit like Columbus on his own Santa Maria, I was astonished by the uniqueness of this small Caribbean island. Its two-nation status, the huge size and beauty of Simpson Bay Lagoon, and yes, the Great Salt Pond, were all things I never had experienced before.

My love affair with nature would draw me to the shores of the Great Salt Pond, spending hours just admiring the many varieties of birds feeding and swimming in her large body of water, as she relaxed in retirement from her salt-producing era.

But then came the need for a local University, a big white elephant, a Bacchanal Village, and a new location for garbage disposal. So the great old Salt Pond was called out of retirement to bear the burden, but now she is overwhelmed by the capacity of all that she is being forced to accommodate. To further minimize her, they decided to put a strangling ring (ring road) around her neck, adding more sand where the salt hurts. How cruel!

Now back to her worst nightmare. In my many years travelling to over 35 countries in the Caribbean, the Americas and the Pacific, I have never come across another civilization where garbage is being collected from the various communities and taken into the city for disposal. I have always seen the opposite, with the French side being a perfect example.

I guess being the smallest two-nation island in the world was not unique enough, so that status had to be enhanced by creating what is probably the only "city garbage dump" in the world. However, the downside to this uniqueness is that it may carry with it serious consequences.

To better understand these possible consequences, we must take a closer look at Pond Hill. As more and more garbage is being dumped on the "Hill" it gets higher and higher. The higher the "Hill" gets, the less space there will be at the crest for the safe maneuvering of garbage disposal vehicles.

This situation will then be remedied by pushing garbage over the sides of the hill to expand its base. After a few years, when the "hill" grows to a new height and the crest again gets too small for maneuvering, the expansion process will be repeated. This procedure will continue until the stinking garbage reaches the residential and business areas on all sides of Pond Hill.

Not only will this result in the complete elimination of the Great Salt Pond, but Pond Hill, which by then will have grown into Pond Mountain, will become a serious health hazard, thus the consequences of creating the unique "city garbage dump".

On top of the pending health issues, I feel terribly sorry for poor old Pic Paradis, which enjoyed the prestigious title of being St. Maarten's highest mountain long before the first Amerindian set foot on the island, and way before Columbus arrived.

Now, with tears running down her slopes, she is pleading with the appropriate authorities to please protect her image by halting the growth of Pond Hill, because at the present rate, it will not be long before Pond Hill turns into Pond Mountain with the possibility of snatching away her "tallest mountain" title and, in the process, becoming an undesirable city landmark. Don't allow Philipsburg and its multimillion-dollar tourism investment to go down the drain because of a lack of action.

Failure to tackle the situation now will result in a lot of regrets later on, because garbage breeds pollution, pollution breeds disease, disease breeds sickness, sickness breeds suffering, hefty medical bills and even death.

And by the way, the soon-to-be occupants of the big white elephant will be among the first recipients of whatever Pond Hill has to offer.

Oops! I am sorry. I forgot that as a non-original son of the soil, I have absolutely no business interfering in your business. But when I think of the potential health hazards and monumental eyesore, I just could not keep my mouth shut, or should I say, I just could not keep my pen down. So forgive me, but please consider what was written by my tireless pen before it is too late. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

DJ Murph

Dear Editor,

While standing stranded on the Pondfill road, trying to hitch a ride from Philipsburg to Marigot with sweat running down my face under the hot Caribbean sun, I decided to take my mind off the heat by turning my attention to the beautiful St. Maarten landscape. It was at that moment that I realized Philipsburg is almost completely surrounded by mountains.

I also realized that among the many hills and mountains in the near and far distance, Pic Paradis stands majestically, gracing St. Maarten's skyline with its multiple antenna towers. I could clearly see the lone mansion tucked between the trees on the slope of St. Maarten's highest mountain, and I thought, how beautiful!

However, as my eyes travelled from the top of the mountains to the low-lying outskirts of Philipsburg, I realized that apart from having what is probably the world's fastest growing iguana population, St. Maarten is also home to the fastest growing mountain on Planet Earth. I am referring to Pond Hill, which is located on Pond Island in the middle of what was once St. Maarten's greatest heritage and best known landmark, the Great Salt Pond.

I call the Great Salt Pond St. Maarten's greatest heritage because after sustaining the island's small community for many generations, it was worthy of preserving as physical evidence to future generations of its history and economic contribution to the development of St. Maarten, long before the tourist arrived.

On behalf of the Great Salt Pond, please allow me to quote from the book St. Maarten in sight: "As early as the 17th century, the Great Salt Pond played a significant part in the life line of St. Maarten's economic activities. After the abolition of slavery, until the early 1920s, salt was again the main source of income." So yes, the Great Salt Pond laid the foundations of what St. Maarten is today.

When I first visited St. Maarten in 1981 as a crew member on an Anguillan vessel named Ida Maria and feeling a bit like Columbus on his own Santa Maria, I was astonished by the uniqueness of this small Caribbean island. Its two-nation status, the huge size and beauty of Simpson Bay Lagoon, and yes, the Great Salt Pond, were all things I never had experienced before.

My love affair with nature would draw me to the shores of the Great Salt Pond, spending hours just admiring the many varieties of birds feeding and swimming in her large body of water, as she relaxed in retirement from her salt-producing era.

But then came the need for a local University, a big white elephant, a Bacchanal Village, and a new location for garbage disposal. So the great old Salt Pond was called out of retirement to bear the burden, but now she is overwhelmed by the capacity of all that she is being forced to accommodate. To further minimize her, they decided to put a strangling ring (ring road) around her neck, adding more sand where the salt hurts. How cruel!

Now back to her worst nightmare. In my many years travelling to over 35 countries in the Caribbean, the Americas and the Pacific, I have never come across another civilization where garbage is being collected from the various communities and taken into the city for disposal. I have always seen the opposite, with the French side being a perfect example.

I guess being the smallest two-nation island in the world was not unique enough, so that status had to be enhanced by creating what is probably the only "city garbage dump" in the world. However, the downside to this uniqueness is that it may carry with it serious consequences.

To better understand these possible consequences, we must take a closer look at Pond Hill. As more and more garbage is being dumped on the "Hill" it gets higher and higher. The higher the "Hill" gets, the less space there will be at the crest for the safe maneuvering of garbage disposal vehicles.

This situation will then be remedied by pushing garbage over the sides of the hill to expand its base. After a few years, when the "hill" grows to a new height and the crest again gets too small for maneuvering, the expansion process will be repeated. This procedure will continue until the stinking garbage reaches the residential and business areas on all sides of Pond Hill.

Not only will this result in the complete elimination of the Great Salt Pond, but Pond Hill, which by then will have grown into Pond Mountain, will become a serious health hazard, thus the consequences of creating the unique "city garbage dump".

On top of the pending health issues, I feel terribly sorry for poor old Pic Paradis, which enjoyed the prestigious title of being St. Maarten's highest mountain long before the first Amerindian set foot on the island, and way before Columbus arrived.

Now, with tears running down her slopes, she is pleading with the appropriate authorities to please protect her image by halting the growth of Pond Hill, because at the present rate, it will not be long before Pond Hill turns into Pond Mountain with the possibility of snatching away her "tallest mountain" title and, in the process, becoming an undesirable city landmark. Don't allow Philipsburg and its multimillion-dollar tourism investment to go down the drain because of a lack of action.

Failure to tackle the situation now will result in a lot of regrets later on, because garbage breeds pollution, pollution breeds disease, disease breeds sickness, sickness breeds suffering, hefty medical bills and even death.

And by the way, the soon-to-be occupants of the big white elephant will be among the first recipients of whatever Pond Hill has to offer.

Oops! I am sorry. I forgot that as a non-original son of the soil, I have absolutely no business interfering in your business. But when I think of the potential health hazards and monumental eyesore, I just could not keep my mouth shut, or should I say, I just could not keep my pen down. So forgive me, but please consider what was written by my tireless pen before it is too late. Remember, prevention is better than cure.

DJ Murph

The only way out is up

The only way to get

out this mess is to move up

So pull up your pants

And face up to the dance

Straighten your backs up

For as long as your backs

Are bend you will be taking for a ride

So pull your pants up

And face up to it

Or in your mouth they

Will rub spit

The system have ride

We for too long

It is time we pull up

Wee pantaloons

And move on

Boy pull up your pantaloons

Push in your shirt tail

And show the world we did

Not come here to fail

Pull up your pants

Pull up your pants

And brace up

Yourself

Pull up your pants

Stop exposing your

Underpants

Stop been the underdog

If you must be a dog

Then be the Topdog

So show that you care

And stop showing me

Your under wear

No one is interested in your

Behing

But show we you have power

Over your mind

So pull your pants up

And show me that you are a man

That have a life with some kind

a plan

Pull up that pants

Cauz you can't fight

With your pants down

And you are ah loser

Down on the ground

So get up, pull up, and stay up

because you come from the hood

Is no reason to lose your manhood

So pull up your pantaloons

And come up and sit on your

Throne

Your only way out is up

So make that come back

And come on up

And sit next to me and Barack

Big Ray