Dear Editor,

During my visits to Sint Maarten, I learned quickly that people are careful with the word “hurricane.” If you mention it, someone may stop you: “Don’t bring that into existence.” It’s more than an instinct – it reflects how deeply the memory of Irma lives on, and how vigilant life on a small island must be. Having been based in Jamaica during Hurricanes Beryl and, more recently, Melissa, I can now say, “I get it.”

As this year’s hurricane season draws to an end, there is reason for Sint Maarten to breathe a sigh of relief; having been spared major storms. Yet the devastation brought by Hurricane Melissa to Jamaica is a powerful reminder that in the Caribbean, no one is ever truly out of reach. For Sint Maarten, where geography defines both beauty and vulnerability, every hurricane season brings the risk of seeing years of progress swept away. Hurricane Irma alone caused damage estimated at more than twice the island’s GDP, leaving deep scars but also lasting lessons.

In the years since, Sint Maarten has taken those lessons to heart. The country is shifting from rebuilding after disasters to reducing risks before they strike – strengthening preparedness, investing in safer infrastructure, and planning with future storms in mind.

At the World Bank, we’ve worked closely with the government to support this shift – through the Sint Maarten Reconstruction, Recovery, and Resilience Trust Fund, a partnership with the Government of Sint Maarten and the Government of the Netherlands.

Established after Hurricane Irma, the Trust Fund was designed not only to rebuild what was lost but to build systems that make recovery faster and stronger when the next storm comes. Across the island, that resilience is now taking shape in tangible ways. Homes are being repaired to higher building standards so families can return to safer roofs. The Princess Juliana International Airport – the backbone of the island’s tourism economy – has been rebuilt with stronger structural standards to protect lives and keep the country connected when the next storm hits. A new hospital is being constructed, engineered to withstand earthquakes and strong winds, ensuring continuity of care even during the most severe storms.

Preparedness also extends beyond physical structures. Through the Trust Fund, Sint Maarten is strengthening its digital systems – ensuring that government services and critical data remain functional even in times of crisis. The education sector, too, is adapting: teachers are better equipped to respond, and a disaster-preparedness game "HURRYcane Run" is helping children learn how to stay safe when storms approach.

The Trust Fund also introduced the Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessments, giving Sint Maarten its first consistent way to track students’ progress and address learning gaps that widened during the pandemic. All of these efforts point in the same direction: Sint Maarten is not simply rebuilding, it is redefining what resilience means for a small island nation. This commitment is reflected as well in the government’s plan to establish a Disaster Reserve Fund – a dedicated reserve for emergencies – developed with guidance from a World Bank study. Steps like these help ensure that when storms strike, resources are ready.

Yet resilience is never finished. As climate risks intensify, Sint Maarten – like all small island economies – will need to keep expanding its protections: strengthening financial buffers, investing in faster early-warning systems, and ensuring that every recovery plan is backed by dedicated, ready-to-use financing. Continued regional collaboration – sharing expertise, pooling risk, and strengthening institutions – will be essential to sustain these gains.

While Sint Maarteners avoid saying the word “hurricane”, their actions speak louder than words. They are preparing, adapting, and rebuilding stronger each time – and experience shows that this commitment always pays off.

Lilia Burunciuc

World Bank Director for the Caribbean

Dear Editor,

Someone asked me if people are allowed to fly drones on St. Maarten? I told him I don’t know. In my days, we were asked to make sure no kites were flown in the vicinity of the airport, but I do not know if there is legislation for drones.

“I ain’t finish yet,” he said, “that situation where that woman slap the police on the boardwalk, is that an automatic lock-up?” Again I have to state that I have my reasons why I do not comment on so-called negative police intervention. I do not know what is the philosophy behind police work of late, but it is no secret that the vast majority of the community is not pleased. What I know is that no relative nor friend of mine would dare slap me in public and definitely not while I’m working.

That person started to tell me what they say about a fish, but I cut him off, because no one goes around saying what I didn’t say. I voice my opinion black on white where I cannot deny it.

l honestly hope that this situation is handled adequately and expeditiously. There was a time when our unofficial moto was that of The Three Musketeers [“All for one and one for all” – Ed.]. What happened to that?

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

I read an article in the paper a few days ago in which government is making plans to guarantee the safety of the visitors to our island during the upcoming season. Up to Tuesday last I had to assist a person driving a rental to reverse out of the Hotelsteeg onto the Backstreet because there is no signboard (10) at the end of the Hotelsteeg.indicating no entry from that end. Neither is there a sign 27 at the intersection Backstreet/Hotelsteeg on the Backstreet indicating no left turn into the Hotelsteeg.

If measures are to be taken with the traffic I would strongly suggest that the police enhance the control on the buses, stopping anywhere and at anytime to pick up and/or let out passengers, whether there are bus-stops along the road or not.

There were hardly any taxis which worked at night at the hotels which was and still is the main cause of the beginning of “gypsies”. It has reached the extent that gypsy drivers would blow and indicate you to move from what they consider their spot.

Russell A. Simmons

Dear Editor,

Whenever a politician feels that he or she is untouchable, that official always plays the victim role and puts on a recital, just to keep the public convinced of that false narrative. Besides, that politician uses his or her enablers to prop up the performance, so that the storyline remains the focal point, because the truth becomes a distraction. How sad and unfortunate, that in 2025, the people are still being mesmerized by a dynasty that has kept them oppressed for decades.

The parliamentary meeting that was held on Thursday, November 13, 2025, was almost completely useless. The only good thing that came out of the assembly was that the exposer has exposed herself further into the mire. I did not watch the live broadcast, but viewed the tape a short while ago, and I must say that it was quite shameful to see that Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten could stoop that low, to include those images into her presentation.

Is it not that this minister vowed to serve the people with integrity? Unless her version of integrity is different, that presentation does not reflect the behaviour of an official who claims to possess these principles. The conduct was childish and malicious in nature, especially when Member of Parliament Francisco Lacroes said that the presentation that parliament received in advance was not the same as the one presented to the public.

If this is so, then the presentation was intentional and devoid of any semblance of integrity – the same principle that is being pushed verbally, but not in practice. But Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten was not the only one who is to be blamed for this gross negligence that took place in The People’s House. MP Lacroes, too, should have used wisdom and never begin his presentation with a picture of the minister’s spouse. It was simply unprofessional and not necessary.

You see, she took him down the rabbit hole (just like what she is doing in the Council of Ministers), but he was too blind to see or too naive to understand, until it was too late. If his hands are clean, as he claimed, why would he engage in a battle that he knew he couldn’t win? Because, MP Lacroes knows that a minister could add images to his or her presentation, but an MP cannot. This was forbidden by the Chair of Parliament, due to mal-intent by a previous MP.

Even though a minister has this right, I still feel that when Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten included those images in her presentation, Chairlady Sarah Wescot-Williams should have interrupted the meeting and let the minister know that those pictures do not reflect the conduct of a professional, nor an executive official. Just like how she was quick to inform MP Lacroes of her experience with those types of subliminal messages in the past, she should have chastised the minister, right away.

Chairlady Sarah Wescot-Williams, I don’t care how you dice it. If it is wrong for MP Lacroes, then, it must be wrong for Minister Heyliger-Marten. Because, if the minister had images of pornography, you wouldn’t have allowed it, even though she has the right to add pictures to her presentation. Likewise, if MP Lacroes had started his presentation with a positive image, you wouldn’t have intervened.

This is why I wouldn’t even waste time to comment on the other hypocrites. Because, when Golden Boy was doing his wrong, none of you all called him out. So, why protect him now? This incident also shows how the Chair of the committee, Viren Kotai, has very little knowledge of the workings of parliament. A competent Chair would have pointed out to the minister the negative implications that these pictures would have on his colleague.

A capable and fair Chair would have demanded an adjournment, so that the minister could rectify the matter, before proceeding with the meeting. Guaranteed, if this was done, MP Lacroes would have never started his presentation with the picture of her spouse. But, MP Viren Kotai is there to protect the minister, and that is why the public received a biased and unprofessional presentation that did not revealed anything that the public wasn’t aware of.

What I was very disappointed in is that MP Lacroes appeared to be so broken that he couldn’t even defend himself. The worst part is that he let Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten off the hook, by suggesting that she answers the questions in writing. What was he thinking? The minister had to come back in person, because this meeting would have generated more scrutiny than the one that was held on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Joslyn Morton