Dear Editor,

A salute to Mr. Camille Baly, better known as Meneer Baly, my 5^th and 6^th grade teacher. I am Agnes Aventurin a former primary student of Lionel Connor School. Permit me to share some wonderful memories about my favorite teacher Camille Baly during this Black History Month 2022, a man who was blessed with insight, knowledge and wisdom.

  Meneer Baly lived right next door to the Cole Bay Methodist Church with his immediate and extended family. He was the principal for many years at Lionel Connor School on Union Road, Cole Bay (presently located in Cay Bay).

  He was one of the first black school teachers I knew of on the Dutch side of our island. I say this because most of my other teachers were Europeans and Surinamers. I am not certain if there were any other teachers of the black race teaching on our island before him.

  Meneer Baly had a great stature, with full eyes. He spoke with authority and walked with confidence and people listened to him. As a matter of fact, even the elderly listened to him. I think the Cole Bay people were very proud that they had a man of the soil who went abroad studied and returned to his native island to educate our people. He gained much respect from the people of St. Maarten and especially in the village of Cole Bay.

  I can remember him teaching 2 classes, the 5^th and 6^th grades, in one room, and we all did very well. Meneer Baly was a teacher who knew the ability of each of his individual scholars. He always encouraged me in particular to write and he nurtured other talents he discovered in me, which I had no clue of.

  He was a father figure to many of us. My brother Carl was very intelligent, but he had many challenges so he skylarked a lot. Meneer Baly got on his case and did everything in his power to assist him and he eventually made it to 7^th or 8^th grade (which was then MULO) and then dropped out of school. There were many others he showed interest in; some listened and some did not.

  I have finally been doing lots of writing of which one in particular is about Cole Bay and its people, one of which will soon be on the stands in bookstores for purchase.

  A team of persons, in particular youths and young adults, and I are presently doing oral dramatization of daily Bible readings and circulating them on social media. While doing one of the recordings a few weeks ago it crossed my mind that I did something like this with my school teacher Meneer Baly. He had Eddy Lloyd and myself record the play “Ebenezer Scrooge”. We met at Lionel Connor School certain afternoons for recordings and he would have them aired on PJD2 radio around Christmas time. At the time the radio station used to be on Little Bay Hill. Here I am now doing the same thing with young people from our community of Cole Bay just as he did with me when I was a little girl.

  He encouraged us to read, read and read. He could not emphasize enough on that. In those days we were taught in the Dutch language and English was a subject. He got the children to subscribe to Okkie, Taptoe, Kuifje (Dutch books). This was to help us improve in the Dutch language. I still possess one of those books in my home today.

  He encouraged the class to write journals at least 3 times weekly. Mine never had an ending. I believe he saw my writing skills through my writing in class. When I got older I realized how important it is to write journals. As children we never asked questions. We did what was told to us.

  Meneer Baly believed in educating his black people and exposed us to many things so we would be knowledgeable not only academically, but in different aspects of our surroundings.

  He did a project in our school and brought in the police authorities to show us the different types of drugs/narcotics that were popular in those days and to also explain the danger of using them.

  He loved nature. He took our class to Billy Folly Hill into the caves where the Caribs inhabited. I did not attend, and I was upset with myself after my classmates returned and shared their experience.

  We visited many of the beaches on the island. He believed in beach picnics. He educated us even while we were on the beaches. It is because of him we know many beaches, their names and the little history of what he knew about the areas we visited.

  Meneer Baly was very interested in herbs. So, he had an extra class whereby people could join him on Saturdays in the hills to learn about the different trees and their remedies.

  He was such a marvelous storyteller and could recite poetry. He made us feel like we were actually in the story. There too, I see his influence on me, as I have followed storytelling workshops so that I could properly present and engage my listeners.

Zwarte Piet!

  There weren't many outings during my school days. Hence, we looked forward to the few excursions. One of the trips we looked forward to was “Sinterklaas dag”. This event took place once yearly on December 5^th, Sinterklaas dag. A bus took us to Cyrus Wathey Square in Philipsburg and we would sing our hearts out when the boat was nearing the pier. We sang “Zie ginds komt de stoomboot uit Spanje weer aan, Hij brengt ons Sint Nicolaas ik zie hem al staan, Hoe huppelt zijn paardje het dek op en neer” and “Sinterklaas kapoentje, gooi wat in mijn schoentje gooi wat in mijn laarsje, dank U Sinterklaasje”. As they were about to leave we sang “Dag Sinterklaasje, dag, dag, dag, dag … .”

  We used to enjoy that event because when Sinterklaas came off the boat he brought sweets for those who behaved good. There were 2 or 3 persons whose faces were painted black with him. They carried a whip with them and also carried the bags of sweets and a few little toys over their shoulders. Chances were if we behaved good all year through we will be treated candies and if we misbehaved Zwarte Piet would punish those children. When they started coming towards the children they would make space for Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet to pass. Santa Claus and his helpers threw the sweets into the air or in between the school children and the children scrambled to pick them up from the streets. Sinterklaas and his companions would get into an open-top car and drive through the town throwing candies to the onlookers on the side of the streets.

  One day this event suddenly came to a halt. What happened? The Cole Bay school children are not going to attend that event anymore. Why? It was not a positive event, and although the children looked forward to it we could not attend. Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet demonstrated a negative message. Zwarte Piet was the one punishing the children who were bad that year and Sinterklaas was always white with a long beard – he represented a God. He treated the children who were “good” with candies.

  Who stopped it? Meneer Baly. I never knew his decision had such a big effect on the entire Dutch side of the island until I met some other scholars who went to school in Philipsburg and while discussing this issue they too mentioned how unhappy they were that Camille Baly had managed to stop all the schools going to that event. I expressed how unhappy I was too. Only when I grew up did I truly grasp what he meant.

  As an adult I had many encounters with Meneer Baly and we discussed so many things about life. He used those opportunities to continue encouraging me to write. I am fulfilling this gift through this short story with a walk through memory lane.

  I am happy to have been taught by a man of his character and felt like sharing some of my memories of him.

  I cannot and will not compare him with God. I, however, must mention that there are so many more things that I admired Meneer Baly for, but then my story will fill up this entire newspaper or other medium; which brings me to think on the Gospel writer John who remarked that there were so many other things that Jesus did; and if every one of them were written down, he supposed that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written on Him.

  Camille Baly was an educator and cultural legend and a true powerful black man who believed in the advancement of his people, which I believe was formed under the flamboyant tree at the entrance of his gate in Cole Bay.

  In memory of my school teacher and mentor Mr. Camille Baly, affectionately known as Meneer Baly: Happy Black History Month everyone!

Agnes Aventurin

Dear Editor,

  The world is against Putin and it’s time the whole of Europe becomes democratic.

  Putin must give the Ukrainian people their freedom, at all times, to choose what is best for their people’s future.

  If there is a war and NATO is only focusing on liberating Ukraine and not focused on getting Putin out of power, this will be a big mistake; because leaving him in power, he will always want to keep going after the Ukraine government and the people.

  Soon after World War Two Russia occupied these territories. Now the entire world is struggling from COVID-19, Putin is creating a problem with Ukraine. It will be good if there’s a war. NATO, Great Britain, France, America and other nations will have a great chance to help the Russians put an end to Communism and seek democracy.

Cuthbert Bannis

Dear Editor,

  This article was written since April of last year but has been augmented to suit the current state of affairs. Nevertheless, this piece reflects a bittersweet and worrying situation that should never repeat itself. Not only does this vindictive course of action demonstrate a gross lack of integrity within the political sphere, it also destroys the ambitions of aspiring and reputable politicians.

  Thrusted into this unfortunate position is our former Minister of TEATT, Ludmila de Weever, whose tenure was short-lived, simply because she refused to be a victim of this recycled political exhibition. Despite the setbacks, it was such an exciting period to see how this independent-minded ex-minister cherished the opportunity to serve, when she took a formidable stance to work in the best interest of her country.

  As a result of her persistence and determination to make a difference, she proudly escorted the population on her journey, highlighting her vision and accomplishments. Though internally she may have felt disappointed for being sabotaged by her own party, this young and energetic past minister did not expressed regrets. Instead, she articulated being grateful for the position and preparation to become a parliamentarian.

  The fact that she disclosed being indebted for the groundwork expresses honesty, and this appreciation was displayed with great confidence. During her tenure, her thoughts were clear, and as a result, she knew where to focus her energy and which ministries she needed to rely on to do her job effectively. And, it was evident that she operated from a quiet place, internally.

  For this reason, the former minister gave thought to her explanations before expressing them. I liked the fact that she explained the steps towards accomplishing a specific goal, which ultimately led to a compilation of each segment of her journey, whether it was smooth or somewhat frustrating. Part of this frustration was experienced in 2020, during the puzzling stage of COVID-19.

  However, the lull in economic activity gave her time to examine and process the situation, in order to move forward. Therefore, it was evident that she knew what was necessary to jump-start the tourism industry. As she monitored the situation and took each stride with caution, this understanding manifested itself through the implication of effective marketing, communication and negotiation.

  The partnership with the private sector was nurtured, as she took their advices and expertise and integrated them into her ministry. Not only that, she prepared her then ministry for her task in parliament – a true politician, who has the country at heart. It was a privileged moment to have had a TEATT Minister with such level of competence, dedication and humility.

  Despite these positive achievements, they were eclipsed with the usual dirty politics that has stagnated the island for decades. So, when this ambitious ex-minster did not adhere to her party’s demands or their impulsive drive to control her ministry, she was forced into parliament, a position that does not match her mindset at all. This is quite evident in the parliamentary meetings, where her voice has become almost mute and that vigor and commitment have disappeared.

  This is such a contrast from being a vocal, self-assured visionary, who intended the best for the country. The only way to redeem herself from the evil clutches of the UP party is to become an independent member of parliament. It is no secret that the Prime Minister’s pet is the one who controls the parliament and the government. Believe it or not, the chairlady is just the deputy.

  To continue with this subdued performance for another two years is nothing but political madness, a situation that is steadily eroding her previous success. Integrity is a lifestyle. So, it is time that this promising ex-minister liberate herself and rekindle the passion like when she first began!

  The honorable Martin Luther King, Jr. put it best when he said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” And, the admirable Mahatma Gandhi sealed the principles of integrity well when he said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

Joslyn Morton

Dear Editor,

  I am none of their fathers, but that does not prevent me from saying “Stop it”. Now is definitely not the time for anyone to be encouraged or I might even say, instructed to say what is not from the heart.

  I came to the Windward Islands to work as a police officer in 1975. As long as I can remember the immigration officers were always the ones who were feared by everyone whether well documented or not. And just as nowadays every time the immigration organised raids everybody, both migrants as well as locals, criticised our actions.

  I do not usually write this way, because I put the wellbeing of the people before politics. I know when both the Minister of Justice as well as the President of Parliament were born. I must add also that little do both of them know how joy filled my heart when both of them were appointed to the position they presently occupy. I will repeat: “Do not permit politics to obscure what can be done right.”

  Because of social media, nothing.is secret anymore and because of modern technology, within seconds news spreads all over the world. When something is said wrongly, if it is not corrected immediately it goes viral and taken completely out of context, living a life of its own.

  Sorry to say that the term “internationally publicised controls on local businesses” was not necessary. There are all kinds of publications concerning St. Maarten on Facebook. These questions concerning the damnification as a result of these raids to me are more damaging than the so-called ‘heavy-handed’ controls.

  By the way, those same visitors stay on to see the results of potential wars in warzones. Ask Biden.

  The damage caused by not collecting taxes from these same businesses which so-called can be affected by these raids is far more than the results of the raids.

  When I read all the Ministries and Ministers to which these questions were sent publicly, it gives me the impression that all of those entities were wrong and the person asking the question was right. That to me is “internationally publicising’ the inconsideration of our government. Did not the one asking those questions think “country before self”? I stand to be corrected, but I do not remember this kind of rhetoric when the former President of Parliament was entangled in a similar situation, so why now?

  We were taught by the Dutch, but we constantly portray exactly contrary what the Dutch have demonstrated to us. We do not make use of long memories and make use of the appropriate opportunity, we jump at the first opportunity. For the last four years we have been in a road tax saga and nobody thought “this is a cash cow, so let us not disregard this”. Instead of making Immigration raids a problem, get together with the Finance Minister and see what can be done about getting those motor vehicle owners to pay their road tax.

  We have to stop looking for lame excuses. That letter talks about “growing up in these circles.” Again I say, “stop it.” Those of us who did that job know where the phone calls used to come from to “let go” certain people because of their connections.

  There is a saying: “New brooms sweep clean, but the old broom knows the corners.” I just read that we are getting a new prosecutor and that there are still a few loose ends. For years now the Immigration has been out there doing what Immigration does. Never, I repeat, never has there been any complaint in mass from visitors to St. Maarten., That is why I say, “Stop it.”

  In law enforcement, “consistency” is what arranges the people. Believe it or not, contrary to what is depicted in that article, “people in general want law and order”. It is those others who complain. So, let us get together and let us be consistent with our law enforcement, so that everybody can be assured that when they are in St. Maarten, they are treated fairly.. Consistency is the word.

  Once one has established one’s identity, the people will know and those others will hide, and the regular visitors will be safe. So Grisha and Anna should get together and not let anyone prevent them from doing what is best for St. Maarten.

Russell A. Simmons