Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my concern about the upcoming road closure announced by VROMI [Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure – Ed.] at the intersection at Bishop Hill Road and Hulda Richardson Road. According to the announcement, “Oyster Pond residents will have one-lane access until asphalt pouring is complete. Afterward, access will be via the Marriott Hotel and French Oyster Pond.”
For those who are unaware, the road near the Marriott Hotel, from Dawn Beach Estates to the Marriott, is virtually impassable. It is filled with potholes (craters might be a more accurate term). At night, it is particularly hazardous because there is little, if any, lighting and the road obstacles are hard to see. It is largely deserted, especially at night, making it the perfect spot for criminals to prey on drivers who must use that road.
Similarly, the road through French Oyster Pond can only be accessed from the Dutch side by going from the Belvedere Roundabout, through French Quarter, turning right on Rue de Coralita, proceeding past Baie Lucas, into French Oyster Pond. Again, the road is often deserted, poorly lit, and would not be a route I would suggest for tourists, particularly those visiting for the first time.
VROMI’s plan would essentially hold the residents and guests staying at Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Princess Heights, the Marriott and the countless private villas in the area hostage. Should an emergency arise, and an ambulance or fire truck is needed in the area, better access would be absolutely critical.
Having lived in St. Maarten off and on for 25 years, I know that the state of our roads is unsatisfactory. I applaud VROMI for the work they are doing to see that the roads are improved. I would ask VROMI to reconsider whether this work could be completed after season and whether some access to the intersection could be maintained. If these are not viable options, I would suggest that some form of temporary lighting be installed on the road leading to the Marriott to facilitate traffic through that route.
Dina L. Abby
Good day, Honourable Premier,
I write again as in the previous two times.
At the onset of this New Year I send this communication requesting some information of Anguillian national significance.
Can you please share in detail why an NDA was signed concerning the .ai Domain Name contract with Identity Digital? Especially given that your party promised full transparency to the citizens and that no agreement was needed with our local, Vince Cate?
How can the Anguillian general public truthfully and rightly hold leaders accountable to an ID five year projected figure and help account against theft, mis-use and/or abuse of it, if they don’t know what that figure is?
How can the Anguillian general public correctly make their individual and collective appraisals of the financial wisdom of government’s decision without the requisite contractual information?
I am cognizant that your time is in high demand, but many other citizens are concerned about the responses to the above questions. Thank you for your response.
Avenella Griffith
Resident Anguillian
Dear Editor,
I read about the traffic accident at the back of the police station between a bus and a motorcycle in which it was stated that the bus was responsible for the cause of the accident. Let me start by stating this.
The way the exit of that parking lot is laid out and the fact that there is a roundabout within fifty meters of the exit of the parking lot, no one exiting that parking lot should attempt to make a left turn leaving that parking lot. So in my opinion either the exit should be altered or an arrow should be painted on the ground by the exit indicating obligated to turn right and a traffic sign indicating no left turn.
Now this. In no form or fashion can I feel good knowing that someone was hurt in any accident, but I continue to state that in any accident in which a motorcycle is involved it is always the occupant of motorcycle who is hurt, the rest is material damage, which again is in this case.
When I ask what has happened to those sayings from our parents and grandparents, I am told that parents have to be careful, because children are told that they have rights. Some people try to get away with “You can make the child, but you can't make its mind.” But I am standing firm with Proverbs 13:24. If I am responsible for you I am responsible for your upbringing.
I can remember my mother asking a lady many years ago, who commented on the way my mother was punishing me, “Are you ready to give me your good child for my bad child?” It took me years to understand what my mother meant.
Now this. What I know is that it is for years now that we are aware of what the liveable wage on St. Maarten is and that no matter who is in power in the government nothing has changed. On the contrary, things have gotten worse. Proof is the Governor's New Year’s remarks. The consequences of this is that parents have to do more than one job to make ends meet. Yes I wrote “ends” because it is not “to make it” but literally to make ends meet.
The Customs should be able to tell us who are the main importers of food and also let government know why is it (or not) justified that every day, I repeat every day at least the price of one (food) product is increased by US $0.25 in the supermarkets managed by foreign nationals. I mentioned managed, because a whole lot of permits for supermarkets were issued to locals, who in turn contract foreign nationals to manage their business in a skillful manner.
In closing I would appreciate if we all would read the Governor’s New Year’s message.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Before I got the paper of January 15th, someone called me and told me that I can answer the “short and sweet”. I told him that I didn’t get the paper yet. His response was, “These people won’t let up. When I got the paper and read what he told me about I understood where he was coming from. I thought, ‘You never miss the water ’til the well run dry.’ So I said to myself, ‘If St. Maarten was not in its darkest (not dark) days, then nobody would have said anything.’ I believe it was Martin Liuther King Jr. who said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
That is the history that has become the legacy of especially the older politicians who have been in government for a while on St. Maarten. Our elected officials continue to “jump on” the latest Ministers of government and their portfolios. I believe that government continues. And if you did not leave anything good (for instance GEBE and VROMI [utilities company and Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure – Ed.]) for me to build on, don’t I have to start from scratch?
And for those MPs [members of Parliament] who claim that the draft budget lacks vision, may I state that it is time that they start by growing up. Find out what being member of Parliament entails. They did not campaign to become opposition members of Parliament. Which by the way doesn’t exist. They are all equal members who bring proposals and vote for or against the proposals.
I consider laying and waiting immature behavior and I would even consider stating that they are delinquent for not working for their over-inflated salaries. If they have the vision to see that vision is lacking, then they should demonstrate that they have vision and bring it forward. That would be working for the people who are responsible for them being in Parliament. I do not think anyone would criticize me if I close with suggesting that it is time for them to grow up, demonstrate their vision and in so doing earn their pay.
Russell A. Simmons
Dear Editor,
Philipsburg needs an uplift with beautification, more parking, proper sidewalks, lights and about 2,000 more people to live there.
Even all the buildings government has to rebuild can have five floors. Our police, teachers, nurses and many more can own their own home. Government should build parking places in Philipsburg and use this income to paint the roads more often.
Cuthbert Bannis
