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New Student Orientation kicks off the school year for Spring 2017 students at USM

POND ISLAND - Last week the University of St. Martin (USM) had their orientation day which was organized for the new students starting in the spring semester, USM said in a press release on Tuesday.

The session was fully attended and the students got the chance to receive first-hand information from their respective division heads, the dean of academics, the president of the university and the teams in full.

Part of the new student orientation covered team building and time management activities that are vital for their studies and could also serve as useful tips throughout their careers.

Marketing and Admissions Specialist, Shobhan Giterson said “it’s always exciting to work with the new students; it’s imperative that the students are well prepared for their semester ahead and know the key persons at the institution to whom they can turn for information that is relevant to their academic journey and success”.

This semester the group had the honor to hear from USM’s visiting Fulbright scholar, Dr. Aaron Kleist, Associate Dean of Faculty, Humanities and Social Sciences, Biola University.

Dr Kleist who is visiting USM until January 27th, addressed the students as a guest lecturer, where he spoke about the importance of conducting effective research, referencing, the different styles and writing techniques and much more.

Dr Aaron Kleist will be giving a free workshop for all students, on research and referencing.

Date: Thursday January 19, 2017

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30p.m

USM Campus Room 202

Price: Free

The USM family wishes all of the students much success throughout the year. President of the University Dr. Francio Guadeloupe states “The University is excited to open up the year with the newly accredited programs added to their body whereby, graduates of its BTEC Hospitality Management program may enroll in the fast-track program of the Hotel school The Hague.  This means that they can earn their European Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management in just two years at this prestigious institute after obtaining their degree at USM”.

The university is now accepting applications for the 2017 Summer and Fall semester.

For more information please visit www.usm.sx, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +721 542 5171.

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Presidente, SCDF to host Noche Latina for Carnival

PHILIPSBURG - Presidente Beer, in collaboration with the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), will host Noche Latina on Sunday, April 30, in Carnival Village featuring five of the most well-known artists out of the Dominican Republic. It will be the first Latin concert held under the new SCDF-CC1 partnership. The SCDF is now in control of both Reggae Night and Latin Night, two of the largest annually for Carnival.

Under the theme “Siente La Musica!” or Feel The Music, Presidente and SCDF will present two artists that fall under the “Urbanas” genre, two “Bacahateros” and one Salsa band that will “have the public dancing all night,” according to the foundation.

Taking the stage will be Urbana stars Shadow Blow and Mozart La Para. They will be joined by popular Salsa band Revolucion Salsera and finally, two legendary Bachata singers Yoskar Sarante and Luis Miguel del Amargue will complete the lineup.

“We are very excited about this show and very pleased to be able to partner with CC1 and Presidente Beer for this concert. The Latin music genre is still one of the biggest in the world and it’s an integral part of St. Maarten Carnival,” SCDF President Alston Lourens said.

“It isn’t just the Spanish community on St. Maarten that look forward to this show, locals as well, as do our visitors from Aruba, Curacao, South America and Miami. The lineup for Noche Latina is filled with top class artists with hits after hits. It will be a fun and energetic night for sure,” he added.

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Mozart La Para

Mozart La Para is a Dominican rapper who became a star following the success of singles like "Si Te Puego Cuerno," "Mami Yo Quisiera" and "Pom Pom Pom." He has also been a featured artist on tracks by a number of popular artists, including Shadow Blow and Sharlene Taule. During his first tour of the United States, he performed in front of 20,000 people as a special guest with renowned bachata group Aventura at the Izod Center in New Jersey. His collaboration with singer Farruko, "Si Te Puego Cuerno," became a smash hit in 2011.

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Shadow Blow

Shadow Blow is a Dominican rapper who is considered one of the preeminent artists in the subgenre of rap known as nipo. Some of his most popular songs include "Tu Con El & Yo Con Ella," "Mensaje Directo (DM)" and "Desde Que Te Conoci." He began attending the National Conservatory of Music in Santo Domingo in 1992. He studied piano for over a decade. He created his own studio called En El Area Estudio. Mozart La Para is featured on his hit track "Tu Con El & Yo Con Ella."

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Yoskar Sarante

Yoskar Sarante is one of the most popular singers of new bachata of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He took his first steps into merengue and belonged to the International Grupo Melao a merengue band in the Dominican Republic. He works with the nueva bachata movement, and has been on compilations such as Bachata Tipico and The Rough Guide to Bachata. During his career, he was invited to sing for the mayor at the New York Mets Stadium, which gained him some acclaim in the United States. He is now widely known internationally, and his music deals with romantic topics.

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Luís Miguel del Amargue

Luís Miguel del Amargue is a bachata singer from the Dominican Republic who was successful as a recording artist in Spain for a decade prior to breaking into the American music market with the compilation album Mis Canciones in 2009. Born in Azua, Dominican Republic, he made his album debut with Amor de una Noche in 1998. A collection of both bachatas and merengues, Amor de una Noche was released on the independent label Chaira Records and distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

Revolucion Salsera

Revolucion Salsera is an extremely popular Salsa band out of the Dominican Republic. They are part of a new generation of stars emerging in Santo Domingo and have already carved a niche out for themselves with popular hits. Songs such as “Mi Princesa”, “A falta de ti”, “El Amore is Libre” are still tearing up the charts.

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Minister of Justice Boasman: Meetings in Aruba fruitful

SINT MAARTEN/ARUBA - Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman returned to the island on Wednesday, January 11th, from Aruba where he participated in Justitiele Vierpartij Overleg (JVO) Judicial Four-Party Consultations.

The Minister deemed the meeting to be very positive. Prior to the meeting, Minister Boasman used the opportunity to meet the ministers of Justice of Aruba and Curacao separately to discuss some of the agenda points and matters of mutual interest.

The minister said that he indicated to them that, in his opinion, the most important issue is “that we stop fighting and accusing each other of all kinds of wrong doings.” He indicated that the feeling exists that the Dutch treat St. Maarten “as if we are all crooks, and that has to stop.”

A sentiment that he conveyed to the Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ard van der Steur who indicated that he was of the impression that St. Maarten was not taking the issues serious enough. Minister Boasman assured the minister that the current government has placed law enforcement as its highest priority and will be taking this very serious.

Minister Boasman had some very fruitful and positive discussions with Chief Public Prosecutor Ton Maan and the Solicitor General (PG) regarding the crime situation on the island in general and specifically the situation at the prison. The assurance was given by the minister that the issues at the prison will be given the highest priority. “We agreed to move forward with mutual respect for each other,” the Minister said.

The minister praised the members of his delegation for the preparations made prior to the meeting in Aruba. He commended the chair for accepting his request for the postponement for one month on the discussion of the evaluation of the consensus (Kingdom) law as he did not have the opportunity to discuss this with the Council of Ministers of St. Maarten.

The next meeting of the Judicial Four-Party Consultations will be held in June on Curacao, while St. Maarten has to prepare top host the meeting in January of 2018.

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World's jobless to rise amid economic uncertainty, growing inequality – UN labour report

SINT MAARTEN/INTERNATIONAL, 12 January 2017 – The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) released its 2017 World Employment and Social Outlook report today, which finds economic growth trends lagging behind employment needs and predicts both rising unemployment and worsening social inequality throughout 2017.

“We are facing the twin challenge of repairing the damage caused by the global economic and social crisis and creating quality jobs for the tens of millions of new labour market entrants every year,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

According to the report, global growth domestic product (GDP) growth reached a six-year low last year, well below the rate that was projected in 2015. Forecasters continue to revise their 2017 predictions downwards and uncertainty about the global economy persists, generating worry among experts that the economy will be unable to employ a sufficient number of people and that growth will not lead to inclusive and shared benefits.

Throughout 2017, global unemployment is expected to rise by 3.4 million. The increase, while a modest 5.7 to 5.8 per cent, is due to deteriorating labour market conditions in emerging countries – particularly those in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, unemployment is expected to fall in developed countries – especially in Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, the United States, and Canada.

In addition, the figure of 1.4 billion people who are employed in vulnerable working conditions is not expected to decrease. That number represents 42 per cent of all employment for 2017.

“Almost one in two workers in emerging countries are in vulnerable forms of employment, rising to more than four in five workers in developing countries,” said Steven Tobin, ILO Senior Economist and lead author of the report. That statistic is even worse for emerging countries. Those living in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are facing the greatest risk.

While the number of people living in poverty has been declining in recent years, rates of progress have begun to slow and are expected to continue to diminish in 2017. In developing countries, the rate of poverty is actually increasing.

Since 2009, the percentage of the working-age population willing to migrate abroad for work has risen in almost every region in the world. That trend was most prominent in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Arab States.

The report also points out a number of social inequalities that are creating barriers to growth and prosperity. Gender gaps in particular are affecting the labour market. In Northern Africa, women in the labour force are twice as likely as men to be unemployed. That gap is wider still for women in Arab States. As a result of these and other social inequalities across a wide range of demographics, the ILO estimates that the risk of social unrest or discontent is growing in almost all regions.

“Economic growth continues to disappoint and underperform – both in terms of levels and the degree of inclusion. This paints a worrisome picture for the global economy and its ability to generate enough jobs,” said Mr. Ryder. “Persistent high levels of vulnerable forms of employment combined with clear lack of progress in job quality – even in countries where aggregate figures are improving – are alarming. We need to ensure that the gains of growth are shared in an inclusive manner.”

The ILO advocates policy approaches that address root causes of secular stagnation as well as structural impediments to growth.

“Boosting economic growth in an equitable and inclusive manner requires a multi-faceted policy approach that addresses the underlying causes of secular stagnation, such as income inequality, while taking into account country specificities,” said Mr. Toobin.

Such progress, the ILO emphasized, is only possible through international cooperation. A coordinated effort to provide fiscal stimuli and public investments would go a long way to provide an immediate jump start to the global economy and could eliminate an anticipated rise in unemployment for two million people.

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Amuseum Naturalis 2017 Season Opening Event January 17th

GRAND CASE - St. Martin’s only natural history museum, Amuseum Naturalis, is officially launching its 2017 season on Tuesday, January 17th at 5pm. The public is invited to explore the museum and enjoy light refreshments during the free opening event. The launch coincides with the first Mardis de Grand Case street fair of the season.

Amuseum Naturalis is a free pop-up museum established by the Les Fruits de Mer association that highlights the natural history of St. Martin and the Caribbean. The exhibits feature some of the island’s most fascinating animals and plants, like lizards that live only on St. Martin and the tree with the hardest wood in the world. The museum also spotlights the nature we often overlook, like the vibrant freshwater ecosystems found in guts and livestock ponds.

“There’s nothing else like it on the island,” explained Les Fruits de Mer President Jenn Yerkes. “So many important stories about the island’s natural history that aren’t told anywhere else are collected right in one place, and that makes a big impact.”

Les Fruits de Mer created Amuseum Naturalis in 2016 so residents and visitors of all ages could celebrate and learn more about the unique nature of the island. It features a dozen exhibits on different topics, a small theater showing short original nature documentaries filmed on St. Martin, and outdoor displays showcasing local birds, plants and insects. Always growing and changing, the Amuseum stays true to its promise of “New wonders every week!”

“We’re incredibly excited to officially launch the updated Amuseum,” said Les Fruits de Mer co-founder Mark Yokoyama. “Having a second season gave us a chance to improve and expand on our work from last year and make the experience more beautiful, more engaging and more interactive.”

The Amuseum Naturalis 2017 season opening event is free and open to the public, Tuesday, January 17th from 5pm to 10pm. The museum will be open for the season Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm to 8pm, and it is always free. 

Amuseum Naturalis is made possible by the generous support of Delta Petroleum and over a dozen businesses and individual donors who have become Friends of the Amuseum. 
For more information, visit amuseumnaturalis.com
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GITTENS TO HOST BOOK SIGNING AT VAN DORP SIMPSON BAY ON JANUARY 28

SIMPSON BAY - Dr. Gittens author of “The Pie Philosophy,” and President and CEO of Training Professionals International Firm, TPI will host a book signing at Van Dorp Simpson Bay location on Saturday, January 28, 2017 from 1 pm – 3pm, it is a FREE EVENT.   

The book was launched at a recent TPI, Free Seminar held at Divi Little Bay on Saturday, January 7 and received rave reviews and over fifty copies were sold.  The book is now available at Van Dorp both locations Madame Estate & Simpson Bay, Nature’s Discount, Good Cards and Top Carrot located in Simpson Bay. 

“The Pie Philosophy” will be available for purchase at the book signing for $24.99. Dr. Gittens will read chapters from the book coupled with intimate quotes and attendees will have the opportunity to ask the author questions about the book.  Purchasers will have the opportunity to get their books personally autographed by Dr. Gittens. 

In a recent press release Dr. Gittens stated: This book was created from intimate parts of my life and from my heart. The book provides readers with my life’s lessons that I cherish. I feel mandated to share and contribute to the growth and development of others as a lifelong educator.  It is a quick read, uplifting and focuses on guaranteed personal change in 30 days.  

The owner of Van Dorp’s Mrs. Carty stated: Van Dorp is thrilled to have this great book available now at both of our locations Van Dorp Madame Estate and Van Dorp Simpson bay , pick your copy today !”

The reviews of the book have been quite impressive. Mr. Geedes stated, the book is thin, feather light, easy to carry.  The interesting thing about the book is, it only consists of 26 pages and provides a journaling section.  With that said, there are messages in the book worth 10,000 pages.  Dr. Gittens brilliantly provided us, the people with a readable, uncomplicated book that almost anyone can read that brings home one important, singular message. Look at your life and make positive change.  

To purchase the book, please visit the following local stores:   VanDorp both locations Madame Estate & Simpson Bay, Nature’s Discount, Good Cards and Top Carrot all stores located in Simpson Bay. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to order your book.  Visit the TPI website at  http://firmtpi.com/. Follow TPI on Instagram @ tpi_sxm or call 526.2050/2052. To have Dr. Gittens as a keynote/guest speaker contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and ask for Frank den Hartigh. 

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Young Author Cantave to host free lecture at USM on January 12

POND ISLAND - Author, radio host and youth ambassador, Ralph Cantave will present at a lecture he is hosting at the University of St. Martin (USM) titled, “Millennial Matters.”

Cantave recently published his book, “Words of Change” and sold hundreds of copies locally during the fall of 2016. At the lecture Cantave will be highlighting issues that the young people of his generation are concerned with and issues that he believes, they need to take into consideration.

It will take place on Thursday night January 12.  His presentation is based on his book which is a compilation of articles and essays about culture, politics and history on St. Maarten.

Cantave has always been a staunch advocate for culture studies and youth empowerment.

The lecture is free and open to the general public. It will commence at 7.00pm and end at 9.00pm.

After the lecture there will be an open floor session where Cantave will have a discussion with the audience. The lecture will take place in room 202.

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Inspectorate TEATT and Section Casino Control extend condolences on the passing of co-worker

GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – On behalf of every staff member of the Inspectorate of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) and especially Section Casino Control, extend our heartfelt and most sincere condolences to the family of the late Alfred “Freddy” de Weever who left us on Friday, January 6th, 2017, a press release from the Inspectorate said on Wednesday.

“Freddy was known to us all as a proud, hardworking man but most importantly as a Casino Controller.  His career was a source of passion and love and Freddy owned it to the very end.

“We all enjoyed and will miss his quick wit, his sharp intellect, his vocal opinion on issues dear to his heart and lastly his wonderfully warm sense of humor. 

“To his wife, Carmen, always remember that you have an extended family of over 40 Casino Controllers.”

‘While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil.’ - John Taylor –

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Dutch Minister of Security and Justice to install new Chief of Police for Caribbean Netherlands Police Force

BONAIRE – Dutch Minister Ard Van der Steur of Security and Justice will pay a working visit to Bonaire from January 11th up till and including January 13th, 2017.

On January 12th, Van der Steur will officially install the new Chief of Police of the Police Force Dutch Caribbean, Jose Rosales.

Further on the program that day are meetings with Kingdom Representative Gilbert Isabella, Island Governor Edison Rijna, head prosecutor Henry Hambeukers and the Victim Support Bureau.

On January 13th, the Minister will pay a visit to, amongst others, the Court in First Instance, the new construction of the Correctional Institution Caribbean Netherlands, the Foundation Krusada, the fire station and the Koninklijke Marechaussee. (RCN Caribbean Netherlands)

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Be The Change Makes Contribution to K1 Britannia’s WTSD Program

PHILIPSBURG – With the help of over 100 members, Be The Change Foundation donates to different organizations, foundations, and associations on a month-to-month basis through its Spotlight Project Program. The Foundation is pleased and proud to announce their support of the K1 Britannia Work, Training and Social Development (WTSD) Program with a donation of USD $1950.00 that was raised during the months of November and December 2016.

The Work, Training, and Social Development Program is a 6-month program put together by K1 Britannia that provides 11 foster teenagers and 5 teenagers under probationary measures, aged 16 to 18, with work placements, educational and practical training courses, “work-ready” workshops and volunteer placements with social organizations in order to improve their employability once they leave the foster care or juvenile judicial system at the age of 18.

The first phase of the project has already begun with a total of 17 participants. The participants have been involved in pre-employment workshops and GED mock exams to prepare for their diploma. They also participate in weekly study groups and various volunteering efforts.

Be The Change is proud to be able to support K1 Britannia’s much-needed social program which is actively advocating for a better situation for our island’s youth. Be The Change is able to offer this support thanks to the donations we receive from our members and others in the community.

Please visit our web page at bethechangesxm.com to learn how you too can become a member of and help us help such worthwhile organizations such as K1 Britannia. For more information about K1 Britannia visit them at k1britanniafoundation.org or contact them via Facebook.

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