SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - Kadaster St. Maarten is moving forward with plans to establish a Cables and Lines Information Center (CLIC), a major step toward safer and more coordinated underground infrastructure management on the island.

The initiative follows recent discussions between Director Benjamin Ortega of Kadaster St. Maarten and senior representatives of Kadaster Netherlands, including Vincent Siegmund (Director, Operations, Services and Registration), Caroline Groot (Product Manager, KLIC), and Mathilde Molendijk (Program Manager, Caribbean Netherlands).

The meeting served as an introduction between both organisations’ management teams and focused on the exchange of expertise surrounding the Dutch KLIC system, which provides a secure national portal for digital information on cables and pipelines. Drawing on the Netherlands’ successful model and guided by international best practices such as the UK’s National Underground Asset Register Kadaster St. Maarten aims to implement a localised version of CLIC by 2026, in close collaboration with the Ministry of VROMI.

To formalize this cooperation, Kadaster St. Maarten and various relevant stakeholders are finalising a Memorandum of Understanding outlining shared objectives for CLIC’s establishment. The agreement designates Kadaster as the official registry authority for all underground infrastructure and as the custodian of the national Base Infrastructure Map the island’s single source of authoritative spatial data for planning, permitting, and development.

“The CLIC initiative will allow all utility and infrastructure stakeholders to access accurate, up-to-date information before excavation, minimising damage risks and improving coordination across the island,” said Mr. Ortega. “This is an important step toward a more digital, sustainable, and data-driven land administration system for Sint Maarten.”

The upcoming MOU also envisions enhancing data sharing between government departments, utilities, and key partners, paving the way for more integrated spatial planning and climate-resilient infrastructure management.

Further working sessions will continue into 2026 as Kadaster St. Maarten refines the system’s governance model, technical framework, and stakeholder engagement strategy ahead of full implementation.

SINT MAARTEN (LITTLE BAY POND) - On Sunday, November 2^nd, St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) partnered with the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten to host a community clean-up, which gathered 65 volunteers. From 7:00 am to 9:00 am, volunteers donned gloves and picked up garbage littering the roadside and the banks of Little Bay Pond, accumulating five truckloads.

Throughout the clean-up, volunteers discovered abandoned car parts and industrial equipment, as well as countless empty glass/plastic bottles and an excessive amount of Styrofoam food containers. These waste materials pose a danger to the ecosystem and especially to the animals that inhabit the pond.

The event aimed to restore and preserve one of the island’s key ecological sites, and reinforced SMMC’s commitment to protecting Blue Forest ecosystems, a value that directly inspired the interior design concept of the St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH). The hospital’s focus on community, culture, and the environment drives meaningful projects that enhance the overall well-being of the island and its people.

At the end of the clean-up, hosts from the Nature Foundation took volunteers on a bird-watching tour, to showcase the various inhabitants present at the Little Bay Pond.

SMMC and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten thank faculty and students of Learning Unlimited, students of St. Dominic High School, clients and group leaders of Sr. Basilia Center, Teen Times members, the Belair and Cay Hill Communities, as well as SMMC staff volunteers for their vital contribution to the success of this event.

SMMC and the Nature Foundation Sint Maarten urge citizens of St. Maarten to refrain from littering and reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, as poor waste management affects not only wildlife but also the quality of life for all inhabitants of the island.

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On Saturday November 1, 2025, the Sint Maarten Youth Parliament continued their 2025 Annual Interscholastic Debate Competition (AIDC). This week's contest features four schools: Milton Peters College, St. Maarten Academy, St. Dominic High School, Caribbean International Academy.

The first debate featured St. Dominic High against St. Maarten Academy, with St. Dominic defending the moot: “Schools have a moral obligation to ban or severely restrict the use of generative AI tools to protect students from the risks of misinformation, bias, and data privacy issues..” St. Maarten Academy emerged victorious in that contest. The Best Speaker title was awarded to Tyrique Walsh, the second speaker from St. Dominic High School.

The second debate featured Milton Peters College against Caribbean International Academy, with Academy defending the moot: “Prioritizing the full inclusion of students with disabilities in all school activities can negatively impact the academic and social experience of other students.” Milton Peters College emerged victorious in that contest. The Best Speaker title was awarded to Jada Smith , the rebuttal from Milton Peters College.

The competition continues the following Saturday, November 15 at 6:30 pm, with two debates. The first debate will feature Milton Peters College and St. Dominic High. St. Dominic High will defend the moot: “Every educational institution should be required to give students thorough instruction on online privacy and digital rights, and safe technology use.”

In the second debate, Caribbean International Academy will compete against St. Maarten Academy, Caribbean International Academy defending the moot: “The preservation of cultural heritage should not be the burden of our academic institutions.”

The debates take place at the University of St. Martin, Room 202. Admission is US$ 2.00 and refreshments will be on sale. Come out and support your favourite team!

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS) hereby informs the general public that, following a recent environmental health inspection conducted by the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), initiated at the request of the Minister Melissa D. Gumbs, an urgent Stop Order has been issued for several classrooms at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School.

The affected classrooms are rooms 103, 104, 109, and 112 through 117. The order was issued as a result of the discovery of significant health hazards, including rat and pigeon droppings, nests, and other signs of infestation, all of which pose serious risks to the health, safety and well-being of both students and staff.

In keeping with our responsibility to provide and ensure a safe and conducive learning environment, the Ministry has acted swiftly and decisively in response to the findings. The affected areas have been immediately cordoned off, and comprehensive remediation, cleaning, and sanitation measures are now being coordinated in close collaboration with all the relevant authorities.

A total of 112 students will be directly affected by the temporary closure of these classrooms. The Ministry is actively implementing contingency measures to ensure educational continuity, including the reassignment of classes to available spaces within the MGDW School and the temporary relocation of three (3) classes to the Division of Examinations building nearby. Transportation arrangements for the affected students between the MGDW School and the temporary site have been fully secured and will be supervised to ensure student safety and punctuality.

In order to facilitate the smooth commencement of these arrangements and to allow staff to prepare the temporary learning spaces, the Marie Genevieve de Weever School will be closed on Friday, November 7, 2025.

MECYS will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to minimise any disruption to teaching and learning. The Ministry will continue to provide timely updates as remediation progresses and will communicate clear timelines for the safe return of all students and staff to their regular classrooms.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health, safety, and well-being of every child, educator, and school worker in Sint Maarten’s education system. Further information will be shared as the situation evolves.

The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Hon. Melissa D. Gumbs, noted that the situation at the Marie Genevieve de Weever School highlights broader infrastructural and maintenance challenges across the public-school network. “While our immediate focus is on restoring safe learning conditions at MGDW, we recognise that similar issues exist at other schools. In coordination with the Ministry of VSA, MECYS will therefore be expanding inspections to all public schools to assess conditions and take prompt corrective action wherever needed,” the Minister stated. “This process will also inform the development of a long-term, structural maintenance and facilities management plan, through which MECYS intends to bring all public schools up to acceptable health and safety standards and ensure that every child and teacher can learn and work in an environment of dignity and care.”