News

The Daily Herald writes that Saba Cultural Foundation held its first food sale and bingo of the year on Saturday at Princess Juliana sports field in The Bottom. The proceeds will go towards preparations for the 39th Saba Summer Festival. Organizers described the event as “a smashing success.” President Dave …

Princess Beatrix will be present at the Kingdom Youth Parliament event in St. Maarten late May this year, Dutch newspaper de Telegraaf reported on Tuesday evening, writes The Daily Herald. Dutch government information service RVD has confirmed the report. The intention is for the former queen to receive the findings …

Mr. Edison E. Rijna is appointed deputy Island Governor for the public entityof Bonaire as of March 1, 2014. Dutch National Representative for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba Wilbert Stolte made this known on February 5, 2014. Rijna, born in Bonaire on July 7, 1967, has a wide experience in …

According the Daily Herald approximately fifteen unqualified teachers from the secondary school community Bonaire SGB, Forma, Gwendoline van Putten on St. Eustatius and the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) are following the bachelor’s teacher credential programme for biology, mathematics, techniques, GZW and personal interaction on Bonaire. These courses are organised through …

The Daily Herald writes that Saba University School of Medicine (SUSOM) student representatives of the Alpha Omega Phi Honour and Service Society and the Student Government Association were invited by Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) Director Hemmie van Xanten in St. Johns to see the outcome of their fundraising efforts. Late …

Two staff workers of Government Service Caribbean Netherlands’ Department of Personnel and Organisation RCN-PO will be visiting St. Eustatius and Saba February 3-7, to present the education sub-department, to make acquaintance with internal and external partners and to make an inventory of educational needs. During their visit to the islands, …

Speaking on behalf of more than thirty Haitiborn residents in Saba, Haiti Association President Germaine Mermane and Vice-President Wilner Rosemond expressed their gratitude to the community for its overwhelming show of support and solidarity with the victims of the house fire of January 7. This writes The Daily Herald. The …

In total, 35 local authorities have signed a manifesto calling on the government to sanction official experiments with legal marijuana production. The council leaders argue regulated growing would end the grey area between semi-legalised sales in cannabis cafes and illegal supply by criminal gangs. The signatories include the mayors of …

The Daily Herald writes that throughout January, René Caderius van Veen has turned his Windwardside residence into a unique, rare-books exhibit. The picturesque setting for the extensive private collection is a beautifully-restored traditional Saba cottage erected in approximately 1850. The exhibit, which remains open until mid-February, is unique for the …

The Daily Herald writes that the 8.9 million euros (US $12.4 million) that the Dutch government paid to St. Eustatius and Saba to lay the fibre optic sea cable is worth the investment, even though the project exceeded the original budget. Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald …

People throughout the Dutch Caribbean are called to think about laws and rules to develop society in connection with the thirtieth anniversary of Antillean Law Association AJV. This writes The Daily Herald. Via crowd sourcing, the association wants to harvest ideas, plans and initiatives from a large group of people, …

The Daily Herald writes that the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament is questioning the decision of Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Jetta Klijnsma to only approve a limited increase of the minimum wage in Saba, even after her letter from two weeks ago. The Senate’s Permanent Committee …

Hazel Durand reports that, for the first time, the Sociale Kanstraject (SKJ) program on Saba managed by the Saba Reach Foundation will be offering middelbaar beroepsonderwijs (MBO) level 1 to high school dropouts or to those students who only received a school leaving certificate at the end of their high …

The Daily Herald writes that Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten committed to continue investing in the Police Force Caribbean Netherlands during a meeting with the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Thursday. Defending the increase in the budget of the Police Force for Bonaire, St. Eustatius …

UTS has stepped up to support the Saba Cultural Foundation in its endeavour to organise a fundraising bingo, writes The Daily Herald. The bingo will be held on Saturday, February 2, and will feature a large range of attractive prizes. UTS has provided three smartphone devices as prizes during the …

The Daily Herald reports that the island community celebrated the 101st birthday of eldest resident Irene Granger on Wednesday evening with a Mass at Henry Every Old Age Home in The Bottom. The Mass was presided by Father Alphons Baak, who is temporarily replacing Father Danilo Pastor.  Impressed by the …

During two town hall meetings the results of the language of instruction research on St. Eustatius were presented. The first meeting, on Monday, January 2, was for the general public and the second one, on Tuesday January 28, was for local education professionals. The results were presented by the research …

The Daily Herald writes that the First Chamber of the Dutch Parliament has decided to call in the minister for a debate on February 11, 2014, being unhappy with the explanation of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk as to why he rejects a Caribbean Netherlands …

Not on Saba but from a package on its way to Saba things have been removed. This complaint was filed with the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force on Saba on Tuesday, at 10:42am, concerning the theft of documents committed outside the territory of the Netherlands. Three Passports and documents stolen from …

The Daily Herald writes that Dutch coalition parties the Labour Party PvdA and liberal democratic VVD party are concerned about the capacity of the St. Maarten Prosecutor’s Office and the National Detectives to carry out investigations. Members of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Roelof van Laar (PvdA) and …

The first baby born on Saba for 2014 was born on January 27. The baby boy has been named Juanmanuel Hassell and was born to parents Gina and Ryan Hassell. The infant was delivered by Dr. Jack Buchanan at A.M Edwards Medical Center at 5:30 am. Both mother and baby …

A new playground will soon be built at Cove Bay in Hell’s Gate, as an additional play area for young children to spend some time outside. The new playground is being financed through funds from the Island Government and the Dutch Government through its ‘leefbaarheidfonds’ Cove Bay was chosen as …

The police reports that on Monday, January 27th, around 22:59 PM, police received report of theft of a gray Hyundai Tucson that was parked near a restaurant in Windward Side. Shortly after the owner reported that she had found the car behind a grocery store in Windward Side. The car …

The Daily Herald reports this morning that three people were rescued after a private airplane crashed into the sea yesterday afternoon. The plane, a 1977 six-seat Piper PA-23 250 Aztec F, had three people on board. It had left Grand Case Airport en route to St. Barths when both engines …

On Saturday, January 25th, around 1:17 PM, the police received notification of destruction of a car parked at the Fort Bay Road. All four tires of the car were slashed and the windshield was smashed. The window was so fragmented that one could no longer look through it. The case …

The Daily Herald writes that celebrating the island’s great cultural diversity, a parade of flags and “Nationalities Day” special service took place Sunday morning at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in The Bottom. The congregation also organised a nationalities fundraiser food sale at Princess Juliana’s sports field on Saturday, with traditional …

According to the report “Safety image Caribbean Netherlands 2013. Crime, violation of regulations and public nuisance on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba” which was released by Dutch Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten last week, there is a suspicion that work-related exploitation exists. Researchers who drew up a report …

The Daily Herald writes that the Education Implementation Service DUO will extend the pilot project in the Caribbean Netherlands this year for repayment of student-loan debts accumulated in the Netherlands. Under the pilot, former students from Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius can make use of a local account at Maduro …

The Daily Herald writes that the funeral of Ronald Leon “Ronnie” Johnson brought together an impressive number of people Thursday afternoon at St. Paul’s Conversion Church in Windwardside. The gathering overflowed into the street as testimonials of his life were read. Many joined from abroad to pay their last respects …

Violations of integrity have been found on all three islands of the Caribbean Netherlands, not only in Bonaire, where two (former) politicians have been prosecuted, writes The Daily Herald. This according to a recent report on security and crime of the National Police and Royal Marechaussee titled “Safety image Caribbean …

On Friday January 24th, 2014 the construction board for the renovation and expansion work at the Police Station in The Bottom Saba was unveiled. Island Governor Jonathan Johnson together with acting Chief of Basic Police Care Saba, Mr. Wingrove Baker, the Government Buildings Agency (Rijksgebouwendienst) and the construction team unveiled …

The Daily Herald reported that Cerissa Steel was introduced by Elyane Paul, the director of the Dutch Caribbean Council for Education and Labor Market (Raad Onderwijs Arbeidsmarkt Caribisch Nederland ROA-CN) publicly introduced, as the new ROA-CN adviser and trainer of on the job trainees on Saba. ROA-CN is the only …

Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO) will in 2014 extend the pilot in the Caribbean Netherlands for the repayment of student debt accumulated in the Netherlands. Within this pilot former students from Bonaire as well as Saba and St. Eustatius can make use of a local account at the Maduro and Curiel’s …

The Daily Herald writes that eleven law enforcement officers attended a criminal session of the Joint Court of Justice on St. Eustatius on Tuesday afternoon. The group of officers comprised 11 members of the Police and Immigration Departments of St. Maarten, Saba and Statia. They are trained and instructed to …

Saba Healthcare Foundation (SHCF) inaugurated its community health “I Love My Body” programme at A.M. Edwards Medical Center Tuesday afternoon. The opening featured a presentation by Dr. Gina Boorsma, which attracted some 45 persons. All participants received free T-shirts with the programme’s logo, a variation on the logo of Aruba’s …

The recent increase of the minimum wage on Saba contributes to preventing abuse of employees and poverty, stated Dutch State Secretary of Social Affairs Jetta Klijnsma on Wednesday. The Daily Herald writes that the State Secretary stated this in response to written questions posed by Member of the Second Chamber …

Members of the Permanent Committee for Kingdom Relations of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament remain concerned about the purchasing power and the high consumer prices on Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, writes The Daily Herald. During the Committee’s visit to the Caribbean Netherlands earlier this month, the members …

After 33 years on the throne, Beatrix abdicated on April 30, 2013, after which her son, King Willem-Alexander, ascended to the throne. The tribute show will be held at the Ahoy venue in Rotterdam and has been put together by oboist and artistic leader of the Netherlands Blazers Ensemble Bart …

The Daily Herald writes that Labour Party PvdA in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament is very critical about the nature and frequency of business travels of Dutch civil servants to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The letter of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk …

On Tuesday, January 21st , around 10.00 PM, a burglary at a property situated in the Nameless Street in The Bottom had been reported. There were, among others, speakers taken. The case is under investigation. Press release KPCN, January 22, 2014