PHILIPSBURG:--- Residents across the island are losing sleep and gasping for clean air. From Simpson Bay to Dutch Quarter, a relentless blanket of toxic smoke is poisoning built-up neighborhoods. For people living in these communities, breathing has become hazardous, and their frustration is reaching a boiling point.
In Dutch Quarter, along Christiansted Drive—a street formerly known as Nick Spring Drive to honor a beloved local matriarch—the air is thick with hazardous fumes. Families report drowning in toxic smoke up to three times a day. The constant exposure forces people to keep their windows bolted shut, turning homes into suffocating traps. Nights offer no relief, with residents in both Dutch Quarter and Simpson Bay reporting endless sleepless nights as the smoke settles heavily over their roofs.
The health risks of inhaling these toxic fumes are severe. Children, the elderly, and anyone with respiratory issues face immediate danger. Yet, despite the obvious threat to public health, pleas for help have hit a brick wall.
Residents have repeatedly sounded the alarm. They have filed complaints with their local community officer. They have directly notified leaders, including Chief Commissioner of Police Carl John and Minister of VSA Richinel Brug. The response? Absolute silence. No investigations, no citations, and no effort to trace or stop the burning. The very people tasked with protecting the community are leaving citizens to fend for themselves.
"We are tired," shared one exhausted local. The sentiment echoes across the island. Families watch their neighborhoods turn into hazardous zones while the authorities look the other way.
This crisis demands immediate intervention. Leaders must step up, enforce environmental protections, and hold those responsible for the burning accountable. The people of Simpson Bay and Dutch Quarter deserve to sleep through the night without fearing for their health.
It is time to clear the air. The community refuses to be ignored any longer.
French Quarter, St. Martin:--- A new book by Roland Richardson launches at Amuseum Naturalis in French Quarter this Saturday. The book is titled The Last Frontier: Sir Roland Richardson’s French Quarter. It features artwork of people and places in French Quarter, and Richardson’s memories of the time he lived there. It is bilingual in English and French. The public is invited to the free, launch event. It will be held at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House in French Quarter from 9 am to noon this Saturday, March 28th. The book was produced by the Les Fruits de Mer association.
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), joined the international community in observing World Oral Health Day (WOHD) on Friday, March 20, under the theme “A Happy Mouth is… A Happy Life” with students at the St. Joseph Primary School with second graders.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Internationally trained dancer, choreographer, and dance educator Clifford Henry has returned to Sint Maarten to conduct a series of dance workshops across the island, continuing his commitment to giving back to the community that shaped his artistic journey. Born and raised on Sint Maarten, Henry began his dance training at the National Institute of Arts (NIA), studying under respected teachers Clara Reyes, Arlene Halley, Rudolph Davis, Peggy Oulerich, Jerry Vanterpool, and Eolia ”Bee-Bee” Ada. His early foundation included ballet, modern, Horton technique, African dance, hip-hop, jazz, and other movement forms that would later influence his multidisciplinary approach to dance education. Mr. Henry also studied Capoeira under the guidance of Tyrone Phelipa.
