Author: Mark Yokoyama

2015 Heritage Photo Exhibition

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The exhibition for the 2015 Heritage Photo Contest will be held on Friday, July 17th at Lagoonies Bistro in Cole Bay. Photo entries will be on display and attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite for the Erika Cannegieter-Smith People’s Choice Award. The exhibition opening will be held from 6-10pm with the awards ceremony taking place at 9pm. We hope to see you there!

Lagoonies Bistro is located at the Lagoon Marina, Wellington Road 33-35 between ELECTEC and FKG in Cole Bay.

Monika Zach

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Cole Bay

Blue and orange
The contrast between the blue sky and the orange building is striking. The details of the building design represent St. Maarten traditional island architecture.

Monika Zach

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Simpson Bay Lagoon

Boats
The juxtaposition of the mega yachts with the Venetian gondola depicts the diversity and the unexpected beauty of the island. The colours produced by the sunset and clouds create a dramatic backdrop.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Caye Chateau

Caye Chateau, the waters allow you to have a clear view of anything in it, which is a lot. If you don’t have any I advise you to bring a child you know, they are the best at showing you things you miss out on, they have the better eyes and are closer to the ground! This day ours found part of a boat, the name and them in it, plus the surroundings made it another perfect Sint Maarten day.

Hakim Belaroussi

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Grand Case

Cette photo a été prise a la sortie de l’ecole de Grande Case (deuxième pont), c’est une habitante de Grand Case faisant sa vaisselle dehors (au bord de la nationale). Elle représente pour moi un souvenir d’un mode de vie ancien (en toute simplicité…)face a une maternelle qui représente le future de l’ile(modernité, ordinateurs, vêtements a la mode…!).
C’est un vrai gage de souvenir et de tradition qu’elle offre aux enfants qui avec chance a chaques sorties d’ecole peuvent l’apercevoir dans ces activités extérieurs.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Guana Bay

Guana Bay while crazy waves crushing in, our son decides to play soccer in it. It is a wonderful site with the regatta going on in the background, but any child, at any time, at any beach shows you the pure joy. Let them keep that and all the children to come!

Free Gaïac Seedlings at Lagoonies Regatta

Club Gaïac is a heritage tree restoration project.
Club Gaïac is a heritage tree restoration project.
Learn about one of our island’s most amazing native trees and take home a free seedling to plant in your backyard or neighborhood at the Lagoonies Regatta, this Saturday, June 27th. This seedling giveaway is part of Club Gaïac, the Les Fruits de Mer association’s heritage tree project. The Gaïac, also known as Lignum Vitae, is an endangered native tree.

Sometimes called the Tree of Life for its alleged medicinal properties, the Gaïac is a hardy, slow-growing tree native to our region. Prized for their incredibly strong wood—the densest of any tree in the world—these beautiful trees were over-harvested for centuries, particularly during the colonial era, and are now officially endangered. Like other native trees, they provide food and shelter to many of the island’s animals. Replanting these trees, even in our own backyards, helps create habitat for native animals and helps restore this important heritage tree for future generations. The Club Gaïac project promotes Gaïac restoration through seedling giveaways and other outreach activities, both online and at events.

Sixty Gaïac seedlings were grown for the giveaway at Saturday's Regatta.
Sixty Gaïac seedlings were grown for the giveaway at Saturday’s regatta.
Sixty Gaïac seedlings have been raised specifically for the giveaway at the 2015 Lagoonies Regatta. They will be available for free on a first-come, first-served basis at Les Fruits de Mer’s Club Gaïac station at the event, which will also feature displays and presentations about the Gaïac’s role in the local ecosystem and its fascinating historical uses on this island and around the world. Anyone with a Gaïac tree in their yard is encouraged to bring seeds that can be cultivated for future seedling giveaways.

The Lagoonies Regatta will be held from 9am-5pm, followed by an awards ceremony and free live rock concert, on Saturday, June 27th at Lagoonies Bistro, located at the Lagoon Marina, Wellington Road 33-35 between ELECTEC and FKG in Cole Bay. The Club Gaïac station will be open from 10am to 6pm.

Ricardo Benjamin

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Philipsburg

The court house, once the post office for dutch St.Maarten, now its stand as a nostalgic piece of art and a testimony of all that has past, and to all the young folks a beacon that when seen from anywhere, say home.

Margaret Brooks

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Dawn Beach

A far cry from the former Dawn Beach Hotel with its cozy bungalows on the beach, destroyed in Hurricane Luis on September 5, 1995, The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa now looks out over the rough Atlantic waters of this neighborhood.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Red Pond Bay

Red Pond bay, will it ever be finished this complex? It has damaged a lot, and rots away as time goes by, with a wall that reminds me of the one in Berlin. The situation on having million dollar complexes started and never finished
should be stopped right away, especially on places where there still were none. Oh, do we even have those left? Shame on the ones still allowing things like this to happen.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Maho beach

It’s always about the planes. And the tourists. They come and go with our ‘gang’ of taxi drivers, who do an excellent job driving safely, taking care of them, informing them, and teach them a thing or two. Hooray to them.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Philipsburg

Carnaval can be loud and a lot of sexy outfits. Look beyond, feel the drive. We looked at him as he did at us, I “caught’ us in
his sunglasses. Without him knowing, he had us talking about Carnaval with many many others, thus finding out things we never knew.

Judith van de Pas van Oort

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Sentry Hill

Sentry Hill, what neighborhood is it exactly? It’s a beautiful hike up there, doable for most of us. I know, we are all busy, me included, but taking the time to literally look around makes you see why our island is so special. it clears your head and makes you appreciate (all) life more, great deal huh?