PHOTO CUTLINE: L to R, Down Street Business and Community Council Vice President June Peters (3rd from left), Minster Hon. Maurice Lake (6th from left), St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies CEO Mark Mingo (1st from right) along with representatives of the council, the Minister’s Cabinet and port. DCOMM Photo
Calls on Philipsburg Business Community to Ring in the Christmas Spirit
Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI) Hon. Maurice Lake commends the Down Street Business/Community Association on their planned Street Fair for December 18 and 21.
Eight cruise vessels will be in port on Thursday, December 18, and the Down Street Business and Community Council decided one of their first projects would be a Street Fair that would highlight a traditional Sint Maarten Christmas of local goodies for sale.
Those interested in having a stall at the Street Fair should contact Joyce Williams (Cell 523-8602). All organizations and vendors outside the Down Street area are also welcome to display their goods on the two days, December 18 and 21.
Vice President of the Community Council June Peters told Minister Hon. Maurice Lake and port officials in a meeting on Wednesday that the Down Street Business and Community Council would like to bring back activities to that particular part of Philipsburg.
The Council would like to see more cruise tourist activity in the Down Street area especially with the Walter Plantz Tender Pier right next door.
For the planned street fair, the Down Street Community representatives made their wishes known to the Minister and other stakeholders present, that they would like to have Front Street blocked off from L’Escargot down towards the direction of the old Paper Garden.
The community council’s spokesperson at the meeting was June Peters, Vice President who was also supported by Wilfred Evertz (board member of Christmas activities), Greg Arrindell (PR), and Miguel de Weever (liaison government matters).
Mark Mingo, Chief Executive Officer of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies, Hector Peters, a representative from the Harbour Group, were also present during the meeting.
Mingo told the community representatives that the Harbour Group of Companies are ready and willing to help the Down Street Community and to assist with the logistics related to December 18 and 21 Street Fair in connection with the tender pier.
"I commend the Down Street Business and Community group for taking the proactive approach of bringing Christmas and Culture back to Philipsburg. This is a start. I am a going back to basics person, and the promotion of our traditions, culture and heritage is definitely going back to basics, and the group wholeheartedly has my and my Ministry’s full support.
"We need to bring back the Christmas spirit. I would like to see the Philipsburg business community coming together and putting up one or more large Christmas trees in Philipsburg. Get onboard and support a long-term sustainable cause of bringing back Christmas to our main town for the people and visitors to enjoy.
"The Philipsburg business community benefits from the thousands of cruise ship passengers that come to our shores annually. The time is here to give back to your community in a big and sustainable way. Let it not be a one-time contribution, but a sustainable annual tradition. The ball is now in your court," Minister Hon. Maurice Lake said on Friday.