Apr. 15 - Apr. 29, 2019, Year 26, Issue 7 Box 603, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, Phone (599) 796-4055, www.bonairereporter.com email:[email protected] Taking care of our flamingos Walk-a-thon recap Bonaire windrider wins FORSA PWA Elly Albers with a juvenile flamingo Photo by Julie Morgan LOTSAM and F JETSAM This Week’s Stories Taking care of Bonaire’s Flamingos 1,6 Water Polo Team 4 Earth day 5 BMP rescues capsized boat Rincon Day 5 Hans Hass 5 Bonaire Coastal Living 6 Walkathon 2019 8 FORSA PWA 8 Classical Music Festival 11 Ride for Roses in June 13 Departments Flotsam & Jetsam (Executive Council, Boat capsizes, DigiD, Child subsidy, Airlines, Law enforcement. Appoint- ments: Trump, Valdink, van der Wal,) 2 Ask Kate, (If it’s not selling...) 4 The new Commissioners were sworn in at a meeting of the Island Picture Yourself—Turkmenistan 4 Council by Island Governor Edison Rijna. L-R. Elvis Tjin-Asjoe Sherwanda, a Sea Ray boat, holding 20 athletes from the Rincon Letters–(new format difficult; (MPB), Nina den Heyer (MPB) and James Kroon (UPB). soccer team, Real Rincon, capsized about four miles from Bonaire Bonaire not a water park) 4 April 11. The owner, who goes by the name of Broertje, was return- Ask a Geek (Scams) 5 As of April 9, 2019, Bonaire has a new Executive Council, Reef Glimpses (Deadly Debris) 9 supported by a coalition of the Movementu di Pueblo Boneriano ing the team to Bonaire following a soccer tournament in Curaçao. A Garden?Just Do It (Harvest) 10 (MPB) and the Union Patriótiko Boneriano (UPB). As the MPB ob- The Bonaire Marine Park rangers arrived just in time take these Making Bonaire “Accessible” — tained four seats and the UPB two, the new Executive Council can photos as the boat went down. Everyone on board was rescued and #8 A Social Map 10 count on a relatively comfortable majority of six of the nine seats taken safely to shore. Did You Know? Jellys/ Rhizophysa 11 on the island council. Nina Den Heyer and Elvis Tjin-Ajoe have What’s Happening:Events, served twice as commissioners. James Kroon is the only deputy Churches,Museums 12 Cruiseship Schedule 12 returning from the previous executive council. Bonaire Sky Park On April 9, 2019 the Executive Council and the directors of the (Jupiter,Saturn, the Moon) 13 government met with Minister Kajsa Ollongren and State Secre- The Stars Have It (Horoscope) 13 tary Raymond Knops both of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Who’s Who in The Reporter 13 Kingdom Relations (BZK). Minister Ollongren expressed the hope Pet Of The Week (Grannie, dog) 14 that with the new Executive Council ‘better times’ will come for Shelter News (volunteers needed; Bonaire. Island Secretary Nerry Gonzalez said she was proud that congratulations Sherliane) 14 Bonaire is on schedule with the Administrative Agreement (Bestu- Classifieds 14 ursakkoord). Among other things, the agreement requires that from Business Directory 15 March 1, 2019 letters or requests from citizens to the government be dealt with within a maximum time frame of six weeks. The BMP rangers worked from 3 pm to 2 am before the boat How to contact us was brought to shore in Bonaire. Ranger Leonel Martijn explained Publisher: Julie Morgan the boat was towed in upside down and then righted at the dock in Stories, tips, questions, ideas & ads: downtown Kralendijk before it was moved to the marina at 1 pm [email protected] April 12. Phone: + 599 796 4055 The owner said he didn’t know what happened. J.M. We are in transition. Find the issue on-line at: https://bonairereporter.com OR, for the “scroll-down” version: https://www.bonairereporter.com/ news/019pdfs/newcurrent.pdf Find The Bonaire Reporter on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ TheBonaireReporter/ Available in 80 locations Printed every two weeks The new Executive Council with the directors of the Public Entity Next edition: April 29, 2019 standing behind (L-R) State Secretary Raymond Knops and Minister News Deadline: April 26, 2019 Kajsa Ollongren with Governor Edison Rijn and Island Secretary Contributer’s Deadline: April 24, 2019 Nerry Gonzalez. Photos: Government of Bonaire. Flotsam & Jetsam continued on page 3 DE FREEWIELER Tung Fong Featuring Giant, Bikkel and Golden Lion Bikes Parts and accessories for all brands Store N.V. of bikes and scooters Beautiful Bike Clothes, Shoes “The Store With Almost Everything” All types of house and car keys duplicated Great Service,Too! Kaya Grandi #61 “The blue building” Call 717-8545 Kaya Korona 52 Tel. 599-717 4224 FAX. 599-717-5224 Open 8:30-12:30, 2:00-5:30 Owner Operated Opening Hours: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm -6.30 pm The Bike Web: www.bonairefreewieler.com Open from Monday till Saturday. Sundays Closed. Email: [email protected] Professionals Page 2 The Bonaire Reporter Apr.15-29, 2019 Flying Inter-Island Enforcing Bonaire’s Laws Aruba Airlines’ finances have taken a double hit. Since President Maduro closed The Justice Triangle met April 4, 2019, in Bonaire. Authorities, police and justice the Venezuelan border February 21, 2019, they cannot operate flights out of Venezuela participants discussed the new Traffic Ordinance of Bonaire which will take effect to final destination Miami. And April 1, 2019, the airlines lost their higher court appeal on August 1, 2019, and the damage fund for violent crimes. The Coastguard gave a against the United States Department of Transportation (DOT)’s ruling that denied presentation about their deployment in the Caribbean. In attendance were: the Attorney Aruba Airlines the right to fly charters out of Florida to Cuba. Local media on Aruba General, the Chief Public Prosecutor, the island governors of Bonaire and Saba and reported last week that some employees were already being laid off. the government commissioner of Sint Eustatius. Bonaire’s current Traffic Ordinance dates from 1958 when phoning or texting behind If Aruba Airlines does not survive their current financial problems, the islands the wheel were unknown. The old Ordinance didn’t require the use of seat belts, mo- will continue to depend on the two smaller inter-island carriers (Divi Divi Air and torcycle helmets or child seats. The amount of alcohol one could drink when driving EZ Air) for flights between the ABC-islands. Unlike to their bigger counterparts, wasn’t officially restricted, so action against drunk drivers by the police was extremely both Divi Divi and EZ Air have been conservative in their expansion plans and have difficult. All these regulations are going to change with the introduction of the new focused on the ABC islands, rather than on Venezuela. Another inter-island carrier is Traffic Ordinance, August 1st, 2019. Sint Maarten-based Winair which announced expanded services out of Curacao as of The Public Prosecutor’s Office has closed its investigation as to whether criminal April 15, 2019. Winair’s planned service increase is as follows. offenses were committed in the transfer of leasehold property from the Bonaire In- Curacao – Aruba — Increase from 5 to 7 weekly ternational Airport to Daboussi Real Estate. When called upon to investigate the low Curacao – Bonaire — Increase from 3 to 5 weekly price, the Prosecutor’s office interviewed, among others, commissioner James Kroon. Curacao – Port-au-Prince — New nonstop service, 2 weekly Kroon stated that the deal was negotiated between the management of the airport and Curacao – Santo Domingo — New nonstop service, 3 weekly was not something the Executive Council was closely involved with. “And that is how it is supposed to be, because the Airport is a separate entity and April 11, 2019. In a letter sent to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, not directly run by Government,” said Kroon. State Secretary Knops stated that BES Air B.V. does not meet the requirements to Daboussi stated that the building of a service office adjacent to the airport was not start flights between the BES islands. According to Knops, the Inspectorate of Air only favorable to his own business, such as his Avis car rental franchise, but could Transport (ILT) takes the position that no operating license can be issued to BES Air also be used by others wishing to have offices close to the airport. BV, due, among other things, to the lack of an Air Operators Certificate (AOC), and to Police Report (April 3-8). April 4: the police called the fire brigade to extinguish not meeting the requirements of the BES Aviation Act, which include the requirement an old car burning in Seru Angola. No one was injured. that the company should possess aircraft. •A burglary was reported in Sabadeco. Strangers forced a door of the house between BES Air CEO Wim Hesselink says that his start-up carrier may operate out of 7pm and 10.15pm and took two safes away. French Sint Maarten, now that the Dutch Government keeps frustrating his efforts to April 5: A scooter was stopped on Kaya Kòrsou because it had no rear lights and start operations out of one of the BES islands. Hesslink strongly denies that BES Air no license plate. The driver also had no insurance papers and driver's license. The would not have the necessary permits. scooter was seized. “We have had all permits for years. But due to the incorrect BES Aviation Act, we •A man with initials T.X.T. aged 23 and a man with initials C.R.F. 21 years were cannot actually operate from the BES islands.” According to the entrepreneur the arrested on Kaya Bonaire for violating the Opium Act BES. Bags containing drugs, requirement to first buy and register aircraft and then be able to apply for a permit is presumably cocaine, marijuana and hashish, were found.