October 21 to October 28, 2005 Volume 12, Issue 39 Kaya Gob. Debrot 200 • E-mail: [email protected] • 717-8988 SINCE 1994 A fast start for the yachts- Regatta 2005 Els Kroon/Photo Tonky Frans /Photo Baby Kids Class Lac being followed by their instructors way ticket from Barbados to Antigua used to cost from $205 to $78. The new fares, as of this week, will range from $130 (highest fare) and $30 (lowest de- pending on early booking). LIAT re- ranklin An- ceives government subsidies as did F toin reports: ALM. Last week Divi Divi Air, which has been A labor union leader in Curaçao Fokker-60 flying for about four informed the Curaçao press that KLM years between Cura- will soon abandon its Bonaire operation çao and Bonaire, in favor of Curaçao because of the inef- added another air- ficiencies and high cost of operation in craft to their fleet. Bonaire. The statement is unfounded naissance flights at least until 2007. Af- They now fly four and is simply inaccurate, said a ter that civilian air reconnaissance will planes of which spokesman for air services in Bonaire. be employed by the Coast Guard. three are 10-seater Bonaire has, and continues to set, KLM Britten-Norman Is- records for low cost, fast and efficient landers, while the operation in its worldwide system. other is an eight- KLM switched major South American seat Cessna 402. connecting flights a few years ago from There are plans for Curaçao and Aruba to Bonaire and has 2006 which will be been operating at near capacity with the announced in the fastest turnaround time in the fleet. near future. Divi typically There have been numerous com- flies 16 flights be- plaints recently about BonairExpress tween Bonaire and not providing meal and accommoda- Curaçao every day. tion payments for its passengers who Last Tuesday, the Antillean Coast The new aircraft is miss their flights because of late arrival Guard introduced new uniforms. The registered as PJ- to connecting airlines. The Reporter has uniforms are reportedly more appropri- The new Divi-Divi airplane (top photo ) First passengers SEA. Thursday, Oc- been advised that a regional carrier is ate for the tasks that the service carries on the flight – Photos/ Franklin Antoin tober 6, the aircraft not obliged to do so unless the passen- out such as stopping drug traffic, illegal flew to Bonaire ger’s ticket is specially coded, which is immigration, illegal fishing and environ- landing at 16:04 pm local time. The pilot Leeward Islands Airline, LIAT not the case for most US-destination Bo- ment destruction. The uniforms will be aboard this flight was Captain Reginald Ltd., says they are now the Caribbean’s nairExpress passengers. produced in the Netherlands Antilles. Richie who together with his wife, Ger- first low-cost carrier, mirroring the maine Richie, own the airline. Divi Divi concept of international low cost carriers According to the 2006 budget of Last Friday, construction of the is known as the most reliable company such as Ryanair and JetBlue which offer the Dutch Defense Ministry the two Spanish-based Pinero Group’s 1,918- providing flights between Bonaire and passengers lower fares, more options Fokker-60 military aircraft stationed room Bahia Principe Clubs & Resorts at Curaçao. and easier booking. For example: A one- in Curaçao will continue their recon- (Continued on page 4) IN THIS ISSUE Turtle Update, Jenni Transmits 5 Minister Pechtold Visits the BNMP 5 Letter (Raves for Rayvah) 7 Who Owns the Big Yacht? (Tatoosh) 8 Regatta World of Windsurfing 8 Klein Swim a Hit 10 Regatta Winners 11 Tight Regatta Racing 2005 12 Paradise Photo 10 Years 13 RE/MAX Anniversary Party 14 Announcing a birthday (Elizabeth Silberie & Gina ) 15 New Deep Wall Discovery 16 Perfect Holiday Solutions Opens 16 AMFO Payments Suspended 17 Quarterly Underwater Clean Up 17 Playa Cleanup Dive 17 Roozendaal Mural at Tipsy 22 WEEKLY FEATURES: Flotsam & Jetsam 2 AMFO/NGO Platform: Tera Corra, Part 1 6 Vessel List & Tide Table 8 Classifieds 14 Picture Yourself (DEMA, Las Vegas) 15 Reporter Masthead 18 Pet of the Week (“Elaine”) 18 What’s Happening 19 Shopping & Dining Guides 20 On the Island Since (Jeroen Beumer and Justine Gongrijp ) 21 Special Olympic Spotlight 22 (Johnny Helmund) Roozendal’s New Mural at Tipsy 22 Sky Park (Halloween, Mars, 7 Sisters) 23 The Stars Have It 23 Page 2 Bonaire Reporter - October 21 to October 28, 2005 ©2005 The Bonaire Reporter Published weekly. For information about subscriptions, stories or advertising in The Bonaire Reporter, phone (599) 717-8988, 786- 6518, fax 717-8988, E-mail to: [email protected] The Bonaire Reporter, George DeSalvo, Publisher. Laura DeSalvo, Editor in Chief. Address: Kaya Gob. Debrot 200-6; Bonaire, Neth. Antilles. Available on-line at: www.bonairereporter.com Reporters: Franklin Antoin, Barbara Mason Bianculli, Elsmarie Beukenboom, Susan Davis, Tonky Frans, Roger Haug, Jack Hork- heimer, Maria Koeks-Sint Jago, Greta Kooistra, Mabel Nava, Dee Scarr, Michael Thiessen, Roosje v.d. Hoek Features Editor: Greta Kooistra Translations: Peggy Bakker, Sue Ellen Felix Production: Barbara Lockwood Distribution: Yuchi Molina (Rincon), Elizabeth Silberie (Playa); Housekeeping: Jaidy Rojas Acevedo. Printed by: DeStad Druk- kerij, Curaçao Bonaire Reporter - October 21 to October 28, 2005 Page 3 (Flotsam & Jetsam. Continued from page 2) wind reversal. The captain, American lands Antilles on that day.. these historical places and especially Pear Tree Bottom in St Ann in Jamaica Steve Schmit, who was sailing the boat Antilles Minister of Constitutional Af- their interesting details before it’s too began. Upon completion it will be the single-handedly, was not hurt. The yacht fairs and Interior, Richard Gibson (from late. island’s largest resort. The project is esti- was on the way to Bonaire for last week’s St. Maarten), is optimistic that the July 1, The handsome model in the Benet- mated to cost some US$200 million. It sailing Regatta. The 70-foot yacht was 2007, deadline for a reorganization of the ton ad this week is Jomar Vlijt from pulled off the beach by the Antilles Coast Netherlands Antilles will be met. How- has more rooms than all of Bonaire’s Jong Bonaire. He’s shown by one of the resorts combined. Guard cutter Jaguar and towed to Cura- ever, the minister seemed less optimistic fascinating pillars at Harbourtown Re- çao. that when meetings are held between the alty. The Benetton ad is on page 24. According to published reports, as Antilleans and the Dutch later this week st the parties would be able to reach a so- of January 1 Curaçao’s St. Elisabeth Hurricane Wilma formed Monday Don’t miss the very spooky in the western Caribbean, tying the re- called headlines agreement Hospital (Sehos) will no longer be in- Haunted House at Capt. Don’s Habitat sured for liability. Insurer MediRisk, cord for the most storms in an Atlantic (Hoofdlijnenakkoord). this Saturday, October 22, Sunday, Oc- with dozens of hospitals in The Nether- season and following a path that menaces “The Dutch position feels like a tober 30 or Monday October 31 lands included in its portfolio, considers Central America and the US Gulf Coast straitjacket,” Gibson said. “They want st (Halloween). The creepy place is open that the risk of a Sehos patient filing a later this week. Wilma is the 21 named us to deal with matters such as debt and from 8 to 11 pm. All proceeds will go to claim has become too great. Sehos is the storm of the season. Only one other At- the socio-economic situation first, before Special Olympics Bonaire. Entrance is hospital most Bonaireans must go to for lantic season had more tropical storms dealing with constitutional change. I NAƒ10. Wonder how spooky it really is? serious medical treatment. since record keeping began in 1851 - think that is setting the bar too high.” They are recommending that anyone un- there were 21 in 1933. The hurricane cen- Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations th der 12 years old NOT enter! See the ad- Between October 26 and Novem- ter will turn to the Greek alphabet if Alexander Pechtold said he is hopeful vertisement on page 22 for more informa- th Wilma is used and another storm forms - that all parties will be able to come to a ber 5 at various locations in the Car- tion. G./L. D. ibbean region, Caucasian people will it would be called Alpha. headlines agreement when they meet in walk in replica yokes and chains as a Bonaire on Friday. symbolic sign of penitence for the sins of their forefathers in the Atlantic slave trade. Africans and Africans of the Dias- Gert v. Zanten pora will accompany them. The Africans are also ready to apologize for selling their brothers and sisters to the European traders. This action is also a means of raising awareness of slavery and racism in our own day and marks a beginning of a pilgrimage toward healing, hope and peace. The first events will take place in While debating the budget of the Barbados and then teams will disperse to Four people were arrested last Department of Kingdom Affairs many important entry points for the French, week during a house raid on Kaya parliamentarians in the Dutch Second Dutch and Spanish slave trades in Mar- Shivaro. Police found marijuana, hashish Chamber insisted on a better protec- tinique and Guadeloupe, Curaçao and and cocaine, a scale and other materials tion for monuments in the Netherlands Cartagena, Colombia. The Expedition is to make “bolitas,” as well as dive Antilles, especially Bonaire. Recently a series of reconciliation journeys, which watches, a large sum of money and sev- demolished monuments include Haus- constitute a Christian response to the leg- eral cell phones.