Posted August 27, 2007

St. Maarten and St. Martin Weekly News, Monday, August 27, 2007

Some of This Week's Stories:

--- Keep Your Clothes on at Orient Beach? (Lead Story #1)

--- JMB Launches "For Members Only" Newsletter Section (Lead Story #2)

--- Incredible Fall Fares: $212 rt from the Northeast; $230 from the southeast; $350 or less from the Midwest; & $350 from the s/west (Lead Story #3)

--- How To Recover Your Password & How To Submit Rentals/Sales (In "Members Only", Sec. IV)

--- Carnival Paying $30-Million for New SXM Cruise Ship Pier

--- "SXM Private Eye" Trying To Survive: How You Can Help

--- JMB Turns Low-Flying KLM Video Over To PJIAE

--- JMB Adds Second Car Rental Company to Recommendations

---------

Reading a pass-along copy?

Subscribe today, fast and free, at http://jmbcommunications.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?

---------

This is Jeff Berger's / JMB Communications' free weekly “Everything St. Maarten / St. Martin” newsletter, published every Monday (Tuesdays during some holiday weeks). You're receiving this because you subscribed or are a JMB Website Supporters member.

To unsubscribe, visit http://jmbcommunications.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi , select “St. Maarten Weekly News” list at top left, and follow the unsubscribe instructions. You can not unsubscribe either by replying to this email or, if you are an AOL user, by clicking the “spam” button on AOL.

Feel free to forward this newsletter in its entirety to your friends, but please don’t send excerpts; that violates our copyright. Entire contents copyright © 2007, JMB Communications, P. O. Box 1812, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02362-1812.

---

Email Address Changes:

To change your email address for this free newsletter, unsubscribe your old email address at the above location, then subscribe your new address. JMB Website Supporters members must also notify Susan in our office of the new email address for continued Secret Site access.

---

Search The Newsletter Archives:

To search previous issues, visit our Archives at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/cgi-bin/mojo.cgi?f=archive&l=testlist . The search window is at the bottom of that page. Note: our Archive pages load slowly because the archives contain millions of words from many prior issues.

---

Contact us:

Members of JMB Website Supporters who wish to contact us should write to the addresses listed on the members-only “secret” website, http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret . NONmembers who wish to contact us should write to jmbweb@jmbcommunications.com with the subject “Free Newsletter Recipient,” but due to the huge volume of mail received, individual responses are not likely. We suggest instead that nonmembers use the public Message Board on our website, www.everythingstmaarten.com. The Message Board is located at http://www.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=624449 .

*****

Timeshare Rental of the Week:

12/1/07 - 12/8/07 (week 48) Saturday to Saturday. Pelican Resort. One bedroom deluxe, B Building, B460. Separate master bedroom; 2 in pullout couch in living room; overlooks entire resort; and on to the sea; beautiful sunsets. Pool downstairs at building and beach is a short walk. $800 for the week, not including island tax. Will only hold for rental until October 1, 2007. Also available for sale. Contact barbarafletcher4@hotmail.com or call 631-751-8591 (Stony Brook, NY).

Timeshare Sale of the Week:

1/12/ - 1/19 (week 2 Sat-Sat) and 1/19 - 1/26 (week 3) 2008 Pelican Resort, C11b Caladium 1 bedroom sleeps 4. Recently refurbished. View overlooking Simpson Bay. Asking $7,000.00 each / $14,000.00 both Also willing to rent for 2008 if not sold by then. Contact mdisano@crosslink.net or (540) 775-7166

Every week JMB randomly picks timeshare condominiums for rent and for sale from the huge selection at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/condorentals.shtml and features them here. If you want to rent out or sell timeshares you own in SXM, you can do so for free (up to 10 weeks per 12 month period) through a membership subscription to JMB Website Supporters.

To learn more about the many St. Maarten / St. Martin vacation-related benefits of membership, visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/paypal.html , where you can also join on-line. Membership subscriptions help fund these weekly newsletters.

------------

This Week’s Stories:

------------

Stories are numbered; scroll down for stories of interest. Lead Stories appear below this list.

Section I: Getting There: Airlines, Airports, Cruises, & Weather

1. Incredible Fall Fares; Reinstatement Price Cut

2. JMB Converting Fare Info to Include Taxes and Fees

3. Buying Low Airfares Far in Advance

4. JMB Turns Low-Flying KLM Video Over To PJIAE

5. Carnival Paying $34-Million for New SXM Cruise Ship Pier

6. Dean is a Non-Issue for St. Maarten

Section II: Accommodations

7. Coral Beach Condo Damaged By Dean's Gentle Breezes

8. Radisson St. Martin Hotel Still Scheduled for Summer 2008 Opening

9. Trip Report: A Visit To Pelican Resort

10. Open Your Eyes to Dawn Beach Westin

Section III: Island

11. Trip Report: Toppers

12. JMB Adds Second Car Rental Company to Recommendations

13. "SXM Private Eye" Trying To Survive: How You Can Help

14. Another Island Blog

15. Did You Visit "Border Bar" In June?

16. Writer Objects to Weekly News Article

17. Site Feature of The Week: St. Maarten Timeshare Condominiums For Rent / Sale

18. St. Maarten Bar/Restaurant of the Week: Khush

19. “Thanks Two Million” Prize Rundown #32: Dinner for Two at La Veranda Restaurant, Great House, Pelican Resort

20. “Thanks Two Million” Prize Rundown #33: Dinner for Two at Trattoria Pizza Pasta, Maho

21. “Sponsors” Sought For “Everything St. Maarten” Website

Section IV: For Members Only

22. About This New Section

23. About Those Incredible Fall Airfares

24. Reminder on Recovering Forgotten / Misplaced Passwords (and lots more)

25. About Your Membership Benefits: How To Submit Rentals or Sales to Our SXM Condos for Rent or Sale Page

Section V: Important Background Information for Travelers

A) Low-Priced Timeshare Condos For Rent or Sale By Owners

B) “Everything St Maarten / St. Martin” Website Info Guide

C) Useful St. Maarten / St. Martin Websites (Updated 2007)

D) SkyMed Emergency Medical Evacuation: Important No Matter Where You’re Going

E) How To Be Sure You Receive Each Issue Of This Newsletter

F) Free SXM Souvenirs When You Join, Renew, or Reinstate JMB Website Supporters

G) Spend Less On Airfare to St. Maarten & Get Many Other Travel Benefits: Join JMB Website Supporters

H) For Much More About JMB Communications…

I) Contact Us

J). About Our “Still” Rapidly Growing & Changing St. Maarten / St. Martin Website

*****

All JMB Newsletters Now Read “From JMB”

*****

This newsletter, our timeshare newsletter, and mail from JMB Website Supporters to members (including “Low Airfare Bulletins”) now read “From JMB” in the subject area so you won’t misinterpret them as spam. Thanks to our members for suggesting this.

********

Lead Stories:

********

---------------

Keep Your Clothes on at Orient Beach? (Lead Story #1)

There is a problem now on Orient Beach, which for as long as anyone can remember has been the main "clothing optional" beach on the island and one of its big tourist attractions.

We have changed some spelling here so this newsletter does not get waylaid by spam filters (we hope). There is NO change at all in the status of Naturist resort Club Orient at the southern end of Orient Beach.

David Baird writes:

I received some news from Orient Beach today that I wanted to share with you

all. This is from Elisa at Bikini Beach:

Had the meeting with the Gendarmes. Bad news. The prefet has decided that nuudite is not to be allowed on the beach or elsewhere with the exception of Club Orient, PERIOD.

They believe that it is time for St. Martin to evolve in another direction and will no longer tolerate Orient Beach in it's entirety being nuud.

Sophie [Esmeralda, which hosts many naturists] was talking about putting up screens to make a "private" section, but the nuud people will not be able to go to the ocean nuud, and quite frankly she thinks it will not work in the long run. There are people inquiring about canceling their reservations at Esmeralda because of the issue, but no one here seems to care much and I do not think that there is much hope for the fight. If anyone calls to complain about nuudite on the beach, the Gendarmes will come and act accordingly (whatever that means?).

I was specifically told that they tried to impose restrictions of nuudite after 8am and not until 5 or 6pm to accommodate the daily strolls, but it was abused and therefore they have decided to stop allowing it completely.

I asked about my ability to have private dinners or functions in my restaurant and they said , No. Because the area is too public.

That is all of it in a nut shell.

Elisa

Have any of you heard from Club Orient or anybody else on the island about this? If so do you know if Club Orient is going to try to help change the mind of the Prefet so we can retain our morning and evening walks? I know that our enjoyment of the beach will be greatly reduced by the elimination of our walks, how do the rest of you feel?

We were stopped by a Gendarme at 7:25 in the morning (after we had already walked most of the beach) our first day during our stay in July and while the Corporal backed down and walked away, with what is described above, I do not think that would be the case if they stopped us again. We had been told that it was okay to walk the beach early in the morning, but others were stopped even earlier than that. Yet others were said to have been detained

and fined up at Coco Beach during our stay in July as well. The Gendarmes swept the beach one morning in a 4 wheel drive vehicle that drove from KonTiki all the way to Mt Vernon looking for and stopping nuud walkers, which was a major change in their enforcement activities.

In the past year or so, as this situation has been building, I've been trying to make some sense of it all. I've talked with vendors, I did the various polls on TTOL and other SXM internet sites, I have tried to share the raw data and anecdotal data with various people at Club Orient. Through my conversations I have come to believe that Naturist related travel to

Orient Beach is far bigger than the authorities estimate because so many of us now stay other places than at Club Orient. Do any of you have any ideas on how we can reach out and communicate that fact with policy makers and stakeholders so we do not lose the best clothing optional beach in the Caribbean?

I hate to say it this way, but the appearance of the lack of pro-active conversations and lobbying on the part of Club Orient may actually have contributed to the losing of the rest of the beach. I heard from another person at a previous meeting that "the people at Club Orient are in agreement with the new rules". I find that hard to believe, but I've been told that now by two more vendors on the beach who obviously believe that it is.

I have been involved in extensive correspondence with Bob Morton and Morley Schloss of the Naturist Action Committee and a Naturist Action Alert to all members of the Naturist Community in the US has been discussed. Richard Kenner has written several rough drafts and circulated them. So far we have refrained from doing so because we do not yet really know who to send letters, faxes and emails to that would make any difference. Does any body have ideas, contacts that might help there?

I hate to just stand by and watch a significant part of our enjoyment of St. Martin slip away simply because there are not people willing to stand up and let their voices be heard. There's a famous and powerful poem written about World War II by Pastor Niemoller. The original was in German and there are a number of translations, perhaps the best known of which is:

They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.

I think that Pastor Niemoller's sentiments apply to this situation. Our very freedom of enjoying naturism at all could slip quietly away due simply to no one being willing to let their voices be heard. That already happened to me with the 3 beaches where I used to go nuud here in New England. The closest beach I can go to now is more than 4 hours away.

I am looking for feedback, ideas and suggestions. Hope I can hear from some of you.

David

[Russ, a regular beach user from the west coast who takes two days to fly to SXM, also comments:]

I am shocked and greatly disappointed in this decision. I would never have thought that they would take this step, and I suspect it will be one they never anticipated causing the uproar that will follow. Between the closing down of Cupecoy due to development and this step, there remain very few options on the island, and those may have also gone away while we were sleeping: Bay Rouge being another one of our favorites, and of course Happy Bay which was flooded with jet skis the last time we were there. All in all a very disturbing chain of events, and a loss to those of us who enjoy nude recreation. I also wonder how long before Club Orient feels the pinch and is forced to close their beach to nudity. What about Tiko Tiko? I assume they will no longer be allowed to ferry their guests nude to and from Tintamarre. And I also assume the floats in the bay will not be used much anymore...

With these developments, I cannot see us going back to SXM, which has become one of our favorite destinations in recent years. We ARE one of those couples who have never stayed at Club Orient, as we have timeshares we have traded to come to SXM. We have stayed always on the Dutch side of the island, and gone each day over to the French side for our beach time, as well as to enjoy the restaurants and other attractions. There is little to keep us going to the Dutch side, and now there is little to keep us going to the French side! While we live on the west coast (San Jose), we have been very happy to spend the necessary two days to get to/from SXM. But now that is only a memory for us, as we will have to find other places to go, perhaps in the new developing areas south of Cancun, Mexico.

If there is anything we can do, please let us know. Right now it seems pretty futile. And I am sure that many others share our disappointment in not being able to enjoy this beautiful island and its many places to eat and enjoy nightly fun. Please share with all our sadness that this is all coming to an end for all of us. We are not wealthy people, but have made the enjoyment of SXM part of our lives for a number of years.

---

Jeff comments: We asked SXM Private Eye about this and here is their reply:

"I am sad this is happening, but it's not really unexpected I think. Orient Beach used to be my favorite beach before KonTiki got built, that was the first bar Vlietman permitted with Gerald who used to be a bartender at Club O.

"While I fully understand the concerns of people who want to be able to walk the beach nood, I also understand that times have changed, Orient is now a very busy beach, lots of families and honestly, it always seems a little weird that people walk along it nood as they do in those crowds. I am a noodist myself, but I like the more deserted beaches with no people.

"Even if people started lobbying to keep the whole beach as clothing optional, I think it would fail. There are far too many people who are not noodists. What might be possible is to get those hours extended, perhaps before 10am and after 5pm for the rest of the beach.

"I don't know Jeff, it seems like a losing battle. Another special place on St. Maarten that those of us who have been here for years, or coming here for years are losing. It's called progress apparently."

[If you have comments about this, please write to us.]

---------------

JMB Launches "For Members Only" Newsletter Section IV: (Lead Story #2)

This week we've added "Section IV: For Members Only," stories which will appear occasionally and refer to updates and other information related to our secret members-only website. This week we have three stories in that section regarding low airfares, placing free ads in our condos for rent / sale section, and another regarding recovering passwords. See section IV.

---------------

-- Incredible Fall Fares: $212 rt from the Northeast; $230 from the southeast; $350 or less from the Midwest; & $350 from the s/west (Lead Story #3)

See the details in "Members Only" Section IV.

---------------

How To Recover Your Password & How To Submit Rentals/Sales

See Section IV for details on this please.

Section I: Getting There: Airlines, Airports, Cruises, & Weather

--------

1. Incredible Fall Fares; Reinstatement Price Cut

We've been able to uncover an unusually high number of low airfares this summer applicable for travel from now through early next summer. We know that many of our nearly 5000 members have been able to take advantage of these fares from many cities.

At this writing (8/24) there are still some great fares available which include: $212 round trips from the Northeast; $230 round trips from the Southeast; $350 round trips from the Midwest; and $350 round trips from the Southwest. To get these fares, just go to the current airfare sales page of the secret JMB Website Supporters website: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret/sales.html .

Nonmembers, learn more at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml Note that we have recently enhanced our new member bonuses; see http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml for details.

Former members, we have reduced the price of all reinstatements; some have been cut $15. See http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/support/expired.shtml for more.

--------

2. JMB Converting Fare Info to Include Taxes and Fees

Airlines typically advertise fares without adding in fees, surcharges, and taxes, which could be substantial. Until recently, it was impractical for us to include fees, surcharges, and taxes in our airfare figures because they were so difficult to calculate. New technology is now enabling us to show both the straight airfares from the airlines and the total fare you will pay including taxes and fees. Most of the newest information we are posting both on our Current Airfare Sales page and in our airfare grid includes taxes and fees, so you get a totally accurate portrait of precisely what you'll pay.

See our Current Airfare Sales page at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret/sales.html .

--------

3. Buying Low Airfares Far in Advance

As we told you last week, both American Airlines and US Airways, like Continental Airlines, are now charging you a $100 fee to adjust fares downward if you discover a fare on a flight for which you are ticketed has declined. It's yet another anticonsumer practice by the airlines, piled on top of a lot of apparent indifference by some airlines to the fact that they are supposed to be selling a service which they should be attractive.

The bottom line here is that timeshare owners, teachers, and others who must travel Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday and who have long bought tickets in advance at a high price to guarantee seats (and then had their pricing adjusted when the same seats went on sale) can't really do that now because of the $100 fee per ticket.

How to get around this:

It is now more important than ever to book early with a low fare since 'benevolent airlines that adjust fares downward to reflect good sales' have vanished. Watch our Low Airfare Bulletins starting 350 days ahead of when you plan to travel to get the lowest fares. Act immediately when you see a fare that appeals to you, and reserve it. Getting low fares is something akin to "whack a mole" in amusement parks: if you don't act immediately, you don't get the fare.

Every time we post a new Low Airfare Bulletin on the secret website, we revise the copy on the home page of our www.everythingstmaarten.com website to tell you what the bulletin is about. Checking the site home page a couple of times a day rather than waiting for e-mail from us alerting you to the existence of a new Low Airfare Bulletin will get you to low-priced seats quickly. But the most important thing is to start early: we've already featured low fares for next winter several times this spring and summer. The earlier you start paying attention to Low Airfare Bulletins, the lower your cost of travel will be. Waiting until even six months before is likely to cost you, especially now when airlines are charging $100 to adjust fares downward.

Much more on this is on the secret site, http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret. If you're not a member, bear in mind that last week, we reduced some membership fees and we also reduced all fees for reinstatements. If you want low fares to SXM, we are the only game in town.

If you don't recall your password, visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Supporters/index.shtml .

Nonmembers, look here: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml

Former members go here:

http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/support/expired.shtml (Membership Reinstatement Center).

--------

4. JMB Turns Low-Flying KLM Video Over To PJIAE

Last week we told you about a video of an extraordinarily low landing by a KLM 747. KLM stopped flying 747s into St. Maarten in March, as usual; we think the video was shot in March of this year. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo

We were sufficiently concerned about just how low this plane flew to contact officials at Princess Juliana International Airport. They asked for a copy of the video and we got one to them. They don't necessarily hear about these things or see them from the control tower unless the public contacts them. They are going to look into when this happened and why. The landing gear of the plane narrowly missed hitting the top of the fence -- at least it looks that way in the video. We've never seen a lower landing at Princess Juliana.

--------

5. Carnival Paying $34-Million for New SXM Cruise Ship Pier

Carnival is committing itself long term to St. Maarten, which is great news for the local economy. The line will pay $34.5 million for the construction of a new cruise ship pier at the Dr. A. C. Wathey cruise and cargo facilities. That pier is in addition to the current four-ship pier already in place. As a result, Carnival will get priority placement at the new pier. The structure is expected to be available during the 2009 winter season, or earlier.

See the details from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/22/ap4044750.html

--------

6. Dean is a Non-Issue for St. Maarten

Hurricane Dean passed some 230 miles south of St. Maarten. It caused swells on the island's east shore, cloudiness, a few showers, and inconsequential wind. The sun came out the next day.

The tropical Atlantic is quiet again and hopefully will stay that way. You can get the latest information on St. Maarten forecasts, satellite images, and weather loops, as well as hurricane information by clicking "weather" at the top of every page on everythingstmaarten.com . See also story #7.

Section II: Accommodations

--------

7. Coral Beach Condo Damaged By Dean's Gentle Breezes

Hurricane Dean passed through the lesser Antilles some 230 miles south of SXM, leaving only a little wind in SXM and a few inconsequential showers. Nonetheless, as SXM Private Eye shows, one of the many $500,000 to $1-million plus beach condos at Coral Beach (next to the Westin) was damaged by Dean's gentle (to SXM) breezes -- not something that is all that reassuring to those who have already laid out big bucks there. See http://sxmprivateeye.com/node/11633

--------

8. Radisson St. Martin Hotel Still Scheduled for Summer 2008 Opening

After an almost interminable delay, construction of the Radisson St. Martin Hotel on the site of the former L'habitation Resort was scheduled to start last spring. Nothing was happening when we were there during the winter.

Radisson officials say construction is proceeding on schedule and that the hotel should open in summer 2008. Based on the history of other construction projects in St. Martin, our guess is that the actual opening will be a bit later, but we'll see.

This is quite a project. See the details at http://www.radisson.com/stmartin/ .

--------

9. Trip Report: A Visit To Pelican Resort

Long-time members Lorraine and Bob Kolenda write:

"I'm passing on these comments to you for those who are owners at Pelican. We just returned from two weeks' in SXM at our units in the Marina annex. As we entered the first day, we immediately noticed a window was cracked. The two units we own have not been updated since who knows when. The same original furniture, etc. The mattress in the first unit was totally worn out and made sleeping difficult. We requested to be moved, if possible, but were told nothing was available. We own two weeks at Royal Sands and one at the new Royal Haciendas at Playa del Carmen. Royal does such a fantastic job there and the staff are always friendly and doing a great job of keeping everything ship-shape. Royal doesn't seem to have a handle on The Pelican. Some of the staff are very nice, others uncaring. While there, we received a nice little magazine about The Pelican. We inquired why we didn't receive it at home. We were told that it is too expensive to mail. When we got home there was a tabloid size brochure on the new Marina Residences. (Evidently that was not too expensive to mail).

"The young girl tending bar in the Marina Pool area was totally oblivious to what was going on around her in the pools. Children were jumping off the fence into the kiddy pool, people were bringing their own beer (in glass bottles) to the pool, and even drinking from the bottles while in the pool. Parents were leaving their little children at the pool, expecting others to care for them, I guess. We have decided we will not go to the Pelican again but we will use the timeshare weeks for exchange purposes, either at other resorts on SXM or other places.

"The new building is nowhere near completion. It is an eyesore at this time. We didn't notice any activity in the sales office. Our 'concierge' called us the first week and, when we told her we were not buying any more timeshares, we never heard from her again.

"When we received our statement from Pelican at departure, they had tacked on $1/per day for SMTA. They explained this was voluntary but one had to ask to have it deducted from the statement. Our friends, who were at the Flamingo, had the same charges tacked on their statement. We understand the SMTA stands for St. Maarten Timeshare Assoc. I hadn't heard about that before but perhaps I missed it. That adds up to a pretty penny for something.

"One thing we found out was that the airlines now charge the departure tax to the price of the tickets, so it is not necessary to get in line to pay to get off the Island.

"The traffic continues to be a real problem, even though this is off-season.

"You probably know that Ric's Place is for sale - we were sorry about that. We very much enjoyed Zee Best and the darling waitress, Diane. We also went to Mr. Busby's Beach Bar for lunch, Mary's Boon for breakfast twice (what a view and a great breakfast). I don't believe you ever mention Mary's Boon or the Bavaria Restaurant. We highly recommend both of them, along with Scoop's Ice Cream, Lee's Roadside Grill and Chesterfield's.

"We were glad we had scheduled our return for last Friday, instead of Saturday, so we were able to get away before Hurricane Dean got too close. The takeoff from SXM was very rough but we were happy to be heading toward home in Texas.

"Thanks for all you do to keep everyone informed."

Jeff Comments: Much more SXM timesharing news is in our "Timesharing in St. Maarten email Forum." Sign up for it (free) atop any page at www.everythingstmaarten.com. A major story about Mary's Boon is in today's issue.

--------

10. Open Your Eyes to Dawn Beach Westin

This isn't a pitch for the hotel, or a slam on it. It's just a very short story to remind you about the Dawn Beach Westin WebCam:

http://islandcam.columbiasussex.com/view/index.shtml

Section III: Island

--------

11. Trip Report: Toppers

Tred Haglund writes:

"We recently visited St. Martin and found you website invaluable, but we also discovered a restaurant called Toppers, in Simpson Bay, across the street from the Boathouse.

"The food is American, and it looks like a dive from the outside, but the food is excellent, and the service is quick, friendly, and the prices very reasonable. The daughter of the owner made it a point to speak to each table personally, even when they were very busy, and made us feel very welcome. The staff was also friendly and efficient. The whole restaurant ran like a well oiled machine. This was the only restaurant we were at that I can say this about. Consider giving them a mention in your dining guide."

--

Jeff Comments: We've mentioned Toppers before (it's on the site formerly occupied by Bananas) and it is on our short list for a future "Restaurant of the Week" status. We don't think it looks like a "dive" but other than that, we agree entirely. Good food, reasonable prices, fine service.

--------

12. JMB Adds Second Car Rental Company to Recommendations

For more than 10 years, we've recommended Tropical Car Rental. We had met their former general manager, Mickey Daniel, about 12 years ago in San Juan airport, started talking, and have rented from Tropical ever since.

There are many car rental companies on the island, however, and a number of them provide excellent service. The bad news is that Tropical doesn't provide service to the cruise ship terminal because of the logistical difficulty involved.

That's why, this week, in response to many requests from cruise ship passengers, we added a second car rental company to our recommendations particularly for cruise ship passengers. That company is Panoramic Car Rental.

You can see our updated recommendations at: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Here/carrent.shtml .

--------

13. "SXM Private Eye" Trying To Survive: How You Can Help

Over the last couple of years, we've run a number of stories based upon information initially disclosed by SXM Private Eye, a somewhat mysterious group of islanders who in our opinion represent the conscience of St. Maarten. They've stepped on the toes of local authorities when they thought those authorities were not living up to their responsibilities, and they frequently talk about issues which tourism authorities would prefer never be mentioned -- traffic, development, Simpson Bay lagoon pollution, the destruction of mangroves for the development of the Westin Hotel at Dawn beach, and more.

A number of on-island volunteer writers are the heart of SXM Private eye, but website presence is expensive. SXM Private eye needs your help to survive. We've sent them a contribution by PayPal and we hope very much that you can do the same. It will be well worth it to the future of the island you love. Please visit www.sxmprivateeye.com .

--------

14. Another Island Blog

We frequently tell you about blogs related to St. Maarten, videos about the island, photo collections, etc. Here's another blog we thought you'd be interested in which includes a story about a flying saucer that looks remarkably like the ceiling light in our front hall:

http://sxmphile.blogspot.com/

--------

15. Did You Visit "Border Bar" In June?

We had never heard of the Border Bar until St. Martin's government information service (GIS) issued a news release about it recently. Seems that someone there from June 1 to June 15 had tuberculosis.

"The third group of persons who visited the adult entertainment establishment Border Bar between June 1-15, are hereby encouraged to visit the offices of Sector Health Care Affairs (SHCA) in the Vineyard Office Park Building or their family physician for a Mantoux test as of August 20 to September 05 with respect to tuberculosis (TB)," the GIS release says.

"These persons are strongly urged to make the effort to get tested for identification of latent TB infection which can later develop into the TB disease."

--------

16. Writer Objects to Weekly News Article

Today newspaper International Editor Geno Lawrenzi writes:

"I'm kind of disappointed that a journalist such as yourself would let a woman make the kind of comment your Wyndham Sapphire Beach Resort timeshare owner Roxanne made about 'Sam' at the bar.

Now Jeff, I don't know Sam and he may be the miserable person Roxanne -- what is her last name? -- paints him out to be. But when you realize a job on this island could mean the difference between eating or not, you realize these remarks about getting rid of somebody should not be made so flippantly. Shame on Roxanne and shame on you for not giving 'Sam' a chance to answer the charges against him."

--

Jeff replies: For the info of readers, we carefully consider which reader comments we print. Some comments we soften, others never get printed. People in "people" businesses may have good days and bad days; perhaps this was a bad day for Sam. It certainly happens.

--------

17. Site Feature of The Week: St. Maarten Timeshare Condominiums For Rent / Sale

Every week we tell you about another feature on www.everythingstmaarten.com of which you may be unaware. With over 111,000 readers, our hunch is most of you know about this one. But on the off chance that some of you don’t . . . .

An extensive page on our site offers St. Maarten timeshare condominiums and full ownership condominiums on St. Maarten and elsewhere for rent or for sale. Most condos are offered in chronological order, so you can pick a specific week you want. Floating or flexible weeks are listed separately within an alphabetical list of resorts. At any one time, hundreds of timeshares are available for purchase or rental through their owners.

This has long been one of the most popular pages on our site. When it started many years ago, in fact, the few listings that were originally carried were in this newsletter. See the page here: http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/condorentals.shtml .

Ads are accepted only from members of JMB Website Supporters. Ads are free for members up to a limit of 10 ads per 12 month period. There are no commissions charged. Ad highlighting is available as an option at a minimal charge. More information is available on the webpage.

We'll post another site feature next week. (With over 90 pages, we have a lot of things you may never have seen.)

See Section IV for info on how to submit ads.

--------

18. St. Maarten Bar/Restaurant of the Week: Khush

Speaking of places you probably never heard of, Khush may be one. Located in Cupecoy on the site of the former Citrus Restaurant, Khush is run by Shaz, a UK transplant.

We just became aware of Khush this week and are looking forward to visiting it during our November trip. It's a Tapas "ultra lounge." Khush, in fact, is Indian for happy. Khush is not an Indian restaurant, but it fuses flavors from Greece, France, India, Japan, China, and elsewhere. Its eclectic fare is perfect for before dinner, after dinner, or for dinner, where you're with a group and want to share a number of flavor experiences. There are no main courses, just Tapas which is intended to be shared among friends. There is also cheese fondue, chocolate fondue, cheese plates, and an enormous selection of other tempting Tapas offerings.

Khush also focuses on drinks and cocktails. It is probably the only restaurant on the island that offers Dom Perignon by the glass -- plus a dozen different champagnes. It also offers many Mojitos, martinis, and 82 types of vodka from around the world. It's quite a unique place.

Again, we just heard about Khush last week and haven't been there yet, so we speak to you more about the restaurant's reputation than about the reality of its food quality or service since we've experienced neither. It sounds quite intriguing, though, and we look forward to visiting soon.

Previous restaurants featured here:

a) La Gondola Restaurant in Cupecoy, http://www.lagondola-sxm.com ;

b) Daniel’s By The Sea, http://www.dawnbeachsxm.com , the evening rendition of Mr. Busby’s Beach Bar;

c) Kissing Fish Bar at Summit Resort Hotel, Cupecoy, Dutch Side;

d) the Cliffhanger Bar on Cupecoy near Cupecoy Beach Club;

e) Sputters Miniature Golf, Simpson Bay

f) Baywatch on Orient Beach, near Pedro’s just north of Club Orient;

g) L’Alabama in Grand Case, http://www.lalabama.com ;

h) Ric’s Place, www.ricsplace-sxm.com

i) La California Restaurant, Grand Case

j) La Rosa Restaurant, Maho Plaza

k) Turtle Pier Restaurant

l) Mario’s Bistro, Sandy Ground

m) The Perch, Club Orient, Orient Beach

n) Trattoria Pizza Pasta

o) Spiga (www.spiga-sxm.com)

p) Taloula Mango’s (www.taloulamangos.com)

q) Valentino’s in Simpson Bay

r) Daniel’s By The Sea (reprise)

s) Jimbo’s Mesquite Grill, Simpson Bay

t) Papagayo Restaurant, Club Orient

u) Sunset Café

v) Le Montmartre (www.lemontmartre.com)

w) Peg Leg Pub (www.peglegpub.com)

x) Bajatzu, Maho Plaza

y) Where’s Ivan?

z) Pineapple Pete’s

aa) La Sucriere

bb) Stone, Simpson Bay

cc) White Swan, Simpson Bay

dd) Lal's Indian Cuisine

ee) Sugar Cane Café

ff) Boo Boo Jam's

gg) Khush

We'll tell you about another island restaurant in our next issue.

--------

19. “Thanks Two Million” Prize Rundown #32: Dinner for Two at La Veranda Restaurant, Great House, Pelican Resort

We were regular customers at "Captain's Cove at Pelican Reef" when it was at Pelican; it's now an Argentinean steak house under another name, run by other folks. But the great lobster, beef, and many other selections long offered at Pelican Reef continue to be offered today at La Veranda restaurant, the same place at the Great House inside Pelican that serves both breakfast and lunch.

If you are the First Grand Prize winner in Thanks Two Million, you get dinner for two at La Veranda, a place we have long recommended. You will also get four weeks of St. Maarten vacations. See all the prizes (dozens of them) and enter today: visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/nine.html .

See the next article for something else our First Grand Prize winner will receive.

--------

20. “Thanks Two Million” Prize Rundown #33: Dinner for Two at Trattoria Pizza Pasta, Maho

"Pizza Pasta," which has long lines out the door in high season, offers luscious pizza, outstanding spaghetti and meatballs, a huge plate of chicken parm, and lots of other wonderful Italian cooking. One of our long-time favorites. Dinner for two is one of the prizes for our First Grand Prize winner in "Thanks Two Million."

"Thanks Two Million" has lots of prizes. We'll tell you about more of them in our next issue. See all the prizes and enter today: visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/nine.html .

We'll tell you about more prizes next week. There are 41 in all.

--------

21. “Sponsors” Sought For “Everything St. Maarten” Website

We’re seeking St. Maarten Newsletter & Website sponsors. For $200 for 12 months, we’ll publish a text ad every week in Weekly News and publish a (jpg) ad for Sponsors on a new Sponsors page on our popular everythingstmaarten.com website, and on another appropriate page on our site. All ads will include a link back to the Sponsor’s website.

We’re doing this in part to help keep St. Maarten & St. Martin Weekly News free and in part to keep renewal fees paid by JMB Website Supporters (now as little as $13/year) from rising.

If you own a business that caters to SXM travelers --- either in St. Maarten / St. Martin, in the States, in Canada, or anywhere --- please email Susan at JMB Communications (nospamsusan@jmbcommunications.com), deleting “nospam” before you mail, with the subject “Sponsorship” and we’ll take it from there.

--------

Please Patronize our Newsletter & Website Sponsors:

****************************

Travel Arrangements:

For The Best Prices On Individual and Group Tours to St. Maarten & St. Martin, Visit Our Sponsor:

Sandy Molloy at SXM Travel Specialists ---
http://www.stmartin-stmaartentravelspecialists.com 704-567-6661

****************************

****************************

“Villas in Paradise” is your one-stop source for great St. Maarten Villa Accommodations.

See many choices at www.villasinparadise.com or call Marilyn Pulito directly at 508-533-1388. “Villas in Paradise” is Our Sponsor.

****************************

"Emerald Cove Villas" provides a one-of-a-kind vacation experience in Oyster Pond. See their website at www.emeraldcovevillas.com. Learn why "Emerald Cove" is the name. Emerald Cove Villas is Our Sponsor.

****************************

Summit Resort Hotel has long been Jeff Berger's favorite St. Maarten resort hotel. See why for yourself: check out www.thesummitresort.com. He Summit Resort is a JMB Sponsor.

****************************

Emergency Medical Evacuation Protection:

SkyMed "Takes You Home" if you become critically ill or injured while traveling more than 100 miles from home in the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, plus Belize and Cozumel. Learn more at www.skymed.com/jmb .

****************************

Section IV: For Members Only

--------

22. About This New Section

Although all articles in this newsletter are geared toward the needs of JMB Website Supporters, this section focuses specifically on member benefits and questions. It will appear occasionally in future issues of St. Maarten Weekly News. See also stories #2 and #3, above.

--------

23. About Those Incredible Fall Airfares

We listed a number of very low fares at the beginning of this newsletter. To get all the info on them, go to http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret/sales.html . See next article.

--------

24. Reminder on Recovering Forgotten / Misplaced Passwords (and lots more)

Members, please print this and save it:

If ever you need to recover a username or password, change your email address in our JMB Website Supporters member database, access the members-only message board, place an ad on our SXM condominiums for rent or sale page, or have any other membership-related question, please click the "Attention JMB Website Supporters" link at the very top of www.everythingstmaarten.com and that page will make it happen. Everything is there including our automated system for replacing forgotten passwords.

--------

25. About Your Membership Benefits: How To Submit Rentals or Sales to Our SXM Condos for Rent or Sale Page

Go to the home page of the Secret Site, www.jmbcommunications.com/secret (if you forgot your password, see previous story). In the navigation bar on the left side of the home page, you will see "Member Benefits Center" and under that, "Our Current Benefits List / Welcome Letter." That list/letter, revised August 20, describes all twenty current membership benefits. You should read it thoroughly and check it again whenever we tell you about improvements, which are constant.

Many of you this time of year ask how to submit weeks for rent or sale. That's benefit #14 at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret/welcome.html . You can now place up to 10 ads for SXM timeshare condos for rent or sale within any 12-month period. Please look at the web for instructions on format and how to submit. Ads are free for members and there's no commission. Member-owned properties only, 125-word limit.

Section V: Important Background Information for Travelers

--------

A) Low-Priced Timeshare Condos For Rent or Sale By Owners

You can get great rates for timeshare condo accommodations by renting directly from the owners. To see our complete listings of timeshare units for sale or rent in St. Maarten / St. Maarten and elsewhere, visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/condorentals.shtml . Ads are updated weekly and are posted by category and chronologically.

Members of JMB Website Supporters can post free timeshare rental / sale ads; see the directions in the members’ “welcome letter” on the secret site, http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret . Many members use this page to rent out or sell multiple weeks every year and tell us it works like clockwork every year. We have already posted many 2008 ads.

We’ve also just upped the limit, so full JMB Website Supporters members can now post as many as 10 ads for SXM timeshare rentals/sales in any 12-month period. (That revision should be reflected in our Welcome Letter some time this week.)

Please heed the warnings at the top of the condorentals page . . . they are for your protection.

--------

B) “Everything St Maarten / St. Martin” Website Info Guide

JMB Website Supporters members have access to timeshare weeks and hotel stays at top resorts for far, far less than normal rack rates (until recently it was just $449 per room, per week, not per person). See the secret site for details.

Hotel / Villa Reservations (for everyone): Book online on both sides of the island at

http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/index.shtml . Also see http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/condorentals.shtml and http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/places.shtml (which will shortly be updated to include Villa Bleu, http://www.villableudemer.com/ , the breathtaking new villa on Guana Bay). One top choice for a luxurious but reasonably priced condo on the beach: http://www.vacationsinparadise.info.

Global Discount Hotel / Car / Air reservations -- We use the same computer systems as Travelocity and Expedia. See http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/index.shtml for reservations anywhere worldwide.

Car Rentals: Tropical-Tropicana Car Rental’s site, www.tropical-tropicana.com , includes online reservations. Great service, competitive rates; many Jeep-type vehicles (Suzuki ragtops), 8-passenger vans, plus Nissan Platina, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Yaris cars, and car seats for younger kids. See the fleet at www.tropical-tropicana.com . Dozens of new cars added Fall, 2006. JMB Website Supporters members are entitled to a $15 discount off standard non-discounted weekly rental rates; see the secret members site for details and for the code word you’ll need to get this discount, http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret . If you do not recall your password, click the special link atop all pages at www.everythingstmaarten.com to recover it.

On-Island Activities: We hook you up with St. Martin Activities, an island-based company, to bring you discounts on a wide range of island activities, from excursions to neighboring islands to kayaking to scuba, snorkeling, motorcycle rentals, boat rentals, sunset cruises, Pub Crawls, and much more. You can research and select activities before you go, make a small deposit, and get a reservation by email, eliminating the need to waste time with some activities person on the island --- but even better, the prices are less than you’ll pay in SXM. To get there just click this link: http://jmb.caribbean-activities.com/ . Don’t forget the “jmb” - - otherwise you’re not on our site.

Low Airfares: To save hundreds of dollars on airfares and get much more of value concerning SXM, join JMB Website Supporters. We send members Low Airfare Bulletins plus give them over two dozen sources of low airfares - - including contact information for airfare wholesalers. See http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml to learn more.

Restaurants: Detailed descriptions of many restaurants are at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Here/sxmdine.shtml . The page includes many SXM restaurant websites. Frequently updated.

Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance: In case of critical illness or injury while traveling 100+ air miles from home, emergency medical evacuation can cost you upwards of $30,000. “SkyMed” takes you home from the US, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, or the Caribbean. See www.skymed.com/jmbsxm . Cost: Just $9/day per person, minimum five days - - and much less for annual and family plans. Members get a $72 annual plan discount…20% off. We never travel without this life-saving protection. More on SkyMed is below, or see www.skymed.com/jmbsxm .

Bookmark our SXM site and visit us often. Our URL: www.everythingstmaarten.com .

--------

C) Useful St. Maarten / St. Martin Websites (Updated 2007)

Le Montmartre, Cupecoy www.lemontmartre.com

Villa Bleu, Guana Bay www.villableudemer.com

La Gondola Ristorante, Cupecoy www.lagondola-sxm.com

Mr. Busby’s Beach Bar / Daniel’s By The Sea /

Penthouse Paradise Beach Vacation Condo www.dawnbeachsxm.com

Vacations in Paradise beach villa SXM www.vacationsinparadise.info

Beach Weddings & Vow Renewals www.stmaarten-beachweddings.com

Spiga Restaurant SXM www.spiga-sxm.com

Peg Leg Pub & Steakhouse SXM www.peglegpub.com

Taloula Mango’s Caribbean Café SXM www.taloulamangos.com

Ric’s Place Restaurant SXM www.ricsplace-sxm.com

Tropical Car Rental SXM www.tropical-tropicana.com

The Royal Turtle Inn SXM www.theroyalturtle.com

Blooming Baskets by Lisa (handbags) SXM www.bloomingbasketsbylisa.com

We do websites for businesses. If your business website isn’t working - - or if you’re looking to build your first one - - Massachusetts-based JMB can help, and we’re reasonable. See http://www.websitesthatwork.info for more. Or, email us at jmbweb@jmbcommunications.com or call 508-830-3456 (Massachusetts) to learn more. See also our main site, http://www.jmbcommunications.com.

A few more JMB-created Website examples:

JMB Communications www.jmbcommunications.com

Websites That Work (our own site) www.websitesthatwork.info

Federal Hill House www.federalhillhouse.org

Steadfast Fence www.steadfastfence.com

Commodore Coatings www.commodorecoatings.com

Ran Zan Japanese Restaurant (RI) www.ranzan.net

--------

D) SkyMed Emergency Medical Evacuation: Important No Matter Where You’re Going

You never know when or where you could become critically ill or injured . . . that is why we recommend SkyMed, which “takes you home” to your choice of hospital by emergency medevac jet if you become critically ill or injured more than 100 miles from home anywhere in the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean, and now on Belize and Cozumel. We buy their inexpensive annual plan so we’re never without protection. Other “competitor” plans bring you to the nearest qualified facility which could be thousands of miles from where you live.

If you're a JMB Website Supporters member, you receive a significant discount ($72) from SkyMed International off their membership emergency medical evacuation protection. What’s it cost? Annual SkyMed memberships give you one full year of protection at a cost that is very close to what you’d pay for a week or two. Look:

NON-members pay the annual fee of $360 for family memberships, $180 for individual memberships, and an additional one-time $60 application fee.

But JMB Website Supporters members pay an annual fee of just $288 for a family SkyMed membership (a $72 savings), or just $144 for an individual membership ($36 off). New members also pay an additional one-time $60 application fee. (We always get the annual family membership.)

Bottom line: one year of family protection for $288, a $72 savings for members only. That protects you against a bill of $30,000 payable in advance should you need emergency medical evacuation while on your next SXM vacation. We've used their annual plan for years. Sign up today at the SkyMed signup center on the home page of the secret site. To get there, click the link at the top of any page at www.everythingstmaarten.com. Again, the $72 discount is for JMB Website Supporters members only (the discount is huge).

What about upgrades?

If you already bought a SkyMed plan covering just a week or two, call SkyMed today at 1-800-475-9633 to learn about upgrading to an annual family membership for just a few dollars more. Tell them you read about it in Jeff Berger's newsletter.

Nonmembers, see the top of the www.everythingstmaarten.com home page for more info on joining JMB Website Supporters. Former members can reinstate through the link under the hit counter near the top of that page, too. Get SkyMed at www.skymed.com/jmbsxm .

About The SkyMed Bonus:

Anyone who buys the Annual Plan from SkyMed through us from today (extended) through August 31, 2007, gets a special bonus from Everything St. Maarten: two of our big oversized fluorescent green translucent luggage tags.

The Annual Plan will cover your summer vacations and your vacations next winter throughout the mammoth SkyMed coverage area we described above. It’s a great deal for long-lasting peace-of-mind.

--------

E) How To Be Sure You Receive Each Issue Of This Newsletter

To avoid difficulty receiving our newsletters, whitelist “jeff1620@jmbcommunications.com” by placing that address in your Outlook, Outlook Express, or other PC address book. If your mail program allows you to otherwise “white-list” addresses to ensure that mail gets through, please do that as well. Also check your spam folder, since a few overzealous spam prevention programs may put our newsletters there.

You can always see recent issues in our archives. Just go to the Archive Index at http://jmbcommunications.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi?flavor=archive;list=testlist . The archives are searchable; the search window is near the bottom of that page. We periodically delete our oldest issues, but the archives usually display issues for at least two years.

--------

F) Free SXM Souvenirs When You Join, Renew, or Reinstate JMB Website Supporters

We’re now giving away a colorful St. Maarten keychain, a "SXM" Sint Maarten Euro-Oval sticker, a St. Maarten Beach Sticker, plus an all-new, "St. Maarten" imprinted lightweight drawstring beach bag (or "anything" bag), a free oversized fluorescent green SXM luggage tag, and a custom-created tropical-look tie-dyed eyeglass case when you join JMB Website Supporters for five years.

One year of membership is $29 (plus a small one-time enrollment fee), but you get five years of membership for just $69 plus the enrollment fee PLUS you get all the goodies in the paragraph above. It’s a great new signup deal. Limited time only. Sign up today at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml [The one-time only enrollment fee is just $20.]

----

Former members… we will give you exactly the same package if you reinstate your former membership for five years at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/support/expired.shtml .

-----

Current members… you can get free luggage tags as a renewal bonus with our seven-year renewals; see the offer at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret/renewals.html

--------

G) Spend Less On Airfare to St. Maarten & Get Many Other Travel Benefits: Join JMB Website Supporters

We work virtually around the clock seven days a week (24/7/365) to find the lowest available fares from about 100 cities all over the U.S. ., plus Canada and Europe to SXM and send you “Low Airfare Bulletins” telling you about them. Could you find these fares yourself? Conceivably --- if you have hours to spend every day and know everywhere to look. We do that for you, and JMB Website Supporters membership offers lots of other benefits as well.

Learn more at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml

When you join online, you have access to everything in about 48 to 72 hours (weekdays). If you’re in a hurry, you can join by phone or fax and get set up within roughly 24 hours on weekdays.

--------

H) For Much More About JMB Communications:

If you own a business or are responsible for sales or marketing, think about us. JMB Communications provides public relations, marketing communications, and website creation services to businesses of all sizes worldwide. Please visit our website at www.jmbcommunications.com or our new website development site, www.websitesthatwork.info.

We would love to help your business. Phone JMB Communications today at (508) 830-3456 for questions about any of our capabilities.

--------

I) Contact Us

JMB Website Supporters members wishing to contact us should visit the secret site, http://www.jmbcommunications.com/secret , for JMB Website Supporters contact emails. You can not reach us at any addresses other than those shown on the secret site. If you have misplaced your password, you can get a new one at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Supporters/index.shtml assuming your membership is in good standing. (A link to this is at the top of every page on everythingstmaarten.com.)

--------

J) About Our “Still” Rapidly Growing & Changing St. Maarten / St. Martin Website

Ever since our SXM website started as just another short writing sample on our fledgling JMB Communications website in 1995, we have recommended only places with which we’re thoroughly familiar and which we genuinely enjoy. If our recommendations enable you to have a better vacation, please help us and yourself by joining JMB Website Supporters. You can save hundreds of dollars on airfares and enjoy more than a dozen and a half other members-only benefits. Our URL: http://www.everythingstmaarten.com Learn more at http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/Go/paypal.shtml .

-----

*About Email Address Changes / Unsubscribes

To change your email address, first use the Unsubscribe link in this email to delete your old email address, then go to http://www.everythingstmaarten.com to subscribe to our free newsletter with your new email address. Don't hit "reply" for address changes or unsubscribes - - nothing will happen.

**when you select our lowest-cost multiyear renewal option

***All new memberships require a one-time-only additional $20 enrollment fee.

LEGAL:

Entire contents copyright, (c), JMB Communications, 2007. World rights reserved. “Everything St. Maarten” and “Everything St. Martin” are service marks of JMB Communications. “JMB Communications” is a trademark of JMB Communications, P. O. Box 1812, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02362-1812 USA.

Feel free to distribute this newsletter to others in its entirety only, including this copyright notice. Excerpting is forbidden by copyright law. Join our free St. Maarten mailing list at http://www.everythingstmaarten.com . You cannot join by emailing us. See email headers for subscribe / unsubscribe / address change links. To see the JMB Communications privacy policy, visit http://www.jmbcommunications.com/sxm/pages/JMB/privacy.shtml

8/27/07 Transmitted 8/27 10:40 a.m. 9.5