PHILIPSBURG:--- The Windward Islands Bank (WIB) presented DeAngelo Duzanson with a significant donation here in December 3rd toward an upcoming government studies book, said Jacqueline Sample, president of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP).
“SIMART’N History and Culture: Election Map of Activities, Results and More,” compiled by Louis L. Duzanson, is the manuscript submitted a few months ago to HNP for publication as a book by project principals Oretha Duzanson and DeAngelo Duzanson.
As part of its 65th anniversary, the bank is honoring “the island’s heritage … reaffirming its commitment to community development through a special contribution toward realizing the publication of the book,” WIB said in a release last Thursday.
The compilation by Duzanson, who passed away in 2020 at age 71, focuses on voting and electoral processes, forms of government, leadership commentary, national ordinances, and constitutional matters from 2000 to 2016, said HNP. It includes a “roll call of elected leaders” covering 1951–2016; very brief references on the beginnings of Dutch colonialism relative to St. Martin in 1630; and developments in the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean from 1936 to 1954.
Another section traces the 1950s–1986 calls for structural changes in the six Netherlands territories, culminating in the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles. Throughout, HNP noted, Duzanson’s lively, informed, and questioning voice makes the manuscript an original work that, when published, will serve both popular readers and government studies.
In the Thursday news article, Daisy Tyrol-Carolus, Country Head of Windward Islands Bank, repeated her encouragement “for other organizations and institutions to get on board and support this initiative when approached. Those interested in learning more about the publication … may contact the coordinator directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1 (721) 553-8488.
“Endeavors like these enrich cultural awareness, protect valued narratives, and contribute to a more informed and connected society.”
DeAngelo and Oretha Duzanson Continue their Late Father and
Husband’s Vision with WIB Support
“What is also admirable is that the widow, Oretha, has remained faithful to her late husband’s wishes to have his book published, and the couple’s son, DeAngelo, has been a strong support for his mom,” said Sample.
During the presentation, in conversation with WIB officers and the HNP representative, DeAngelo said he was “proud” of the book project so far and thanked the bank for its generous contribution, as bringing the project to fruition was “one of the last wishes” his father had “stressed before he passed — that this book has to happen.”
HNP representative Nzinga Lake said that the book project is in its editing and early design stage, with research assistance and fundraising still ongoing. She said on Sunday that HNP’s focus on delivering quality editing and design was emphasized at the presentation rather than a publication date, because “books are legacies that last for generations.”
WIB officers Rolando Tobias and Emilia Thomas-Connor told DeAngelo that they, respectively, knew his father and had worked with him. The WIB news release noted that the contribution to the book project was also a way of paying “tribute to the late Louis L. Duzanson, a respected civil servant whose decades of service strengthened public administration and shaped institutional development in St. Maarten.”
Duzanson’s first book, An Introduction to Government: Island Territory St. Maarten, was published by HNP in 2000 and reprinted in 2003, said Sample.
“In the late 1990s, Duzanson headed the territory’s General Affairs Department and was well known for leading commissions and advising successive governments in Great Bay.
“Between 1975 and 1991, he headed the Legal Affairs and Archives Departments and served as island secretary and acting island secretary. He was widely regarded as a St. Martin (South) election and government administration expert and was often sought out by media, scholars, government leaders, and political parties of all stripes,” according to HNP.
The Windward Islands Bank is not new to contributing to publications in St. Martin over its 65-year history, said Sample, whose HNP is also celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2025.
WIB is itself to be commemorated, said Sample, as reported last week for its “long-standing commitment” to educational and cultural projects, which it has said “represents more than sponsorship. It is an investment” in the St. Martin community that—according to Country Head Tyrol-Carolus at the presentation—has also given so much to the Windward Islands Bank.
Cupecoy:--- The Bridge to Bold Sint Maarten Foundation successfully hosted Master Class 2025 on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Cupecoy. Students from St. Dominic High School, Milton Peters College, and Charlotte Brookson Academy for the Performing Arts gathered for a transformative afternoon centered on creativity, motivation, discipline, and personal development under the theme “Dream Big, Shine Bright.”
PHILIPSBURG:--- “Last night’s smash-and-grab in Maho was not only an attack on a business, it was an attack on the rule of law and on the sense of safety our community deserves. To those responsible: you will be found, you will be prosecuted, and you will face the consequences. These acts are not signs of boldness. They are criminals, and they will be stopped.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament and Vice Chairman of the Justice Committee, Lyndon Lewis, is raising serious concerns regarding the functionality and usefulness of the police substations located in key areas such as Cole Bay, Simpson Bay, and the reportedly designated station in Maho. These substations—fully funded by the Government of Sint Maarten—were established to ensure swift responses to criminal activity and to serve as a preventive measure through increased police visibility.