My island
Cricket field and Drag strip on Pond Island
Bad or Good Idea?
Is it a good idea to build another cricket field and a drag strip on St.Maarten?
Yet again another controversial subject has struck St.Maarten. Should we fill up the pond, which once upon a time had people at war for its ability to bear the once valuable and costly mineral which is salt, even though it is no longer able to?
The cricket field: Another cricket field on St.Maarten is a situation that would be considered a “You must lose to win” situation. If you fill the salt pond you will be threading dangerous waters tampering with the drainage system but by having a cricket stadium that is suitable for hosting international events we will be able to attract people who under normal circumstances would not be on St Maarten. And we all know that cricket is one of the most played sports in the West Indies and the Middle East, so this can even mean television publication. With the profits earned from said publication it can be put to beautification purposes for the pond fill or even making a proper drainage system for the island. On the other hand we are losing our national symbol. “A ring of over twenty ponds constitutes one of the most striking natural features of St. Maarten.” Well, not anymore and it is only getting worse. The eastern side of the Great Salt Pond, an area called the Great Salt Pans, has been identified and designated by the Executive Council of the Island Territory of St. Maarten as a monument in doing so; government acknowledged the cultural/historical significance of the area and committed to protecting it. So by doing such as filling the pond would shine a negative light on the government. But the one question remains: Why doesn’t the government take these funds to turn the original cricket field into a professional one?
The drag strip: When told about the objections
Bad or Good Idea?
Is it a good idea to build another cricket field and a drag strip on St.Maarten?
Yet again another controversial subject has struck St.Maarten. Should we fill up the pond, which once upon a time had people at war for its ability to bear the once valuable and costly mineral which is salt, even though it is no longer able to?
The cricket field: Another cricket field on St.Maarten is a situation that would be considered a “You must lose to win” situation. If you fill the salt pond you will be threading dangerous waters tampering with the drainage system but by having a cricket stadium that is suitable for hosting international events we will be able to attract people who under normal circumstances would not be on St Maarten. And we all know that cricket is one of the most played sports in the West Indies and the Middle East, so this can even mean television publication. With the profits earned from said publication it can be put to beautification purposes for the pond fill or even making a proper drainage system for the island. On the other hand we are losing our national symbol. “A ring of over twenty ponds constitutes one of the most striking natural features of St. Maarten.” Well, not anymore and it is only getting worse. The eastern side of the Great Salt Pond, an area called the Great Salt Pans, has been identified and designated by the Executive Council of the Island Territory of St. Maarten as a monument in doing so; government acknowledged the cultural/historical significance of the area and committed to protecting it. So by doing such as filling the pond would shine a negative light on the government. But the one question remains: Why doesn’t the government take these funds to turn the original cricket field into a professional one?
The drag strip: When told about the objections