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Island Council Meets Tomorrow
The Island Council will have a public meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, December 29th) in the Pasanggrahan
building in Playa. On the agenda are the purchase of Klein Bonaire, raising the road tax for vehicles by 25 percent, and raising the airport's departure tax for international flights from US$10 to US$20. The meeting
starts at 9am and it will be broadcast live on Mega FM (101.1). The opposition party (the Red or PDB party) which holds four out of the nine seats on the Island Council has asked the president of the Island Council,
Lt. Governor Richard Hart, for all the documents related to the purchase of Klein Bonaire on hand since July 2nd.
A Historic Day for Bonaire
The day after tomorrow (Thursday, December 30th) should be a historic day for Bonaire. On that day, after years of talking and
negotiating, Klein Bonaire will once again belong to Bonaire and its people. The deed of ownership will be signed for transfer at 2pm in the Pasanggrahan in the presence of notary Maarten Maartense. (Please note the
date and times have changed from the tentative ones published in last week's Bonaire E-News).
The purchase of Klein Bonaire has become possible with the financial help of the Dutch government, the World Wildlife Fund, the Foundation Preservation Klein Bonaire (FPKB) and the Bonairean government. Bonaire will
be buying Klein Bonaire from the Klein Bonaire Development Company (KBDC), which has owned the small island since 1971.
After Governor Richard Hart and Morris Neme of KBDC have signed the document, at approximately 3pm an official delegation will sail to Klein Bonaire, where the Bonairean flag will be planted to symbolize that Klein
Bonaire now truly belongs to Bonaire. Then, at 6pm in the Wilhelminapark, there will be a public reception to celebrate the purchase with the people of Bonaire. There will be music and speeches.
By order of the Bonairean government a four-part documentary has been commissioned about Klein Bonaire from writer and historian Boi Antoin. The first part of the documentary was shown yesterday (Monday), and the
other three parts will be shown today, tomorrow and Thursday after the regular news on TV11. Articles on Klein Bonaire are being published in local newspapers in conjunction with the televised documentary.
In a correction to the numbers we posted in last week's E-News relative to the purchase cost of Klein Bonaire, we received the following information from one of the people involved in the negotiations
"The deal was sealed for 9 million Antillean guilders of which about 7.5 million Antillean guilders come from the Dutch Fepartement of Interior and Kingdom affairs and the Department of Exterior affairs. About
400,000 Antillean guilders will be provided by the Dutch section of the World Wildlife Fund (WNF) and the FPKB shall raise about 520,000 Antillean guilders for the final payment.
The owners of Klein Bonaire are now the Development Corporation The Island of Klein Bonaire (DCIKB). The notarial deed will be transferred on December 30th. The conditions for the subsidy of the Dutch Government and
the FPKB are the preservation of Klein Bonaire as a National Park. In January 2000 a management plan (consisting of the non-development of Klein Bonaire) will be brought into procedure, which starts with
discussions with all concerned parties."
The latest information on Klein Bonaire can be found at the brand new Web site, http://www.KleinBonaire.org , developed by FPKB president Bruce Bowker of Carib Inn, and set-up and hosted compliments of NetTech N.V.
Dog Found
Ridgeback, medium brown, male, probably 6-months to one year. No collar or tags. Found wandering around at General Store on Monday,
December 27th. Call Susan at 2848 if you think he may be yours!
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