Maho Beach Closes for Work on Airport

From the local paper, The Daily Herald:

MAHO--Maho Beach is to close its shores forever to the general public as of next week Monday, April 6, 2015.

Princess Juliana International Airport SXM will commence its much anticipated Phase 3 Project Extension to Runway 10 "Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar-Oscar-Lima." The runway is to be lengthened by 500 metres, increasing its overall length by 20 per cent.

Maho Beach and Bay will consequently cease to exist, as a concrete retaining wall is planned across the area, to be completely backfilled with sand and dredged material from the Salt Pond, also in connection with the rising sea levels. In addition to the extended runway, 100 much needed private jet parking places will be created.

Beacon Hill Road to Sunset Bar & Grill must also close and a new passage will be constructed from Mary's Boon in Simpson Bay running along the beach and connecting to White Sands in Beacon Hill. A double security barb wired fence like used in US penitentiaries will run the whole perimeter of the new P3PE and will connect back through the soon to be demolished bar that has to move elsewhere.

<snip>

gary

:)

Thank you for the info, Gary. I have read many of your posts here and have always found your posts to be reliable, but this time I was hoping it was an April Fools Day joke!

After reading the article you referenced in your link, I am wishing I'd made a trip to Maho a priority on a previous visit to St Maarten. I wish they would postpone the start of construction by a month so I would get the chance to at least see Maho from a boat. I know a number of people on my roll call will be very disappointed. I am sure you'llnsee some of them here.

I do get why they're doing this. Being able to make safe plane takeoffs and landings is a really good idea.

Truly the end of an era. I guess that's progress for you. Thanks for the information Gary. I will miss you Maho.

Loved the quotes from the "former lap dancer" at the end.

I really wanted to go there.

Runway A FOOL good one :D

The Daily Herald:

MAHO--With the necessary permanent closing of Maho Beach (see related story), the Government of St. Maarten has allowed a maximum 3,000-person private party there with two local bands from noon today, Wednesday for those who want to celebrate the thrill of seeing planes land and take off up-close one more time.

<snip>

gary

:)

Princess Juliana International Airport SXM will commence its much anticipated Phase 3 Project Extension to Runway 10 "Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar-Oscar-Lima." The runway is to be lengthened by 500 metres, increasing its overall length by 20 per cent.

Alpha Foxtrot Oscar Oscar Lima = AFOOL

From the local paper, The Daily Herald:

 

MAHO--Maho Beach is to close its shores forever to the general public as of next week Monday, April 6, 2015.

 

Princess Juliana International Airport SXM will commence its much anticipated Phase 3 Project Extension to Runway 10 "Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar-Oscar-Lima." The runway is to be lengthened by 500 metres, increasing its overall length by 20 per cent.

 

Maho Beach and Bay will consequently cease to exist, as a concrete retaining wall is planned across the area, to be completely backfilled with sand and dredged material from the Salt Pond, also in connection with the rising sea levels. In addition to the extended runway, 100 much needed private jet parking places will be created.

 

Beacon Hill Road to Sunset Bar & Grill must also close and a new passage will be constructed from Mary's Boon in Simpson Bay running along the beach and connecting to White Sands in Beacon Hill. A double security barb wired fence like used in US penitentiaries will run the whole perimeter of the new P3PE and will connect back through the soon to be demolished bar that has to move elsewhere.

<snip>

 

gary

 

:)

OMG Gary! I texted my 3 kids at university and told them that one of these is true and ones an April Fool's joke.

One was about Maho closing and the other was that their dad got hair plugs. lol

I just told my DH that he will need to get Hair Plugs before the girls come home for Easter because I don't want to look like a fool or a lier!

I did include :).

gary

From the local paper, The Daily Herald:

 

MAHO--Maho Beach is to close its shores forever to the general public as of next week Monday, April 6, 2015.

 

Princess Juliana International Airport SXM will commence its much anticipated Phase 3 Project Extension to Runway 10 "Alpha-Foxtrot-Oscar-Oscar-Lima." The runway is to be lengthened by 500 metres, increasing its overall length by 20 per cent.

 

Maho Beach and Bay will consequently cease to exist, as a concrete retaining wall is planned across the area, to be completely backfilled with sand and dredged material from the Salt Pond, also in connection with the rising sea levels. In addition to the extended runway, 100 much needed private jet parking places will be created.

 

Beacon Hill Road to Sunset Bar & Grill must also close and a new passage will be constructed from Mary's Boon in Simpson Bay running along the beach and connecting to White Sands in Beacon Hill. A double security barb wired fence like used in US penitentiaries will run the whole perimeter of the new P3PE and will connect back through the soon to be demolished bar that has to move elsewhere.

<snip>

 

gary

 

:)

I am so sad about the closing of Maho, tomorrow will be our last day watching the planes :( :( :(

My wife woke me up at 5am this morning FREAKING OUT when she read the article in the Herald. We are planning a non cruise vacation there in 2 weeks and were shocked to hear the news....but honestly not that surprised when you consider the nanny state that we live in here in the US. "But if it saves one person from getting hurt....blah blah blah..."

I am a private pilot myself and was devastated to hear the news as Maho is one of my favorite tourist destination in the world.

I also remember it was on April 1, 12 years ago that officials in Chicago buldozed the runway at Meigs Field in the middle of the night to make way for their new park project permanently destroying one of the country's most unique airports. At the time I thought that was a joke too but sadly, corrupt mayor Richard Daly insured that it was not.

Upon reading the article I told her something seems fishy and of course I knew it was April Fools day, but like in Chicago, if you're doing something controversial, especially in foreign countries, it would make sense that there would not be much notice of it.

When I read the quote from "former lap dancer" April La Premier (April the First) I knew it was a hoax but she made me call the Sonesta Maho Hotel, Sunset Beach Bar, AND the Coldwell Banker office in SXM that was quoted in the article. After none of them could confirm the report I finally convinced her that it was in fact a hoax.

Kudos to the writers for their creativity even if it did cost me a couple hours sleep and a few international phone calls

A-FOOL Alpha Foxtrot Oscar Oscar Lima in pilot phonetic alphabet

IDAFT (meaning... I am dumb) in Brittish slang

chairman U. Loof....Fool

and of course...former Lap Dancer, April La Premier

Let this make all of us remember to appreciate what a jewel Maho Beach really is....you sometimes don't appreciate something until it's gone.

I know I will have a smile on my face and a tear in my eye on April 13th when I an having a Heineken at the Driftwood Boat Bar waiting for the KLM.

The Daily Herald:

 

MAHO--With the necessary permanent closing of Maho Beach (see related story), the Government of St. Maarten has allowed a maximum 3,000-person private party there with two local bands from noon today, Wednesday for those who want to celebrate the thrill of seeing planes land and take off up-close one more time.

 

<snip>

 

gary

 

:)

This is my favorite quote from the news article:

"La Primier wonders why these thousands of mindless people do not check in for a one week stay at any airport hotel such as JFK, LAX, O'Hare or Charles de Gaulle.

It was pointed out to her that most visitors who enjoyed the Maho Beach experience were from cruise ships. Her reply was that most cruise ship passengers were afraid of flying; hence they flocked like geese to Maho Beach to witness aircraft nearly beheading people en masse. Confirming and justifying their fear of flying, these passengers returned in total reassurance to the safety of their boats."

:eek::cool::D

OMG Gary! I texted my 3 kids at university and told them that one of these is true and ones an April Fool's joke.

One was about Maho closing and the other was that their dad got hair plugs. lol

 

I just told my DH that he will need to get Hair Plugs before the girls come home for Easter because I don't want to look like a fool or a lier!

Now that's funny! :D

Hello everyone this is all an April Fools joke........

If you read the article closely there are many clues also here is the the daily herald telling everyone it was a joke!

http://thedailyherald.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54584%3Amany-people-taken-in-by-maho-april-fools-joke&catid=1%3Aislands-news&Itemid=54

Yeah Maho beach is back in the plans. Glad we don't have to miss this.

OK, it was a joke, but what about this:

The Daily Herald

MARIGOT --Negotiations between the legal representatives of the owners of Tintamarre and a consortium of Middle Eastern investment businessmen were concluded late yesterday with the sale and purchase of Tintamarre Island, which has been privately owned since 1878, for a fabulous amount that exceeds 200 million euros.

<snip>

According to Brett Mucklow of Coldwell Banker St. Maarten Real Estate, who represents the Tintamarre owners, the island has been sold with its water rights that extend 200 miles to the North of the island and 150 miles East. Included are fishing rights, along with any mineral deposits.

<snip>

Unconfirmed reports indicated that the oil rights alone were worth in excess of one billion US dollars. Investors expect to have one oil rig for every umbrella on Orient Beach by 2020. If oil is found, Statia with its Oil Terminal will play an important part in the storage of such.

<snip>

gary

:)

After replying to your post at 4:21AM, I realized what day it was. Now, I'm not at my sharpest at that hour, and my vision was pretty blurry from several hours browsing CC on my tablet. However, by the time I had shut down my tablet and stumbled off to bed, I had figured out it was a joke. The scary thing is that I have seen crazier plans than the one described in the article actually carried out! I'm just hoping that the powers that are in charge in St Maarten don't see that article and get any ideas!

Good joke! Definitely made me smile. :D

What about the story that RCL is going to make a complex that will include zip lining near the port? Please tell me that one is an April Fools joke as well!

An April Fools joke...I knew it! ;) Good one! I was going to reply yesterday but wanted to wait and see how many fell for it. :)

What about the story that RCL is going to make a complex that will include zip lining near the port? Please tell me that one is an April Fools joke as well!

On board RCI now and it is not a joke. They have purchased the land (called Sand Bank) near the port.