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LOCAL Monday 3 June 2024

Aruba Tourism Authority honored loyal visitors at Aruba Beach Club!

The Aruba Tourism Authority recently had Alabama, United States.
the great pleasure of recognizing Goodwill
Ambassadors of Aruba. The honorees were Mr. Jorgino Willems representing the Aruba
respectively honored with a certificate for Tourism Authority, and staff members of
their years of visits, loyalty, and love for the Aruba beach club bestowed the certificate
island of Aruba. upon the honorees, presented them with
gifts, and thanked them for choosing Aruba
The honorary certification is presented on as their favorite vacation destination, as
behalf of the Minister of Tourism as a token their home away from home.
of appreciation and to say “Masha Danki”
to guests who have visited Aruba 10, 20, The top reasons for returning to Aruba pro-
or 35 years or more consecutively. vided by the honorees were:
• Aruba’s people are so nice and friendly.
The three levels of honor are as follows: • Aruba’s ocean and views.
Distinguished Visitor (10>years consecu- • Aruba’s weather and constant breeze.
tively visiting Aruba) • “The staff at Aruba Beach Club”
Goodwill Ambassador (20>years consecu- • “Friends who we socialize with here
tively visiting Aruba) year after year”
Emerald Ambassador (35>years consecu-
tively visiting Aruba) On behalf of the Aruba Tourism Authority,
we would like to express our sincere grati-
The honorees were: tude and appreciation to the honorees for
Goodwill Ambassadors their continued visits to the “One Happy
Mr. James & Mrs. Judy Tomlin from Dadeville Island”.q

Adriaan Laclé

One of Aruba’s richest men in the twentieth century

(Oranjestad)—The name helped people get loans, it has been said that he
Adriaan Laclé may ring a was a well-established was married twice during
bell to locals as one of the trader, and owned sev- his lifetime. He had his first
bigger roads on the island, eral plots of land. In fact, daughter during his first
but about a century ago, he commissioned the con- marriage but lost his wife
Adriaan Laclé was a rich struction of the famous La soon after her birth. During
businessman, well-known Quinta Carmen manor— his second marriage, he
for his generosity, wealth, now a restaurant. Though fathered 16 children. How-
and taste. he himself never lived in ever, it has been said that
the beautiful manor, his only 11 of those 17 made
Adriaan was born in 1866 own house also reflected it past 18 years of age.
and was the eldest of his success and good taste. Perhaps two of his most
six children. Not much is Today his house still stands well-known daughters are
known about his childhood in good condition and can Maria Monica Laclé and
upbringing or any of his be found in the back streets Maria Veneranda Laclé,
earlier business ordeals, but of main street Oranjestad. who went on to marry suc-
during his hay day he often Regarding his personal life, cessful brothers Eloy Arends

and Maximilian Arends, respectively. Their houses are still
standing; Eloy and Maria Monica’s mansion functions as
a townhall, used to host civil marriages, while Maximilian
and Maria Veneranda’s house stands on the opposite
side of the road to them—though currently under reno-
vation after years left in ruin.q

Source: De Kolibrie op de Rots (en meer over de geschiedenis
van Aruba) by Evert Bongers.