Page 8 - ANTILL DGB

8 Antilliaans Dagblad Dinsdag 3 september 2019
Curaçao/Opinie/Service

Advertentie
IN MEMORIAM HET WEER OP
acob Gelt Dekker, internatio- Jacob Gelt Het Doel Heiligt de Middelen DE ANTILLEN
Jnal entrepreneur and philan- (The End Justifies the Means),
thropist, passed away peace- Dekker - Pot Met Goud (Pot With Verwachting voor N
fully on September 1, 2019, at Gold), Persona Non Grata, vanmiddag 12 uur
his home in Key West, Florida and The Caribbean. While windkracht 3 - 5 bft W O
after a renewed battle with Obituary seen at times as a controversi- golfhoogte 0.5 - 1.5 m Z
lymphoma. Jacob was 71. He al figure, he was deeply
is survived by John Padget, his driven, creative, and tremen- BOVENWINDSE EILANDEN
lifelong partner, and five fami- dously compassionate about Sint Maarten
ly members. the humanity around him.
Jaap, as he was known to He survived battles with Saba
those closest to him, was born various cancers for more than The Bottom 28 Philipsburg 31
in Oterleek, North Holland on four decades. He held a Docto- Oranjestad
April 22, 1948. Wanderlust rate in Dentistry from the St. Eustatius 31
gripped him at an early age; University of Amsterdam, and
he traveled and explored the MBA’s from the University of BENEDENWINDSE EILANDEN
planet endlessly. He practiced Jacob Gelt Dekker Rochester and the University
dentistry in Amsterdam after FOTO ELS KROON of Rotterdam. He was the
university, and then became recipient of numerous recog- 29
an active entrepreneur with a in Willemstad. The result was nitions, and knighted by the Oranjestad 29
talent for making something the creation of the Hotel Kura Queen of the Netherlands in Aruba Willemstad
out of seemingly nothing. Hulanda & Resort, and the the Order of Oranje-Nassau. Curaçao
Together with John Padget, anthropological Kura Hulanda His family survivors are:
he launched multiple busines- Museum which houses exten- Stijntje ‘Christyna’ Wijdenes 29
ses in Europe. Early ventures sive exhibits with over 10,000 (Dekker), Sister, Age 67; Sa-
were in the fitness business, artifacts documenting the cha Dekker, Niece, Age 46; 27 Kralendijk Bron: www.weather.com
one hour photo developing, transatlantic slave trade. It is Jacco Dekker, Nephew, Age Bonaire
car rentals and leasing, cosme- now a Unesco World Heritage 42; Daniel Wijdenes, Nephew, Venezuela
tics, brand licensing, and cell site. Age 35; and Henrik Wijdenes,
phone retailing. His philanthropic interests Great Nephew, Age 7.
After stepping out of the focused on advancing schoo- A private memorial will be
business world in 1990, he ling and education, primarily held at a later date. In lieu of
traveled the world extensively, for underprivileged students flowers, donations can be
and fell in love with Curaçao wherever he lived, including made to the Monroe County
where he launched a long- Key West. Education Foundation, P.O.
term project to renovate the Over the years, he authored Box 2561, Key West, Florida
run-down Otrobanda district several books, among them, 33045.

VANDAAG
We need a local think tank Overwegend half bewolkt en
op de meeste plaatsen droog.
OPINIE postpone policy response becau- We are in dire need of an De wind waait uit oostelijke
se of the periodic cycle of electi- independent think tank which richting en is matig tot vrij
By Alex Rosaria ons which makes them focus performs research, advocacy krachtig, windkracht 3 tot 5;
ast month some of the on short term, day-to-day mat- and encourages public conver- voornamelijk overdag, af en
brightest Caribbean and ters only. These neglected topics sations regarding the national toe krachtig in uitschieters.
L regional minds gathered could however easily end up strategic vision, new ideas that De zee is vrij rustig met golf-
in Barbados to talk about the turning into a full-blown crisis. anticipate global trends. I’m not hoogtes tussen 1 en 1,5 meter.
most important issues in terms But don’t politicians in the saying that there’s no brainpo-
of risk confronting our region. Caribbean and elsewhere also wer locally, but that brainpower MORGEN
Six big concerns were identified must face elections periodically? is organized for different ends.
and discussed: 1. The no-deal That could not be the reason In the civil service brainpower Overwegend half bewolkt
Brexit; 2. A potential US recessi- why rarely our Parliament dis- is engaged in mostly admini- zonder neerslag van beteke-
on; 3. Venezuela; 4. The new cusses the future. I think it’s strative tasks. In the private nis.
cold war in the Caribbean; 5. safe to say that politicians in sector it’s devoted to enhancing
Climate change and 6. Deris- general here are more involved profitability. In the university
king (the withdrawal of corres- with gossip and conversations it’s devoted to academic
pondent banking relations from about other people than with research and teaching. We need
Caribbean banks by US banks). the shaping of our future. an independent think tank to be
I’m not going to discuss able to tap the ideas and imagi-
these topics even though I’ve Advertentie nation of Yu di Kòrsou at home
written extensively in the past and abroad, as well as friends of
about the Venezuelan humani- Curaçao. Let’s stop blaming
tarian crisis and the new Cold TE HUUR everyone and everything we can
War in the Caribbean involving think of for our state of affairs.
the US, Russia, China and Tai- 8-20-40 Ft We need to challenge the status
wan. The point I want to make, CONTAINERS quo.
or rather the question I want to OOK OP LOCATIE
pose is why we in Curaçao are Alex Rosaria is tegenwoordig
not publicly discussing these ARCHIEF en freelanceconsultant, onder andere
matters? It baffles me that we, in Azië en de Pacific. Voorheen
not only government but also OPSLAGRUIMTE was hij minister van Economische
NGOs, academics and the me- containerverhuur@gmail.com Zaken en staatssecretaris van Maandag 2 september
dia have failed so far to create Tel. 888-5500 / 685-0550 Financiën (Fiscale Zaken) voor
awareness about the changes Partido Nashonal di Pueblo 6799
and challenges our nation and Tevens te koop gevraagd (PNP) en later partijleider en
region are facing. alle soorten containers fractievoorzitter van de door hem
I get it, in the beginning Container Service Curaçao N.V. opgerichte partij PAIS. Met enige 6728
some of these challenges may regelmaat publiceert Rosaria
seem negligible and remote BEWAAKT TERREIN columns op zijn blog die hij ook
from our lives. Politicians here aanbiedt aan het Antilliaans 3869
are therefore more likely to Dagblad.