The caretaker of the Daimari Ranch called the Police about smoke rising from a biking trail around the cove, then the Police according to unofficial reports found three incinerated vehicles, one of them, the minivan, belonging the ranch caretaker.

Based on what we know – we know extraordinarily little – police are investigating the suspicious, obviously arson case, and had not yet identified a suspect, suspects, or revealed a motive.

The vehicles were destroyed which would make forensic examination difficult.

Strange but true, the police have been quiet, not even reporting on the criminal incident. So far, no official announcement of arrests or charges related to the case. The Chief of Police is indeed away, but that should not have prevented his minions from reporting transparently on their findings.

We can speculate about criminal activity and about an attempt to destroy evidence, but that would be a waste of time.

My friends however speculated that because of the remote area, and multiple targets, it can perhaps be an opportune crime, the work of bored teens, on vacation, looking to get into trouble.

Torched cars have been featured in many Latin urban rap clips, according to Claude, from Bad Bunny to Ozuna, Nicky Jam and Feid. Claude also told me that footage of cars erupting in flames in widely available from multiple Paris riots, also recently in July over the World Cup semifinal unrest, when France lost to Spain. In The U.S., we have seen torched cars in the wake of the George Floyd protests and riots.

The French riots in 2024, have been used in backdrops to numerous music videos because they were widely documented.

I am not discounting the theory, that this is random, for fun, but it would be foolish to automatically assume that. The motive could be different in view of the location, and the drug drops in the area behind the park.

To date, it is just a mystery, which will surely be forgotten, no arrests, no suspects, no follow up, no official statement, nor police update. I do not know how the men in blue can get away with staying silent. Their vocero is usually everywhere, first. Not this time.

Last week at a press conference called by Paseo Herencia to wrap up the Venezuelan Disaster Relief, developer/builder Alex Lovera delivered great news off stage. His grass root effort yielded 80 tons of supplies that were shipped to Venezuela, powered by volunteered, on land and by sea. He also announced a September opening of the Sunshine Rehab Center at Paseo Herencia, targeting children and young people with a physical and / or mental disability. The center, with four friendly spaces, outfitted with machines and equipment, will offer free of charge therapy, staffed by local and imported therapists participating on both paid and voluntary basis. All activities will be funded by Paseo Herencia & Aruba Brokers, a family-owned real estate company operating here for more than 30 years.

Great news to about 90 children with various brain disorders on the island. Unfortunately that vulnerable demographic with a physical and / or mental disability is considered incidental by the island’s Sickness Insurance provider, AZV, and has no government-sponsored rehab center at its disposal.

For the past 17 years, a father stepped in with a private initiative, Gijs de Rooij, the father of Micky who as a five-month-old baby sustained severe and irreversible brain injury after a car accident on Aruba, September 20, 2009. For the past 17 years Gijs fundraised for pediatric physiotherapy, pediatric ergo therapy, teaching children everyday skills, and pre-verbal speech therapy, via a foundation he registered, Micky’s Foundation. Over the years, the number of children in need of this form of therapy grew, from 4 to 90 — since the pilot project in 2014. But with perseverance the foundation was able to run more than 5,000 therapy hours, each year, as Gijs knocked on every door, identified sponsors, and pleaded with the Minister of Health and AZV for support.

Support from the medical establishment meant an allocation of therapy hours for each child, and the hiring of therapists with specialized knowledge and experience with children with a motor impairment and/or mental disability. But none of this happened.

Not too long ago, Gijs announced he was concluding his activities. His son Micky, now 17 and living in the Netherlands, made many gains thanks to the excellent Dutch care and Gijs was shutting down the operation on Aruba. He explained that he needed to shift gears to make the Ministry of Health (and/or the hospital) responsible for a sustainable solution for these children and their families. The Minister of Health and her policy advisors, he explained, have not done anything, despite their big promises. Like all politicians they overpromise and underdeliver, adding he is still working with the Department of Health, staying in touch with the director of the hospital, Jacco Vroegop, in case its rehab center at Aqua Windies, ever opens.

Real Estate Broker, finance man and restaurateur Juan Sonensein, a father to an 11-year old girl with a brain injury, was spurred into action as soon as he heard about Gijs’ decision to take a back seat. His girl, confined to a wheelchair needs three hours of therapy each day, and he decided to take the project over, employing a different strategy. He was opening a privately funded well equipped center and all he needed from the government was permits. Permits to import highly qualified therapists, for limited periods of time, from Colombia, where the level of health care he explained is excellent – caring, professional, and affordable.

Juan partnered with Alex Lovera who is donating the space at Paseo Herencia. They are targeting September, for opening day. We are not asking for money, they say, we can manage the funding. We are simply asking to allow us to bring in the necessary help from abroad, primarily therapist from Colombia, allowing us to apply for temporary work permits for them. Obviously, not under AZV, but under a legal, government issued permit, for a period of three to six months. They should be able to work for a privately funded therapy center, which would also provide them with housing and transportation.

From Gijs’ point of view, the government must come up with a form of policy initiative, they should have done it years ago, he reiterates, they are always pleased when the private sector shoulders their responsibilities, he adds.

I hope to be invited to the modest ribbon cutting ceremony of the Sunshine Rehab Center at Paseo Herencia, meet the kids, admire the initiative.

When it was my son’s turn to think about secondary education there were no interesting courses available such as Scenario Planning for Desirable Futures, Rethinking Media & Information and/or AI Literacy & Ethics, on the island.

He could go to the Netherlands or the U.S. but could not stay here for his further professional growth. He could not take his time, thinking about the direction his life should take. It was not the norm then. Young people were pushed to decide their path in life as early as the 6th grade. I kept harping hospitality, hospitality from age one, and indeed, I helped raise a third-generation hotelier.

But he would have been interested in many other topics, had they been available.

Anyway, things have changed since then.

The University to Aruba is graduating talents in the Faculty of Law, Accounting, Finance and Marketing, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Arts & Science, which includes organization, government & management, social work & development, and sustainable island solutions, through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

That is such a wealth of possibilities.

Last week I met program coordinator Sean Holiday at the helm of the Academic Foundation Year, AFY, that allows students to sample different courses, as many as 45 next year, in collaboration with other higher education entities on the island. Students who enroll in AFY get an opportunity to identify their subjects of interest, by the end of the year, and improve their focus on career choices.

What you should know about AFY: The Academic Foundation Year, AFY, at the University of Aruba is a one-year pre-university program launched in 2016. It helps recent high-school graduates bridge the gap to higher education by developing academic skills and language proficiency, as they experience personal growth.

The program is built on four pillars: Study & Career Guidance, Academic Core, Language Development, and Academic Exploration. Students earn 60 European Credits by completing mandatory courses and electives, exploring fields like STEM, business, law, and humanities. Requirements include reasonable attendance and a minimum grade of 5.5 per course, supported by personalized academic advising.

Holiday, an experienced educator, and teacher who has worked across the globe in the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, over a 20-year career, reports this is his second round in Aruba having worked as Secondary School Lead at the International School, a few years ago. He was happy to come back last year to assume the reins of coordinator and lecturer at AFY.

Holiday reports that AFY graduates are well-prepared for bachelor’s programs at the University of Aruba, universities in the Netherlands, and/or institutions in the U.S. and elsewhere. Graduates exhibit greater confidence and readiness for university-level study.

Holiday is proud to share the AFY Year-in-Review stats, in view of growth, partnerships, and student success. Some of the 2025/26 schoolyear successes are: Strong graduation/completion rate, 63 students started, 50 got certificate (79.3%), plus others found productive alternative paths (total 90% success).

AFY expanded partnerships with Horacio Oduber Hospital, aiming at careers in health. It forged a relationship with the Design Academy Aruba, for Product Design, and EduCampus, for transition courses. IPA, targeting careers in Education, joined the coalition, to offer a well-rounded menu of educational options.

The AFY course also addressed Work Life College & Career balance, high on the priority list of today’s students.

Other innovations include a Research Apprenticeship Program, (RAP), and an Overseas Experience, encouraging volunteering in Netherlands. Intensive courses introduced Financial Literacy & Marketing.

Most of all, Holiday is proud of including more choices, courses went from 34 in 2025 to 45 in 2026, with the addition of Engineering & Psychology. The program has been aligned with matriculation pathways of various UA faculties with specific course requirements, to be covered by students.

AFY is looking ahead to hiring new staffers, the position for STEM has been filled, and a full-time Dutch teacher, continuing the momentum and commitment to student success.

I asked Holiday about AI and its presence at school. He says that AI is everywhere but the school is promoting in-class learning and in-class writing, no long essays to complete at home, most work is done in the classroom, and students understand it is in the interest of the adult they would become, to apply themselves, instead of opting for shortcuts.

In an unprecedented act of solidarity, a group of volunteers in Aruba joined forces to collect, organize and send humanitarian aid to the communities most affected by the earthquake tragedy in Venezuela. Thanks to the support of the people of Aruba and the tireless work of dozens of volunteers, the initiative became a success.

Local businessman Orlando Garcia, among the first to volunteer, reports the initiative was born a day after the earthquake tragedy, when fellow-businessman Alex Lovera proposed that a group of friends join forces and do something concrete to help Venezuela. They immediately began preparing flyers, contacting members of their social and business circle, friends, and the media to mobilize support.

The first donations were small, but in a brief time the amount of help continued to grow, which necessitated a large chain of volunteers. The collection began at the Caribbean Print Center, but when the amount of donations increased, Paseo Herencia offered bigger space, established as a logistic center. All donations had to be sorted, unpacked, and packed – it was a huge effort under tough conditions for almost 11 days, resulting in 80 tons of aid leaving the island.

Alex Lovera described the campaign as a “huge success”, despite many challenges. He explained that the transport from Coro, where the aid was docked, to Caracas, which normally takes six hours, took more than 30 hours due to different checkpoints and the situations with the authorities in Venezuela.

Finally, the aid arrived in Caracas, where, with the support of the Vegas family and FundaproCura, a Venezuelan NGO, the distribution began to communities such as Higuerote, La Guaira and other towns that were seriously affected. Many of the humble families opened their homes to welcome the people who were left homeless, while the donations of clothing, food, and water, helped meet their most urgent needs.

Among organizers Carlos Sanabria, He explained that when he heard of the tragedy, his first wish was to go personally as a volunteer. However, after looking for different options, he understood that through the planning center at Paseo Herencia, he could contribute more to the cause, coordinating the preparation of all the cargo.

Finally, Tina Faria expressed her gratitude to the people of Aruba and to all nationalities who contributed to the campaign. According to her, the level of collaboration exceeded all expectations, reaching a time when more than 30 volunteers were working together to sort, package and prepare the donations for their destination in Venezuela.

The last shipment of medications by Visser Trading left last week. A Christmas gift campaign is on the drawing board in collaboration with PANA a local NGO, who has been collecting toys for Venezuelan children at Christmas time, for a few years.

I would like to support the Dia Nacional pa Cuida Aruba because it is important.

My neighborhood will be going out to clean – I am on the 5 to 7pm shift. I will have some cold beers in the trunk of my car for my fellow-cleaners for the after-party.

A social media post featured the Prime Minister at the GSCC, Good Samaritan Christian Center, accepting the blessing of Pastoor Frank Daal, over his national cleanup day initiative. That was too much pomp. He did not invent beach clean ups, and this is not the first. Why is he positioned as a folk hero receiving recognition for brave moves?

I never see Ewald Biemans who has been organizing monthly cleaning actions with his staff members and guests, create any hype around it, meriting hundreds of Bless-Yous, from followers, who surely will not be among cleaners.

Just to refresh your memory: “More than 40 years ago, Biemans organized the island’s first hotel-led cleanup initiative, uniting the tourism sector around environmental stewardship. Today, the resort’s monthly beach cleanups bring together staff, community members and guests, removing an average of 1,500 pounds of debris annually while fostering shared responsibility and connection.”

AHATA has been cleaning since Adam & Eve, beaches, reefs, sponsoring miles, raising awareness.

Just to refresh your memory: The AHATA National Clean Up is an annual event, aimed at cleaning beaches and coastline. From Surfside to Wilhelmina Park, the beaches of Arikok National Park, California sand dunes, Baby Beach, Bachelor’s Beach, Boca Grandi, Zeewijk Beach, Mangel Halto, Santo Largo, Arashi, Anaboei, and the open area between the former Bushiri Hotel and the Tamarijn Beach Resort.”

CEDE Aruba joined the cleanup effort. It has the community good at heart. CEDE posted the project online, offering 9 locations, requiring each 25-35 volunteers. If companies are willing to participate, they may go to ArubaVolunteers.org to sign up.

Yes, Saturday is not a good day for the hotels, but who knows, some would make the time.

Under the leadership of former minister Ursell Arends several cleaning actions were nicely organized in coordination with all relevant department. But Arends did not make it about himself. He also allowed time to adequately plan and remind the community to take responsibility.

The current GOA policy on waste is the one written by Arends. GOA just uses the nature portfolio policies transferred to them from the previous administration, acting as if it they just invented them. But I am pleased they did not shelf them. They are going forward with good stuff left over from previous professionals. The community wants to see good policies, responsible use of public funds, and active participation of stakeholder.

Next Dia Nacional pa Cuida Aruba, allow more time for planning and organization. The successful one in2024 took months to coordinate.

This is the third GOA move ushered in hastily. The e-bikes, the boulders, and the cleanup. Wham, bang, usually backfires. Owners of e-bike companies took GOA to court, the boulder placed all over the north coast are causing parking issues, a major disturbance in the Boca Catalina neighborhood. There was no discussion on alternative routes for adventure tourism companies, so they are all over the place, and now the cleanup, organized in a rush.

But please volunteer anyway.

I went down to the Boca Catalina beach today to visit the two just laid turtle nests. The Beach needs all the help it can get. The egg laying sites are not adequately protected, and the Keep Away sign must be bilingual. Many of our beach going guests do not read English.