People

News about People on, from, and going to Bonaire

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Former NASA Astronaut, Charles Bolden, Concludes His Visits to Bonaire’s Schools

This past week, former NASA astronaut, Charlie Bolden, spent a week on Bonaire, visiting with Bonaire’s schoolchildren, and giving presentations to the general public.  His lectures were informative and engaging, and he gave inspiring messages to Bonaire’s youth:  “Work hard, and you can achieve your dreams!”

The Lt. Governor and his wife met Charlie and his family upon arrival at Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport on Saturday, November 25.  Sunday he met with trip sponsors, and Monday evening was a press conference, where Charlie announced the contest winners from the schools and presented their awards.

During the week, Charlie and his family (his wife and daughter were traveling with him) were kept busy visiting schools and meeting the youth of Bonaire.  In between school visits, he did manage to get in a bit of scuba diving.

The week’s events concluded with a presentation to the general public, where Charlie discussed his four space missions and explained various facets of space exploration. 

Thanks go to the organizers of the event, Ben and Laura Buchbinder, as well as the numerous sponsors who made the trip possible.  Click here to view images of the various events of the week which are available on the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery. (Source:  Bonaire Insider reporter)

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Former NASA Astronaut, Charles Bolden, to Announce Bonaire Contest Winners

Former NASA astronaut Charles Bolden will land on Bonaire November 25th, with the goal of speaking with students and awarding prizes in the space essay and poster contests.  He will be met at the airport by Lt. Governor Herbert Domacasse and officially welcomed to the island.

Monday evening, November 27th, there will be a Press Conference at the Divi Flamingo Hotel where Astronaut Bolden will announce the winners of the poster and essay contests and present the prizes to the winners.  Over 100 students from the 6th class, SGB, Pelikaan School, and UniCollege entered the poster and essay contests. 

He will begin his school meetings with six classes of the basic schools on Monday morning in the Sala Grandi at Jong Bonaire.  Sixth grade students from Reina Beatrix and Papa Cornes will meet with the astronaut at 9 am and students from St. Bernardus, Louis Bertran and Kristo Bon Wardador will get to meet him at 10:30.

On Tuesday, November 28th, the astronaut will meet with students of UniCollege and the Pelikaan School in the morning at 8 am and then visit the teens at Jong Bonaire in the afternoon.  Participants of FORMA programs are invited to join the Jong Bonaire session as well as any SGB students who will not get to hear the astronaut speak at SGB.  The Jong Bonaire session will be from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

Wednesday, November 29th, there will be several sessions at SGB, from 7:30 in the morning until 12:30 PM, after which Astronaut Bolden will enjoy lunch with the Rotary Bonaire.  On Thursday evening, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Astronaut Bolden will make a presentation to the community in the auditorium at Jong Bonaire.  The community meeting is open to all and parents are welcome to bring young children.  There is no charge for this event.

When he is not making a presentation to one of the schools or the community, the former astronaut will try to take in some of Bonaire’s scuba diving and perhaps try windsurfing. General Bolden is a scuba diver and he is visiting Bonaire for the first time.

Sponsors for the astronaut’s visit are ReMax Real Estate, Support Bonaire Foundation, Divi Flamingo Hotel, Hertz Car Rental, Jong Bonaire, The Pelikaan School, Jake Richter & family, and the Buchbinders.  The astronaut’s visit has been endorsed by the Board of Education, the RK Schoolbestuur and SGB.  The visit of the former astronaut has been arranged by Bonaire residents Ben and Laura Buchbinder.  Ben Buchbinder worked for NASA for many years before retiring to Bonaire.  It was during his NASA work that he became friends with Bolden.  Buchbinder has also been a consultant to the Hubble Space Telescope project.  During his volunteer work at Pelikaan School Buchbinder realized that a number of young people were very interested in space and so he decided to invite the astronaut to talk with Bonaire’s youth.  (Source:  Press Release)

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Bonaire Windsurf Place is Honored with Second Royal Visit; Windsurfers are Presented to the Queen

Bonaire Windsurf Place has been honored a second time with a visit from the Dutch Royal Family.  In August, 2002, Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his wife, Princess Maxima, made a stop on their Bonaire Tour to visit with sailors, tourists, and Bonaire residents on the beach at Bonaire Windsurf Place. 

And now, most recently on November 9, 2006, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands also honored Bonaire Windsurf Place with a visit during her tour of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.  After two busy days of visits on Bonaire, the Queen concluded her tour with a stop at Bonaire Windsurf Place at Sorobon, Lac Bay.

Here, after being welcomed by owners Elvis, Roger, and Constantino, the Queen was greeted with fresh flowers by Julia Martinus and Jurgen Saragoza.  She walked down the pathway lined with windsurf-sails, local children, and others eager for a glimpse of their Queen.  On the balcony overlooking the beach, the Queen met the world champions and admired their trophies—both those who have just embarked on their windsurfing careers, as well as those who have already become world-famous.  The boys/men who were presented to the Queen were: 
0-7 years:  Serginho Finies
8-9 years: Jurgen Saragoza
10-11 years: Amado Vrieswijk
12-13 years: Ezri Heymansa
14-15 years: Björn Saragoza
16-17 years: Demenson Thodé
Amateur Men 18+: Elton Frans and Evertson Frans
Champion overall: Kiri Thodé
The girls who were presented to the Queen were:
0-7 years:  Anais Pauletta
8-9 years:  Chanel Vrieswijk

Then the Bonaire Kids put on a show for her in windy Lac Bay, followed by an even more exciting exhibition by professional windsurfers, including Tati and Tonki Frans and Kiri Thode.

Bonaire Windsurf Place is one of Bonaire’s premiere windsurfing facilities and is located at Sorobon on Lac Bay.  For more information, visit their web site at www.bonairewindsurfplace.com, phone to +(599) 717-2288, or fax to +(599) 717-5279.  Information on Bonaire’s sailors can be found at http://www.prokidsfreestyle.com.

Images of the Queen’s visit to Bonaire Windsurf Place can be viewed on the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery by clicking here.

(Source:  Bonaire Windsurf Place)

Friday, November 10, 2006

Queen Beatrix Continues Her Bonaire Visit Opening Art Exhibit and Meeting Windsurfers

On Thursday, November 9, 2006, Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands continued with her Bonaire tour.  After visiting the Marshe di Rincon, she continued to the Kas di Arte to open the new exhibit highlighting works of many Bonaire artists.

Here the doors were opened wide for the Queen to enter and privately view the collection consisting of paintings, sculpture, stained glass, and traditional costumes decorated with scenes of Bonaire.  As she stepped out from the exhibit a few minutes later, she was pleasantly surprised to see a group of young children saluting her, after which they performed several dances.

In the afternoon, the Queen honored Bonaire Windsurf Place with a vist to meet Bonaire’s legendary sailors and watch an exhibit by the Bonaire Kids as well as those who have turned professional.

The Queen leaves Bonaire on Friday morning, to continue her Antillean tour with a stop in Sint Maarten next.

To view images from Thursday’s visits, click here to view the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery.

(Source:  Bonaire Insider Reporter)

Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands Arrives at Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport Amid Fanfare

On Wednesday morning, November 8, 2006, Queen Beatrix of Holland landed at Bonaire’s Flamingo Airport, continuing her visit of all five Antillean islands and Aruba.

Arriving from Aruba, the Queen disembarked her plane and found a Band, Honor Guard, and Fife & Drum Corps awaiting her.  Dignitaries from both the Island and Central Governments greeted her on the tarmac, while the Dutch national anthem was played.  Queen Beatrix then did an inspection of the Guard, before exiting the airport.  Scores of local school childen waving Dutch flags created a walkway from the exit to her waiting transportation.  She then continued on to Wilhelmina Park, where other festivities awaited the Queen.

At the park she was greeted by cheering crowds, and school children sang songs for her in Dutch and Papiamentu. Afterwards she met with Bonaire’s commissioners and councilors. There, in a speech, Lt. Governor Domacasse asked the Queen to personally oversee Bonaire’s merger into Holland next year.

To view images of this event, click here to visit the Bonaire Insider Photo Gallery.

Source:  (Bonaire Insider Staff)

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Space Contests To Be Held In Conjunction With Astronaut Visit to Bonaire

In just over a month, NASA Astronaut Charles Bolden will be visiting Bonaire to spend a week speaking to the children, teenagers, and parents on the island. In addition to sharing his experiences in space with his audiences, Astronaut Bolden will also be discussing his ideas about setting and meeting personal goals. In conjunction with his visit to Bonaire, there will be two student contests held.

The first contest will be an Essay Contest where students can submit entries about various aspects of space exploration, while the other contest is a Poster/Exhibit Contest where entrants will be encouraged to share their vision for the future of space exploration. All entries to both contests must be submitted by November 10th, and winners will be selected by a panel of judges, and will be sorted into different age categories.

Bolden’s visit to Bonaire commences November 25th, with the awards for the winners of the two contests to be given out at a press conference on Tuesday, November 28th. More details can be found in the press release. (Source: Press Release)

Sunday, September 24, 2006

2007 Edition of the Bonaire Creations Calendar Released

Following high acclaim for the 2006 Bonaire Creations Calendar released a year ago, Linda & Jake Richter and their company, Bonaire Creations BV, have announced the release of the 2007 Bonaire Creations Calendar.

The new 2007 Bonaire Creations Calendar features new images by the Richters, both of whom are resident artists on Bonaire. The new images present Bonaire in a variety of different and colorful ways and are displayed with large monthly layouts providing Antillean, U.S., Canadian, and Dutch holidays.

Linda Richter is well known in Caribbean art circles for her stunning oil pieces reminiscent of Bonaire.  Jake Richter is equally known for his digital painting, utilizing his own photography as a base.  Together, they bring a magical quality to this calendar - it will remind the viewer each day of their memories of the island of Bonaire.

The calendar is 8.5” x 11” when closed, and 17” x 11” when open, so it can be purchased while on Bonaire and easily will fit in either a carry-on luggage or checked baggage.  It is also printed on high quality, fine-art paper. The new calendar can be previewed at www.BonaireCalendar.com.

The 2007 Bonaire Creations Calendar will officially go on sale for a retail price of US$12.95 on Monday, October 2, 2006 at several local Bonaire stores, including Chat ‘n’ Browse, Jewels of Bonaire, and Photo Tours. Additionally, several resorts and hotels will carry the calendar, including Buddy Dive, Carib Inn, Golden Reef Inn, and Yellow Submarine. For those not on Bonaire between now and the end of the year, the calendar will also be available on-line starting October 2nd at www.BonaireStuff.com and www.CaribbeanArt.com.

Special arrangements are also possible for people and companies wishing to buy calendars in volume for use as Christmas presents and client appreciation.

A launch party, to be held at Antillean Wine Company on Kaya Industria on September 30, 2006 from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM. The launching will feature complimentary wine and cheese--the wines being specially chosen for this event by Antillean Wine Company.  Non-alcoholic beverages also will be available. Advance copies of the calendar will be available at a special reduce price at the launch event.

Bonaire Creations, B.V., a company started by Linda and Jake Richter in 2004 to help promote and sell their Bonaire-originated art, is based at Kaya R. Statius van Eps 17 in the Belnem area of Bonaire. Viewings of current original art are available by appointment only. Phone number is +599-717-4112. E-Mail: . Web: www.BonaireCreations.com (Source:  Bonaire Creations Press Release)

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Astronaut Charles Bolden to Land on Bonaire

In November, 2006, former NASA Astronaut Charles Bolden will visit Bonaire to speak to local school children.  Astronaut Bolden flew four space missions from 1986 to 1994 and was commander of the Discovery crew that launched the Hubble Space Telescope.  In May, 2006, he was inducted into the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Fame.

The astronaut is especially interested in meeting school children while on Bonaire and talking with them about his experiences and his belief in setting and meeting personal goals.  He will answer any questions the children want to ask him. Just before the visit from the astronaut there will be essay and poster contests for all age school children. 

Times and locations of Astronaut Bolden’s meetings with the school children, the media and the public will be announced in October.  It is planned for the astronaut to meet with all sixth class students, many SGB students, as well as separate presentations at Jong Bonaire, UniCollege, and Pelikaan School. There will also be an evening presentation for the entire community. Parents are invited to bring any students who did not have a chance to see the astronaut in school to the community session.  For additional information, click here.  (Source:  Event Organizers)

Monday, September 04, 2006

The First Bonaire Wiki is Announced

Combining Google Earth maps of Bonaire with the Internet collaborative medium known as a “Wiki”, Blennylips Bonaire has unveiled the BonWiki web site at www.bonwiki.com.

For the uninitiated, a “wiki” is a type of web site that allows visitors to easily add, remove, or otherwise edit and change its content. A wiki differs from a discussion group in that all content can be edited and the wiki community works to ensure that the content remains true and factual. Abusive wiki users who try to despoil a wiki can be easily banned from future editing, and any changes they make to the wiki knowledgebase can be easily reversed as well. Another important aspect of a wiki is that terms defined within a wiki are cross linked between pages, making it easier to both explore and understand new topics and information.

Roger Burnham, owner of Blennylips Bonaire and a Bonaire resident, developed the BonWiki wiki as a place on the Internet where people who know and love Bonaire can help generate a permanent on-line encyclopedia of facts about Bonaire.

BonWiki is modeled after the increasingly famous and popular Wikipedia collaboration tool, and is designed so that anybody can contribute information about the island of Bonaire, covering points of interest like the location of Captain Don’s foot and various events, to popular dive sites around the island. BonWiki can be used to learn about - or help others learn about - Bonaire. All that is required for someone to be able to add or edit the BonWiki site is registering (for free) at www.bonwiki.com with a valid e-mail address.

One novel twist of BonWiki is that it incorporates Google Maps of Bonaire, allowing points of interest to be marked on the satellite photos. This also allows BonWiki articles to be browsed by geographical location using markers on the map found on the main page of the BonWiki site.

BonWiki is a purely volunteer effort, with hosting contributed by Blennylips Bonaire. And, in support of this effort, NetTech N.V. has contributed the use of the BonWiki.com domain name to the project.

At present, the BonWiki site is still a bit sparsely populated, but the hope is that as people learn about the site, they will help contribute to the knowledge base for all to benefit from. (Source: Roger Burnham, Blennylips Bonaire, and NetTech N.V. correspondence and research)

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Bonaire Artist, Nochi Koffie, Completes Wall Mural in Holland

Bonaire artist, Nochi Koffie, has recently completed a tremendous project in Holland, where he painted a wall mural for Lucas Diving in Holland. 

Mr. Lucas, owner of Lucas Diving and Nochi’s patron in this project, expressed his satisfaction and happiness with the form the project has taken and its final results.  Many people watched Nochi while he was working and admired the different phases of the work.  For additional information, click here.  (Source:  TCB Press Release)