MALMOK IN AN UPROAD. Residents of the Malmok area privately met with the Prime Minister of Aruba this weekend to protest the building of a HeliPad in the neighborhood and to vehemently object to the plans to operate OceanZ Aruba Hotel, gearing up for opening, as a party center. The meeting was held at the home of long-time resident Sheila Lampe, on the porch. Sheila recounted that she first moved to Malmok, to get away from it all, and while most of her friends complained it was too far away from Oranjestad, Malmok’s peace and tranquility called her name.  Other invited meeting-goers included Marisol Lopez Tromp, the President of the Aruba Parliament, as a private citizen since she lives in the area, Raymond Maduro who introduced the boutique hotel concept, on the previously sleepy residential street, when he opened Ocean 105; Rick Timmer, who constructed a humongous private residence at Boca Catalina, attorney Lincoln Gomez, a neighbor, it’s always useful to have a pro bono lawyer in the mix, Louella Brezovar, Sheila’s daughter, an executive with the Ritz Carlton Aruba, concerned about the proximity of the Helipad to the lobby, and Sheila’s daughter-in-law turned activist, Farina van Veen; Greg Peterson, represented the Aruba Birdlife Conservation, and the operators of Malmok’s existing, thriving boutique hotels, the Boardwalk Small Hotel, and the Beach House, were also on hand. The Prime Minister who arrived alone, no press, no entourage,  was welcomed by this respectable crowd of stakeholders, who expressed their wish to continue living in Malmok in an atmosphere of understated commercial exploitation rather than blatant commercial exploitation. As it turnout out, the HeliPad is not a done deal. It first must obtain the blessing of General Aviation. We hope that that particular government agency will be diligent and transparent, and send the HeliPad to a more appropriate location behind the lighthouse. As for OceanZ, owner Eva Zissu, a successful retailer, reports it was never her intention to turn the place into a party center: “We are not party animals,” she says, “and this is not why we created this hotel. This is only for people who would like to chill out, have great dinner and drinks and enjoy the beauty of the sea, in front of our hotel,” she concludes.  In reality, the neighborhood got flustered when a full page ad appeared in the Diario advertising the readiness of OceanZ Aruba Hotel to host holiday season celebrations, as well as business, charity and gala events, for anywhere from 75 to 120 guests at the Ibiza Blu pool and/or the rooftop deck. It is easy to understand their concerns, and from what I hear from Zissu, she feels the same way now, pledging no parties, no loud DJs. That said, there was a unanimously accepted government motion,  voted on in 2012, to conserve portions of the Malmok area as nature reserves, and to affiliate them with Parke Arikok, for the purpose of conservation. With the area rapidly changing into Bouique Hotel Capital of the World, residents asked the Premier if the government decided to change the area’s designation, or it is just letting it happen.

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