Citizens honored at August 24 ceremonies

On August 24, several Saint-Barth personalities had the honor of receiving an award from the préfet délégué des Iles du Nord, Vincent Berton. Three Médailles de l'Engagement Ultramarin, bronze level, were awarded to Arlette Magras (Domaine Félicité) for her valuable historical work, and to Corinne Hennequin (President of the Music Festival) and Christian Hardelay (President of the Festival Livres et Jazz) of the Saint-B'Art association for their actions and commitment to the island's cultural life.

At the same time, a tribute was paid to Aurélie Etcheverry (above, between her partner, on the left, and Philippe Laduré, President of the Saint-Barth Veterans' Federation). Last February, she was awarded the medal for civic-mindedness and devotion at the competition of the same name in Paris. The young woman was also awarded the jury's special prize for her work with the elderly and disabled on Saint-Barthélemy, as part of her involvement with the Handi-Relais association. "Aurélie is a passionate young woman with a strong will," said Philippe Laduré, President of the Fédération des anciens combattants de Saint-Barth, who introduced Aurélie Etcheverry to the competition. It's often said that a person's worth doesn't wait for the number of years," he added. As far as Aurélie is concerned, I'm firmly convinced of that. "Aurélie thanked Philippe Laduré and Senator Micheline Jacques. "If I took part in this competition, it's to represent the Handi-Relais association, which works for people with disabilities, to have their rights recognized, raise awareness of their needs and highlight their specificities and skills. It's not easy, and it's a real day-to-day job. The local authorities have been helping us for years. But volunteers don't proliferate as quickly as mosquitoes! So every little helping hand is welcome. "A call for commitment which, we hope, will be heard.