May 9, 2002 – The Senate Rules Committee approved new names for a St. Thomas school and a St. Croix police facility and four nominations to public bodies on Thursday, while holding one other nomination for further consideration.
The panel also approved three bills honoring Virgin Islanders.
The renaming bills call for changing the name of Peace Corps Elementary School on St. Thomas to the "Lucille V. Roberts Elementary School," and for designating the pavilion building at the Police Department's Patrick Sweeney Headquarters on St. Croix as the "George A. Farrelly Pavilion."
Nominees receiving approval were Percival Edwards, Carmen Gonzalez and Joseph Samuel for seats on the V.I. Conservation District Board of Supervisors, and Ilma Christian for a second term on the Historic Preservation Commission.
Earl Haase also was considered for the Conservation District board. Sen. Adelbert Bryan objected to his nomination and asked that Haase provide the committee a copy of his college transcript. A Legislature release stated that in information submitted to the office of Sen. Carlton Dowe, the committee chair, Haase had said he holds a bachelor of arts degree. In testimony Thursday, he said he has an associate of arts degree.
According to the release, Dowe, "reassuring Haase that the objection to his nomination was nothing personal, said that all information that comes before his committee must contain the truth."
The bills of commendation recognize the contributions of Louis Jackson, Luna I. Fleming-Claxton and Dr. Aida P. Khatchadourian. Fleming is cited for her decades of service and devotion as an educator. The bill honoring the doctor also would name the anesthesia section at Roy L. Schneider Hospital the "Dr. Aida P. Khatchadourian Anesthesia Department."
Those measures and nominations approved Thursday will now go before the full Senate for a final vote.
Committee members present in addition to Dowe and Bryan were Sens. Donald "Ducks" Cole, Norma Pickard-Samuel and Celestino A. White Sr. The other two members, Sens. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen and Almando "Rocky" Liburd, were not present.
The agenda for the meeting circulated in advance also had included consideration of the proposed Infrastructure Maintenance Act of 2001. The bill calls for creating separate funds for St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island for street lighting, road maintenance and potable water service, and for earmarking the property tax and gasoline tax revenues collected on each island, respectively, for those purposes.
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