June 29, 2003 – A full house of more than 150 benefactors, directors, scholarship and grant recipients and friends of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands bore witness on Friday to a grateful community giving and receiving of the fruits of CFVI's labors over the last year.
The charitable institution founded in 1990 with $500,000 in seed money donated by Henry and Charlotte Kimelman gave away $400,000 over the last year in the form of grants, scholarships and services to individuals, teachers, agencies and programs in the territory. In that same period, the foundation, which manages endowment funds for individual and institutional donors, established 21 new named funds, according to the CFVI board chair, Ricardo J. Charaf.
One recipient, a gardener at and resident of Lucinda Millin Home for the Aged, summed it up perfectly at the foundation's annual meeting luncheon at Marriott Frenchman's Reef when she said: "The little we do is a lot to others."
CFVI giving to programs and individuals can be as little as a few hundred dollars to as much as a few thousand — in scholarships to a couple dozen students or to supplement activities that improve life for children, youth and families in the Virgin Islands.
This year $40,000 went to 31 students, most of whom were at the luncheon.
Jacinda Palmer burst into tears as she accepted the Artrelle M. Wheatley Scholarship award from its founder, Henry Wheatley.
After the ceremony Palmer she'd had "no idea I was getting the scholarship," which is for a year's study at the University of the Virgin Islands, where Artrelle Wheatley spent 24 years of her professional life.
Palmer said that Thursday, which was her birthday, had been a particularly bad day and that she had been "depressed." After finding out the next day she was getting a full year's scholarship to UVI, she was no longer depressed, but "grateful." She said she plans to become a psychologist.
Another emotional moment came when Norma Levin handed a check for $2,000 to UVI graduate Gail Jackson to go toward graduate study in public administration at the University of Akron. Levin said that she decided on her 80th birthday — "since I never expected to live that long" — to start a named fund as a gift to herself.
Another scholarship recipient, Charaine T.C. Skelton, a student at Temple University — and a talented flautist, as evidenced by her performance at Friday's luncheon — is working as a summer intern with CFVI.
The foundation also awards grants to teachers. Two of this year's recipients, both art teachers at public elementary schools on St. Thomas, brought with them to the luncheon tangible results of the programs they were able to produce thanks to their grants.
Mary Louise Lauffer, art teacher at Joseph E. Sibilly School, displayed items replicated by her pupils after watching local artisans demonstrate how they create their crafts.
Peace Corps School art teacher Chinwe Osaze brought along three of her students to explain the design of the masks they had made with materials Osaze purchased with a grant from CFVI.
Osaze said the project — and art in general — has given her students and "I-can attitude." In the case of the masks, Niko James, who just graduated from Peace Corps, said, "If you guys are wondering how I made this mask, it wasn't easy." The masks all were made of papier mâché utilizing a process that requires time and work building up layer after layer of paper pulp mixed with a glue-type medium to create a three-dimensional form that becomes rigid as it dries.
Osaze said the students, members of the school's art club, didn't realize when they got into the project that it was going to be more than just a one-day effort. But she said they followed through and finished the masks.
As the meeting came to a close, Charaf welcomed new three new CFVI board members, Dr. Thelma Ruth Watson, Judge Ishmael Meyers and Sharon Hupprich.
In what was clearly a surprise move, Charaf said that although the bylaws require directors to step down after serving three consecutive three-year terms, a way around the rules had been found in the case of two board members, Penny and Henry Feuerzeig. The Feuerzeigs, the only remaining founding members of the CFVI board, have served for 13 years tirelessly and with great dedication, Charaf said.
As the organization became more established, he said, the three-term limit was imposed. But Charaf and the other board members have managed to keep the two actively involved on the board by awarding them emeritus status.
Dee Baecher-Brown, CFVI president, presided over the annual meeting.
Brown has led the foundation for more than seven years. Among the organization's many accomplishments during those years has been the production of three annual Kids Count data books reporting on research supported in part by the national Annie E. Casey Foundation. V.I. Kids Count has chronicled in meaningful, and sometimes painful, statistics the economic and social status of the children of the Virgin Islands and their families.
CFVI's 2003 annual report says the importance of Kids Count is to "get people thinking and talking about children and families, their well-being, what we must do to improve their lives." The report goes on to say that "Kids Count is a challenge to our community to work harder on behalf of our children."
According to its mission statement, CFVI's primary goal is to ensure the highest quality of life for both present and future generations of Virgin Islanders by establishing a growing collection of permanent funds whose income will be "used to enhance the educational, physical, social, cultural and environmental well-being of the islands' people."
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'MUSICAL MIX' A CROWD PLEASER, DUSK TO PREDAWN
June 29, 2003 – Nearly 2,000 fans flocked to the Winston Wells Ballpark in Cruz Bay on Saturday night for a soca/reggae concert featuring popular performers from London, Trinidad and the Virgin Islands.
Organizers working with St. John's July 4th Celebration called the 2003 Musical Mix a success, and concertgoers agreed, crowding the sound stage until the last note was played in the predawn hours of Sunday morning.
The show began at 8 p.m. Saturday with performances by five-time V.I. Calypso Monarch Whadablee and St. John calypsonian Super T. Imaginations Brass rocked the house, warming up the audience for Trinidadian dancehall artist Militant.
Headliner Maxi Priest appeared around 1:30 a.m., performing his hits "I Just Want to Be Close to You," "That Girl" and "Just a Little Bit Longer." Encouraging the crowd to join in on the choruses, he kept the audience bouncing for nearly two hours.
Fans ranged from the young to the young at heart who were closer to their party days when the London reggae star's hits were just hitting the music charts. St. John property manager Nancy Hedlund bubbled and jammed among a tight clutch of friends. Her only regret was that she came planning to flick her Bic, concert-style, only to have it taken in the security check.
"I like it. I only walked in here, and they took my cigarette lighter," she said. But, she added, "My son's here, and we're having a good time."
Elizabeth Pichardo, on the other hand, had maxed out on the music by the time Maxi Priest appeared, preferring the dancehall sounds of Militant and the music of Imagi. "I think he should have come on more timely. He's not that hot. All these songs are old," she said.
For Leona Smith, chair of the St. John Festival and Cultural Organization, the Musical Mix was rewarding. Perched on a car bumper taking a break from serving fans at the concession stand around 2:30 a.m., she said that in two years of bringing top-name musical acts for the traditional calypso show, the event has become the celebration's No. 1 draw at the ballpark, surpassing the St. John Festival Queen pageant as the top ticket seller.
Proceeds were split with the show promoters, Westline Productions, Smith said. And, she added, the committee will plan a similar event for 2004, when St. John will have its 50th celebration.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Organizers working with St. John's July 4th Celebration called the 2003 Musical Mix a success, and concertgoers agreed, crowding the sound stage until the last note was played in the predawn hours of Sunday morning.
The show began at 8 p.m. Saturday with performances by five-time V.I. Calypso Monarch Whadablee and St. John calypsonian Super T. Imaginations Brass rocked the house, warming up the audience for Trinidadian dancehall artist Militant.
Headliner Maxi Priest appeared around 1:30 a.m., performing his hits "I Just Want to Be Close to You," "That Girl" and "Just a Little Bit Longer." Encouraging the crowd to join in on the choruses, he kept the audience bouncing for nearly two hours.
Fans ranged from the young to the young at heart who were closer to their party days when the London reggae star's hits were just hitting the music charts. St. John property manager Nancy Hedlund bubbled and jammed among a tight clutch of friends. Her only regret was that she came planning to flick her Bic, concert-style, only to have it taken in the security check.
"I like it. I only walked in here, and they took my cigarette lighter," she said. But, she added, "My son's here, and we're having a good time."
Elizabeth Pichardo, on the other hand, had maxed out on the music by the time Maxi Priest appeared, preferring the dancehall sounds of Militant and the music of Imagi. "I think he should have come on more timely. He's not that hot. All these songs are old," she said.
For Leona Smith, chair of the St. John Festival and Cultural Organization, the Musical Mix was rewarding. Perched on a car bumper taking a break from serving fans at the concession stand around 2:30 a.m., she said that in two years of bringing top-name musical acts for the traditional calypso show, the event has become the celebration's No. 1 draw at the ballpark, surpassing the St. John Festival Queen pageant as the top ticket seller.
Proceeds were split with the show promoters, Westline Productions, Smith said. And, she added, the committee will plan a similar event for 2004, when St. John will have its 50th celebration.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
WHO'S TO SAY IF A BODY OF WATER IS ISOLATED?
Where pollution is concerned, the notion of defining isolated waters becomes dangerous. Yet, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to the Clean Water Act, are slated to begin defining what is and what is not an isolated body of water.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
Editor's note: Source columnist Bill Turner, executive director of the St. Croix Environmental Association, was formerly a teacher and vice principal at the high school level in Puerto Rico.
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
WHO'S TO SAY IF A BODY OF WATER IS ISOLATED?
Where pollution is concerned, the notion of defining isolated waters becomes dangerous. Yet, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to the Clean Water Act, are slated to begin defining what is and what is not an isolated body of water.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
Editor's note: Source columnist Bill Turner, executive director of the St. Croix Environmental Association, was formerly a teacher and vice principal at the high school level in Puerto Rico.
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
WHO'S TO SAY IF A BODY OF WATER IS ISOLATED?
Where pollution is concerned, the notion of defining isolated waters becomes dangerous. Yet, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking related to the Clean Water Act, are slated to begin defining what is and what is not an isolated body of water.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
The specious nature of the proposition to apply any such definition revolves around the apparent choice to ignore decades of scientific advances in the understanding of the terrestrial characteristics and hydrology of most watersheds. Where water is concerned, almost every body of it is interrelated with another.
The federal Clean Water Act was passed to afford protection to the "waters of the United States." For many years, the definition of those waters remained unchallenged. In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in the case Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that dealt with the specific question of whether the Clean Water Act was applicable in isolated, intrastate, non-navigable waters used only by migratory birds.
The currently proposed changes in rulemaking revolve around the term "isolated." The difficulty with the law is that it is limited by the construct of the language within which it functions. An isolated pond, to most people, would be a stand-alone concept. Images of walking along a shoreline of a pond with clean, cool and reflective water in some dale on the edge of civilization would not be an inappropriate visual representation for an isolated pond.
Science determines isolation in a relative sense by defining the impact of one system upon another. The law, as the final arbiter on matters disputed, must find the most reasonable balance between the definitions advanced by the competing parties. In the case of the Clean Water Act, the competition is fierce. The stakes are high because the concept of isolation in hydrology is so limited that it is nearly impossible to find a body of water that's truly isolated.
This means that for every body of water that is defined as isolated when it is not, another body of water will be affected when harmful action is taken on or near the "isolated" body.
Consider the case of a tropical salt pond. In many a case, it is not connected to the ocean, which by the standards of the newly proposed rules would make it isolated. It can be dry several months out of the year; therefore, it is non-navigable. And since it is usually located on an island, such as St. Croix, it would most certainly qualify as intrastate.
However, the myth of isolation crumbles when one considers the impact of altering or destroying a salt pond. Salt ponds function as settling ponds for silt and non-point source pollution that flows to them through the watershed. If salt ponds should be eliminated or substantially altered, this silt and pollution would be given a clear path to the reefs and grass beds off shore. Corals and crustaceans would be hard pressed to exist in an environment that was regularly inundated with silt and pollution. The pressure on the bottom end of the food chain would lead to a decline in the species of fish that feed on it. This in turn would lead to pressure on the larger predators that rely on a steady supply of smaller fish for a food source.
The concept of biodiversity means little to the lay person until he or she sits down in a restaurant and discovers that the catch of the day is fresh squirrelfish. Does that seem like an appetizing alternative to snapper? The devastation does not end on the menu, either.
Salt ponds can be home to many smaller creatures such as some species of crabs, which to a bird are a source of nutrition. Migratory flocks could be decimated by the damage done to a salt pond. Traveling sometimes thousands of miles only to arrive on an island with no food or water sources could crush an endangered species. That may not mean much to the locals — until the food source in their summer habitats that fed the birds goes unchecked and endangers the entire ecosystem with overpopulation.
The evidence of the relationships between bodies of water is overwhelming. We ignore these relationships at our own peril. It is time for Congress to restate the spirit of the law in the Clean Water Act by making two important changes. The first reasonable action would be to remove the word "navigable" from the act — since the legislation was not intended solely to ensure navigability — and then to restore the definition of "waters of the United States" as used by the Corps of Engineers for many years without challenge.
To do less could lead to catastrophe.
Editor's note: Source columnist Bill Turner, executive director of the St. Croix Environmental Association, was formerly a teacher and vice principal at the high school level in Puerto Rico.
We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
'LOTTERY LOSERS' IS TOP WINNER IN ADVI AWARDS
June 28, 2003 – The Paint Depot did it again Saturday night, taking home the Ad Club of the Virgin Islands Best of Show award for the second straight year — this time for its "Lottery Losers" print advertising.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World on St. Thomas. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World on St. Thomas. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
'LOTTERY LOSERS' IS TOP WINNER IN ADVI AWARDS
June 28, 2003 – The Paint Depot did it again Saturday night, taking home the Ad Club of the Virgin Islands Best of Show award for the second straight year — this time for its "Lottery Losers" print advertising.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World on St. Thomas. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World on St. Thomas. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
'LOTTERY LOSERS' IS TOP WINNER IN ADVI AWARDS
June 28, 2003 – The Paint Depot did it again Saturday night, taking home the Ad Club of the Virgin Islands Best of Show award for the second straight year — this time for its "Lottery Losers" print advertising.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The three other top awards for 2003 — the Donald Plantz Awards of Excellence in different media — went to Austin Advertising for print, for its Humane Society ad, "Play on the Power of One" slogan for FirstBank; to Austin again for radio, for its KFC "Caesar Twister" spot; and to Film VI.net for television, for its "Island Reliability" spot for AT&T.
Three special Judges Awards also were presented — to MLB Creative for its "Worldwide Emergency" brochures, to St. Croix Explorer for DMButler.com, and to The Paint Depot for its print ad "Who Ya Gonna Call."
In addition, a total of 84 gold and silver awards were handed out at the Ad Club's 22nd annual ADVI Awards gala, held at Coral World. The awards recognize excellence within the V.I. advertising community.
The selection of winners is always by a panel of off-island advertising professionals. This year's judging, which took place three weeks ago, was by Brenda Edwards, president of Advisors Advertising Inc. of Ocala, Florida; Wilfredo Marquez Umpierre, creative director of Guasp & Partners Communications of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico; and Sean Brunson, senior art director of Fry Hammond Bar Advertising of Orlando, Florida.
This year's competition attracted more than 180 entries from ad agencies and individual designers, copywriters, producers and photographers from St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. All were displayed at Coral World's Caribbean Reef Encounter during a cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony hosted by Darr Conradson and Anita Davis.
The judging panel awarded a total of 24 gold awards. Those receiving two or more of them were Austin Advertising, MLB Creative, The Paint Depot, Infinity + 1 Design, Bellows International, Diane Butler, St. Croix Explorer, Film VI.net and Gary Felton Photography.
According to an Ad Club release, all three judges had positive things to say about the quality of creativity within the V.I. advertising community.
Edwards, a two-term past governor of the American Advertising Federation's Fourth District, which encompasses Florida and the Caribbean, stated that the work had "high-quality pieces and excellent visuals." And she found the 2003 ADVI entries to have "the most original music scores heard in one show."
Brunson commented: "A pleasant surprise, such a nice body of work."
Marquez pronounced the entries overall "really good pieces of design and artwork. Great work for a small island."
For the complete list of ADVI 2003 winners, click here.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REVIEWS YEAR
June 28, 2003 – Over the last year the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce has seen some of the causes it has championed reach satisfactory conclusions, while some outcomes have not been so acceptable; and in some instances, the jury is not in yet.
Cassan Pancham, chamber president, told members and guests at the organization's annual meeting on Friday that he was pleased to see the development at Crown Bay be carried out by the Port Authority, as opposed to being a venture of the two cruise lines that had cut a deal with VIPA to develop the area.
The chamber had been vocal in opposing the cruise ship deal because, while the chamber agreed on the need to expand docking facilities, it was vehement in its opposition to allowing outside organizations to control the Crown Bay docking facility and shore-side development. Part of the deal included allowing the cruise lines to decide if they would dock in Crown Bay or at The West Indian Co. dock.
Pancham counted as another success Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's veto of his own legislation that would have given the governor and lieutenant governor substantial pay increases. After a loud public outcry, much of which came through the chamber's telephone lines, Turnbull vetoed the bill after it had passed the Senate. It would have given Lt. Gov. Vargrave Richards a salary of $115,000, up from $75,000, and Turnbull would have gotten $135,000, up from $80,000. Senators' salaries would have gone from $65,000 to $85,000.
Not so successful was the chamber's attempt to keep video lottery terminals out of the district. Pancham said on Friday he doesn't see gambling as a viable revenue source and called VLT's the "worst form" of gambling.
A public-private tourism authority is also on the chamber's wish list, and has been for a very long time, Pancham said.
"The V.I. is falling behind in the tourism industry," he said, "and we can only regain our ground with substantial private sector input."
He said the Tourism Department is "dysfunctional" in the way it deals with its partners in the industry, adding: "We want to see the cruise ships coming here first."
He was referring to concerns raised this year among retailers that some cruise lines have changed their itineraries so that their ships are visiting other destinations first, leaving passengers cash strapped by the time they reach St. Thomas.
Pamela Richards, Tourism commissioner, told Pancham at a public meeting a few months ago that she didn't care in which order the ships visited St. Thomas, that she was only concerned that they showed up at all.
Pancham also said the chamber is waiting to see the majority's plan for fiscal recovery. The chamber was not happy with the administration's plan for taxing businesses, among other proposals. "There must be expenditure reductions first," he said Friday. "Then we can agree to enhanced revenues."
Pancham pointed out that the government budget went from $460 million in 2001 to $664 million in 2003. "While every other state and municipality were cutting expenditures, we were increasing ours," he said.
In its annual report, the chamber has developed its own outline for fiscal recovery. It includes:
– Aggressive collection of unpaid property taxes.
– Privatization of garbage collection and mass transit.
– Payment by non-residents of taxes related to V.I. real estate transactions.
– Payment of gross receipts taxes by off-island professionals and businesses that conduct business with the V.I. government.
– A personal use tax on purchases over $1,000.
The chamber further advocates:
– That the Tax Reform Commission provide that preliminary recommendations be included in the 2004 budget.
– The establishment of an air service task force to be led by the University of the Virgin Islands.
– Pension reform to provide for annuities based on the average pay of a government employee over a period of the last 10 years of service instead of the last three, as is the current practice.
The chamber also offered some new revenue possibilities with the introduction of guest speaker Carlos V. Ubinas, executive vice president and chief operating officer of UBS Financial Services Inc., one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the world. UBS is affiliated with FirstBank in the Virgin Islands.
UBS boasts $30 billion in assets in Puerto Rico alone, where it provides services such as wealth management, investment banking and mutual funds management.
Ubinas said it would be possible by using the Puerto Rico model to develop a capital market in the Virgin Islands which could supplement the government's ability to access the tax-exempt market in the United States. By using the fiscally autonomous status of the territory to develop a local tax-advantaged capital market, the Virgin Islands could issue debt that would in turn garner investment money to fund private capital projects related to tourism such as hotels and attractions, he said.
Getting to that point, Ubinas admitted when asked by a chamber member, would require substantial legislation from a business-friendly legislature, which he said Puerto Rico has — and which, the assembled group of about 75 people affirmed with sighs and nods, the Virgin Islands doesn't have.
Pancham was elected to serve a second term as chamber president. Thaddeus Bast was re-elected as vice president/president elect.
New to the board of directors after Friday's vote are Mario Austin, Cecile de Jongh and Hurdle "Trip" Lea. Returning to the board after being re-elected are Steave E. Bailey, Mike Daswani, Mary Gleason, Judi Nagelberg, Jose A. Penn and Beryl M. Todman.
Pancham said goodbye to other members who retired after many years of service, including Jerry Buckalew and Joe Hodge.
Pancham said he would miss Hodge's pragmatic approach and Buckalew's dedication. Whenever the board got off track in a meeting, he said, Hodge would bring the focus back by saying something like "Remember, they raised the salaries when they didn't have the money."
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice.. click here.
Cassan Pancham, chamber president, told members and guests at the organization's annual meeting on Friday that he was pleased to see the development at Crown Bay be carried out by the Port Authority, as opposed to being a venture of the two cruise lines that had cut a deal with VIPA to develop the area.
The chamber had been vocal in opposing the cruise ship deal because, while the chamber agreed on the need to expand docking facilities, it was vehement in its opposition to allowing outside organizations to control the Crown Bay docking facility and shore-side development. Part of the deal included allowing the cruise lines to decide if they would dock in Crown Bay or at The West Indian Co. dock.
Pancham counted as another success Gov. Charles W. Turnbull's veto of his own legislation that would have given the governor and lieutenant governor substantial pay increases. After a loud public outcry, much of which came through the chamber's telephone lines, Turnbull vetoed the bill after it had passed the Senate. It would have given Lt. Gov. Vargrave Richards a salary of $115,000, up from $75,000, and Turnbull would have gotten $135,000, up from $80,000. Senators' salaries would have gone from $65,000 to $85,000.
Not so successful was the chamber's attempt to keep video lottery terminals out of the district. Pancham said on Friday he doesn't see gambling as a viable revenue source and called VLT's the "worst form" of gambling.
A public-private tourism authority is also on the chamber's wish list, and has been for a very long time, Pancham said.
"The V.I. is falling behind in the tourism industry," he said, "and we can only regain our ground with substantial private sector input."
He said the Tourism Department is "dysfunctional" in the way it deals with its partners in the industry, adding: "We want to see the cruise ships coming here first."
He was referring to concerns raised this year among retailers that some cruise lines have changed their itineraries so that their ships are visiting other destinations first, leaving passengers cash strapped by the time they reach St. Thomas.
Pamela Richards, Tourism commissioner, told Pancham at a public meeting a few months ago that she didn't care in which order the ships visited St. Thomas, that she was only concerned that they showed up at all.
Pancham also said the chamber is waiting to see the majority's plan for fiscal recovery. The chamber was not happy with the administration's plan for taxing businesses, among other proposals. "There must be expenditure reductions first," he said Friday. "Then we can agree to enhanced revenues."
Pancham pointed out that the government budget went from $460 million in 2001 to $664 million in 2003. "While every other state and municipality were cutting expenditures, we were increasing ours," he said.
In its annual report, the chamber has developed its own outline for fiscal recovery. It includes:
– Aggressive collection of unpaid property taxes.
– Privatization of garbage collection and mass transit.
– Payment by non-residents of taxes related to V.I. real estate transactions.
– Payment of gross receipts taxes by off-island professionals and businesses that conduct business with the V.I. government.
– A personal use tax on purchases over $1,000.
The chamber further advocates:
– That the Tax Reform Commission provide that preliminary recommendations be included in the 2004 budget.
– The establishment of an air service task force to be led by the University of the Virgin Islands.
– Pension reform to provide for annuities based on the average pay of a government employee over a period of the last 10 years of service instead of the last three, as is the current practice.
The chamber also offered some new revenue possibilities with the introduction of guest speaker Carlos V. Ubinas, executive vice president and chief operating officer of UBS Financial Services Inc., one of the largest diversified financial services companies in the world. UBS is affiliated with FirstBank in the Virgin Islands.
UBS boasts $30 billion in assets in Puerto Rico alone, where it provides services such as wealth management, investment banking and mutual funds management.
Ubinas said it would be possible by using the Puerto Rico model to develop a capital market in the Virgin Islands which could supplement the government's ability to access the tax-exempt market in the United States. By using the fiscally autonomous status of the territory to develop a local tax-advantaged capital market, the Virgin Islands could issue debt that would in turn garner investment money to fund private capital projects related to tourism such as hotels and attractions, he said.
Getting to that point, Ubinas admitted when asked by a chamber member, would require substantial legislation from a business-friendly legislature, which he said Puerto Rico has — and which, the assembled group of about 75 people affirmed with sighs and nods, the Virgin Islands doesn't have.
Pancham was elected to serve a second term as chamber president. Thaddeus Bast was re-elected as vice president/president elect.
New to the board of directors after Friday's vote are Mario Austin, Cecile de Jongh and Hurdle "Trip" Lea. Returning to the board after being re-elected are Steave E. Bailey, Mike Daswani, Mary Gleason, Judi Nagelberg, Jose A. Penn and Beryl M. Todman.
Pancham said goodbye to other members who retired after many years of service, including Jerry Buckalew and Joe Hodge.
Pancham said he would miss Hodge's pragmatic approach and Buckalew's dedication. Whenever the board got off track in a meeting, he said, Hodge would bring the focus back by saying something like "Remember, they raised the salaries when they didn't have the money."
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice.. click here.
