March 12, 2003 — The competition in the beach catamarans at the International Rolex Cup will be even tougher this year. Enrique Figueroa of Puerto Rico (multiple Rolex winner and PR Olympic sailor) will face off against Terry Jackson of St. Thomas in the Olympic Class Tornado catamaran. But they will not just face the usual fierce Caribbean competition. The 30th International Rolex Regatta, March 28 to 30, will find its catamaran roster dramatically expanded by eight to 10 U.S. teams that will be competing in the event for the first time. The teams have impressive credentials and are led by the husband-wife team of Jay and Pease Glaser (Long Beach, Calif.), who will be sailing a Nacra F 18.
The Glasers have gained sailing notoriety both together and individually. Together, they are three-time Tornado North American Champions; individually, they are Olympic medalists. Jay won a silver medal in 1984 as crew for Randy Smyth in the Tornado class, and Pease won a silver medal in 2000 as crew for JJ Isler in the 470 class. Pease then went on to be named the 2000 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.
"Because of the great location and the reputation it has for mixing good competition with great fun, the International Rolex Regatta is something we've always wanted to do," said Pease, who will steer and believes it will be a unique challenge to face stiff Caribbean competition while fending off her U.S. compatriots.
A usual face will be missing from the catamaran class as former class winner John Holmberg will be racing in the locally developed IC-24 class this Rolex.
The big guns coming with the U.S. group are two-time Worrell 1000 Champions Brian Lambert (Ft. Walton Beach, Fla.) and Jamie Livingston (Miami), sailing an Inter 20, and two-time Nacra 6.0 North American Champions Rick Bliss (Mansfield, Mass.) and Brandy Woods (Littleton, Mass.), sailing a Nacra 6.0. But no one has the Caribbean sailing experience of Puerto Rico's 2004 Olympic Tornado team of Figueroa (San Juan) and Jorge Hernandez (San Juan).
Twice a Hobie 14 World Champion and once a Hobie 16 World Champion, Figueroa also has won seven national Hobie Cat class titles. Figueroa, a defending champion, has sailed in the International Rolex Regatta 13 out of the last 14 times, missing the year 2000 for Olympic competition.
"The expanded fleet, with this caliber of competition, will be excellent for our training," Figueroa said. "We will have the gear on our Olympic Tornado prepared to go faster than ever, as we will be getting ready for the Tornado Worlds in September, where we hope to qualify our country for the 2004 Olympic Regatta in Athens."
The International Rolex Regatta attracts monohull boats ranging from 24 to 80 feet. The catamaran class is usually accommodated on the stretch of beach that is the St. Thomas Yacht Club's backyard. This year with the large visiting contingent, a group will also be hosted in the Red Hook area. Tropical Shipping is sponsoring the transportation of the catamarans to the islands.
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.
NOT-SO-LITTLE ST. PADDY'S PARADE IS SATURDAY
March 12, 2003 – St. John will celebrate St. Patrick's Day in its own inimitable style on Saturday with a parade in Cruz Bay from the public tennis courts to the FirstBank intersection that's to start at noon.
"We're looking for at least 30 minutes," organizer Steve Krall said, referring to the parade's diminutive duration.
The procession has grown considerably since its inception several years ago, when it ran about 10 or 12 minutes. Last year's went about 20 minutes from Irish flag start to donkey cart finish.
Krall owns Quiet Mon Pub, a St. John link to Ireland. He said the parade has become an attraction for out-of-towners who plan their vacation around the event.
"We've got 16 people from Buffalo coming with banners," he said.
Ticking off a list of confirmed entries, he said some Bostonians are coming for the second year in a row, a group of motorcyclists will form a contingent, and local groups including the Middle-Age Majorettes will strut their stuff.
There may be a contingent of Scots among the would-be Irish, too. Krall is hoping that a piper will make an appearance and expects nearly half a dozen folks to show up in kilts.
Part of the parade's appeal is its rather loose organizational structure. This means anyone can show up with or without a group at the tennis courts just minutes before the parade starts and claim a place in the lineup.
The Quiet Mon will serve the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner after the parade, and Krall said there will be reduced prices on all Irish drinks. He said he hopes that, as in years past, musicians will show up at the bar to play.
While St. Patrick's Day — March 17 — is actually Monday, Krall said the celebration is set for Saturday because he can't get the police to close the street on a school day.
Also, he added, the Saturday date "gives you a day to recover."
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.
"We're looking for at least 30 minutes," organizer Steve Krall said, referring to the parade's diminutive duration.
The procession has grown considerably since its inception several years ago, when it ran about 10 or 12 minutes. Last year's went about 20 minutes from Irish flag start to donkey cart finish.
Krall owns Quiet Mon Pub, a St. John link to Ireland. He said the parade has become an attraction for out-of-towners who plan their vacation around the event.
"We've got 16 people from Buffalo coming with banners," he said.
Ticking off a list of confirmed entries, he said some Bostonians are coming for the second year in a row, a group of motorcyclists will form a contingent, and local groups including the Middle-Age Majorettes will strut their stuff.
There may be a contingent of Scots among the would-be Irish, too. Krall is hoping that a piper will make an appearance and expects nearly half a dozen folks to show up in kilts.
Part of the parade's appeal is its rather loose organizational structure. This means anyone can show up with or without a group at the tennis courts just minutes before the parade starts and claim a place in the lineup.
The Quiet Mon will serve the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner after the parade, and Krall said there will be reduced prices on all Irish drinks. He said he hopes that, as in years past, musicians will show up at the bar to play.
While St. Patrick's Day — March 17 — is actually Monday, Krall said the celebration is set for Saturday because he can't get the police to close the street on a school day.
Also, he added, the Saturday date "gives you a day to recover."
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.
RENAISSANCE TOUR INCLUDES A LOOK AT THE FUTURE
March 10, 2003 – Despite being passed over by the government to provide a short-term solution to the island's trash problems, the new owners of the old St. Croix Alumina site on the South Shore are optimistic about the 1,200-acre property's potential uses.
Already St. Croix Renaissance Group, the company that bought the land, is producing potable water and selling it to local haulers and has a machine shop that services equipment from Hovensa and other businesses.
Mary Ann Mahoney, St. Croix Renaissance spokeswoman, led a tour Saturday morning of about 50 St. Croix Environmental Association members and others through what's now called Renaissance Park, giving an overview of the owners' ideas for the future.
The site could be suitable for such ventures as a commercial fishing port, homeport for cruise ships, marina, shipyard, storage area and dry dock, she said. It also has a power plant capable of producing up to 85 megawatts of power and 2 million gallons of potable water at a cost considerably less than what the local utility can provide.
St. Croix Renaissance purchased the land as a prime location for its proposal to bale and wrap the island's 200 tons a day of trash until the government develops a permanent solution to the problem.
The Federal Aviation Administration has demanded that the territory close the Anguilla landfill because of its proximity to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, citing hazards posed to planes by foraging birds and dogs and by fires at the dump.
Mahoney said the Renaissance Group could have carried out its plan for less than half the $13 million start-up cost plus $5 million a year thereafter quoted by the successful bidder for the contract, Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico.
Landfill Technologies intends to bale and wrap trash and store it in aboveground buildings at the Anguilla site after the dump is remediated and closed. But recent reports indicate that the government is falling behind on its self-imposed deadlines to get the project started, and contract negotiations with Landfill Technologies have yet to begin.
"When the Department of Public Works said the deadline [for closing Anguilla] was December 2002, we thought the deadline was December 2002," Mahoney sarcastically told the tour takers on Saturday. "We have an interim solution that was economically and environmentally sound and tested" that could have been completed well within the timelines of the FAA, she said.
Renaissance would have invoiced the government based on the per-ton amount of trash trucked to the site, rather than charging for the purchase and installation of equipment at the collection area, Mahoney said.
She added that the specifics of the Landfill Technologies plan have not been made public, and no public input concerning the contract was allowed.
But plans for Renaissance Park are moving forward nonetheless, Mahoney said. "There's much more to the site than a good location for garbage," she said.
Fuel mix means cheaper water and power
The main focus right now, Renaissance co-owner Patrick Mahoney, husband of Mary Ann Mahoney, said on Tuesday, is evaluating the power-generation and water-production capabilities.
The power plant runs on fuel oil or coal to generate electricity, and can do so at a much cheaper rate than the Water and Power Authority, according to Zac Zacharis, the powerhouse manager. WAPA, burning oil, charges 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, which is one of the highest rates in the Caribbean, he said on Saturday, and the average in other parts of the Caribbean is 12 to 13 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Zacharis said coal-powered electricity costs 2 to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Patrick Mahoney said St. Croix Renaissance could produce power for 7 to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on the mixture of coal and oil.
"If we're running at full capacity, we're the cheapest source in the Caribbean," he said. "The attractiveness in this for incoming businesses is that somebody could cut their power costs in half in an energy-intensive industry."
The Renaissance Group is a partnership of Boston-based Brownfields Recovery Corp., EnergyAnswers Corp. of Puerto Rico, and Myron Allick, a Crucian who is the group's vice president for project development. Patrick Mahoney also is president of EnergyAnswers and its parent company on the mainland.
Brownfields was co-founded in 1996 by David Mugar, principal owner of Starfish Market on St. John, where Allick was general manager until last year. The company was created to acquire, remediate and redevelop environmentally impacted properties.
According to information provided last year, EnergyAnswers is involved in setting up a resource-recovery facility in Puerto Rico that can process 2,000 tons of waste a day. According to Patrick Mahoney, it specializes in "resource recovery of buildings and wastewater." He said then that EnergyAnswers had been managing the Anguilla wastewater treatment facility on St. Croix since October of 2001 and also was operating such a facility on St. John.
For more background on St. Croix Renaissance, see "Energy-related future touted for alumina site".
'Red mud' could be recycled into brick
For people familiar with the area, it is difficult to imagine the giant steel structures and nearby pile of bauxite residue, or "red mud," as anything but an eyesore. But not so, Renaissance officials say.
Patrick Mahoney said there are ways to use the bauxite for industrial purposes. For one, it could be reconstituted to make brick. The red mud piles visible from the Melvin Evans Highway will eventually be graded and landscaped, he said.
Mary Ann Mahoney said the property could be cleaned up and developed to create a homeport for cruise ships with a golf course, recreational sportfishing, trails through historic ruins on the property and taxi service to shopping areas. "It doesn't seem possible, but it could be beautiful," she said.
Early discussions with cruise ship officials are promising, Patrick Mahoney said. "We told them what we had to offer, and the answer was a resounding 'Yes!' They said, 'We would be very interested in talking with you if you had those things.'"
He said waste recovery activity is what attracted the local company, also a subsidiary of EnergyAnswers, to the St. Croix Alumina site. "We evaluated it very very thoroughly," he said.
The chances of attracting a major company to the area are great, he said, and discussions are ongoing with several businesses. He declined to name the companies while negotiations are in progress.
"Our success doesn't depend on getting the waste contract," he said. "The outlook for the future is great."
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.
Already St. Croix Renaissance Group, the company that bought the land, is producing potable water and selling it to local haulers and has a machine shop that services equipment from Hovensa and other businesses.
Mary Ann Mahoney, St. Croix Renaissance spokeswoman, led a tour Saturday morning of about 50 St. Croix Environmental Association members and others through what's now called Renaissance Park, giving an overview of the owners' ideas for the future.
The site could be suitable for such ventures as a commercial fishing port, homeport for cruise ships, marina, shipyard, storage area and dry dock, she said. It also has a power plant capable of producing up to 85 megawatts of power and 2 million gallons of potable water at a cost considerably less than what the local utility can provide.
St. Croix Renaissance purchased the land as a prime location for its proposal to bale and wrap the island's 200 tons a day of trash until the government develops a permanent solution to the problem.
The Federal Aviation Administration has demanded that the territory close the Anguilla landfill because of its proximity to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, citing hazards posed to planes by foraging birds and dogs and by fires at the dump.
Mahoney said the Renaissance Group could have carried out its plan for less than half the $13 million start-up cost plus $5 million a year thereafter quoted by the successful bidder for the contract, Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico.
Landfill Technologies intends to bale and wrap trash and store it in aboveground buildings at the Anguilla site after the dump is remediated and closed. But recent reports indicate that the government is falling behind on its self-imposed deadlines to get the project started, and contract negotiations with Landfill Technologies have yet to begin.
"When the Department of Public Works said the deadline [for closing Anguilla] was December 2002, we thought the deadline was December 2002," Mahoney sarcastically told the tour takers on Saturday. "We have an interim solution that was economically and environmentally sound and tested" that could have been completed well within the timelines of the FAA, she said.
Renaissance would have invoiced the government based on the per-ton amount of trash trucked to the site, rather than charging for the purchase and installation of equipment at the collection area, Mahoney said.
She added that the specifics of the Landfill Technologies plan have not been made public, and no public input concerning the contract was allowed.
But plans for Renaissance Park are moving forward nonetheless, Mahoney said. "There's much more to the site than a good location for garbage," she said.
Fuel mix means cheaper water and power
The main focus right now, Renaissance co-owner Patrick Mahoney, husband of Mary Ann Mahoney, said on Tuesday, is evaluating the power-generation and water-production capabilities.
The power plant runs on fuel oil or coal to generate electricity, and can do so at a much cheaper rate than the Water and Power Authority, according to Zac Zacharis, the powerhouse manager. WAPA, burning oil, charges 16 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, which is one of the highest rates in the Caribbean, he said on Saturday, and the average in other parts of the Caribbean is 12 to 13 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Zacharis said coal-powered electricity costs 2 to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Patrick Mahoney said St. Croix Renaissance could produce power for 7 to 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, depending on the mixture of coal and oil.
"If we're running at full capacity, we're the cheapest source in the Caribbean," he said. "The attractiveness in this for incoming businesses is that somebody could cut their power costs in half in an energy-intensive industry."
The Renaissance Group is a partnership of Boston-based Brownfields Recovery Corp., EnergyAnswers Corp. of Puerto Rico, and Myron Allick, a Crucian who is the group's vice president for project development. Patrick Mahoney also is president of EnergyAnswers and its parent company on the mainland.
Brownfields was co-founded in 1996 by David Mugar, principal owner of Starfish Market on St. John, where Allick was general manager until last year. The company was created to acquire, remediate and redevelop environmentally impacted properties.
According to information provided last year, EnergyAnswers is involved in setting up a resource-recovery facility in Puerto Rico that can process 2,000 tons of waste a day. According to Patrick Mahoney, it specializes in "resource recovery of buildings and wastewater." He said then that EnergyAnswers had been managing the Anguilla wastewater treatment facility on St. Croix since October of 2001 and also was operating such a facility on St. John.
For more background on St. Croix Renaissance, see "Energy-related future touted for alumina site".
'Red mud' could be recycled into brick
For people familiar with the area, it is difficult to imagine the giant steel structures and nearby pile of bauxite residue, or "red mud," as anything but an eyesore. But not so, Renaissance officials say.
Patrick Mahoney said there are ways to use the bauxite for industrial purposes. For one, it could be reconstituted to make brick. The red mud piles visible from the Melvin Evans Highway will eventually be graded and landscaped, he said.
Mary Ann Mahoney said the property could be cleaned up and developed to create a homeport for cruise ships with a golf course, recreational sportfishing, trails through historic ruins on the property and taxi service to shopping areas. "It doesn't seem possible, but it could be beautiful," she said.
Early discussions with cruise ship officials are promising, Patrick Mahoney said. "We told them what we had to offer, and the answer was a resounding 'Yes!' They said, 'We would be very interested in talking with you if you had those things.'"
He said waste recovery activity is what attracted the local company, also a subsidiary of EnergyAnswers, to the St. Croix Alumina site. "We evaluated it very very thoroughly," he said.
The chances of attracting a major company to the area are great, he said, and discussions are ongoing with several businesses. He declined to name the companies while negotiations are in progress.
"Our success doesn't depend on getting the waste contract," he said. "The outlook for the future is great."
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.
FREDERIKSTED MARTIAL ARTS STUDENTS COMPETE
March 12, 2003 — Six Frederiksted students competed against 300 other martial artists in the 22nd World Martial Arts Hall of Fame World Belt Championship in Akron, Ohio on March 7 to 9.
All six students, from the Art-Den-Jitsu-Ryu System in Frederiksted, were inducted into the Junior World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Also inducted was attorney Ezart Winter.
The students came home with a number of awards and titles. Akeem Knight, a junior first degree Black Belt, won outstanding junior male competitor in the categories of weapons kata (form with weapons) and fighting (kumite). Junior Brown Belt Oman Williams was awarded Grand Champion in his division, and Atiba Dennery, also a junior Brown Belt was awarded outstanding competitor in kata and weapons kata. Junior Brown Belt Troy Williams placed third in kata for his division. Also participating in the three-day tournament were junior Brown Belt Dennis Lynch and Evol Lynch, who could not participate in the championships due to her studies.
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.
All six students, from the Art-Den-Jitsu-Ryu System in Frederiksted, were inducted into the Junior World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Also inducted was attorney Ezart Winter.
The students came home with a number of awards and titles. Akeem Knight, a junior first degree Black Belt, won outstanding junior male competitor in the categories of weapons kata (form with weapons) and fighting (kumite). Junior Brown Belt Oman Williams was awarded Grand Champion in his division, and Atiba Dennery, also a junior Brown Belt was awarded outstanding competitor in kata and weapons kata. Junior Brown Belt Troy Williams placed third in kata for his division. Also participating in the three-day tournament were junior Brown Belt Dennis Lynch and Evol Lynch, who could not participate in the championships due to her studies.
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.
SPECIFICS OF GUARD COMPLAINTS UNDISCLOSED
March 12, 2003 – So far, 10 V.I. National Guard members attached to the 610th water supply unit are the only group from the Virgin Islands who have shipped out to take their part in Operation Enduring Freedom/Noble Eagle.
The 10 water specialists reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to team up with another unit of water specialists from Virginia, VING spokesman Osbert Potter said. He said he had not received any information as to whether they have left Fort Bragg for assignment in the Persian Gulf. Their job is to purify and store water.
National guard troops throughout the United States all get identical training, Potter said, and before they are deployed to a potential combat area they are re-evaluated. "If we sent soldiers who are unprepared, they would be sent home," he said.
A full-page paid advertisement in local print newspapers on March 3 suggested otherwise. The ad, in the form of an open letter to the V.I. government, declared the guard in disarray in the territory.
As the nation moves closer to a major conflict with Iraq, it said, the "loyal guardsmen will soon decide they will not play a part in the defense of this country or these islands if something isn't done soon." The unidentified author or authors also charged that V.I. National Guard has the highest complaint rate nationwide for harassment, discrimination and inequities. It was not clear whether this referred to personnel within the local guard ranks making such complaints or external personnel complaining about the V.I. guard.
No substantiation was provided for the claims made. The names of nine people appeared in the ad, all listed as retirees. Efforts to reach the individuals by telephone were unsuccessful except for former Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Roberts.
Her comment: "I don't have anything to say because I don't know who put my name in the paper." She did not say whether she agreed or not with the sentiments in the ad.
An anonymous caller claiming to be a member of the V.I. National Guard for more than 20 years reported having sought legal advice about a situation involving sexual harassment within the guard. This individual referred queries to the V.I. guard's inspector general, Lt. Col. Arthur Shemwell.
Shemwell said his office functions much like the Inspector General's Office of the V.I. government or the U.S. Interior Department. But as a member of the U.S. Army, he said, he could not comment on complaints within the V.I. National Guard.
"I cannot by regulation or by my position make any comments on that," he said of the published "open letter."
Delegate Donna M. Christensen said her office has "been getting complaints over the last couple of years" concerning the V.I. National Guard. She did not wish to discuss the concerns brought to her attention but said she had passed them on to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Russell C. Davis. However, she said, in the midst of their communications Davis had retired.
Christensen also said that recently, after mulling it over with staff members, she decided to approach Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, who as governor is the commander-in-chief of the V.I. National Guard, about the concerns. But at the time she sought to speak with the governor, she said, he was off island.
Reports aired last week on WVWI Radio said Christensen also has heard concerns expressed about the V.I. guard from off-island military sources. "I don't want to elaborate on that part," she said this week.
The delegate expressed doubt that any internal problems would lead guard members to resign en masse, as the open letter suggested, especially in light of a pending war. "We haven't gotten a barrage of calls from people saying 'We don't want to go,'" she said.
In recent times, Virgin Islands guard members have served in Bosnia with the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and have responded to natural disasters and other emergencies. "Whenever they're called, they go," Christensen said.
And because they train for duty both at home in the territory and abroad with other guard units, Potter said, they are always ready.
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 10 water specialists reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to team up with another unit of water specialists from Virginia, VING spokesman Osbert Potter said. He said he had not received any information as to whether they have left Fort Bragg for assignment in the Persian Gulf. Their job is to purify and store water.
National guard troops throughout the United States all get identical training, Potter said, and before they are deployed to a potential combat area they are re-evaluated. "If we sent soldiers who are unprepared, they would be sent home," he said.
A full-page paid advertisement in local print newspapers on March 3 suggested otherwise. The ad, in the form of an open letter to the V.I. government, declared the guard in disarray in the territory.
As the nation moves closer to a major conflict with Iraq, it said, the "loyal guardsmen will soon decide they will not play a part in the defense of this country or these islands if something isn't done soon." The unidentified author or authors also charged that V.I. National Guard has the highest complaint rate nationwide for harassment, discrimination and inequities. It was not clear whether this referred to personnel within the local guard ranks making such complaints or external personnel complaining about the V.I. guard.
No substantiation was provided for the claims made. The names of nine people appeared in the ad, all listed as retirees. Efforts to reach the individuals by telephone were unsuccessful except for former Sgt. 1st Class Patricia Roberts.
Her comment: "I don't have anything to say because I don't know who put my name in the paper." She did not say whether she agreed or not with the sentiments in the ad.
An anonymous caller claiming to be a member of the V.I. National Guard for more than 20 years reported having sought legal advice about a situation involving sexual harassment within the guard. This individual referred queries to the V.I. guard's inspector general, Lt. Col. Arthur Shemwell.
Shemwell said his office functions much like the Inspector General's Office of the V.I. government or the U.S. Interior Department. But as a member of the U.S. Army, he said, he could not comment on complaints within the V.I. National Guard.
"I cannot by regulation or by my position make any comments on that," he said of the published "open letter."
Delegate Donna M. Christensen said her office has "been getting complaints over the last couple of years" concerning the V.I. National Guard. She did not wish to discuss the concerns brought to her attention but said she had passed them on to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Russell C. Davis. However, she said, in the midst of their communications Davis had retired.
Christensen also said that recently, after mulling it over with staff members, she decided to approach Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, who as governor is the commander-in-chief of the V.I. National Guard, about the concerns. But at the time she sought to speak with the governor, she said, he was off island.
Reports aired last week on WVWI Radio said Christensen also has heard concerns expressed about the V.I. guard from off-island military sources. "I don't want to elaborate on that part," she said this week.
The delegate expressed doubt that any internal problems would lead guard members to resign en masse, as the open letter suggested, especially in light of a pending war. "We haven't gotten a barrage of calls from people saying 'We don't want to go,'" she said.
In recent times, Virgin Islands guard members have served in Bosnia with the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo and have responded to natural disasters and other emergencies. "Whenever they're called, they go," Christensen said.
And because they train for duty both at home in the territory and abroad with other guard units, Potter said, they are always ready.
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.
V.I. TO APPEAL FEDERAL ORDER ON SEWAGE CONTRACT
March 12, 2003 – The V.I. government will appeal Monday's order by District Judge Thomas K. Moore concerning a contract awarded without competitive bidding for sewer system repairs on St. Croix, according to Attorney General Iver Stridiron.
Meanwhile, a top Public Works Department official says the judge's order doesn't really change much, since the government has been facing federal mandates to fix the system since 1984.
A one-sentence statement released by Government House on Tuesday evening cited Stridiron as saying that the government "will file an appeal of the memorandum and order" by Moore in the case of the United States vs. the territory "involving the terminated contract with Global Resources Management Inc. for emergency repairs of the St. Croix sewage system."
Stridiron could not be reached for comment Tuesday night or during the day on Wednesday. Government House legal counsel Paul Gimenez and an assistant attorney general, Kerry Drue, said that to their knowledge the appeal had not been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.
The appeal would be to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, the appellate court with jurisdiction for the Virgin Islands.
Moore conducted three days of hearings in connection with the case brought by U.S. Attorney David Nissman in cooperation with the U.S. Justice Department asking that the V.I. government show cause why its contract with Global Resources should not be set aside by the court.
On the final day, Feb. 3, Stridiron had told reporters that he would have "a hell of a lot to say" once the judge issued his ruling.
V.I. Justice Department attorneys argued that under a declaration of emergency by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, the government had the right to award the contract without going through the bidding process. They also contended that the federal court had no jurisdiction in the matter.
In his opinion issued on Monday, Moore declared there was no emergency, in that the sewer system crisis was of long years' standing, and that the federal court did have jurisdiction because the contract concerned repairs ordered by U.S. government and the District Court and agreed to by the territorial government.
Referring to "the reek of politics and political influence, and quite possibly of political corruption," Moore termed the awarding of the contract to Global and its chief executive, Ashley Andrews, as "yet another example of elected and appointed officials of the Virgin Islands government putting crass politics ahead of fiscal responsibility, not to mention the health and safety of the people."
The judge also wrote of "the corrupting political pressure from the Turnbull administration through Ohanio Harris, Gov. Turnbull's special assistant for St. Croix." Harris was the chief executive of Global until a year ago, when Andrews assumed that position.
Moore also wrote that he was most disturbed by "the paucity of evidence that the government was even half-heartedly trying to get these sewer lines repaired" over the years.
His order included a list of actions to be taken by the V.I. government to advance the completion of the federally ordered repairs.
On Wednesday, Sonia Nelthropp, a key official at the Public Works Department, which is largely responsible for overseeing the repairs, said that both Moore's order and a possible appeal are peripheral. Nelthropp is in charge of solid waste and wastewater management, where finding, fixing and/or replacing non-functioning elements of the territory's sewer systems is part of the job description.
Nelthropp said she had not yet seen the actual memorandum and order but that from what she had heard and read, the only change to the status quo is Moore's order that the territory within the next 90 days hire a private contractor to operate and maintain St. Croix's wastewater collection system and pump stations for at least 18 months.
"None of this affects what we're doing. It can't. We're under a consent order. Period," Nelthropp said, referring to an agreement entered into by the V.I. and federal governments in 1984 and revised in 1996 concerning federally mandated repairs and upgrades of the territory's wastewater system.
Nelthropp said she has never viewed Moore's series of orders since 2000 to bring the territory into compliance with the mandates of the consent decree as punitive measures. Rather, she said, she has seen them as a means of keeping the repair process moving forward in a positive direction.
Moore on Monday also ordered the V.I. government not to revive the contract with Global Resources — which Turnbull canceled two days before the show cause hearing was to begin — and to notify the court if it enters into any sewer contracts for more than $250,000.
He also ordered the government to fix any new failures in the sewer system within 120 days, report on the amount of funds set aside in a special bank account to fund the repairs, and make deposits into that account over the next few months to bring the balance to $20 million by Oct. 1.
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.
Meanwhile, a top Public Works Department official says the judge's order doesn't really change much, since the government has been facing federal mandates to fix the system since 1984.
A one-sentence statement released by Government House on Tuesday evening cited Stridiron as saying that the government "will file an appeal of the memorandum and order" by Moore in the case of the United States vs. the territory "involving the terminated contract with Global Resources Management Inc. for emergency repairs of the St. Croix sewage system."
Stridiron could not be reached for comment Tuesday night or during the day on Wednesday. Government House legal counsel Paul Gimenez and an assistant attorney general, Kerry Drue, said that to their knowledge the appeal had not been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.
The appeal would be to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, the appellate court with jurisdiction for the Virgin Islands.
Moore conducted three days of hearings in connection with the case brought by U.S. Attorney David Nissman in cooperation with the U.S. Justice Department asking that the V.I. government show cause why its contract with Global Resources should not be set aside by the court.
On the final day, Feb. 3, Stridiron had told reporters that he would have "a hell of a lot to say" once the judge issued his ruling.
V.I. Justice Department attorneys argued that under a declaration of emergency by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, the government had the right to award the contract without going through the bidding process. They also contended that the federal court had no jurisdiction in the matter.
In his opinion issued on Monday, Moore declared there was no emergency, in that the sewer system crisis was of long years' standing, and that the federal court did have jurisdiction because the contract concerned repairs ordered by U.S. government and the District Court and agreed to by the territorial government.
Referring to "the reek of politics and political influence, and quite possibly of political corruption," Moore termed the awarding of the contract to Global and its chief executive, Ashley Andrews, as "yet another example of elected and appointed officials of the Virgin Islands government putting crass politics ahead of fiscal responsibility, not to mention the health and safety of the people."
The judge also wrote of "the corrupting political pressure from the Turnbull administration through Ohanio Harris, Gov. Turnbull's special assistant for St. Croix." Harris was the chief executive of Global until a year ago, when Andrews assumed that position.
Moore also wrote that he was most disturbed by "the paucity of evidence that the government was even half-heartedly trying to get these sewer lines repaired" over the years.
His order included a list of actions to be taken by the V.I. government to advance the completion of the federally ordered repairs.
On Wednesday, Sonia Nelthropp, a key official at the Public Works Department, which is largely responsible for overseeing the repairs, said that both Moore's order and a possible appeal are peripheral. Nelthropp is in charge of solid waste and wastewater management, where finding, fixing and/or replacing non-functioning elements of the territory's sewer systems is part of the job description.
Nelthropp said she had not yet seen the actual memorandum and order but that from what she had heard and read, the only change to the status quo is Moore's order that the territory within the next 90 days hire a private contractor to operate and maintain St. Croix's wastewater collection system and pump stations for at least 18 months.
"None of this affects what we're doing. It can't. We're under a consent order. Period," Nelthropp said, referring to an agreement entered into by the V.I. and federal governments in 1984 and revised in 1996 concerning federally mandated repairs and upgrades of the territory's wastewater system.
Nelthropp said she has never viewed Moore's series of orders since 2000 to bring the territory into compliance with the mandates of the consent decree as punitive measures. Rather, she said, she has seen them as a means of keeping the repair process moving forward in a positive direction.
Moore on Monday also ordered the V.I. government not to revive the contract with Global Resources — which Turnbull canceled two days before the show cause hearing was to begin — and to notify the court if it enters into any sewer contracts for more than $250,000.
He also ordered the government to fix any new failures in the sewer system within 120 days, report on the amount of funds set aside in a special bank account to fund the repairs, and make deposits into that account over the next few months to bring the balance to $20 million by Oct. 1.
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.
AA TO CONTRACT OUT ST. CROIX GROUND SERVICES
March 12, 2003 – The first sign that the increased landing fees enacted by the V.I. Port Authority Feb. 1 are having a detrimental impact on the aviation industry here showed up Wednesday when American Airlines announced it will shut down its St. Croix ground operations as of April 15.
Minette Velez, director of American's corporate communications in San Juan, said Wednesday that American will give up its counter space and offices on St. Croix, lay off all its full-time employees, including long-time general manager Lowell Dyer and contract out the servicing of its daily Miami-St. Croix round trip jet flight to American Eagle.
The action means the American employees, some of which have been working for the company more than 20 years, could be forced to the unemployment lines. The employees were notified of the changes in a letter this week.
However, Velez said the employees will each be offered other "employment options on an individual basis." Those options would most likely involve relocation.
Velez said it was no longer viable for America to maintain its service operations on St. Croix when Eagle's agents were available to service the single jet flight into St. Croix.
"As you know the company has been facing a financial crisis and is looking to lower its operational costs," Velez said, adding, "In addition we have increased landing fees, " which came at a time that the company could ill afford them.
Rumors that American was seeking bankruptcy financing circulated in the media this week and the New York Times reported Wednesday that AMR, American's parent company, has been removed from Standard and Poor's 500 index as the company's stock price and market value continue to plummet.
However, even before that the airline made it clear that if the V.I. Port Authority stood by its decision to increase landing fees, it would be forced to cut service. The Port Authority did not back down.
Velez said the decision to shut down the ground operations and "out source" them to American Eagle was the only viable alternative. It was done, she said, instead of cutting the flight altogether
Velez also reiterated that the daily "seasonal flights" from Boston and JFK to St. Thomas "are not going to be extended," beyond the end of season and are, at this point, unlikely to be resumed next season.
"We're evaluating," the outlook for next year, but said she "wouldn't anticipate" the return of those flights.
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.
Minette Velez, director of American's corporate communications in San Juan, said Wednesday that American will give up its counter space and offices on St. Croix, lay off all its full-time employees, including long-time general manager Lowell Dyer and contract out the servicing of its daily Miami-St. Croix round trip jet flight to American Eagle.
The action means the American employees, some of which have been working for the company more than 20 years, could be forced to the unemployment lines. The employees were notified of the changes in a letter this week.
However, Velez said the employees will each be offered other "employment options on an individual basis." Those options would most likely involve relocation.
Velez said it was no longer viable for America to maintain its service operations on St. Croix when Eagle's agents were available to service the single jet flight into St. Croix.
"As you know the company has been facing a financial crisis and is looking to lower its operational costs," Velez said, adding, "In addition we have increased landing fees, " which came at a time that the company could ill afford them.
Rumors that American was seeking bankruptcy financing circulated in the media this week and the New York Times reported Wednesday that AMR, American's parent company, has been removed from Standard and Poor's 500 index as the company's stock price and market value continue to plummet.
However, even before that the airline made it clear that if the V.I. Port Authority stood by its decision to increase landing fees, it would be forced to cut service. The Port Authority did not back down.
Velez said the decision to shut down the ground operations and "out source" them to American Eagle was the only viable alternative. It was done, she said, instead of cutting the flight altogether
Velez also reiterated that the daily "seasonal flights" from Boston and JFK to St. Thomas "are not going to be extended," beyond the end of season and are, at this point, unlikely to be resumed next season.
"We're evaluating," the outlook for next year, but said she "wouldn't anticipate" the return of those flights.
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.
ST. CROIX MUSIC TRADITION BEARERS TO BE HONORED
March 12, 2003 — Some St. Croix residents — the musical tradition bearers — will talk of music or sing or play. Some St. Croix residents will listen, and learn how to record for all time what the musical tradition bearers say and sing to us.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those to be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang. The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those to be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang. The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
ST. CROIX MUSIC TRADITION BEARERS TO BE HONORED
March 12, 2003 — Some St. Croix residents — the musical tradition bearers — will talk of music or sing or play. Some St. Croix residents will listen, and learn how to record for all time what the musical tradition bearers say and sing to us.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those to be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang. The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those to be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang. The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
ST. CROIX MUSIC TRADITION BEARERS TO BE HONORED
March 12, 2003 — Some St. Croix residents — the musical tradition bearers — will talk of music or sing or play. Some St. Croix residents will listen, and learn how to record for all time what the musical tradition bearers say and sing to us.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those yo be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang.The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
A workshop, "Documenting Living Treasures," will be presented on St. Croix March 26-29 by the Alton Augustus Adams Music Research Institute (AMRI), a branch of the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) of Columbia College Chicago.
And the workshop will culminate in a free public Summit honoring Crucian tradition bearers. Among those yo be honored are Helen Joseph, Leona Watson, and Gail Watson Chiang.The summit and reception at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, will feature Stanley Jacobs and Six Pack. It will be held at the cafetorium on the St. Croix campus of the University of the Virgin Islands.
Led by Dr. Johann Buis and Suzanne Flandreau of the Center staff, a small group of St. Croix residents will meet four hours each day to learn ways to capture bits of history that otherwise might go unrecorded: the fascinating life stories of some of the territory's renowned and lesser known musicians who are keeping V.I. traditional music alive.
The participants will receiving training in field research and will explore ethical issues that sometimes arise when recording life stories of local musicians. Each participant will design an oral history project around a local musical tradition bearer. The completed projects then become part of the resource holdings of the Adams Institute, the CBMR, and a local library, where they may be used by researchers, scholars, educators and the general public.
Local expert Dr. Lauren Larsen will serve as a guest lecturer for the workshop.
AMRI, the Caribbean branch for CBMR, was established in 2001 and is located on St. Thomas, where it will be housed at the Adams family homestead in Charlotte Amalie. Its mission is to serve as a research facility to study and document black music in the Caribbean region and in particular the Virgin Islands.
The St. Croix workshop will be similar to the one offered in St. Thomas during June 2002, which attracted a broad cross-section of the St. Thomas and St. John communities. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants had one thing in common — a genuine interest in preserving the stories of Virgin Islanders who are the musical tradition bearers of the culture.
Unlike most workshops in which the participants pay a registration fee, participants accepted to the workshop will receive an honorarium of $100 upon completion of the workshop and an additional $100 for submitting their completed oral history project. The tradition bearers who agree to be interviewed will also be compensated.
"Because we value the time and effort of the resident researchers and the expertise and knowledge of the tradition bearers, we offer honoraria as tokens of our appreciation and recognition of their work," said Rosita Sands, director of the Center. "We hope that all involved, however, will realize that the true value can be found in the contribution their efforts make to V.I. culture and to the important goal of documenting and preserving these treasured stories as historical accounts," she continued.
The workshop will culminate with a free public "Summit of Tradition Bearers" that will honor several Crucian musicians for their lifetime contributions to the V.I. musical heritage. The public will be able to ask questions of the musicians and hear some of their rich and colorful stories of their lives.
The 2002 summit in St. Thomas honored Alwyn "Lad" Richards and James "Jamesie" Brewster of St. Thomas, Delita O'Connor of St. John, and Stanley Jacobs and Eldred Christian of St. Croix.
Wanda Mills, one of the June 2002 workshop participants and the territory's historic preservation planner at the Historic Preservation office, selected two tradition bearers for her project: radio personality and drummer Irvin "Brownie" Brown and saxophonist Alwyn "Lad" Richards. "I am really excited about this project. The documentation of oral histories is something that we really need in the Virgin Islands. It also gives me the opportunity to use my skills in documenting oral history," Mills said.
Those interested in participating in the March workshop should contact Martin Lamkin, the local AMRI program manager, at (340) 693-1194, or write to AMRI at PO Box 11357. The application deadline has been extended from March 10, and it is not too late to apply.
This project is supported in part with funding from the Virgin Islands Humanities Council, and the summit is being co-sponsored by the Social Science Division on the St. Croix campus of UVI.
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.
