March 7, 2003 – Source readers can now read reports from the front lines in Kuwait from a most unusual source — a 35-year-old former Source reporter, Darrin Mortenson, who returned from the Virgin Islands last year to his native California, only to find himself now in the Middle East.
Perhaps he knew he'd get there all along. Mortenson displayed a taste for adventure in his somewhat brief journalistic career in the territory, where he won several journalism awards for a series in the V.I. Daily News on U.S. military-civilian clashes on Vieques over the Navy bombing exercises there.
Mortenson, who is fluent in Spanish, was welcomed by militant Vieques groups while he at the same time was able to maintain a good relationship with the military. He was zealous in his reporting. One particularly bristling account had him ensconced in a Puerto Rican fishing boat being shot at by the U.S. Navy — a claim the Navy denied.
Back home in California, Mortenson went to work last July for the North County Times, a suburban San Diego daily newspaper, mainly reporting on education.
Just north of San Diego is Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marines military base that is a primary training center for troops destined to fight in the Mideast if the United States declares war on Iraq. The Washington Post reported in late December that the base's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force "will likely be well-represented among the thousands of U.S. troops President Bush has said he will send to the Persian Gulf early next year."
The Post noted that the base's arid terrain, including a high-tech "urbanized terrain course," makes for "an ideal training ground for desert warfare." And, it said, "An undisclosed number of Marines from Camp Pendleton are already stationed in Kuwait under the U.S. Central Command, which has jurisdiction over northeast Africa and the Middle East."
That makes whatever happens in the Mideast involving U.S. troops a local story for the San Diego County newspaper. As the Doonesbury comic strip has been chronicling, hundreds of U.S. news media representatives are being put through boot camps sponsored by the Defense Department in preparation for their being "embedded" with specific military units if war breaks out. With their assigned unit, they will travel, eat, sleep and duck when shots are fired.
Mortensen and North County Times staff photographer Hayne Palmour were offered the opportunity to deploy with a unit from the crack 1st Marine Expeditionary Force — and given two weeks to get ready to go.
To be there, to write about it
In an introductory article to their coming dispatches, the newspaper described Mortenson's reaction to the assignment. "This is one of the reasons I got into journalism. I wanted to be there. The things that we would read about, I get to write about."
Many in the media see the United States' potential war with Iraq as the most dangerous that reporters have ever covered because of the belief that Saddam Hussein has, and plans to use, weapons of mass destruction. Marines and reporters alike are receiving training in dealing with chemical, biological and radiological attack.
Mortensen was philosophical about fear: "I think about it. But I also think about living right next to a nuclear power plant in a stage orange terror alert — and flying, just getting there."
He and Palmour left San Diego on Feb. 14, laden with a couple of duffle bags, laptop computers, photo equipment and satellite telephones to transmit their stories and pictures. Their assignment: "a yearlong journey to tell the stories of the Camp Pendleton Marines who will fight if the United States declares war against Saddam Hussein … to take North County Times readers where soldiers go, into war."
After the initial jitters, they haven't had time to be fearful.
The Source recently received this e-mail from Delbert Mortenson: "Hello. I'm Darrin's dad. As you may or may not be aware, he is in Kuwait … He has requested that I send you his articles from the last week and put you on my mailing list for his article links."
The articles, which the senior Mortensen is e-mailing from the online edition of the North County Times, are fast becoming current history. They are reaching not only Mortenson's friends, but relatives of the Marines from "Camp Coyote" in Kuwait with whom he is stationed, and the much larger world.
He and Palmour came across something one day that had a barnyard as well as a military smell about it — a "fleet" of 35 white chickens, in cages, sent to serve in the field with the marines. Their mission: to alert the soldiers to the presence of an invisible, odorless but potentially lethal enemy — poison gas. (See "Chickens arrive to help the Marines".)
The chickens photograph and story were picked up by The Wall Street Journal and made the front page of The Australian, Sydney's leading daily. Palmour's photo appeared on CNN and in some European papers.
For a mother, almost like being there
Their coverage has touched hearts at home, too. The newspaper received this e-mailed message one day: "I am the mother of a US Marine in Kilo Co, 3/5 , stationed at Camp Coyote, Kuwait. No matter how long you live, you will never know the joy I felt when I signed on to Wednesday's NCT online page and saw my son's picture! I haven't heard from him since his deployment, so it lifted me so high to see that he was all right — and clean — finally!"
The letter continued, in part: "Darrin Mortenson is doing a terrific job bringing Camp Coyote to those of us back home. His writing is so descriptive and clear that I can feel the sand in my face, hear the constant noise, and, yes, I can even imagine the ripe odors of unbathed Marines!
"I know we're about to move forward into grave danger, but I hope Darrin will be keeping us 'in the loop' as long as he is able. It's very difficult for the families and friends of these 'forward line' Marines to live a 'normal' life during these times of extreme crisis. However, Darrin's articles have brought us closer to our loved ones because we can now picture their daily comings and goings and envision their environment."
The stories bring home from a young Marine's point of view what it's like to be in a foreign land, covered in sand, hope and little else. The reporting is going beyond the Marines, as Mortenson and Hayne get to know some of the Kuwaitis. One young woman in particular has become a kind of anonymous mentor for them in the local culture.
Some days Mortenson and Hayne are in the 13th floor of their Kuwait hotel having "all the smoked salmon we can eat" for breakfast, only to be in a foxhole eating MRE rations the next day.
In addition to reporting on daily life among the troops, they have covered current tensions from Kuwaiti perspectives ("Kuwait readies for war") and taken readers on a tour of the "demilitarized zone" established in 1991 and manned by U.S. forces and observers that runs the length of the Kuwait-Iraq border from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf ("120-mile barrier keeps Iraq, Kuwait at arm's length").
Friday's account was about Navy Cmdr. David Gillis, the senior surgeon of the U.S. Marines 1st Service Support Group and possibly the "oldest person on the battlefield." He was celebrating his 65th birthday.
Gillis told Mortenson that the hardest part of being there "was that this week I missed my grandson's first birthday." He said it was doubly painful because he also had missed the first birthday of his daughter, the mother of tha
t grandson, when he was deployed to Vietnam.
"I'll make up for it when I get back," he said.
To follow Mortenson's ongoing stories, which appear most, but not all, days, make regular visits to the online North County Times. To access earlier stories, type his name into the keyword search box.
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.
MAKE GOOD OLD CHICKEN AND LENTILS EVEN BETTER
March 9, 2003 – March is National Nutrition Month, and "Healthy Eating, Healthy You" is the theme for this year. Within that theme, here are key messages:
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
MAKE GOOD OLD CHICKEN AND LENTILS EVEN BETTER
March 9, 2003 – March is National Nutrition Month, and "Healthy Eating, Healthy You" is the theme for this year. Within that theme, here are key messages:
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
MAKE GOOD OLD CHICKEN AND LENTILS EVEN BETTER
March 9, 2003 – March is National Nutrition Month, and "Healthy Eating, Healthy You" is the theme for this year. Within that theme, here are key messages:
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
– Healthy eating helps you get the most out of life. A healthy lifestyle is the key to looking good, feeling great and being your best at work and play. It all starts with a healthy eating plan.
– Individual needs and preferences determine personal food choices. Match your food choices to your lifestyle and individual requirements, choosing enough to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
– Make moderation your goal — you decide how much to consume, and how often. Healthy eating doesn't mean feeling deprived or guilty. Look at the big picture: what you eat over several days — not just one day or one meal. That's important.
– Develop a personal fitness plan that's compatible with your lifestyle. The key is to find a variety of activities you enjoy. You don't need expensive equipment or complicated fitness programs.
– Actively pursue variety. Expand your range of choices and explore new tastes within and among food groups. Eating a wide variety of foods not only promotes optimal nutrition; it provides the pleasurable aspects of eating.
With that last message in mind, here's a way expand your tastes: Try making some Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew. It isn't your same old stewed chicken or lentil soup, but a delightful combination of flavors that's a kid pleaser, adult appetizer and good for you, too!
Chicken Lentil-Curry Stew
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds bone-in or boneless chicken thighs, skin removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of tomatoes, chopped
12 baby carrots
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4 inch cubes
3/4 pounds okra, sliced (optional)
1 pound dry lentils
4 cups water
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)
Heat the oil in a five-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Fry until golden brown in the vegetable oil, a few minutes on each side. Remove from the pan. Sauté the garlic and onions in the same pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, until soft and golden.
Add the vegetables and mix to coat well. Add the lentils, chicken, water and seasonings, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil and lower the flame. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are soft. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 370 calories, 8 gms fat (20 percent fat calories), 45 mg cholesterol, 135 mg sodium.
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.
FORMER V.I. REPORTER WITH MARINES IN MIDEAST
March 7, 2003 – Source readers can now read reports from the front lines in Kuwait from a most unusual source — a 35-year-old former Source reporter, Darrin Mortenson, who returned from the Virgin Islands last year to his native California, only to find himself now in the Middle East.
Perhaps he knew he'd get there all along. Mortenson displayed a taste for adventure in his somewhat brief journalistic career in the territory, where he won several journalism awards for a series in the V.I. Daily News on U.S. military-civilian clashes on Vieques over the Navy bombing exercises there.
Mortenson, who is fluent in Spanish, was welcomed by militant Vieques groups while he at the same time was able to maintain a good relationship with the military. He was zealous in his reporting. One particularly bristling account had him ensconced in a Puerto Rican fishing boat being shot at by the U.S. Navy — a claim the Navy denied.
Back home in California, Mortenson went to work last July for the North County Times, a suburban San Diego daily newspaper, mainly reporting on education.
Just north of San Diego is Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marines military base that is a primary training center for troops destined to fight in the Mideast if the United States declares war on Iraq. The Washington Post reported in late December that the base's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force "will likely be well-represented among the thousands of U.S. troops President Bush has said he will send to the Persian Gulf early next year."
The Post noted that the base's arid terrain, including a high-tech "urbanized terrain course," makes for "an ideal training ground for desert warfare." And, it said, "An undisclosed number of Marines from Camp Pendleton are already stationed in Kuwait under the U.S. Central Command, which has jurisdiction over northeast Africa and the Middle East."
That makes whatever happens in the Mideast involving U.S. troops a local story for the San Diego County newspaper. As the Doonesbury comic strip has been chronicling, hundreds of U.S. news media representatives are being put through boot camps sponsored by the Defense Department in preparation for their being "embedded" with specific military units if war breaks out. With their assigned unit, they will travel, eat, sleep and duck when shots are fired.
Mortensen and North County Times staff photographer Hayne Palmour were offered the opportunity to deploy with a unit from the crack 1st Marine Expeditionary Force — and given two weeks to get ready to go.
To be there, to write about it
In an introductory article to their coming dispatches, the newspaper described Mortenson's reaction to the assignment. "This is one of the reasons I got into journalism. I wanted to be there. The things that we would read about, I get to write about."
Many in the media see the United States' potential war with Iraq as the most dangerous that reporters have ever covered because of the belief that Saddam Hussein has, and plans to use, weapons of mass destruction. Marines and reporters alike are receiving training in dealing with chemical, biological and radiological attack.
Mortensen was philosophical about fear: "I think about it. But I also think about living right next to a nuclear power plant in a stage orange terror alert — and flying, just getting there."
He and Palmour left San Diego on Feb. 14, laden with a couple of duffle bags, laptop computers, photo equipment and satellite telephones to transmit their stories and pictures. Their assignment: "a yearlong journey to tell the stories of the Camp Pendleton Marines who will fight if the United States declares war against Saddam Hussein … to take North County Times readers where soldiers go, into war."
After the initial jitters, they haven't had time to be fearful.
The Source recently received this e-mail from Delbert Mortenson: "Hello. I'm Darrin's dad. As you may or may not be aware, he is in Kuwait … He has requested that I send you his articles from the last week and put you on my mailing list for his article links."
The articles, which the senior Mortensen is e-mailing from the online edition of the North County Times, are fast becoming current history. They are reaching not only Mortenson's friends, but relatives of the Marines from "Camp Coyote" in Kuwait with whom he is stationed, and the much larger world.
He and Palmour came across something one day that had a barnyard as well as a military smell about it — a "fleet" of 35 white chickens, in cages, sent to serve in the field with the marines. Their mission: to alert the soldiers to the presence of an invisible, odorless but potentially lethal enemy — poison gas. (See "Chickens arrive to help the Marines".)
The chickens photograph and story were picked up by The Wall Street Journal and made the front page of The Australian, Sydney's leading daily. Palmour's photo appeared on CNN and in some European papers.
For a mother, almost like being there
Their coverage has touched hearts at home, too. The newspaper received this e-mailed message one day: "I am the mother of a US Marine in Kilo Co, 3/5 , stationed at Camp Coyote, Kuwait. No matter how long you live, you will never know the joy I felt when I signed on to Wednesday's NCT online page and saw my son's picture! I haven't heard from him since his deployment, so it lifted me so high to see that he was all right — and clean — finally!"
The letter continued, in part: "Darrin Mortenson is doing a terrific job bringing Camp Coyote to those of us back home. His writing is so descriptive and clear that I can feel the sand in my face, hear the constant noise, and, yes, I can even imagine the ripe odors of unbathed Marines!
"I know we're about to move forward into grave danger, but I hope Darrin will be keeping us 'in the loop' as long as he is able. It's very difficult for the families and friends of these 'forward line' Marines to live a 'normal' life during these times of extreme crisis. However, Darrin's articles have brought us closer to our loved ones because we can now picture their daily comings and goings and envision their environment."
The stories bring home from a young Marine's point of view what it's like to be in a foreign land, covered in sand, hope and little else. The reporting is going beyond the Marines, as Mortenson and Hayne get to know some of the Kuwaitis. One young woman in particular has become a kind of anonymous mentor for them in the local culture.
Some days Mortenson and Hayne are in the 13th floor of their Kuwait hotel having "all the smoked salmon we can eat" for breakfast, only to be in a foxhole eating MRE rations the next day.
In addition to reporting on daily life among the troops, they have covered current tensions from Kuwaiti perspectives ("Kuwait readies for war") and taken readers on a tour of the "demilitarized zone" established in 1991 and manned by U.S. forces and observers that runs the length of the Kuwait-Iraq border from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf ("120-mile barrier keeps Iraq, Kuwait at arm's length").
Friday's account was about Navy Cmdr. David Gillis, the senior surgeon of the U.S. Marines 1st Service Support Group and possibly the "oldest person on the battlefield." He was celebrating his 65th birthday.
Gillis told Mortenson that the hardest part of being there "was that this week I missed my grandson's first birthday." He said it was doubly painful because he also had missed the first birthday of his daughter, the mother of tha t grandson, when he was deployed to Vietnam.
"I'll make up for it when I get back," he said.
To follow Mortenson's ongoing stories, which appear most, but not all, days, make regular visits to the online North County Times. To access earlier stories, type his name into the keyword search box.
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.
Perhaps he knew he'd get there all along. Mortenson displayed a taste for adventure in his somewhat brief journalistic career in the territory, where he won several journalism awards for a series in the V.I. Daily News on U.S. military-civilian clashes on Vieques over the Navy bombing exercises there.
Mortenson, who is fluent in Spanish, was welcomed by militant Vieques groups while he at the same time was able to maintain a good relationship with the military. He was zealous in his reporting. One particularly bristling account had him ensconced in a Puerto Rican fishing boat being shot at by the U.S. Navy — a claim the Navy denied.
Back home in California, Mortenson went to work last July for the North County Times, a suburban San Diego daily newspaper, mainly reporting on education.
Just north of San Diego is Camp Pendleton, a U.S. Marines military base that is a primary training center for troops destined to fight in the Mideast if the United States declares war on Iraq. The Washington Post reported in late December that the base's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force "will likely be well-represented among the thousands of U.S. troops President Bush has said he will send to the Persian Gulf early next year."
The Post noted that the base's arid terrain, including a high-tech "urbanized terrain course," makes for "an ideal training ground for desert warfare." And, it said, "An undisclosed number of Marines from Camp Pendleton are already stationed in Kuwait under the U.S. Central Command, which has jurisdiction over northeast Africa and the Middle East."
That makes whatever happens in the Mideast involving U.S. troops a local story for the San Diego County newspaper. As the Doonesbury comic strip has been chronicling, hundreds of U.S. news media representatives are being put through boot camps sponsored by the Defense Department in preparation for their being "embedded" with specific military units if war breaks out. With their assigned unit, they will travel, eat, sleep and duck when shots are fired.
Mortensen and North County Times staff photographer Hayne Palmour were offered the opportunity to deploy with a unit from the crack 1st Marine Expeditionary Force — and given two weeks to get ready to go.
To be there, to write about it
In an introductory article to their coming dispatches, the newspaper described Mortenson's reaction to the assignment. "This is one of the reasons I got into journalism. I wanted to be there. The things that we would read about, I get to write about."
Many in the media see the United States' potential war with Iraq as the most dangerous that reporters have ever covered because of the belief that Saddam Hussein has, and plans to use, weapons of mass destruction. Marines and reporters alike are receiving training in dealing with chemical, biological and radiological attack.
Mortensen was philosophical about fear: "I think about it. But I also think about living right next to a nuclear power plant in a stage orange terror alert — and flying, just getting there."
He and Palmour left San Diego on Feb. 14, laden with a couple of duffle bags, laptop computers, photo equipment and satellite telephones to transmit their stories and pictures. Their assignment: "a yearlong journey to tell the stories of the Camp Pendleton Marines who will fight if the United States declares war against Saddam Hussein … to take North County Times readers where soldiers go, into war."
After the initial jitters, they haven't had time to be fearful.
The Source recently received this e-mail from Delbert Mortenson: "Hello. I'm Darrin's dad. As you may or may not be aware, he is in Kuwait … He has requested that I send you his articles from the last week and put you on my mailing list for his article links."
The articles, which the senior Mortensen is e-mailing from the online edition of the North County Times, are fast becoming current history. They are reaching not only Mortenson's friends, but relatives of the Marines from "Camp Coyote" in Kuwait with whom he is stationed, and the much larger world.
He and Palmour came across something one day that had a barnyard as well as a military smell about it — a "fleet" of 35 white chickens, in cages, sent to serve in the field with the marines. Their mission: to alert the soldiers to the presence of an invisible, odorless but potentially lethal enemy — poison gas. (See "Chickens arrive to help the Marines".)
The chickens photograph and story were picked up by The Wall Street Journal and made the front page of The Australian, Sydney's leading daily. Palmour's photo appeared on CNN and in some European papers.
For a mother, almost like being there
Their coverage has touched hearts at home, too. The newspaper received this e-mailed message one day: "I am the mother of a US Marine in Kilo Co, 3/5 , stationed at Camp Coyote, Kuwait. No matter how long you live, you will never know the joy I felt when I signed on to Wednesday's NCT online page and saw my son's picture! I haven't heard from him since his deployment, so it lifted me so high to see that he was all right — and clean — finally!"
The letter continued, in part: "Darrin Mortenson is doing a terrific job bringing Camp Coyote to those of us back home. His writing is so descriptive and clear that I can feel the sand in my face, hear the constant noise, and, yes, I can even imagine the ripe odors of unbathed Marines!
"I know we're about to move forward into grave danger, but I hope Darrin will be keeping us 'in the loop' as long as he is able. It's very difficult for the families and friends of these 'forward line' Marines to live a 'normal' life during these times of extreme crisis. However, Darrin's articles have brought us closer to our loved ones because we can now picture their daily comings and goings and envision their environment."
The stories bring home from a young Marine's point of view what it's like to be in a foreign land, covered in sand, hope and little else. The reporting is going beyond the Marines, as Mortenson and Hayne get to know some of the Kuwaitis. One young woman in particular has become a kind of anonymous mentor for them in the local culture.
Some days Mortenson and Hayne are in the 13th floor of their Kuwait hotel having "all the smoked salmon we can eat" for breakfast, only to be in a foxhole eating MRE rations the next day.
In addition to reporting on daily life among the troops, they have covered current tensions from Kuwaiti perspectives ("Kuwait readies for war") and taken readers on a tour of the "demilitarized zone" established in 1991 and manned by U.S. forces and observers that runs the length of the Kuwait-Iraq border from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf ("120-mile barrier keeps Iraq, Kuwait at arm's length").
Friday's account was about Navy Cmdr. David Gillis, the senior surgeon of the U.S. Marines 1st Service Support Group and possibly the "oldest person on the battlefield." He was celebrating his 65th birthday.
Gillis told Mortenson that the hardest part of being there "was that this week I missed my grandson's first birthday." He said it was doubly painful because he also had missed the first birthday of his daughter, the mother of tha t grandson, when he was deployed to Vietnam.
"I'll make up for it when I get back," he said.
To follow Mortenson's ongoing stories, which appear most, but not all, days, make regular visits to the online North County Times. To access earlier stories, type his name into the keyword search box.
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GUARD OFFICIAL: COMPLAINT REFLECTS ONLY A FEW
March 7, 2003 – A full-page advertisement headlined "An Open Letter to Governor Charles W. Turnbull" in the V.I. Daily News last Monday accused leaders of the V.I. National Guard of abusing their authority and endorsing discrimination and harassment. The "letter" was signed only as being from "The Members and Families for a Better Guard."
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
GUARD OFFICIAL: COMPLAINT REFLECTS ONLY A FEW
March 7, 2003 – A full-page advertisement headlined "An Open Letter to Governor Charles W. Turnbull" in the V.I. Daily News last Monday accused leaders of the V.I. National Guard of abusing their authority and endorsing discrimination and harassment. The "letter" was signed only as being from "The Members and Families for a Better Guard."
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
GUARD OFFICIAL: COMPLAINT REFLECTS ONLY A FEW
March 7, 2003 – A full-page advertisement headlined "An Open Letter to Governor Charles W. Turnbull" in the V.I. Daily News last Monday accused leaders of the V.I. National Guard of abusing their authority and endorsing discrimination and harassment. The "letter" was signed only as being from "The Members and Families for a Better Guard."
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
Most of the criticism in the advertisement was directed at Adj. Gen. Cleave McBean, commanding officer of the National Guard in the territory. Under his leadership, it said, "the members of the V.I. National Guard have dealt with declining morale and the potential for mass exodus if something isn't done soon."
It claimed that the VING has the highest complaint rate in the nation and that McBean "hardly shows up for work" and "refuses to address our issues."
The advertisement also charged that local guard units are "unready" to be called to active duty, should the United States declare war on Iraq. And, it said, some guard members will not participate in the defense of their country if "something isn't done soon."
"The guardsmen will not play a part, not because they are afraid of conflict, but because they can no longer see the point in serving if you, governor, don't act soon," the letter said.
On Tuesday, VING officials issued a response to the letter in the form of a press release, encouraging the complainant to follow protocol for handling his or her concerns.
"This organization will not respond publicly to accusations from nameless and faceless individuals who may be disgruntled and do not have the good of the organization at heart," the release stated.
Osbert Potter, V.I. National Guard public affairs officer, dismissed the ad on Friday as the work of "just someone being grumpy." He said he believes it represents "only one or two individuals who may have problems with specific decisions" made by McBean.
The release did respond, however, to the accusations that the territory's guard units are not prepared to go to war, should they be called up. It said that VING members hone their skills once a month at weekend drills and during a yearly two-week training period. When mobilized to active duty, members of the local guard, like those anywhere else, are deployed to a mobilization station where they are re-evaluated as to their readiness.
Guard members already have been sent to participate in Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, parts of the Bush administration's War against Terror.
"We might have to send some more sometime soon," Potter said. He said local guard officials don't want parents, family and friends, based on the ad, "to believe the guard may not be ready."
The statement said that McBean "remains proud of the VING's record of providing properly trained soldiers whenever they have been called to active duty, now and in the past."
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.
EPA IMPOSES FINES FOR ANGUILLA INACTION
March 7, 2003 – Punitive fines totaling $11,000 have been levied by the federal Environmental Protection Agency against the Public Works Department for failing to take steps to correct deficiencies at the Anguilla landfill.
The fines became effective this week. Public Works officials ignored a pending fine notice issued on Dec. 30. In January, an EPA inspector traveled to the territory, toured the Anguilla landfill and asked officials what steps they had taken to meet the terms of an administrative order reached in September 2001.
The EPA's V.I. coordinator, Jim Casey, said the $11,000 represents the daily accumulation of penalties from Oct. 7 through Dec. 16, 2002. Fines accumulated at the rate of $100 a day for the first 30 days of noncompliance and $200 a day for the next 40 days.
The federal agency determined that Public Works officials failed to show why they were not in compliance, Casey said. He said the government clearly could have taken some actions to meet deadlines set out in the consent order but did not do so.
Friday's V.I. Daily News quoted EPA spokeswoman Nina Habib Spencer as saying that more fines may be coming soon. Attempts to reach Government House and Public Works officials for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.
The federal Resource Recovery and Conservation Act sets some of the guidelines laid out in the 2001 consent order. Specifically, Public Works was to submit a plan spelling out how it would protect the groundwater under the landfill from liquid pollutants leaching into the ground as well as runoff into the Caribbean sea.
The plan, due last Oct. 7, also was to include data collected by government workers monitoring groundwater quality, a daily plan for fire prevention, and plans for mitigating underground pockets of methane resulting from decomposing trash.
The government has proposed to put together an interim bail-and-wrap system to compress trash and make it less of an attraction to scavenging birds. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said for years that birds from the landfill pose a hazard to planes landing and taking off at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport.
Public Works officials said recently that there have been delays in constructing a facility where the solid waste would be bailed and wrapped.
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 fines became effective this week. Public Works officials ignored a pending fine notice issued on Dec. 30. In January, an EPA inspector traveled to the territory, toured the Anguilla landfill and asked officials what steps they had taken to meet the terms of an administrative order reached in September 2001.
The EPA's V.I. coordinator, Jim Casey, said the $11,000 represents the daily accumulation of penalties from Oct. 7 through Dec. 16, 2002. Fines accumulated at the rate of $100 a day for the first 30 days of noncompliance and $200 a day for the next 40 days.
The federal agency determined that Public Works officials failed to show why they were not in compliance, Casey said. He said the government clearly could have taken some actions to meet deadlines set out in the consent order but did not do so.
Friday's V.I. Daily News quoted EPA spokeswoman Nina Habib Spencer as saying that more fines may be coming soon. Attempts to reach Government House and Public Works officials for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.
The federal Resource Recovery and Conservation Act sets some of the guidelines laid out in the 2001 consent order. Specifically, Public Works was to submit a plan spelling out how it would protect the groundwater under the landfill from liquid pollutants leaching into the ground as well as runoff into the Caribbean sea.
The plan, due last Oct. 7, also was to include data collected by government workers monitoring groundwater quality, a daily plan for fire prevention, and plans for mitigating underground pockets of methane resulting from decomposing trash.
The government has proposed to put together an interim bail-and-wrap system to compress trash and make it less of an attraction to scavenging birds. Federal Aviation Administration officials have said for years that birds from the landfill pose a hazard to planes landing and taking off at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport.
Public Works officials said recently that there have been delays in constructing a facility where the solid waste would be bailed and wrapped.
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.
FIREFIGHTERS LEADER: UNION GETTING RUN-AROUND
March 7, 2003 – A local firefighters union leader says he's disgusted with the run-around the union is getting as it tries to collect raises approved by the Legislature and Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
A Territorial Court judge on Thursday threw out the union's request for a restraining order intended to force the payment of the raises. Meanwhile, the government's chief negotiator, who helped shape the new firefighters contract, is vowing the raises will come through.
Judge Audrey Thomas-Francis rejected the firefighters' argument that a temporary restraining order was the way to force the government to pay them a 22.4 percent raise over four years. But chief negotiator Karen Andrews said on Friday that the judge's decision does not represent a victory for the government.
"We don't look at it as a win for the government or a loss for the firefighters," Andrews said. "Basically, what the judge is saying is they have to exhaust the administrative procedures."
Thomas-Francis ordered the union to take its complaint to the Public Employees Relations Board. Union leader Daryl George said what the judge is asking for amounts to a run around. "All PERB will do is issue an order for the government to pay, and then it goes back to court," he said, "so we're going around in a circle."
The PERB can issue orders, but it "cannot sanction the government," he said.
Some 268 firefighters in both districts were represented by the International Association of Firefighters in seeking the restraining order.
After signing a appropriation bill to cover negotiated pay raises for the firefighters, Fire Service supervisors and government workers represented by the United Steelworkers in January, the governor told the Legislature he was uncomfortable with one of the two funding sources identified.
Andrews said the administration has every intention on making good on the raises and that it was unfortunate that the firefighters felt they had to go to court. "We intend to work with the Legislature to identify a funding source," she said, adding that the firefighters "are our employees first."
George said he appreciates Andrews' efforts but feels that others in the administration may not be as well intentioned. He said he has contacted national firefighters union representatives to discuss ways to pressure the government into keeping its promises.
"I'm a Virgin Islander, and I don't want to see the Virgin Islands suffer," George said. "But if politicians play politics and take the bread out of my members' mouths, they are asking for war."
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 Territorial Court judge on Thursday threw out the union's request for a restraining order intended to force the payment of the raises. Meanwhile, the government's chief negotiator, who helped shape the new firefighters contract, is vowing the raises will come through.
Judge Audrey Thomas-Francis rejected the firefighters' argument that a temporary restraining order was the way to force the government to pay them a 22.4 percent raise over four years. But chief negotiator Karen Andrews said on Friday that the judge's decision does not represent a victory for the government.
"We don't look at it as a win for the government or a loss for the firefighters," Andrews said. "Basically, what the judge is saying is they have to exhaust the administrative procedures."
Thomas-Francis ordered the union to take its complaint to the Public Employees Relations Board. Union leader Daryl George said what the judge is asking for amounts to a run around. "All PERB will do is issue an order for the government to pay, and then it goes back to court," he said, "so we're going around in a circle."
The PERB can issue orders, but it "cannot sanction the government," he said.
Some 268 firefighters in both districts were represented by the International Association of Firefighters in seeking the restraining order.
After signing a appropriation bill to cover negotiated pay raises for the firefighters, Fire Service supervisors and government workers represented by the United Steelworkers in January, the governor told the Legislature he was uncomfortable with one of the two funding sources identified.
Andrews said the administration has every intention on making good on the raises and that it was unfortunate that the firefighters felt they had to go to court. "We intend to work with the Legislature to identify a funding source," she said, adding that the firefighters "are our employees first."
George said he appreciates Andrews' efforts but feels that others in the administration may not be as well intentioned. He said he has contacted national firefighters union representatives to discuss ways to pressure the government into keeping its promises.
"I'm a Virgin Islander, and I don't want to see the Virgin Islands suffer," George said. "But if politicians play politics and take the bread out of my members' mouths, they are asking for war."
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.
