March 4, 2003 – Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards announced in a release on Tuesday that he has written to Senate President David Jones with concerns about two Committee of the Whole hearings scheduled later this month on a bill to repeal the legalization of video lottery operations in the St. Thomas-St. John district.
Richards and Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg are the sponsors of the repeal bill. The hearings are set for 6 p.m. March 13 on St. Croix and 6 p.m. March 14 on St. Thomas. The president of the Senate chairs Committee of the Whole sessions.
Jones has stated his intent to invite representatives of "stakeholders" to testify at the hearings. He specifically cited the Casino Control Commission; Robin Bay Associates, the developer of a planned half-billion dollar resort and casino on St. Croix; and Southland Gaming, the company contracted by the government several years ago to distribute video lottery terminals once their operations became legal. The government is currently in court seeking to void Southland's contract.
Noting that "at least 32" business, church and civic groups are on record as opposing VLT operations, Richards said he wants to know what provision there is for the local constituency to testify. He also asked Jones to consider starting the hearings earlier in the day, to ensure that "all stakeholders will be heard." And he asked that anyone wanting to testify let his office know by calling 712-2276.

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.

March 4, 2003 – Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards announced in a release on Tuesday that he has written to Senate President David Jones with concerns about two Committee of the Whole hearings scheduled later this month on a bill to repeal the legalization of video lottery operations in the St. Thomas-St. John district.
Richards and Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg are the sponsors of the repeal bill. The hearings are set for 6 p.m. March 13 on St. Croix and 6 p.m. March 14 on St. Thomas. The president of the Senate chairs Committee of the Whole sessions.
Jones has stated his intent to invite representatives of "stakeholders" to testify at the hearings. He specifically cited the Casino Control Commission; Robin Bay Associates, the developer of a planned half-billion dollar resort and casino on St. Croix; and Southland Gaming, the company contracted by the government several years ago to distribute video lottery terminals once their operations became legal. The government is currently in court seeking to void Southland's contract.
Noting that "at least 32" business, church and civic groups are on record as opposing VLT operations, Richards said he wants to know what provision there is for the local constituency to testify. He also asked Jones to consider starting the hearings earlier in the day, to ensure that "all stakeholders will be heard." And he asked that anyone wanting to testify let his office know by calling 712-2276.

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.

March 4, 2003 – Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards announced in a release on Tuesday that he has written to Senate President David Jones with concerns about two Committee of the Whole hearings scheduled later this month on a bill to repeal the legalization of video lottery operations in the St. Thomas-St. John district.
Richards and Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg are the sponsors of the repeal bill. The hearings are set for 6 p.m. March 13 on St. Croix and 6 p.m. March 14 on St. Thomas. The president of the Senate chairs Committee of the Whole sessions.
Jones has stated his intent to invite representatives of "stakeholders" to testify at the hearings. He specifically cited the Casino Control Commission; Robin Bay Associates, the developer of a planned half-billion dollar resort and casino on St. Croix; and Southland Gaming, the company contracted by the government several years ago to distribute video lottery terminals once their operations became legal. The government is currently in court seeking to void Southland's contract.
Noting that "at least 32" business, church and civic groups are on record as opposing VLT operations, Richards said he wants to know what provision there is for the local constituency to testify. He also asked Jones to consider starting the hearings earlier in the day, to ensure that "all stakeholders will be heard." And he asked that anyone wanting to testify let his office know by calling 712-2276.

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.

Mar. 4, 2003 – Power was knocked out of a large part of St. Thomas early Tuesday morning because of a problem with a voltage regulator at the Water and Power Authority's Randolph Harley Power Plant in Krum Bay.
As of 12:30 p.m. electricity had been fully restored, but crews continued making repairs on the affected units throughout the day, Patricia Blake Simmonds, WAPA public information officer, said.
At mid-day Simmonds had said that WAPA was "alternating Feeders 6 and 7 now while emergency repairs are being made to a voltage regulator on Unit 15."
A release issued at the end of the work day said that repair were ongoing to Unit 15. Further, it stated, "Unit 11 was also off line for minor condenser repairs and burner problems. In addition, Unit 18 remains down for a major overhaul."
Repairs were completed to Unit 11, and it was being placed back in service, the release said.
Simmonds said areas affected on Feeder 7 were Contant, Sototown, Altona, Solberg, Lilliendahl, Mountain Top, Mafolie, St. Peter Mountain Road, North Side, Mandahl, Estate Harmony, Cassi Hill and sections of Tutu. She said Feeder 6 serves an area from Nisky to the west.
WAPA was able to restore electricity to all feeders at mid-day "by pushing Unit 13 to its maximum potential and asking large power customers to run their own generators," the release said.
The downtown area was not affected by the outages, although it had experienced a brief outage Monday afternoon, apparently from the same voltage regulator problem.

<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.

Mar. 4, 2003 – Power was knocked out of a large part of St. Thomas early Tuesday morning because of a problem with a voltage regulator at the Water and Power Authority's Randolph Harley Power Plant in Krum Bay.
As of 12:30 p.m. electricity had been fully restored, but crews continued making repairs on the affected units throughout the day, Patricia Blake Simmonds, WAPA public information officer, said.
At mid-day Simmonds had said that WAPA was "alternating Feeders 6 and 7 now while emergency repairs are being made to a voltage regulator on Unit 15."
A release issued at the end of the work day said that repair were ongoing to Unit 15. Further, it stated, "Unit 11 was also off line for minor condenser repairs and burner problems. In addition, Unit 18 remains down for a major overhaul."
Repairs were completed to Unit 11, and it was being placed back in service, the release said.
Simmonds said areas affected on Feeder 7 were Contant, Sototown, Altona, Solberg, Lilliendahl, Mountain Top, Mafolie, St. Peter Mountain Road, North Side, Mandahl, Estate Harmony, Cassi Hill and sections of Tutu. She said Feeder 6 serves an area from Nisky to the west.
WAPA was able to restore electricity to all feeders at mid-day "by pushing Unit 13 to its maximum potential and asking large power customers to run their own generators," the release said.
The downtown area was not affected by the outages, although it had experienced a brief outage Monday afternoon, apparently from the same voltage regulator problem.

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.

March 3, 2003 – Just two months away, this year's St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon promises to be one of the territory's largest-ever sporting events, with more than 950 athletes expected to compete to qualify to race in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
The 14th annual event will kick off May 4 with a 1.24-mile swim from Protestant Cay to the wharf area of Chistiansted.
Racers will then begin a 56-mile bike ride traversing the island. During that course, riders will confront the infamous uphill stretch of road known as "The Beast" that averages a grade of 14 degrees as it climbs 600 vertical feet in only seven-tenths of a mile.
The race concludes with a 13.1-mile run circling the Buccaneer Hotel and finishing in downtown Christiansted. The top 30 finishers, based on age group, will qualify for the Hawaii event. Also, 10 racers will gain qualified spots in the Subaru Ironman Canada, and 10 athletes will win spots in the Ironman USA Lake Placid competition.
At 7:20 a.m. the same morning, athletes will compete in a shorter version of the triathlon, the St. Croix Sprint. The sprint consists of a 750-meter swim from Protestant Cay to Christiansted, an eight-mile bike race mirroring the first loop of the Half Ironman (but leaving out The Beast) and a four-mile run to the finish line in Christiansted.
Last year, Australia's Jarrod Brauer, a 27-year-old triathlete in his third year of professional competition, was the men's winner. Baltimore's Joanna Zeiger nailed down her third win in a row of the competition.
Among 11 Virgin Islanders taking part in the 2002 Half Ironman event, Kent Bradbury of St. Croix had the fastest finish at 5:44:22.

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.

March 3, 2003 – The territory's unionized firefighters are suing the V.I. government in Territorial Court for negotiating in bad faith and not paying them their negotiated raises.
Daryl George, president of Local 2125, International Association of Firefighters, says his members and those of St. Croix's Local 2832 want the government to come up with the $1.9 million it agreed to pay them in the contract negotiated last October and signed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
The $1.9 million was part of a $6.1 million appropriation passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, with the money to come from the Indirect Cost Fund and the Industrial Development Fund.
On Jan. 10, dealing with a multitude of appropriations in a "Christmas tree" bill passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, Turnbull approved "with reservations" the transfer of $3.6 million from the Indirect Cost Fund and $2.5 million from the Industrial Development Fund to cover negotiated union contracts. "I am not in favor of raiding the Indirect Cost Fund to support non-federal salary increases for which this government lacks resources, because it jeopardizes all federal programs," he wrote in his letter to Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, then Senate president. "Accordingly, I will urge the 25th Legislature to seek an alternative source of funding."
The appropriations for union-negotiated increases were $1.9 million to the International Association of Firefighters for firefighters; $400,000 to the International Association of Firefighters for supervisors; and $3.8 million to the United Steelworkers of America for members in 15 government departments and agencies.
Now, George said, "They're saying this is a federal funding source that can't be used."
Word that the contracted raises would not go through came at back-to-back meetings of the 25th Legislature's Committee of the Whole and Finance Committee on Jan. 13. Sen. Celestino A. White Sr. asked Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull whether the governor had signed authorizations for the firefighters' raises. White was told that the governor was uncomfortable with the funding sources identified by the Senate.
In a letter dated Feb. 2, White then wrote the governor asking him to "advise me of a funding source you are most comfortable with so I can reintroduce the legislation." (See "Senator to governor: Stop 'funding-source tag'".) A staff aide said on Monday that White had yet to receive a reply.
George said union attorneys will try to convince the judge trying the case in Territorial Court that the government negotiated in bad faith and should be ordered to pay the contracted raises.
Lee Vanterpool, Government House spokesman, would say only that the matter is being handled by chief negotiator Karen Andrews, who is representing the executive branch in the court case. "It's before the court. It's a legal issue, and before the administration has a chance to speak to the attorney general and Karen Andrews, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on it," he said.

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.

March 3, 2003 – Several dozen people showed up Monday evening for a rally in Emancipation Garden — most, it seemed, in outrage and shock over what had happened to someone many of them called "friend," but also to address the epidemic of rapes and assaults, especially by repeat offenders, of the women of the Virgin Islands.
Michal Rhymer-Charles, executive director of Family Resource Center, had called for the rally after police charged a 20-year-old man with the brutal rape and attempted murder last Wednesday of the St. Thomas woman. The man had been released from jail a month earlier after authorities dropped charges against him in connect with the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl. (See "Brutal assault spurs march for victim justice".)
Among the speakers Monday night were several men who declared their commitment to protecting the women of the Virgin Islands.
"Today I join forces with you women," Paul Walwyn, a government employee, said. "Real men don't do this kind of thing."
Later, Walwyn said: "It is usually the male that offends the women … As a man, I am going to try to reach them [the men]."
Walwyn said he had come to the rally because the victim "is my friend." But his commitment, he said, would go beyond his friendship and the rally. "This has to stop," he said. "We're losing too many of the young men to crime. We're too busy to love them."
Sandra Hodge, a Family Resource Center therapist, told those gathered that too often "we blame the victim." But "the victim is not the problem," she said, adding that people can't "dissect the victim, saying what the victim should have done."
Hodge, who works regularly with victims of domestic abuse, said love and education are key to solving the problem of violence the community is facing. But "how can we love our children if we don't know how?" she asked.
She added that community members need to come forward and report abuse, no matter who the abusers are. "We know people with big names" who are abusing children, she said, and it is time to stop the cover-up.
Kevin Rodriquez, a Senate candidate last November, said: "We men need to give women all the support they need." He added, "We need to see more men out here and more senators out here."
There were no senators in attendance.
A former senator, Stephanie Scott-Williams, also a friend of the victim, said that after last week's attack, another friend of hers confided that she had been attacked and was being stalked.
"We've got to stop the secrets," Scott-Williams said.
Post-rally discussions on what to do
As the formal part of the rally came to an end, the group chanted, "If you do the crime, you do the time … without bail."
Several of the protesters carried signs. Among the messages:
"Victims have rights – right to be safe – to see rapist arrested – to see rapists prosecuted"
"No excuse for sexual abuse"
"Children were not born to be raped."
There also were signs in Spanish, all bearing the same message: "¡Las victimas tienen derechos tambien!" ("Victims have rights too!")
Scott-Williams said the victim had asked her just days before the attack what they were going to do this year to mark International Women's month, which is March.
"This is what we are going to do!" Scott-Williams, a longtime community and women's activist, said, gesturing to the people, most of them women, gathered around the park in small groups. As the sun was setting, they were discussing how best to give support to the victim of last week's attack, how to make their demands for justice known, and how to support community groups that give shelter and assistance to victims of violence.
Several called for attending the suspect's arraignment on Thursday as a show of support for the victim. Others talked about soliciting donations or holding a raffle to raise money for the victim — and for Family Resource Center, which in addition to the normal demands for its services also is struggling to fill the gap left by the demise of the Victim Advocate Program two months ago.
According to one friend of the victim, she had never seen her assailant until the day before the attack, when he had approached her to help him with his car.
"We're so vulnerable," one woman said. "They come to us, we try to play good Samaritan and then we become victims."
Earlier Monday, however, Deputy Police Chief Theodore Carty had said it appeared that the victim and the assailant were known to each other. "He knew where this lady was living," Carty said. "They were not strangers."
Carty said the suspect, Michael Turbe, may have recognized the victim after visiting his mother in the government agency where both women work.
However, Carty said police have drawn no conclusions. "As far as we're concerned, we don't see any past connection now," he said.
Tight security for victim at hospital
As investigation of the assault continued Monday, police questioned the victim at Roy L. Schneider Hospital, where authorities said she is recovering from 18 or 19 stab wounds sustained during the three-and-a-half hour ordeal. A close friend of the victim who tried without success to visit her at the hospital said tight security was in place there.
As word of the woman's identity spread by word of mouth, many who know her called in to radio talk shows to express concern and solidarity. Sen. Lorraine Berry extended her sympathy on her weekly radio address, acknowledging her as a member of the committee that puts together the senator's annual women's conference.
Berry also said "it was a shock" to learn of Turbe's having recently been freed from jail after being detained in the child sexual assault case. Police charged him and another male in that case, according to Carty.
The other individual admitted his role in the assault and was sentenced to six months in jail, Carty said. Turbe did not confess and because prosecutors could not get the victim in that case or her parents to cooperate, Attorney General Iver Stridiron said, the authorities released him in January.
Berry criticized the Attorney General's Office for dropping the charges, citing a bill she sponsored that was passed by the Legislature last year. It provides, among other things, for the submission of videotaped testimony by minors in court, a step Berry says prosecutors could have taken to make their case without putting the 11-year-old on the witness stand.
Stridiron railed against both Berry and Rhymer-Charles in response to their remarks, stating that his office has a record of more convictions for sexual assault "on average" than many U.S. states.
"Yes, it is unfortunate, it is regrettable that this young man was not prosecuted for the earlier sexual attack on the minor," Stridiron said, referring to Turbe. But he said the reality was that "we could have put an 11-year-old on the witness stand who could have lied, and that would have put us in the position of 'What are we going to do next?'"
As far as investigators could ascertain from conversations with the girl, Stridiron said, she viewed Turbe as her boyfriend. Stridiron said he hopes she will change her mind in light of what happened last week and provide testimony that could strengthen the case against him now being prepared.
Turbe is charged with attempted murder, rape, burglary, extortion and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Police said the woman's assailant broke into her residence and accosted her when she came home early last Wednesday afternoon. They said the attacker raped her repeatedly, held her for ransom and then stabbed her multiple times and slashed her throat after a friend brought the money he demanded.
"It was a vicious act by a sexual pervert that should have been put behind bars," Stridiron said.

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.

March 3, 2003 – The territory's unionized firefighters are suing the V.I. government in Territorial Court for negotiating in bad faith and not paying them their negotiated raises.
Daryl George, president of Local 2125, International Association of Firefighters, says his members and those of St. Croix's Local 2832 want the government to come up with the $1.9 million it agreed to pay them in the contract negotiated last October and signed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
The $1.9 million was part of a $6.1 million appropriation passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, with the money to come from the Indirect Cost Fund and the Industrial Development Fund.
On Jan. 10, dealing with a multitude of appropriations in a "Christmas tree" bill passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, Turnbull approved "with reservations" the transfer of $3.6 million from the Indirect Cost Fund and $2.5 million from the Industrial Development Fund to cover negotiated union contracts. "I am not in favor of raiding the Indirect Cost Fund to support non-federal salary increases for which this government lacks resources, because it jeopardizes all federal programs," he wrote in his letter to Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, then Senate president. "Accordingly, I will urge the 25th Legislature to seek an alternative source of funding."
The appropriations for union-negotiated increases were $1.9 million to the International Association of Firefighters for firefighters; $400,000 to the International Association of Firefighters for supervisors; and $3.8 million to the United Steelworkers of America for members in 15 government departments and agencies.
Now, George said, "They're saying this is a federal funding source that can't be used."
Word that the contracted raises would not go through came at back-to-back meetings of the 25th Legislature's Committee of the Whole and Finance Committee on Jan. 13. Sen. Celestino A. White Sr. asked Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull whether the governor had signed authorizations for the firefighters' raises. White was told that the governor was uncomfortable with the funding sources identified by the Senate.
In a letter dated Feb. 2, White then wrote the governor asking him to "advise me of a funding source you are most comfortable with so I can reintroduce the legislation." (See "Senator to governor: Stop 'funding-source tag'".) A staff aide said on Monday that White had yet to receive a reply.
George said union attorneys will try to convince the judge trying the case in Territorial Court that the government negotiated in bad faith and should be ordered to pay the contracted raises.
Lee Vanterpool, Government House spokesman, would say only that the matter is being handled by chief negotiator Karen Andrews, who is representing the executive branch in the court case. "It's before the court. It's a legal issue, and before the administration has a chance to speak to the attorney general and Karen Andrews, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on it," he said.

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.

March 3, 2003 – The territory's unionized firefighters are suing the V.I. government in Territorial Court for negotiating in bad faith and not paying them their negotiated raises.
Daryl George, president of Local 2125, International Association of Firefighters, says his members and those of St. Croix's Local 2832 want the government to come up with the $1.9 million it agreed to pay them in the contract negotiated last October and signed by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
The $1.9 million was part of a $6.1 million appropriation passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, with the money to come from the Indirect Cost Fund and the Industrial Development Fund.
On Jan. 10, dealing with a multitude of appropriations in a "Christmas tree" bill passed by the 24th Legislature on Dec. 23, Turnbull approved "with reservations" the transfer of $3.6 million from the Indirect Cost Fund and $2.5 million from the Industrial Development Fund to cover negotiated union contracts. "I am not in favor of raiding the Indirect Cost Fund to support non-federal salary increases for which this government lacks resources, because it jeopardizes all federal programs," he wrote in his letter to Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd, then Senate president. "Accordingly, I will urge the 25th Legislature to seek an alternative source of funding."
The appropriations for union-negotiated increases were $1.9 million to the International Association of Firefighters for firefighters; $400,000 to the International Association of Firefighters for supervisors; and $3.8 million to the United Steelworkers of America for members in 15 government departments and agencies.
Now, George said, "They're saying this is a federal funding source that can't be used."
Word that the contracted raises would not go through came at back-to-back meetings of the 25th Legislature's Committee of the Whole and Finance Committee on Jan. 13. Sen. Celestino A. White Sr. asked Finance Commissioner Bernice Turnbull whether the governor had signed authorizations for the firefighters' raises. White was told that the governor was uncomfortable with the funding sources identified by the Senate.
In a letter dated Feb. 2, White then wrote the governor asking him to "advise me of a funding source you are most comfortable with so I can reintroduce the legislation." (See "Senator to governor: Stop 'funding-source tag'".) A staff aide said on Monday that White had yet to receive a reply.
George said union attorneys will try to convince the judge trying the case in Territorial Court that the government negotiated in bad faith and should be ordered to pay the contracted raises.
Lee Vanterpool, Government House spokesman, would say only that the matter is being handled by chief negotiator Karen Andrews, who is representing the executive branch in the court case. "It's before the court. It's a legal issue, and before the administration has a chance to speak to the attorney general and Karen Andrews, it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on it," he said.

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.