Nov. 27, 2002 – The Education Department is in the midst of determining what schools have students that need financial assistance when it comes to school lunches.
The study will determine how much money the department gets from the federal government to pay for school lunches for the next three years. It also will impact other federally funded programs.
Currently, all students in V.I. public and private schools get free lunches, thanks to long-ago action by the Legislature. "This entitlement is of particular significance because it places a greater burden on the Virgin Islands cost/funding situation," said Solomon Sentongo-Kabuka, who heads SKNetwork Inc., the company hired to conduct the survey.
Kabuka said the federal government pays only for lunches for children who meet income guidelines, and the local government thus picks up the tab for all of the others.
The study began last week. Kabuka is developing a list of households to be sampled. Who gets picked is determined by how closely they match what Kabuka deems to be the typical household with students involved in the school lunch program. Households that receive assistance from Human Services Department programs will be eliminated from the sample list and the remaining families will be surveyed.
A one-page questionnaire will be used to obtain data that will be utilized to determine a household's ability to pay for school lunches. Kabuka said no families or students will be identified by name in the information that is collected.
Elodia Weekly, state director for the Education Department's special nutrition programs, said that if families are unwilling to provide the information requested in the questionnaire, the territory could lose federal money for school lunches. "It stands to reason that the more individuals who participate in this study, the greater the possibility that the territory will be able to maximize its funding from the federal government," she said.
The survey, which is to be completed by March, is required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of its efforts to make sure that all school children get a nutritious lunch.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you've got a good idea for an environmental project, your organization may be eligible for a grant from the Agriculture Department's Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program.
Grants are made on a competitive basis to non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, territorial government agencies and educational institutions. They can range from $1,000 to around $20,000, depending on the nature of the projects.
Chris Powell, the program coordinator, said it's not known yet know how much money will be available to be awarded.
The grants can be for numerous types of projects, according to Powell. Currently, he said, the Agriculture Department is helping to fund 20 initiatives that include transplanting mahogany trees at Sunday Market Square on St. Croix, conducting eco-camps and determining which native species thrive under what conditions. "The projects can be anything educational," he said.
The goal of the grant program is to encourage community involvement in creating and supporting long-term, sustainable urban and community forestry programs throughout the territory.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 28. To learn more or to request a grant application, send an e-mail to Chris Powell, call him at 778- 0997, ext. 233, or write to him at Agriculture Department, No. 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill VI. 00850.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you've got a good idea for an environmental project, your organization may be eligible for a grant from the Agriculture Department's Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program.
Grants are made on a competitive basis to non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, territorial government agencies and educational institutions. They can range from $1,000 to around $20,000, depending on the nature of the projects.
Chris Powell, the program coordinator, said it's not known yet know how much money will be available to be awarded.
The grants can be for numerous types of projects, according to Powell. Currently, he said, the Agriculture Department is helping to fund 20 initiatives that include transplanting mahogany trees at Sunday Market Square on St. Croix, conducting eco-camps and determining which native species thrive under what conditions. "The projects can be anything educational," he said.
The goal of the grant program is to encourage community involvement in creating and supporting long-term, sustainable urban and community forestry programs throughout the territory.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 28. To learn more or to request a grant application, send an e-mail to Chris Powell, call him at 778- 0997, ext. 233, or write to him at Agriculture Department, No. 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill VI. 00850.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you've got a good idea for an environmental project, your organization may be eligible for a grant from the Agriculture Department's Urban and Community Forestry Assistance program.
Grants are made on a competitive basis to non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, territorial government agencies and educational institutions. They can range from $1,000 to around $20,000, depending on the nature of the projects.
Chris Powell, the program coordinator, said it's not known yet know how much money will be available to be awarded.
The grants can be for numerous types of projects, according to Powell. Currently, he said, the Agriculture Department is helping to fund 20 initiatives that include transplanting mahogany trees at Sunday Market Square on St. Croix, conducting eco-camps and determining which native species thrive under what conditions. "The projects can be anything educational," he said.
The goal of the grant program is to encourage community involvement in creating and supporting long-term, sustainable urban and community forestry programs throughout the territory.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 28. To learn more or to request a grant application, send an e-mail to Chris Powell, call him at 778- 0997, ext. 233, or write to him at Agriculture Department, No. 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill VI. 00850.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you're pregnant and haven't seen a doctor, don't delay any longer, says Barbara Lee Jackson, project director for the V.I. Perinatal Partnership.
The not-for-profit organization has just launched an outreach program called "It Takes Two to Give a Baby a Healthy Start" to get that message out to expectant parents throughout the territory.
The goal of the Perinatal Partnership outreach program is to increase to 75 percent the portion of women in the Virgin Islands who seek prenatal care in the first three months of their pregnancy. Currently, Jackson says, 48 percent do so.
"We've got quite a bit of work to do," she says.
Nationally, according to information from the March of Dimes, 83.2 percent of all pregnant women get prenatal care in the first three months of pregnancy. The rates drop to 74.3 percent for black women and 74.4 percent for Hispanic women.
The earlier a woman seeks medical care in her pregnancy, Jackson says, the sooner problems can be identified and a plan of care can be established to manage the pregnancy. "The earlier, the better," she says. "It's almost like prevention."
A healthful diet, no smoking, no drinking and no drugs help make for a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby, Jackson says, and so does a supportive partner.
"We want fathers to nurture the women carrying their babies," she says, suggesting that fathers-to-be can make sure their partners keep their medical appointments and get the services they need.
Jackson says the number of infant deaths per live births in the Virgin Islands has dropped from 11 per 1,000 in the late 1990s to less than 3 per 1,000 today, thanks to improved neonatal care.
Nationwide, according to the March of Dimes, the year 2000 figure was 7 per 1,000, but it was twice that for African-American women and 5.7 per 1,000 for Hispanic women.
However, Jackson says, the number of premature and low birth-weight babies remains around 9 percent of all births in the territory. Nationally, the figure is 5.6 percent overall, 13 percent for African-American women and 6.4 percent for Hispanic women.
Jackson says premature and low-weight births are directly linked to lack of prenatal care.
According to the March of Dimes, premature birth and low birth weight together are the second-highest cause of infant deaths (after birth defects) in the nation, but the highest cause among African Americans. Nationally, African-American babies are more than twice as likely as Caucasian babies to die before their first birthday.
There are various reasons that women don't seek prenatal care from the first trimester of their pregnancy, Jackson says. "Women who have had previous pregnancies feel comfortable being pregnant and don't get care," she notes. And some women don't know they're pregnant, and some feel they can't afford medical care.
If a pregnant woman doesn't have a doctor, she should look for help at a public health clinic, Jackson says. The costs entailed will be money well spent.
The Perinatal Partnership is a collaborative effort of the Health Department, Maternal & Child Health/Children with Special Health Care Needs, and The Village Inc. It is based at Vitraco Mall on St. Croix but serves women throughout the territory. Its outreach program, which includes people going door-to-door to get the prenatal care message out, is funded by a $4,000 grant from the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation.
Claude A. "Bennie" Benjamin, born on St. Croix in 1907, went to New York, where he studied music and became well known as a lyricist in the 1940s, then later returned home and continued his songwriting. His collaborations with George Weiss included "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," "When the Lights Go on Again (All Over the World)" and "Wheel of Fortune." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. Before his death in 1989, he set up the foundation that bears his name and that of his wife to provide support for the territory's medical care delivery system.
For more information about the pregnancy care program, e-mail Jackson at V.I. Perinatal Partnership, or call her at 719-1351.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you're pregnant and haven't seen a doctor, don't delay any longer, says Barbara Lee Jackson, project director for the V.I. Perinatal Partnership.
The not-for-profit organization has just launched an outreach program called "It Takes Two to Give a Baby a Healthy Start" to get that message out to expectant parents throughout the territory.
The goal of the Perinatal Partnership outreach program is to increase to 75 percent the portion of women in the Virgin Islands who seek prenatal care in the first three months of their pregnancy. Currently, Jackson says, 48 percent do so.
"We've got quite a bit of work to do," she says.
Nationally, according to information from the March of Dimes, 83.2 percent of all pregnant women get prenatal care in the first three months of pregnancy. The rates drop to 74.3 percent for black women and 74.4 percent for Hispanic women.
The earlier a woman seeks medical care in her pregnancy, Jackson says, the sooner problems can be identified and a plan of care can be established to manage the pregnancy. "The earlier, the better," she says. "It's almost like prevention."
A healthful diet, no smoking, no drinking and no drugs help make for a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby, Jackson says, and so does a supportive partner.
"We want fathers to nurture the women carrying their babies," she says, suggesting that fathers-to-be can make sure their partners keep their medical appointments and get the services they need.
Jackson says the number of infant deaths per live births in the Virgin Islands has dropped from 11 per 1,000 in the late 1990s to less than 3 per 1,000 today, thanks to improved neonatal care.
Nationwide, according to the March of Dimes, the year 2000 figure was 7 per 1,000, but it was twice that for African-American women and 5.7 per 1,000 for Hispanic women.
However, Jackson says, the number of premature and low birth-weight babies remains around 9 percent of all births in the territory. Nationally, the figure is 5.6 percent overall, 13 percent for African-American women and 6.4 percent for Hispanic women.
Jackson says premature and low-weight births are directly linked to lack of prenatal care.
According to the March of Dimes, premature birth and low birth weight together are the second-highest cause of infant deaths (after birth defects) in the nation, but the highest cause among African Americans. Nationally, African-American babies are more than twice as likely as Caucasian babies to die before their first birthday.
There are various reasons that women don't seek prenatal care from the first trimester of their pregnancy, Jackson says. "Women who have had previous pregnancies feel comfortable being pregnant and don't get care," she notes. And some women don't know they're pregnant, and some feel they can't afford medical care.
If a pregnant woman doesn't have a doctor, she should look for help at a public health clinic, Jackson says. The costs entailed will be money well spent.
The Perinatal Partnership is a collaborative effort of the Health Department, Maternal & Child Health/Children with Special Health Care Needs, and The Village Inc. It is based at Vitraco Mall on St. Croix but serves women throughout the territory. Its outreach program, which includes people going door-to-door to get the prenatal care message out, is funded by a $4,000 grant from the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation.
Claude A. "Bennie" Benjamin, born on St. Croix in 1907, went to New York, where he studied music and became well known as a lyricist in the 1940s, then later returned home and continued his songwriting. His collaborations with George Weiss included "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," "When the Lights Go on Again (All Over the World)" and "Wheel of Fortune." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. Before his death in 1989, he set up the foundation that bears his name and that of his wife to provide support for the territory's medical care delivery system.
For more information about the pregnancy care program, e-mail Jackson at V.I. Perinatal Partnership, or call her at 719-1351.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – If you're pregnant and haven't seen a doctor, don't delay any longer, says Barbara Lee Jackson, project director for the V.I. Perinatal Partnership.
The not-for-profit organization has just launched an outreach program called "It Takes Two to Give a Baby a Healthy Start" to get that message out to expectant parents throughout the territory.
The goal of the Perinatal Partnership outreach program is to increase to 75 percent the portion of women in the Virgin Islands who seek prenatal care in the first three months of their pregnancy. Currently, Jackson says, 48 percent do so.
"We've got quite a bit of work to do," she says.
Nationally, according to information from the March of Dimes, 83.2 percent of all pregnant women get prenatal care in the first three months of pregnancy. The rates drop to 74.3 percent for black women and 74.4 percent for Hispanic women.
The earlier a woman seeks medical care in her pregnancy, Jackson says, the sooner problems can be identified and a plan of care can be established to manage the pregnancy. "The earlier, the better," she says. "It's almost like prevention."
A healthful diet, no smoking, no drinking and no drugs help make for a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby, Jackson says, and so does a supportive partner.
"We want fathers to nurture the women carrying their babies," she says, suggesting that fathers-to-be can make sure their partners keep their medical appointments and get the services they need.
Jackson says the number of infant deaths per live births in the Virgin Islands has dropped from 11 per 1,000 in the late 1990s to less than 3 per 1,000 today, thanks to improved neonatal care.
Nationwide, according to the March of Dimes, the year 2000 figure was 7 per 1,000, but it was twice that for African-American women and 5.7 per 1,000 for Hispanic women.
However, Jackson says, the number of premature and low birth-weight babies remains around 9 percent of all births in the territory. Nationally, the figure is 5.6 percent overall, 13 percent for African-American women and 6.4 percent for Hispanic women.
Jackson says premature and low-weight births are directly linked to lack of prenatal care.
According to the March of Dimes, premature birth and low birth weight together are the second-highest cause of infant deaths (after birth defects) in the nation, but the highest cause among African Americans. Nationally, African-American babies are more than twice as likely as Caucasian babies to die before their first birthday.
There are various reasons that women don't seek prenatal care from the first trimester of their pregnancy, Jackson says. "Women who have had previous pregnancies feel comfortable being pregnant and don't get care," she notes. And some women don't know they're pregnant, and some feel they can't afford medical care.
If a pregnant woman doesn't have a doctor, she should look for help at a public health clinic, Jackson says. The costs entailed will be money well spent.
The Perinatal Partnership is a collaborative effort of the Health Department, Maternal & Child Health/Children with Special Health Care Needs, and The Village Inc. It is based at Vitraco Mall on St. Croix but serves women throughout the territory. Its outreach program, which includes people going door-to-door to get the prenatal care message out, is funded by a $4,000 grant from the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation.
Claude A. "Bennie" Benjamin, born on St. Croix in 1907, went to New York, where he studied music and became well known as a lyricist in the 1940s, then later returned home and continued his songwriting. His collaborations with George Weiss included "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," "When the Lights Go on Again (All Over the World)" and "Wheel of Fortune." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. Before his death in 1989, he set up the foundation that bears his name and that of his wife to provide support for the territory's medical care delivery system.
For more information about the pregnancy care program, e-mail Jackson at V.I. Perinatal Partnership, or call her at 719-1351.

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.

Nov. 27, 2002 – To end your Thanksgiving weekend on a jazzy note, the place to be as the sun begins to set on Sunday is the St. Croix Reformed Church, where December's Jazz Vespers concert will feature the Demitri "Pikey" Copemann Group.
This concert is a special one, not only because it coincides with the holiday weekend and falls on the very first day of December, but also because Dec. 1 is traditionally observed as World AIDS Day, and the program will recognize that fact.
The concert "is in support of World AIDS Day and is made possible in part by the St. Croix World AIDS Day Committee," a release states. Regular Jazz Vespers sponsors are Owen Johnson Electric, Carringtons Inn, Beeston Hill Clinical Lab and The Blue Moon.
"Standards — A Tribute to Composers and Songwriters" is the evening's theme, so look for the oldies but goodies as interpreted by Copemann on saxophone, Elvis Pedro on guitar, Marsvyn David on bass and Larry Bough on drums.
Copemann got into jazz as a Central High School student. A self-taught saxophonist, he founded the Native Rhythm Band and has performed with Jamesie and the Happy 7, Free Association and Taco and the Playboys. He has recorded with Joe Paris and the Hot Shots and King Derby and can be heard on the "Zoop Zoop" anthology with Paris and on a recent CD from Rico and the All Stars. He's also an art teacher at Lew Muckle School, an accomplished painter and a published poet whose work can be found in the V.I. anthology "Yellow Seed Is Blooming."
Pedro started studying and playing guitar in 1975. His early inspiration came from Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kevin Eubanks and fellow Crucians Ronnie Russell and Fred Thomas. He has had no formal musical training but has read, studied and practiced for thousands of hours. He has played with Benson, Jimmy Owens, The Drifters and Freddy Williams and sat in on numerous occasions at Blue Moon Jazz. He has toured throughout the world as a member of the V.I. National Guard's 73rd Army Band.
David, who also is a songwriter, arranger and producer, has had four of his tunes recorded by the Howard University Jazz Band and gets credit for numerous commercial jingles heard in the territory. He was band director for Brenda Cole, 1988 country singer of the year, and currently is music director for the Atlanta Latin band Orquesta Taboga and produced its most recent CD.
Bough studied drumming with Fred Thomas but didn't join a band until he was a student at the College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The band, which played the military base/hotel circuit on that island, was a Virgin Islands combo — made up of students from the territory led by Mario de Chabert. Upon returning to St. Croix, Bough joined his brother Glenwood's band Tropical Combo. In the 45 years since, he has worked with a "Who's Who" of V.I. musicians. Proficient in all forms of music, he favors the dynamics of small acoustic groups.
Jazz Vespers, now in its second season, is a family-oriented program of concerts on the first Sunday of each month that features top St. Croix talent performing in a smoke-free, alcohol-free environment.
The church is located in Estate La Reine above the Kingshill Post Office. The program is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with refreshments and a chance to chat with the musicians afterward. There's no admission charge, but an offering is taken. Seating is open, so your chances of getting the best seats to enjoy not only the music but the view of the setting sun are best if you arrive early.
Next on tap: Guitarist Ronald Russell on Jan. 5 and Claudette "Adjoa" Young-Hinds and Friends on Feb. 2.
For more information, send an e-mail to Jazz Vespers, or call Willard Fields at 719-3672 or Pastor Rod Koopmans at 778-0520.

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Nov. 27, 2002 – The Virgin Islands Intitute of Performing Arts will celebrate their tenth anniversary by hosting a Dinner Gala at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14, at Palms Court Harborview. Throughout the course of the evening there will be performances by students of the Intermediate Tap and Intermediate Ballet classes.
Dress for the evening is elegantly casual. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children between 5 and 11 years.

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In celebration of their tenth anniversary, the Virgin Islands Institute of Performing Arts will host a Dinner Gala at Palms Court Harborview. Throughout the course of the evening, there will be performances by students of the Intermediate Tap and Intermediate Ballet classes.
Dress for the evening is elegantly casual. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for children between 5 and 11 years.