Oct. 24, 2002 – John H. Woodson Junior High School student Anthony Gibson will have to wait until next week to hear from the Board of Education whether he will be allowed to attend school wearing his hair in corn rows.
After a two-day hearing on St. Croix, board chair Jorge Galiber said Thursday evening, the board members felt they needed more time to deliberate the case. He said a decision will be made by next Thursday.
According to Galiber, the board asked the attorneys representing the Education Department on one hand, and Anthony and his father, Shawn Gibson, on the other, to submit more detailed information about case law cited during the hearing.
"We'll meet Tuesday to hash out everything," Galiber said. "We need more information from both sides."
Anthony, 12, was sent home from school on Sept. 19 and again the following day for wearing the braids in his hair. It is against policy at Woodson for boys to wear their hair in corn rows.
The Gibsons' attorney, Lee Rohn, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a student's decision to wear his or her hair a certain way as a statement of beliefs or a religion may not be violated by the school board.
But the Education Department attorney, Tregenza Roach, challenged Rohn's citing of the 1969 Supreme Court decision, saying that the case had to do with students wearing armbands as a political statement and that the nation's highest court has consistently refused to hear cases dealing specifically with hair.
"In fact, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dealt specifically with hair, and they said the school boards may determine those policies," Roach said.
But both Anthony and his father, who also wears braids, said during their testimony that the corn rows are representative of respect for their African heritage and culture.
"My son testified [on Wednesday] that he was learning about Africans in school in the classroom, and then he decided he wanted to braid his hair like his African ancestors," Shawn Gibson said Thursday morning. "So, he came home and asked, and I told him he had to bring his grades up from B's and C's. He's done that, and he's been wearing his hair like that ever since."
Roach said the Woodson policy against corn rows, in place for at least six years, is intended to protect students, as some gang members identify themselves by similar braided hair styles.
But Shawn Gibson said Woodson Principal Vaughn Hewitt can't explain the thinking behind the rule because he inherited it. Further, Gibson said, the one incident of alleged gang activity that Hewitt referred to, a stabbing, "happened outside the campus, and he couldn't prove that corn rows had anything to do with it."
The board is tasked with deciding whether to allow boys to attend Woodson wearing their hair in corn rows, and its decision will set a precedent for the entire school system. As it stands now, principals have the latitude to determine for their respective schools what they deem an appropriate dress code.
Rohn also asked that the board grant attorney's fees to the Gibsons and impose disciplinary action against Hewitt for failing to follow protocol in suspending Anthony.
Galiber said the board voted to allow one of its members, Claudette Petersen, who also serves as president of the St. Croix Central High School Parent-Teacher Association, to cast her vote on the final decision.
Roach, at the onset of the hearing, charged that Petersen's ability to vote impartially was compromised because she has stated publicly on radio talk shows her position that the braids should be allowed.
Judi Shimel also contributed to this report.
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.
TURNBULL LAMBASTES PFA DRAFT AUDIT REPORT
Oct. 24, 2002 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said Thursday that his administration "takes strong exception to nearly all of the findings" in the draft report of an audit of the Public Finance Authority conducted by the Interior Department's inspector general. The governor also decried the unauthorized release of the draft report to the news media this week by persons he said were acting "with reckless disregard of the facts and the law."
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone]in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
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.
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone]in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
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.
SCHOOL BOARD DELAYS DECISION ON BOY'S HAIRSTYLE
Oct. 24, 2002 – John H. Woodson Junior High School student Anthony Gibson will have to wait until next week to hear from the Board of Education whether he will be allowed to attend school wearing his hair in corn rows.
After a two-day hearing on St. Croix, board chair Jorge Galiber said Thursday evening, the board members felt they needed more time to deliberate the case. He said a decision will be made by next Thursday.
According to Galiber, the board asked the attorneys representing the Education Department on one hand, and Anthony and his father, Shawn Gibson, on the other, to submit more detailed information about case law cited during the hearing.
"We'll meet Tuesday to hash out everything," Galiber said. "We need more information from both sides."
Anthony, 12, was sent home from school on Sept. 19 and again the following day for wearing the braids in his hair. It is against policy at Woodson for boys to wear their hair in corn rows.
The Gibsons' attorney, Lee Rohn, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a student's decision to wear his or her hair a certain way as a statement of beliefs or a religion may not be violated by the school board.
But the Education Department attorney, Tregenza Roach, challenged Rohn's citing of the 1969 Supreme Court decision, saying that the case had to do with students wearing armbands as a political statement and that the nation's highest court has consistently refused to hear cases dealing specifically with hair.
"In fact, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dealt specifically with hair, and they said the school boards may determine those policies," Roach said.
But both Anthony and his father, who also wears braids, said during their testimony that the corn rows are representative of respect for their African heritage and culture.
"My son testified [on Wednesday] that he was learning about Africans in school in the classroom, and then he decided he wanted to braid his hair like his African ancestors," Shawn Gibson said on Thursday morning. "So, he came home and asked, and I told him he had to bring his grades up from B's and C's. He's done that, and he's been wearing his hair like that ever since."
Roach said the Woodson policy against corn rows, in place for at least six years, is intended to protect students, as some gang members identify themselves by similar braided hair styles.
But Shawn Gibson said Woodson Principal Vaughn Hewitt can't explain the thinking behind the rule because he inherited it. Further, Gibson said, the one incident of alleged gang activity that Hewitt referred to, a stabbing, "happened outside the campus, and he couldn't prove that corn rows had anything to do with it."
The board is tasked with deciding whether to allow boys to attend Woodson wearing their hair in corn rows, and its decision will set a precedent for the entire school system. As it stands now, principals have the latitude to determine for their respective schools what they deem an appropriate dress code.
Rohn also asked that the board grant attorney's fees to the Gibsons and impose disciplinary action against Hewitt for failing to follow protocol in suspending Anthony.
Galiber said the board voted to allow one of its members, Claudette Petersen, who also serves as president of the St. Croix Central High School Parent-Teacher Association, to cast her vote on the final decision.
Roach, at the onset of the hearing, charged that Petersen's ability to vote impartially was compromised because she has stated publicly on radio talk shows her position that the braids should be allowed.
Judi Shimel also contributed to this report.
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.
After a two-day hearing on St. Croix, board chair Jorge Galiber said Thursday evening, the board members felt they needed more time to deliberate the case. He said a decision will be made by next Thursday.
According to Galiber, the board asked the attorneys representing the Education Department on one hand, and Anthony and his father, Shawn Gibson, on the other, to submit more detailed information about case law cited during the hearing.
"We'll meet Tuesday to hash out everything," Galiber said. "We need more information from both sides."
Anthony, 12, was sent home from school on Sept. 19 and again the following day for wearing the braids in his hair. It is against policy at Woodson for boys to wear their hair in corn rows.
The Gibsons' attorney, Lee Rohn, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a student's decision to wear his or her hair a certain way as a statement of beliefs or a religion may not be violated by the school board.
But the Education Department attorney, Tregenza Roach, challenged Rohn's citing of the 1969 Supreme Court decision, saying that the case had to do with students wearing armbands as a political statement and that the nation's highest court has consistently refused to hear cases dealing specifically with hair.
"In fact, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dealt specifically with hair, and they said the school boards may determine those policies," Roach said.
But both Anthony and his father, who also wears braids, said during their testimony that the corn rows are representative of respect for their African heritage and culture.
"My son testified [on Wednesday] that he was learning about Africans in school in the classroom, and then he decided he wanted to braid his hair like his African ancestors," Shawn Gibson said on Thursday morning. "So, he came home and asked, and I told him he had to bring his grades up from B's and C's. He's done that, and he's been wearing his hair like that ever since."
Roach said the Woodson policy against corn rows, in place for at least six years, is intended to protect students, as some gang members identify themselves by similar braided hair styles.
But Shawn Gibson said Woodson Principal Vaughn Hewitt can't explain the thinking behind the rule because he inherited it. Further, Gibson said, the one incident of alleged gang activity that Hewitt referred to, a stabbing, "happened outside the campus, and he couldn't prove that corn rows had anything to do with it."
The board is tasked with deciding whether to allow boys to attend Woodson wearing their hair in corn rows, and its decision will set a precedent for the entire school system. As it stands now, principals have the latitude to determine for their respective schools what they deem an appropriate dress code.
Rohn also asked that the board grant attorney's fees to the Gibsons and impose disciplinary action against Hewitt for failing to follow protocol in suspending Anthony.
Galiber said the board voted to allow one of its members, Claudette Petersen, who also serves as president of the St. Croix Central High School Parent-Teacher Association, to cast her vote on the final decision.
Roach, at the onset of the hearing, charged that Petersen's ability to vote impartially was compromised because she has stated publicly on radio talk shows her position that the braids should be allowed.
Judi Shimel also contributed to this report.
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 INCLUDES THOSE WHO DIED OF VIOLENCE
See also the St. Croix Source report, "Marchers silently 'Take Back the Night'".
Oct. 24, 2002 – As twilight fell on Love City Thursday, the glow of candles illuminated a crowd remembering those who had lost their lives to domestic violence.
It was the second year the St. John Safety Zone had organized a march to draw attention to violence in the home. Last year, marchers carried a banner with the names of more than 30 people who had died of such abuse in the Virgin Islands over the past 15 years. This year, they brought the victims themselves.
For two days before the march, artists created silhouettes of women and children, then attached signs bearing the victims' names. One person who helped spray paint the images was Safety Zone administrative assistant Cecilia Bartley, who said it left her feeling haunted.
"That was awful, for the fact that it reminds you it was once a person's life," she said.
Volunteer Joyce Horn sat by the brochure table, listening to speakers at the Cruz Bay bandstand and responding to passersby seeking information. Horn said she thought this year's event attracted more public support than the first one, and that the people she shared information with were more thoughtful.
"It's very important to me," Horn said. "I choose to do it. There were several other volunteer opportunities I could have chosen to do. They say the art of love is listening, and that's No. 1 with me. Sometimes all you have to do is have an open ear and listen."
A short distance away, Evelyn Stephens sat on a park bench, listening, too. She said she didn't march, but when someone handed her a flyer about the event several days earlier, she decided to come.
The march could have used more supporters, she said, but she was impressed by the number of young people who showed up. "I wanted to see what it was about," she said. "It was interesting, and what I found good was that the young teen-agers came out to support; so, when they get older they would know what it's all about."
By the time the Rev. Bruce Graham of the St. John Seventh-day Adventist Church began describing ways that domestic violence harms different family members, a core of supporters formed tight knots around the foot of the bandstand and in small groups perched on the hoods of safari buses parked across the street.
"Too many women and children have been threatened and battered," Graham said, but it didn't stop there. After batterings, many victims go back home to suffer debilitating verbal and psychological abuse which wears down their spirits, he said. Elderly victims are being intimidated and robbed by children and grandchildren who are supposed to protect them in their later years. In some cases, men are falling prey to abusive women.
It is time for neighbor to look after neighbor, Graham said, and to help victims recognize their problem, get help and, if necessary, form emergency action plans.
For Stephens, domestic violence issues are perplexing. She asked, what makes abusers do what they do? And what happens when women realize they're in a relationship with someone who can never finish an argument, once it's started?
It would be better if two people agreed to leave each other alone and go their separate ways, she 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.
Oct. 24, 2002 – As twilight fell on Love City Thursday, the glow of candles illuminated a crowd remembering those who had lost their lives to domestic violence.
It was the second year the St. John Safety Zone had organized a march to draw attention to violence in the home. Last year, marchers carried a banner with the names of more than 30 people who had died of such abuse in the Virgin Islands over the past 15 years. This year, they brought the victims themselves.
For two days before the march, artists created silhouettes of women and children, then attached signs bearing the victims' names. One person who helped spray paint the images was Safety Zone administrative assistant Cecilia Bartley, who said it left her feeling haunted.
"That was awful, for the fact that it reminds you it was once a person's life," she said.
Volunteer Joyce Horn sat by the brochure table, listening to speakers at the Cruz Bay bandstand and responding to passersby seeking information. Horn said she thought this year's event attracted more public support than the first one, and that the people she shared information with were more thoughtful.
"It's very important to me," Horn said. "I choose to do it. There were several other volunteer opportunities I could have chosen to do. They say the art of love is listening, and that's No. 1 with me. Sometimes all you have to do is have an open ear and listen."
A short distance away, Evelyn Stephens sat on a park bench, listening, too. She said she didn't march, but when someone handed her a flyer about the event several days earlier, she decided to come.
The march could have used more supporters, she said, but she was impressed by the number of young people who showed up. "I wanted to see what it was about," she said. "It was interesting, and what I found good was that the young teen-agers came out to support; so, when they get older they would know what it's all about."
By the time the Rev. Bruce Graham of the St. John Seventh-day Adventist Church began describing ways that domestic violence harms different family members, a core of supporters formed tight knots around the foot of the bandstand and in small groups perched on the hoods of safari buses parked across the street.
"Too many women and children have been threatened and battered," Graham said, but it didn't stop there. After batterings, many victims go back home to suffer debilitating verbal and psychological abuse which wears down their spirits, he said. Elderly victims are being intimidated and robbed by children and grandchildren who are supposed to protect them in their later years. In some cases, men are falling prey to abusive women.
It is time for neighbor to look after neighbor, Graham said, and to help victims recognize their problem, get help and, if necessary, form emergency action plans.
For Stephens, domestic violence issues are perplexing. She asked, what makes abusers do what they do? And what happens when women realize they're in a relationship with someone who can never finish an argument, once it's started?
It would be better if two people agreed to leave each other alone and go their separate ways, she 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.
TURNBULL LAMBASTES PFA DRAFT AUDIT REPORT
Oct. 24, 2002 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said Thursday that his administration "takes strong exception to nearly all of the findings" in the draft report of an audit of the Public Finance Authority conducted by the Interior Department's inspector general.
The governor also decried the unauthorized release of the draft report to the news media this week by persons he said were acting "with reckless disregard of the facts and the law."
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone] in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The governor also decried the unauthorized release of the draft report to the news media this week by persons he said were acting "with reckless disregard of the facts and the law."
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone] in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
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.
TURNBULL LAMBASTES PFA DRAFT AUDIT REPORT
Oct. 24, 2002 – Gov. Charles W. Turnbull said Thursday that his administration "takes strong exception to nearly all of the findings" in the draft report of an audit of the Public Finance Authority conducted by the Interior Department's inspector general.
The governor also decried the unauthorized release of the draft report to the news media this week by persons he said were acting "with reckless disregard of the facts and the law."
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone] in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
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 governor also decried the unauthorized release of the draft report to the news media this week by persons he said were acting "with reckless disregard of the facts and the law."
It is the Office of Inspector General's practice to circulate a draft version of a report on its audit findings to the key officials of the audited entity for written responses to both the findings and the recommended corrective actions. When the final report is released, it includes those responses.
In a release issued Wednesday, Turnbull said he had signed a "draft response" to the draft report last Friday morning. No details were provided as to what the response was. (See "Turnbull: PFA audit report unseen as of Oct. 17".) In Thursday's release, he said "the analysis and conclusions" in the PFA draft report "are substantiated by neither law nor fact."
Thursday's release concluded with the sentence, "A copy of the government's formal response to the draft audit report accompanies this statement." However, no such material was faxed to the Source along with the release.
Turnbull said that by its nature a draft report "contains preliminary findings which are not fully determined or proved, and is subject to revision in the regular course of the audit process by the Inspector General."
For a summary of the draft report, see "Audit faults PFA for management, spending ills".
Specifically, the governor said in response to the report:
– $30 million in "bungled" or "misspent" bond proceeds actually were "advance refunded and defeased [undone] in 1998." All of the money, he said, is "currently held in interest-bearing accounts, contrary to the draft report's finding that it was misused or misspent." Also, he said, the administration's bond counsel "issued an opinion advising that these bonds were never at risk of losing their tax-exempt status."
– $7.3 million in bond proceeds that the Inspector General said was unused as of Sept. 30, 2001, has "been reprogrammed for other capital purposes as authorized by the Legislature."
– There is "no evidence" to support the contention in the report that "poor planning" contributed to cost overruns of $17.3 million in the reconstruction of three schools on St. Thomas. And the assertion of cost overruns in that amount "is unsubstantiated by fact and inconsistent with reality."
– Assertions that the PFA has been "lax" in pursuing certain loans to private developers, notably to Development Consultants Inc. for the redevelopment of the King's Alley complex in Christiansted and to the developers of the former Yacht Haven Hotel and Marina on St. Thomas, are unfounded. He said that the authority "exercised its security interest in King's Alley, foreclosed on the property and has acquired ownership," and that the Yacht Haven loan was paid off with interest last July.
The audit for the most part covered a period from the latter 1990s through the end of 2001.
In an apparent reference to Amadeo Francis, the top administrator of the PFA from 1995 until Turnbull fired him last December, the governor said there was a need for "the audit process to proceed on a regular course, shorn of political posturing, election-year grandstanding or the self-serving comments of a departed employee who seems by his own statements to confirm the reason for his present status with the government of the Virgin Islands."
The draft report makes repeated references to objections raised by Francis to actions that he said were in violation of bond revenue regulations or procedures. Francis, who also was provided a copy of the draft report for comment, said that "I virtually accepted it verbatim."
Turnbull faulted the Office of Inspector General for issuing the draft report "without interviewing the government's bond counsel, financial adviser, legal counsel or, for that matter, any other certified expert in the highly specialized area of tax-exempt municipal finance." He said he has asked that his advisers in these areas "be afforded the opportunity to meet with the Inspector General in Washington, D.C., to discuss the government's position and to ensure that any findings in the final audit report are fully supported by fact and law."
The governor said he expects the Inspector General to "consider the government's response before issuing a final report and to make the necessary changes and corrections to his unsubstantiated findings." He warned that "the unauthorized disclosure of a seriously flawed draft report, if not corrected, could have serious adverse financial consequences to the Public Finance Authority and to the government in current pending financial transactions."
He said he has asked Attorney General Iver Stridiron to determine whether any laws were broken in the premature release of the draft report, and "to consider all legal remedies against all persons involved to mitigate any such damage."
Turnbull said that "no one should draw any conclusions or any inferences from the reported draft audit until the audit process is completed and a final report issued."
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.
PHONE CABLE VANDALISM AFFECTS LEGISLATURE
Oct. 24, 2002 – The vandalism believed to be related to the ongoing strike by unionzed workers against Innovative Telephone and Innovative Cable TV came up-close and personal for some legislators and their staffs on Thursday.
During the day, vandals cut a 900-pair cable in the area across from Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church, causing loss of service in the Legislature Building, a release from Innovative Telephone stated.
Service may have been cut to 400 to 500 customers in the downtown Charlotte Amalie area, Innovative Telephone spokesman Thomas Dunn said, including other government offices besides the Legislature, as well as businesses and residences.
The release said Innovative crews were working to repair the damage "and will continue to work throughout the night until service is restored."
Dunn noted that Innovative has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person or persons involved in sabotage of the phone system.
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.
During the day, vandals cut a 900-pair cable in the area across from Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church, causing loss of service in the Legislature Building, a release from Innovative Telephone stated.
Service may have been cut to 400 to 500 customers in the downtown Charlotte Amalie area, Innovative Telephone spokesman Thomas Dunn said, including other government offices besides the Legislature, as well as businesses and residences.
The release said Innovative crews were working to repair the damage "and will continue to work throughout the night until service is restored."
Dunn noted that Innovative has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person or persons involved in sabotage of the phone system.
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.
MARCHERS SILENTLY 'TAKE BACK THE NIGHT'
See also the St. John Source report, "March includes those who died of violence".
Oct. 24, 2002 – A bell rang out every nine seconds, breaking the silence, as about a hundred Crucians, most of them women, made their way by candlelight along the Frederiksted waterfront on Thursday evening for the annual "Take Back the Night" march sponsored by the Women's Coalition of St. Croix.
Every nine seconds, somewhere in the United States, a woman becomes a victim of domestic violence, the coalition's co-director, Mary Mingus, said. "That's a statistic we can use for the Caribbean, as well," she added.
Since 1981, the Women's Coalition has sponsored the silent march, dedicating it to one of St. Croix's many women who lost their lives to domestic violence. This year's ceremony was in honor of Ann Patricia Haumacher, who was murdered in Frederiksted three years ago by her boyfriend, Marvin Dominguez.
The procession participants walked from the Frederiksted Fish Market to the bandstand outside Fort Frederik, where they were met by another 50 or so supporters.
While the outpouring of participants wasn't great, Mingus said, those who did come out got a lot from it.
"There's never a huge turnout," she said, "but it isn't about the turnout. It's the tradition that's important and makes a statement."
This year's event coincided with the observance nationally and locally of Red Ribbon Week, which as its focus making and keeping communities drug free.
Lisa Spery, marcher and coalition supporter, said the impact of the Women's Coalition on the island of St. Croix and its help to victims of domestic violence have been phenomenal. She said victims of rape or violence have a place to turn, whereas before, there was little help to be found.
The march culminated with a the reading of poetry, the sharing of fellowship and a memorial ceremony for Haumacher.
Dominguez was convicted of beating Haumacher to death and burying her body in his backyard in 1999. He is serving a life sentence in prison for the crime.
The other Women's Coalition co-director, Clema Lewis, read a letter from the victim's family. "The horrific way Annie passed will never leave us," she read. "Instead, we'd like to focus on the time she was with us."
The letter described Haumacher as a vivacious world traveler with a zest for touring and cooking. She was working as a chef at Bacchus restaurant at the time of her death.
Since 1994, 12 women have been murdered by their husbands or partners in the Virgin Islands. The Women's Coalition of St. Croix seeks to help victims of domestic violence get the financial, emotional and physical support they need to survive their ordeal and move forward with their lives.
The Women's Coalition itself is in need of assistance. Its "wish list" at the moment includes bathroom and baby items, clothing, cleaning and office supplies, and tools. For more information about making a contribution, call 773-9272.
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.
Oct. 24, 2002 – A bell rang out every nine seconds, breaking the silence, as about a hundred Crucians, most of them women, made their way by candlelight along the Frederiksted waterfront on Thursday evening for the annual "Take Back the Night" march sponsored by the Women's Coalition of St. Croix.
Every nine seconds, somewhere in the United States, a woman becomes a victim of domestic violence, the coalition's co-director, Mary Mingus, said. "That's a statistic we can use for the Caribbean, as well," she added.
Since 1981, the Women's Coalition has sponsored the silent march, dedicating it to one of St. Croix's many women who lost their lives to domestic violence. This year's ceremony was in honor of Ann Patricia Haumacher, who was murdered in Frederiksted three years ago by her boyfriend, Marvin Dominguez.
The procession participants walked from the Frederiksted Fish Market to the bandstand outside Fort Frederik, where they were met by another 50 or so supporters.
While the outpouring of participants wasn't great, Mingus said, those who did come out got a lot from it.
"There's never a huge turnout," she said, "but it isn't about the turnout. It's the tradition that's important and makes a statement."
This year's event coincided with the observance nationally and locally of Red Ribbon Week, which as its focus making and keeping communities drug free.
Lisa Spery, marcher and coalition supporter, said the impact of the Women's Coalition on the island of St. Croix and its help to victims of domestic violence have been phenomenal. She said victims of rape or violence have a place to turn, whereas before, there was little help to be found.
The march culminated with a the reading of poetry, the sharing of fellowship and a memorial ceremony for Haumacher.
Dominguez was convicted of beating Haumacher to death and burying her body in his backyard in 1999. He is serving a life sentence in prison for the crime.
The other Women's Coalition co-director, Clema Lewis, read a letter from the victim's family. "The horrific way Annie passed will never leave us," she read. "Instead, we'd like to focus on the time she was with us."
The letter described Haumacher as a vivacious world traveler with a zest for touring and cooking. She was working as a chef at Bacchus restaurant at the time of her death.
Since 1994, 12 women have been murdered by their husbands or partners in the Virgin Islands. The Women's Coalition of St. Croix seeks to help victims of domestic violence get the financial, emotional and physical support they need to survive their ordeal and move forward with their lives.
The Women's Coalition itself is in need of assistance. Its "wish list" at the moment includes bathroom and baby items, clothing, cleaning and office supplies, and tools. For more information about making a contribution, call 773-9272.
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.
SCHOOL BOARD DELAYS DECISION ON BOY'S HAIRSTYLE
Oct. 24, 2002 – John H. Woodson Junior High School student Anthony Gibson will have to wait until next week to hear from the Board of Education whether he will be allowed to attend school wearing his hair in corn rows.
After a two-day hearing on St. Croix, board chair Jorge Galiber said Thursday evening, the board members felt they needed more time to deliberate the case. He said a decision will be made by next Thursday.
According to Galiber, the board asked the attorneys representing the Education Department on one hand, and Anthony and his father, Shawn Gibson, on the other, to submit more detailed information about case law cited during the hearing.
"We'll meet Tuesday to hash out everything," Galiber said. "We need more information from both sides."
Anthony, 12, was sent home from school on Sept. 19 and again the following day for wearing the braids in his hair. It is against policy at Woodson for boys to wear their hair in corn rows.
The Gibsons' attorney, Lee Rohn, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a student's decision to wear his or her hair a certain way as a statement of beliefs or a religion may not be violated by the school board.
But the Education Department attorney, Tregenza Roach, challenged Rohn's citing of the 1969 Supreme Court decision, saying that the case had to do with students wearing armbands as a political statement and that the nation's highest court has consistently refused to hear cases dealing specifically with hair.
"In fact, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dealt specifically with hair, and they said the school boards may determine those policies," Roach said.
But both Anthony and his father, who also wears braids, said during their testimony that the corn rows are representative of respect for their African heritage and culture.
"My son testified [on Wednesday] that he was learning about Africans in school in the classroom, and then he decided he wanted to braid his hair like his African ancestors," Shawn Gibson said Thursday morning. "So, he came home and asked, and I told him he had to bring his grades up from B's and C's. He's done that, and he's been wearing his hair like that ever since."
Roach said the Woodson policy against corn rows, in place for at least six years, is intended to protect students, as some gang members identify themselves by similar braided hair styles.
But Shawn Gibson said Woodson Principal Vaughn Hewitt can't explain the thinking behind the rule because he inherited it. Further, Gibson said, the one incident of alleged gang activity that Hewitt referred to, a stabbing, "happened outside the campus, and he couldn't prove that corn rows had anything to do with it."
The board is tasked with deciding whether to allow boys to attend Woodson wearing their hair in corn rows, and its decision will set a precedent for the entire school system. As it stands now, principals have the latitude to determine for their respective schools what they deem an appropriate dress code.
Rohn also asked that the board grant attorney's fees to the Gibsons and impose disciplinary action against Hewitt for failing to follow protocol in suspending Anthony.
Galiber said the board voted to allow one of its members, Claudette Petersen, who also serves as president of the St. Croix Central High School Parent-Teacher Association, to cast her vote on the final decision.
Roach, at the onset of the hearing, charged that Petersen's ability to vote impartially was compromised because she has stated publicly on radio talk shows her position that the braids should be allowed.
Judi Shimel also contributed to this report.
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.
After a two-day hearing on St. Croix, board chair Jorge Galiber said Thursday evening, the board members felt they needed more time to deliberate the case. He said a decision will be made by next Thursday.
According to Galiber, the board asked the attorneys representing the Education Department on one hand, and Anthony and his father, Shawn Gibson, on the other, to submit more detailed information about case law cited during the hearing.
"We'll meet Tuesday to hash out everything," Galiber said. "We need more information from both sides."
Anthony, 12, was sent home from school on Sept. 19 and again the following day for wearing the braids in his hair. It is against policy at Woodson for boys to wear their hair in corn rows.
The Gibsons' attorney, Lee Rohn, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a student's decision to wear his or her hair a certain way as a statement of beliefs or a religion may not be violated by the school board.
But the Education Department attorney, Tregenza Roach, challenged Rohn's citing of the 1969 Supreme Court decision, saying that the case had to do with students wearing armbands as a political statement and that the nation's highest court has consistently refused to hear cases dealing specifically with hair.
"In fact, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dealt specifically with hair, and they said the school boards may determine those policies," Roach said.
But both Anthony and his father, who also wears braids, said during their testimony that the corn rows are representative of respect for their African heritage and culture.
"My son testified [on Wednesday] that he was learning about Africans in school in the classroom, and then he decided he wanted to braid his hair like his African ancestors," Shawn Gibson said Thursday morning. "So, he came home and asked, and I told him he had to bring his grades up from B's and C's. He's done that, and he's been wearing his hair like that ever since."
Roach said the Woodson policy against corn rows, in place for at least six years, is intended to protect students, as some gang members identify themselves by similar braided hair styles.
But Shawn Gibson said Woodson Principal Vaughn Hewitt can't explain the thinking behind the rule because he inherited it. Further, Gibson said, the one incident of alleged gang activity that Hewitt referred to, a stabbing, "happened outside the campus, and he couldn't prove that corn rows had anything to do with it."
The board is tasked with deciding whether to allow boys to attend Woodson wearing their hair in corn rows, and its decision will set a precedent for the entire school system. As it stands now, principals have the latitude to determine for their respective schools what they deem an appropriate dress code.
Rohn also asked that the board grant attorney's fees to the Gibsons and impose disciplinary action against Hewitt for failing to follow protocol in suspending Anthony.
Galiber said the board voted to allow one of its members, Claudette Petersen, who also serves as president of the St. Croix Central High School Parent-Teacher Association, to cast her vote on the final decision.
Roach, at the onset of the hearing, charged that Petersen's ability to vote impartially was compromised because she has stated publicly on radio talk shows her position that the braids should be allowed.
Judi Shimel also contributed to this report.
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.
HARD TO SAY IF 'LOVE AND A BULLET' HITS THE MARK
Oct. 24, 2002 – "Love and a Bullet" isn't much about love.
Yahoo! Movies suggests it's about just about everything else, though, calling the picture a "thriller, action/adventure and comedy." A critic sees it as a satire. And there's no shortage of sex, either. But mostly it's about mayhem and murder.
The movie revolves around the character Malik Bishop, a cold-blooded professional hit man with a hot bod that he's not shy about showing off. He's played by Treach (a.k.a. Anthony Criss), former lead rapper of Naughty By Nature, whose previous screen credits include "The Meteor Man" and "Jason's Lyric."
Bishop, we learn, was a gangsta kid destined to become a killer after witnessing the murder and suicide of his parents. Having worked his way up the ranks to elite mob executioner, he unexpectedly falls in love, with — of course — his boss's girlfriend (Shireen Crutchfield) that he has been told — of course — to take out. And that doesn't mean on a date.
Despite its being an "obviously low-budget production," The Cincinnati Enquirer's Margaret McGurk managed to find the film a "witty" satire with "a script full of sharp, acid-dipped observations and a gut-level sense of the absurd."
Boxoffice Online's Tim Cogshell, on the other hand, calls it "a fairly trite formula crime film that treads mostly familiar territory." Bishop "doesn't want to kill this girl, and isn't sure he wants to kill anybody anymore, which ironically, yet obviously, places him in the position of having to kill a lot of people to protect his intended victim, including the boss to whom he's so dedicated."
This, Cogshell points out, "is not an unexplored theme." As evidence, he cites not only Tom Hanks in the recent, critically acclaimed "Road to Perdition" but also the 1999 "Ghost Dog," starring Forrest Whittaker as a loyal black hit man allied to a mobster. But whereas "Ghost Dog" took a philosophical approach in exploring the morality of killing as a vocation and the ethic of loyalty at all costs, Cogshell says, "Love and a Bullet" merely "has pretensions that it's about loftier, existential questions, which are left unexplored."
For a coolly robotic blow-by-blow accounting of the film's violent and sexual content, check out the Rotten Tomatoes sub-site called "Kids-In-Mind."
"Love and a Bullet" lasts for 1 hour and 40 minutes. It's rated R for strong violence, language, sexuality and nudity.
It's playing at Market Square East. Thomas.
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.
Yahoo! Movies suggests it's about just about everything else, though, calling the picture a "thriller, action/adventure and comedy." A critic sees it as a satire. And there's no shortage of sex, either. But mostly it's about mayhem and murder.
The movie revolves around the character Malik Bishop, a cold-blooded professional hit man with a hot bod that he's not shy about showing off. He's played by Treach (a.k.a. Anthony Criss), former lead rapper of Naughty By Nature, whose previous screen credits include "The Meteor Man" and "Jason's Lyric."
Bishop, we learn, was a gangsta kid destined to become a killer after witnessing the murder and suicide of his parents. Having worked his way up the ranks to elite mob executioner, he unexpectedly falls in love, with — of course — his boss's girlfriend (Shireen Crutchfield) that he has been told — of course — to take out. And that doesn't mean on a date.
Despite its being an "obviously low-budget production," The Cincinnati Enquirer's Margaret McGurk managed to find the film a "witty" satire with "a script full of sharp, acid-dipped observations and a gut-level sense of the absurd."
Boxoffice Online's Tim Cogshell, on the other hand, calls it "a fairly trite formula crime film that treads mostly familiar territory." Bishop "doesn't want to kill this girl, and isn't sure he wants to kill anybody anymore, which ironically, yet obviously, places him in the position of having to kill a lot of people to protect his intended victim, including the boss to whom he's so dedicated."
This, Cogshell points out, "is not an unexplored theme." As evidence, he cites not only Tom Hanks in the recent, critically acclaimed "Road to Perdition" but also the 1999 "Ghost Dog," starring Forrest Whittaker as a loyal black hit man allied to a mobster. But whereas "Ghost Dog" took a philosophical approach in exploring the morality of killing as a vocation and the ethic of loyalty at all costs, Cogshell says, "Love and a Bullet" merely "has pretensions that it's about loftier, existential questions, which are left unexplored."
For a coolly robotic blow-by-blow accounting of the film's violent and sexual content, check out the Rotten Tomatoes sub-site called "Kids-In-Mind."
"Love and a Bullet" lasts for 1 hour and 40 minutes. It's rated R for strong violence, language, sexuality and nudity.
It's playing at Market Square East. Thomas.
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.
