Dear Source,
I am a soldier on active duty status stationed in Germany. I have served in the military for 17 years now. I have traveled the world and will travel even greater destinations while stationed here. I have all intentions to return to my roots — Paradise.
My issue is the "neglect" of the mention of a dead soldier. This has bothered me since Sept 11, 2001, and still does. I read your article on how the Virgin Islanders paid tribute to all that died in the September attack.
There was a staff sergeant named Maudlyn White, 38. She was from St. Croix and died in the Pentagon attack. (See "V.I. terrorist victim buried at Arlington".) I did not know her personally, but I did know St.Croix was listed as her hometown and she was a fellow soldier. I have nowhere yet read anything or seen anything done for this soldier in remembrance of her.
At the mimimum, the soldier's name should have been mentioned in your article or tribute paid to her in a ceremony at home. I found out that the St.Croix firefighters visited New York to raise money or show their support. So I ask, what did they, or even the National Guard, more appropriately, do for this soldier or her family?
No matter where you are, when you see St. Croix, St. Thomas or St. John mentioned as someone's hometown, you automatically relate. You feel proud.
Near Canegata Ballpark on St.Croix, there is a big memorial marker for the guy from Guam who was electrocuted while trying to help us recover from a hurricane some years ago. We didn't even have to do all this for Maudlyn, but we should have done something.
Maybe I am taking this too personally, or maybe I don't know the whole story. Please forgive me if I have been misinformed. I would hate to die serving this country and not be recognized, at least in a small way, by my beautiful Virgin Islands.
Ellen M. Magras, CW2
DISCOM Food Adviser

Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
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.

Dear Source,
I am a soldier on active duty status stationed in Germany. I have served in the military for 17 years now. I have traveled the world and will travel even greater destinations while stationed here. I have all intentions to return to my roots — Paradise.
My issue is the "neglect" of the mention of a dead soldier. This has bothered me since Sept 11, 2001, and still does. I read your article on how the Virgin Islanders paid tribute to all that died in the September attack.
There was a staff sergeant named Maudlyn White, 38. She was from St. Croix and died in the Pentagon attack. (See "V.I. terrorist victim buried at Arlington".) I did not know her personally, but I did know St.Croix was listed as her hometown and she was a fellow soldier. I have nowhere yet read anything or seen anything done for this soldier in remembrance of her.
At the mimimum, the soldier's name should have been mentioned in your article or tribute paid to her in a ceremony at home. I found out that the St.Croix firefighters visited New York to raise money or show their support. So I ask, what did they, or even the National Guard, more appropriately, do for this soldier or her family?
No matter where you are, when you see St. Croix, St. Thomas or St. John mentioned as someone's hometown, you automatically relate. You feel proud.
Near Canegata Ballpark on St.Croix, there is a big memorial marker for the guy from Guam who was electrocuted while trying to help us recover from a hurricane some years ago. We didn't even have to do all this for Maudlyn, but we should have done something.
Maybe I am taking this too personally, or maybe I don't know the whole story. Please forgive me if I have been misinformed. I would hate to die serving this country and not be recognized, at least in a small way, by my beautiful Virgin Islands.
Ellen M. Magras, CW2
DISCOM Food Adviser

Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Two V.I. resorts placed among the 25 best hotels in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda in Travel & Leisure magazine's 2002 Readers Poll.
The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas was in 10th spot, and Caneel Bay on St. John was 13th.
The British Virgin Islands claimed three of the six top spots. At the top of the heap, in order: The Reefs in Bermuda, Peter Island Resort in the BVI, Cap Juluca in Anguilla, Biras Creek (Virgin Gorda) in the BVI, the Four Seasons Resort on Nevis, and Little Dix Bay (Virgin Gorda) in the BVI.
One U.S. and one British Virgin Island made it into the top five favorite islands in the region, according to the magazine's poll. The five were, in order, Bermuda, St. Barth's, St. John, Virgin Gorda and Nevis.
The readers ranked as the top 10 cruise lines: Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Orient Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Cunard Line, P&O Cruises and Delta Queen Steamboat Co. (While Carnival, which sends the most ships to St. Thomas, didn't make the list, Holland America and Cunard are owned by Carnival Corp.; Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean.)
The regional recognition is part of Travel & Leisure's overall World's Best Awards. Results are derived from an online survey made available to the magazine's subscribers, who were provided a unique code in their February and March 2002 issues. Only the questionnaire responses of subscribers who correctly entered their special codes were tallied, and they could complete the survey only once. Through a screening process, responses from identified travel-industry professionals were eliminated from the final tally.
Respondents were asked to rate hotels, islands and airlines as to five characteristics and cruise lines as to six. Ratings for each characteristic were on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 the highest rating. Here are the characteristics:
For hotels: rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food, value.
For islands: natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people, value.
For cruise lines: cabins, food, service, itineraries/destinations, entertainment/activities, value.
According to a release put out by the territory's national publicity agency, Martin Public Relations, St. John "received especially high marks of distinction. The island ranked first among all other Caribbean destinations for natural attractions; second for activities and sights; third for overall vacation destination; and eighth for overall value. St. Thomas stood out for its activities and sights, and St. Croix was recognized for its restaurants and food."

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Sprint's recently introduced PCS Vision services and products are aimed at untethering cellular telephone customers from their office or home base in visual as well as audio mode.
"Your mobile phone is not just a phone anymore," said Sprint's media relations official Dan Wilinsky, using his cellular telephone to explain the technical details.
A Sprint release said PCS Vision "opens up a whole new mobile window to the world with clarity you can see and hear."
Sprint, a service provider in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well as throughout the mainland United States, has become the "first wireless carrier to launch nationwide applications that enable full-color, easy-to-use services such as messaging and e-mail, enhanced with web browsing and color games and pictures," the release stated.
For a limited time, Sprint is offering customers the opportunity to try PCS Vision at no additional charge for three months and for as little as $10 a month after that with select service plans and a one-year agreement.
PCS Vision allows users to take and view photographs via their cell phones utilizing a miniature digital camera and then transmit the images or upload them onto a Sprint Pictures Web site. In addition, users can add attachments to access their e-mail, play games with full-color graphics alone or linked with other players and personal their screen savers.
With PCS Vision Business Connection Personal Edition software, customers can access company data with real-time access to Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes corporate e-mail. "The software-based version can be set up in minutes, requires no hardware installation and provides an affordable way for customers to view, reply to and delete their e-mail in real time," the Sprint release said.
Utilizing a PCS Connection Card with a laptop or PDA, business users can access the Internet and their corporate networks with bandwidth optimization for such applications as Web browsing and downloading files. Web access will allow for downloads from popular sites such as E! Online, ESPN.com, weather.com from The Weather Channel and Amazon.com.
. "The compression enables data speeds two to five times faster than average user speeds on the enhanced Nationwide PCS Network," the release said.
Wilinsky said Sprint's modem cards for cellular phones work as fast as desktop modems. Its peak data speeds are 10 times faster than what had previously been available using cell phones.
"PCS Vision brings together all the devices, applications and content that make it faster and easier than ever for Sprint customers to communicate, access information, entertain themselves, conduct transactions and take their desktops with them wherever they are," company chair and chief executive William T. Esrey said.
He said the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network "covers more people than any other next-generation wireless network in the country and provides a single technology that allows services and features to work the same everywhere."
And just for the fun of it, the vision-enabled phones offer a choice of hundreds of different ringtones, from music releases to sound effects, that can be assigned to specific numbers in the device's address book. They also give users the option of downloading screen savers from the handset, many featuring synchronized animation; these, too, can be assigned to specific address book numbers.
The service became available nationwide in August. Sprint was scheduled this month to add customized digital imaging with ActivePhoto for customers using a Ricoh RDC-i700. camera.
Sprint is selling PCS vision phones manufactured by Sanyo, Handspring, Samsung, LG, Hitachi and Toshiba that have suggested retail prices between $180 and $800. PCS Connection cards made by Novatel Wireless, Sierra Wireless and Yiso list for about $250 to $350. The PCS Vision Camera from InfoHand is being sold exclusively through Sprint for under $100, the release said.
On an introductory basis for a limited time, business customers are being offered unlimited data usage for $49.99 a month for the first three months and $99.99 thereafter with a one-year agreement.
For data applications, customers are charged for data sent or received; this does not affect service-plan minutes, and billing for voice plans remains unchanged. To obtain additional information locally, call Sprint Caribe at 776-3232.

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – The territory's hospitality industry is hoping to reap the rewards of new attention to the Virgin Islands as a vacation destination as a result of hosting hundreds of travel agents for complimentary three-night visits in August.
The fifth annual Travel Agents Month promotion saw 328 agents spend "just under 1,000 room nights" at 12 participating hotels on St. Thomas and St. John, according to a release from the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, which along with its St. Croix counterpart sponsored the program.
Agents also stayed on St. Croix at 10 hotels taking part in the program.
"The concept behind this program is to allow travel agents to visit the Virgin Islands and experience the destinations in the same way that their clients would," Beverly Nicholson, St. Thomas-St. John association executive director, said. "We believe that the most effective way for travel agents to sell the United States Virgin Islands is to see us and experience what we have to offer."
The accommodations participating on St. Thomas were Blazing Villas, Bolongo Bay Beach Club and Villas, Holiday Inn Windward Passage, Marriott Frenchman's Reef, Point Pleasant Resort, Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, Secret Harbour Beach Resort and Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa.
Those on St. Croix were the Hotel Caravelle, Carrington's Inn St. Croix, Divi Carina Bay Resort, Frederiksted Hotel, Hibiscus Beach Hotel, Hotel on the Cay, InnParadise, King Christian Hotel, Sugar Beach Condominiums and Tamarind Reef Hotel.
Those on St. John were Gallows Point Resort, Maho Bay Camps and the Westin Resort and Villas.
American Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines offered agents special air fares to visit the Virgin Islands, the release said.
On St. Thomas and St. John, agents received discounts or gifts from AT&T, Awesome Power Boat Rentals, Budget Rent-A-Car, Chalet D'Or, Coral World Marine Park, Islander Taxi, Little Switzerland, Nauti Nymph and Magic Moments, Paradise Point Tramway, Shell Seekers and Virgin Islands EcoTours.
On St. Croix, such incentives were provided by A Boardwalk In Restaurant, Big Beard's Adventure Tours and Gift Shop, Centipede, Mile Mark Water Sports, Olympic Rent a Car, Sonya Jewelry, St. Croix Safari Tours and Violette Boutique.

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Sprint's recently introduced PCS Vision services and products are aimed at untethering cellular telephone customers from their office or home base in visual as well as audio mode.
"Your mobile phone is not just a phone anymore," said Sprint's media relations official Dan Wilinsky, using his cellular telephone to explain the technical details.
A Sprint release said PCS Vision "opens up a whole new mobile window to the world with clarity you can see and hear."
Sprint, a service provider in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well as throughout the mainland United States, has become the "first wireless carrier to launch nationwide applications that enable full-color, easy-to-use services such as messaging and e-mail, enhanced with web browsing and color games and pictures," the release stated.
For a limited time, Sprint is offering customers the opportunity to try PCS Vision at no additional charge for three months and for as little as $10 a month after that with select service plans and a one-year agreement.
PCS Vision allows users to take and view photographs via their cell phones utilizing a miniature digital camera and then transmit the images or upload them onto a Sprint Pictures Web site. In addition, users can add attachments to access their e-mail, play games with full-color graphics alone or linked with other players and personal their screen savers.
With PCS Vision Business Connection Personal Edition software, customers can access company data with real-time access to Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes corporate e-mail. "The software-based version can be set up in minutes, requires no hardware installation and provides an affordable way for customers to view, reply to and delete their e-mail in real time," the Sprint release said.
Utilizing a PCS Connection Card with a laptop or PDA, business users can access the Internet and their corporate networks with bandwidth optimization for such applications as Web browsing and downloading files. Web access will allow for downloads from popular sites such as E! Online, ESPN.com, weather.com from The Weather Channel and Amazon.com.
. "The compression enables data speeds two to five times faster than average user speeds on the enhanced Nationwide PCS Network," the release said.
Wilinsky said Sprint's modem cards for cellular phones work as fast as desktop modems. Its peak data speeds are 10 times faster than what had previously been available using cell phones.
"PCS Vision brings together all the devices, applications and content that make it faster and easier than ever for Sprint customers to communicate, access information, entertain themselves, conduct transactions and take their desktops with them wherever they are," company chair and chief executive William T. Esrey said.
He said the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network "covers more people than any other next-generation wireless network in the country and provides a single technology that allows services and features to work the same everywhere."
And just for the fun of it, the vision-enabled phones offer a choice of hundreds of different ringtones, from music releases to sound effects, that can be assigned to specific numbers in the device's address book. They also give users the option of downloading screen savers from the handset, many featuring synchronized animation; these, too, can be assigned to specific address book numbers.
The service became available nationwide in August. Sprint was scheduled this month to add customized digital imaging with ActivePhoto for customers using a Ricoh RDC-i700. camera.
Sprint is selling PCS vision phones manufactured by Sanyo, Handspring, Samsung, LG, Hitachi and Toshiba that have suggested retail prices between $180 and $800. PCS Connection cards made by Novatel Wireless, Sierra Wireless and Yiso list for about $250 to $350. The PCS Vision Camera from InfoHand is being sold exclusively through Sprint for under $100, the release said.
On an introductory basis for a limited time, business customers are being offered unlimited data usage for $49.99 a month for the first three months and $99.99 thereafter with a one-year agreement.
For data applications, customers are charged for data sent or received; this does not affect service-plan minutes, and billing for voice plans remains unchanged. To obtain additional information locally, call Sprint Caribe at 776-3232.

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Two V.I. resorts placed among the 25 best hotels in the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda in Travel & Leisure magazine's 2002 Readers Poll.
The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas was in 10th spot, and Caneel Bay on St. John was 13th.
The British Virgin Islands claimed three of the six top spots. At the top of the heap, in order: The Reefs in Bermuda, Peter Island Resort in the BVI, Cap Juluca in Anguilla, Biras Creek (Virgin Gorda) in the BVI, the Four Seasons Resort on Nevis, and Little Dix Bay (Virgin Gorda) in the BVI.
One U.S. and one British Virgin Island made it into the top five favorite islands in the region, according to the magazine's poll. The five were, in order, Bermuda, St. Barth's, St. John, Virgin Gorda and Nevis.
The readers ranked as the top 10 cruise lines: Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Orient Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Cunard Line, P&O Cruises and Delta Queen Steamboat Co. (While Carnival, which sends the most ships to St. Thomas, didn't make the list, Holland America and Cunard are owned by Carnival Corp.; Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean.)
The regional recognition is part of Travel & Leisure's overall World's Best Awards. Results are derived from an online survey made available to the magazine's subscribers, who were provided a unique code in their February and March 2002 issues. Only the questionnaire responses of subscribers who correctly entered their special codes were tallied, and they could complete the survey only once. Through a screening process, responses from identified travel-industry professionals were eliminated from the final tally.
Respondents were asked to rate hotels, islands and airlines as to five characteristics and cruise lines as to six. Ratings for each characteristic were on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 the highest rating. Here are the characteristics:
For hotels: rooms/facilities, location, service, restaurants/food, value.
For islands: natural attractions, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people, value.
For cruise lines: cabins, food, service, itineraries/destinations, entertainment/activities, value.
According to a release put out by the territory's national publicity agency, Martin Public Relations, St. John "received especially high marks of distinction. The island ranked first among all other Caribbean destinations for natural attractions; second for activities and sights; third for overall vacation destination; and eighth for overall value. St. Thomas stood out for its activities and sights, and St. Croix was recognized for its restaurants and food."

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – The territory's hospitality industry is hoping to reap the rewards of new attention to the Virgin Islands as a vacation destination as a result of hosting hundreds of travel agents for complimentary three-night visits in August.
The fifth annual Travel Agents Month promotion saw 328 agents spend "just under 1,000 room nights" at 12 participating hotels on St. Thomas and St. John, according to a release from the St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association, which along with its St. Croix counterpart sponsored the program.
Agents also stayed on St. Croix at 10 hotels taking part in the program.
"The concept behind this program is to allow travel agents to visit the Virgin Islands and experience the destinations in the same way that their clients would," Beverly Nicholson, St. Thomas-St. John association executive director, said. "We believe that the most effective way for travel agents to sell the United States Virgin Islands is to see us and experience what we have to offer."
The accommodations participating on St. Thomas were Blazing Villas, Bolongo Bay Beach Club and Villas, Holiday Inn Windward Passage, Marriott Frenchman's Reef, Point Pleasant Resort, Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, Secret Harbour Beach Resort and Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa.
Those on St. Croix were the Hotel Caravelle, Carrington's Inn St. Croix, Divi Carina Bay Resort, Frederiksted Hotel, Hibiscus Beach Hotel, Hotel on the Cay, InnParadise, King Christian Hotel, Sugar Beach Condominiums and Tamarind Reef Hotel.
Those on St. John were Gallows Point Resort, Maho Bay Camps and the Westin Resort and Villas.
American Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines offered agents special air fares to visit the Virgin Islands, the release said.
On St. Thomas and St. John, agents received discounts or gifts from AT&T, Awesome Power Boat Rentals, Budget Rent-A-Car, Chalet D'Or, Coral World Marine Park, Islander Taxi, Little Switzerland, Nauti Nymph and Magic Moments, Paradise Point Tramway, Shell Seekers and Virgin Islands EcoTours.
On St. Croix, such incentives were provided by A Boardwalk In Restaurant, Big Beard's Adventure Tours and Gift Shop, Centipede, Mile Mark Water Sports, Olympic Rent a Car, Sonya Jewelry, St. Croix Safari Tours and Violette Boutique.

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Sprint's recently introduced PCS Vision services and products are aimed at untethering cellular telephone customers from their office or home base in visual as well as audio mode.
"Your mobile phone is not just a phone anymore," said Sprint's media relations official Dan Wilinsky, using his cellular telephone to explain the technical details.
A Sprint release said PCS Vision "opens up a whole new mobile window to the world with clarity you can see and hear."
Sprint, a service provider in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as well as throughout the mainland United States, has become the "first wireless carrier to launch nationwide applications that enable full-color, easy-to-use services such as messaging and e-mail, enhanced with web browsing and color games and pictures," the release stated.
For a limited time, Sprint is offering customers the opportunity to try PCS Vision at no additional charge for three months and for as little as $10 a month after that with select service plans and a one-year agreement.
PCS Vision allows users to take and view photographs via their cell phones utilizing a miniature digital camera and then transmit the images or upload them onto a Sprint Pictures Web site. In addition, users can add attachments to access their e-mail, play games with full-color graphics alone or linked with other players and personal their screen savers.
With PCS Vision Business Connection Personal Edition software, customers can access company data with real-time access to Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes corporate e-mail. "The software-based version can be set up in minutes, requires no hardware installation and provides an affordable way for customers to view, reply to and delete their e-mail in real time," the Sprint release said.
Utilizing a PCS Connection Card with a laptop or PDA, business users can access the Internet and their corporate networks with bandwidth optimization for such applications as Web browsing and downloading files. Web access will allow for downloads from popular sites such as E! Online, ESPN.com, weather.com from The Weather Channel and Amazon.com.
. "The compression enables data speeds two to five times faster than average user speeds on the enhanced Nationwide PCS Network," the release said.
Wilinsky said Sprint's modem cards for cellular phones work as fast as desktop modems. Its peak data speeds are 10 times faster than what had previously been available using cell phones.
"PCS Vision brings together all the devices, applications and content that make it faster and easier than ever for Sprint customers to communicate, access information, entertain themselves, conduct transactions and take their desktops with them wherever they are," company chair and chief executive William T. Esrey said.
He said the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network "covers more people than any other next-generation wireless network in the country and provides a single technology that allows services and features to work the same everywhere."
And just for the fun of it, the vision-enabled phones offer a choice of hundreds of different ringtones, from music releases to sound effects, that can be assigned to specific numbers in the device's address book. They also give users the option of downloading screen savers from the handset, many featuring synchronized animation; these, too, can be assigned to specific address book numbers.
The service became available nationwide in August. Sprint was scheduled this month to add customized digital imaging with ActivePhoto for customers using a Ricoh RDC-i700. camera.
Sprint is selling PCS vision phones manufactured by Sanyo, Handspring, Samsung, LG, Hitachi and Toshiba that have suggested retail prices between $180 and $800. PCS Connection cards made by Novatel Wireless, Sierra Wireless and Yiso list for about $250 to $350. The PCS Vision Camera from InfoHand is being sold exclusively through Sprint for under $100, the release said.
On an introductory basis for a limited time, business customers are being offered unlimited data usage for $49.99 a month for the first three months and $99.99 thereafter with a one-year agreement.
For data applications, customers are charged for data sent or received; this does not affect service-plan minutes, and billing for voice plans remains unchanged. To obtain additional information locally, call Sprint Caribe at 776-3232.

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.

Sept. 21, 2002 – Unbeknownst to most of his fellow Virgin Islanders, Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg was in New York City recently taping a boxing match for cable television.
No, not wearing the gloves. In his latest foray into the spotlight, the St. Thomas lawmaker appeared as a play-by-play announcer on World Hispanic Television, for a match seen Sept. 12 and last Sunday over the Madison Square Garden sports network.
Producer Hank Schwartz, said he tapped Donastorg for the assignment because of his personality, his name recognition in the Caribbean and his enthusiasm for boxing. "He was an excellent commentator," Schwartz said.
It was a plus that "he speaks both languages" — English and Spanish, Schwartz added, since MSG wanted to air a Hispanic sports event with English-language commentary.
The match was shot with Donastorg as one of two commentators calling play by play in the two languages.
Schwartz, the chairman of World Television Championship, produced some of the most famous televised boxing events of the 1970s, including the "Thrilla in Manila" and the "Rumble in the Jungle" bouts pitting Mohammad Ali against and Joe Frazier and George Foreman, respectively.
Schwartz said he wants to produce sports programs for the Spanish-speaking market now because relatively few Hispanics make it to the top in the field of sports entertainment.
Donastorg was right for his assignment, Schwartz said, because his Caribbean dialect was distinct and complimentary for a Hispanic show that would be viewed by English speakers and English-speaking Hispanics. The show was seen locally on the Dish Network and is now being marketed in Los Angeles, Texas, Florida and Chicago.
Donastorg said he always wanted to be an ambassador for the Virgin Islands and he felt comfortable doing a broadcast that allowed him to let those qualities shine through. "I had fun with it," he said.
This was not his first foray into network television. He was featured several months ago on the show "Unsolved Mysteries" on Lifetime TV, playing an FBI agent in the re-enactment of a local crime.
But Donastorg says a future in the bright lights is not his immediate goal. "They offered me big money," he said, but that was no enticement. "At this juncture, my priority is the people of the Virgin islands, and I'm not willing to put that second to anything."
He said his trip to New York was paid for by the promoters and that he would be paid an appearance fee but he didn't know how much. In the past, he said, he has donated money he received from television appearances to charities or local schools.
Not many people in the Virgin Islands knew he had gone to New York for his MSG Boxing debut, Donastorg said, but when he got home, there were a couple of phone calls from friends saying they had seen him on TV.
Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd said he didn't officially know about his colleague's show biz plans, but he had a heads up early on that something like that might be in the works. "Foncie told me about it a long time ago," he said.
Liburd laughed when asked if he thought it might be handy having someone around who could give a blow-by-blow when Senate sessions get fractious. "That's a different kind of blow. That's an intellectual blow," he said. "That's a different kind of skill."
Donastorg has something else in mind. He said he thinks it would be a good fund raiser to have some of his Senate colleagues duke it out in the squared circle, the way it's done on the show "Celebrity Boxing." "I wish my colleagues would vent their frustration in the boxing ring instead of on the Senate floor," he said.
But unlike the TV judge and former boxing referee Mills Lane, Foncie said, he won't be the one telling his colleagues, "Let's Get It On."

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.