Sept. 20, 2002 – Children ages 3-13 are welcome to a puppet show on Saturday morning at the Enid M. Baa Library — and welcome to bring their favorite adults along with them.
The free program will take place from 11 a.m. to noon in the library Children's Room on the lower level. The show that puppeteers Harold and Ima Jean Oakes will present is called "Four Short Plays," and it has messages for the youngsters about the dangers of drinking alcohol and using drugs.
Everybody's welcome to come early and stay late to check out what the Children's Room has to offer young readers, librarian Diane Moody said. It's open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
To accommodate the puppet show, she said, the regular Saturday Children's Reading Program will be abbreviated. It will run from 10:15 to 10:50 a.m.
To learn more, contact Moody or Audrey Muriel by calling the library at 774-0630.

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Sept. 20, 2002 — The University of the Virgin Islands Bulletin Board issued Sept. 19 includes:

UVI's St. Croix Campus Invites All to a Caribbean Luau
The public is invited to a Caribbean Luau on the UVI St. Croix campus from 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22.
A pig roast, hula dancing, leis for all and a wide variety of musical entertainment are planned. The luau and other events and activities will be held at the Student Center building. Admission is free. Food and drink will be on sale. For more information call David Capriola at 692-4196.
Among the artists providing music will be Valrica Bryson, Voices in Harmony, Ayinde Popo, Ronnie Russell, the V.I. Arts Ensemble, Jeanette Cochran, Big Band and Caribbean Fusion Band.
Additional Scholarships Offered for 2002-2003 Academic Year
The UVI Scholarship Committee has announced the availability of additional scholarships for UVI students for the 2002-2003 academic year. The deadline to file applications for the scholarships is Oct. 1, 2002.
Applications are available at the UVI Financial Aid, Academic Division and Student Activities offices on both campuses.
To be eligible, individuals must be full-time, matriculated UVI students in good academic standing (with a GPA of 2.5 or better) and demonstrate financial need. Those selected must provide a UVI transcript. Current scholarship recipients are ineligible to apply. Past applicants who were not selected are strongly encouraged to re-apply.
"Full Moon Vibrations" to feature "Capoeira" Demonstration
The St. Thomas campus Student Government Association's African Heritage Committee will host its second "Full Moon Vibrations" event at 9 p.m. Saturday,
Sept. 21, on the golf course of the St. Thomas campus. A special presentation of "Capoeira," a form of African Brazilian dance and martial arts, is planned. For more information contact Junie Violenes at 693-1111.
UVI Volleyball Squads to Begin League Action
UVI's men's and women's volleyball Buccaneers begin 2002 "ODI" League play in
Puerto Rico this weekend with matches on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, the female Bucs take on East University at 6:30 p.m. The male Bucs follow with a match against East University at 8 p.m. On Saturday, the squads travel to Carolina, where the women and men take on University of Puerto Rico-Carolina in matches slated for 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively.
Fall Research Symposium at Sports and Fitness Center Saturday
The university community and the V.I. public are invited to the second annual Fall Research Symposium sponsored by the UVI Division of Science and Mathematics. The symposium runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center on UVI's St. Thomas campus. Oral and poster presentations by students who participated in summer and other research programs will be presented. For details call Dr. Camille McKayle at 693-1329.
Voter Registration Set Sept. 26 on UVI's St. Thomas Campus
Voter registration will be conducted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, on UVI's St. Thomas campus at the Cafeteria porch. V.I. residents who are at least 18 years of age are eligible to register.
All are asked to bring proof of citizenship: birth certificates, naturalization papers, etc. Demonstrations of voting machine use will be offered and information on the candidates will be available.
Self-Advocacy Conferences for Disabled Set on St. Croix, St. Thomas
Conferences designed to promote self-advocacy among the territory's disabled residents and those who work with and care for them have been planned by a coalition of Virgin Islands organizations.
The first annual "Speak About Issues … Voices That Count" conference, organized by UVI's V.I. University Center for the Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD), will be held Sept. 24 and 25 on St. Croix and Oct. 1 and 2 on St. Thomas.
The sessions are free. On St. Croix they will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Territorial Court building at Kingshill. The St. Thomas sessions will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Windward Passage Hotel.
In addition to VIUCEDD, conference-sponsoring organizations include: V.I. Family Information Network on Disabilities (V.I. FIND), Work Able, Lutheran Social Services office, Developmental Disabilities Council of the Human Services Department, the V.I. Association for Independent Living, the V.I. Rehabilitation Council, the V.I. Education Department's Office of Special Education, and V.I. Advocacy.
For details or to reserve space, contact the VIUCEDD St. Croix office at 692-1919 by Sept. 18. On St. Thomas, contact Wilbert Francis at 693-1189 by Sept. 23.
SBDC Offers Seminar on E-Commerce Basics
"E-Commerce Basics: Doing Business on the Net" is the title of a seminar planned by UVI's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the SBDC Training Facility at Nisky Center. Topics to be covered include: Internet Basics, Internet Business Strategies, Internet Marketing, and Survival Tips and Strategies.
Cost of the seminar is $20 per person. Registration will be conducted from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the seminar. Individuals who pre-register receive a $5 discount. The seminar is free for UVI students, faculty and staff. Pre-registration is required. For more information contact the SBDC at Nisky Center, Suite 720. Phone 776-3206or Fax: 775-3756.
"For Better, For Worse" Set for Sept. 28 and 29 on St. Croix
UVI's Reichhold Caribbean Repertory Company will present its hit comedy, "For Better, For Worse" on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28 and 29, on St. Croix at the Educational Complex.
Shows originally slated for Sept. 7 and 8 were postponed due to casting changes. "We lost three of the original cast members for various reasons," said David Edgecombe, the play's author and director of the Reichhold Center for the Arts. "And I want to make sure the St. Croix run of the play will be every bit as good as it was on St. Thomas," Edgecombe said.
The play enjoyed an extended run earlier this summer on St. Thomas, where it drew rave reviews. Its presentation on St. Croix will give the university's theater enthusiasts a chance to strengthen ties between the two campuses, according to Edgecombe. "We are looking forward to meeting with UVI students who are in the process of starting a theatre company on the St. Croix campus," he said.
Tickets purchased for the Sept. 7 and 8 shows will be honored for the rescheduled performances. Individuals seeking refunds are asked to contact the Reichhold Center Box Office at 693-1559.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students. They are now on sale at the UVI Bookstore on the St. Croix Campus, at Sam Goody's in Sunny Isle Shopping Center and at John E's Gallery in Christiansted. For more information contact Reichhold Marketing Manager Dionne Carty Jackson at 693-1559.
SBDC Seminar on "Managing Your Credit" Set October 9
UVI's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and First Bank Virgin Islands, in conjunction with the New Image Foundation Corporation Policy Board, are offering the second in a series of quarterly financial seminars entitled "Dollars and Sense." The goal is to reach all sectors of the community to educate individuals on the importance of managing personal finances and planning for the future.
The second seminar, "Managing Your Credit." will be held Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the SBDC Training Facility at the Nisky Center (Suite 720). First Bank community development officer Karen Sprauve will present the seminar. The fee is $5. For more information and to register, contact the New Image Foundation Corporation at 777-8883.
SGA to Celebrate Diversity with Sharing of Cultural Foods< br>The Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Activities Office on UVI's St. Thomas Campus will launch a "Celebrate Diversity and Our Common Heritage" program with "A Taste of Friendship" on Monday, Oct. 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the cafeteria. Faculty, staff and students are invited to contribute a cultural food dish and/or participate in a table presentation. To sign up, contact the Student Activities Office at 693-1111.
Work-Able, Inc., Seeking Mentors-Mentees at UVI
UVI offices and students are invited to participate in National Disability
Mentoring Day, which will be celebrated on Oct. 16. In the Virgin Islands, Mentoring Day is being coordinated by Work-Able, a nonprofit organization that has been providing free employment services and job training to the disabled since 1989 on St. Thomas and since 1997 on St. Croix.
Mentors and mentees are being recruited to take part in activities such as job shadowing and field trips. Disabled individuals age 16 and over are invited to join the effort. This initiative also targets UVI students with disabilities who may be interested in participating. Public and private businesses interested in providing financial sponsorship are also being sought.
UVI's Small Business Development Center, which is also helping to promote the day, will host five disabled students at its St. Thomas office.
To become involved in the effort, contact Work-Able at 774-5899 on St. Thomas and at 778-6862 on St. Croix.
For more on the University of the Virgin Islands, visit the website at www.uvi.edu.
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Sept. 20, 2002 – "E-Commerce Basics: Doing Business on the Net" is the title of a seminar planned by the University of the VirginIslands' Small Business Development Center (SBDC) on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the SBDC Training Facility at Nisky Center. Topics to be covered include: Internet Basics, Internet Business Strategies, Internet Marketing, and Survival Tips and Strategies.
Cost of the seminar is $20 per person. Registration will be conducted from 6 to 6:30 p.m. on the evening of the seminar. Individuals who pre-register receive a $5 discount. The seminar is free for UVI students, faculty and staff. Pre-registration is required. For more information contact the SBDC at Nisky Center, Suite 720. Phone 776-3206or Fax: 775-3756.
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Sept. 20, 2002 – Over loud protests from environmental activists, and against the recommendation of its staff, the St. Thomas Coastal Zone Management Committee approved a major permit Thursday night for the development of a resort and time-share complex at Botany Bay on the island's far western end.
The 4-0 vote came at the end of a two-hour meeting where the committee weighed three options presented by CZM staff. Objections erupted as the committee members — Winston Adams, Robert Mathes, Austin Monsanto and Peggy Simmonds — chose the option of approving the permit application on condition of the developers complying with 15 provisions spelled out by the staff.
The president of the Environmental Association of St. Thomas-St. John said on Friday that the group will probably appeal the decision. "We need official board approval before we take any action," Carla Joseph said, "but the sentiment is certainly there."
Monsanto, the CZM committee chair, admonished the crowd gathered in the Planning and Natural Resources Department conference room at Cyril E. King Airport on Thursday, stating that since the proceeding was a decision hearing, the public was invited to attend but not permitted to participate. He also pointed out that the Botany Bay area is private, not public, land.
"The property does not belong to the government. We cannot tell them no," Monsanto said. However, he said CZM did have oversight over aspects of the development and that in this regard, "We have responsibilities to see this is done properly."
A second option presented by CZM staff was for the committee to put off its final vote and spend more time reviewing the matter.
The third option was for the committee to ask Botany Bay Partners to withdraw its application on the basis of insufficient information, then later resubmit it after addressing deficiencies. This option, recommended by CZM staff, was addressed briefly by Adams.
Many of the questions put before the developers could be answered, Adams said, if the V.I. government had a comprehensive land and water use plan in effect. "It's the responsibility of the government to conduct planning instead of throwing it onto the developer," he said.
CZM staff recommended application withdrawal
In its final report submitted by Janis Hodge, CZM director, the staff recommended that Botany Bay Partners "withdraw its application; provide supplemental information to clearly address public access, marine resources in all three bays [and] impacts to the drainage ways; and consolidate [this data] with existing information to ensure consistency between the written submittals and the drawings." The report concluded, "Failure to implement this action would result in a project, which, at best, would be extremely difficult to monitor to ensure compliance with the CZM Act."
After the vote, Monsanto said that he was relieved that an arduous two-year application process for Botany Bay Partners was at an end. "We worked at it very diligently," he said. "We made several site visits, and we didn't want to go against the staff recommendations that might open the process to appeal."
The developers have said they want to build a five-star eco-tourism resort and time-share complex on some 68 acres they own along the beachfront of a pristine area that has had restricted public access for nearly 30 years.
The 15 provisions address concerns ranging from public access in and around the premises to use of a proposed helicopter pad. Each item was debated and in some cases modified as the committee weighed the options before an audience including the developers, members of the League of Women Voters and the St. Thomas-St. John Environmental Association, and the news media.
At one point, the frustration level among some members of the audience erupted into angry cries calling the commissioners "sellouts."
Community activist Caroline Browne shouted, "You sit here and give our Virgin Islands away to any and every developer!" Moments later, she and a couple of other individuals stormed out the room. They filed back, more subdued, moments later, having been met in the hall by Sen. Adelbert Bryan, who also came in and joined the meeting.
Bryan's attempt to question commissioners during a brief break in the proceedings was rebuffed by Monsanto. After the meeting, the senator said he wanted to ask how the CZM staff formulated its list of recommendations, and where in the board's rules of procedure it is dictated when the public is allowed to participate in hearings. "I was trying to find out if the decision-making meeting was being operated as an executive session," he said.
After the meeting, Joseph called the permit approval process "an exercise in futility." She said the decision was made without the public having full information on several aspects of the proposed development. In response to a CZM request for additional information, Botany Bay Partners submitted its answers days before the final hearing, denying the public an opportunity to review the responses, she said.
Staff found need for further review
According to the CZM staff report, the developers submitted a revised environmental assessment report on July 5 in response to "a list of deficiencies identified after reviewing the initial submission" and also submitted a "Response to CZM Concerns." Following a CZM public hearing on Aug. 20, they submitted a water quality monitoring plan and written responses to concerns raised by staff and the public. "These documents, however, raised additional questions, as they made reference to documents that were not submitted," the report said.
At a CZM public meeting on Sept. 9, the report continued, the developers provided additional information regarding stormwater management and discussed concerns raised earlier. On Sept. 11, they supplied Sandy Bay marine environment documents and additional information to clarify earlier documents. On Sept. 17, they submitted drawings of the proposed public access "but no narrative on how those areas are to be maintained, enhanced or accessed," the report stated.
"A plethora of information has been submitted requiring significant cross-referencing among reports, studies, old permits and other documents … to obtain an understanding of what the project entails and impacts associated with the development," the report said. "Additionally, "uncertainty of the relationship" between the Environmental Development Commission beneficiary and the applicant "raises additional concerns that are yet to be addressed."
Joseph said it would have been better for the committee to delay the final vote to spend more time reviewing the matter.
Also expressing disappointment was Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, who did not attend Thursday's meeting but sent his public affairs and policy aide, Nicole Bollentini, as his representative. Donastorg said afterward that he was disappointed but not surprised by the affirmative vote. He said the Botany Bay decision was "pushed through without proper controls from the very start."
Attorney George Dudley, representing the developers, said he was pleased with the vote to grant the CZM permit.
The Botany Bay Partners principals "are serious about this being an eco-tourism resort. We're looking forward to being put to the test," Dudley said. He also said he anticipates further opposition and the possibility that the permit approval may be appealed.
Concerned parties have 45 days to appeal the decision with the Board of Land Use Appeals. Once administrative remedies are exhausted, the matter could be taken to court.
Botany Bay is considered to have unique historic significance by scientists, historians and educators for its rich, diverse and almost undisturbed quality that has allowed several plant and wildlife communities to thrive while the rest of St. Thomas has suffered the effects of development. Identified ecological and historic "treasures" include two colonial historic sites which are part of the National Historic Register, one of the last remaining watersheds, thriving coral reef communities, parakeets, deer, green monkeys, turtles and a pre-colonial Amerindian ballfield.
EAST objections
Joseph said on Friday that "the community is frustrated and outraged by CZM's decision." She called Thursday evening's meeting "a farce … little or no consideration was given to either public testimony or the professional recommendations of the CZM staff."
As examples of "major problems" with the permit, Joseph said, it was approved "without any plans for sewage treatment and without benefit of any marine surveys. These are not small matters. We are talking about the development of one of our most pristine and sensitive lands." She added that the CZM committee members "didn't seem to appreciate the scope or the extent of their authority under the CZM Act to limit the impact of developments on the environment."
Joseph was in agreement with one committee member, however. Echoing Adams, she said, "This is a classic example of what happens in the absence of land-use planning … With such a plan in place, we could avoid many of our development concerns."
She added that EAST will be asking candidates seeking public office in November to support the adoption of a comprehensive land and water use plan.
Provisions attached to permit
1. Public access will be recorded as being constructed along public easements to the property; any relocation of the public access area will require CZM permission.
2. The public will be allowed to use the resort's funicular system without charge during operating hours.
3. Community residents will be allowed to use the resort tennis courts without charge.
4. The permittee will provide an on-site area for public education about the natural resources of Botany Bay and nature trails open to the public.
5. The permittee will provide shuttle service for workers to and from the development site.
6. The permittee will provide special lighting compatible with turtle nesting and take steps to protect the nesting habitat.
7. The permittee will comply with Historic Preservation Commission requirements to minimize the loss of archeological resources on site.
8. Any use of the helicopter pad will be in compliance with rules and regulations.
9. The permittee will hire an endangered species biologist to document land-clearing methods and make sure that steps are taken to protect or relocate rare and endangered species.
10. Land clearing will take place in three specified phases, subject to CZM approval of work done in each phase before work commences on the next.
11. No sediment-laden runoff will be allowed to enter in the coastal waters surrounding the project site.
12. The permittee will provide funds to DPNR to hire an independent expert to conduct water and marine resource monitoring.
13. Agreements, permits and upgrades for use of the Bordeaux wastewater treatment plant will be in place before any request to DPNR for a certificate of occupancy. The permittee will pay for any necessary upgrades.
14. The permittee will post a $10 million surety bond to ensure that erosion and sedimentation controls are implemented and maintained to minimize adverse environmental impact to the site's land, sea and archeological resources.
15. All other necessary federal and territorial permits must be obtained prior to the start of work.

Jean Etsinger contributed to this report.
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Sept. 20, 2002 – Low water pressure that is the result of a pipeline rupture on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront will continue until about 10 p.m. Friday, Water and Power Authority spokeswoman Patricia Blake Simmonds said in the afternoon.
She said customers along the entire potable water system are being affected because WAPA shut down its pumps to make the needed repairs and is distributing water by gravity feed.
Customers in the flat areas are getting water from their taps, but those who live in the hills probably won't get any flow, Simmonds said. But, she added, "Not a soul has complained."
She estimated that about one-third of St. Thomas residents are tied into the potable water system, which runs from Cyril E. King Airport east to the Tutu and Thomasville areas.
The rupture in the 24-inch pipe occurred on the waterfront apron across from International Plaza between 11 p.m. and midnight Thursday. Simmonds said the affected item is a major transmission pipe.
Most of the water that escaped when the pipe broke ran into the sea, although a small amount pooled on the concrete apron, she said. Traffic was not affected.
The cause of the rupture has not been determined. "It appears to be one of those things," Simmonds said.

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Editor's note: An earlier report stating the facility closed at noon was based on incorrect information faxed by the Police Department.
Sept. 20, 2002 – While the Motor Vehicle Bureau personnel in Sub Base are inspecting vehicles, administering road tests and filling out paperwork as usual, as of 1 p.m. Friday the agency was not able to accept money.
Lawrence Olive, bureau director, said that a problem with the Finance Department's computers was to blame. He said the Motor Vehicle Bureau's collection computers are tied in to those at Finance to keep track of payments.
Those with business at the bureau on St. Thomas will "just have to leave their paperwork and pay on Monday," Olive said.
He expects everything to be running smoothly by then.
The Motor Vehicle Bureau facility on St. John was not affected since its staff uses a manual system. The St. Croix facility also was not affected.

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Sept. 20, 2002 – The Water and Power Authority has announced that potable water customers on St. Thomas may experience reduced pressure Friday while a WAPA crew is repairing a ruptured line on the waterfront.
The damaged 24-inch water line is located near International Plaza, according to a WAPA release.
"The entire potable water distribution system may experience low water pressure during the repair period," the release stated.
No additional information was immediately available.

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Sept. 20, 2002 – The Police Department has announced that due to technical difficulties, it was decided to close the Motor Vehicle Bureau facilities on St. Thomas as of noon Friday.
In a release, Lawrence Olive, bureau director, said it is expected that bureau operations at the Sub Base facility will be back to normal on Monday.
No further information could be obtained from the department.

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Sept. 19, 2002 – The ongoing saga of when and how funding will be forthcoming for the territory's street lighting was in the limelight again Wednesday at a meeting of the Senate Government Operations Committee, which once again approved Sen. Emmett Hansen's Infrastructure Maintenance Act of 2001, updating its name to the Act of 2002.
The saga took a curious twist early in the day when Gov. Charles W. Turnbull sent the Fiscal Year 2003 budget and Omnibus bills with his approvals and vetoes to Senate President Almando "Rocky" Liburd.
Turnbull said in his letter of transmittal to Liburd that he had approved a $500,000 Omnibus appropriation to the Water and Power Authority. He then wrote: "Taken with the surcharge recently approved by the Public Services Commission, this subsidy will help ensure that WAPA has sufficient funds and that more of our neighborhoods will be lighted in the near future."
The PSC has not acted on WAPA's petition for a monthly surcharge of about $1.50 on residential customers' bills as a means of raising revenues to pay for the lighting. The petition is scheduled to be heard at a Sept. 30 commission meeting.
Hansen, the Government Operations chair, called Wednesday's meeting to get a status report from WAPA on possible sources of funding for the street lighting. The matter has been a thorn in the utility's side since legislation enacted last year transferred responsibility for the territory's street and area lighting to WAPA from the Public Works Department.
The administration has steadfastly refused to allocate the money the Legislature appropriated earlier this year for the lighting program.
Robert J. Vodzack, WAPA chief financial officer, told the committee on Wednesday: "No funds have been received by the authority from the $4.7 million appropriation in Act 6486, let alone funding to improve and expand the public street lighting system." He added that the authority has been billing Public Works for all street lighting since the bill was passed, but "PWD has not paid for this service."
Vodzack said the authority is "specifically prohibited from knowingly providing 'free service' under its bond resolution, a contractual agreement between the purchasers of the authority's long-term indebtedness and the authority."
If the PSC denies WAPA the surcharge, he said, it will be requiring WAPA to provide "free service." And that, as a violation of WAPA's bond covenant, could "taint" WAPA's reputation in the bond community and impair the authority's ability to issue future bonds, he said.
The PSC chair, Desmond Maynard, had been invited to testify at Wednesday's hearing, but Hansen said Maynard, a lawyer, could not be present because he had to appear in court.
Hansen's infrastructure bill provides for 5 percent of property taxes and a portion of gasoline taxes to be paid into three separate funds — a street light fund, a road fund and a potable water fund — that would be established for each of the four main islands — St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and Water Island. The taxes collected on a particular island would go into the funds for that same island. At the end of each fiscal quarter, the Finance commissioner would distribute the funds.
After months of meetings, Hansen succeeded in June in getting his "2001" bill through the Senate and to Government House, only to have Turnbull veto it. After that, his colleagues, who had almost unanimously voted for the measure, would not support an override of the veto.
Turnbull said at the time of his veto that the measure would remove "critically needed funds from the General Fund." And, he said, "It is within the purview of WAPA to raise its own revenues to carry out its duties and responsibilities."
According to Hansen, his legislation now "will be fast-tracked to Rules, and then straight to the floor. There is absolutely nothing to take its place. There is nothing allocated from the government."
Ira Mills, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said at a Senate Finance Committee meeting recently that, the Senate's appropriation notwithstanding, there is no money available for street lighting.
Sen. David Jones asked what made Hansen think the governor would approve the infrastructure legislation this time around, terming the effort a "futile exercise." Hansen said he saw no choice but to try again, since there is no other funding for lighting.
He said he has tried for more than a year to get a response from Government House about the bill. He said earlier this year that he had made "more than 100 phone calls" and written many letters.
"I've made public my pleas," Hansen said on Wednesday. "What am I supposed to do? Storm the gates and leap across the drawbridge and deliver it on parchment paper on bended knee?" He added of his bill, "It is not the holy grail, but it will work."
Should Hansen's legislation pass without delay and become law, Vodzack said, WAPA would withdraw its surcharge petition before the PSC.
Sen. Adelbert Bryan spoke vehemently against the surcharge idea, calling it "disgusting and ridiculous." He said putting payment for the lighting on the backs of residential customers would "create a bunch of slaves and dependents."
However, Bryan suggested an alternative funding source which he said would not create "political parasites." Speaking to Vodzack, he asked how much money WAPA takes in from the Housing Authority each month. As a ballpark figure, Vodzack said, about $600,000 for water and $50,000 for electricity.
Bryan said those amounts times 12, which would be $7.8 million, would "certainly pay for street lighting." He said the Housing Authority should pro-rate the service. He offered this analogy: "I give you milk and cookies every day for five years; and one day I don't, you will be upset, because you think you are entitled to that." His point: The families in housing communities "should pay something."
Bryan said that goes for all housing developments, private as well as public. He asked Vodzack if any developments in the States depend on their governments to pay for their water, to which Vodzack just looked askance, agreeing with Bryan's point.
Hansen's bill passed on a 4-2 vote with Jones abstaining. Voting for it were Sens. Carlton Dowe, Donald "Ducks" Cole, Hansen and Norma Pickard-Samuel. Voting against were Sens. Bryan and Roosevelt David.
Another bill Hansen has submitted — to use the territory's excess receipts from the Fiscal Year 2002 rum excise taxes for installation, repair and maintenance of St. Croix's sewage system and for other infrastructure repairs on the island — was held in committee for further study.

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Sept. 19, 2002 – The eight senators who voted last December to approve rezoning for Botany Bay found their campaign posters decorated Wednesday morning with environmentally unfriendly stickers.
Which is to say the stickers, in the eyes of at least one senator whose posters bear them, are not an "environmentally friendly thing to do." That's what Sen. Donald "Ducks" Cole said Wednesday. Cole was incensed, as were his colleagues who voted for the rezoning.
Apparently sometime Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, the stickers were applied to the senators' posters and to those of Gov. Charles W. Turnbull as well. Sens. Cole, Roosevelt David, Carlton Dowe, Emmett Hansen II, Norman Jn Baptiste, David Jones and Almando "Rocky" Liburd voted for the rezoning in December, and the governor approved it soon after.
The stickers – which read "Sold Botany Bay out" and "Botany Bay 8" – first appeared about three weeks ago. At that time, Cole said, "I just basically took it," but he isn't going to "take" Wednesday's defacing of the posters. "I am going to file a vandalism complaint with the Police Department today," he said Wednesday.
On Wednesday there were many more stickers on many more posters, according to Cole and David.
"If you don't want to vote for me, don't vote for me," Cole said, "but don't destroy my posters." He added, "This is out of order. It shows a total disregard; this is private property."
David was equally incensed. "I am making a police report and writing the attorney general and possibly the U.S. attorney," he said. "It's a criminal act, and when people get away with things like this, they move to bigger criminal activities. It doesn't speak well for the community."
David said he met some tourists at lunch Wednesday and "they told me they saw my beautiful posters, and they thought it was a shame. They were very upset." He continued, "It's very sad."
And it's expensive. David said, "It's about $200 a poster. We have people who have spent half the day removing the stickers with some chemicals. I hope the police find them" – the perpetrators.
Cole said his posters cost about $300 each.
Cole said he voted for the rezoning because he has to "look at projects to bring new money into this economy. How can we sustain a $640 million budget if we don't get new development?"
He said the territory's antiquities law protects artifacts from destruction. "All those things are protected," he said. "No development can go in those places where they have to be preserved. Everything on that property has to be monitored by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and they have to develop it in compliance with Coastal Zone Management permits. It cannot be in violation of V.I. law."
Probably not coincidentally, the St. Thomas CZM Committee was meeting Thursday to make a decision on a major permit for the Botany Bay development.
Opposition to the rezoning has been constant and considerable at public hearings and CZM meetings. DPNR officials recommended that a zoning variance be considered instead of the zoning change sought by Botany Bay Partners, the developers planning to build a
$165 million resort on the pristine land at the far western tip of St. Thomas.
A variance would have allowed the developers to move ahead with their project while binding them to plans approved specifically for the use of the land.
Botany Bay Partners officials have said they are sensitive to environmental and cultural concerns about the area. Rezoning opponents have noted that a variance would prevent the developers from drastically changing their plans or selling the property with new zoning to other developers.
The seven senators voting against rezoning were Lorraine Berry, Adelbert Bryan, Douglas Canton Jr., Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, Norma Pickard-Samuel and Vargrave Richards. Richards is Turnbull's running mate in the November election.
Several other candidates' posters, in addition to those mentioned, have been vandalized, too. A series of posters, including one of Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II and his running mate, Maryleen Thomas, on Julian Jackson Highway by the airport turnoff have been slashed. Another of Turnbull and Richards on Raphune Hill was defaced.

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