Aug. 7, 2002 – Ida White is scouting again. Back in May, she led the Ms. Senior Club in recruiting a few good men to vie for the title of Mr. Senior V.I. Personality. Now, she's out to locate a few good women for the Ms. Virgin Islands Senior America Pageant.
The event is set for Sunday, Aug. 25 at the Mark C. Marin Center at Antilles School. Already on the runway are contestants Marlene Boschulte, Juanita Codrington, Margarita Hodge, and Gertrude Samuel. White says they'll be glad to consider more energetic young ladies over 60 years of age to add to the mix – but only if applications are submitted by Friday, Aug. 9.
From the outside, it seems like a hard act to follow: retiring after her year is Carol Tuohy; reigning in earlier years were Toya Andrew and White herself. A more diverse and lively trio would be difficult to find.
"They're all different, all winners," said White, referring to contestants. They all gain stage confidence and, "since they're mature and not as competitive as contestants for younger shows, they settle in and enjoy a sisterhood" that continues after the contests. What's important, she says, is the camaraderie of the group that adds contestants each year as members of the "Cameo Club."
Anyone can nominate herself or someone else by calling White at 775-5436.
The event will be held at 4 p.m., and admission is $12 adult, $6 for seniors with ID, and $6 for children under 12 years. Without giving away the program, White said, the theme will be a fantasy centered around a cruise ship, and the theme song begins: "Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you're young at heart …"
Certainly, energetic seniors remember that tune and who sang it.
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.
HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST DOWNGRADED
Aug. 7, 2002 – With the height of hurricane season just around the corner, Colorado State University forecaster William Gray has downgraded his earlier prediction on the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes likely to occur in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean. In fact, he now expects the season to be less active than normal.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST DOWNGRADED
Aug. 7, 2002 – With the height of hurricane season just around the corner, Colorado State University forecaster William Gray has downgraded his earlier prediction on the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes likely to occur in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean. In fact, he now expects the season to be less active than normal.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
HURRICANE SEASON FORECAST DOWNGRADED
Aug. 7, 2002 – With the height of hurricane season just around the corner, Colorado State University forecaster William Gray has downgraded his earlier prediction on the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes likely to occur in the Atlantic basin, which includes the Caribbean. In fact, he now expects the season to be less active than normal.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
In his August update issued on Wednesday, Gray said he now thinks there will be nine named tropical storms, down from his May 31 projection of 11. And he now expects four of them to escalate into hurricanes, rather than the six he had projected earlier.
And of those four, only one will be a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, he now believes. On May 31, he thought there would be two major hurricanes.
The long-term average is 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.3 major hurricanes per year.
The new figures represent a further downgrade of his initial 2002 prediction issued on Dec. 7, 2001. At that time, he predicted 13 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
"Due to recent changes in climate signals, we now believe the 2002 Atlantic basin hurricane season will be considerably below the long-term average and much below what has been experienced in six of the last seven years," Gray said in a release. "The primary decrease is expected to occur in the most intense, and in the frequency of low-latitude storms."
The Virgin Islands is at about 18 degrees north latitude, whereas Miami, Florida, for example, is at about 25 north latitude.
Gray credits a strengthening El Nino disruption in the ocean-atmosphere system in the equatorial Pacific with inhibiting some storm development, but he said activity in the Atlantic has played a bigger role. He said three factors have helped to create conditions unfavorable to hurricane development:
– A cooling of Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures.
– A large increase in Atlantic sea surface pressures.
– A strengthening of tropical Atlantic easterly tradewinds and upper-level tropospheric westerly winds. The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Air in the troposphere is heated from the ground up, and this is where weather systems occur.
Gray said that global warming or any other human-induced factors have no bearing on this hurricane season.
Harold Baker, director of the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, said he was happy to hear of the reduced forecast. But he reminded residents not to let their guard down until any chance of a hurricane forming is past. "Continue your posture of readiness," he urged.
He said residents should have emergency food supplies on hand, their flashlights filled with fresh batteries, their generators tuned up, their yards cleared of any debris that could take flight in a storm, and whatever materials they use to protect their windows ready to install.
This year, for the first time, Gray and his team will be updating his seasonal forecast again on Sept. 2 and are making monthly predictions for August and September, historically the hurricane season's busiest months. Gray now foresees four named storms, one hurricane and no intense hurricanes in August; and three named storms, two hurricanes and one intense hurricane in September.
While Gray does not predict how many hurricanes will come ashore in the Caribbean, he does note that the probability of one or more making landfall on the U.S. coastline is lower than normal. He gives it a 49 percent probability as compared to the 52 percent long-term average. He puts probability for the Gulf of Mexico at 29 percent and for the East Coast and Florida peninsula at 28 percent.
"This is good news for coastal residents. Fewer hurricanes come ashore in quieter years," Gray said.
But there are no guarantees. As Virgin Islanders know all too well, the only one that counts is the one that hits. Gray noted that Hurricane Andrew, which in 1992 wiped much of southern Miami off the map, hit in a relatively inactive year.
Gray maintains we're still in the midst of a multi-decade era of increased storm activity such as happened in the 1940s and 1950s. The seven most active hurricane seasons on record occurred between 1995, when Hurricane Marilyn dealt the territory a big blow, and 2001, he said.
So far this year, the hurricane season has produced three storms, none of which threatened the Virgin Islands. July's Tropical Storm Arthur formed several hundred miles south of Nova Scotia and caused no damage. Tropical Storm Bertha this week briefly formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Cristobal was churning on Wednesday off the east coast of Florida.
The list of remaining storm names for 2002: Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Isidor, Josephine, Kyle, Lili, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paloma, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.
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.
GAVALER'S LIGHT NOVEL FEATURES RESORT SETTING
Aug. 7, 2002 – Chris Gavaler described his seventh novel, "Pretend I'm Not Here," as a "thriller with a strong offbeat female protagonist" in an interview in the online "Newsstreak of Harrisonburg High School," where he taught English for a decade.
Described by readers and reviewers variously as a romance, comedy, mystery, suspense, the story has enough plot and wit to encompass all of the above.
The story's hook is a popular television show with a central character whose job is chaperoning a chosen couple – this trip's beautiful pair is "curvaceous Melissa and voracious Randy" – who are to spend the weekend getting well acquainted at St. Thomas' Lovelund Bay resort. Poor chaperone Ashley Farrell: bodies tend to fall, police tend to gather, and a handsome stranger keeps turning up, all near our heroine. And thereby hangs an action tale of mystery, romance, humor, the "Mob" and the FBI …
Chapter headings are hilarious, along the lines of present-day reality television: "Do you like surprises?" "If you were the pilot of my plane, how would you cure my fear of flying?" "Would you kill for love, and if so, whom?" "What's the most embarrassing thing I could find in your bedroom?"
Gavaler's "Acknowledgments" apologizes to the residents of the Virgin Islands. He honeymooned on St. John in 1993 and "no one shot at us." No doubt, he says, "the police force is a model of integrity and professionalism" – unlike certain unsavory story characters. Despite moving Peter Jennings to NBC, he gets street and place names on St. Thomas right for the most part, and he noted that the resort in question is fictional. Mercifully he forbore to imitate local dialect – perhaps because his characters interacted mainly with bartenders, bodyguards, other resort tourists, and many policemen – one fondly referred to only as "the married cop."
But the story could have been set in any warm resort, and someone reading for the atmosphere of, say, Phyllis Whitney's "Columbella" or Mildred Bailey's "A Lighter Shade of Bleu," may be disappointed.
The story, however, moves right along with plot twists and intentional and unintentional wit, and whether for romance, suspense, or mystery, it's a good evening's read.
Gavaler wrote exclusively poetry before he became an English teacher, according to websites advertising this novel. During the decade he taught creative writing, he began writing fiction as he interacted with students, and he has written in all fiction genres. "Pretend I'm Not Here," appears to be his first published novel.
Published as a HarperTorch paperback original, copies are for sale at Dockside Bookshop on St. 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.
Described by readers and reviewers variously as a romance, comedy, mystery, suspense, the story has enough plot and wit to encompass all of the above.
The story's hook is a popular television show with a central character whose job is chaperoning a chosen couple – this trip's beautiful pair is "curvaceous Melissa and voracious Randy" – who are to spend the weekend getting well acquainted at St. Thomas' Lovelund Bay resort. Poor chaperone Ashley Farrell: bodies tend to fall, police tend to gather, and a handsome stranger keeps turning up, all near our heroine. And thereby hangs an action tale of mystery, romance, humor, the "Mob" and the FBI …
Chapter headings are hilarious, along the lines of present-day reality television: "Do you like surprises?" "If you were the pilot of my plane, how would you cure my fear of flying?" "Would you kill for love, and if so, whom?" "What's the most embarrassing thing I could find in your bedroom?"
Gavaler's "Acknowledgments" apologizes to the residents of the Virgin Islands. He honeymooned on St. John in 1993 and "no one shot at us." No doubt, he says, "the police force is a model of integrity and professionalism" – unlike certain unsavory story characters. Despite moving Peter Jennings to NBC, he gets street and place names on St. Thomas right for the most part, and he noted that the resort in question is fictional. Mercifully he forbore to imitate local dialect – perhaps because his characters interacted mainly with bartenders, bodyguards, other resort tourists, and many policemen – one fondly referred to only as "the married cop."
But the story could have been set in any warm resort, and someone reading for the atmosphere of, say, Phyllis Whitney's "Columbella" or Mildred Bailey's "A Lighter Shade of Bleu," may be disappointed.
The story, however, moves right along with plot twists and intentional and unintentional wit, and whether for romance, suspense, or mystery, it's a good evening's read.
Gavaler wrote exclusively poetry before he became an English teacher, according to websites advertising this novel. During the decade he taught creative writing, he began writing fiction as he interacted with students, and he has written in all fiction genres. "Pretend I'm Not Here," appears to be his first published novel.
Published as a HarperTorch paperback original, copies are for sale at Dockside Bookshop on St. 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.
NIGHT OUT ENJOYED BY HUNDREDS IN FRENCHTOWN
Aug. 8, 2002 – The band played, the dancers danced, chicken legs and johnny cakes were gobbled up as hundreds celebrated Tuesday night at Joseph Aubain Ballpark. And not a drink of rum in sight.
The merry crowd gathered at the ballpark for the 15th annual Virgin Islands Night Out Against Crime, Drugs and Violence, which is the territory's name for the national citizen initiative called National Night Out. The normally brisk rum business at the concession stand was replaced with sodas, juice and bottled water, as children from two years old to 18, threw frisbees, danced and played in the inflatable balloon tent.
The youngsters, or at least the ones more than seven or eight years old, stopped their antics to listen to Eddy Charles, the governor's drug policy advisor and Law Enforcement Planning Commission director, as he explained the significance of the event.
Charles told them "We cannot stand by and let drugs continue to ruin the lives of our future leaders." He said the community must work together to shed some light on the drug and crime problems.
And many community organizations were there to help people learn how to do just that. Narcotics Anonymous, had a booth with literature on its assisted self-help program; the American Red Cross booth handed out free condoms; and the local Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Dependency Service handed out pamphlets, as did St. Thomas Rescue.
All sorts of people showed up for the annual affair, generating the sense of community which the program seeks to revive. And, being election year, the event was not without a smattering of candidates – Senatorial aspirant Louis Hill, and Sen. Adlah "Foncie Donastorg mingled with the crowd – and many, many political T-shirts showed up among the "Night Out 2002" shirts.
Maria Brady was there with a four-month island newcomer, attorney Mark Wallace, law enforcement coordinator in the U. S. Attorney's office. "I really love the island," said a grinning Wallace as he surveyed the happy crowd. "I'd only been here once before on my interview," he said, adding the move from Washington, D. C. had been a "good one."
Seven-year-old Avon Crossley was more interested in learning how to swing a giant hammer and ring a bell for a prize, than the ongoing speeches. The Wesleyan third grader, and her mother, were really awaiting the performance of her 12-year-old sister, Kenisha, a step dancer with the Police Athletic League summer camp ensemble.
And step they did. However, since they were performing on the grass field, the announcer noted the dance wouldn't have the full effect. That was of no concern to the huge circle of admirers, who cheered the girls on, clapping and chanting along with them.
The National Night Out website www.nat.org says more than 33 million people in 9,700 states, territories and Canada, joined together Tuesday to spread the message to criminals letting them know that communities and neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back.
They demonstrated with block parties, cookouts, ice cream socials, front porch "lights on"vigils, flashlight walks, safety fairs, essay contests, or just an old-fashioned ballpark get together in Frenchtown, USVI.
The merry crowd gathered at the ballpark for the 15th annual Virgin Islands Night Out Against Crime, Drugs and Violence, which is the territory's name for the national citizen initiative called National Night Out. The normally brisk rum business at the concession stand was replaced with sodas, juice and bottled water, as children from two years old to 18, threw frisbees, danced and played in the inflatable balloon tent.
The youngsters, or at least the ones more than seven or eight years old, stopped their antics to listen to Eddy Charles, the governor's drug policy advisor and Law Enforcement Planning Commission director, as he explained the significance of the event.
Charles told them "We cannot stand by and let drugs continue to ruin the lives of our future leaders." He said the community must work together to shed some light on the drug and crime problems.
And many community organizations were there to help people learn how to do just that. Narcotics Anonymous, had a booth with literature on its assisted self-help program; the American Red Cross booth handed out free condoms; and the local Mental Health Alcohol and Drug Dependency Service handed out pamphlets, as did St. Thomas Rescue.
All sorts of people showed up for the annual affair, generating the sense of community which the program seeks to revive. And, being election year, the event was not without a smattering of candidates – Senatorial aspirant Louis Hill, and Sen. Adlah "Foncie Donastorg mingled with the crowd – and many, many political T-shirts showed up among the "Night Out 2002" shirts.
Maria Brady was there with a four-month island newcomer, attorney Mark Wallace, law enforcement coordinator in the U. S. Attorney's office. "I really love the island," said a grinning Wallace as he surveyed the happy crowd. "I'd only been here once before on my interview," he said, adding the move from Washington, D. C. had been a "good one."
Seven-year-old Avon Crossley was more interested in learning how to swing a giant hammer and ring a bell for a prize, than the ongoing speeches. The Wesleyan third grader, and her mother, were really awaiting the performance of her 12-year-old sister, Kenisha, a step dancer with the Police Athletic League summer camp ensemble.
And step they did. However, since they were performing on the grass field, the announcer noted the dance wouldn't have the full effect. That was of no concern to the huge circle of admirers, who cheered the girls on, clapping and chanting along with them.
The National Night Out website www.nat.org says more than 33 million people in 9,700 states, territories and Canada, joined together Tuesday to spread the message to criminals letting them know that communities and neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back.
They demonstrated with block parties, cookouts, ice cream socials, front porch "lights on"vigils, flashlight walks, safety fairs, essay contests, or just an old-fashioned ballpark get together in Frenchtown, USVI.
NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIMES DRAWS SPARSE CROWD
Aug. 6, 2002 – A smattering of St. John residents plus a few visitors gathered Tuesday night in Cruz Bay Park for the annual Night Out Against Drugs, Crime and Violence.
While St. John has far less crime than St. Thomas and St. Croix, it does have its share of burglaries and the occasional robbery and assault. Drugs are a problem.
"Crime is on the rise. Violence is on the rise. This is the time of the year to rally citizens to help stem violence and crime," Harry Daniel, St. John Community Foundation president, said.
The Community Foundation organized the evening in the park. Those who turned out were invited to take their turn at the karaoke microphone, and some people got up and danced. A dance contest was scheduled and music was provided by St. John's own Cool Session.
"We came out for Cool Session," said Kadigia Ferdinand, 14, who was strolling around the park with her friends Keisha Riviere, 13, and Delrise Stevens, 16.
About a half dozen St. John police officers were on hand to meet and greet the members of the community. Officer Bridget Conow, special assistant to Deputy Police Chief Angelo Hill, said they were handing out fish-shaped flashlights to children who introduced themselves to the officers. "We're here for public relations," Conow said.
St. Thomas resident Daphne Gumbs, who drew lots of applause with her karaoke rendition, said she thought it was good for the community to join forces for a rally of this sort.
"You have to be careful, because there's always crime around," she noted. "But on St. John, it's low."
Sharon Coldron made the trip from Coral Bay in the hope of meeting up with some politicians. "I came in to drum up support for an APC for Coral Bay," she said, speaking of the Area of Particular Concern environmental designation now under discussion for the Coral Bay area.
Coldron was disappointed to find no elected officials in attendance. Aubrey Bridgewater was there representing Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd. Craig Barshinger, a candidate challenging Liburd for the senator-at-large seat, was chatting up everyone in sight, as usual. Daniel, who is running for the same position, didn't appear to be doing any politicking.
Daniel observed that St. John residents often don't come out for events such as Tuesday night's gathering. Carole DeSenne, Community Foundation executive director, was philosophical: "If people don't come, we can't do anything about it."
Throughout the United States, Night Out week is being observed Aug. 1-10. Locally, the event comes under the auspices of the Law Enforcement Planning Commission.
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.
While St. John has far less crime than St. Thomas and St. Croix, it does have its share of burglaries and the occasional robbery and assault. Drugs are a problem.
"Crime is on the rise. Violence is on the rise. This is the time of the year to rally citizens to help stem violence and crime," Harry Daniel, St. John Community Foundation president, said.
The Community Foundation organized the evening in the park. Those who turned out were invited to take their turn at the karaoke microphone, and some people got up and danced. A dance contest was scheduled and music was provided by St. John's own Cool Session.
"We came out for Cool Session," said Kadigia Ferdinand, 14, who was strolling around the park with her friends Keisha Riviere, 13, and Delrise Stevens, 16.
About a half dozen St. John police officers were on hand to meet and greet the members of the community. Officer Bridget Conow, special assistant to Deputy Police Chief Angelo Hill, said they were handing out fish-shaped flashlights to children who introduced themselves to the officers. "We're here for public relations," Conow said.
St. Thomas resident Daphne Gumbs, who drew lots of applause with her karaoke rendition, said she thought it was good for the community to join forces for a rally of this sort.
"You have to be careful, because there's always crime around," she noted. "But on St. John, it's low."
Sharon Coldron made the trip from Coral Bay in the hope of meeting up with some politicians. "I came in to drum up support for an APC for Coral Bay," she said, speaking of the Area of Particular Concern environmental designation now under discussion for the Coral Bay area.
Coldron was disappointed to find no elected officials in attendance. Aubrey Bridgewater was there representing Sen. Almando "Rocky" Liburd. Craig Barshinger, a candidate challenging Liburd for the senator-at-large seat, was chatting up everyone in sight, as usual. Daniel, who is running for the same position, didn't appear to be doing any politicking.
Daniel observed that St. John residents often don't come out for events such as Tuesday night's gathering. Carole DeSenne, Community Foundation executive director, was philosophical: "If people don't come, we can't do anything about it."
Throughout the United States, Night Out week is being observed Aug. 1-10. Locally, the event comes under the auspices of the Law Enforcement Planning Commission.
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.
THERE'S A QUADRILLE DANCE IN FREDERIKSTED
The de Jongh Arnold 2002 campaign team will hold a Quadrille Dance on Friday,
August 9, starting at 10 p.m., in St. Gerard's Hall, Frederiksted. Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights will provide the music, and the caller will be Curtis Williams.
Tickets are $6 if purchased in advance, or $7 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the de Jongh Arnold Headquarters in Christiansted. For further information, call 773-2002.
August 9, starting at 10 p.m., in St. Gerard's Hall, Frederiksted. Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights will provide the music, and the caller will be Curtis Williams.
Tickets are $6 if purchased in advance, or $7 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the de Jongh Arnold Headquarters in Christiansted. For further information, call 773-2002.
V.I. CARNIVAL COMMITTEE TO MEET
The next general meeting of the V.I. Carnival Committee will be Friday, Aug. 9, at 6 p.m at headquarters, on lower Kronprindens Gade.
LAST DAY TO SUBMIT 2003 CARNIVAL THEMES
The V.I. Carnival Committee has issued a call for theme ideas, to be submitted to the office on lower Kronprindsens Gade or via fax at 777-9199. The deadline for entries is Aug. 30.
For more information call 776-3112.
For more information call 776-3112.
