July 8, 2002 – While some adults go to great lengths to steer young people toward the right direction in life, two St. Thomas police officers and some local dive instructors have also gone to great depths.
A dozen youngsters from the Bovoni Housing Community and surrounding residential areas recently returned from Key Largo, Florida, where they took part in a youth summit on scuba diving. They went in the company of two Housing Authority police officers, participants in the federally sponsored Weed and Seed program — Officers Louis Magras and Adrien Huggins.
The officers said the Virgin Islands made quite a splash at the National Black Scuba Divers Association Youth Summit — by accounting for nearly half of the participants and by arriving as fully trained and certified divers. There were 15 other young people there, from Florida and Tennessee.
"They went to be recognized for their accomplishments," said Magras, who proudly pointed to the fact that 10 of his crew, ages 10 to 17, were master scuba divers when they left St. Thomas. One was certified as an open-water diver and one had received certification as a rescue diver.
Magras said the idea for the Weed and Seed Bovoni Scuba Dive Team came from Huggins, his partner, who has been diving since 1989. The original thrust of the program was to introduce the kids to a new experience and show them how their dive skills could lead to careers in the marine industry. Instruction took place at the St. Thomas Diving Club.
Much of their expertise was gained with the help of dive club instructor Bill Letts, who along with other club instructors opened the training facilities to the Weed and Seed group. "Over the last two years we have certified 16 local youths, primarily from Bovoni," Letts said. "Ten of these have achieved the level of Junior Master Scuba Diver as well as Master Scuba Diver, the only difference being age."
Magras said he was also inspired to take the plunge, and trained and received certification along with the youngsters. "It's because of this program that I learned to start diving," he said.
Becoming a certified diver is far from easy, Lett said, and some Weed and Seed youngsters as well as some dive club volunteer instructors, decided to drop out. But, to their credit, he said, many decided to stick it out. "Many students had to retake swim tests and exams, study questions and continue to retake until they could demonstrate they were able to handle the challenge, or drop out of the program."
"Diving is a disciplined sport," Letts noted. "Without following the rules, it can be dangerous." He said those who succeeded in the training "are responsible for their own achievements."
He said the biggest lesson for one student in the medical training course was learning to speak up. "I instructed her on how to approach a victim. As you approach, you are to say, 'I am medically trained; I can help.' I told her it would not be effective if she whispered the statement. She had to instill confidence in the victim that she really could help. So, she must say in a loud and forceful manner 'I am trained …'
"Well, it was like a door opening. She came on loud and strong, and for the rest of her classes she would speak up and be heard — whether I liked it or not!"
It took a different kind of effort to get the divers to the youth summit, one led by student divers and their parents, who held raffles and other fund-raisers. Their efforts were supplemented by funds from the Housing Authority and Weed and Seed.
There's been a ripple effect, too. As word of the dive team's adventure had spread, Magras said, more kids are showing up and signing up to learn to dive. "Before, they were a little scared to try something new," he said. "It's not a problem now."
And now some of the Bovoni divers are helping others — even their elders — to take on new frontiers beneath the surface of the sea. "One of the smallest and lightest young girls became known as 'Fish' — anything underwater became natural to her," Letts said. "She eventually helped her mother overcome her fears of night diving, but it took some effort."
Huggins summed up the challenge of recruiting, training and keeping his students committed to the dive program in three words: "It wasn't easy."
It was the same comment he used to summarize the scuba diving summit. One of the kids missed the plane to Florida. Heavy rains while they were there lowered visibility and cut back on the number of dives the youngsters got to make, and much of the activity was kept indoors. But as things turned out, that gave the Virgin Islanders yet another chance to shine.
They had taken along a set of steelpans, and they played to the delight of the organizers, Huggins said, and also performed a quadrille dance. In short, "They represented the Virgin Islands," he said, in the process getting to recognize the value of the contributions they had to offer and how much those contributions were appreciated by the outside world.
And, he said, the dive conditions in the Florida Keys helped the youngsters to appreciate their surroundings back home, especially the quality of the water they get to dive in year-round.
Despite the trials of getting his program off the ground, Huggins said, he would do it over again — and he hopes that he'll get the opportunity to do just that. "If I had a chance to get everyone in the Virgin Islands to become a certified diver, I'd do it," he said.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE TO CONTAIN ANGUILLA BLAZE
July 8, 2002 – A heavy dark cloud bubbled with white puffy smoke about 100 feet high as flames crackled at the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix's south shore Monday.
Deputy Fire Chief Roosevelt Parson said the fire broke out around 1 p.m., the cause not immediately known. An emergency team was briefed about 3 p.m. and a command post was set up in a small concrete scale house normally used to weight loads of trash coming in to the site.
The smoke spread some eight miles from Anguilla, to Sandy Point. The Planning and Natural Resources Department issued a warning to residents in the direct path of the smoke cloud to stay indoors, close their windows, and disconnect downspouts leading to cisterns. "The smoke may affect persons with allergies and respiratory ailments, as well as elderly persons," it said.
The release also advised homeowners to "hose off their roofs before reconnecting their downspouts."
Personnel from Fire Services, DPNR, the Public Works Department, the Port Authority, Hovensa and other support agencies responded to the scene, along with volunteers. Fire trucks were on hand from the Grove Place and Richmond fire stations. Hovensa fire crews brought a large suction pump and a distribution device which propelled 500 gallons of salt water per minute 50 feet into the air directly from the south side beach. Parson said Hovensa also provided hoses.
Orange flames crackled and leaped from pile to pile of metal debris as if playing hide and seek. As one was contained, another sparked up as if teasing the firefighters. "Manpower! Manpower!" echoed a call over the short-wave radio for more hands to haul hundreds of feet of hose. Lt. Juan Velez called for more water: "Dale agua. This is an emergency. Give me some pressure."
"I'm here to assist," Epifanio Felix Jr., Port Authority fire chief, said, directing his personnel to tackle the northwest quadrant of the piles of scrap metal, cars, boats, galvanized roofing and tires. But VIPA's 1,500-gallon trucks were no match for the flames.
"I walked this site 10 days ago," said Stella Saunders, public relations official for DPW's Waste Management Division. "This will burn for about three to five days. The manpower is here, but the equipment lacks the ability to control a fire of this magnitude."
"Take all those guys out of there," Fire Service Inspector Marcellino Ventura directed, his freckled face covered with soot, as an explosion came from a green truck.
As night fell, Ventura called headquarters for a generator and lights. "We're gonna be out here for the night," he said. "This is going to take days."
Ventura said the fire had already sped 600 feet westward. At 6:40 p.m., he said there was still a lot of unburned rubbish. For the moment, he explained, "We are not trying to fight the fire or to extinguish it. We are just trying to contain it."
FAA's landfill closing deadline looms
Nearly two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the V.I. government a deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, to close Anguilla down, saying it posed a threat to aircraft taking off and landing at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The threat was twofold, agency officials said: from foraging birds which frequent the dump and from spontaneous combustion fires and the smoke they cause.
On May 20, the takeoff of a small plane was aborted after a bird collided with the aircraft.
FAA rules state that a landfill should not be within 10,000 feet of the runway.
As the landfill blaze raged Monday, a dirt path led to the strategic firefighting center, located between piles of flaming debris rising about 40 feet high. Team leaders yelled commands to 12 firefighters and four volunteers scattered amid the piles. "That's a lovely fire," one firefighter said as he scurried along the path.
Dwayne Fergus of Fergutrax leaped up into his "Tracovator" and plowed through the flaming hills, creating a barrier between the impending flames coming from the west. Fergus said he is familiar with the layout of the landfill because he is contracted by the government to aerate and cover debris dumped there.
He called Monday's blaze "one of the most serious fires on the landfill that I have seen," recalling another at the site about three years ago. "I am concerned about the people down wind from the airport," he said. "Certainly they can't stay in their homes tonight."
Interim waste plan is cause for concern
Fergus had longer-range concerns, as well. "If they go to wrap and bail, they will have a storage bomb just like this," he said, referring to the government's plan to store its solid waste on an interim basis for several years until a new waste-processing system is in place.
On June 22, the government completed negotiations with Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico to operate an interim waste collection and recycling program that is to involve wrapping, baling and storing of trash. The operation, estimated to cost the government upwards of $10 million to start and $5 million a year to maintain, still needs Senate approval.
It is estimated that St. Croix produces over 200 tons of trash per day. A big question is where to put it from now on. One suggested alternative to Anguilla is a site in Estate Slob used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris disposal after Hurricane Hugo. Another is a 79-acre site in Estate Coble.
Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, who showed up at the dump on Monday dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, said he has located property on St. Croix that is suitable for the interim waste site and "won't affect anyone." Watching the fire crews, James said, "I give a lot of accolades to these young men." Fergus, he said, "just took that backhoe and drove right into that fire with no fear."
Firefighters clad in red hats and suspenders and black gloves and boots dragged lengths of hose along the ground. Last week, six new firefighters graduated from training to join personnel at four St. Croix fire stations. One rookie, Terrance Christopher, watched the experienced firemen, awaiting directions from his senior crew members. "It's something I always wanted to do," he said.
Food arrived from Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Firefighters grabbed a piece of chicken, gobbled it down in one bite and ran back to their posts. Ventura thanked the restaurants for providing the meals. "They always assist us when we call them to help feed our crew," he said.
Marlon Williams, an off-duty firefighter and amateur photographer, said he came out to get some pictures. But "you know, once the fire gets into your blood, you got to help, he said. "I stayed to help the brothers."
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.
Deputy Fire Chief Roosevelt Parson said the fire broke out around 1 p.m., the cause not immediately known. An emergency team was briefed about 3 p.m. and a command post was set up in a small concrete scale house normally used to weight loads of trash coming in to the site.
The smoke spread some eight miles from Anguilla, to Sandy Point. The Planning and Natural Resources Department issued a warning to residents in the direct path of the smoke cloud to stay indoors, close their windows, and disconnect downspouts leading to cisterns. "The smoke may affect persons with allergies and respiratory ailments, as well as elderly persons," it said.
The release also advised homeowners to "hose off their roofs before reconnecting their downspouts."
Personnel from Fire Services, DPNR, the Public Works Department, the Port Authority, Hovensa and other support agencies responded to the scene, along with volunteers. Fire trucks were on hand from the Grove Place and Richmond fire stations. Hovensa fire crews brought a large suction pump and a distribution device which propelled 500 gallons of salt water per minute 50 feet into the air directly from the south side beach. Parson said Hovensa also provided hoses.
Orange flames crackled and leaped from pile to pile of metal debris as if playing hide and seek. As one was contained, another sparked up as if teasing the firefighters. "Manpower! Manpower!" echoed a call over the short-wave radio for more hands to haul hundreds of feet of hose. Lt. Juan Velez called for more water: "Dale agua. This is an emergency. Give me some pressure."
"I'm here to assist," Epifanio Felix Jr., Port Authority fire chief, said, directing his personnel to tackle the northwest quadrant of the piles of scrap metal, cars, boats, galvanized roofing and tires. But VIPA's 1,500-gallon trucks were no match for the flames.
"I walked this site 10 days ago," said Stella Saunders, public relations official for DPW's Waste Management Division. "This will burn for about three to five days. The manpower is here, but the equipment lacks the ability to control a fire of this magnitude."
"Take all those guys out of there," Fire Service Inspector Marcellino Ventura directed, his freckled face covered with soot, as an explosion came from a green truck.
As night fell, Ventura called headquarters for a generator and lights. "We're gonna be out here for the night," he said. "This is going to take days."
Ventura said the fire had already sped 600 feet westward. At 6:40 p.m., he said there was still a lot of unburned rubbish. For the moment, he explained, "We are not trying to fight the fire or to extinguish it. We are just trying to contain it."
FAA's landfill closing deadline looms
Nearly two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the V.I. government a deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, to close Anguilla down, saying it posed a threat to aircraft taking off and landing at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The threat was twofold, agency officials said: from foraging birds which frequent the dump and from spontaneous combustion fires and the smoke they cause.
On May 20, the takeoff of a small plane was aborted after a bird collided with the aircraft.
FAA rules state that a landfill should not be within 10,000 feet of the runway.
As the landfill blaze raged Monday, a dirt path led to the strategic firefighting center, located between piles of flaming debris rising about 40 feet high. Team leaders yelled commands to 12 firefighters and four volunteers scattered amid the piles. "That's a lovely fire," one firefighter said as he scurried along the path.
Dwayne Fergus of Fergutrax leaped up into his "Tracovator" and plowed through the flaming hills, creating a barrier between the impending flames coming from the west. Fergus said he is familiar with the layout of the landfill because he is contracted by the government to aerate and cover debris dumped there.
He called Monday's blaze "one of the most serious fires on the landfill that I have seen," recalling another at the site about three years ago. "I am concerned about the people down wind from the airport," he said. "Certainly they can't stay in their homes tonight."
Interim waste plan is cause for concern
Fergus had longer-range concerns, as well. "If they go to wrap and bail, they will have a storage bomb just like this," he said, referring to the government's plan to store its solid waste on an interim basis for several years until a new waste-processing system is in place.
On June 22, the government completed negotiations with Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico to operate an interim waste collection and recycling program that is to involve wrapping, baling and storing of trash. The operation, estimated to cost the government upwards of $10 million to start and $5 million a year to maintain, still needs Senate approval.
It is estimated that St. Croix produces over 200 tons of trash per day. A big question is where to put it from now on. One suggested alternative to Anguilla is a site in Estate Slob used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris disposal after Hurricane Hugo. Another is a 79-acre site in Estate Coble.
Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, who showed up at the dump on Monday dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, said he has located property on St. Croix that is suitable for the interim waste site and "won't affect anyone." Watching the fire crews, James said, "I give a lot of accolades to these young men." Fergus, he said, "just took that backhoe and drove right into that fire with no fear."
Firefighters clad in red hats and suspenders and black gloves and boots dragged lengths of hose along the ground. Last week, six new firefighters graduated from training to join personnel at four St. Croix fire stations. One rookie, Terrance Christopher, watched the experienced firemen, awaiting directions from his senior crew members. "It's something I always wanted to do," he said.
Food arrived from Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Firefighters grabbed a piece of chicken, gobbled it down in one bite and ran back to their posts. Ventura thanked the restaurants for providing the meals. "They always assist us when we call them to help feed our crew," he said.
Marlon Williams, an off-duty firefighter and amateur photographer, said he came out to get some pictures. But "you know, once the fire gets into your blood, you got to help, he said. "I stayed to help the brothers."
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.
FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE TO CONTAIN ANGUILLA BLAZE
July 8, 2002 – A heavy dark cloud bubbled with white puffy smoke about 100 feet high as flames crackled at the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix's south shore Monday.
Deputy Fire Chief Roosevelt Parson said the fire broke out around 1 p.m., the cause not immediately known. An emergency team was briefed about 3 p.m. and a command post was set up in a small concrete scale house normally used to weight loads of trash coming in to the site.
The smoke spread some eight miles from Anguilla, to Sandy Point. The Planning and Natural Resources Department issued a warning to residents in the direct path of the smoke cloud to stay indoors, close their windows, and disconnect downspouts leading to cisterns. "The smoke may affect persons with allergies and respiratory ailments, as well as elderly persons," it said.
The release also advised homeowners to "hose off their roofs before reconnecting their downspouts."
Personnel from Fire Services, DPNR, the Public Works Department, the Port Authority, Hovensa and other support agencies responded to the scene, along with volunteers. Fire trucks were on hand from the Grove Place and Richmond fire stations. Hovensa fire crews brought a large suction pump and a distribution device which propelled 500 gallons of salt water per minute 50 feet into the air directly from the south side beach. Parson said Hovensa also provided hoses.
Orange flames crackled and leaped from pile to pile of metal debris as if playing hide and seek. As one was contained, another sparked up as if teasing the firefighters. "Manpower! Manpower!" echoed a call over the short-wave radio for more hands to haul hundreds of feet of hose. Lt. Juan Velez called for more water: "Dale agua. This is an emergency. Give me some pressure."
"I'm here to assist," Epifanio Felix Jr., Port Authority fire chief, said, directing his personnel to tackle the northwest quadrant of the piles of scrap metal, cars, boats, galvanized roofing and tires. But VIPA's 1,500-gallon trucks were no match for the flames.
"I walked this site 10 days ago," said Stella Saunders, public relations official for DPW's Waste Management Division. "This will burn for about three to five days. The manpower is here, but the equipment lacks the ability to control a fire of this magnitude."
"Take all those guys out of there," Fire Service Inspector Marcellino Ventura directed, his freckled face covered with soot, as an explosion came from a green truck.
As night fell, Ventura called headquarters for a generator and lights. "We're gonna be out here for the night," he said. "This is going to take days."
Ventura said the fire had already sped 600 feet westward. At 6:40 p.m., he said there was still a lot of unburned rubbish. For the moment, he explained, "We are not trying to fight the fire or to extinguish it. We are just trying to contain it."
FAA's landfill closing deadline looms
Nearly two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the V.I. government a deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, to close Anguilla down, saying it posed a threat to aircraft taking off and landing at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The threat was twofold, agency officials said: from foraging birds which frequent the dump and from spontaneous combustion fires and the smoke they cause.
On May 20, the takeoff of a small plane was aborted after a bird collided with the aircraft.
FAA rules state that a landfill should not be within 10,000 feet of the runway.
As the landfill blaze raged Monday, a dirt path led to the strategic firefighting center, located between piles of flaming debris rising about 40 feet high. Team leaders yelled commands to 12 firefighters and four volunteers scattered amid the piles. "That's a lovely fire," one firefighter said as he scurried along the path.
Dwayne Fergus of Fergutrax leaped up into his "Tracovator" and plowed through the flaming hills, creating a barrier between the impending flames coming from the west. Fergus said he is familiar with the layout of the landfill because he is contracted by the government to aerate and cover debris dumped there.
He called Monday's blaze "one of the most serious fires on the landfill that I have seen," recalling another at the site about three years ago. "I am concerned about the people down wind from the airport," he said. "Certainly they can't stay in their homes tonight."
Interim waste plan is cause for concern
Fergus had longer-range concerns, as well. "If they go to wrap and bail, they will have a storage bomb just like this," he said, referring to the government's plan to store its solid waste on an interim basis for several years until a new waste-processing system is in place.
On June 22, the government completed negotiations with Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico to operate an interim waste collection and recycling program that is to involve wrapping, baling and storing of trash. The operation, estimated to cost the government upwards of $10 million to start and $5 million a year to maintain, still needs Senate approval.
It is estimated that St. Croix produces over 200 tons of trash per day. A big question is where to put it from now on. One suggested alternative to Anguilla is a site in Estate Slob used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris disposal after Hurricane Hugo. Another is a 79-acre site in Estate Coble.
Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, who showed up at the dump on Monday dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, said he has located property on St. Croix that is suitable for the interim waste site and "won't affect anyone." Watching the fire crews, James said, "I give a lot of accolades to these young men." Fergus, he said, "just took that backhoe and drove right into that fire with no fear."
Firefighters clad in red hats and suspenders and black gloves and boots dragged lengths of hose along the ground. Last week, six new firefighters graduated from training to join personnel at four St. Croix fire stations. One rookie, Terrance Christopher, watched the experienced firemen, awaiting directions from his senior crew members. "It's something I always wanted to do," he said.
Food arrived from Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Firefighters grabbed a piece of chicken, gobbled it down in one bite and ran back to their posts. Ventura thanked the restaurants for providing the meals. "They always assist us when we call them to help feed our crew," he said.
Marlon Williams, an off-duty firefighter and amateur photographer, said he came out to get some pictures. But "you know, once the fire gets into your blood, you got to help, he said. "I stayed to help the brothers."
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.
Deputy Fire Chief Roosevelt Parson said the fire broke out around 1 p.m., the cause not immediately known. An emergency team was briefed about 3 p.m. and a command post was set up in a small concrete scale house normally used to weight loads of trash coming in to the site.
The smoke spread some eight miles from Anguilla, to Sandy Point. The Planning and Natural Resources Department issued a warning to residents in the direct path of the smoke cloud to stay indoors, close their windows, and disconnect downspouts leading to cisterns. "The smoke may affect persons with allergies and respiratory ailments, as well as elderly persons," it said.
The release also advised homeowners to "hose off their roofs before reconnecting their downspouts."
Personnel from Fire Services, DPNR, the Public Works Department, the Port Authority, Hovensa and other support agencies responded to the scene, along with volunteers. Fire trucks were on hand from the Grove Place and Richmond fire stations. Hovensa fire crews brought a large suction pump and a distribution device which propelled 500 gallons of salt water per minute 50 feet into the air directly from the south side beach. Parson said Hovensa also provided hoses.
Orange flames crackled and leaped from pile to pile of metal debris as if playing hide and seek. As one was contained, another sparked up as if teasing the firefighters. "Manpower! Manpower!" echoed a call over the short-wave radio for more hands to haul hundreds of feet of hose. Lt. Juan Velez called for more water: "Dale agua. This is an emergency. Give me some pressure."
"I'm here to assist," Epifanio Felix Jr., Port Authority fire chief, said, directing his personnel to tackle the northwest quadrant of the piles of scrap metal, cars, boats, galvanized roofing and tires. But VIPA's 1,500-gallon trucks were no match for the flames.
"I walked this site 10 days ago," said Stella Saunders, public relations official for DPW's Waste Management Division. "This will burn for about three to five days. The manpower is here, but the equipment lacks the ability to control a fire of this magnitude."
"Take all those guys out of there," Fire Service Inspector Marcellino Ventura directed, his freckled face covered with soot, as an explosion came from a green truck.
As night fell, Ventura called headquarters for a generator and lights. "We're gonna be out here for the night," he said. "This is going to take days."
Ventura said the fire had already sped 600 feet westward. At 6:40 p.m., he said there was still a lot of unburned rubbish. For the moment, he explained, "We are not trying to fight the fire or to extinguish it. We are just trying to contain it."
FAA's landfill closing deadline looms
Nearly two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the V.I. government a deadline of Dec. 31, 2002, to close Anguilla down, saying it posed a threat to aircraft taking off and landing at nearby Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. The threat was twofold, agency officials said: from foraging birds which frequent the dump and from spontaneous combustion fires and the smoke they cause.
On May 20, the takeoff of a small plane was aborted after a bird collided with the aircraft.
FAA rules state that a landfill should not be within 10,000 feet of the runway.
As the landfill blaze raged Monday, a dirt path led to the strategic firefighting center, located between piles of flaming debris rising about 40 feet high. Team leaders yelled commands to 12 firefighters and four volunteers scattered amid the piles. "That's a lovely fire," one firefighter said as he scurried along the path.
Dwayne Fergus of Fergutrax leaped up into his "Tracovator" and plowed through the flaming hills, creating a barrier between the impending flames coming from the west. Fergus said he is familiar with the layout of the landfill because he is contracted by the government to aerate and cover debris dumped there.
He called Monday's blaze "one of the most serious fires on the landfill that I have seen," recalling another at the site about three years ago. "I am concerned about the people down wind from the airport," he said. "Certainly they can't stay in their homes tonight."
Interim waste plan is cause for concern
Fergus had longer-range concerns, as well. "If they go to wrap and bail, they will have a storage bomb just like this," he said, referring to the government's plan to store its solid waste on an interim basis for several years until a new waste-processing system is in place.
On June 22, the government completed negotiations with Landfill Technologies Corp. of Puerto Rico to operate an interim waste collection and recycling program that is to involve wrapping, baling and storing of trash. The operation, estimated to cost the government upwards of $10 million to start and $5 million a year to maintain, still needs Senate approval.
It is estimated that St. Croix produces over 200 tons of trash per day. A big question is where to put it from now on. One suggested alternative to Anguilla is a site in Estate Slob used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris disposal after Hurricane Hugo. Another is a 79-acre site in Estate Coble.
Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, who showed up at the dump on Monday dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, said he has located property on St. Croix that is suitable for the interim waste site and "won't affect anyone." Watching the fire crews, James said, "I give a lot of accolades to these young men." Fergus, he said, "just took that backhoe and drove right into that fire with no fear."
Firefighters clad in red hats and suspenders and black gloves and boots dragged lengths of hose along the ground. Last week, six new firefighters graduated from training to join personnel at four St. Croix fire stations. One rookie, Terrance Christopher, watched the experienced firemen, awaiting directions from his senior crew members. "It's something I always wanted to do," he said.
Food arrived from Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Firefighters grabbed a piece of chicken, gobbled it down in one bite and ran back to their posts. Ventura thanked the restaurants for providing the meals. "They always assist us when we call them to help feed our crew," he said.
Marlon Williams, an off-duty firefighter and amateur photographer, said he came out to get some pictures. But "you know, once the fire gets into your blood, you got to help, he said. "I stayed to help the brothers."
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.
PUSH IS ON FOR NUMBERED-SEATS PETITION SIGNERS
July 8, 2002 – Educating voters about the current initiative to change the way V.I. senators are elected is the responsibility of "the people who are running the initiative," John Abramson Jr., the territory's supervisor of elections, said Monday.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
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.
PUSH IS ON FOR NUMBERED-SEATS PETITION SIGNERS
July 8, 2002 – Educating voters about the current initiative to change the way V.I. senators are elected is the responsibility of "the people who are running the initiative," John Abramson Jr., the territory's supervisor of elections, said Monday.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
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.
PUSH IS ON FOR NUMBERED-SEATS PETITION SIGNERS
July 8, 2002 – Educating voters about the current initiative to change the way V.I. senators are elected is the responsibility of "the people who are running the initiative," John Abramson Jr., the territory's supervisor of elections, said Monday.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
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.
"The people" — calling themselves the Committee for Legislative Reform — say they've had some striking successes doing just that. And on Tuesday, they will launch a radio campaign promoting their cause: to make Senate seats numbered in each district so that candidates, both incumbents and challengers, must run for a particular seat.
During St. John Festival events last week in Cruz Bay, more than 400 of the island's approximately 2,000 registered voters signed green petitions supporting the initiative, a Monday release from the committee stated. "Percentage-wise, St. John leads the way in supporting numbered seats, while St. Croix leads in volume" with more than 800 signatures, it said.
Initiative is a formal public process set out in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the territory's de facto constitution. For the numbered seats initiative to go forward, proponents must collect the signatures of 10 percent of the registered voters in each district, or about 5,500 people total. If the territory's Joint Board of Elections verifies that this has been accomplished, the petition will go to the Legislature.
So far, the committee says, it has about 20 percent of the needed signatures, and it has set a deadline of Aug. 1 to come up with the rest. By law, it has until November, but waiting until then would rule out getting the issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot, which is the committee's goal.
If the initiative goes to the lawmakers and if they then approve it, numbered Senate seats will become law. Senators until now have been elected by district, except for the single at-large legislator who must be a resident of St. John but is elected territorywide. The one at-large seat would not be affected by the initiative.
A reality check makes clear that since the Senate majority just enacted legislation making all seats at large — that is, to be voted upon by residents of both districts — it is highly unlikely to reverse itself and vote for the numbered seats petition now. The Legislature does not, however, have the option of voting the initiative down and out. It the petition is not approved in the Senate, it will be put on the Nov. 5 ballot for a vote.
Radio campaign kicking off
So far, according to Monday's release, "about 20 of the territory's prominent leaders and politicians" have not only pledged support for the initiative but also have "recorded sound bites for the committee's 'Did You Know' campaign" that's to begin airing on the radio.
"As more of the territory's top politicians from every side of the political arena pledge support for the initiative, it is becoming clear that the movement to change politics as we know it is powerful," the committee said.
Among individuals seeking public office in November, it cited support from incumbent Delegate Donna M. Christensen; gubernatorial candidates Michael Bornn, Cora Christian and Gov. Charles Turnbull; lieutenant governor candidate Vargrave Richards; and senatorial candidates Craig Barshinger, Elroi Baumann, Sen. Lorraine Berry, Sen. Douglas Canton Jr., Sen. Roosevelt David, Sen. Emmett Hansen II and Luther Renee.
Hansen, who last year switched his Senate alliance from the minority to the majority, had joined his eight majority colleagues in voting for the at-large election bill that passed by a straight partisan 9-6 vote in the pre-dawn hours of May 24.
The initiative had come into existence four days before that when a "titling board" consisting of Abramson, Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Legislative Legal Counsel Yvonne Tharpes drafted its wording. They took that action after verification that 1 percent of the registered voters in both districts had signed a preliminary petition advocating numbered seats.
Proponents say that a numbered seats system would require incumbents to run on their records, while the challengers for a particular seat would need to persuade voters that they could do a better job than the person occupying it.
This is the first time that an initiative has been attempted in the territory. The Organic Act provides that if the Senate does not enact the proposal and it goes to a public vote, a majority of the territory's registered voters must cast ballots on the measure.
If a majority of that majority votes for the initiative, it will become what the committee terms "the people's law" — the first law ever enacted by the people of the Virgin Islands. That is, it will unless another aspect of the law comes into play.
Senate could give voters a second choice
The Senate has the option of formulating its own proposal to be put to the public along with the grassroots initiative. If the lawmakers go this route, voters would cast separate ballots (for, against or no vote) for the two proposals. In theory, an individual could vote "for" both the grassroots initiative and the Senate proposal — even if they are diametrically opposed.
What the law specifies is that if both proposals get the support of a majority of those voting, whichever one has the higher number of votes will prevail.
Abramson said Monday that if the legislators decide to submit their own proposal, "they can word it any way they like, as long as it's germane to what we're dealing with. The subject is the method of electing senators." Thus, he said, the lawmakers might propose a variation on the committee's initiative, or they could blatantly put forward something totally contradictory, such as the at-large seats plan they recently passed.
If a majority of registered voters does cast ballots and, against all odds, the same number of votes are cast for both proposals, Abramson said, "neither proposal prevails."
Abramson noted that the elections system is not responsible for voter education. "We do it as a matter of course," he said, "but the people who are running the initiative, it is their responsibility to do that, according to how the statute is written."
He said elections officials "have been asking the Legislature for a long time for funding for voter education," hoping to establish a division for educational outreach in the Office of the Supervisor of Elections. With Fiscal Year 2003 budget hearings under way before the Senate Finance Committee, he added, "We'll be asking again. Hopefully they'll say yes."
The immediate aim of the "Did You Know" campaign is to encourage registered voters to sign petitions to place the initiative before the Legislature. In another electoral "first," a petition can be accessed electronically on the Internet, at the Source newspapers Data web site.
"Despite the overwhelming support the committee has received so far, it needs as much help as possible to ensure it has the signatures it needs by Aug. 1," Monday's release stated. In particular, it said, volunteers are being sought to collect petition signatures at business and civic group meetings and at high-traffic retail locations such as supermarkets, major department stores and volume discount outlets. Anyone interested in volunteering or in obtaining a "Numbered Seats Now" bumper sticker is asked to call 772-4000 or 772-4242.
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HOVENSA HIRES NOW MUST SIGN ARBITRATION PACT
July 8, 2002 – In June, U.S. District Judge Raymond Finch ruled that it is legal for a Hovensa subcontractor to require that prospective employees agree in writing to have all labor-management disputes resolved by binding arbitration. Now, the refinery itself has instituted a dispute-resolution requirement for all applicants and new hires for non-unionized positions.
And, current non-union personnel also will "be provided an option to enroll" in what is formally called Hovensa's Dispute Resolution Program.
Alex A. Moorhead, Hovensa vice president for government affairs and community relations, said each current non-union employee is "being presented with a copy of the complete program and requested to enroll in the program." The workers are being asked to decide by September, he said.
Moorhead said about 530 current Hovensa employees are eligible, compared to about 460 workers who are represented by unions that have collective bargaining agreements with the refinery.
The program is exclusively for Hovensa's own employees, he said, and will not impact on its subcontractors. It became mandatory for applicants as of July 1.
"The program requires that any disputes concerning a right protected by federal or Virgin Islands law be resolved by binding arbitration if it cannot be resolved within the company," Moorhead said. "The dispute would be heard by an arbitrator selected by the parties from a list of qualified and impartial arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association, and it would be decided in accordance with applicable law."
According to a Hovensa release, dispute resolution options under the program include open door, mediation and, for legally protected rights, arbitration.
From the corporate perspective, Moorhead said, the advantage of mandatory binding arbitration is "the more expeditious resolution of disputes between employees and the company, thereby avoiding the cost of lengthy litigation which could involved appeals to as many as three courts and animosity that can arise between the parties during that lengthy period of time."
That represents an advantage for employees, too, Moorhead said, providing a means for resolving disputes "within a period of several months, rather than three to five years, as is the case for lawsuits filed in the Territorial Court or U.S. District Court." He also said that during the process, employees would be in a position for "maintaining a harmonious relationship with the company."
Workers in hourly positions covered by collective bargaining agreements at the refinery "have for years resolved disputes under grievance/arbitration procedures" contained within their contracts, the release noted. And, Moorhead, said, "Binding arbitration is the final step in that procedure."
Under the program now mandatory for new hires, he said, employees will not be "giving up any substantive legal rights or remedies that they have under applicable law." A means for resolving disputes "quickly and amicably," he said, is an advantage for all concerned. "In today's competitive business environment," he added, "maintaining a harmonious relationship in the workplace is essential to the efficient conduct of business by an enterprise where hundreds of employees have to work together as a team."
Last year, Wyatt V.I. Inc., a Hovensa subcontractor, began requiring job applicants to sign an agreement to put all employee-management disputes before a neutral arbiter whose decision would be binding. The agreement provided for arbitration to be conducted under the rules of the America Arbitration Association, with Wyatt covering most of the costs after the employee seeking relief paid a $50 filing fee.
Wyatt took the matter to court after Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin ordered the company to stop making the agreement a condition for employment and Attorney General Iver Stridiron issued an opinion backing Benjamin's position. Stridiron's opinion called the agreement "unconscionable," "coercive," "contrary to public policy" and "ripe for injunctive relief."
Finch, however, found it neither "unconscionable" or "unenforceable." In fact, he said, the law is clear that such agreements are valid.
Labor and V.I. Justice Department attorneys argued that prospective Wyatt employees were being coerced into signing the agreement and that it was in violation of the territory's Wrongful Discharge Act. Finch said the act "makes no mention whatsoever" of the validity or enforceability of arbitration agreements. He added that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that under the federal Arbitration Act, mandatory agreements are valid, provided that the act is not in direct conflict with state laws.
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And, current non-union personnel also will "be provided an option to enroll" in what is formally called Hovensa's Dispute Resolution Program.
Alex A. Moorhead, Hovensa vice president for government affairs and community relations, said each current non-union employee is "being presented with a copy of the complete program and requested to enroll in the program." The workers are being asked to decide by September, he said.
Moorhead said about 530 current Hovensa employees are eligible, compared to about 460 workers who are represented by unions that have collective bargaining agreements with the refinery.
The program is exclusively for Hovensa's own employees, he said, and will not impact on its subcontractors. It became mandatory for applicants as of July 1.
"The program requires that any disputes concerning a right protected by federal or Virgin Islands law be resolved by binding arbitration if it cannot be resolved within the company," Moorhead said. "The dispute would be heard by an arbitrator selected by the parties from a list of qualified and impartial arbitrators provided by the American Arbitration Association, and it would be decided in accordance with applicable law."
According to a Hovensa release, dispute resolution options under the program include open door, mediation and, for legally protected rights, arbitration.
From the corporate perspective, Moorhead said, the advantage of mandatory binding arbitration is "the more expeditious resolution of disputes between employees and the company, thereby avoiding the cost of lengthy litigation which could involved appeals to as many as three courts and animosity that can arise between the parties during that lengthy period of time."
That represents an advantage for employees, too, Moorhead said, providing a means for resolving disputes "within a period of several months, rather than three to five years, as is the case for lawsuits filed in the Territorial Court or U.S. District Court." He also said that during the process, employees would be in a position for "maintaining a harmonious relationship with the company."
Workers in hourly positions covered by collective bargaining agreements at the refinery "have for years resolved disputes under grievance/arbitration procedures" contained within their contracts, the release noted. And, Moorhead, said, "Binding arbitration is the final step in that procedure."
Under the program now mandatory for new hires, he said, employees will not be "giving up any substantive legal rights or remedies that they have under applicable law." A means for resolving disputes "quickly and amicably," he said, is an advantage for all concerned. "In today's competitive business environment," he added, "maintaining a harmonious relationship in the workplace is essential to the efficient conduct of business by an enterprise where hundreds of employees have to work together as a team."
Last year, Wyatt V.I. Inc., a Hovensa subcontractor, began requiring job applicants to sign an agreement to put all employee-management disputes before a neutral arbiter whose decision would be binding. The agreement provided for arbitration to be conducted under the rules of the America Arbitration Association, with Wyatt covering most of the costs after the employee seeking relief paid a $50 filing fee.
Wyatt took the matter to court after Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin ordered the company to stop making the agreement a condition for employment and Attorney General Iver Stridiron issued an opinion backing Benjamin's position. Stridiron's opinion called the agreement "unconscionable," "coercive," "contrary to public policy" and "ripe for injunctive relief."
Finch, however, found it neither "unconscionable" or "unenforceable." In fact, he said, the law is clear that such agreements are valid.
Labor and V.I. Justice Department attorneys argued that prospective Wyatt employees were being coerced into signing the agreement and that it was in violation of the territory's Wrongful Discharge Act. Finch said the act "makes no mention whatsoever" of the validity or enforceability of arbitration agreements. He added that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that under the federal Arbitration Act, mandatory agreements are valid, provided that the act is not in direct conflict with state laws.
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PISTARCKLE CAMPERS PRESENT 'THE JUNGLE BOOK'
July 3, 2002 – An articulate menagerie, from a prancing peacock to a terrifying tiger, a sneaky snake and a mischievous monkey, plus a cool boy hero named Mowgli will take to the stage Thursday through Sunday when the Pistarckle Theater Kids Summer Camp presents a musical version of "The Jungle Book" at the Tillett Gardens playhouse on St. Thomas.
Holli Hornlien, an actress and director from Spokane, Wash., who has conducted two previous Pistarckle kids' camp productions, explains her choice of play: "While I was looking for scripts for the camp this winter, I stumbled on 'The Jungle Book.' I never read it as a child — and when I did, I loved it, for a number of reasons."
For one thing, Hornlien says, "in the aftermath of Sept. 11, there were a lot of hate groups. I've sensed that there are some racial tensions here in the Virgin Islands, too. So, the moral of 'The Jungle Book' is perfect. It's summed up by one of the major songs, a poem where the first verse says:
We are of one blood he and I,
We share the same land, water and sky.
It is jungle law we are taught to obey,
So with hand in claw,
We live side by side.
"Obviously too, a jungle theme works well here in the tropics," Hornlien adds. "It was also advantageous that the animals could be male or female. Typically in camp you'll get more girls. We also have a broad span of ages, from 8 to 15."
Hornlien sifted through six different versions of "The Jungle Book" before deciding on one by Pioneer Drama in Colorado. "It was most faithful to Rudyard Kipling's original book. It spoke right to the child in me," she says.
And it was a musical, which offered another advantage: "All the children are involved all the time," Hornlien notes. "If they aren't in a scene, they're working on their drama, singing or dance routines."
For the camp, the 28 young actors have been age-divided into three groups. Each group rotates through 45-minute long drama, music and dance classes before breaking for lunch, then everyone continues with play production in the afternoon.
"In drama, we've been learning about Mowgli's Indian culture and practicing with some short Sanskrit plays," Hornlien says. Members of St. Thomas's East Indian community have been guests, telling the youngsters about their country's history and traditions, even showing how a sari is worn so that the costuming in the play will be culturally correct.
Kim Crawley, a friend of Hornlien's and like her a member of the Spokane Interplayers Ensemble, is the music director, and Princess Penn of St. John is the choreographer. "We have seven songs in the show, ranging from a calypso tune sung by our monkeys to a real classic show tune performed by Shere Khan," Crawley says.
An exercise in music class entailed each youngster taking simple objects — such as film canisters, coffee cans and rubber bands — and using them to make a musical instrument to be used in the show. The children also have used their artistic talents to design posters, props, the stage back drop and costumes.
Ashley Wilkerson, 9, who plays the peacock, says, "I have beautiful feathers, and I get to prance around."
Reid Woods, 12, who portrays Baloo the Bear, says, "The costume is real fun. It's a big belly."
"The acting, singing and dancing — it's truly remarkable what these kids have accomplished in four weeks," Hornlien says. "They're wonderful and talented. Many good friendships have formed, and they've become a tight-knit ensemble."
As for what audiences can expect to see, "There are some great song-and-dance routines," she says. "Monkeys swing through the tree tops. Shere Khan [the tiger] slinks through the jungle. There are lots of surprises!"
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pay As You Can Night, and Friday is officially opening night. Tickets are $6 for children under 10 and $12 for everyone else. They're being sold at Tillett Gallery, East End Secretarial Services, the American Yacht Harbor office, Marina Market, Draughting Shaft and Flagship; or call 775-7877.
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.
Holli Hornlien, an actress and director from Spokane, Wash., who has conducted two previous Pistarckle kids' camp productions, explains her choice of play: "While I was looking for scripts for the camp this winter, I stumbled on 'The Jungle Book.' I never read it as a child — and when I did, I loved it, for a number of reasons."
For one thing, Hornlien says, "in the aftermath of Sept. 11, there were a lot of hate groups. I've sensed that there are some racial tensions here in the Virgin Islands, too. So, the moral of 'The Jungle Book' is perfect. It's summed up by one of the major songs, a poem where the first verse says:
We are of one blood he and I,
We share the same land, water and sky.
It is jungle law we are taught to obey,
So with hand in claw,
We live side by side.
"Obviously too, a jungle theme works well here in the tropics," Hornlien adds. "It was also advantageous that the animals could be male or female. Typically in camp you'll get more girls. We also have a broad span of ages, from 8 to 15."
Hornlien sifted through six different versions of "The Jungle Book" before deciding on one by Pioneer Drama in Colorado. "It was most faithful to Rudyard Kipling's original book. It spoke right to the child in me," she says.
And it was a musical, which offered another advantage: "All the children are involved all the time," Hornlien notes. "If they aren't in a scene, they're working on their drama, singing or dance routines."
For the camp, the 28 young actors have been age-divided into three groups. Each group rotates through 45-minute long drama, music and dance classes before breaking for lunch, then everyone continues with play production in the afternoon.
"In drama, we've been learning about Mowgli's Indian culture and practicing with some short Sanskrit plays," Hornlien says. Members of St. Thomas's East Indian community have been guests, telling the youngsters about their country's history and traditions, even showing how a sari is worn so that the costuming in the play will be culturally correct.
Kim Crawley, a friend of Hornlien's and like her a member of the Spokane Interplayers Ensemble, is the music director, and Princess Penn of St. John is the choreographer. "We have seven songs in the show, ranging from a calypso tune sung by our monkeys to a real classic show tune performed by Shere Khan," Crawley says.
An exercise in music class entailed each youngster taking simple objects — such as film canisters, coffee cans and rubber bands — and using them to make a musical instrument to be used in the show. The children also have used their artistic talents to design posters, props, the stage back drop and costumes.
Ashley Wilkerson, 9, who plays the peacock, says, "I have beautiful feathers, and I get to prance around."
Reid Woods, 12, who portrays Baloo the Bear, says, "The costume is real fun. It's a big belly."
"The acting, singing and dancing — it's truly remarkable what these kids have accomplished in four weeks," Hornlien says. "They're wonderful and talented. Many good friendships have formed, and they've become a tight-knit ensemble."
As for what audiences can expect to see, "There are some great song-and-dance routines," she says. "Monkeys swing through the tree tops. Shere Khan [the tiger] slinks through the jungle. There are lots of surprises!"
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pay As You Can Night, and Friday is officially opening night. Tickets are $6 for children under 10 and $12 for everyone else. They're being sold at Tillett Gallery, East End Secretarial Services, the American Yacht Harbor office, Marina Market, Draughting Shaft and Flagship; or call 775-7877.
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.
PISTARCKLE CAMPERS PRESENT 'THE JUNGLE BOOK'
July 3, 2002 – An articulate menagerie, from a prancing peacock to a terrifying tiger, a sneaky snake and a mischievous monkey, plus a cool boy hero named Mowgli will take to the stage Thursday through Sunday when the Pistarckle Theater Kids Summer Camp presents a musical version of "The Jungle Book" at the Tillett Gardens playhouse.
Holli Hornlien, an actress and director from Spokane, Wash., who has conducted two previous Pistarckle kids' camp productions, explains her choice of play: "While I was looking for scripts for the camp this winter, I stumbled on 'The Jungle Book.' I never read it as a child — and when I did, I loved it, for a number of reasons."
For one thing, Hornlien says, "in the aftermath of Sept. 11, there were a lot of hate groups. I've sensed that there are some racial tensions here in the Virgin Islands, too. So, the moral of 'The Jungle Book' is perfect. It's summed up by one of the major songs, a poem where the first verse says:
We are of one blood he and I,
We share the same land, water and sky.
It is jungle law we are taught to obey,
So with hand in claw,
We live side by side.
"Obviously too, a jungle theme works well here in the tropics," Hornlien adds. "It was also advantageous that the animals could be male or female. Typically in camp you'll get more girls. We also have a broad span of ages, from 8 to 15."
Hornlien sifted through six different versions of "The Jungle Book" before deciding on one by Pioneer Drama in Colorado. "It was most faithful to Rudyard Kipling's original book. It spoke right to the child in me," she says.
And it was a musical, which offered another advantage: "All the children are involved all the time," Hornlien notes. "If they aren't in a scene, they're working on their drama, singing or dance routines."
For the camp, the 28 young actors have been age-divided into three groups. Each group rotates through 45-minute long drama, music and dance classes before breaking for lunch, then everyone continues with play production in the afternoon.
"In drama, we've been learning about Mowgli's Indian culture and practicing with some short Sanskrit plays," Hornlien says. Members of St. Thomas's East Indian community have been guests, telling the youngsters about their country's history and traditions, even showing how a sari is worn so that the costuming in the play will be culturally correct.
Kim Crawley, a friend of Hornlien's and like her a member of the Spokane Interplayers Ensemble, is the music director, and Princess Penn of St. John is the choreographer. "We have seven songs in the show, ranging from a calypso tune sung by our monkeys to a real classic show tune performed by Shere Khan," Crawley says.
An exercise in music class entailed each youngster taking simple objects — such as film canisters, coffee cans and rubber bands — and using them to make a musical instrument to be used in the show. The children also have used their artistic talents to design posters, props, the stage back drop and costumes.
Ashley Wilkerson, 9, who plays the peacock, says, "I have beautiful feathers, and I get to prance around."
Reid Woods, 12, who portrays Baloo the Bear, says, "The costume is real fun. It's a big belly."
"The acting, singing and dancing — it's truly remarkable what these kids have accomplished in four weeks," Hornlien says. "They're wonderful and talented. Many good friendships have formed, and they've become a tight-knit ensemble."
As for what audiences can expect to see, "There are some great song-and-dance routines," she says. "Monkeys swing through the tree tops. Shere Khan [the tiger] slinks through the jungle. There are lots of surprises!"
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pay As You Can Night, and Friday is officially opening night. Tickets are $6 for children under 10 and $12 for everyone else. They're being sold at Tillett Gallery, East End Secretarial Services, the American Yacht Harbor office, Marina Market, Draughting Shaft and Flagship; or call 775-7877.
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.
Holli Hornlien, an actress and director from Spokane, Wash., who has conducted two previous Pistarckle kids' camp productions, explains her choice of play: "While I was looking for scripts for the camp this winter, I stumbled on 'The Jungle Book.' I never read it as a child — and when I did, I loved it, for a number of reasons."
For one thing, Hornlien says, "in the aftermath of Sept. 11, there were a lot of hate groups. I've sensed that there are some racial tensions here in the Virgin Islands, too. So, the moral of 'The Jungle Book' is perfect. It's summed up by one of the major songs, a poem where the first verse says:
We are of one blood he and I,
We share the same land, water and sky.
It is jungle law we are taught to obey,
So with hand in claw,
We live side by side.
"Obviously too, a jungle theme works well here in the tropics," Hornlien adds. "It was also advantageous that the animals could be male or female. Typically in camp you'll get more girls. We also have a broad span of ages, from 8 to 15."
Hornlien sifted through six different versions of "The Jungle Book" before deciding on one by Pioneer Drama in Colorado. "It was most faithful to Rudyard Kipling's original book. It spoke right to the child in me," she says.
And it was a musical, which offered another advantage: "All the children are involved all the time," Hornlien notes. "If they aren't in a scene, they're working on their drama, singing or dance routines."
For the camp, the 28 young actors have been age-divided into three groups. Each group rotates through 45-minute long drama, music and dance classes before breaking for lunch, then everyone continues with play production in the afternoon.
"In drama, we've been learning about Mowgli's Indian culture and practicing with some short Sanskrit plays," Hornlien says. Members of St. Thomas's East Indian community have been guests, telling the youngsters about their country's history and traditions, even showing how a sari is worn so that the costuming in the play will be culturally correct.
Kim Crawley, a friend of Hornlien's and like her a member of the Spokane Interplayers Ensemble, is the music director, and Princess Penn of St. John is the choreographer. "We have seven songs in the show, ranging from a calypso tune sung by our monkeys to a real classic show tune performed by Shere Khan," Crawley says.
An exercise in music class entailed each youngster taking simple objects — such as film canisters, coffee cans and rubber bands — and using them to make a musical instrument to be used in the show. The children also have used their artistic talents to design posters, props, the stage back drop and costumes.
Ashley Wilkerson, 9, who plays the peacock, says, "I have beautiful feathers, and I get to prance around."
Reid Woods, 12, who portrays Baloo the Bear, says, "The costume is real fun. It's a big belly."
"The acting, singing and dancing — it's truly remarkable what these kids have accomplished in four weeks," Hornlien says. "They're wonderful and talented. Many good friendships have formed, and they've become a tight-knit ensemble."
As for what audiences can expect to see, "There are some great song-and-dance routines," she says. "Monkeys swing through the tree tops. Shere Khan [the tiger] slinks through the jungle. There are lots of surprises!"
Curtain time is 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pay As You Can Night, and Friday is officially opening night. Tickets are $6 for children under 10 and $12 for everyone else. They're being sold at Tillett Gallery, East End Secretarial Services, the American Yacht Harbor office, Marina Market, Draughting Shaft and Flagship; or call 775-7877.
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.
YOUNG V.I. SCUBA DIVERS IMPRESS THEIR U.S. PEERS
July 8, 2002 – While some adults go to great lengths to steer young people toward the right direction in life, two St. Thomas police officers and some local dive instructors have also gone to great depths.
A dozen youngsters from the Bovoni Housing Community and surrounding residential areas recently returned from Key Largo, Florida, where they took part in a youth summit on scuba diving. They went in the company of two Housing Authority police officers, participants in the federally sponsored Weed and Seed program — Officers Louis Magras and Adrien Huggins.
The officers said the Virgin Islands made quite a splash at the National Black Scuba Divers Association Youth Summit — by accounting for nearly half of the participants and by arriving as fully trained and certified divers. There were 15 other young people there, from Florida and Tennessee.
"They went to be recognized for their accomplishments," said Magras, who proudly pointed to the fact that 10 of his crew, ages 10 to 17, were master scuba divers when they left St. Thomas. One was certified as an open-water diver and one had received certification as a rescue diver.
Magras said the idea for the Weed and Seed Bovoni Scuba Dive Team came from Huggins, his partner, who has been diving since 1989. The original thrust of the program was to introduce the kids to a new experience and show them how their dive skills could lead to careers in the marine industry. Instruction took place at the St. Thomas Diving Club.
Much of their expertise was gained with the help of dive club instructor Bill Letts, who along with other club instructors opened the training facilities to the Weed and Seed group. "Over the last two years we have certified 16 local youths, primarily from Bovoni," Letts said. "Ten of these have achieved the level of Junior Master Scuba Diver as well as Master Scuba Diver, the only difference being age."
Magras said he was also inspired to take the plunge, and trained and received certification along with the youngsters. "It's because of this program that I learned to start diving," he said.
Becoming a certified diver is far from easy, Lett said, and some Weed and Seed youngsters as well as some dive club volunteer instructors, decided to drop out. But, to their credit, he said, many decided to stick it out. "Many students had to retake swim tests and exams, study questions and continue to retake until they could demonstrate they were able to handle the challenge, or drop out of the program."
"Diving is a disciplined sport," Letts noted. "Without following the rules, it can be dangerous." He said those who succeeded in the training "are responsible for their own achievements."
He said the biggest lesson for one student in the medical training course was learning to speak up. "I instructed her on how to approach a victim. As you approach, you are to say, 'I am medically trained; I can help.' I told her it would not be effective if she whispered the statement. She had to instill confidence in the victim that she really could help. So, she must say in a loud and forceful manner 'I am trained …'
"Well, it was like a door opening. She came on loud and strong, and for the rest of her classes she would speak up and be heard — whether I liked it or not!"
It took a different kind of effort to get the divers to the youth summit, one led by student divers and their parents, who held raffles and other fund-raisers. Their efforts were supplemented by funds from the Housing Authority and Weed and Seed.
There's been a ripple effect, too. As word of the dive team's adventure had spread, Magras said, more kids are showing up and signing up to learn to dive. "Before, they were a little scared to try something new," he said. "It's not a problem now."
And now some of the Bovoni divers are helping others — even their elders — to take on new frontiers beneath the surface of the sea. "One of the smallest and lightest young girls became known as 'Fish' — anything underwater became natural to her," Letts said. "She eventually helped her mother overcome her fears of night diving, but it took some effort."
Huggins summed up the challenge of recruiting, training and keeping his students committed to the dive program in three words: "It wasn't easy."
It was the same comment he used to summarize the scuba diving summit. One of the kids missed the plane to Florida. Heavy rains while they were there lowered visibility and cut back on the number of dives the youngsters got to make, and much of the activity was kept indoors. But as things turned out, that gave the Virgin Islanders yet another chance to shine.
They had taken along a set of steelpans, and they played to the delight of the organizers, Huggins said, and also performed a quadrille dance. In short, "They represented the Virgin Islands," he said, in the process getting to recognize the value of the contributions they had to offer and how much those contributions were appreciated by the outside world.
And, he said, the dive conditions in the Florida Keys helped the youngsters to appreciate their surroundings back home, especially the quality of the water they get to dive in year-round.
Despite the trials of getting his program off the ground, Huggins said, he would do it over again — and he hopes that he'll get the opportunity to do just that. "If I had a chance to get everyone in the Virgin Islands to become a certified diver, I'd do it," he said.
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A dozen youngsters from the Bovoni Housing Community and surrounding residential areas recently returned from Key Largo, Florida, where they took part in a youth summit on scuba diving. They went in the company of two Housing Authority police officers, participants in the federally sponsored Weed and Seed program — Officers Louis Magras and Adrien Huggins.
The officers said the Virgin Islands made quite a splash at the National Black Scuba Divers Association Youth Summit — by accounting for nearly half of the participants and by arriving as fully trained and certified divers. There were 15 other young people there, from Florida and Tennessee.
"They went to be recognized for their accomplishments," said Magras, who proudly pointed to the fact that 10 of his crew, ages 10 to 17, were master scuba divers when they left St. Thomas. One was certified as an open-water diver and one had received certification as a rescue diver.
Magras said the idea for the Weed and Seed Bovoni Scuba Dive Team came from Huggins, his partner, who has been diving since 1989. The original thrust of the program was to introduce the kids to a new experience and show them how their dive skills could lead to careers in the marine industry. Instruction took place at the St. Thomas Diving Club.
Much of their expertise was gained with the help of dive club instructor Bill Letts, who along with other club instructors opened the training facilities to the Weed and Seed group. "Over the last two years we have certified 16 local youths, primarily from Bovoni," Letts said. "Ten of these have achieved the level of Junior Master Scuba Diver as well as Master Scuba Diver, the only difference being age."
Magras said he was also inspired to take the plunge, and trained and received certification along with the youngsters. "It's because of this program that I learned to start diving," he said.
Becoming a certified diver is far from easy, Lett said, and some Weed and Seed youngsters as well as some dive club volunteer instructors, decided to drop out. But, to their credit, he said, many decided to stick it out. "Many students had to retake swim tests and exams, study questions and continue to retake until they could demonstrate they were able to handle the challenge, or drop out of the program."
"Diving is a disciplined sport," Letts noted. "Without following the rules, it can be dangerous." He said those who succeeded in the training "are responsible for their own achievements."
He said the biggest lesson for one student in the medical training course was learning to speak up. "I instructed her on how to approach a victim. As you approach, you are to say, 'I am medically trained; I can help.' I told her it would not be effective if she whispered the statement. She had to instill confidence in the victim that she really could help. So, she must say in a loud and forceful manner 'I am trained …'
"Well, it was like a door opening. She came on loud and strong, and for the rest of her classes she would speak up and be heard — whether I liked it or not!"
It took a different kind of effort to get the divers to the youth summit, one led by student divers and their parents, who held raffles and other fund-raisers. Their efforts were supplemented by funds from the Housing Authority and Weed and Seed.
There's been a ripple effect, too. As word of the dive team's adventure had spread, Magras said, more kids are showing up and signing up to learn to dive. "Before, they were a little scared to try something new," he said. "It's not a problem now."
And now some of the Bovoni divers are helping others — even their elders — to take on new frontiers beneath the surface of the sea. "One of the smallest and lightest young girls became known as 'Fish' — anything underwater became natural to her," Letts said. "She eventually helped her mother overcome her fears of night diving, but it took some effort."
Huggins summed up the challenge of recruiting, training and keeping his students committed to the dive program in three words: "It wasn't easy."
It was the same comment he used to summarize the scuba diving summit. One of the kids missed the plane to Florida. Heavy rains while they were there lowered visibility and cut back on the number of dives the youngsters got to make, and much of the activity was kept indoors. But as things turned out, that gave the Virgin Islanders yet another chance to shine.
They had taken along a set of steelpans, and they played to the delight of the organizers, Huggins said, and also performed a quadrille dance. In short, "They represented the Virgin Islands," he said, in the process getting to recognize the value of the contributions they had to offer and how much those contributions were appreciated by the outside world.
And, he said, the dive conditions in the Florida Keys helped the youngsters to appreciate their surroundings back home, especially the quality of the water they get to dive in year-round.
Despite the trials of getting his program off the ground, Huggins said, he would do it over again — and he hopes that he'll get the opportunity to do just that. "If I had a chance to get everyone in the Virgin Islands to become a certified diver, I'd do it," he said.
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