March 11, 2002 – EveryTing, a Cruz Bay gift shop, will host a book signing from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday of Elaine Campbell's "The Whistling Bird: Women Writers of the Caribbean."
"It's got a lot of interesting stories," EveryTing owner Joan Cook said. The book contains poetry, drama and fiction by 29 female writers from 13 Caribbean nations. There are none included from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Campbell, a part-time St. John resident, retired last year from the writing and humanistic studies program faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. The book is co-authored by Piererette Frickey, who is a member of the Romance languages faculty at Georgia State University and translated materials from the French- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Champagne will be served at the book signing. Call Cook at 693-5820 for more information.
SIBILLY EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STAFF WORKSHOP
Students at Joseph Sibilly Elementary School will be dismissed at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, March 18, so the faculty and paraprofessional staff may attend a special Professional Development/Technology Workshop.
Parents and guardians who normally transport their children are requested to be on time to pick them up so the school staff may be available to participate in the 1 to 3 p.m. presentation.
Lunch will be served prior to the 12:45 dismissal and bus service will be available for all students who utilize this service.
Parents and guardians who normally transport their children are requested to be on time to pick them up so the school staff may be available to participate in the 1 to 3 p.m. presentation.
Lunch will be served prior to the 12:45 dismissal and bus service will be available for all students who utilize this service.
ST. PADDY'S DAY CORNED BEEF, ISLAND STYLE
March 10, 2002 – Irish folk and lovers of things Irish will celebrate St. Patrick's Day next Sunday by dining on corned beef and cabbage. In her book, "The Food & Folklore of the Virgin Islands," the late Arona Petersen offers a West Indian version of this traditional Irish dish.
Corned beef is beef, usually brisket, which is cured in a seasoned brine. The term "corned" comes from the English use of the word "corn" to mean any small particle, such as a grain of salt. Old-style corned beef was very salty. Today, most corned beef has less salt and is made without nitrites, which are thought to be carcinogenic, as a preservative.
It may be this change in processing that has been responsible for the flavor change of corned beef over the years. While "long ago it was a tradition to serve corned beef at parties and picnics," Petersen writes, "the corned beef we buy now is not even a distant relative to the corned beef of yore."
Enjoy the recipe below, which is an adaptation of Petersen's original.
West Indian-style Corned Beef Hash
2 12-ounce cans corned beef, drained and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 potatoes, diced small
4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
Sauté together corned beef, garlic, onion, peppers, celery, curry powder, tomato sauce and potatoes until vegetables are soft and meat and potatoes are browned. Spoon corned beef mixture onto a serving plate. Fry eggs in butter, sunny side up. Lay eggs across corned beef. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 630 calories, 32 gms fat (46 percent fat calories), 392 mg cholesterol, 2234 mg sodium.
Corned beef is beef, usually brisket, which is cured in a seasoned brine. The term "corned" comes from the English use of the word "corn" to mean any small particle, such as a grain of salt. Old-style corned beef was very salty. Today, most corned beef has less salt and is made without nitrites, which are thought to be carcinogenic, as a preservative.
It may be this change in processing that has been responsible for the flavor change of corned beef over the years. While "long ago it was a tradition to serve corned beef at parties and picnics," Petersen writes, "the corned beef we buy now is not even a distant relative to the corned beef of yore."
Enjoy the recipe below, which is an adaptation of Petersen's original.
West Indian-style Corned Beef Hash
2 12-ounce cans corned beef, drained and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 potatoes, diced small
4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
Sauté together corned beef, garlic, onion, peppers, celery, curry powder, tomato sauce and potatoes until vegetables are soft and meat and potatoes are browned. Spoon corned beef mixture onto a serving plate. Fry eggs in butter, sunny side up. Lay eggs across corned beef. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 630 calories, 32 gms fat (46 percent fat calories), 392 mg cholesterol, 2234 mg sodium.
ABSENCE OF COMPETITION IS A FACTOR FOR LEPC
Dear Source,
Recent stories regarding the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission attracted my attention since I administered both of these agencies for five years during the Farrelly-Hodge administration. In the interest of helping the public to understand some of the issues that were raised in the recent audit report and so many previously released audit reports on these agencies, I have decided to comment.
The perennial complaint on the inefficient use of federal grant funds that are funneled through and administered by LEPC should be explained properly, if the general public is to be informed on where to look for accountability. The majority of funds received by LEPC are categorical funds intended for use in programs of qualified government and/or non-profit agencies in the territory. As such, these funds cannot be disbursed whimsically.
As the so-called state agency administering these funds according to federal guidelines, LEPC must rely on eligible agencies' compliance with application and reporting requirements governing their grant awards. Unlike the mainland, where competition for similar funding is keen among the many qualified agencies in any given state, in the territory, there is virtually no competition. The consequence is that a tremendous burden is created for the single police department or health department or the few qualified non-profit agencies to first apply and then comply with the terms of the grant award on the utilization of those funds.
This burden is theirs whether they recognize it or not. If any one of the eligible agencies fails either to apply or to meet the reporting requirements of their grant award, funds will be unspent and future audits will continue to reflect this problem. This is so because there is no other police department or health department or department of planning and natural resources in the territory competing for those funds. When operating agencies fail to meet their obligations in the grant program, LEPC is hampered in meeting its own reporting responsibilities to the federal government.
While LEPC can assist operating agencies with their grant applications, the agency as the granting entity cannot assume responsibility for initiating or completing applications, nor can it write user agencies' reports. The problem with unspent funds is substantially a user agency problem, and the public should know this.
On the matter of the Narcotics Strike Force, the public should also know that a written report to the Schneider-Mapp Transition Team in 1994 included a very specific recommendation that I made to dissolve the strike force as a government agency. Unlike a bill that was later introduced by Sen. Celestino White to have the strike force absorbed into the Police Department by transferring the unit and its employees, I recommended dissolution of the unit as a matter of public policy and placement of its employees in other agencies, including the Police Department, but only after determining the suitability of individual employees to serve in that agency. In other words, no wholesale transfer! My recommendation explained the rationale for this approach. But eight years later, the unit remains and discussions continue.
The public also should know that safe houses, "buy money" and undercover operations all are part of drug-enforcement programs, but they need not be carried out by a stand-alone agency such as the strike force. These activities can and should be an integral part of a disciplined and well-run police organization where internal transfers of personnel can be accomplished in ways that are not available to the managers of the stand-alone strike force.
Gaylord A. Sprauve
Drug Policy Adviser to the Governor
Farrelly-Hodge Administration
Recent stories regarding the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission attracted my attention since I administered both of these agencies for five years during the Farrelly-Hodge administration. In the interest of helping the public to understand some of the issues that were raised in the recent audit report and so many previously released audit reports on these agencies, I have decided to comment.
The perennial complaint on the inefficient use of federal grant funds that are funneled through and administered by LEPC should be explained properly, if the general public is to be informed on where to look for accountability. The majority of funds received by LEPC are categorical funds intended for use in programs of qualified government and/or non-profit agencies in the territory. As such, these funds cannot be disbursed whimsically.
As the so-called state agency administering these funds according to federal guidelines, LEPC must rely on eligible agencies' compliance with application and reporting requirements governing their grant awards. Unlike the mainland, where competition for similar funding is keen among the many qualified agencies in any given state, in the territory, there is virtually no competition. The consequence is that a tremendous burden is created for the single police department or health department or the few qualified non-profit agencies to first apply and then comply with the terms of the grant award on the utilization of those funds.
This burden is theirs whether they recognize it or not. If any one of the eligible agencies fails either to apply or to meet the reporting requirements of their grant award, funds will be unspent and future audits will continue to reflect this problem. This is so because there is no other police department or health department or department of planning and natural resources in the territory competing for those funds. When operating agencies fail to meet their obligations in the grant program, LEPC is hampered in meeting its own reporting responsibilities to the federal government.
While LEPC can assist operating agencies with their grant applications, the agency as the granting entity cannot assume responsibility for initiating or completing applications, nor can it write user agencies' reports. The problem with unspent funds is substantially a user agency problem, and the public should know this.
On the matter of the Narcotics Strike Force, the public should also know that a written report to the Schneider-Mapp Transition Team in 1994 included a very specific recommendation that I made to dissolve the strike force as a government agency. Unlike a bill that was later introduced by Sen. Celestino White to have the strike force absorbed into the Police Department by transferring the unit and its employees, I recommended dissolution of the unit as a matter of public policy and placement of its employees in other agencies, including the Police Department, but only after determining the suitability of individual employees to serve in that agency. In other words, no wholesale transfer! My recommendation explained the rationale for this approach. But eight years later, the unit remains and discussions continue.
The public also should know that safe houses, "buy money" and undercover operations all are part of drug-enforcement programs, but they need not be carried out by a stand-alone agency such as the strike force. These activities can and should be an integral part of a disciplined and well-run police organization where internal transfers of personnel can be accomplished in ways that are not available to the managers of the stand-alone strike force.
Gaylord A. Sprauve
Drug Policy Adviser to the Governor
Farrelly-Hodge Administration
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
ABSENCE OF COMPETITION A FACTOR FOR LEPC
Dear Source,
Recent stories regarding the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission attracted my attention since I administered both of these agencies for five years during the Farrelly-Hodge administration. In the interest of helping the public to understand some of the issues that were raised in the recent audit report and so many previously released audit reports on these agencies, I have decided to comment.
The perennial complaint on the inefficient use of federal grant funds that are funneled through and administered by LEPC should be explained properly, if the general public is to be informed on where to look for accountability. The majority of funds received by LEPC are categorical funds intended for use in programs of qualified government and/or non-profit agencies in the territory. As such, these funds cannot be disbursed whimsically.
As the so-called state agency administering these funds according to federal guidelines, LEPC must rely on eligible agencies' compliance with application and reporting requirements governing their grant awards. Unlike the mainland, where competition for similar funding is keen among the many qualified agencies in any given state, in the territory, there is virtually no competition. The consequence is that a tremendous burden is created for the single police department or health department or the few qualified non-profit agencies to first apply and then comply with the terms of the grant award on the utilization of those funds.
This burden is theirs whether they recognize it or not. If any one of the eligible agencies fails either to apply or to meet the reporting requirements of their grant award, funds will be unspent and future audits will continue to reflect this problem. This is so because there is no other police department or health department or department of planning and natural resources in the territory competing for those funds. When operating agencies fail to meet their obligations in the grant program, LEPC is hampered in meeting its own reporting responsibilities to the federal government.
While LEPC can assist operating agencies with their grant applications, the agency as the granting entity cannot assume responsibility for initiating or completing applications, nor can it write user agencies' reports. The problem with unspent funds is substantially a user agency problem, and the public should know this.
On the matter of the Narcotics Strike Force, the public should also know that a written report to the Schneider-Mapp Transition Team in 1994 included a very specific recommendation that I made to dissolve the strike force as a government agency. Unlike a bill that was later introduced by Sen. Celestino White to have the strike force absorbed into the Police Department by transferring the unit and its employees, I recommended dissolution of the unit as a matter of public policy and placement of its employees in other agencies, including the Police Department, but only after determining the suitability of individual employees to serve in that agency. In other words, no wholesale transfer! My recommendation explained the rationale for this approach. But eight years later, the unit remains and discussions continue.
The public also should know that safe houses, "buy money" and undercover operations all are part of drug-enforcement programs, but they need not be carried out by a stand-alone agency such as the strike force. These activities can and should be an integral part of a disciplined and well-run police organization where internal transfers of personnel can be accomplished in ways that are not available to the managers of the stand-alone strike force.
Gaylord A. Sprauve
Drug Policy Adviser to the Governor
Farrelly-Hodge Administration
Recent stories regarding the Narcotics Strike Force and the Law Enforcement Planning Commission attracted my attention since I administered both of these agencies for five years during the Farrelly-Hodge administration. In the interest of helping the public to understand some of the issues that were raised in the recent audit report and so many previously released audit reports on these agencies, I have decided to comment.
The perennial complaint on the inefficient use of federal grant funds that are funneled through and administered by LEPC should be explained properly, if the general public is to be informed on where to look for accountability. The majority of funds received by LEPC are categorical funds intended for use in programs of qualified government and/or non-profit agencies in the territory. As such, these funds cannot be disbursed whimsically.
As the so-called state agency administering these funds according to federal guidelines, LEPC must rely on eligible agencies' compliance with application and reporting requirements governing their grant awards. Unlike the mainland, where competition for similar funding is keen among the many qualified agencies in any given state, in the territory, there is virtually no competition. The consequence is that a tremendous burden is created for the single police department or health department or the few qualified non-profit agencies to first apply and then comply with the terms of the grant award on the utilization of those funds.
This burden is theirs whether they recognize it or not. If any one of the eligible agencies fails either to apply or to meet the reporting requirements of their grant award, funds will be unspent and future audits will continue to reflect this problem. This is so because there is no other police department or health department or department of planning and natural resources in the territory competing for those funds. When operating agencies fail to meet their obligations in the grant program, LEPC is hampered in meeting its own reporting responsibilities to the federal government.
While LEPC can assist operating agencies with their grant applications, the agency as the granting entity cannot assume responsibility for initiating or completing applications, nor can it write user agencies' reports. The problem with unspent funds is substantially a user agency problem, and the public should know this.
On the matter of the Narcotics Strike Force, the public should also know that a written report to the Schneider-Mapp Transition Team in 1994 included a very specific recommendation that I made to dissolve the strike force as a government agency. Unlike a bill that was later introduced by Sen. Celestino White to have the strike force absorbed into the Police Department by transferring the unit and its employees, I recommended dissolution of the unit as a matter of public policy and placement of its employees in other agencies, including the Police Department, but only after determining the suitability of individual employees to serve in that agency. In other words, no wholesale transfer! My recommendation explained the rationale for this approach. But eight years later, the unit remains and discussions continue.
The public also should know that safe houses, "buy money" and undercover operations all are part of drug-enforcement programs, but they need not be carried out by a stand-alone agency such as the strike force. These activities can and should be an integral part of a disciplined and well-run police organization where internal transfers of personnel can be accomplished in ways that are not available to the managers of the stand-alone strike force.
Gaylord A. Sprauve
Drug Policy Adviser to the Governor
Farrelly-Hodge Administration
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
UVI TEAM WORKING ON NEW NOAA RESEARCH VESSEL
March 10 – University of the Virgin Islands marine science students and faculty are off on another deep-sea research adventure this week.
On Saturday, the 10-member team joined an expedition on board the Ronald H. Brown, the newest and largest research vessel in the fleet of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The ship is named after former U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who served in the Clinton administration and was killed during a fact-finding trip over Bosnia in 1995.
This week, the ship makes its first Caribbean voyage as part of the ongoing Anegada Climactic Tracers Study, which involves tracking and measuring currents.
ACTS was originated in 1995 and is managed by UVI professor Roy Watlington. He said the St. Thomas team flew to Barbados to meet the Ronald H. Brown there. The vessel will be traveling from there to Trinidad and Tobago and then will head northward. It is expected to dock at Crown Bay on or about March 17 before changing crews and then heading on to monitor the waters near Puerto Rico.
Researchers from the Planning and Natural Resources Department are scheduled to take part in that phase of the study.
"The thought that this important vessel will be visiting the Virgin Islands for the first time during the week of UVI's 40th anniversary is very exciting for us," said Watlington, who also is chancellor of the St. Thomas campus.
The research team is made up of UVI students and scientists who will take part in the continuing study of the ocean's role in regulating climate. Much of the study centers on the Anegada Passage, a deep-water channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists are especially interested in the passage because it reaches some of the greatest ocean depths in the world. Students taking part in the study are expected to collect water samples from 2.5 miles below the surface as part of the Windward Islands Monitoring Project. The work is being done under the supervision of NOAA chief scientist Douglas Wilson.
Scientists from the University of the West Indies also are expected to board the research vessel, to join in observations of the Kick 'em Jenny undersea volcano. "With concerns about explosive eruptions and destructive sea waves, the Caribbean community is very interested in knowing how the volcano's eruptions of Dec. 4-6 … have altered its structure," Watlington said in a press release issued at the start of the trip.
In addition to UVI, UWI and NOAA, schools and institutions collaborating on the ACTS project include the University of Miami, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands, and the University of Puerto Rico.
For additional details about ACTS, visit UVI's Eastern Caribbean Center web site.
On Saturday, the 10-member team joined an expedition on board the Ronald H. Brown, the newest and largest research vessel in the fleet of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The ship is named after former U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who served in the Clinton administration and was killed during a fact-finding trip over Bosnia in 1995.
This week, the ship makes its first Caribbean voyage as part of the ongoing Anegada Climactic Tracers Study, which involves tracking and measuring currents.
ACTS was originated in 1995 and is managed by UVI professor Roy Watlington. He said the St. Thomas team flew to Barbados to meet the Ronald H. Brown there. The vessel will be traveling from there to Trinidad and Tobago and then will head northward. It is expected to dock at Crown Bay on or about March 17 before changing crews and then heading on to monitor the waters near Puerto Rico.
Researchers from the Planning and Natural Resources Department are scheduled to take part in that phase of the study.
"The thought that this important vessel will be visiting the Virgin Islands for the first time during the week of UVI's 40th anniversary is very exciting for us," said Watlington, who also is chancellor of the St. Thomas campus.
The research team is made up of UVI students and scientists who will take part in the continuing study of the ocean's role in regulating climate. Much of the study centers on the Anegada Passage, a deep-water channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists are especially interested in the passage because it reaches some of the greatest ocean depths in the world. Students taking part in the study are expected to collect water samples from 2.5 miles below the surface as part of the Windward Islands Monitoring Project. The work is being done under the supervision of NOAA chief scientist Douglas Wilson.
Scientists from the University of the West Indies also are expected to board the research vessel, to join in observations of the Kick 'em Jenny undersea volcano. "With concerns about explosive eruptions and destructive sea waves, the Caribbean community is very interested in knowing how the volcano's eruptions of Dec. 4-6 … have altered its structure," Watlington said in a press release issued at the start of the trip.
In addition to UVI, UWI and NOAA, schools and institutions collaborating on the ACTS project include the University of Miami, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands, and the University of Puerto Rico.
For additional details about ACTS, visit UVI's Eastern Caribbean Center web site.
UVI TEAM WORKING ON NEW NOAA RESEARCH VESSEL
March 10 – University of the Virgin Islands marine science students and faculty are off on another deep-sea research adventure this week.
On Saturday, the 10-member team joined an expedition on board the Ronald H. Brown, the newest and largest research vessel in the fleet of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The ship is named after former U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who served in the Clinton administration and was killed during a fact-finding trip over Bosnia in 1995.
This week, the ship makes its first Caribbean voyage as part of the ongoing Anegada Climactic Tracers Study, which involves tracking and measuring currents.
ACTS was originated in 1995 and is managed by UVI professor Roy Watlington. He said the St. Thomas team flew to Barbados to meet the Ronald H. Brown there. The vessel will travel from there to Trinidad and Tobago and then head northward. It is expected to dock at Crown Bay on or about March 17 before changing crews and heading on to monitor the waters near Puerto Rico.
Researchers from the Planning and Natural Resources Department are scheduled to take part in that phase of the study.
"The thought that this important vessel will be visiting the Virgin Islands for the first time during the week of UVI's 40th anniversary is very exciting for us," said Watlington, who also is chancellor of the St. Thomas campus.
The research team is made up of UVI students and scientists who will take part in the continuing study of the ocean's role in regulating climate. Much of the study centers on the Anegada Passage, a deep-water channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists are especially interested in the passage because it reaches some of the greatest ocean depths in the world. Students taking part in the study are expected to collect water samples from 2.5 miles below the surface as part of the Windward Islands Monitoring Project. The work is being done under the supervision of NOAA chief scientist Douglas Wilson.
Scientists from the University of the West Indies also are expected to board the research vessel, to join in observations of the Kick 'em Jenny undersea volcano. "With concerns about explosive eruptions and destructive sea waves, the Caribbean community is very interested in knowing how the volcano's eruptions of Dec. 4-6 … have altered its structure," Watlington said in a press release issued at the start of the trip.
In addition to UVI, UWI and NOAA, schools and institutions collaborating on the ACTS project include the University of Miami, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands, and the University of Puerto Rico.
For additional details about ACTS, visit UVI's Eastern Caribbean Center web site.
On Saturday, the 10-member team joined an expedition on board the Ronald H. Brown, the newest and largest research vessel in the fleet of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The ship is named after former U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who served in the Clinton administration and was killed during a fact-finding trip over Bosnia in 1995.
This week, the ship makes its first Caribbean voyage as part of the ongoing Anegada Climactic Tracers Study, which involves tracking and measuring currents.
ACTS was originated in 1995 and is managed by UVI professor Roy Watlington. He said the St. Thomas team flew to Barbados to meet the Ronald H. Brown there. The vessel will travel from there to Trinidad and Tobago and then head northward. It is expected to dock at Crown Bay on or about March 17 before changing crews and heading on to monitor the waters near Puerto Rico.
Researchers from the Planning and Natural Resources Department are scheduled to take part in that phase of the study.
"The thought that this important vessel will be visiting the Virgin Islands for the first time during the week of UVI's 40th anniversary is very exciting for us," said Watlington, who also is chancellor of the St. Thomas campus.
The research team is made up of UVI students and scientists who will take part in the continuing study of the ocean's role in regulating climate. Much of the study centers on the Anegada Passage, a deep-water channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists are especially interested in the passage because it reaches some of the greatest ocean depths in the world. Students taking part in the study are expected to collect water samples from 2.5 miles below the surface as part of the Windward Islands Monitoring Project. The work is being done under the supervision of NOAA chief scientist Douglas Wilson.
Scientists from the University of the West Indies also are expected to board the research vessel, to join in observations of the Kick 'em Jenny undersea volcano. "With concerns about explosive eruptions and destructive sea waves, the Caribbean community is very interested in knowing how the volcano's eruptions of Dec. 4-6 … have altered its structure," Watlington said in a press release issued at the start of the trip.
In addition to UVI, UWI and NOAA, schools and institutions collaborating on the ACTS project include the University of Miami, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College in the British Virgin Islands, and the University of Puerto Rico.
For additional details about ACTS, visit UVI's Eastern Caribbean Center web site.
IN THE E-ERA, ISLAND SHOPPERS DO HAVE A CHOICE
Dear Source,
During my recent visited St. Croix, I enjoyed the beautiful sight of the beaches, the sweet smell to the tan-tan bush, the fresh taste to Sister Tittle johnnycakes, and the gentle touch to the sea breeze. In fact, it was a pleasure to enjoy the things the makes St. Croix "Our Island, Our Home." In addition, however, I experienced the growing issues which Crucian consumers face everyday: the lack of consumer power to high prices and poor customer services.
High price issues: On one of my experiences, my mom and I visited a popular supermarket to purchase some quick groceries. Upon cashing, it totaled $30.40. I stood speechless for few minute analyzing her groceries (two boxes of corn flakes, two boxes of Triscuits, a pack of pretzels, two cans of milk and gallon of orange juice) as compared to the price. This was unbelievable. I questioned the cashier, hoping it was an error, and she sadly responded, "This is St. Croix price." Curiously, I priced the same items in Atlanta, and the total ranged from $9 to $12. Can one explain the big difference in price?
The customer no-service issues: On the very same day, I accompanied my mother to the Chevrolet dealer to address a defective tire issue. The dealer directed us to the Goodyear tire dealer, saying that, "GM has no warranty on tires. It is Goodyear who has the warranty." Okay, fine. We drove to the Goodyear dealer, where we were told, "It no us. The GM dealer has the warranty." They are playing the "round and around" games. Can one explain such irresponsibility?
My analysis: Seeking an answer to the reason for these high prices, I heard the many stories which are typically given to Crucians: transportation costs and government taxes.
Let us assume the transportation cost to St. Croix is high. One can quickly make the argument wondering why prices in Puerto Rico are much, much lower, but let us analyze this issue from a management science point of view. It is the business's responsibility to put in place the processes and technologies to ensure a satisfied customer. Many mainland businesses such as Wal-mart and Home Depot are doing just that. They uses technologies such as strategic distribution point, end-sale inventory, self-checkout system, competitive bidding, concurrent engineering, and economies of scale. By implementing these processes, businesses effectively reduce their expenses and thereby pass the savings to their customers.
As it stands, the transportation excuse is an extremely poor one, and it just "don't hold water." Here is my reasoning. Many private individuals travel to the mainland to purchase goods and use the very same transport medium, and as a result, their savings are exceptional. The bottom line is businesses must re-evaluate their operation processes and cut off all unnecessary areas, and then pass the savings to the consumer. Do it. Also, merchants have years of data which can be used to determine who buys, when they buys, and what they buys. Use it. They can use the data to develop statistical analyses and trends in their businesses to make better buying decisions. This in effect will cut costs and increase savings. Pass the saving to Crucians.
As for the customer no-service, Crucians, it is just simple: Cut them out, buy from their competitors, and return the buying power to you, the customer.
Some businesses, especially the supermarkets, have taken away your power of demanding the goods and services that you want. Instead, they give whatever they want, whenever they want, and at the price they want. Their extremely high profit margins choke the quality of life on St. Croix. This is bad for our island.
My solution: For the past five years, FedEx and UPS services have rapidly been increasing because of e-commerce. By ordering your items online, you can buy at stateside prices with minimum transportation costs. On some items, such as books and electronics, you can buy it online at half the stateside retail price. If you use e-commerce as your alternative shopping, you will return the buying power to you, and only then will businesses reduce their sky-high prices. Buy online and return the power to you.
Sylvanus Donaie
Atlanta
During my recent visited St. Croix, I enjoyed the beautiful sight of the beaches, the sweet smell to the tan-tan bush, the fresh taste to Sister Tittle johnnycakes, and the gentle touch to the sea breeze. In fact, it was a pleasure to enjoy the things the makes St. Croix "Our Island, Our Home." In addition, however, I experienced the growing issues which Crucian consumers face everyday: the lack of consumer power to high prices and poor customer services.
High price issues: On one of my experiences, my mom and I visited a popular supermarket to purchase some quick groceries. Upon cashing, it totaled $30.40. I stood speechless for few minute analyzing her groceries (two boxes of corn flakes, two boxes of Triscuits, a pack of pretzels, two cans of milk and gallon of orange juice) as compared to the price. This was unbelievable. I questioned the cashier, hoping it was an error, and she sadly responded, "This is St. Croix price." Curiously, I priced the same items in Atlanta, and the total ranged from $9 to $12. Can one explain the big difference in price?
The customer no-service issues: On the very same day, I accompanied my mother to the Chevrolet dealer to address a defective tire issue. The dealer directed us to the Goodyear tire dealer, saying that, "GM has no warranty on tires. It is Goodyear who has the warranty." Okay, fine. We drove to the Goodyear dealer, where we were told, "It no us. The GM dealer has the warranty." They are playing the "round and around" games. Can one explain such irresponsibility?
My analysis: Seeking an answer to the reason for these high prices, I heard the many stories which are typically given to Crucians: transportation costs and government taxes.
Let us assume the transportation cost to St. Croix is high. One can quickly make the argument wondering why prices in Puerto Rico are much, much lower, but let us analyze this issue from a management science point of view. It is the business's responsibility to put in place the processes and technologies to ensure a satisfied customer. Many mainland businesses such as Wal-mart and Home Depot are doing just that. They uses technologies such as strategic distribution point, end-sale inventory, self-checkout system, competitive bidding, concurrent engineering, and economies of scale. By implementing these processes, businesses effectively reduce their expenses and thereby pass the savings to their customers.
As it stands, the transportation excuse is an extremely poor one, and it just "don't hold water." Here is my reasoning. Many private individuals travel to the mainland to purchase goods and use the very same transport medium, and as a result, their savings are exceptional. The bottom line is businesses must re-evaluate their operation processes and cut off all unnecessary areas, and then pass the savings to the consumer. Do it. Also, merchants have years of data which can be used to determine who buys, when they buys, and what they buys. Use it. They can use the data to develop statistical analyses and trends in their businesses to make better buying decisions. This in effect will cut costs and increase savings. Pass the saving to Crucians.
As for the customer no-service, Crucians, it is just simple: Cut them out, buy from their competitors, and return the buying power to you, the customer.
Some businesses, especially the supermarkets, have taken away your power of demanding the goods and services that you want. Instead, they give whatever they want, whenever they want, and at the price they want. Their extremely high profit margins choke the quality of life on St. Croix. This is bad for our island.
My solution: For the past five years, FedEx and UPS services have rapidly been increasing because of e-commerce. By ordering your items online, you can buy at stateside prices with minimum transportation costs. On some items, such as books and electronics, you can buy it online at half the stateside retail price. If you use e-commerce as your alternative shopping, you will return the buying power to you, and only then will businesses reduce their sky-high prices. Buy online and return the power to you.
Sylvanus Donaie
Atlanta
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
NO WHALES IN SIGHT, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT WEEK
March 10, 2002 – About 35 people spent Sunday sailing north of Jost Van Dyke in search of calving humpback whales on the annual Environmental Association of St. Thomas and St. John whale watch.
The sun was shining and the seas were relatively calm, but the group aboard the Jolly Mon, a 60-foot catamaran from St. Croix, did not have the good fortune to find any of the whales. Instead, it was just a nice day sailing topped off with a stop at Mingo Cay for lunch and snorkeling.
The outing Sunday was the second of four EAST whale watch sailing trips this year. The group Saturday also did not spy any of the whales, but EAST members hope the two groups next Saturday and Sunday will have more luck.
There are an estimated 250 to 500 humpbacks in the Virgin Islands waters in the winter months, and several people have said they have seen some of the whales in recent weeks.
The humpbacks migrate to areas around the Caribbean islands in the winter after spending months on their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic, said Stacy Albritton, a fisheries biologist with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, who went on the whale watch Sunday. They breed and give birth in the Caribbean, so many of the local sightings are of female whales with their calves, she added.
In the spring when the calves have grown and built up fat reserves, they start their migration back to the North Atlantic, Albritton added.
The annual whale watch trips are the largest fundraisers of the year for EAST, an environmental education and advocacy group, said Nicole Bollentini, an EAST board member. The trips usually sell out, and tickets are going fast for next weekend's outings, she said.
"I think the interest in whales runs very deep and cross-cultural. We all have an affinity for them," she said. "We respect their intelligence and a lot of other characteristics they have."
It's exciting when the groups see the whales, but it doesn't always happen. "Some years we see them, some years we don't," she said. "Whales don't come with a guarantee."
Bollentini said all of the money raised from the trips goes to the group's efforts to help protect environmental resources.
For more information on next weekend's trips call 777-8633 or 777-5012.
The sun was shining and the seas were relatively calm, but the group aboard the Jolly Mon, a 60-foot catamaran from St. Croix, did not have the good fortune to find any of the whales. Instead, it was just a nice day sailing topped off with a stop at Mingo Cay for lunch and snorkeling.
The outing Sunday was the second of four EAST whale watch sailing trips this year. The group Saturday also did not spy any of the whales, but EAST members hope the two groups next Saturday and Sunday will have more luck.
There are an estimated 250 to 500 humpbacks in the Virgin Islands waters in the winter months, and several people have said they have seen some of the whales in recent weeks.
The humpbacks migrate to areas around the Caribbean islands in the winter after spending months on their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic, said Stacy Albritton, a fisheries biologist with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, who went on the whale watch Sunday. They breed and give birth in the Caribbean, so many of the local sightings are of female whales with their calves, she added.
In the spring when the calves have grown and built up fat reserves, they start their migration back to the North Atlantic, Albritton added.
The annual whale watch trips are the largest fundraisers of the year for EAST, an environmental education and advocacy group, said Nicole Bollentini, an EAST board member. The trips usually sell out, and tickets are going fast for next weekend's outings, she said.
"I think the interest in whales runs very deep and cross-cultural. We all have an affinity for them," she said. "We respect their intelligence and a lot of other characteristics they have."
It's exciting when the groups see the whales, but it doesn't always happen. "Some years we see them, some years we don't," she said. "Whales don't come with a guarantee."
Bollentini said all of the money raised from the trips goes to the group's efforts to help protect environmental resources.
For more information on next weekend's trips call 777-8633 or 777-5012.
UVI TRUSTEES PICK RAGSTER TO BE NEW PRESIDENT
March 10, 2002 – Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster has been tapped to be the next president of the University of the Virgin Islands. Ragster was selected Saturday by the UVI Board of Trustees from a field of 27 applicants found in a nationwide search begun last August.
The field was narrowed in February to three candidates: Ragster, Robert Jennings of Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management and Laurence I. Peterson, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and tenured professor of chemistry at Kennesaw State University.
UVI's board of trustees interviewed the three at a meeting Saturday and later announced that Ragster was the choice to fill the position.
Ragster, who holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California at San Diego, has been affiliated with UVI for more than 20 years. She has held several faculty and administrative positions at the university and now is senior vice president and provost.
Ragster will succeed Dr. Orville Kean, who in 1990 became the university's third president, capping an academic career spanning 35 years at UVI.
Ragster will officially take over from Kean on Sept. 1, according to a release from UVI.
Ragster said Sunday that the negotiations with the board had not been completed and though she was "excited about the possibilities," the process was ongoing.
She said her position as provost is still "all-consuming," but she felt becoming UVI president held the "largest potential for making a difference" in the community.
The direction in which the president takes the university, she said, will play a "crucial part of the destiny" of the larger community.
Ragster's appointment was announced the same day that Marthious Clavier, president of the St. Croix UVI Student Government Association, was quoted in broadcast and published reports as saying the SGA was endorsing Jennings to be UVI president. Jennings had sufficiently impressed students at a meeting Thursday that the SGA was motivated to come out publicly in favor of his appointment, Clavier said.
Ragster will be UVI's fourth president. The others were Dr. Lawrence Wanlass, Dr. Arthur A. Richards and Kean.
The field was narrowed in February to three candidates: Ragster, Robert Jennings of Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management and Laurence I. Peterson, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics and tenured professor of chemistry at Kennesaw State University.
UVI's board of trustees interviewed the three at a meeting Saturday and later announced that Ragster was the choice to fill the position.
Ragster, who holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California at San Diego, has been affiliated with UVI for more than 20 years. She has held several faculty and administrative positions at the university and now is senior vice president and provost.
Ragster will succeed Dr. Orville Kean, who in 1990 became the university's third president, capping an academic career spanning 35 years at UVI.
Ragster will officially take over from Kean on Sept. 1, according to a release from UVI.
Ragster said Sunday that the negotiations with the board had not been completed and though she was "excited about the possibilities," the process was ongoing.
She said her position as provost is still "all-consuming," but she felt becoming UVI president held the "largest potential for making a difference" in the community.
The direction in which the president takes the university, she said, will play a "crucial part of the destiny" of the larger community.
Ragster's appointment was announced the same day that Marthious Clavier, president of the St. Croix UVI Student Government Association, was quoted in broadcast and published reports as saying the SGA was endorsing Jennings to be UVI president. Jennings had sufficiently impressed students at a meeting Thursday that the SGA was motivated to come out publicly in favor of his appointment, Clavier said.
Ragster will be UVI's fourth president. The others were Dr. Lawrence Wanlass, Dr. Arthur A. Richards and Kean.
